Hmm… Lucas “borrowing” from Jack? Maybe… This trope is literally ancient (Oh Greeks, you’ve told every story there is to tell you jerks), but the comparisons are pretty interesting.

Like Jimmy running down Supes in JO #133. When I first opened the Omnibus (my first experience with Kirby btw) I assumed the regular JO reader would be shocked to see him “GUN HIM DOWN!” on the cover, but then I looked at JO #132 and Jimmy’s selling Supes (and Clark’s identity) out to gangsters with Kryptonite handcuffs.

I’m guessing it doesn’t quite go down that way in the story.

This one really takes the cake though. I wonder if there is a collection of misleading comic book covers somewhere.

I’m aware that they are trying to grab attention to sell copies to unsuspecting kids, but even then I would assume even they would figure it out. But then there is always another crop of kids…

Is this a Golden/Silver/Bronze age thing, or is it pretty much consistent through comic history?

Awesome.

With all due respect, if someone referred to Johnny Storm as ‘The Human Torch’ that someone is not necessarily himself a nonhuman torch, but is more likely a human non-torch.

So here too the Justifier (to justify his hatred for his brother human being) is referring to his victims as ‘human trash’ not because he sees himself as non-human, but because he sees himself as non-trash.