If you're like me and a fan of Nina Albright's arresting artistic style, you'll find a lot to like about "The Formula of Fate" from the January 1944 issue of Terrific Comics #1. But this is also one heckuva crime horror / mad scientist hoot, with a tragically hilarious final reveal that actually made me LOL.
6 comments:
In the H G Wells version the scientist tested the formula on a cat before trying it on himself, Gerald should have done the same and spared himself a one-way trip to the cemetery.
Being invisible sounds great, but only for a little while, not forever.
It would cut into one's social life being overlooked all the time.
The temporary solution would be to cover one's hands and face with makeup as was done in the TV movie The Invisible Woman 1983.
The blue shrouded guy looks like a cousin of Fate from Hand of Fate comics, only he doesn't interfere with Gerald's decision.
Completely caught off guard by that ending. For sure I felt like this was going to place where he'd be completely immaterial for eternity or something but ... nope. Dead! I loved it, the surprise worked really well for me. It's helped by the fact that he making a ton of plans which lulls you into the sense he's going to keep going.
Of they mix up invisibility + immaterial here.
The paneling is a bit nuts here, as you sometimes see in these early comics. A bit too much tell vs show, but the ending making up for it. This is a good one!
This is one of those stories where there’s a clear hint of where it may be going when Gerald remarks that the mixture is vile enough to kill a horse. Scientists really need to learn how to make their chemical formulas taste better if you ask me. I do like the twist that the formula actually never worked and killed him instead. I believe that is what you call a success hallucination in the trope business. I’m surprised it took him that long to figure out he was dead though and never once saw his body before heading outside to play with his new “powers”.
I've heard (or read) some broad Italian characters, but that fruit stand owner almost takes the prize. It's almost like listening to Chico Marx.
For a second it's strange to see a character like Gerald give away money - and say that's he's always wanted to - but then you find out it was one more prank of his. Though the thousand dollars for the cab driver is a little more surprising.
Even though it was written during the war, I have mixed feelings about the Nazi sub-plot being thrown in at the end. And it's funny that they debate whether Gerald can SUE them for squeezing him out of the whole thing. I mean, couldn't he just INFORM on them? In fact, that way he WOULD look like a patriot, regardless of his motives.
What's even stranger is that that part of the story is left up in the air, considering what those men are planning.
I liked the twist, but the storyline was a bit inconsistent. "I'm invisible. I should be able to walk through this guy", wait, what? "Now I can pick up things! I need a key to open this door! My hands go through them!" Good stuff, great art!
Yeah, I wonder how inconsistencies like these make it past the numerous folks with eyes on these things. Absurd as it is, I can accept that an invisibility scientist expects to pass right through somebody. I can even accept that he can phase through people but through stuff. I can even accept that he is surprised when he can't push a coupla peeps off the balcony. But I cannot accept all three of those things, in that order.
This guy. One gulp of toxic serum and he instantly starts fights, spies, attempts murder, and robs a bank. Holy cow. The old trope that people become villains the moment they turn invisible is an interesting one. And yet you still have people who dream about having this superpower. Ugh. It's hard enough to walk down the street as it is. Can you imagine trying to do it while invisible? Trampled to death in seconds is what.
I think the art is awesome!
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