The Peacemaker #5 is dated November, 1967. The editor is Dick Giordano and the writer of both the lead feature and the back up is Joe Gill. The illustration on the lead and on the cover is by Pay Boyette.
Part I of "The Fire World" by Gill and Boyette begins with Christopher Smith explaining his latest invention to his secretary Nora O'Rourke. He's developed a heat-proof material which can be applied to everyday objects such as clothing making it possible for people to work in extreme heat. He's also redesigned his Peacemaker helmet, ostensibly to make better use of this fire-resistant compound. He is planning to go public with his discovery.
The scene shifts to a circus act featuring a fire-eater named Mr.Blaze who it seems catches fire during his act burning his hands. He learns of Smith's invention and makes plans to steal it when it is being delivered to its location. He burns down the mail room to cover his theft but Smith is suspicious when he hears the news, as his fabric shouldn't have burned. He introduces another invention then, an Absolute-Zero Generator, a small hand-held device.
We find Mr.Blaze now looking to maximize his stolen property when he learns of an island which is suffering volcanic eruptions, causing it to become deserted. He wants to go there and does so. He finds though after disembarking from the ship that a race of molten lava men live on the island and they destroy the ship. Blaze though is able to communicate with them and using Smith's compound is able to thrive in their world. He takes control of them and plots his next step. That comes when a plane comes by and the lava men attack it. Then Blaze develops a small device that will channel the energy of the lava men giving them and himself the ability to propel themselves through the air like jets. The head to a nuclear test site to begin their campaign. At that site is Peacemaker to observe the test.
"Peacemaker Patter" offers up six fan letters this time. Some praise the Peacemaker book, but many want the Fightin' 5 to return to their own title. Again Giordano explains the reality of publishing and that any book not selling one hundred thousand copies or more cannot survive. It is revealed that the infamous lettering machine Charlton uses is used to make the letters page and that is because the typesetting machines broke down just before printing was to begin. But it allows more letters, so they might stick with it. The same device was used on the last Thunderbolt letters page.
Part Two of the Peacemaker story has Peacemaker in the air confronting Blaze and his lava men as they fly to interfere with the nuclear test. After a brief but ferocious battle Peacemaker is captured and awakens on the bridge of the ship and watches as the lava men destroy fighter jets. The ship is overrun by Blaze and his overheated henchmen and they take the ship back to his volcanic lair. Once there Blaze has Peacemaker construct a jet that will make use of the energy of the lava and Peacemaker does so. He also recognizes his heat-proof formula as it's being used by Blaze. After Blaze reveals he will use the jet to take over the world beginning in Washington D.C., he has a lava man stop Peacemaker and send him toppling into the volcano.
Peacemaker is able to survive by using his AZG (Absolute-Zero Gun) device to freeze a pocket which generates an explosion when it melts which propels him out of the volcano. He then uses his rocket pack to return to the "Peace Palace" in Geneva. There he gets another special jet plane and goes to intercept Blaze and his forces, armed with the knowledge that Blaze's formula which he stole has a half-life which is decaying rapidly. Blaze suddenly finds he is blistering and ejects from his special plane which crashes relatively harmlessly into the Potomac. Blaze disappears but the lava men scurry back to their volcanic home and Peacemaker seals them in with his AZG device. The story ends with speculation if Blaze will return.
The Fightin' 5 return in the conclusion of "The Card Carrier" by Gill and drawn by Bill Montes and Ernie Bache. The action begins immediately as Tom Tom reports Hank Hennessey that Frenchy the Fox has followed the vandals to their hideout. He doesn't know that Frenchy is at that moment captured by the thugs but he is able to escape and make contact momentarily before being knocked out. Alerted Hank and Tom Tom get reports from Granite and Sonya. Granite Gallego reports that the man they thought was shot by the policeman was in fact dead before the attack and so the whole thing appears to be a frame with the card being a red herring. Sonya supports this report from inside the movement and the Fightin' 5 reassemble. Tom Tom has gone to assist Frenchy and comes under gunfire, and the rest appear to assist. They take down the attackers, save Frenchy and realize the whole communist plot angle was a ruse by the publisher of the right-wing paper to kindle resentment against the Soviets. The story ends as the assembled FF fly over a safe Washington D.C.
The comic book ends with the excellent "Action-Heroes? We Got'Em!!!" house ad.
In this issue Peacemaker seems more like a regular run-of-the-mill superhero than in in any other issue. Mr.Blaze, a carny turned world-beater is a cliche and undermines the international flavor of the stories told to this point. The story relies on an awful lot of coincidence too, more than is often the case in stories like this. I did like the new Peacemaker helmet, and it points to the notion that Peacemaker would indeed have altered his equipment for different missions. That would've been a neat thing for future issue. But alas this is the final published installment of Peacemaker.
But it's not the last report. Check back in next time for one more installment.
Surprisingly, there' more to come.
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