The second issue of Thunderbolt is actually numbered #51. It's Volume 3 of the title formerly known as Son of Vulcan which itself had been known for most of its run as Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds. That the former title was Son of Vulcan is indicated in the indicia, not always something that happened. The book is dated March-April 1966. The story and art is by Thunderbolt's creator Pete Morisi at this time operating under the pseudonym P.A.M.
Special Case Number 0002 from Thunderbolt's Personal Files is titled "The Evil that is Evila!". After a one-page reprise of T-Bolt's origin, the story begins properly in the Himalayas in the lamasery where Peter Cannon was trained. The Hooded One is being chastised and cast out of the lamasery because of his criminal behavior. As he leaves he reflects how he had originally earned the right to study the Ancient Scrolls for an act of heroism where he carried an unexploded bomb from a crashed aircraft away. He was severely injured, losing part of his face which is the reason he hides it behind the hood. He also indicates that he had begun some limited study of the Ancient Scrolls before Cannon supplanted him. The Hooded One returns to his Ice Cave, a weird place filled with frozen dinosaurs in the bowels of an extinct volcano. There he plots and plans to revive the Princess Evila, sorceress of the Nile.
Meanwhile at a museum far away Professor Henry Karl has called in two experts to help him to identify a sarcophagus recently uncovered in Luxor. The two experts are Peter Cannon and Dan Garrett (also known as the Blue Beetle). They identify the inhabitant of the sarcophagus as Princess Evila. After they leave Karl is overcome by a mental attack from the Hooded One who steals his will. He orders Karl to use a rare poition in a vial in the sarcophagus to revive Princess Evila. The black-haired beauty does indeed revive and she takes over the mind of Karl herself and they disappear. Peter Cannon and Tabu read of this odd occurrence and plan to call the police to inquire.
The story is interrupted at this point by a one-page text piece titled "Physalia Physalis" which tells the story of giant twenty-foot Portuguese Man-of-War which threaten an island. The threat is forestalled by killing the vegetation which has triggered the monsters.
In a boxing bout Peter and Tabu debate what they should do. They realize that the Hooded One might be involved given his access to the Ancient Scrolls. Meanwhile Evila has assembled a small army of thugs and criminals and they begin a massive crime wave. Peter Cannon is reluctant to leave his reclusive life to fight, but ultimately is convinced by Tabu and Thunderbolt runs into the fray though the mansion's secret passageways. Heading into the city T-Bolt finds plenty of criminal activity and using his physical skills puts some of it down. But one thug escapes and he follows finding Princess Evila's lair where he sees her take the thug who has just returned and steal his mind. Thunderbolt tears into the mob of criminals and fights using his skills to the utmost. Chasing Evila he pursues her through many traps including "Darts of Death", "Spears of Flame", and "Daggers of Doom". Confronting her, she hits a switch releasing a hidden panel that drops T-Bolt into the water below where he is confronted with a crocodile. He subdues the crocodile and swims back to confront Evila again. They lock eyes and wills but it is Thunderbolt who ultimately wins, breaking Evila who ages dramatically and becomes again a mere mummy.
Finding Professor Karl, the two men take the mummy and leave just as a bomb destroys the hidden headquarters. The newspapers the next day trumpet Thunderbolt's victory. In his Ice Cave the Hooded One vows to threaten Thunderbolt again. At the mansion Peter and Tabu discuss the case and speculate whether Evila will ever return and Tabu points out that her name spelled backwards is perhaps a bad omen. The final panel is a question mark.
"The Atmosphere" is a three-page piece by Bill Fracchio and Tony Tallarico on the wonders of the Earth's atmosphere and man's limited efforts to travel beyond it in jets and spacecraft.
This is a solid issue of Thunderbolt, really playing to the strip's strengths of atmosphere and mood. Morisi's artwork is scrumptious, though I will admit his storytelling falls short a time or two. The Hooded One is more properly established as a nemesis and the modus operandi of T-Bolt is well fixed. I like especially his reluctance to jump into costume. The unwillingness to leave the relative comfort to fight is an honest and natural feeling, though not something often explored in superhero comics. Peter just wants a quiet life, and that's something I can identify with all too well.
The guest-appearance by Dan Garrett is a good touch, and gives the Charlton heroes a broader sense of place. One thing that is both a strength and a weakness of the Charlton books is their distinctive characters. There is no such thing as a house style at Charlton so the books tend to live in their own little microverses. There was not much crossover stuff done, but a small example like this is the kind of mixing I prefer, understated.
More to come.
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