Manic Monday Bonus--That's Not How Hybrids Work!!

A tricky day to be Lorna The Jungle Queen Girl and her monkey Mikki:

No, that's not the hand of Krona...it's much, much worse!

What the hell is it?!?

WHAT?!?

WHAT?!?!?!?!?

OK, now try to get the images of crocodiles and apes mating out of your mind's eye. Good luck.

Because I know you're curious--no, this isn't an alien, or a robot, or some crook with some kind of Scooby Doo disguise, or anything goofy like that. All the explanation we get is the "hybrid" balderdash.

This was a Timely comic, so if it helps, you can just assume Arnim Zola was hiding in the jungles of Africa in the 1950s, performing perverse experiments...

Anyway, our unnamed hybrid wipes out a village...

So it's up to Lorna and Mikki to stop the titan!

Goodbye, unnamed hybrid. Maybe we can bring you back in an Agents Of Atlas story, someday...?

From Lorna The Jungle Girl #8 (1954)

Manic Monday Bonus--The Queen, Demoted!!

In the early 1950s, Atlas published:

Nothing remarkable...gorgeous blonde living in Africa with her father, he is eaten by a lion, a trusted native trains her in the ways of the jungle...and she becomes Lorna The Jungle Queen.

Well, if you've read enough Golden Age jungle hero books, there's not anything particularly interesting about Lorna.

But after 5 issues, the book's title suddenly changed to:

There was no change is costume, origin story, cute jungle pet, tone, whatsoever.

For her last 21 issues, Lorna The Jungle Queen just became Lorna The Jungle Girl.

Why was she demoted from Queen to Girl?

Perhaps the was a copyright/trademark disagreement with some other "jungle queen"? Perhaps publisher Martin Goodman or editor Stan Lee had some odd whim that "Girl" would sell better than "Queen"? Was there a reason at all?

I'm sure there was some reason, but I've never been able to find it. That's your cue to tell me what you read in all your fancy book learnin', readers.

Or maybe we can just have her explain it herself when she turns up as a guest-star in the next Agents of Atlas story...

Never Smile At A Crocodile (Man)!

Peter Dooley, famous biologist, has hired Greg Knight, famous hunter and explorer, to help him find the spot deep in the jungle with the greatest treasure of all:

Well, that shouldn't be a problem, right?

Wait--since when do crocodiles scream?

Fortunately, Greg's girlfriend is Lorna, Queen Of The Jungle. And she's been secretly tagging along. So rescue time!

But...

Poor Peter is captured!!

Wait a minute!! Since when do crocodiles "capture" people? And tie them up? And walk upright?!?

Well, Lorna's never been one to stand around in confusion, so...

(Greg is useless..)

Waaaa?!?!?

It's time for one of those patented One-Panel-Explains-It-All-Expositions!!

OK, that's a pretty cool way to travel!!

He's probably still out there, hoarding his orchids, which probably contain the secret to curing cancer or lupus or even the fever that killed your wife. Get over it, Crocodile Man!!

From Lorna, Queen Of The Jungle #2 (1953)