Featuring: The Destroyer
Release: July 31, 1941
Cover: October 1941
10 cents
Story by: Stan Lee
By: Jack Binder
15 pages
We just met the Thor villain, the Destroyer. It seems a good time to look back to Marvel’s original Destroyer, an early Stan Lee co-creation from 1941.
He is introduced in Mystic Comics #6. You may recall we’ve already read the story from Mystic Comics #4 which introduced the original Black Widow.
In our normal 1965 reading, we just saw Thor take his part in the Vietnam War. Marvel was willing to take a clear stand in a conflict. The Vietnam War is a much more controversial one amongst Americans, and Lee’s take in that story was entirely in line with US policy.
This story takes a clear stance against the Nazis, something historically less controversial, but that was not at the time well-aligned with US policy. And US opinion on the war in Europe was far from homogeneous when this was released in July 1941.
Stan describes a war between democracy and dictatorship, and the Destroyer is a hero who will specifically destroy the Nazi hordes.
Germany is then criticized for a lack of press freedom, claiming only German official propaganda is released, and that the truth is being hidden.
Our hero is reporter Keen Marlow, determined to find the truth the Nazis seek to hide. (Later issues will spell his name Keen Marlowe.)
For his efforts, the Germans imprison and torture him, particularly when they learn his mother was born in England.
His origin comes in prison. He shares a cell with a scientist who has created a formula he refuses to share with the Nazis. Before his death, he gives this secret serum to Marlow.
The story seems to borrow a lot from Captain America’s origin. A scientist gives him what is basically a super soldier serum, and then dies, so the serum will never be replicated. The setting got moved from a government lab to a German prison, but it’s the same idea.
The particulars of this story will echo in Iron Man’s origin. The scientist, Professor Schmitt, will turn Marlowe into a superhero so he can escape, but die himself in the process. Yinsen will play a similar role for Tony Stark, helping him become Iron Man to escape prison and then sacrificing himself.
As the Destroyer, he will focus his efforts on protecting the German people from the tyranny of their own government.
The Destroyer leaves a calling card, “The Mark of the Destroyer”, with a skull and sword.
Nazi officer Frederick Von Banger seems positioned to be a major nemesis for the Destroyer, but I don’t think we actually ever see him again.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 55/100
This story can be found on Kindle.
Characters:
- The Destroyer/Keen Marlow
- Professor Eric Schmitt
- Frederick Von Banger
Story notes:
- Marlow flies into Hamburg.
- Marlow tries to visit Strohm Prison but is turned away.
I’ve read a fair amount of Destroyer stuff (and really dig the wartime superhero behind enemy lines high concept) but I don’t think I’ve ever read the origin. Good post!
Probably not relevant to a Timely blog, but it is to a Marvel blog. That is that Roy Thomas brought the Destroyer deep into the Marvel Universe in the Invaders. The retcon origin (He’s the son of the original Union Jack.) waves the Timely origin as a fictional story to cover for the “real” Destroyer.