When it comes to superheroes inspired by insects, Ant-Man and the Wasp are no doubt among the first names that come to mind. But did you know there was another insect-based hero buzzing around a full two decades before these Marvel icons and is suiting up to celebrate his 60th anniversary? 

Thomas “Tommy” Troy, a/k/a The Fly, was created by Joe Simon as part of Archie Comics Archie Adventure Series. The character made its debut in The Double Life of Private Strong #1 in June 1959, before making his first “full-length” appearance in Adventures of the Fly #1 in August of that same year. Tommy Troy was introduced as a young orphan in the Westwood Orphanage, whose superintendent hired him out to raise money. Troy began working for Ben and Abigail March, where he eventually discovered that the Marches were wizards. 

While searching in the attic, Troy stumbles upon a glowing fly shaped ring that opens a door to another dimension. Out of this door steps Turan of the Fly People, who explains Fly People previously ruled the Earth. However, as they waged war with magic, the Fly People ended up reducing most of the population to common houseflies. Only a few Fly People managed to escape, where they have waited patiently for “one person… pure of heart” to make war against greed and crime. Troy possesses these qualities.

By rubbing the ring and saying, “I wish I were the Fly,” Troy is projected into the other dimension and returns as a costumed hero called the Fly. The Fly costume consisted of a dark green leotard with yellow shorts and a yellow over-the-head mask with a pair of goggle-like eye pieces covering his eyes. As the Fly, Troy has the ability to walk up walls, to see in all directions, to escape from any trap, and acrobatic agility. In later issues, he was given the strength of a million ants, flight as fast as a million flies, durability, the power to shatter materials by vibrating his wings, webbing spun from the small of his back, bioluminescent light, resistance to radiation and the ability to mentally control insects.

Tommy continued as the Fly into adulthood, cleaning up crime in Capital City. He was also one of the few ’60s superheroes who carried a holstered weapon – The Buzz Gun. Named for the buzzing noise it made when activated, this handgun was capable of dispensing non-lethal tranquilizer darts or stun rays, depending on setting. The hero was later joined by former actress Kim Brand as the costumed superheroine Flygirl. The two heroes were later drafted into the newly formed Mighty Crusaders, along with The Comet, Inferno, The Shield and War Eagle. 

While the adventures of the wisecracking hero were fairly standard in the way of superhero fare, his run is notable for the work of comics legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in the early issues. Even after 60 years, those early stories remain a favorite for collectors of Silver Age of Comics.