Strange Adventures #117 is an issue of the series Strange Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1960.
Synopsis for "Challenge of the Gorilla Genius"
Appearing in "Challenge of the Gorilla Genius"
Featured Characters:
- Gorilla Genius
Antagonists:
- Dr. Van Horne
Synopsis for Atomic Knights: "The Rise of the Atomic Knights"
A mob chases a man through a ruined landscape. Hiding from the group, the man slowly comes to remember that he is Gardner Grayle, an 'atomic warrior' and survivor of a 20 day long atomic war that devastated the Earth.
Walking on through the ruins, Gardner comes upon the mob he encountered before attacking another man. Stepping in to help, Gardner and the man see off the mob, and the man introduces himself as Douglas Herald, a former schoolteacher. Douglas explains that the war wiped out all plants and animals on Earth and that money is now worthless; the only thing of any worth is food. Douglas tells Gardner that the museum ruins they are standing in used to be the local town's food cache until it was raided by the Black Baron and his men, a ruthless tyrant who is holding the town to ransom. If he controls the food, he controls the town.
Suddenly a radiation grenade explodes in the museum. Gardner and Douglas dive behind a nearby display of six suits of armour. Puzzled as to why the grenade's deadly radiation did not harm them, the men quickly come to realize that the suits of armour must have protected them. Some peculiar change in the armor's molecular structure over the centuries has left it capable of acting as a shield against radiation.
Gardner and Douglas petition the townspeople for volunteers to help them attack the Black Baron's stronghold. Brothers Wayne and Hollis Hobard step forward, as does scientist Bryndon. Douglas' sister Marene intervenes when the townspeople turn on Bryndon for being a scientist- they blame people like him for the war.
The five men set off towards the Black Baron's fortress and break down the door. Finding his radiation blasters (raguns) useless against the protective armour of the Knights, the Baron raises an old-fashioned rifle at Gardner. Rushing the Baron, one of the Knights throws off his aim and the Baron's shot misses Gardner. Rounding up the Baron and his men, the Knights distribute the food to the townspeople. Placing Douglas in charge of the food supplies, Gardner discovers the identity of the Knight who saved him- Marene, having donned the sixth suit of armour. Gardner kisses Marene to thank her.
The Knights vow to band together to serve the forces of law, order and justice in the new, uncertain world. To protect the remaining people of the planet and to help those who need it. To stand together as... the Atomic Knights.
Appearing in Atomic Knights: "The Rise of the Atomic Knights"
Featured Characters:
- Atomic Knights
- Gardner Grayle (First appearance)
- Wayne Hobard (First appearance)
- Hollis Hobard (First appearance)
- Bryndon Smith (First appearance)
- Douglas Herald (First appearance)
- Marene Herald (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Black Baron (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Ragun (First appearance)
Notes
- First appearance of the Atomic Knights; their story is reprinted in Mysteries in Space: The Best of DC Science Fiction Comics.
Trivia
- Details about the atomic war of 1986 are given:
- Gardner finds a newspaper dated October 29th, 1986. He notes that this means the war only lasted 20 days, meaning that it started October 9th, 1986. A headline on the newspaper reads "Washington Devastated".
- Gardner flashes back to the eleventh day of the war. The radio in his bunker says that the H-bomb explosions have changed the shape of the continents.
- Everyone was made to take Anti-H pills before the war as a precaution from the radiation.
- Douglas states that the war ended all plant and animal life on Earth and led to widespread memory loss in many of the people left alive, especially soldiers. The only food remaining is canned.
- The Atomic Knights' home town of Durvale is not named in this story.
See Also
Links and References
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.
