This is the last issue of Charlton's Ivan Tors' Primus adaptation. George Wildman is the editor and for one last time Joe Gill handles the scripts and Joe Staton is the artist. Joe also did the rather exciting cover, the only Primus cover to actually have some significant action on it. Also I should finally mention that Charlotte Jetter is the letterer on this issue and has been for all the Primus comics.
The first story is titled "Crisis at 40 Fathoms" and once again we start with a real splash page (no pun intended) under water with Pirmus under attack by scuba divers but this time it's an out-of-sequence scene and the story actually begins aboard the Orca with Toni and Primus talking about a difficult salvage dive. He offers to take her to dinner at a swanky place called "The Glades" and next we are at the nightclub. An entertainer, a many named Richard N. Mixon is the headliner and he's a comedian who mimics the famous ex-President (who was still in office at this time of course). Two gunsels though walk away with Mixon after his show and Primus gets suspicious, goes back stage and is gets a karate chop to the back of the neck. Toni finds him and they call the White House about the situation. Later Charlie Whitman gives Primus a call that the international phone cable has gone out and the government wants Primus to check it out. He agrees and soon the deceptively swift houseboat/lab the Orca is racing to the scene. But it seems already at the site of the break are some divers and a submarine. In the sub are the missing Mixon and another man Panyi who can mimic the Soviet Premier of that day. The villain is a man named Dr.Wylie Forbush (who resembles Sydney Greenstreet more than a little) and his plan is to spark World War III by having these imposters place bogus phone calls to the world leaders. Primus investigates but sees a guy planting a bomb on the Orca and and defuses it. He heads back down to the bottom and confronts the two divers at the sub, but he's shot with a dart and taken aboard. There he learns of Forbush's plan which has been stalled because Mixon refused to participate and has been knocked out under torture. He awakes and causes a disruption that allows Primus to attack the villains and defeat them, and soon enough the authorities arrive to take them into custody. The story ends with an exhausted Primus refusing calls from a thankful White House, preferring the evening with Toni.
The Human Fish story this time is titled "Starfish Trouble" and Professor John Wilmore, the man with both gills and lungs is called upon to solve an ecological disaster. It seems the Crown of Thorns starfish is multiplying in vast numbers and is destroying a coral bed which is lifeline for a group of Pacific islanders. Wilmore investigates and offers the novel solution of buttressing the coral bed with concrete and waiting to see if the burst of starfish population is a natural cycle. It seems it was and the story ends happily.
The second Primus story is titled "Saboteur" and begins with Primus investigating what might be cutting fishing nets off the Grand Banks. He finds mysterious scuba divers who get him caught in a net and escape. He goes topside and talks a fisherman named Dan and tells him of the sabotage. Then all of a sudden a large Russian trawler appears and almost swamps the fishing boat. Primus is convinced the Russians have a habitat hidden on the seabed and are causing the trouble, so down he goes again. He finds the habitat and sabotages the air supply. The divers have to call the trawler for help and Primus uses that chance to attach small explosives to the propeller and rudder of the boat, effectively disabling it. The story ends with the Russian captain looking through his binoculars at a waving Primus who wants to make sure they know who won this round. Dan says that Primus is "fantastic" and Primus says he won't argue the point.
And that completes the run. The last panel of Primus waving is a nice goodbye, so it's likely that Joe Gill and Joe Staton knew this was his last Primus story. If not, it's a neat coincidence. Joe Gill's scripts have been solid all through the run. This final issue features Staton in all his glory. There's lots of action and some interesting storytelling angles. It's clear that Primus was a learning experience for Joe Staton who would soon enough strike gold at Charlton alongside Nicola Cuti with E-Man.
It's been fun. No more to come.
Rip Off
The Human Fish story this time is titled "Starfish Trouble" and Professor John Wilmore, the man with both gills and lungs is called upon to solve an ecological disaster. It seems the Crown of Thorns starfish is multiplying in vast numbers and is destroying a coral bed which is lifeline for a group of Pacific islanders. Wilmore investigates and offers the novel solution of buttressing the coral bed with concrete and waiting to see if the burst of starfish population is a natural cycle. It seems it was and the story ends happily.
The second Primus story is titled "Saboteur" and begins with Primus investigating what might be cutting fishing nets off the Grand Banks. He finds mysterious scuba divers who get him caught in a net and escape. He goes topside and talks a fisherman named Dan and tells him of the sabotage. Then all of a sudden a large Russian trawler appears and almost swamps the fishing boat. Primus is convinced the Russians have a habitat hidden on the seabed and are causing the trouble, so down he goes again. He finds the habitat and sabotages the air supply. The divers have to call the trawler for help and Primus uses that chance to attach small explosives to the propeller and rudder of the boat, effectively disabling it. The story ends with the Russian captain looking through his binoculars at a waving Primus who wants to make sure they know who won this round. Dan says that Primus is "fantastic" and Primus says he won't argue the point.
And that completes the run. The last panel of Primus waving is a nice goodbye, so it's likely that Joe Gill and Joe Staton knew this was his last Primus story. If not, it's a neat coincidence. Joe Gill's scripts have been solid all through the run. This final issue features Staton in all his glory. There's lots of action and some interesting storytelling angles. It's clear that Primus was a learning experience for Joe Staton who would soon enough strike gold at Charlton alongside Nicola Cuti with E-Man.
It's been fun. No more to come.
Rip Off
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