Krypto the super dog”™s first appearance in March 1955 must have been a success, because just a few months later readers were introduced to Batman“™s canine comrade, Ace the Bat-Hound. Robin made a mask for the dog to cover a distinguishing mark on his forehead—but should he have even bothered? If the citizens of Gotham City weren”™t clever enough to realize … Read More

When Superman was still a baby on the doomed planet Krypton, his father Jor-El built a rocket to safely transport the infant to Earth. While testing a prototype, Jor-El sent Krypto, the family”™s puppy, into space. Unfortunately, the spaceship was knocked off course and it drifted aimlessly for years. When it finally reached Earth, Krypto was reunited with Superboy, the last surviving member of his family. Krypto was a popular … Read More

An accident on a European racetrack left wealthy international daredevil Cliff Steele with a body damaged beyond repair. His brain escaped injury, though, and a surgical genius transplanted it into a scientifically-advanced metallic body. It wasn”™t until Cliff was recruited for the Doom Patrol that he learned that their leader, The Chief, had been the surgeon who turned him into Robot Man. Elasti-Girl and Negative Man rounded out the members … Read More

The Batman TV series that debuted in 1966 was a huge success, but by the second season the ratings had started to slip. The producers wanted to introduce a female character for the third season, so DC Comics created Batgirl as a new character for both the comics and the small screen. Batgirl was really Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Police Commissioner Gordon. Having received her Ph.D. … Read More

The Elongated Man. Worst. Name. Ever. Even Nameless of the Metal Men who didn’t have a name was better off than the Ductile Detective also known as Ralph Dibny. Editor Julius Schwartz later said he’d never have used such an unwieldy name, if he’d known DC had acquired the rights to Plastic Man in 1956. But the Elongated Man debuted in 1960 as a … Read More

Congo Bill is probably a surprising choice to illustrate for these cards, even to the most devoted comic fans. Although moderately popular in his heyday, today he’s nearly forgotten. Plus, it’s almost impossible to draw a fully-clothed grown man next to a nearly naked boy without it looking inappropriate. However, Bill has an interesting history. His long-running adventure series debuted in 1940, detailing his escapades as … Read More

The Chief was the genius who brought together three victims of fate who had become outcasts of society and turned them into the Doom Patrol. Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman would never have become heroes without his leadership. In fact, Robotman wouldn’t have existed if The Chief hadn’t invented his metallic body and transplanted his brain into it. Confined to a wheelchair, The Chief convinced the Doom Patrol to use their … Read More

The robot Tin of the Metal Men, though timid and shy, yearned for a companion. Lonely and dejected, he one day aimlessly wondered the streets of the city until he stumbled upon a do-it-yourself robot kit in a toy store window. Tin quickly purchased the kit and assembled it incorporating one of Doc Magnus’s discarded “responsometers.” (Doc Magnus was the inventor of the Metal … Read More