WANTED: Earth-Two's Most Dangerous Super-Villains

The Society of Six

Group information

Member names: Six members, none named

Residence: Mobile
Occupation: Professional Criminals
First Appearance (Golden Age): World's Finest Comics #4 (December 1941)

Character History

The Society of Six was likely formed in early 1941 from a group of criminals operating in the New England area.  They first came to light in December of that year when they were operating along the coast of Maine where an elderly miser - Peter Dewint - resided in a lonely house in a remote area,  Late in the evening, a thick fog rolled in and tho Dewint had sealed his windows, it still penetrated.  Dewint was seized with pain and loss of breath, falling dead on his floor.    A mile up the coast, Wesley Dodds and Dian Belmont, returning from one the Belmont families estates, were also exposed, albeit at great remove.  They immediately turned the car around and Dodds donned his attire as the Sandman to investigate.  Penetrating deeper into the murderous fog, Sandman was quickly impacted by the fumes and retreated to the car.  There Dian Belmont had been watching the coast line and saw the lights in the Dewint house flicker and fail.

Dodds found a diving supplier store and paid double to open at night, gaining a thick rubber suit to protect him and entered the Dewint home.  There he found Dewint's corpse and a looted chest with a note and stylized dagger from "The Society of Six" claiming the they had taken the contents. Hearing a boat outside, Sandman beats a path back to the car and has Dian follow the coastline until he can see a bank of fog rolling toward another house.  Stopping a safe distance, he ran for it but the owner was collapsing even as he entered.  There he found a large valise crammed with money, and he is counting it, a figure approaches from behind - a member of the Society of Six!  They two scuffle and Sandman clubs with the butt of his gun before making an escape.  Meanwhile two more members of the Society have found Dian and kidnapped her so when Sandman reaches the car, he is alone. He turns to see a boat speeding away, knowing Dian is likely aboard.

Sandman returns to New York to ponder his next move.  He is struck that the Society needs the cover of fog to operate and consults weather reports to learn that dense fog is forecast between Long Island and the coast.  As he prepares to leave, he learns that a man who had staged a major jewel heist was hiding out in the area and concluded it fit a pattern - murdering criminals using something in the fog.  In a seaside village, he buys a small motor boat and prepares his assault,  As the fog begins to roll in, he dons the rubber suit and motors out.  He quickly finds a cabin cruiser and quietly boarding it, discovers the Society firing up a device to aerosolize chemicals into the fogs.  He quickly topples the device and defeats the thugs but Dian emerges from below deck and is caught in the fumes.  He leaps with her overboard to prevent her from being heavily dosed and the returns to destroy the machine and defeat the remaining members of the Society.
He interrogates the two he had overcome and awaits the remaining three remaining members, who he ambushed and binds for  the police with his calling card - sand,

As he motors Dian back to shore, he reveals that the chemical used was Lewisite, a toxin more potent than mustard gas.  Mixing it in the fog and led to the deaths of their victims, usually criminals that would have their loot with them.  Whether the Society of Six continued or had other casework after this is unrevealed.

sandman vs The Society of Six inks Color resize

Powers and Abilities

The Society of Six possessed access to significant resources that they leveraged with the intent of even greater gain.  These resources include a cabin cruiser, access to large amount of chemical toxins, notably lewisite, and protective equipment to use while dispersing it.  They were a strong cohesive and organized group of average to above average levels of fitness. At least some members were sufficiently experienced with chemicals to know how to safely (to them) use something as toxic as lewisite.

Weaknesses and Limitations

Seperated from the equipment, the members of the Society of Six were ordinary men and could be defeat as such.

Multiversity Villains

Multiversity

The Society of Six have not appeared in any timeline but Earth-Two to date.



 

Appearances

Issue

Comment

Reprinted in

World's Finest Comics #4

1st appearance,  vs. the Sandman