I'm Boston Brand, or I was, until one of these people -- one pure and noble soul -- killed me! But Rama Kushna has given me the power to move among the living -- until I find my murder! And I will find him -- if it takes until eternity! 
- — Deadman
Strange Adventures #205 is an issue of the series Strange Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1967. It was published on August 29, 1967.
Synopsis for Deadman: "Who Has Been Lying in My Grave?"
After circus acrobat Boston Brand, aka Deadman, is killed by a hook-handed sniper with a high-powered rifle during his performance, his ghost remains earthbound. Rama Kushna, the spirit of the universe, tells Deadman that he will have the power to walk among men until he finds his murderer. Deadman soon finds that he has the power to enter and control living people's bodies. Taking over the body of Tiny, the circus strongman, he breaks up a dope-smuggling racket and then begins his search for his killer.
Appearing in Deadman: "Who Has Been Lying in My Grave?"
Featured Characters:
- Deadman (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Heldrich (lion tamer) (Single appearance)
- Constable Ramsey (phony cop) (Single appearance)
- The Hook (Behind the scenes)
Other Characters:
- Hill's Circus Performers
- Lorna Hill (owner)
- Tiny (strongman)
- Vashnu (Hindu fakir)
- Leary (Hill Circus barker)
- Toby (clown)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "War of the Mind Readers"
Alien ships from Uranus approach Earth to destroy it. One of the aliens descends to earth to face Merle Mallory -who previously had discovered that a well-dressed man was a florist by feeling a rose thorn in his hand, seeing the pollen in his hat and a flower petal between his money- and ordered him to tell the leaders to surrender, if not, they would destroy earth. After this, the leaders decided not to surrender, but to attack, and Mallory discovers that the Uranian was lying and they were going to use fake ships to deprive earth from their atomic bombs.
Appearing in "War of the Mind Readers"
Featured Characters:
- Merle Mallory
Supporting Characters:
- Leaders of the world
Antagonists:
- Uranian aliens
Other Characters:
- Florist
- Herman's stalker
Locations:
Items:
- Vaporizer gun
Vehicles:
- Fake Spaceships
Notes
- First appearance and origin of Deadman. Deadman will become a regularly featured character throughout the DC Universe.
- There is a circus poster for performer Major Mite, the Mightiest Midget. He makes his official first appearance in Deadman Volume 2 -- 20 years later.
- Boston Brand's tombstone reads 1933-1967.
- This issue is reprinted in Deadman #1, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5, and The Brave and the Bold #97.
- "War of the Mind Readers" was originally printed in Strange Adventures #65.
- "Who Has Been Lying in My Grave?" is the first Comics Code Authority approved story to have narcotics mentioned, albeit euphemistically as "snow." Ostensibly, this was because the substance in question was mentioned only as part of a wholesale transaction by criminals as opposed to being actually consumed by someone. This was years before Stan Lee would defy the Comics Code and publish an explicit anti-drug story requested by the US Federal Government in 1971.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Deadman Recommended Reading
- Strange Adventures (Volume 1) (1967)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1): (1978)
- Deadman (Volume 1) (1985)
- Deadman (Volume 2) (1986)
- Action Comics (Volume 1): (1988)
- Deadman: Love After Death (Volume 1) (1989)
- Deadman: Exorcism (Volume 1) (1992)
- Lobo/Deadman: The Brave and the Bald (1995)
- Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory (1996)
- Deadman: Dead Again (Volume 1) (2001)
- Deadman (Volume 3) (2002)
- Deadman (Volume 4) (2006)
- Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (Volume 1) (2016)
- Deadman (Volume 5) (2018)