July 1952: The Galaxy’s First Guardians

This Captain Comet adventure influenced the Silver Age revival of one of DC’s most popular superheroes.

In Guardians of the Clockwork Universe (Strange Adventures 22, July 1952), the Man of Destiny is telepathically summoned by the wizened, golden-skinned Guardians of the Universe, an ancient, advanced race working to keep planets and suns in their proper orbits.

The story is framed as a flashback. When a young patron asks Midwest City public librarian Adam Blake what keeps the planets where they are, Blake replies, “Er, gravitational force,” but thinks: “That’s only part of the answer, but he’d never believe the actual truth.”

He recalls that he’d been tinkering with his “private jetship” the Cometeer in its shed behind Prof. Zackro’s lab when he received a telepathic message.

“The thought-beam, steady as a radio signal, led me far out into space … where, beyond the reaches of our solar system, I saw that tiny world … shining by some unearthly, sunless light.”

Called to an enormous clock-shaped building, Comet is swiftly tested and found worthy of becoming a champion for the golden-skinned, white-haired beings.

Explanations were required in a 1971 reprint.

“We Guardians are not men of action!” explains Nestro, their leader. “Always in past emergencies we have found someone like yourself — with great powers and a hatred of evil — to serve us! Now a single planet threatens cosmic security!”

Comet is shocked to learn that his fellow mutant superhero Radea, the “Girl on the Diamond Planet” (Strange Adventures 12, Sept. 1951), had already been sent to stop the leaders of the planet Lukan, who plan to move their world closer to its sun so they can attack other planets. But she has gone missing and is feared dead.

Compensating for Lukan’s frigid atmosphere by raising his body temperature to 160 degrees, Comet fights his way to Radea’s side, but she doesn’t recognize him. The malevolent crystalloid aliens who have “radio-hypnotized” her turn her against Comet, and a telepathic duel ensues (symbolized by Radea’s mental sword crashing against Comet’s mind shield).

He frees Radea’s mind by snatching a control circlet from her head, then uses vibrations from his ray blaster to shatter the crystal beings like glass. He and Radea leave a peace party in charge of the planet.

“On the way home, the image of Nestro sprang upon the visiplate in my cockpit,” Comet recalls.

As Nestro thanks him, the Man of Destiny thinks, “The Guardians of the Universe! They fight for the same things I do — for peace and justice — against evil! I will always answer their summons!”

Blue-skinned Guardians of the Universe would of course become central to John Broome and Gil Kane’s streamlined, jet-age revival of Green Lantern in 1959, under the same editor, Julius Schwartz. 

“Broome will make the Guardians of the Universe central characters in his Silver Age Green Lantern stories,” noted comics historian Michael E. Grost. “It is startling to see an early version of them in his Captain Comet tales. … Similarities: both Guardians are nearly all wise beings who care for the well being of the entire universe. Both have chosen an Earth hero (Captain Comet, Green Lantern) to be their champion. Both summon him through sending voices to Earth. Both send him on missions to other planets, of vital importance.”

Early on, those Guardians telepathically summon Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, to assist another Green Lantern, Tomar-Re of the planet Xudar, in a neighboring sector.

Credit for inspiring both these Captain Comet and Green Lantern stories should go to Edward Elmer “Doc” Smith’s  Lensman series of six science fiction novels (1934-1948), which featured telepathically powered space patrolmen guided by “guardians” in the form of the peace-loving, staggeringly ancient Arisians.