Paul Wheelahan's The Panther #40
In "Danger in the Depths," Paul Wheelahan delivers a tense, character-driven tale set against the backdrop of Cold War-era New York Harbor. As a Russian warship docks on a goodwill visit, young pacifist Luke finds himself drawn into a dangerous plot when his radical friend Buzz Vell recruits him for a sabotage mission—despite his beliefs. With Wheelahan handling every aspect of the story, from writing and art to inks and letters, this 1960 issue captures a moment of moral tension with quiet intensity.
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A Russian warship sits at anchor in New York Harbor, there on a goodwill mission with the United States. Nearby business tycoon Henry Goldberg visits with The Panther, and while they talk Henry's son Luke enters. Pacifist Luke voices dislike for the Panther and his use of violence. After leaving Luke goes to a coffeehouse where he meets with his beatnik friends. Despite their pacifist ways one in particular, Buzz Vell, decides that pacifism isn't enough, and shares a plan to bomb the Russian warship. But a scuba diver is needed to plant the bomb, and Vell's chosen Luke as the designated diver.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).