Back in the latter part of 1965 Charlton was trying to add onto its stable of "superheroes". They already had Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, and Son of Vulcan. They gave Pete Morisi, then a moonlighting policeman who hid his identity under the pseudonym of "P.A.M." a stab at doing a hero. The result was Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt Vol.1 #1 is dated January 1966. It's incredibly unusual that Charlton actually debuted a comic with a #1 issue. They must've thought they had something special with Thunderbolt. The splash introduction is drawn by Morisi and features the heroes Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, and Son of Vulcan surrounding an announcement from Pat Masulli, the Editor of Charlton heralding the arrival of Thunderbolt.
Special Case Number 0001 from Thunderbolt's Personal Files "Origin of an Avenger" lists only P.A.M. as the creator and artist. The double splash shows T-Bolt facing off against a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a spread of panels beneath showcasing Thunderbolt, The Hooded One, A scar-faced thug we'll eventually know as Dum-Dum Barnes, and the T-Rex itself.
The story actually begins on page four in the Himalayas at a secluded lamasery where Peter Cannon faces a test put before him by the his masters. As he faces three doors he reflects back on how he came to be here. He thinks back to when he was a baby and his parents, two missionaries find refuge in the lamasery when the plagues rips through the region. While there his parents sacrifice themselves to help others survive the plague. As a reward for their courage Peter is taken in and trained by the priests to ultimately receive their highest gift, the Ancient Scrolls. This doesn't sit well with the Hooded One who had to that time been on track to get the Scrolls. We see some of Peter's endless training through the years and we see him meet Tabu, a boy the priests adopt after he's orphaned. Finally Peter is given the scrolls which will open the untapped nine-tenths of his mind which most people never use and he is given a final test, a test of three doors.
That brings the story back to the present as the first of the doors open and Peter finds himself facing five deadly archers. He leaps over the fatal arrows by pure will saying "I can do it...I must do it...I will do it!". The challenges behind two of the doors it seems have been selected by the Hooded One. The second door opens and a tiger emerges.
The story is interrupted at this point by a one page text piece titled "The Dream Camera" which speculates how the world of entertainment would be altered by a machine that would record a person's dreams. This dream camera would make impossible images cheap to film and the article urges that such a camera be built soon.
Peter faces off against the tiger and through will and tenacity defeats the beast. He then uses his powerful mind to stop his bleeding and suppress the pain caused by the tiger. The third door is now open and he sees beyond it merely the outside of the lamasery. The priest tells him that his destiny is to return to his parents' world, the United States and take his gifts with him (which include his distinctive belt and some diamonds). Tabu agrees to come with him.
Quickly the scene changes and we see Peter buying a secluded mansion infamous for its secret passages. Peter and Tabu then set up housekeeping with Peter expressing a desire to remove himself from the world. But the arrival of giant dinosaur eggs at a local museum are a shock to the curators and the world. The Hooded One listens to news reports of the find in his cavernous abode and reveals that he sent the eggs to the museum after digging them out of the frozen wall which contains many prehistoric creatures.
The Hooded One then uses his impressive mental powers to overcome the will of Dum-Dum Barnes a local thung, and he has Barnes and his men slip into the museum and see to it that the eggs are hatched. Two Tyrannosaurus Rex grow quickly from the eggs and begin to menace the city. Peter and Tabu hear the reports on television and Peter wants to help but is reluctant to give up his privacy. Tabu suggests he hide his identity so they use Peter's old training togs, add the belt and boots and a mask and a new dynamic and mysterious figure runs though the secret passageways to the city.
When Peter arrives he assesses the situation and goes to a dynamite shack to get some TNT which he then uses to slay one of the two dinosaurs. Barnes and his men see the attack while they are looting during the T-Rex attacks. Peter sees them and as a thunderstorm erupts and lightning flashes he attacks the scavengers. Barnes runs away to a rooftop but is startled by the other T-Rex and falls to his death. Peter confronts the beast and throws the entire box of dynamite into his maw blowing off the head of the massive dinosaur.
A reporter sees this struggle and dubs the mystery man "Thunderbolt" inspired by a policeman's comment that Peter appeared "like a bolt of thunder". The next day reports talk of Thunderbolt's efforts to save the city. Meanwhile the Hooded One threatens he's only begun his revenge. Peter and Tabu talk about the report and if there will be another time for him, and Peter ends on the notion that they will just have to wait and see.
There is a final panel from the editors wanting to know what readers think of this new hero.
"The Mercenaries" is a three-page comics story with art by Ernie Bache focusing on the role soldiers of fortune play in the world's wars, and seems to conclude that professionals of this type are a moderating influence on the act of war.
And that's the debut of Thunderbolt. It's an exciting issue, filled with Pete Morisi's distinctive and seductive artwork. Clearly there is an attempt to make Peter Cannon a reluctant hero, but a man nonetheless inspired by his parents and his training to help his fellow man. His gifts are vague, but he seems by sheer dint of will to be able to accomplish most anything he desires to do within the upper limits of human experience. His mantra of "I can do it...I must do it...I will do it!" is repeated several times in the tale, and points to the theme that a man is only limited by his perseverance and effort.
There will be more to come.
Rip Off
No comments:
Post a Comment