Pep Comics #4
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePep Comics #4 (May 1940) houses the second chapter of what multiple sources confirm as the first cross-title superhero crossover in American comics history — the 'Mosconian Menace' arc, which also marks the first in-story meeting of the Shield and the Wizard, two heroes who headlined separate MLJ titles. Remarkably, that lead Shield story depicts a fictional enemy's attempt to bomb a Hawaiian naval base more than a year and a half before the real attack on Pearl Harbor, making it one of the most prescient single-issue adventure stories of the Golden Age. The issue also features the fourth and final chapter of the Comet by Jack Cole — Cole's own last installment on the character he created, completing his foundational run before moving on to create Plastic Man. Taken together, the issue is a concentrated document of early Golden Age ambition: cross-title serialization, proto-continuity, socially charged patriotism, and contributions from several talents who would define the medium.
In "The Mosconian Menace: Part 1," a century-old family curse resurfaces when Lady Brenda of the Crackenthorpe estate is forced to bow to a demon tied to her ancestors' dark bargain. With the earl dead and suspicion rising, detective Bentley investigates three possible culprits—his brother Lionel, the butler, and a seemingly indifferent cousin—each with secrets of their own. Written by Manly Wade Wellman and illustrated by Sam Cooper, this eerie mystery unfolds under Irv Novick’s striking cover, all in a 10-cent comic from 1940.
In "The Village of the Doomed," a 1940 Pep Comics story, The Comet—wrongly accused and hunted by the law—flees after being shot down, only to be rescued by a lone miner. As he tries to expose the dangers in the mines, he finds himself caught between a ruthless owner and a man who may finally listen. Written and illustrated in the classic style of the era, this gripping seven-page tale explores justice, redemption, and the cost of doing what’s right.
In "The Hunchback Horror," a century-old family curse resurfaces when Lady Brenda is forced to bow to a demonic entity tied to the Crackenthorpe lineage. As the Earl of Crackenthorpe vanishes after attempting to rescue her, detective Bentley investigates a web of suspicion among the household—his suspects: the grieving brother Lionel, the enigmatic butler, and a cousin with a hidden motive. With a chilling mystery rooted in legacy and deception, the truth lies beneath a mask of terror.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 18 grades ▾
Find on ebay
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was published on May 11, 1940 under the MLJ Magazines Inc. imprint (indicia publisher), edited by Abner J. Sundell, who helmed the series through issue #22. The Shield feature was written by Harry Shorten and drawn by Irv Novick — the same team that launched the character in Pep #1 — while Jack Cole, who had joined MLJ from Centaur Publications in late 1939, wrote and drew the Comet installment, completing his personal four-issue run on the character he created. The 'Mosconian Menace' crossover was threaded across both Pep Comics and Top-Notch Comics simultaneously, an editorially coordinated effort without meaningful precedent in the young comic book industry. The Sir Rocket and Queen of Diamonds story was scripted by pulp and fantasy writer Manly Wade Wellman, one of several notable literary figures contributing to early MLJ output.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published May 11, 1940 by MLJ Magazines Inc. (M.L.J. Magazines Inc.); cover by Irv Novick; edited by Abner J. Sundell.
- Contains Part 2 of 'The Mosconian Menace,' confirmed by multiple sources as the first cross-title crossover storyline in American comics history, and the first in-continuity meeting of the Shield (from Pep Comics) and the Wizard (from Top-Notch Comics).
- The Shield story depicts a Mosconian plot to destroy Pearl Harbor via a volcanic eruption — a striking narrative anticipation of the December 1941 attack, published more than a year and a half before that event.
- Jack Cole's Comet chapter ('The Village of the Doomed') is his fourth and final installment on the character he created; Cole wrote and drew all four Comet stories in Pep #1–4 before leaving MLJ.
- The Comet story continues the character's outlaw arc — injured by police, nursed back to health, and forced to operate as a fugitive — a morally complex narrative unusual for early 1940 superhero comics.
- The Sir Rocket and Queen of Diamonds story ('City of the Hawkmen') introduces the Lizardmen, Ape Men, Hawkmen, and Prince Falkar; it was scripted by fantasy/pulp writer Manly Wade Wellman and drawn by Lin Streeter.
- The Midshipman story (featuring Lee Sampson) is Part 3 of the Mosconian Menace, continuing from the Shield feature in the same issue and bridging to the Wizard feature in Top-Notch Comics #5.
- The Shield story in this issue was reprinted in Archie's 2002 tribute one-shot 'America's 1st Patriotic Comic Book Hero, The Shield' #1, which reprinted Shield adventures from Pep Comics #1–5.
Cast · 17 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in America's 1st Patriotic Comic Book Hero, The Shield #1 (2002)
Key issues in Pep Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.