CROCODILE MEN

Class: Parallel Earth (Earth-S) extraterrestrials

Known Representatives: Herkimer, Marmaduke, Sylvester

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Punkus, Earth-S

First Appearance: Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #22 (March, 1943)

Powers: The Crocodile Men were anthropomorphic crocodiles.

History: (Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #38) - The Crocodile Men were recruited into Mr. Mind's Monster Society of Evil from their home planet Punkus and served as Mr. Mind's lackeys. Billy Batson broadcast a warning that Mr. Mind was still on the loose, and director Hitchblock of Eastern Elephantine Studios sent Captain Marvel a letter, saying he was doing a film version of Mr. Minds wrongdoings and needed his technical advice. Captain Marvel was happy to help, believing it was important the world was warned about how dangerous Mind was, and he was impressed with the mechanical worm Hitchblock whipped up as a stand-in for Mind. Mr. Mind got word about the film from his underlings, and saw an opportunity to sow chaos. He also wanted to make sure he was being portrayed as evil and devious as he deserved to be. A janitor on the film set spotted him, so Mind took the place of the mechanical worm to hide in plain sight. Hitchblock needed an extra to play a boy in peril who the Monster Society would fling off a cliff, and Captain Marvel changed into Billy Batson to volunteer. Mr. Mind alerted his new Monster Society recruits, the Crocodile Men, and had them take the place of the other actors in the scene. The Crocodile Men were supposed to pull Billy back from the cliff edge at the last moment, but ignored the director and tossed Billy to his doom.

(Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #39) - Mr. Mind had his Crocodile Men round up Hitchblock and his actors, planning to film Mr. Mind, Murder Master! In which he’d depict the Monster Society taking over the world. He had his lackey Bonzo go to the dressing room to play the part of Captain Marvel. Billy survived his fall, since the jagged rocks he landed on were rubber props, and after changing into Captain Marvel he took Boinzo’s place. Mr. Mind wanted to film the Crocodile Men torturing Hitchblock and his crew to death, but the weapons the Crocodile Men chose were all rubber props, infuriating the villain. Captain Marvel revealed his presence, knocking out the Crocodile Men after a brief brawl. Mr. Mind had another trick up his sleeve, activating his Black Death Ray and turning it on Captain Marvel, who started to dissolve into a cloud of smoke.

(Shazam! I #2) - Captain Marvel learned that Mr. Mind had faked his death in the electric chair decades ago, and was on the loose. Tawky Tawny told Marvel that Herkimer the Crocodile Man had taken a job in a travelling circus, and Marvel flew there to see if Herkimer had heard from his old boss. Herkimer instinctively tried to bite his old enemy, but immediately apologized. He said he was happy with his reformed life in the circus, but admitted Mr. Mind had contacted him, asking him to meet at the St. Louis Gateway Arch, but he'd turned Mind down. Captain Marvel stopped Mr. Mind from blowing up the west coast with an atomic expanding missile, and took him into custody.

Comments: Created by Otto Binder & C.C. Beck.

The Crocodile Men were originally published by Fawcett Comics, which DC obtained the rights to in 1972.

The Crocodile Men received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #15 under the Mr. Mind's Monster Society of Evil entry.

The Crocodile Men's appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #38, 39 was reprinted in Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years.

The Crocodile Men had a cameo in DC Comics Presents #34.

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