Number 2399: “You don’t think Caius Martius Wheeler is a man!”

The Dart is an ancient Roman, a “racket buster” named Caius Martius. He had been trapped by a sorcerer in a block of stone until he worked his way out in this modern era, taking the surname “Wheeler.” He became a teacher. And who better to teach about ancient Rome than a Roman imprisoned by magic in a block for 2000 years?

Caius has a woman in his life, Miss Tillbury, and she is tough on him. She insults him with her opinion that he lacks manhood. “If I were a man, I’d get that state witness back, to give crime a black eye!” He says he understands but then exclaims, “You don’t think Caius Martius Wheeler is a man!” Ouch! But he knows something she doesn’t, that he is the Dart, a costumed hero who is more than capable of taking care of the Black Spot Gang, but to do that he brings along his young sidekick, Ace the Amazing Boy.

The Grand Comics Database doesn’t list a writer or artist, but it is not the pseudonymous Jerry Arbo from the splash panel. The Dart was created by Louis Cazeneuve, an early comic book artist, according to the Public Domain Super Heroes website. They also tell us the Dart  appeared in Fox Features’ Weird Comics numbers 5-20.

This story is from Weird Comics #7 (1940).

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