Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Avenger Vol. 4 The Blood Ring & Stockholders in Death by Kenneth Robeson The Avenger Vol. 4: The Blood Ring & Stockholders in Death by Kenneth Robeson. Real Name : Richard Henry "Dick" Benson. Identity/Class : Human mutate (?) Affiliations : Justice, Inc. (Fergus "Mac" MacMurdie, Algernon Heathcote "Smitty" Smith, Nellie Gray, Joshua "Josh" Elijah Newton, Rosabel Newton, Cole Wilson - group also referred to as "Justice and Co."), honourary member of U.S. Secret Service. Known Relatives : Alicia (wife, deceased), Alice (daughter, deceased), unidentified mother-in-law (deceased) Base of Operations : Justice, Inc. Headquarters, Bleek Street, New York City. First Appearance : "Justice, Inc." The Avenger #1 (Street and Smith, September 1st 1939) Powers/Abilities : Benson was able to remold his face to appear like anyone he wants, had enhanced hearing and vision, and possessed low level superhuman strength (after a while he was exposed to a machine which restored his face's normal appearance, though he remained a skilled disguise artist). He is a skilled fighter, trained in Savate, knowing pressure points that can render a man unconscious with a pinch, and an expert hatchet and knife thrower. A man of eclectic knowledge, he is also an excellent physician and expert on tropical diseases, a linguist who speaks Aztec and various other native Central American languages, knows sign language, is an engineer and chemist, can read lips, and is an escapologist and hypnotist. Benson wore a bulletproof vest composed from "celluglass, a plastic of his own invention that was stronger than spun steel." He armed himself with two unique weapons, a knife he christened Ike, and a pistol he christened Mike; the former was strapped to his left calf, the latter to his right. Ike was designed as a throwing knife, with a double edged blade, eight inches long, and almost no handle to speak off. Mike was a .22 caliber, with a long barrel for targeting, a built in silencer, and a grip almost in a straight line with the barrel, making the weapon resemble a length of blued steel tubing. Only capable of holding four shots at a time, Benson never killed anyone with Mike, instead using his incredible marksmanship to knock enemies out by creasing their skills. History : Richard Benson was a self-made millionaire and adventurer, a scientific genius with senses and physical strength far greater than most. At a young age he amassed vast wealth as a soldier of fortune, working all around the world, before acruing great wealth mining in the Arctic, finding emeralds in Brazil, transporting animals from Malay to American zoos, and finally making around a half million dollars in an amethyst venture in Australia. Still a comparatively young man, Richard married Alicia and had a daughter Alice. A few years later the Benson family learned that Alicia's mother was dying, and rushed to catch a flight from Buffalo to Montreal to see her. Initially they were denied entry to the plane, but Benson, unaccustomed to being told "No," pressed the issue and got them on board. However, after a brief trip to the bathroom, Richard returned to find his wife and daughter had vanished; all the other passengers denied ever seeing them, and Benson snapped. Subdued and hospitalised with "brain fever" and head trauma, he awoke to find that the loss has turned his jet-black hair completely white, bleached the colour out of his suntanned skin, and paralysed his facial muscles so that he can mold his features like putty. Briefly committed, he escaped determined to find his missing family, soon allying with Fergus MacMurdie, who remembered seeing the Benson's onboard, and Smitty. They uncovered a conspiracy which was kidnapping wealthy Buffalo residents, then parachuting them from planes to imprisoning them on an island in Lake Ontario. The three allies brought the criminal venture to an end, but Benson learned that his wife and daughter were dead, murdered because they had witnessed the kidnappings; now suffering from a death wish, Benson vowed to bring criminals to justice. With his two helpers and others, he formed Justice, Inc., soon becoming a valued aide to the authorities in dealing with villainy beyond what the police and G-Men could handle. The underworld and papers dubbed him "the Avenger," a title Benson himself did not use, but did acknowledge. The other members of Justice, Inc. had all also suffered at criminals hands. They included: Smitty, Algernon Heathcote Smith, an extremely tall electrical engineer who had been framed for a crime he didn't commit. Smitty aided him on his very first case. Fergus MacMurdie, a dour Scottish chemist whose family had been murdered when he refused to pay protection money. Nellie Gray, a deceptively pretty martial arts expert whose father had been murdered. Joshua Elijah H. Newton and his wife Rosabel, a black couple whose disguise as Benson's domestics hid their keen intellects - both were college graduates. and Cole Wilson, a peerless mechanical engineer. The Avenger's code was a simple one. He refused, personally, to take the lives of even the lowest crooks. However, he would maneuver them into positions where, by certain moves springing from their own hate or greed, they were apt to destroy themselves. What's New? In 1972, Warner Paperback Library reprinted most of The Avenger novels in a series of paperback editions, all credited to Kenneth Robeson. After reprinting the 24 original novels (by Paul Ernst), Warner ignored the short stories of Tepperman (which have not yet been reprinted in Sanctum's books and I don't know why as they should be in the reprints), and instead commissioned Ron Goulart to produce an additional dozen (new) titles. These fit chronologically after the six stories by Tepperman, but are numbered by Warner starting from #25. The initial price tag of $12.95 was not bad, when you consider the fact that The Avenger novels were reprinted in paperback format and you can get them for $5 or $6 a piece. (I bought four for $10 last week.) But the recent issues are now retailing $14.95 and unless you want the historical write-ups and essays that supplement the pages in each reprint, you might want to shop around. Especially since the final page in volume two, a biography of Paul Ernst, is the final page of volume four. Yes, some of the supplemental features are reprinted from previous reprints. (Sanctum has been doing this a lot in their Shadow reprints and is becoming very annoying.) The Avenger reprints should be read in chronological order. The formation of Justice, Inc. is made up in the first three issues, so volumes one and two reprint them in the correct order. Beginning with volume three, the pulp novels are reprinted out of sequence but they appear to be making an "attempt" to reprint them in order because the first seven appear in the first four volumes. Why are they slightly out of sequence? For the enjoyment of great pulp stories, I recommend you start with volume one and read them progressively. But use my list above to know which ones to read in the proper sequence. The Avenger Vol. 4: The Blood Ring & Stockholders in Death by Kenneth Robeson. The Pulp Era's most unusual mystery man returns in two epic adventures by Paul Ernst writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, a famous museum becomes a killing site when an ancient Egyptian curse is revived by a strange ritual involving "The Blood Ring." Then, an unholy partnership between Organized Crime and Big Business produces a deadly trail of murder. Only The Avenger and Justice, Inc. can challenge the "Stockholders in Death." BONUS: a lost Avenger radio script from the Golden Age of Radio! This classic pulp reprint showcases H. W. Scott's classic pulp covers, all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban and historical commentary by Will Murray. (Sanctum Books) Softcover, 7x10, black and white w/ color cover $ 12.95 $3.00 postage per order Subscriptions: Six volumes of the Avenger for $84.00 First Class or $78.00 Media Mail Pay by check, money order or PayPal payment CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS VOLUME or to SUBSCRIBE. Avenger SC (2009 Double Novel) comic books. This item is not in stock. If you use the "Add to want list" tab to add this issue to your want list, we will email you when it becomes available. Volume 1 - 1st printing. The Pulp Era's most intriguing superhero returns in his first two epic adventures by Paul Ernst writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, a devastating personal tragedy forges adventurer Richard Henry Benson into a "Man of Steel," leading him to assemble the crime- fighting team called "Justice, Inc." Then, murder sets The Avenger on the trail of "The Yellow Horde," the secret treasure of the Aztecs. This instant collector's item showcases H. W. Scott's classic pulp covers, and reprints all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban. Pulp historian Will Murray provides commentary, revealing how The Shadow's Walter Gibson and Doc Savage's Lester Dent helped develop The Avenger, a character who also appeared in Street & Smith and DC Comics. Softcover, 128 pages, Text (with B&W Chapter iLlustrations). Cover price $12.95. This item is not in stock. If you use the "Add to want list" tab to add this issue to your want list, we will email you when it becomes available. Volume 2 - 1st printing. "The Devil's Horns" and The Sky Walker!" The Pulp Era's strangest superhero returns in two more epic adventures of Justice, Inc. by Paul Ernst, writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, Chicago skyscrapers collapse after "The Sky Walker" is seen astride the city's skyline, sparking fears of an alien invasion in a pulp epic that was later adapted for comics by Jack Kirby.