Classic Appearances: Justice League of America 35 (1965)

Happy National Moth Week! The celebration continues with another classic Killer Moth story! This time we've got the entire Justice League of America battling the Killer Moth's... costume??!!

1965's issue of Justice League of America (#35 written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Mike Sekowsky) features a knock-down, drag-out brawl of the world's greatest heroes fighting their greatest villain's costumes!

The story begins with the imprisoned Demons Three trying to free themselves. Using latent magical energies that have gotten onto the hero's costumes, they bring the clothes to life which are supposed to free the demons... but the attempt fails. So instead, they transfer the magic to the costumes of supervillains that were stored at the police station. (Are super-villain costumes more effective than heroic ones? Hey, no one said comics had to make sense!)

The collection of villains in the story are quite eclectic: The Pied Piper, The Mask, our pal Killer Moth, Dagon and Dr. Polaris. To be honest, I had only heard of three of these characters before I read this story as a kid. Then, the next thing the heroes know, the villains are back in their costumes and on a rampage, robbing the Meadow City Bank.

The Justice League heroes leap into action to stop them, however, in the process, their costumes are torn up. (it's all part of the Demon's cockamamie plot.) I love this panel of the Killer Moth using an sonic attack ability that he's never used since... although it seems like it could be pretty useful! Come on, DC writers!

Despite having their costumes torn, the heroes manage to save the day... but to their surprise, the villains return to cause havoc, only this time its the costumes without the villains inside!

The heroes are thrown for a loop as they try to find a way to defeat the empty uniforms.

As the heroes square off against the body-less foes, Batman makes short work of the Killer Moth's costume by sewing it together into a bundle! And you thought that only Alfred did the sewing!

I'm not gonna lie, this story is pretty bonkers. Although it is good to see Batman battling the Killer Moth - even if it is for only half of the story. The rest of the time the Killer Moth isn't in the costume! It just goes to prove that the Killer Moth is twice is dangerous as those other bat-foes. You don't see the Joker or Catwoman's costumes causing this much trouble for Batman!

Stay tuned, and we'll feature another classic Killer Moth story in celebration of National Moth week!

Classic appearances: Batman Family 10 (1977)

The National Moth Week celebration continues! The Killer Moth has been a major villain of the Bat-Family for decades. Lets look at one of his more memorable appearances in Batman Family 10 from 1977.

In this story by Bob "The Answerman" Rozakis with art by James Bruce Brown III, "Those were the bad old days", the Killer Moth teams up with an unlikely partner, the Cavalier, to bedevil Batgirl and Batwoman.

If you read the caption boxes, Cavalier and Killer Moth are referred to as an "old timers" - which is ironic because the Killer Moth's previous appearance was only eight years earlier in Batman 208 from 1969! Maybe time worked differently back in the "old days"?

There are a few silly "moth related" gags in this story, like KM biting his way through Batgirl's silken cord...

... and when the Killer Moth commands a giant moth to attack the police department, a trick that doesn't come back until Killer Moth's appearance on the Teen Titan cartoon show!

Of course, the Killer Moth is eventual caught by the Dynamic Damsels in a cocoon-type net and sent back to jail. However, Rozakis must have really liked writing the Killer Moth because he returns in the very next issue!

While overall it's a silly comic, it's fun to see the Killer Moth back in action! Stay tuned for more Killer Moth classics during National Moth Week!

Happy National Moth Week!

National Moth Week is when everyone in the United States gets together to celebrate moths and... how they like to nibble our sweaters? Yeah, I don't get it either. But any excuse to celebrate my favorite Bat-Villain, the Killer Moth, I'll take it!

To kick off National Moth Week off, here is a drawing I made of the Killer Moth looking threatening, because too many other comic creators make him look like a doofus. I don't know about you, but if I saw someone coming into a bank dressed like this, I think "what the heck?" and "I'd better give him what he wants."

Feel free to share YOUR Killer Moth fan art in the comments and come back for more Killer Moth fun all week long!