The Golden Age Directory: H

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Hack O'Hara. Hack is a two-fisted New York cabbie who carries fares and busts criminals' heads.
First Appearance: Crack Comics #21 (Quality)

Hale of the Herald. Hale is a story- and crime-breaking reporter for the Herald. He is helped by his best girl assistant Vickie.
First Appearance: Thrilling Comics #25 (Better)

Hangman. Bob Dickering is forced to watch, horrified, as his brother John, aka The Comet, gets killed rescuing him. Bob, furious, vows that he will kill his brother's murderers and all the enemies of justice and mankind. He puts on a costume and becomes the Hangman, one of the killingest of the Golden Age's killer vigilantes. He has no superpowers but is good in a fight, knows how to use a noose, and uses a light to project the outline of a noose on to walls, just to shake up the bad guys. His girlfriend and sidekick is Thelma Gordon, formerly John's girlfriend. (Yes, I know, that's weird)
First Appearance: Pep Comics #17 (MLJ)

The Hawk. The Hawk is an escaped galley slave who turns the tables on his enslavers during the 17th century and brings together a group of escaped slaves to become the Hawks of the Seas, the most dread of all pirates. In his own words, “We don’t fight for money, we fight for freedom of weak slaves and for the love of adventure.” He is helped primarily by Fluth and the Native American Sagua.
First Appearance: Feature Funnies #3 (Quality) Note: After issue #12 of Feature Funnies the Hawk jumped over to Jumbo Comics, where it ran for over 150 issues.

Hawkgirl. Shiera Sanders is an ordinary modern woman until she begins suffering from visions that she was once Shiera, the lover of the Egyptian Prince Khufu, and that in that past life she lost Khufu to violence and was persecuted by Anubis the hawk-god. Then she runs into millionaire Carter Hall and realizes that he is the reincarnation of Prince Khufu and that her visions were true. They immediately fall in love and of course decide to fight crime, he as Hawkman and she as Hawkgirl. Hawkgirl has no superpowers but is a good fighter, is an expert with a variety of ancient weapons (which she is more than willing to use) and can fly via the "ninth metal" in her costume's wings.
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (DC)

Hawkman. Carter Hall is a millionaire playboy who collects weapons. He is given an ancient Egyptian glass knife formerly used for sacrifices. The knife gives Carter a vision, however, and reveals to him that in a former life he was Prince Khufu, who fought for the life of his lover Shiera. He got killed, however, and swore just before he died that he'd return. Carter comes to from this vision with the knowledge that he was Prince Khufu and the notion that Shiera is out there, somewhere. He then runs into her the very next day, and she confesses that she's had similar visions. They decide to team up and fight crime, to continue his centuries-long battle against evil. Carter becomes Hawkman, and Shiera becomes Hawkgirl. He is a member of the Justice Society of America. Hawkman has no superpowers, but is a good fighter, is an expert with a variety of ancient weapons (which he is more than willing to use) and can fly via the "ninth metal" he discovered in his laboratory and incorporated into his costume's wings.
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (DC)

Headless Horseman. In the Old West Miss Betty, a schoolteacher, is burned about the level of crime. So she makes herself an outfit with a particularly tall and broad shirt and puts herself inside it. She can see through the gap in the shirt but it appears to everyone else that the rider is headless. In this outfit she patrols the West, fighting crime as the "Headless Horseman."
First Appearance: The Arrow #1 (Centaur)

Headline Hunter. Jerry "Headline" Hunter is a foreign correspondent for an unnamed New York newspaper. In his opening story he is working in London (only for the past few months) and is known to many of the American politicians there. He is daring in pursuit of a story, of course, but is also willing to mix it up with German spies, out of patriotism as well as a willingness to get a good scoop. He works for the London Star and has a rival in reporter Will Jenks.
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #5 (Timely)

Heap. Baron Eric von Emmelman is a German ace who is shot down during World War One. He lands in a swamp and merges with the "dreary vegetation" to become a vampiric humanoid. But he's a good guy, though, and ends up flying a fighter against the Germans and going to Japan and China to fight against the Japanese, and then making his way to America to fight crime here.
First Appearance: Air Fighters Comics #3 (Hillman)

Henri Duval. Duval was an adventurer and patriotic soldier of fortune in 17th century France, during the time of the Three Musketeers. He had no superpowers, but was good with a rapier.
First Appearance: New Fun Comics #6 (DC)

Hercules (I).  Hercules was taken as a baby by his father, Dr. David, to a "lonely Arctic island," where he was raised to be "a perfect physical and mental specimen." He's discovered by circus promoters, who install him in their circus as the strong-man. Hercules is about ten feet tall, has superstrength and has mastered all scientific knowledge.
First Appearance: Mystic Comics #3 (Timely)

Hercules (II). Joe Hercules is born in "the North Woods" as the "strongest man in history." While he is working as a strong man in a local circus a gang of criminals fake a foreclosure on his widowed mother's house. Joe's mom dies from a heart attack, and Joe swears revenge. He goes to New York and beats up the bad guys, ending up in jail for his trouble. While in the clink he is told about Doll Man and is inspired to break out of jail, put on a costume, and fight crime. He clears his name and then goes on to fight crime. Joe is "the strongest man in history, capable of punching his way through stone walls.
First Appearance: Hit Comics #1 (Quality)

Hercules (III). Says Michael Norwitz, "This character really was the son of Zeus from the myths, who came to Earth to check out the present (well, 1940). He had super-strength and fought gangsters, but he was not a costume hero in the strict sense."
First Appearance: Blue Ribbon Comics #4 (Archie)

Hip Knox. Ronald Byrd, Super-Scholar, provides us with this:

Also in the present is Hip Knox the Super Hypnotist.  We open with Professor Knox, a scientist who is convinced that he can better mankind by imbuing a human with superhuman hypnotic powers (this actually sounds like a comparatively un-benign goal to pursue, but what do I know?).  The Prof subsequently discovers an abandoned infant, near death from exposure, on his doorstep (boy, talk about dumb luck, huh?).  Placing aside any tedious medical ethics, Knox revives the baby boy with a special operation to his eyes, head, and heart (?); as a result, the child grows up with unusually large eyes and a literally swelled head (effects upon his heart are unrecorded).  Nicknamed "Hip" by the Prof (short for "hypnotism," get it? get it?), the foundling develops the ability to mesmerize anyone with a glance.  When Hip reaches the age of 21 (so evidently the doorstep stuff took place in 1919 or so; Hip, by the way, is one of the comparatively rare mustached super-heroes, although his facial hair looks more like a second set of nostrils than anything else), Knox gives him an outfit with an eye on the chest and a cap that would probably look odd even on someone with normal-sized eyes, a unswelled head, and a less-peculiar-looking mustache, then has him swear a vow to never use his powers for evil (sort of a variation on "do no harm," I suppose).  Notice that the Prof doesn't specifically instruct him to actually fight crime, just to do no evil, but Hip decides to fight crime, anyway.  Interestingly enough, in the same nameless city lives one Eric McFadden, a longtime enemy of the Knox family who has inexplicably dedicated his life to making himself resistant to any form of hypnotism (boy, it's all coming togeth---huh?), partially by wearing a mesh-cage piece of headgear with quartz eyelenses (I think some of the scientists of the golden age might have benefited from a bit more direction.).  So, there you go, an arch-enemy.  A notable use of Hip's powers is seen in #3, where, on board an out-of-control plane, he hypnotizes millions (!) of condors to fly INTO the plane to slow it down and to fly under it to CUSHION its landing (geez, no wonder condors are endangered).
First Appearance: SuperworldComics #1 (Komos)

The Hood. FBI Agent Craig Williams gets frustrated at those criminals who escape the law and operate outside the FBI's jurisdiction, and so puts on a costume and fights crime. He has no superpowers.
First Appearance: Catman #5 (Holyoke)

Hooded Justice. See Invisible Hood.

The Hooded Wasp. He fought crime. His partner was the Wasplet. He had no powers.
First Appearance: Shadow Comics #7 (Street and Smith)

Hooks Devlin. Hooks is a “devil dog” detective and special agent for the government.
First Appearance: Fight Comics #20 (Fiction House)

Hop Harrigan. Hop is the son of Colonel A. Harrigan and his wife Maria. Maria leaves the Colonel and takes their daughter Mariana (but not Hop) to Colombia. Soon afterwards the Colonel dies during a plane crash. This leaves Hop to be brought up by the cruel farmer Silas Crane. As soon as Hop is old enough--13 or 14--he teaches himself how to fly and then leaves Silas by way of the Colonel's old biplane. Hop then saves mechanic Ikky Tinker, the two become friends with Prop Wash, another pilot, and the trio form their own airplane construction company. Hop goes on to have airborne adventures and then fly for America during the War. For a short time he is the costumed Guardian Angel. He has no superpowers, but is such a good pilot and fighter that he needs none.
First Appearance: All-American Comics #1 (DC)

Hourman. Rex Tyler, a humble worker at a chemical plant, invents Miraclo, a formula which gives him superpowers for one hour. He puts on a costume and uses his abilities to fight crime and evil. He is partnered by Jimmy Martin and later the Minute-Men, a group of costumed youths who also take Miraclo. He is a member of the Justice Society of America. Under the influence of Miraclo he has superstrength, speed, leaping ability, and invulnerability.
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #48 (DC)

The Human Bomb. Roy Lincoln, a chemist, is helping his father develop X-24, a superexplosive, when enemy agents attack the laboratory to steal the formula. Roy's father is shot dead and Roy is forced to swallow the superexplosive liquid to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Rather than being blown up, however, he begins to glow, and finds that not only to bullets bounce off of him but that when he puches or just touches something it blows up. He makes a suit of "fibro-wax" which is immune to his explosion power and wears that as he fights crime. He is assisted by Hustace Throckmorton and later by the Bombardiers.
First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (Quality)

Human Dynamo. Robert "Shock" Gibson, a wealthy scientist, is trying to find a way to integrate electricity into the human body. He finds it, and uses it nightly to empower himself. With his new power he goes out to fight crime. While he has his dosage he can generate enough electricity to shock an entire river, weld metal, and even blast through metal walls; he also can fly, has superstrength, and can generate electro-magnetism. Without his dosage he still has great (though human) strength and stamina.
First Appearance: Speed Comics #1 (Harvey)

Human Meteor. Duke O'Dowd, a taxi driver, is working as a member of the Foreign Legion in Bavakuria when he meets Wah Le, the ancient ruler of that Tibet-like country. Wah Le gives Duke a magic belt, which Duke uses to fight crime back in the United States. Duke is assisted by shoeshine boy Toby, who knows of the Human Meteor's civilian identity. Duke has no superpowers, but the belt gives him superstrength and superspeed as well as stopping metal via a "contra-magnetic field" from harming men. The field is vulnerable to wood, however.
First Appearance: Champion Comics #6 (Harvey)

Human Top. Bruce Bravelle is being subjected a series of experiments when he's accidentally dosed with lightning; this gives him the ability to spin like a top when he crosses his wrists. He relies upon Professor Raymore, the man whose experiments gave him his powers, to provide him with "jobs"--that is, opportunities to do good and fight crime.
First Appearance: Red Raven Comics #1 (Timely)

Human Torch. Professor Phineas Horton creates "a synthetic man--an exact replica of a human being," which bursts into flames when exposed to air; the android breaks free from Horton's control and eventually decides to become a crimefighter, adopting the identity of Jim Hammond. He discovered a boy with a natural immunity to flame and took him on as his sidekick Toro. In late 1948 Toro was dropped for a new sidekick, Sun Girl. He was also a member of the All-Winners Squad.
First Appearance: Marvel Comics #1 (Timely)

Hunchback. Alan Lanier is a playboy who comes to hate crime and wants to fight against it. He decides to put on a horrifying costume, one scary enough to strike "sheer horror into the hearts of bad men." So Alan makes himself up to look like hunchback. He was a killer vigilante. He had no superpowers.
First Appearance: Wow Comics #2 (Fawcett)

Hurricane. In the Golden Age he was the "son of Thor, god of Thunder, and the last descendant of the ancient Greek immortals," who returned to Earth to fight his ancestral enemy, "Pluto, the Devil." He had superspeed.
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 (Timely)

Hurricane Harrigan. Hurricane is an American cowboy adventuring in India. He is helped by a spunky native boy.
First Appearance: Cat-Man Comics #1 (Holyoke)

Hurricane Hansen. Hansen is a sea adventurer: "Hurricane Hansen, young American se-adventurer, joins the British Navy when that country declares war on Kazilia. He attains the rank of Captain and is put in command of a sea raider."
First Appearance: Slam-Bang Comics #1 (Fawcett)

Hustace Throckmorton. Throckmorton is the sidekick of The Human Bomb. Throckmorton's feet are explosive, just as the Human Bomb's hand is.
First Appearance: Police Comics #15. (Quality)

Hydroman. Bob Blake, a scientist, develops a formula that he stupidly allows to spill on his arm. This transforms his arm into water, and it remains that way until his friend applies "counteractive chemical" that restores the arm. Blake then injects the formula into him and through strength of will masters the ability to transform into water at his command. He is later partnered with Rainbow Boy. He has the ability to transform into water and create various shapes of himself.
First Appearance: Reg'lar Fellers Heroic Comics #1 (Eastern Color Printing)

Hy Hardy. Hy Hardy is an "ace newsreel cameraman" who finds himself making the news (for solving crimes and fighting Nazi filth) as often as he does filming it.
First Appearance: Exciting Comics #1 (Better Publications)

Hyper. This namless and originless character, surnamed "the Phenomenal," is little more than a Flash Gordon rip-off, down to his ray guns.
First Appearance: Hyper Mystery Comics #1 (Hyper Publications)

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