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CANNONBALL BROWN

Real Name: Luther "Cannonball" Lemuel Brown

Identity/Class: Normal human (WWII era)

Occupation: Baseball player

Group Membership: Squirrels baseball team (Slugger Butts, others)

Affiliations: Horsehide McGee

Enemies: Boris Bombovitch, Buggsy Boodle, Donkeys baseball team (loose)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Squirrel Stadium, USA;
   formerly Gazeeba Gulch, southern USA

First Appearance: Joker Comics#1/11 (April, 1942)

Powers/Abilities: Cannonball Brown has formidable baseball skills. Despite his lanky appearance, he has superhuman levels when connected to baseball skills, but has not demonstrated such strength outside of baseball. He often uses a self-trimmed tree trunk as a baseball bat and can manipulate his ball pitching to different speeds, from near supersonic to slow walking pace. Although he wears his cap low, he has unerring aim. He appears to have enhanced durability, but this again seems to be connected with his vicinity to baseball items/sports stadiums (suggesting the link may be psychological or magical). He also has a large appetite for food to fuel his sports prowess and is always seen with a corncob pipe.

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black

History:

(Joker Comics#1/11 (fb) - BTS) - In his home town of Gazeeba Gulch, Luther Brown earned the nickname "Cannonball" because of his prodigious skills with a baseball. He headed to the big city (probably New York) with the ambition to play major league baseball, and approached the first baseball stadium he encountered. He hurled back a ball freshly knocked out of the ballpark and conked the batter as he finished a home run.

(Joker Comics#1/11) - Cannonball approached the Squirrels team, who were practicing in their southern camp. The players were astonished at the feat and Cannonball was offered the chance to demonstrate his skills further. He changed into his worn-out personal baseball suit. The Squirrels sent in their top hitter--also the League's top hitter--Slugger Butts. But Cannonball's super-fast pitch went straight through the bat, much to all players' surprise. Cannonball's next pitch was caught by the catcher, but the ball's momentum carried him into the stands. Cannonball then showed off his boomerang ball and slowball. Cannonball brought out his personal bat he had made from a tree and demonstrated the incredible force when he returned the ball, so much so that returned balls broke through a stone wall and carried a catcher high into the air. Jealous, a brutish bully on the team let loose a fastball aimed at Cannonball's head, but the ball shattered. Squirrels manager Horsehide McGee was keen to sign up Cannonball, but the new player insisted on first showing his performance with his preferred right-hand technique. Cannonball whacked it far into a jungle at least hundreds of miles away.

(Comedy Comics I#10/27 (fb) - BTS) - Cannonball officially became part of the Squirrels team and developed a huge following due to his stellar performance.

(Comedy Comics I#10/27) - Cannonball daydreamed about pitching artillery shells across the battlefield against Nazis as he ate a massive meal just before being called up to bat at a game. The opposing team were scared as batter Cannonball entered the pitch with outfielders ready to catch far outside the stadium in expectation of extreme hits. His struck balls penetrated buildings, downed a plane and even pierced a new battleship hull. But elsewhere, jealous baseballer rival Buggsy Boodle hired bomber Boris Bombovitch to pitch a bomb at the next day's game. Boris threw the ball-shaped bomb and Cannonball easily connected with his giant bat, resulting in a giant explosion with people and debris thrown everywhere. In midair, Cannonball was unperturbed and pulled out a snack.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Art Gates.

And that's it! Although readers are promised "more in the nest issue!!", Cannonball Brown never appears again (as far as I can tell. Let us know otherwise!), so we never see the aftermath and resolution of the explosion.

The first panel of the first story and the title has his nickname as "Cannon Ball" (two words), but it's "Cannonball" (one word) after that, including when he introduces himself.

Part of the debris flying up in the air in the 2nd story is a piece of wood with a "Section 20" label on it, which is unlikely to be random. The best I can find is that it refers to very favorable seating areas, such as at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

Grand Comics Database identifies artist Art Gates as the writer for the Comedy Comics story, so I think it's a fairly safe bet that he was the writer of the Joker Comics tale (and hence creator of the character).

This profile was completed 09/26/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Cannonball Brown has no known connections to:

Boris Bombovitch

Boris Bombovitch was a psychotic Russian anarchistic bomber who enjoyed lobbing bombs at buildings, usually for a fee. Baseball player Buggsy Boodle, angered that his popularity had plummeted since the arrival of incredibly talented Cannonball Brown, paid Boris to pitch a live bomb at Cannonball at the next game. Boris dressed up as an opposing pitcher and threw the ball; Cannonball's hit caused a massive explosion with people and debris thrown into the air, including Boris' beard disguise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Comedy Comics I#10/27

Buggsy Boodle

The famous but aggressive baseball player Buggsy Boodle was angered that his popularity had plummeted since the arrival of incredibly talented Cannonball Brown. The insanely jealous Buggsy chanced upon anarchistic bomber Boris Bombovitch and paid him to pitch a live bomb at Cannonball at the next game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Comedy Comics I#10/27

Slugger Butts

Slugger Butts was the League's leading hitter at the time that Cannonball Brown approached to play with the Squirrels baseball team. Having hit 95 home runs the previous year, Slugger was very confident he could counter any pitch from Cannonball. Thinking he'd hit Cannonball's pitched ball, Slugger discovered that the ball had instead gone through his bat, leaving a hole. Like the other Squirrels teammates, Slugger was astonished at Cannonball's strength and skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Joker Comics#1/11

images: (without ads)
Comedy Comics I#10/27, p3, pan5 (main image, 2nd uniform)
Joker Comics#1/11, p3, pan6 (headshot)
Joker Comics#1/11, p3, pan1 (as pitcher, 1st uniform)
Comedy Comics I#10/27, p5, pan5 (Bombovitch)
Comedy Comics I#10/27, p5, pan1 (Boodle)
Joker Comics#1/11, p2, pan4 (Butts)

Appearances:
Joker Comics#1/11 (April, 1942) - uncredited writer, Art Gates (art), uncredited editor
Comedy Comics I#10/27 (June, 1942) - uncredited writer, Art Gates (art), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/22/2026
Last updated: 09/26/2025

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!

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