I am Death -- and you should welcome me! For am I not the one who defeats all the monsters raised up against man--and in the end, I take the deadliest creature of all as well-- man himself! 
- — Death
Weird War Tales #68 is an issue of the series Weird War Tales (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1978.
Synopsis for "Rotirra--the Monster-Weapon!"
In 1943, the Japanese have an unleashed a terror weapon on the Americans: a giant dinosaur-like monster called Rotirra. The monster destroyed a U.S. base on Kapo Island and leaving no survivors, except the films that caught Rotirra and allowing American intelligence to know about the creature and where it will strike next: Pearl Harbor. The Japanese super-tanker that is carrying Rotirra is seen heading to Hawaii and the U.S. military have nothing to stop it.
However, the U.S. Navy has finished work on a prototype mini-submarine that is then sent to infiltrate the super-tanker and delivering on board a "new form of explosive" that annihilates Rotirra.
Appearing in "Rotirra--the Monster-Weapon!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Rotirra
- Imperial Japan
Other Characters:
- F.D. Roosevelt (Behind the scenes)
Locations:
- World War II, June 17, 1943
- Kapo Island
- Honolulu
- Pearl Harbor
Items:
Vehicles:
- Explosive submarine
Synopsis for "The Life and Death of Charlie Golem"
In the summer of 1943, somewhere in Eastern Europe, an exhausted American patrol is in retreat while being pursued by German forces. Their only escape route is seeded with anti-personnel mines. Two U.S. soldiers, Privates Levy and Doyle, are ordered by their irate commander to use a metal detector to clear a path through the minefield despite the two being completely unfamiliar with demining. Levy and Doyle soon find something and unearth the ground to discover a golem. Levy, a Jew, is familiar of the golem legend and reads a scroll that comes with the golem, explaining that it was created by a 16th century rabbi to be use as an instrument of vengeance. The scroll is used to insert into a hole in the golem's head and thereby enslaving it under the user's command.
The soldiers come under fire by an enemy sniper from a nearby village's church. They are unable to reach the sniper. Levy decide to use the scroll to bring the golem to life. Under Levy's order, the golem (dubbed as "Charlie," named after Levy's uncle) is impervious to the sniper's bullets and climbs the church, grabbing the sniper and throwing him out to his death.
The soldiers are impressed of Charlie, and Levy and Doyle later have Charlie clearing a straight path through the minefield. But without warning, the golem goes berserk and attacks Levy's commander. Just as it about to throttle the man, Levy quickly grabs the scroll out from Charlie and causing it to go dormant. Unfortunately, a wind rips the scroll from Levy's hand and it lands in the soldiers' campfire. With the scroll burnt away, the golem is turned into dust. Levy is despondent over the loss of Charlie, but the soldiers are able to continue on their journey unimpeded.
Appearing in "The Life and Death of Charlie Golem"
Featured Characters:
- "Charlie" Golem
Supporting Characters:
- United States Army
- Private Levy
- Private Doyle
- Sergeant
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
- World War II, 1943, summer
- Europe
Items:
- antipersonnel mines
- land mine detector
Synopsis for "The Greatest Story Never Told"
Appearing in "The Greatest Story Never Told"
Featured Characters:
- Ernest Hemingway
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Captain Garcia
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Day After Doomsday"
Appearing in "The Day After Doomsday"
Featured Characters:
- Cockroaches!
Other Characters:
- A man (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
Trivia
- Rotirra--the Monster-Weapon!:
- Rotirra is an obvious pastiche of Gojira.
- Death leaves ambiguous whether or not the explosive carried by the submarine may or may not be an atomic bomb: "A power from some lost corner of yesterday destroyed by the energy of tomorrow..."
- The Day After Doomsday:
- 75 Rockfeller Plaza was Warner Communications address when this issue was published.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- World War II Recommended Reading
- Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (Volume 1)
- Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (Volume 2)
- All-American Men of War (Volume 1)
- All-Out War (Volume 1)
- Blackhawk (Volume 1)
- Blitzkrieg (Volume 1)
- Capt. Storm (Volume 1)
- Four-Star Battle Tales (Volume 1)
- G.I. Combat (Volume 1)
- Men of War (Volume 1)
- Military Comics (Volume 1)
- Our Army at War (Volume 1)
- Our Fighting Forces (Volume 1)
- Sgt. Rock (Volume 1)
- Sgt. Rock (Volume 2)
- Star-Spangled War Stories (Volume 1)
- Unknown Soldier (Volume 1)
- Weird War Tales (Volume 1)