The Silver Scorpion

The SILVER SCORPION


The Silver Scorpion was actually Betty Barlow, the secretary of private investigator Dan Hurley. While at a costume party one night, dressed in tights and a cape with a silver scorpion logo on it, Betty had to battle a gang of crooks. Inspired by this event, she became the Silver Scorpion. Eventually, she traded in her tights for a suit of armor designed by a Professor Carson.

The Professor had also invented an oscillotron that was needed by the Battle Axis. Battle-Axis members Strong Man, Spider Queen, and the Human Meteor broke into Professor Carson's laboratory to steal the oscillotron, and Betty and Dan were also there. Actually, the Thin Man had anticipated the Battle-Axis' attempt to steal the oscillotron and asked Betty to be there with her Silver Scorpion armor. Dan Hurley overheard her conversation with the Thin Man and decided he couldn't let her go alone. Unfortunately, the blood-thirsty Battle-Axis members killed Prof. Carson and Dan Hurley. They thought they had killed Betty, but she survived and donned her Silver Scorpion armor when Captain America and Miss America arrived. Betty helped the Invaders' members battle their Nazi foes and accompanied them as they went to attack the rest of Battle-Axis. Although the Invaders and their new allies defeated the Battle-Axis, Betty was still depressed over losing Dan Hurley, the love of her life. What happened to the Silver Scorpion after this adventure is unknown.

INSIDE STORY: The Silver Scorpion never actually wore armor in her 40s incarnation, but Roy found her costume to be too unimpressive and updated her for the 90s. He had initially planned to have her appear in her original costume and then switch to the armor in the Invaders Limited Series, but went ahead at the last minute and gave her the armor for the duration of the story. Like the Blazing Skull, I think if Roy ever does another Invaders story he'll make the Silver Scorpion an official (but short-lived) member of the Invaders. While it could've been possible for her to be a member of the team, she was obviously gone by the time of the All-Winners Squad. We'll just have to wait and see if Roy ever writes our favorite Nazi smashers again!

First Appearance: DARING MYSTERY COMICS #7

Other Appearances: DARING MYSTERY COMICS #8, COMEDY #9, INVADERS (Limited Series) #2-4

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