Public Domain Super Heroes
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The Arrow
Arrow1

Real Name

Ralph Payne

First Appearance

Funny Pages vol. 2 #10 (Sept. 1938)

Original Publisher

Centaur

Created by

Paul Gustavson

Origin

A vigilante archer, the Arrow owed his origins to Robin Hood as well as pulp magazine heroes like the Shadow and the Spider.

Hidden under a crumpled red suit and face-covering cowl, he was a man of mystery without name or background. A no-nonsense fellow, the Arrow coldly shot arrows into hands, shoulders, and hearts of slobbering fiends who were always putting blondes into bondage.

Public Domain Appearances

  • Amazing Adventure Funnies #1
  • Arrow #1-3
  • Fantoman #2
  • Funny Pages vol. 2 #10-12
    • vol. 3 #1-10
      • vol. 4 #1, 35-42

Notes

  • The Arrow was the first costumed comic book hero to appear after the debut of Superman.
  • The Arrow is the first super-hero to use an archery as a primary gimmick.
  • The character eventually received his own magazine. The stories in the first two issues, however, were reprints from earlier comics.

See Also

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