Charlton VS Mighty MLJ

Friday, March 12, 2010

Friday Fiends: Bestial Bad Boys

Hangman and Thunderbolt battled this weeks pair of diabolic deviants, in Mighty Comics #48 and Peter Cannon--Thunderbolt #52. Two men ruling an isolated outpost imprisoning their fellow man, themselves enslaved by the savage pull of a bestial nature that seeks to overwhelm them.

Things start unassuming enough, as we're introduced to two authoritative men, Eric Gore and Warden Meggs. Each resides in an undesirable location that houses a terrible secret that would terrify all men!

Enter our fearless heroes, Peter Cannon in his civies (with his costume packed away during his sea voyage) and Bob Dickerson in his Hangman alias, himself recently reformed from a brief live of crime.

Gore reveals his secret origin, a transformation from research scientist to madman thanks to a transplanted ape hand. Meanwhile, the Prison Phantom appears  to strike down Hangman!

Pete dawns his costume to combat Gore, himself playing a mad game employing his bestial servants to battle T-Bolt. Prison Phantom does not ask his fellow inmates to rid him of his foe,  dealing with Hangman.


And it looks like he has gained the upper hand, preparing a ghastly execution for the gallows guardian.

Will the apes that swarm over T-Bolt continue to side with their master Gore when he shows how inhuman he is? The prisoners at the penitentary where Hangman is battling for his life are rooting for him to defeat the Phantom!

Having conquered the ape hordes, T-Bolt now much face the mad science of Gore himself! Things look dire! On the other hand, things are looking up for Hangman, who finally removes the metalic helmet of his hairy adversary!


Gore's end game leaves himself exposed to his death trap, with his ape saving T-Bolt! Hangman's trap catches the warden retiring who's split personality created Prison Phantom!



While Eric Gore's doom seemed to be permanent, the Prison Phantom would rise again to bedevil a new Hangman and his allies on a parallel Earth. A tale for another day. As is how they handled nasty head lice...ick.