Showcase #17

Secret of the Eternal City!Adam Strange's first encounter with the Zeta BeamOn the Peruvian Plateau of the Andes Mountains, archaeologist Adam Strange discovers the lost Inca city of Caramanga. Finding a treasure of gold, Adam is assaulted by natives determined to not let his discovery reach the outside world. With no place left to run, Adam jumps off a cliff, but instead of plunging to his death, he finds himself teleported to a jungle with creatures not native to Earth.A flying ship saves him from one of these creatures, and a beautiful woman comes out. She speaks a language Adam does not recognize, yet Adam makes out that her name is Alanna, and she wishes to bring him to a place called Ranagar. Alanna brings him onboard her flying ship, and shows him the wonders of this new planet. Alanna brings him to a small laboratory, where a balding scientist attaches a headband to him. The headband, a menticizer, instantly teaches Adam their language.Adam finds out he is on the planet Rann, orbiting the star Alpha Centauri, in the lab of Sardath, Alanna’s father. Four years ago, Rann transmitted a Zeta Beam to Earth to communicate. Evidently, the beam now serves as a teleportation conduit between Earth and Rann. However, due to the rotation of both planets, the beam intersects at different locations at different windows. Alanna offers to take Adam on a tour of Rann.While visiting the coastal city of Kamorak, Rann is assaulted by spaceships. Heading back to Sardath’s lab, Adam and Alanna find out that the attacking aliens are called the Eternals. They come seeking Vitatron, a rare element. The only place to find Vitatron on Rann is in Samakand, the city that only appears every 25 years. Samakand reappears from the fourth dimension, just as the Eternals attack. Adam Strange, in a commandeered spaceship, stalls the Eternals. The Eternals finally land in Samakand, just as it disappears again. The Eternals are trapped. However, just as Alanna and Adam celebrate, Adam fades...