Number 2353: Mr Justice and the big Green Ghoul

Don Markstein’s Toonopedia tells us about Mr Justice:

“The Royal Wraith, as Mr. Justice was sometimes called, was Prince James of England, lured to his death by Scottish rebels in the year 1040. He murdered them back, but afterward, his destiny thwarted (according to an unseen voice), his spirit was trapped in the castle where all this took place. In 1940, the castle was dismantled and shipped to America, where it was to be re-assembled, but the ship carrying it was sunk by a Nazi submarine. James's spirit was thus released into the modern world. He then re-assumed corporeal form, took on the ‘Mr. Justice’ monicker, and, love interest being de rigeur for a 1940s superhero, picked up with an American woman named Pat Clark. The story was written by MLJ regular Joe Blair and drawn by Sam Cooper, both of whom stayed with the character through most of his run.”

Don also tells us that Satan is featured in the strip, as he is in this episode. Mr Justice is a supernatural being, which is fine. Despite the hokum surrounding how super heroes are made, most of their origins seem like magic.

This story is from Blue Ribbon Comics #18 (1941).

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