Shock Gibson is a

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

who first appeared in ''Speed Comics'' #1 (Oct. 1939), from Brookwood Publications (a company later absorbed by

Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...

). He was created by artist Maurice Scott, who drew it through issue #11, and an unknown writer. His 1939 introduction makes him one of comic books' earliest superheroes. He also appeared in ''All-New Comics'' #8. In the debut story, "The Human Dynamo", scientist Robert Charles Gibson perfects a chemical formula that allows people to directly store, generate, and control

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

, and tests this formula on himself. The formula increases his strength, gives him the power to fire bolts of lightning, and grants him the power of flight. According to ''Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes'', "Shock Gibson fights Baron von Kampf, mad scientist and zombie-maker; the Hobo Saboteurs; the Slave Traders of the Secret Kingdom; the Russian mad scientist Baron Ratski, who briefly teams up with Baron von Kampf; invading aliens from Mercury; and carnivorous dinosaurs". In 1941, he transitioned from Brookwood to his new home at Harvey Comics, moving to Harvey's ''Champ Comics'' title and getting a new costume. He is one of the several superhero characters to join the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

in the wake of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, fighting the

Japanese military The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, th ...

forces both in and out of costume. Shock Gibson teams up with other Harvey Comics characters such as the

Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...

, Captain Freedom, Tedd Parish, and the Girl Commandos (mostly in two-page text stories). The character remained in print in various Harvey publications through 1948. Other artists associated with the character includes

Al Avison Alfred Dean Avison (July 7, 1920 – December 1984) was an American comic book artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters the Whizzer, which he co-created, and Captain America during the 1930–1940s period known to fans and ...

, Arthur Cazeneuve, and the possibly

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

ous Peter Jay, who introduced a new costume in ''Speed Comics'' #12 (March 1941). Shock Gibson is among the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

characters

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

revived in

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

title '' The Next Issue Project'' in 2007.''Comic Book Resources'' (July 20, 2007): "The Golden Age is Back in 'The Next Issue Project'", by Jonah Weiland
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Footnotes

Golden Age superheroes Harvey Comics superheroes Comics characters introduced in 1939 {{Comics-char-stub