As we’ve covered in the past, despite the fact that crossovers between characters and strips were a rare thing in the Golden Age of Comics, publisher Fawcett wasn’t reticent about having its players occasionally meet. But for whatever reason, when it came to their most popular headliners, the Marvel Family, while Captain Marvel wound appear on a lot of first issue covers to give his seal of approval to the star of that new magazine, it was his sister Mary Marvel who actually got to share stories with other Fawcett heroes. And this is another one of those.
This story was published in WOW COMICS #28, the anthology title that featured both Mary Marvel and Mr. Scarlet as features. It was written by Otto Binder and illustrated by his brother Jack Binder and Binder’s production shop, which turned out steady material for Fawcett’s publications. And it’s a relatively straightforward tale: Mary Batson and Mr. Scarlet’s Robin-like aide Pinky meet at a radio quiz program and wind up working together to capture the nefarious villain Mr. Question. Pinky’s real name was Pinky Butler, but much like Captain America’s sidekick Bucky, nobody ever quite put teh pieces together. A simpler time.
Another little strange fact about this story is that Fawcett merchandised Mary Marvel, selling replicas of the dress that she wears in this story, as the above caption indicated.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
IIRC Mary first met Billy when she was on the Whiz Kids show so I guess she was a regular.
Interesting that they not only team up, they already know each others’ identities.
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Pinky does not exactly cover himself with glory here. He apparently can’t take down by himself one encumbered unathletic middle-aged man. He goes right into a situation which might involve dangerous gas, with no filters (and needs to be rescued, but I guess that’s a kid sidekick tradition). And he gets in the way at the jewel shop, allowing the villain to escape (a piece of cloth won’t hinder Mary, she can just barrel on – but not through Pinky). I’m tempted to read Mary’s “Thanks for helping me out …” as being said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, but she’s probably too nice for that.
“Not both of you at once!” – I get that Mary Marvel doesn’t look terrifying, but she’s what, the third-strongest hero in the world, with god-powered strength? And could bat the guy around like a ping-pong ball if she wanted. The only reason he’s managed to keep free up to this point is she’s been so hindered by the team-up.
A high-powered/no-powers hero story can work if the unpowered hero shows their worth in strategy or similar, and the powered hero can’t be everywhere. But here Pinky is just making everything worse.
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1. You’d order the dress, then pay the postman…must’ve been an added hassle for mail carriers to deal with?
2. Mr. Question has a great costume…creepy head! Wonder if he had much peripheral vision, though?
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Nothing to do with Fawcett, but found another obscure crossover. After reading the origin of MLJ’s MISTER JUSTICE in BLUE RIBBON #9, I decided to skim over everything else too, and found another one of those “mundane serviceman” crossovers. Not only does “Sergeant Boyle” turn up in “Corporal Collins,” Collins raves at Boyle, “You dope, you’re in the wrong comic strip!”
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