Numerous comic book characters have fought to protect America from medical threats...
...whether from terrorists/saboteurs from other countries or criminals right here in the good ol' USA!
This never-reprinted story from Quality's Hit Comics #2 (1940) was written by Toni Blum (one of the few women writing comics during the Golden Age), but the artist under the "B H Apiary" pen-name is unknown. (An apiary is a group/colony of separate bee hives close together)
While other characters like The Crimson Avenger and The Sandman borrowed The Green Hornet's "wanted criminal in a fedora and overcoat" motif, the Red Bee took the "colorful insect wanted by the police" concept and went in a different direction...a skintight costume with transparent sleeves and actually using live insects!
Besides trained bees (Can you actually train bees?), the two-fisted adventurer used a "stinger" gun that shot tranquilizer darts (paralleling the Green Hornet's knockout-gas gun)!
Note: bees, wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets are all from the same sub-species of insects.
Quality's editors must've thought the concept was a winner, since the Red Bee was cover-featured on Hit Comics' first issue, plus a run of several consecutive issues a few months later.
(Most of the time, characters were rotated, with each one getting a cover every 3-4 issues!)
Despite the promotional push, the Red Bee disappeared after Hit #24, but returned in DC's All Star Squadron in the1980s, only to be killed off shortly after his reappearance!
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