Spy Smasher
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Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics. The second is a female anti-terrorism government agent.
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[edit] Alan Armstrong
Similar to Batman and the Modern Age Blue Beetle, Spy Smasher (real name Alan Armstrong) is a master detective, equipped with a number of gadgets and a specialized vehicle, the "Gyrosub", which was a combination airplane, automobile, and submarine. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, Spy Smasher was introduced in Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940). Alongside Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher became one of the magazine's most popular characters.
His name was changed to Crime Smasher after World War II ended. In 1953, Fawcett ceased publication of all superhero comics, after settling a lawsuit against DC Comics over Captain Marvel being an infringement on the copyright of Superman, agreeing to cease publishing Captain Marvel.
After DC Comics obtained the rights to the Fawcett characters in 1972, Spy Smasher began appearing irregularly in DC Comics, presented as one of the heroes of Earth-S prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths. The character was used prominently in the 1990s series The Power of Shazam!, in which aged Alan Armstrong often recounts his adventures as Spy Smasher. Power of Shazam! #24 was dedicated to Armstrong's recounting of a Cold War-era mission he undertook with an archaeologist named CC Batson to Batson's children, Billy and Mary.
While Alan was still Spy Smasher in that story, a crossover between Power of Shazam and Starman included Jack Knight running over the history of the Fawcett City heroes, and mentioning that he thought Spy Smasher became Crime Smasher after the war, but was unsure.
AC Comics has published reprints of some Golden Age Spy Smasher stories that have lapsed into the public domain.
[edit] Katarina Armstrong
A new Spy Smasher, government agent Katarina Armstrong, created by Gail Simone, first appears in Birds of Prey #100 (January 2007). She is a high-ranking anti-terrorism agent who is affiliated with several American, Commonwealth, and United Nations agencies (see table). Any relationship to Alan Armstrong has not been revealed, though the diamond insignia on her costume resembles that of the original Spy Smasher. Her plan is to dismantle the BoP organization. Dialogue between Katarina and Oracle in BoP #101 indicates a prior encounter between them, which is more fully developed in BoP #103 as being college friends turned rivals.
[edit] Other media
- In 1942, Spy Smasher was adapted into a popular 12-part film serial directed by William Witney for Republic Pictures. Spy Smasher featured actor Kane Richmond in the title role as an American freelance agent in Nazi-occupied France and Marguerite Chapman as his imperiled fiancée, Eve Corby. Edited down to 100 minutes in 1966 the serial was re-released for television under the title Spy Smasher Returns.
- Spy Smasher made a brief appearance in Justice League Unlimited episode 507 "Patriot Act", in which a flashback sequence is shown with him preventing the creation of Captain Nazi and confiscating the unstable serum that would be used later in the episode.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Alan Armstrong
- Whiz Comics #1–83 (February 1940–March 1947, Fawcett Comics)
- America's Greatest Comics #1–6, 8 (1941–Summer 1943, Fawcett Comics)
- Spy Smasher #1–11 (Fall 1941–February 1943, Fawcett Comics)
- Crime Smasher #1 (1948, Fawcett Comics)
- Justice League of America #135 (October 1976, DC Comics)
- The Power of Shazam! #8, 24–25 (October 1995, March–April 1997, DC Comics)
- Men of Mystery #30, 33 (AC Comics)
[edit] Katarina Armstrong
- Birds of Prey #100-103 (January 2007-April 2007)
