Maata, the Leopard Girl: 1946, Sparkling Stars (Holyoke). Maata is the beautiful ruler of a jungle kingdom as well as having pet leopards. She desires Fangs, the wolf boy, as a mate but he only has eyes for another. Meanwhile, Rajo, leader of a crew of cut-throat pirates, wants her for a mate.
Mad Arsonist: 1945, Camera Comics #6 (U.S. Camera). The Mad Arsonist is druggist Mr. Hawthorne. He starts fires using white phosphorous and stays around to watch the buildings burn for the sheer love of it. His identity is uncovered by insurance investigator Jim Lane who spots him in several pictures taken at the scenes of the fires. When he confronts the man, the two scuffle and the Mad Arsonist throws a beaker full of his volatile concoction and sets his own drug store on fire. It's presumed that he died in the blaze.
The Mad Gobi Giant: Fantastic Comics #6 (Fox). Seeking to destroy civilization he injects a powerful chemical into the Earth's core causing violent volcanic eruptions. He is captured by the super-wizard Stardust and delivered to the Inter-Planetary Police.
The Mad Botanist: 1941, Thirlling Comics #23 (Better). Foe of The American Crusader.
Mad Fiddler: 1940, Reg'lar Fellers #12 (Eastern Color Printing). The Mad Fiddler wants to conquer and set up a new order based on the order of music. To this end he needs funding and so he steals a formula that allows him to make fake Stradivarius violins. He also hijacks radio waves and communicates to his gang members through regular radios. He's opposed by the fledgling hero Music Master.
The Mad Ghost: Anthony Durrant writes: This monstrous villain murdered the detective who had arrested him after a jewel heist, then kept the jewels for himself, in a hotel room. He was stopped by Nightbird, who found the stolen jewels hidden in the hotel's bridal suite and was able to take a photograph showing that the Mad Ghosts' adversary, Count Strogo, was the leader of a gang of hoodlums who were also after the stolen jewels.
The Mad Madespos: 1941 Crackajack Funnies 38, (K.K. Publications). Ma Madespo and her four sons are a killer gang that special investigator Nick Terry (the Owl) and the Chief put away. They escaped with the help of a trained gorilla that wears a jacket and bow-tie.
Mad Ming: 1940, Funny Pages #34/v4 #1 (Centaur). Wu Chang is an oppulent and overweight Chinese Importer. To the underworld, he's also the Mad Ming, head of smuggling empire, leader of a tong as well as having pull in the homeland. He has no problem with murder or torture, even of a beautiful woman. Unlike many "Yellow Peril" menaces, the only part of him that is stereotypical is his long hanging thin mustache. Running his shop, he wears a Western style suit, and he's large and powerful looking if overweight. His first outing, he's captured by G-Man Gene. Prison doesn't hold him long and he returns to undertake other various criminal schemes. Sadly, in those stories, he takes to wearing more stereotypical garb, at least when he's amongst other Chinese.
Mad Mong: 1940, Double Comics #1 (Gilbert). Sorta cross between Fu Manchu and Ming the Merciless, this Mongolian villain was opposed by a stereotypical adventurer called "White Flash." This villain and hero more than likely were nowhere inside the comic as it was a series of bound remaindered comics. The covers often featured different all-new heroes, but you couldn't be sure of what was on the inside, except for it wouldn't be the guys on the cover.
The Mad Monk: 1943, Air Fighters Comics v2n1 (Hillman). Dismissed as a crackpot who lives in a ruiined castle, the Mad Monk calls himself "the son of Rasputin" and he is able to put people under powerful hypnotic spells through his yellow eyes. He seeks to avenge his father's death by killing the King and Queen of England, blood kin of those that killed his "holy" father. Even the Black Angel briefly falls under his spell, but eventually is able to fight it off. She saves the Royal Couple from the assassination attempt and shoots down the Mad Monk who falls onto his own grenade
Mad Monks of Manasawar: 1940, Colossus Comics #1 (Sun). A blurb at the end of The Tulpa of Tsang strip, they were to face off the following issue that never came. But, the name sounds interesting.
Mad Monster: 1944, Captain Aero #15/v3#13 (Holyoke). Joan Wayne and her friend Ella take in a show of Count Zova and his educated, talking ape. What is revealed is a Nazi propaganda and sabotage plot as Zova and his talking ape are with the Nazis to the point the ape is wearing black boots, red arm band and an officer's hat. Unfortunately for them, Joan is really Miss Victory. Zova is quickly captured, but the strong and agile ape is a bit harder. Still, he apparently falls to his death after a fight on the rooftops. Zova is revealed to be the agent Kurt von Manvitz and the ape merely his assistant in a gorilla suit.
Madame Claw: Air Fighters Comics (Hillman). Beautiful Japanese woman with a hook for a left hand. She captures a huge Japanese freedom fighter Mia-kah and turns his brain to mush, making him her slave. She takes poison when captured by the Black Angel.
Madame Death: 1944, Four Favorites #15 (Ace). Madame Death is a criminal leader. She may be middle-aged or the smoking and life of crime may have left her a little hardened looking. Her chief henchman is a man by the name of Dark Eyes. They aren't above murder and selling plans to foreign governments to make their money. Captured by Lightning and Lightning Girl.
Madame Intrigue: 1944, Speed Comics #34 (Harvey). Axis agent and a master of disguise. Or is that mistress? She is involved in plots in the Middle East during the war where she runs afoul of Pat Parker and the Girl Commandos. In her second outing with them, she falls into a vat of fluid that causes advance aging (to be used against tanks and such, causing the metal to rust and fall apart) and she ages to a crone.
Madame Mystery: 1941, Prize Comics #9. Beautiful brunette gang leader. She was billed as the world's most dangerous woman and "her gang has looted and killed for jewels from here to Hong Kong." Least that¹s how reporter Barney Dunn feels and he hatches a plan to stop her and get a scoop to boot: he publishes a story that the Black Owl has vowed to catch her thus drawing the Black Owl and female sleuth Terry Dane into the case.
Madame Olga: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #14 (Centaur). This saboteur was a member of the Anarchy Circle which, in turn, worked for the Great Question. She escaped capture by Amazing Man at least once. An odd feature about her is that she appears to be Zona Hendersen's identical twin. There is no indication that she was surgically altered to look like Zona. Which raises the question if the Great Question had a hand in Hendersen's meeting with Amazing Man.
Madame Wu-Wu: 1947, Airboy vol 4 #11 (Hillman). Lady Asian Pirate, she runs a resort where those with too much money and time come to "go out of the world" and live high. And, they do with gambling, drinking and other high living until in a few months they have aged themselves prematurely for years. To supplement the resort, Wu Wu's pirates also loot ships from all nations. Her plans hit a snag when Link Thorne, the Flying Fool investigates a college buddy's death of premature old age. Last we know, he's loading a plane full of bombs to send a certain pirate ship "out of this world."
Madam Zubar: 1946, Exciting Comics #48 (Better). Madame Zubar was a phony clairvoyant who could supposedly call up the spirits of the dead, assisted by Janet, her supposed niece, who did the ghost voices through a special horn. She was apprehended by Kid Terror working alone for the first and only time. Zubar admitted that she had kidnapped Janet from an orphanage as a baby. The story was called "The Kid Plays A Lone Hand." Madame Zubar and her aide have the distinction of being the villains in the last Golden Age Black Terror story.
The Madman: 1943, Jungle Comics #41 (Fiction). Crazy-legs Anthony Durrant writes us: A man dressed as a native with a horned headdress forced two boys trying to win a place in the tribe to dive into a river and bring him diamonds. Pursued by Tabu, the jungle wizard, the man tried to cut the strings of a bridge Tabu was crossing during the pursuit, but failed and was caught by the jungle wizard. He was unmasked by Tabu as a white man with gaunt features and red hair and a moustache, who had been driven insane by searching for diamonds. The man was allowed to leave with the diamonds by Tabu, but the jungle wizard confiscated his weapons; soon afterward, the man was killed by a boa constrictor.
The Maestro: 1943, Four Favorites #9 (Ace). This is one of the odder villains. The Maestro plays a violin with which he is able to command bees, having discovered their secret language. Thus, he has a bee inspired costume in his first appearance: yellow-black striped tights top, yellow boots, blue trunks, antennae, and gossamer wings. The antennae and a radio allow him to block Lightning and Lightning Girl's powers.
Originally, the Maestro was Basilo Tosca, a musical genius and conductor while also planning robberies for his small gang to commit while the victims were away from home attending his concerts. That life of crime came to an end when one person failed to attend the concert and the crooks were interrupted which put Lightning and Lightning Girl on his trail. It was at this time that years of experimenting with bees paid off and he discovered that he could communicate with them through his music, thus the costume and replacing his henchmen with bees.
The Maestro would return, changing his costume and some of his m.o., becoming an almost grotesque figure. His music could enslave others and he wore a dark suit, cloak and top hat (retaining an antenna to counteract Lighting's powers). In his employ he had a hunched back midget dressed as a jester that was his headsman and torturer, carrying a mace that he could use to deadly effect.
Magic Mandarin: 1940, Whirlwind Comics (Holyoke): From the Far-East comes the Chinese man named Lee Ching but who also goes by the name of the Magic Mandarin. Through the aid of some Manchu allies and the power of the Stone of the Dragon he dreams of conquest but is opposed by correspondent Smash Dawson. The stone has magnetic properties but also possibly some real magic as Ching and his allies change from business suits to robes and the Mandarin himself manages to somehow evade sure capture.
Mr. Magna: 1947, Black Cat Comics #7 (Harvey). This portly gentleman is an auto manufacturer of the Magnacar. But, instead of being a great and safe car, his plant uses inferior and cheap materials. While people die driving and having accidents in his cars, he amasses a small fortune and is ready to leave the country. However, the Vagabond Prince and his court, the teen Chief Justice and the Jester have been investigating the accidents and are ready to bring him to justice. He jumps in a car and flees, but he has jumped in not his own car but a magnacar and he promptly has a fatal accident.
Mat Mahata: 1942, Champ Comics #23 (Harvey). Mat Mahata is a master of magic from India and enjoys a bit of celebrity as well as being an old acquaintance of Dr. Miracle. Visiting Mahata in his rental home in Hollywood Hills, it's Miracle's companion Dolores who realizes from lore learned in Cuba that Mahata's servants are really undead zombies. Turns out that in Burma, the Japanese confiscated all of Mahata's wealth and he hopes to use the zombies to rebuild his fortune through knocking over banks and such. The two pitch their magic against each other, through spells and calling good and evil dragons and other beings to fight. Ultimately, Mahata's forces are defeated and the wizard himself is killed by a lightning bolt meant for Dr. Miracle but redirected back to him.
Major Zero: 1944, Captain Aero #15/v3#13 (Holyoke). Captain Aero and his squad are so successful in helping the Chinese to fight off the Japanese that it's wrecking the Japanese morale. They hatch a plot, to outfit a Lt. Yahuchi in a bulletproof outfit and special armored plane and promote him with a new name like those in American comicbooks: Major Zero, the super flyer.
The Mallet: 1942, Daredevil Comics #11 (Lev Gleason). The Mallet is a Japanese spy. Along with his right hand man Tiang, they are passing themselves off as Chinese and head the Chinese forces along the Burma Road linking China with Burma. When Pat Patriot and her female army arrive to train the Chinese soldiers, the Mallet incites them to slay the women and isn't above torturing them himself. Pat exposes them as Japanese and their forces are easily routed by the combined might of Pat's army and the Chinese soldiers. The Mallet's final fate is unknown. He wore a dark blue cap and red sea-captain's jacket and slightly bearded. His nautical look was completed by having a just a wooden club where his right hand should be, hence his name. Created by Lin Streeter.
The Man on Crutches: 1947, Prize Comics #67 (Prize). Erik Manfredi is a jewel thief who was promised a great sum of money for a ruby owned by the oil heiress Miss Rita Henway. Unable to get Rita to give the jewel up, he devises a clever dart gun concealed into a crutch with which he kills her and then hides the gem inside the other crutch. He's brought to justice by Yank & Doodle with the help of the previously retired Black Owl.
The Man Who Can't Die: 1942, Cat-man Comics #6 (Holyoke)."Dice" Rovelli is electocuted for committing murder, but is dug up by his henchmen and he embarks on a murder spree, to kill the various men responsible for his death. He is fighting Rag Man before he just collapses, death catching up to him. Dying, Rovelli's last victim confesses all. He was Dr. Walters of the State Prison who had developed a formula that would put someone into a catalytic sleep (that would also keep him from being electrocuted) and had been forced to inject Rovelli with it who was later given an antidote by his men but it seems the formula was only good for sustaining a life for a week.. Rovelli was after the Prison Warden Crane, the DA and Judge Simpson who had framed him for the murder he was "executed" for. Rovelli signed his death threats as "The Man Who Can't Die" and he had his head completely bandaged and possibly a black mask around his eyes (or just an artistic effect).
Man Without A Face: 1942, Cat-man Comics (Temerson/Helnit/Continental). "Scar" Malone escapes from prison but is in a bad car wreck and presumed dead. Instead, many of his features are burned off, leaving him with a death-mask face. Angry at the police, he goes on a robbery spree of banks and armored cars while dealing death to the police who get his way. He and his gang are captured by the Hood. Despite the name of the title, he actually only goes by "Scar" Malone in the story. NOTE: The underlying story, title and villain's name are a lift from Bulletman #2, 1941 by Fawcett. However, that story also has substantial differences as well.
Manta: 1944, Bouncer Comics 12 (Fox): Sexy white brunette who
is in command of some dark Burmese jungle natives. She managed
to capture Rocket Kelly¹s gunner and sidekick Wacky and
is torturning him for vital information concerning American
forces when Rocket Kelly comes to the rescue of him and
other American airmen, capturing Manta in the process. More
info on this mystery woman was promised in upcoming Bouncer
13.
Anthony Durrant tells us a little more: Manta, the woman you mentioned in the entry under her name, is in reality Susan Andrews, the daughter of a doctor working at a hospital in China. After her usefulness as Manta has ended, she returns to work at her father's hospital, where she again encounters "Machine-Gun" Kelley, whom she had first met in her guise as Manta. He and his friend "Wires" Welken saved her, but as they escaped from China, the rocket controls of Kelley's plane are hit by Japanese bullets, and they end up unconscious and on a journey to the planet Sakura.
Manx: 1941, Mystery Men Comics #26 (Fox). The Manx is a costumed crook looking to blackmail Mr. Krindle for a crime committed 25 years earlier. He has a steel claw with which he kills that's attached to one wrist. He's able to scale walls with a rope and tough fighter, able to almost fight the Green Mask and Domino to a standstill. During the fight, Krindle is killed trying to prevent the Manx from killing his daughter and the heroes.
Colonel Mara, the man who lost his face: 1944, Captain Aero #15/v3#13 (Holyoke). Before the War, Professor Yuki Mara taught chemistry and physics at the University of Sidham in Montana though he hated his time here. While teaching a class, Lucy Feller has an accident while mixing some acids when the flame of the burner flares up against her arm, causing her to spill the acid on Mara's face. Horribly disfigured, he returns to his home country where he makes a mask of a rubber plastic compound and he nurses his hatred. War comes and he is now a colonel serving in the islands off of Java, poisoning the water supplies. As luck would have it, Lucy Feller is on the island as a nurse to Captain Peter Hall, who is secretly the Red Cross. Mara thinks he has a chance at revenge, a chance to ruin her face but that threatened cruelty compounded by the deaths of poisoned natives gives the hero the incentive he needs to overpower them and call for a bombing of the compound. Don't know if Mara survived or not.
Marcus: 1942, Lightning Comics vol2 #6 (Ace). Marcus is a descendent of a cousin of Caesar who had plotted to assassinate the emperor. His ancestor fled from Egypt into the African jungles. There he founded a city kingdom, accessible by a cave. Somehow, Marcus seems to be the sole white man, his Legionnaires consisting of African natives. Marcus indulges in human sacrifices to Jove, but he's blocked by the fighting ability of Congo Jack. As Jack is fleeing with Tina and her father, it appears the castle is being destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
Marcus II: 1945, Four Favorites #19 (Ace).This villain invented clocks whose chimes would put listeners into a paralyzed trance and leaving them with no memory of going under. He sent the clocks anonymously to his two former business partners whom he felt had cheated him. He managed to kill the first one while a whole dinner party was entranced, including the hero Magno. Magno & Davey managed to figure things out through a little luck and with earplugs were able to stop him from killing his second partner. Sadly, this bald villain only has the neat m.o., and being called "the watchmaker of doom" to recommend him.
Marius:
1940, Weird Comics #5 (Fox). Evil Roman sorceror of 2200
years ago (circa 1940) who's gang was being beset by the
Roman Caius Martius. When his men capture Martius, Marius
uses occult powers that put Caius to sleep until the 20th
century where he becomes the Dart.
Marko: 1942, Cat-man Comics #10 (Holyoke). Dr. Marius manages a formula that accidentally shrinks him to Doll Man size. Before he can figure out an antidote, his brother Marko captures him and steals the formula. However, a visit from Rag-man and Tiny shortly later puts them a bit wise to the scheme. When strange thefts are being committed, they realize that the clues point to a small man and deduce that Marko is using the serum. After a battle and being temporarily shrunk themselves, they overcome the villain and unmask him as Dr. Marius himself. Turns out that Marko was forcing him to commit the murders but once he perfected an antidote, he killed Marko and continued with the highly profitable thefts. As the size changing thief, he had an interesting look but no code-name. 
Marko, Hack: Jumbo Comics (Fiction). Anthony Durrant writes: Hack Marko was a ruthless killer bent on revenge; he killed the district attorney who presented the prosecution's case and the judge who presided at his trial after his release from prison. Hack was apprehended by Inspector Dayton, a police officer who impersonated the judge and was able to capture and arrest Dayton for the murders when he went to the "judge's" hospital room to finish the job. Marko is very unusual among the revenge killers that proliferated in the comics at that time because he was an innocent man who had been wrongfully convicted and sent to jail.
Mars: Planet Comics (Fiction). The Roman god ram amok through the universe in this series. Eventually he was stopped by Mysta. The following month, the series was devoted to and named after Mysta. The Roman God also figured into the stories of Man of War by Centaur where he opposed his "creation" that he had mistakenly placed on the side of a nation craving peace (America) instead of war (Germany).
Martians: 1944, Mystery Comics #2 (Standard). Tall gray beings with four arms, they are accidentally brought to Earth by Dr. Voodoo while he's fighting Wonderman.
Bugs Martin:1948, Boy Comics #42 (Lev Gleason). Reader called Glammazon gave me: Bugs was a Prohibition-era gangster who married a debutante tired of her social lifestyle. He went on to murder one of his henchmen for disobedience and was sent to prison for his crime for 20 years. When he got out, he located his wife and son and took the boy away from her so as to frame her for a murder. Crimebuster located Bugs, and when he and Mrs. Martin intervened, Bugs tried to strangle her. The boy grabbed a gun and shot at Bugs, who promptly fell dead of a heart attack. His corneas were then grafted into his wife's eyes, restoring her eyesight, which she had lost years earlier after he had hit her in the face. Bugs appeared in BOY COMICS #42, in a story so long that another feature had to be preempted to fit it in.
Marto: 1940, Blue Bolt Comics. Highly evolved human, most head, employed by the Green Sorceress. Envies the developed physique of Blue Bolt.
The Mask: 1939, Wonder Comics #1 (Fox). Mysterious masked man, leader of the rebel forces in Mauchako, and also supplies guns to General Boros. Joining the rebel forces is Rick Anthony, author and soldier of fortune, and also a childhood friend of dashing spy K-5 (you can tell he's dashing because he has a cravat, a pencil thin mustache and Asian man-servant called Tong). However, K-5 has been charged with finding out the identity of the gun-runners and putting a stop to it by the government, placing him and Rick on opposite sides. After much ado, it becomes a battle in the air as the Mask forces Rick to pursue K-5. When Rick refuses to shoot down a friend, the Mask executes him, but must then jump to his own freedom or risk crashing in the plane. He gets riddled by bullets from K-5's aircraft and is revealed to be one Senator Stanley. Reprinted in The Flame #2.
The Mask II: 1940, Samson #1 (Fox). In the East (India), the Mask and Dr. Dag are behind a Thug uprising through their high priest Ko and plan to send the Thugs into cities with test tubes full of deadly bacteria and then will plunder and raze the cities. The deadly duo are apparently slain in their attempt to bring a temple down on top of Samson sets off a wave of fiery destruction throughout the city, burying them in the debris.
The Mask III: Shadow Comics #9 (Street & Smith). In the small mountain town of Marshall, Mr. Winston brings in the Hooded Wasp to investigate a haunted mansion. By the time they arrive, they find the spectral ghosts, Mr. Winston's body, Dundril the dwarf, and his new master, the Mask. By adventure's end, it's revealed to be a scam by Winston to scare people away so he can get the golden hoard under their homes as well as a plot to rid the world of the Hooded Wasp and Jim Martin.
The Mask IV: 1949, Exciting Comics (Better). Old West villain dressed all in black. He is actually an Easterner called Dude Johnson who uses brass knuckles in a fight. He was unmasked by the hero Billy West and shot in the back by his own men.
Mask of Death: 1942, Cat-man Comics #10 (Holyoke). Various men are given new medals for patriotic duty but are then killed by the Mask of Death, a man in brown business suit with a green skull and a gun that fires electric bolts, giving them his Medallion of Death to go along with their new medals. FBI man Craig Williams investigates as himself and the Hood. The Mask of Death is possibly killed when one of the medals is thrown at him as he fires his gun. He proves to be Krimmer, the State Department's Purchasing Agent who was in reality a Nazi agent. As he was head of purchasing and providing the medals to be given out, he was treating them with a special coating that would attract the electric bolts of his specially designed gun.
Masked Bandits: 1944, Yellowjacket Comics #4 (Frank Communale Publishing Co.). At various swank parties, three masked men burst in and rob the guests of their jewels. One of the hosts, Mr. De Quincey raises an uproar with the police and the D.A. Ralph Nelson who is secretly the Black Spider. Yet, when he is captured by the gang it's up to his secretary/girlfriend Peggy Dodge to become the Black Spider to save him! The leader of the gang is revealed to be De Quincey's son Frank.
Masked Czar: 1937, The Comics #1 (Dell). This corpulent man is the masked leader of the underworld. Likewise, all his men wear masks as well. They kidnap G-Man Jim's girlfriend Ellen Swan in an effort to get him to lay off their business. Instead it makes him all the more eager to catch the criminals.
Masked Man: 1941, Weird Comics #16 (Fox). A masked man is threatening engineers Tone and Zeal with an electric ray to keep them from completing their work on a defense contract. When an attempt is also made on the life of Jim Andrews who was assigned to look into problems they were having with turbines that the company he worked for provided, Andrews changes into the superhero Dynamo. Tone is soon killed but with a bullet, not an electric ray. The watchman is also killed just when he is about to reveal the identity of the killer. The killer turns out to be the house detective Drab who killed the watchman with a rigged gun in his bowler. Dynamo assumes that Drab was paid by a competitor to prevent Tone and Zeal from completing the defense contract. Apparently, there never was an electric ray, just clever shooting and tricks on the part of Drab. While masked, Drab is referred to simply as “the masked man”.
Masked Man (II): 1943, All-New Short Story Comics #1 (Harvey). Big Mike Scorey is the Masked Man whose crimes are brought to light by the two-fisted reporter Steve Case.
Masked Marauders: 1940, Exciting Comics #44 (Better).Masked Arab bandits who kidnap the cat of Peter Ward, the Scarab. The cat Akh-Tu-Men is the reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who tended the pyramid of the pharoah An-Meses II and the villains will hope that the cat will reveal the location of the secret panel that will lead to the treasure room. Their leader is the non-masked Aton.
Masked Nazi: 1944, Fighting Yank #8 (Standard). The "Masked Nazi" aka Kroner heads a gang raiding mining shipments in South America. Bruce Carter who has an interest in the mining company is sent down by the board of directors to investigate. He and Joan Farwell meet up with the foreman Kingston who provides them with aide. However, they soon run up against the Masked Nazi's crew who unveils a terrible invention that casts a blanket of crushing heavy air that even tests the power of the Fighting Yank. His ancestor alerts him to a special deposit of radium that can conteract the heavy air, but getting it even tests his mystically powered body as he contends against its power as well as a giant condor. Using the radium to super-charge a large statue, its rays counteract the heavy air. He then captures the Masked Nazi and reveals him to actually be Kingston. The Masked Nazi wears an orange/brown suit (sometimces drawn to be a regular suit and other times a cover-all type outfit) and a green hood that covers his whole face. He apparently is the creator of the "heavy air" device.
Masked Terror: 1940, Rocket Comics #3 (Hillman). Old West villain that fought the Phantom Ranger. Revealed to be man named Anson and apparently killed
Master Mind: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #13 (Centuar). While a young man, he had been shot in the legs by a police chief during a raid. To save his life his legs had to be amputated. He travelled the world and spent time in India where he discovered the talent of being able to look at the photo of a crook and bend him to his telepathic will. Because of his strong mental powers, the Indian populace called him the Master Mind. He returned to America and devoted his powers to destroying the now retired police chief. To this end, he remotely bent crooks to his will and telepathically ordered them to attack the chief's house and kill him and his daughter. However, he had not counted on the intervention of Mighty Man. He was able either through device or force of will to temporarily hold Mighty Man to one spot while his strong giant and bodyguard Trojan attacked Mighty Man. While they wrestled, Master Mind aimed a powerful ray gun at the hero but Mighty Man had gotten the upper hand and threw the giant against Master Mind, crashing the two against the wall. The villain's chair was full of destructive devices designed to kill others but the impact caused them to explode, ending his threat.
Master of Birds: 1944, Power Comics #4 (Narrative). This crook has trained birds to steal for him. He also has trained eagles, large enough to carry a man on his back and enough for each of his men to ride. He was originally a vaudeville performer with trained birds before he turned to crime. Captured by the Black Raiders, the electric chair seemed to be his near future fate. No reference as to how he created the super large versions of some of his birds.
Master of the Hooded Cult: 1939, Keen Detective Funnies #6 (v2n2)(Centaur). The Master of the Hooded Cult has members in major cities across the country, his popularity due to handing out free narcotics. He was described as a lunatic called Pierre Lacroix who desired to be emperor of the world. His other chief goal was the elimination of Stoney Dawson, the one man standing in his way. He has a vast army and arsenal at his command. His men wear hoods that cover their faces and shoulders hence their name. His headquarters is blown up with him and his men inside by the end of the story.
Mastermind:
1941, Lightning Comics vol. 2, #1 (Ace). An evil
scientist, he had created machines that could temporarily
give him lightning powers by harnessing lightning from storms.
He took over a lady scientist's castle due to its proximity
to constant storms and built his machines. He then rescued
the Mummy with the goal of gaining the secrets of the radium
coating the Mummy used on his bandages to make himself invulnerable.
However, during a falling out, he slayed the Mummy before
getting his secrets. Still he used his super-brain to blackmail/sell
his services to the US. In addition to his vast intellect
and glowing eyes, he could teleport at will. Whether this
was a natural talent or artificial was unrevealed. His plans
were routinely stopped by "Lash" Lightning. At one point, he was working with the Nazis, though he didn't consider himself one of them.
Mastermind II: Target Comics (Novelty) In La Paza Texas, a masked criminal and his highly organized gang embark on a murderous crime wave of terror, kicked off by killing the mayor and then freeing ruthless criminals from the state penitentiary. Unfortunately for him, Niles Reed, Tom Brown and Dave Foster are vacationing locally and the case attracts their attention for they are the Target and the Targeteers. By the end of the case, the Mastermind stands revealed as Mr. Smythe, president of the Anti-Crime League who had been giving the DA a hard time.
Mastermind of Crime: 1940, Blue Beetle #3 (Fox). Brian Downhill is the hooded Mastermind of Crime. He plans a series of violent crimes in order to hold New York City for ransom, to have all control turned over to him. In addition to his army of thugs, he has his own island off Central America. His endeavors are foiled by the Blue Beetle.
Maurice: 1945, Green Hornet #26 (Harvey). Not the gangster of love, he’s a homicidal maniac. He’s teamed up with Nada, a gorgeous red-head and they’re crooks after a prized diamon. However, Maurice just cannot stop killing people in a variety of different ways: poison, gun-shot to the head, blow-dart. Heck, he even poisoned a victim’s goldfish. But the murders attract attention before they can get the diamond and it passes into the custody of lawyer John Doyle (secretly the Zebra). They try to trick him into giving away the location of the diamond but arouse his suspicions and he tracks them. When he is shot by Nada, Maurice goes nuts and chokes her to death for robbing him of his enjoyment. When the Zebra finally comes to and catches up to Maurice, he’s about to torture the lawyer John Doyle’s secretary and the enraged hero throws him through a window to his death. Very few killers are quite as gleeful about their murders as this one.
Dr. Maxwell: 1947, X-Venture 2 (Victory Comics) . We'll let Columnist Fran Chapman tell the story: "Dr. Maxwell joined the remainder of the Hitler-Tojo gang, who continued to aim to rule the world thru atomic devices! Maxwell claimed to have discovered a thought-being that could be placed in a human brain and so control that person! Maxwell wanted to experiment on his assistant! Edwards refused. The doctor then wanted to inject the thought being into his own daughter! But Edwards and attorney Martin had him committed to an asylum! Maxwell swore revenge! He promised to get me took because in my column, I exposed his tie with the rule-or-ruin gang!" If nothing else, we've learned that Miss Chapman is a bit excitable or paid by the exclamation mark. Mr. Mars, the Atom Wizard, reveals that it was reported that Maxwell died in the asylum, but a giant robot had killed both Edwards and Martin and left a threatening note for them. Their investigation uncovers that the Marcia Maxwell has control of the thought beings and the giant robots and is out to avenge the death of her father. The giant robots are controlled by human brains that had been injected with thought beings. However, the Atom Wizard discovers that a strong electric current can kill the thought beings and manages to take the robots and Marcia down before she can transplant Fran's brain into a robotic body.
McCann, Hugh: 1941, Cat-man Comics #3 (Holyoke). This gangster practically runs the city where Steve Prentice works as a lawyer. In fact he has Judge Hayworth in his pocket and the city "has been a relief stop for every thug and racketeer in the country!" Afraid that Prentice might discover the truth, he's framed for bribery and killing his own secretary. What McCann doesn't count on is Steve's resourcefulness. Instead of being captured and convicted, he takes on the identity of the Pied Piper to capture McCann and Hayworth.
McMann: 1940, Amazing Man #5 (Centaur). This scientist was a true genius. Using human-sized robots that could shoot out gas and electric bolts, he robbed a bank as a trial run as well as kidnapped the bank president who denied him a loan. His real plan that he enacted was having his gang drop man-sized mech spiders in the sewer across the city and then had them go on an unstoppable rampage in order to hold the city for ransom. He was captured by the Iron Skull who had infiltrated his gang.
Mechomen: 1943, America's Best Comics #4 (Standard). In a secret headquarters of a Gestapo Sabotage Unit, Nazi scientist Vurmann has two incredible inventions. The first is the Psychoscope, a device that displays images from a strapped in man’s thoughts. The second is the Colchicine Beam which can transform the victim into a horrific version of those visions. Using the devices on captured soldiers, he’s able to turn them into murderous Mechomen, half men and half airplanes, tanks or even anti-aircraft guns. Doc Strange defeats the Mechomen and destroys Vurmann and his gang by blowing up their base, a huge blimp disguised as a cloud.
Medusa-Man: 1946, Planet Comics #35 (Fiction House). The Medusa-man of Mars is featured on the cover, having captured Mysta and about to experiment on her judging from the scapel in his hand. However, he's about to experience a beatdown by her robot. The story does not actually appear in the book despite the cover-blurb. A shame.
Professor Meier: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). Experimenting on animals, the Professor has managed to transform them into humanoid winged beasts, able to shrug off bullets and obey his every whim. He lays waste to an African village that brings him to the attention of Marga the panther-woman. He captures her and intends to make her his first human-beast. However, his serum doesn't change her, possibly because she's already a hybrid of human and animal. It combines with her panther blood and gives her super-strength. She escapes from the cages and is aided by a beast she calls "Homer". They get help from soldiers at a nearby caucasian village and turn the tables on Meier. They find a neutralizer that turns the winged beastmen back into their animals. Faithful Homer turns out to be a police dog and becomes Marga's companion.
Men of Devolio: 1942, Exciting Comics #19 (Standard). Astronomer John Preston has an invention that was designed to capture the moon's energy but he tries it out on a new planet he just discovered. Sadly, it operates as a teleporter and brings men from the planet Devolio to Earth. Long ago, the planet was part of our system and as it neared again, they had planned on invading Earth. Their own resources allowing them only one spaceship, his teleportation device gives them the means. While veritable supermen themselves, they still pale next to the might of the Black Terror who defeats them.
Mendezzi: Thrilling Comics (Better). A second rate stage magician who sells his soul to Satan for real occult ability. He teams up with 5th Columnists in efforts to overthrow America but is stopped by the forces of white magic under the command of the Ghost.
Don Jaime Mendoza: 1948 Manhunt! #3 (Magazine Enterprizes). From Anthony Durrant: Don Jaime Mendoza was a spaniard who fell in love with a girl whose family had been feuding with his for years. This family abducted Jaime and subjected him to five years of torture, including being ducked in a fluid that withered his body and made him look like a human skeleton. He was able to tunnel his way out of his cell and escape, after which he devoted years to hunting down and killing all members of the girl's family, including herself. Having killed all of them but Donna Louisa, he went after her and accidentally picked up a girl named Gaye Kailey, who bore a strong resemblance to her except that she had grey eyes and no mole on her cheek. After being called by Gaye, Kirk used her as bait to lure Jaime out of hiding and had her followed by a constable named Hodges disguised as a biker. After hearing nothing from Hodges, Kirk found him stumbling toward him along the street, and the constable gave him Jaime's London address, the place where he would depart in a horse-drawn hearse on his nightly errand of death. He then smashed in Jaime's door and arrested him just as he was about to kill Gaye, then revealed that Donna Louisa was already dead. Jaime and his coachmen were arrested by Kirk and spirited away to Dartmoor Prison.
Mephisto: 1939, Fantastic Comics #12 (Fox) A great poisonous sea serpent, he'd approach boats and let out his venom into the waters, and sailors would be overcome by the fumes. Undersea adventurer, Sub Saunders had spent years trying to track this monster down before coming across signs of it and tracking it to its lair where he discovers a great under-sea civilization.
Mephisto II: 1942, Thrilling Comics v10n3 (30), (Standard). Hawkins is a scientist on the West Coast working on a top secret gas that he believes will make him invincible. However, he is using black magic to augment his science and when warned against this line of research he admits he'd sell his soul to the devil for power. When his associate confronts him and makes him drop the vial of gas, he transforms him into devilish figure and he adopts a devil themed costume (red skull cap with horns, cape and tights with a tail and pointed feet). He uses his this new persona to take over various Nazi groups. The FBI calls in Doc Strange. Mephisto is an expert at throwing knives and while he does not display super-strength, he survives mortal injuries. The police say he has been shot multiple times and he survives being knocked off a cliff by Strange. Even in the end after being thrown against a steel beam, blown up on a boat and sinking to the depths of the ocean he vows to return. Which he does.
Mephistopheles: An underling of Satan, seeking to gain more souls for his area of Hell and for his boss, Satan, he recruits the help of Benedict Arnold and Dianatha, a huge black bat that is able to make her be seen as a beautiful brunette. As his plans begin to unravel due to the intervention of the Green Lama and his girl Jean Parker, Mephistopeles calls forth other traitors "Dr. Bancroft who betrayed Benjamin Franklin, Simon Girty the renegade, Arron Burr, the Traitor. Captain Teach Lias Bluebeard (sic)." Outnumbered, the Lama calls forth champions of his own (who does he think he is, Kid Eternity? Major Liberty? Captain Fearless?). "Om-Ma-Ni Pad-me Hum! Here, the fighters for democracy and justice! Mad Anthony Wayne, Lighthorse Harry Lee, and Stephen Decatur, valiant American Heroes." The patriots win out, and the Green Lama sends Mephistopheles packing.
Merciless the Sorceress (I): 1944, All Top Comics nn (Fox). The first version of Merciless is a beautiful Amazonian native where she rules an empire of superstitious natives. When jewels are stolen from her, she will stop at nothing and kill anyone in her way to get them back. Robert Craig, who manages a rubber plantation that borders her domain, tries to broker peace with her, returning the few jewels that came into his possession. With some still missing, she turns on him and he has to fight his way out. Story ends with her having half her jewels, all the ones Craig had access to and him fearing she may still cause him trouble. In the one story, she doesn't have any overt innate powers, but is knowledgeable of poisonous plants and such.
Merciless
the Sorceress (II): 1946, All Your Comics #1 (Fox). "Pages of history recount the
tale of a woman whose fantastic beauty is matched only by
her evil genius! She twists the minds and warps the souls
of men who worship at her feet and finally turns them into
beasts! Such was Merciless the Sorceress, ruler of the mysterious
land of Volcano People at the top of the world." She is
opposed by the famous explorer Captain Bob Darlington, his
assistant "the Professor," and his pilot "Happy" Jack Smiles,
although they win mostly by luck. She can change men into
animals, is bulletproof, can disintegrate guns with a gesture,
and can fly, among other abilities. With her is a gang of Asian looking thugs. The cover image implies an adventure against the hero Red Robbins (see his entry).
Mercury: 1943, Green Hornet Comics #13 (Harvey). The Rahn Nolte emerald is being exhibited and a criminal has targeted it for theft by his gang. Meanwhile, celebrated yet reclusive author from Europe Jan Nowak is also supposed to come to the dinner and see the emerald. Nowak is an arrogant boor whom the Nazis have a contract for. At the dinner is Gary Blakely, aka Spirit of '76, his pal Tubby Reynolds and Tubby's sister Susan. When, the lights go out, the emerald is stolen, a man is dead and Nowak has disappeared. Investigating as the hero Spirit of '76, Nowak is suspected as the simple reality is that no one has met him before or really knows what he is supposed to look like. Meanwhile, they keep running into the stereotypical African American janitor. They eventually uncover that the gang is made up of Gestapo agents with a double mission: steal the emerald and kill Jan Nowak. Their leader is none other than the bumbling stereotype Mercury who is really part of the "German Afrika Korps". NOTE: This story is actually very unique. When discussing racism of the day (which this story is full of), something overlooked is that at the time, there were not only few strong black characters in heroic roles, but next to none that were villains unless the stories took place in Africa or involved African themes. If you saw an African American character, if the character wasn't a background character for comedy relief, the character at least was on the side of angels, as stereo-typed and caricatured he might otherwise be. Of the hundreds of stories I have read, this is a first where the character is not only a villain but actually a leader of villains! Yet, it cannot be denied that for most of the story, he's played for laughs, playing up the caricature and stereotypes of the day. While the end may suggest that it's ultimately a joke on the readers, I think one has to contrast how this is handled in the "Avenger" pulps. There, he has a pair of aides, an African American couple, who often play to the stereotypes of the time, of what many people would expect them to be. However, the text is always clear that it's simply a role, that they are highly intelligent and thus often underestimated. At no time is the joke at their expense, but at the expense of the crooks. They challenge the reader to see them and hopefully others of their race differently, as real people underneath whatever jobs they do. That's not here in this story. Mercury never breaks character, the jokes are clearly for us to laugh at him, even after the reveal. Then, there's the lines near the end:
Spirit of '76: "Mercuy! I still can't believe that an American Negro turned traitor! Why they're the most loyal group of Americans we have!"
Jan Nowak: "American Negro... Ha!! He's Captain Sidi Ahran of the German Afrika Korps!"
The implication being that African Americans are happy with being the butt of all the jokes at the character's expense. After the context of the story playing up to almost every stereotype for humerous intent, you really cannot believe that the character might not be loyal? A very dangerous racism in just its simple casualness.
Metal Man: 1940, Big Shot Comics #8 (Columbia). An inventor creates the "metal man", a radio controlled robot that fires a prussic acid gas from his chest. He uses the robot to stage robberies of banks, transporting the metal man via a radio controlled autogyro. D. A. Tom Kerry hitches a ride and then hides himself in the shell of the robot's body to confront the mad inventor. The inventor never gets a name.
Mhera/Mhersa: 1939, Champion Comics #2 (Harvey). Mhera is the sister of Neptina, the queen of Amloza and its
fish-men, an underwater race. She originally passes herself off as a freedom fighter, against Neptina's despotic rule. However, once she sets herself up as queen, the fish-people prefer Neptina to her. She eventually allies herself with King Walro of the Walrus men who have taken over Polaris in order to try to re-take the throne. Failing, she is imprisoned by the restored Queen Neptina. Like her sister, she looks completely human though can breathe underwater and the fish-men are decidedly not.
The midget (name not given): 1944, Heroic Comics #28 (Eastern Color Pringing). In medieval Europe, an alchemist is about to succeed at making gold when he's arrested for being in the league with the devil. He argues with the captain of the guards and flings a test tube of molten gold onto his cheek. He curses the captain just before he is choked to death that the captain would forever be tortured by their lust for gold and his family would only bear midgets as descendents. Sure, enough years later, the captain has a midget for a son who is fascinated by gold coins. Thus through the years, his descendents were part of the conquistadores; robbed miners in California and the Yukon. And, in 1943 back in a small obscure section of Europe untouched as yet by War, a great American scientist Professor Hargrove comes across the alchemist's incomplete notes. He is promptly kidnapped by the current midget descendent in order to finish the alchemist's formula. The midget is dressed as a gypsy and has a gang of thugs who are armed with a bola. His hideout is the “Castle of Doom”, complete with torture chambers. Hargrove is rescued by Hydroman who had come to keep an eye out over him. Hydroman floods the castle but doesn't make any attempt to rescue the midget or his men. Hydroman is aware of the midget's history and that he had been stalking Hargrove for days. Even so, he fears the midget may not be dead and will plot further evil.
Mighty Mite: 1941, Target Comics 12 (Funnies Incorporated). Operating out of Chicago and the brains of a criminal syndicate, he flies to New York personally to handle the Target and Targeteers when they prove to much for his subordinate Hammerfist. However, even this dimunitive Napolean of crime reports to a higher up, a mysterious foreign agent.
Mikal: 1940, Weird Comics #5? (Fox). Ruler of Undersea pirates and ally of the Sea Demons. His kingdom commands powerful water pressure cannons. Defeated by the air breather Typhon and his submarine.
Professor Mikla: Jet Comics (Magazine Enterprises). In the Pennsylvania hills, Professor Mikla, a scientist with a devilish face, has created a machine that he calls a Multipliciter and the hero Jet Powers would come to know as a "Devil Machine." Mikla has successfully used the machine to make perfect duplicates of zoo animals and is ready to try it own humans. He gets his chance when he falls into the machine during a brief struggle with the hero. The machine works imperfectly on humans, all the dulicates come out inches high. Maddened, the Miklas destroy the machine and themselves.
"Crazy Joe" Miller: 1947, Prize Comics 64 (Feature Publications). An escaped convict whose chief claim to fame is he shot Black Owl II, leading to the Black Owl's retirement.
Minstrel: 1949, All Top Comics #17 (Fox). Boris is a great celebrated opera singer. However, when he's rebuked by the woman he loves, he slaps her and she throws a brush that hits his throat and damages his voice. His mind turns and he travels in hopes to get his voice back. Later he arrives in Africa dressed as a medieval wandering minstrel and talking always in rhyme. He harbors a deep hatred for women and seems able to kill with a song, killing one of the white tribal women of the tribe that Rulah hangs out with and then again his former love who has pursued him. Before she dies, she reveals to Rulah that Boris is wanted for killing women in America. Rulah fights the Minstrel and discovers that he uses his lute as a powerful bow to fire little darts. In the fight, the taut bow string snaps around Minstrel's throat and strangles him.
Misery: Airboy Comics (Hillman). Robed in green and a skull-face and in control of The Airtomb, a huge plane covered with white mold that serves as a graveyard for aviators.
Miss Shady: 1945, Hi-Lite Comics #1 (E.R. Ross). Miss Shady is a blonde adventuress as well as a clever and amoral thief.
Miss X: 1941, Daredevil Comics #5 (Lev Gleason). When the Claw is rumored to be out of the picture, Hitler is actually a bit happy as there is now no rival to his plans of conquest in America. He sends the beautiful Miss X to meet up with agents there. However, on the heels of her arrival is the reappearance of the Claw and a new mysterious hero calling himself the Ghost!
Mist Men: Doc Savage Comics (Street & Smith). Bizarre creatures came out of the mists haunting the mining town of Elvino. The Hooded Wasp and his protege Jim Martin prove the creatures to be only costumed men working for an evil Nazi agent.
Mr. Atlantis: Wings Comics (Fiction). Asian (presumably Korean or Chinese) agent mastermind that fought Captain Wings during the Cold War. Helped out by the beautiful and mysterious Dame Areia.
Mr. Axis: Captain Aero Comics (Holyoke). Bald Nazi agent that bedeviled Miss Victory.
Mr. Death: 1939, Mystery Men Comics #5 (Fox). Mr. Death is an innocent looking unassuming man which accounts for him being able to kill 150 people by his own estimate. He just calmly walks up and shoots them. No explanation is given for why he does this. When the newspapers carry a story written by Gail Blanch how the hero Mystery Man is going to capture him and then goes on describing Mr. Death as a "huge, powerfully-built man" he feels the need to confront and correct her. Which of course, was the Mystery Man's plan all along. Text story by Will Eisner. The artwork calls him Dr. Death, but at no point is he referred to as such in the story.
Mr. Lucifer: 1944, Bouncer Comics. Ok. The Bouncer is a pretty silly hero even by 1940's standards. So, it stands to reason he'd get a villain just as bit as silly if not more so. Mr. Lucifer is a fat clown in a pseudo-devil costume complete with tail who thinks he is the devil. In fact he's constantly referred to as "Mr. Lucifer, the clown who calls himself Satan" or something equally tongue tying.
Mister Que: See the Great Question.
Mistress of the Apes: 1948, All Top Comics #12 (Fox). In the jungles there is a legend of a blonde woman raised by the apes. A safari comes looking for her in the hopes of being able to exploit her as some kind of side-show freak. The head of the safari knows the source of the legend as years earlier, he is the one who chose to abandon his baby niece in the jungles as opposed to raising the baby of a mad-woman (the actual fate of the girl's parents is no revealed). The girl grew up as capable as any jungle lord, queen or beast except in one area. Having never seen a person, she doesn't know how to speak any language other than beasts nor think or act other than as a beast might. The first person like herself that she comes across is Tanee, Jo-Jo's mate, and she kidnaps her out of curiosity. Jo-Jo gets the story from an ape that witnessed it (he too speaks the language of the apes) and starts to track her as well only to be captured by one of her apes. She gets wounded and captured by her uncle who is a crack shot but Jo-Jo is able to convince her apes that their mistress is in danger and leads an assault on the safari. In the melee, she attacks the man leading the safari, killing him by biting his neck while he shoots and mortally wounds her. She dies not knowing this man is the Uncle that left her in the jungles all those years ago.
Mitzah
the Mystic: 1943, Champ Comics #25
(Harvey). Mitzah is a native Moroccan mystic popular with
the other native Nationals. Enough that the Nazi Colonel
Ludwig Von Vonson offers him dictatorship of Morocco in
exchange for his magic aid. However, Dr. Miracle investigates
the recent activity in Morocco and pitches his white magic
against Mitzah’s black magic. It is discovered that Mitzah’s
magic comes from an amulet much like Miracle’s own locket
and the two if possessed by the same person renders them
magic-less. Ultimately Dr. Miracle prevails, turning both
Mitzah and the colonel into swine. NOTE:
This story actually reflects a real world event. In 1856,
stage magician Robert-Houdin was invited to Algiers by the
French Government. The French feared that the popularity
and superstitious awe of native Algerian magicians who would
eat glass and heal wounds would inspire the natives to rise
up against the French soldiers. Robert-Houdin was to discredit
them through his own magic tricks (notably through using
an electro-magnet to make a small box too heavy for a strong
man to lift).
Mobo: (Fiction). Anthony Durrant writes; Mobo was the son of Chief Abu (?), who had been sent to the West to be educated. He came back dressed in a brown hunting costume, on a stretcher borne by native bearers. He had returned to take his position among his tribespeople, but his Western education had made him greedy. He tried to exploit his tribespeople for money, and even assaulted his father - who was now no more than a savage to him - but was stopped by Sheena, and forced to face his father's wrath. Strangely enough, Mobo was depicted by the artist as a white hunter, not one of the native tribes people, who are black-skinned.
Modern Achilles: 1954, Frankenstein Comics 29 (Prize). Ok, this one is a bit different in that he didn't face any superheroes or sleuths or spies, it's a Twilight Zone-ish story of a crook that gains invulnerability. However, it's wonderfully drawn by Mort Meskin and a decent story to boot. And, it's my site so I can pretty much stretch the rules if I wanna. :p
For 10 years, petty thief Jim Lees shares a prison cell with an elder scientist named Strong. Eventually the old man dies, but not before he revealed the secrets of an untested formula that would make one invincible for a limited time. Upon getting out of prison, he creates the solution, coats his body with it and embarks on a crime spree of stealing and murder. The cops get more desperate and when he is leaving one bank, a group of police meet him with a barrage of machine-gun fire. Lees is driven back, brought down by a ricochet into the one area he didn't cover, his ears.
Mojo: 1944, Fighting Yank Comics #9 (Better). The Japanese come up with a way to shrink soldiers temporarily to the size of insects and use this to send over squads of soldiers and saboteurs. The leader of this force is Mojo. Mojo is particularly beast-like in his features complete with egg shaped head and fangs. He wears a green shorts and t-shirt with a red sun burst on the front. However, he and the invading force are stopped by the Fighting Yank.
Molo: 1941, Silver Streak #8 (Lev Gleason). Anthony Durrant writes: Molo was a man who was murdering people who had become successful in their chosen fields. He targeted a playwright named Mr. White, but the detective Presto Martin apprehended him and put him in prison - only to learn of Mr. White's murder the next day. His suspicions aroused, Martin disguised himself as Molo's twin brother and learned of a plot to kill a wealthy entertainer. Presto Martin was able to get to the entertainer's mansion and apprehend the other Molo, and in doing so, rescue the entertainer. Molo and his brother had gone insane with jealousy after the failure of their brother act some time earlier.
Mongol Giants: 1941, Banner #? (Ace Periodicals). At one time the Dictator's Shadow had 1000 Mongol Giants at his command, but by the time of the story starts, only 20 are left and one of those is killed right off the bat. Standing around 10-12 feet tall, the giants possess mongol features but pale white skin. Their bodies are almost completely bloodless except for the heart which manifests as a red shape on the skin where the heart is. The Shadow is using them to kill key military officials but they are ultimately destroyed by the Lone Warrior.
Mongolian Prince (un-named): 1940, The Flame #2 (Fox). I'll be the first to admit, yellow peril menaces are practically a dime a dozen during this time, that like the numerous gangsters and Nazi spies, they become a little tiresome and I decided to not include them all. But, this chap has earned the right to be here for sheer audacity in his plans. Namely, he orchestrates an invasion of the U.S. by somehow burrowing through the earth and then sending almost invincible tanks through the tunnel coming up in the Florida everglades. With the help of some large alligators, his forces are decimated by the mystery man known as the Flame. The Flame then confronts the man himself. The prince apparently falls to his death fleeing from the hero across the tiled palace rooftops.
The Monocle: 1944, Prize Comics v4n2/38 (Prize). Mike Gibson is a gangster, con-man, pickpocket, thief and whatever else that takes to get an easy dishonest buck. He also thinks himself as a bit of a swell, wearing flashy clothes and leading a gang to steal some classic paintings. Only, his robbery attempt is interrupted by Yank and Doodle. He escapes, but his gang is captured and he discovers that they were stealing imitations of classics lost to the Nazis and thus worthless. He decides to remake himself. He gets elocution and manners and buys stylish, not merely flashy, clothes. All of which he funds through picking pockets and small jobs. A quick study, he is soon able to mingle in society, learning what's worth stealing and what's not. With his gentlemanly airs and the monocle he wears for show, he becomes a master criminal known as the Monocle. He runs up again with Yank and Doodle and this time their adult partner, the Black Owl. Captured, he's one of the few criminals that doesn't dream of revenge but prefers to stay in prison where he can stay away from the crime-fighting trio. As the Monocle, he prefers stealth though he carries a dagger concealed in a cane and will hold up someone using a gun if all else fails, though it's not keeping with his current m.o. Nor is he much of a fighter.
Herr Monocle: 1941, Yankee Comics #2 (Chesler). Herr Monocle is head of a sabotage ring. He has a vicious dog named Devil. In the employ of his gang is stage performer and hypnotist Voodoo. They are all captured by Yankee Boy.
Monster: 1936, Funny Picture Stories #2 (Comics Magazine Company). The Monster is actually Rafah, a tall and incredibly strong mongolian assistant to the surgeon Dr. Van Ridder who is after the secret explosive formula that Dick Kent and Professor Buck got from the floating city. He is loyal to his master who had saved his life and followed him to the four corners of the globe. Unfortunately, the professor's daughter overhears the monster prowling through their house looking for the formula and gets kidnapped, leading Dick to investigate and get captured himself. He turns the tables on Van Ridder and captures him. The monster is shot by the police and presumed dead. Rafah is apparently either able to crack a safe or is superhumanly strong enough to break into it.
Monster II: 1940, Fight Comics #5 (Fiction). Rip Regan, the Power-man and his friend Punchy investigate reports of a monster terrorizing a small town. The investigation leads to the reclusive preofessor Mori. When they find the monster in the cellar, a violent gorilla, Regan easily takes it out. He realizes the scientist was as surprised as they were and that the real culprit is the handyman he had hired recently. The man was running a dope smuggling operation and using the gorilla that he'd brought back from Africa to scare away the townspeople but which was getting un-manageable.
The Monster III: 1940, Wonderworld Comics #13 (Fox). This monstrous green villain either managed to shrink a woman and the Flame and captured her in a jar, or he is enormously tall. We can only assume the Flame was victorious. Likewise, it is unclear whether the text is referring to him as generically being a monster or if "the Monster" is his name.
The Monster in the Pool: 1940, Phantom Lady 16 (Fox). Phantom Lady's fame as a detective has grown to the point that someone advertises for help in the newspaper. When as Sandra she and her boyfriend Don Borden drive out so she can snoop unofficially, they find that two girls have died in the area of Highmoor Estate. Faking an accident, she and Don meet Mr. Dorcas Phyfe (who placed the ad), his sister Calla and their dwarfish butler who invite them to stay until their car is fixed. After Don is attacked while swimming in the pool, Sandra investigates that night as Phantom Lady and finds a drain that leads to a pipe large enough for someone to swim in and out undetected. By the exit is a costume of a monster. It¹s not much later she spies Dorcas Phyfe diving into the pool to investigate only he is attacked by the monster. But, before he dies he utters, "Phantom Lady. . . you came. . . good. . . save my sister. . . not her fault. . . Lycan. . . " When she hears howling in the woods, she rushes to find a girls camp terrorized by a werewolf but manages to chase it off.
Later Calla finds the butler burning the monster costume and he confesses to killing her brother though it was out of love for her. Enraged Calla attacks him and chokes him to death before Phantom Lady can intervene. Turns out the little fella somehow knew that Calla was a werewolf (a fact she didn't know herself) and had been disguising himself as a monster in order to divert suspicion and protect her.
Monsters from Mercury: 1942, Speed Comics #17 (Harvey). Over the radio comes news of a spaceship crash bringing "Monsters from Mercury". These monsters appear to be intelligent giant lizards and they prey on the wealthy, robbing and pillaging. Shock Gibson (revealed to be Daniel Gibson, heir to the Gibson fortune) stops them revealing the monsters to be robots manned by small men under the command of the dwarfish John Thumb who apparently dies in a plane crash. What's not made clear in the story, are the small men Asian (judging by size and yellowish skin) or are they truly from "Mercury" who had come under the influence of John Thumb? After all the way the story opens, we see the rocket crash and hear the radio broadcast but aren't shown if and how those were faked.
Monster-Man: 1945, Captain Tootsie ad. The Monster Man is described as being a giant and he is taller than average and muscular, drawn as being a caricature of an ape man and wearing the leopard pelt a circus strong man might wear. Likewise he talks in Johnny Weismuller Tarzan-speak. He possesses great physical strength. However, he is knocked out by one punch from Captain Tootsie.
Monster of Madness: 1941, Fight Comics
#12 (Fiction). In the jungles of South America, an elder scientist
has developed a formula that will turn a young boy into a
huge and strong giant. And, he plans to teach him to likewise
be the wisest. However, while waiting for the formula to take
effect, the old man is walking through the jungles and is
killed by a snake. The boy grows quickly to be several stories
tall. Investigating reports, Rip Regan, aka the Power-man, comes across him but
a previous pilot's shooting at him has turned the giant into
a being of rage. He chases the Power-man to the Panama Canal
and he seems to be able withstand the armed forces there.
Power-man delivers a 1000 lb shell with the force of a bullet
into the giant's chest that knocks him flat (though whether
it has killed him or just knocked him out is un-revealed). The depictions of his size were inconsistant. In some places, he was only about 30 feet tall and in others was large enough to cradle a ship under an arm.
Monstro: 1941, Cat-man Comics #4 (Holyoke). Monstro is a circus gorilla and advertised to be fierce. When he escapes, the public panics and soon random attacks and brutal killings start occuring. However, Lance Rand uncovers that the killings are by gangster Puggsy Sloane dressed as a gorilla to serve as decoy while his gang are committing crimes elsewhere. They had captured the gorilla who is in reality quite peaceful, only advertised as ferocious for publicity.
Monstro (II): 1947, Zoot Comics #10 (Fox). An African sorcerer, Monstro works with a white man to build a machine that brings snow storms to Africa and even beyond. He kills his assistant as he really wants everyone to die but select women to be his wives and the start of a new race. However, Rulah knows how to handle snow. She has natives make clothes and goes afte Monstro. She finds and disables the machine. Monstro, wearing heavy battery heated clothing, drowns in the floods caused by the melting snows.
Mother Hubba: 1947, Airboy vol 4 #9 (Hillman). This kindly proper little old lady runs a resort for tired businessmen and she hires Link Thorne aka the Flying Fool to shuttle them. What he doesn't know right off is substitute gangsters on the run for "tired businessmen" and that all the pilots she's hired in the past have a habit of disappearing after a few weeks, and you have a better handle on what kind of deal she's offering.
The Mummy: 1941? Lightning Comics (Ace). Professor Vatz created a radium solution that when coated on his gauze costume it made him bulletproof and invulnerable to other weapons as well. This did not keep him from being defeated by "Lash" Lightning though. Ultimately, he was rescued from prison by the Mastermind who was after his secret. However, they had a falling out and he was quickly slain. The Mummy's costume was of gauze, head to foot. However, his wavy hair stuck out on the sides lending the threatening villain a ridiculous look.
The Mummy II: 1942, Man of War Comics #2 (Centaur). Famed Egyptologist Professor Stone is killed while going over the "Book of Dead" which reveals ancient secrets, one of which is hypnotism. Soon, a mummy is running around, hypnotising people such as Stone's niece. Investigator Chic Ferrell uncovers his identity as Dr. Carver, a rival of Stone's who wanted the "Book of Dead", and had arranged to have a fake mummy sent to Stone full of drugs. He had to go after the niece before she remembered and revealed that there was a tunnel between Stone and Carver's houses. Carver is shot by Farrell and presumably falls into the vat of acid he had prepared for killing Stone's niece.
Mummy III: Miss Masque foe, reprinted in Golden Age Greats #6 (Better). Diana Adams' aunt has two combs reputed to have belonged to Cleopatra. When she takes one to a museum to go on display, she and the comb are kidnapped by a mummy leading Diana Adams to investigate as Miss Masque. The mummy is revealed to be the curator and part of a cult dedicated to retrieving the artifacts so Cleopatra can rest in peace.
The Mummy Master: 1941, Silver Streak Comics #15 (Lev Gleason). Foe of Captain Battle. Created by Otto Binder & Jack Binder.
The Mummy Who Never Died: 1947, Phantom Lady #13 (Fox). 1,000 BC in the time Axrax in Egypt, Cyto is the overseer of slaves building a temple. However, he is betrayed by his fiance Patra and friend Kanik who destroy the temple, killing slaves and blaming Cyto. As punishment, he is embalmed alive. Witnessing the duo's perfidy as he's being embalmed, he swears to never die. In the present day, Miss Louis is an archaeologist seeking funding to raise the mummy from death from newspaper editor Mr. Waxler. Denied, she persists in her experiments and sends the mummy to kidnap the editor and which draws the Blue Beetle into the case. However, the mummy breaks free of her control and turns on her, seeing the spitting image of his beloved in Miss Louis. The pair are last seen as the mummy carries her into the burning lab while the Blue Beetle rescues Mr. Waxler.
Murder Company: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #17 (Centaur). Nine criminals banded together under the name of the Murder Company to kill men for their insurance money. They used a set of exotic and almost undetectable poisons to kill their victims. All nine were captured by Mighty Man.
Murder Maestro: 1944 Captain Flight #6 (Four Star). Bandit leader of the hills of Dalmania. He's apparently killed by Captain Flight.
Mustard Gang: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #15 (Centaur). Working for the Great Question until their capture by Amazing Man, these criminals used protective suits and gas guns to commit crimes.
Mustafa: 1942, The Eagle#4 (Fox). A portly, Far Eastern magician who comes off as being easily underestimated due to his almost clumsy antics and annoying speech patter. However, he's a talented stage magician with a host of tricks, and he's teamed up with the Scarecrow to carry off acts of sabotage and murder for the Nazis. How much of his act is just that is unclear. They and Nazi soldiers are fleeing when a large land mine goes off which signals a counter attack by the Allies. It's unclear whether Mustafa escaped in the confusion or not. The Scarecrow showed up later in the same issue without him. Fought the Eagle and Buddy.
Mystery Man: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #9 (Centaur). Out west, college students are being kidnapped and never seen again while hitch hiking. Turns out, that the "Mystery Man" (only name given) has been picking them up and using them to test out a new insane weapon to take out snipers and machine gunners in order to sell to foreign powers. Basically, he's been breeding Timber Wolves with police dogs and making them vicious killers that hate a certain scent. He allows the students to escape, to even get to a machine gun nest, but with the scent on them, not a one has been able to fire off a shot before the devil dogs get them. His plot is foiled by the intervention of Mighty Man. The Mystery Man and the foreign agents having unknowingly stepped in the fluid with the scent are torn to shreds by the dogs. In order to capture the students and control the dogs, he made use of a huge manacled assistant, but even that man was dwarfed by Mighty Man and is felled by one punch.
The Mystic Knights of Bagdad: 1941, Amazing Man #21 (Centaur). In the middle of the night, Dr. Hypno is kidnapped by men calling themselves the Mystic Knights of Bagdad. He's driven to "Bagdad" where he finds a man who has set up himself as a sultan, complete with a live elephant. He wants Hypno to use his famed brain surgeon skills to operate on famed actress Gladys Glammer to make her love him and obey him in every way. Realizing he's dealing with a bunch of lunatics, Dr. Hypno instead transfers his consciousness to the elephant in order to free her and escape. He transfers the gang and their boss over to the police. He turns the elephant over to the actress as a momento.