Daring Mystery Comics #1 for Sale - First Appearance of Dr. Jack Castle - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: Daring Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1940 series)
Issue: #1
Publication date: January 1940
Key date: 1940-01-00
On-sale date: 1939-10-30
Indicia publisher: Timely Publications
Price: $0.10
Pages: 68

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Dr. Jack Castle - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of The Fiery Mask - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of John Steele - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Monako - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of The Texas Kid - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Flash Foster - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Barney Mullen - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Phantom of the Underworld - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Doc Denton - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

Origin story on record for: Dr. Jack Castle, The Fiery Mask.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1	pencils: Alex Schomburg; inks: Alex Schomburg	Dr. Jack Castle First, The Fiery Mask First
2	The Fantastic Thriller of the Walking Corpses	comic story	10	script: Joe Simon; pencils: Joe Simon; inks: Joe Simon; letters: Joe Simon	Dr. Jack Castle First, The Fiery Mask First
3	-	comic story	9	script: Larry Antonette; pencils: Larry Antonette; inks: Larry Antonette	John Steele First
4	-	comic story	9	pencils: Ben Thompson; inks: Ben Thompson	The Texas Kid First
5	The Menace of Mr. Muro	comic story	11	pencils: Larry Antonette; inks: Larry Antonette	Monako First
6	The Thundering Terror of Gold Creek	text story	2	script: Ray Gill; pencils: Al Anders; inks: Al Anders	Wade Duncan; Mr. Hastings; Hank Wells; Spud Clark; un-named blacksmith; gang of crooks from Chelsa City (villains)
7	The Football Fixing Scheme	comic story	8	script: Bob Wood; pencils: Bob Wood; inks: Bob Wood	Flash Foster First
8	Case of Perrone	comic story	7	pencils: Maurice Gutwirth; inks: Maurice Gutwirth	Doc Denton First, Phantom of the Underworld First
9	Wartime Wonders	comic story	1	script: Harry Campbell; pencils: Harry Campbell; inks: Harry Campbell
10	The Rotterdam Run	comic story	7	pencils: Charles Pearson; inks: Charles Pearson	Barney Mullen First

Plus 3 pages of advertisements and other matter across 3 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

Collection	Year
1917-1940 ISBN 1-56685-006-1	1997	On eBay ›
Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery #1 ISBN 978-0-7851-2476-4	2008	On eBay ›
Golden Age of Marvel #2 ISBN 0-7851-0713-4	1999	On eBay ›
The Twelve #1/2	2008	On eBay ›
Marvel Firsts: WWII Super Heroes #[nn] ISBN 978-0-7851-6791-4	2013	On eBay ›
Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Simon & Kirby Omnibus #[nn] ISBN 978-1-302-91934-4	2019	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

1 of 8#2 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com