WITHOUT MY POWERS I AM LOST - NUKLA #3 !!!

"The Freezing Waters Have Reduced My Powers...Without Them I Am Lost!" 
"You May Defeat My Pets, Nukla...But I Shall Defeat You!"

Close-up from the cover of Nukla #4 (Ditko & Trapani)

One of the lesser recognizable of the atomic superheroes during the Silver Age of comics, came from Dell Comics - Nukla! It was fantastic, if not just for the artwork alone.

Close-up from the cover of Nukla #1!

Matthew Gibbs, a handsome blond CIA spy and pilot, flying his U-2 spy plane over Communist China, is fired on by the Chinese Red Army. Unable to evade the missiles, he and his aircraft are vaporized in the resulting nuclear explosion. For some unexplained reason, he is able to maintain his human consciousness in this atomized state and reform himself through sheer force of will with incredible nuclear powers. With his secret known only to his section chief Jim Clarke, Nukla used his atomic abilities to fight the enemies of the United States, like supervillains Baron Von Zee and Captain Whale.

Some fine looking original pages from Nukla #3!

 

Nukla #3   Nukla Meets Captain Whale The Menace Of The South Pole!
"Captain Whale"
Captain Whale is harassing scientists in Antarctica.
"Call The Killers"
"A Madman's End"
All stories written by Joe (Doomsday+1, Peacemaker) Gill, penciled by Dick (Batman, Sarge Steel)) Giordano with Sal (Wild Wild West, Superheroes) Trapani inks.

It was sweet to see Ditko work on at least one of the Nukla (#4) comics!

For your pleasure, here's a tryout Steve (Liberty Belle, in E-Man #5 with Joe Gill) Ditko did for the second issue of Nukla. It's hard for me to imagine Ditko trying out for anything with his caliber of work, even back then!

Steve Ditko (he penciled  Nukla #4) with Sal Trapani on Hogan's Heroes!

Both Dick Giordano & Sal Trapani worked on this story in Burkes's Law #3!

You don't always see the credits even in the Silver Age (and especially in the Golden Age) Comics, so it's fantastic to see Dick Giordano's in Nukla.

I hope you've enjoyed Nukla as much as I have. I'll be wrapping up with issue #4 soon. Love the Silver Age!

Ditko & Trapani again on Get Smart!

I've always enjoyed this page in Superheroes #1 with the Nukla in the Dell Hall of Heroes!

Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!

Charlton Spotlight #5 headlining an interview with prolific Charlton writer Joe Gill! This is the only painted cover I can recall Nicola Cuti having done!