PULP HEROES – THE MOON MAN: STORIES 22-24

I’m continuing my look at Frederick C Davis’ pulp hero the Moon Man. In reality police detective Stephen Thatcher, the Moon Man stalked the night-darkened streets of fictional Great City clad in his black costume and his helmet made of one-way Argus glass. Armed with an automatic pistol plus limitless courage and ingenuity the Moon Man captured or killed Great City’s most dangerous criminals –  both white collar and blue collar – and robbed them of their ill-gotten booty. He would then distribute that money to the city’s Great Depression-ravaged poor. All this made him hunted by both the crooks AND the cops. For more on the Moon Man and other neglected pulp heroes click here: https://glitternight.com/pulp-heroes/

22. THE CRIMSON SHRINE – The story opens with the Moon Man raiding the hideout of a quintet of deadly criminals who have been running a con on many of Great City’s wealthiest citizens. He relieves them of the tens of thousands of dollars they had grifted from their marks but in the shootout that follows three of the crooks get away, including their leader, Russ Siruti, who kills a cop during the mayhem. Siruti declares all- out war on the Moon Man.

An action packed three- way conflict unfolds, with the Siruti Three gunning for the Moon Man while he simultaneously hunts them down and the cops, galvanized by the death of one of their own, are turning the city upside down looking for the crooks AND our hero. In the dramatic finale all forces converge on the shop of a fake psychic called Prince Hirzu where the Moon Man corrals the three fugitives for the cops while managing another miraculous escape for himself.

23. SATAN’S STEPSON – A gang of bandits pulls off a commando- style raid on an armored car, making off with $30,000 (in 1930’s money no less) and leaving two people dead in their wake. The Moon Man and his sidekick Angel track the gang, led by the charismatic Satan’s Stepson himself – Rex Speer – no, not Lance King, Rex Speer – to their secret lair near Schultz’s Grocery Store.

A James Cagney-style standoff results when the Speer Gang takes a hostage. Judicious use of his secret identity as Stephen Thatcher enables our hero to penetrate the police cordon around the block so that as the Moon Man he can free the hostage and leave the crooks ko’ed for the cops to pick up. He then uses the $30,000 to covertly keep open a charity center for the handicapped.

24. THE SILVER SPECTRE – This tale begins at the gala wedding reception of wealthy Robert Lockwood and Jean Mead. The opening chapter is titled Honeymoon Snatch … referring to a kidnapping, of course, you dirty- minded people! A man in a Moon Man oufit shows up and robs the guests. 

Stephen Thatcher discovers it was just an undercover ploy by the cops to try to lure the real Moon Man out of hiding to come after the imposter. Unfortunately in the confusion kidnappers made off with the newlywed bride. D’OH! When Angel discovers  where the kidnappers are holding Jean Mead he gets word to the Moon Man, who leads him in a heroic raid to free her and return her to her new husband.  

MORE MOON MAN STORIES COMING SOON   

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