More Fun Comics #73
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeMore Fun Comics #73 is one of the most consequential single issues of the Golden Age, packing the debut appearances of two DC pillars — Green Arrow (with his sidekick Speedy) and Aquaman — into the same anthology. The twin introductions are all the more remarkable because neither character appears on the cover, and both were conceived not as headliners but as supporting features in a book where Doctor Fate and The Spectre were the marquee attractions. Both characters went on to anchor decades of solo runs, Justice League membership, and major screen adaptations, making this November 1941 anthology the unexpected wellspring of a substantial portion of the DC Universe's roster. It also captures a pivotal transitional moment for More Fun Comics itself, as the title shifted from mystical heavyweights to a broader, action-adventure lineup that would define DC's mid-Golden Age identity.
In "Mr. Who," Jerry Siegel crafts a gripping tale of scientific ambition and betrayal, featuring the Spectre as he intervenes to protect a brilliant but vulnerable inventor. Bernard Baily handles the art, inks, and lettering with crisp precision, bringing the eerie tension of a man trapped by his own creation to life. Howard Sherman’s cover captures the mystery with a striking, shadowed figure that hints at the story’s unsettling core.
In "Mr. Who," Dr. Fate confronts a mysterious new villain whose sinister experiments with "Solution Z" grant him the power to grow to colossal size and vanish into thin air. With the legendary Almond Diamond in peril, the sorcerer must outwit a foe whose very identity remains a secret, testing his magic and resolve in a battle where visibility is the first casualty.
In "Murder Takes the Spotlight," detective Larry follows a trail of secrets and strings as he tracks down the enigmatic violinist Jasper Rawdon, whose seemingly innocent performance hides a dangerous scheme to kidnap Lorna Drake—using her as leverage in a high-stakes gamble over oil bonds. With the spotlight on a killer in the shadows, every note plays a part in a mystery that’s as sharp as it is suspenseful.
In "The Submarine Strikes," an unnamed scientist and explorer draws on the forgotten science of Atlantis to empower his son with the ability to breathe underwater, unlocking a unique gift that sets him on a path to defend the world from unseen threats. With his father’s wisdom and the mysteries of a lost civilization at his side, the young hero takes to the depths with courage and purpose.
In "Secret Mission in Honduras," Clip is dispatched to Central America on a covert assignment to support President Camapo, as shadowy forces funnel weapons to guerrilla fighters led by the elusive figure known as The Avenger. With danger lurking in the jungle and loyalty in question, Clip must navigate a web of deception before the situation spirals beyond control.
When a brilliant scientist is kidnapped by his own assistant, the Spectre arrives to stop the theft of a revolutionary space-folding machine—one that can teleport objects across the globe in an instant. With the fate of the invention hanging in the balance, the Spectre must confront the betrayal before the device falls into the wrong hands.
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Editor and writer Mort Weisinger was tasked with expanding the More Fun Comics lineup with new features, and in a single issue he delivered two. Green Arrow — a Robin Hood-inspired archer — was written by Weisinger and drawn by George Papp; their debut approach was unconventional, dropping readers directly into an ongoing adventure without a formal origin, implying an already-established hero. Aquaman was likewise written by Weisinger but illustrated by Paul Norris; conceived partly as DC's answer to Timely's Sub-Mariner, he was given a condensed eight-page origin in the final slot of the anthology. The book was officially published by Detective Comics, Inc. (the indicia-listed name for what would become DC Comics), with Whitney Ellsworth nominally credited as editor while Weisinger handled the actual editorial duties, and Howard Sherman provided both the cover art and interior Doctor Fate artwork.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and his sidekick Speedy (Roy Harper), in the story 'Case of the Namesake Murders,' written by Mort Weisinger and illustrated by George Papp.
- First appearance and origin of Aquaman, in the story 'The Submarine Strikes,' written by Mort Weisinger and illustrated by Paul Norris — the last, eight-page feature in the issue.
- In Aquaman's debut origin, his father is described as a famous undersea explorer who discovered an ancient sunken city and used its science to give his son the ability to breathe underwater; the name 'Aquaman' is bestowed by the father ('My son is a true dweller of the deep – his name shall be Aquaman').
- Green Arrow's first story introduces his trick-arrow-equipped automobile, called the 'Arrowplane' (an in-joke reference to the Hudson Terraplane automobile of the 1930s), and presents him as already an established, well-known hero in Manhattan — the story even references a prior adventure called 'The Case of the Golden Mummy.'
- The issue also marks the first appearance of Doctor Fate villain Mr. Who, whose 'Solution Z' grants him size-changing, regeneration, and invisibility powers; this story also debuts Doctor Fate in his half-face helmet, signaling a deliberate de-powering and tonal shift for the character away from cosmic mysticism toward conventional superheroics.
- The Spectre story — written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Bernard Baily — ends with a promotional blurb announcing the debut of comic-relief character Percival Popp, The Super-Cop, in the next issue, foreshadowing a major tonal change for that feature.
- The full issue was reprinted as Millennium Edition: More Fun Comics #73 by DC in January 2001 (which notably recolored Aquaman's original yellow gloves to green), and again as a full Facsimile Edition by DC in June 2025.
- The issue was published on-sale September 19, 1941, by Detective Comics, Inc., with a cover price of ten cents and a November 1941 cover date; cover art was by Howard Sherman.
Cast · 18 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Headline Comics [ashcan] #[nn] (1942), Superwoman [ashcan] #[nn] (1942), Wanted. The World's Most Dangerous Villains #8 (1973), Secret Origins #7 (1974), Aquaman #1 (1976), Millennium Edition: More Fun Comics 73 #[nn] (2001), Golden Age Doctor Fate Archives #1 (2007), Coleção DC 75 Anos #1 (2010), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection #30 (2015), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection #46 (2015), Green Arrow: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2016), Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2016), Green Arrow: The Golden Age Omnibus #1 (2018), DC's Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Super-Villains #[nn] (2020), Green Arrow: 80 Years of the Emerald Archer The Deluxe Edition #[nn] (2021), Aquaman: 80 Years of the King of the Seven Seas The Deluxe Edition #[nn] (2023), More Fun Comics 73 (Facsimile Edition) #[nn] (2025)
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