| Synopsis |
Continued from last issue: Johnny Dollar begins his auction of the Green Hornet's identity. His responses to a couple of general challenges from prospective bidders are so suspiciously lame, it's a miracle none of the assembled racketeers pursues the matter further. The captive Paul tries to convince Glory that Dollar is wrong about him, mentioning among other things the potential damage to his concert pianist's hands (a consideration which should have given rise to objections during this feature's development). The bidding, primarily between Jeremy Fletcher and Helen Stefanopoulos (the latter as the authorized representative of her father, Constantine), reaches ten million. Glory wavers, and as she begins to loosen Paul's bonds so she can check for the brand Johnny claims to have placed on the Hornet's back, a Dollar muscleman intrudes. Jeremy wins the auction with a bid of $10.5 mil, Helen having previously calculated, "It's highly improbable to extract that much money from the Hornet before he kills you." She also points out the fact that the masked man (along with his associate) has just entered the room!?! Glory, almost revealing her Sister-Hood skills, knocks out the thug and finishes untying Paul, leaving him to complete his escape on his own. Before he can do so, he is jumped by an Asian with nunchuckus, and a fight ensues. The Green Hornet(?) complains about not being invited, and the various bidders begin to vacate the premises in disgust (nobody--not even Dollar, whose initial reaction is to ask "How did you escape?"--points out that the Hornet is a man in a mask and other distinctive garb whose true identity is unknown--hence, this auction--that there has been more than one over the years, and that this man may very well be a subordinate member of the Hornet organization covering for his boss). At this Hornet's suggestion, Dollar takes Jeremy to give him his newly-won information, and finds Paul "still" tied up! Fletcher implies he wouldn't have accepted the idea of "the musician" being the Hornet even if "he" hadn't shown up. Dollar rips off Reid's shirt to expose the brand which will prove his identity (the fact that this has not been previously authenticated and therefore would actually prove nothing to anybody outside Dollar's organization is, in yet another lapse of logic on the part of these very successful criminals [to say nothing of the creative team], not brought up, not even when Dollar cited it as his proof he had the real Hornet just before the bidding began), but it is not there! This Hornet "stings" Johnny, ties up him and his men for the authorities, gives Jeremy a little warning, and offers Paul some financial restitution for what he went through in being "mistaken" for the man behind the mask. Reid angrily rejects the money and picks up a phone to call the police, causing Fletcher to depart. At this point, with all the genuine criminals either gone or unconscious, it becomes clear that the "Hornet" is Britt, wearing a "truss" and some of his wife's hair dye. Further, the brand had been removed with plastic surgery, arranged by a "Dr. Thompson." Later, Diana informs Hayashi of her positive pregnancy test. Police Commissioner Hamilton, who appears to have completely recovered from his wounds (inflicted in this series' #26), is called in to HQ in the middle of the night to see Dollar, who's babbling after having suffered a complete emotional breakdown, and a very calm Paul. He's not at all sure Dollar's claim should be dismissed. In Japan, Ikano continues his disciplinary-oriented training of grandson Kono. |