The Clock
Encyclopedia
The Clock is a fictional
masked crime-fighter published during the Golden Age of Comic Books
. According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
, the Clock was the first masked hero to appear in American comic books.
, the character first appeared in either Funny Pages #6 or Funny Picture Stories #1, each cover-dated November 1936 and published by the Comics Magazine Company, the primary forerunner of Centaur Publications
.
The character's initial appearances were two-page features that left little space for character development, but the Clock's secret identity
was eventually revealed to be society man and former district attorney
Brian O'Brien, whose background in college sports helped prepare him for heroism.
The Clock could be considered the “missing link” between pulp and comic book heroes. His secret identity is that of Brian O'Brien, a wealthy member of high society and a former lawyer. He had a secret, underground and was a hypnotist. His minimalist costume was a three-piece suit and a mask and he was a master of disguise. He had clever gadgets (such as a cane whose head becomes a projectile and a diamond stud that fires teargas) and he usually left behind a calling card bearing the image of a clock-face and the words "The Clock Has Struck."
The Clock appeared in Funny Pages #6-11, as well as other titles by the Comics Magazine Company, such as Detective Picture Stories and Keen Detective Funnies. In 1937, the Comics Magazine Company was bought by a company Ultem
, which then encountered financial difficulty and sold the Clock and other characters to Quality Comics
. Ultem was itself subsequently purchased and renamed Centaur Publications
. Despite the sale to Quality, the company continued to reprint old Clock stories.
Under Quality, the Clock continued to be written and drawn in new stories by Brenner in Feature Funnies (later retitled Feature Comics
) beginning with #3 (Dec., 1937) and running through #31 (April 1940). It is believed that Quality editor Will Eisner
was in part inspired by this run of the Clock to create the Spirit. The Clock's feature was moved to the new Crack Comics
#1 (May 1940).
When Centaur sold the Clock to Quality, the powers-that-be decided he needed a sidekick to soften him up. At first he was assisted by Pat "Pug" Brady, a former boxer who looked exactly like Brian O'Brien. They met when they picked each other's pockets in Crack Comics #1. Pug's disguise was even more minimal than that of his boss—a handkerchief worn like a cowboy bandit wears a bandanna. The first time he worked with the Clock, he found out his secret identity and killed somebody else who found it out, so it didn't soften the Clock's image by much.
In Crack Comics #21, Pug disappeared with no explanation, which may be why the Clock got himself all shot up and crawled into a basement to die. Fortunately for him, a young girl named Butch Buchanan was squatting in that same basement and nursed him back to health. She attached herself to him as his "moll" and evidently convinced him to wear a knockoff of the Spirit's costume from issue #22 on.
The Clock alternated appearances on the cover of Crack Comics with the Black Condor
until #19, continuing as only a backup feature of that title until his final appearance in Crack Comics #35 (Autumn 1944).
After Quality Comics went out of business in 1956, DC Comics
acquired the rights to its characters. However, it didn't renew the copyright for most of the characters in question (including the Clock), allowing them to fall into public domain. The company has never made use of the Clock beyond a few mere mentions. In the DC Universe
, the Clock was initially said to have been killed in 1944, the last year his character was actually published. The journal of the character the Shade revealed, in Starman Vol. 2, #19, that "Brian O'Brien told me the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated". Starman #20 then stated O'Brien was active in Chicago
, despite the fact that several Golden Age adventures stated that his home city was a seaport. Perhaps these adventures took place on the now-retconned Earth-Two
, former home of DC's Golden Age characters.
published 20 issues of The Protectors
, a superhero
team that included several other characters from the Centaur line. In this universe, Brian O'Brien was the first costumed hero. With the advent of super-powered heroes, he decided to give up crime-fighting, choosing instead to join the army. He rose through the ranks and eventually became President of the United States.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
masked crime-fighter published during the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
. According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is an annually published comic book price guide widely considered the primary authority on the subject of American comic book grading and pricing in the hobby/industry....
, the Clock was the first masked hero to appear in American comic books.
Publication history
Created by cartoonist George BrennerGeorge Brenner
George Brenner was an American cartoonist in the mid 1900s. He created comics such as The Clock, Bozo the Iron Man, and 711.He also had a small part as a guest in the 1946 movie The Razor's Edge....
, the character first appeared in either Funny Pages #6 or Funny Picture Stories #1, each cover-dated November 1936 and published by the Comics Magazine Company, the primary forerunner of Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing Man....
.
The character's initial appearances were two-page features that left little space for character development, but the Clock's secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
was eventually revealed to be society man and former district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Brian O'Brien, whose background in college sports helped prepare him for heroism.
The Clock could be considered the “missing link” between pulp and comic book heroes. His secret identity is that of Brian O'Brien, a wealthy member of high society and a former lawyer. He had a secret, underground and was a hypnotist. His minimalist costume was a three-piece suit and a mask and he was a master of disguise. He had clever gadgets (such as a cane whose head becomes a projectile and a diamond stud that fires teargas) and he usually left behind a calling card bearing the image of a clock-face and the words "The Clock Has Struck."
Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing Man....
, which then encountered financial difficulty and sold the Clock and other characters to Quality Comics
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
. Ultem was itself subsequently purchased and renamed Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing Man....
. Despite the sale to Quality, the company continued to reprint old Clock stories.
Under Quality, the Clock continued to be written and drawn in new stories by Brenner in Feature Funnies (later retitled Feature Comics
Feature Comics
Feature Comics was a comic book anthology title published in the United States by Quality Comics from 1939 until 1950, that featured short stories in the superhero and humor genres. The series was a continuation of Feature Funnies, a reprint collection of newspaper comic strips that was published...
) beginning with #3 (Dec., 1937) and running through #31 (April 1940). It is believed that Quality editor Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
was in part inspired by this run of the Clock to create the Spirit. The Clock's feature was moved to the new Crack Comics
Crack Comics
Crack Comics was an anthology comic book series published by Quality Comics during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It featured such characters as The Clock, Black Condor, Captain Triumph, Alias the Spider, Madame Fatal, Jane Arden, Molly the Model, and Red Torpedo...
#1 (May 1940).
When Centaur sold the Clock to Quality, the powers-that-be decided he needed a sidekick to soften him up. At first he was assisted by Pat "Pug" Brady, a former boxer who looked exactly like Brian O'Brien. They met when they picked each other's pockets in Crack Comics #1. Pug's disguise was even more minimal than that of his boss—a handkerchief worn like a cowboy bandit wears a bandanna. The first time he worked with the Clock, he found out his secret identity and killed somebody else who found it out, so it didn't soften the Clock's image by much.
In Crack Comics #21, Pug disappeared with no explanation, which may be why the Clock got himself all shot up and crawled into a basement to die. Fortunately for him, a young girl named Butch Buchanan was squatting in that same basement and nursed him back to health. She attached herself to him as his "moll" and evidently convinced him to wear a knockoff of the Spirit's costume from issue #22 on.
The Clock alternated appearances on the cover of Crack Comics with the Black Condor
Black Condor
Black Condor is the name of three fictional characters, DC Comics superheroes who have all been members of the Freedom Fighters. The first Black Condor, Richard Grey Jr., was originally a Quality Comics character.-Quality Comics:...
until #19, continuing as only a backup feature of that title until his final appearance in Crack Comics #35 (Autumn 1944).
After Quality Comics went out of business in 1956, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
acquired the rights to its characters. However, it didn't renew the copyright for most of the characters in question (including the Clock), allowing them to fall into public domain. The company has never made use of the Clock beyond a few mere mentions. In the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, the Clock was initially said to have been killed in 1944, the last year his character was actually published. The journal of the character the Shade revealed, in Starman Vol. 2, #19, that "Brian O'Brien told me the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated". Starman #20 then stated O'Brien was active in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, despite the fact that several Golden Age adventures stated that his home city was a seaport. Perhaps these adventures took place on the now-retconned Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
, former home of DC's Golden Age characters.
Other versions
In 1992, Malibu ComicsMalibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
published 20 issues of The Protectors
Protectors
The Protectors was a 20-issue comic book series published by Malibu Comics from 1992 until 1994. Originally meant to be a six-issue series, response was positive enough that Malibu decided to make the series ongoing...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team that included several other characters from the Centaur line. In this universe, Brian O'Brien was the first costumed hero. With the advent of super-powered heroes, he decided to give up crime-fighting, choosing instead to join the army. He rose through the ranks and eventually became President of the United States.