Ripples Through Time - 173

A year ago I started my Ripples Through Time feature. I didn't manage to keep up with the one-a-day hope, instead I'm averaging one about every 2.1 days. Still, I'm glad to be doing the project, and I'm going to continue. Maybe I can even get my average up in the next year, who knows? Still, at this rate, it'll only take another two years to finish the solo stories. By then there might even be a new Aquaman series.

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #250 (July 1958) - The Guinea Pig of the Sea

Doctor Arvy Rush wants to study Aquaman, but Aquaman has to keep interrupting the experiments for his duties of saving lives.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Doctor Rush, "It's uncanny-- unbelievable! You actually command sea creatures and you can live underwater! Tell me your secret!" Aquaman, "I wish I could, doctor, but I really don't know it myself! I only know that I have strange powers!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Dr Rush traps Aquaman in a folding cage of steel placed where Aquaman dives from the doctor's dock.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman is on patrol riding Topo at the beginning of the story. He has a giant manta ray jump into a waterspout to destroy it by cutting off its suction. A flying fish tells Aquaman of an iceberg that must be destroyed. A swordfish and "the strongest octopus in the sea" attempt to get Aquaman out of Rush's cage. A flying fish spots Rush in distress and reports to Aquaman. Whales go to support Rush's ship while Aquaman summons jellyfish to help him. The jellyfish form a mirror over the cage, allowing Aquaman to see how to open it. Shell-cracker fish act as wrenches and open the cage.

Doctor Rush has his own marine laboratory, and works on extracting drugs from sea vegetation. When Aquaman rescues him from a waterspout, he becomes obsessed with learning the secrets of Aquaman's powers. Eventually he cages Aquaman to allow more time for experiments. At which point Aquaman calls Dr Rush a crackpot. Heh.

Great artwork in this one, as is usual for this era of Aquaman. Seriously, DC should reprint more of these stories just for the Fradon art.

Have you read this story? What do you think?