The Vacuum: 1952, Boy Comics (Lev Gleason). A thief with an atomic powered air pump that is kept in the sleeve of his coat. He can use it suck and expel air with incredible strength (enough to slow his fall from a tall building). Although, the pump makes a powerful weapon, the Vacuum is not a killer. Crimebuster stops him.
Valkyrie I: (Hillman). The Valkyrie and her girl squadron were trained and taught to be good little Nazis by Herr Oberst, a Nazi colonel. When she captured Airboy, three of her squadron hid him in old hangar but were found out by Oberst who ordered them whipped and Airboy killed. The Valkyrie rebelled, killed Oberst and then used Airboy's own plane, Birdie, to rescume him and her three girls.
Valkyrie II: Anthony Durrant writes: A mysterious pilot is shooting down Allied aircraft all over Germany, whose face is concealed throughout most of the story. When shot down by Airman and unmasked, this pilot is revealed to be a blonde-haired woman, the Valkyrie, who shoots herself rather than be captured by him.
Valpine 1944, Jim Hardy (United Features). Valpine is a beautiful but deadly villainess who has hypnotic powers that rival those of Menta of the Triple Terror. She views him as an equal and tries to get him to join her and her gang but he repeatedly refuses her. In this issue, she manages to escape through a secret panel to face them another day though they have captured her gang and her lieutenant, the Glove. Note: In the above issue, the story makes mention the group had faced her before, but at this time I do not have access to earlier stories.
The Vampire: 1940, Masked Marvel #2 (Centaur). In the peaceful town of Salano in Sicily, they have a legend of a vampire that wakens every 100 years and preys on the village for a fresh supply of blood. It's been 97 years since the last reported attack, and suddenly victims turn up appearing to have been killed by a vampire. The head constable believes it to be regular murder that is disguised as a vampire killing until more deaths turn up. The city police get involved. The reputed vampire's cave is sealed, people hang wreaths of horsehair on their doors to keep the creature away. A curfew is enacted and armed police guards walk the streets. Kept from human victims, some sheep and cattle are killed. Then, a man from each household is chosen to also keep armed watch. The next morning, a young mother leaves the house and momentarily places her baby in the shade while she works in the field. A wandering begger with a cane sees and attacks for "fresh blood". The young woman attacks the begger and screams for help and the police quickly come and subdue the begger. The police captain reveals to the constable that he was once a noted professor in a university in Northern Italy, specializing in folklore and superstitions. He went insane and was committed to an asylum, but broke out recently after being there for 15 years. He had filed his teeth to resemble the vampire's fangs. He knew of this town's legend and thought he was its vampire and hoped to regain his youth and immortality by feeding on the villagers' blood. NOTE: Created by Tarpe Mills.
The Vampire II: August 1941, Victory Comics (Hillman). A vampire is stalking the city, leaving dead and barely alive drained victims in his wake. The Crusader barely rescues one woman, receiving a nasty punch and cut on his chin. He notices the cut is from a signet ring with the symbol of a fang and research reveals that to be the coat of arms of the Rostavic family of Transylvania and there's a Count Rostavic currently living in the city. He captures the Vampire and reveals him to be Rostavic who was using a strong sedative in the fangs to knock out his victims and then took them to his lab where he was draining their blood which he was providing to Germany who was paying him.
The Vampire III: December, 1941, Dynamic Comics 2 (Harry "A" Chesler). In a seemingly deserted house on the everglades, lurks a red robed vampire and his servant, a giant, luring and killing the unwary. Unfortunately for them, the Green Knight discovers the house, them, and a kid sidekick in Lance.
Vampire IV: 1942, Cat-man Comics #8 (Holyoke). The Pied Piper finds himself facing a murderous vampire. The vampire is red-eyed, pointy eared, and green skinned with a darker green body suit and bat wings flaring out from his arms. He's killed when he crashes through a stairway railing and one of the railings stabs him through the heart.
The Vampire V: 1945, Green Hornet Comics #23 (Harvey). Cain Murdair calls on attorney John Doyle to commit his younger brother Abel to an asylum as he's clearly insane. During this time, there are reports of vampire attacks in the park. As the attacks continue, Cain calls on Doyle again, accusing his brother of being the vampire. Doyle investigates as the Zebra and soon finds that it's Cain who is insane and thinking he's a vampire. Abel has been the first victim, steadily being bled but when he gets to the point that he cannot supply more blood, Cain is forced to go elsewhere. It turns out that Cain is suffering of "Pernicious annemia", causing his craving of blood.
The Vampires: Yankee Comics: 3 or 4 (Chesler) Young Paul Witherbee's mother is sufferening from a strange ailment and he calls on the aide of the Echo's assistant Dr. Doom. At the house, Doom clashes wills with another physician, Dr. Anton who doesn't want Doom to interfere with his treatments. When the Echo comes to investigate he finds Anton giving doses of blood to a gang of vampires and jumps to the conclusion that Anton is behind it all. Turns out the opposite was true. Aware that the gang of vampires were trying to convert Mrs. Witherbee, he was trying to keep them at bay by placating them with blood until he could save her through his own treatments. Unfortunately, the transformation was too close to completion and the Echo and Dr. Anton barely save Witherbee's daughter Jane from falling prey to her vampiric mother. However, just as the vampire formula starts to take completely over, Mrs. Witherbee suffers a heart failure and the gang of vampires perish with her. Yes, a very convoluted story with a few gaps and leaps of logic. Also, the Echo who I had previously seen as just being a detective with incredible ventriloquist abilities here has a radioactive ring that fires blasts of light able to hold the vampires off and a belt buckle that can render him invisible.
Dr. Jacob Van Ridder: 1936, Funny Picture Stories #2 (Comics Magazine Company). Surgeon Dr. Van Ridder who is after the secret explosive formula that Dick Kent and Professor Buck got from the floating city. He's assisted by a large mongol named Rafah but whose savage appearance has him called "monster" by all who see him. Unfortunately, the professor's daughter overhears the monster prowling 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.
Vanza of the Vultures: 1948, Jungle Comics #106 (Fiction). Vanza of the Vultures is a spritual being that likes to lure people to their doom, apparently of their own making, such as appearing to adventurer Fred Bolton as a beautiful young treasure seeker named Sandra Collins
and convincing him to go after a treasure that unbeknownst to him was a sacred tribal treasure. The jungle wizard Tabu exposes her plot and identity, his magic forcing her to flee back to the realm of the spirits.
The Veiled Lady: 1942, Boy Comics #?(Lev Gleason). She was a foe of Young Robin Hood. Created by Norman Maurer.
Professor Venom: 1942, Daredevil Comics #9 (Lev Gleason). Short, pudgy, monocled Nazi agent. Presumably, the monocle covers up the fact that his eye is actually in a staff he carries that gives him hypnotic powers. He was stopped by 13 and Jinx.
Dr. Vetter: 1942, Startling Comics #16 (Standard): Owner of a creepy mansion and with a lair and lab beneath a cemetery. He develops a way to shrink people to doll height and is after other military secrets. Stopped by the Fighting Yank and he is shot dead by cops. Dying, he directs his remaining hulking strong henchman Krag to go serve Marvelli.
The Viking: 1943, Air Fighters Comics v2n1 (Hillman). Captain Britain, aka the Iron Ace, is flying over the waters and sees a Viking ship sailing with the Norwegian colors and an old cannon on board. Investigating, he discovers that it is some crack-pot captain who has convinced six others to sail with him and hunt U-boats, even managing to sink one and they all got decotrated for it. However, Britain is suspicious, sure that he saw more than six men on board. The truth is the Viking ship is a Q-boat. It's shields and wooden planks hide modern engines, torpedoes, and machine guns as well as far more men than six. And, they are all Germans including the Viking style leader who is addressed by his men as Herr Viking. Through their ruse they are able to torpedo Allied ships to their doom and kill any survivors, so any and all ships sunk get blamed on U-boats. The Iron Ace is briefly captured, his armor stolen, but he escapes and bombs the viking ship back to antiquity.
Pierre Villon: 1940, Fight Comics #8 (Fiction). Pierre Villon is doing the Dr. Moreau thing, experimenting on animals and humans to create animal-men. Things go awry once pilot Chip Collins gets involved and Villon is apparently killed by his own creations.
The Viper: 1941, Pocket Comics #2 (Harvey). In Baghdad, the Viper heads up a gang of mystical fakirs and an army of confederates, all in service to his god, a wooden idol of the Spirit of Night. He has his fakirs gather gems and jewels that he may offer as sacrifice to the idol. The Phantom Sphinx smashes the army and exiles the Viper to wandering in the desert.
Vishnu: 1946, Speed Comics 41 (Harvey). In India, it appears that a huge idol of Vishnu has come to life and is on a rampage, telling Indians that war is sin and if they must pay for waging war on behalf of the Allies. Shock Gibson manages to uncover the fact it's a machine housing many Japanese soldiers. He manages to melt down the idol (killing the soldiers inside, natch).
Vladim: 1939, Wonderworld Comics #5 (Fox). Vladim is a self-described genius and a master of voodoo and black magic. He makes his home in a castle on the moors outside of London where he conducts his experiments on kidnapped victims, transforming them to beast men. Yarko comes across a murdered one, confronts Vladim and discovers he has a woman captured. He rescues her and frees a beast man from the hypnotic spell Vladim has him under. Vladim kills the beast-man with a knife he carries. However, when fleeing from Yarko across the high ledge where he fought the beast-man, Vladim trips on the dropped knife and falls to his doom. The castle crumbles to ruins, whether as part of Yarko's magic or because it was being held together by Vladim's black magic is unrevealed.
The Voice: 1940, Fantastic Comics #2 (Fox). The island of Morgia appears to be off the African continent. Supposedly, it has a vast resource of gold but none ever reaches the mainland. Captain Kidd and his friend Freddy investigate and find a large talking idol god who exchanges whiskey for gold. The Voice of the god drowns fleeing from the adventurers through the underwater passage that leads to the temple.
The Voice II: 1942, Cat-man Comics #12 (Temerson/Helnit/Continental). Out of Chinatown, a gang of Japanese spies seeking to take advantage of a Chinese relief effort to flood China with counterfeit money and keeping the real money for themselves. The use captured Americans and Chinese to run the machines and are commanded by an unseen man known only as the Voice. The Hood manages to get the gang captured and corners the Voice who appears to be an American. However, even that is a ruse and the Voice is unmasked as Tago Namoi, a famous Japanese actor.
The Voice III: 1945, Black Terror #11 (Better). In Nevada, two men die after seeing a mysterious skull and crossbones in the sky. When Fred Swanson sees the same thing, he mails an old classmate of his, Bob Benton who is secretly the Black Terror. Black Terror uncovers a nefarious plot against America by a robed mystery villain called the Voice. The Voice is a master of gases, who made gases his hobby after suffering from gas attacks in the last war. He has a gang and advance auto-gyro type airplanes with the skull and crossbones painted on their undersides. He also has the symbol on the front of his hood and apparently wears armor beneath his robes, making him able to stand up against the mighty punches of the Black Terror.
The Voice III: 1948, The Black Terror #24 (Standard). The Voice is a fairly standard criminal, no costume or such. Five years earlier he was a suitor for a lovely redhead's hand but loses to a man named Bart. Jealous, he arranges for Bart's murder, but that she overhears the gang referring to their boss, the Voice and she vows to devote her life to hunting the mysterious criminal mastermind down. He's a canny criminal, he and his gang manage to stay a step ahead of her as well the Black Terror and Tim. He's also a bit of an inventor, he creates a bazooka type gun that fires strong plastic bubbles in which he can trap the heroes. Stray bullets are able to burst the bubbles, and he's captured along with his gang. He's lucky in that Red Ann is unable to kill him on the spot though it seems he's destined for the chair.
Volton: Science Comics #6 (Fox). Volton is an evil scientist on the planet Betelguese. With the aid of his lightning guns and Lightning men, he beseiges the kingdom of King Berin and kidnaps Princess Glama. King Berin transmits a message to Earth for help which the hero Dynamo picks up. Dynamo arrives in time to jam the large guns with his own electric powers and wreck the enemy tanks. He then pursues Volton to Vulturia, the cavel city of Vulton (or the city is named both Vulton and Vulturia). Berin tells Dynamo that Volton is a gangster king and is after control of "saliac" mines, something which the denizens of Betelguese are dependent. Dynamo fights some large vultures, gets captured, escapes, and then rescues the princess. He returns and captures Volton and takes him to Earth where he gives him the chance to turn over a new leaf. Instead, Volton discovers a saliac mine here, takes control and uses it to create a large lightning gun. He blows up a city, but the gun itself explodes and pins Volton under the wreckage. Dynamo takes him back to Betelguese to stand trial for his crimes. With a kiss, he promises to return someday to take Princess Glama on a tour of Earth. NOTE: Vulton and Vulturia are used to describe where Volton has his lair and takes the princess. It's also referred to as a planet though there's no other hint that this was an interplanetary war between Vulturia and Betelguese. Dynamo apparently is able to travel through space under his own power.
Baron Von Drax: 1943, Ranger Comics #13 (Fiction). The Baron is a Gestapo commander whose schemes are constantly foiled by the Commando Ranger.
Von Fleissig: 1940, Colossus Comics #1 (Sun). A Nazi ace and foe of Lucky Lucifer. Has a hooked nose and a Poirot type mustache. Last seen parachuting to safety after losing against Lucky and pal Slipstream.
Von Gratzoff: Monocled German spy who attempted to sabotage the Panama Canal. The Cloak thwarted his plans and apparently killed him.
Von Haupt: 1939, Fantastic Comics #1 (Fox). Von Haupt has a lab hidden deep in some un-named wilderness. He's a fat man with a iron gauntlet over his right hand. Using his V-rays, he is able to shut off the motor of Captain Kidd's plane as he flies overhead. He tells Kidd that has unlocked the secret of immortality, that the withered stump of his right hand is the only part he cannot protect. His secret seems to involve strapping people to large dynamos and stealing their life-force, skeletonizing them. In fighting Kidd, he shows himself to be immune to bullets. However, he falls into a vat of sulphur which seems to kill him and reveal a mechanical hand under the gauntlet. Kidd barely escapes before Von Haupt's whole lab and his men are blown to kingdom come.
Fritz von Heim: 1940, Amazing Mystery Funnies #17 or v3 #1 (Centaur). Dacia Zaroff approached this German munitions maker with a proposal to get the US into the war against Germany, thereby increasing his sales. He agreed and even lent his WWI u-boat to her. It was sunk by Frogga and Barry Finn. Although Zaroff escaped and thus von Heim possibly did too, he has yet to be heard from.
Fritz von Holz: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #11 (Centaur). A monocled Nazi spy who encountered the Shark several times while in the US.
Field Marshall Von Klawe: 1945, Speed Comics #36 (Harvey). This bald hefty man is Hitler's top man in Granada. He's captured by the Girl Commandos who get close to him by pretending to be bull-fighters. He has a metal claw instead of his right hand.
Von Kraut: 1944, Startling Comics #26 (Better). Steady-Hands Anthony Durrant delivers: Commander Von Kraut was a German agent who killed and impersonated a Major Bradley of British Intelligence and his assistant. After having been temporarily fooled into believing Von Kraut was Major Bradley, the espionage ace Don Davis shouted "Actung!" while Von Kraut was receiving important information that was meat for the Major. Thus exposed, Von Krout and his aides were apprehended by Don and his men. NOTE: The GCD lists him as "von Krug"
Karl Von Monsta: 1941, Our Flag Comics #3 (Ace). Karl Von Monsta was an American who during the first World War loved the Kaiser and, thanks to the efforts of John "Old Glory" Courtney exposing his traitorous nature, he was run out of the country. He changed his appearance and returned to the USA and hides out in a castle off the Great Lakes. He then kidnapped 200 baby boys, raised and trained them over 20 years to be cruel brutes. On the cusp of getting revenge on America in service to his new idol Hitler, he gives them injections that increase their strength and vitality. Being little more than dumb brutes, they will obey his commands and to further aid him, he can broadcast his orders directly to their brains through a control board. He outfits each with a shield and helmet that are specially coated to resist weapons that would be used against them. With floods threatening the Mississippi River, he judges this to be the time to strike.
One of them, #40 is not indoctrinated as the others and rebels against their cruelty. Overcome, he is left for dead. The Flag, son of Old Glory had come to the area to help flood victims and finds himself fighting a war against these super-soldiers. Finding #40, he is able to identify him as being Martin Benson through a locket he carries, a long missing son. After his men are defeated, Von Monsta injects himself, restoring his youth and giving him the strength that his men had. He puts on one of their uniforms, helmet and shield and fights the Flag. Knocked into the river, he is last seen going under in the flooded waters, unable to swim. Note: Cannot help but wonder if Von Monsta's men are meant to be a knock on Captain America: a super strength formula and shields, only there's 200 of them and they still cannot stand against the Flag. Also have to wonder what happened to Martin Benson after this story. He still posssesses super-strength.
Karl Von Richten: 1940, Wing Comics #2 (Fiction House). Von Richten is the commander of one of a fleet of super-zeppelin sin use by Germany to invade other countries. It is able transport troops, tanks, and even light-weight fighter planes. A "what if" story speculating on Hitler's possible secret weapons. As such, Von Richten is not fleshed out much, nor is his final fate revealed as he and his troops successfully carry out their invasion plans. They use infra-red goggles to follow infra-red light beams planted by spies to guide them in their silent flights.
Captain Gottfried von Slagian: 1940, Amazing Man Comics #13 (Centaur). An SS officer, he was sent to the US to retrieve a Nazi infiltrator with a vital secret for Germany. He was captured by the Shark. He later escaped and again encountered the Shark. This time he severely wounded the hero and escaped.
Kurt Von Stangle: 1940, Rocket Comics #1. Head of an international spy ring and is trying to steal Professor Sterling's inventions, specifically the secrets behind how to explode the atom that Sterling has incorporated into his interplanetary rocket ship design. But he's stymied by Rocket Riley, assistant to the professor and fiancé of Griselda, the professor's daughter. In one attempt, he and his chief henchman, the hulking brute Sam Vacco (misspelled on GCD as Yacco), they all end up accidentally rocketing through space. During an emergency landing on what must be Mars, Vacco is captured and probably killed by the natives, the Octopus Men
Colonel von Stutz: Fighter Comics. Anthony Durrant writes: Von Stutz is the killer of Bill, the American fiance of the Spanish actress Carmen Avila. After his death, she fakes her own death and becomes known as Senorita Rio, the beautiful Spanish agent. He intends to mislead the allies as to the location of the next Nazi attack with forged papers that are stolen by Senorita Rio, who has assumed the identity of the Countess, Colonel von Stutz's aide. Eventually, the countess and von Stutz meet their ends at Senorita Rio's hands. NOTE: Another source says that Senorita Rio's real name is Rita Farrar whose fiance died during Pearl Harbor.
Saber Von Tigron: 1945, Miss Cairo Jones #1 (Croydon): Anthony Durrant writes: Modelled on Orson Welles, this unscrupulous Nazi married an American girl named Cairo Jones in order to get himself a passport to America when Germany fell. Saber was a talented banker who financed Hitler's Third Reich with his own wealth. Sought as a war criminal, he persuaded Cairo that he was secretly working against the Nazis and fled to America separately from her after the war. Cairo believed what her husband had told her - that he was working for the German people and not the Nazis - until she met him at an apartment and his Mexican girlfriend Mercedes hit her over the head with a candlestick, then went to Brazil with Saber to reclaim the fortune he had hidden there. Pursued by Cairo to the cave where he had hidden his fortune, Saber von Tigron hanged himself to avoid capture. This character has a real-life parallel in Gert Frobe, the actor who is most famous for playing the title character in the 007 movie Goldfinger. Frobe, apparently, was forced to join the National Socialist party, but instead of persecuting the Jews, he used his position to help them escape from Germany. Because Frobe had been a member of the National Socialist party, his film Goldfinger was banned from Israel for many years. Only when it was revealed that he had been using his position to help the Jews was the film allowed to be shown in Israel.
Voodoo: 1941, Yankee Comics #2 (Chesler). A stage hypnotist, his hypnosis powers are strong and instant enough to force people to reveal truths they'd rather not or should not tell. He's in the employ of a sabotage ring, and able to get government men to reveal themselves and secrets of their missions. The head of the gang is Herr Monocle who has a vicious dog Devil.
Professor Helmut Voodoo: 1943, Prize Comics #43 (Prize). Foe of the Green Lama.
Voodoo Man: 1940, Weird Comics #1 (Fox). Boanga, an evil Haitian houngan resents and opposes Bob Warren, a square-jawed young doctor, who goes to Haiti to set up his medical practice and to investigate voodoo.
Voris the Fire Master: 1944, Cat-man Comics v3#2/26a (Temerson/Helnit/Continental). Voris is a costumed performer who sheathes himself in flames and does a sharp-shooting act which seems to be a cover to assassinate a military colonel who apparently is shot and killed at the same time that Voris is shooting out a candle. It was a two person job, one to mislead the audience and the other to kill the colonel from behind. He and his partner are part of Guino Marelli's old mob and Guino was hired by a mysterious bunch of guys to knock off military personnel so Guino set up this stunt. The wider story and gang are not followed up on, at least not in these pages.
Vulcan: 1940, Prize Comics #7 (Prize). This ruler is of a race from the Earth's core and tried to conquer the surface world. He was opposed by Dr. Frost over several issues.
Vultro: 1941, Fight Comics #16 (Fiction House). Warlord who has conquered all of Europe and has set his sights on America. His right-hand man is Tyrannus and his scientist is Dr. Bund. Stopped by Super-American. Vultro is obviously a stand-in for Hitler (and possibly Stalin as his mustache makes him resemble him more than ole Adolf).
The Vulture: 1941, Amazing Man Comics #24 (Centuar). This bald man leads a gang of saboteurs. In addition to blowing up plants, he is also kidnapping draftees, stamping them with a hypnotic stamp that enslaves them to be part of his private army. Below ground, the Vulture is also building tanks and guns using his slave labor. The stamp is on the chest and of a vulture sitting on a skull. He even manages to trap Amazing Man's assistant Tommy. Ultimately, his plans are undone and he barely escapes, revealing himself to actually being Mr. Que/the Great Question, Amazing Man's most hated enemy.
The
Vulture II: 1942, Lightning
Comics v2#5 (Ace), A purple fog drifts over the ocean, only
sailors discover it's not a fog at all, but something solid
enough to sink their ships when they try to sail through
it. Lash Lightning investigates and finds a city in the
clouds, the Black City of the Sky ruled by the winged Vulture,
clad in purple so as to be near invisible against his fog.
Investigating, he discovers Linda Larkin and her father
Sam Larkin, the inventor of the fog, floating city, and
the flame ray gun, all stolen by his brother who's now the
Vulture. Feeling rather bloodthirsty, Lash Lightning not
only defeats the Vulture and engulfs the city in flames,
but with an extremely powerful bolt of lightning, sends
the whole thing in a crumpled molten mass to the bottom
of the sea with the criminals on board.
Vulture's Claw: Cat-Man #14, 15, 17 (Holyoke). Baron Von Tug is the greatest of the Nazi aces. When his plane is shot down, his face is heavily scarred and his right hand is amputated by the docs. They replace it with a vulture's claw with talons like steel. He puts on a costume and strikes at America as the Vulture's Claw. He's fought by the Hood and is a physical match for the hero. In his confrontation in issue #15, he goes through a window ten stories up and is presumed dead, but returns two issues later and is finally captured.
Vurmann: America's Best #4 (Better). Nazi who was able to turn men into machines of war. Stopped by Doc Strange.