Angel (Golden Age)
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The Angel (real name: Thomas Halloway) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer-artist Paul Gustavson during the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of comic books. He first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), the first publication of Marvel predecessor Timely Comics.
This character is distinct from Marvel's X-Men hero Archangel, originally called the Angel and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963.
The Angel, like Batman, was a non-superpowered detective who nonetheless wore a superhero costume. Gustavson cited Leslie Charteris' pulp-novel detective, Simon Templar, the "Saint", as a model for the Angel.
Publication history
The Angel was the next-most-popular Timely character after the "big three" of the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner and Captain America, with more than 100 Golden Age appearances — starting in that initial Marvel title (which changed its name to Marvel Mystery Comics with issue #2), up through #79 (Dec. 1946); as the sole backup feature in Sub-Mariner Comics #1-21 (Spring 1941 - Fall 1946); and in occasional appearances in Mystic Comics and Daring Comics.A simulacrum of the Angel was temporarily created from the mind of Rick Jones, along with those of the Blazing Skull, the Fin, the Patriot, and the Golden Age Vision, to aid the superhero team the Avengers during the Kree-Skrull War, in The Avengers Vol. 1, #97 (March 1972).
Character biographny
A costumed detective with no superpowers, the Angel was among the few such heroes to wear no mask, and he made no effort to conceal his identity as independently wealthy Thomas Halloway, a former surgeon. He later acquired the mystic cape of Mercury, which allowed him to fly, but used this ability only occasionally.Marvel Comics #1 depicted the Angel was as having already been active by the time of the first Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner adventures, suggesting he was the Marvel universe's first costumed hero of the wartime era. His appearance in a flashback in Daredevil Vol. 2, #66 establishes he was active as far back as 1936.
The Angel remains active as an older character who was revealed in USAgent #3 (Aug. 1993) as the primary force behind the murderous vigilante group Scourges of the Underworld, which had assassinated a large number of lesser supervillains and archcriminals.
Due to continuity differences between that appearance and a previous set of appearances, a brother of Thomas Halloway has been retconned as one of two men who had assumed the identity of the Angel. This unnamed brother was living as a homeless man in Manhattan when he was murdered by the supervillain Zeitgeist in Captain America Vol.1, #442 (Aug. 1995).
Reprints
- Marvel Mystery Comics #1 (Dec. 1999)
- :"And the Case of the Armless Tiger Man", by Paul Gustavson and Allen Bellman: Marvel Mystery Comics #26 (Dec. 1941)
References
- [The Angel]
- [Marvel Guide: An Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe]
- [JC's Comic Collection Page: Sub-Mariner]
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