Tag Archives: Deception

Electra of the Evil Eye

Bunty, ,
  • Electra of the Evil Eye –  Bunty: #1157 (15 March 1980) – #1169 (07 June 1980)
  • Translated into Dutch (as “Elektra”) – monthly Debbie Stripstory #6/1981.

Plot/Thoughts

Gina Soames lives with her mother; her father is nowhere to be found and is never mentioned. Mrs Soames is a foster mother and her newest charge is an unusual girl named Electra. Gina is suspicious of Electra from day one.  I’m more suspicious of their living
arrangements. Despite Mrs Soames having fostered many children before, at the moment Electra is the only foster child in the house but she and Gina have to share a room as they apparently don’t have a spare room. You’d think with foster children coming and going regularly they’d have more than 2 bedrooms!

Electra has a common character trait of many Bunty characters. She acts all sweet and innocent and everyone is taken in by her. Only Gina is suspicious of her and of course Electra gets her in trouble while everyone thinks Electra is the nice girl.

The “evil eye” part of the title is soon revealed when Electra has to release energy and sets fire to a pavilion.

Gina starts becoming suspicious about fires popping up everywhere since Electra’s arrival. Electra continues to get Gina in trouble, which is bad for Gina as this is a time when corporal punishment is still in practice.

electra of the evil eye 2

Electra decides Gina’s getting too nosy. So Electra locks her in a room with a fire, and then inexplicitly saves her.  She seems to think that being in a fire would have made Gina forget about what she has done.

electra of the evil eye 3
Although she keeps threatening to remove Gina permanently, she never follows through. Which will have bad consequences for her later.

Gina convinces her mom to search Electra’s room. Mrs Soames finds an unusual torch. But Electra appears in the torch she is not happy with Mrs Soames snooping. Mrs Soames ends up in a paralysed state. This seems like a random new power for Electra to display, it is not fire related but  apparently whatever powers are needed to advance the story, she has them.  These stories often had “a wizard did it” attitude to some events.

Gina sees Electra talking to a fire apparition her master. Electra sets another fire and this time people get hurt. She sets up Gina to take the blame. Gina runs away from the cops to her mum another fire is set at the hospital. Gina helps get patients out. She is then arrested and she figures she’ll be safer behind bars.

Electra contacts her master who tells her to proceed with the Plan X. So in Bond villain style Electra breaks Gina out of jail and reveals the whole plan to her.  She tells her of her home planet Mercunopus that is about to explode. To her people flames are life so they setting fires on earth to warm up the atmosphere. Hmm yeah I don’t think that’s how these things work!  So while Electra’s people wait for the signal to invade Gina figures out that water stops fire. What is it with aliens that are vulnerable to water trying to take over a planet that is two thirds water? They really should know better. Gina drenches Electra and she does her wicked witch of the west impression.

electra of the evil eye 4

The aliens get the message, that this isn’t the best planet to invade.

Sheena the Sham

Mandy,

Plot

Sheena Ducey, an orphan had been brought up in poverty by her Uncle  Dermot and Aunt Moira in Ireland. Then Uncle Dermot managed to pass Sheena off as Rosemary Reynolds, an English baby killed in a nearby air disaster thirteen years before. Wealthy Mr and Mrs Reynolds joyfully took Sheena back to their country estate—but Clare, their younger daughter, was jealous and suspicious. Sheena, who was very unhappy about the deception, decided to write and ask her uncle to tell the Reynolds the truth. But then Sheena discovered that her uncle and aunt were coming to England to live in a bungalow made available by the grateful Reynolds

Notes

Appeared

  • Sheena the Sham – Mandy: #519 (25 December 1976) – #525 (5 February 1977)

The Truth about Banjo Belle

Mandy, , ,

Plot

Fifteen year old, Jill Baker started a folk group along with her friends, Bill Moss and Don Ellis. They were not doing too well and Jill’s grandmother—a former music-hall star suggested that Jill should borrow the costumes, wigs and the banjo that she had used. When the group appeared at the Fiesta Club there was a near riot. Jill’s handling of the audience aroused the admiration of Al Hunter, a theatrical agent who had known Jill’s Gran when she topped the bill as Banjo Belle. He suggested that she could pretend to be the actual Banjo Belle  for more success. Jill only agrees to this, so she can afford to buy house for her grandmother.

Notes

Appeared

  • The Truth about Banjo Belle – Mandy: #300 (14 October 1972) – #313 (13 January 1973)

Sweet Violet

Mandy,

Plot

Poor orphan, Violet Trewley, was a new pupil at Grayswell, a small exclusive boarding school for girls. Beneath Violet’s sweet, demure manner was a calculating mind, and she quickly wormed her way into the girls’ lives, finding out their secrets, which she held over them for her own gain.

Notes

Appeared

  • Sweet Violet – Mandy: #672 (1 December 1979) – #680 (26 January 1980)

The Living Lie of Laura Hurst

Mandy, , ,

Plot

While on her way to live with relatives she had never met, Laura Hurst, a rich young Victorian girl, was killed in a coach accident. Her maid Martha Ford, decided to take her place in order to give her sick young sister a home. While aunt Maria welcomed “Laura” into her home, cousin Nigel was less happy and was suspicious of her.

Notes

  • Art: Hugh Thornton-Jones
  • Reprinted and translated into Dutch as “Laura’s grote leugen” (Laura’s Big Lie) -Debbie #6 (1978).

Appeared

  • The Living Lie of Laura Hurst – Mandy: #537 (30 April 1977) – #545 (25 June 1977)

A New Life for Lucy

Tracy,

Plot

Orphan Lucy was posing as Sylvia Waring, who had drowned in an accident. Lucy had made it seem that she herself had drowned instead, and was accepted by Sylvia’s blind author father as his own daughter. Lucy tried to find out as much as possible about Sylvia and her dad’s life, so she wouldn’t be discovered.

Notes

Appeared

  • A New Life for Lucy – Tracy: #208 (24 September 1983) – #219 (10 December 2019)

Between Friends

M&J, , ,

Plot:

Sally Webster and Becky Croft swear they will never let boyfriends come between their friendship. But it happens when Sally starts dating Pete – and then finds Becky has taken a fancy to him! So Sally tries to keep the fact that she is dating Pete a secret from Becky.

Friends 1

Notes:

  • Artist: Bert Hill

Appeared:

  • Between Friends – M&J:  #180 (22 October 1994) – #188 (17 December 1994)