Turok Son of Stone #44 from March 1965 kicks off with "Escape to Nowhere". A meteor strikes and causes havoc among the Honkers but also creates a break in the vast walls that enclose Lost Valley. Turok and Andar think they might have a way out but are blocked by assembled primitives who seek the spot out as worship. This one brings together many of the old tribes Turok has battled in previous issues such as the Spider Men, the Monkey Men, and the last remaining giant. In the second half of the story titled "Escape to Nowhere" Turok and Andar do get out of Lost Valley at long last but when dinosaurs also appear to have escaped, they return to keep the deadly beasts from overrunning their world. The way is later blocked. This issue had three one-pagers "Prehistoric Tombs" and "Bone Tools" and "Extinct Cave Animals". "Clothes of Ancient Man" is a text piece speculating how animal hides were crucial to early man's survival. The "Young Earth" feature is titled "Guardian of the Flame" and tells how primitive peoples might have acquired and mastered fire.
In "The Land of the Plant People" Turok and Andar find a strange section of Lost Valley in which strange plants seem to dominate the landscape and they find the equally strange tribe which has developed a symbiotic relationship with the bizarre plants. The story is divided into two parts titled "The Deadly Maze" in which Turok and Andar are trapped in a maze of strange plants and "The Secret of the Savage Plants" in which the two are able finally to escape the murderous tribe and the deadly plants. There are many one-pagers in this issue such as "Prehistoric Americans". "Fossils", "Dinosaur Bones", and "Weapons and Warfare". "Stone-Age Rembrandts" is a text item about early cave art such as that which was discovered in France in the early 40's. The "Young Earth" feature is "The Animal Trainer" and shows how early man was able to domesticate cattle for his benefit.
One of the most bizarre Turok tales to date is "The Hidden Monster". The strange creature seen in George Wilson's cover above turns out to a representation of the mythical "Honker" who a tribe keeps at bay behind a vast stone wall. When that wall is breached the real dinosaur appears and while not quite as strange is nonetheless quite formidable despite not having four arms nor breathing fire. We meet the creature in "The Legend of Karlak" and Turok and Andar are finally able to end his threat in "The Indestructible Beast". One note is that Karlak is a very strange Honker indeed with weirdly large eyes and fur. The one-pagers in this issue are "The Seed Gatherers" and "The Babylonians". The text item is "The Bear-Worshippers" which talks about the discovery of Neanderthal man. The "Young Earth" piece is titled "The Fort Home" and shows how some tribes deprived of the security of a cave might have built secure lodgings on the water and later reinforced those against attack.
"Outcasts of the Flood" show Turok and Andar weary from incessant attacks in the jungle seeking to build a refuge of sorts in a sturdy high tree. The rig up several security features and even take on a pet -- a tiny Honker named "Reenky". But a massive storm creates a flood and the two survive but are then attacked by primitives who are caught in the torrential waters. Finally, our heroes must give up their sanctuary and find themselves floating in the river. Poor Reenky gives his life to save them. "The Valley of Bones" is a text feature that discusses the Olduvai Gorge and the discovery of Zinjanthropus by George and Mary Leakey. "Young Earth" showcases the arrival of "The Cro-Magnon Man" and explores how this more refined human type lead to civilization. "Place of No Return" picks up the Turok and Andar story soon after they are dumped into the river and finds our heroes in big trouble when they land only to find strange Mud Men seeking to kill them immediately. This strange tribe drives them into a desert territory where the two see monstrous mirages but are to wise to fall for the trick of the mind. They find water and we realize the story of Turok and Andar will continue.
Turok and Andar head to "The Top of the World" in this adventure which sees our Native America duo climbing a large snowy peak to hopefully find a way out of Lost Valley. They encounter strange Yeti-like creatures who pursue them as they and a guide named Dorad try to survive the rigorous climb. They learn alas that there is not escape from the valley to be seen from their vantage point in the second part titled "Danger on Mystery Mountain". "Prehistoric Surgery" is the text piece looking at primitive attempts to deal with maladies by cracking open the skull. The "Young Earth" item is "The Hunter's Strange Quarry" and details many oddball animals such as the "Hairy Mammoth" and the "Wooly Rhinoceros".
In "Flight into Fear" Turok hatches a particularly strange scheme to steal the egg of a flying Honker and raise it in captivity so that he and Andar can use its flying powers to get into the air and hopefully out of Lost Valley. Despite Andar's many protests the plan works almost but ends up dropping our heroes into an even more dangerous part of the isolated valley in which they lose most of their poisonous arrows. They do survive but it's a narrow escape. One-page pieces include "The Daily Life of the Aztec", "Peruvian Farmers" and "The Land Bridge". The text item is "The Giant Effigies" which describe the enormous sculptures in the Earth on the Nazca plain. "Young Earth" features "The Hunter's Tricks" and shows primitive man trying to take some elusive prey.
The volume closes with "The Monster from the Past" for Turok Son of Stone #50. Turok and Andar are still without poison arrows when they witness the rebirth of an especially large giant Honker from the distant past from its icy tomb. They fight furiously against great odds to keep this overwhelming predator from hatching eggs. The two parts of this desperate struggle are titled "Return from the Dead" and "Turok's Capture". The one-page items are "The Aztecs", "Rock Shelter Art", "Diplodicus", and "The Misfits" about strange creatures of the past. "Young Earth" features "The Bitter Winter" and details how Neanderthals had to fight for survival in the harshest times. The text piece is titled "The 20th Century Stone-Age Man" and tells the tale of the final survivor of an oppressed tribe named Ishi.
The action in this eighth volume which takes the series into 1966 was wild as Turok and Andar seemed to be seeking more and more desperate ways to escape their fates in Lost Valley. Despite some stunning setbacks these two remain relentless in their quest and that more than anything is the real message of Turok Son of Stone.
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