Thrilling Comics #2 - pt. 2

We're picking up where we left off with the Golden Age Dr. Strange -- though I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the microfiche scans. These are the best copies I know of out on the Internet.

The turning letter that unlocks a secret door is worth remembering. Though, if a superhero suspected there was a door there and wanted to get through badly enough, there is always a Raise power or wrecking things to get through the statue. I would treat this particular secret door as the machines category, one better than door, since the statue adds a non-door element to it.

The ol' "sarcophagus that's full of real diamonds but opens pit traps around the sarcophagus if you disturb it" trap. It looks like the pit has five crocodiles in it, but it's really hard to tell with the quality of this scan.

Dr. Strange's ability to punch boulders away strikes me as flavor text; all we really need for this is his save vs. missiles mechanic to make sure he's not taking damage.

There's no game mechanic that would account for how the boulders break the ledges apart; that seems like Editor fiat.

It doesn't need to be said that superheroes have leaping powers; the distance pictured here looks like one that even non-superheroes might be able to bridge.

Strange beats Crewe in initiative, letting him act before the drugs can be thrown away.

Speaking of thrown away...we know Strange could likely have leapt after Crewe and saved him, but he chose not to. Strange has already demonstrated that he's comfortable with letting villains fall to their deaths.

Interesting how we never hear about this miraculous wonder drug again. Maybe it didn't work as well as advertised.

We're going to jump into the next adventure, this being the debut of The Three Comrades. It's the first story I've seen drawn by Howard Sherman, who will later co-create Dr. Fate!

Newspapers are handy for dropping plot hooks!

Reading shorthand, like decoding a code, is a basic skill and not something automatic, like speaking to Germans or aliens.

A rare instance of a smell-based clue!

I like the little detail of, not just seeing a light, but a reflection of light in the plant tipping them off. I also like how every entrance has a guard on it, even on the roof.

That looks more like a necktie than a carat to me. Regardless, I have to pause now and consider what game mechanic in Hideouts & Hoodlums would emulate this scene? Grappling, with the result of throw? The actual tie grabbing is an irrelevant detail, as H&H focuses on the results, not how you get there.

The same here; it doesn't really matter how much the bullet touches the head or just "parts the hair," as the damage is just an abstraction.

The beat cop is a wandering encounter.

The kicked barrel is an improvised weapon...but a barrel can pick up a lot of speed rolling down a stairwell. I'd be inclined to assign it normal damage.

Did The Mask change his mask since we last saw him...?










This is the first time I've ever seen someone take damage from jumping into a car before! I guess the best way to handle this is to give the jumper a save vs. science, with no damage if successful, and regular damage if it fails.

(Scans courtesy of Comic Book Plus.)

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