Flying Armored Cars and Flying Telephone Booths

 

Man From U.N.C.L.E. #8 (September 1966) is arguably the most entertaining issue in the comic book career of Napoleon and Illya. Written by Dick Wood and illustrated by Mike Sekowsky, it is cleverly plotted and fast-paced, with the story twisting into unexpected directions several times.

It begins with the two U.N.C.L.E. agents infiltrating a THRUSH base, intending to acquire information. But they are forced to improvise when THRUSH launches a mission. Wearing stolen THURSH uniforms, they tag along, hoping to thwart whatever the bad guys hope to accomplish.

It turns out they are after an anti-gravity formula (designated AG#4), which was made from a substance recovered from a meteor. The professor who created it tries to escape by using it, but THRUSH manages to get hold of a pail-sized container full of the stuff.

Soon, THRUSH is using the formula to rob an armored car carrying an army payroll. This sets off a wonderful action sequence that stretches across the second half of the book. The armored car is sprayed with AG #4. Napoleon manages to steal back the remaining forumla and the U.N.C.L.E. agents board the floating car, defending it against THRUSH and even managing to capture a THRUSH helicopter. 

THRUSH agents steal back the forumla and cause confusion by spraying bystanders with it. But, despite the need to save a few innocent lives, Illya steals the formula back for the good guys, only to have a THRUSH agents steal it from him.  He recruits a pretty young lady on a scooter to pursue the villain.

Illya gets the stuff back again, but is soon cornered in a phone booth. Using some AG#4 (and inadvertently spilling the rest of it), he goes airborne inside the booth. He's soon rescued by U.N.C.L.E. and the good guys more or less win (though no one ends up with the anti-grav formula.)

It's all great fun, with my quick summary really not doing justice to it. The extended chase scene with the various characters playing "musical anti-gravity formula" is imaginative and exciting, eventually bringing "The Floating People Affair" to a satisfying conclusion.

Next week--Batman in SPACE!