The DC Implosion

I remember the DC Implosion pretty well, since I was there at the time. For those unaware, this was when DC's efforts to expand their line with the "DC Explosion" were scuttled by the suits and they ended up contracting big time instead. It's probably fair to say it was one of the few times in the last 50 years that DC was in danger of being shut down entirely.

Since that fateful time in 1978 when the Implosion rocked DC, the legend of the DC Implosion has grown to the point where many people include a lot of comics on the list of casualties that just don't belong. Things like Hercules Unbound and Metal Men don't count, guys. Their cancellation had nothing to do with the edict that DC's line should be slashed to twenty 40¢ monthly books and six $1.00 bi-monthly books.

The following books were cancelled in 1978 due to all the reshuffling of the DC line. Some of these were axed prior to the word of the Implosion coming down from on-high, but I'm including them anyway because their ends were abrupt and not announced in the comics themselves. Pinning down what was and wasn't cancelled due to the Implosion can be a lot more challenging than you might guess.

• All Star Comics
  
• Aquaman
  
• Army At War
  
• Batman Family
  
• Battle Classics
  
• Black Lightning
  
• Claw the Unconquered
  
• Doorway To Nightmare
  
• Dynamic Classics
  
• Firestorm
  
• House of Secrets
  
• Kamandi
  
• Mister Miracle
  
• Our Fighting Forces
  
• Secret Society of Super Villains
  
• Secrets of Haunted House
  
• Shade, the Changing Man
  
• Showcase
  
• Star Hunters
  
• Steel: The Indestructible Man
  
• Witching Hour
  

The following books were advertised, but never appeared : Demand Classics, The Vixen, Western Classics, and revivals of both Weird Mystery Tales and Strange Adventures (offered for subscription). Also on the table during that time were projects like The Deserter, Starslayer, and a revived Swamp Thing.

Oh, and these books should get honorable mention. They were also cancelled during the general Implosion timeframe, but are rarely included in lists : Challengers of The Unknown, Freedom Fighters, Karate Kid, and New Gods. I don't own any of those final issues, but I'll hazard a guess that those books got to at least acknowledge they were cancelled. Special titles Limited Collectors Edition and the umbrella DC Special Series also disappeared at this time.

Lot of comics, isn't it? One startling footnote to this mass pruning surfaced a couple of years later :

...though we do cheerfully admit that Kamandi was one of about five books that were cancelled in our cutback in 1978 simply because we wanted to have only monthly 40¢ comics, which meant that a handful of decent sellers had to go...
-Paul Levitz, excerpt of lettercolumn response, The Brave and the Bold #162 (May, 1980)

This has always fascinated me, and it makes me wonder which of the other books on the list would have survived without outside forces stepping into the picture. I've speculated on this in the past, but the facts didn't always match up as well as I thought. For example, I would have bet money one of those titles would have been Secret Society of Super Villains. It was an 8 times a year title when bi-monthly was the norm for a second-tier DC book and was also considered strong enough to warrant an oversized special in the DC Special Series. But no, it was already on the chopping block when the Implosion was happening - it just happened really fast.

Let's make a couple of guesses as to what other titles almost sold well-enough to make it through the Implosion :

1) All Star Comics - I admit I'm biased regarding this comic, as it is one of my favorites of the era. But I genuinely believe it sold decently. It ran for almost three years, it was to have had its own DC-sponsored fanclub before that project was junked, and its inventory was transferred to Adventure Comics after it ended. Plus, if we consider All-Star Squadron a "revival," it was more or less back on the stands by 1981.

2) Batman Family - This is a little bit of a cheat, because Batman Family wasn't really cancelled. Detective Comics was cancelled, but smart-thinking staffers at DC salvaged that venerable title by folding Batman Family into it and making 'Tec a Dollar book. Eventually, the "Batman Family" format of the book was discontinued, and it reverted back to being a regular Batman book. Today, it is one of the very few books retained in the Implosion that has maintained its original numbering. So the escape clause that Batman Family temporarily provided for it meant that one of DC's truly historical series was preserved.

And after those? Well, it depends on if Paul was basing his statement on sales reports they already had on hand in 1978, or if it included data that had arrived after the final curtain. Here are the arguments you could make for a few books :

* Firestorm didn't sit on the shelf long, despite the short life of his debut series. He was used in team-ups, the Justice League, and had his own back-up feature in The Flash. By 1982, he was back in his own book, and it had a healthy run.

* Secrets of Haunted House returned to the schedule less than a year after its cancellation in the Implosion.

* Claw The Unconquered had been revived due to promising sales on the final issues on its earlier run.

* Black Lightning was another one of DC's better new heroes of the 1970s, and his strip also found a new home quickly. Unfortunately, his creator (Tony Isabella) didn't stick around DC like Firestorm creator Gerry Conway, and I think that hurt Black Lightning's chances. He did prove to be a linchpin of Batman and the Outsiders a few years later, but Black Lightning should have been strong enough to make it as a solo.

Those are my nominees, but beyond that, I'm not going to commit myself.

And because it's a list that doesn't get cited nearly so often, here are the survivors :

20 40¢ monthly titles

• Action Comics
  
• Batman
  
• The Brave and the Bold
  
• DC Comics Presents
  
• The Flash
  
• Ghosts
  
• Green Lantern
  
• House of Mystery
  
• Jonah Hex
  
• Justice League of America
  
• Men of War
  
• Sgt. Rock
  
• Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes
  
• Super Friends
  
• Superman
  
• Unknown Soldier
  
• The Warlord
  
• Weird War Tales
  
• Weird Western Tales
  
• Wonder Woman
  

6 $1.00 bi-monthly titles

• Adventure Comics
  
• Detective Comics
  
• G.I. Combat
  
• Superman Family
  
• The Unexpected
  
• World's Finest
  

It's telling about the fickle nature of comics that, less than a decade later, only 11 of the titles judged fit enough to continue in 1978 were still being published in any form, and many of those had either changed titles or relaunched with new series.

A huge thanks to Mr. Jim Van Dore, who caused me to re-examine my own thinking on the Implosion when we interacted in this message board thread. I promised Jim LAST YEAR I would acknowledge the impact that discussion had on this entry, but I didn't realize it would take me so long to get around to writing it. Jim has contributed a great deal to the GCD index on Cancelled Comic Cavalcade, one of the peculiar relics of this strange period of time. Check out the amazing work that's been done to catalog comics that were never officially published. Hats off to those guys!

The Stax Museum

Not long ago, I got behind a car with an out of state plate that was adorned with a bumper sticker for the Stax Museum. Stax, if you don't know, is a famous record label noted for soul music. Heard Otis Redding's "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay", Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft", or Booker T & The MGs' "Green Onions"? That's Stax.

As I drove behind that car, looking at the bumper sticker which read "I Visited The Stax Museum", all I could think was, "I want to go there."

If you click the link, you probably will too.

My World : Firegirl

Fiery reporter Roxanne Prize was not only one of the first people befriended by Paul Mann when he arrived in Major City, but she soon became his girlfriend as well. Outwardly, they seemed the very picture of a happy couple, but both of them were keeping secrets. Roxanne's secret was that she was trying to dig up clues to the mystery of Paul Mann's background.

Although Roxanne had initially become involved with Mann to learn more about him, she grew to genuinely love him. That made it a gut-wrenching decision when her research was finally completed and she had reached her conclusions. Should she release the story, or should she just forget it? In the end, her (somewhat unethical) journalist side won out over her personal side.

When Roxanne's exposé on Paul Mann broke, it drove a wedge between the two of them that was impossible to overcome. To make matters worse, it soon became clear to everyone that Roxanne's reasoned deduction of Mann's "true" identity was, in fact, wrong. Having lost both the man she loved and her already iffy journalistic credibility due to her deception, Roxanne more or less went into hiding. She retreated to the west coast and began writing for celebrity gossip magazines under an assumed name.

When Paul Mann created his Captain Satellite persona a few years later, Roxanne Prize saw an opportunity to make amends for what she had done. Returning to the east coast on "special assignment" for one of her client publications, she turned up on the MTI campus ostensibly to interview Mortimer (Blue Behemoth) Kane and Danny (Drone Man) Graham on their recent exploits. But she had an ulterior motive - she pleaded with the two newly-minted heroes to make her a super heroine.

After considerable convincing and arm-twisting, Kane and Graham relented and pooled their resources to help Prize develop her own super identity. The result of their efforts was the flame-discharging gun christened the "Pyro Pistol". With this weapon in hand, Roxanne fashioned her own flashy heroine costume. Weeks later, Blue Behemoth and Drone Man had a new partner in their crusade when Firegirl, the Princess of Pyro, made her debut.

Firegirl has sought to use her return to the limelight to redeem herself for her past transgressions, and perhaps make the world a better place in the bargain. She is known far and wide as a strong woman who is ingenious, courageous, and more than a little flirtatious. She even has her own super powers now, as an especially bizarre case gave her mastery over fire and rendered the Pyro Pistol superfluous. Firegirl is a founding member of the Invincible Alliance, and has distinguished herself time and again.

Captain Satellite and Firegirl appear to have finally made peace with each other over their failed relationship. However, Roxanne seems oblivious to the crush that the Blue Behemoth harbors for her. Will the blue-haired beast with the mind (and heart) of a man be able to confess his true feelings? Stay tuned!


There's a lot of words I could say about Firegirl, but we'll keep it brief in this profile.

I'd wanted to do a fire-themed heroine for years, but never drew her until I did giftart for my friend Sara in 2007. I needed to list the names of all the characters in the picture, and just couldn't bear to saddle this character with the terrible pun that had been her working name. That was "Miss Fire", if you must know. So I instead gave her the inoffensive moniker "Firegirl".

Well, Firegirl has captured the imagination of a lot of people since then, and that makes me think I made the right call. In writing her backstory, I chose to make her Captain Satellite's reporter ex-girlfriend - originally a non-costumed supporting cast member. It added a certain degree of shading to what could have been just a very simple idea.

Firegirl's design draws heavily from 1940s-era super heroines. Her "fire character" inspirations include such Golden Age worthies as the Flame (the gun), Pyroman (color scheme), and Wildfire (fire-based heroine).

My World : Drone Man

Everyone at MTI knew that Danny Graham was a technical whiz. They also knew he was a total flake. Despite being a certified genius, the only one of his graduate student colleagues who even deigned to associate with him was Mortimer Kane. And Mortimer was just as lacking in social skills as Danny.

Things started getting interesting for Danny when his friend Mortimer was transformed into the creature who became known as the Blue Behemoth. Kane's attitude changed along with his appearance, and this worried Graham. This so-called "Blue Behemoth", his formerly mild-mannered friend, was going off and taking lots of crazy chances. Danny designated himself the Behemoth's watchdog, but keeping up with the big lug proved to be no easy task. Danny Graham decided that the best way to handle his problem would be to create a super identity of his own, based on his affinity for gadgets and gizmos. And bees.

Thus was born Drone Man! OK, not the most awe-inspiring superhero name. It points up the fact that, while Danny has a good heart and brains to spare, he falls a little short in the sense department sometimes. In fact, the only reason he even settled on "Drone Man" was because Blue Behemoth managed to talk him out of his first choice. The blue-furred man-beast didn't think "The Bumbler" would strike anyone as impressive.

Drone Man's uniform is equipped with, but not limited to, the following specs : body armor, insulated helmet, two-way radio antennae, multi-purpose compound lenses, anti-gravity boosters, navigation wing pack, and sting beam disc system. So you see? He has the skills to create a dynamic and powerful set of gimmicks; he just can't come up with a catchy name for himself. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Drone Man joined Blue Behemoth in his crimebusting, and the pair earned considerable praise for their good works. He also assisted Kane in creating a super alter ego for reporter Roxanne Prize. Drone Man was one of the founding members of the Invincible Alliance, and is considered among the core members of the group. When not out doing the hero bit, he can usually be found at Alliance HQ, still doing his best to keep Blue Behemoth out of trouble.


Drone Man has gone through various incarnations and name changes over the years, but I've always been partial to having a bee-themed hero in my lineup. Why bees? I have no idea, but it seems right to me.

Drone Man as he currently exists owes a lot to the Steve Ditko version of the Blue Beetle. There are traces of other insect-based characters in his genetic make-up, but nothing so obvious that it stands out to me.

My World : Blue Behemoth

Mortimer Kane was the very definition of the word "milquetoast". It didn't matter that he was one of the most brilliant graduate students at Major Technological Institute (MTI). He was so unassuming and timid that he was largely ignored by the vast majority of people on campus. In fact, the only person he could truly call a "friend" was his colleague Danny Graham. That wasn't really bad, except Danny was just as socially inept as he was.

Mortimer Kane's life changed forever the day he got caught in his experimental Reaction Rearranger. It affected an irreversible change on Kane, mutating him into a large, blue-haired anthropoid. His intelligence was left intact, but there was a noticeable change in attitude. He became more boisterous, opinionated, and outgoing.

Ostracized even further due to his condition, Mortimer Kane created the "Blue Behemoth" identity to fight crime and injustice and...well, for something to do. Joined by his buddy Danny under the name "Drone Man" in the crimefighting business, the duo forged a solid reputation at the college and in the surrounding area for their tireless efforts to keep the peace. By becoming even weirder, two losers had made themselves Big Men On Campus.

Blue Behemoth possesses tremendous strength and astonishing agility. Contrary to popular belief, his mask is not just an eccentric superhero affectation. One of the side effects of his transformation is that the Blue Behemoth is now color blind, and the mask contains corrective lenses designed by Drone Man to maintain proper vision.

Blue Behemoth and Drone Man were instrumental in assisting Roxanne Prize in creating her own secret identity. Kane harbors a crush on Prize, but so far has been unable to admit it to anyone. It remains to be seen if this uncharacteristic throwback to his old personality traits will persist.

Blue Behemoth was there when the Invincible Alliance was founded, and is currently one of the core members of the group. He can frequently be found loitering around its headquarters when not on a mission.


Blue Behemoth was born in the late 1980s, and was originally named "Blue Baboon". He is heavily influenced by both the Thing (Fantastic Four) and the Beast (X-Men & the Avengers - blue furry version, please). He has been remarkably consistent in his existence over the years. Other than his hero codename and origin details, the character is largely the same as when he first popped into my head.

My World : Ultimate American

The Ultimate American - The Faceless Defender of Democracy! Secretly Tex Truman, this ordinary soldier was given the identity of Ultimate American by the U.S. government to root out spies and other enemies in the early part of 1940. When the United States entered World War II, Ultimate American fought for his country both on the homefront and across the world.

Tex Truman continued his career as Ultimate American after the war ended, and in fact maintained the guise until his retirement in 1966. That was the year his son Joe Truman donned the mask and became the second Ultimate American. Joe carried on the tradition valiantly until his mysterious disappearance in 1986.

Today, Tex Truman's much younger second son Dean Truman has assumed the mantle of the Ultimate American. This third Ultimate American continues the good fight and seeks to learn the fate of a half-brother he never knew. He serves as the leader of the Invincible Alliance, and does his best to keep the wild personalities of his teammates in check. Meanwhile, Tex stays involved as the Alliance's liaison to the American spy organization C.H.I.E.F.*, and does his best to help his son balance his responsibilities as a superhero and a U.S. citizen. He is uncannily spry for having been born in 1914.

*EDITOR'S NOTE : C.H.I.E.F. = Command Headquarters International Espionage Force.


Ultimate American is my "patriot" hero, with several nods to those that have come before him. The debts to both "Captain America" and "S.H.I.E.L.D." should be readily apparent. However, just as vital are the influences of the original Shield from Archie Comics (the very first star-spangled superhero), Archie's second Shield (Lancelot Strong), and the Fighting American.

Certain aspects of Ultimate American's costume are similar to those of Captain Satellite. This is deliberate. The idea is that Cap drew partial inspiration for his suit's look from the first two Ultimate Americans, before the third one came along as a contemporary. Just another example of reverse-engineering at work!

My World : Urban Nightmare

After the debut of Captain Satellite as a very public hero based in Major City, it was perhaps inevitable that a counterpoint to him would emerge sooner or later. Urban Nightmare is that counterpoint. He is a street level crimefighter who stalks the inner city of Major City, referred to as "The Minors" by locals. No one knows his true identity, though there are some potent rumors pointing to certain rather surprising individuals.

Urban Nightmare shuns publicity, and appears in the limelight only with great reluctance. His most famous adventure was his part in combating the Macro Warrior invasion of Major City that resulted in the founding of the Invincible Alliance. Though considered a charter member of that group, he only operates with them when it suits him - in other words, rarely. He is not an active member of the Alliance, but is instead respected and feared as an effective and enigmatic force of justice.


Urban Nightmare is a character who was born, as were many of the Captain Satellite crew, as a vague sketch in high school. The pose was virtually identical to the one seen above. Point of fact, he almost ALWAYS is in that pose when I draw him. And I know his outfit is inherently ridiculous - the bright yellow, the oversized jacket, the semi-pimp hat. Believe me, I've tried to play with the design, and this is just the one I think looks best. It's oddly compelling without being remotely believable. Yet, there's nothing especially outrageous about it when you consider it. It's just a fairly implausible look for a character. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

Urban Nightmare served as both a hero and a villain in his evolution, but I decided I liked him best filling the "vigilante" role in my universe. To use analogies to famous characters, he is the Batman to Cap's Superman, or the Shadow to Cap's Doc Savage.