Welcome back to “Disaster December!” Throughout the month, we’re taking a break from prehistory and all our entries into Codex Omniversa will have a theme: disaster, specifically those similar to 1970s movie and TV movie subgenres.
Today, my podcasting partner and friend, Richard Chamberlain, is providing our content. I believe he survived the meteors and landslides, so I’ll say, “Thank you, Rich!”
Oct./Nov. 1975
$0.50, 24 pages
Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell
The second story in DC Special #18 is “The Catastrophic Crimes of Major Disaster,” originally published in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #43. It was written by Gardner Fox, pencilled by Gil Kane, and inked by Sid Greene.
Our story begins with Barry Allen and Hal Jordan confused when Iris West and Carol Ferris know their secret identities after they both receive a letter revealing it all. Iris knows of Barry’s ring and Carol even knows Hal’s secret oath! As they all unite in Coast City for a double date, Barry and Hal must put their confusion aside as an earthquake and windstorm begin to wreak havoc.
As The Flash and Green Lantern are saving the citizens of Coast City, they both discover two crooks leaving a building. Then they’re shocked as their powers are useless with The Flash’s feet feeling like lead and Green Lantern’s ring suddenly drained of all power.
We discover that the person behind the disasters is actually a criminal mastermind by the name of Major Disaster! Hal believes their secret identities might have been discovered in Pieface’s secret casebook. But their troubles soon double when their powers are switched. Then, a second set of prints on the casebook is discovered belonging to Paul Booker…aka Major Disaster!
Before the mystery is solved, he uses his natural disaster devices to cause a meteor shower, a lightning storm and a landslide. Just as he plans another natural disaster, he forgets his special insulated gloves and electrocutes himself. Luckily, the meteors caused everyone to have amnesia about the events (talk about convenient), meaning their secret identities are once again safe.
Recommended Film
Meteor (1979)
Starring: Sean Connery, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Martin Landau, Trevor Howard, Richard Dysart, Henry Fonda
Written by: Nelson Gidding
Directed by: Stanley Mann and Edmund H. North
Released on Oct. 19, 1979, by American International Pictures (AIP)
CODEX OMNIVERSA 