Exciting Comics #49

The Black Terror — "Nemesis of Crime" — storms center stage on this July 1946 cover by Alex Schomburg, his skull-and-crossbones costume unmistakable as he smashes through a hideout door, sending a wooden plank splintering against a gang of crooks surrounded by scattered stacks of cash. Armed thugs scramble in every direction while a "Keep Out" sign goes ignored, making it clear that no door — or criminal enterprise — is a match for Pines' hardest-hitting hero. Pete Costanza brings the interior action to life in what stands as a vivid snapshot of Golden Age superhero comics at their most energetic.