Brave and the Bold 54

"The Thousand-and-One Dooms of Mr. Twister" is the title to the fifty-fourth issue of the Brave and the Bold superhero anthology comic book series published by DC Comics. This issue features the characters of teen sidekicks Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin. The story was written by Bob Haney with artwork and inks by Bruno Premiani, who also rendered the cover art illustration to this issue. It was lettered by Stan Starkman and edited by Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan. This issue shipped with a June-July, 1964 cover date and carries a cover price of .12 cents per copy.

Synopsis
The townsfolk of Hatton Corners is in the midst of a dispute. The adults of the neighborhood feel that the teen populace are too wild and unruly, whereas the teens feel that the adults are too "un-hip" and incapable of relating to teenage problems. Ironically, the teen youth movement is led by Eddie Corliss, son of the town's mayor. Eddie organizes a club house meeting and invites three famous teen super-heroes to come to Hatton Corners to support their cause. They invite Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin.

Before the heroes arrive however, a crazed super-villain known as Mister Twister blusters through town riding atop a giant cyclone. Mister Twister attempts to extort the town elders for what he believes are reparations owed to his family going back several generations. When the town elders are unable to pay Mister Twister, he uses the elemental powers of his magic staff to abduct the town's teenagers and bring them to nearby Goat Island.

Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin arrive in town, but when they visit the teen clubhouse, they find that it has been razed to the ground. Mayor Corliss tells them about Mister Twister and they agree to do what they can to rescue the missing youths. They find the kids on Goat Island where they are forced to erect a giant twister-shaped tower made from heavy stone blocks.

While Mister Twister is away, Kid Flash uses his super-speed to finish construction on the tower so that the teenagers do not have to carry the burden alone. Aqualad discovers that the underside of Goat Island is perched upon a fragile pinnacle of rock, so he summons a giant whale to push the island off of its natural mooring and move it out to sea.

When Mister Twister returns, he cannot find the island. Infuriated, he returns to Hatton Corners to wreak his revenge against the town. He uses his powers to rain fire down from the sky and creates a massive flood that threatens to consume the town. Kid Flash spins like a cyclone in an effort to control the flames while Aqualad calls upon the aid of a narwhal to drill a drainage ditch, which diverts the flood into natural underground tributaries. Robin confronts Mister Twister directly and ensnares the villain's magic staff with his Batrope. Without the power of his staff, Mister Twister is powerless. The teens of Hatton Corners are reunited with their parents and everyone agrees that they will do their best to mend their differences.

Appearances

 * Aqualad, Garth
 * Kid Flash, Wally West
 * Robin, Dick Grayson


 * Aquaman, Arthur Curry
 * Batman, Bruce Wayne
 * Flash, Barry Allen


 * Mister Twister, Bromwell Stikk


 * Eddie Corliss
 * Jacob Stikk
 * Marcia
 * Mayor Corliss
 * Officer Ridley


 * Teen Titans
 * Justice League of America


 * Humans
 * Altered humans
 * Atlanteans
 * Whales


 * Hatton Corners
 * Goat Island


 * Atlantis
 * Gotham City
 * Batcave


 * Missouri
 * Central City


 * Batline
 * Mister Twister's power staff
 * Utility belt


 * None


 * Aquatic respiration
 * Elemental control
 * Super-speed
 * Weather control

Notes & Trivia

 * The storyline from this issue is divided into three chapters:
 * Part I: The Thousand-and-One Dooms of Mr. Twister
 * Part II: Town Without Teen-Agers
 * Part III: The Town That Would Not Die


 * Sheldon Moldoff lends inking assists to this issue. He inks all of the Robin heads only in this issue.


 * This issue is indexed in The Official Teen Titans Index #1 published by the Independent Comics Group (ICG).


 * This issue was published during DC's Silver Age era, which retroactively corresponds to the Earth-One reality in terms of story continuity. The events of this story are recapped in Secret Origins, Volume 2 #3, which establishes its canonicity in DC's Post-Crisis environment as well.


 * This issue is classically considered the first appearance of the Teen Titans, even though they do not address themselves by that name at this time. They appear next as the Teen Titans in The Brave and the Bold #60 where they are joined by their first female team member Wonder Girl. Although Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin all appear next in separate issues, their next chronological appearance as the Teen Titans takes place in flashback in Teen Titans #53 prior to their first official "team" appearance in The Brave and the Bold #60.


 * Aqualad appeared last in Aquaman #15. He chronologically appears next in Teen Titans: Year One #1. His next actual appearance is in Aquaman #16.


 * Kid Flash appeared last in The Flash #144. He chronologically appears next in Teen Titans: Year One #1. His next actual appearance is in flashback in Teen Titans #53.


 * Robin appeared last in Justice League of America #27. He chronologically appears next in Teen Titans: Year One #1. His next actual appearance is in World's Finest Comics #141.


 * Mister Twister appears next as the Gargoyle in Teen Titans #14. His identity as the Gargoyle is not revealed until the flashback story from Secret Origins, Volume 2 #3.


 * Aquaman, Batman and The Flash all make cameo appearances only in this issue.


 * Aquaman appeared last in Green Lantern, Volume 2 #29. He appears next in Justice League of America #28.


 * Batman appeared last in Green Lantern, Volume 2 #29. He appears next in World's Finest Comics #141.


 * The Flash appeared last in The Flash #145. He appears next in Justice League of America #28.

Reprints
The storyline from this issue is reprinted in the following volumes:
 * Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives 1
 * DC 100-Page Super Spectacular 21
 * DC Comics Presents: Titans Hunt 100-Page Super Spectacular 1
 * Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told
 * Showcase Presents: Teen Titans 1
 * Silver Age Teen Titans Archives 1
 * Teen Titans: A Celebration of 50 Years
 * Teen Titans: The Silver Age 1
 * Teen Titans: The Silver Age Omnibus 1