Reading The Watchmen!

There is no question that Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is among the finest comic series of all time. The story was a blockbuster when it was first published forty years ago and has remained in print ever since. Moore and Gibbons created an alternate dark universe in which it was always 1985 and Richard Nixon was still president of the United States, victorious in Vietnam, but still in a grisly world over which loomed the threat of nuclear war. It was almost as if time had stopped. 

(Ozymandias, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Rorschach and The Comedian)

In this alternate universe there were superheroes. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were not to be seen, but instead this world had heroes such as Nite Owl, Rorschach, Ozymandias, Silk Spectre, The Comedian and the supremely powerful Dr. Manattan. There had been another generation of heroes in years past, but these five are the ones who we focus on in this story and it is these five who will decide the fate of the planet. But who are these heroes? 

It seems that at first Moore and Gibbons had been given the Charlton Action-Heroes which had been recently acquired by DC as a present for Dick Giordano who had once edited the heroes in the late 60's. But then DC smartly decided to keep the Charlton heroes aside for future exploitation and so Moore and Gibbons had to create new heroes using the Charlton heroes as templates. The first among these, and in many ways the most crucial was The Comedian, a hero based on The Peacemaker. People have long thought Peacemaker by Jim Boyette and Joe Gill to be an absurd hero, a hero who fights for peace. I don't share this opinion but nonetheless The Comedian is presented as a somewhat foul fighter for justice, a man who sees the joke behind the way the world works. He is closely allied with the U.S. government and one of only two superheroes who are allowed to work in the country since the passing of a law forbidding masked vigilantes. It is the Comedian's murder which triggers the story. 

The threat of nuclear destruction loomed large in the 1980's. I felt it myself as a young man as we fretted who might push the almighty button first, us or the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union finally collapsed the threat seemed lifted though the weapons still exist. 

A symbol of nuclear power was Dr Manhattan, the other legal superhero. Manhattan was based on Captain Atom created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko. Atom was caught in a nuclear explosion and reconstituted his demolished body which was infused with radioactive might. Dr. Manhattan was also victim of a nuclear accident and the was "gifted" with a wide range of atomic powers, not the least of which was a strange ability to live in all moments of his life simultaneously. Part of a deadly scheme which started with the murder of Comedian demanded that Dr. Manhattan be driven from Earth, thus setting in motion events which would result in nuclear holocaust. 

The hero who is looking into the murder of The Comedian is the enigmatic Rorschach. When everyone else is content that it was a simple crime, he searches for the story beneath the obvious. His mission is what drives the story and gives it a sense of coherence. 

Rorschach is based on Steve Ditko's The Question. (Mr. A is another more extreme version of the Ditko character and seems also a clear influence on Rorschach.) The Question was Ditko's mainstream creation which most vividly evoked his Objectivist attitudes. In Rorschach there are conspiracies everywhere and even in his unmasked identity the search for the dark secrets is evident. 

The hero most closely linked to Rorschach is Nite Owl, the second hero who bears that name. Both Nite Owl and Rorschach have been banned by law from being vigilantes. Rorschach continues as a criminal while Nite Owl retired. Nite Owl is based on Blue Beetle, most vividly Steve Ditko's revised version of the character who is very much dependent on technology to pursue his methods of crime prevention. 

There are two Nite Owls in this saga, one the ally of Rorschach, the other a retired hero who runs a garage and who famously wrote a tell-all book which uncovered some of the darker aspects of the heroes who preceded the Watchmen. This first Nite Owl is based on the classic Blue Beetle from the Golden Age. 

Silk Spectre is the singular female hero in this bunch, and the youngest of the lot. She's a second-generation hero, following in the footsteps of her mother who groomed her to replace her. She is the paramour of Dr. Manhattan as the story opens and together they form a key chapter of the story, but her relationship with the second Nite Owl is really at the center of the Watchmen saga. Silk Spectre is based on Nightshade, another creation of Steve Ditko who debuted in the pages of Captain Atom. 

The final member of the Watchmen is Ozymandias, the smartest man on the planet. He is based on  Thunderbolt created by Pete Morisi. Ozymandias is a man who started as a hero but finds that fighting crime is a limited effort and so focuses on his many business interests and philanthropy. He has a base in the Antarctic which plays a key role in the story as it unfolds. 

Of the five key Watchmen characters three were created or co-created by Steve Ditko. His fingerprints are all over his story. It's a grim look at a scary time in human history when we all thought doom was just around the corner. 

I've intentionally been vague about key details of the story as not to spoil the story for anyone who might not have yet enjoyed it. It took me some years to realize its greatness as I was away from DC when it first rolled out. But there's no denying it's a classic and deserves a close reading by all comic book fans, especially those who love the Charlton heroes as I do. The story itself takes place mostly during the month of October and the climax is on November 2nd, the birthday of Steve Ditko. Whether that's intentional or a fluke it's still remarkable. Personally given Moore's attention to detail I doubt it's a coincidence. 

The story has been reprinted many times now and can be found in both expensive tomes and cheap versions. I own it three times. More on the Watchmen tomorrow. 

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Blogging The Watchmen!

Just a quick note to the regular visitors that due to problems with Blogger, I have been forced to switch links and other key features to the bottom of the blog. For links and other details about what's happening here, check down below. On the upside, it's motivated me to give the blog a fresh look. Hopefully things will settle down. 

Tomorrow we will begin to wrap up a stormy month with some Watchmen reviews. The more I dig into this classic comic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the more I appreciate it, especially in these dark days. 

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The Multiverse Of Charlton!

I picked up Multiversity- Pax Americana for the very simple reason that I love the old Charlton Action-Heroes and this is as close as we're ever going to get to seeing new adventures featuring those awesome characters.

These characters, created largely under the aegis of editor Dick Giordano were a brief but brilliant attempt to mine the superhero market which blossomed briefly during the Silver Age. Captain Atom and Blue Beetle were dusted off and revamped with new heroes such as Peacemaker, Nightshade, The Question and Judomaster brought along to fill in the ranks.

These characters of course these days are mostly remembered as the inspirations for Alan Moore's iconic Watchmen series and many dismiss them beyond that point. Alas, in this story Grant Morrison, a storyteller with stones, tries to revisit these heroes but clearly through the goggles of the Watchmen variations.

We are invited into a complex story, told by Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, which travels back and forth through time and space with all sorts of visual hijinks, all serving to create some larger mystery and make some larger point. The heroes are not as developed as individuals but merely used as elements of the one-shot story which explores the nature of heroes and justice and how the society can best make use of them.

We get good looks at Captain Atom, a man removed from his fellows by the dint of awesome power and who seems lost inside himself and the universe he sees differently from everyone else. The lovely Nightshade is a very young government agent who seeks to find the right way, but seems out of her depth most of the time. Peacemaker is a man on a mission which makes little sense for most of the story. The Question as always seeks answers regardless, while the Blue Beetle is a loyal government man.

We get glimpses of Sarge Steel and while Rip Jagger the Judomaster doesn't make the cut, his sidekick Tiger is around for a few pages as a member of a superhero unit which has a lot of vintage fun picking out a sobriquet.

The story even has a reference to Charlton's first superhero, the Golden Age Yellowjacket.

(Frank Quitely)

This is a complicated yarn, a mystery which has an answer, but which demands mighty attention from the reader and frankly more than one pass through the material. 

At five bucks for a copy, I guess I should thank Morrison and Quitely for giving me a comic which demands to be read more than once, since the density makes the entertainment value rise.

This is a book any Charlton Action-Hero fan should read, if only to see some vintage imagery and old rather obscure Charlton references hanging around in various panels. It has been collected up a few times. 

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Thunderbolt By George!

When Dynamite Comics got hold of the Peter Cannon Thunderbolt license they unleashed the typical avalanche of alternate covers for the debut issue. Most are sadly unremarkable cash-grabs, but the image above by the late great George Tuska is special for a number of reasons.

Pete Morisi, better known as "P.A.M." (he remained incognito to keep his job as a NYPD cop) created Thunderbolt for Charlton's "Action Hero" line-up. Morisi had been one of Charlton's mainstay artists for years working on westerns and other projects over that time. Thunderbolt was his chance to shine, to bring out his own special vision of what a hero could be. Morisi's style is instantly identifiable, but it has its root in the early work of George Tuska. Morisi was a fan of Tuska's work and in his early days slavishly followed the style of the somewhat more experienced artist, with, according to some reports, a degree of approval from Tuska himself.

As the years rolled by, Morisi's work became more and more stylized, and while the Tuska influence never goes away, it becomes more and more muted behind Morisi's catalog of fixed poses and shots. At Marvel Tuska's work had opened up, infusing the broader action championed by Jack Kirby. But in P.A.M. we see the Tuska of an earlier era yet refined to its essential elements.

So it's oddly appropriate that George Tuska would ultimately create a Thunderbolt cover, closing one of comics most unusual creative circuits.  And it doesn't hurt that it's a striking image to boot.

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Thunderbolt - When Flies The Dragon!

Thunderbolt #60 is dated November, 1967. The new team is in place. Pat Boyette produced the cover image and there's also a new logo for this final issue of the series. It is noted in the letters page that the cover features fewer captions and more action. "When Flies the Dragon" (Special Case Number 0011 for this report's purposes) is written by Sergius O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil moonlighting at Charlton under a pseudonym) with artwork by Pat Boyette. Dick Giordano is listed as the editor. 

The story begins with a quote from the Chinese sage "I Ching" who is shown on the splash page alongside T-Bolt and his opponent. I get the sense that he is the narrator of sorts for the story. The tale begins in an airplane headed from New York for Australia where Peter Cannon is going for a writing job. He is seated to next to an obnoxious "lady's foundation garment" salesman when the plane is suddenly hijacked and they are flown to a remote location in the Australian bush country. There the passengers encounter The Dragon Master who informs them they are all hostages pending the payment of one million dollars and a hydrogen bomb. The unfortunate salesman gets lippy with the Dragon Master who uses his flame-jet gun to slay him. Peter and the rest are taken to a dungeon where Peter becomes Thunderbolt. He slips into the compound and defeats many of the Dragon Master's men before overhearing a radio message directed to New York, a Fu Street, and specifically a place called the "Rooms of Mist". T-Bolt overpowers the operator and sends an S.O.S. He is then confronted by the Dragon Master himself but escapes the fury of his Dragon Gun. An airplane hears the plea for help and wings its way to assist. 

The sound of the coming plane makes the Dragon Master flee in a helicopter as his henchmen scatter. Later in the safety of his hotel room Peter calls Tabu and tells him of his suspicions about Chinatown and the "Rooms of the Mist". Peter returns home to find Tabu missing and a note saying that he had investigated the clue. Peter surmises Tabu has been captured and becomes Thunderbolt again to save him going into Chinatown. He finds Fu Street and soon finds Tabu and his captors and quickly defeats them. Confronting Dragon Master again he and Tabu are captured and imprisoned in a steam room. T-Bolt uses his great will to tear loose steel struts and uses them to bash open the door. He and Tabu escape and T-Bolt races to the roof to confront the Dragon Master again who is once again escaping in a helicopter. T-Bolt breaks loose a television antennae and blocks the rotors, also causing a leak of fuel. Furious the Dragon Master tries to use his Dragon Gun but forgets the fuel and he and his pilot are caught in a fiery explosion. Later Peter and Tabu discuss the case and remember a cryptic comment made by the Dragon Master of one other he'd met who impressed him, and Peter wonders when if ever he might meet this other person similar to himself. "Thunderbolts" offers up six letters this time in a much smaller font that typically used. Two of the letters are filled with praise for the new Boyette artwork and look forward to the changes. Two letters express extreme disappointment that P.A.M. was leaving his creation. One writer gets confused and thinks that O'Shaugnessy had written the previous issue. And one writer wants the Sentinels replaced. Which the editors say they have all ready done.

"The Prankster" is written by Sergius O'Shaugnessy and drawn by Jim Aparo. The editor again is Dick Giordano. Set in the future city of Ultropolis, the Prankster is the enemy of an oppressive state and the the tale begins with him interfering with an execution using a hot air balloon to rescue the unfortunate prisoner. The balloon is high-tech though and moves very quickly. The Prankster leaves the prisoner in the balloon, instructing him how to land it and jumps out, to encounter and defeat two soldiers with laughing gas before making his escape. In the palace of the Tyrant Bane, a Captain Ludovic Wratt makes his report but instead of getting aid from the leader is forced to beg forgiveness from a robotic computer with which Bane has a fetish. Meanwhile the Prankster slips into the underground of the city to meet Hiram Grave a scientist who gives him the technology he uses to battle the government which has outlawed "love, laughter, art...everything that lends dignity to human beings". Grave gives the Prankster a new device, a magic flute but we do not see its secret. The scene shifts to the streets again where a girl has been caught by the police spraying graffiti and the Prankster disguised as an old man intervenes. The story ends as the police hold the girl and the Prankster at gunpoint. The next chapter is advertised as "The Vengeance of Wratt" but it never is fated to appear. 

Once again the great "Action-Heroes? We Got 'Em!!!" ad appears that closes the book on Thunderbolt at Charlton. This is the end of T-Bolt and the end of the Action-Heroes as well. Despite the teases in both the Thunderbolt and Prankster stories we never find out what will happen. The Prankster was a series with potential and Aparo's artwork was typically excellent. The Thunderbolt series under O'Neil was going to be more problematic. Peter changes under O'Neil, becoming more alienated from his role as Thunderbolt. Whereas Morisi has Cannon show reluctance to don the garb, there was never any doubt both Peter and T-Bolt were the same man. With O'Neil there seems to be the idea planted that Peter hates T-Bolt and wants to reject utterly what he represents. It's a more extreme treatment of the ideas that Morisi dealt with more quietly. But it is a treatment that will ultimately require a change of premise. 

But as it turns out it was a moot point. Thunderbolt was a distinctive series, guided by its creator Morisi and assisted mostly by Boyette, the series offered a hero filled mostly with calm, who spoke quietly but always came through. That's a neat counterpoint to the bombast that dominated Marvel at the time. Of all the Action-Heroes T-Bolt has been spared the changes at DC, because of the undeniable fact that Morisi created and maintained some degree of control of the character. Thunderbolt is still what Morisi wanted him to be for the most part, and that's no small accomplishment in the world of comics. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

A bit more Thunderbolt to come. 

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Thunderbolt - Assassins!

Thunderbolt #59 is dated September 1967. The cover for this issue is by Pete Morisi under his P.A.M. pseudonym and it's the last work he did for Charlton directly on Thunderbolt. With this issue the art chores are given to Pat Boyette who filled in on an issue previously and who does both the drawing and writing on this last-minute fill-in issue. 

"Assassins" is the title of this story. (And while the official special case numbers for the stories gets dropped, I will still use them as markers for the remaining T-Bolt stories.) The tale begins with an introduction to the Hooded One who we see sans his hood for the first time. His scarred face is nonetheless still obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. The setting is Morley's Wax Museum in London, England and after Mr.Morley closes up he is assaulted by the Hooded One and an accomplice who steal three wax dummies and then burn down the museum to cover their crime. The pair take the dummies into the depths of underground London as the Hooded One plots his revenge. (Note: Pages 1 and 2 are flipped in this book. I'll have to be honest and say that I don't think it really impacts the story all that much.) Meanwhile Peter Cannon and Tabu are aboard the S.S.Manson heading from American to England and Tabu is a little seasick. Peter is coming to London on a writing assignment. The scene shifts back to the underground lair of the Hooded One where he has returned to his familiar robes and we see that his stolen wax dummies resemble a 30's gangster, an ancient sword-wielding warrior, and the Minotaur. He claims to be able to bring these dummies to life to bring about his revenge on T-Bolt. As Peter and Tabu check into their hotel suddenly the gangster dummy of Machine Gun O'Brien attacks with his tommy gun and only Peter's quick reflexes save the day as he knocks the dummy's head off, and they discover their attacker is wax. The Hooded One is keeping track of this attack in a mysterious pool and immediately dispatches Barbo the Deadly, the ancient warrior. Peter and Tabu prepare to go to see the sights of London, but while Peter plans on Tower Bridge, Tabu wants to check out the Purple Panic, a mod hangout. Tabu suggests that T-Bolts costume will fit in well with the mod fashions of the day. Nonetheless Peter wears an overcoat and they go to enjoy the music of The Scorpions at the Purple Panic. While there Barbo attacks but is quickly defeated by T-Bolt who disassembles the dummy. The Hooded One is furious and sends his henchman to lure T-Bolt to his lair and the prepares the Minotaur dummy. Despite knowing it's a trap T-Bolt and Tabu head into the lair and T-Bolt finds himself battling the Minotaur, but using a torch he melts the monstrous opponent, as the Hooded One escapes vowing to get his revenge another time. Back at the Crown Hotel, Tabu begins to record the adventure, but Peter stops him saying it's too absurd. And Tabu agrees that no editor will touch such a lame story, but then Peter asks him if he's ever heard of a guy named "Dick Giordano". 

"Thunderbolts" offers up three fan letters. One is full of praise for the book though the static nature of the covers is bothersome, another offers to buy back issues of Charlton if other fans will send lists, and the third really likes T-Bolt and will fight to defend his honor as an exciting and original character. An editor's note confirms that P.A.M. is no longer working on Thunderbolt due to time constraints for such a long regular story, though there is indications that he will be working on westerns in the future. Pat Boyette is announced as the new artist and praised for the speedy way he turned around the current issue. Sergius O'Shaugnessy is announced as the new regular scripter for the title. 

The Sensational Sentinels begin their final installment titled "Night of Doom" with Crunch (Brute) Wilson on the verge of pushing a button that will destory the minds of Cindy (Mentalia) Carson and Rick (Helio) Strong. The story is written by Sergius O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil's pseudonym) and drawn by Sam Grainger. Dick Giordano is listed as editor. Before Crunch can push the button though, Rick draws the Mind-Bender into revealing his plot and his past. He says that the minds of Rick and Cindy will be put into two more Titan androids and they will be under his control. With these soldiers and more like them he will gain great riches. He indicates that he was a research scientist who during a "brain wave" experiment was struck by electricity and given great mental powers. While the Mind-Bender has been talking though, Rick has spotted one of Brute's power gloves and has been using his flying pack to gain leverage to reach it. With the glove on, he damages Mind-Bender's machine and he and Cindy get free. Crunch comes to his senses and the trio battle the Mind-Bender who tries to escape. Helio flies and tries to stop him, but they fight with Mind-Bender ultimately losing his balance and falling to his apparent doom. The lab begins to burn and the Sentinels leave through a hole Brute broke open using an inert Titan. The trio escape and wile Crunch wants to go get coffee, Rick and Cindy walk off together leaving him alone and brooding. This will presumably be picked up next issue, but there will not be another Sentinels story.

The book closes with the great "Action-Heroes? We Got'em!!!" house ad featuring Thunderbolt, Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, Judomaster, and Captain Atom. This might just be my favorite house ad of all time. Surprisingly solid issue given the last-minute nature of the production. Thunderbolt nears its end of course despite noble efforts of Giordano and company, the whole Action-Hero line will soon disappear. This story by Boyette has a neat self-consciousness about it giving the tale a bit more whimsy and humor than usual. The Hooded One's London henchman makes quite a few jokes about his role and then Peter's final snippet about Giordano really breaks the fourth wall. This is also reinforced by a fake "memo" used at the beginning of the story from Giordano. So I guess "Dick Giordano" is a character now in the Charlton universe, just like Stan and Jack and the Bullpenners are in the Marvel Universe. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

 One more Thunderbolt issue to go. 

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Thunderbolt - Encore The Hooded One!

Thunderbolt #58 is dated July 1967. Pete Morisi under his pseudonym of P.A.M. back for what will be his final full issue of the character he created. He is listed as the creator, writer and artist of the lead story and he did the cover too. Special Case Number 0009 from T-Bolt's Personal Files is titled "Encore: The Hooded One". 

It begins as do most T-Bolt tales in the secluded mansion Peter Cannon has outside New York City. He and Tabu are boxing and discussing the world. Specifically Tabu brings up the disappearance of a young woman in the Himalayas who was searching for the grave of her father killed during WWII. It turns out that Peter has all ready gotten plane reservations to take them to the Himalayas to search for the girl who turns out to be the daughter of the pilot who crashed his plane next to the lamasery and in which were found an unexploded bomb which was carried away by the man who would one day become the Hooded One. His face was destroyed by his good deed and he was to be rewarded with access to the Ancient Scrolls until the deeds of Peter's parents superseded his claim. His bitterness has made him T-Bolt's most tenacious enemy. Peter and Tabu get to the lamasery and quickly arrange to travel into the mountains to the Cave of the Peaks, the hideout of the Hooded One. Arriving there, Peter becomes Thunderbolt and leaves Tabu in the cavern as he travels deeper into the cave finding again the entrance to a hidden valley filled with all things that have lived including prehistoric dinosaurs. He eludes a Pteranodon and battles a pair of lions before finding a fortress wall. He enters and finds prehistoric dwarves all too ready to fight him. He is about to invoke his mantra to inspire his will when a stone axe knocks him out. He awakes in a room with Lori Carson, the girl they've come to rescue. Soon enough the pair find themselves in an arena where the Hooded One presides as leader of the dwarves. He condemns to the beast of the arena demanding revenge on Thunderbolt and the daughter of the man he holds responsible for his suffering. A giant gorilla appears and T-Bolt must muster all his will to defeat it which he does. Then dispatching the dwarves, he and Carson escape from the fortress. The are assaulted by deadly army ants, but leap into the river to escape and then T-Bolt is able to use the river to escape the valley and the dinosaurs carrying Carson to safety. In the lamasery Lori meets Peter Cannon and Tabu and wishes to thank the man who saved her. They say they came to assist her and she insists on returning with them, saying they are now responsible for her according to ancient traditions. Peter scoffs, but Tabu says it might be so and the story ends as the trio fly back to America. 

"Thunderbolts" offers up three letters this time. One writer praises the odd nature of Thunderbolt's stories, and rejects the critics who want more action at the expense of the characterization between Peter and Tabu. The Sentinels get praise but generally it seems folks want more T-Bolt and fewer pages dedicated to the trio. Dick Giordano indicates the shorter T-Bolt stories have more to do with P.A.M.'s deadline woes than a desire to increase the Sentinels exposure. A new cover design is announced and perhaps a new logo to boot. 

The Sensational Sentinels return in a story titled "Into the Lair of the...Mind-Bender!". The story features artwork by Sam Grainger, but writing this time is by Sergius O'Shaughnessy a pseudonym for Denny O'Neil. The story picks up with Sarge Steel arresting the trio for spying, saying that Dr.Kolotov who gave them their powers was a Soviet agent. But Steel's aggressive nature and his attempt to shoot the trio in an alley convince them he is being controlled and Mentalia uses her ESP powers to overcome him. Then Brute and Mentalia are attacked by a hotdog vendor who they realize must be the Mind-Bender. They repel the attack but he escapes. They then take both Sarge Steel and Rick Strong, also known as Helio to the hospital where the reports are good for both that they will recover. Then Crunch Wilson and Cindy Carson resume their roles as two-thirds of the Protesters, a singing group and try to perform. But they are attacked by a very hostile crowd clearly under the sway of the Mind-Bender. Helio returns just in time to save them using his flying belt and the trio escape. Later that evening Helio gets a call from Crunch and goes to the location only to find that he and Mentalia are taken prisoner by Brute who is under the power of the Mind-Bender. As the story closes, Helio and Mentalia are strapped to tables while Brute pushes a button which will kill them. 

This issue is one of two that my beloved grandmother got me when I was a mere youth. It was my first exposure to P.A.M. and I immediately fell in love with the spare and romantic style of the artist. This is sadly Morisi's last Thunderbolt adventure. He will turn up again on the cover of the next issue, but deadlines apparently were too much for the full-time policeman and so his hero gets turned over to the capable hands of Pat Boyette full time. This is a solid adventure, a few additional pages making a big difference in the apparent scope of the struggle. But there is alas no real solution to the Hooded One's threat.

This issue was reprinted under the Modern imprint in the late 70's. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

 More Thunderbolt to come. 

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