Mystery Men Comics #4 for Sale - First Appearance of The Blue Beetle - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: Mystery Men Comics (Fox, 1939 series)
Issue: #4
Publication date: November 1939
Key date: 1939-11-00
On-sale date: 1939-09-13
Indicia publisher: Fox Publications Inc.
Price: $0.10
Pages: 68

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of The Blue Beetle - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Dan Garret - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1	pencils: Lou Fine; inks: Lou Fine	The Green Mask [Michael Shelby]
1	Nicoli, Scientist of Crime	comic story	9	pencils: Walter Frame; inks: Walter Frame	The Green Mask [Michael Shelby]; Nicoli (first appearance; villain); Tony (first appearance; villain)
2	Captured By Lord Marvel	comic story	6	script: Dick Briefer; pencils: Dick Briefer; inks: Dick Briefer	Rex Dexter; Lord Marvel (first appearance; villain; death)
3	Not Wanted, No Reward!!	comic story	2	script: Fred Schwab; pencils: Fred Schwab; inks: Fred Schwab	Billy Bounce
4	Chen Chang's Poison Plot	comic story	6	pencils: Cecilia Munson; inks: Cecilia Munson	Chen Chang
5	Among the Head-Hunters	comic story	3	pencils: George Tuska; inks: George Tuska	Jonson (first appearance)
6	The Black Widow Murders	comic story	5	pencils: Klaus Nordling; inks: Klaus Nordling	Lt. Drake
7	Any similarity between Shomes and Potsam to any persons...	comic story	4	script: Fred Schwab; pencils: Fred Schwab; inks: Fred Schwab	Hemlock Shomes
8	Buried Treasure	text story	2	script: Albert Orbaan
9	Bull Thompson, the Pirate	comic story	4	pencils: Art Peddy; inks: Art Peddy	Captain Savage (first appearance); Bull Thompson (first appearance; villain)
10	Protection Insurance for Newsboys	comic story	4	script: Will Eisner; pencils: Charles Nicholas; inks: Charles Nicholas	The Blue Beetle First, Dan Garret First
11	The Waterfront Dope Smugglers	comic story	4	pencils: Art Pinajian; inks: Art Pinajian	Inspector Bancroft
12	The Dirigible Hijacking	comic story	6	script: Bob Powell; pencils: Bob Powell; inks: Bob Powell	D-13 [Richard Anthony]; Martis Urbi (first appearance; villain)
13	Civil War In India	comic story	4	pencils: John Lindermayer; inks: John Lindermayer	Denny Scott
14	Super Sleuths	character profile	1	script: Lee Harris; pencils: Lee Harris; inks: Lee Harris	David A. Wennerstrom (Sheriff); Marshall Stewart (law-enforcement officer in North Dakota, death); Gun-Toter "Tex" (villain)
15	In the Underworld of Paris	comic story	4	script: Will Eisner; pencils: George Tuska; inks: George Tuska	Simone (first appearance; villain)

Where to read it

Collection	Year
Blue Beetle #1	1940	On eBay ›
Blue Beetle #5	1940	On eBay ›
The Flame #3	1940	On eBay ›
The Green Mask #3	1940	On eBay ›
Samson #2	1940	On eBay ›
Rex Dexter of Mars #1	1940	On eBay ›
Savage Dragon #133	2007	On eBay ›
Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936-1941 #[nn] ISBN 9781560979715	2009	On eBay ›
Comics the Golden Age #2	1984	On eBay ›
Action! Mystery! Thrills! Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age: 1933-45 #[nn] ISBN 9781606994948	2011	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

‹ #34 of 31#5 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com