The Red Comet

 

cover art tentatively credited to Nick Cardy

Planet Comics (published by Fiction House) began life with an issue cover-dated January 1940 (so probably came out in late 1939). It had a nice run of 73 issues before ending in 1953.

The first 20 issues (and occasional issues after that) featured a superhero called the Red Comet, who had the ability to change his size. He apparently also has the ability to survive unprotected in space or in oxygen-less atmospheres, though that might be more a result of carefree scripts rather than a power deliberately given to him.

It's not until Planet Comics #9 (September 1940) that we learn of Red Comet's origins. (The writer of the story is Thomas Marlin; the imaginative art is by Alex Blum.) 

While in space, he flew through "some outer space force" that gave him his powers. He was outside his ship when this happened and NOT wearing a spacesuit, so let's assume his costume generates a life support field. (To be fair, I haven't read all the Red Comet stories and his ability to survive in space might be explained at some point. I kinda doubt it, but it's possible.) 

I sound like I'm making fun of the story, don't I? And I am a little. But I'm not really bothered by this. The Red Comet exists in Space Opera Universe that plays fast and loose with real science. And, by golly, it's more interesting than real science. I want my own private spaceship and the ability to breath in space. Who doesn't?

Anyway, trouble is afoot. The planet Uranus is dying and the inhabitants plan to move to Earth, wiping out humanity to make room for themselves. They build a miniature planet, shrink themselves down to fit inside it, then launch the mini-planet towards Earth.

Earth scientists have detected the Uranians and somehow figured out their purpose. They dispatch Red Comet to the planet, who lands on it, shrinks himself down, enters the planet, and immediately gets hit by a "negative-growth ray"--which keeps him from changing size again.

 

The Uranians offer Red a chance to join them and he pretends to consider it, but then eventually makes his way to the gravity generators. There's a fight in which a number of Uranians meet a gruesome end, then Red breaks the gravity machines. 

This causes the Uranians to fall "up" to the rim of the mini-planet. Red, in the meantime, has found out that oxygen is deadly to the aliens. After more fights and after the planet has landed in the ocean on Earth, Red manages to crack it open. The Uranians all die. Earth is saved.

So did Red Comet commit genocide? We don't see any women or children Uranians. So... well, lets say that are a race of clones that are produced as grown men, with full moral responsibilities for their actions. So the heck with 'em all. Yeah, that's it.

The art is indeed imaginative and is fun enough to carry the story along. The story itself has unclear plot points and wonky science. I wouldn't be surprised if the script was written in almost stream-of-consciousness without thought about internal logic. Perhaps this was to meet a tight deadline. Perhaps the writer didn't care. Perhaps he realized he didn't have to care. There are times when story logic should simply step aside and let illogic have fun. This is one of those times. 

You can revel in the illogic HERE.

Next week, the Fantastic Four battles the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.