Kobra Two By Two The Third

Kobra continued to menace the world of the 1970s, and in these two issues, a direction for the villain was set, as well as the opposition to him grew, getting a new champion in the fight against him!

Here are the two issues covered here!

 

The Eye Of The Serpent

First up is Kobra #5 (November-December, 1976) with a shocking cover by Rich Buckler and Frank McLaughlin (the duo who also provided interior art for the Martin Pasko story of the Naja-Naja!).  This time around, Kobra is making plans in his Ark to destroy San Francisco, as Jason Burr is still in New York, concerned about his missing girlfriend.  Meanwhile, San Francisco detective, Jonny Double is involved in a case of his own...where a mystery woman hired him to find proof that she didn't kill her boss (whom she was having an affair with....as was another woman).  Double did too good a job, as he found her, and that boss, with him still being alive.  

But, Jonny's cover as a taxi driver didn't allow him to follow him as he got a fare, a man in a trenchcoat...who attracted enough attention to him that Jonny couldn't dump him and follow them.  Jonny couldn't even collect the fare as his electronic meter stopped working....and the trenchcoat man left a package behind (which Jonny correctly figured out was a bomb due to it messing with the meter), and took the cab to be dumped off the pier.  The trenchcoat man was an agent of Kobra, assigned to finish Double (and failed).  Double went back to the office of the woman and her boss, though they weren't there, Double found a computer center, and got information on Lt. Perez (whose death happened last issue) and from there, followed back to Horst Buchner (from issue one).  

One of Jonny's contacts even gave him a way to contact Jason Burr, which Jonny did, asking him to fly out to California (which Burr planned on).  Jonny went to meet a contact after passing over the Golden Gate Bridge, but found Kobra's agents already got to him.  This led Double into direct conflict with Kobra, while Jason eventually found his way on to a shaky flight.  Jason was over Oregon when his flight demonstrated major engine trouble, while Jonny awoke to find himself strapped to the Golden Gate Bridge, where Kobra was planning on using his recently acquired solar device to power an earthquake machine to destroy San Francisco.

Need we say...to be continued?

 

The Crack In The World Conspiracy

Kobra #6 (January-February, 1977) by Martin Pasko, Michael Netzer (Nasser at the time) and Joe Rubinstein (with cover also by these two, who finally would give Kobra a regular art team), started with Jonny Double facing off with Kobra on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Jonny had escaped his bonds and figured the only way to save the bridge was to fight Kobra.  Jonny did, even knocking Kobra's wrist weapons off his wrist, and Jonny used it to stop the earthquake device.  Meanwhile, in air, the other passengers on the flight disappeared, and Kobra revealed himself to Jason Burr...acknowledging that he couldn't kill Burr or else die himself, Kobra manipulated Jason onto this flight to keep him busy, and to reveal that Kobra had Melissa (Burr's lady love).  Double was freed from the hospital by Randu Singh, and this pair met with Professor Ross Emerson, who helped Double figure out Kobra's wrist weapon.  

This bunch then broke into Kobra's computer center...but it was a trap to get them to come to Kobra, yet they escaped it (with info on what Kobra's attack on the bridge was for...to damage the Pacific telephone cables so Kobra could send his crew to repair them (and thus tap into global communications secretly).  This group showed up to stop Kobra by the cables, and infiltrated his Ark, and fought well against Kobra and his cult, though Kobra was surprised Double had retrieved his wrist gauntlet.  Kobra used his venom on Randu Singh, blinding the man, as Double sent the Ark into the water, and while he rescued Randu, Kobra was thought dead aboard his supposedly exploding Ark (which meant Jason would be dead too!  Yet, Kobra's forces still planned on doing the cable repair....).

Kobra would have one more issue for his original run, but two more tales of this run.  Confused?  Bothered?  Bewildered?  

Continue to check back....at some Bat-time, same Bat-channel for more answers!

A Quick Investigation Of Jonny Double

If you're in trouble, look for Jonny Double!  

Jonny Double is DC's hard boiled private investigator (an ex-cop working in San Francisco)... 

..handling the cases that would be too tough for any super hero, but still getting involved in cases that range from strange to downright super, better at solving cases than getting paid.

Here's a look at his premiere, and how he bounced around the whole DC Universe for a time (all starting with this issue with a Dick Giordano cover).

 

Meet Jonny Double

Jonathan Sebastian Double first appeared in Showcase #78 (November, 1968) by Marv Wolfman, Joe Gill and Jack Sparling.   The issue starts with Jonny losing his detective office (and flop house), and looking for new digs.  

 

Wilson Twain has a case for Jonny, as he is being threatened by the Syndicate (who already offed his connected brother, leaving a picture with Mr. Twain).  

Checking with his ex-boss, Lt. Branigan, Jonny gets a little Syndicate info, and pumps the pool hall for info....getting his head handed to him.  After getting patched up at the local diner by Crystal Cross, Jonny goes back to Mr. Twain, to find the legal firm of Piker and Glass involved, and, after another scuffle (in a fun house), brings down his men....but, Jonny is stiffed on the bill by Mr. Twain!

A quiet premiere, but more was in store for this man!

To Call A Deadman

Jonny showed up next in Challengers of the Unknown #74 (June-July, 1970) by Denny O'Neil, George Tuska and Neal Adams, but his role was to bring the Challengers the info on a Dr. McJames (who stole a ruby), but Jonny realized more was going on (this would lead the death-cheating Challengers to meet Deadman!).

The Face Of The Dragon

Next, Jonny Double appears in Adventure Comics #418 (April, 1972) by Len Wein, Jose Delbo and Bob Oksner, with Oksner providing the cover.  This time around, Double is hired by Nasthalia Luthor to trail Linda Danvers (with "Nasty" telling him she is planning to kill him!).  Really, Luthor's niece wants Double to prove Linda is Supergirl.  Jonny follows Linda to Chinatown, where she gets involved with the Tong and an illusion casting Batman villain, Dr. Tzin-Tzin.  After Supergirl takes care of business, Jonny returns to "Nasty", refusing to take the case and not getting paid (but wondering if Linda is Supergirl).

Tribunal Of Fear

Wonder Woman #199 (March-April, 1972) by Denny O'Neil, Don Heck and Dick Giordano (under a Jeff Jones cover) sees a much more ambitious Jonny Double.

Jonny encounters Diana Prince (the currently powerless Wonder Woman), and challenges her to a duel.  Diana beats him, and Jonny offers her a job, as he is employed by nightclub magnate, Fellows Dill.  Diana eventually agrees to work with Jonny (as Dill offers to finance an operation to restore the sight of Diana's mentor, I-Ching.  Diana and Jonny get involved against the Tribunal, a religious organization opposed to the Dill, who is seen as the "dean of beautiful women".  Diana and Double get involved fighting the Tribunal, with Double eventually being shot...by Fellows Dill!

The Beauty Hater

Wonder Woman #200 (May-June, 1972) by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano (with cover by Jeff Jones) picks up where the last issue left off, with Diana taking Fellows Dill down, and Double grabbing his gun.  

Dill has been driven insane, and the detectives follow his trail to the Tribunal headquarters in the mountain.  They end up at Dill's estate, where they find old Wonder Woman foe, Dr. Cyber, who had created the Tribunal to destroy all things of female beauty, as she had her face disfigured when she last faced Diana Prince.  Dr. Cyber plans to take Diana's face (with help from Ra's Al Ghul's scientist, Dr. Moon), but Diana foils her plan, and escapes with Jonny Double.

Fangs Of Fire

Wonder Woman #202 (September-October, 1972) by Samuel L. Delancy and Dick Giordano, who also provided the cover.

After being kidnapped off panel in the last issue, Diana is forced to chase down Jonny Double, who is a prisoner of Lu Shan (I-Ching's daughter).  There is a battle between Diana, Catwoman, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and later with Lu Shan, eventually returning Jonny, Diana and Catwoman to Earth (more details on the Wonder Woman/Catwoman team-up here!).

The Grandee Caper

Wonder Woman #203 (November-December, 1972) by Samuel L. Delancy and Dick Giordano (also the cover artist) is the last time Diana is working with Jonny Double.

Diana gets a new job at Grandee's department store, and gets involved in her own trouble there, but does stop by to see Jonny Double and inform him of her new situation.

Encounters With Kobra

Jonny ended up being a target (along with all other San Francisco detectives) of Kobra (fresh off his last adventure), which ended with him working with Jason Burr and Randu Singh (and these adventures will be chronicled here soon, as they appeared in Kobra #5-#7 from 1976 to 1977!).

Jonny then showed up in Showcase #100 (May, 1978) though it was little more than a cameo, and then, worked with Harvey Bullock, Christopher Chance and Jonni Thunder at a detective's convention in Crisis On Infinite Earths #11 (February, 1986) solving the apparent murder of Angle Man, eventually getting revived for his own Vertigo series...still always broke, and always in trouble.