Bouncer (Fox Feature Syndicate)

The Bouncer is a fictional superhero who appeared in comic books published by Fox Feature Syndicate. The Bouncer had no secret identity, but was in reality a statue of the Greek mythological figure Antaeus (spelled Anteas in the comics).[1] The statue had been sculpted by Adam Anteas, Jr., a descendant of the very same legendary figure. Like his Greek ancestor, Anteas Jr. gained power when in contact with the earth. Anteas Jr.'s power was that he bounced back whenever he struck the ground; the harder he hit, the higher he bounced. Like his ancestor, he lost his power when out of contact with the ground.[2]

The Bouncer
The Bouncer, on the cover of issue #13; Adam Anteas, Jr. is on the right.
Publication information
PublisherFox Feature Syndicate
First appearanceThe Bouncer (1944)
Created byRobert Kanigher (writer)
Louis Ferstadt (artist)
In-story information
SpeciesAnimated statue
AbilitiesSuperhuman strength
Great leaping

The Bouncer appeared in five issues of his self-titled comic. The first issue (1944) didn't have an issue number; the other four were numbered #11 to 14 (Sept 1944 - Jan 1945).[3] It's possible that the numbering was intended to be a continuation of The Green Mask.[4] He is the first comic book character created by writer Robert Kanigher.[5]

Biography

At first Anteas Jr. had no interest in superheroics, and generally wanted to be left alone with his statues. But whenever he was threatened, the spirit of his ancestor would animate the statue, and drag its creator off on an adventure. Eventually Anteas Jr. began to seek out criminals, and fight them with the aid of the Bouncer. One of his foes is a clown who claims to be Satan.[6] He also fought gangsters trying to access a vein of gold buried underneath a cemetery, as well as a villain called the Gold Bug.[7]

Powers and abilities

The Bouncer was an inanimate statue until animated by the spirit of Anteas. During that time, the Bouncer had superhuman strength and the ability to leap great distances. Adam Anteas Jr. has the ability to summon the Bouncer to his current location. When Adam does so, the Bouncer appears in a puff of smoke.

References
  1. Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half Baked Heroes from Comic Book History. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-59474-763-2.
  2. Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 236. ISBN 978-1605490892.
  3. Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 154. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  4. Markstein, Don. "The Bouncer". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. Yoe, Craig (2018). Super Weird Heroes Vol. 2: Preposterous But True. Yoe Books. p. 43. ISBN 978-1631408588.
  6. Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
  7. Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781476638607.


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