BEACH BUM COMICS : THE DARING LEGEND OF THE GLOWING GLADIATOR !!!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

THE DARING LEGEND OF THE GLOWING GLADIATOR !!!

Another great character, Glowing Gladiator, showed up in the Harvey Thriller Double-Dare Adventures #1 & #2. Unfortunately, just as many of the Harvey superheroes, his appearance was cut short after his the two Harvey Thriller comic books.

Harry Barker is the President and head troubleshooter of Adventure Unlimited, a company which carries out archaeological missions of unusual natures for it's clients. Harry is hired by Mr. Destiny to find the Amulet of Hannibal, and sets off to do so. In Carthage, Tunisia, he searches some ruins, only to fall into a deep pit. Finding himself in the "Room of Eternal Dedication", he finds the amulet, which links his mind to the ghost of the great general himself! The ghost passes on his own magical clothing and weapons to Harry, turning him into the heroic Glowing Gladiator.

Back in civilization The Glowing Gladiator faces a number of threats, villains and criminals summoned from the past by Mr.Destiny's Time Transporter - Dillinger and the James Gang, brought forward to rob a bank and provide Destiny with funding, then Rasputin and Attila the Hun to battle his new foe. Defeating them, the Gladiator tracks Destiny back to his lair, only to have his true enemy escape through time.

Double-Dare Adventures #1
"Double Dare Character Profile"Written & illustrated by Joe (Captain America, Fighting American) Simon.

"Legend of the Glowing Gladiator"
Introduction & origin of Glowing Gladiator, Harry Barker & his encounter with the villain Destiny.
Written by France Ed (Green Arrow, Batman) Herron & illustrated by Bob (Daredevil, Hulk) Powell.

Double-Dare Adventures #2
"Intro Page Glowing Gladiator"
Illustration by Jack (Dirty Dozen, Around the World Under the Sea) Sparling.
"The Two Deadly Faces of Destiny"
Written by France Ed (Challengers of the Unknown, original Red Skull) Herron & illustrated by Jack Sparling.

The Steranko creation of the Glowing Gladiator!

The version of the Glowing Gladiator from Harvey Thrillers!

The man himself, Jim Steranko!

The Glowing Gladiator was created by the legendary Jim Steranko. In an interview, he stated: "I had worked for Joe Simon years ago. I created a half-a-dozen characters for Joe Simon on order. He bought three of them; three original characters. I wrote the stories, never drew them..."

Joe had said, "you can't draw!"

Imagine that!