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 Unofficial Hero Hotline Index

Hero Hotline 1

HERO HOTLINE #1

Cover Date: April 1989
Cover Price: $1.75

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Cover Credits:
Pencils: Stephen DeStefano (signed)
Inks: Karl Kesel (signed)


Story: "Hero Hotline" (22 Pages)

Credits:

StoryBob Rozakis
PencilsStephen DeStefano
InksKarl Kesel
LetteringJohn Costanza
ColorsBob Rozakis
EditingBrian Augustyn

Feature Character(s):

Hero Hotline:
Coordinator (behind the scenes; last, behind the scenes, in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Diamondette (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Hotshot (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Private Eyes (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Stretch (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Voice-Over (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Microwavabelle (last in Action Comics Weekly #639/3)
Mister Muscle (last, as Flex, in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)

Supporting Character(s):

Suzy-Q (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Melanie Boulder (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
Fred (first "appearance"; an invisible man or just a fraud)
Zeep, the Living Sponge (first appearance; see Comment)
Hotline operators (last in Action Comics Weekly #640/3)
other Hotline staff

Villain(s):

Quakemaster I (last in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10; next in Justice League America #43)
Ralph Bartoli (first appearance; a wife-beater)

Other Character(s):

Ms. O'Flaherty (first appearance; a journalist)
George and Sweetums (first appearance of both; a loving couple)
Mrs. Bartoli (first appearance; a battered wife; next in issue #5)
Mrs. Culligan (first appearance; an old lady; next in issue #3)

Comment(s):

Zeep the Living Sponge first appeared as a "Dial H for Hero" identity in Adventure Comics #483, but this is his first "real" appearance.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Hero Hotline – the 24/7 heroes for hire organization who takes on missions from "normal joes". We are introduced to their leader called the Coordinator (only appearing as a voice on the Hotline communications system), the robotic secretary 500-ZQ a.k.a. Suzy-Q, the aged shapeshifter Stretch, fire-wielder Hotshot, Diamondette with her super-hard hands, energy-wielding housewife Microwavabelle (or "Microwave Mom"), the bodybuilder calling himself Mr. Muscle (or whatever name suits him for the day), the voice-throwing Voice-Over and his invisible and intangible friend Fred (whom we are not sure really exists at all); the optical detective called Private Eyes and his girlfriend, busty country queen Melanie Boulder, and finally the Night Crew member Zeep the Living Sponge who is an active union member always demonstrating for his rights.
Mr. Muscle is assigned to help a battered wife named Mrs. Bartoli. When her husband Ralph gets home, Muscle grabs his hand to prevent him from giving her another beating, and gives the man a wrist injury in the process.
Voice-Over and Fred answers to a call for help from the aged Mrs. Culligan who claims she has been approached by Martians who wants her to be their queen. Not being able to keep a straight face, Voice-Over smoothly dodges the mission and makes Fred watch over the confused woman instead. The entire Hotline crew fights the powerful supervillain Quakemaster, who plagues the city with earthquakes while searching for his hidden loot. Diamondette is able to disarm the villain, and the heroes defeat him.


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