History:(Private Eye I#1/3 (fb) - BTS) - Rollo Phelps murdered his brother Jim in their hometown, Pine City. Diagnosed as insane, he was sent to a mental hospital. Two years later, Rollo killed one of the hospital's guards and escaped.
ROLLO PHELPS
Real Name: Rollo Phelps
Identity/Class: Human (post-World
War II era)
Occupation: Mental patient
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Rocky Jorden, Al Sears
Known Relatives: Jim Phelps (brother, deceased), unidentified mother and father
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A mental hospital somewhere in
New York, USA;
formerly Pine City, USA
First Appearance: Private Eye I#1 (January, 1951)
Powers/Abilities: Rollo Phelps was dangerously mentally ill. He wielded a revolver.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 175 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Private Eye I#1/3 (fb) - BTS) - Rollo Phelps murdered his brother Jim
in their hometown, Pine City. Diagnosed as insane, he was sent to a
mental hospital. Two years later, Rollo killed one of the hospital's
guards and escaped.
(Private Eye I#1/3 (fb)) - On the outside, Rollo saw a man named Al Sears, who looked virtually identical to his brother Jim. Unable to accept that he had murdered his brother, Rollo convinced himself that Sears was his brother's killer. Seeing that Sears had bought tickets for a bus to Pine City, Rollo convinced himself that Sears was going to murder his parents.
(Private Eye I#1/3) - Rollo went to the office of private detective Rocky Jorden and claimed that he wanted him to follow a homicidal maniac. Rollo insisted he accompany Rocky on the assignment, although he said he didn't think anything would happen. Rocky invited Rollo to the nearby restaurant operated by his friend the Syrian, although Rollo chose to drink just a glass of milk. While Rocky ate dinner, Rollo claimed that Sears was his brother Jim and that "Jim" had murdered another one of his brothers two years before and that "Jim" was going to Pine City to murder his parents. Rocky suggested Rollo should call the asylum or the police to deal with "Jim" but Rollo claimed "Jim" would kill others or even himself to keep out of the asylum but he wanted "Jim" to be sent back alive to the asylum.
Rollo insisted he and Rocky should board the same bus taking "Jim" to Pine City and since the bus would stop several times along the way, Rollo proposed he sneak sleeping tablets into "Jim"'s coffee so the police could apprehend him without any bloodshed. Rocky agreed to the plan and they boarded the bus as a rainstorm started. Rollo mentioned he hated rainstorms and hoped the lightning wouldn't upset "Jim."
The rainstorm caused Red Creek and Peabody River to overflow their banks and wash out the road, forcing the bus to stop near a farmhouse. Rocky helped carry women through the knee-deep water to the home and noticed "Jim" carried two children to the house and hadn't shown any signs of being disturbed by the storm. In the farmhouse, Rollo was about to plant the sleeping tablets into "Jim"'s coffee when "Jim" invited Rocky and Rollo to a cup of coffee. Rocky observed that "Jim" didn't recognize Rollo. Rollo claimed "Jim" had become amnesiac but Rocky was becoming suspicious of his client.
Rollo inserted what he claimed were sleeping tablets into "Jim"'s coffee but Rocky recognized the scent of prussic acid in the cup and poured it out. He confronted Rollo, demanding an answer. Rollo now changed his story, claiming he wanted "Jim" to be dead rather than send him back to the asylum, claiming that, in the asylum, he had no hope and "eternal loneliness." Rocky told him he had no right to kill his brother and insisted he would deal with "Jim."
When Rocky went upstairs, Rollo barricaded the door from the outside so he couldn't escape then went to the room where Sears was sleeping. Rollo fired his gun wildly and hit Sears twice but both bullets landed in Sears' shoulder. When Rocky climbed out the window and broke through the window into the room, Rollo fired at Rocky but missed him. Rollo fled the farmhouse and went out towards the bus. Rocky gave chase and Sears fired another bullet at him, leaving him with just one bullet left. Rollo climbed into the water-logged bus, insanely claiming he would drive to safety despite the road being completely washed out. When Rocky pointed out that it was impossible to escape, Rollo noted that he had one way to get even further away: he turned the gun to his own head and shot himself.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and George Tuska.
Because Marvel had an arrangement with CBS at the time that led to the comics Suspense and My Friend Irma, I long assumed that Rocky Jorden was the same person as Rocky Jordan, a CBS radio adventure hero. However, beyond very similar names, they are clearly not the same man at all, meaning Rocky's stories are absolutely valid in Earth-616. Rocky finally appeared in Earth-616 in 2019's Marvel Comics I#1000.
This profile was completed 09/11/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Rollo Phelps should not be confused with:
Al Sears was a man traveling from New York City to Pine City. He happened to closely resemble Rollo Phelps' dead brother Jim. This caused Rollo to believe Sears was his brother and he claimed Sears was going to Pine City to murder his parents. Rollo hired Rocky Jorden to tail Sears on the bus to Pine City but from monitoring him, Rocky gradually realized he wasn't dangerous. Rollo finally snapped and tried to murder Sears by shooting at him. Although two bullets hit Sears, they both landed in his shoulder. When Rocky questioned whether Sears was Rollo's brother, Sears confirmed Rocky's suspicions - that he wasn't Rollo's brother and was, in fact, an only child.
--Private Eye I#1/3
images: (without ads)
Private Eye I#1/3, page 7, panel 4 (Phelps, main)
Private Eye I#1/3, page 5, panel 4 (Phelps, face)
Private Eye I#1/3, page 7, panel 1 (Sears)
Appearances:
Private Eye I#1/3 (January, 1951) - unidentified writer, George Tuska
(artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/16/2026
Last updated:
09/11/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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