VENGEANCE SQUAD #4

“Case #0004 Satana’s Paradise!”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pete Morisi

The Vengeance Squad get a call from Princess Alexa. She is a wealthy widow of a Greek prince who is also known as Satana. This is because she never ages. They squad goes to her yacht and she offers Redd one million dollars to kill her rival. This rival called The Vulture is also a guest of Satana. Yet it won’t be easy to kill the Vulture because he has a nuclear armed airplane that will nuke the island they are going to if he doesn’t periodically broadcast a signal.

The squad arrives on Satana’s island and finds that it was a trap. The Vulture is working with Satana and they need Candy Orr. Satana has a process that hypnotizes and transfers her mind to another subject. She does this to Candy but Redd tells the hypnotized Candy he loves her. This snaps Candy back and they take out The Vulture. They escape before the island is nuked. Although Redd refuses to admit if he really meant his confession of love.

“Cement Galoshes”

Writer: Unknown

Michael Mauser is in an alley at night. He was hired to find out if a husband was cheating on his wife. While there he comes on Big Al Chiptoe a mob hitman dumping a body into the bay wearing cement galoshes. Al sees Mauser and knocks him out. Mauser comes to and finds he now wears cement galoshes and is about to be dumped into the bay. Mauser knocks Al into the bay where he drowns because he can’t swim.

“To Be Frank”

Writer: Nicola Cuti

Artist: Joe Staton

Bunny is in a loveless marriage to Frank. She is having an affair with his twin brother Ben. They plan to kill Frank tomorrow when Bunny goes duck hunting with him. So the next morning she shoots him and dumps the body into the lake. She comes back to her apartment and finds Mauser there. He was hired by Ben to investigate five years of Frank’s life they didn’t know anything about. Ben was going to take over Frank’s life. Mauser found out that Frank was in a mental institute. Seems he has a split personality and Ben was that other personality. So Bunny ended up killing both Ben and Frank.

Man was this an awesome issue. The first has this evil woman who can transfer her mind to younger women which is how she stayed so young all these years. Also some guy has in his possession his own private nuke. Joe Gill really knows how to tell a kooky story.

The two Michael Mauser stories were also very well done. The first is a prose story that doesn’t credit anyone but I suspect it is Cuti since he created the character and it seems his style. The second story was a really interesting one. A neat twist that she was having an affair with the split personality of her husband. Mauser only show up at the end but ends up solving the whole crime. A really enjoyable issue.

VENGEANCE SQUAD #3

“Case# 0003 The Octopus!”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pete Morisi

Candy Orr has gone back to visit her parents in Midland City, Michigan. She finds the place has really gone to Hell. She is mugged in front of her parent’s home. Candy can obviously take care of a punk mugger. Yet the police don’t show up and she finds out the city is now under the control of a notorious criminal. Leo Mench known as the Octopus because his tentacles are everywhere has kidnapped the mayor’s wife to keep him in line. Candy calls her Vengeance Squad teammates and they come out to help. After shooting a car that tried to kill them then beating up the thugs that are watching Candy, they get down to business. They go to Mench’s country club and steal his money and papers. Then they start a war to destroy the criminal activities while Redd goes to the state attorney general. They eventually manage to provoke Mench to try and kill them. They in the end kill him and free the town of his rule.

“The Understudy”

Writer: Nicola Cuti

Artist: Joe Staton

Mauser has been hired by an actress named Hildy who claims her ex-husband is trying to kill her. A trap door opens on stage and she almost falls through. While investigating he meets the writer Paul and the understudy Connie. Connie is the younger sister and they tell him that the ex-husband just recently died when he got drunk and fell into a river. They haven’t told Hildy so it wouldn’t upset her. Mauser decides to trap the suspect by having Connie take over the role from Hildy. During the performance Mauser finds the prop gun backstage. A shot rings out but instead of Connie getting killed as scripted, the actor that was Hildy’s boyfriend is killed. They planned to have Connie get killed so Hildy could get her inheritance and blame it on her ex. Only the writer changed the script because he loved Connie.

Another fun issue from this old series. It reads like your typical TV series plot. Seems that criminals were always taking over small-town America. I love the Vengeance Squad and how they operate. Aren’t bound by legality so they can usually take out the criminal scum.

As for Mauser it was another enjoyable story. A very convoluted plot that still was easy to follow and made sense in its own goofy way. They knew how to make fun comics back in the day.

VENGEANCE SQUAD #2

‘Case# 0002 The Informer!”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pete Morisi

A former enforcer for the Syndicate is testifying before the Senate. Suddenly he refuses to testify and the Vengeance Squad figures out why. The Syndicate has his daughter. Redd investigates and finds out a Syndicate plane left D.C. for Nassau. So the squad goes to Miami and Redd gets an old friend to take him to the Syndicate’s private island. There he beats up some guards and almost rescues the daughter. Korlov the leader of the Syndicate had knock out gas in her room and now has captured Redd. Luckily Candy and Tulsa are posing as lost tourists on a sailboat. The Syndicate patrol stops to rob them but instead get knocked out. With the captured boat they make it to the island and infiltrate the hotel. Redd also manages to escape and kill Korlov before he machineguns his friends.

“The Hostage”

Writer: Unknown

Marvin Bidwell and his wife are driving from Omaha to Kearney to visit his daughter. They come on a motorcycle by the side of the road. Stopping they are soon taken prisoner by two robbers. They demand more money and Bidwell tells them he has $750 at a nearby cabin. Only this is a ruse and he gets the drop on the two robbers.

“The Hit”

Writer: Nicola Cuti

Artist: Joe Staton

Mauser is cleaning his Mauser when Gravestone Eddie the hitman for the mob arrives. Gravestone needs Mauser to find a man by the name of Doyle. He threatens Mauser then leaves for another assignment. Mauser knows Doyle as an undercover cop and figures out Mason is the one who hired Gravestone. So he goes to the mansion and breaks in. In the files he finds the proof that he put out the hit on Doyle and also himself. Mauser is discovered but escapes. Mason recognizes him and goes to his office. At his office he finds Gravestone waiting for him. Mauser shouts a warning to Doyle when a figure comes to the door. Gravestone shoots him but finds out it is Mason. Mason’s guards then take out Gravestone. Gravestone ends up with a tombstone reading “Gravestone Eddie lies in the land all because he shot the wrong man.”

The second issue was another fun read. Redd and his crew have this convoluted plan to rescue a daughter of a mob informer. Its wacky but does make sense and fun to read. They even throw in a lion for Redd to battle. Of course he uses a drugged knife to knock it out. Redd saves the day and gets to kiss the hot blonde daughter.

There is another one page prose story. Yes it is a bit hokey but has a charm to it. They were writing for kids forty-five years ago. Finally the Michael Mauser story was just excellent. Yes there are holes of logic you can drive a truck through. Like the trusting nature of Gravestone. Why Mauser bothered with breaking into Mason’s mansion. Yet it all came together and Gravestone gets an appropriate gravestone.

VENGEANCE SQUAD #1

“Tycoon for the Taking”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Frank Bolle

Eric Redd was a treasury agent who got framed and sent to prison. When he got out six years later he had a hatred for crime. So he formed his own private security firm. His two partners are Candy Orr a former policewoman and Tulsa Coyle. Tulsa a former Vietnam vet loves Candy Orr but also loves violence most. Together they form the Vengeance Squad. We first meet them breaking up a jewelry store robbery. They have to toss a grenade into a safe that the criminals throw. Later they go home to their mansion. The new neighbors are Manfried Von Wolfheim a weapons dealer and his beautiful wife Michele. One night Rubio Rodriguez an international jewel thief and his thugs take the Von Wolfheim’s prisoner. He wants $70,000,000 for their safe release. The squad sees this and sends Candy in to pretend she is a friend. Only Rubio gets suspicious and locks her up. Now the two guys go in and kick butt. They free the Von Wolfheims and get a hefty reward of $100,000.

“A Little Homework”

Writer: Unknown.

A short story about rookie cop Bill Davis. Davis is disgusted by the local thugs that act with impunity. So with his policewoman girlfriend they disguise themselves as old people and draw the thugs out. When they try to mug them, they beat them up and arrest them.

“The Inheritance”

Writer: Nicola Cuti

Artist: Joe Staton

Mike Mauser is a private eye that carries a Mauser pistol. One day a guy claiming to be an attorney is looking for a Jenny Whitcomb. She has inherited $50,000. He offers $200 a day so Mauser accepts. Mauser first goes to a seedy bar and gets someone to beat the information out of the bartender. This leads Mauser to find Whitcomb as a singer in a dive club. Mauser soon finds out that the guy who hired him was a bank robber. Whitcomb is the only witness and he wants to kill her. The guy was following Mauser and traps them in an alley with a submachinegun. Only Mauser gets on a fire escape and ambushes him.

This was a short lived series back in the seventies. Another fun Joe Gill story of this group of former agents now in business for themselves. This was a fun time when men were men and women were women. Candy Orr is just as capable as the men and they have these over the top adventures. Didn’t see much vengeance going on unless I guess you consider that Redd is getting vengeance against crime for ruining his life.

The backup story is a typical noir crime story. Complete with a trench coat and fedora wearing private eye. Carries a Mauser which is just a cool name and pistol. I am not a big fan of the genre but love these stories. In some ways it outshines the main one. Rounds out with a one page prose story. I love these old Charlton comics. Just good clean fun.

THE PEACEMAKER #5

“The Fire World”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pat Boyette

The Peacemaker has come up with a new fire resistant material. He sends the formula and a sample to a company in the states. Then releases a statement to the press that this is being released for the good of all. Mr. Blaze is a fire-eater working at a circus. Unfortunately his act isn’t very good and he burns his hands. He hears about the formula on the news and decides to steal it. So he breaks into the mail room at the company after blinding the guards. He sets the place on fire to cover his theft.

Mr. Blaze then goes to a deserted island with a volcano and finds it inhabited by lava men. He puts on the formula and convinces the lava men that the outside world is out to get them. He builds them jet packs and they go to steal a navy ship that is being used as a test for an atomic blast. This test is being monitored by the Peacemaker who discovers Mr. Blaze and his lava men stealing the ship. They capture Peacemaker and force him to build them an advanced indestructible atomic jet. When he finishes they toss Peacemaker into the volcano and plan to pour lava in to trap him.

Peacemaker though has an AZG(absolute zero generator) device. The cool causes an explosion and propels him out of the volcano. Peacemaker soon finds out that Mr. Blaze is attacking the U.S. and is invincible. So he goes to Washington D.C. Fortunately the compound Mr. Blaze uses to shield himself only has a limited half-life. He is forced to eject from the jet and Peacemaker destroys it with the AZG. He then uses the AZG to seal off the volcano but Mr. Blaze has escaped.

“The Conclusion of the Card Carrier”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Montes Bache

Frenchy is captured by Soviet agents but manages to escape. He gets off a radio message before being recaptured. Hank Hennessy the leader finds out the member of the Marchers whose card was found at the first scene was killed before the firebombing. Sonya makes her report that the Marchers couldn’t be under the Commies because she knows the Commie mind. So the rest of the team meets up and takes on the Soviet agents. They finds out the leader was the publisher of the conservative newspaper. This guy wanted to drum up anger against the Commies so he could take over the government and launch an attack on the Soviets. He hired ex-Soviet agents and tried to frame the Marchers.

The final issue of the Peacemaker at least from Charlton. This was a real doozy. Once again we get an evil goatee genius only this time with a turban and in white face because of the chemical. There are these kooky lava men which Mr. Blaze has no trouble in getting them to follow him. Peacemaker is losing it by letting himself get captured so easily and building the evil guy an indestructible jet.

Also the conclusion of the Fightin’ 5. This was an interesting turn to have the conservative guy the enemy and not the pinko Commies. Sadly this is the last of the Fightin’ 5. The world will just have to find some other way to stop those crazy Commies. As for the Peacemaker he would return later for DC which we will look at next week. I sure do love these hokey old stories from the sixties.

THE PEACEMAKER #4

“The Peacemaker”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pat Boyette

Christopher Smith is hiring a new secretary and only one candidate shows. Nora O’Rourke is a naturalized American from Ireland. She comes with a black eye she got by fighting a man planting a bomb in her dressing case. Seems someone was threatening the candidates and Nora is the only one that wasn’t scared off. Before the interview continues it is interrupted by a sniper trying to kill Smith. Smith uses his long range pellet gun to knock out the sniper. It is apparently a common occurrence for people to try and kill him.

So Smith decides to let Nora in on his secret. He is the Peacemaker. How he grew up with a fighter pilot father and scientist mother to become interested in rockets. He designed and flew an advanced jet and I guess made tons of money. While as a diplomat he found himself powerless to stop Bork an international arms dealer who was starting wars to help sell his arms. So as the Peacemaker he stopped Bork.

The chateau of the Peacemaker is then attacked. Colonel Uz another Cossack with a goatee is attacking to get the Peacemaker’s weapons. The Peacemaker manages to destroy his weapons before succumbing to the gas. He wakes up a captive and is forced to repair all the weapons that Uz stole from various countries. Only the Peacemaker sabotages the weapons. When Nora is threatened the Peacemaker acts. Uz finds out his weapons are useless and tries to escape in his jet but the Peacemaker sabotaged it. Once again the world is save.

“Card Carrier”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Montes Bache

Some vandals in Rochester, NY firebomb the offices of a conservative magazine. The police can’t capture them but they find a card belonging to a member of the Marchers. The magazine criticized the Marches as Pinkos so it is assumed they are Commies. That is why the Fightin’ 5 are called in. They have Sonya go undercover to the Marchers since she is a former Commie and can recognize if they are under control of the Soviets. They set a trap at the magazine’s print shop and the vandals are stopped. The vandals think they got away but Frenchy is following. He follows them to the sewers and discovers a secret room. Only the Commies have caught him.

So an origin story for the Peacemaker. To be honest it was a little sparse and underwhelming. Yet it continues to have the kooky over the top villain. We do find out the Peacemaker is just a walking bomb with all sorts of chemicals and explosives hidden on his body. He has such stuff as a gun that ejects an odorless gas as supersonic speed. Oh and he manages to substitute paper-mache for real bullets in Colonel Uz’s weapons which is a real feat.

The Fightin’ 5 is another gem. Sad this title was cancelled but we do get some real fun stories as a backup. I love how anti-communist they were back in the sixties. What a golden age that was. We find out that Granite Gallo still doesn’t trust Sonya and Hank also has his doubts. Apparently once a Commie, always a Commie.

THE PEACEMAKER #3

“Our Future World”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artist: Pat Boyette

Christopher Smith after a hard day of negotiating peace heads off to the beach. His guest is the beautiful Gerda Hain a world renowned atomic expert. She gets kidnapped by some fish-men. So Christopher Smith must don his Peacemaker suit and go to the rescue. The trail leads to an underwater city and he is attacked by fish-men. The Peacemaker decides to let himself get captured. He finds out the city was built by Enrico Lucetti. Lucetti is this mad genius who has decided to build under the sea and convert people into fish-men so they can survive the coming nuclear holocaust. Not content to wait he has plans to launch some missiles from his sub to start the war.

The Peacemaker after easily escaping finds this out but decides to let himself get captured again. Only now he is in a plastic bubble that resists his laser from his helmet. Fortunately the floor is vulnerable and he lasers his way out. He manages to destroy the controls which blows up the sub. Enrico is eaten by sharks as he tries to escape.

“Special Prisoner”

Writer: Joe Gill

Artists: Montes Bache

Granite Gallo goes undercover as Lowell Simms the assistant President. Didn’t know we had one. Anyhoo the plan is for him to be captured by the KGB so they can lead the Fightin’ 5 to the location another scientist is held. This scientist has developed a new advanced atomic jet. Seems everything back in the sixties that was modern was also atomic. Gallo has the plans. Only the Fightin’ 5 manage to break them out.

Joe is getting a bit lazy with the writing. This is a recycled story from the Fightin’ 5. A mad genius turning people into fish-men and planning to destroy the world. Not really complaining since it is such an enjoyable bit of cheeze. The Peacemaker is so cool. He lets himself get captured because he is just so damn good they couldn’t do it for real. This was a full length story instead of two separate small ones. It doesn’t have an East European Commie dictator out to destroy the world but a well meaning nut job. It has the trademark of the series with goofy technology that blows up real easy and hokey dialogue.

The Fightin’ 5 was also a fun little story. Once again they save the world from those damn Commies. We get some fun little interaction with Granite and Sonya. Granite clearly has a thing for Sonya but also still doesn’t trust her. Nice to see that Gill got to continue the Fightin’ 5’s adventures in this series.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #49

“The Plans of S.A.T.A.N.”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

The Fightingest men in the world are taking down some Oriental Communists smuggling weapons to saboteur groups. Only it is a trap sprung by Nico the head of S.A.T.A.N. Nico dresses in a spandex red suit with a giant S on his chest, a high collar and antennae. He also has a goatee and pointy ears. Not to mention a pitchfork. Basically he dresses like Satan. He uses his pitchfork to shoot a paralyzing beam on the leader Hennessey. Then sleep gas on the others. This was a warning for the 5 not to get involved with his plans.

The 5 recover and head back to HQ. There they find out Nico was a double agent during WWII. He was decorated by the Allies as well as the Nazis. Apparently the guy thrives on chaos and destruction. Nico causes bombs to go off in the French Riviera. Only this is a distraction as the 5 go there he hits the New York Stock Exchange. He forces them to sign over control of all the major companies, cartels and gold mines. Then using an armored subway car as a distraction he escapes.

So the 5 figure out his future plans and they involve the city of Venice. Nico sets the canals on fire and plants mines. He also unleashes hordes of killer whales and sharks. While this is going on he loots the palaces. Only the 5 manage to confront him but he uses his pitchfork and gas. He seems to have won but the 5 were immune to the gas thanks to an antidote and Hennessey survives because of extra armor. They attack his sub and capture it but Nico jumps into the canal amid a shark feeding frenzy. Did he perish or will he be back?

“The Enemy”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

PFC. Billy Trent is in the jungles of Guadalcanal and scared to death. Every little sound and animal causes him to panic and run. He bumps into a seasoned sergeant who straightens him out to overcome his fear. The two then attack a Japanese machine gun.

I thought this couldn’t get any goofier but I was wrong. This is just plan nuts. Some super villain in a Satan suit causes all this over the top mayhem. He forces the NY Stock Exchange to give him title the all the world’s wealth. Yet he continues to cause chaos for his own pleasure. We never do find out what S.A.T.A.N. stands for. So the series ends. We got all sorts of evil in the world the team fought. Of course there were Communists galore. Soviet saboteurs and Viet Cong with Chinese Communists. There were also Nazis and Aztecs. Evil scientists and mafioso taking over corporations. Not to mention a kooky evil genius in a Satan suit. Yet the Fightin’ 5 went on to be a backup feature in another series which we will in the future explore. Commies and evildoers beware.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #48

“Hidden Empire”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Blanche

Dr. Hubert Nijus is a world renowned scientist who has developed a pill that can enable people to live underwater. He recruits his students and builds an underwater city. A government agent comes to him because the families of his students are concerned about their disappearance. This agent discovers what Nijus is doing and is kidnapped. So the Fightin’ 5 are called in. Their leader is aware of what’s going on and is already training with scuba gear to fight sharks. They track one of Nijus’s students to the city. They fight off sharks set on them by wounding some so they fight among themselves. Yet they are still captured by Nijus’s finmen. Nijus plans to turn the 5 into his finmen. Already he has kidnapped a Soviet sub crew and plans to kidnap more submarine crews. He has built a sub of his own and plans to nuke the major ports as part of his plan for world conquest. It all backfires because the 5 already have a cure for the finman serum. They give it to his men who free themselves. Only Nijus refuses to be captured and blows himself up.

“The Treasure Pirates”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

Some treasure hunters are driven off their find by pirates. Only the legitimate hunters later get the drop on the pirates and they are arrested. The hunters get their find but have to give a portion to the government in taxes. Always pay your taxes kids.

“Expendable Except”
Writer: Unknown

A prose story about some O.S.S. agents in Italy during WWII. They are rescuing a scientist and his daughter from the Nazis. Only the Nazis have them trapped in a farmhouse with a tank. The scientist insists that the agents pay the owner $10,000 for the farm which they do. Apparently they carry around a lot of money. Then the scientist invites the Nazis officer in under a flag of truce. He shows how in the wine cellar he has rigged it to blow and this would collapse the tank into the cellar. Then he would set the wine on fire. So the Nazis surrenders and they get away.

This has definitely got to be the goofiest of the series so far. A crazy scientist who creates finmen with shark fins that grow out of the top of their heads. He builds a city underwater and mines uranium for bombs. Yet the macho Fightin’5 have no trouble getting into their scuba gear and fighting hordes of sharks. They also somehow have an antidote to the finman pills. Not really explained but you just have to go with stuff in series like this.

As for the backups. Well one has an underwater theme. Have to put in for the kids the joys of paying your taxes. While the prose story during WWII is just plain nuts. That has to be some strong wine to be highly flammable. Oh and they just carry around $10,000. As I said this was one goofy issue.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #47

“Green Death in Vietnam”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

The Fightin’ 5 get there next assignment while waiting around their HQ. Chu a Chinese specialist from Peking is in Vietnam with 2,000 of his men. He has a reputation of being invincible and has the peasants terrified. So the 5 go to Nam’ and immediately get a lift to the interior by helicopter. As they land they make short work of the VC ambush. The survivor goes to Chu who is furious that the Americans have defeated some of his men. So he goes to a nearby village and using reeds to breath underwater, his men ambush the militia and the Special Forces advisor. He takes the young men as recruits and heads back to his base.

The 5 follow with Hennessey using his jetpack to ambush Chu as the others catch up from behind. Hennessey confronts Chu who in terror flees. They free the captives and tell them to spread the word on Chu’s cowardice. They then come on his base which he is using to train and arm recruits. Hennessey distracts Chu as the others plant explosives and destroy his weapons. At the end Hennessey give Chu a serious ass kicking and exposes him for the coward he really is. Chu is paraded around to show the whole country what a loser he really is.

“The Green Badge of Courage”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

A story that tells how great the Special Forces are. They not only have trained in every fighting skill and can operate in any climate. They have language skills and can teach how to farm and prepare defenses. This seems to be another Special Forces recruitment ad.

“American Ingenuity”
By Juan Fernandez

A prose article by a South American journalist covering the war in Vietnam. He tells how American forces are experts in improvisation. That spikes planed by the Cong were causing casualties so the Americans made metal soles for their boots. They also armed themselves with hatchets for the close quarter fighting.

So this was their all Vietnam war issue. I find it interesting because this was written back in 1965 or 66 when the war was in it’s early phase. When advisors were actually small groups of Green Berets and not whole divisions. I find it so optimistic about the war. Just reading it I wonder how we ever lost. I mean the enemy were cowardly agents from China. Here you have these guys in bright blue uniforms with bright red berets being able to melt into the jungle unseen by the VC. Plus they had jet packs to fly around with. I think veterans would get a good laugh out of this. Ah such an innocent time back then.