The Peacemaker #3 is dated July, 1967. Dick Giordano is listed as editor for the first time on the lead feature, and Joe Gill gets his first credit as the writer. He is referred to later in the letters page as the creator of Peacemaker. Pat Boyette is the illustrator and he did the cover.
"Our Future World" begins by describing Gerda Hain, world beauty and scientist, and how she has been chosen to be part of a select group of humans who will survive the coming nuclear holocaust. Others mentioned are mountain climber Hilary Smythe-Jaynes, football star Tony Holusky, and typist Eileen McGowan. These are people chosen by Enrico Lucetti, a physics prodigy who speaks directly to the reader and describes how man will survive the coming disaster by going deep into the sea and he reveals how he's created underwater men himself to help this endeavor.
The story then cuts to the present day and follows Christopher Smith and Gerda Hain as they take a date on the beach. Gerda wants a quick dip in the sea before they have some champagne but she is abducted by Lucetti's mermen. Smith investigates, swimming through shark-infested waters and he is also attacked by the mermen. He goes back to shore and gets his gear to become Peacemaker. As Peacemaker he quickly subdues the mermen and finds Lucetti's underground city under a great shell at the bottom of the sea. He sees Gerda being taken inside and attacks, but eventually he sees it smarter to let himself be taken captive. Inside he confronts Lucetti who describes his plan to Peacemaker and Hain (who by the way immediately recognizes Peacemaker as Smith as does Lucetti). Hain will join Lucetti's paradise and Peacemaker will become a merman. Peacemaker attacks and he and Hain look to foil Lucetti's plans as Part ends.
"Peacemaker Patter" offers up five fan letters. Most are complimentary of the new book but one laments the loss of Fightin' 5 in their own book. Suggestions are made to have Steve Ditko take over the art. There is some discussion about the fact that Peacemaker should eschew his laser and stick to more conventional weapons, an idea Giordano throws out to the fans for more comment. One writer wonders how Charlton can have such a quick response time on letters, getting them in the very next issue most of the time, and Giordano explains they wait until literally hours before press time. This is one of the quirks that made Charlton different for sure.
Part 2 of "Our Future World" begins with Peacemaker and Gerda Hain trying to escape Lucetti's dome. They fend off sharks, but Peacemaker is convinced that Lucetti will want to trigger the nuclear holocaust he's preparing for and indeed Peacemaker finds a battery of nuclear missles at Lucetti's dome city. Peacemaker and Hain are recaptured and again taken before Lucetti. Peacemaker is imprisoned in a hard transparent shell that is resistant to his laser and specially designed penetrating shells. Confident Lucetti ignores Peacemaker when he fogs up the shell making himself invisible. Lucetti prepares for the launch of his missiles while Peacemaker is burning through the floor. He finds Hain below and they find the missile controls which Peacemaker quickly destroys. The missiles self-destruct and Peacemaker and Gerda escape. A desperate Lucetti though finds himself at the mercy of his own sharks.
The Fightin' 5 return in a story titled "Special Prisoner" written by Joe Gill and drawn by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache. The story begins with a U.S. official named Lowell Sims being abducted by U.S. forces for safekeeping. It turns out that Granite Gallego, a member of the FF is a double for Sims and the plan developed by the leader Hank Hennessey is for him to become Sims and get kidnapped by enemy agents who have already kidnapped an important nuclear scientist named Dr.Roy Farney. This is arranged and Granite is quickly taken prisoner and flown to Farney's location. Meanwhile Frenchy, Tom-Tom and Sonya follow and parachute into the location to rescue them both. After some exchanges the do indeed rescue the pair and escape the enemy base. A sidebar to this action has been Sonya and her attempts to win the respect and trust of her colleagues. Granite especially is tough on her though we find it's because he's romantically interested too.
The book closes with another outstanding Charlton Action-Heroes house ad, this one announcing the debut of Blue Beetle and the coming of the Big "C" on the covers.
This is solid issue of Peacemaker, with enough intrigue and a neat science fiction element. This nod to science fiction gives the Peacemaker a broader flavor, making it more than just an espionage story, albeit an espionage story with super weapons. This was my very first issue of Peacemaker, and for many years the only one I saw. The cover is superb, very dramatic and very romantic in the broad sense pitting the Peacemaker and a Merman against each other with Gerda looking on. This cover is a fave of Fred Hembeck too, and you'll see his homage above. And even the Fightin' 5 feature this time seemed complete and the storytelling was tighter too. All in all one of the stronger issues of the Action Hero run.
More to come.
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