As Man-to, the Black Feet Indian chief, lies dying, he orders his men to train someone to carry on the traditions of the Black Feet tribe, since no worthy successor has yet been found. None of the Black Feet tribesmen can outrun a deer, out-swim a salmon, or shoot a bullseye with a bow; such are the requirements to carry on the Black Feet tradition. Meanwhile, socialite Dan Lyons hopes to repay a debt to the Indian chief, for his father had once been saved by Man-to. He not only passes the tests but proves able to catch arrows in mid-air and kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands. Dan Lyons is then given the mantle and costume of the Black Marvel and is told to carry on the tribe’s traditions of "loyalty, honesty, and clean living," and to right wrongs wherever they exist. Leaving with Man-to's words "seared in my memory," he returns to Los Angeles to "destroy those enemies of mankind who would prey upon the helpless." Among the enemies he fought in his too brief career were the Grinner, Dr. Hyde, and the red-robed Order of the Hood. But, ironically, his male friend Pat and his girlfriend Mary constantly chide Dan for his cowardice.
Comments
There were a number of Indian superheroes in the Golden Age, like Harvey’s Johnny Fox or Comic House’s Bronze Terror, as well as heroes who were adopted by Indians (like the Golden Arrow). But Dan Lyons is a white man who is invested with a costume and a mission by the Blackfoot Indians. Despite the epithet above, the Indian angle was dropped after the first few stories, and he became just another mystery man.
The Marvel may have been planned as the lead feature for Mystic Comics, but was eclipsed by the Destroyer. He had a fairly elaborate origin and a striking costume that looked great on covers. He was the cover feature on his first appearance in Mystic # 5 (March 1941) and also appeared on the cover of All Winners Comics # 1, along with Timely’s big stars. But in Mystic # 6 (October 1941), the Destroyer has become the lead strip and the Black Marvel ends as a backup.
He fought run-of-the-mill crooks until his last appearance he fought the Order of the Hood, a criminal gang whose costumes resembled the Ku Klux Klan’s. Robed villains were popular at Timely, maybe as an attack on the Klan’s racial attitudes or maybe just because they looked menacing.
The Black Marvel’s biggest post-Golden Age appearance was in Slingers where in true Marvel fashion he has become a homicidal maniac.
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