Is Doctor Hormone the Strangest Superhero Ever?
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- čas přidán 26. 01. 2024
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Dell Comics introduced one of the Golden Age's strangest comic book heroes in the pages of Popular Comics issue 54: Doctor Hormone. He ran around with his granddaughter, using his strange science to turn babies and children into 25 year old men, sent off to war. Then he started turning them into human-animal hybrids. And he was supposed to be the good guy! - Zábava
Gotta love the Golden Age philosophy of 'As long as they're fighting nazis or the klan, we're sure to make some sales, and maybe a character will actually stick around for more than 2 issues!!'
The golden age was so woke!
@@davidlloren TBF, you could get in a lot of trouble, including physical danger, trash-talking the Klan and Nazis in the 1930s.
You had better have been a street fighter like Jack Kirby, ready to take on a Nazi thug or two.
Nazi propaganda pointed at the klan as an excuse for why the USA was worse than them.
@@davidlloren Not really. They weren’t about self-righteous authoritarianism and divisive, neo-Marxist identity politicking. They tended to be more into equality (as it ought to be) than equity.
So, not woke.
Oh my god shut up nerd it was a joke,
Always strange to see insane people
@@taffysaur
Comic Tropes have taught me that no matter how edgy and weird comic writers got in the 1980s and onwards, they've still got nothing on the Golden Age creators.
Yeah. That "so-called Granddaughter" line shows that the author was not being naive about the medium and its tropes. Fredric Wertham wasn't the first person to raise their eyebrow at the child sidekick in adventure comics.
To be fair about "so-called granddaughter", Doctor Hormone would look suspiciously young to have a granddaughter given he'd seem like someone in his mid-20s.
I think a lot of people would be skeptical if someone in their mid 20s said that they had a granddaughter. Granted it’s not impossible, but it’s very unlikely.
@@arnahunas4048 in this day an age, dr. hormone would be seen as a rick & morty ripoff
17:21 it is shown in text that he is actually 75 years old, I'm assuming his "hormones" keep him young.
I think it's just a case of him sampling his own product. He's figured out how to advance aging in babies so it seems he's been able to slow his own aging
@@klaykid117 It's shown in the first part: he was old and dying, then reversed his ageing and health to 25. Of course, while the reader would know that, that's not necessarily the case for the people meeting Dr. Hormone, to whom he'd just seem like a guy in his mid-20s.
Dr. Hormone is what my HRT provider is listed as in my phone
Your pfp is problematic, we don't need a flag. You are special for being you, not because you transitioned, never forget that
@@Jiub_SNif she wants to show the trans lesbian flag, let her. Just because you personally don’t like the flag doesn’t mean it’s “problematic”
@@Jiub_SN why are you making a stink about someone being proud of their identity?
doctor hormone would be a banging stage name for a trans drag artist someone’s gotta snatch it
@@Jiub_SNeat doodoo fool
To be fair, children who turn into adults still have the brains of children. So, if an old person was de-aged, they'd still have the mind of an old person. Case in point: Doctor Hormone was an old man and he forgot to turn his machine on. So, turning kids into adults was a safer bet.
How is the brain the only thing that doesn't change? None of this makes any sense.
@@juststatedtheobvious9633even if you physically age or de-age a brain it won't give it more or less experiences
Old people would realize they had a lot to live for, especially since they'd just been given a second chance. Kids aged into adult bodies would, sadly, not realize how dangerous being a soldier is, or how much they have to lose. It's the reason real soldiers tend to be conscripted as young as possible.
@@CAMSLAYER13 If you de-age a brain, you're creating new cells to replace those lost. There's no way that happens without magic. But what kind of magic? If it's restoring your brain to a previous state, then you're also losing connections, so your brain can be young and flexible.
And there's evidence for this interpretation, as twenty five is as young as he can be, and still have a brain capable of reasonably mature function. Then again, he behaves like a dementia patient and a sadistic child, so who knows?
I think that it does affect the brain, it's just that the scoot having a holder brain doesn't change that they have the life experience, knowledge, and emotional maturity of childrens.
I instinctively know this will be an instant Comic Tropes Classic.
That was my exact thought 😂
@@rodrigomarcondes5857especially the kind that jam in as many words as possible into a word bubble.
You could never get a superhero like this nowadays who inhumanely experimented on people to turn them into animal hybrids and fights an arch-nemesis named ASSinoff. This is why I love Golden Age comics.
It would be one of those cringe "look kids, we can make edgy jokes, are we on fleek yet?" type of comics that thinks it's the next Rick and Morty. The sincerity of Golden Age comics while still being certifiably insane is what gives them charm.
Yeah the bumbling wantoness of the thing is what amazes me. Like IDK maybe it was good intentioned like... Do they just really not know what to write for kids or are they doing this on purpose? I mean at least the eighties had the excuse of being coked out of their box when they were doing the insane shit we come across from their era.
MAYBE if you had someone like Gail Simone or Matt Fraction writing a comic about Count Nefaria as an anti-hero.
that was the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 lol
Ass-inoff? 😂
You had me at "Babies turned to men who were immediately send to war"
Dr Hormone is a classic supervillain.
We are basically following a mad scientist. And I'm here for it
There is a lot of potential for either a parody or very dark revival for Dr Hormone.
Haha his Bizarro nemesis is Dr. Hormone Blocker
Inb4 the transphobic responses
Indeed.
GRANT MORRISON NEEDS TO REVIVE THIS CHARACTER! Btw, Chris, another great episode. The research could've left a lesser man bonkers!
Oh, HELL, yes!
YES. theyre about the only writer i would trust with this character lol
Grant Morrison popped into my head as I watching this video.
Pretty sure the general's name isn't supposed to be "Battle-Sky", but "Battlesky", i.e. combining the English word battle with the common Slavic name suffix -ski/sky. The scientist guy has a similar punny name with Smartinoff, combining smart with another common suffix, which also ends up sounding like "smart enough".
I'm pretty sure you're correct. I think it was even spelled "Battleski" (sometimes) in the comic panels shown in this video.
I LOVE The video's thumbnail!
"I feel a terrible new strength in my body!"
*Doctor METH to the rescue!*
I'm reminded of the Spirou & Fantasio story with the mushroom-based metal-softening gas, "Métomol", which they use to render tanks and bombers useless and prevent a war.
Significantly less war crimes in Spirou though.
Disabling a tank, using nothing more than a Tommy Gun... and even having the nerve to try it.
That is some next level badassery.
Clearly Fantasio and Sprirou come from the same school of journalism as Tintin.
I'm surprised to read these names here. I used to read these albums when I was young. And the big Dupuis compilation of "le journal de Spirou" which had all the new albums from different authors who were edited by Dupuis released in different parts. There was comics like Lucky Luke, the Smurfs, and many other. I don't think the other were popular enough to be translated in english. I had them in my native language, which is french.
@@SurnaturalM Gaston was one of my faves
Personally I like the idea of villains who base their motifs on their names, and I think Dr Hormone qualifies.
Personally I would like to see a comic featuring Dr Buttstuff, but perhaps I shouldn't mention it.
Sounds like gay hentai. lol
Stalin would totally call the guy with donkey ears "Assinov." Humiliating his subordinates is quite on-brand.
Strange golden age heroes is my favorite series on this channel
Mine too. I'd like to see a Comic Tropes episode devoted to The Deacon and Mickey (from Holyoke's Cat-Man Comics).
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This is Stardust the Super Wizard level body horror
I’ve been low key obsessed with Doctor Hormone for several years since reading the League of Regrettable Superheroes.
I interpret Hormone as an ethnic name badly translated or transcribed. If the hormone gas doesn’t change the mental state of the subject, that would account for both Doctor Hormone’s forgetfulness and the choice of mentally fresh Boy Scouts as cannon fodder.
The last issue is crazy but at the same time capitulates the tendency of Golfen Age heroes to gain superpowers. From inventor to crazier inventor to superpower to meeting God a la the Spectre all in one issue!
I’ve been working on Golden/Silver Age Dell Expanded Universe. Doctor Hormone is at the center of it.
How do I join your cult?
this is just dr strange after he looks at scarlet witch in the shower by accident
"By accident" lol
Like Ivankov from One Piece. He ate hormon fruit and he can swap sexes of others and his own.
Just finished Summit War and came here looking for this comment.
My favorite Comic Tropes episodes is when Chris covers crazy golden age comics, it's just so fascinating
That name must have caused some problems when he was a teenager:
“Hello, Sir. I’m here to pick up your daughter for our date.”
“What’s your name, kid?”
“Johnny Hormone.”
“Beat it. And stay away from my daughter!”
I think Doctor might actually be his first name. Which wouldn't make finding dates any easier.
I like how this character is exactly what everyone who wants to capture Spiderman's blood wants to be. A guy who can create a whole army of super powered bug men would have complete military dominance over the world. It's fun thinking about what history would look like with technology like that proliferating.
That's a big zipper, my man.
"This is all highly irregular!" - leader while against the wall.
Each time you list off a war crime it reminds me of the old format from years back where you would call out specific tropes and then a put a post it note on the wall. I'm just imagining you doing that with every war crime or violation of scientific ethics in this comic.
30 minutes of comic history with Chris! It’s a good day !😂
Insane! This story needs to be immediately optioned into a major motion picture or premium streaming on-going series.
Doctor Hormone is in the public domain!
That one "hormone" dad joke... every time after that you said "Dr. Hormone", I giggled a little. Dang it, Chris! People are looking at me funny!
This story is a straight-up rollercoaster without the lap bar.
Another great episode!
But I have to admit, I'm mesmerized by that GIANT Zipper! 😂
Took me second to realize that by "Doctor Hormone is his actual name" Chris did'nt just meant his family name is Hormone' like, say, Doctor Strange, but that his given name is Doctor.
Dr Hormone, OMG. If you go back to create comic books and get inspired by the golden age crazy names, create a female team in Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew's style and call the Falopian Furies.
Well, there's a swell opening for anyone who wants to revive Doctor Hormone, who is surely in the public domain: he wakes up and the Thinker explains what he needs to do to save "Time's beloved United States".
This series was pure insanity! I'd love to see a Doctor Hormone and the Flea Men revival
I have a hunch you're mispronouncing Battlesky. While Battle Sky sounds cooler (kinda like an early version if Skywalker), I think their made up country is supposed to be a WW2 era Poland stand in... so it might be intended to sound like "Battleskee". 🤷♂️
wouldn't that be if it was written "battleski"?
@@monterrang1 In an ideal world, yes. I think were expecting too much competence of the creators of Dr. Hormone.
Or Batt-less-key?
@@monterrang1It IS spelled "Battleski" sometimes. And "Eurasia" is sometimes "Urasia".
Man, when it comes to bedside manner, Dr. Hormone makes Reed Richards look like kindly old Mr. Wizard!
3:39 An idea that would warrant peace without weapons would indeed be priceless.
Honestly, this would be a really fun one for someone to dig up and spit shine like so many other of these golden age comics that get the same.
Definitely a lot of blanks to fill in, but I can see a protracted arc leading to Jane taking the mantle while learning her grandfather was actually an insane, stumbling geneticist who had all of the skill but somehow none of the knowledge.
Love that you give the spotlight to goofy old stuff like this, chances are I'd never have known about Dr. Hormone otherwise, and it helps keep these comics that much more alive...or at the very least keeps them from total obscurity for the rest of us 😂
I know my golden age weirdos but Dr. Hormone is new to me! Excellent stuff, the more bonkers, the better! Thanks Chris!!
well that was certainly ridiculous lol
This just might be your Golden Age masterpiece, Chris!!
I thought a couple of years ago that Chris already makes such good videos that there is really no way for him to improve in every field, golden age comics were one.
This new golden age superhero not only disproved but destroyed my earlier assessment.
Great work! 👏🏻
Your objective critique on comics is brilliant. In the early eighties, out in rural Minnesota, an older neighbor boy shared a large box of old comic books with me. As a a six year old I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. So much color, art, things I had never seen anything like it before. I asked him if I could have them. He said no immediately. So began my years long obsession to recreate that euphoria for enjoying comic books. I still enjoy comic books in my way. I don’t think it’s a brand or marketing campaign that hooked me at that time. It was just that these things exist. What a great way to get away for a few minutes.
Informative as always. Dell comics! They were on some powerful hallucinogens over there.
I ❤️ those crazy Golden Age comics. 😊 This seems to be right up there with the best of Fletcher Hanks’s Stardust and Fantomah comics stories.
I love the old golden age comic episodes! And this one is one of the strangest yet
Laugh at the concept all you want, I could see this being a fantastic horror film. You'd have the military storm into people's houses, steal their children and forcibly turn them into adults to ship them off to war. It sounds like some proper WWII schlock.
Another wild, Golden Age "hero." Thanks for this fun video.
4:41 This happened to a friend in Peru lol. Got off the taxi - the taxi immediately went bye-bye with his luggage!
"where we look at really bad schlocky movies"
WELP, I'm sold
Maybe Dr. Hormone imagined it all on his death bed.
Can I use the phrase "Scientific Chemicals" freely or do I have to pay royalties now?
I love these kooky golden age comics episodes! More please!
you're almost rooting for dr hormone for how anti-hero he feels like
The girl could complain, and questions his ethics for comedic value.
Question his ethics? I think she's the one leading him on! He's too scared to take his youth formula, so she pours it down his throat, then she's there with him every step of the way. I don't think the hormone pill fell too far from the tree when it comes to Jane.
Your best Golden Age episode yet. If only the creators had taken inspiration from the heroes of the Platinum Age, such as Dick Tracy, The Shadow, The Phantom, John Carter-I loved that movie-Zorro, The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet Conan, Tarzan, Kull, Buck Rogers, Doc Savage , and my personal favorite, Flash Gordon, maybe they would have met with more success.
Dr. Horomone...I'm like, "How did they get away with that name?" But then, I remember that this is pre-code.
Where would we be without Chris showing us these weird Golden Age gems? Def up there as ome of my fav series on the channel
"you can battle try again, brother." 😂
By the way, to me, this is a top three Comic Tropes production. Gold.
Obviously, it is very well researched and scientific accurate.
This episode was so absurdly hilarious I was genuinely laughing out loud a few times, and I watched this alone so you know it was funny lmao
I always love seeing you discuss these bonkers Golden Age comics, the videos on Blue Beetle, The Dart, 711 and Black Condor were always some of my favorites 😂👍👍💥
You outdid yourself on this episode! I'm annoyed it took me this long to get to it! Fantastic work as always!
The joke is "you DON'T pay her"
A very fun episode, nevertheless!
Chris! 😂 Excellent episode- I did a literal spittake! 🤣 You are on FIRE!! ❤️🔥 Hope you have a fire extinguisher nearby--don't want your studio to burn down 🔥
Dr. Hormone was insane. Somewhere in the multiverse, he's working for the Joker, or OzCorp, or A.I.M.
Nah he is on that island (Oolong?) In DC where all the mad scientist characters migrated to.
I can't believe Dr. Hormone didn't take off... maybe he needed a partner like Dr. Neuron 🤔
You just can't imagine what was out there in the Golden Age of comics. The outrageousness never seems to end. Great episode.What about calling the other show Comic Tropes and Beyond...
I think the kangaroo joke might just be that kangaroos have pouches/pockets?
Yeah, that seemed pretty obvious to me.
This is why you're among my favorites, man. Would have never heard of something this bizarre otherwise.
Oh no - we must never forget 711, but you already talked about THAT one! 🤣🤣
Thanks for that hallucinatory ride through the world of Doc Hormone
That was WILD! lol
man you cover some weird stuff at your youtube and I love every minute of it. I get to see stuff even I didnt know about and Ive been in comics for 4 decades
18:08 It's a joke about how kangaroos have pouches.
A country using hormones to make kids grow faster so they can be used to for military purposes sounds like something from a grim-dark scifi setting like Warhammer. In fact, i'm pretty sure that's part of Gears Of War lore, except for girls.
This was a fun episode that Austin Powers cut in was perfect 😂
Another gem of a review of a Golden Age comic. Great job! These kinds of reviews are so much fun. Thanks for your hard work, Chris!
this might be a new favorite episode for me! editing/writing are really fun, and always love learning about some weird golden age comics, dr. hormone is a great find. keep the hits comin!!
I always heard to make a hormone was just not pay her……
I love these wacky 1940’s comics and your take on them is super entertaining Chris ☺️😂
Thanks for all your hard work and for helping me learn about all this cool comic history!
You always present such interesting stories with these golden age characters Chris!
Love your "oldies but goodies" videos! Thx
We need more videos like this, Chris.
Love your content Chris!
Although I had read about Dr Hormone in Regrettable Superheroes you really brought out the full insanity of the stories in your video. Thanks, Chris.
I just wanted to say thank you for presenting such consistently interesting and high-quality content, and for doing so in a positive and non-toxic manner.
Even with these 'look how silly that was' videos, you never attack or ridicule the people whose work you critique, but rather poke lighthearted fun at the material itself.
That is, honestly, a breath of fresh air when compared to a large swath of CZcams videos calling everything and everyone 'garbage' or 'the worst _____', and saying that such and such 'is dead' or 'killed'.
So, thanks again for taking the high road and refusing to aim for the lowest common denominator in an attempt to stir the cauldron of anti-fandom I see on so many other channels.
I absolutely LOVE these crazier episodes. Great work, and thanks for sharing the fantastic exploits of Dr Hormone!
such a good episode. Love when you read and narrate these golden age comics, they're so wild
The production quality on your videos lately has been god damn fantastic.
Man, I love what you do. I can't get enough of these comics and your narration.👍👍
Playing around with the sounds in "Hormone" can get you "Moreau."
One of the better episodes I’ve seen in awhile. not the back the other episodes are bad in anyway I just really enjoyed the editing and the fun you were having this time
This is the first video I saw of this youtube and I will say, I like it and will follow, I am not really replying to tell people, I am typing this so I can know what the first video I saw that made me want to follow you. Keep up the work!
My feed had, prior to yours, a handful of videos about Doctor Who. Am not complaining, yours is an entertaining video - thanks!
Great episode! I laughed and I learned.
Doctor Hormone, Doctor Hormone. Does whatever an Hormone… cone?
Hones whatever a hormone condones?
i find it amazing that Dr Hormone could take on the Europe and Asia super-continent!