Unusual Heroes: Pteranoman! #1 (Kitchen Sink, 1990)

Don Simpson is best known for the hilarious antics of his Megaton Man creation, but he also created many other characters such as Pteranoman: Dinosaur Fighter!...a guy that dresses up as a dinosaur and...fights dinosaurs!

Pteranoman first appeared in Shell Shock, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles anthology released in 1989. Simpson drew a story called “Teen Techno Turtle Trio Plus One!” featuring a "what-if" alternate reality where the turtles are actually just human actors in suits. Splinter sends them to a lost area called Dinosaur Peninsula where they are rescued from hungry dino's by Pteranoman and the Cave Babes.

Excerpt from "Teen Techno Turtle Trip Plus One":

Pteranoman's next appearance would be in this self-titled release a year later, and would become my favorite work of Simpson's. The issue further describes Pteranoman's powers, his plight, and the interesting cast of characters that surround him such as Lisa and the Cave Babes.

Check out Pteranoman's gadgets:

And the story begins:

Senator Pete Teriano is fuming over an illegal toxic dump sight in Stalactite City:

Pete decides to do some recon as Pteranoman as Lisa ponders the costume!:

Pteranoman soon returns to his top secret Pteranopeak HQ, where the Cave Babes await:

Soon they discover dinosaurs have erupted out from under the toxic waste dump after an earthquake hits. The Cave Babes hop into their Pteranocopters and follow Pteranoman to the dump, where they find this ferocious T-Rex...

...and quickly dispose of it using Pteranoman's newly-designed warheads:

The T-Rex gets obliterated, and Pteranoman saves the day...only to succumb to a local professor's disdain for killing such a specimen, which causes Pteranoman to rethink his plight:

The professor turns out to be even more diabolical than the T-Rex before him, as he intends to fuse with the molecules of the dead dino in hopes of achieving immortality. But it all goes wrong, and he turns into Tyrannoman: Bun Biter!

 

 Meanwhile, Pteranoman and the Cave Babes move the rest of the dinosaurs to a new location, calling it the Dinosaur Peninsula:

Pteranoman seeks the Professor and is greeted by his new nemesis...Tyrannoman!:

The strength and fury of Tyrannoman almost proves too much for the surprised Pteranoman, but he still has some tricks up his "wing":

Tyrannoman falls into the chasm made by the earthquake, and an aftershock closes the fissure, sealing Tyrannoman within. And somehow the T-Rex gets patched up:

And, an ending:

The issue also featured appearances by other Simpson creations like The Phantom Jungle Girl, Cowboy Gorilla, and Mr. and Mrs. Megaton Man. There is also a page depicting the next issue of Pteranoman facing alien invaders, but sadly no future issues ever made it to circulation.

Pteranoman and the Cave Babes have appeared in a few issues of Megaton Man, but it's almost unforgivable that these characters haven't seen more of the spotlight. The idea and the gadgets might seem incredibly stupid to some, but that's the point: it's a quirky character in a lighthearted comic world, so you better check the serious intellectual stuff at the door. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and it's a damn shame.