Poorly Disguised Pilot / Showcase

DC's Showcase launched a large number of successful features, including the Silver Age versions of The Flash, Green Lantern and The Atom, Challengers of the Unknown, Metal Men, Sea Devils, and many more. The series lasted from 1956 to 1970, and was briefly revived from 1977 to 1978. The series introduced and/or spotlighted:

• Fred Farrell, Fire Fighter debuts in issue #1 (April, 1956). He didn't make it as a protagonist, but has his share of appearances in crossover stories.
• Issue #2 (May, 1956) is a theme issue for stories set in the wilderness, introducing three would-be protagonists. The first is Eagle Feather, a Native American shepherd who has to hunt and kill the mountain lion which preys on his sheep. The second is an unnamed Orphan Runaway who manages to bond with a stray dog and save lives in a fire. The third is Billy, a trained circus bear, who is lost in the woods and has to survive in his new surroundings. The issue was not deemed popular enough to have sequels.
• Issue #3 (July, 1956) features Doug the "sardine", a trainee frogman (term for combat divers) who has to prove to his fellows that his short stature is not a liability to the team. Again, not a winning concept for an ongoing series.
• The Flash/Barry Allen debuts in issue #4 (October, 1956). He also headlines issues #8 (June, 1957) and #13-14 (April-June, 1958). The character had enough positive feedback for DC to revive the old The Flash series with Barry as the protagonist, starting with issue #105 (March, 1959). His ongoing lasted to 1985, making the greatest hit to graduate from Showcase.
• Issue #5 (November, 1956) is another theme issue, featuring "manhunters" (people who take part in an organized search for a wanted man or fugitive). The protagonists are Detective Harry Fowler, FBI Agent Don Reed, and Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist Frank Drew who hunts master criminal The Eel around the globe. None of the characters were deemed popular enough to reuse in later stories.
• The Challengers of the Unknown debut in #6 (February, 1957). They also headlined #7 (April, 1957) and #11-12 (December, 1957-February, 1958). They gained enough positive feedback to gain their own series starting in May, 1958. Their original series was published regularly to 1970, and sporadically to 1978 when it was cancelled for good.
• Lois Lane headlines issues #9-10 (August-September, 1957). Feedback was positive enough for Lois to gain her own series, starting in March, 1958. Her ongoing lasted to 1974.
• Space Ranger debuts in #15 (August, 1958). This hero of The Future also headlines #16 (September, 1958), but failed to generate enough interest to launch an ongoing. He instead became the cover character of the anthology Tales of the Unexpected starting with issue #40 (August, 1959). He maintained this position to 1964.
• Adam Strange debuts in #17 (December, 1958). He also headlines #18-19 (February-April, 1959). Feedback and sales were not enough to give him an ongoing, but were also too good to discontinue the character. He became the cover character of the anthology Mystery in Space, starting with issue #53 (August, 1959). He was regularly featured there to 1965.
• Rip Hunter, Time Master debuts in #20 (June, 1959). He also headlines #21 (July, 1959) and #25-26 (March-May, 1960). The Time Traveler generated enough interest to "graduate" to his own ongoing series, starting in April 1961. His ongoing lasted to 1965. He eventually got revived for television, as the leader of the Legends of Tomorrow, played by Arthur Darvill, who had time travelled before.
• Green Lantern/Hal Jordan debuts in #22 (October, 1959). He also headlines #23-24 (December, 1959-February, 1960). Feedback and sales were positive enough for Hal to "graduate" to his own ongoing series, starting in August 1960. His ongoing was regularly published to 1972. It was revived in 1976 and (with a couple of revamps on the way) lasted to 1988.
• The Sea Devils debut in #27 (August, 1960). They also headline #28-29 (October-December, 1960). They are a quartet of scuba-diving adventurers with notable similarities to both the earlier Challengers of the Unknown and the later Fantastic Four. Feedback and sales were positive enough for them to "graduate" to their own ongoing series, starting in October, 1961. It lasted to 1967.
• Aquaman and Aqualad headlined issues #30-33 (February-August, 1961). While the main character was already appearing in anthology series, this trial run established that Aquaman could work with longer stories. He "graduated" to his own ongoing series, starting in January 1962. His ongoing was published to 1971, was revived in 1977 and was cancelled in 1978.
• The Atom/Ray Palmer debuted in #34 (October, 1961). He also headlined issues #35-36 (November-December, 1961). Feedback and sales were positive enough for him to "graduate" to his own ongoing series, starting in July, 1962. His ongoing lasted to 1969, with a brief revival in 2010.
• The Metal Men debuted in #37 (March-April, 1962) and were reportedly intended as a one-shot concept to begin with. But due to positive feedback, they also headlined #38-40 (June-September, 1962) and "graduated" to their own ongoing series, starting May, 1963. Their series was regularly published to 1970, had revivals in 1973 and 1976, and was cancelled in 1978.
• A revamped version of 1940s character Tommy Tomorrow headlined issues #41-42 (November, 1962-January, 1963), #44 (May, 1963), and #46-47 (September-December, 1963). The regular Tommy stories typically featured the character as an experienced officer, while the revamped stories covered his training years and the earliest points of his career. Neither version generated reader interest, so the character landed from Showcase to Comic-Book Limbo.
• James Bond headlined issue #43 (March, 1963). Basically, DC gained the rights to reprint a British comic book adaptation of the film Dr. No. While they also licensed the rights to create their own stories with the character, they never used them and the license expired c. 1972.
• Sgt. Rock headlined issue #45 (August, 1963). He was already the cover character of an anthology series, but DC apparently considered him for "graduation" to his own series. He did not "graduate", and continued dominating the anthology title Our Army at War to 1977. The series was then renamed after him.
• Cave Carson headlined issues #48-49 (January-March, 1964) and #52 (October, 1964). The character was a spelunker and Tunnel King. Again there was little to no reader interest and the character ended up in Comic-Book Limbo. It wouldn't be until several decades and ContinuityReboots later that he would get a series of his own.
• King Faraday headlined issues #50-51 (May-July, 1964). In this case the stories were reprints of his 1950s Spy Fiction adventures. While it was hoped that the stories would enough to warrant a revival of the character, there was no reader interest and consequently no revival.
• G.I. Joe headlined issues #53-54 (November, 1964-January, 1965). An adaptation of a then-new toy from Hasbro, again nothing really came of it. The characters ended up moving to Marvel Comics to more success and eventually, their own cartoon.
• Doctor Fate and Hourman headlined issues #55-56 (April-June, 1965). DC had recently revived the Justice Society of America and was variously testing the waters for further use of the characters involved. These issues did not generate enough interest for either hero to get his own series. Their lasting mark was a successful revival of 1940s villain Solomon Grundy who would become a recurring character again. As for the heroes, they remained supporting characters of the Justice League of America for several years.
• Enemy Ace headlined issues #57-58 (August-October, 1965). He was then a fairly recently-created character and the stories helped flesh him out, but again not enough reader interest and no series for him. At least for a while. He became the cover character of the anthology Star-Spangled War Stories from 1968 to 1970.
• The Teen Titans headlined issue #59 (December, 1965). Feedback was positive and the Titans "graduated" to their own series in February, 1966. Their ongoing series was published regularly to 1973, was revived in 1976, and cancelled in 1978.
• The Spectre headlined issues #60-61 (February-April, 1966) and #64 (October, 1966). The character had not been used in two decades and these issues successfully revived him. It took a while to fully re-establish him but he "graduated" to his own series in December, 1967. His ongoing series lasted to 1969.
• The Inferior Five debuted in #62 (June, 1966). They also headlined issues #63 (August, 1966) and #65 (November, 1966). A Super Team consisting of inept super-heroes, they were positively received. They "graduated" to their own title in April, 1967. Their ongoing was published regularly to 1968, and then was briefly revived in 1972.
• B'wana Beast debuted in #66 (February, 1967). He also headlined issue #67 (April, 1967). He was a Beastmaster who could create Mix-and-Match Critters. The character received mostly negative feedback and a planned third issue was never created. The character fell to Comic-Book Limbo.
• The Maniaks debuted in #68 (May, 1967). They also headlined issues #69 (July, 1967) and #71 (November, 1967). The characters were a rock group consisting of three guys and one woman, having wacky adventures. The woman Silver Shannon served as Ms. Fanservice and the Gold Digger in search of rich mates. At the finale of each issue the Maniaks would Break the Fourth Wall and appeal to readers, asking them to support their tryout in Showcase. It didn't work and the Maniaks entered Comic-Book Limbo. Silver seems to be the only character actually remembered by later writers, as she was revived as a supporting character in the Power Company (2002).
• Binky Biggs, the 1940s teenage humor character, headlined issue #70 (September, 1967). DC was at the time attempting to revive its defunct teenage humor-line in an apparent attempt to compete with Archie Comics. It seems DC didn't really wait long enough to do a proper tryout, as he did "graduate" to his own series after a single issue. His original series Leave it to Binky was revived with issue #61 (June, 1968) and lasted under this name to 1970. The series was then renamed to Binky, and continued to 1971. It was again briefly revived in 1977, but that was the end of it and the character.
• Issue #72 (February, 1968) reprinted older Western Stories, notably including sample stories of the Trigger Twins and Johnny Thunder. They were characters from the classic Western line of DC which had lasted from 1948 to 1961. Whether DC was seriously considering revivals for them, or this was a Filler issue is unknown. But nothing came of it.
• The Creeper debuted in #73 (April, 1968). DC did not really wait for feedback and immediately launched an ongoing series for him: Beware the Creeper (May, 1968). It lasted to 1969.
• Anthro debuted in #74 (May, 1968). He was supposedly the first Cro-Magnon boy born to a Neanderthal tribe. His adventures were supposed to chronicle the birth of modern humanity, his descendants. Again DC did not really wait for feedback and launched an ongoing for him in August, 1968. It lasted to 1969.
• Hawk and Dove debuted in #75 (June, 1968). They were two heroic siblings with opposing ideologies, serving as Straw Characters. Hawk was a militant guy who advocated violence in support of a proper cause, and let his fists do the talking for him. Dove was a pacifist who advocated finding peaceful resolutions and reaching a compromise. Their solutions to any given situation were supposed to reflect upon the political and ideological conflicts of 1960s. DC once more did not wait for feedback and launched an ongoing for them in September 1968, The Hawk and the Dove. It lasted to 1969.
• Bat Lash debuted in #76 (August, 1968). DC was inspired by the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns to launch a new Western series, but with a twist. In contrast to the unambiguous heroes of their older series in the genre, Bat was a Lovable Rogue, a Womanizer, a Professional Gambler, and a Reluctant Warrior. He did not actively look for trouble, but his Walking the Earth often landed him in troubled places. DC was too confident in the concept to wait for feedback, and launched an ongoing for him in November, 1968. It lasted to 1969.
• Angel and the Ape debuted in #77 (September, 1968). Without waiting for feedback, DC launched their ongoing series in December, 1968. It kept its name for 3 issues, then was renamed to Meet Angel to emphasize the female partner of the duo. Under the new name it lasted to the end of 1969.
• Jonny Double debuted in #78 (November, 1968). He was a Perpetually Broke Private Detective who tried to make a living on what his customers were willing to pay him. DC was not eager to give him an ongoing series, so the character went straight to Comic-Book Limbo. In this case, however, writers of the 1970s did find use of him in several series headlined by more popular characters. So Jonny is better known for supporting roles in stories of the Challengers of the Unknown, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Kobra.
• Dolphin debuted in #79 (December, 1968). She was a mysterious Apparently Human Merwoman with an implied Wild Child background. Her first appearance covered her first contact with human civilization and learning basic language skills. Again DC had no real plans for her and she went straight to Comic-Book Limbo. In the 1980s she became a member of the Super Team Forgotten Heroes, which consisted of other characters who had not been used in a while, took part in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and had a team-up with Animal Man. In the 1990s, she joined the supporting cast of Aquaman.
• The Phantom Stranger headlined issue #80 (February, 1969). In this case DC was eager to revive the 1950s character, and launched his new series in June, 1969. It was regularly published to 1976. It had a brief revival in 2010.
• Windy and Willy debuted in #81 (March, 1969). They were actually modified versions of older characters. DC had earlier published a comic book adaptation of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and wished to reuse it, in another attempt to appeal to the market for teen-humor stories. But they weren't willing to pay the owners of the television show just to reprint stories they already legally owned. So, the original protagonists Dobie Gillis and Maynard G. Krebs were modified to Willy and Windy. Once again DC did not wait for any feedback, and launched a new ongoing for the duo in June, 1969. It flopped in sales and was cancelled after only 4 issues. It was the least successful series to come out of the pages of Showcase.
• Nightmaster debuted in #82 (May, 1969). He also headlined issues #83-84 (June-August, 1969). The basic concept was that modern-day rock musician Jim Rook and his girlfriend Janet Jones walk into The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday and find themselves in a Sword and Sorcery dimension. Jim learns that he is a descendant and a Legacy Character to a local sword-wielding hero. Inheriting the Sword of Night, a Cool Sword with mystical powers, Jim becomes the Nightmaster and gets involved in the conflicts of his new home dimension. The Nightmaster did not sell well enough to "graduate" to an ongoing series, and went straight to Comic-Book Limbo. He was revived in the 1990s with cameos in Animal Man and The Books of Magic, and more substantial roles in Primal Force and Swamp Thing. In the 2000s, he joined the Shadowpact.
• Firehair debuted in #85 (September, 1969). He also headlined issues #86-87 (November-December, 1969). Firehair was a white boy Raised by Natives, named for his Red Hair. As an infant in the Old West, Firehair experienced the violent death of his parents at the hands of the Blackfoot tribe of Native Americans. But the leader of the tribe decided to raise the boy as his own son. As a young adult, Firehair finds himself with all the supreme fighting skills of the Mighty Whitey, but none of the respect. His own tribe despises him because of his looks, while the White Man sees his as a strange-looking Savage Indian. So he starts Walking the Earth, trying to find a place which will truly accept him, and saving some lives in the process. According to his origin story, a shaman predicted that his destiny will be to be constantly despised by both his own people and by anyone he tried to help. The concept did not sell well enough and Firehair went straight to Comic-Book Limbo. He was revived in 1971, when he briefly became the second feature of the Tomahawk series.
• Jason Grant debuted in #88 (February, 1970). He also headlined issues #89-90 (April-June, 1970). The story had a young man on a personal quest. In a Deathbed Confession, Jason's "father" reveals that Jason is adopted. His real father had been killed by orders of Crime Lord Tuborg. The same man who caused the fatal wounds of the adoptive father. Now Jason has to locate his Long Lost Sister, and the hidden records or evidence of Tuborg's past misdeeds. Armed with a grainy photo, a guitar and a second-hand import motorbike, Jason wonders Western Europe to fulfill his quest. The concept did not sell well and Jason went to Comic-Book Limbo. He has had a couple of cameos over the years, but nothing substantial.
• Manhunter 2070 debuted in #91 (August, 1970). He also headlined issues #92-93 (August-September, 1970), which were originally the last issues of Showcase. This version of Manhunter is a space-traveling Bounty Hunter. In 2053, young Starker witnessed the murder of his father and was himself enslaved by Space Pirates. He spend his years of captivity in secretly studying and learning as many of his captors' skills as he could. Which he eventually used to bargain for a position in their crew. He used his position to destroy them from within, killing all those involved with the murder of his father and delivering the rest to the authorities. This act taught him that one can make a living by hunting outlaws. By 2070, Starker is a veteran bounty hunter with a ruthless streak. The concept did not sell well enough to give him a series and this Manhunter went to Comic-Book Limbo. Several writers have since revived him for various space-faring adventures.
• The Doom Patrol headlined issues #94-96 (September, 1977-January, 1978), the first ones of the revived series. With most of the original members dead, these issues written by Paul Kupperberg got to introduce some new blood. The new version served as guest stars in various titles, but never graduated to their own series until 1987, which was later eclipsed by Grant Morrison's run when they took over writing the series from Kupperberg.
• Power Girl headlined issues #97-99 (February-April, 1978). Though possibly well-received, the DC Implosion resulted in the cancelling of many of the ongoing titles of the company. It was no time to launch a new title.
• Averted with Issue #100 (May, 1978), which was a Milestone Celebration and a change of pace of the series. Instead of a sales pitch for a new series, this featured a Massive Multiplayer Crossover. A Crisis of some type requires heroes from different eras to join forces and try to rescue reality itself. These heroes happened to include almost every character to ever headline Showcase, in a celebration of the series' history. Most characters get cameos, but the story serves as A Day in the Limelight for Lois Lane and Angel O'Day who co-operate in actually ending the Crisis.
• Hawkman/Katar Hol headlined issues #101-103 (June-August, 1978). Basically he had a crossover with Adam Strange, featuring a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar. Nothing came of it, and Hawkman remained a featured player in the Justice League of America.
• OSS headlined issue #104 (September, 1978), with stories set in World War II and featuring various agents. Went on to be the regular backup feature of G.I. Combat, behind headliner The Haunted Tank. Showcase itself was cancelled at this point, though there were two more issues awaiting publication. Their material became available later through other formats.
• There were known plans for subsequent issues. At least one featuring the Huntress/Helena Wayne and a World of Krypton story which would further flesh out the background of Superman's doomed homeworld. This version of Huntress would get a backup series in Wonder Woman Vol 1 which was often more popular than the main feature, while World of Krypton would be published as a mini-series in 1979. The first miniseries, in fact.
  • Deadman would have headlined #105, as a sales pitch to get him an eponymous series. No such luck until 1985.
  • The Creeper would have headlined #106, since there were creators campaigning to get him a second series. No such luck until 1997.