Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Friday, March 8, 2024

THE INVISIBLE AVENGER #1 (@ JANUARY 1950)

The Invisible Avenger was an Australian comic book anti-hero -- a mad Chinese scientist named Pao Tcheou, based on a planer in outer space who is dedicated with purging the world of the "hated white race."  He was created by Virgil Reilly, who wrote and drew the first six issues.  Peter Chapman took over the reins with issue #7.  By issue #12, the title of the comic book changed to Invisible Avenger Comics, but the Avenger himself was gone; rather, the issues began alternating  stories about a Secret Service Agent K-7 and the Blue Ghost, both still drawn by Chapman.  By issue 23, the book focused on Cometman, who was featured in three issues, again drawn by Chapman.  The final two issues consisted solely of American reprints.

Issue #1, "The Theft of the Atom Bomb" takes place in New York, where an atom bomb, along with its specifications, has been stolen by an invisible person from under the watchful eyes of the military.  Soon the Invisible Avenger makes contact with the city's largest newspaper. when secret service agent Stanley Gardner (wonder where that name came from?) and his assistant confront the editor, they are unknowingly met by the Avenger, who kills Gardner's assistant and then dictates his manifesto.  (BTW, the American pay no attention to the British spelling of "honour" in a letter sent to the newspaper by the Avenger.)

Meanwhile, in England, the famous scientist Professor Jenkins is working on a death ray.  After using it to eliminate several small animals, he next plans to use if on a tiger that was due to be killed after it mauled and killed its trainer.  The tiger dies, but something has gone wrong -- all of the circus animals, plus two employees, are dead -- killed by the death ray!  Not a good thing for the animals and the poor employees, perhaps, but a pretty nifty thing for the war department, which buys the death rays from Professor Jenkins for a million pounds, while allowing the scientist to continue his work on the deadly invention.  Somehow, the Invisible Avenger penetrates the secret laboratory in Scotland where the work continues and manages to steal the death ray.  When the BNBC reports the news that an "important invention" has been stolen, the Avenger strangles the newscaster and proclaims to England that he will kill the entire white population of London by noon of the next day!

Gulp!

But do not discount the iron resolve nor the innate intelligence of the British.  They mage to destry the Invisible Avenger's plane before it could release the death ray.

But the British are also cocky.  (Or is that Cockney?)  They believe they killed the Invisible Avenger when they destroyed the plane.  The Avenger lives and is plotting his next attack, with a "mysterious germ weapon" -- to be detailed in the next issue.

Enjoy this odd little bit of Australian super-villainy.


https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=88246&comicpage=&b=i

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