The Steel Claw (comics) facts for kids

The Steel Claw was a very popular hero in British comic books. He appeared in weekly adventure comics during the 1960s and 1970s. The character came back in 2005 in a new comic series called Albion. This series was published by Wildstorm, a part of DC Comics.

Who is The Steel Claw?

Louis Crandell's Story

Louis Crandell was a smart assistant to a scientist named Professor Barringer. One day, there was an accident in the lab. Louis lost his right hand because of it. He then got a special metal hand to replace it.

Later, another lab accident happened. This time, a new ray was involved. If Louis got a strong electric shock, like from power lines, he would become invisible. The only part of him that you could still see was his metal hand! This invisibility lasted only for a short time.

From Villain to Hero

At first, Louis used his new power to steal things. He became a criminal. In his early comic stories, he was clearly a bad guy. But then, he decided to use his powers to fight crime instead. The comics explained that the accident had made him a bit crazy for a while.

Louis joined a secret British spy group called the Shadow Squad. His steel claw was now super cool! It had different weapons and tools in each finger. It could even be controlled from far away. With his invisibility and his amazing claw, Louis Crandell fought many evil masterminds. He also battled aliens and a bad group known as F.E.A.R. (the Federation for Extortion, Assassination and Rebellion).

The Claw's Gadgets

For a short time, Louis Crandell wore a special metal superhero suit. His claw had many built-in weapons. It could shoot missiles and gas. It also had a radio to send and receive messages. But he soon went back to being a secret agent. His claw became even more high-tech. It was full of gadgets and could be controlled remotely.

After leaving the Shadow Squad, Louis Crandell became a detective. Then he worked as a bounty hunter, catching criminals for money. People sometimes didn't trust him because of his past. So, he moved to South America. There, he kept on fighting crime.

The Steel Claw Around the World

The Steel Claw was very popular in many countries. People in Europe and Asia loved his adventures. The stories where he worked with the Shadow Squad were the most liked.

The Steel Claw in France

In France, The Steel Claw is called Main d’Acier. This means "Hand of Steel." Many of his comic series were published there. They appeared between 1962 and 1980.

The Steel Claw in Germany

In Germany during the 1970s, a magazine called Kobra published many British adventure comics. This included The Steel Claw. But the stories in Kobra were sometimes mixed up or incomplete. The magazine eventually stopped, which made German fans sad. For some reason, The Steel Claw was called "Bert Crandell" in Germany.

The Steel Claw in Finland

The Steel Claw comics were published in Finland in the early 1970s. First, they came out in small "pocket books." Then, they were part of a magazine called "Sarjakuvalehti." This magazine had three or four different stories each month. Most of these stories were about The Steel Claw's time as a Shadow Squad agent.

The Steel Claw in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, The Steel Claw was published in a small comic series called Superstrip. He was known as De Stalen Vuist, which means "Steel Fist." The very first issue of this series was a Steel Claw story.

The Steel Claw in Sweden

In Sweden, The Steel Claw was called Stålhanden, meaning "Steel Hand." His stories appeared in magazines like Swisch and Serie-Nytt starting in 1969. Even in the late 1990s, his adventures sometimes appeared in Seriemagasinet.

The Steel Claw in Portugal

In Portugal, The Steel Claw is known as Garra d'Aço or Garra de Aço. Both names mean "Steel Claw" in English. Many of the stories published there were drawn by the Spanish artist Jesus Blasco. His comics appeared in various magazines like Jaguar, Titã, and Lince.

The Steel Claw in South India

The Steel Claw became a huge hit in India. He was one of the most popular action heroes there. In different parts of India, he had different names.

• In Tamil Nadu, he was Irumbukkai Maayavi.
• In Kerala, he was Irumbukai Mayavi or Urukkukai Maayavi.
• In Andhra Pradesh, he was Ukkupidi Maayavi.

These names usually mean "Iron hand invisible man" or "Steel Fist invisible man." Muthu Comics published The Steel Claw in Tamil Nadu in 1971. Later, Lion Comics also published his adventures. The series was also printed in the Hindi magazine Parag as fauladi panja.

In Kerala, two publishers brought The Steel Claw to readers. His popularity led to other similar detective characters. Some of these characters could become invisible with a special wrist watch. One character, CID Mahesh, was invisible except for his iron helmet. This was a direct idea from The Steel Claw.

The Steel Claw in Former Yugoslavia

The Steel Claw was first printed in Croatia in 1967. He was called "Čelična Pandža." Later, his stories appeared in many magazines across the country until the late 1980s. In Serbia, he was called "Čelična Kandža."

He was also very popular in Slovenia. In the magazine Zvitorepec, he was known as "Jeklena pest," which means "steel fist." About 300,000 people read this magazine! There's even a saying in Slovenia: "ni miru za jekleno pest," meaning "no peace for the steel fist."

The Steel Claw's Names Around the World

See also

In Spanish: Zarpa de Acero para niños