All-Winners Comics Primer

Aug 4

Aug 4 All-Winners Comics Primer

YACReader - All-Winners Comics #14 (1944).cbz 2019-08-04 17.30.18.png

Series Overview

All-Winners Comics was a series that was another Timely era superhero anthology book. It was used to showcase the “winners” from their other anthology books. Which is not saying a whole hell of a lot since, by today’s standards, most golden age comics are pretty awful. Anyway, the first issue featured the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and the Angel (from Marvel Mystery Comics), Captain America (from his own title), and the Black Marvel (from Daring Mystery Comics). Apparently the Angel and the Black Marvel weren’t the winners they were hoping for since issue #2 replaced them with the Destroyer and the Whizzer. Kind of embarrassing to be replaced by a hero whose name is the euphemism for peeing. Other than the one-time addition of the Thunderer (now called the Black Marvel) in issue #6, this line-up was constant until issue #12 which marked the departure of the Destroyer from the title. Issue #13 marked the last the last original Human Torch story published in this title. The remaining characters continued to share the pages of All-Winners with the occasional "Let’s Play Detective” feature added in for good measure. Other than issue #16 which featured reprints of Captain America and Human Torch stories, this series was entirely new stories.

Issue #18 marked the end of solo stories and the series became the only team focused title in the entirely Timely run by introducing the All-Winners Squad which ran for issue #19 and 21. What about issue #20? This series did not have an issue 20 (more on that in a second). The title mostly had these character fighting on-off villains with very few recurring foes. Issue #7 featured the last Golden Age appearance of Doctor Crime, while issue #12 featured the Red Skull as Captain America’s foe for the month. Issues #19 and #21 also introduced Future Man, Madame Death, and Isbisa. These appearances were their only Golden Age ones but the characters would make their return during the Marvel Age.

So How About that Weird Numbering?

So this series is missing issue #20, what gives? Well, in the late 40s superhero comics were becoming less popular and were being phased out. At the time it was common for a new series to take on the numbering of an outgoing series. It looks like All-Winners Comics was going to face the chopping block with issue #19, with All Teen, an Archie rip-off book. While All Teen continues (rennamed Teen Comics after the premiere issue) All-Winners Comics still had one more issue published, issue #21. How did this work? Well Young Allies had just been cancelled and it stopped at issue #20, ergo issue #21. However, that didn’t last very long since because the title was replaced with Hedy De Vine Comics, a glamor/romance comic for girls.

That was the end of All-Winners Comics right? WRONG. The title was rebooted with All-Winners Comics (Vol. 2) #1 in 1948. However THAT series was replaced with All-Western Winners with the 2nd issue and changed formats from superheroes to westerns, because those kind of stories were more popular at the time. If you want to check out All-Winners Comics (Vol. 2 #1) check out the All-Western Winners Comics section below.

Some Retcons

Captain America - With the inclusion of Captain America in this title it is also affected by the retcon caused by Avengers #4 and What If? #4 which explain that the original Captain America and Bucky went MIA in 1945. As such, issues #1-16 are attributed to Steve Rogers and James Barnes, issue #17-18 feature William Nasland and Fred Davis while issue #19 replaces Nasland with Jeff Mace in the role of Captain America. What If? #4 also provides an origin for the All-Winners Squad that was absent from their first appearance in issue #19.

The Destroyer - The Destroyer has some wonky continuity as well. All the Golden Age appearances were originally attributed to Kevin Marlow. However Invaders (Vol. 1) tried to replace the Marlow character with Brian Falsworth and later Roger Aubrey. In that series it was stated that Kevin Marlow never existed. However, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3 later clarifies that all three men existed. The appearances of the Destroyer in All-Winners Comics are all attributed to Marlow with the exception of issue #8, which the Handbook retroactively applied to Roger Aubrey.

Slow Motion Jones - Slow Motion Jones was the Whizzers short-lived and incredibly racist sidekick. He mostly appeared in USA Comics but he did make one appearance in All-Winners Comics. When the character was reintroduced during Marvel’s 70th anniversary they re-envisioned the character in order to remove the racist elements. In All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes Slow Motion Jones was reimagined as a speedster as well instead of the lazy bumbling minstrel show caricature that was featured during the Golden Age. To “explain” the differences while keeping the Golden Age stuff (somewhat) canonical that series explained that the Timely era comics were comic books commissioned by the military for propaganda. While they are based on real adventures of the title heroes some of the facts were changed. I’d like to think that in the “real” events of these stories Slow Motion Jones was actually the hero while the Whizzer was a bumbling opportunist that was always fucking up. If anyone at Marvel is reading this ask me about my 4 part mini-series “Slow Motion Jones: Racing for the Truth”, I am sure it’ll win an Eisner.

Index Scope

There are a number of text stories in this run, including some fourth-wall-breaking ones where all of the All-Winners characters meet with Stan Lee to metaphorically philate each other over how great their stories were and deserve to be in the title. They are not good, not canon, and not worth my time chronicling here. YAY! Also not included are the reprint stories in issue #16.