Throughout the 1940s, Quicksilver was a mysterious New York hero with super-speed.
History
Once an acrobat for a circus, the man who would become Quicksilver gave his career up to become a crime hunter.[2] As a crimefighter, people called him "the Laughing Robin Hood of Crime," but nobody knew his real name, or if he even had one. He scarcely even appeared out of costume, though he would sometimes visit the state fair wearing a suit and hat.[3] He joined no clubs and teamed up with no other heroes and never took off his mask to anyone. Among his few long-term associates were his friends, his Chinese assistant Hoo Mee,[4] and the Native American Shoshone.[5][6]
The first recorded sighting of Quicksilver was during 1940 in New York City. He appeared "out of nowhere" to subdue a demolition team of hypnotized police officers and defeat Dr. Lohfer.[7] He vanished from that scene, and from a long series of others, fighting always on the side of law and order, against a variety of mad scientists and other criminals, until about 1949.
However, early in his career, police did not know what to make of Quicksilver, whether he was a hero or a villain. He sometimes came into conflict with law enforcement trying to stop or detain him, though he often avoided police altogether.[8] [9] [10] He still turned in several mobsters and mad inventors to the law after defeating them, and would become friends with detective Bill Bannon before his untimely demise.[11]
One of the biggest emergencies of his early career came when a secret police, the Lansmen, took control of Smithtown and the state governor enacted martial law. Quicksilver reached the town before the militia and assisted with the residents' uprising against the revolutionists.[12] More and more of these revolutionists sprang up across America planted by politician CJ Merton, who planned to be elected president for an indefinite term. Quicksilver confronted the corrupt politician and stopped his plans.[13]
While he mostly operated in the United States during World War II, he would join the fight against Axis Powers in early 1942.[14] It was shortly after this that Quicksilver and his friend, Hoo Mee, would construct a base and lab underneath Oakwood Park. From here, the two would run experiments and test new mixtures for Quicksilver to use in his arsenal, such as an x-ray liquid. However, these experiments would often not work out, such as when Hoo Mee spilled the x-ray liquid on himself.[4]
Quicksilver returned to perform at his old circus, reuniting with his friend, the clown performer Joe. However, two criminals planned to rob it and Quicksilver's friend is shot and seemingly killed. The criminals escape to their island hideout on Lake Ontario, but by the time Quicksilver found them, they were both dead from complications in their partnership. Gathering the stolen money, Quicksilver returned it to the circus.[15]
Post-War Adventures
As the second World War ended, Quicksilver focused his crimefighting efforts exclusively to domestic criminals. By this time, he and the NYPD grew to be on friendlier terms, with Quicksilver considering some officers friends.[1] He even intentionally left behind some cases for the cops to make arrests on their own, such as with the Rumanian scammer Count Kordo.[16] He even convinced retired boxer "Socker" Sampson to join the police force.[17] However, he still fell under suspicion numerous times by various civilians and detectives.[18]
While Quicksilver took down several criminals in his early days, he would not take on his first costumed villains until he faced off against the Three Black Cats. The Vardoni brothers struck out for revenge against millionaires Martin Brun, Sam Abell, and Kane, who owned a rival circus to Quicksilver's, called Brun, Kane, & Abell. Brun controversially refused to allow safety nets at his circus, resulting in the death of the youngest of the Four Black Cats acrobats, Antonio. Ten years later, the remaining three Black Cats sought revenge, but died in a battle with Quicksilver.[19] Another masked foe would surface a short time later, Edgar Aldington, the Man of Mystery, whom Quicksilver also thwarted.[20]
Quicksilver took down several gangs and gangsters during his career, but they all seemed largely separate from each other. However, while investigating the secretive Mycroft Apartments building, he discovered a secret thirteenth floor where a man only known as the Manager and his elevator operator dealt out the weapons to all the gangs of the city in exchange for a cut of their hauls. The resulting battle set fire to the building and Quicksilver got ahold of the dealer's records, planning to hunt down the other criminals involved.[21] It is unknown how this list influenced his future adventures.
He met another superpowered person while training one day, the then-unnamed hero Wilda. She insisted on teaming up with Quicksilver, leading to him dubbing her as 'Nuisance.' While she proved very useful in thwarting criminals, Quicksilver still refused to begin a partnership with her.[20]
Later in his career, more foes would appear using names and disguises, such as Mr. Miacca,[22] The Wasp,[23] Slumber,[24] and Moon Man.[25]
After nine years of crimefighting, Quicksilver vanished as quickly as he appeared on the scene. It was speculated that he either retired and returned to his former civilian identity or was tragically killed in action.[5]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Superhuman Speed: Quicksilver can dodge submachinegun fire at close range.[8]
- Superhuman Stamina
- Super-Leaping: With enough speed, Quicksilver is able to leap far enough to carry him from north Harlem to South America.[26]
Abilities
- Acrobatics[5]
- Gadgetry: Quicksilver invented, and produced a supply of, grenade-sized fire-extinguishing gas capsules.[8] He also carried oxygen capsules to use while in enclosed spaces.[4]
- Grappling Hook: While chasing a suspected murderer, he made use of a simple grappling hook to get ahead and cut him off.[18]
- Criminology: He kept extensive files in order to aid him in tracking down criminals.[5]
- Chemistry: With the help of Hoo Mee, he was able to concoct an x-ray liquid.[4]
- Boxing[27]
- Swimming: Quicksilver once qualified for the Olympics in Distance Swimming.[28]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Quicksilver's Suit: In addition to hiding his secret identity, his suit is also bulletproof.[29] His gloves allow him to grip and slide down electrical wires without fear of shock, saying they "protect [him] from any leaks in the insulation of [the] wire."[30]
Transportation
- Quicksilver's Motorboat
Notes
- Quicksilver ran in National Comics Vol 1 from #5 to #71. National Comics itself only lasted for four issues after that.
- Quicksilver never met or teamed up with any other super-heroes, but did once appear in a multi-superhero story, in Uncle Sam Quarterly #2 and appeared amid a gaggle of other National Comics characters, on the cover of National Comics #36.
- The character would later serve as the basis for a super-speedster called Max Mercury. However, while Max Mercury's costume uses blue and white colors, Quicksilver is described as "a black and silver streak."[10]
- Despite his incredible speed, he often arrived too late to save people.
- While we never got a look under his mask, a civilian noted that the murderous Mr. Chomly looked "like [Quicksilver] without [his] mask." Mr. Chomly possesed a thinner face, mustache, and deeper cheekbones than Quicksilver was usually depicted with, though.[31]
Related
- 70 Appearances of Quicksilver (Quality Universe)
- 1 Images featuring Quicksilver (Quality Universe)
- 6 Quotations by or about Quicksilver (Quality Universe)
- Character Gallery: Quicksilver (Quality Universe)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Comics #37
- ↑ National Comics #28
- ↑ National Comics #7
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 National Comics #29
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #19
- ↑ National Comics #36
- ↑ National Comics #5
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 National Comics #6
- ↑ National Comics #8
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 National Comics #17
- ↑ National Comics #32
- ↑ National Comics #15
- ↑ National Comics #16
- ↑ National Comics #22
- ↑ National Comics #31
- ↑ National Comics #40
- ↑ National Comics #52
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 National Comics #63
- ↑ National Comics #41
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 National Comics #44
- ↑ National Comics #56
- ↑ National Comics #66
- ↑ National Comics #67
- ↑ National Comics #68
- ↑ National Comics #70
- ↑ National Comics #26
- ↑ National Comics #33
- ↑ National Comics #45
- ↑ National Comics #13
- ↑ National Comics #65
- ↑ National Comics #64