Johnny Thunder

Origin:  Johnny Thunder had been born on the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh month. The country of Badhnisia  held a superstition that such a child would attain great power upon his seventh birthday. For that reason Badhnisian operatives kidnapped Johnny and took him to Badhnisia. There he was treated as royalty and given a golden belt with the words cei-u (pronounced "say you") inscribed upon it. Unfortunately for Badhnisia, it soon found itself at war with a neighbouring country. Johnny was hidden away in a secret place, though he didn't stay there for long. He fell into a boat and eventually made his way back to the United States and his family.

Years later Johnny was working as a window washer  when one of his fellow workers fell from the scaffolding high above the ground. When Johnny needed a sponge, he yelled to a fellow worker, "Say you...!" Unfortunately, the worker lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, the words "Say you!" had summoned Johnny's Thunderbolt, an entity somewhat akin to a genie, who saved Johnny's co-worker.

Initially Johnny and those around him were ignorant of Thunderbolt's existence. Finally Johnny realised that somehow he was affecting occurrences in his life (Flash Comics #11, November 1940). This led to his realisation that it was the words "Cei-U" that summoned the Thunderbolt (Flash Comics #20,  August 1941).

Powers:  Johnny's only real power, unless one counts a charmed life, is the ability to summon the Thunderbolt with the words "Cei-U!"  Once he had summoned Thunderbolt, Johnny has command of him for one hour. Fortunately, Thunderbolt's power is such that an hour is more than sufficient in most cases. Though perhaps not as powerful as The Spectre, it is within the Thunderbolt's abilities to grant nearly Johnny's every wish.

History:  Johnny Thunder was created by writer John Wentworth and artist Stan Asch. One does not have to look far for the inspiration for Johnny Thunder. The character draws upon both superstitions regarding the number seven (generally regarded as a very fortuitous number) and Aladdin from The Arabian Nights (Johnny's Thunderbolt taking the place of the genie).

Johnny Thunder debuted in Flash Comics #1, January 1940, the same issue that brought us The Flash and Hawkman. Unlike those superheroes Johnny's adventures were generally high comedy rather than high adventure--Johnny was the perennial schmuck who finds often finds himself in a spot of trouble. When he captured villains it was generally by accident rather than by design. This made Johnny Thunder's series dramatically different from superhero comic strips; it also made Johnny Thunder one of All-American's most popular characters.

Johnny Thunder was not one of the charter members of the Justice Society of America, even though he crashed their first meeting in All-Star Comics #3. Johnny would tag along with the Justice Society in All-Star Comics issues 4, 5, and 6. Johnny's perseverance paid off. He was made a full-fledged member of the JSA in All-Star Comics #7, October-November 1941.

Besides the fact that Johnny was a comedic character, his series also differed from the superhero strips of the day in that it went through many changes throughout its run. Johnny generally went from job to job, most of them menial labour. By far his most steady job was his stint in the U. S. Navy. Johnny enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1942 after seeing a recruiting poster in which Uncle Sam was saying "We want you, Johnny!" He didn't realise that the recruiting poster was not meant to be taken literally! Being accident prone Johnny was eventually given an extended leave so as to cause the Navy less headaches. He was finally discharged in 1944. Johnny would even try to exploit Thunderbolt's abilities in Hollywood, only to learn that the film capital was filled with con men eager to make a profit.

Fortunately, Johnny's relationships were a bit more stable. His long time girl friend was Daisy Darling, a young woman perhaps less bright than Johnny. Like Johnny, she was constantly finding herself in trouble. As the series progressed Daisy appeared less and less. By 1944 she was no longer a character in the comic strip. In Flash Comics #21, September 1941, Johnny adopted Peachy Pet, a child who would probably today be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Peachy even stowed away on the submarine to which Johnny was assigned when he went into the Navy. She was allowed to remain on board only after she spotted an enemy submarine headed towards the ship. With regards to comic book history, perhaps the most important person to enter Johnny's life was a beautiful, blonde crimefighter called The Black Canary. Johnny first encountered her in Flash Comics #86, August 1947, when she was committing a string of thefts in order to gain the trust of a group of criminals and thus capture him. She outsmarted Johnny with no trouble at all and Johnny was immediately smitten. Unfortunately for Johnny, his feelings would forever go unrequited, although The Black Canary would work with him on many cases and she would even accompany him to Justice Society of America meetings.

By 1948 Johnny's popularity had waned considerably. His place in Flash Comics was taken over by The Black Canary with issue 92, February 1948. Johnny Thunder made his last appearance in All-Star Comics #39, February-March 1948. His spot in the Justice Society of America was also taken by The Black Canary, who became a full-fledged member with issue 41, June-July 1948. Although Johnny was gone, he was not forgotten. He would be among the first JSA members revived in the Silver Age, appearing in The Flash #137, June 1963.

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 Unless otherwise stated, all text on this site is © 1999 T. L. Canote