 | #057 "Charg, Monster (rso)"
Vol. 10, No. 3 Published: 07/01/34 Submitted: 09/29/33 under the same title Author: Walter Gibson Review date: Oct 26, 2001 |
CHARG, MONSTER was originally published in the July 1, 1934 issue of The Shadow Magazine. Yes, this one was reprinted in paperback form in the 1970's. But now you have the rare chance to read the original unedited pulp version. Taken directly from the old pulp magazine, this version is guaranteed to be full, complete and unexpurged. And it's a pip. I can see why they chose this story to reprint; it's a rousing tale that will keep you rivited.
It all starts when inventor Meldon Fallow turns down millionaire industrialist Frederick Thorne's offer of five million dollars for his new engine. He's invented a special engine and a unique fuel which will be forty times more efficient than current engines. And wealthy old Thorne can see a chance for increasing his fortune by aquiring it.
But young, idealistic Meldon Fallow is having none of it. He doesn't want to see his new engine used to profit greedy industrialists. He wants to see it benefit mankind. And to that end, he forms a committee which holds sole rights to the development of the Fallow Supercombustion Motor. Fallow and three other men agree that the engine will be used to the benefit of mankind.
The first of the other three men is Bryce Towson, consulting engineer, who allows the group to use his laboratory and its equipment, as well as his conference room. Second is Loring Dyke, the famous consulting chemist. And third is Herbert Whilton, an elderly philanthropist.
But before you know it, Meldon Fallow is dead. The inventor lay sprawled in a crumpled heap, twisted in gruesome fashion. A powerful fiend must be on the loose. But who's behind it? What mastermind is behind the terrible murder?
Charg is behind it all. This mysterious figure gives orders to his henchmen in a subterranian room filled with death traps. He sits behind a semi-transparent screen, the white folds of a turban discernible above his head; glittering spots denote jewels in the Oriental headgear. Those who oppose him feel the wrath of Charg!
Is Charg one of the remaining three committeemen? Is one of them after Fallow's invention? Or could Charg be industrialist Frederick Thorne in disguise? Or maybe Charg is someone else... Only The Shadow can uncover the powerful fiend who is committing the murders at Charg's orders. Only The Shadow can pierce the veil of secrecy and unmask Charg himself.
This is one of those great early Shadow stories. The Shadow appears fully powerful. Immense strength. Can pick any lock in seconds. Climbs the sides of sheer buildings with his suction cups. Slides into the shadows invisibly. Shoots and never misses.
Again in this story, as in several others, he bloodthirstily grabs up a dying hoodlum and uses him as a shield. He lets the other gangsters shoot their bullets into their fellow henchman, and then throws the bullet-riddled corpse at them! You don't want to mess with this guy. This is one mean dude!
There are several points of interest in this story. One is that The Shadow leaves this mystery and heads off to San Francisco for several days to solve another case. Usually in these Shadow novels, The Shadow concentrates on a single story until it is done. In this one, he heads to San Francisco's Chinatown to uncover the headquarters of a notorious dope ring. Three days later, he flys back and takes up the current on-going case.
I thought it was really cool when the story talked about The Shadow's regular weekly radio show. The crooks all admit to listening to the mystery broadcasts. But Charg goes one better and actually sets up a recording apparatus to record The Shadow's mysterious laugh off the air. Why does he want a disk containing The Shadow's voice? I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say. But I will say that it's pretty neat. It's not what you probably think.
In this story, Detective Joe Cardona represents the law. The Shadow appears as wealthy Lamont Cranston appears a few times, but mostly he appears as his own black-cloaked self. Shadow agents appearing in this story are Burbank, Clyde Burke, Harry Vincent and Cliff Marsland. They all have fairly good parts to play in the story.