Kid Eternity: Encyclopedia II - Kid Eternity - Kid Eternity at Quality Comics

Kid Eternity - Kid Eternity at Quality Comics

Hit Comics, prior to issue #25, had a series of rotating cover features, including Hercules, the Red Bee, Stormy Foster and Neon the Unknown. However December 1942 saw the entire line-up of comics at Quality change their features (if not always the cover feature). Kid Eternity was brought in from the start as the new cover feature for Hit.

The character proved to be popular enough that when Quality Comics began expanding their post-war line, the Kid got his own self-titled comic book, Kid Eternity, in the Spring of 1946. Further illustrating the popularity of the character, his antagonists, Her Highness and Silk were given their own series (Hit Comics #29 to Hit Comics #57).

By the late 1940s, however, Quality Comics was experiencing the post-war bust that most superhero comics were. In November 1949, Kid Eternity's self-titled magazine was discontinued (with issue #18) and his lead slot in Hit Comics was given over to Jeb Rivers, a riverboat captain (with issue #61).

Kid Eternity - Character origin and powers

The Kid was originally a nameless boy (who only ever remembered being called 'Kid' by his 'Gran'pa') who was killed when a U-Boat sank his grandfather's fishing boat during World War II. Due to a supernatural mix-up, however, he was killed seventy-five years too soon (most likely this origin was influenced by the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan).

To rectify the error, the Kid was brought back to life for another seventy-five years with the mission of upholding good in the world. He was given the power to summon any good historical or mythological figure by saying the word Eternity as well as to use the same word to make himself material or immaterial. Kid Eternity was further assisted on his duties by the clerk who'd made the error, Mr. Keeper.

Kid Eternity - Notable Villains

• Her Highness and Silk: An elderly woman - complete with glasses and white hair - and her young, attractive assistant. Thieves and confidence scammers, the characters were humorous in nature, almost never succeeding in their plans but always willing to try another "get rich quick" scheme. (First Appearance: Hit Comics #27). Her Highness made a cover appearance in Hit Comics #28. In the 1982, she and Silk were used a Captain Marvel story guest-starring Kid Eternity (World's Finest #282).

• Master Man: Kid Eternity's opposite number, Master Man was given powers similar to the Kid's by the Devil. When Master Man said "Stygia", he could summon any evil historical or mythological figure (First Appearance: Kid Eternity #16)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Kid Eternity at Quality Comics", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki