Silver Streak Comics #2 - pt. 1

Back when I was working on Supplement IV: Captains, Magicians, and Incredible Men, Steve Lopez volunteered to read and stat all the Lev Gleason characters. So this is only the second issue of Silver Streak Comics I've ever read.

This is The Claw, and I love that map!  I feel like I should put out an adventure module based on The Claw's hideout now. Noo, more work to do!!

It's curious that the invader nation The Claw contacts is distant Germany and not the much closer Japan. Of course, in 1940, Germany was on American minds more than Japan. Give them two more years.

Okay, let's try to figure out what this is. It's a series of submarine-tanks, being pulled by one submarine, like a train? And how large is it? Recall that the cabin of a train engine is only wide enough for two people to work side-by-side; this train has four people working side-by-side at the controls. So it's twice as wide as a train, or 20'.  The 1939-launched USS Seawolf had a beam width of 26', so that seems legit.

Unlike normal tank turrets, these turrets must be able to shoot straight up. That means they can't be full-sized tank guns, or the recoil would surely damage the roofs of the tanks.

Interesting. Either these are special recoilless tank guns or some other weapons have been set up underwater. Actually, it no longer makes sense for us to be talking about tank guns with this kind of range; a tank gun is good for over a mile away, but not 50 miles away. Indeed, that's really good for even a 1940-era rocket launcher. These must be trophy weapons -- Rocket Launcher +3 or better!

Hard to believe that in just a few issues the original Daredevil is going to be beating this guy up with a boomerang!

So, apparently The Claw can grow to at least 1,000' tall. That puts him well outside the height I gave clawed giants way back in Book II: Mobsters and Trophies.  In fact, the only other giants we've seen this size are the recently seen Martian slave giants in Fantastic Comics!  Could The Claw be a rogue Martian giant, with some mutant trait of megalomania instead of obsequiousness?  It is an interesting question to mull over!

Oh, and The Claw can use Control Weather, apparently on a global scale. As just a special ability.  I'm increasingly wary of statting clawed giants like this and treating The Claw as an unique individual.

This may be the loopiest page Jack Cole ever drew. Apparently, Jerry Morris invented a...flashlight that stops the motion of water molecules? There is no way this makes sense, even by comic book science standards!

So let's think about this one. Light bulbs do heat up when turned on. That could, in theory, catalyze a gas contained in the bulb. I still don't get how that causes the light from the bulb to freeze liquids.

It seems unlikely that Jerry, just a passenger on board, is able to command the captain and the crew of the ship so quickly, but in the midst of a global crisis, I guess they figure they'll throw their lot in with anyone who's got a plan.

At least the snow tires are believable!

I'm having trouble letting go of this.  So...at its shallowest, the average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is just shy of 12,000'.  This freezing ray, then, has a range of 12'000', and freezes colder and faster than something at absolute zero does to its surroundings.

The ice sleds remind me of how Iceman gets around in later X-Men stories.

At least dumping acid down into the whirlpool is a smart tactic -- though environmentally unfriendly!

Acid bullets have been a trophy item in Hideouts & Hoodlums since Book II: Mobsters & Trophies, but was never diagrammed until this very panel!

Evidence that clawed giants (slave giants?) regenerate, even after death!

(Scans courtesy of Digital Comics Museum.)

Silver Streak Comics #1 - pt. 1

Here we are, finally at December 1939, and with our first comic book from Lev Gleason, or Your Guide Publications, as the company was called this early.

Comics had plenty of yellow peril villains by now -- Fang Gow, Chen Chang, and even Fu Manchu -- but none as monstrous as the Claw until now.

Ricca is a fictional South Seas island. Judging by its population of 10,000, it must be a medium-sized island; Fiji and the Solomon Islands far eclipsed it in population at the time, while 10,000 was well above the populations of Easter Island or the Pitcairn Islands. The name may itself be an inside joke, since the artist here is Don Rico.

How big is The Claw?  When I statted the clawed giant for Book II, I arbitrarily set them at 12' tall, but gave them the ability to grow to 100' tall. Here, in his very first appearance, Claw seems to be 50' tall -- and possibly immune to heat.

The flames actually seem to be behind the throne, but that could be some kind of trick. When The Claw expands to what appears to be hundreds of feet tall, that could be some kind of trick too. A projected image of some kind? The "hypnotic hum" is telling -- maybe some sort of mass hypnosis, making everyone think they see a giant that size?

Jerry Morris has a humdinger of a potion there -- a potion of invulnerability that also protects from mind-controlling attacks. What a superhero he would make if he just made more of the stuff!

The trap is a rather clever twist on the dropping cage cliche, since this cage becomes portable.

What is described here sounds an awful lot like the spell Nightmares from Supplement III, but with a reversed version called Happiest Dreams. Other than its addictive quality, it's unclear what game mechanic effects happy dreams would give.

This also means The Claw is at least a warlock (5th level magic-user).

Is a leach-boat going to need to become a trophy item? There's a pretty good description here of how it works.

Acetylene torches have been on the trophy list since Book II.

The lethal qualities of carbon monoxide make it ideal for traps, if not a weapon, Since it would count as a poison, I wouldn't let Heroes use it.

Gas masks, on the other hand, are super handy. Some Heroes build their whole personas around their gas masks. Here is a chance for Jerry to pick up five of them in one haul!

We also see that Jerry's potion lasts at least a full day here -- which seems like a really long duration, until you realize Jerry spent most of that in rest turns.

This is why Jerry isn't a superhero -- superheroes are usually selfish with the source of their power and keep it to themselves. Jerry makes an invulnerability potion, and just hands out samples to anyone who agrees to go fight beside him.  Good way to keep morale high, Jerry!

This trap, with liquid fire raining from the ceiling, looks like it would be pretty deadly if you don't happen to have an invulnerability potion in your system.

In an unusual, if not singular occurrence, the good guys are rendered invulnerable, but not their clothing. There could obviously be some hilarious role-playing opportunities here.

(Scans courtesy of Digital Comic Museum)