Thursday, April 25, 2024

Yeah, nice Fay Wray, Kara.

Not to tell you your business, scientists, but if mysterious strangers show up in the middle of the night to "help" you with the giant-ass robot you built for peaceful purposes, they probably don't have the best of intentions. From 1972, Adventure Comics #422, "Pawn of Peace!" Written by Steve Skeates, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Bob Oksner.
Aliens disguise themselves as humans, to hoodwink a scientist that built a rather large and ominious peacekeeping robot: the damn thing didn't work, so I wonder how much the aliens had to do for it: it might just be an art piece for all we know. The aliens seem like they've got a plan but are also really enjoying their dickery; meanwhile, Supergirl is just trying to get to work on time, man. She was already late because she...sigh...stopped to look at a dress; and the robot seems to do a lot of damage, but Kara still worried she won't get to punch in before lunch. Priorities, Kara!
The robot gives her a bit of hassle, and she's grabbed for a bit: the Air Force shoots a few missiles at it, figuring they couldn't hurt Supergirl anyway, even if she was stuck. The scientist tries to make up for being duped by dropping from a helicopter onto the robot to disable its computer; which was pretty daring, except he's squashed like a bug. Supergirl figures out how to disrupt its circuitry with her x-ray vision and disables it; then after a couple pictures zips into the office, where she has to give a sick excuse that even her cousin wouldn't have been able to sell; while elsewhere the aliens disguise themselves again, to help a Russian scientist with his non-functional peacekeeping robot...I don't know if they returned, but honestly I kinda doubt it.
Also this issue: a Vigilante story, "Rodeo of Death!" Written by Bill Meredith, art by Gray Morrow. A publicity tour for some black cowboys is plagued by racist attacks; Vigilante helps stop the masked creeps, but not without cost.

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

I'm just going to chalk it up to the inker for why Mike Sekowsky's art looks so bad & rough here. Man I hope!

I'd like to imagine those aliens are having fun going around the world doing shit like this for every promising scientist that just so happens to build their version of a "peacekeeping" robot only to mess with it, causing it to be the complete opposite. Definitely feels like grounds for a full on story about just that.

As for Kara, can't she pull out the ol' Aunt Flo excuse for times like these?