Description

Basil Wolverton’s Space Funnies                       One-shot Comic
Writer: Basil Wolverton
Artist: Basil Wolvertonspan>
Editor: Robert Brosch
Cover by: Basil Wolverton

“With one lightning blow Spacehawk crushed the planetoid monster.”

With the coming of interplanetary travel, the legions of the law find it impossible to cope with the pirates, killers, and other criminals lurking in space… then, apparently out of nowhere comes the superhuman enemy of crime, the mysterious Spacehawk! Thereafter, bandits of the void begin to disappear, for they soon learn to fear the amazing powers of the Spacehawk who always strikes without warning.

Spacehawk had no secret identity, no fixed base of operations beyond his spaceship, and no sidekicks or love interests. He had but one mission in life: to protect the innocent throughout the Solar System, and to punish the guilty.

Story/Spoilers
In part #1, “The Creeping Death From Neptune”, a group of space pirates have a young earth girl held hostage in the Grax mountains of Neptune. Using a long, arm-like apparatus, the pirates extend the girl, who is inside of a tight enclosure, toward the mouth of a cave. They intend to use her as bait for a trap that they are setting for a rare and dangerous creature. The trap begins to work and the creature emerges, but before the girl is consumed, a blast comes from the mountainside and scares the creature away. The space pirates see Spacehawk and cut the trap loose, taking off as quickly as possible. Spacehawk frees the girl and drops her off at his ship. Using his superior tracking skills, Spacehawk finds the pirate’s ship and boards it. He fights off multiple enemies and then engages in a melee with their leader, Gorvak. Gorvak attempts to run away, but Spacehawk traps him on his own ship and leaves. The monster from earlier is attacking the pirate ship and begins to strangle Gorvak. Using a powerful magnet, Spacehawk redirects the pirate ship, with Gorvak and the dangerous alien monster in it, towards the sun and releases it.

Next in part #2, “The Lost Tribe of Mercury”, two Mercurian criminals hover above an ocean on the planet Venus. Aboard their ship, they are discussing how they have just found the location of an important heirloom to their race. Following this discussion, the two Mercurians don iron suits and leap into the ocean. Sinking to the bottom, they find a tomb-like structure. The two are greeted peacefully by a race of underwater creatures known as the Draxians. Matters escalate quickly as the Draxians refuse to reveal where the treasure is hidden. The Mercurians slaughter the village chief, and then threaten another Draxian. Some Draxians frantically swim away and use a machine to contact Spacehawk. Spacehawk begins travelling to Venus. In the meantime, the Mercurians have discovered the treasure, which is an immense platinum mine. Upon locating the treasure, the Mercurians turn on each other and one is murdered. Following the murder, Spacehawk arrives and engages the remaining Mercurian in hand-top-hand combat. Spacehawk jams the “Extreme Up” button on the Mercurian’s iron suit, sending the alien hurtling into orbit at high speeds. The Mercurian is killed in a violent explosion upon making contact with the atmosphere. Spacehawk then uses high level science to upgrade the underwater Draxians into a new form of alien that can survive above water. With their newfound ability to breathe air and the immense platinum mine at their disposal, the Draxians construct a powerful civilization and are deeply indebted to Spacehawk.

Finally in part #3, “The Perilous Planetoid Trap”, two strange beings on a small planet in outer space have devised a plan to capture and loot travelling starships. They constructed massive rockets on the surface of their small planet, which function to propel the planet straight into the path of travelling starships, forcing them to crash land. Once crashed, a vicious race of imported creatures called Snurls emerge and attack the passengers, removing any form of resistance. After the creatures are herded away, the two aliens are free to loot the crashed ship. In one particular crash, a beautiful girl is left stranded. The two creatures begin to argue over who gets to keep her. Spacehawk, who is patrolling the nearby area, spots the commotion and flies down to the small planet to investigate. He is attacked by Snurls, but immediately disposes of them. Spacehawk begins to track down the whereabouts of the creatures. He is ambushed by one and seemingly killed by the blast of a space gun. The creature strides up to Spacehawk’s fallen body and falls for Spacehawk’s “play dead” trick. Spacehawk flings the creature into a wall, killing it instantly. Spacehawk barges into the laboratory to rescue the tied-up girl, but is shot again in the same spot, seemingly killing him. The creature approaches the corpse and realizes that it is actually a Spacehawk robot clone. The real Spacehawk approaches from behind and strangles the alien to death. Spacehawk frees the girl and upon her request, reveals his face to her. They share a kiss and then Spacehawk directs the small planet out of the solar system. The girl is returned home and is left wondering when she will see Spacehawk again.

Comic reprints/collects: Target Comics: Volume #1 (1940) Issues #5-7.  Novelty Press

Comic is bagged & triple boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly. 

First Printing
Publisher: Archival Photography
Publication Date: June 1990
Format: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.50″ x 7.20″
UPC: None Stated

Collectible Entertainment note: One-shot Comic is in Fine + condition.  Very Nice!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Science Fiction and/or Basil Wolverton collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

Please read return policy.