Jupiter, Master Magician

"Jupiter, I can't thank you enough!"

~ Joan, the daughter of NY state governor

"Joan, it's all in the fight against evil!"

~ Jupiter, Master Magician

JUPITER, MASTER MAGICIAN
Real Name:  Unknown
Planet of Origin:  Jupiter 
First Appearance:  Prize Comics # 1 (March 1940)
Publisher:  Prize Publications
Creator:  Greg Chapian

Recommended Links:
* Link to Public Domain Super Heroes Page

Jupiter, Master Magician, came to Earth from the planet Jupiter "in order to combat evil."   He was an incredible magician able to perform almost any task using magic words or gestures, but apparently everyone of his race on Jupiter could perform magic, as well as be "sensitive to human vibrations".  Jupiter looked like a normal, blond human man, except for pointed antennae on his forehead.

Jupiter had a special friendship with ace reporter Jim Johnson, and Jim had but to say Jupiter's name, or some phrase such as "if only Jupiter were around...", and he would appear to assist Jim.  It was never shown exactly where Jupiter resided when not called forth by Jim.

Based in New York state, Jupiter fought all manner of evil, in several issues against the mad scientist Racko.  He used magic words to accomplish most of his magic, several of which are listed below:




• ASTERKO - to cause an explosion
• BAK-MAL-KO - to turn people into fish
• BALKU - to turn men to statues
• BUMLOKA - to fly
• ETTIO - to bind men

  

  The magical "Super Plane"

• FIZZBA - to change human to ice statue
• MAXRONA - to create a drill
• OKPATO - to heal someone's injuries
• POTUPO - to release bindings
• PRANTISSIMO - to freeze people
• QUARMUNDO - to turn objects into rabbits
• QUIZACTO - to teleport
• TUMBRIO - to make bullets change trajectory
• ZOONG - to stop a death ray
• ZUDAKO - to cause an explosion
• ZUTARK - to clear blocked passages
• ZUTKO-MUPAKO - to fly
• ZUTORGO - to make the "Super Plane" appear
• ZXUNT - to fly out of danger

Jupiter could also become invisible, amphibious, create electrical discharges and create heat rays.  He had a magic crystal ball that allowed him to search for his enemies.

Appearing in Prize Comics # 1-6, below is his second appearance in Prize Comics # 2.

Kardak the Mystic Magician

"Well Balthar!  There's some good in anybody -- if you know how to bring it out!!"

~ Kardak the Mystic

KARDAK THE MYSTIC MAGICIAN
Real Name:  Unknown 
First Appearance: Top-Notch Comics # 1 (December 1939)
Publisher:  MLJ/Archie Comics
Creator:  C.A. Winter and Harry Shorten

Recommended Links:
* Link to Public Domain Super Heroes Page

"Kardak, the Mystic Magician, has uncanny, unexplainable powers which are fortunately used for the suppression of evil!"

When he made his first appearance, Kardak was simply called "The Mystic".  In his third adventure, the story title changed to Kardak the Mystic, which is where we learn his name.

Kardak started out with some wild adventures, traveling to an undersea kingdom and then going on a long trek over several issues to reach the Land of the Master Brahmins, who were magical enemies of civilization.   Once he defeated them, his adventures became more mundane, as he fought against crime and corruption, as well as against some just mean folks!   He helped the unlucky and stood up for the poor and downtrodden.

Balthar (Kardak's servant), Lorna Delroy (Kardak's fiancee) and Kardak himself.

Kardak traveled at first with his fiancee, Lorna Delroy, and later with a servant, Balthar.  His magic could accomplish almost anything, except it would not work against the dead.   Kardak's magic resided in his eyes and when his eyes were covered, his magic disappeared. 

A sampling of the many ways he used his abilities is listed below:

• Became invisible.
• Changed objects from one thing to another.
• Sent his shadow to do tasks.
• Created fire.
• Controlled the weather, such as creating gales.
• Changed his size to shrink or grow into a giant.
• Created illusions.
• Used hypnosis.

Kardak the Mystic Magician appeared in Top-Notch Comics # 1-2 and then # 4-27.  When the comic changed names to Top-Notch Laugh Comics, he appeared in issues # 28 and 29.

The first comic below is his first appearance in Top-Notch Comics # 1, where he is only referred to as The Mystic.   The second comic is Top-Notch Comics # 4, where he is first called by his name, Kardak.

Top-Notch Comics # 1:

Top-Notch Comics # 4:

Diamond Jack

"The only magic I'll use will be these two hands!"

~ Diamond Jack

DIAMOND JACK

Real Name:  Jack Lansing
First Appearance: Slam Bang Comics # 1 (March 1940)
Publisher:  Fawcett Comics
Creator:  Gus Ricca

Recommended Links:
* Link to Public Domain Super Heroes Page

“With the help of a magic diamond given him years ago by a magician, Diamond Jack can perform mental and physical miracles which amaze ordinary human beings…but always he uses the magic diamond only to do good and destroy evil!”

Diamond Jack was given a magic diamond encased in a ring by an aged magician who taught him how to use it to "aid the worthy".   The diamond was once the eye of an evil god.

The power of the ring manifested in traditional mystical ways such as changing objects from one to another and allowing Diamond Jack to control objects or people.  It also granted him superhuman powers such as strength, speed, flight and invulnerability.  The magic used was dependent on his concentration.


Diamond Jack used this magic ring to fight criminals, vampire, demons, sorcerors and even an evil god.  


Diamond Jack appeared in Slam Bang Comics # 1-7 and Wow Comics # 1.


The following is from Slam Bang Comics # 1.

Mr. Miracle

"Maybe it's a miracle!"

~ Mr. Miracle

MR. MIRACLE
Real Name:  Unknown
First Appearance: Captain Fearless Comics # 1 (August 1941)
Publisher:  Holyoke Publishing
Recommended Links:

* Link to Public Domain Super Heroes Page

"Mr. Miracle! Master of men and possessor of all the strange odic powers of the cosmic!"

Mr. Miracle was a little different form other magicians of the era in that he gained his powers from a scientific device.   We may never know why the man who would become Mr. Miracle jumped off a bridge in a suicide attempt, but he was pulled out and revived from death by Professor Reitz's mind ray, which gave him the "power to perform miracles."

Using his power to "bring freedom and justice to all oppressed people", in his first case he tracked down the man who killed Professor Ritz and re-obtained the plans for the "mind ray".  Mr. Miracle then destroyed the plans so that they could not be misused.

In his first adventure, Mr. Miracle used his miraculous abilities to create his new costume, teleport in a cloud of smoke, change guns into snake and birds,  turn paper into fish and freeze a man in mid-air.  Truly a miracle worker indeed!

Appearing in Captain Fearless Comics # 1 and 2, here is his first appearance.

Solar, Master of Magic

"Come on boys -- Let's have some fun, too!"

~ Solar, Master of Magic

SOLAR, THE MASTER OF MAGIC

Real Name:  Unknown

First Appearance: Captain Aero Comics # 1 (December 1941)

Publisher:  Holyoke Publishing

Creator:  Saul Rosen 

“Solar, the famous man of mystery  and master of magic pits the wizardry of the ages against the forces of crime and evil.”

Solar, the Master of Magic, was a stage magician who just happened to also have real magic powers.  I wonder if there were any stage magicians in the 1940's who did not dabble in the real magical arts.

He wore a magical diamond that came from King Solomon’s Mines which gave the wearer the power  of performing miracles, like making a car fly or creating illusions.  Solar also owned the “Cape of Mystery” which made him invisible when worn and allowed him to track down and infiltrate crooks' hideouts.

In his brief four appearances in Captain Aero Comics # 1-4, Solar fought criminals as well as Nazis.   His assistant was the lovely and spunky Linda Andrews, introduced in her first appearance as the daughter of Professor Andrews, inventor of a super-bomb.

The following is from Captain Aero Comics # 1.