Kid Eternity
Hit Comics #41 (July, 1946), Quality Comics
Kid Eternity is a fictional character, a comic book superhero that premiered in Hit Comics #25 written by Otto Binder, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and published by Quality Comics in December 1942. All of Quality’s intellectual properties were sold to DC Comicsin 1956 (though most of the said properties lapsed into public domain by that point), including the character. The character has continued to appear (albeit infrequently) in DC comic books since his revival in the 1970’s.
In 1956, Everett M. “Busy” Arnold, the owner of Quality Comics decided to leave the comic business entirely for the more profitable arena of Men’s Adventure Magazines. He sold the Quality Comics line to his competitor, DC Comics. DC kept a number of Quality’s titles running, but not until the 1970’s did they look at the long cancelled superhero characters (with the introduction of the Freedom Fighters).
At Quality Comics
The character proved to be popular enough that when Quality Comics began expanding their post-war line, the Kid got his own self-titled comic book, Kid Eternity, in the Spring of 1946. Further illustrating the popularity of the character, his antagonists, Her Highness and Silk were given their own strip in Hit Comics #29 through #57.Prior to issue #25, Hit Comics had a series of rotating cover features, including Hercules, the Red Bee, Stormy Foster and Neon the Unknown. However, December1942 saw the entire line-up of comics at Quality change their features (if not always the cover feature). Kid Eternity was brought in from the start as the new cover feature for Hit.
By the late 1940s, however, Quality Comics was experiencing the post-war bust that most superhero comics were. In November 1949, Kid Eternity’s self-titled magazine was discontinued (with issue #18) and his lead slot in Hit Comics was given over to Jeb Rivers, a riverboat captain (with issue #61).
Character origin and powers
The Kid was originally a nameless boy (who only ever remembered being called ‘Kid’ by his ‘Gran’pa’) who was killed when a U-Boat sank his grandfather’s fishing boat during World War II. Due to a supernatural mix-up, however, he was killed 75 years too soon (similar to the plot of the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan) at the time.
To rectify the error, the Kid was brought back to life for another 75 years with the mission of upholding good in the world. He was given the power to summon any good historical or mythological figure or animal by saying the word “Eternity” as well as to use the same word to make himself material or immaterial and invisible. Kid Eternity was further assisted on his duties by the clerk who’d made the error, Mr. Keeper. He is sometimes shown summoning fictional figures, like Jean Valjean or the Witches in Macbeth. In Kid Eternity #2 he shows time travel ability.
Notable villains
- Her Highness and Silk: an elderly woman (complete with glasses and white hair) and her young, attractive assistant. Thieves and confidence scammers, the characters were humorous in nature, almost never succeeding in their plans but always willing to try another “get rich quick” scheme. (First appearance: Hit Comics #27). Her Highness made a cover appearance in Hit Comics #28. In 1982, she and Silk were used in a Captain Marvel story guest-starring Kid Eternity (World’s Finest #282).
- Master Man: Kid Eternity’s opposite number, Master Man was given powers similar to the Kid’s by the Devil. When Master Man said “Stygia”, he could summon any evil historical or mythological figure from Stygia. (First Appearance: Kid Eternity #15) When defeated he was taken back to Stygia by the ground opening beneath him, but returns later to gather more lost souls.
- Thuggoths: Evil creatures, part man, part beast, who were imprisoned in a pyramid 3000 years ago by the Egyptian pharaoh King Tut-ankh-amen, but escape and plan to take over the world, killing experts on Egyptology so it is not known how to kill them. Kid Eternity tracks them to the pyramid, is attacked by one but summons up William Tell who slays it with an arrow, and later summons up Tut, who finally destroys them with fire. Only appearing in Kid Eternity #1.
- Dr. Marko: a world renowned scientist who after being paid by foreign agents to set off radio controlled mines in a city harbour, thus killing hundreds of people, is sentenced to hanging. He decides to travel through time to attack America when it was smaller and weaker, and invents a time-globe to travel to the past, although he takes the Kid with him after they realise a mortal is meddling with Eternity, not realising who he is. Marko attempts to change history twice but is foiled. Mr. Keeper then take Marko back to the day of his execution, where he is hanged, and sends the globe far into the future, where men will learn to use its great powers. Only appeared in Kid Eternity #2.
- Mr. Keeper’s evil brother: an evil twin brother of Mr. Keeper, who was banished to Stygia by Mr. Keeper using the Cup of Jove, for rewarding evil and punishing good, but escapes to get revenge and uses his powers to help criminals. He fights Mr Keeper, distracting him and knocks him out, before binding hiim and impersonating him. He is banished once more with the Cup of Jove.
- Frank Malone: leader of a group of kidnappers who kidnap a rich girl, called Kathryn, the Greenbriar heiress, and demand a $50,000 ransom. However the Kid foils the Kidnappers, and saves the girl from a fire in the car, even though she was supposed to die that day.
