Publication History
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Originally they were the respective "hosts" of the EC-style horror comic anthologies House of Mystery and House of Secrets, which ran from the 1950s through the early 1980s. During the 1970s, they also co-hosted (along with Eve), the horror/humor anthology Plop!
Cain the Able Care-Taker, created by Bob Haney, Jack Sparling, and Joe Orlando, first appeared in The House of Mystery #175 (July 1968), modeled on writer Len Wein, who was new to the field. A photograph of Wein as Cain can be found in Elvira's House of Mystery #4.
Abel, created by Mark Hanerfeld, Bill Draut, and Joe Orlando, first appeared in DC Special #4 (July–September 1969) and began hosting The House of Secrets with #81 (August–September 1969). Hanerfeld was the model for Abel and also appeared in the Elvira's House of Mystery #4 photograph.
Both comics had been running reprints of Dial H for Hero and Eclipso, respectively, before the introduction of the new host characters.
On the letters page of Weird Mystery Tales #3, Destiny stated that Cain, Abel, and Eve were not their biblical counterparts, whom Destiny said he found much more pleasant. All three originally hosted Secrets of Haunted House, though it eventually became Destiny's title. Cain, Eve, and to a lesser extent, Abel, would taunt Destiny for being dull.
House of Mystery was canceled in 1983. The final issue showed Cain in front of the House, for sale, with his bags packed, and Gregory, his pet gargoyle, behind him. The cover of Vertigo's mostly-reprint Welcome Back to the House of Mystery showed him returning with Abel and Gregory. The House of Secrets and The Witching Hour were eventually merged with The Unexpected and canceled around the same time. Cain (and occasionally Abel and Gregory) then became a supporting character in Blue Devil.
Read more about this topic: Cain And Abel (comics)
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