Neon the Unknown
Encyclopedia
Neon the Unknown is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comic Books
created by Jerry Iger
for Quality Comics
. Neon first appeared in a story penciled and inked by Lou Fine
in Hit Comics #1 and was featured on the cover of that same issue. His stories ran in issues 1-17.
Like many characters owned by that company, he was later bought by DC Comics
after Quality ceased operations.
On December 7, 1941, Neon was recruited by Uncle Sam
to be a member of the Freedom Fighters
, along with several other Quality Comics heroes, and defend Pearl Harbor
from the Japanese attack. Uncle Sam
, Miss America
, Hourman
, Invisible Hood
, Magno
, Red Torpedo, and Neon the Unknown fought valiantly. However, all but Uncle Sam were seemingly killed.
As of the 2008 Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters mini series, Neon is revealed to be alive and has been living at his magical oasis (Magno is the only superhero who appears to have actually died in the defense of Pearl Harbor).
, the former Ray. Now warped into a more powerful glowing form, but more detached from humanity, Corbet refuses his help, but lets Terrill drink from his magical oasis. Adding his light-based powers to Neon's energies, Lanford Terrill is now empowered as the new Neon the Unknown.
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
created by Jerry Iger
Jerry Iger
Samuel Maxwell "Jerry" Iger was an American cartoonist. With business partner Will Eisner he co-founder of Eisner & Iger, a comic book packager that produced comics on demand for new publishers during the late-1930s and 1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic...
for Quality Comics
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
. Neon first appeared in a story penciled and inked by Lou Fine
Lou Fine
Louis Kenneth Fine was an American comic book artist known for his work during the 1940s Golden Age of comic books, where his quality draftsmanship became an influential model to a generation of fellow comics artists....
in Hit Comics #1 and was featured on the cover of that same issue. His stories ran in issues 1-17.
Like many characters owned by that company, he was later bought by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
after Quality ceased operations.
Fictional character biography
Tom Corbet was a member of the Foreign Legion. While pursuing an enemy across the desert, his entire unit died of dehydration. Surely he would have suffered the same fate, if he hadn't found a magical oasis at the very last second. Corbet drank the glowing water and was transformed into Neon the Unknown, with the ability to fly and shoot energy from his hands.On December 7, 1941, Neon was recruited by Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (comics)
Uncle Sam is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 and was created by Will Eisner.-Quality Comics:...
to be a member of the Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters (comics)
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC...
, along with several other Quality Comics heroes, and defend Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
from the Japanese attack. Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (comics)
Uncle Sam is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 and was created by Will Eisner.-Quality Comics:...
, Miss America
Miss America (DC Comics)
Miss America is a fictional comic book superheroine from the . She was first created by Quality Comics in Military Comics #1 , and was carried over to DC Comics when they purchased Quality in the 1950s...
, Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
, Invisible Hood
Invisible Hood
The Invisible Hood is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was originally owned by Quality Comics, but was later acquired by DC Comics, along with other Quality characters...
, Magno
Magno (Golden Age)
Magno is a fictional superhero originally published by Quality Comics. He was created by Paul Gustavson. His first appearance was in Smash Comics #13 . He was one of the characters that were purchased by DC Comics when Quality Comics sold their assets. However, the copyright on these comics...
, Red Torpedo, and Neon the Unknown fought valiantly. However, all but Uncle Sam were seemingly killed.
As of the 2008 Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters mini series, Neon is revealed to be alive and has been living at his magical oasis (Magno is the only superhero who appears to have actually died in the defense of Pearl Harbor).
The new Neon
Called upon during a major crisis hitting the reformed Freedom Fighters, Tom Corbet is confronted by Lanford TerrillRay (comics)
The Ray is the name of four fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe.The first Ray was a Quality Comics character who was one of those purchased by DC Comics. He was later retconned as a member of the Freedom Fighters...
, the former Ray. Now warped into a more powerful glowing form, but more detached from humanity, Corbet refuses his help, but lets Terrill drink from his magical oasis. Adding his light-based powers to Neon's energies, Lanford Terrill is now empowered as the new Neon the Unknown.