Zero, Ghost Detective

Created by Dan Zolnerowich

NAME + ALIASES:
Unrevealed, aka Mr. Zero

KNOWN RELATIVES:
Sally (niece)

GROUP AFFILIATIONS:
None

FIRST APPEARANCE:
Feature Comics #32 (May 1940)

APPEARANCES:
Feature Comics #32–72 (May 1940–Oct. 1943)

The magician draws a “zero” in the sand, from *Feature Comics* #44; artist uncertain.

Zero, the Ghost Detective wore no mask, had no other name, and was an expert in the ways of the occult. His powers were mostly investigative, but on occasion he demonstrated some true supernatural talent. As the feature’s title indicated, his cases usually involved war against the “criminal denizens of the phantom realm.” His clients referred to him as “Mr. Zero,” and he operated from an official high rise office. His first case involved the ghostly return of three brothers, who in their youth had made a pact—if one of them were to die, they must return in the form of an ogre, to care for the others. In their adulthood, one of the brothers died, returned as the ogre, and killed a brother. Zero unearthed the body and drove a stake through its heart. (Feature #32)

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Powers

Usually Zero did not demonstrate any real magical abilities, though he was the master of many magical artifacts like the “ghost disintegrator” and the “Q-Ray” detector.

Zero described himself as an “ally” with death, which gave him powers to battle the supernatural undead. (Feature #48) Sometimes he drew a circle—or “zero”—on the ground as part of a spell to affect ghosts. He dispelled ghosts with a mere gesture, and caught glimpses of the future.