Published as a backup story in
Two-Fisted Tales #8, December 1939, "Rendezvous with Danger!" was the first of many Fightin' Canadian stories to grace the pages of Maple Leaf Pulps flagship title. Gordie Burton begins to lay the framework of the
Johnny Canuck mythos, moving the character beyond his simplistic origin in the wilds and into the arena of
war. Most interesting is the icy reception offered by the stuffy
Mr. Lisgar, seemingly mistrustful of the untested hero. As the first continuing Fightin' Canadian narrative, Burton begins to utilize his relatively untested cliffhanger ending formula. Years later, he admitted that he was unsure if the character would ever be used again, so the ending "tied things up nicely". Shaky scripting and rather amateurish penciling seem to indicate that the story was a late addition to the book. Editors also asked Burton to dumb down the
verbose dialogue, a request that he flatly refused. Young fans saw past these limitations and latched on the character, ensuring further appearances with a torrent of
fan mail. Burton admitted to practicing his pencil work before tackling the follow-up tale, "To Save a King", which was made the headline story of the next Two-Fisted Tales.
"Rendezvous with Danger!"
Framed by the
Peace Tower, our hero Johnny Canuck faces his first challenge, a meeting with
Prime Minster Mackenzie King. As he considers the
Red Ensign flag flapping in the cool Ottawa breeze, Johnny ponders his place in the war effort. "I wonder if they will have any use for me.."
Meanwhile, inside the PM's office...
King is seen from behind, a
silhouette in the large windows of his
Centre Block office. He holds a phone to his ear, hunched over in fatigue and grief. Another grim report about the War. "Yes, I see. Thank you for telling me personally. Yes. God Save us all." King hangs up the phone and holds his head in his hands. As he glances to his desk calendar, we see that he has underlined the meeting with Johnny Canuck. "Finally, some good news", he thinks.
Enter
Johnny Canuck, The Fightin' Canadian! "You wanted to see me, Mr. Prime Minister?" asks our hero.
King beams in delight, ushering Johnny into the office. "Johnny! Johnny my Boy, come in! Have a seat. Let's get right to business, shall we?" King's face quickly becomes somber. "Johnny, your country needs you. We face horrors far beyond those we saw in the
last war. The Germans have pulled out all the stops!" The panels now show gruesome images illustrating King's litany of enemies. "They have sought out help from
beyond the stars, from far into the
future, from
magical realms and from other dimensions. They even play at damnation, making deals with
devils and
spirits!"
Hitler is shown signing a deal with the
Devil himself, much to the shock of the reader. "They are coming at us on all
fronts, Johnny. We need all the help we can muster. Will you help us?"
Johnny now stands before a billowing Red Ensign, hands on hips and chest puffed out as he delivers his credo:
"
From sea to shining sea, I will stand on guard for Thee!"
"I had a feeling you would say that!" beams King. "Johnny, allow me to introduce
Mr. Lisgar, Minister responsible for the
Department of Extra-normal Affairs."
A slightly thin man appears in the doorway. His wire rim glasses frame a humorless face, and dark circles mark Lisgar's narrow features. He looks like a man that is bearing a horrible burden. He nods toward the Prime Minister. He doesn't offer his hand in greeting.
"He will be your
government liaison for the duration, I'm sad to say. As much as I would like to stay personally involved, the damnable war occupies me night and day. Rest assured son, you have a friend in this
office. Now, I'm afraid I have to cut our meeting sort." The phone begins ringing again. "More
grim news from the front, no doubt."
Johnny's face takes on an air of
determination. "Never fear Mr.
Prime Minister! I solemnly swear that I will give my last breath in defense of the
Dominion."
"Let's pray it doesn't come to that my son. Now go! No time to waste. Lisgar has an
assignment for you already." says the PM.
"Yes Sir!" Johnny salutes and then heads off with Lisgar.
King watches Mr. Lisgar and Johnny Canuck leave his office before wearily turning his attention to the constantly ringing red phone. Glancing at the floor to ceiling map of
Europe marked with
troop movements and
grim numbers, a thought balloon blossoms from his head.
"Thank goodness this wonderful hero has turned up. But is he
too late?"
The action returns to
Lisgar and
Johnny, now walking down the ornate corridors of power within the
House of Commons. Lisgar cuts directly to the chase. "Well, Mr. Canuck, I am going to be
frank with you. I don't
cotton with all this
hocus-pocus stuff you've sold the Prime Minister on. As far as I am concerned, you work for me. The world is in
turmoil, so I don't have the luxury of time to pick through your story. You better hope you have what it takes. As sorry as I am to say it, the
Commonwealth needs you."
"I won't let you down Sir." offers Johnny.
"Yes, yes.
Bluster all you like. The facts are these, Mr. Canuck: We face an enemy without
compassion; they have allies we could never have imagined; and you, yes you, are the only
Ace up our sleeve." Lisgar looks Johnny up and down. "For your sake, I hope you haven't been selling
snake oil. Now then, no time for chitchat. Your first assignment is a
humdinger! Those cowards in
Berlin have gone too far this time. They've been plotting to assassinate
King George VI!"
"
Holy Halifax! Those dastardly fiends!" interjects Johnny.
The two men exit the doors of the House of Commons and see a waiting car. "Fiends indeed." continues Lisgar. "You and your hocus-pocus are off to
Toronto, to meet with
His Majesty's Security Service. We have to protect the King while he tours our great land! Driver, to the
aerodrome!"
The car races off toward the airport, where we find that the enemy is one step ahead of our hero! In the
shadows, a figure looms over the unconscious body of a pilot who has been tied up and stripped of his
uniform. "Ve have a zpecial zurprise vaiting for you, Johnny Canuck! You vill serve Ze
Reich even in death! MUHAHAHAHA!" What
vile plan awaits our hero?
Cut to the interior of a
military transport plane heading for Toronto. Johnny is the lone occupant, surrounded by cargo obviously headed for the front. Johnny watches out a small
porthole window as the plane lifts off. Back in the alley, the roped up pilot comes to, just in time to watch the plane zip overhead. "My plane! Who stole my plane?"
Who is flying the plane? A
Nazi spy of course! "Wow, the King! That's a big step up from protecting my
trap line" thinks Johnny. He is roused from his daydreams by strange
radio chatter coming from the cockpit. He goes to the door of the cockpit and sees the pilot reading a manual penned in a
foreign language. Curious, he asks the Pilot "Hey Mac, where did you go to
school?". The pilot, nervous and sweating, answer "Ummm err, the University of...
Moose Jaw". Johnny exclaims "
There is no University in Moose Jaw!" and a struggle ensues! Fists fly and the two men struggle. The pilot gets the upper hand, knocking Johnny to the floor, briefly
stunned. He grabs a parachute and dives from the plane. "Say
Guten Tag to Ze King,
Swinehund!" bellows the Pilot as he jumps.
Johnny looks through the cockpit glass just in time to see that the plane is rushing toward the
Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto! The King, and various others, including a young Princess
Elizabeth, are having tea on the roof patio!
HOW WILL OUR HERO ESCAPE? IS THE KING DOOMED?
Find out next month in Two-Fisted Tales!