Overlooked Gems of the Golden Age (circa 1940) - Part Two

The King

The King wasn't DC's first master of disguise (Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise beat him by 4 years), but he is certainly the most interesting.  Created by Gardner Fox and William Fox, King Standish, aka The King was a master of disguise who when not impersonating someone was a opera cape and tuxedo-clad crimefighter.  His MO involved learning of a crime, waylaying or kidnapping someone involved with the enterprise and replacing them.  As far as I know, he never has revealed his real identity/face.  His most frequent foe is a femme fatale, the Witch.  It is the cat and mouse flirtation between the two that is the highlight of the series with her never realizing his presence until he reveals it.  The device of star-crossed adversaries isn't unique to this strip.  Espionage Agent X, Zatarra, the Spirit, and of course Batman have utilized it to varying degrees, but nowhere is the chemistry as strong as it is is between the King and the Witch, and it is the foundation of the strip.