I've already featured Biff Powers twice on this blog: in the first entry of this series he encountered the Wolf Man of Angola and in my most recent previous post I looked at his quest for the Giants of Angola. I have no idea who was creating this series (the Grand Comics Database thinks the artist might have been August Froelich but they have no clues to the writer's identity) but they clearly had an interest in Angola because, once again, I have a Biff Powers story to share with you - this one from Starling Comics Vol.2 #3 (April, 1941).
I took some time to skim over Biff's other appearances, wondering which of them might be set in Angola, so now I'm pretty well-versed in what Biff's stories are like and they certainly have a set pattern. As always, it starts with Biff meeting with the head of the Carson Circus. But instead of finding a new attraction for the circus, the owner brings up the missing Dr. Andrew Knight who, in the grand tradition of Dr. Livingstone, is missing in Africa. What's the circus' interest in him? (I mean, I don't think they want him in a cage) It's simply good publicity. Very well.
Usually Biff is opposed by a rival circus but this time men representing a "Fatherland" who all have German names like "Kassel" want to stop him. I have no idea what nation they might represent, it's a mystery. They send him a threatening letter which he ignores so they kidnap him and tie him up inside a house, then light it on fire. Fortunately his girlfriend Marcia (who appears in all of his adventures) comes to his rescue in something of a twist on the formula (usually someone kidnaps her to keep Biff from going to Africa). Biff and Marcia go to depart aboard a ship bound for Ambriz. And that's our connection to Angola! Ambriz is indeed a port city on the coast of Angola. I'm impressed that the author chose a real port and didn't even draw attention to it.
Aboard the ship, Kassel the spy tries to murder Biff by throwing him overboard but Biff narrowly avoids death. Arriving in Ambriz, Biff and Marcia are met by Weki, their guide. Weki has been in all of the stories I've featured on the blog so far. He's also in almost every Biff Powers story, or so it seems, but I'm still not sure if Weki is supposed to be Angolan. Still, he certainly seems to live around there, não é? Biff is attacked by an elephant but he kills it; that's a peril that lasts all of 3 panels (not the most dramatic man vs. nature battle ever put to paper). After that, Biff arms Weki and the other porters with rifles. Soon after they're attacked by "savages" but drive them off with the guns.
Investigating the men who attacked them, Biff encounters what looks to be some kind of python, but he kills it within two panels (seriously, man vs. snake can be a story in itself when done right). Arriving in a nearby village, Biff discovers Dr. Knight is a prisoner of Kassel who is apparently working with the men who attacked Biff's party. Kassel is whipping Dr. Knight for the location of paranium deposits he found (uranium asked for too much money to appear in this story?). Kassel's allies quickly take Biff prisoner.
But now we return to the real heroes of this series: Marcia and Weki. Deciding Biff has been away too long, they set after them. But by this time, Dr. Knight has given up the location of the paranium. As his reward, Kassel has Biff and Dr. Knight tied, half of their limbs tied to different bent saplings. When the trees are cut free they will tear the men apart! Fortunately Weki and the other men arrive and rescue them. Kassel draws a gun on Biff but Marcia pulls out a pistol and shoots Kassel dead (why isn't she the protagonist?). Dr. Knight apologizes for giving in to torture but Biff figures that mine "can produce enough explosive to make America supreme!" Well, that sounds like a happy ending!
This stories are certainly of their time but I do appreciate that the anonymous author did a little bit of research. And Marcia is certainly no damsel in distress this time out, which was pretty rare in 1941. But how does this entry score?
- +1 estrela for using a real location in Angola (Ambriz)
- +2 estrelas for using two animals found in Angola (elephant & python)
- -1 estrela for calling uranium "paranium" (but there's a lot of uranium in Namibia so this isn't such a bad call)
TOTAL SCORE: Dois estrelas! I hope you had fun!
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