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"Starman: "The Case of the Camera Curse!"": Using forbidden voodoo formulas combined with the properties of photo-electric cells, thin young photographer Cuthbert Cain steals the souls of men, giving him power over their wills. When he snaps a shot he says "THYL'TH NY'A'A!" He can summon an enso

Quote1 I feel the eternal sleep of death coming over me. It is most terrible to die when I am young -- when I have so much still to do! Quote2
Shining Knight

Adventure Comics #66 is an issue of the series Adventure Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1941.

Synopsis for Starman: "The Case of the Camera Curse!"

Using forbidden voodoo formulas combined with the properties of photo-electric cells, thin young photographer Cuthbert Cain steals the souls of men, giving him power over their wills. When he snaps a shot he says "THYL'TH NY'A'A!" He can summon an ensorceled servant by speaking to his photo, or he can kill one by willing them to die as he snaps their shot. Using a photo of Woodley Allen, Cain keeps the FBI from involving itself in his crimes.

Starman is asked to help, and he arrives to prevent Cain from robbing the U.S. Mint. Cain takes Starman's picture, apparently putting the hero under his control. Starman merely feigns submission, as the Gravity Rod cancelled the effect of the camera, by acting on the silver nitrate in the film. Starman is taken back to Cain's hideout, where he then forces the man to fix up an antidote to free his captives. Flinging a bowlful of special photographic acid at Starman is no use, the rays of the Gravity Rod cause the acid to explode harmlessly in mid-air. Magnetic rays from the Gravity Rod lift the villain into the air. The rod repels bullets, and pulls a gun from a man's hand.

Cuthbert Cain, aka The Camera Eye resists, trying to use the camera on Starman when he drops his rod, but Starman slaps the camera in a neat mid-air 180-degree spin, and snaps Cain's own picture. Cain turns into a living negative sketched in white against the blackness, then vanishes completely. This jibes with Starman's own reading (from the five minutes he spent in Cain's occult library), that the user of these powers who allows his own picture to be taken disappears. Cuthbert Cain's disappearance restores all of his victims to normal.

Appearing in Starman: "The Case of the Camera Curse!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Cuthbert Cain (Single appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

  • Captain Ryan (First appearance)

Locations:

  • Gotham City

Items:


Synopsis for "The Shining Knight"

In 532 AD, at Caerleon on the River Usk, King Arthur dispatched young Sir Justin to northern Britain, to deal with a dangerous ogre. In his heavy armor on his tired horse, Sir Justin sallied forth, and rode for many days. Along the way he encountered and defeated two highwaymen, then chased them into the woods. Luck was with the fleeing knaves, as his lance collided with a large tree. The tree cried out.
Merlin himself stepped out of that tree, after many years of absence. He rewarded Sir Justin by enchanting his armor and weapons, remarking cryptically that now his mail will be "bulletproof", and adding mighty wings to his steed Victory. With renewed vigor, the quest continued, until the flying knight was many leagues into the frozen northland, where he spotted a club-wielding giant: Blunderbore the Ogre. On a mountain beside a chasm the two fought, and Sir Justin slew the evil giant, but the monster's death throes were enough to kick both man and horse into the chasm, and to send an avalanche down atop them! At the bottom, iced in on every side, man and horse felt the drowsy touch of death, or so it seemed.

In 1941 AD, an iceberg floats into American waters and approaches the coast, with indistinct figures inside it. On the coast is an archaeologist, Dr. Moresby, who sees this thing, and races to his car to fetch some dynamite. He rigs up a charge and detonates it, blowing open the ice chunk, and is amazed when a live man and horse emerge. Sir Justin is very disoriented, and upset, and he demands some answers from Moresby, who figures out and explains, that Justin and Victory have been in suspended animation for fourteen centuries. While that news sinks in, Moresby drives both man and horse back to town, in his very large, open-top sedan. They arrive at the City Museum where Moresby works, and also lives, in a suite or apartment, staffed with a housekeeper/cook. Victory is stabled in the basement, and Justin marvels at the modern conveniences of this 20th century.

The next morning, Justin gets hired as Moresby's assistant, and meets Eve Barclay, spoiled daughter of a major museum donor, and Justin is smitten. Just then three thugs show up, intent on stealing some stuff. They head-konk old Moresby unconscious and start stealing gems from display cases. Justin sees this, changes clothes into his gleaming armor, and attacks the varlets. He quickly learns what bullets are, and what "bulletproof" means. The thugs still manage to run away while Sir Justin gathers his horse and his arms, then winged Victory flies in pursuit. Landing on a city street in front of their speeding getaway car, the Shining Knight jousts with the streamlined auto, and wins. The hoods flee on foot. On Victory, Justin easily overtakes them and nonfatally subdues them. He leaves the thieves for the police, retrieves their loot, and returns it to the museum. He then resolves to be a champion of the people, and to rid this new world of crime and evil, as the Shining Knight.

Appearing in "The Shining Knight"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • two highwaymen (Flashback only)
  • Blunderbore (a giant) (Flashback only) (Single appearance; dies)
  • some gangsters

Other Characters:

Animals:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Moresby's big, open-top sedan.

Synopsis for Hourman: "Counterfeit Coal"


Appearing in Hourman: "Counterfeit Coal"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Councilman Drew (Single appearance)

Antagonists:

  • Big Benny (Single appearance)
  • The Town Mayor (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Synopsis for Steve Conrad, Adventurer: "Trouble in Tibet"


Appearing in Steve Conrad, Adventurer: "Trouble in Tibet"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Chang

Antagonists:

  • The Phony Lama (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • The High Lama (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for Federal Men: "The Girl Behind the Wall"


Appearing in Federal Men: "The Girl Behind the Wall"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Nikko (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Princess Alvary (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for Paul Kirk, Manhunter: "Danger from Train to Plane"


Appearing in Paul Kirk, Manhunter: "Danger from Train to Plane"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Tulchock (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Rose (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for Sandman: "The Cometiray"


Appearing in Sandman: "The Cometiray"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • "Old Ninety Eight", a Chicago - New York passenger train
  • Edley's Flying Sphere
  • Sandman's 1938 Plymouth Roadster

Notes

Published by Detective Comics, Inc.

  • Sandman:
    • Edgar Edley's "Cometiray" device could harness the power of comets to (a) propel and maneuver an enormous spherical airship, (b) create powerful magnetic forces for manipulating masses of metal, or repelling live attackers, (c) restore his own youth.
    • Edley's equipment is turned over to the State Police, for the U.S. Air Force. There is however no record of this technology being used in the following World War II.
  • First issue for The Shining Knight.
    • In the 1st panel of the 8th page, the caption calls Moresby's vehicle a truck, but the art shows an open-top car.
    • The city in which most of this story takes place is not named in this story. It would later be identified as New York City.
    • This series ran in Adventure Comics until issue #166, July 1951.
  • Starman: "The Case of the Camera Curse" is reprinted in The Golden Age Starman Archives Vol. 1 and in 100-Page Super Spectacular #20.

Trivia

  • Sir Justin the Shining Knight gets through the entire episode without exclaiming "By my halidom!" even once.


See Also


Links and References

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