The Shadow Strikes #29

The story opens with Lamont and Margo at an opera production of Das Rheingold, and notes the American Bund. For those unfamiliar with history, the Bund was a group of American's who supported Facism and Hitler. They were quite prominent before the war and, of course, served as a mouthpiece for Nazi propaganda.

Lamont spots a 'famous American aviator' and others sitting with two Nazis at the opera. He gets invited to Lakehurst, New Jersey, for the arrival of the Nazi dirigible Valhalla. Lakehurst, of course, is where the Hindenburg burst into flames and crashed.

Rutledge Mann, another of the Shadow's agents, arrives on the airship. Mann fills in Lamont on what is happening in Germany.

The Shadow goes to talk to the aviator and knocks out two Nazis that were visiting him. He tells the Shadow that the Nazis are expecting him to go on a radio broadcast, and if he doesn't they will kill his wife and children.

Lamont picks up the aviator the next day and they fly a bi-plane and hook up to the dirigible. At a meeting on the dirigible Lamont tells the Nazis what he actually thinks of them, and the aviator refuses to read the prepared speech they gave him.

The ship is moored to the Empire State building, and a bad storm has arisen, meaning lightning, with the dirigible moored to what is in effect a major lighting rod. The Shadow shows up and shoots some of the Nazis, and he and the aviator escape in the biplane.

In a great line, one of the Nazis asks The Shadow who he is, and the Shadow replies:

'There are minions of evil burning in hell who still ask that question and my only answer is to send them more company' as he shoots more of the Nazis.

The dirigible explodes and the rest of the Nazis are killed.


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