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 Unofficial Hero Hotline Index

Hero Hotline 4

HERO HOTLINE #4

Cover Date: July 1989
Cover Price: $1.75

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


Story: [No Title] (22 Pages)

Credits:

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

Feature Character(s):

Hero Hotline:
Coordinator (behind the scenes; see Comment)
Diamondette
Hotshot
Private Eyes
Stretch
Voice-Over
Microwavabelle
Mister Mighty (formerly Brother Bicep)

Supporting Character(s):

Suzy-Q
Melanie Boulder
Fred
Mrs. Lefferts (last in issue #2)
Ellie Longacre (first appearance; Stretch's daughter)
Hero Hotline Night Crew:
Marie, the Psychic Turtle (last appearance)
Zeep, the Living Sponge
Ms. Terrific (first appearance; see Comment)
Card Queen II (first appearance; see Comment)
Herald II (first appearance; see Comment)
Chlorino (first appearance; see Comment)
Hotline Operators (including a dog-faced one; next in issue #6; see Comment)
other Hotline staff

Villain(s):

Unnamed villain (last in Action Comics Weekly #638/3)
a Mister America robot (first appearance; destroyed)

Guest Appearance(s):

Mister America I (in flashback)
Fatman (in flashback)

Other Character(s):

A comic book reader
an ice delivery man
the Peeps (first appearance; strange animals)
Mr. Peirsall and his three nephews (first appearance of all four; see Comment)
Detective Grobotkin (first appearance)
a police Captain (last in Action Comics Weekly #639/3)
police officers
a Burger Town employee
woman at city clerk office
a cat-owner

Comment(s):

It is implied throughout the issue that the Coordinator is in fact the golden age hero Mister America.
The members of the Night Crew are not called by name in this issue, but have been named elsewhere. Marie the Psychic (sometimes called the Talking) Turtle and Chlorino were mentioned on the editorial pages in issue #1). Ms. Terrific, Card Queen, and Herald were named by DC fan Richard Meyer, and Bob Rozakis later declared their names "official."
The dog-faced telephone operator is reminiscent of Denton Fixx from DC's 'Mazing Man series. However, according to Bob Rozakis, this is not him. Possibly a relative.
Mr. Peirsall and his nephews are obviously based on Donald Duck and his nephews Hewey, Dewey, and Louie.
There is also a Hotline staffer that looks exactly like the comic strip character Alley Oop.

Synopsis:

Mister Mighty is arrested by the police, accused of having murdered Ralph Bartoli. Mighty’s hot temper causes trouble for him, but the Coordinator persuades him to go freely with the police. Stretch's daughter Ellie Longacre agrees on defending Mister Mighty in court.
Hotshot lives up to his name when he gets the assignment from three kids to persuade their uncle to stop smoking in bed. Angered by the man's arrogance, Hotshot sets fire to his bed himself.
The Hotline gets an odd delivery to their door – apparently the golden age hero Mister America frozen into a block of ice. It proves to be an attack on the Hotline Headquarters since "Mister America" is really a robot and has a bomb inside its body. Joining forces, the Hotline members are able to get rid of the bomb. But who is behind the attack?
On minor notes, Private Eyes and Melanie Boulder get their marriage license, and Zeep the Living Sponge leads the Hotline Night Crew in a strike. And a strange species called "the Peeps" are reproducing themselves and filling the office.


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