Hop Harrigan (also known as The Guardian Angel and Black Lamp) first appeared in All American Comics #1 created by Jon Blummer (Fighting Yank, Little Boy Blue) as one of the first successful aviation heroes in comic history (Hop appeared after Tailspin Tommy, Barney Baxter, Connie Kurridge and others). Hop Harrigan was technically not a true superhero (as he had no costume or special powers) though he did meet the Justice Society of America in All American Comics #8, and he did eventually become a superhero from All American Comics #25 (April 1941) to #28 (July) as the costumed Guardian Angel.

Hop Harrigan's story begins with him being raised by his neighbor, who tried to gain legal guardianship of him in order to try to obtain Hop's inheritance (of which he was successful). Hop Harrigan had been orphaned by his father, a legendary pilot, who disappeared on a flight to South America to see his wife. By the time Hop Harrigan had almost grown, his neighbor tried to destroy a biplane that once had been in the possession of Hop's father. Seeing this, Hop angrily knocked the old man to the ground and escaped in the biplane, not planning to return. He arrived at an airport where he saved the life of mechanic Tank Tinker, who became his friend and companion. Tank gave Harrigan his nickname when he said, "Some hop, Harrigan." Later, Hop, Tank and Prop Wash (the pilot who accidentally endangered Tank), along with help from an heiress (who later became Hop's girlfriend), set up the All-American Aviation Company, a company that dealt with a variety of exciting adventures. By the time World War II came, as with most other comics of the time, the Hop Harrigan comic started to have World War II themed adventures as Hop, Tank and Prop joined the US Army Air Corps in service of the war effort.