1940 Serial, Chapter 2: The Thundering Terror

The first chapter in this series was reviewed back in April.  When I said I would review the second part a few days later, apparently I meant almost 200 of them.

When we last saw the Green Hornet, he was trapped in mine tunnels rapidly filling with water with the mining project's foreman, a man named Markheim. 

We find out at the beginning of the second episode that it wasn't that big a deal for the Hornet. He just climbed out, dragging an unconscious Markheim with him. Kato came to pick him up in the Black Beauty and the two of them rushed Markheim to the hospital.

Markheim, it would seem, did not fare so well.  

At the Sentinel offices, Britt Reid walks in on his bodyguard Michael Axford, secretary Lenore Case, and reporter Jasper Jenks chatting about the previous night's events. Jenks tells the group he found out that the miners were all insured for a hefty sum by a broker named Mortinson, with proceeds payable to the construction company. Gasp!!

The story goes into the next edition of the papers. The broker, Mortinson, starts to feel the heat. The crooks meet to strategize. 

The mysterious, unidentified voice from the radio at Mortinson's left hip directs him to grab all paperwork having to do with the insurance arrangements and hunker down at his (Mortinson's) country house.

They did not count on the redoutable Mike Axford. Axford visits Reid in his office to excitedly relate that he is convinced Mortinson is hiding out in...his own country house. When he scoped thr place out, Axford found that Mortinson's car is in the garage there and a couple of toughs posing as gardeners told Axford to beat it.

Axford wants to go in all guns blazing, but Reid talks him down until they have more evidence that Mortinson has committed a crime. Unspoken is that this evidence will be uncovered by...The Green Hornet!

That evening, Reid and Kato are seemingly having an ordinary night. They evade a couple of thugs watching their home by simply...turning off the light. The thugs assume Reid has gone to bed and assuming nothing more will happen. just...leave. 

Their observers gone, the  crime-fighting duo drive off to Mortinson's country house, where the Hornet just...walks in through an unlocked door. This is going extremely well for the pair so far. 

With Kato ready in the case a speedy getaway is needed, the Hornet catches Mortinson about to store the insurance papers in a safe. 

Busted. And looking guilty AF. 

Unbeknownst to the Green Hornet, Axford defied his boss earlier that evening and directed the police to visit Mortinson's property. Their sudden sirens give Mortinson the distraction he needs to quickly toss the documents in the safe, while the Green Hornet has little choice now but to make a break for it. 

When a policeman makes to take Mortinson in for questioning, the latter's bodyguard shoots the cop.

Outside, the Green Hornet is climbing into the Black Beauty when hears the gunshot. He starts to race back to the house, but more police arrive, complicating matters for him.

Inside the house, when the second policeman enters the office, Mortinson blames the Green Hornet for the first officer being shot.

 

The night's activities has a chain reaction. The following day, Mortinson is told bu his criminal handlers to grab his papers and leave town entirely. The Hornet, on the other hand, plans to break into Mortinson's safe with Kato's help.

Anticipating that exact course of action from the Hornet, the criminals rig the safe to explode should the Hornet tamper with it. Fiends! 

When the crime-fighters enter the house, they find the safe unlocked. Reid is suspicious of a trap, so comes up with a genius plan to trigger it.

Close call! 

The papers they were hoping to find are not in the safe, so off they go after Mortinson. 

Even though Mortinson and his fellow thug would have several minutes of head start by now, the Black Beauty catches up to them in no time. It's that awesome.

The crooks are close to running out of gas, and Mortinson thinks he see an opportunity. They hop out of the car and commandeer a passing train (as one does). 

But you don't get rid of a hornet that easily! Our hero has jumped from the Beauty and made his way to the top of the train. 

The Hornet races to the locomotive and a fight ensues. Evidently this leads to someone making a wrong turn because the train is on a collision course with another! 

Okay, the Hornet HAS to be done for! We'll find out for  certain soon in episode three, entitled "Flying Coffins"! 😨