main image

FRANCIS DORK

Real Name: Francis Dork

Identity/Class: Normal human (World War II era)

Occupation: Biogeneticist, would-be world conqueror

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: His lackeys

Enemies: Fiery Mask (Jack Castle), people of Earth

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, USA

First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics#5/1 (June, 1940)

Powers/Abilities: Francis Dork is a brilliant but megalomaniacal biogeneticist, and has bioengineered various dangerous life forms, notably a flesh-eating protoplasmic mass ("Jelly of Doom") contained in his laboratory headquarters. He has very limited fighting abilities and carries a handgun.

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark brown

History:

(Daring Mystery Comics#5/1 (fb) - BTS) - The genius but megalomaniacal biogeneticist set up his tower headquarters containing his laboratory in New York City and conducted experiments, bioengineering various creatures including flesh-eating protoplasmic mass and a giant fanged furry hominid. He assembled a group of loyal lackeys who were promised regions of the world to rule once the human population had been wiped out using the protoplasmic "Jelly of Doom" and replaced with his creations.

(Daring Mystery Comics#5/1) - Dork released the protoplasm from his tower where it oozed onto the streets and began consuming people. Yet still Dork sought to continue his experiments and sent his lackeys out in protective suits to kidnap a random beautiful woman whom he could also claim as queen. However, the heroic Fiery Mask soon became involved and pursued Dork's lackeys back to Dork's tower. But Dork quickly trapped the Fiery Mask, who overcame a water trap then a fight with a monstrous bioengineered creature. Meanwhile, Dork had the kidnapped woman in chains, demanding she be his queen and was about to inject her with his syringe when the Fiery Mask burst in. A quick fight saw Dork inadvertently break a window and he was quickly covered in his own oozing protoplasm, dying as his flesh was quickly consumed. The Fiery Mask ripped up machinery and destroyed the flow of protoplasm.

 

Comments: Created by George Kapitan & Harry Sahle.

Dork's first name was revealed in the Marvel Mystery Handbook#1 (2009).

The term "dork", as it used today to describe a socially awkward or inept person, is apparently a recent one, first found in written form in the early 1960s. Prior to that, it was sometimes used as a slang to describe a certain part of the male anatomy.

The protoplasm is called "Jelly of Doom" only in the story title.

This comic story, as well as the story "The Menace From Andromeda" by Arthur Leo Zagat and Nat Schachner published in Amazing Stories (April, 1931) (which has spores from space rain down on the sea, which forms a protoplasm which then rolls onto the land and starts absorbing, not just living things, but stone and metal too, as it grows and spreads inland) predate the 1958 film "The Blob".
---John Holstein

Images are taken from the polished-up Marvel Masterworks pages.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Dork has no known connections to:

Jelly of Doom

The so-called Jelly of Doom was a mass of flesh-eating protoplasm that was contained by inorganic matter and could be destroyed by intense heat. The megalomaniacal scientist Francis Dork bioengineered the dangerous material and kept it contained in his laboratory-headquarters tower in New York City. Dork intended to use this to wipe out  humankind and promised gullible thugs that they could rule the surviving world. Dork unleashed the Jelly of Doom; it oozed onto the streets and instantly consumed the flesh (except bones and hair) of all it touched. Dork's lackeys wore protective suits and the heroic Fiery Mask's heat powers kept him safe. Briefly imprisoned inside Dork's tower, the Fiery Mask fought Dork, but the villain inadvertently broke a window that let the protoplasm to ooze inside and Dork was eaten alive. The Fiery Mask then destroyed the Jelly of Doom by exploding Dork's machinery, which also cleared the city of its deadly mass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Daring Mystery Comics#5/1

images: (without ads)
Daring Mystery Comics#5/1, p1, pan1 (main image)
   p1, pan3 (Dork with his hands on lever)
   p7, pan3 (skeleton in jelly)
   p2, pan1 (Jelly of Doom coming from Dork's tower)

Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics#5/1 (June, 1940) - George Kapitan (writer), Harry Sahle (pencils & inks), Martin Goodman (editor)

First posted: 05/28/2023
Last updated: 05/28/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com.

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix!

Back to Characters