Short Lived Comic Series #12 - Secret Six (DC Comics - 1968)

I miss the old days of DC Comics, back when they published more than just 20 different Batman titles. Yes, back in the '50s, '60s, and '70s (and yes, before you asked, that was before my time - however, I have picked up a lot of series from these decades in the back issue bins at comic conventions through the years), DC experimented with a lot of different titles - from sci-fi to westerns to horror to espionage to, yes, a few superheroes or two. One of the more unique titles during the late '60s was a title called Secret Six. The premise was that six strangers were brought together by a mysterious benefactor known only as "Mockingbird." This Mockingbird had a hold over each of the characters, and as such, he (or she!) was able to get these six to form a team that would go on covert missions to save individuals, countries, or humanity as a whole. No one knew who Mockingbird was, but the possibility existed that Mockingbird was actually one of the six members!

Secret Six debuted with the April/May 1968 issue (it was a bi-monthly comic, something that seems to have only recently sprung back with a couple of DC titles this year), and the cover of that first issue said it all! Unlike today's stories, where an origin story will span 6 to 12 issues in order to fill trade paperbacks, the origin of the Secret Six occurs within just the first few pages...

Mike Tempest f/k/a Tiger Force, a boxer who refused to throw a match and ultimately testified as to the racketeers who tried to force him...Mockingbird helped him recover after the racketeers took out their revenge on him...

August Durant, a scientist who was given a deadly disease by foreign competition in order to prevent him from helping the U.S. advance...Mockingbird provides Dr. Durant with a pill that keeps his disease in check...

Carlo di Rienzi, a stage magician who refused to pay off the mafia in Naples, so they crippled his son; the doctors said he would never walk again...Mockingbird knows physicians that can give his son the ability to walk once more...

Lili de Neuve, a spa owner who was once convicted of murder and sentenced to die for a crime she did not commit...Mockingbird provided her an alibi, albeit a false one, and if ever revoked, she could face the death penalty once again...

King Savage, an ace pilot who flew in the Korean War until the day he froze in combat, and he was taken captive, where he was tortured until he ultimately revealed U.S. war plans...Mockingbird helped him escape and warn the U.N. forces to prevent any disaster...

Crimson Dawn, a beautiful heiress to millions of dollars who couldn't cope with a swindler who broke her heart and stole much of her inheritance...Mockingbird had Lili de Neuve transform plain jane Kit Dawn into the glamorous Crimson Dawn so that her own family would never recognize her...

Called togther, the mysterious Mockingbird, in the first issue, has them stop a madman from utilizing technology that could literally suck the oxygen out of the air, killing millions. The six must infiltrate his compound, steal the plans, and prevent him from blackmailing the world. The second issue finds the team stealing plans for an advanced nuclear weapon from the Pentagon - only, someone beats them to it! They must use all of their special skills to track down the thief and prevent the weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Starting with the third issue, the series begins to focus on each individual member, as they must face the sins of the past - in issue three, the team must help Tiger Force (Mike Tempest) confront the racketeers that threatened him all those years ago; in issue four, King Savage comes face to face with the man who captured and tortured him - only, instead of vengeance, he must save him; in issue five, Crimson Dawn faces off against Johnny Bright, the conman who forever ruined her life; in issue six, Lili de Neuve must face the one who framed her for murder all those years ago; and in issue seven, Carlo di Rienzi uses all of his tricks to once again escape the fate that certain mobsters have planned for him.

Sadly, the series ended abruptly with the seventh issue - no issue that focused on our dear Dr. August Durant, and no revelation as to the identity of Mockingbird (although every issue, the members of the team through around their suspicions of each other). However, in just seven issues, writer E. Nelson Bridwell, whose Super Friends comics back in the late '70s are what first brought me into comic books, tells some amazing stories about non-super powered heroes - characters with depth that you immediately feel empathy for and stories that are filled with drama, action, and energy.  I'm aware that the group returned to comics in 1988, featured in 8-pages stories by writer Martin Pasko and artist Dan Spiegle in the Action Comics Weekly title from issues 601 through 612, in which they revealed the identity of Mockingbird (I have my suspicions, but having not read that Action run, I can't say for sure). The feature picked back up in issue 619 and ran through issue 630. I figure while I'm stuck at home during this whole virus quarantine situation, I may finally pull those out and read them.

One thing I was struck by while reading this series was not just the stories, but the ads within the comics. I get a kick out of seeing some of the ads for other comics by DC at the time - various 80-page giants in the regular series, "Direct Currents" offering previews of other comics currently on the stands, the introductions of Hawk and Dove, and later Jonny Double and even Dolphin, in Showcase comics, the 30th anniversary issue of Superman (no 207), the new western hero Bat Lash, and ads for The Batman/Superman Hour on Saturday mornings and the Aquaman Show on Sunday mornings! Such a fun glimpse into the fun, carefree days of comic books in the past!

One thing I should note is that in recent years, DC has revived the Secret Six title several times, but these new series are no relation to the previous run. The new Secret Six series have been various sets of super-villains, but none of those series interested me as much as this original did.

RATING:  9 vertical take-off and landing planes out of 10 for a fantastic, non-super hero comic read that shows how well done-in-one stories really can be!