Beware the Creeper #6

Beware the Creeper #6 (On Sale: January 21, 1969), the last issue of this title, has a wonderful, dramattic Gil Kane cover.

"A Time to Die" is written by Denny O'Neil, pencilled by Steve Ditko and Jack Sparling and inked by Mike Peppe. Over at The Comics Bulletin Thom Young did a very in-depth look at Ditko at DC entitled, Ditko Shrugged. He has doubts that Ditko actually drew any of this issue or any of last issue for that matter, though he does think that Steve Ditko may have provided rough layouts that Mike Peppe or Jack Sparling or someone turned into final pages. It's a good read, though I don't think Neal Adams drew parts of Beware the Creeper #5 as Young does.

Back to this issue, continuing from last issue, Proteus leaves the Creeper to die by drowning in a sewer tunnel. Before he departs, the villain reveals that he is Jack Ryder's roommate Rip Cord. The Creeper manages to avoid drowning and escapes the tunnel. He then tracks down Proteus who is impersonating the governor. The two men battle above the dam, which Proteus is trying to destroy. The Creeper prevails when Proteus falls over the edge with explosives and dies in the explosion.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Beware the Creeper #5

Beware the Creeper #5 (On Sale: November 21, 1968) has a cover by Steve Ditko.

"The Color of Rain is Death" is by Denny O'Neil, Steve Ditko and Mike Peppe. Peppe last worked for DC on Mr. District Attorney #27 in 1952 and world ink only a hand-full of DC books in the next few years before disappearing completely. Continuing from last issue, after the Creeper's battle with Sumo, he tracks down Bulldog Bird. When he confronts Bird about being an agent of Proteus, he is struck from behind. When he recovers he discovers that Proteus has framed Jack Ryder. Using a clue he got from Sumo, the Creeper tracks down Proteus. However, police interrupt the battle and arrest him in his Jack Ryder identity.

Jack is able to convince his boss Bill Brane that he is not Proteus. After being released from jail, Creeper tracks down Proteus again. Their battle leads to the sewers where Creeper is momentarily blinded. Proteus gains the upper hand. Before leaving the Creeper to drown, Proteus shows his foe his true identity.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Beware the Creeper #4

Beware the Creeper #4 (On Sale: September 19, 1968) has a pretty cool cover symbolic by Steve Ditko.

"Which Face Hides My Enemy?" is by Denny O'Neil and Steve Ditko. The Creeper's search for Proteus leads him to cult leader Yogi Bizerk. However, before he can finish questioning Bizerk, the police arrive forcing the Creeper to flee.

Jack Ryder returns to his apartment where he finds a threat from Proteus. He then meets two agents from Offalia who tell him that Proteus is the former secretary of state from their country. The agents then join Ryder and his roommate Rip Cord in the search for Proteus.

Their quest first leads to a motorcycle gang called the Avenging Terrors then back to Yogi Bizerk. When the Creeper closes in on Bizerk, Sumo kills him. The Offalian agent then reveals that he knows the Creeper is Jack Ryder and that he is an agent of Proteus. A battle ensues with the Creeper ending as the victor.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Beware the Creeper #3

Beware the Creeper #3 (On Sale: July 23, 1968) has a nice Steve Ditko cover.

(The Isle of Fear) is by Denny O'Neil and Steve Ditko. Jack Ryder parachutes onto a recently discovered island to find Vera Sweet who has gone missing. Ryder discovers that the natives are being oppressed by a man calling himself the Supreme One. As the Creeper, he prevents one of the peasants from being executed. He then discovers that one of the Supreme One's men is Wingy Ames, a recently escaped convict.

Ryder disguises himself as one of the crooks. He finds that the island is being used by crooks as a hideout. They also have Vera held captive. Ryder is exposed and tied up with Vera in a cave.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Beware the Creeper #2

Beware the Creeper #2 (On Sale: May 21, 1968) has a cool cover by Steve Ditko.

(The Many Faces of Proteus) is by Denny O'Neil and Steve Ditko. An impostor posing as the Creeper interrupts a live television broadcast and commits a murder. Jack Ryder witnesses the scene and is assigned the task of apprehending the killer. His boss suspects a connection between the Creeper and racket boss Legs Larsen, so Ryder begins by crashing the gangster's gambling party. When Ryder confronts Larsen as the Creeper, a masked man shoots the gangster. Larsen then passes along information to his foe before dying.

The Creeper learns that Proteus, a master of disguise, has taken over the local gangs and framed him for murder. Proteus tries to get the information back from Jack Ryder and sets fire to his apartment. The Creeper and Proteus fight it out in the burning building.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Beware the Creeper #1

Beware the Creeper #1 (On Sale: March 26, 1968) has a wonderful cover by Steve Ditko.

"Where Lurks the Menace?" is scripted by Denny O'Neil and plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko. This is O'Neil's first work for DC, having been brought over from Charlton by editor Giordano. An underworld informant named Jurgens is killed by a masked murderer known as the Terror before he can pass information to Jack Ryder. Ryder does get a few names from the dying man. The first of which is underworld boss Gerk Kreg.

Kreg and other crime boss's are being threatened by the Terror. Ryder visits Kreg as the Creeper, and begins to suspect that Kreg is the masked killer. The Creeper is unable to get proof, so he visits the other names given to him by Jurgens including Hack Axeley, an investigator.

When the Terror finds that Ryder has been investigating him, he attacks. Ryder is able to escape and become the Creeper. After a fight on the rooftops, Creeper is able to expose the Terror as Axeley's assistant Forbes, who has been blackmailing crooks. Creeper is able to take down Forbes and Kreg and escape as the police arrive.

Edited by Dick Giordano.