The Whistler

The Whistler was an odd addition to the Quality line-up. By 1945, there were few masked heroes being created—in fact most of them were being discontinued. What’s even more unusual was that the Whistler was created by Vern Henkel, who admitted he didn’t care for super-heroes. That said, the Whistler was barely “super.”

When Mallory Drake was hired as a police reporter, he rushed off to tell his brother Jerry, who performed as a jazz whistler. Jerry noted that Mallory himself was quite the mimic, and a master whistler himself. Just then, thugs came in to harass Jerry’s boss. When Jerry defended him, he was shot and killed. With his dying breath he asked his brother to use his eerie whistling ability to strike fear into criminals. When Mallory donned a mask (looking like a red Spirit), he found that something about the vibrational tone of his whistle put terror into even the truest heart. Although his masked career was a success, Mallory’s editor didn’t buy his story about a “Whistler,” and rejected it. (National #48)

With further practice he discovered he could throw the sound of his whistle across space, and create blood-chilling, paralytic reactions in his foes. When he was tied up, he even whistled so acutely that it fired a gun! (#50)

Drake’s biggest challenge was to outwit both the police and his own boss, who had teamed up to ensnare the Whistler. Neither appreciated the vigilante. He tricked them all by involving a local crime boss and giving them all the slip under cover of darkness. (#51) His ability to outwit police was surprising given that he didn’t even change suits while he was masked. Nonetheless, he continued to outwit everyone. 

Henkel left Quality in 1946, and the Whistler’s final adventure in National #54 (June 1946) was drawn by a different artist. 

Notes

The Whistler was also the name of a popular radio mystery drama which began in 1942. It was adapted into a series of film noir B-movies by Columbia. This production had nothing to do with jazz or reporters.