Mr. ScarletandPinky the Whiz Kidare two duo fictionalcomic booksuperheroesconnected to each other, and first introduced inWow Comics.The superheroes were originally published byFawcett Comicsand later byDC Comics.The original Mister Scarlet wasBrian Butlerdebuting inWow Comics#1 (cover-datedWinter 1940-41), and was created byFrance HerronandJack KirbywhilePinky Butler(Brian's son) became his sidekick, Pinky the Whiz Kid. After Brian's death, Pinky takes over the role as Mr. Scarlet in DC's continuity. Pinky Butler premiered in the fourth issue ofWow Comics.[1]
Publication history
editMr. Scarlet, created by writerFrance Herronand artistJack Kirbydebuted inFawcett Comics'Wow Comics#1 (Winter 1940-41) and was the cover feature for five issues of that anthology comic.[2]He later appeared in Fawcett'sMary Marvel#9 (February 1947). After the Fawcett properties were acquired byNational Comics Publications,the futureDC Comics,Mr. Scarlet appeared inJustice League of America#135-137 (Oct.-Dec. 1976).
Fictional character biography
editBrian Butler
editBrian Butler | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Fawcett Comics DC Comics |
First appearance | Wow Comics#1 (Winter 1940-41) |
Created by | France Herron(writer) Jack Kirby(artist) |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Brian Butler |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations | Squadron of Justice All-Star Squadron |
Notable aliases | Mr. Scarlet |
Abilities | Olympic level athlete Keen investigative skills Use of utility belt |
Mr. Scarlet isdistrict attorneyBrian Butler, who along with his adopted son Pinky the Whiz Kid, fought evil in his city for several years. His success was such that his employment was frequently in jeopardy due to a lack of crime.[3]As a result throughout his series, he took up several odd jobs to supplement his family's income. He used inventive devices to help him apprehend criminals, and had great acrobatic and hand-to-hand combatant skills.[4]
In his first appearance inWow Comics#1, Brian was based inGotham City.This may be the first use of the name of this city in comics. Laterretconsestablished Mr. Scarlet's base in eitherNew York CityorFawcett City.[5]
The heroes tangle with a wide variety of villains, including the sinister Death Battalion, who plan the assassinations of top government officials. The Battalion's members include Dr. Death, the Ghost, the Horned Hood, the Black Thorn, the Black Clown, the Laughing Skull, and their leader known as "the Brain" is actually the warden of El Catraz prison.[6]
Although initially appearing in the 1940s, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky were revealed to still be active and at relatively the same age level in the 1970s during a team-up with theJustice League of AmericaandJustice Society of AmericainJustice League of America135-137. It was during this team-up that the two crime-fighters joined with several other heroes from Earth-S to form Shazam'sSquadron of Justice.[7]
Pinky Butler
editPinky Butler | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Fawcett Comics DC Comics |
First appearance | Wow Comics#4 (Winter 1941-42) |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Pinkerton "Pinky" Butler |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations | Squadron of Justice All-Star Squadron |
Notable aliases | Pinky the Whiz Kid Mr. Scarlet II |
Abilities | Olympic level athlete Keen investigative skills Use of utility belt |
Pinky was the adopted son of district attorney Brian Butler, also known asMr. Scarlet,who fought evil in his city for several years. His father's success was such that his employment was frequently in jeopardy due to a lack of crime. As a result, he throughout his series took up several odd jobs to supplement his family's income.
Although initially appearing in the 1940s, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky were revealed to still be active and at relatively the same age level in the 1970s during a team-up with theJustice League of AmericaandJustice Society of America.It was during this teamup that the two crimefighters joined with several other heroes to form Shazam'sSquadron of Justice,becauseKing Kullhad capturedShazamand the Elders that gave theMarvel Familytheir powers, and was trying to wipe out humanity on all three Earths. Scarlet and Pinky helped defeat the Weeper andEarth-2Jokerwhile they committed crimes onEarth-Sand turned people into diamonds, although no further adventures of this team were chronicled thereafter.[7]
After theCrisis on Infinite Earths,Pinky Butler is revealed to have taken over the identity of his father Mr. Scarlet after his death, having been active inFawcett Cityfor several years. It is also revealed how they retained their youth since the 1940s, as the wizardShazamprovided a protective field around the city for decades allowing its inhabitants to age slower than their contemporaries in other cities.
Pinky first appeared as Mr. Scarlet inThe Power of Shazam#44.
Mr. Scarlet later rescuesFreddy FreemanfromPrometheus' captivity, alongside theBulleteer.[8]
In "The New Golden Age",Pinky was shown to be a captive of a Time Scavenger called Childminder on Orphan Island. His voice can be heard coming from the same cell asBlue Beetle's sidekickSparky.[9]Pinky the Whiz Kid and Sparky are among those freed byRed ArrowandBoom.By the time Emiko reunites withStargirl,Pinky the Whiz Kid is among those that are subdued by theHourman android.[10]Thanks to a diversion from Corky Baxter, Boom proceeded to use this diversion to free everyone. Following Time Master and Childminder's defeat and Wing being sent back to his own time, Pinky the Whiz Kid is among the Lost Children that are brought to Stargirl's time by the Hourman android due to paradoxical reasons.[11]
Other versions
edit- A new version of Mr. Scarlet appeared inElseworlds'Kingdom ComeandThe Kingdomminiseries. Mr. Scarlet is drawn as a bright red devil of a man known for hanging out atTitans Towerbar with Matrix, the newJoker'sdaughter,and the new Thunder. He has a large crest running down his hood, based on the fin on the original's cowl.
- A script for a Mister Scarlet movie serial was created by Republic Pictures in 1942-43. Scarlet, who was a D. A. that fought crime in a costume at night with the help of his secretary. When DC comics company sued Fawcett, asserting that Captain Marvel was a copy of Superman, and dragged Republic into the lawsuit, Republic quickly decided not to use any more Fawcett characters in serials, especially any that could fly or wore anything like Superman did. So they hastily replaced the lead character, or at least his costume, in the planned Mister Scarlet serial with Captain America, whose name and costume they were allowed to use in exchange for buying some ads in Timely comics. This was all arranged for so hastily that Republic decided not to rewrite the script for the serial at all so Captain America's other identity in the serial was not that of a soldier named Steve Rogers; they just let him remain the D. A. character the script was written for, renaming him Grant Gardner instead of Brian Butler, and replaced the lead character's costume with Captain America's. Some references to Mister Scarlet remain in the finished serial, including a chapter titled "The Scarlet Clue" in which nothing appears that is that color.
References
edit- ^Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 81.ISBN978-1605490892.
- ^Benton, Mike (1992).Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History.Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p.192.ISBN0-87833-808-X.Retrieved1 April2020.
- ^Nevins, Jess (2013).Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes.High Rock Press. p. 187.ISBN978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^Mr. Scarlet and PinkyatDon Markstein's Toonopedia.Archivedfrom the original on March 10, 2016.
- ^Wow Comics#1 (December 1940). Fawcett Comics.
- ^Morris, Jon (2017).The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History.Quirk Books. p. 51.ISBN978-1594749322.
- ^abJustice League of America#135-137 (October–December 1976)
- ^Justice League: Cry for Justice#7 (April 2010). DC Comics.
- ^Stargirl: The Lost Children#4. DC Comics.
- ^Stargirl: The Lost Children#5. DC Comics.
- ^Stargirl: The Lost Children#6. DC Comics.