History:
POWERS OF THE PRESS
Real Name: Tom Powers
Identity/Class: Human (World
War 2 Era)
Occupation: Reporter
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Doc Arson, Cupid Cueball, Clancey Mullaney, Kenny Roberts
Enemies: Muscles Moe, J. P. Organ
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Gruesome Twosome" (with Kenny Roberts)
Base of Operations: Jimtown, USA
First Appearance: U.S.A. Comics I#3/8 (January, 1942)
Powers/Abilities: Tom Powers had an excellent mind for crime-solving. He was a capable hand-to-hand fighter.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 170 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
History:
(U.S.A. Comics I#3/8) - Tom Powers was an ace reporter at the Free Press in the town of Jimtown. He worked for editor Cupid Cueball and alongside photographer "Candid" Kenny Roberts. Together, Kenny and Tom were called the "Gruesome Twosome" because of the unorthodox ways they gathered the news. One day, Tom heard a bank truck owned by J. P. Organ was attacked and robbed on the highway. Tom and Kenny raced to the scene of the robbery, which they learned had been performed by men wearing gas masks. While detective Clancey Mullaney talked to J. P. Organ, Tom and Kenny found a glove and gas mask that had been overlooked. Tom grabbed the evidence, hoping he could find fingerprints on them but Mullaney saw him trying to leave with the evidence. Confronted by Mullaney, Tom admitted what he'd tried to do and they agreed to work together.
Tom, Kenny and Mullaney brought the glove and mask to Doc Arson who determined the wearer of the glove was missing the little finger on their left hand, had the slim dexterity of a poker and billiard player, had trace of blue chalk from a pool room and the strong odor of herring. The mask was saturated with highly perfumed hair oil used by people trying to overcome baldness. After hearing this description, Mullaney determined one of the robbers was Muscles Moe.
Tom, Kenny and Mullaney went to a pool room where Muscles Moe haung out. When Mullaney suggested he take Muscles downtown for a conversation at police headquarters, Muscles and his friends in the pool room drew guns on the three men and led them away to see J. P. Organ, who proved to be the mastermind behind the assault on his own business. When Kenny suggested he take Organ's photograph, instead he threw the camera at Organ's head. Mullaney and Tom bested Muscles Moe and the other gangsters with their bare fists while Kenny took photographs of the fight. Mullaney placed Organ and the gangsters under arrest while Tom telephoned Cueball to let him know he'd solved the case.
Comments: Created by Ed Winiarski.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Tom Powers should not be confused with:
Cupid Cueball was Tom Powers' editor at the Free press in Jimtown. People nicknamed him "Kewpie." He behaved like a hard-hearted man but was actually very kind and friendly beneath the exterior. He frequently worried about Tom Powers and Kenny Roberts because of their unorthodox methods of news gathering, such as when they investigated the armored truck hold-up that lead to exposing J. P. Organ as the mastermind.
--U.S.A. Comics I#3/8
Clancey Mullaney was a police detective and friend of Tom Powers and Kenny Roberts. When J. P. Organ's armored truck was robbed, Mullaney investigated the crime and worked with Powers and Roberts when he realized they'd found evidence that had escaped him. Together they discovered Organ had robbed his own truck and Mullaney helped capture the gang.
--U.S.A. Comics I#3/8
"Candid" Kenny Roberts had loved cameras ever since he owned a Brownie camera as a child. He was unusually short. Working alongside Tom Powers at the Free Press, they were collectively dubbed "the Gruesome Twosome." Kenny accompanied Tom in their investigation of the armored truck hold-up that proved to be orchestrated by J. P. Organ.
--U.S.A. Comics I#3/8
images: (without ads)
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8, page 2, panel 6 (main)
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8, page 6, panel 9 (face)
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8, page 2, panel 7 (Cueball)
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8, page 4, panel 5 (Mullaney)
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8, page 4, panel 5 (Roberts)
Appearances:
U.S.A. Comics I#3/8 (January, 1942) - Ed Winiarski (writer, artist), Joe
Simon (editor)
First posted: 09/16/2026
Last updated:
11/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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