Friday, May 3, 2024

Hourman and The Shadow

 

I wonder how The Shadow would have worked with the first mystery men of The JSA.  In some ways he was even more grim than Batman - he had no issue with using guns, for one thing.  Still, The Spectre was a founding member, and he's about as grim and lethal as you can get, so maybe Lamont Cranston could have found a home on the team.

19 comments:

simreeve said...

I like it.


H'mmm..
In this Universe, I wonder whether any of the people who in canon became costumed crimefighters might have become members of Doc Savage's crew instead? Bruce Wayne, for example...

Would the time when the Shadow was learning in Tibet have overlapped with the Green Lama's studies there, or if he'd already left before the future GL arrived then might a teacher subsequently have put them in touch with each other anyway? I think that there's team-up potential due to that factor.

And, considering the shared initials, how about a team-up between the Green Lama and the Green Lantern (Alan Scott)?


An, while I'm making suggestions, here's an unrelated one that occurred to me a few days ago: Space Ghost vs. the Space Phantom.

Ross said...

Green Lama met Alan Scott in STF #1433.

Carycomic said...

"...maybe he would've found a home on the team."

Only "The Shadow knows" for sure.

Anonymous said...

The trouble is the Shadow has to be in control
He wouldn't be a team player er
He would demand the lead

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Kentucky Derby opponents might boycott it by watching horses play in a pasture.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if John Stewart had a son, and named him after Alan Scott and Hale Jordan, would he grow up to look like the Skipper of the S.S. Minnow?

;-)

Carycomic said...

@Anon830: oh, great! Now, I'll be picturing Alan Hale, Jr. wearing green-and-black spandex for the rest of the day. Maybe if I try to imagine him as Uncle Dudley Marvel, instead...

Glenn said...

One thing about Lamont Cranston is he had a lot of will. I could see in adventure with JSA Green Lantern falling and Alan Scott lending him his ring to save the team.

Per Degaton vs the Shadow would be a good matchup.

Anonymous said...

So might Vandal Savage. I mean, how would the Shadow deal with an immortal caveman who can't be finished off with merely one volley from a pair of Colt .45's?

Bob Greenwade said...

Well, at the very beginning Batman had no issue with using guns. That was a later development. There were even a couple of instances where he shot and killed criminals outright (not quite in cold blood, but pretty close).

@Cary: It could be worse. Somehow my brain kicked in an extra couple of mental links and came up with: "Mars Attacks Gilligan's Island!" (Which actually wouldn't be bad as a cover here on the blog.)

Carycomic said...

I agree, Bob. That would work. Especially if Ross could throw in some image captures from the Filmation spin-off GILLIGAN'S PLANET!

Carycomic said...

Maybe even consolidated with image captures from that other Filmation spin-off: MY FAVORITE MARTIANS!!

simon said...

i’m wondering if the Shadow would have been able to use all his informants to track down this Cult,
Hourman just happened to have been part of the bait to pull him in ?
either way i would pre- order this one ( shame it will not happen ) but thanks for putting this idea in my head !

Detective Tobor said...

Jim might get along with Lamont. If they merged for a sort time....The Spectre's Shadow might be something i would NOT want to encounter.
Loved having The Shadow on the clock....60 minutes would be proud.

Anonymous said...

Re; what Simon said? These killer cultists probaly robbed the Bannermain Chemical Company of the ingredients Rex Tyler first used to develop Miraclo. And the cult leader is probably some vengeance-seeking relative of Shiwan Khan. Perhaps even Ra's Al Ghul, himself! Was it ever canonically established who Shiwan Khan's biological father really was?

simreeve said...

Ross said...
Green Lama met Alan Scott in STF #1433.

Okay, thank you.
[goes to take a look at it]

Ken Roskos said...

Ahh, this has that Golden Age flavor all right, but I know very little about Hourman. I'm only used to seeing him work as part of a team, so spotting him here, separated from the JSA like this definitely spells trouble. While taking on an ancient death cult may be the Shadow's stock and trade, I now suspect some of the ingredients of Hourman's secret formula may have originated in this cult's home territory, hence this altercation. Hourman may have a lot of explaining to do, that's if they both survive this!

Carycomic said...

Ken makes a good point. In one of the Batman's pre-Crisis adventures, he took on a serial killer who turned out to be an archaeologist amped up on some Mesoamerican Indian drug. This killer cult could, in times past, have utilized the Asian equivalent!

Carycomic said...

Finally found it! Detective Comics v. 1/#437.

Support STF: The Lost Issues!