Pep 21: The Setting Sun

As the "Red Circle" series looms on the horizon of the present DCU, like a rising sun shedding its Golden (Age) light on another shiny day in the Platinum Age, that same sun is setting in the Pep-py past. As the Shield's day in the sun begins its close, the light yellow backgrounds that stream across his adventures fade to a darkening red, in the same way that America's post-war glory was gloomed by the spread of Communism.

On this cover, the Shield strangles a young Dr. Tommy Elliot, who was only trying to use his multiphasic crankshaft to pry off the out-of-control cinchbelt that's obviously crushing that poor, fainting woman. Poor, misunderstood Tommy; it's incidents like this that drive you to become a poorly defined MacGuffin in later life.

Meanwhile the ever-charming Hangman prepares to do something just off-panel to the woman's lower regions, armed with great handfuls of grey goop; hey, as long as she's already fainting, Hangman's thinking...!

In the background, Dusty dashes in uselessly: "Er, sorry, I'm late guys! But I met this really keen red-headed guy named Andrews at school, and he's talking about forming some kind of club for youngsters... ."