THE
WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSETHE
WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE
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AN OVERVIEW OF KEY EVENTS IN THE WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE APPEARS IN BLACK TEXT - not intended as an all-inclusive history - for complete information refer to:
Philip José Farmer's Tarzan Alive, Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life, and The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
William S. Baring-Gould's Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street and Nero Wolfe of West 35th Street
Professor H.W. Starr's articles A Submersible Subterfuge, or, Proof Impositive and A Case of Identity, or, The Adventure of the Seven Claytons (both articles included as addenda to Farmer's The Other Log of Phileas Fogg and Tarzan Alive, respectively)
Rick Lai's article The Secret History of Captain Nemo, Pulp Vault number 11, Tattered Pages Press
Peter Cannon's The Chronology Out of Time: Dates in the Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, Necronomicon Press, 1997
Daniel Harms' The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana, 2nd ed., Chaosium Books, 1998 (including the Timeline of the Cthulhu Mythos by Shannon Appel)
Chris Jarocha-Ernst's A Cthulhu Mythos Bibliography & Concordance, Armitage House, 1999
Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, volumes I and II and the annotations of volume I and volume II by Jess Nevins
other works cited on these pages
1956
In this tale tinged with the supernatural, Rock feels that he is pursuing the still-alive Hitler, while Batman is sure that the old man who is their common enemy is the very Devil himself, Lucifer.
DC Comics' The Brave & The Bold, issue 108, by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo. Now Rock does know that Bruce Wayne is Batman, even though he appeared not to the last time they met. Special thanks goes to Batman biographer and continuity guru Bob Haney.
1956 - The events of The World of Suzie Wong, as recounted by Robert Mason.
1956 - Barrister Patrick Butler solves his own case in Patrick Butler for the Defense, as told by John Dickson Carr.
THE GHOST KILLER An assassin hired to eliminate the Phantom refers to the Deep Woods of Bangalla as "A land of savages and jungle legends. Like 'Tarzan,' no?"
Graphic novel by Ben Raab and Fernando Blanco, Moonstone Comics, 2002. The assassin obviously has no idea how real Tarzan is. Despite the modern trappings displayed in the story, Kit and Heloise appear to be about ten, placing this adventure in approximately 1956.
1957 - Events of the film The Deadly Mantis.
1957 - Events of the film The Monolith Monsters.
Batman and Easy Company become embroiled in an adventure of Cold War espionage when they come to the rescue of Sgt. Rock, who is in a military prison awaiting court martial on the charge of striking a superior officer. At the conclusion, Rock is restored to full rank and privileges and resumes command of Easy Company.
DC Comics' The Brave & The Bold, issue 117, by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo.
1958
The Batman's increasingly supernatural adventures continue, in this synchronistic tale that also features Sgt. Rock. Boston Brand, The Deadman, is brought in to help The Batman and Rock by none other than the ghostly apparition of The Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes. The adventure concludes with Batman severely injured, but triumphant.
DC Comics' The Brave & The Bold Special, 1978, by Bob Haney, Rik Estrada, and Dick Giordano. Regarding Holmes' ghostly appearance in this story, we know that he is still alive and well in 1986 (The Doomsday Book), although he has been spending most of his time in Tibet. Most likely, his exposure to and study with Tibetan masters has endowed him with a limited ability to project an astral image of himself, and communicate with those on other planes of existence, such as Deadman.
1959 - After twenty years, Bruce Wayne retires as The Batman.
Ozma, Queen of Oz, has been accused to practicing black magic. She transports Perry Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake, and Mason's prosecutor enemy Hamilton Burger (to make it fair for the other side) to Oz for the trial.
Story by Gil S. Joel. Although this takes place in 1990s Oz, Mason and company must have been transported from their particular time-frame in the Newtonverse. Using Mason's frame of reference, I have placed this story in the late 1950s.
1959 - The events of the short story Learning Theory, in which extraterrestrial scientists perform tests on a captured human psychologist.
1960 - Agent John Steed begins working with Dr. David Keel and The Avengers are formed. Over the years, Steed will work with Cathy Gale, Emma Peel, and Tara King, as well as Mike Gambit and Purdey (The New Avengers).
1960 - Dick Grayson returns to Gotham and takes over as the second Batman. In a few years, Bruce Wayne, Jr., joins him as the second Robin.
1958 - Matt
Helm's first recorded adventure, Death
of a Citizen, by Donald
Hamilton. Helm is an assassin working for an anonymous U.S. Government agency.
For a very interesting article on the issue on Helm's longevity, please click here.
1960 - Young Ralph (O'Brian) Dibny consumes massive amounts of gingo elixir, which triggers the latent stretching powers he inherited from his father. He goes into action as a detective and crime-fighter. As a play on his father's name, "The Eel," Ralph calls himself the Elongated Man.
1960-1966 - Secret agent John Drake begins working for NATO and is assigned to Washington, D.C. (Danger Man). He will later work for Department M9 of the British Secret Service (Danger Man/Secret Agent), before finally resigning from intelligence work and being "removed" to The Village (The Prisoner).
Silver John comes into conflict with John Thunstone's old enemies, the Shonokins. He is assisted by Jackson Warren, Thunstone's ally from the story Twice Cursed and Thunstone is mentioned many times.
Novel by Manly Wade Wellman, Baen Books, 1980. For more on Thunstone and Silver John, please read Matthew Baugh's Occult Detectives in the Wold Newton Universe.
1961 - Travis McGee's first case, The Deep-Blue Good-By, as told by John D. MacDonald.
October 13, 1961 - Birth of Fox William Mulder,
the son of William and Tina Mulder. The Cigarette Smoking Man
("Spender") has claimed to be Mulder's real father, and this seems to
be substantiated by the final episode of The X-Files. However, if Fox
is really William Mulder's son, then he is a descendant of Dr.
Herrmann Gottfried Mülder (1795-1858), a friend of Friedrich von
Juntz (1795-1840). Mülder published Von Juntz's Unaussprechlichen
Kulten (or Nameless Cults) in 1839.
January 1, 1962 - James Bond marries Tracy di Vicenzo. Tragically, she is murdered by Bond's arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, just hours after the wedding (On Her Majesty's Secret Service).
Judge Pursuivant plays an important part in this Silver John story.
Novel by Manly Wade Wellman, Baen Books, 1982.
John Thunstone mentions having met Silver John, and writes a letter to Judge Pursuivant. He also collects a blood sample, intending to forward it to Jules de Grandin.
Novel by Manly Wade Wellman, Doubleday, 1983.
1963
THE DEEP CELLARS 
This Dr. Zarnak short story contains several interesting references: "Zarnak spent the weekend consulting with his friend Jules de Grandin who steered him to a specialist named Stephen Strange for information...." And "Through the papers, the news articles and scattered information provided by Dr. Strange...."
A Dr. Zarnak short story by Pierre Comtois, in Lin Carter's Anton Zarnak Supernatural Sleuth, confirming that Zarnak and de Grandin operate in the same universe. The story also links to a Wold Newton Universe version of Dr. Stephen Strange. Of course, being an alternate universe, the Dr. Strange of the Newtonverse is not quite the same as the Dr. Strange of the Marvel Comics Universe. The Newtonverse's Strange probably has a somewhat different history and has experienced different events. Also see the crossover rules for superheroes for details on how these crossover references are integrated into the Wold Newton Universe.
February 23, 1964 - Birth of Dana Scully.
Early 1964 - Birth of James Bond’s and Kissy Suzuki's son, James Suzuki (You Only Live Twice, Blast From the Past).
Twelve-year-old Cory Mackenson of Zephyr, Alabama, and his friends go to the local carnival and find a genuine Triceratops in a sideshow tent. The carnival owner says that "some professor found him. Either in the Amazon jungle or the Belgian Congo, I forget which. Up on some plateau nobody can get to or find again. His name was. . . Professor Chandler. . . no. . . Callander. . . no that ain't it. . . Professor Challenger!"
The events of this novel, by Robert R. McCammon, must take place in the Wold Newton Universe, since Professor George Edward Challenger is a Wold Newton Family member.
1964 - Birth of the child who will become known as the second Saint. He will be known by several different names, including "John Rossi" and "Simon Templar."
| 1964 - U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, under the direction of their chief, Alexander Waverly, begin their ongoing battle against the forces of THRUSH (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.). |  |
1964 - Death of the 20th Phantom. His son takes over as the 21st of his line.
A detective by the name of Sir Hugh Fitz-Hyffen pursues a mystery involving an enormous diamond, a mask said to have been that of Fu Manchu, and a series of brutal 'Zodiac' murders. Fu Manchu, Fah Lo Suee and the Si-Fan exist and the Council of Seven all exist in the world described in this novel, but are used as misdirection from the actual antagonists; they do not actually appear or play a role.
A novel by R. H. W. Dillard.
Secret agent Derek Flint encounters fellow agent James Bond 007 and refers to the super-crime organization SPECTRE.
Feature film released in 1966 (novelization by Jack Pearl, Pocket Books), brings Derek Flint into the Wold Newton Universe. For an in-depth article on this entry by fellow Wold Newton fan Lou Mougin, please click here.
1965 - Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, Jr.'s first recorded adventure, Deadlier Than the Male, in which he goes up against the son/great-nephew of Carl Peterson, Carl Peterson, Jr. (1966 feature film with novelization by Henry Reymond; see also The Daring Drummonds and The Malevolent Moriartys).
1965 - On their first mission together, Emma Peel joins John Steed in defeating the evil plans of Sir August de Wynter, ushering in a new era of adventure for The Avengers (1998 feature film The Avengers; although the late 1990s setting is fictionalized, the film is basically an accurate account of Steed's and Mrs. Peel's first exploit).
1965 - Batman (Dick Grayson) and Robin (Bruce Wayne, Jr.) discover Captain America (Steve Rogers) frozen and in suspended animation in the Arctic ice (Batman and Captain America).
1965 - Maureen Danielle (Muffy) Birnbaum is born.
1965 - Birth of Ching Yao Chang, son of Kent Allard.
The criminal/terrorist group THRUSH is revealed to have been originated in 1895 by a group of survivors of the first Professor Moriarty's crime organization after his apparent death in 1891. It is probable that Moriarty's brother, the second Professor Moriarty, controlled this group, which originally could have been called the Circle of Life.
This is The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 4, by David McDaniel, Ace Books, 1965. See entry under The Second War of the Worlds for information on the Circle of Life. For more information on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and an episode guide, see The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book, by John Heitland, St. Martin's Press, 1987. Click here for evidence that Philip José Farmer enjoyed The Man From U.N.C.L.E. series!
1966 - Britt Reid's nephew, Britt Reid II, becomes the second Green Hornet and Ikano Kato's son, Hayashi, becomes the new Kato.
1966 - Events of Captain America: The Great Gold Steal (excepting references to other Marvel Comics superheroes), by Ted White. It is possible that the "Andrew 'Monk' Mayfair" referred to in this adventure is the son of Doc Savage's aide Monk, and has turned to a life of crime.
1966 - Birth of Hsu-Tei, son of Kent Allard.
U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin cross paths with Count Dracula.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 6, by David McDaniel, Ace Books, 1966. Substantiates the place of U.N.C.L.E. in the Wold Newton Universe, as the esteemed Count has already met Sherlock Holmes and Zorro. For an in-depth article on this entry by fellow Wold Newton fan Lou Mougin, please click here. Please also read Chuck Loridans' full account of the history of Count Dracula in the Newtonverse, Children of the Night.
Batman and Robin team up with The Green Hornet and Kato.
Two-part episode of the Batman television program, written by Charles Hoffman, (originally aired March 1-2, 1967). The television episodes were fictionalized to depict Batman and Robin as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson; they were really Dick Grayson (Batman II) and Bruce Wayne, Jr. (Robin II). The Hornet and Kato seen here are Britt Reid II and Hayashi Kato.
Detective and writer Ellery Queen receives a previously unpublished manuscript by Watson detailing Sherlock Holmes' involvement in the Jack the Ripper case. Ellery deduces that the true Ripper's identity was not that revealed at the conclusion of the case, but that Holmes was not in error. Rather, Holmes did know the Ripper's true identity, but, for various reasons, chose to allow all the parties involved to believe the Ripper was someone else.
A novelization of the Holmes film, written by Dr. Watson and Ellery Queen (Manfred B. Lee and Frederic Dannay), Lancer Books, 1966. Even though the Ellery Queen elements were not part of the film, this novel introduces Queen to the Wold Newton Universe.
1966-1969 - Events of the television program The Prisoner, in which a man who appears to be John Drake resigns from British intelligence. He is abducted and taken to The Village, where he is known as Number 6 and undergoes various psychological tortures.
| 1966 -
First recorded adventure of Wold Newton Family member Arsène Lupin III
(grandson of Arsène Lupin), by "Monkey Punch" (Katou Kazuhiko). |
|
U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin meet Inspector Roger West, Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Fu Manchu, Simon Templar (aka The Saint), the Avengers (John Steed and Emma Peel), Miss Marple, Father Brown, and Sherlock Holmes (aka William Escott). James Bond is mentioned, as is The Saint's sometime adversary, Inspector Claude Eustace Teal. It is revealed that after World War II, Department Z recruited Alexander Waverly and was involved in the creation of U.N.C.L.E.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 13, by David McDaniel, Ace Books, 1967. Confirms that U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are part of the Wold Newton Universe through the meetings with Nayland Smith, Fu Manchu, and Sherlock Holmes. The novel further brings The Saint, The Avengers, G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown, and Agatha Christie's spinster detective Miss Marple into the fold, as well as author John Creasey's Inspector West and Department Z (aka Dr. Palfrey and Z5). For more information on The Avengers and an episode guide, see The Complete Avengers, by Dave Rogers, St. Martin's Press, 1989.
May 1967 - Birth of Clark "Chip" Savage IV, grandson of Doc Savage.
June 1967 - When Dr. Evil launches himself into space in order to escape secret agent Austin "Danger" Powers and his partner, Mrs. Kensington, Powers places himself in cryogenic freeze, in anticipation of Dr. Evil's return (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery).
Kerry Griffin helps out her uncle, a scientist working on an invisibility device, the OTSMID (Omnidirectional Total Spectrum Molecular Interpenetration Device).
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 11, by Thomas Stratton. Kerry Griffin is obviously a tip of the hat to Wells' Invisible Man, and we may postulate that she is the great-granddaughter Dr. John "Jack" Hawley Griffin, and the daughter of Frank Raymond Griffin. Another very minor character in this novel has the surname Lavell, although his descent from Wells' Lavelle of Java cannot be established. For the full story about Kerry Griffin, please read Dennis Power's excellent article The Invisibles.
1967 - Birth of Sydney Fox Renwick, daughter of Randall Fox Renwick (who, like his father, is "a civil engineer, designing and building bridges, roads and structures the world over,") and granddaughter of Colonel John Renwick, one of Doc Savage's Fabulous Five (click here for more information).
WAR AGAINST THE MAFIAIn Mack Bolan's first recorded adventure, two criminals have the following exchange after Bolan steals a quarter million from the Mafia: "'How the Hell did he know about the organization money being in that vault? Huh? How'd he know?' 'Didn't you know?' Turrin grunted. 'He's the f****n' Phantom. The f****n' Phantom knows everything.' 'I thought that was the Shadow,' Plansky mused."
The first Executioner novel. For more on Bolan's lineage, click here. The mobsters obviously are familiar with other legendary crime fighters past and present.
1967 - The Affair at Durmamnay Hall, the first case of occult detective Reuben Calloway, and his partner, Father Roderick Shea, as chronicled by Brian Mooney.
Occult detective Dr. Anton Zarnak receives a visit from his old friend, Dr. Jules de Grandin. Zarnak also quotes Dr. Fu Manchu, referring to him as an old adversary, and has his home in the same neighborhood as detective Steve Harrison.
By Lin Carter, The Xothic Legend Cycle, Chaosium, 1997. Zarnak enters The Wold Newton Universe through his connection to Fu Manchu and his encounters with the Cthulhu Mythos. This story also brings in Seabury Quinn's occult detective, Jules de Grandin, as well as Robert E. Howard's detective, Steve Harrison. For more on Zarnak and de Grandin, please see Matthew Baugh's Occult Detectives in the Wold Newton Universe.
Napoleon Solo refers to Rusterman's, the New York restaurant owned and operated by Nero Wolfe.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 15, by David McDaniel, Ace Books, 1968. Obviously, Solo has very fine taste when it comes to dining.
U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin meet "Charles," the head of a British Intelligence Service, who controlled the Avengers (John Steed, Cathy Gale, and later Emma Peel) from 1962 to 1967.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 19, by John T. Phillifent, Ace Books, 1968. Confirms place of The Avengers in the Wold Newton Universe.
1968 - Birth of Pam Hazzard, the daughter of Rex Hazzard, Jr., and the granddaughter of Pat Savage and Captain Rex Hazzard.
Early
1968 - Swashbuckling physics professor Michael Kane first travels to the distant past of the planet Mars,
as related to Edward
Powys Bradbury (Warriors of Mars aka City of the Beast, Blades
of Mars aka Lord of the Spiders, and Barbarians of Mars aka Masters
of the Pit, by E.P. Bradbury, edited by Michael Moorcock). As revealed in The
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen II, Kane actually traveled to the distant
past of John Carter's Mars, otherwise known as Barsoom.
After traveling back in time from the 23rd century, Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock of the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise encounter Gary Seven, a human raised by aliens and sent back to Earth to fight for the forces of Good, and Seven's Earth-born assistant, Roberta Lincoln.
Episode of the original Star Trek television series. Click here for an in-depth article on the inclusion of Star Trek in the Wold Newton Universe.
1968 - The events of The Andromeda Strain, as told by Michael Crichton (although Crichton apparently did not know of, or was persuaded to conceal, the involvement of Gary Seven in this incident).
April
1968 - Birth of Jean Killian, Travis McGee's daughter (see Pale Gray for
Guilt and The Lonely Silver Rain).
Occult investigators Professor Reuben Calloway and Father Roderick Shea consult with occultist Titus Crow.
Short story by Brian Mooney in Shadows Over Innsmouth, Fedogan and Bremmer, 1994. Titus Crow, who vanished from the earth in 1969, is firmly in the Newtonverse, due to innumerable connections with the Cthulhu Mythos. This story also features the Deep Ones, lodging Calloway and Shea solidly in the Wold Newton Universe.
June 1968 - The events I Am Not a Number!, a The Prisoner novel by Thomas M. Disch. Number 6, who was born on March 19, 1928, is 40 years old, so the year is 1968.
Number 6 and secret agent John Drake are one and the same person.
This novel by David McDaniel, which begins just after the novel I Am Not a Number!, confirms the identity of Number 6, thus crossing-over Dangerman/Secret Agent with The Prisoner.
U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are in Collinsport, Maine, where they stay at the Collinsport Inn (established 1765). They encounter Sheriff Patterson and see "Barnabas loves Josette" carved in a tree.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel number 17, by David McDaniel, Ace Books, 1969. Brings in the world of the television series Dark Shadows to the Wold Newton Universe. Barnabas Collins was the vampire of the Collins family. Josette was his lover, for whom he spurned the witch Angelique, who consequently turned him into a vampire.
1968 -
Dr. Charles Forbin designs Colossus, the most powerful computer built to date,
which will control the American nuclear arsenal. Colossus makes a
worldwide transmission declaring that it will enforce world peace through the
threat of nuclear destruction. (Feature film Colossus: The Forbin Project).
Since Colossus did not continue to pose a threat, it can only be assumed that
Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln were involved in its destruction or deactivation,
since these are the sorts of menaces that Seven dealt with best.
It is again confirmed that Number 6 is secret agent John Drake.
The third and final The Prisoner novel is by Hank Stine.
March 1969 - International Red Cross helicopter pilot Jonathan Andrew Dark is shot down over Cambodia. He descends an ancient jade well in the jungle ruins of antique Cambodia, and is somehow transported to the jungle world of Callisto, moon of Jupiter. (Jandar of Callisto, as told by Jon Dark and edited by Lin Carter.) More likely than not, Jandar's Callisto (called Thanator by its natives) exists in that parallel dimension in which Barsoom, Amtor, and Annwn are situated (see Alternate Universes). Subsequent adventures are Black Legion of Callisto, Sky Pirates of Callisto, Mad Empress of Callisto, Mind Wizards of Callisto, Lankar of Callisto, Ylana of Callisto, and Renegade of Callisto.
1969 - Birth of Kit Walker, the 22nd Phantom.
TOMORROW IS
YESTERDAY / THE ALIENS ARE COMING! 
Captain John Christopher, a jet fighter pilot in the Air Force, stationed at SAC Headquarters in Omaha, has a strange, brief encounter with a UFO. Shortly thereafter, Christopher has vague memory flashes of futuristic humans, an alien named Spock, and a ship called the U.S.S. Enterprise. Meanwhile, government agent James Wainwright, who once encountered aliens calling themselves "Ferengi" in Roswell in 1947, attempts to use Captain Christopher's secret knowledge to promote his crusade of guarding Earth against alien attack. Fortunately, Captain Christopher is saved by Aegis agents Roberta Lincoln and Gary Seven.
The Star Trek episode Tomorrow Is Yesterday provides one of the best "teasers" of this or any other Star Trek series. The sequel, The Aliens Are Coming!, was written by Dayton Ward and can by found in the Strange New Worlds III anthology, May 2000. Captain John Christopher could very well be the son of Jimmy Christopher (Operator #5). The Roswell incident was documented in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode called Little Green Men. Seven and Lincoln first appeared in the episode Assignment: Earth, and also battled Khan Noonian Singh in The Eugenics Wars novels.
1969 - The U.N. discovers and evacuates The Village (The Prisoner: Shattered Visage).
October 4, 1969 - Titus Crow and Henri de Marigny apparently die when Blowne Manor is destroyed by occult powers, but in truth they go on to live in Elysia, as told in Brian Lumley's The Transition of Titus Crow.
1970 - Si Morley accepts a position with a top-secret government project. Eventually, he develops the ability to travel the time-stream without the aid of any mechanical devices, and settles in the year 1882. (Time and Again, by Simon Morley, edited by Jack Finney. Click here for more information.)
1970 - Conrad
van Helsing and his son Adam first meet Vampirella. Adam and Vampirella will go
on to work together as a team fighting the minions of Dracula and other
supernatural menaces. The "planet Drakulon" origin of Vampirella and
this Dracula will eventually be revealed as a complete falsehood, leading
researcher Chuck Loridans to the conclusion that the Dracula featured in the Vampirella
series is the original Dracula, or "Dracula-prime." (See Dr. Loridans'
Children
of the Night and John Small's Kiss
of the Vampire for more information on Vampirella and Dracula. Because
Dracula features so prominently in the Vampirella series, only selected appearances
will be noted on the Crossover Chronology.)
May 16, 1970 - Las Vegas Daily News reporter Carl Kolchak has his first known encounter with the supernatural (The Night Stalker novel by Jeff Rice and television movie of the same name). He will go on to meet and record many more supernatural menaces in Seattle and Chicago.
Christopher West travels to the inner world of Pellucidar via a primitive, but effective, matter teleportation system. There is also a reference to a previous incident where extraterrestrial scientists performed tests on a captured human psychologist.
Novel by John Eric Holmes, Ace Books, 1976. A further adventure, Red Axe of Pellucidar, remains unpublished. The reference to extraterrestrials performing tests on a human psychologist is the short story Learning Theory, in the anthology The Worm Re-Turns, J.V. McConnel, ed., Prentice Hall, 1965.
Our favorite U.N.C.L.E. agents encounter Thomas Edward Hewett Cat (T.H.E. Cat), while Dr. Egret of THRUSH refers to the dolphin vocabulary developed by secret agent Derek Flint. Napoleon Solo states that, "THRUSH Central is a shifty as Percy Blakeney." And THRUSH leader Ward Baldwin mentions Saul Panzer.
This unpublished final The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel by David McDaniel incorporates T.H.E. Cat and Derek Flint into the Wold Newton Universe. Wold Newton Family member Percy Blakeney was, of course, known as the master of disguise, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Saul Panzer is a freelance private detective in New York, who does a lot of work for Nero Wolfe. For an in-depth article on this entry by fellow Wold Newton fan Lou Mougin, please click here. Regarding dating this affair, The Rainbow Affair was three years ago. For the full history of U.N.C.L.E., please read The U.N.C.L.E Chronology by Mark Ellis and Win Eckert.
In my article The Amazing Lanes, I postulated that Napoleon Solo is the grandson of Captain Nemo. The following is from the dedication to The Final Affair:
The author wishes to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose co-operation this series could never have been written, and to extend special thanks to agents Andante Nemo (Section 2, Number 11) and Vaughn Carazini (Section 2, Number 2) for permission to adapt from their personal files.
The reference to "Nemo" and "Carazini" is to Solo and Kuryakin, whose numbers in U.N.C.L.E. Section 2 were 11 and 2, respectively. I completed my research into Napoleon Solo's paternal genealogy a full year before locating a copy of The Final Affair and discovering this dedication, which bolsters the Nemo-Solo connection. The references to "Nemo" and "Carazini" are obviously an attempt by the author, McDaniel, to dissuade future historians from the notion that there really were a real Solo and Kuryakin; however, while engaging in this "cover-up," McDaniel also cannot help himself from dropping a hint at the truth, for those who care to find it.
THE NEMESIS OF EVILThis is the first chronicled adventure of Prince Zarkon and his Omega Crew, a group of crime-fighting do-gooders much like Doc Savage and his Amazing Five. The novel is written by Lin Carter. In Carter's preface, he relates that, "I became involved in one of Omega's cases a few years ago while returning from an overlong visit to Cambodia with my wife." (Italics added.) This "overlong visit" is chronicled by Carter in Lankar of Callisto and took place in September 1970. Ace Harrigan, one of Prince Zarkon's team, is the son of famed aviator "Hop" Harrigan. Finally, Elvira Higgins is described as the granddaughter of the deputy sheriff of Comanche County.
Carter's first Prince Zarkon novel was published in hardback in 1975, paperback by Popular Library, 1978. The crossover places Jon Dark in the Wold Newton Universe, although Callisto must exist in a parallel dimension. See also Alternate Universes. Lankar of Callisto is the sixth in a series of eight Callisto adventures. The presence of "Hop" Harrigan in the Wold Newton Universe merely means that this Hop is an "Elseworlds" version of his counterpart in the DC Comics Universe. Click here to see more about how comics universes interact -- or don't -- with Wold Newton Universe continuity. The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County, featuring Buck Mason, is a Western adventure by Edgar Rice Burroughs. John Small has written a short story about Buck Mason.
The second Prince Zarkon adventure. Zarkon visits the Cobalt Club (frequently seen in the Shadow novels) and consults with fellow members Lamont Cranston (the identity most used by The Shadow), Richard Wentworth (The Spider), Britt Reid (the second Green Hornet), Bruce Wayne (The Batman), and Ham Brooks (one of Doc Savage's Amazing Five assistants.) One of Brooks' law firm partners is named "Drew": this must be Carson Drew, Nancy Drew's father. Another law partner is Van Dusen, who must be Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, the Thinking Machine (or else a relative). The final law partner listed is Rummel, who must be Beau Rummel, lawyer and part-time partner of Ellery Queen. Zarkon's plane, the Silver Streak, was built by Hazzard Industries. There is also a reference to the Mysterious Wu Fang. The Omega Crew is also assisted by Inspector Ricks, and Rance Mandarin is also referred to. The Shadow: The Shadow's agent Rutledge Mann also figures in the novel, as do many locales, including Wang Foo's Tea Shop and the Metrolite Hotel. Police Commissioner Weston is mentioned, as are the events of the Shadow novel Grove of Doom. The Spider: Wentworth's companion, Nita Van Sloan, and his valet, Ram Singh, are both mentioned. The Green Hornet: This is probably Britt Reid II, the second Green Hornet. Reid's valet and most trusted assistant, Kato, and his secretary, Miss (Lenore) Case, also are mentioned, as is Reid's newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. The Batman: Wayne refers to his ward, Dick (Grayson) and it is acknowledged that most of Wayne's interests and operations are in nearby Gotham City. Doc Savage: Blanco Grande, the capital of the Central American country Hidalgo, is named as Zarkon's next destination at the conclusion of this adventure.
Lin Carter's second Zarkon novel confirms that The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Spider, The Green Hornet, Nancy Drew, and an "Elseworlds" version of The Batman all co-exist in the Wold Newton Universe. Hardback published 1975, paperback 1978 by Popular Library. Since Nancy Drew worked with the Hardy Boys on several occasions, Frank and Joe Hardy must also be part of the Newtonverse. The Thinking Machine appeared in stories by Jacques Futrelle. The appearance of Beau Rummel also confirms Ellery Queen's place in the Newtonverse. Hazzard Industries is a reference to Captain Hazzard. This novel also brings Robert J. Hogan's criminal mastermind, the Mysterious Wu Fang, into the Newtonverse. Inspector Ricks and Rance Mandarin are from the Doctor Death pulps.
