January 1966: From the Himalayas to the Deep Blue Sea

Although Pete Morisi’s art was a bit static for my taste, I had to admire the realistic veneer he had worked out for his title Peter Cannon… Thunderbolt, seen here in this Charlton Comics house ad for issue 55 (Jan. 1966).

Thunderbolt’s will-based powers were relatively restrained by comic book standards, and his costume was really a monastic training outfit with an added mask.

The Himalayan hero didn’t want to fight crime, having an enlightened contempt for the greed and corruption of a western culture that remained alien to him. He just wanted to be left alone so he could write.

Created by Joe Gill and Bill Montes, the Fightin’ Five were commandos recruited by the CIA to free a kidnapped physicist, something “…the CIA, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and all other agencies” hadn’t been able to accomplish.

They also continued the publisher’s long and relentless war against the letter “g.” (Charlton’s titles included Fightin’ Air Force, Fightin’ Army, Fightin’ Marines, Fightin’ Navy and Fightin’ Five).

Here, in issue 41 (Jan. 1967), they tackle what is clearly supposed to be Gorgo, one of the three giant movie monsters licensed by Charlton.

Or maybe Charlton should spell that ’Or’o.