Public Domain Super Heroes







 is a collaborative website about comic book characters in the Public Domain. The wiki format allows anyone to create or edit any article, so we can all work together to create the site. Check out the FAQ to help you get started!

After Action Comics #1 gave the world Superman in 1938, there was an explosion of costumed heroes in comics. New publishers and characters sprang up everywhere. After World War II, these type of characters fell out of favor with readers. This caused many publishers to go out of business and many characters were lost. Those comics and their stars have since fallen into the public domain. This enables anyone to use those characters and those classic stories any way they wish. Over the years many publishers have taken advantage of this, including AC Comics (FemForce, Men of Mystery), Malibu (The Protectors), America's Best (Terra Obscura), and - most recently - Dynamite (Project Superpowers), and Image Comics (Next Issue Project) among others.

This is intended to be an online encyclopedia of these characters, providing pertinent information to fans who want to learn about their history, as well as creators who may want to use them. Unless otherwise noted, all images and information are believed to be in the Public Domain. The information and images presented are intended to give a brief overview of the characters and provide a visual reference.

Enjoy.

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 * If you are adding to the Wiki, please try to keep the information restricted to what is Public Domain for now. That would be mainly Golden Age information. We might add things like The Protectors, Terra Obscura and Project Superpowers in the future, but for now we want to be primarily a Public Domain resource.



Featured article
Pharmacist Bob Benton was being shook down for protection money. After he convinced the goons to give him one more day, they stormed out - knocking down teenager Tim Roland on the way. Feeling bad for Tim, Benton hired him as his assistant. (See Black Terror)

NEW BOOK!
If you like Golden Age Super Heroes you might want to check out Fantagraphics' SUPERMEN! featuring 20 Golden Age stories from 1936-1941 by greats like Will Eisner, Simon & Kirby, and Siegel & Shuster. Some of the characters featured include The Clock, The Flame, Daredevil, The Claw, Silver Streak, The Face and Skyman, among others.(NOTE: Although many of the stories in this book are PD, this collection is copyrighted to Fantagraphics Books, 2009.)

LIVE ACTION FILM!
Independent filmmaker Brett Kelly is putting the finishing touches on his superhero film, The Scarab. The film features several re-imagined Public Domain Heroes, including The Scarab, Black Terror, The Woman in Red, and Daredevil (renamed DoubleDare). Here's a look at the trailer. thumb|300px|left

