Strange Adventures # 158Strange Adventures # 158

November, 1963

The Case of the Romantic Robot

Writer: John Broome

Penciller: Mike Sekowsky

Inker: Bernard Sachs

Synopsis: All across New City, people listen to a telecast about how the wealthy Vorban family was saved from danger by their robot butler Ugo when their space-yacht broke down in the territory of the hostile Trobad Empire. Ilda, knowing that she and her boss, Star Hawkins, were going to visit the Vorbans, makes herself up in preparation for meeting Ugo, who she considers extremely handsome. On the way to the Vorbans' estate, Star explains to Ilda that he'd been hired by the government to make sure that none of the Vorbans had been brainwashed by the Trobadians while in their territory. While Star observes the humans, Ilda goes into the kitchen and meets Ugo, and the two of them are immediately attracted to ine another. When this happens, a signal reaches a far-away Trobad ship, and one of the soldiers, named Glabber, tells his leader that the control-tube they had placed in Ugo, long inactive, has come to life. Glabber concludes that the tube activated in reaction to Ugo's falling in love with Ilda. As the Trobadians prepare to gove Ugo instructions for Earth's destruction, Ugo and Ilda talk, and Ugo reveals himself to be an extreme male-robot chauvinist, causing a falling-out between him and Ilda, The Trobad instructions to destroy Earth's rocket-fuel factory are sent to Ugo, but because he is no longer in love with Ilda, he does not receive them. The Trobad leader commands that Ugo be sent a more powerful beam, and this causes him to jump, leading Ilda to believe he's about to apologize to her. Just as Star comes out to check out Ugo for any signs of Trobadian brainwashing, Ugo grasps Ilda and squeezes her...at first hugging, but eventually squeezing too tightly. Star forces Ugo to stop hurting Ilda, and Ilda thrills at the sight of seeing Star and Ugo fight over her, but Ugo gets away. Ugo heads to the fuel factory, where Star and Ilda catch up with him and Ilda, understanding what Ugo is about to do, batters Ugo into inactivity. After the full story is told, Star and Ilda receive Earth's medal of valor. Later, despite the fact that Ugo, with the Trobadian control tube removed, no longer holds any appeal for Ilda, she works more happily, the romance having buoyed her spirits.

Detective rating: Ilda was a bit clueless at first, but after Star realized what Ugo's problem was, she fell into line as well. A bit lucky that Ugo was in love with Ilda and that that activated the control tube, but the detective work and action in this story still gets a 7 out of 10.



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