Strange Adventures #184

Strange Adventures continues in "H-Hour for a Hurricane Hunter!"

The Return Of The Man With Animal Powers

Sitting on the porch with his soon-to-be-wife Ellen, Buddy Baker reminisces over the strange day he gained super-powers. He had stumbled upon a space craft that, literally, exploded in his face. Bathed in strange radiation, Baker soon discovered that he could mimic the physical abilities of any animals within his proximity. His powers proved temporary, lasting only long enough for him to slay an alien creature. Baker's reverie is broken by his friend, Roger Denning.

Racing up to the porch, Denning claims to have found another space craft in the woods. Baker and Denning drive into town to round up a few able bodied men, and also warn the townsfolk. Suddenly, an enormous creature rounds the corner, ridden by two alien humanoids. The aliens bathe the men in strange radiation. All at once, the men become enraged and set about to murdering one another. All save Baker, who discovers that the radiation has revived his super-powers.

The radiation has also enlarged a stray cat into a tiger-sized threat. Baker quickly hurls the cat away from the battling townsfolk. Blending the agility of a tiger with the strength of a gorilla, Baker punches the alien's mount. Switching frequencies on their blasters, the aliens fire on Baker, rendering him unconscious. Upon awakening, Baker leaps about like a kangaroo, entangling the townsfolk in a chain link fence. With the mob subdued, Baker chases after the aliens.

Baker tracks the aliens back into the woods, where he finds them excavating a mysterious box. Eavesdropping on the aliens, Baker learns that the contents of the box will greatly improve the alien's weaponry. Baker tries to ambush the aliens, but a snapped twig gives his position away. The aliens begin firing on him again. With a gorilla's agility, Baker dodges their weapons' fire, ultimately leaping into a lake to avoid being shot.

Switching frequencies on their weapons again, the aliens are able to cause the lake's water to erupt into the sky. Baker is carried aloft within the column of water. Moments before he begins to fall, Baker is able to lure an eagle close enough to draw on it's flight abilities. Using the momentum of his downward swoop, Baker slams into the two aliens, knocking them off of their mount. Baker presses his attack, only to be clipped by their weapons fire.

Baker makes a play for the unearthed box, quickly opening it, and turning the weapon he finds inside, on the aliens. The weapon paralyzes the aliens, and robs them of their free will. Under Baker's command, the aliens are marched back into town, and forced to reverse the effects of their "hate ray" on the townsfolk. Masterless, the alien's mount rampages through the town. Baker quickly learns the weapon is useless against the creature.

Mounting the creature, Baker blinds it with a large blanket, then steers it, at full running speed, into a wall. Baker maneuvers the stunned creature, along with the aliens, back to their ship. Baker commands the aliens to leave Earth and never return. After the aliens have departed, Baker destroys the mind control weapon, feeling it is to dangerous to be in the hands of mankind.

H-Hour For A Hurricane Hunter

Matt Harwood, hurricane hunter for the United States Weather Bureau, is on the job, flying towards the eye of "Hurricane Mary". Maneuvering his plane inside the storm reminds Harwood of his days in Korea, avoiding anti-aircraft fire. Within the eye of "Hurricane Mary", Harwood spies an impossible cloud formation. Suddenly, his plane is shot to pieces by 50 caliber rounds. Harwood leaps out of the cockpit, and pulls the ripcord on his parachute, only to see the chute catch fire.

As Harwood begins to fall, he comes in contact with a dirigible, hidden in the strange cloud formation. Suddenly, a massive pair of hands grab Harwood, and drag him inside the dirigible. Harwood's rescuer is a giant of man, identified as "Tall Tom". The man in charge, identified only as "Doc", explains the predicament Harwood is in. With Tall Tom's assistance, Doc was able to escape from prison. Doc immediately returned the favor.

Outfitting a dirigible with Doc's cloud generating machine, Doc set about preying on cargo ships from above. Doc piloted the dirigible into the safety of the hurricane's eye, to wait out the storm. Having relocated their target, Doc positions the dirigible over the freighter. Descending down rope ladders, Doc's henchmen board the freighter. The freighter's crew is locked away in the hold, and the cargo seized. With the robbery complete, Doc orders Tall Tom to get rid of Harwood. As the two men struggle, Harwood flips the lever controlling the dirigible's cloud cover. Responding to the freighter attack, Coast Guard planes surround the dirigible, ordering it to land or be shot down.