British Super-Heroes from the 40s and 50s Quiz

Answer: Streamline

Streamline made his first appearance in 1947's "Streamline Comics" #1. Scientist Keenan King innoculated himself with Elixir X to become one of Britain's many fastest men alive.

Answer: Maxwell the Mighty

Maxwell the Mighty made his debut in the first (and only) issue of Hotspur Publishing's "Prang Comic". Maxwell was also known for his odd and sometimes out-of-place exclamations, such as yelling "Jemima!" while wrestling a giant snake. He often helped out his landlady, Mrs. Reed and his secretary, Miss Dent.

Answer: Quicksilver

Quicksilver (no relation to the heroes of the same name from Marvel Comics and Quality/DC Comics) was one of the first heroes to be environmentally-friendly. He was the "protector of wild life", and he acted as that in his first adventure in "The Round Up" (1948), in which Quicksilver saved the wild stallion, Shadow, from the clutches of Coffin Reilly and his gang.

Answer: Maskman

Maskman was your standard Batman-style character with no super-powers. He was assisted in his two-fisted war on evil by his servant, Fogg.

Answer: Captain Crash

Captain Crash appeared in "Crash Comics" #1 in 1948. The powerful hero could travel through space unaided, and his telescope allowed him to view the heavens in astonishing detail. He watched the ship Vulcan penetrate the reflective shield around an unnamed planet, and saw the crew taken as slaves by the planet's robot rulers. Captain Crash flew to the planet and freed them from the power of Kling, the mad ruler of space.

Answer: Young Marvelman

Dicky Dauntless was the middle member of the Marvelman Family, which was the British version of Fawcett Publishing's The Marvel Family.

The Marvelman Family books started after Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family ceased being published in the United States (the result of a lawsuit with DC Comics). Dicky was actually the replacement for Mary Marvel, as the British publishers felt that sturdy UK lads wouldn't identify with a female character.

Marvelman was revived in the eighties (in the pages of "Warrior") and became a fascinating study in super-heroes and the real world, changing its name to Miracleman once it made it to the colonies, being published by Eclipse Books.

Answer: Steve Samson

Steve Samson headlined an eponymous book in 1953. While performing at Major Lambert's International Circus, he helped protect the circus from rival showmen and saboteurs, worked for MI-5, and eventually joined the first spaceship crew that journeyed to the planet Mars.

Steve Samson's adventures were wonderfully embellished by covers provided by the late James Holdaway, an excellent artist who's work compares favorably to a lot of art produced in comics today.

Answer: Galap

Much like Captain Marvel's "Shazam", "Galap" was an acronym. The letters of the magic word stood for Galileo, Archimedes, Leonardo (da Vinci), Aristotle and Pythagoras. Once Jim said this word, electronic impulses from outer space would vibrate through him and change him into Captain Universe.

Captain Universe appeared in his own comic from the Arnold Book Company, beginning in 1954. He was also illustrated by Mick Anglo, the artist probably best remembered for his work on "Marvelman".

Answer: He could change a human being into any shape or form he desired.

Zom, who was illustrated by "Comic Life" contributor S.K. Perkins, appeared in "Big Win Comic" (1948). Zom would use his power to help people in odd ways much of the time, such as turning a wimpy guy who had gotten mugged into a muscular he-man who could easily get his property back from the thugs.

Answer: The Rocket-ornithopter

Ray Spede was the star of the four-penny books "Red Flash Comic" and "Bob Comic Book" in 1948 and 1949. Ray was a standard scientist-adventurer kind of character, wearing his outlandish flying harness in a "Rocketeer" fashion. In his second appearance, he adopted a costume, which featured leopard-skin shorts over his red tights.