Lightning Comics (Vol. 2) #6

Aug 8

Aug 8 Lightning Comics (Vol. 2) #6

Doctor Nemesis

Army maneuvers at Camp Williams take a tragic turn when two soldiers suddenly drop dead and two tanks they were following crash into each other. General Powers is furious that some mystery illness is affecting his troops and orders that all the regional doctors be called in to try and solve the mystery. Among those doctors is Doctor James Bradley from Mercy Hospital. Joining him is Nurse Mary Strong, who is concerned about her brother, Jack, who is a soldier at the base.

However, when they arrive at the base, Mary learns that the worst has happened and that her brother is in a coma. James promises Mary that he will do everything he can to cure her brother. Examining Jack, Doctor Bradley discovers that he has been infected with a bacterial nerve infection and figures he can create an antitoxin with the blood of an uninfected person. Bradley decides to perform this experiment on himself and although it is incredibly dangerous, and injecting himself for the formula causes him to pass out. He is woken up by Nurse Strong, who accuses him of sleeping on the job and slaps him across the face. Revived, James discovers that his formula works and after a quick explanation injects Jack with it. After the treatment, Jack Strong begins mumbling about how he got sick after inhaling the exhaust from the tank. Soon, General Powers is informed of the success of the antitoxin but his assistant, Colonel Bauler insists that they proceed with caution.

Suspicious over all of this, James decides to investigate as Doctor Nemesis. That evening. Doctor Nemesis takes a sample of the exhaust residue from one of the tanks. In a tent, he confirms that the fuel has been tainted with a bacteria that, once burned, becomes an airborne pathogen that can infect people. As he is making these discoveries he is attacked by a soldier armed with a knife. When Doctor Nemesis succeeds in fighting off his attacker, the soldier flees the scene before he can be identified. Following after the getaway car in his ambulance, Doctor Nemesis finds the soldier and another man, a Nazi scientist named Doctor Reik, attempting to taint the fuel with the bacteria. When he tries to stop them, the mystery soldier knocks Doctor Nemesis over the side of the fuel tank and presumably his death.

However, the muddy ground cushioned his fall, allowing Doctor Nemesis to survive. However, he has been knocked out until the early hours of the morning. Rushing back to the camp, James strips off his costume and discovers a "B shaped bruise on his face but is quickly arrested by General power and Colonel Bauler for being AWOL all evening. Incidentally, Jack Strong is put on guard duty that evening and James convinces the soldier to let him go so he can find who is responsible for the infections. Outside, the traitor — Colonel Bauler — witnesses James change into Doctor Nemesis and knocks him out. He then takes Nemesis to his hideout where they intend to subject the vigilante to the newest creation of Doctor Reik. However, Nemesis manages to cut free from his bonds thanks to a scalpel he has in his coat pocket. He then knocks out the spies and injects Colonel Bauler with his truth serum. Thanks to Bauler’s confession, Doctor Nemesis manages to stop Doctor Reik from tainting the rest of the fuel on the base.

With Reik being taken into custody, Doctor Nemesis returns to General Bauler who consumed Reik’s poison to kill himself. Before Bauler dies, Doctor Nemesis rushes him to the home of General Power and makes him make a complete confession. With the mystery solved, Doctor Nemesis changes back to his civilian guise and returns to his cell before anyone notices he was out. With the real murderer exposed and the Nazi scheme foiled, Doctor Bradley is released.