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Wonder Boy (comics)
Encyclopedia
Wonder Boy is the name of two fictional characters who have appeared as superhero
es in comics published by Quality Comics
and DC Comics
. The original was an alien who appeared in National Comics
. The second was a time-traveler from an alternate future who appeared in Team Titans
.
Quality Comics
character and superhero
who first appeared in National Comics
#1 (July 1940), in the story "The Boy From the Meteor". The character was created by writer Toni Blum
and artist John Celardo
.
With "the strength of a hundred full grown men", the nameless Wonder Boy fell to Earth from the planet Viro, destroyed when it "collided" with a star. Finding himself in Chicago, Illinois
, he joined forces with Sgt. Crane of the Army Air Corps
and began using his superhuman abilities to fight the Nazis, Axis
spies and big-city crime. Cheering him on from the sidelines was sweetheart Sally Benson, an earth girl.
Wonder Boy last appeared under the Quality Comics banner in National Comics #26 (Nov. 1942), in an untitled story beginning "...The long bloody hands of America's enemies..." The character reappeared two years later in Elliot Publishing Co's Bomber Comics (along with several other characters that originally appeared in National Comics). The circumstances behind the move are unclear. In 1955, he was one of the characters to be used by Ajax-Farrell Comics in Terrific Comics #16 and Wonder Boy #17 and 18. The character has not reappeared outside reprints since. Another refugee from the Golden Age of Comic Books
to turn up in Wonder Boy #17 was Phantom Lady
.
#19 (April 1994) published by DC Comics
.
He appeared in the past along with several other Titans from an alternate future. They assisted the Team Titans on a mission, and afterwards the group decided to remain in the past. Shortly after the mission, Donna Troy
addressed the Justice League
assembly (led by Wonder Woman
) and announced the United States government made a deal to allow the future Titans to remain in the past and act as paranormal operatives led by a government-appointed supervisor.
During his next mission with the Titans, Wonder Boy teamed with Aqualad
, Terra
, Mirage
, and other Titans for an undersea mission.
During the 1994 Zero Hour
storyline, the alternate future where the Team Titans originated from is erased from continuity, and all the characters from the alternate future are erased from existence.
for a celebration.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es in comics published by 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....
and 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...
. The original was an alien who appeared in National Comics
National Comics
National Comics may refer to:* National Comics: An early name for the comic book publisher known later as DC Comics.* National Comics : a 1940's comic book series published by Quality Comics....
. The second was a time-traveler from an alternate future who appeared in Team Titans
Team Titans
Team Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in September 1992 and ended in September 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans...
.
Quality Comics
Wonder Boy was a fictionalFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
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....
character and superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who first appeared in National Comics
National Comics (series)
National Comics was an anthology comic book series published by Quality Comics, from July, 1940 until November, 1949. It ran for 75 issues....
#1 (July 1940), in the story "The Boy From the Meteor". The character was created by writer Toni Blum
Toni Blum
Audrey Anthony "Toni" Blum was an American comic book writer active during the 1930s and 1940s "Golden Age of Comic Books", known for her work with Quality Comics and other publishers and as one of the first female comics professionals in what was then an almost entirely male industry.Known...
and artist John Celardo
John Celardo
John Celardo is a comic strip artist.After studying at the Art Students League of New York and the New York School of Industrial Arts he began his professional contributing sports cartoons to Street & Smith.-Comic books:He then drifted into comic books, working among other places at the...
.
With "the strength of a hundred full grown men", the nameless Wonder Boy fell to Earth from the planet Viro, destroyed when it "collided" with a star. Finding himself in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, he joined forces with Sgt. Crane of the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and began using his superhuman abilities to fight the Nazis, Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
spies and big-city crime. Cheering him on from the sidelines was sweetheart Sally Benson, an earth girl.
Wonder Boy last appeared under the Quality Comics banner in National Comics #26 (Nov. 1942), in an untitled story beginning "...The long bloody hands of America's enemies..." The character reappeared two years later in Elliot Publishing Co's Bomber Comics (along with several other characters that originally appeared in National Comics). The circumstances behind the move are unclear. In 1955, he was one of the characters to be used by Ajax-Farrell Comics in Terrific Comics #16 and Wonder Boy #17 and 18. The character has not reappeared outside reprints since. Another refugee from the Golden Age of Comic Books
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...
to turn up in Wonder Boy #17 was Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
.
Team Titans
The second Wonder Boy debuted in Team TitansTeam Titans
Team Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in September 1992 and ended in September 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans...
#19 (April 1994) published 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...
.
He appeared in the past along with several other Titans from an alternate future. They assisted the Team Titans on a mission, and afterwards the group decided to remain in the past. Shortly after the mission, Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
addressed the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
assembly (led by Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
) and announced the United States government made a deal to allow the future Titans to remain in the past and act as paranormal operatives led by a government-appointed supervisor.
During his next mission with the Titans, Wonder Boy teamed with Aqualad
Aqualad
Aqualad is the name of two fictional comic book superheroes appearing in books published by DC Comics. The first Aqualad, Garth, debuted in Adventure Comics #269 , and was created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist Ramona Fradon...
, Terra
Terra (comics)
Terra is the name used by three fictional characters published by DC Comics. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and debuted in New Teen Titans Terra is the name used by three fictional characters published by DC Comics. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman and...
, Mirage
Mirage (comics)
Mirage is the name of two DC Comics characters. The first was a minor villain of Batman. The second is a heroine who is affiliated with the Teen Titans.-Batman foe:...
, and other Titans for an undersea mission.
During the 1994 Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
storyline, the alternate future where the Team Titans originated from is erased from continuity, and all the characters from the alternate future are erased from existence.
as Bobby Barnes
In Wonder Woman #188, writer Phil Jiminez introduces a non-super powered character named Bobby Barnes (nephew of Princess Diana's then-love interest Trevor Barnes). In the story, Bobby is a fan of Wonder Woman and follows her around for a day. At the end of the story, Wonder Woman presents him with a "Wonder Boy" t-shirt and invites him to ThemysciraThemyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
for a celebration.