The original inspiration for the comic book was the movie serial "King of the Rocketmen". This is referenced as Cliff touches down by the South Seas Club next to a line of posters that say "King". Lothar is apparently modeled after B-movie actor Rondo Hatton. The model that Cliff glides with to escape from Howard Hughes warehouse resembled "The Spruce Goose", a plane built by Hughes which was so huge that many people doubted it would ever fly. This explains his ...[Read Story ]