The terrorist General Sodom had been defeated by The Shadow...
...but, the now-Colonel Sodom returns with another plan to spread terror and horror, this time using disease...
Is this...The End of The Avenger?
Be back next Monday for the astounding conclusion!
Since Sodom was a freelancer, why did he give himself a reduction in rank from General to Colonel?
(The same writer, Denny O'Neil, created Sodom and penned both stories, so it's not like a scripter unfamiliar with the character made a boo-boo!)
In the original 1940s series, Fergus MacMurdie was introduced in the character's origin story "Justice Inc", but since the comics adaptation was only 17 pages, he and his back story were cut from it!
As a result, he made his comics intro in this new tale!
And, he's a chemist, not a bio-chemist!
The never-reprinted DC's Justice Inc #3 (1975) was also the first of several crossovers involving the Street & Smith characters The Shadow and The Avenger (who never met in the original 1930s-1940s pulp magazines).
The two heroes themselves met in DC's The Shadow #11 (1976) as shown HERE!
You may be asking, why was the comic called "Justice, Inc." instead of "The Avenger", especially since the then-current paperback reprints...
...of the original pulp series (which was called The Avenger) were also titled The Avenger?
Because of trademark law!
Marvel Comics had been publishing a comic book called The Avengers (note the "s") since 1963.
Since two comics called "The Avenger" and "The Avengers" could be confusing to consumers, DC decided to retitle their comic based on the pulp/paperback Avenger character "Justice, Inc.", after Benson's crime-fighting organization.
When Gold Key Comics did an adaptation of The Avengers tv series starring Patrick MacNee and Diana Rigg, it was titled "John Steed and Emma Peel".
(The same writer, Denny O'Neil, created Sodom and penned both stories, so it's not like a scripter unfamiliar with the character made a boo-boo!)
In the original 1940s series, Fergus MacMurdie was introduced in the character's origin story "Justice Inc", but since the comics adaptation was only 17 pages, he and his back story were cut from it!
As a result, he made his comics intro in this new tale!
And, he's a chemist, not a bio-chemist!
The never-reprinted DC's Justice Inc #3 (1975) was also the first of several crossovers involving the Street & Smith characters The Shadow and The Avenger (who never met in the original 1930s-1940s pulp magazines).
The two heroes themselves met in DC's The Shadow #11 (1976) as shown HERE!
You may be asking, why was the comic called "Justice, Inc." instead of "The Avenger", especially since the then-current paperback reprints...
 |
| 1970s paperback reprint |
Marvel Comics had been publishing a comic book called The Avengers (note the "s") since 1963.
Since two comics called "The Avenger" and "The Avengers" could be confusing to consumers, DC decided to retitle their comic based on the pulp/paperback Avenger character "Justice, Inc.", after Benson's crime-fighting organization.
When Gold Key Comics did an adaptation of The Avengers tv series starring Patrick MacNee and Diana Rigg, it was titled "John Steed and Emma Peel".
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