Strange Adventures #232

Strange Adventures #232 (On Sale: July 27, 1971), has a cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with "Hollywood in Space" by John Broome, Mort Drucker, and Sy Barry and reprinted from Mystery in Space #14 (1953). Though mostly known as a penciler/inker, many of \Mort Drucker's assignments before 1955 were pencils only.

Next is The Star Rovers in "Who Caught the Loborilla?" by Gardner Fox and Sid Greene and reprinted from Mystery in Space #66 (1961). Three adventurers answer the challenge of capturing the Loborilla, an animal with features resembling both lobster and gorilla. The first adventurer, Karel Sorensen, travels to Zaddara, the planet where the beast was spotted. She relates her experience to the others, explaining that she captured the creature.

Her story is heard by Rick Purvis, another adventurer. He tells her that he witnessed her capture of the Loborilla, but the beast tricked her using a special form of camouflage to disguise a tree as itself. When Karel checks her cage again, she discovers only a tree, not the Loborilla. Purvis then claims to have captured the beast.

Homer Glint informs Purvis that his own story was flawed because he witnessed the creature create a mental illusion to trick Purvis. When Purvis checks his cage, the illusion vanishes. Glint makes a final claim of the prize creature and shows his own cage.

The creature breaks free and telepathically explains that even Glint failed. The Loborilla is intelligent and also a hunter. He actually captured Glintand returned with him. Proof of his tale is recorded on a special camera. He then disappears, thanking the adventurers for a unique experience.

That is followed by Adam Strange in "The Multiple Menace Weapon" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #72 (1961). Adam Strange has resumed his profession as an archaeologist on Earth because the Zeta Beam will not return for nearly a year. He is surprised when a purple beam strikes him while in New York, which teleports him into the future. Then, upon his arrival, the Zeta Beam strikes him, bringing him to Rann 100,000 years in the future.

Julan, a future Ranagaran, explains that they are menaced by aliens from the planet Klannf. They have brought Adam, Rann’s legendary hero, here to combat them. Adam indeed finds a way to beat the aliens using a magnetized boomerang.

Adam is then sent back to present-day Rann to defeat a cone menace that threatens Alanna and her people. The future Zeta Beam lasts longer, allowing Adam to spend months with Alanna before he is returned to Earth. There, he awaits the next Zeta Beam to reunite him with his lover again.

We end with "The Magnetic Duel" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #17 (1953).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #231

Strange Adventures #231 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a really cool cover by Sid Greene. 

We begin with our cover feature  "Attack of the Flying Gorillas" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #125 (1961). A small planetoid populated by flying gorillas approaches Earth and begins to steal its atmosphere.

Next up is the Atomic Knights in "Here Come the Wild Ones" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #160 (1964). The Knights encounter a roving band of boys who want to become outlaws when they grow up. Marene disguises herself as a boy and infiltrates the group.

Kadey and his Blue Belts stumble upon a pre-war invention that turns people into automatons. They use it to enslave the rebel boys until the Knights defeat them. This is the last Atomic Knights story and they will not appear again till Hercules Unbound #10 (1977).

That is followed by "The Martian Masquerader" by John Broome, Gil Kane, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #67 (1956).

Next, we have "Assignment in Eternity" by Otto Binder, Sid Greene, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #83 (1957).

This brings us to Adam Strange in "The Challenge of the Crystal Conquerors" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #71 (1961). Adam Strange catches the Zeta-Beam to Rann where Alanna greets him and explains that crystal beings called the Karalyx have arrived on Rann and began immediately attacking the world. The weapons of Ranagar city are ineffectual against the creatures, so she takes Adam to a secret hideout on Crater Island to hopefully design a weapon to defeat the Karalyx. There Adam devises a weapon that uses ultrasonics that he hopes will destroy the invaders. In attempting to use the weapon, it does not work, and "Alanna" reveals herself as Kathifran, one of the Karalyx who has taken Alanna's place. She explains that they are fugitives from the Karalyx's homeworld and they plan to switch bodies with all the humans of Rann so that when the police of their own world arrive, they would destroy the Karalyx bodies that contain the minds of the people of Rann. She goes on to explain that they created a being known as Akabubu an "electro-nuclear brain" that allows them to create this feat. With Adam Strange defeated, the renegade Karalyx plot to not only take over Rann but other worlds as well, including Earth.

Taken to Akabubu, Adam has his body switched with one of the Karalyx, named Tragdol. Now in a Karalyx body, Adam is reunited with Alanna and the other people of Ranagar that have been converted. To their surprise, they are unable to use any of the Karalyx's fantastic powers. Instead, they secure weapons and attempt to attack, however in a subversive move, the fake "Adam" and "Alanna" use it as a way to convince the people of Rann that they are who they pretend to be. The fake "Adam" and "Alanna" then round up all of the Ranagarian's that are trapped in Karalyx forms and dump them in the Lake of Insalla.

Adam realizes this lake is where Ranagar's drinking water comes from, and the group travels into the refinery plant. In traveling through the filtration system they realize the Chlorine that is used to purify the water weakens their crystalline bodies. Realizing that Chlorine is the weakness of the Karalyx and that they can contact Akabubu telepathically, the converted Adam Strange has his soldiers collect bottles of pure Chlorine from the refinery and then orders Akabubu to change them back into humans. Before the now restored Karalyx renegades can command Akabubu to reverse the process, Adam uses Chlorine on them and they are soon defeated. Soon the police of Karalyx arrive and are informed of what happened.

Later, Adam tells Alanna that he planned for the ultrasonic device to fail to begin with because he was tipped off that something funny was going on when the fake Alanna had kissed him. After getting a kiss from the real Alanna, the Zeta-Beam wears off and Adam is once more returned to Earth.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #230

Strange Adventures #230 (On Sale: March 25, 1971), has a cover by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Secret of the Moon Sphinx!" by Otto Binder, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #36 (1957).

Next is the Atomic Knights in "Threat of the Witch-Woman" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #156 (1963). The Atomic Knights help Fred Dromer and his mother from the nearby town of Harrow. The people of Harrow have chosen to live without technology and have now branded Fred's mother a witch. Henrietta Dromer is really suffering from a hallucination sickness that spawns two-dimensional energy creatures. 

The Knights stop the creatures and protect Henrietta from them and the townspeople. With the help of the New Orleans medical school, Henrietta is cured. The people of Harrow decide to give up their hatred and fear of science.

That is followed by "Search for a Lost World!" by Edmond Hamilton, Sid Greene, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #67 (1956).

Next, we have "The Life Battery!" by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #78 (1957).

Next up is "Prisoner of Two Worlds!" by Bill Finger and Sy Barry and reprinted from Strange Adventures #58 (1955).

That is followed by "Riddle of the Runaway Earth!" by Otto Binder, Sid Greene, and John Giunta and reprinted from Mystery in Space #40 (1957).

We end with Adam Strange in "Vengeance of the Dust Devil!" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #70 (1961). Adam Strange returns to Rann, unknowingly carrying Jakarta, the last surviving Dust Devil. It found a way to avoid being turned into glass like the rest of his race and, seeking revenge, he attacks Ranangar. 

When the pair return to Earth near Melbourne, Australia, Adam accidentally discovers that static electricity can freeze Jakarta, traps him with a Wimshurst Machine (a machine that discharges electricity), and then turns the Dust Devil over to Australian authorities where he is immobilized and kept in a prison laboratory.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #229

Strange Adventures #229 (On Sale: January 14, 1971), has a cover by Murphy Anderson.

We start this issue with "The Last Mile of Space" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #17 (1953).

Next is Adam Strange in "Menace of the Aqua-Ray Weapon" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #69 (1961). While catching the Zeta Beam that will return him to Rann, Adam Strange rescues a dog, Chunky, from an avalanche. Adam arrives with the dog on Rann and finds that Alanna has been turned into a puddle of water along with the other Ranagarans.

A race known as the Kirri are responsible for Alanna’s condition, using an Aqua-Ray weapon. They wish to replace the humans as the dominant species on Rann. They liquify Adam as well and take him to the planet’s polar region where they restore his body, but he is frozen in ice with the other humans, including Alanna.

Chunky, having followed the Kirri, manages to free Adam from his ice prison. Adam then constructs an ice duplicate of himself to distract the Kirri, while he gains control of the Aqua-Ray. He liquifies the Kirri and frees the Ranagarans, before he and Chunky are returned to Earth by the Zeta Beam.

That is followed by "The Day Science Ran Wild" by Otto Binder, Sid Greene, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #82 (1957).

Next, we have "The Electric Man" by John Broome and Sy Barry and reprinted from Strange Adventures #54 (1955).

The next story is the real gem of the issue, "The Mad Planet" by Sid Gerson and drawn by American pulp fantasy, science fiction, and horror illustrator, Virgil Finlay and reprinted from Mystery in Space #19 (1954). Our story takes place in the far future, 1989 to be exact, "when tourists travel to the stars for sightseeing thrills..." and Harry and Doris find an uncharted planet that is inhabitable. Upon entering orbit they find they are flying over New York City and land in what appears to be Central Park. 

The people of the city pay them no attention and so they stroll down Fifth Avenue, but this street soon ends and they find a small shack where Saks should be. Inside they find a man who says he crashed on the planet years ago and became ruler of the inhabitants and had them make this duplicate of New York so he would not feel lonely. In the end, they discover that the man was an escaped criminal from 1954 who found a flying saucer and flew to this barren world, where a mysterious gem gave him the power to create from his thoughts. Eventually, they wrest control of the gem from him and his illusions evaporate. 

Finley is mainly known for his numerous pulp science-fiction illustrations. His highly detailed style was perfect for the black and white illustrations that littered the pulps. His first work appeared in the  December 1935 issue of Weird Tales and he continued doing illustrations for them through 1954. Vinley won the 1953 Hugo Award for Best Artist. He did very little work in comics, as his style was better suited for black and white illustrations, but he did do 13 stories for DC, most for Real Fact Comics between 1946 and 1948, and this single story for Mystery In Space. Finley was a giant in his field and passed away from cancer in 1971, three days after this reprint hit the stands. 

Next is "The Hands from Nowhere" by Walter B. Gibson, Bob Oksner, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Strange Adventures #22 (1952). Walter Gibson was best known under his pen-name, Maxwell Grant, where he wrote more than 300 novel-length Shadow stories. A magician himself, Gibson wrote more than a hundred books on magic, psychic phenomena, true crime, mysteries, rope knots, yoga, hypnotism, and games. He served as a ghostwriter for books on magic and spiritualism by Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, Harry Blackstone, Sr., and Joseph Dunninger. 

Gibson wrote the comic books and radio drama Blackstone, the Magic Detective. starring a fictionalized version of Harry Blackstone. Gibson introduced the "Chinese linking rings" trick in America and invented the "Nickels to Dimes" trick that is still sold in magic stores to this day. He "wrote extensively on Houdini and his escape tricks and sleight-of-hand," and became involved after Houdini's death with Houdini seances. Houdini was known as much for his investigations into – and exposure of – false mediums, and after his death, his wife Bess held seances for ten years in an attempt to contact the deceased magician. She then passed this role on to Gibson, who for many years helped preside over the Houdini Seances in the 1970s and 1980s at New York's Magic Towne House with such well-known magicians as Milbourne Christopher, Dorothy Dietrich, Bobby Baxter, and Dick Brooks. Before Gibson died, he passed on the responsibility of doing the Houdini Seances to Dorothy Dietrich of the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

In 1952 Gibson wrote two Batman stories and the story presented here. His final work in comics was for Detective #500 in 1981. Gibson is a featured character in the Paul Malmont novel The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril, which was published in 2006, and in the sequel The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown. In addition, Gibson is the protagonist, along with Orson Welles, in a historical mystery by Max Allan Collins, The War of the Worlds Murder, published in 2005. Gibson died in 1985.

 

We end with the Atomic Knights in "Danger in Detroit" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #153 (1963). The Atomic Knights travel to Detroit where Abner Henderson has created a factory. Inside the factory, Henderson and his plant workers have built the first post-war automobile. While showing the car to the Knights, a tyrant group called the Blue Belts and led by Organizer Kadey, try to take the vehicle. The Knights fight them off.

Henderson explains that the Blue Belts have set themselves up as tyrants and have atomic weapons. The Knights assault their headquarters. When Kadey uses the atomic pistols against the Knights, their armor protects them. Kadey and his group are deposed, and the people are released from tyranny. Henderson gives the car to the Knights, who then return to Durvale.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #228

Strange Adventures #228 (On Sale: November 12, 1970), has another cool cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with our cover story, "The Day the Earth Split in Two" by John Broome, Sid Greene, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Mystery in Space #31 (1956).

Next, we have Adam Strange in "The Fadeaway Doom"  by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #68 (1961). One day on the planet Rann, high above the city of Ranagar, a message ordering the people of the city to surrender within one day appears. Alanna's father Sardath asks the military's second in command Kaskor to summon all the fighting men to Ranagar. Their unknown threatener, seeing that an army has been mobilized somehow makes all the fighting men disappear. Alanna then goes to the location where Adam Strange will appear via the Zeta-Beam. When he arrives Alannais about to inform Adam of what is going on when they are attacked by a wild Tigrabar, but before it can attack the two find themselves transported to a baron world. There they find the missing soldiers and Alanna has time to tell Adam what happened.

Soon they are attacked by Dust Devils, which tips Alanna to the fact that they have been transported to the planet Rhynthar, which is home to a species of sentient dust clouds. When the creatures attack, Adam learns that they are composed of a form of Sodium that is super-heated, and exposure to sand would turn them into glass. With this in mind, Adam and the soldiers begin to fight off the Dust Devils.

After defeating the Dust Devil's, they are contacted by a pre-established television monitor and soon find that the mastermind behind their defeat was their own second in command, Kaskor, who developed a device based on the Zeta-Beam to transport his enemies onto Rhynthar. He explains when the Zeta-Charge from his weapon wears out they will not be returned to their place of origin, but instead fade into oblivion. Shortly, the original Zeta-Beam that brought Adam to Rann wears off and Adam is returned to Earth.

There, Adam has a duplicate of Kaskor's uniform made in a costume shop and then travels back to Rann on the next Zeta-Beam. Once back in Ranagar, Adam disguised as Kaskor is able to sneak to the palace and confront the real Kaskor. Telling the shocked Kaskor that he is his conscious, the rebel shoots Adam with the Zeta-Ray once more. When nothing happens, Adam grabs the device and uses it to send both him and Kaskor to Rhynthar.

There, in a panic of his own impending doom, Kaskor explains that it's a half-charged blast from the Zeta-Gun that is lethal and that a full charged blast would reverse its effects. With a solution to their predicament in hand, Adam reverses the effects of the Zeta-Gun to return all the Ranagarian's back home. Before returning himself and Kaskor back to Rann, Adam explains he made Kaskor's first shot ineffectual by using a radio transmitter as a jamming device. He then returns Kaskor and himself to Rann. There, Kaskor is sent to prison, and Sardath destroys the Zeta-Ray. With his mission accomplished the Zeta-Beam wears off and Adam is returned home once more.

This is followed by "Dream-Journey Through Space" by John Broome, Gil Kane, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Strange Adventures #58 (1955).

Next up is "The Hothouse World" by Gardner Fox, Mort Drucker, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #13 (1953).

That is followed up by "The Last Television Broadcast on Earth" by Bill Finger, Sid Greene, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #28 (1955).

Next is "Detour in Time" by Gardner Fox, Jerry Grandenetti, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #89 (1958).

We end with Atomic Knights in "The Plant That Hated Humans" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #150 (1963). A botanist in a nearby town has developed a new strain of plant life capable of growing in the post-war environment. The new plants have telepathic abilities and can walk. 

The Atomic Knights discover that the plants plan to attack human settlements. However, they can't fight the plants directly because they are outnumbered. Instead, the Knights strike at a nearby dam, cutting off the water supply to the plant creatures. Without water, the plants die almost instantly. The plant army is defeated, but the Knights continue their vigilance in case they strike again.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #227

Strange Adventures #227 (On Sale: September 24, 1970) has a cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with cover story "The Man Who Couldn't Drown"  by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Strange Adventures #68 (1956).When a steward delivers dinner to Paul Browning's stateroom, he find it empty, the porthole open and a pile of papers on his desk. They tell the tale of how six months earlier, on another cruise, Paul fell overboard and when he was rescued he said he had been underwater for two hours. The National Science Foundation is curious and Paul agrees to be experimented on if it can find an answer to how he was able to breathe underwater. They discover that he can breathe only in water with the same salt content as the oceans. They believe he is a throwback to an earlier for a man, an Atlantide, a citizen of Atlantis. 

Paul begins to hear a telepathic voice coming from the sea, telling him that the people of Atlantis need him. Taking to the ocean, Paul indeed finds the ruins of the city of Atlantis and is told that the city needs a man like him, a man of science to help them rebuild and one day rise again to the surface. Terrified at the prospect of living underwater, Paul races away and takes an ocean voyage to straighten thing out in his mind.

After a few days at sea, Paul begins to have trouble breathing and realizes he is a true Atlantide and so he had returned to his people, where he knows he belongs.

Next up is "Earth... Condemned World" by Otto Binder and John Giunta and reprinted from Mystery in Space #50 (1959). Daryl Halbert records the albedo (reflectivity) of planets. He receives a message to return to Earth quickly. His spaceship is damaged on his way back and he is rescued by aliens. He is told that they are on their way to Earth to destroy it! Earth's albedo is falling and when it reaches zero it will break free from the Sun and become an undetectable space menace. Halbert asks for time to find a cure and is given 7 hours. He discovers that Earth has a covering of glassy space dust. A test bomb clears a small hole and proves that the Earth, and other planets in the future, can be saved. 

That is followed by Adam Strange in "Challenge of the Giant Fireflies" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #67 (1961). A new discovery on Rann allows food to be enlarged to giant size. An unforeseen side effect however causes fireflies which eat the food to grow as well. The enlarged light-sacs of the fireflies cause fires to start, but the Ranagarans develop a way to neutralize the effect.

When a Zeta Beam brings a flame being to Rann instead of Adam Strange, he contacts his fellow beings and together they enjoy their new existence on Rann. However the flame beings are a hazard to the residents of Rann. Riding the giant fireflies to get close to the flame beings, Adam Strange disables them with carbon dioxide.

Next we have "The Time Killer" by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sy Barry and reprinted from Strange Adventures #35 (1953). Zoo curator Alan Hunter hopes to one day take a time machine back to prehistoric times to capture footage of now extinct animals in their natural habitat, but use of the time machine is forbidden as any change in the past may affect the future. When a visiting doctor friend is called to an emergency at the Time Base, Alan offers to drive him over. Once there he sneaks into the room with the time machine and uses it. He uses a jetpack to not even touch the ground and gets many amazing pictures, but when he returns to his floating time machine, a pterodactyl knocks him out of the sky. He jumps into his time machine, but notices that he has crushed the seed of a tree.

The change to time cascades through the eons and when he arrives back to his time, the world is very different, ruled by Native Americans who conquered Europe. He uses the time machine to go back once again and this time he avoids the pterodactyl, but as he leaves the past he does not know that the pterodactyl has grabbed onto his machine. When he arrives he finds himself locked in a cage, an exhibit in the zoo of bird creatures. The birds watch him with interest as he works day after day in hope of repairing his machine and ending his nightmare.

Next is "The Winner" a six-page text story written by Denny O'Neil and illustrated by Murphy Anderson. This is the only new content in the book. When Earth outlaws war they send their infant orphans to Mars where they are raised and trained as warriors. Their CO tells them that some day Earth may or may not call for them, but that the people of Earth are soft and need leaders. One day the warriors of Mars are put into cryogenic suspension to await their fate.

Warrior Mar-O is awakened by a beautiful young woman who, along with her father explain that the Earth has been invaded and the warriors of Mars are needed to defend the planet from some insectoid invaders called the Agoon. The Agoon code of honor required them to battle the best a world has to offer in fair fights and so the woman, Tercey and her father were given a ship to bring the Mars' warriors to Earth.

The warriors fight and fall as do the Agoon, till only a single Agoon and Mar-O are left, there final battle for Earth to begin the next morning. Tercey reveals that her and her father believe they are all that is left of humanity. In the morning the fight begins and Mar-O is victorious. The dying Agoon says that by their code, no Agoon will ever attack Earth again. Mar-O looks at the beautiful Tercey and her aged father and see them for what they are, his new slaves.

That is followed by "Calling Space-Doctor Duncan" by John Broome, Gene Colan and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Mystery in Space #26 (1955).

We end with the Atomic Knights in "The King of New Orleans" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #147 (1962) The Atomic Knights go to New Orleans in search of doctors. New Orleans was not damaged too badly in the war, but it is now ruled by a tyrant king. The Knights locate a medical facility, but the doctors are all entranced. They discover that music awakens the entranced men, so they walk through the streets playing jazz music. The king's guards attack them, but the music has successfully awoken the citizens, who then turn on the king and his men. The Knights then establish a medical school to train doctors for other settlements.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #226

Strange Adventures #226   (On Sale: July 16, 1970) has a really nice cover by Joe Kubert. The big news this issue is screaming from the cover. The cover name of the book has been adjusted to Gigantic Strange Adventures, the price has increased to 25 cents and the page count has skyrocketed to 64.

 We begin with and Adam Strange tale, "The Mechanical Masters of Rann" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #65.
Rann is visited by the Mechanimen, a group of robots from another planet designed to protect the human race from all weapons. The robots destroy all the weapons on Rann in an attempt to end all warfare.

When Adam Strange arrives, he suspects something is not quite what it seems and hides his own ray-gun from the Mechanimen. Adam then convinces the Ranagarans that the Mechanimen are treating humans as children, and he believes they should stand up and fight. Adam retrieves his gun and a secret cache of weapons, but the Mechanimen destroy them as well.

When an alien attack force arrives, the Mechanimen defend Rann and force the aliens to surrender. However, the robots run out of power at the last moment. Adam was able to gain control of some alien weapons and chase off the remaining invaders, before his return trip to Earth via the Zeta Beam.

Next we have  "Glory Ride to Pluto," a little eight-pager by John Broome and Sid Greene reprinted from Mystery In Space #59.

That is followed by "The Counterfeit Earth," a six-page yearn by Otto Binder and Joe Kubert  reprinted from Mystery In Space #35. 

Next is "A Letter from the Future," a six-pager by Sid Gerson and Frank Giacoia reprinted from Strange Adventures #30.

We next have  "Earth's Unlucky Day," a six-page yearn by John Broome and Sy Barry reprinted from Strange Adventures #40.

Next is s real treat, the first new Adam Strange story since Strange Adventure #222. "The Magic-Maker of Rann" is an eight-page ditty by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. this is the last Adam Strange story Gardner Fox will ever write and it is not a standard comic book story, but what DC called a "Picture Story," more of a text story with illustrations. Maybe its strange format was the reason the only new material in the book was buried near the back.

Adam Strange catches the Zeta Beam from Australia to find that everyone in Ranagar is acting a little crazy. Alanna is for some reason furious with him and Sardath tells him, "There is nothing wrong Adam. Go away!" 

Adam begins investigating and discovers that a well-meaning scientist, Thortan, had found a way to affect everyone’s mind so that they can control all matter by bombarding them with psi radiation. Thortan created a rainbow that emitted the special radiation that caused this.  Everyone on Rann loved their new ‘magic’ powers until a meteor containing some kind of entity landed on Rann. The entity released from the meteor caused the ‘magic’ radiation to mutate, giving it the side effect of making everyone act in a way ‘contrary’ to their own wishes the more they used their psi powers. Soon friends were fighting duels and mothers were chastising their children.

Adam fights the amorphous entity that escaped from the meteor and eventually he is able to box it up in a coffin made of the black lead that the meteor had degraded into. This somehow negated the creature's effect on the radiation. Flying back to Ranagar Adam is met by Alanna who makes yup for their last meeting. Though he knows the Zeta Beam will soon take him back to Earth, for now Adam is content in the arms of his love.

This eight pager was reprinted in 52:The Companion TPB.

Lastly we have our cover story, the Atomic Knights in  "When the Earth Blacked Out." this 15-pager reprinted from Strange Adventures #144 is by John Broome and Murphy Anderson, who is well-represented this issue. 

Bryndon returns to Durvale injured in an encounter with strange mole men. The other Atomic Knights ride out to meet the mole men and discover the invaders from underground are using plants called Ki-Moli, to envelop the Earth in darkness.

The Knights are turned back in their initial encounter with the mole men, but they take a prisoner with them. By questioning the prisoner, the Knights learn the mole men are weakened by light, so they gather fireflies to use as weapons. The Knights then place the fireflies inside pumpkins and use them as light bombs against the mole men, chasing them back underground.  After destroying the Ki-Moli, the dark cloud above the Earth dissipates. The Knights also learn that it was the mole men who triggered World War III. thus answering the question posed by this month's Kubert cover.

Edited by Julie Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #225

Strange Adventures #225 (On Sale: May 14, 1970) has another nice cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Adam Strange in "The Radio-Active Peril" by Gardner F. Fox,  Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #64.  A billion years ago on Rann,  Carlon Zan was exiled into space aboard a ship. Passing through a time warp turned Zan's ship radioactive and transported Zan to present-day Rann. Adam Strange arrives on Rann to find the city of  Ranagar glowing radioactive.

In a lead-lined bomb shelter below the city, Adam learns that  Carlon Zan's very touch turns people and objects radioactive, and that the city hastily built these bomb shelters to protect the people. Adam Strange studies films of Zan’s arrival and notices that one of his footprints does not become radioactive. Ranagaran scientists study the footprint and determine that a rare element, Malybium, counteracts the radioactive man’s touch. Using a gun designed to spray Malybium, Adam and the Ranagarans stop Zan’s movement, and he is changed into lead.

Next is the cover-story, "The Wooden World War" by John Broome, Sid Greene and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #33. By the 27th century, all wood on Earth had been destroyed (Broome predicting the destruction of the forests by men of greed). When people began to die in buildings made of wood due to a strange poisonous gas the wood emitted, all wood on Earth is burned. Once all wood was destroyed, invaders from space arrived and cut down the Earth's fighting corps. It is discovered that the only thing that can resist the invader's death rays is wood and that the whole poisonous gas thing was a hoax (oh, the Trumpers would love this!). Hendricks, a guard at the Museum of Flight reveals that he secretly hid the old WW I biplanes and with them, the Earth is saved.

When they received not a single letter regarding his issue #223, they had letters written by Sergius  O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil), Marv Wolfman and Harvey Nussbaum.

We end with the Atomic Knights in "Menace of the Metal-Looters" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #141. A race of aliens arrive on Earth in search of a rare metal called Zaxion, which only exists on post-nuclear war worlds. The aliens' search brings them near Durvale. Radiation given off by the alien devices causes the humans in town to become weak. Only the armor of the Atomic Knights resists the radiation.

Hollis and Wayne are out on a scouting expedition and the first to encounter the aliens. They try to talk to them, but the aliens realize the Knights' armor is made of Zaxion. Before being captured the brothers signal Gardner. Gardner and Bryndon rescue their friends and chase off the alien invaders. Once the aliens leave Earth, the radiation that caused human weakness disappears.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #224

Strange Adventures #224 (On Sale: March 12, 1970) has an Adam Strange cover by Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with Adam Strange in "The Weapon That Swallowed Men" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery In Space #63. Rann is invaded by alien conquerors using a device called the vacuumizer which changes the Ranagarans into a gas vapor. Adam Strange is altered by the weapon, but returns to Earth intact when the Zeta Beam wears off. When he returns Adam finds that the people have been restored but the aliens have uses the weapons to steal the city of Ranagar itself.

Adam believes that the vacuumizer can only transmute one substance at a time, so he devises a plan to stop the aliens. As Adam and several Ranagaran soldiers approach the invaders, the vacuumizer is used against them, but they have coated themselves with different liquid metals. The vacuumizer must be adjusted to deal with each layer of metal. The delay gives the defenders enough time to catch the aliens and defeat them hand-to-hand. With the vacuumizers in the hands of the Ranagarans, Ranagar is restored, and the aliens leave Rann.

Next is "The Planet That Advanced Backward" from Mystery In Space #41 by Bill Finger, Sid Greene and Bernard Sachs.

We end the issue with the Atomic Knights in "Attack of the Giant Dogs" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson from Strange Adventures #138. After finding two giant dalmatians that survived the war inside a test rocket, the Atomic Knights return to Durvale. The town is attacked by Khagan and the Atlantides. Gardner and the other Knights chase them off, but not before Hollis and Douglas are injured.

Gardner decides to mount a counterattack against the Atlantides. He uses the dogs to track them down, then he and Wayne use them as mounts to defeat the enemy soldiers. The Atlantide menace is finally ended. The town welcomes the dogs for their part in the victory. The dogs soon have puppies, that may eventually grow into giants too.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #223

Strange Adventures #223 (On Sale: January 20, 1970) has an Atomic Knights cover by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Adam Strange in "The Beast with the Sizzling Blue Eyes" from Mystery In Space #62 by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs. While waiting for Adam Strange to return to Rann, Alanna is apparently caught in a time-warp, taking her back to a prehistoric jungle. She quickly realizes that she is not in the past, but in a forcefield bubble. Adam arrives inside the bubble and saves Alanna from a dinosaur, but suddenly the bubble disappears, taking the jungle and beasts with it.

Later another bubble appears in the ocean, this time containing a sea-beast. Adam and Alanna are able to penetrate the forcefield, but the bubble once again disappears. Unknown to Adam and Alanna, the bubbles are being made by device created by scientist, Zhoran Tew, to study to past. However, Zhoran’s lab assistant, Mortan, has imprisoned the scientist and is using the device for evil.

Mortan demands that the Ranagarans surrender to him or he will unleash the beasts within a forcefield created around the city. Adam traces the transmission and tracks Mortan to his hide-out. Then he destroys the control device, preventing Mortan from unleashing his monsters. After freeing Zhoran, Adam is drawn back to Earth by the Zeta Beam.

Next is "The Genius Epidemic" from Strange Adventures #21 and created by Gardner Fox, Irwin Hasen and Joe Giella. This is a cute story about a bunch of hillbilly boys, the Herbert Brothers. who came into town one day to join the army. Though they looked like something out of Lil' Abner, they soon prove themselves to have amazing genius minds. In looking for the cause of their brilliance the army finds out that a meteorite crashed near their house on the night they were born. The army puts the bothers to work on one project after another which annoys them so much they make a space ship and leave Earth to get some peace.

We end with our cover-story, the Atomic Knights in "War in Washington" from Strange Adventures #135 and the product of John Broome and Murphy Anderson. Wayne and Hollis Hobard are captured by the Atlantides. Gardner and Bryndon mount a rescue mission with the help of Dalas, a reformed Atlantide prisoner. Dalas leads them to Washington where the Khagan and the Atlantides have established a base of operations.

Gardner and Bryndon stop a plot by the Atlantides to let in ultraviolet radiation over Durvale. Dalas located the Hobards and frees them. The remaining Atlantides escape with the Khagan vowing to conquer Earth.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #222

Strange Adventures #222 (On Sale: November 18, 1969) has an Adam Strange cover by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Beyond the Wall of Death" by Denny O'Neil, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. This was the first new Adam Strange story in a very long time and I guess was a try-out of sorts to see if new material picked up sales. Apparently it did not, as there were no more new Adam Strange stories in Strange Adventures. I used to own this book, but can no longer locate it, so I don't remember anything about the story.

Next is "Treasure Planet" from Mystery In Space #15 by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Bernard Sachs.

We end with the Atomic Knights in "Thanksgiving Day -- 1990" from Strange Adventures #132 and by the standard team of John Broome and Murphy Anderson. Using the seeds obtained from the Atlantean island and new cultivation techniques, the Atomic Knights are able to grow trees in Durvale within a few months. To celebrate the success of the trees, they invite people from several surviving communities to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Elsewhere, Khagan, the leader of the Atlanteans has escaped the peril that befell the island of Atlantis. In the months since he escaped the island, he has been able to learn much of the post-World War III world and the Atomic Knights.

When Khagan learns of the Thanksgiving celebration, he sends his men to attack. Douglas is wounded by the mirror weapons of the Atlanteans. The other Atomic Knight defend themselves and defeat the attackers. Wayne Hobard is appointed to guard the prisoners.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #221

Strange Adventures #221 (On Sale: September 18, 1969) has an Adam Strange cover by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with"The Duel of the Two Adam Stranges" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs from Mystery In Space #59. A giant Adam Strange appears outside Ranagar and proclaims himself dictator. Alanna can’t believe that Adam has become evil, but he claims to have been altered by the gravitational pull of a radioactive planet. As the giant Adam begins demolishing Ranagar, the former dictator or Rann, Avanar Bar, rises to stop him.

When the real Adam Strange arrives, he explains that the giant is a robot. He tries to stop the robot as well, but when he can’t he realizes that Avanar is controlling it and in doing so trying to reclaim his position as ruler. Adam exposes the plot and gains control of the robot using a device Avanar had hidden under a wig.

Next is "The Square Earth" by Otto Binder and Sy Barry and reprinted from Mystery In Space #22.

We end with the Atomic Knights in "World Out of Time" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #129. Bryndon develops a machine that can tap into satellites in Earth's orbit. He uses the satellite cameras to view the world ravaged by World War III. Unexpectedly, the cameras reveal an island in the Atlantic that still has green trees. The Knights speculate that it might be Atlantis, so they leave to investigate.

The island is indeed Atlantis returned as a result of the war. The island is inhabited by Atlantean people planning to conquer the rest of the world. However, they cannot leave the island due to a radiation field surrounding it.

When the Atomic Knights arrive, they can safely pass through the radiation field. The Atlanteans capture them to find out how they are immune to the radiation. The Knights escape before their enemies learn that the armor they wear protects them. As they leave the island, an earthquake causes it to sink into the ocean. Marene manages to gather some seed and food before it sinks. The Knights hope plant life on Earth can be restored with what they've recovered.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #220

Strange Adventures #220 (On Sale: July 17, 1969) has an Adam Strange cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Adam Strange in "The Beast from the Runaway World" reprinted from Mystery In Space #55 and created by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs. Adam Strange waits for the Zeta Beam to strike Earth and return him to Rann, but the Beam never comes. Puzzled by its failure to appear, Adam calculates when the next beam is scheduled to strike and takes it to Rann.

When he arrives, he meets Alanna, who explains that the first beam was intercepted by a planet with an erratic orbit. A creature from that planet was brought to Rann, Zaradak. Zaradak, a giant dinosaur-like beast, has been causing damage on Rann ever since.

Adam attempts to stop the creature with his ray-gun, but the creature absorbs and reflects the blast. Adam has food brought to the beast, which settles its rampage. It was only hungry.

When an alien attack force arrives, Adam plans to use the creature to deflect their bombs, but the Zeta energy in the creature returns it to its native world. Adam flies into space to intercept the bomb, destroying with his ray-gun just prior to his own return ride to Earth on the Zeta Beam.

Next is "The Star Oscar" reprinted from Strange Adventures #34 and the work of Sid Gerson and Frank Giacoia.

We end with the Atomic Knights in "The Lost City of Los Angeles" reprinted from Strange Adventures #126 and produced by John Broome and Murphy Anderson. After a hurricane devastates Durvale, Gardner Grayle proposes to discover what remains of the country. He instructs the Hobard brothers to build gliders with which they can fly across country. Bryndon joins Gardner and the Hobards on the trip west. The plains of the midwest are black and lifeless and the Rocky Mountains have become volcanic.

The Knights finally reach Los Angeles, where they locate a small band of living humans. The Knights help them retrieve a supply of food from a canyon protected by electrical beings which are merely illusionary. After getting the food, Bryndon sets up a radio allowing the Knights to communicate with Durvale.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #219

Strange Adventures #219 (On Sale: May 15, 1969) has an Atomic Knights cover (minus the Knights) by Joe Kubert.

Adam Strange stars in "Menace of the Robot Raiders" from Mystery In Space #53 and created by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs. Adam Strange returns to Rann to find Alanna in control of a giant robot. The robot and others like it were given to the people of Ranagar in exchange for a mineral by some aliens, the Griks. When the robots rebel, the Griks are believed to be responsible. Adam fights to free Alanna, then he confronts the Griks, who claim to be innocent. Adam traces the controller to Vor Kan, the Ranagaran man responsible for keeping the robots operational. Adam destroys his control device and captures Vor Kan, before being sent back to Earth by the Zeta Beam.

Our cover-story is "The Cavemen of New York" featuring the Atomic Knights, reprinted from Strange Adventures #123 and produced by John Broome and Murphy Anderson. The Atomic Knights visit New York City to find a cache of food and supplies in a large fallout shelter. The city took a direct hit in the war and no life remains. The Knights enter the shelter and are attacked by a band of former men, who now resemble cro-magnons. After fending off the attack, the knights befriend one of the men. They are able to calm the rest of the group as well. After a brief respite underground, protected from the radiation above, the Knights leave New York and the cavemen behind.

Lastly we have a Space Cabbie story "Space-Flight to Danger," from Mystery In Space #28 and created by Otto Binder, Gil Kane and Bernard Sachs. Space Cabbie buys a new battery case for his taxi at an auto parts story. He chooses a case from the bottom of the stack because it is in the best condition. The salesmen doesn't want to sell it to him, but the cab driver refuses the give up the case.

After installing the new battery case, Space Cabbie takes on several jobs. He then notices several bizarre incidents designed to separate him from his cab. He finally allows one of the men to search his cab and steal the battery case. Space Cabbie then summons the Interplanetary Police and is able to lead them to the crook.

The crook is working for the auto parts salesmen. The battery case that Space Cabbie purchased contains a map to the gang's hidden loot. The police arrest the gang, and Space Cabbie earns a reward for their capture.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #218

Strange Adventures #218 (On Sale: March 18, 1969) has a cover by Neal Adams

We begin with Adam Strange in "The Planet and the Pendulum," reprinted from Showcase #17 and created by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella. Adam Strange is again transported to Rann by stepping into the path of the Zeta-Beam. This time he arrives in the ruined city of Yardana, where he is captured by the barbaric Zoora tribe. Believing Adam to be a sorcerer, the tribe take Adam to the Tower of Rainbow Doom. Surrounded by a rainbow of lights, Adam is teleported to Anthorann a nearby planet.

Adam discovers the wreckage of a spacecraft on the surface whose passengers include Sardath and Alanna. Alanna explains that the scientists from Samakand gave their technology to the people of Ranagar. This enabled Sardath to construct a spacecraft to travel to a lost colony on Anthorann. Their ship was attacked by a vessel from Morleen and forced down.

Adam, Alanna, and Sardath are met by a man from New Ranagar and taken inside the protective dome of the city. The aliens return using a giant pendulum to slice open the dome. Using a rocket pack and ray-gun found in the spaceship, Adam destroys the pendulum while dodging enemy fire. With the weapon destroyed, the aliens leave, and Adam once again returns to Earth when the Zeta radiation dissipates.

Next is "Interplanetary Insurance, Inc." from Mystery in Space #16 by Sid Gerson, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry.

Lastly we have the Atomic Knights in "The Rise of the Atomic Knights" from Strange Adventures #117 by John Broome and Murphy Anderson. Gardner Grayle, a man who is statistically the average soldier, has survived World War III, which lasted only 20 days. In the post-holocaust world, all plant and animal life has been destroyed. The only remaining food supplies are being hoarded by a tyrant called the Black Baron.

Grayle is attacked by looters trying to rob him. He escapes, then helps another man, Douglas Herald, fend off the attackers. Grayle and Herald discover a set of six medieval suits of armor that have become resistant to radiation. The two men decide to use the suits to attack the Baron's stronghold. They recruit three other men to join the fight, leaving the last suit of armor behind because it is too small.

The five men assault the Baron's stronghold wearing the armor which resists the tyrant's rayguns. The Baron nearly kills Grayle, but he is rescued by an unknown person wearing the sixth suit of armor. After the Baron is defeated, the sixth knight is revealed to be Marene, Herald's sister. The six knights agree to stay together to fight for justice in the post-apocalyptic world.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #217

Strange Adventures #217 (On Sale: January 21, 1969) has a nice Adam Strange cover by Neal Adams. Deadman is gone and Adam Strange and Atomic Knights reprints have become the order of the day. Since this was my introduction to both series, it was all new to me.

We begin with the origin of Adam Strange, "Secret of the Eternal City," a reprint from Showcase #17 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Frank Giacoia. While escaping from some Inca villagers, Adam Strange is struck by a Zeta Beam originating from the planet Rann. Originally designed for communications, the Zeta Beam has been altered by its long journey through space, and it teleports Adam Strange to Rann.

On a world 25 trillion miles from Earth, Adam meets Alanna, a woman and her scientist father, Sardath. Using their advanced technology they teach Adam their language. Adam then gets a tour of the planet from Alanna. Rann itself was more advanced than Earth, but a great war caused much technology to be lost, and a majority of its population has reverted to barbarism.

While exploring the city-state of Kamorak, Adam and Alanna come under attack from alien invaders searching for the element Vitatron. Alanna believes it exists in Samakand, a city which only appears once every 25 years. Adam and Alanna contact the scientists of Samakand and are able to lure the invaders there and trap them in the fourth dimension.

After the threat has passed, the Zeta radiation in Adam’s body wears off, and he is transported back to Earth. Having found a new home and new love on Rann, Adam calculates the next occurrence of the Zeta Beam which will once again return him to Rann.

Next is the origin of the Atomic Knights, "The Rise of the Atomic Knights" from Strange Adventures #117 by John Broome and Murphy Anderson. Gardner Grayle, a man who is statistically the average soldier, has survived World War III, which took place from October 9, 1986 to October 29, 1986 and lasted only 20 days. In the post-holocaust world, all plant and animal life has been destroyed. The only remaining food supplies are being hoarded by a tyrant called the Black Baron.

Grayle is attacked by looters trying to rob him. He escapes, then helps another man, Douglas Herald, fend off the attackers. Grayle and Herald discover a set of six medieval suits of armor that have become resistant to radiation. The two men decide to use the suits to attack the Baron's stronghold. They recruit three other men to join the fight, leaving the last suit of armor behind because it is too small.

The five men assault the Baron's stronghold wearing the armor which resists the tyrant's ray guns. The Baron nearly kills Grayle, but he is rescued by an unknown person wearing the sixth suit of armor. After the Baron is defeated, the sixth knight is revealed to be Marene, Herald's sister. The six knights agree to stay together to fight for justice in the post-apocalyptic world.

DC Comics Presents #57, the post-World War III reality within the Atomic Knights series is said to be a computer simulation run by the real Gardner Grayle. However, Hercules Unbound #10 links the Atomic Knights to Kamandi, Omac, and Hercules. Either the events depicted in the series happened outside the simulation or DC just has some really screwy continuity.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Strange Adventures #216

Strange Adventures #216 (On Sale: November 14, 1968) ends Deadman's run with a wonderful cover by Neal Adams.

"But I Still Exist" is written and drawn by Neal Adams and it is a visual tour de force. Continuing from last issue, Deadman leaves the lair of the League of Assassins after he is unable to prevent Hook's death. He is surprised to find Vashnu waiting outside with a scroll that mentions the hidden land of Nanda Parbat. Deadman also watches the Sensei order Willie Smith to destroy it. Deadman decides to tag along with Willie to thwart his mission.

When over the appropriate airspace Deadman fights Willie using the body of a pilot. Willie falls from the plane, but uses a parachute to survive. Deadman floats down to the Earth, but becomes solid when he enters Nanda Parbat. No longer a ghost, Deadman meets Taj Ze and Lotus, residents of this strange land of peace.

Deadman learns that if he leaves the city he will become a ghost again. He confronts Rama Kushna who can be reached via a temple guarded by Taj Ze. Rama agrees to allow Deadman to remain on Earth as a force for good to achieve balance. Deadman then leaves Nanda Parbat and becomes a ghost once again. He is followed by Lotus, who is dragged outside by Willie Smith where she becomes evil again. Reprinted in Deadman #7 and continued in the Brave and the Bold #86.

This book is known though for Neal Adams' amazing pop art effects. My favorite was the page where if you look at the panels as a whole it is a giant face of Deadman.

Thanks to Robbie Reed over at Dial B for Blog for these crisp and clear shots of Neal's' Deadman work.

This book was meant to be the start of a new Deadman. With his killer found Rama Kushna gives Deadman a new mission, to ""balance the forces of good and evil" in the world. We only get a peek at this in the Brave and the Bold follow-up and that's too bad. I would have loved to see where Adams would have taken this character for which he obviously had so much affection.

The back-up story was "I Lost My Past," a reprint from Tales of the Unexpected #3 drawn by Mad Magazine's own Mort Drucker.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Strange Adventures #215

Strange Adventures #215 (On Sale: September 24, 1968) has a beautiful cover by Neal Adams. This is the second Deadman cover where our hero is depicted as a disembodies head superimposed over the action of the cover. Within a year Adams would perfect this style of cover on the revised Phantom Stranger book.

"A New Lease on Death" is written and drawn by Neal Adams. Neal really moves the basic plot line of the series forward with this issue, moving towards a redesign of the strip's premise. Continuing from last issue, Deadman tracks assassin Willie Smith to Hong Kong where he receives a new assignment. Deadman learns that the target is his own killer, Hook. Willie catches Hook and brings him before a Society of Assassins for which both killers work.

The leader of the assassins known as the Sensei accuses Hook of failing in his initiation assignment, the murder of Boston Brand. The killers believe Boston is still alive since Cleveland Brand has taken his brother's place at the circus.

Sensei then orders Hook's death. Deadman tries to intervene by taking control of Willie's body. However, the Sensei is able to defeat him and is immune to Dead man's powers of possession. Hook is killed and left behind, while the Sensei and the others leave. Deadman is contacted by Rama Kushna, but he feels no satisfaction in the fact that his killer is dead. Reprinted in Deadman #6.

The back-up story is "The Incredible Mutated Man" drawn by John Giunta. Since Giunta had not drawn anything for DC in five years I assume this is a reprint, but I don't know from where.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Strange Adventures #214

Strange Adventures #214 (On Sale: July 23, 1968) has a very nice Deadman cover by Neal Adams.

"To Haunt a Killer" is by Robert Kanigher and Neal Adams. Deadman has run out of leads to track down the Hook. He regrets the loss of his life and takes over the body of Phil, a man attending the circus. Deadman enjoys an evening with Phil's fiance Ruth, but he eventually comes to realize that taking another man's life is wrong. He leaves Phil's body, only to discover too late that the man is a professional killer.

After Phil murders Fred Ames, Deadman follows Phil and meets the boss who hired him. Deadman then takes control of Phil again and forces him to break his engagement to Ruth. He must then act to save her life. However, Phil's boss double-crosses the killer and tries to have him killed too. Deadman saves Phil's life, but makes him a hero in the process.

Deadman wants to see justice served, so he takes control of Fred Ames's father and disguises himself as Fred. He then haunts the killer and forces him to confess. As Phil is taken into police custody, another killer disguised as a cop murders him and escapes. Reprinted in Deadman #6.

Take a look at Neal Adams' original cover for this issue. I have no idea why they would turn this one down. What too dynamic for ya (found this by the way on Robby Reed's excellent Dial B for BLOG site)?

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Strange Adventures #213

Strange Adventures #213 (On Sale: May 23, 1968) has an amazing Deadman cover by Neal Adams. DC ran full-page ads of this cover in black and white this month with the blurb "One Picture is Worth a 1000 Words!" (see below).

Deadman stars in "The Call from Beyond" written and drawn by Neal Adams. Continuing from last issue, Tiny is rushed to the hospital after being shot by the Hook. A brilliant surgeon named Dr. Shasti is able to operate and save Tiny's life, but the strong man appears to have lost the will to live. Deadman enters Tiny's body and gives him the strength to survive the ordeal. When Tiny's survival seems assured, Dr. Shasti credits the supernatural with his recovery.

Dr. Shasti tries to convince the hospital board to give a grant for psychic research. He takes them to Madam Pegeen, a psychic, to demonstrate the power of the supernatural. The board is convinced by what they see from the psychic, but Shasti withdraws his support. Reprinted in Deadman #5.

Here is a page of original art from this story that comes to us from Tony Marine's I me mine blog, this being the first piece of Neal Adams artwork Tony purchased. I love the simplicity of the inking on the Deadman figure in the first panel; just amazing stuff and Tony is fortunate to own this piece.

The back-up story is "Half-Man -- Half-Alien" drawn by John Rosenberger.

Edited by Dick Giordano.