Quality Comics' Merlin, that is.
This guy first appeared in National Comics #1 (1940), a Mandrake-like magician with the Arthurian Merlin's DNA and a magical cloak. But what do you do with all that power? Well, let's look at the headlines of the day...
Oh right. But superheroes never do anything about that kind of thing. I mean, that would change history. The kids would be looking out their windows and thinking, nope, that story didn't happen. Right? Our boy Merlin isn't thinking about that right now.
That's right, he bursts through the clouds and confronts the God of War! Mars just laughs at him, so Merlin turns to...
Yep, Peace, a beautiful goddess strapped to a pile of cannons. She tells him all he has to do is defeat Mars in combat and her shackles will fall away! And he does, beating up Hunger and Poverty to get to him! Guys...
...where is Merlin today!?
Comments
I guess when DC bought Quality, they must've already figured they had a Merlin, and a host of other magic characters, why use this one too right?
But damn if he isn't effective. No wonder they didn't use him, he'd have put all the superheroes out of business;)
Think of him as the Earth-X Zatara, if you like.