(Republic Pictures, 1942)  Director: William Whitney

I've had an interest in the classic Fawchett Comics characters for years...

...being a comic book nerd with a fascination  with the 1930s andf 40s, it sort of comes with the territory.  Fawchett's flagship character, Capt. Marvel (of "SHAZAM!" fame and all that jazz) holds the distinction of being one of the few books in the history of the medium to sell a million copies (at certain points during wartime, outselling even Superman, the most popular character at the time) a month.  That's considerable numbers, after one takes into account that some of the better selling and more popular books of this era, the first decade of the 21st century, might break the 100,000 copy mark a month.  If they're lucky. My love for comics and the cape and cowl wearing masked mystery men who populate their pages is, in many ways, similair to my love for B-Movies.  meaning, I really dig second and third string heroes.... y'know, the type that didn't prove as popular as so-called "flagship heroes" of whatever specific publisher that handled their affairs.

I will always have a soft spot for those heroes, who because of either being a ridiculous and/or absurd concept or just a concept that was poorly executed by the creative hands behind it, that never became imprinted on the general public's memory as being "iconic" characters (Superman, Bat-Man, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and to a lesser degree, certain members of the X-Men come to mind these days as being examples of these so-called "flagships" or "icons").  And Spy Smasher certainly as one of these guys. Even though he proved to be one of Fawchett's more popular wartime properties, he was still constantly regulated to playing second fiddle to the far more exposed Marvel Family of character (Capt. Marvel, Capt. Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel, etc.,...)

A nice recap of the first chapter...

His basic premise was sort of one-note to begin with: he wore an aviator's helmet and goggles as a disguise, on  a mission to rid the world of Axis (read German and Japanese) spies.  But he was exciting enough (and presumably sold enough books) to have been granted his own monthly title for a short time  whose name was changed to "Crime Smasher" after WW II.  After the war, though, gangsters must have possibly been a less fulfulling archetype to beat up than Nazis, and Crime (Spy) Smasher disappeared into comic book limbo in the late 1940s.  But not before leaving behind this anti-Nazi propaganda filled 12 chapter cliffhanger serial, produced by the undisputed kings of the now-defunct genre, Republic Pictures.

Spy Smasher fights the Axis Menace, with flashlight and paper...

The Plot:   Kane Richmond portrays Jack Armstrong, aka the masked Spy Smasher, investigating Nazi sheenanigans on a fictional French province island somewhere in the Pacific, when he is captured and interrogated by evil Fascist types.  He escapes a firing squad and then makes his way back to the U.S., when he runs across his twin brother Alan (also played by Richmond), who's on a train back to see his fiance. And that's the first chapter.....as you can probably tell, it pays to pay attention while watching this thing....and there's 11 more chapters to go..... And trust me.....it gets really complicated about halfway into it.

There are ways we can make you talk, Col. Hogan....

Seems there's a notorious Nazi mastermind whose read Gaston Leroux way too much (or possibly he's an Andrew Lloyd Weber fan...who knows?) running around calling himself the Mask (Hans Schumm) who's after any number of inventions and/or paperwork (this tends to change from chapter to chapter) that Alan's future father-in-law is apt to invent from time to time.  One chapter it's a mine map of a harbor, the next an experimental bomb site, the next, a special miniature flying wing type plane.....you get the picture.  This has lead me to believe that I should never invent anything....ever.   If I do, I'll be infested by Nazis and fedora-wearing goons like cockaroaches.  It also really pays to have an identical twin when becoming a globe-trotting superhero, especially if you have no regard for their personal welfare and social life.  And, if becoming and armed-thug type henchman for a Nazi bad guy is a vocational oppurtunity you cannot pass up, remember one rule of thumb: always check your facts.  Nazis are crazy about them....especially when concerning the murder of their patriotic arch nemesis.  This comes in handy, because you never know when yer gonna be standing on a trapdoor over some alligator pit, or bed of spikes, or whatever.....and the boss decides to get pissy about it.

Spy Smasher- the VHS!

Typical wartime anti-German propaganda?  Check.   Strangeloveian-type villian?  Check.  Goofy, outlandish premise?  Most certainly...but like most serials, a whole helluva lot of fun.  Enjoy in liberal doses....and don't forget to buy War Bonds!  'Merica!