DC Golden Age Heroes That Haven't Been Revamped?

[scary harpy]

Wasn't Lady Luck supposed to be revamped for the New 52?

Oh, hey. I do remember that. They showed a sketch, right?

Wasn’t she suppose to join the JUstice League?

This is correct She was on the big two-page cover Jim Lee did focusing on other characters that were supposed to join. Rumor was that DC found out the Eisner estate still owned the bulk of the character so they had to scuttle that, though a radically different version (with Geoff's idea of being a gambler) did appear in the underrated Phantom Stranger book.

I thought Lady Luck was in the public domain?

[scary harpy]

DC very famously does have a modern Raven. As for the other three, trademarks are why those names weren't reused. Wonder Boy is a video game character, Dan Dare is the star of 1950s British comic The Eagle (and that trademark has been maintained to this day), and Doctor Voodoo is the name of a Marvel character.

Did Quality Comics have their own "Red, White and Blue?" Because All-American (D.C.) had a "Red, White and Blue."

Yes, Quality had their own versions of these characters.

[ducklord]

Quality
711
Ace of Space (Quality Comics)
Blue Tracer
Destiny
Destroying Demon
Dragon
G-2
Ghost of Flanders
Just 'N Right
Margo the Magician
Marksman
Marmaduke Mouse
Monsieur X
Mouthpiece
Raven
Red, White, and Blue
Rusty Ryan
Scarlet Seal
Sniper
Spider Widow
Torchy
Unknown
USA
Whistler
Wildfire
Wonder Boy
Yankee Eagle

Fawcett
Atom Blake
Balbo the Boy Magician
Banshee O'Brien
Bulletboy
Dan Dare
Devil's Dagger
Diamond Jack
Doctor Voodoo
El Carim: Master of Magic
Golden Arrow
Hunchback
Master Man
Mystic Moot
Radar
Red Gaucho
Spooks
Warlock the Wizard
White Rajah
Zoro the Mystery Man

I believe DC also owns Nedor characters.

I think you're right on most of these Quality/Fawcett characters, although I wouldn't be surprised to find out that DC's let their rights lapse on a number of them. I do remember that there was an Elseworlds a few years back that made use of Marksman, the Clock, 711, Wildfire, and Destiny, among others, but that hardly counts, I think.

I'm not up on the legal status of the Nedor characters (although a quick check confirms that they were purchased by Warner Brothers some time ago). That said, it appears that many publishers have been using them over the years without DC coming after, so I guess it's a "DC has the rights to publish them, but generally doesn't" situation.

[Jim Kelly]

I'm pretty sure all the Nedor characters are in the public domain. However, once a publisher does their own version of them, that version then becomes their property. So D.C. and Dynamite can each use the Nedor characters, but they have to put their own stamp on them. That's why Dynamite often changes the names so they can trademark those names. And D.C. would have the trademark on Terra Obscura. But I think the Black Terror cannot be trademarked as a name--although, I could be wrong about this--it's one of those names that exists in the public domain like Dracula.

[Will Evans]

I was always confused why DC can have Phantom Lady but other comics can use their own version.

[Digifiend]

Yes, Quality had their own versions of these characters.

Not sure why you quote me there, my post wasn't disputing any of them being Quality Comics characters.

[scary harpy]

I'm pretty sure all the Nedor characters are in the public domain. However, once a publisher does their own version of them, that version then becomes their property. So D.C. and Dynamite can each use the Nedor characters, but they have to put their own stamp on them. That's why Dynamite often changes the names so they can trademark those names. And D.C. would have the trademark on Terra Obscura. But I think the Black Terror cannot be trademarked as a name--although, I could be wrong about this--it's one of those names that exists in the public domain like Dracula.

This is what I thought about Lady Luck being in the public domain. I may be wrong.

[ducklord]

Man, I'm looking over that list of unused Quality and Fawcett and dang, some of those deserve a refresh.

The Spirit/Clock knock-offs alone could form a pretty good secret society.

And what's with all the Zatara/Mandrake clones? Looking over that list, you'd think that Zatara was the was the character find of Action Comics #1.

I'm particularly enamored of Diamond Jack. He looks a lot like just another Spirit clone, but look, he's got a magic ring, just like Green Lantern! But wait, he predates Green Lantern by, like two or three months! Now THERE'S a guy who could be woven into the DCU!

[Will Evans]

Just look what Alex Ross did with SuperPowers.

Any writer could have a field day revitalizing and putting a modern twist on all these unused characters.

But I don’t think they can work in an already crowded ongoing universe like DC or Marvel.



Note: I’ve always been partial to Spider-Widow and her male sidekick Raven.

[Jim Kelly]

This is what I thought about Lady Luck being in the public domain. I may be wrong.

Even though "Busy" Arnold was the publisher of both Quality Comics and the Spirit Section, his agreement with Will Eisner meant that he couldn't have sold any of the features from the Spirit Section to D.C. when he sold the rest of the Quality properties to them.

Eisner: "Written down in the contract I had with 'Busy' Arnold—and this contract exists today as the basis for my copyright ownership—Arnold agreed that it was my property. They agreed that if we had a split-up in any way, the property would revert to me on that day that happened. My attorney went to 'Busy' Arnold and his family, and they all signed a release agreeing that they would not pursue the question of ownership."--ALTER EGO 48 (May 2005). That included the back-up features, Mr. Mystic and Lady Luck. I don't know about Clifford--given that was the creation of Jules Feiffer, he might have been able to secure the copyright for that.

[ducklord]

Just look what Alex Ross did with SuperPowers.

Any writer could have a field day revitalizing and putting a modern twist on all these unused characters.

But I don’t think they can work in an already crowded ongoing universe like DC or Marvel.

I dunno. When it comes to the "guys who just slap on a mask and start fighting injustice" types, I think there's always room for more. It's not like they all have to live in Gotham, after all. Couldn't Minnesota get a modern day take on, say, the Whistler?

I admit that there's probably little room for Wonder Boy or Master Man, or the eighteen different Zatara clones.

[scary harpy]

Even though "Busy" Arnold was the publisher of both Quality Comics and the Spirit Section, his agreement with Will Eisner meant that he couldn't have sold any of the features from the Spirit Section to D.C. when he sold the rest of the Quality properties to them.

Eisner: "Written down in the contract I had with 'Busy' Arnold—and this contract exists today as the basis for my copyright ownership—Arnold agreed that it was my property. They agreed that if we had a split-up in any way, the property would revert to me on that day that happened. My attorney went to 'Busy' Arnold and his family, and they all signed a release agreeing that they would not pursue the question of ownership."--ALTER EGO 48 (May 2005). That included the back-up features, Mr. Mystic and Lady Luck. I don't know about Clifford--given that was the creation of Jules Feiffer, he might have been able to secure the copyright for that.

Good to know.

Pity about Lady Luck. She could have been something maybe.

[scary harpy]

Just look what Alex Ross did with SuperPowers.

Any writer could have a field day revitalizing and putting a modern twist on all these unused characters.

But I don’t think they can work in an already crowded ongoing universe like DC or Marvel.

I dunno. When it comes to the "guys who just slap on a mask and start fighting injustice" types, I think there's always room for more. It's not like they all have to live in Gotham, after all. Couldn't Minnesota get a modern day take on, say, the Whistler?

I agree with Will Evans...the DCU is already crowded.

We have Batman...we don't need another Batman pastiche.

[Jody Garland]

I was always confused why DC can have Phantom Lady but other comics can use their own version.

Phantom Lady was created by the Eisner/Igle studio. After Quality quit publishing her back in the '40s, the studio thought they owned her and shopped around to first Fox Features Syndicate (Who's infamous owner Victor Fox probably wouldn't have cared either way) and later to the lesser known Ajax-Farrel. The former is famous for it's 'good girl' art by the extremely talented Matt Baker, the latter got caught up in the 50s comic hysteria.

That's thrown enough of a monkey wrench in the trademark status that some public domain publishers like AC Comics have adapted the Fox version, though I think all of them end up renamed.

[joebleau]

Uncle sam was for a short time the Patriot

If you look at this page

https://www.cosmicteams.com/jsa/_chron/members.html
https://www.cosmicteams.com/jsa/_doc...ro-legacy.html
https://www.cosmicteams.com/obscure/


Miss America dont have a legacy. She was update to Ms Cosmos for one or two issues but that it
Red Torpedo
Midnight
Flying Fox ( i know it not a real golden age characters)
merlin
Tor
Commando Yank


and it's just a start