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Invaders #40

Nov 1978
Don Glut, Alan Kupperberg

Story Name:

V ...- is for Vampire!


Synopsis

Invaders #40 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

The revived Baron Blood has captured Spitfire and Union Jack; they fight to prevent becoming his next feast but it does no good. It is a psychic summons from Lady Lotus that compels him to drop his victims and depart with the Japanese soldiers. The two heroes pursue but the vampire calls down a storm to prevent their intercepting the baddies' plane. The British heroes contact the other Invaders in the USA via radio. Captain America wonders if the revived Baron Blood could be connected to the return of U-Man, via Lady Lotus....

In New York, Lady Lotus must stop a quarrel between Baron Blood and U-Man; she uses her psychic powers to force the hostile vampire to serve her. LL had the foresight to provide a coffin with soil from BB's home so that he could remain there safely....

Several nights later, the Invaders are performing at the Fort Dix army base. Captain “Happy Sam” Sawyer asks the heroes to check out a mysterious plane that has been spotted nearby and the Invaders (Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, Whizzer, Miss America) go into action....

That night at the airport, Baron Blood crashes the tower and feasts on the controller there (the victim survives—so we're told next issue) and takes to the radio to guide in the mystery plane. Two disguised figures disembark and are driven off in a waiting automobile. The Invaders then arrive and do battle with the sinister vampire. Baron Blood easily clobbers Cap, Whizzer, and Miss A and, facing Subby and the Torch, he grabs the unconscious Cap and Whiz and flies high into the air and drops them. Subby and Torch rescue their teammates while Miss A goes after the villain who points out that two aircraft are about to collide over the airport. BB conjures up a fog to cause further mischief and escapes. The planes crash and the Invaders do what they can to save the crews....

Baron Blood returns to the House of Lotus where he meets the two mystery travelers: Master Man and Warrior Woman....


 

Review / Commentaries


Invaders #40 Review by (March 26, 2019)

Review: Dun-dun-DUNNNN. It looks like a reunion of the Invaders' most overused villains, forming a Nazi supergroup called the Super-Axis! And that's what happens next issue! This issue was pretty entertaining, with an added bonus: Kupperberg and Stone's art now sort of resembles the Golden Age art for these characters, giving them, especially Baron Blood, an interesting angle. Why the Invaders are putting on a show at Fort Dix when they are supposed to be hunting the bad guys is a moot question. Presumably the pay was good and Florenz Ziegfeld was in the house (there's a vintage joke for you).

Comments: Part one of two parts. The story title includes the Morse Code for V: three dots and a dash. Roy Thomas is credited with the concept; Chic Stone with the finished pencil art. For issue #40 the price jumps to 40 cents; probably a coincidence. The letters page announces that this will be the last regularly scheduled issue; the next and final issue would arrive after four months.

Period Pop-Culture Details: Universal Pictures (film company specializing in monster movies).




> Invaders comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Alan Kupperberg
Chic Stone
Carl Gafford
Dave Cockrum (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Human Torch
Human Torch

(Jim Hammond)
Spitfire
Spitfire

(Jacqueline Falsworth)
Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner

(Namor McKenzie)
Union Jack
Union Jack

(Brian Falsworth)

Plus: Lady Lotus (Lotus Newmark), Master Man, U-Man, Warrior Woman, Whizzer (Robert Frank).