What's this page? These will be the noteworthy villains of golden-age DC Comics that I come across. The definition of "DC Comics" for the purposes of this site include the companies National and All-American but not later companies that would comprise the modern day DC such as Fawcett, Quality, Charlton (by extension Fox). Those are found on their respective pages.
The Bat's Wing: 1939, New York World's Fair Comics #1. An inventor at the New York World's Fair has built a new type of airplane. The Bat's Wing sends him threatening letters which attract the attention of Scoop Scanlon. Scanlon and his photographer Rusty catch him and his gang. Wing's real name is apparently Mr. Bronson.
Black Face: A pirate, though strictly caucasion, a mystery as to the reasoning of his moniker.
Black Jack: 1941, More Fun Comics #74. Black Jack is a modern day pirate and enemy of Aquaman.
Black Magician: 1936, More Fun Comics #8. Leader of the Rat Men in the underground kingdom of the Dre. Foe of Brad Hardy, Lorraine and Prince Kardos.
Blue Lama: 1942, Sensation Comics #68. The Blue Lama is a blue skinned sorceress that was a recurring foe of Sargon the Sorcerer. In addition to her magic powers, in her first appearance, she lead a group of sorcerers to defeat Sargon but the tables were turned.
Blue Snow Man: 1946, Sensation Comics #59. Byrna Brilyant's father dies shortly after developing a special type precipitation called "blue snow" that instantly freezes what it snows upon. Byrna decides to use this invention to hold crops and such for hostage. She disguises her gender in the identity of the Blue Snow Man. She is stopped by Wonder Woman but later resurfaces as part of Villainy, Inc.
The Brain: 1937, More Fun v2n9 (21). Cloaked and hooded criminal mastermind, boss of Captain Snegg who torpedoes a boat that Sandra of the Secret Service is on returning to the United States. He runs a munitions ring, trying to provoke war and unrest in order to sell more weapons. On a small isle, in a bomb-proof shelter, the Brain makes his lair. He wears all red matching outfit: a red hood over his head and shoulders and a red suit. On the island is his factory for making the rifles, machine guns and bombs that he and his gang deal in. Apparently killed when Sandra escapes and orders the marines to torpedo the Brain's islands. Because of the store of weapons there, the explosions destroyed the islands. NOTE: Snegg appeared in the issue before, but it was this issue the Brain shows up as his boss.
Captain Snegg: see Brain. 1937, More Fun. He's the captain of a submarine, but reports to the Brain, leader of a munitions ring. Opposed by Sandra of the Secret Service. Killed alongside the Brain when the island bases were destroyed.
Changeling: 1947, Flash Comics #84. Crook Eric Razar is electrocuted while trying to escape from prison, giving him the ability to transform into animals. Apparently died while fighting the Flash.
Cheetah: 1943, Wonder Woman Comics #6. Priscilla Rich is a blonde rich socialite who suffers a mental breakdown after she is upstaged at a charity event by Wonder Woman. Seeing her reflection in a mirror, only the reflection is of her dressed in a cheetah costume, her reflection commands her to become the Cheetah, her real self and embark on a life of crime. She fought Wonder Woman several times and served as part of Villainy, Inc. She had no superhuman abilities.
Cheops: 1939, Action Comics #14. Cheops is in reality police Captain Beatty who is tricking Egyptians into helping hunt and steal antiquities. He also has a robot mummy. However, he and his scam are unmasked by Clip Carson who hands him over for mob justice. NOTE: Cheops is another name for Khufu, who in DC lore is the Golden-age Hawkman.
The Clock: 1947, Star Spangled Comics #70. This non-costumed villain faced off against Robin, trying to prove his cleverness against the boy hero. It's his own watch that gives Robin the clue to take him in the first time. He would escape from prison twice to again match wits with the boy wonder. Note: The original story got retooled as a Batman AND Robin story, and again dusted off for the Batman tv show where the character was named the Clock King, unrelated to the Green Arrow villain by that name.
Crazy-Quilt: 1946, Boy Commandos #18. A noted painter, Crazy-Quilt is secretly a criminal who gives orders to his henchmen through clues in his paintings. He's double-crossed by one of his henchmen and is blinded by a gunshot wound. He volunteers for an experimental operation, but is only partially successful, he can only see bright colors. The colors are vivid and drive him mad, and he becomes the villain known as Crazy-Quilt. In his second appearance, he adopts a helmet that emits bright lights allowing him to see most of the time. In his Golden-Age appearances, Crazy-Quilt's real name is not revealed and he's a recurring post-War foe of the Boy Commandos.
Lord Criket: 1940, All-Star Comics #1. The year is 2240. Lord Criket, a war profiteer, is fermenting war between two European countries while trying to get the uranium mines and riches of both countries. To this end, he supplies both sides with goods in exchange for their mines, not concerned with the outcome or success of either side. His plans are stopped by Gary Concord, the Ultra-man and is presumably killed when thrown out the window of a skyscraper by the hero.
Dr. Clever: 1941, More Fun Comics #74. Clever is a swindler. One of his plans is convincing people that he can extract gold from seawater. He's stopped by Johnny Quick. NOTE: Extracting gold from sea-water was a plot point of "The Sea Magician", a Doc Savage adventure from 1934.
Dr. Ito: 1942, Action Comics #55. Japanese agent, also called “Little One”, Ito is a recurring menace for Tex Thompson in his Americommando role of operating against the Axis behind enemy lines. Either Tex is not the best at disguises or Ito is sharper than many as he seems able to quickly pierce many of Tex's false identities.
Dr. Light: 1947, All-American Comics #82. Fought Dr. Mid-nite three times. Dr. Light used light based gadgets to commit crimes, such as mimicing daylight in the middle of the night or a light concentrating flashlight that can burn through a steel vault. He also developed a ray that would cause plants to grow to enormous proportions and to obey his commands.Dr. Poison: 1942, Sensation Comics #2. Princess Maru worked with the Nazis disguised as a man in a bulky costume, hood, and mask known as Dr. Poison. She later re-appeared working for the Japanese and again as part of the female villain group Villainy, Inc. She was a genius with chemicals and gases.
Dr. Psycho: 1943, Wonder Woman Comics #5. While a medical student, the diminutive Psycho is framed for a crime by his romantic rival and convicted by the mistaken testimony of his fiance. While in prison, he nurses a hatred of women and upon his release, he kills his rival and kidnaps his former fiance, hypnotizing her to marry him. At some point, he developed an interest in the occult and subjects his "wife" to his experiments. He discovered through her, he could create ectoplasmic bodies around himself and sets himself up as a psychic and occultist. He allied himself with the Duke of Deception and used various ectoplasmic forms to discredit the use of women in support of the War Effort. He fought Wonder Woman several times over the years.
Duke of Deception: 1942, Wonder Woman Comics #2. The Duke is a minor god allied with Mars, entrusted with the mission to ferment war and destruction through influencing mortals to commit lies and treachery (such as Japan pursuing peace talks while planning the raid on Pearl Harbor) and Hitler cultivating friendship with Russia until time to attack. He allies himself with Dr. Psycho in order to disrupt America's involvement in the War in order to make it last longer. He can influence people while invisible and intangible, use ectoplasmic clay to create bodies around himself when he wants to travel in disguise as well as create telepathic illusions and delusions in others to drive them insane.
Duke Mephisto Saturno: 1944, Wonder Woman Comics #10. Leader of Saturn's army and ally of Eviless, he seeks to conquer Earth but is defeated by Wonder Woman.
Henri Duval: 1937, More Fun Comics v2n12 (24). Henri Duval is an artist. While judges deem his talent as being mediocre, he has another ability. Each judge dies mysteriously, impossibly and the body is found with the initials “HD” on their forehead. By painting their portraits, whatever fate he paints of them, their body actually goes through. Thus, one judge shows signs of drowning with no water present, one dies of a heart attack despite his heart being healthy, one is stabbed to death while alone flying his airplane, and the last has his throat torn out by a non-existant wolf in front of witnesses. He's about to paint a fiery death for a bound Dr. Occult when the police burst in. He kills himself by quickly drawing a dagger on his own portrait to avoid capture. NOTE: Siegel and Shuster created a musketeer hero of the same name that ran in the earlier issues of this title. Possibly this villain's ancestor?
Eviless: 1944, Wonder Woman Comics #10 (not named until the Villainy Inc arc). Female Slave-driver from Saturn armed with a whip. After being captured and sentenced to Transformation Island, she escapes and rescues other prisoners and forms Villainy, Inc. Speculation is that she may also be Saturnette in a later story from Comics Cavalcade #22.
Fang Gow: 1935, New Fun #1. Fang Gow is a Yellow Peril menace along the lines of Fu Manchu in that he has a widespread network of agents and cult members and is a threat to the whole of human race. His plans are continually thwarted by the adventurer Barry O'Neill. He is one of DC's first major recurring villains. He also has a dangerous daughter.
Faultless Four: 1940, Flash Comics #1. Headed by Sieur Satan, the Four kidnap Major Williams for his invention, an atomic bombarder. When the Four are cornered by the novice hero the Flash, Satan jumps into another room and throws a switch, electrocuting all in the room. However, the Flash was fast enough to get out of the room, thus Satan only killed his three cohorts. Sieur Satan dies in a car wreck trying to flee the hero. Two of the other members were Serge Orloff, a surgeon and Duriel. Reference is made that all four are scientists. Sieur Satan has a hunched back.
Fiddler II: 1943, Action Comics #59. Frustrated concert violinist Ben Bowe turns to a life of crime. He plans daring robberies for his gang of toughs, and is frequently on hand to help them out as a blind violinist beggar who just happens to be standing by. He uses his awful tunes to communicate with his gang in code. While at his headquarters, various violins are tricked out as weapons: one that shoots sulphuric acid and another loaded with dynamite. He and his gang are captured by the Vigilante and Stuff.
The Fly: 1942, Star-Spangled Comics #13. Complete with fly wings and armed with (poisonous?) darts, the Fly and his gang are stealing valuable silk. Stopped by the Tarantula.
Giganta: 1944, Wonder Woman Comics #9 (not named until the Villainy Inc arc). Villainous scientist Professor Zool transforms a gorilla into a large bulky red-haired strong-woman called Giganta. Captured by Wonder Woman, she later serves as part of Villainy, Inc.
The Golden Pirate: 1948, All-American Comics #93. The Golden Pirate is a beautiful female pirate and captain of the Golden Galleon. She kidnaps young men to serve on her ship from villages that cannot ransom them by paying their weight in gold. Stopped by the Black Pirate.
Goldie: 1940, Flash Comics #10-11. Goldie is a beautiful spy stirring up native unrest in the Philippines, hoping to get the Americans pull their bases out. When Cliff Cornwall saves her life and captures her, she changes sides and helps him stop her comrades in exchange for a pardon. However, she is shot and dies at the end of the story.
Gorrah: 1938, Action Comics #2. As One-Eyed Gorrah, this cyclopian villain rules a legendary city that had been buried by a volcano. However, he had overthrown the “real” Gorrah and Tex Thompson and Bob Daley teamed up with the “real” Gorrah to retake his throne. He returns later for revenge and apparently dies early in Tex's career as the masked patriotic hero Mr. America.
Grasso: 1940/41, Action Comics. Grasso would be a villain of many names. He operates as Mr. Z, Mr. X and Agent X-11, a foreign spy. His foe is Clip Carson. Note: http://dcmania.wordpress.com states that Grasso appeared in three stories but does not give the first issue. Comics.org is slight on the contents of these comics, can narrow it down between issues of #30-34.
Hath-Set/Dr. Hastor: 1940, Flash Comics #1. Hath-Set is an ancient Egyptian priest of Anubis and knowledgeable of black magic and the “older sciences”, such as able to make day dark as night. He aims to conquer the known world, first of which he has to kill those that stand in his way, namely Prince Khufu, who is knowledgeable of old sciences, and Khufu's lady-love Shiera. Reincarnated in the modern day as Dr. Hastor, he plans on picking up where he left off. However, his old foes and victims are likewise reincarnated, Khufu is now Carter Hall, the Hawkman.
Highwayman: 1948, All-American Western #104 (All-American Publishing/DC). In the Old West, a mysterious costumed mask man is robbing stage coaches and payrolls. He even manages to outfight Lt. Dan Foley of the Fighting 5th who had been sent to investigate. Eventually Foley and his Indian guide and friend Wingfoot manage to capture the masked man and he stands revealed as transplanted Englishman and rancher Reginald Torbin who was emulating his ancestor Dick Torbin, the famous highwayman. His downfall was in part to carrying the emulation too far in wearing an identical costume as the one of Dick’s in a portrait hanging in his home that Foley had seen while meeting with the rancher.
Huntress: 1947, Sensation Comics #68. The Huntress was at least partially inspired to her life of crime due to the competitive angle between her and the forces of law & order, especially Wildcat. She's a master of tracking, trapping and such. She'd return several times to fight Wildcat. She was a member of the second Injustice Society of America, although her foe, Wildcat, was not a member of the JSA at that time.
Hypnota: Winter 1944/45, Wonder Woman Comics #11. Hypnota is a stage magician who hid her gender through her clothes and false whiskers. Experimental surgery saves her life after she is accidentally shot in the head while practicing an illusion but it releases a "blue electric ray of dominance" from her "mid-brain". The result is that she now can hypnotize others through projecting these "blue rays" from her hands or eyes, a boon to her stage career but she also uses it in a life of crime. With this power she first uses it to provide slaves to slave traders from Saturn and then later to try to ferment war with the planet. She is stopped by Wonder Woman and her twin sister and magic act assistant Serva who had been an unwilling accomplice in her crimes. Hypnota was also part of Villainy, Inc.
Icicle: 1947, All-America Comics #90. Foreign physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent creates a gun that fires a freezing ray and uses it to become the frozen villain Icicle. He's a recurring foe of Green Lantern as well as a member of the second Injustice Society of the World.
Injustice Society of the World: 1947, All-Star Comics #37. After defeats from the individual heroes as well as the whole JSA, several of their villains team up to take on the team. The first team is made up of Brainwaive, Per Degaton, the Gambler, Vandal Savage, the Wizard and the Thinker. In issue #41, a new version of the team would come together to steal some of America's greatest symbols. That team was made up of the Wizard, the Fiddler, Icicle, Sportsmaster, and the Huntress. Both times they are stopped by the JSA. The second time with the added interference of the Harlequin and Black Canary.
Karvac: 1941, Flash Comics #14. Karvac has his eyes on conquest. He studied ancient mysteries and learned of Scorio, the alligator god of the Phoenicians. He called on and brought the god back into existence in the form of a large alligator and Scorio gave him the knowledge of making a flame gun (though he professes not knowing the actual secret). He outfits his army with flame gun rifles while he carries it in pistol form, both strong enough to dissolve a man into goo and they wipe out a whole regiment. He's stopped by Hawkman and bombers wipe out his army.
Killer Moth: 1951, Batman #63. A prisoner, the man that will become Killer Moth becomes fascinated with Batman and learns all that he can about the hero. When released, he sets himself up as a Batman for the crooks, emulating the hero's tricks and tropes. He has a Moth-cave, Mothmobile, and even somehow figures Batman must be rich so sets himself up as a man of society and wealth with the pretentious name of Cameron Van Cleer. His goal is to help crooks out when they get into trouble. However, he falls off a bridge to his apparent death at the end of that issue. He returns the next month, a laughingstock and sets out to regain his reputation by taking on the hero. Along the way, he figures out that Batman is Bruce Wayne, but decides that it's a fake identity and is again sent to jail. He soon escapes and this time disguises himself as Bruce Wayne. Discovering that Wayne really is Batman, he goes out with Robin to fight crime (hopefully to pressure crooks into hiring his services as Killer Moth). By story's end, he is shot and the operation to save his life removes his memory of Batman's identity.
King Ironsides: 1947, Comic Cavalcade #23. Ironsides is the brother of Dr. Psycho, as brilliant a geologist as Psycho was a hypnotist. Discovering a volcano whose eruptions contained large amounts of molten gold in the Pacific island nation Wooloo, he decks himself and his gang in armor and stilts, becoming iron giants and himself King Ironsides. They force the natives to mine for the gold but are stopped by Wonder Woman who recognizes Ironsides' relationship to Dr. Psycho.
Koth: 1936, Comics Magazine #1 (Centaur)/ 1936, More Fun v2n2 (14) (DC) “Eons ago, a space expedition from another planet ended disasterously in a crack-up on the surface of our young world. All but Koth were killed in a savage attack by primordial men. In vengeance, Koth has wiped out various civilizations of man in the past. Now he is preparing for a new invasion.” Koth is opposed by the Seven who dispatch Dr. Occult to stop his plans for conquest. NOTE: This story not only was serialized over several issues, but the first part appeared in a comic published by Centaur with the hero's name being changed to Dr. Mystic!
Kulak: 1940, All-Star Comics #2. Kulak is the “High Priest of Brztal”. When his tomb is disturbed, he arises as prophesied to destroy the country that disturbed his rest. He drowns the Earth in darkness and lets loose “the Whispering Death” which causes hate to run amok in civilization leading to riots, murders, and panic. He is opposed by the Spectre and they duel it out in an evenly matched supernatural battle until the Spectre hits him and interrupts a deadly spell. Kulak is then consumed by the very evil forces he was trying to bring forth.
The Lightning Bug: 1948, Sensation Comics #76. This female costumed crook is a scientific genius, discovering an electro-magnetic force that she calls "Z-Rays" which she can direct through the combination of her belt and antennae on her cowl. She gives out free radios as part of a hoax, one of which to Sargon's assistant Max. When Sargon touches the radio, it shocks and paralyzes him and the radio flies back to the Lightning Bug dragging him along. There she imprisons him in a vacuum tube to die of suffocation while she and her gang go on a crime spree as the other radios were rigged to explode, killing their owners and leaving their homes open to looting. Sargon breaks free and captures her and her gang. Ok, why she didn't send an explosive one to him to kill him quickly I don't know.
Lord of Life: 1937, More Fun Comics v2#10 (22). The Lord of Life has the power to bring back those from the dead. However, they must serve him or at the end of a month, they return to death. Fought Dr. Occult and apparently killed. NOTE: While he first appears on panel in v2#10, that's actually the third part of the story.
Lya: 1948, Comic Cavalcade #26. Lya is the daughter of the Duke of Deception and a master of lies and deceptions herself. She rebels against her father, turning several of his Martian slave-girls against and gets banished to Earth with a group of the Martian women where she plots her revenge against her father. To this end, she captures and coerces Wonder Woman to help set up her own base in the center of the earth and then disguising herself as Wonder Woman to get the military to release powerful weapons and tools to her control. She's foiled and captured by Wonder Woman. She possesses many of the same powers and skills as her father.
Master of Corpses: 1938, More Fun #31. He's the mine owner and manager Mr. Daro (also spelled Darro in one place). He's not simply mining though. His zombies are undermining the city with tunnels so that he can attack with his zombie army, kept by the dozens in glass coffins. Dr. Occult causes a cave-in with a wave of his hand, killing and burying the zombies. Dr. Occult and Inspector Ellsworth barely escape the cave-in with their lives.
Master Sargasso: 1942, More Fun Comics #78. Master Sargasso rules an island in the Sargasso sea. He has a gang that carry gas guns. Stopped by Aquaman.
Metalo: 1942, World's Finest #6. A caped figure able to lift great weights, fly through the air and is bulletproof begins committing daring crimes. At first police think it's Superman but once the figure is seen clearly encased in metal from head to toe with jets built in under his cape, he seems to be some kind of robot. His strength and invulnerability are a match for Superman's and he fights the hero to a standstill. Soon, he's holding the city for ransom. He's stopped by Superman but manages to escape, tricking Superman that he perished by falling into molten lava (he landed on a ledge). Metalo is actually a disgruntled inventor who discovered both a nigh invulnerable metal and a super-strength serum and used that to fashion his jet propelled armor and embark on a life of crime. He used the Farnham Circus as a cover for his gang of men to operate out of.
Methuselah: 1936, More Fun Comics #10. A madman is killing men, leaving notes with the name scrawled “Methuselah”. Dr. Occult tracks it to a man whose ancestors lived to ripe old ages, and he's convinced that by killing and reciting a spell at the moment of death, it will impart his victim's unlived years to him.
Miss X: 1940, Action Comics #26. Miss X is a mystery woman with knowledg of the ways of the mob and gangsters. Sometimes she seems to be helping the gangsters, but she is quick to protect and sometimes help Tex Thompson (in his pre-Mr. America days). Despite her disguise, Tex claims to know who she is and its possible she's meant to be the daugher (Janice/Peggy) of Special Prosecuter Maloney who is introduced the following issue and who had deputized Tex and Bob to fight a crime wave. However, after issue #30, neither Miss X or Janice/Peggy appear again and the storyline is dropped.
The Monocle: 1945, Flash Comics #64. Jonathan Cheval is an honest businessman in optics. He loses his business due to the schemes of criminals. Cheval plans his revenge on those who ruined him and invents a variety of monocles that emit beams of energy. He gets revenge on two of the three before he's captured by Hawkman and imprisoned alongside the third.
Moon Rocketeers: 1946, Detective #118. Crooks come up with a scheme to disguise themselves as Moon Men. They are uncovered and captured by Air Wave.
Mr. Mystery: 1942, Detective #62. Unmasked as a crooked mayor by Air Wave.
Nira-Q: 1937, New Adventure Comics #12. In a fiction tale within a tale of what crime fighting might be like in the future, Nira-Q is the pirate bandit queen and foe of Jor-L, federal man of the future. When captured, she and her martian gang undergo brain operations, emerging “sane, normal beings with no desire for crime! NOTE: By Siegel and Shuster, they weren't above re-using names they liked, thus later Jor-L would be used for Superman's father. The curing of criminals by brain operations was made popular in the Doc Savage pulps.
Nyola: 1940, All-Star Comics #2. Believed to be the reincarnation of Montezuma's daughter, the dark-skinned Nyola is the priestess of the Aztec god Yum-chac and hold human sacrifices. She kidnaps an American woman for sacrifice due to an unflattering book her brother wrote about the Aztecs. Hawkman rescues the woman and Nyola chooses to die by drowning over capture, diving into the sacred pool. NOTE: This story is obliquely referenced in Thomas' All-Star Squadron where the glass knife that Hawkman finds as a clue at a murder scene early on resurfaces in a story.
Queen Bee: 1942, Action Comics 46-49. The Queen Bee is a ruthless criminal mastermind, not above to working with Nazis using giant robots, robbing the Red Cross, etc. It's revealed that her father was a scientist who was working on a machine to eliminate worry and instead caused her to lose her sense of morality and right and wrong. She's captured by Mr. America and Fat Man.
Queen Claudia: 1937, More Fun Comics v2n11 (23). She is the extremely beautiful but cruel ruler of the undewater city of Merlinia. Natually, she wants the hero, Brad Hardy, to rule by her side.
Queen Clea: 1944, Sensation Comics #8. When Atlantis sank, it was enclosed in a pocket of air and life of man and prehistoric animals continued to the relative present day. Over time, it developed into two kingdoms (Venturia and Aurania) where giant amazonian women are dominant and men are puny weaklings. Queen Clea is the evil monarch of Venturia hoping to expand her rule over all of Atlantis. She is stopped by Wonder Woman and later becomes part of Villainy, Inc. NOTE: This race of Amazons would show up in the Earth-1/Earth-2/Earth-S crossover.
Professor Girn: 1942, Detective #61. This scientist builds an exo-skeleton to counter the technology of Air Wave. NOTE: The GCD lists him as Gurn so the name may be in error until independent verification.
Purple Tiger: 1936, More Fun Comics #12. Story started 11 but issue 12 is his first on panel appearance. Hooded and robed leader of a gang of crooks and kidnappers, he has Doris Bailey, spoiled daughter of the Police Commisioner kidnapped. NOTE: See "Purple Tigress" under the general Golden-Age Heroes pages for the possible sources for this name.
Rainbow Man: 1942, Action Comics #46. An early recurring foe of the Vigilante and Stuff. He and his gang used the colors of the rainbow and his "Rainbow Globe" for crimes.
Remembro: 1940, All-Star Comics #1. Remembro has a photographic memory. He uses this talent in two ways. One, he performs in vaudeville on stage in the evenints. Two, he works in a factory where he has gained access to seeing some secret plans and is trying to sell them to a foreign power. He's captured by Biff Bronson.
Rosa Rinaldo:
1938, Detective Comics #19. Rosa is a female saboteur and her acts of sabotage interupt the wedding of spies Bart and Sally of the "Spy" strip. She has a mirror that fires destructive rays which leads to spectacular, unfortunate results for her.
Vandal Savage:
1943, Green Lantern Comics #10. Would-be world-conqueror Vandal Savage is an immortal caveman who has lived to the present day. He is initially foiled in his plans by the hero Green Lantern and Doiby Dickles. He next shows up as part of the Injustice Society of the World.
The Seal: 1942, Detective #61. Foe of the private detective Larry Steele.
Sen Yoi: 1937, Detective Comics #1. A Yellow Peril menace and criminal mastermind out of Chinatown. His foe is the detective-adventurer Bruce Nelson. It's him that's on the cover of the first comic.
Scarlet Mermaid: 1941, Flash Comics #19. The Scarlet Mermaid is a beautiful blonde woman dressed in form fitting red scaled costume and commits daring robberies at sea. Her real identity is Miss Wilde, living in a posh apartment building with a doorman named George. She is captured by the King who frightens her with a bunch of mice.
Scorpio: 1946, Detective #107. Scorpio (Bugs Scarpis) decides it's not only criminals who are a superstitious lot and who hatches on the schemes to prey on the greed of wealthy but superstitious men. Stopped by Batman and Robin.
Shooting Spooks: 1942, Detective #66. Crooks disguised as ghosts, headed by a man named Grump. They kill D.A. Cole and pin the murder on attorny Larry Jordan. Bad for them as Jordan is also Air Wave!
Sieur Satan: See “Faultless Four”.Sphinx: 1942, Detective #66. Foe of the Boy Commandos.
Sportsmaster: 1947, All-American Comics #85. In his first appearance, he's just Crusher Crock. Crock is a master athlete, able to compete professionally at many sports but his reputation and actions of cheating and playing too rough and ruthlessly results in no one wanting to take him on so he puts his skills and ruthless nature to work as a criminal. First, he holds a fake polo event for charity so he can rip everyone off and then knocks over a bank with wind-up toys of baseball players. In a knockdown fight against Green Lantern he continues to treat it as a competition only he keeps trying to cheat to win, resulting in a fall to his death when he tries to attack from behind. As he is actually buried at the end of the story, don't know how he managed to return as a recurring foe of Green Lantern. In a later competition in multiple sports contests against Green Lantern, Green Lantern proved to be a better all round athlete than Crock even without his ring. He's a member of the second Injustice Society of America.
Taro: 1937, Detective Comics #1. Taro is a thief and also Cosmo's opposite number, proving to be just as capable at disguises.
Tigress: 1938, Action Comics #1. This woman is the leader of a murderous gang of thieves and played up as a master villain that Zatarra is after and is still at large at the end of the story. Even in this adventure, they already had met at least
once before. While she had a penchant for tight striped tops,
she didn't wear a costume as such, a red headband, black &
yellow top and blue skirt. She isn't above manhandling the
hero, and is the leader of a gang of crooks. Fred Guardineer's
bold line art helps to make her really stand out.
Two-Face I: 1942, Detective #66. While being tried, Boss Moroni throws acid into the face of DA Harvey Kent (later "Dent"), horribly scarring half his face. Kent goes insane and becomes a master criminal with a fixation on the number "two". Like his face, he wears a suit that is one half normal and the other half garish and carries a two-headed coin, one with a normal side and the other scarred. After three outings, he would subsequently be cured and other men would take on the role as creators seemed reticent to deny Kent/Dent his happy origin. In 1954, Dent would be re-scarred when he is caught in an explosion while trying to prevent a robbery and thus returns to his evil ways. His fiance's name is Gilda. NOTE: Two-Face's origin is identical to the pulp hero Black Bat as well as DC's own Dr. Mid-Nite.
Two-Face II: Sunday, June 23, 1946, Batman comic strip. Harvey Apollo is a vain and ham actor. He is also the star witness against racketeer Lucky Sheldon, flamboyantly testifying that he saw the racketeer drop his good luck piece, a two-headed coin, when he shot and killed a police officer. Enraged, the crook throws vitriol, an acid that strikes half of Apollo's face and horribly disfiguring him. Even though plastic surgery could restore his face, his vanity and mind are warped that he won't allow it and becomes the villainous Two-Face. This Two-Face was only in the Sunday newspaper strips and not part of the continuity of the comics.
Two-Face III: Winter 1948/49, Batman #50. During the time while Harvey has been cured, it appears as if his madness is re-asserting itself, that when he is unconscious, he is going about as Two-Face and committing crimes (playing up the Jekyll-Hyde similarities of the character). However, Batman eventually proves that it's Dent's butler Wilkins disguising himself as Two-Face.
Two-Face IV: Winter 1951/52, Batman #68. Actor Paul Sloane is playing the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in a play when he is really disfigured due to a jealous stagehand substituting real acid for the fake (this fact is apparently changed when the story later gets reprinted) and thinks he's the real deal. NOTE: This Two-Face became the default Earth-2 Two-Face, leaving Kent as having never relapsed after being cured
Two-Face V: 1952, Detective #187. New crimes by Two Face are being committed which would make you think Batman would suspect one of the previous men. However, it's a new phony named George Blake hoping to pen the crimes on a predecessor. However, he screws up and provides the make-up to the wrong side of his face, alerting Batman that he was dealing with someone new.
Uncle Trygg: 1940, All-Star Comics #1. In the Welsh mountains, with his sorcerous assistant, Trygg has found the magic Haitian secret to creating zombies to work the mines left to Margo and Jan, his adult niece and nephew respectively. He first holds Jan and then the both of them captive in order to seize ownership of the mines. Hawkman rescues the twins and captures the uncle.
Vampire Master: 1935, New Fun Comics #6. The first villain to face Doctor Occult and would last over three issues. From story summaries and art, he seems to have both magic and scientific powers. He controls vampires but also has a scientific lab and is a master hypnotist. May be the first vampires in comics.
The Vandal: 1940, Flash Comics #5. The Vandal wears a robe and hood. He is a murderous art collector, wanting to make sure his collection is the most valuable and extensive in the world, even if it means killing the artists of his works. He takes his names from the Vandals who sacked Rome and destroyed great works of art and architecture.
Villainy, Inc: 1948, Wonder Woman Comics #28. Several of Wonder Women's greatest female foes banded together as a super-villain group. Membership included Cheetah, Giganta, Dr. Poison, Hypnota, Blue Snow Man (actually a woman called Byrna Brilyant), Queen Clea, Eviless, Zara.
Baron Von Zorn: 1940, All-Star Comics #2. Zorn has a serum that creates “ robot-men” brutes. He uses these monster men to cause widespread acts of sabotage. He hopes this will end up lowering morale of the country and cause a revolution and then his country can step in and take over, abolishing Democracy. Stopped by Green Lantern. NOTE: This story has G.L. having briefly attended medical school and retains enough knowledge to create an antidote. Written by Bill Finger, this story echoes another written by him with Hugo Strange creating giants to oppose Batman which also echoes a couple of pulp stories.
Dr. Hugo Vreekill: 1940, New York World's Fair Comics #2. Bald scientist Dr. Vreekill develops a steel destroying ray and plots to use it to free an army of criminals from State Prison. Stopped by Batman. NOTE: The plot is from "The Crime Ray" from the September 1, 1939 issue of The Shadow. The name is the name of a castle in "The Vindicator" from another 1939 issue of The Shadow magazine.
Werewolf: 1936, More Fun Comics #12. Story began in issue 11, but it's in 12 that we first meet Mrs. Daniels who runs what appears to be a boarding house or flop house. In reality she heads the Cult of the Wolf and through an injection can turn others into werewolves and cult members. Her reflection in a mirror is that of a wolf. She gets the upper hand over Dr. Occult, but is killed by one of the men with a silver bullet that he had been saving for himself. With her death, the others are freed from the curse.
The Witch: 1940, Flash Comics #6. Female thief who sets herself up against King Standish. The two have obvious attraction and feelings for each other. He foils her crimes but often lets her get away. While a thief, she is not violent or a murderer. She often commits her crimes in evening dress, but has a talent for disguise that rivals King's. Her father is a successful painter in New Orleans and they are descended from the pirate Jean Lafitte. At times, the Witch will actually help King with cases.
Zara: 1943, Comic Cavalcade #5. Claiming to be an Arab girl, but having auburn hair and talking with a French accent she claims to have been sold into slavery as a child which formed in her a hatred of mankind. She creates a popular religion in the Cult of the Crimson Flame through rigged pyrotechnic tricks, standard stage illusions and a flame gun.The cult killed any who opposed it until Wonder Woman shut it down and captured Zara. Zara and at least one worshipper cropped up again as part of Villainy, Inc.