Showcase, #17
Published: November-December 1958
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Issue Contents:
The Planet and the Pendulum!
Characters
- Adam Strange
Credits
- Pencils: Gil Kane
- Inks: Gil Kane
- Letters: Ira Schnapp
Story Notes
Inside front cover.
Secret of the Eternal City!
"Across 25 trillion miles of space the planet Rann circles the star-sun Alpha Centauri--surely a strange place to..."
Storyline
An Earth archaeologist is caught by a "zeta-beam" and teleported to Rann near Alpha Centauri where he meets Alanna and Sardath. Alien invaders, called The Eternals, attack the planet while Adam and Alanna journey to the Brigadoon-like city of Samakand to locate a life-metal called "vitatron." Adam tricks the aliens so they're stuck in Samakand, but then he fades away, returning to Earth, awaiting the next zeta-beam.
Characters
- Adam Strange (introduction, origin)
- Alanna [aka Allana] (introduction)
- Sardath (Alanna's father scientist, introduction)
- inhabitants of Samakand
- The Eternals (villains, introduction for all)
Credits
- Script: Gardner Fox
- Script: Edmond Hamilton
- Pencils: Mike Sekowsky
- Inks: Frank Giacoia
- Inks: Joe Giella
- Letters: Gaspar Saladino
Story Notes
Adam wears his civilian work clothes throughout. The story length reflects that pages 8 and 15 of the story are only 2/3 of a page long, with an ad below on each of them. Though most sources have credited Sachs with the inks to this story, Gene Reed notes that Giacoia and Giella often co-inked stories and this is their work, not Sachs'. Bob Hughes also mentions that the first Adam Strange and Space Rangers stories were worked out in conference, so Ed Hamilton should be given co-plotting credit here. (Thanks to Victor Lim for bringing up this issue on the GCD Error Tracker.)
Story Notes
On the bottom of page 8 of the previous story sequence.
Guarantee of the Best in Comics Reading (1)
Featuring House of Secrets; Strange Adventures
Storyline
House advertisement for Strange Adventures #98 and House of Secrets #14, with covers reproduced.
Story Notes
On the page immediately following page 8 of the previous story sequence.
Look to the Stars!
"Gosh, Bob, we're lost!"
Storyline
Bob and Ted are "never lost" in the woods, because Bob can navigate by the stars, same as sailors, cowboys, and plane navigators.
Characters
- Bob
- Ted
Credits
- Script: Jack Schiff
- Pencils: Lou Cameron
- Inks: Lou Cameron
- Letters: Ira Schnapp
Story Notes
On the page immediately following the previous page. Published in cooperation with The National Social Welfare Assembly.
Featuring Our Strange Universe!
"Our sun (plus its retinue of planets) is whirling..."
Storyline
Educational facts about space, the sun, and stars.
Story Notes
On the page immediately preceding page 9 of the previous story sequence.
Story Notes
At the bottom of page 15 of the previous story sequence.
Tebutt's Comet, Halley's Comet, Pons-Winnecke Comet (1)
Featuring Curious Comets
"The French astronomer J.C. Jannsen was the first to photograph a comet--Tebutt's Comet of 1881..."
Storyline
Educational info on Tebutt's Comet, Halley's Comet, and the Pons-Winnecke Comet.
Characters
The Three-in-One Star
"Alpha Centauri has the distinction of being the nearest star to Earth (excluding, of course, our solar system sun)."
Storyline
Educational information on Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system.
Story Notes
An editor's note on page 5 of "Secret of the Eternal City" refers the reader to this text article.
The Planet and the Pendulum!
"Those alien invaders... shooting space-torpedoes at me--to stop me from..."
Storyline
Zapped by the zeta-beam, Adam is teleported to Rann, where he is captured by primitive tribesmen, who believe their “Rainbow Doom†device will execute him. However, the device is actually a teleporter which sends him to Rann’s sister planet Anthorann. He meets Alanna and Sardath, who had used knowledge from Samakand scientists to journey to Anthorann, but crashed. Adam dons a Rann spacesuit from the wreckage and faces invaders from Morleen, who swing a "diamondium" pendulum to cut open the dome of New Ranagar. Adam ray-blasts the shaft, inducing the aliens to flee, then fades away to Earth.
Characters
- Alanna
- Sardath
- Adam Strange
- New Ranagar citizens
- barbarians of the tribe of Zoora from the city Yardana (villains)
- invaders from Morleen (villains)
Credits
- Script: Gardner Fox
- Script: Edmond Hamilton
- Pencils: Mike Sekowsky
- Inks: Frank Giacoia
- Inks: Joe Giella
Story Notes
The ending promises more in the next issue of "Showcase's Adventures on Other Worlds!" Though most sources have credited Sachs with the inks to this story, Gene Reed notes that Giacoia and Giella often co-inked stories and this is their work, not Sachs'. Bob Hughes also mentions that the first Adam Strange and Space Rangers stories were worked out in conference, so Hamilton should be given co-plotting credit here. (Thanks to Victor Lim for bringing up this issue on the GCD Error Tracker.)
Story Notes
Inside back cover.
Story Notes
Back cover.