Daredevil Battles The God Of Storms!

First mentioned, to my knowledge at least, in the pages of The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer is the legendary tale of how a Golden Age comic book was created in a single weekend, one in which the survival of the artists themselves was in some meager doubt. The comic book in question is the second issue of Daredevil Comics from Lev Gleason Publishing which hit the stands in the summer of 1941.

This tale has been told in several venues and even immortalized in fictional form in Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It kindles the imagination for a number of reasons, one it speaks to the helter skelter nature of comic book creation in its infant days, how raw energy often substituted for craftsmanship and care. How comics are an art, but they are also a product for sale which are fashioned within the demanding rigors of a deliberate and often unforgiving schedule.

Things have changed nowadays with comics having been reduced to a minor art and no longer a true mass medium, but throughout most of the history of the comic book, we fans want our comics to be good of course, but first and foremost we wanted them to simply be. We were eager to buy and publishers were sure to have it available so that the opportunity would not slip by.

I most recently ran across this legendary yarn in the biography Jerry Robinson - Ambassador of Comics, in which the story is told from the perspective of one of the men who was there on that prodigious weekend of March seventeenth.  The story goes that a gaggle of young energetic artists and writers assembled at a sparsely furnished New York City apartment rented for that very reason. Charles Biro has learned that because of a need to use up their allotment of paper they needed a new comic ready for the presses and they needed it by the following Monday. To that end the talent was assembled and given largely carte blanche to create stories to fill the needed sixty-four pages.

Charles Biro would handle the lead feature Daredevil which accounted for the first thirteen pages. After that it was every man for himself as a ferocious binge of creation ignited. Bernard Klein created "The Whirlwind" about boxing, and other talents such as George Roussos and Dick Wood contributed "Nightro". Jerry Robinson himself created "London", a masked hero who was involved with the Blitz. Dick Briefer wrote and drew "Real American". Others did what they could, creating characters, some which would only appear in this single comic, in the mad rush to hit the deadline.

New York City under snow in March, 1941

The story then takes a dangerous turn when, while the artists are furiously creating in the apartment a heavy winter storm strikes the city, closing down everything save the subways, and forcing stores to close. Getting something to eat was problematic, and Bernie Klein was sent off into the white wastes to find sustenance. He returned hours later with only some eggs and a can of beans. The artists desperately pried loose ceramic bathroom tiles and created a fire to cook the eggs and heat the beans, which staved off fits until the streets quickened with life once again.

Needless to say, the book was completed and assembled and sent to the printer on time. This story shows not only the ruthless nature of publishing but also the wild bristling energy which informed the earliest days of comics, an art form still in its infancy and eager to please the audience which fondled it with such devotion.

The story is made more poignant in that Bernie Klein, a talent with much promise was one of those multitude of young men who lost their lives defeating the Axis powers on the battlefields of Europe. His death made all the more tragic, because as the legendary weekend showed he was like so many of his peers a man filled with spirit and life.

Daredevil must break out the boomerang and confront an evil from ancient history when a deadly mummy is revived. Charles Biro presides. 

Terry Turner is a powerful boxer, but he might have met his match in Jean Jacques, a savage lumberjack. Dick Wood and Bernie Klein do the honors.

Nightro isa rather nifty version of Dr. Mid-Nite when Hugh Goddard is blinded in a radiation accident. He can see in the dark thanks to special lenses and mops up the criminals who attacked him. Dick Wood writes and George Roussos draws this one. 

Dash Dillon at Hale (not Yale I notice) is a sports natural and is recruited by a young woman to join the team and save the season for her school and her dad, the coach. Ed Ashe is both writer and artist. 

Pioneer is a naive young man who lives in a remote valley and is lured to civilization by some thugs who see riches. He turns the tables. Bob Woods wrote this one for Jay Gahr. 

The Bronze Terror is "Real American #1". He's a denizen of the Indian territory and uses his strengths to save the chief from villains who want to prey on the people. Dick Briefer is man for this one. 

London is the hero and London is the place where a brave young man fights against the Nazis for the sake of us all. This one is all Jerry Robinson. 

Pat Patriot is born when a brave young woman stands up for her overworked companions and discovers a smuggling ring. Bob Wood likely wrote and Reed Crandall might well have drawn it. 

The Claw is in fine malicious form as he steals a train and all the men aboard it. He tries to blackmail the government, but one brave man has an idea which might defeat the towering menace. This one is by Bob Wood. 

To read this epic iconic comic in its glorious totality check this out. They don't make like that anymore.

I enjoyed this wild yarn in the pages of The Original Daredevil  Archives. Tomorrow. we back things up a bit, as the Dojo takes a look at the debut issue of this comic book series. 

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Thunderbolt - Where Stalks The Mummy!

Thunderbolt #55 is dated December 1966. Again, the entire Thunderbolt story is written and drawn by P.A.M. the pseudonym of Peter Morisi. Special Case Number 0006 from T-Bolt's Personal Files is titled "Where Stalks the Mummy?". 

The story begins with Peter Cannon and Tabu playing basketball and once again discussing Peter's role as Thunderbolt, and Peter repeats that he is reluctant to involve himself in a world filled with greed and hate and violence. The scene shifts to Egypt and an archeological dig where Professor Hugo Drummond and his team unearth a sarcophagus with an undisturbed mummy inside. Drummond only wants the mummy for his work, rejecting the other riches and has the mummy shipped to his castle-like armory in America. He begins a series of experiments searching for the gift of immortality the ancient Egyptians have possibly hidden in the mummy. He uses technology to connect himself mentally to the mummy and a merging takes place with the mind of Drummond and the mind of the slave who was mummified blending. It is primarily Drummond's consciousness though that now animates the mummified body. He then uses his new-found power to kidnap his former colleagues and begin a crime wave of terror. 

Tabu and Peter Cannon read of these events, the crimes carried in many newspapers it seems. And Tabu convinces Peter once again that he has a responsibility to become Thunderbolt to help his fellow man. Peter though reveals that his reluctance comes from his desire to work peacefully and not through violence, but he ultimately accepts that he must. He follows the clues to Drummond's castle and finds the kidnapped archeologists and Drummond in his mummy form. Drummond is just about to kill the men in his gas chamber when T-Bolt appears and breaks the glass of the chamber freeing the men. Thunderbolt then pursues Drummond into the basement of his castle but is under surveillance by camera as he does so. Drummond unleashes a fully-grown tiger on T-Bolt and it takes all of T-Bolt's skill to defeat and possibly slay the man-killer. Thunderbolt then confronts the mummified Drummond and they fight, with Drummond finally falling from the parapet of the castle. The castle then catches fire as T-Bolt leaves. Later no sign of Drummond is found as Tabu and Peter discuss the case in his secluded mansion, and they note that Drummond's human body is now under observation though it seems in a vegetative state. They wonder if such a thing as the mummy could exist, but ultimately are forced to accept that such superior beings as the mummy and Thunderbolt himself exist. 

The Sensational Sentinels return in a story titled "Beware...The Menacing Mind-Bender!". The story is edited by Dick Giordano, written by Gary Friedrich, and drawn by Sam Grainger. The story begins with the trio trying on their new uniforms and arguing incessantly all the while, especially Crunch Wilson know as Brute and Rick Strong known as Helio. Cindy Carson known as Mentalia tries to keep the peace as much as she can. Ultimately, they head into public and endure the stares of the crowd each harboring secret thoughts. Rich wonders what money can be made in addition to the good they can do, Cindy only wants to help her fellow man, and Crunch is reluctant and looks forward to his pro football contract. They see a purse-snatching and intercede, but their inexperience comes into play as Helio smacks into a street sign and Brute crashes through a brick wall. They get arrested but are bailed out by their manager "Colonel" Juniper Julep who wants them to appear as the folk singing act "The Protesters" on the Ed Sullivan Show. He says they can wear masks on stage to protect their identities. Meanwhile the leaders of the world are undergoing changes in attitude which result in war being declared between Russia and the United States. The Sentinels get a message from the late Dr. Kolotov (who gave them their powers) by way of his grandson Billy and they learn that he feared one former colleague known as the Mind-Bender. No sooner do they learn this than they are attacked themselves by a robot sent by the the Mind-Bender and after a brief struggle they send the machine out the window, but out of the ruined machine a warning from the Mind-Bender erupts and the Sentinels brace for more attacks. 

"Thunderbolts" features four letters from fans. Among the concerns are a desire to see Blue Beetle again and the new Ditko version of the hero then appearing in Captain Atom is promoted. One writer thinks P.A.M. is a woman and is corrected. There are a number of requests for original artwork, but Dick Giordano says that selling this material is not possible. As he puts it "For reasons too lengthy to go into in this space, we MUST keep all of it! It is carefully stored and indexed, and it is necessary to our operation that we maintain this procedure." Given the haphazard way the artwork was ultimately treated, with much of it forgotten and destroyed carelessly, this is painful to read today.

 And that wraps another issue. This particular issue of T-Bolt seemed the most formulaic yet. The threat was defined, T-Bolt reluctantly goes to fight it and is triumphant but broods. Maybe it's the loss of pages, but the ending seemed a bit abrupt without an interesting twist. The villain was a nice one though and seemed poised for a return at some point. The Sentinels story was full of plot for such a small tale, but still the incessant bickering among the team does get tiresome very swiftly. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

The Sentinels get an entry in The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris. They are better than that, but maybe that's nostalgia talking. 

 More Thunderbolt to come.

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Thunderbolt - This One's For Tabu!

Thunderbolt #54 is dated October 1966. Again, Pete Morisi using his pseudonym P.A.M. is responsible for the story and art for most of the issue including the cover. Special Case Number 0005 from T-Bolt's Personal Files is titled "This One's for Tabu!". 

The story begins in Peter Cannon's secluded mansion where he and friend Tabu are discussing the Peter's role as Thunderbolt and the current whereabouts of the Hooded One. Peter is still reluctant to become T-Bolt. The two get into the boxing ring yet again and spar but Tabu using Savate knocks Peter onto the canvas for a change. But before Peter can retaliate Tabu collapses. A doctor then informs Peter that Tabu has contracted African Tryanosomiasis better known as "Sleeping Sickness". The doctor regrets that there is no cure. But Peter knows of one from his days in the Himalayas and immediately takes a trip back to the land that gave birth to Thunderbolt. He consults the High Abbot of the lamasery and discovers that the plants he needs have been destroyed by the winter snows. But then Peter remembers the "Cave of the Peaks" a dangerous location where the Mongols patrol, but where all things exist. He immediately heads off on horseback to find it. He is confronted by Mongols and his horse is killed by gunshots. But when the Mongols attack in close quarters Peter overcomes them and they then tell him of the location of the Cave of the Peaks. He again rides into the snow and eventually discovers the cave. Inside he changes his wet clothes but finds only his Thunderbolt costume which Tabu persistently packs in his supplies. Putting it on he explores the cave and finds dinosaurs frozen in ice. 

He is then confronted by the Hooded One and the pair exchange threats. Put Peter leaves the Hooded One and explores the cave further and discovers an opening into a hidden jungle region seemingly from the prehistoric past. He starts his search for the plants he needs and encounters many types of dinosaurs even getting charged by a Styrachosurus (a one-horned dinosaur similar to the more famous Triceratops). He avoids the beast which gets its horn stuck in a tree. Taking to the trees, Thunderbolt explores the jungle further before he is struck down by tiny arrows fired by pygmy warriors. Using his vast will power he overcomes the effects of the arrows and charges into his small attackers overcoming them when they suddenly run away. The reason is all too obvious as a Tyrannosaurus Rex appears. T-Bolt takes a spear and launches it puncturing the beast on its nose. It dies and the pygmy warriors are impressed enough to help T-Bolt find the plant he needs. Quickly he retraces his steps and is soon flying back to America. At the hospital he arrives with only an hour to spare as the cure awakes Tabu. Peter tells a grateful Tabu that he only went on this quest so that they could have a return boxing match and Peter could repay Tabu for his kick to the head.

 

"Behold...The Sentinels" is a new back up feature created and written by Gary Frierich and drawn by Sam Grainger. The story begins in a smoke-filled Greenwich Village nightclub where a trio of folk singers called "The Protesters" are performing. They are Rick Strong, a 21-year old college graduate, Cindy Carson, a 19-year old beauty with a future in Hollywood, and Crunch Carson a beefy fellow with a potential future as a professional football player. After the performance in their dressing room they are arguing with Rick indicating that unless they find some financial success relatively soon he might have to take a job as a teacher. The keep bickering for some time when a small boy opens the door and asks them to come see his uncle Mr.Jones their landlord. The go to see him and he reveals that his real name is Kolotov and he's an exiled Russian opposed to Communism. To that end he has invented some great weapons that he wants to share with the trio, who he has been watching for two years preparing for this moment. He gives Rick a power pack that straps to his back which will make him lighter than air and he dubs him "Helio:, he gives Cindy a headband which will give her ESP and dubs her "Mentalia", and finally he gives Crunch a pair of gloves which will make him super-strong and he dubs him "Brute". Crunch demonstrates the power of the gloves by punching through a solid oak door. Kolotov makes the trio swear a pledge to use the devices only to combat evil and promptly dies. The three agree to stay together and become Sentinels of Justice. 

"Thunderbolts" is the name of the letters page and this time offers up four letters. The lackluster cover design of Charlton books is mentioned. One fan thinks that P.A.M. is actually editor Pat Masulli, but is disabused of that notion. One fan regrets that P.A.M. has left the westerns and Dick Giordano, the editor who did these pages informs us that P.A.M. does comics part time only. The Sentinels back-up feature is mentioned and a new policy is announced that all of Charlton's Action-Hero books will feature back-ups and fans should certainly let editorial know what works and what doesn't. And that wraps another Thunderbolt issue. 

With this installment the book is fully ripened. The T-Bolt adventure is a dense one filled with good action, and the concern Peter has for Tabu gives us an insight into this aloof hero. The addition of the Sentinels completes what will be the format of the book for several months. I found the bickering between the trio a bit hard to take since it had so little background to support it as relevant characterization. It seemed forced like Friedrich wanted to ape the Marvel style which was becoming dominate in the comics of the time. Mighty Comics was the worst offender of this habit of creating bickering heroes, but sadly losing the deep context which made it work so well for Marvel. The Sentinels is a very Marvel-feeling strip, especially with Grainger's artwork. I really like Grainger though I know many folks don't. He's got a lively line and there's a real energy to his work. The strip is a very neat visual counterpoint to the more austere Thunderbolt lead. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

Tabu unfortunately gets an entry in The League of Regrettable Sidekicks by Jon Morris. He didn't deserve this ignominy. 

 More Thunderbolt to come.

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Thunderbolt - Enter The Tong!

Thunderbolt #53 is dated August 1966. This is one of two Thunderbolt appearances this month, the only time this happened in a single month I believe. The work as usual is by Pete Morisi under his famous pseudonym of P.A.M. 

Special Case Number 0004 from T-Bolt's Personal Files is titled "Enter...The Tong". The story begins at midnight in a secret lair in the countryside. Criminal types have gathered together as a bizarre ceremony begins around an Oriential-style idol of evil. Dancers appear and the ritual rises in pitch until all within the chamber are chanting "All hail the Tong!" over and over. The idol slips away into the floor and out of flames appears a white-haired Asian man who commands all to be silent. He is The Tong, also the name of the organization. He identifies a traitor in their midst and quickly shoots him and order him disposed of. The Tong then introduces his greatest weapon, a giant armored tank with a drill on its nose which will plow through the earth. With this weapon he declares the Tong will rule. The scene shifts to the secluded mansion of Peter Cannon where Peter is training. He gets a call from the police who indicate that the man they had inside The Tong has been found shot and is currently in a coma. They want expert advice from Peter who is a famous writer and expert on things Asian. He identifies a symbol they found tatooed on their man's wrist as a Tong symbol, and Peter informs the Police about the old Tongs and how they rose to power originally as vigilante groups but became criminal organizations, and that a story persists that they will rise again. Peter leaves the meeting saddened by mankind and the way in which people cannot find ways to live peacefully. But he also realizes that Tabu is his conscience and that maybe he's too hard. 

"Raymond the Rain Maker" is a one-page text story about a drought which brings the skeptical leaders to consult Professor Raymond Raney who claims to have Jiburo indian spells to make it rain. He wants one million dollars to create four days of rain and does so, but the leaders refuse to pay him. He then creates a deluge and demands ten million to make it stop. They pay him and he heads off to Mexico to use the money to help the Jiburo indians. 

The Thunderbolt story continues as The Tong plan their attacks on the city using their drill to rob banks. A crime wave strikes the city and Tabu convinces a reluctant Peter to become Thunderbolt again. He does and stalks across the dark cityscape until he finds the thugs of the Tong and attacks. He intentionally allows himself to be captured so he will be taken to The Tong. The Tong is pleased and orders Thunderbolt to battle two giant Sumo wrestlers. Calling upon his mantra and will T-Bolt is able to at last defeat the giants and turns his attack on the criminals of the Tong. The Tong sees this and climbs into the armored drill and attempts to drive T-Bolt into the ground, but the drill gets out of control and digs ever deeper into the earth until it at last bursts through into the sea. The Tong is seemingly trapped in his own invention. The police arrive to mop the criminals alerted to the location by the policeman who has wakened from his coma. It is discovered that leader The Tong was an orphan who sought revenge when his innocent parents were killed during the Tong wars. His life a crime a response to that senseless death. Tabu points out how similar the Tong's tragedy was to Peter's but that they responded to the circumstances differently. 

"Thunderbolts" is the debut installment of the Thunderbolt letters page. There are four letters, most all praising the new comic. Some want to know when Sarge Steel will be seen again, and at least one writer points out how much better T-Bolt is than the usual Charlton material. There is a comment from the editor (Dick Giordano) about those who want Charlton to be just like Marvel and DC, but he promises that the Charlton heroic universe will be different still. 

"Captain Atom's Secret" is a two-page feature by Frank McLaughlin which talks about Cap's origin and also the nature of atomic theory and how the modern world is dealing with the benefits of that new power. There is a panel devoted to cross-promoting Captain Atom's new magazine too.

 Thunderbolt also shows up in this month's Judomaster comic. Issue #90 dated August 1966 features a two-page Thunderbolt piece by Morisi titled "The Roof of the World - Where Thunderbolt Was Born". It tells of T-Bolt's origin and speaks of the nature of his power. There is a panel promoting his comic.

 

The series Thunderbolt seems well established creatively by this point. While Morisi takes care each month to reintroduce the hero, each month this has diminished in the time it takes from the main story. Peter Cannon and Tabu have an established relationship and that combination offers up a neat variation on the classic hero. Under Morisi, Thunderbolt looks like no other comic on the stands at the time and the atmosphere and mood are rich with a distinctive pulp flavor. Morisi's style can be somewhat static, making the captions filled with words almost at times read like an illustrated story rather than a comic book. Nonetheless it is a compelling read. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

 More Thunderbolt to come. 

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Thunderbolt - Gore The Man-Ape!

Thunderbolt #52 is dated June 1966. It again features artwork by Pete Morisi, then going under his famous pseudonym of P.A.M. He is also credited as the creator and the writer of this comic. In addition, he did the cover of course. 

Special Case Number 0003 from T-Bolt's Personal Files is titled "Gore the Man-Ape". After a brief two-panel reprise of T-Bolt's origin the story begins with a newsboy announcing the disappearance of some scientists. A quick cut to the secluded mansion owned by Peter Cannon and we find Peter and Tabu discussing the case. During a brisk boxing bout, they debate whether Peter should again don his Thunderbolt togs and check into the situation. Peter declines and knocks Tabu down in the process. Afterwords Peter sets off alone in a launch for a vacation on the ocean. The scene shifts to a remote island where a ship is delivering three people to a man named Eric Gore. These are the missing scientists who mistakenly believe they are to assist Gore in his work, but find themselves prisoners instead. Gore demonstrates the futility of escape by showing that he has a small army of apes to do his bidding and that he controls the apes so completely because he himself has an ape's hand. Peter Cannon meanwhile finds himself in a storm and has to make an emergency landing on the very same island. He is going about making preparations for his unexpected stay when a gorilla named Gon-Da knocks him out from behind. He awakes in the headquarters of Eric Gore and is told pretty much that he too is a prisoner. Gore explains how he was working on some advanced skin-grafting techniques when an explosion left him without a left hand. He found in his exploded lab an expiring ape and he uses that ape's paw to replace his own missing mitt. 

That graft changes Gore, giving him more ferocious thoughts and drives him to create his lair in this remote island and plot to get power for himself. His changed nature though makes him an acceptable leader for the apes on the island and he finds he has his own savage army of loyal followers. "July 27th" tells of an animal trainer in a circus who has a precognitive dream about losing control of his animals and coming under their control. He convinces his wife they need to leave the circus and do so. But the mysterious dream ended with the date July 27. Later it is revealed that the circus burned to the ground on that very date. Gore then goes on to explain that he is using the skills of the kidnapped scientists to further his scheme to use germ warfare to conquer all of mankind. He demonstrates the lethal nature of his weapons. Peter attacks the madman and runs out of the compound. Gore does not pursue him, rather he plots to kill the captured scientists who have refused to aid him in his schemes. Peter runs back to the beach and finds an emergency kit that Tabu had prepared for him and in it he finds his Thunderbolt costume. He puts it on and goes to rescue the scientists held by Gore. He finds the scientists in an arena where the mad Gore plans to unleash his apes on them. As the apes attack, Thunderbolt appears and takes up the challenge of the arena. Using his skills and training Thunderbolt battles the apes and then confronts Gore who goes back on his bargain that a victory would buy their freedom. This causes his apes to turn on him, and he escapes. T-Bolt tells the scientists to go to the beach and his boat which is stranded on the reef while he pursues Gore. In a final showdown T-Bolt confronts Gore who has gotten to a shock gun which he uses on the hero. Reaching down to his core, Thunderbolt is able to overcome the power of the weapon and he knocks out Gore. A fire erupts in the lab and Gon-Da the ape goes in and rescues one of the men. It turns out to be Thunderbolt he saves just as the lab explodes. Leaving the apes behind on the island T-Bolt returns to his boat and he and the scientists leave the island. Back in his mansion he discusses the events with Tabu before settling down to watch a movie which Tabu suggests must deal with "oriental royalty and adventure". The movie is King Kong. 

"Judomaster's Self-Defense" is a three-page feature narrated by Judomaster. It is written and drawn by Frank McLaughlin and focuses on "Ouchigari" an inside leg reap and "Tomoenage" a stomach throw. 

Great issue of Thunderbolt. Eric Gore is a worthy opponent, and it takes all of T-Bolts effort to defeat him. This half-man/half-beast is well presented by Morisi, and the notion that the ape's paw makes him savage is an interesting notion, though the story itself seems to suggest that Gore's savagery has less to do with his ape qualities and more to do with his human ones. The nature of Tabu gets more defined too as he seems clearly at this point to be Peter Cannon's conscience, encouraging the reluctant man to take up the role of hero and do good for his fellow men. I overlooked this Judomaster installment when I did my overview of that series, and I'm happy to correct that now. Thunderbolt and Judomaster both feature one another in their books during this summer of 1965, a neat bit of cross promotion. 

To read the complete comic book use this link. 

The baddie in this issue, Eric Gore was featured in The Legion of Regrettable Super Villains by Jon Morris. 

 More Thunderbolt to come. 

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Thunderbolt - The Evil That Is Evila!

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 are 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 it 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.

 To read the complete comic book use this link. 

More Thunderbolt to come. 

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Mr. Muscles!

Mr. Muscles from 1956 was another creation by Jerry Siegel. This time he gives us another abnormally strong hero, the "World's Most Perfect Man" it says so right on the cover of the first issue drawn by Maurice Whitman. Mr. Muscles is a man named Brett Carson who gained his perfect form by pure strength of will when he chose to overcome polio. The perfect specimen is assisted in the comic stories by Kid Muscles, and there is even a two-page Miss Muscles story included in this issue, thus making this yet again an attempt to evoke the classic Marvel Family. In the first issue Mr. Muscles confronts an evil zookeeper and his critters as well as a crooked wrestler. Kid Muscles gets a solo story as well. The art in this first issue seems to be by Bill Fraccio. 

To read the comic book follow this link. 

Our heroes return in a second installment, this time with scripts by Siegel and art by Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia. Mr. Muscles cleans up a crooked carnival, takes on the mob and their predatory protection schemes, punches his way through a rigged boxing plot, saves steeplejacks from danger and battles the Abominable Snowman, who turns out to be a red-headed bearded guy, more Viking than ape. Kid Muscles helps out but Miss Muscles doesn't show up. The Mr. Muscles comic had taken over the numbering of Blue Beetle which itself had taken over the numbering of the vintage series The Thing. 

To read the comic book follow this link. 

Like Nature Boy, Mr. Muscles rates an entry in The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris. 

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