The Man From Nowhere

The Man from Nowhere was a Dan Dare Story that ran in the original "Eagle" comic from Volume 6 Issue 19 (Dated 13 May 1955) to Volume 6 Issue 47 (Dated 25 November 1955). It was drawn by Frank Hampson and Don Harley.

ynopsis

Dan is attending a reception at the Venusian embassy, which is interrupted by emergency sirens over London. A spacecraft of a type completely unknown has suddenly appeared right in the middle of Spacefleet's radar screens. Dan takes an interceptor ship to investigate the strange craft, accompanied by Digby, and Lex O'Malley, a distinguished Irish sailor who was also at the reception. Concerned that the ship might be a missile, Dan prepares to shoot it down, but it explodes before he has a chance.

Digby claims to have seen a "flying cigar" break clear of the exploding ship. Hardly anybody believes him, and all eyes are on the wreckage of the ship as it splashes down near Japan. Equally, hardly anybody believes Dan's explanation of how the ship managed to evade all Earth's sensors -- it must have been travelling faster than light. Lex proposes to lead a mission to salvage the wreckage, using his ship, the "Poseidon". He arranges for Dan to accompany him, with Digby and Flamer.

Meanwhile, in the Mato Grosso, Brazil, two men, Juan and Pedro, discover the "flying cigar", and lead its mysterious occupant to their village. They then accompany their doctor to Rio with the stranger. The doctor notes that his blood is green, he has no fingerprints, and his heart beat is too slow for any species known to survive: he is from outside the Solar System.

Lex, Dan, and company travel from Hong Kong to the point of splashdown in "Poseidon", which will then adopt submarine function to search for the wreck. News vindicating Digby's eyesight reaches them from Brazil just before the ship dives. The splashdown point was above the Tuscarora deep, further down than any submarine has been before.

Sir Hubert contacts Dan from Brazil. The doctor has reported that the stranger is not attempting to speak, and he cannot treat him except under perfect clinical conditions. The stranger is brought in front of the televiewer so that Dan can see him and, for the first time, he attempts to speak, but makes no sound.

The "Poseidon" is harassed by a gigantic fish which dwarfs it, but manages to find refuge in a narrow chasm. Dan and Lex swim out to check for damage and to investigate a light from above, which is coming from the wreck on a ledge. It contains three men like the stranger, who are still alive. Lex has limpet-grapnels with jets attached to the wreck, and these lift it towards the surface.

The giant fish is still threatening "Poseidon", but, before he can return to the ship, Lex is attacked from behind by a giant squid. Dan tries firing white-hot flares at the squid, but this merely causes the creature to swim away quickly, with Lex. However, it also draws the attention of the giant fish, which attacks it, causing it to drop Lex. As the underwater giants sink to the bottom of the ocean, "Poseidon" is able to head for the surface.

A few days later, the stranger has been revived with some food capsules found in the wreck, and Dan goes to visit him. Suspecting the man's voice to be ultrasonic, Dan tries recording his words and playing them back slowly. This works, and the words are in English, so that the mystery of the "Man from Nowhere" is finally solved.

The Man from Nowhere is called Lero, and he comes from planet Cryptos in the constellation of the three Suns of Los. The Crypts have studied transmissions from around the cosmos, and have detected even Marconi's first experiment. The Crypts have observed Earth's exploration of space since it started. The Crypts have been able to do this because they have enjoyed 10,000 years' peace. But now a deadly enemy threatens them, and they have lost the will to resist. Lero's mission is to learn Earth's virtue of courage, or Cryptos will be lost.

Using a new "vocalon" device, Lero explains that the enemies are the Phants, the inhabitants of Cryptos' twin planet, Phantos. Dan decides to seek permission to travel to Cryptos as soon as the ship is rebuilt, and he has a bargaining tool: Lero will not reveal how his ship broke the light barrier unless Dan is allowed to go. When the Tri-cell, the three Crypts from the wreckage, have completed the rebuilding, permission is granted, and Dan can take three volunteers with him. Digby puts himself forward, and Lex also claims a place. Flamer manages to persuade Sir Hubert into letting him go as well.

The Earth party are loaded into special anti-acceleration cabinets when the Crypt ship takes off, and let out when it reaches a stable speed, already far from Earth. The ship's power source is revealed -- a homing device called "Tengam", which consists of crystals from the Los system: it works in a way similar to magnetism. It also powers a protective shield that deflects comets.

During the journey, the ship passes by "Sabul", a mysterious black star, at which point the ship must begin slowing. Lero insists that nothing can be seen in the vicinity of Sabul, but the Earthman can see the star glowing violet. The ship is then circled by strange, tentacled entities that Lero again cannot see. Dan investigates in a tiny space-jeep, and comes back with a tentacle stuck to the nose-cone. In the air-lock, the tentacle melts, leaving a puddle on the floor, which Lero still cannot see. Lero's advice makes it seem that the Phants would not be able to see the substance, either.

Once the ship is through the Sabul system, the three suns of Los come into view: yellow Los, the father, green Mina, the mother, and red Minu, the child. On an astronomical transit of Minu is Phantos, the "rogue planet". Lero shows the Earthmen an image of a Phant, but he is so terrified by them that the image is only a silhouette. The Earthmen return to the cabinets for the final descent, only to be awakened again: a Phant fleet has appeared.

Dan sends the others to gunnery while he takes the controls. The Crypts are no use at all: on first sighting of the Phant ships they concluded that they were dead. Several Phant ships are downed, the first time a Crypt ship has ever managed this, but eventually the ship is hit. Lero tries to persuade the Earthman to commit suicide with him, when Flamer remembers the torpedo Lero used to reach Earth: there is a fleet of them in the hold.

Puzzled as to why Lero wanted to lie down and die, as opposed to suggesting using the torpedoes himself, Dan nonetheless gives orders for all, Crypts and Earthmen, to take a torpedo each. Dan contacts the other torpedoes, and Digby, Lex, Lero and the Tri-cell all reply. From Flamer, however, there is no reply....

Notes

* Frank Hampson returned to Dan Dare, this time with credited assistant Don Harley. This collaboration would last many years.
* This story began a four-part story arc that continued in the next story, "Rogue Planet".
*This comic inspired Warren Ellis to write "Ministry of Space".