#58: Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [E Story]
"Electro, the Marvel of the Age"
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [E Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004e.jpg)
Title: Marvel Mystery Comics
Editor-in-Chief:
Joe Simon
Editor:
Joe Simon
Artist:
Steve Dahlman
Inker:
Steve Dahlman
Cover Artist:
Alex Schomburg
Cover Date: February 1940
Release Date: December 1939
Pages: 8
Cover Price: $0.10
Times Read: 622
Times Rated: 374
Universe:
Earth-616
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [A Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004a.jpg)
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [B Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004b.jpg)
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [F Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004f.jpg)
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [G Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004g.jpg)
![Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #4 [D Story]](/images/sites/cmro/covers/marvel_mystery_comics/004d.jpg)
Issue Blurb
The brilliant Professor Zog has created Electro, a robot to rid the world of evil! With the aid of twelve young men to aid in his cause, their first mission is to rescue Little Joyce Lovely from a ruthless gang.
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24 Comments
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Nefarias
Mar 29, 2026
What a wonderful concept. The 12 agents backed up by Electro is very cool. I really enjoyed it. Its a shame that operative 3 doesn't appear again.
Feb 19, 2026
"What th' h___!" Those three spaces are exactly what's needed for the 'e' and 'double hockey sticks'. That would imply he actually said the naughty word and they bleeped it, as opposed to cutting him off, before he said it. There's a difference between 'h-' and 'h___'. Is this the first swear word in the Order?
Philo Zog sounds a lot like Phineas Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days (1872) by Jules Verne.
Not only do they call Electro a "dynamic iron man", as others have noted, but he's red and gold (well, yellow) in the modern reprint. Lose the green hula skirt and we've got a 'look'.
Philo Zog sounds a lot like Phineas Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days (1872) by Jules Verne.
Not only do they call Electro a "dynamic iron man", as others have noted, but he's red and gold (well, yellow) in the modern reprint. Lose the green hula skirt and we've got a 'look'.
VikingLegion
+1
Apr 15, 2025
Yep, I already knew Locust75's "Nuff Said" before I even opened up the Comments tab.
I was thinking this is like a proto-Iron Man, and then the term "Iron Man" appeared in the story.
I'm just relieved that robots/AI will always be programmed for the benefit of mankind and never used irresponsibly or in a dangerous manner.
I was thinking this is like a proto-Iron Man, and then the term "Iron Man" appeared in the story.
I'm just relieved that robots/AI will always be programmed for the benefit of mankind and never used irresponsibly or in a dangerous manner.
Mar 5, 2025
Professor Zog's mechanical marvel, Electro, storms into action once again in this thrilling adventure! The brilliant inventor and his twelve handpicked men take on the noble mission of rescuing the kidnapped Joyce Lovely, proving that science and heroism go hand in hand. The story delivers classic Golden Age excitement, though it stumbles a bitparticularly with a mix-up between Toby and Mike on page 4.
The standout element here is Electro himself, a true wonder of the era. The opening splash panel sets the tone beautifully, making it clear why he's the "Marvel of the Age." Meanwhile, Joyce Lovely steals the show as a charming damsel in distress, even while held for ransom! And of course, we can't forget Professor Zog's delightfully eccentric request: "Please send me a dozen husky, intelligent young men." Now that's a recruitment strategy!
While it's not a flawless tale, it's undeniably fun, packed with action, and a shining example of early comic book sci-fi. If you love vintage superhero robotics, this one's worth the read!
The standout element here is Electro himself, a true wonder of the era. The opening splash panel sets the tone beautifully, making it clear why he's the "Marvel of the Age." Meanwhile, Joyce Lovely steals the show as a charming damsel in distress, even while held for ransom! And of course, we can't forget Professor Zog's delightfully eccentric request: "Please send me a dozen husky, intelligent young men." Now that's a recruitment strategy!
While it's not a flawless tale, it's undeniably fun, packed with action, and a shining example of early comic book sci-fi. If you love vintage superhero robotics, this one's worth the read!
BasedChad
+1
Nov 20, 2024
I love Electro, shame he wasn't in the story much. The story lost a star for mixing up the two gangsters..honestly guys..
You can definitely see a lot of early inspiration here. 2 out of 5
You can definitely see a lot of early inspiration here. 2 out of 5
Allencthulhu
+1
Jan 13, 2024
Take Two
So Electro, have you met Bozo? Bozo, have you met Flexo?
Another proof that Stan Lee kept an eye on old comics for names and characters.
Art 3
Story 3
Three stars
The Timely quality is going up.
So Electro, have you met Bozo? Bozo, have you met Flexo?
Another proof that Stan Lee kept an eye on old comics for names and characters.
Art 3
Story 3
Three stars
The Timely quality is going up.
USER
+3
Sep 19, 2023
I'm not sure how things were in the 30's, but today if you call and ask for "a dozen husky, intelligent young men" I think they put you on a list.
j.vazquez926
+2
Mar 31, 2024
Do they put you on the list of husky men or on a watch list? Probably the watch list...
Nov 5, 2022
Another character that shares a name with a more famous later one. Zog builds Electro as a tool to dismantle the bloated underbelly of the world, boss by boss. Even the robot merely running down a highway at upwards of a hundred miles per hour would certainly strike fear into any villain.
Overall, the art is standard, but the story was quite nice. I'd love to see this guy return.
Overall, the art is standard, but the story was quite nice. I'd love to see this guy return.
Koi
+4
Nov 20, 2021
What a fun story about Dick Gardner, oops I mean Electro. There's a lot of coincidental firsts in this issue. Learning Spider-Man's one of many villains was in fact a robot/android much like the Human Torch. What's next? An android Wolverine? Professor Zog in many ways is a precursor to Professor X, he has the charisma, the charm, the world saving desires, and of course the team all wearing their superhero suits
Now Dick Gardner did a fantastic job up till he got shot in the arm. From the last few panels how in the world did he crash the car from a flesh wound?!
Also I'm not sure how he managed to interrogate Mike and get information out of him when Mike all this time has been insisting he knew nothing. Then somehow Dick gets ahold of Toby and just casually seats him in his roadster (with seatbelts of course for safety) and Toby doesn't even try to put up a fight to escape?!
All and all I liked this despite the quirks
Now Dick Gardner did a fantastic job up till he got shot in the arm. From the last few panels how in the world did he crash the car from a flesh wound?!
Also I'm not sure how he managed to interrogate Mike and get information out of him when Mike all this time has been insisting he knew nothing. Then somehow Dick gets ahold of Toby and just casually seats him in his roadster (with seatbelts of course for safety) and Toby doesn't even try to put up a fight to escape?!
All and all I liked this despite the quirks
gardibolt
+3
Oct 12, 2021
How could one not be a mechanical wizard and electrical genius with a name like Philo Zog? Interesting tack to have a dozen "private operatives" who identify places where Electro is needed. Operative #3, Dick Gardner, seems intent on doing the job of rescuing a kidnaped little girl himself, and only bothers to call in Electro after he gets himself shot. Odd story-telling here.
Voorhees
+1
Aug 27, 2021
Decent first story,look forward to the next adventure
Exnihil
+1
Dec 27, 2020
Page six, panel two: SOCK!
Don't ever change, Golden Age.
Don't ever change, Golden Age.
King
+3
Apr 18, 2020
I'm expecting Electro to gain sentience at one point and turn violently on it's creators as the cliche goes
Jan 14, 2020
This was fine, decent art. I see that this one sticks and becomes a regular. Hard to believe it holds up, but it was good as a first story.
paflad
+2
Dec 7, 2018
This doesn't seem like a premise that will get stale fast. Not at all.
RobinHoodMtl
+4
Nov 14, 2018
OMG! Page 3 panel 5 proves that Prof. Zog really invented the concept for the Bluetooth headset more than 75 years ago! How cool izzat!!!
Oct 13, 2018
Electro is not as obscure as say the characters appearing in the Daring Mystery Comics title, but certainly not as prominent as the Spidey villain introduced over twenty years after this.
The story is alright, but I wish I could have seen more of the robot in action. Based on how Dick was succeeding in rescuing the kid, I knew something wrong had to happen just in order to get Electro over to help. I can't see the formula altering based on the structure of this team; if Electro is just going to be a back up for these twelve husky dudes, we know something goes wrong, Zog is called, Electro comes and saves the day.
And what is Professor Zog's motivation for doing all this work to do good in the world? I'm creating a backstory in my mind that he did something really terrible in his past and he feels like he has to make up for it.
2/5
The story is alright, but I wish I could have seen more of the robot in action. Based on how Dick was succeeding in rescuing the kid, I knew something wrong had to happen just in order to get Electro over to help. I can't see the formula altering based on the structure of this team; if Electro is just going to be a back up for these twelve husky dudes, we know something goes wrong, Zog is called, Electro comes and saves the day.
And what is Professor Zog's motivation for doing all this work to do good in the world? I'm creating a backstory in my mind that he did something really terrible in his past and he feels like he has to make up for it.
2/5
RobinHoodMtl
+4
Nov 14, 2018
>I'm creating a backstory in my mind that he did something really terrible in his past and he feels like he has to make up for it.
He first asked the employment office to send him a dozen sexy, dumb young women.
He first asked the employment office to send him a dozen sexy, dumb young women.
Sep 29, 2018
So Electro is basically a Deus ex Machina with a backstory? I'll take it because the story of the twelve agents sound interesting.
niksteve70
+1
May 8, 2018
The first of many different Electros.
DarianRogue
+3
Sep 14, 2017
Actually a pretty compelling introduction to these characters. I'm a bit disappointed that Dick Gardner seems to be a one-off, because he was pretty cool too, but I look forward to future actions of Electro and Zog.
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