King Kong in the Microcosmos issue 4

King Kong in the Microcosmos
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King Kong in the Microcosmos #4 Written by Miguel F. Callejas Art by Miguel F. Callejas (supervisor)

King Kong in the Microcosmos #4 is a comic book by Editorial América, S.A. It was published circa 1979.

Plot

Kong is struck with a bullet to the shoulder as Voltan and Fara drive along a tree branch overhead. Seeing Kong in danger, the aliens blast him with the Molecular Compactor, causing him to disappear before the expeditioners' eyes. Perplexed and hysterical, Tom orders Kalimba and his men to help him fire into the treetops; he is returned to his senses when his gun runs out of ammunition. Though he rejects Kalimba's suggestion that Kong is bewitched, he cannot deny that the event was supernatural. Voltan and Fara move out in search of the shrunken Kong, while the expeditioners prepare to transport Numa's carcass. Even as he struggles to adapt to his newly-giant surroundings, Kong continues tailing the latter. Voltan radios the mothership about the status of the backup ship, but is told that progress is still slow. He is also informed that the crew received a message from the military, but they were unable to understand it, as Sound Channelers are ineffective in translating radio transmissions. Meanwhile, the expeditioners are halted by an engine malfunction. Though Kalimba is able to fix it, the holdup allows a stowaway to sneak onboard: the nigh-indetectable Kong. Voltan consults his "Logic Calculator" in search of an explanation for Kong's obsessive pursuit of humans. After a few minutes of calculating, it determines that the ape is in love.

Tom is contacted by Colonel Jensen, who asks if there have been any new developments. Tom tells him that there has, but that he would prefer to explain in person, and is instructed to camp out until the colonel can get to him. Parched and hungry from his journey, Kong descends from the parked jeep and scurries off to a nearby body of water. He is then suddenly immobilized by nets, which he soon learns to be the work of Voltan and Fara. Using their Sound Channelers, the aliens ask him why he keeps attacking people, but he refuses to answer and tries desperately to escape. After some coaxing, he eventually calms down and tells them of the loss of his mate at the hands of hunters, and his isolation from his troop. Elsewhere, a group of poachers examine an emerald taken off of a pygmy's corpse. Their leader, Barton Bronson, suspects that the emeralds are mined by the pygmies, and decides that they will look for the gems' source. Shortly after, Jensen is visited by police captain Court, who informs him that a group of adventurers have been reported abusing the locals.

That night, a huge storm rolls into the jungle. Kalimba tells Tom and Julie that "Huayo" has predicted heavy winds and flooding. When questioned who that is, he explains that Huayo is the magician of a tribe of pygmies, and that the information was communicated to him by the tribe's distant drums. As rainwater begins to pool at Voltan and Fara's feet, they agree to untangle Kong, on the condition that he accompany them peacefully. The aliens return to the Neutromobile with their newfound companion, chatting with him about his life as they drive. Colonel Jensen and his men are forced to pack up their camp and move for higher ground as the flooding begins. Likewise, the expeditioners head for the pygmies' elevated village. Kalimba attempts to quell Tom and Julie's concerns, assuring them that the pygmies are not cannibals and are peaceful if unthreatened, but informs them that they are skilled in the use of poison-tipped blowdarts.

Bronson and his men shelter from the rain. Impatient, he suggests barging into the village and kidnapping some of the pygmies for information, but his right-hand man Bill reminds him of the pygmies' lethality. As the expeditioners are driving, a tree falls on their jeep, forcing them to continue on foot. Once they reach the pygmy village, a spear whizzes past them and hits a tree. Kalimba realizes that the villagers feel threatened by Tom's gun and yells at him to lower it. The group's driver accidentally steps in front of Tom and is impaled in the neck by a blowdart, its poison causing him agonizing pain which forces Kalimba to put him out of his misery with a machete. Voltan drives the Neutromobile into a tree hollow to escape the elements, but is tossed out by a resident squirrel. The vehicle lands in the floodwaters below and is picked up by a whirlpool. Unable to fight the current, it is sucked into the vortex.

Appearances

Monsters King Kong Kong's mate (mentioned) Kong's child (mentioned) Bird Squirrel Characters Tom James Kalimba Julie James Commander Voltan Fara Colonel Jensen Lieutenant Barton Bronson Bill Captain Court African driver Gorian lieutenant (voice) Zulumba (mentioned) Huayo (mentioned) Chief N'conda (mentioned) Bull (mentioned)

Weapons, vehicles, and races Gorian Tuties (corpse) Neutromobile Molecular Compactor Tank Gorian teleship Logic Calculator Net gun Sound Channeler Locations Congolian rainforests, Africa London, England (mentioned)

Videos

Full comic

Trivia

• The speech bubble on the cover translates to, "Fara... King Kong... the whirlpool will swallow us up!"
• Though Bronson is never named in the dialogue, the cliffhanger narration asks, "What will Barton and his thugs do?" He finally introduces himself in the next issue.
• Kalimba states that Huayo belongs to a tribe named "N'conda". However, the next issue uses N'conda as the name of the tribe's chief and establishes the people to be named Tuties.

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