# 219
"The Jungle Girl"
By Mikel Midnight

Chapter One: The Squadron of Justice

In the headquarters of the Squadron of Justice, Minute Man looks in Bulletman's direction. "So, why exactly did you call a meeting? You haven't said a word about it since we've arrived." The speaker is a slim man wearing a flag-inspired outfit consisting of red tights, and a baggy shirt with horizontal red and white stripes across the chest, with sleeves star-spangled on a field of blue. Around his waist is a midnight-blue belt with a gold, shield-shaped buckle in which is engraved an 'M'. His identity is concealed behind a small blue half-mask, open at the top to leave free his swept-back brown hair; midnight-blue boots and red gloves complete the outfit.

Bulletman sighs, "It was at the behest of a woman that Spy Smasher and I encountered by the name of Luna White. I was also hoping that Master Man would be joining us, but he's not here yet."

Minute Man's response is cut short by a knock at the door. Bulletgirl gets up to answer it, leading in Luna White and her companion, a handsome brunette girl with a fresh, open face and a free air about her. She is wearing a khaki blouse and shorts, and well-worn leather moccasins and a gun belt. She looks around, eyes wide. "Wow, I can't believe I'm actually meeting the Squadron of Justice. My name is Nyoka Gordon."

Mr. Scarlet grins, extending a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Gordon. And this must be the Miss White we've heard about?"

Pinky eyes Nyoka's bare legs nervously.

Luna White nods quietly, "I encountered Nyoka when I was following up in investigation related to the last case we had together. I am only here to play delivery girl this time, Nyoka can explain her story."

Bulletgirl looks disappointed. "I'd hoped to talk to you more, Luna. It's not often I meet other 'mystery women.' I would bet we have a lot in common."

Luna White glances at her watch. "I think that would be lovely, Bulletgirl, though I must be off for now," she gives a small bow. "I have to see a man about an aeroplane."

As she leaves, Bulletman addresses the girl. "Please tell us what's so important. Miss White doesn't behave frivolously, so she must have good reason to trust you, and take what you have to say seriously."

Minute Man smiles ruefully, "It was just my turn for storytime, so I suppose I can yield the floor."

Nyoka says "I was an athlete who left college to find my long lost father who had mysteriously disappeared in the Arabian desert. I was living with a friendly tribe of Bedouins who were helping me trace my lost father. There I met Professor Campbell, an American archeologist, and his assistant Larry Grayson, who led an expedition to locate me because I am the only person who can translate the directions of an ancient scroll which, it was thought, would reveal the long lost treasures of Greece as well as the tablets of Hippocrates which records the medical knowledge of the ancient Greeks."

Pinky thinks . o O (Grayson ... why does that name give me a feeling of deja vu ...) Bulletgirl examines the woman's face closely. "You must love your father very much. That shows a lot of gumption, getting up and heading to a dark continent like that."

Nyoka says "However, Vultura, queen ruler of a renegade band of Arabian outlaws, learned of the expedition and launched a surprise attack against us to seize the scroll. But the attack took place with the territorial boundaries of the Bedouin tribes who are sworn enemies of Vultura's renegades, and they quickly rushed to the rescue."

Minute Man nods, "I haven't spent a lot of my time overseas in Africa, but that fits with what I know of the Bedouins. They're great warriors and fierce about protecting their boundaries."

Nyoka says "During the battle that followed, the renegades were driven off -- but they escaped with the scroll!"

Mr. Scarlet ahs, "I see the problem."

Nyoka says "Vultura and her renegades are working with an elaborate spy organisation headed by a man known as The Mask. It would be a terrible thing if they managed to locate the treasures and turned it over to the Axis powers, who could sell them through their agents for millions of dollars on the world antique market and use that to fund their war effort!"

Bulletman scowls. "The Mask? No wonder Luna White got involved. She and I tangled with him before. Very well, Miss Gordon, you'll have the help of the Squadron of Justice. I take it you have maps of the area where we need to go and rescue your father?"

Nyoka blinks, "Where you need to go? I haven't fought this far to turn everything over to anyone else. I'd welcome the help, but ... I stood my own against Vultura's outlaws and would have gotten away if we hadn't been so outnumbered."

Bulletman says, "This won't be an easy ride, the Mask has been known to employ some dangerous felons."

Nyoka says, "I was an expert in the biathlon in college. I'm not looking for an easy ride."

Bulletgirl adds, "I think she's earned that right."

Bulletman sighs, "Very well then. Minute Man, we can use your resources in providing for long-range transportation. Mr. Scarlet, find out what you can about the Bedouin tribes and see whether we have any contacts in the area; Ibis might know something although his information is probably outdated. Bulletgirl and Pinky, help Nyoka map out a route for us using what information she has."

The small military plane descends onto the landing field carved into the Arabian plains. A man is standing atop a ramshackle bus, his hard musculature seems carved out of pure bronze, bare-chested save for green straps which crisscross his upper torso. He is wearing a green-belted leopard-spotted loincloth with a sword sheathed at his hip, and smiles at the Squadron spryly. "Ha! Look what we have here! Some mystery men from America!"

An enormous golden lion which lays alongside the man on the roof of the bus, evidently the one he'd addressed when he spoke, narrows his eyes lazily as they depart from the plane. Mr. Scarlet approaches the bus, peering at the lion warily. The speaker hops down to the ground and extends his hand. "Ha, my name is Lee Granger, in the south I am called the Jungle King. This is Eric, my lion."

I am glad he's so easily amused, thinks Mr. Scarlet. He takes the hand in a firm grip, and does a quick round of introductions. Afterwards he looks up at the bus. "This is the, ah, transportation that Ibis mentioned? He spoke well of you."

The Jungle King grins broadly. "Ibis and his lovely wife are known in these parts. Hop aboard and I will take you to our base camp, ha!" He heads back to the front, pausing to point out to the Squadron the container of water-canisters on the way. He starts the engine. The bus begins a slow, laborious ascent. The fumes from the exhaust grow heavy and acrid; this, combined with the intense noise of the grinding motor and the constantly increasing heat, serves to sink the Americans into a stupor.

Minute Man stares out the window for long moments. "Let me relate a current case, since it's been weighing on me. One of the creepiest villains I've recently encountered is Mr. Skeleton, a ten-foot Nazi monster resembling a long dead corpse with decaying white flesh clinging to the bones, powerful enough to pick up a man like a toy. He's a blindly evil force, out to destroy America for his own mad reasons."

Bulletgirl shudders. "That certainly does sound creepy. It's horrible how the Nazis have been able to summon such dark forces as that."

Minute Man says, "I had rushed to rescue top Army brass kidnapped by the monster. As fast as I was, I was still too late! Mr. Skeleton's work had already been done, and only grinning skeletons remained where once hung important military officials. I raised my fists to the heavens and vowed we'd meet again, and when we did, I'd avenge the deaths of those men."

Mr. Scarlet nods. "Those brave soldiers sacrificed in the name of evil ... it's exactly the sort of tragedy that led me to the life of a mystery man."

Pinky makes a face. "I'm with you, Bulletgirl. That's a picture that's going to give me nightmares for a week. I'm glad Mr. Scarlet and I spend our time fighting gangsters."

Minute Man says, "When we did meet again in mortal combat, I grabbed the skeletal giant by the leg and swung him around and around, finally letting him go to literally smash into a thousand bony pieces! What a mess!"

Bulletman grins sourly, "Sounds like it. That's just the sort of attack I'd have used, too. A fitting end to a terrible menace."

Eventually the bus arrives at an oasis. A caravan comprising two dozen or more camels laden with bulging wooden sacks appears coming towards it. There are several men walking beside the beasts. At the rear procession are two riders mounted on their high mehara, whose nose rings and reins give them an even more disdainful expression than that of the ordinary camels ahead.

The Jungle King says "I believe we are here!" He stands, and opens the door to the bus and gets out, speaking to several of the men. Nyoka reaches into a sack at her side, pulling out a head scarf which she wraps around her hair, and a long skirt which she dons. She puts a hand on Bulletgirl's shoulder. "I think you better stay here for a moment," she whispers, and prepares to leave with the men. Bulletgirl glances at the riders who have joined their party, and nods silently. Bulletman and Nyoka approach the caravan. One man, obviously the leader of the tribe, comes to the forefront. "This is Belqassim," says the Jungle King. He is a dusky-skinned, black bearded man wearing the long robes of a desert dweller, and carrying a sword sheathed at his side. He has a brutal face, but intelligent eyes. From his manner one can see that he is used to giving orders and having them obeyed.

Belqassim and the Jungle King start conversing and gesticulating quickly in a foreign tongue. Nyoka, after a few moments, joins them while Bulletman stands off to the side, bemused.

Belqassim after a time nods to Bulletman and says, in heavily accented English, "Yes, I believe we can make an arrangement, Lee Granger ... you have been quite helpful in helping us against the white devils, and of course we have all heard of the famous Justice Squadron of America."

Bulletman sighs.

"White devils?" whispers Pinky to Mr. Scarlet. "I don't like the sound of that."

Mr. Scarlet raises a finger to his lips. "Hush."

Belqassim abruptly climbs back on his camel and the caravan rides off. Minute Man glares at the Jungle King. "We had an arrangement, and they're just abandoning us here? What was that all about?"

The Jungle King folds his arms over his chest. "They gave us additional information we need to carry on, and they are allowing us to journey through their territory without slitting our throats."

Pinky bahs, "They don't scare me!"

The Jungle King looks down at him. "Then you are a very foolish young man."

Chapter Two: Bulletman & Bulletgirl

The flying detectives soar easily over the jungle landscape. "This so much prettier than the forests outside Fawcett City," Bulletgirl notes wistfully. "I can't believe we've never been to Africa before."

"The crooks and fifth columnists back home haven't exactly left us much time for travel," Bulletman replies. "When the war's over, I promise we'll see a lot more of the world."

"Sounds perfect for a honeymoon," Bulletgirl grins, and then her expression darkens as she sees a shadow cast from above. "Incoming!"

Bulletman whirls around mid-air, just as the immense flying lizard plows into him, claws digging into his skin. "Pterodactyl?" he boggles, as his fists begin to pound away at the leathery hide. Bulletgirl swoops around, and attempts to punch the creature in the jaw while avoiding its razor-sharp teeth.

The distraction proved enough for the creature to loosen its grip on Bulletman, who used the accelerative power of his antigravity helmet to free himself. The pair of them began to harass the creature until it straggled away from them mid-air.

Bulletman scratches the side of his helmet. "That certainly wasn't on the map."

Bulletgirl grins, "I think we'd have remembered something that said 'here be dragons.'"

Bulletman says, "Let's head groundwards and see if anything else primordial makes itself known."

Bulletgirl purses her lips, unsure regarding the wisdom of that path, but follows along.

They land in the surface, shining silver helmets and red & yellow uniforms conspicuous amongst the greenery. No sooner had they struck ground, than a trio of raptors burst out from the underbrush and run towards them. Bulletman braces himself into a battle stance, fists lashing out at the nearest lizards like a boxer. Bulletgirl flees to the air, though one of the raptors catches at her boot with his jaw, dragging her back down to earth.

Bulletgirl screams, "Jim!" as she attempts to fend off the carnivore. Bulletman glances over at her, grabs one of his opponents by the leg and swings him around and around, knocking his other opponent down and then finally letting him go to collide with Bulletgirl's. "I'll just call that the Weston Swing," he says with a grin, referring to Minuteman's alter-ego of Jack Weston.

"Pounding on innocent animals? How like you," says a voice from the darkness, and as the duo turn to face them, three figures emerge:

a man of medium height who in his one-piece costume looks just like a rodent complete with a tail, tapered boot-tips, claws at his fingers, and a realistic-looking mask. His musculature is compact but powerful-looking and well-defined. From his back is a dark blue cape with a black lining;

a lithe, agile man wearing a deep purple bodysuit with a spider perched on his shoulder. The hood which completely conceals his face is a deep orange; matching boots and gloves have a spider-design along the top. A black spider emblem is on the forehead of the hood, a pale blue webbing-design is around its base;

and a man concealing his identity with an unruly red wig. He wears a blue suit and half mask with yellow sunbursts for eyeholes, and clouds delineating his eyebrows.

"Black Rat ... and I see you brought Black Spider with you," Bulletman scowls at the first of the three. "Last I heard, you met an untimely end in a flaming building along with the Weeper and the Murder Prophet ... so is this your new Revenge Syndicate?"

"It was Minuteman who sent me to the clink," the man in the blue suit scoffs. "I don't have anything against the pair of you ... save that we have a nice little deal going with a man named The Mask ... and you are the types of folks who show up just to interfere when a man tries to get ahead in life."

"We hadn't come here to interfere with anything," Bulletgirl cautiously ventures, "we're just looking for the scrolls of Hippocrates; once we have those, we will take them and go."

Black Rat smirks, "That's about what I thought," and nods to the man in the blue suit. The latter reaches into the pockets of his jacket and pulls out a pair of specially-designed hand mirrors. "Let me show you why they call me the Sun Man," he says as he angles them to catch the sun, reflecting them into Bulletman's and Bulletgirl's eyes, suddenly blinding them.

Black Spider flicks his wrists forward, and a pair of retractable wrist-pistols appear in his hands, pointed at the duo; caught by surprise, they are knocked down as the bullets slam into them.

Bulletgirl screams. Bulletman's hand runs to his shoulder, "But ... but that's impossible ... the magnetic effect of our helmets should have ... "

Black Spider smirks behind his mask. "A little trick I learned from some contacts in the SS," he says in his French-accented English, "wooden bullets."

Black Rat hops forward, and uses his superior strength to lift Bulletman up over his head. "Not so grand now, eh?" He tosses him into the ground, then lifts him up again and repeats the attack, not giving the wounded hero any opportunity to marshal his thoughts into flight.

Sun Man approaches the prone Bulletgirl, drawing forth a new mirror: this one concentrates the sun's rays on his victim, and she writhes under the intense heat, feeling sensations of sunstroke. As struggles to right herself, she sees a familiar shadow followed by an angered cry from the villain.

He curses at the pterodactyl as it tries to seize his mirror. "What are you, ancestor of the magpie?"

Black Spider fires away at the anachronistic creature, the wooden bullets causing it to emit a hideous shriek. Its wing torn, it shambles after its newest attacker, pecking at him viciously as he raises his arms to try to protect himself.

Bulletgirl takes advantage of the alleviation granted her and rallies, shooting through the air and barreling into Sun Man, redirecting her flight so he knocks into Black Rat from behind. She lands deftly next to Bulletman, extending a hand and helping him to his feet. She looks at him with an expression of concern. "Are you okay?"

He rolls his shoulder, wincing. "Let's sweep up the rest of this dirt ... or feed them to the raptors, either way," Bulletman says with a scowl.

Chapter Three: Mr Scarlet & Pinky the Whiz Kid

Machetes in hand, the crimson caped crusaders maneuver their way through the tangled jungle. The elder partner runs a gloved hand underneath his cowl to wipe away a layer of sweat from his brow, and wishes that he'd designed a specialised uniform for jungle work. "You holding up, old chum?"

"I'm holding up, Mr. S, though I'm starting to wonder if this vague quest is worth all this trouble."

"If Nyoka is right, and it keeps valuable resources out of the hands of the Nazis, it will all be worth all the trouble in the world." He squints as he sees a glare of sunlight, untainted by the green haze that has surrounded them up to now. "Hold right there," he says, extending a hand. He slashes his way through layered vines, and gingerly steps to the edge of a massive cliff. The bottom of it extends down out of visual range, as if there were a hidden valley full of unspoken secrets.

"We gonna fly down there?" Pinky peers over the edge.

Mr. Scarlet peers down as well, hand on Pinky's shoulder protectively. "My prototype flying-rig is still too limited to attempt a descent like that; there's a reason why I usually prefer to travel by other means. I don't fancy the thought of the pair of us plummeting to our deaths when the power source batteries run out of juice."

Any further discussion is cut short as an arrow strikes a tree near them. They whirl around, to see a youngish, voluptuously slim woman wearing a purple ankle-length dress in an ancient style, a flowing red cape, and turned-down purple boots with silver buckles and red upper cuffs. Her long black hair falls below her shoulders, dark against pale skin. Accompanying her are three men, bodies concealed behind long capes, faces hidden by golden helmets in a Grecian style. One of the men is carrying a bow, arrow aimed at Mr. Scarlet & Pinky; the third bears a dueling sword. The woman herself carries a cat 'o nine tails curled in her hand.

"I am Ilyria, of the Hellenic principality of Sybaris," the woman says, her voice oddly accented. "And from the way you conceal your identities as you enter our demesnes, I suspect you to be assassins."

Mr. Scarlet raises his hands in a placating gesture. "We are simply wanderers," he says, "the cowls are our custom, and serve to protect us from the harsh environment. A ... Hellenic principality, you say? You speak the language of my people very well."

Ilyria smiles thinly. "Some of your Anglic predecessors have ventured into our lands many years ago. Your accent seems different from theirs, however."

"We're from America," Pinky says, "they might have been from England? The English are allies of ours."

"Perhaps," says Ilyria. "You shall come with us to speak to our legislature, and they shall decide what to do with you."

"We're in no position to refuse," acknowledges Mr. Scarlet. "Er, take us to your leaders."

Ilyria beckons, and her guards lead Mr. Scarlet & Pinky to a worn pathway which they'd not seen before. As the multicolored sextet proceed down to the valley, Pinky whispers to his mentor, "Wow, a hidden race descended from the ancient Greeks ... who'd have thought it?"

Mr. Scarlet whispers back, "Perhaps."

Pinky raises an eyebrow, "You think they're lying?"

"The swordsman is carrying a French dueling sword; completely anachronistic for the era they're claiming to be from. And do you mean to tell me you didn't recognise the bowmen?"

Pinky thinks silently for a moment, and then his eyes bulge in surprise. "Mr. Green and Greeny! How could I have missed them?"

"There's a lot around here to be distracted by," Mr. Scarlet says. "Illyria might be the same woman whom Minuteman has encountered by that name."

"He hasn't mentioned her to me," Pinky says.

"No, he wouldn't have," Mr. Scarlet smiles wryly. "Are you ready to turn the tables a bit, old chum?"

"Let me at them, Mr. S," he replies.

With surprising speed the duo whirl around, Mr. Scarlet tackling the bowmen and tearing their capes and helmets off, temporarily blinding them, Pinky taking hold of the swordsman's weapon in his hand to push it aside, then grabbing his cloak.

They reveal a tall, spry man with a muscular physique, carrying a bow. He is wearing ivy green tights, a long-sleeved green tunic, no gloves, and a green executioner's hood. Red boots complete the ensemble. Aside him is a slightly shorter, huskier, identically dressed man. Accompanying them is a man who removes his own helmet to reveal a mustache and van-dyke beard, dressed in a green suit, a flowing purple cape, and a swashbuckler's green hat with a yellow plume which unfolds like a flower of evil.

Ilyria watches the proceedings with a sigh, "I had had this tour all planned, a simple display of antiquarian wonders and we'd have sent you on your merry way ... but you felt the need to resort to violence."

Mr. Green and Greeny each take hold of one of Mr. Scarlet's shoulders, hoisting him off them. Bow drawn quickly, Mr. Green impales him on a nearby tree, whereupon the arrowhead bursts into flame.

The swashbuckler recovers quickly, and draws his sword. "You two are almost as annoying as that bombastic Bulletman," he sneers, "But it will take more than a few tricky moves to see the end of the Thief of Arts!" He lunges towards Pinky, his blade aimed with deadly precision.

Mr. Scarlet winces at the heat. "I can see how well you're filled with sweetness and light." Undoing the clasp at his throat, he slips his cloak off his shoulders, abandoning it to the flames. Before his opponent can re-arm, he steps under their guard. "You two never were any good at in-fighting," he says, striking them him and his sidekick on the jaw. His attempts to finish them off are halted as Ilyria's whip strikes his arm.

Pinky gasps and folds, and then looks back up at Thief of Arts with a mischievous expression. He had used his opponent's cape as well as his own to obscure the other's aim. "Let me show you another tricky move," he says, reaching out to grip onto the Thief's arm and then swinging up his legs for a roundhouse kick.

Mr. Scarlet grabs at the cat 'o nine tails, but while he is distracted Mr. Green grabs him around the throat from behind. "You got a bead on him?" he asks. Greeny draws a gun, "Yeah, boss."

The Thief of Arts grunts in pain. "Hardly a sporting maneuver, young lad," he says as he jumps back, letting Pinky fall to the ground. He brandishes his sword once more, this time aimed for a prick at Pinky's heart. "Let me show you how it ought to be done."

Mr. Scarlet braces his hand on Mr. Green's arm, and flexes, sending his opponent over his head to crash into Greeny. Before the latter can recover his gun, Mr. Scarlet draws his pistol, firing at Greeny, Mr. Green, and the Thief of Arts in rapid succession. He turns towards Ilyria, and the flames which have spread from the burning arrow flicker against his red outfit and peaked hood, giving him a satanic appearance.

She cringes, "No ... please, I didn't ... " but her words are silenced as the bullet strikes her down.

Pinky whistles, "That was mean, Mr. S."

Mr. Scarlet grunts. "Help me put out this fire."

As Pinky slips off his own cape and the two of them damp down the flames, he asks, "Do you think they had any idea that those were just mercy shots coated with a knockout drug?"

"You know I don't like the gun, I don't think I even used it when we encountered Mr. Green the last time." Mr. Scarlet shrugs, "They'll know it several hours from now when they regain consciousness."

Chapter Four: Minute Man and Nyoka the Jungle Girl

Nyoka Gordon and Minute Man approach the outlaw's camp. "Do you see them?" he whispers softly.

"They must be hidden away somewhere. If they're even still alive."

"If they are, we'll find them. Vultura need the information they can provide ... it wouldn't suit her interests to kill them."

A pair of women exit one of the impromptu camp huts. The first is clad in an Arabian chador, which completely conceals her face and body. The second is a woman wearing a short green dress, with a turban on her head below which you can see her dark hair. Around her waist is a gold chain belt, and long gold chains are brocaded into each sweeping sleeve. When she moves around her black cloak sweeps dramatically. Her face is beautiful with high cheekbones, yet that does not disguise the obvious cruelty which lies behind it.

Nyoka extends a fingertip to point to the woman clad in green. "That's her!"

"I guessed," Minute Man whispers. "Who's the woman with her?"

"I ... don't know," she shakes her head. "Maybe an agent of the Mask's, who acts as a liaison?"

"She doesn't seem like the Mask's style, from what I've read of him. Still, it makes sense to utilise the local talent." Minute Man takes her by the shoulder, "I'm going to circle around behind the camp, see whether I can track down your lost ones."

"God speed," she says, and watches him withdraw into the jungle.

Vultura and her companion seem involved in an intent conversation. She gestures towards some of the outlaws, who come to heel and then, after a series of directives, disperse to fulfill whatever errands she'd assigned. A pair walk over to what she'd assumed was one of the huts, but turns out to be a cage concealed beneath a tarp and a covering of interwoven branches. Nyoka sees within the cage a gorilla of awesome size, probably 10' tall, who has an almost intelligent face. The immense power of the creature is obvious.

Nyoka feels a painful lump in her throat as she spies a man she'd long feared dead, still recognisable despite his haggard and bruised appearance. Larry Grayson is dragged forward by another pair of outlaws, being clearly led towards the creature's cage.

Before she can attempt to formulate a plan, she sees a patriotically-clad figure charging out from the surrounding jungle. Moving like a one man army, he attacks the outlaws holding Grayson. "I haven't fought this far to turn everything over to anyone else," she mutters to herself, and attempts to enter the camp surreptitiously.

She watches, appalled, as the woman in the chador slips it off her shoulders, to reveal a woman wearing a bronze scaled dress that looks like it was sprayed on, distinctly outlining every curve and crevice of her voluptuous body. Her head is entwined with snakes for hair, she has huge yellow tusks like those of a boar, her hands are of bronze, and attached to her back are a large set of golden wings. Nyoka thinks . o O ( Gorgon ... she looks like one of the gorgons of antiquity ... ) as the grotesquery's wings take it into the air, and it soars towards Minute Man.

The Gorgon's metallic claws sink into Minute Man's shoulders and she begins to lift him into the air. Nyoka reaches behind her to draw her gun, firing at the woman, only to find the bullets are deflected by her metallic wings.

"Nyoka Gordon," Vultura performs a doubletake, "I'd thought you were dead!" She rushes to the animal cage and unlatches it to unleash the giant gorilla. "Satan, she is yours!"

Minute Man and the Gorgon wrestle mid-air. "I've faced worse monsters than you," he says, as he brings his legs around to kick at her, sending her into a brief spin. She recovers her composure and her snakes start to bite at Minute Man, who attempts to bat them away. "None as ancient a curse on humanity as I, you garish fool," she hisses. "I came here to recreate the glory that was Greece under my own rule, and no lateborn will stop me."

Satan corners Nyoka and catches her in a death grip. She screams, dropping her gun, and Grayson rushes forward to retrieve it. Hands shaking from his long imprisonment, he attempts to aim the gun at the gorilla, only to find himself pulled to his knees from a gold chain around his throat, borne by Vultura.

The tenor of the battle between Minute Man and the Gorgon shifts as they ascend, the former now struggling to hold on even as he wrestles with his opponent. Finally he senses the air growing thin, and one of the Gorgon's claws rake against his face, and he realises he is in danger of losing. He takes hold of one of the Gorgon's wings and snaps off the end. She howls in outrage and the pair begin to spiral down. (Possibly not my best tactic) O o . he thinks to himself.

Nyoka feels her bones beginning to buckle under the gorilla's hands. (He's toying with me) O o . she realises. Before he passes out from the restriction of his air supply, Grayson tosses the gun at her. Nyoka seizes the gun and fires bullet after bullet at point blank range until Satan releases her and keels over. "Get thee behind me," she says as she backs away from the tumbling body.

Minute Man idly wonders whether he can direct himself onto something which will slow his fall, when he sees a missile directed at him, sunlight reflecting silver off its tip. (Now what) O o . he thinks, before finding himself seized mid-air by a smiling Bulletgirl. "I saw you were in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in," she says with twinkling eyes.

"Um, thanks," he replies, "but I think we have unfinished business downside."

Bulletgirl nods. "Bulletman and I encountered one of those before," she says, "those Gorgons are nasty pieces of work."

As the pair carefully descend, they arrive to see Nyoka wrestling with Vultura, the pair of them fighting for ownership of the weapon. Finally, Nyoka kicks herself free and covers Vultura's position with it. She glances up briefly. "What happened to the Gorgon?" she enquires.

"Well sister," Bulletgirl says approvingly, "I came here to help, but it looks like you're doing it for yourself."

Minute Man shrugs, "I thought she'd hit ground around here, but what do I know about ... ancient curses on humanity?"

Vultura spits on the ground at Nyoka's feet. "The Mask will not appreciate your interference."

"He doesn't approve of anything American," Minute Man grins at her. "I do believe we will manage, nonetheless."

This team lineup is the one Bill Black organised in his reprint of the original 'Crime Crusaders Club' story, redrawing Mr. Scarlet figures over the Captain Marvel Junior figures (although he ought to have used Masterman in my opinion). I did take the liberty of adding Pinky to the mix.

Minute Man's account of his battle against Mr. Skeleton is closely based on Steranko's retelling of the story in his History of Comics.

Black Spider is modeled on the Batman foe of that name as I was unable to locate a visual reference.