Know It All

An ongoing question about who was faster — Superman or The Flash — was solved in the 1970 DC Comic Book No. 198. In that issue, Superman and The Flash raced around the universe. Flash won.

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The Silver Surfer absorbs life-maintaining cosmic energy directly through his silver skin. He does not need to eat, breathe or sleep.

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Bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno (born 1952) stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 300 pounds when he starred as the Hulk on the television show “The Incredible Hulk” (1978-1982).

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Aquaman was abandoned as a baby. He was born with blonde hair, which was believed to signify the Curse of Kordax. The baby was rescued and raised by a lighthouse keeper.

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When radio reporter Billy Batson shouted “SHAZAM!,” he became Captain Marvel, a superhero with the powers of several Roman gods.

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The Green Hornet debuted in a 1936 radio series on WXYZ radio in Detroit. The radio program ran until 1952.

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The Atom, also known as the Mighty Mite, can shrink himself and his clothing to microscopic size.

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Psychologist William Moulton Marston (1893-1947) created Wonder Woman. He also invented an early form of the lie detector polygraph test.

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Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (1883-1939) starred as the swashbuckling hero in the 1920 silent film “The Mark of Zorro.” The same year, he married Hollywood sweetheart Mary Pickford (1892-1979). The famous couple was regarded as “Hollywood Royalty.”

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Filmmaker George Lucas (born 1944) wanted to remake the Flash Gordon movie serials from the 1930s into a feature length movie. The rights to the comic book character were not available, so he went on to make “Star Wars” (1977) which had many influences from Flash Gordon.

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The original Doom Patrol was made up of Robotman (a human brain in a robotic body), Negative Man (he had a radioactive body) and Elasti-Girl (she could grow and shrink). They were led by The Chief, a genius paraplegic that protected the innocent with his team of crime fighters.

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The Doom Patrol series ended very dramatically. The team was killed off in a 1968 comic book.

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Captain America was a patriotic superhero during World War II. His usual enemies were Nazis and Japanese troops.

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The Ant-Man’s girlfriend was The Wasp.

Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend edition of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? Email knowitall(at)smdailyjournal.com or call 344-5200 ext. 128.