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Comic Creator

Robert Bernstein

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Robert Bernstein sometimes credited as R. Berns, was an American comic book writer, playwright and concert impresario

Robert Bernstein

Credited within these Comics

View All
Adventure Comics
27
DC Comics
Adventure Comics
1938 - 1983
Action Comics
23
DC Comics
Action Comics
1938 - 2011
Superboy
20
DC Comics
Superboy
1949 - 1979
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
20
DC Comics
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
1958 - 1974

Credited Characters

Alice White
Alice White
Prime Earth
Angelo Baldini
Angelo Baldini
Earth-616
Anton Vanko
Anton Vanko
Earth-616
Lisa Morel
Aquagirl
Earth-One
Aqualad
Garth
Aqualad
Prime Earth
Atlanna
Atlanna
Prime Earth
B.J. Kosmojian
B.J. Kosmojian
Earth-616
Carlo Strange
Earth-616
Congorilla
Congorilla
Prime Earth
Carlo Strange
Doctor Strange
Earth-616
Douglas Parker
Earth-One
Dru-Zod
Dru-Zod
Prime Earth
Ella Lane
Earth-One
Emmett Vale
Emmett Vale
Prime Earth
Eric Gruning
Eric Gruning
Earth-616
Franz Cadavus
Franz Cadavus
Earth-616
Freyja Freyrdottir
Freyja Freyrdottir
Earth-616
Gargantus (Alien Robot)
Earth-616
Garth
Garth
Prime Earth
General Zod
Dru-Zod
General Zod
Prime Earth
Happy Hogan
Happy Hogan
Earth-616
Harrington Byrd
Harrington Byrd
Earth-616
Ivan Krushki
Earth-616
Jaguar
Ralph Hardy
Jaguar
John Corben
John Corben
Prime Earth
John Corben
Earth-One
Jun Ching
Earth-616
Jurgen Hauptmann
Earth-616
Metallo
John Corben
Metallo
Prime Earth
John Corben
Metallo
Earth-One
Mon-El
Mon-El
Prime Earth
Painter of 1000 Perils
Wilhelm van Vile
Painter of 1000 Perils
Earth-616
Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts
Earth-616
Sam Lane
Earth-One
Sersi
Sersi
Earth-616
Va-Kox
Earth-One
Xadu
Earth-One

More on Robert Bernstein

As a writer, he is best known for his EC Comics tales and his Superman stories for DC Comics, where he also established the origin and mythos of Aquaman. With various artists, Bernstein co-created DC's Congorilla, Aqualad and Aquagirl, and also Archie Comics' the Jaguar.

Like most comics professionals of this time, Bernstein went largely uncredited, often receiving credit belatedly in modern-day reprints of his work. His first confirmable credit is the signed, six-page story "Ghouls' Gold" in publisher Lev Gleason's Crime Does Not Pay #43. Other early work includes a five-page story in Spark Publications' Golden Lad #4, featuring the character Swift Arrow, plus text fillers for DC Comics and Fawcett Comics, and a 1947 Green Lantern story.
For Marvel Comics' 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics, Bernstein wrote for the war comics series War Comics, as well as several stories of the masked Western character Black Rider. Also during this decade, he wrote for DC's All-American Men of War, G.I. Combat, Our Army at War, Our Fighting Forces, and Star Spangled War Stories; psychological drama in EC's Psychoanalysis and Shock Illustrated; and superhero stories, working with artist Jack Kirby on at least one Green Arrow tale, in World's Finest Comics #99 (Feb. 1959).
With artist Howard Sherman, Bernstein adapted the long-running "Congo Bill" jungle-adventure feature into the body-switching superhero feature "Congorilla", beginning in Action Comics #248
Bernstein's first recorded Superman story, for DC Comics, is "The Oldest Man In Metropolis", in Action Comics #251. Later work includes the DC titles Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superboy (as well as the later Superboy feature in Adventure Comics), and features starring Green Arrow and Supergirl. With artist Ramona Fradon, he reintroduced the 1940s Golden Age superhero Aquaman in Adventure Comics #260 and scripted through at least #282, introducing major characters along the way. One of these, in Adventure Comics #269, was the teen sidekick Aqualad, who decades later would become the adult hero Tempest. Bernstein and artist George Papp introduced the Phantom Zone and General Zod into the Superman mythos in Adventure Comics #283.
Later during this period historians and fans call the Silver Age of Comic Books, Bernstein scripted stories of the Archie Comics characters the Fly and the Jaguar, and, with plots by Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee, some of the earliest Iron Man and Thor stories, in Tales of Suspense and Journey into Mystery, respectively. He also scripted some Human Torch stories, plotted by penciler Jack Kirby, in Strange Tales. He used the pen name "R. Berns" for his Marvel work.
Bernstein adapted the famed radio drama character The Shadow for Archie Comics in 1964, and his last work for that character was the two stories in The Shadow #3. Bernstein's last original DC story in the 1960s was "Olsen's Time-Trip to Save Krypton" in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #101. Bernstein wrote one final comics story, "The Miracle of the Catacombs", which was published in DC's Weird War Tales #91.

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