The Green Hornet #3 [Direct]

(January 1990)

[The Origin and End of Green Hornet II] (Table of Contents: 1)

Green Hornet / comic story / 24 pages (report information)

Script

Ron Fortier

Pencils

Lenin Delsol (pages 1-14); Jeff Butler (pages 15-24)

Inks

David Mowry

Colors

"The Staff"

Letters

Patrick Williams

Genre

crime; superhero

Characters

Green Hornet II [Britt Reid II] (origin continued); Kato II [Hayashi Kato] (origin continued); Montrano (villain, introduction); Lucky Marington (villain, introduction); Britt Reid I; Diana Reid; Paul Reid; Alan Reid; Broxton (villain, introduction); Desmaines (villain, introduction); Ruth H. Reid; "Jackknife" Devane (villain, dies); David Devane (villain, introduction); Angela Devane (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Continued from last issue...June 1968: The second Green Hornet and associate spend a night making their existence known to various underworld figures, demanding information about the assassination of Senator Carlson (and bugging their homes, cars or offices) in the process. After eavesdropping on a resultant big meeting, during which some veterans recommend capitulation, the Hornet interrupts the proceedings via a phone call. They tell him that the shooter appears to have been an ex-CIA agent named Desmaines, working for industrialist Dave Broxton. Research reveals that Broxton is profiting from selling ammunition to the military for use in Vietnam, while a major plank in Carlson's presidential campaign platform was to pull the country out of that war. That was Broxton's motive. While the two Britts and Kato discuss what to do next, they are unknowingly overheard by college student/protester Diana Reid, who is shocked. A meeting set up ostensibly to blackmail Broxton yields a taped confession. In a newsmagazine telecast on June 18, 1968, Britt II reports that Broxton has committed suicide and Desmaines has gone into hiding. He also refers to "unfounded reports concerning the reappearance of a notorious underworld figure not heard of in over twenty years." The second Green Hornet's career is off and running. October 2, 1979: District Attorney Diana Reid holds a press conference about the busted arms deal of the previous night and the Green Hornet's involvement (see last issue). Later, Britt II gives Diana all the details of the incident, including the overheard name Garrick, whom she says must be high-priced attorney Philip Garrick, who now works almost exclusively for crime boss "Jackknife" Devane. A visit from the Green Hornet is indicated. Simultaneously with this conversation, chasing an errant football leads pre-teens Alan and Paul to discover the original Black Beauty in the Reid estate's old stables. That night, the two masked men invade the Devane mansion. Jackknife's son David pulls a pistol, but Kato disarms and kayos him. The old man stands right up to the Green Hornet and says, "You got absolutely nothing on me, and you know it." Calling Devane "an old fool who doesn't know when to quit," the Hornet indicates to Kato that it is time to leave. As the masked men depart, Devane kneels over his son, when someone else enters the room and shoots him. As the Hornet and Kato approach the Black Beauty, they hear gunshots from the house but before they can investigate, the man in green collapses. The next day's Sentinel carries two headlines: "Green Hornet Prime Suspect in Devane Murder" and "Communications Magnate Suffers Coronary"!

Reprints

• (pages 15-24 only) in "The Green Hornet" (hardback book), NOW Comics & Bonus Books, 1990.

Indexer Notes

See Indexer's note for the main story in the previous issue for the explanation of the two segments with different artists; the name Marington is spelled Marrington the first, but only the first, time it appears; issue #5 will give the elder Devane's first name as Joey, and he is presumably the same Joey as the young thug in #1's main story; nothing further is ever made of Diana's accidental, unknown-to-anyone-else and shocking (to her) discovery of the Reid family secret; writer Ron Fortier told "Comics Scene" magazine (#9, [October] 1989) that Diana was to be police commissioner.

The Reid Family Tree/The Kato Family Tree (Table of Contents: 2)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Ron Fortier

Letters

typeset

Synopsis

Minimal family trees for the series' two pivotal clans.

Reprints

• from The Green Hornet (Now, 1989 series) #1 (November 1989)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

NOW Newsflash! / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)