The Uncommon and Presumably Inspiring Positive-Hearth Comics #4, Up for Public sale

Ace Periodicals entered the comics discipline in early 1940 with the title Positive-Hearth Comics, which featured the character Flash Lightning by Robert Turner and Harry Lucey.  A superhero with a broad vary of lightning-powered talents, Flash Lightning’s origin takes some pretty apparent inspiration from Fawcett’s Captain Marvel.  However it’s arguably much more much like the origin of Dr. Destiny, and Positive Hearth Comics #1 pre-dated Dr. Destiny’s first-told origin in Extra Enjoyable Comics #67 by over a 12 months.  Robert Morgan was an American finding out in Egypt who encountered an historic Egyptian determine generally known as “The Previous Man of the Pyramids”, who taught him historic arts and sciences, and gave him “the Amulet of Annihilation, the weapon of the forces of proper.”  The primary 4 problems with Positive-Hearth Comics are all fairly powerful to get, however there is a Positive-Hearth Comics 3 (#4) (Ace, 1940) CGC PR 0.5 Mild tan to off-white pages up for public sale within the up for public sale within the 2022 July 31-August 1 Sunday & Monday Comedian Books Choose Public sale #122231 at Heritage Auctions.

As an enormous Jack Kirby fan, his cowl for Hulk #5 instantly popped into my head once I was wanting on the Positive-Hearth Comics #4 cowl from over 20 years prior.  Whereas I would not be stunned if there are any variety of related scenes on the market in comedian books, the greedy of the hose/pipe within the outstretched fist makes it a barely nearer name.  Nonetheless, maybe a “separated at start” situation is much less doubtless than a “shares the identical ancestor” situation, but it surely’s attention-grabbing nonetheless.  GCD tentatively credit Jim Mooney with the Positive-Hearth Comics cowl.

Positive-Hearth Comics was renamed Lightning Comics with concern #4, though there is a slight complication there.  Ace inadvertently numbered Positive-Hearth Comics #4 as concern #3. That led to Lightning Comics beginning with #4 and lasting two further points by way of till concern #6. Lightning Comics was then rebooted with a brand new #1 later in 1941. Whereas Flash Lightning’s adventures had been much more commonplace superhero fare than Dr. Destiny’s, the saga made references to Egyptian themes from the plain “lightning pyramid” image on his chest, to the Mummy supervillain that was launched in concern #5. DC Comics might have objected to the “Flash” within the character title “Flash Lightning”, and the character’s title was shortened to easily “Lightning” with concern #6.  The collection was rebooted with a brand new #1 in 1941, the place he was renamed “Lash” Lightning and the character additionally appeared in Ace’s 4 Favorites title.

Whereas at CGC .5 this copy is indisputably a low grade, it additionally seems to be the one CGC graded copy accessible at public public sale since 2005.  There is a Positive-Hearth Comics 3 (#4) (Ace, 1940) CGC PR 0.5 Mild tan to off-white pages up for public sale within the 2022 July 31-August 1 Sunday & Monday Comedian Books Choose Public sale #122231 at Heritage Auctions. When you’ve by no means bid at Heritage Auctions earlier than, you will get additional info, you’ll be able to take a look at their FAQ on the bidding course of and associated issues.  It is a significantly good week to have a look with plenty of uncommon Ace Magazines comics, Champ and Champion Comics, Lev Gleason comics, and rather more.

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