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ENCING IS AN ENERGETIC, EXCITING SPORT WHICH CALLS FOR AGILITY, SKILL AND A HIGH DEGREE OF FITNESS. THE MATCH TAKING PLACE IN A DUSTY GYM IN DOWN-TOWN BUENOS AIRES, IN THE EARLY NINETEEN-FIFTIES, WAS HEATING UP BY THE SECOND.

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STORY MAC MACDONALD ART CARLOS PINO COVER CARLOS PINO

MY OLD PARTNER IS KEEN TODAY AND REALLY PUSHING HIMSELF.

4 BUT AS THE INTENSITY INCREASED EVEN MORE, THE FENCER ON THE DEFENSIVE SUDDENLY FELT THAT ALL WAS NOT WELL. THE END OF HIS BLADE IS NOT PROTECTED...THE RUBBER CAP IS MISSING! HE’S FIGHTING FOR REAL!

FORCED BACK EVEN FURTHER, THE MAN IN DANGER USED THE CLIMBING ROPES HANGING FROM THE CEILING TO SLOW DOWN HIS AGGRESSIVE OPPONENT.

THAT SHOULD HANDICAP HIM A LITTLE.

5 A HANDY MEDICINE BALL SPUN AT THE OTHER MAN’S FEET WOULD SOON PROVE TO BE THE COUP DE GRACE FOR THE ENCOUNTER.

TIME TO COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT.

THE FENCER NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES WAS KNOCKED COLD WHEN HIS SKULL HIT THE FLOOR.

AAGH!

6 THE LOSER CAME BLEARILY TO HIS SENSES AND FOUND HIMSELF TRUSSED UP AGAINST A SET OF WALL BARS, HIS MASK AND HELMET REMOVED.

HE’S FINALLY COME AROUND, SCOUSE. WONDER WHO HE IS…AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS GAME IS?

NOT A CLUE, BUT I KNOW HOW TO FIND OUT, MAX.

THE MYSTERY MAN’S NAME WAS HORST STEIN, A GERMAN. HE WAS STILL A FERVENT NAZI AND MEMBER OF THE S.S., EVEN THOUGH THE WAR WAS OVER — NOT THAT HE PLANNED ON REVEALING ANY OF THIS TO HIS NEW CAPTORS.

MAX SINGER, HITLER DOUBLE, PARTNER IN MAYHEM WITH SID O’REILLY, FIELD MARSHALL MONTGOMERY’S LOOK-A-LIKE, AND A THREAT TO THE NAZI REICH DURING THE WAR YEARS, WAS THE OTHER FENCER. GET ON WITH IT THEN, MY FRIEND. MAKE OUR NEW PAL SQUEAL.

7 HE HAD BEEN JOINED BY ANOTHER MAN WHO WAS BUILT LIKE A BRICK OUTHOUSE AND WAS TOYING WITH A FIERCE-LOOKING DAGGER, THE BLADE OF WHICH WAS SLICING INTO THE MEDICINE BALL USED EARLIER. HE DOESN’T LOOK SO CONFIDENT NOW, MATE. CAN I TICKLE HIM WITH THIS BLADE?

WHY NOT, SCOUSE? I THOUGHT I WAS FIGHTING SID AS USUAL UNTIL IT BEGAN TO TURN NASTY.

“SCOUSE” SMILEY, A FILM STUNTMAN AND WEIGHTLIFTER, WAS A COLLEAGUE OF MAX AND SID. THE PRISONER WRIGGLED FURIOUSLY BUT IN VAIN AGAINST HIS BONDS. A PIECE OF PAPER DID SLIP FROM A POCKET, THOUGH, AND MAX SPOTTED IT. NOW, ARE YOU GOING TO TELL US WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT?

NEVER...

STAY BACK!

HANG ON, LET’S SEE WHAT WE HAVE THERE.

8 IT WAS A SKETCH, A VERY GOOD ARTISTIC IMPRESSION WHICH SHOWED MAX AND HIS GOOD FRIEND SID WITHOUT ANY SIGN OF THEIR FAMOUS STAGE DISGUISES.

WELL, WELL, THIS OAF MUST HAVE BEEN USING THIS TO LOOK FOR US. OUR SUSPENDED FRIEND HERE HAS A NUMBER TATTOOED ON HIS ARM. THAT MAKES HIM S.S. IN MY BOOK!

THAT SHOOK MAX WHO WAS SUDDENLY AWARE THAT THIS IMPOSTER HAD SOMEHOW TAKEN THE PLACE OF SID WHO HAD COME ON AHEAD OF THE OTHER TWO THAT MORNING. SO WHERE IS SID NOW? HAS THIS THUG OR SOME OF HIS MATES GOT THEIR HANDS ON HIM?

MAX WANTED ANSWERS AND HE WANTED THEM FAST. TELL US WHAT’S GOING ON OR MY FRIEND HERE WILL SLICE OFF YOUR S.S. TATTOO!

9 BUT THEN THE GYM DOOR BURST OPEN AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THESE NEWCOMERS WERE THE TRUSSED-UP MAN’S COMRADES AND GERMAN TO BOOT.

MEIN GOTT, GET THESE SCHWEIN!

I DON’T LIKE THE ODDS HERE...

AGREED, MATE.

MAX AND SCOUSE SCUTTLED OUT OF THE BUILDING, MAX RESCUING HIS JACKET ON THE WAY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMMEDIATE PURSUIT BUT THEY WERE NOT INTENDING TO LINGER. WE’VE GOT TO FIND SOMEWHERE SAFE TO DECIDE WHAT WE DO NEXT.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF AND NO MISTAKE.

10 INSIDE THE GYM, THE MAN THEY TIED UP HAD BEEN FREED. HE AND THE OTHERS HAD SERVED IN HITLER’S S.S. AND HAD ESCAPED TO SOUTH AMERICA AT THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. IT SEEMED THAT THEY WERE STILL INVOLVED IN SOME NAZI BUSINESS IF THEY HAD AN INTEREST IN MAX AND SID. ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, SIR?

JA, OF COURSE I AM. I JUST GOT UNLUCKY AFTER OUR DAY STARTED SO WELL...

THE NAZI THUGS HAD ACCOSTED SID WHEN HE HAD ARRIVED FIRST AT THAT GYM, SOME TIME BEFORE MAX AND SCOUSE, WHO DID NOT FENCE BUT HEFTED HEAVY WEIGHTS INSTEAD. YOU ARE COMING WITH US. THERE IS NO POINT RESISTING.

SAYS WHO, MAY I ASK?