A mainstay from the Golden Age into the Bronze Age…
By PETER BOSCH
June 21 marks the 75th anniversary of DC Comics’ premier science fiction comic, Strange Adventures, launched in 1950.
Here are 13 THINGS to love about that great series:
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1. Strange Adventures #1 (Aug.-Sept.1950). The first appearances of recurring characters Chris KL-99 and Darwin Jones. There was also an 8-page adaptation of the 1950 sci-fi movie Destination Moon, with art by Curt Swan and writing by Gardner Fox.
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2. Strange Adventures #8 (May 1951). The gorilla cover that started the DC trend of using them on other titles because they sold well. Art by Win Mortimer.
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3. Strange Adventures #9 (June 1951). First appearance of Captain Comet, who would become the star of the comic through #44, #46, and finally, #49. Pencils by Carmine Infantino, inker unconfirmed.
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4. Strange Adventures #12 (Sept. 1951). Gil Kane’s first of many great Strange Adventures covers.
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5. Strange Adventures #104 (May 1959). 1st “Space Museum,” a terrific continuing feature, that soon began to appear every three issues. In each story, Howard Parker took his son Tommy to the museum to tell him the history behind artifacts, often involving space invaders.
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6. Strange Adventures #114 (Mar. 1960). Created by John Broome and Mike Sekowsky, Star Hawkins was a futuristic private detective with a robot secretary named Ilda. The tales were usually of Ilda solving crimes in order to keep working with Star, so he didn’t turn her in to a pawn shop when he was broke and needed cash. Like “Space Museum,” the series would appear every third issue.
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7. Strange Adventures #117 (June 1960). First appearance of the Atomic Knights — created by John Broome and Murphy Anderson. It would rotate every third issue with “Space Museum” and “Star Hawkins.”
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8. Strange Adventures #140 (May 1962). The issue has a tongue-in-cheek tale featuring Julie Schwartz, Gardner Fox, Sid Greene, and other DC staffers.
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9. Strange Adventures #150 (Mar. 1963). Fantastic cover by Murphy Anderson, one of many he did for the series.
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10. Strange Adventures #187 (Apr. 1966). The Enchantress, co-created by Bob Haney and Howard Purcell, gets her intro.
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11. Strange Adventures #190 (July 1966). Wonderful combo cover of Immortal Man (who first appeared in #177) and Animal Man (introduced in #180). Pencils by Infantino and inks by Anderson.
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12. Strange Adventures #205 (Oct. 1965). First Deadman, by Arnold Drake, Infantino and George Roussos.
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13. Strange Adventures #222 (Jan.-Feb. 1970). New Adam Strange story by Denny O’Neil, with interior art by Kane and Anderson. Cover by Infantino and Anderson.
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MORE
— THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD TURNS 70: Dig 13 Groovy FIRSTS From the Beloved Series. Click here.
— 13 COVERS: The Brilliance of JACK ADLER’s DC COMICS Color-Wash Technique. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is due in 2025. (You can pre-order here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
June 21, 2025
Peter, I always find your column very entertaining. Truly pulls the flavor out of my Saturday’s morning coffee.
I was trying to figure out if there was any shared DNA with the Star Hawkins character and Gil Kane’s ‘70 strip Star Hawks. Coincidence I’m guessing.
I was struggling to understand what you meant by “First appearance of Captain Comet, who would become the star of the comic through #44, #46, and finally, #49.” Are you saying he appears in every issue except 45, 47 and 48 with issue 49 being the last?
The issue #1 from a distance reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode where the astronauts land on an asteroid that turned out to be some kind of cemetery. The suits really look very similar along with other elements.
Finally, I’ll voice my opinion here for a non-superhero facsimile pick for DC to do next would be that great cover by Anderson, #9. I wouldn’t say “no” to any of them really but that one really jumps out for me. Kane’s #4 was a very close second.
Thanks for sharing.
June 21, 2025
Hi, Buck. Yes, he was in #s 9-44, 46, and 49.
June 21, 2025
Number 14:
Strange Adventures 230. This giant sized all reprint issue was my first exposure to Adam Strange and The Atomic Knights.
June 21, 2025
Has DC (or anyone) ever reprinted this Strange Adventures series in any format? Preferably an Omnibus.
Let’s start a petition!
June 21, 2025
There was a Showcase Presents
June 21, 2025
The Atomic Knights stories have been collected. And the Julie Schwartz Adam Strange stories (which originally were published in Mystery In Space ) have been reprinted in DC’s Archive Editions.
June 21, 2025
Where were the Atomic Knights stories collected? I don’t remember seeing them anywhere.
June 21, 2025
Lou, DC published a hardcover in 2010 called “The Atomic Knights” that reprinted the entire series.
June 21, 2025
https://www.comics.org/issue/757710/
June 21, 2025
I wish we could have a complete reprint of this book!
June 21, 2025
Yes! This is what I would like to see. A complete chronological omnibus.
I have not seen any Captain Comet reprints.
Also had not seen the Atomic Nights reprints. When was that published and what format?
I do have the Adam Strange omnibus.
I want the early sci-fi stories too!
June 21, 2025
The series was reprinted in a 2010 DC hardcover called The Atomic Knights.
June 21, 2025
There have been just a few Captain Comet reprints that I’m aware of.
DC Super Stars #4 reprinted “Destination Doom” from Strange Adventures #14.
DC Super Stars #6 reprinted “Beware the Synthetic Men” from Strange Adventures #17.
The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told reprinted “Devils Island in Space” from Strange Adventures #28.
The Pulp Fiction Library’s Mystery in Space trade paperback reprinted “Lights, Camera — Invasion!” from Strange Adventures #31.
In Australia, Captain Comet stories were reprinted in some late-1950s/early-1960s issues of Century Comic, Five-Score Comic Monthly, and Hundred Comic Monthly, but those would probably be more difficult to track down that just hunting for the vintage Strange Adventures issues.
DC did solicit a Captain Comet DC Archives volume back in 2013, shortly before they dropped that line of books. Alas, it was never published. I’d have happily bought it!
June 21, 2025
Can we get a SA #9 facsimile please?
June 21, 2025
That was my pick too!
June 21, 2025
I have the Showcase presents to my immediate left of my tech table/desk. It has been there for years. The reason SA was never reprinted is a Mystery in Space in the comicbook universe. Dc is just not fun. The Amazing Trial pf John Gorilla Doe or the Gorilla Kingdom stories. Come on. Great stuff.