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<HEAD><TITLE>Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Hooded Justice aka Invisible Justice aka Invisible Hood </TITLE> <script language="JavaScript"></script> <META name = "author" content = "Donald D. Markstein"> <META name = "description" content = "Hypertext encyclopedia of comics and animation"> <META name = "subject" content = "Hypertext encyclopedia of comics and animation"> <META name = "keywords" content = "comic books animated cartoons animation comics comix syndicated comic strips"> <META name = "publisher" content = "Donald D. Markstein"> <META name = "format" content = "text/html"> <META name = "language" content = "EN"> </HEAD><BODY> <body onload="if (self!= top) top.location = self.location"></body> <BODY BGCOLOR="FFFFFF" TEXT="000000" LINK="0000EE" VLINK="551A8B"> <TABLE><TR><TD WIDTH=310 VALIGN="CENTER"><IMG GALLERYIMG="NO" ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT=327 WIDTH=300 ALT="The Hood, non-invisible at the time, in action. Artist: Art Pinajian." SRC="hoodedj.jpg"> <TD VALIGN="CENTER"> <H1>HOODED JUSTICE aka THE INVISIBLE HOOD aka INVISIBLE JUSTICE</H1><FONT SIZE=4> <B>Medium:</B> Comic books <BR><B>Published by:</B> Quality Comics <BR><B>First Appeared:</B> 1939 <BR><B>Creator:</B> Art Pinajian <FONT SIZE=3> <! BEGIN DONATION CODE> <HR><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="993366"><CENTER> If this site is enjoyable or useful to you, <BR>Please contribute to its necessary financial support. <BR><A HREF="http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T1237L0BCY25QA" TARGET="_blank">Amazon.com</A> or <A HREF="https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=don%40toonopedia.com&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_cod e=USD" TARGET="_blank">PayPal</A> </FONT></CENTER><HR> <! END DONATION CODE> <P><A NAME="cont"> Hooded Justice is a vanishingly minor character in modern comic books — a bit player in the back-story of <I><A HREF="watchmen.htm">Watchmen</A></I> — and he  <P ALIGN="RIGHT"><A HREF="#cont"><FONT SIZE=2><I>continued below</A></FONT> </TABLE> <CENTER><! BEGIN ADSENSE "LEADERBOARD" CODE> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <! END ADSENSE CODE></CENTER> <P><TABLE><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP"> had the same name as a vanishingly minor character from the 1940s — one single appearance under that name. In fact, even under his most familiar name (of three that he used), Invisible Justice, he was pretty small potatoes. <P> Hooded Justice debuted in the first issue of <I>Smash Comics,</I>which was put out by <A href="quality.htm">Quality Comics</A> (<A HREF="plas.htm">Plastic Man,</A> <A HREF="midnight.htm">Midnight</A>) with a cover date of August, 1939. Also making their initial appearances there were such luminaries as Archie O'Toole, <A HREF="bozorobo.htm">Bozo the Robot</A> and Abdul the Arab. Hooded Justice was created by <A HREF="glossary.htm#cartoonist">cartoonist</A> Art Pinajian, also the creator of <A HREF="fatal.htm">Madam Fatal</A> and <A href="wasp39.htm">The Wasp.</A> Such was the publisher's confidence in this one, they didn't put him on the cover — not even in one of its four small insets. <P> Kent Thurston was apparently, tho it wasn't stated as part of his character, something of a faddist. Or at least, he indulged in one contemporary fad, that of putting on a mask and fighting crime and/or evil on a freelance basis. In particular, he dressed up in an identity-concealing outfit and went into evil-bashing under the Hooded Justice monicker. Also introduced in his first adventure was his police contact, Inspector Bill Blake. <P> The second issue was where he got his super power and his second <A HREF="glossary.htm#superhero">superhero</A> name. He rescued a scientist from a criminal gang — unsuccessfully, apparently, as the scientist was dead before the story was over. But before biting the dust, he gave his would-be rescuer his latest discovery, a way to make a man invisible. From that point on, the hero added the word "invisible" to his name, usually calling himself "The Invisible Hood" tho the series name appeared as "Invisible Justice". <P> That lasted less than three years. In <I>Smash</I> #33 (May, 1942), Invisible Whoever was replaced by <A HREF="marksman.htm">The Marksman,</A> an archer superhero much like <A HREF="spider.htm">The Spider</A> or <A HREF="arrow.htm">The Arrow,</A> except his major schtick was having infiltrated the German military as an officer. Invisible Hooded Justice, or whatever, disappeared for good. <P> Years later, Quality's properties were acquired by <A HREF="dc.htm">DC Comics.</A> But the only use DC ever made of this one was a brief appearance in <I><A HREF="alstarsq.htm">All-Star Squadron</A></I> #32, and his role as cannon fodder was less than most characters got there. <P> Except, of course, to use his original name in <I>Watchmen.</I> <P ALIGN = "RIGHT">— DDM <P><A HREF="index.htm">BACK</A> to <I>Don Markstein's Toonopedia</I> Home Page <BR><A HREF="today.htm">Today in Toons:</A> Every day's an anniversary! <P><! BEGIN ADSENSE BANNER CODE><CENTER> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </CENTER><! END ADSENSE CODE> <TD WIDTH=10><TD WIDTH=180 VALIGN="TOP"> <! 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