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"Adam Strange: "Secret of the Eternal City"": This story is reprinted from Showcase #17.

Strange Adventures #217 is an issue of the series Strange Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1969.

Synopsis for Adam Strange: "Secret of the Eternal City"

This story is reprinted from Showcase #17.

Adam Strange is an archaeologist working in the country of Caramanga in South America. A tribe of hostile Incan villagers begin chasing Adam, but he manages to elude them when his body is struck by a strange beam of energy.

This energy ray, known as a Zeta-Beam instantly teleports Adam Strange twenty-five trillion miles through space to the planet of Rann. There, he meets the scientist Sardath. Sardath explains that the Zeta-Beam was initially a communication ray, but radiation altered it, transforming it into a teleportation beam. Adam learns that once the Zeta-Beam radiation wears off, he will be instantly teleported back to his point of origin. Adam spends a great deal of time with Sardath, and meets his daughter, Alanna. He learns the Rannian language, as well as a portion of Rann's violent history.

Some time later, a race of alien invaders known as the Eternals arrives on Rann in search of a rare mineral known as Vitatron. Adam Strange and Alanna journey to the city-state of Kamorak where they encounter the Eternals. Alanna believes that Vitatron can only be found in the mythical city of Samakand - a place that only appears once every twenty-five Rannian years.

Adam and Alanna go to Samakand and consult with some of the scientists within the city. They manage to bait the Eternals into following them, and the scientists use their advanced technology to trap the invaders inside of a fourth-dimensional prison.

A short time later, the Zeta-Beam radiation infecting Adam's body wears off, and he instantly teleports back to Earth. However, he has already developed a fondness for the alien world and it's denizens and wishes to return. Adam knows that the Zeta-Beam will strike the Earth again, so he begins calculating the exact location at which the beam will strike.

Appearing in Adam Strange: "Secret of the Eternal City"

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  • The Eternals (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for Atomic Knights: "The Rise of the Atomic Knights"

This story is reprinted from Strange Adventures #117.

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"

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  • Ragun (First appearance)

Trivia

This issue begins the reprints of Adam Strange and Atomic Knights stories that will continue for much of the remainder of Strange Adventures' publication.


See Also


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