Becoming Bash Helmet Part IV. Poof! The transformation begins.

After kneeling at the feet of gaiety deity Zhoosh and receiving his blessing, Justin Nicely was all a-quiver as he approached and then unwrapped the magical helmet for the very first time. 

His transformation into Bash Helmet was soon within his eager grasp. One moment he had his hands on its shuddering shimmering silver shape. Then, Poof!

This strip reproduced from Bash Helmet's first appearance in Tales to Excite number 27.

Click to view

Becoming Bash Helmet Part III. Justin Nicely meets the god Zhoosh - the gaiety deity

This reprinted panel from Tales to Excite 27 - famously Bash Helmet's first issue - reveals what happened after Justin Nicely, having declined a local invitation to indulge in some beach ball play, opted instead to explore some back passages of Greece, including the mysterious 'haunted' cave of Mount Olymprist.

Here it was that he encountered Zhoosh, the gaiety deity who introduced Justin to his wondrous helmet.

Click to view

Becoming Bash Helmet Part II. Justin Nicely is tempted by Mount Olymprist

The emergence of Bash Helmet - as Justin Nicely dubbed himself when he first stepped out with his purple get-up - saw a new hero come down hard on villains.

In no time at all, Bash creator Florrie Mendelson was summoned to provide the commissioned staff with Bash Helmet's adventures orally as news of the hero travelled swiftly across the barracks to the officers' mess.  

This is where camp commander Colonel Neville Hawthorne took a hand and introduced Bash Helmet to the publishers of the American comic 'Tales to Excite'. 

His first issue climaxed when Justin first came across his magical helmet in Greece. These reprinted panels from the original Tales to Excite 27:

Click to view

Click to view

Becoming Bash Helmet Part I. Justin Nicely resists ball play in Greece to explore some old back passages.

William 'Florrie' Mendelson was a wet-behind-the-ears army lieutenant based at the seaside town - now a city - of Brighton in the English county of Sussex, who used to spend the short June nights of 1941 exciting his privates by reciting the adventures of the world’s first gay superhero. Nothing did more during those testing days to raise their morale.

Florrie's stories began with the investigative hairdresser, Justin Nicely, whose muscles thickened and hardened when his helmet doubled in size as it was rubbed and he magically became ... Bash Helmet.

Thus begins the story of the origins of Bash.

Click to view