"Justice, Inc." is the first pulp magazine story to feature The Avenger. Written by Paul Ernst, it was published in the September 1, 1939 issue of "The Avenger” magazine. Pulp magazines (often referred to as the pulps) were inexpensive text fiction magazines widely published in the 1920s through the 1950s. ... The Avenger is a fictional character whose adventures were published from 1939 to 1942. ... Paul Ernst was a writer of pulp fiction. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Publishing history

This novel was re-published under its original title by Paperback Library on June 1, 1972. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

Summary

Richard Henry Benson, aggressive, dominating, cold-eyed, self-made millionaire adventurer, forces himself and family onto a Buffalo/Montreal flight (mother-in-law is dying). He goes to the washroom, his wife and daughter vanish. The other passengers deny having seen them. A frantic Benson is subdued and hospitalized with "brain fever" and head trauma. Recovering, his face and hair are white, his flesh paralyzed and malleable. Investigating, he meets MacMurdie, who DID see Benson's family, and Smitty, who agree to assist him. Benson fights and overcomes Smitty using nerve pressure. Benson has a custom gun and knife (Mike & Ike), shoots to crease the top of the skull, is a master of disguise, prefers manuevering enemies into their own traps over killing. THE PLOT: a gang kidnaps wealthy Buffalo residents, drops them from a plane over Lake Ontario, holds them prisoner on an island, all to get control of a Buffalo company. The three end the scheme, but Benson's wife and child are not found alive. The three form Justice, Inc. to bring criminals to justice.

Notes

• Explains how Richard Henry Benson, 5'8" tall and 165 pounds, but far stronger and faster than a normal person, became the Avenger. Described as being in his 30s, his new facial paralysis and malleability makes him a master of disguise, within limits.

• Introduces stereotypical Scot Fergus MacMurdie ("Mac"), a dour pharmacist whose family was killed by racketeers.

• Introduces giant, apparently slow-witted Algernon Heathcote Smith ("Smitty"), an electrical engineer who was framed for a crime.

• Formation of Justice, Inc.

Links

• Magazine cover for "Justice, Inc." (http://members.aol.com/macmurdie/covers/3909_cv.html)