Spy Smasher™

Character History

History & Public Domain Status

Spy Smasher, AKA Alan Armstrong, burst onto the scene in Whiz Comics #2 (1940), published by Fawcett Comics, as one of the first masked heroes to fight espionage and sabotage during WWII. Known for his aviator’s mask, gyroplane, and relentless pursuit of Axis agents, Spy Smasher became one of Fawcett’s breakout characters, even starring in a popular 1942 Republic film serial.

With Fawcett’s collapse and subsequent rights entanglements, copyright renewals lapsed on his Golden Age material.

Under the Copyright Act of 1909, which was in effect at the time, works were granted an initial copyright term of 28 years. To secure the full protection, the copyright had to be renewed during the last (28th) year of that first term, 1968. No such renewal was filed as far as we have been able to determine.

DC Comics has occasionally revived the name, so only the Golden Age stories and elements are free for new use.

Current Incarnation (PDSH)

Our Spy Smasher retains the pulp grit of his origins but is reimagined as a rogue agent — a patriot disillusioned by what he discovered during and after the war.

He operates in the shadows, unbound by governments, chasing threats that straddle science, sorcery, and geopolitics. His battered gear and relentless will make him a living ghost story among both criminals and officials.

Where the original was propaganda pulp, our version is a man haunted by what he’s seen, smashing not just spies, but the lies that protect them.

Trademark Note:

Public Domain Super Heroes has filed a Trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as of November 2025 on "Spy Smasher™" to protect our use of the character. Our work uses only the public domain character and in no way infringes on any trademark held by anyone else.