Midnight's Inexplicable Adoption of Doc Wackey: Smash Comics #23 (June 1941)

Where Smash Comics #21 introduced the world to Gabby the talking monkey, two issues later Jack Cole brought out another character who was to be a long-term Midnight ally--Doc Wackey. Yet one could be forgiven for expressing skepticism about the trustworthiness of this partnership based on the doc's initial foray into the reader's consciousness.

Over the long-term, Cole presented Wackey as a stock "absent-minded-professor" character.  While there are elements of this first story that could be interpreted that way (e.g., Wackey's reference to the money he's stolen as "payment" for imparting the "gift of youth"), it stretches even childish credulity to believe Wackey could be this innocent.  

If, as Wackey declares throughout the story: (1) youth is a self-evident gift, and (2) Wackey clearly "deserves" to be rewarded for the boon he's brought to mankind, then why doesn't he use the youth-restoring pills on himself?   

Furthermore, if all of the Doc's actions are above board, then it's challenging to explain why his island compound seems to have a ready-made security system that imprisons Midnight? 

After jailing Gabby and the now-babe Midnight, Wackey heads off to "an appointment" with the (conveniently named) financier, Doble Assetts.  

Meanwhile, in an effort to restore Midnight to his correct age, Gabby manages to acquire an untested powder that will either reverse the effects of Wackey's youth pill...or kill Midnight. (No pressure, though, Gab!)

Luckily the power is successful (I know you were getting pretty worried, weren't you?) 

Once restored to his correct age, however, Midnight still faces the problem of being held in a metal cage; but never you fear, dear reader, for it's DEUX EX MACHINA to the rescue!!!!!!  Midnight produces (from somewhere) a jar of acid to eat through the lock.  

Midnight and Gabby catch up to Wackey at the penthouse of Doble Assetts, where they arrive just in time to prevent the forcible infantilization of the financier.  

Wackey plunges out of a nearby window and parachutes gently to street-level; but it's Midnight and his trusty vacuum gun in hot pursuit!  I just realized that Midnight was Batman before Batman was Batman.

 

When hunter and prey reach the ground, the obligatory car chase ensues.  As before, Midnight apparently deems it wise to entrust the control of a moving vehicle to his monkey sidekick, while himself dramatically leaping from said automobile (apparently, pausing to close the door mid-leap--Remember kids: safety first) towards that being operated by the fleeing Wackey.  

Unfortunately, Wackey's vehicle inexplicably "swerves out of control" leaving our intrepid hero dangling from the remains of a stone bridge. 

Shortly, Wackey is hauled from the water by Midnight.  Now having committed a number of big money robberies, assaulted citizens (to say nothing of assaulting and imprisoning Midnight himself!), you'd think--based on Dave Clark's history to this point--that Wackey is in for some serious comeuppance, right?  Instead, we get this:

What the WHAT?!?!  I'm pretty sure that Julie the Jerk, Hart & Bently, Chango the Magician, Morris Carleton, and others would've enjoyed getting a Midnight-approved mulligan on their felonies as well. 

Oh, and in case your mind wasn't bothered by why Midnight's letting a criminal go free, but IS tortured by wondering how a talking monkey could possibly drive a car too--we find out Gabby uses stilts to reach the pedals.