Zip Comics #10
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeZip Comics #10 (January 1941) is a genuine pivot point in MLJ's early superhero anthology. It marks the first appearance of Inferno the Flame-Breather, a fire-powered villain who would go on to become a recurring presence in the Steel Sterling saga and eventually reform into an ally — a character arc unusual in its moral nuance for the Golden Age. The issue simultaneously debuts two new strips, 'Red Reagan of the Homicide Squad' and 'Dicky in the Magic Forest,' reshaping the anthology's lineup after retiring both 'Kalthar the Giant Man' and 'Mr. Satan' with the preceding issue. It also delivers a landmark character moment for Steel Sterling himself: John Sterling confesses his dual identity to his girlfriend Dora Cummings, an early example of the secret-identity-revealed beat that would become a superhero storytelling staple.
In "The Murder of John (Steel) Sterling," a gripping mystery unfolds as a high-stakes investigation takes center stage in a 1941 wartime thriller. Written by Joe Blair and illustrated by Ed Smalle, this issue blends wartime intrigue with sharp storytelling, featuring precise aircraft depictions that ground the action in its historical moment. The cover, by Charles Biro, captures the tension with a striking, period-accurate image.
In a high-stakes aerial mission over the Mediterranean, pilots Tom and Tim Shane take to the skies on patrol, locking onto a captured Italian aircraft carrier—once French, now a weapon of the enemy. With authentic aircraft and tense dogfights, the brothers face the relentless threat of the Nazis, who’ve turned the carrier into a mobile fortress.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Published in January 1941 by MLJ Magazines Inc. — the company that would eventually evolve into Archie Comics — the issue appeared under the editorial oversight associated with the Zip Comics series, which Harry Shorten helmed overall, though individual issue credit records (Grand Comics Database vs. MyComicShop) vary between Shorten and Abner Sundell as editor of this specific number. The cover and the headline Steel Sterling story were both produced by Charles Biro, one of the most energetic artist-writers of the early MLJ stable, while Irv Novick — the series' primary Steel Sterling artist — drew the Red Reagan debut story. The issue's lineup overhaul replaced two strips that had run since issue #1, signaling MLJ's ongoing experimentation with its anthology formula in a crowded and rapidly evolving Golden Age marketplace.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published January 1941 by MLJ Magazines Inc. (publisher indicia: M.L.J. Magazines Inc.), the forerunner of Archie Comics.
- First appearance of Inferno the Flame-Breather, a fire-breathing villain introduced as a member of Twisto the Rubber Man's circus-performer gang targeting Steel Sterling.
- First appearance of Red Reagan of the Homicide Squad, a new detective strip that would continue through issue #19, with the debut story featuring a mad scientist using radio waves to disintegrate human brains.
- First appearance of Dicky in the Magic Forest, a fantasy strip by Louis Golden that would run through issue #26, replacing the jungle-adventure strip 'Kalthar the Giant Man.'
- Last appearances of both 'Kalthar the Giant Man' and 'Mr. Satan' occurred in the immediately preceding issue #9; issue #10 completes the generational turnover of the anthology's supporting lineup.
- Charles Biro provided both the cover art and the interior Steel Sterling story art, with the lead tale titled 'The Murder of John (Steel) Sterling,' in which Sterling fakes his own death to go undercover against the villain gang.
- Steel Sterling reveals his secret identity as John Sterling to his girlfriend Dora Cummings — a pivotal character-continuity moment that sets up multi-issue story threads with Inferno and Twisto continuing at large.
- The issue has been reprinted in at least two Gwandanaland Comics print-on-demand collections: 'Zip Comics — Volume 2' (April 2017) and 'The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1' (June 2018), the latter specifically anthologizing MLJ debut appearances.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Gwandanaland Comics #690 (2017), Gwandanaland Comics #2006 (2018)
Key issues in Zip Comics
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