Target

Context

Novelty Press was one of the minor super-hero comics publisher of the 1940s. They are obscure, as all their characters have been forgotten and abandoned. Including one of their headliners, The Target, who appeared in late 1940.

This small profile is based on a series of writeups by our contributor Sean. It was based on comic books research getting published online during the 1990s (since the subject was back then too obscure for book deals).

Since stats for Golden Age  heroes tend to be so formulaic, the writeups based on this third-party research are likely fairly correct.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

To quote from a comic, they “are not super-mortal heroes ! They are just three brave trouble-shooters. Their suits, with aim-attracting chest targets, offer one great protection. Flexible metal bullet-proof vests are concealed beneath the targets !”

History

Niles Reed was a metallurgist. he developed a flexible and bulletproof metal material which he used to create his yellow Target costume.

In his first appearance, he became the Target to help his brother, who was being framed for murder. However, his brother was killed during the story, leaving The Target wanted by the police.

From his second appearance on, The Target was assisted by two partners known as the Targeteers. They were Dave Brown and Tom Foster.

Dave and Tom wore red and blue versions of the Target costume, but who wore which actually varies from story to story, probably depending on how closely the colorist was paying attention. There even is one issue where the Target himself is wearing the red costume !

The trio were often assisted by their secretary, Tina, who works for them at their trouble-shooter agency.

The Target appeared in almost 100 issues of Target Comics, beginning with vol. 1 No.10. The feature also appeared in three issues of 4 Most comics.

Description

He’s a guy in a really awful costume. First of all, it’s bright yellow. He has a bright yellow long-sleeved shirt and yellow shorts. His headgear is black and is shaped the same as the Golden Age Sandman’s (when wearing his yellow and purple costume), and spills down to the shoulders in the same way as well.

The main difference is that the Target has a yellow fin on his head (like the Golden Age Atom’s second costume).

He also wears a black belt, long black gloves that almost reach to his elbows and black boots which shine yellow. Furthermore, he wears panty-hose. Honestly, that’s what it’s got to be.

As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, he has a target symbol on his chest, and one on each biceps. This target symbol is a series of concentric circles colored (starting from the outside) red, white, blue, and white.

As Neil, he has black hair.

Targeteers!

The Targeteers wear similar costumes except one is blue and one is red, where the Target’s costume is yellow. Furthermore, their target symbols are colored differently, with the Blue Targeteer’s symbol being blue, white, blue, and white, while the Red Targeteer’s symbol is unclear in the only story I have read, though it appears to be the same as the Target’s.

Also, the Targeteers don’t appear to have targets on their biceps.

Of Dave and Tom, one has brown hair and the other has red.

Personality

Not much personality was shown, though he likes to make lame quips when fighting.

Quotes

“Strip for action, men !”

DC Universe History

Um, Tom Foster could be related to obscure Golden Age Quality comics character Stormy Foster ?

Otherwise, just throw them into the DC Golden Age and nobody will notice.

By Sean MacDonald.

Source of Character: Golden Age comics published by Novelty, aka “The Premium Group of Comics”.

Helper(s): http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/hartford/103/intro1.html (defunct).