Charlton Comics produced a lot of licensed material over the decades. In late 1971 they put out the first issue of Primus, a comic adapted from the Ivan Tors TV series of the same name starring Robert Brown. The first issue is dated February 1972 and is edited by Sal Gentile, written by Joe Gill and features the artwork of newcomer Joe Staton.
The first story is titled "Double Dealers" and begins with Carter Primus (who we are told invented DASH (Deep Sea Habitat), PUP (Primus Underwater Propulsion Vehicle) and SSS (Sonar Signal System), a rich adventurer who travels the world battling evil and the natural world. We see him on the first page swimming between a beautiful girl and a great white shark which he kills. Then they get to her yacht and he finds out she's Lady Lydia Mabry the widow of Sir David Mabry. She is assissted by a suspicious fellow named Nikki Le Fleche. Carter is treated to a meal then sent packing as the yacht leaves Portuguese waters. But he discovers first that the dumping of garbage from the boat at Le Fleche's orders is what likely drew the shark to begin with. He then flys to Marseilles and there finds out that Sir David and Le Fleche were partners in cocaine smuggling but that Lady Mabry seems not to be aware of that. Primus again meets up with her and gets aboard the yacht but when he is taken to the secret hold by Le Fleche who wants to ambush him, he strikes first and quickly dispatches the villains saving Lady Mabry from murder and the world from the poisonous drug.
The second story is titled "A Ring to Remember" and introduces us to Eizabeth Ryan and Richard Howden a super-rich and notoriously tempestuous couple of actors. Elizabeth throws here million-dollar ring off the boat in a huff and Primus who is on the spot dives to retrieve it when Richard says he'll give $100,000 to charity for the effort. But a shark stops his attempt and Primus has the captain mark the spot. News of the ring's fate has reached shore and other fortune hunters show up. Primus battes them and a really big shark (which he blows up) and snags the ring. But it turns out that ring was a fake and Elizabeth had known all along. Richard throws her into the water but all is forgiven in the final panel.
Next up is a text story titled "Meet The Human Fish". It tells of Professor John Wilmore a man with both lungs and gills from birth. The story esentially relates how he was born and trained by his father to embrace his nature. He now keeps his identity hidden under a flesh collar and very long hair, but uses his underwater capabilities to do good in the world working as a government agent.
The final story is titled "The First Man of the Sea" and this time we find Primus already fighting underwater against a sabateour who is attempting to plant a bomb aboard a submarine. Meanwhile in outer space a capsule prepares for splashdown when it malfunctions forcing the American spaceman to ditch in the Soviet Union. Carter Primus is contacted and flies to the location to rescue the astronaut which he does after battling agents of the Soviets.
These are surprisingly good tight little adventures. Joe Gill's scripts are efficient and effective. Joe Staton's artwork is vivid though it is apparent he's had some help on the artwork. I assume it was touched up in the offices after it was turned in. It's possible that Staton was just evoking the feel of other artists, but I detect the style of Jim Aparo in places as well as a hint of Wayne Howard in spots. Primus comes across as a capable and likeable hero in these stories. There is a sense of the time with the Liz and Dick feud finding its way into a story. These stories don't have the two other regular characters from the TV show, so it's likely that Gill was working from incomplete materials to meet the lead time on the comic when he constructed the script. Neat comic. More to come.
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