Though the day dawns bright, it will quickly surrender to the darkness that blankets us earlier and earlier with the passing of each day. Soon, it will be Winter and time for other holidays, but there’s time enough for that.

Today is October 31. Today is Halloween. Tonight the Witching Hour will chime before midnight as young and old disguise themselves in horror and spectacle. Some for candy, some for their own amusement.

Just enjoy what comes and allow our host, the King of Vampires, to begin they day.

Still recovering from a bigger dread than any of the serialized monsters of old that would populate Marvel’s own magazines, the company moved from under the shadow of the Comic Code. First, in black and white magazines outside the authority of the Authority. Then, as the CCA’s hold weakened, into the pages of the four-color books it once neutered.

Werewolf by Night first howled in defiance under the banner of Marvel Spotlight issue two. Jack Russell would wolf out for three tryout issues before moving to his own title, but it was Tomb of Dracula that would outlast the full moon curse.

He would extend his stay on the spin rack for 70 issues; the longest tenure of any villain from any comic book company. Longer Than Dr. Frankenstein’s namesake – he only saw print for 15 issues.

Longer than The Living Mummy who remained a staple of Tales of Suspense, never earning his own title.

Dracula’s original story at the House of Ideas has been told many times. In a quick recap, the Lord of Vampires stumbled for several issues until Marv Wolfman began to shepherd his way with issue seven.

Gene Colan drew every issue of the main title. The journeyman penciler did break rank for a few issues midway through the book’s run, but quickly returned. Colan’s penchant for working several issues ahead allowed him to retire and unretire from the title without anyone outside the comic book field knowing.

For most of the decade the book remained within its gothic universe with the exception of guest star the Silver Surfer intruding for issue 50. Dracula ventured into the main stream Marvel Universe a few times; guesting in Giant-Size Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the Uncanny X-Men.

Maybe his oddest cameo was in the Howard the Duck Magazine issue five.

While dated, the books still read well. To pay homage to the title here is the cover of issue 41, a true Halloween tale to celebrate the final day of October.

Enjoy and be safe.

Marvel was branding in the 1960s.

Daredevil, Red Skull, Cap, Mr. Fantastic. And that’s just Halloween costumes.

So far we’ve looked at Daredevil and Red Skull. Today, let’s explore the supernatural with Master of the Mystic Arts.

Created by Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange made his comic book debut in Strange Tales 110. Sharing the book with the Human Torch, Strange and the flaming teenager would alternate top billing each month. His origin wasn’t revealed until issue 115. Acting as the script writer using plots by Ditko, Stan Lee based Strange on the 1930’s Chanda the Magician radio show.

With a new distribution deal, Marvel was allowed to publish more books. That allowed Strange to take over the whole book with issue 169. His solo exploits ran to issue 183. He would go on hiatus until 1971 in Marvel Feature with a three-issue story arc.

He would next be featured in Marvel Premiere in issues three through 14.

Strange’s popularity grew to allow him his own title, Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts, that ran 81 issues. Cancellation of that book led to a second volume of Strange Tales shared with newcomers Cloak and Dagger.

The good Doctor would earn his own self-titled book in 1988 with Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme. It would be lumped in with Marvel’s Midnight Sons family of supernatural books. Following that, Strange would again guest-star in one-shots and limited series and served in supporting roles for the beginning of the new millennium. By 2010, he would be part of The New Avengers.

As with most heroes, Strange would have to suffer his own death only to be brought back in dramatic fashion.

Of course, he would later be launched into the MCU with his own feature film.

So, don’t be too harsh judging this early cosplay, what do you expect for a couple bucks?

One of the scariest tropes of Halloween is the skull. Add some red, and you’ve got today’s guest of honor in our countdown to the 31st.

The Red Skull first appeared in Captain America Comics issue one in 1941 – less than a year before we entered the war. The Timely Publication is probably better known for its intro of the titular hero, but tossing in his greatest nemesis didn’t hurt.

The Red Skull made his first – and last – appearance in that same issue. Or, what was supposed to be his last appearance. By story’s end, Red Skull had committed suicide.

His demise was greatly exaggerated as Red Skull would return in book three. Only to die again. This time by hand grenade.

Just as his first death was a sham, so was his second. Red Skull made his third appearance in Cap number seven. Following, he would moonlight in other titles as the 1940’s waned. His last Golden Age appearance would be in the final issue of Captain America, by then titled Captain America’s Weird Tales reflecting the growing in horror books.

After an absence of five years, the Red Skull would guest in 1954’s Young Men Comics issue 24. The story, Back From the Dead, would serve up a more materialistic Skull as he headed up a common criminal adventure only to die – again.

The Red Skull rested in peace just a hair over a decade before returning in Tales of Suspense issue 65. This return to World War II saw Cap and Skull duke it out Jack Kirby style in the Silver Age. His reappearance was explained away by using the ol’ double saying there were two prior and the other died. The current Skull had been frozen in suspended animation only to be revived to continue his battle against the first Avenger.

Since that time, the Red Skull has guested off and on throughout the Bronze, Copper and Modern Ages. His notoriety has earned him spots outside the four-color world on both big and small screens.

Here the old man has been immortalized by Ben Copper as a costume choice. Makes ya wonder how many outside the comic book community recognized him.

Halloween isn’t always about the scares. It’s about fun, sweets and sharing with friends. Scream Comics demonstrates all three on its cover of issue 17.

With the popularity of Archie Andrews and the like of the Riverdale gang, teen comics proved to be one of the strong successors in the wake of the Second World War. When the masked mystery men began to lose favor, other genres stepped forward.

The teen adventures were simple fare. Writers targeted a younger audience attempting to mirror their interests and habits. While the cover depiction may not preview what lay within, Scream authors merely wished to sell the concept of seasonal fun poking humor at teen fears.

The first recorded evidence of spin-the-bottle doesn’t exist until the late 1920’s, sometime around 1927.

Conventional rules state players must reward the bottle spinner with a kiss if the spun bottle neck is pointed toward them. Over time variations on the game were implemented, but its roots never faltered.

The game fell out of favor until it is more a tradition to be reminded of on a Golden Age comic no cover.

Superman and Batman have been linked to each other since 1941. They first appeared in the same comic book, All-Star Comics (1940) seven in 1941.

They had shared covers on World’s Fair Comics and World’s Finest, but All-Star issue seven paired them on a mission with the Justice Society to raise $1 million dollars for war orphans. However, they would not share the same panel.

It wasn’t for another 11 years that DC’s big two would meet – for the first time.

It would take an over-booked cruise ship to pair Superman and Batman. Superman (1939) 76 thrust Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne together as they shared a room on an ocean liner. When a tanker exploded near their cruise ship, they were each found out in the moon light’s shine through the portal in their room.

They would promise to keep each other’s secret as the teamed to help with the disaster.

History would be repeated when DC kicked off their New 52. This time in Justice League (2011) one.

In other media, Batman and Superman met at different times and for different reasons.

They would join forces even before their comic book encounters during the Adventures of Superman radio serial story arc Mystery of the Wax Men in 1945.

Another first would be for the Superman: The Animated Series two-parter World’s Finest. Together they thwarted Lex Luthor and the Joker.

Yes, they did meet on the big screen, but the less said about that, the better.

It would be interesting to know when these costumes were paired for sale allowing kids to have their own World’s Finest adventures.

At first glance this Ben Cooper classic looks like Gotham’s guardian, but upon closer inspection it’s really Hell’s Kitchen’s protector.

Daredevil first appeared in his self-titled comic book cover dated April 1964. DD was the creation of Stan Lee, Bill Everett and Jack Kirby. The protagonist’s alliterative alter ego became part of Lee’s stable of damaged heroes in which they battled more than just crime. Matt Murdock’s handicap was his lack of sight. As a lawyer it also proved the axiom Justice is blind.

For his initial six issues, Daredevil sported a red and yellow costume, but illustrator Wally Wood made the executive decision to change it to all red for the seventh book.

By that point Wood had been working through the Marvel Method meaning he was plotting, penciling and inking the book. Lee would receive the pages and make editorial changes as well as filling in the dialogue.

Daredevil remained a second tier character until young artist Frank Miller began penciling the book with issue 158. He would assume writing duties, in addition to illustrating, 10 issues later. Daredevil 168 would also introduce Elektra.

Miller would leave the title only to return for the Born Again story arc running through issues 227-233. The title may sound familiar having been adapted for the Disney+ channel this year.

Makes ya wonder how much candy wearers reaped way back when.

Welcome to October.

The 10th month is the first of the big Trifecta leading to Thanksgiving and Christmas. To celebrate, we’re going down another rabbit hole like we did last December and February.

First, we’re gonna look at the costumes that defined our hobby. The costumes we begged mom and dad for each Halloween so we could represent the good and bad of the four-color universe we lived in.

Check out this Uber cool Doctor Doom costume from Ben Cooper. Yes, the mask may seem a bit flimsy, but that was part of the charm. Ben Cooper costumes were mass manufactured and marketed, filling Woolworth, Ben Franklin and other now defunct department store chain aisles.

The price tag was a mere $1.98. American. Not Latverian. Makes you wonder if Doom allowed Latveria to adopt the Euro.

Probably not.

Anyway, Ben Cooper was the answer to cheaply dressing children in masks that restricted breathing and costumes guaranteed to rip after the second wearing.

Ben Cooper costumes were more about anticipation. There was no subtlety with crude characterizations of who you were imitating drawn on the front along with the name of that choice.

With Doom’s ego, this isn’t a problem.

For those, if any, not familiar with Fantastic Four founder Reed Richard’s former college roomie, Doom was born Victor Von. A misadventure caused an explosion scaring his face. Doom would adopt his trademark mask to cover his shame. His armor would house his many defenses.

Over the past 60 years and into the next 60, Doom and the Fantastic Four have clashed. Theirs is the first big rivalry of the Marvel Universe.

My favorite throw down will always be the epic showdown that climaxed in issue 200. Len Wein and Marv Wolfman planned and penned for over a year to deliver the over-sized anniversary payoff.

Doom has had a huge impact on the Marvel U appearing in pretty much every title offered since his creation.

Marvel’s Hulk began as a grey monster, turned green, went grey and settled back into his green motif. He has been simple minded, brilliant, a gangster and many other things, but in 2020 he became a cosplayer.

Hulk’s horror homage was N’Kantu, the Living Mummy for Marvel’s 2020 series of variant Halloween covers.

Plumbing the depths of the monster pantheon Marvel had Dracula, a werewolf and the Frankenstein monster filling comic pages in the early 1970s; all that remained to resurrect was a mummy.

Beginning in Supernatural Thrillers (1972) issue five, Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler unleashed the 3,000-year-old living mummy, N’Kantu.

Initially intended as a one-and-done, N’Kantu’s story proved popular enough to return in Supernatural Thrillers seven. From there, it ran till issue 15 when the title was cancelled.

N’Kantu was laid to rest until 1983 when he joined Ben Grimm in the Thing’s team-up title Marvel Two-in-One issue 95.

Since then, N’Kantu has been silent on the comic book front, but has earned appearances on The Super Hero Squad, This Man-Thing, This Monster!

He also guested in two Ultimate Spider-Man episodes, Blade and The Howling Commandos. In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., the Living Mummy guest starred in Hulking Commandos, Days of Future Smash, Part 3: Dracula and Planet Monster: Part 2.

The Mummy was introduced to mass audiences in 1932 during the Golden Age of monster movies under Universal’s imprint.

Boris Karloff appeared as Ardeth Bey/Imhotep/The Mummy. Others would portray the antagonist in subsequent non-direct sequels.

The Mummy’s Hand was released in 1940 starring Tom Tyler.

Lon Chaney, Jr., became the mummy in 1944’s The Mummy’s Ghost and The Mummy’s Curse.

Abbott and Costello met the Mummy in 1955 with Eddie Parker playing the title monster.

British Hammer Film Productions picked up the torch in 1959 with The Mummy. The Mummy’s Tomb followed in 1964, The Mummy’s Shroud in 1966, and Blood from The Mummy’s Tomb in 1971.

Universal tried to remake the series beginning in 1999 with The Mummy. A sequel, The Mummy Returns was released in 2001 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008.

Marvel’s stable of monster comic books rivaled that of its Distinguished Competition in the 1970s. Continuing the horror homage for October 2020, Marvel chose to remember its trepidatious tome Monsters Unleashed.

Captain Marvel was one of a continuing line of heroes sharing the same name. The original Captain was created C.C. Beck and Bill Parker in 1939 for Fawcett comic books.

Following a decade long court battle with National Periodicals (DC Comics), Fawcett cancelled the title. In the late 1960s, Marvel obtained the trademark with its first series.

Unlike Fawcett’s magical creation, Marvel’s was a military officer of the Kree Imperial Militia. His mission was to observe Earth and monitor its ability to develop technology for interstellar travel.

Mar-Vell would meet an untimely end in Marvel’s first graphic novel, The Death of Captain Marvel published in 1982. Mar-Vell would be diagnosed with incurable cancer as a result of exposure to toxic nerve gas.

Monica Rambeau was next to don the mantel. A New Orleans police lieutenant., she possessed the power to transform herself into any form of energy. She would later christen herself Spectrum.

The title was passed to Phyla-Vell in Captain Marvel (2003) issue five. She would later become the new Quasar and sacrifice herself for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Khn’nr appeared in Civil War: The Return in 2007 as the new Captain. During the Secret Invasion, he was thought to be killed by invading Skrulls.

Noh-Varr used the name for a brief time before calling himself Marvel Boy.

The current Captain – as of this writing – is Carol Danvers. The former Ms. Marvel adopted the mantle in 2012.

Monsters Unleashed was published by Marvel Comics owned Magazine Management beginning in 1973. It would run 11 issues and one annual, lasting till 1975. The magazine was an anthology series of horror stories, some featuring Man-Thing, the Frankenstein monster and Wendigo.

A company-wide crossover titled Monsters Unleashed hit spin racks in 2017.

Of all the releases for Halloween season 2020, Captain America (2018) issue 24 seems tailer made for the variant covers.

Using the much-maligned Captain America story arc from issues 402 to 408, cover artist Mirka Andolfo gives readers a stylized commemoration of Cap’s bout with lycanthropy.

Writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Rik Levins sent Cap looking for the missing Colonel John Jameson. For the uninitiated, John Jameson – son of Daily Bugle owner J. Jonah Jameson – suffers from a similar disease becoming the Man-Wolf under the right conditions.

During the investigation, Cap finds evidence of recent killings by a werewolf. Thoughts of Jameson’s earlier transformations raises alarm. Cap enlists the aid of fellow Avenger Dr. Druid to look into the latest murder.

Readers learn Dr. Nightshade is developing a wolf serum.

In the meantime, Wolverine has arrived in Starkesboro to fight off the town’s werewolf population. He is captured one of the plotters, Moonhunter, while fighting.

Dredmund, the Demon Druid, appeared, hypnotizing Logan and forcing him to battle Captain America. Cap is taken prisoner and infected with the wolf serum.

The Super Solider Serum that created Captain America keeps part of the wolf serum at bay. While gaining the appearance of a werewolf, Cap is able to retain his human will.

As related for our National Moon Day commemoration this year, Cap Wolf leads a rebellion with the other werewolves, leading into Marvel’s Infinity War story line.

The European legend of werewolves followed settlers to America and into modern culture courtesy of literature and movies.

Werewolf of London, 1935, was the first cinematic venture to feature lycanthropy on the big screen and to a major audience. It wasn’t until 1941 another werewolf would take to the movies, this one portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man.

Unlike Henry Hull, who starred in Werewolf of London, Chaney underwent the arduous make up by Jack Pierce to convey the true feeling of a werewolf. Hull’s was more of a shaggy London scientist with lamb chops.

Since then, werewolves have thrived in all forms of media, including comic books.