711 + Destiny

711 and his successor Destiny, were created by George Brenner. Brenner served as editor of Quality Comics for many years and was close personal friends with Busy Arnold too. 711 bears a strong resemblance to the popular pulp hero, the Shadow; both wore a hat and cloak/cape, their faces shadowed by their hats. Together 711 and Destiny ran for three years in Police Comics. Brenner “killed” 711 just before he became an editor at Quality. Both characters’ backstories were fairly interesting, even if their adventures were not. 

711

Daniel Dyce was a promising young attorney—and a gullible one at that. His friend Jake Horn convinced Dyce to take a rap for him, on account of the impending birth of Horn’s child. But after Dyce was convicted and sent to prison as “Horn”, the real Horn was killed in an accident and Daniel was left with no way of proving his innocence. Now known merely as Convict #711, Dyce spent two years secretly digging a tunnel out of Westmoor Prison. During that time Dyce concluded that his life on the “outside” was now dead, and so he chose to remain in the prison, but fight crime as “711” in public. Dyce wore a crimson jacket and cape and a hat which cast a heavy shadow over his face. (Police Comics #1)

Life in prison availed Dyce of many details regarding criminal plots, overheard from new convicts. His adventures usually centered around the take-down of an existing gang, or to clear the name of another unjustly convicted fellow. (#2)

Dyce was a model prisoner and he was awarded freedoms that enabled him to dash in and out of the prison on a whim, but usually under cover of darkness. He became a trustee and worked in the prison offices where he had access to daily news. Outside, he met his first masked foe, the Brick-Bat (whose cowl bore more than passing resemblance to Batman’s), who forced a scientist to create a lethal brick which released a deadly gas upon impact. He quickly found the fiend and brought him to justice. (#5)

711 wasn’t above protecting guys on the inside, too, such as the informant, Lush Chikko, who had testified against a local mob boss. Chikko was wise enough to wonder if there was a connection between the number on Dyce’s uniform and his savior, 711 (though he never made mention of it). (#6) He also managed to stop a large prison break from within. His cover was nearly blown afterwards when 711 met with the prison warden—and the warden wanted to summon Dyce. Quick talking got him out of that jam. (#7)

Dyce even found a way to contribute to the national defense when Nazis threatened to recruit agents from within the prison. (#9)

For all his success, 711 got sloppy and more inmates discovered his identity. Conveniently, they all perished afterwards. (#12-14) His carelessness ultimately led to Dyce’s demise. 711 was shot and killed by the racketeer Oscar Jones. 711’s swan song was a long-winded tale detailing Jones’ ignoble life and how his prison stay led him into fisticuffs with 711. Jones won the struggle only with the benefit of his gun. Even after the first shot, Dyce fought to rally, but he was riddled with more shots from the barrel. (#15) 

At the moment of his death, another hero called Destiny (see below) stepped into light, appearing over Dyce’s body.

Notes

The significance of 711’s name is likely rooted in gambling. Seven and eleven are winning numbers in craps. “711” was also the name of the gambling club in the very first Lady Luck story.

Powers

711 had no special powers. He was an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant.

In his first appearance (Police #15), Destiny was a mere silhouette. The text teased: “see Destiny in the background—that daring new character—who starts in where 711 left off.” Destiny was an unnamed, non-costumed character who wore a plain brown suit and hat. 

Destiny’s first case began as he—a solitary, pathetic figure—wandered the rainy streets in search of shelter. He entered a club where the Professor Seezall Nozal was performing his tricks of the mind. Nozal plucked our hero from the audience and instantly sensed that the young man was special. The Professor declared that he had the power to foresee death and that he could choose to use that power for good or evil—“you are Destiny!” The young man left the club before learning more from Nozall. Soon Destiny discovered that when he focused his mind, he would be transported to the scene of impending death. The first time his powers were activated, Destiny’s path crossed with 711’s killer, Oscar Jones. Jones escaped and Destiny lingered to speak to the spirit of 711, who wished him luck. (#16) 

Perhaps his new career also brought newfound wealth, because in the next installment, Destiny was living a comfortable existence, relaxing in his home. The next opportunity to use his powers brought death to his own door, as Oscar Jones returned to tie up loose ends. When Destiny attempted to enter his “trance” state and disappear, he found he’d gone nowhere. Jones lay in wait for him and managed to graze Destiny with a bullet. Jones fled and went on a killing crime spree, but Destiny redeemed himself in the end (and avenged 711) by bringing the crook to justice. (#17)

George Brenner left (or partially left) the feature with Police #19, but the subsequent tales showed no notable departures from form. Destiny was, however, again portrayed as a tramp. The new creator(s) never got around to illuminating Destiny’s true identity. (#23) 

Destiny would come to discover that his powers were more powerful than first expected. Once while he was asleep, his trance-like mind also sensed a murder and he was transported to the home of one Sherlock Doyle. (#19) Twice he was transported rather far away. In Death Valley, he found himself amid the discovery of a hidden treasure. During a fight with one of the thieves, Destiny wrested the gun towards his quarry’s own face, and the villain was shot in the mouth! (#22) His power also brought him as far as Nazi-occupied Poland, where he tussled with a werewolf. (#30)

With experience, Destiny began to use his power more proactively and prevented the murders to which he was drawn. His cunning grew, too. Once he happened upon a pitiful young man who’d been cursed by a witch, and only by taking the life of another human would his torment end. Destiny’s solution was simple: he helped the man to enlist in the armed forces, and the man went on to become a crack killer pilot. (#29) 

When he met a wrongly accused man, Destiny took a bold gamble and used his trance state to secure an audience with Death himself. Death was angry but conceded that he was under orders to “keep his hands off” Destiny. Death shepherded Destiny to the Master of the Underworld himself, a red devil who challenged the hero to a duel. Destiny used jujutsu (as many Quality heroes did) to best the devil and returned to the waking world and cleared the doomed man of his crime. (#32)

Soon criminals got wise to Destiny’s modus operandi. The mob boss Tools threatened to kill one of his own men and sure enough, Destiny walked through his door. Tools’ ambush failed and they were mopped up. (#35) 

Nothing is known about Destiny after 1944. (#36)

Notes 

Destiny was the inspiration for a character (in name only) in John Arcudi’s 2002 Elseworlds series, JLA: Destiny. Arcudi’s character was a woman with precognitive powers. 

There exists a DC character named "Destiny," a cosmic figure and member of "the Endless" family.

Powers

Destiny’s powers were innate, and unlocked by a mentalist. By concentrating and entering a trance state—“making his mind a blank”—Destiny was enveloped by a whirlwind and transported to the scene of some crime, trouble, or death. There seemed to be no limits to this power; he teleported as far as Poland, and it even worked subconsciously, transporting him in his sleep. The teleportation would only be triggered if the threat was real, and not staged.