One Panel #771: Nerfing the Magic Heroes

From Doctor Fate: "The Mystery of Room 406" by Joseph Samachson and Howard Sherman, More Fun Comics #87 (January 1943)

Dr. Fate hasn't had the Helmet of Nabu for a while now, which has turned him into a sort of Superman, kind of indistinguishable from the crowd. But what really nerfs him looking at this is the lack of cape! Where the hell is the cape?! I appear to have missed the moment when it went away due to the strip being so boring now - now of course being Jan 1943 - that I haven't' paid attention to it.

Similarly, the Spectre, also a star of More Fun, is just punching and kicking guys out, like his magic powers have deserted him. He also shares his strip with Percival Popp the Super Cop. Woof.

Comments

Alex Osias said…
I wonder what the logic was in de-powering these nigh-omnipotent beings...
June 13, 2024 at 7:05 AM
Siskoid said…
Perhaps you just answered your own question.
June 13, 2024 at 7:09 AM
Dick McGee said…
To be fair, who goes swimming with a cape on in the first place? I can buy some costumes working as wetsuits in a pinch, but a big old cape is just too much for my suspension of disbelief. The only hero I can think of who really pulls it off is Marvel's Stingray, and even then it's more patagia than actual cape.

The depowering thing's probably due to endless changes of creative teams and a complete disregard for continuity, often through editorial mandate. They just didn't care much, and assumed readers didn't either.
June 20, 2024 at 12:22 PM
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