Unlikely Romance - Night Nurse #4

Today I bring you the fourth (and final, *tear*) installment of Marvel's masterpiece, Night Nurse. Written by Jean Thomas and Linda Fite, Night Nurse #4 (May 1973) is beautifully illustrated by Winslow Mortimer. Additional credits include Andrea Hunt as colorist, Charlotte Jetter as letterer, Roy Thomas as editor and John Romita as cover artist.





The last issue of the series is focused entirely on red-headed nurse, Christine Palmer, and feels a bit like a Gothic romance comic.


After the devastating truth of Dr. William Sutton was revealed in issue #2, Christine tries desperately to move on with her life. Unable to make a go of it at other hospitals, Chris decides to take the plunge as a private nurse at the mysterious Sea-Cliff Manor. Chris should have been more cautious however about going through with the job, especially since taxi driver after taxi driver refused to take her to the mansion.


Still burning with optimism (and drenched by the storm from walking to the mansion) Chris arrives, only to be verbally abused by her new patient, the dashing and very angry -- Derek Porter.


Out of the darkness appears Harold, the butler. As he leads Chris to her sleeping quarters, she starts to realize why no cabbie would take her out to the mansion -- the place is creepy! As she tries to get some rest, she notices the blinking of lights coming from outside her window. Eventually they stop, but Chris can't help but ponder if the light was coming from a far-off lighthouse or her imagination.


Upon waking and reporting for duty, Chris inquires about the light. Aunt Edna assures her the lighthouse closed many years prior, and the light was most likely in her imagination after all. Later, Chris attempts her first therapy session with Derek. As a paraplegic, he is convinced he will never recover -- but Chris is determined to show him otherwise.


Dismayed at Derek's negative attitude towards recovery, Chris is even more determined the next day to set him on the path to wellness. When they head out to get some fresh air, Chris points out the supposedly abandoned lighthouse. As she begins to tell Derek about how she witnessed flashing lights in nights prior, he falls violently out of his wheelchair.


Catching him just in the nick of time, Harold notices that one of the wheels on the chair has mysteriously broken. Starting to get freaked out, Chris puts him to bed with a sedative to help him sleep after the trying ordeal.


That night, as she tries to get some sleep herself, Chris is awoken by a clanging sound and lights. This time she sees that they aren't coming from the lighthouse, but from a figure signaling in the darkness. As she goes out on her porch to see what the commotion is about, she narrowly escapes plunging to her death when the porch railing collapses.

I love this page. It is dark, moody, and gorgeous!

Christine confronts Edna and Harold the next day about the lights again and all the "accidents" that keep occurring, but Edna just blames the strange events on adventure seeking teenagers looking for kicks. Chris is not convinced by her answer, especially after noticing two sets of large footprints in the mud. Completely baffled, Chris seeks solace in Derek, who agrees to meet her at midnight to do a little detective work.

The night goes on. While she waits to meet Derek, she decides to ring up Linda at Metro General to calm her nerves. In a freak coincidence, the phone line dies and a bookcase opens up to a hidden passageway. Instinctually following the path, Chris is led to a pair of muddy shoes.

Chris flags Derek down, and comes to the chilling realization that the shoes must be his! But wait -- how can the shoes of a paraplegic get muddy?!?!


*Gasp!* Derek can walk!!! In an unexpected turn, it is unveiled that not only Derek can walk, but he is the main connection in the Northeast for smuggling illegal drugs into the country! As Derek attempts to tackle Chris down to kill her for knowing too much, the purpose of the mysterious flashing lights become clear.


Derek gets a good grasp on Chris, and Edna and Harold come bolting out of the mansion -- frantic to break up the altercation. In a spur-of-the-moment move, Harold pushes the abandoned wheelchair towards Derek. Harold's aim is true, and Derek is sent flying off the edge of the cliff; spiraling downwards towards the craggy rocks.


The shaken nurse recounts the entire tragic story to Edna and Harold -- the drugs... the attempted murder... All three walk away from the scene of the tragedy and reflect on the demise of Derek Porter.


And just like that folks, the Night Nurse series, just as tragically, ends. There are no more issues, no more tales of Metro General, and no more musings on the beautiful and brave trio of nurses who fought so courageously for the health care profession.

As you may have noticed through the short run of the series, there were just a few romantic story plots. However, the series was definitely not lacking in romance comic undertones (thanks largely to artist, Win Mortimer) -- making it a perfect candidate for the "Unlikely Romance" section here at Sequential Crush. Every issue was rather different from one another and tackled genre conventions associated not only with romance -- but with medical dramas, crime, and horror. It becomes quite apparent after looking at all four issues that the creative team was experimenting and trying to find just the right niche for Night Nurse. Unfortunately for readers, they never did find it. After just four short issues, Night Nurse disappeared -- only to live in the hearts of those that adore the superbly scripted and illustrated adventures of three novice nurses from Metro General.

Unlikely Romance - Night Nurse #3

Greetings on this fine Saturday! Today we have the third installment of Marvel's Night Nurse (March 1973), written by Jean Thomas and with cover and interior illustrations by Winslow Mortimer. Though this issue is quite action packed, there are still snippets of the romantic imagery that Mortimer excelled in.


Issue two left our nurses exhausted from the crooked dealings of Dr. William Sutton, a schemer and a drunk. Things never slow down completely however at Metro General, and "Murder Stalks Ward 8" proves that. As Linda Carter walks the halls of the hospital, suddenly a man is thrown in by two thugs. Will he make it?


No! No he wont, for the victim is already dead! Luckily, Linda was able to grab a good look at the perps before they made their getaway and she is able to identify one as Joe "The Scar" Bronson -- a dangerous member of the mob.


Though emotionally exhausted from the eventful night shift, Linda stays up to converse with roommate Georgia -- just returned from her brother Ben's trial. Things are not looking good for Ben, who has been sentenced to ten-to-twenty years in the slammer for his role in the attempted extortion of Metro General. Georgia feels that Ben is just a kid who made a mistake and that the law should go after the likes of mob boss, Victor Sloan. Linda does her best to soothe Georgia, but Ms. Carter laments the absence of their other roommate, Christine Palmer. Christine, Linda feels, would be better at putting Georgia's mind at ease. Unfortunately, Christine is nowhere to be found.


After calming Georgia down and getting some sleep, Linda heads out on the town to finish up her Christmas shopping -- where she bumps into the dreamy Dr. Jack Tryon. This page would have been a perfect opportunity for a little romance, but unfortunately Linda and Jack's relationship seems to remain amiable, yet platonic.


Back at the hospital, another gunshot victim has been rushed in. Georgia recognizes the patient as none other than Victor Sloan -- figurehead of the city's criminal dynasty. In that moment of life or death, Linda has to remind Georgia of the oath they took to help all those in need of medical attention. Georgia reluctantly follows.


After working on Mr. Sloan, Linda and Georgia run into a gaggle of police there to guard the lord of the underworld and protect him from rival gang members. Just as the two nurses think they have things in order, they are accosted by workhorse -- Miss Brundage, who moves them to Ward 8 for the evening.


While working on charts on Ward 8, Georgia is drawn from her post by the sounds of music blaring. The music leads her to the cafeteria, where a holiday party is being held. There she bumps into Dr. Tryon who follows her to the elevator and back to work.


Georgia returns to the ward to find a frantic Linda. The police and Miss Brundage have disappeared, leaving the nurses to guard "public enemy number one," Victor Sloan. Terrified that someone may have lured the police away to get at Sloan, Georgia runs for help and Linda attempts to move the patient. Finding the medicine room mysteriously unlocked, Linda hides with Sloan in there.


Suddenly, Linda hears someone outside the door who claims to be there to relieve the night guards. After opening the door, Linda discovers she is perilously wrong. It is actually the highly dangerous Joe "The Scar" Bronson, who is there to kill Sloan in order to climb the ranks of the criminal world.


Georgia finds Dr. Tryon and rushes him to the aid of Linda. Linda however fends for herself, and gets the gun away from the lunatic before handing it to Dr. Tryon. In the meantime, Georgia goes to find the real police. Turns out the two officers on guard were tricked into being relieved by the impostor, Bronson.


Georgia goes to tend to Sloan who was incidentally shot a second time during the scuffle, while Linda takes a highly deserved break. As Linda and Dr. Tryon roam the halls, they stumble across the muffled screams of Miss Brundage who had been thrown in a linen closet by gang members. As the unappreciative Miss Brundage walks away, Georgia comes down the hall with Sloan. After Dr. Tryon takes the patient away, Georgia and Linda have a tender moment and walk off into the sunrise.


In the tradition of romance comics, an advice-type column, "Night Desk!" graces the last pages of issue three. Be sure to read this, its a real treat!


Though the series only lasted four issues, this column gives the impression that it was slated for a longer run. If only that is how it had turned out!


Issue three of Night Nurse is action packed no doubt! What it lacks in romance between Dr. Tryon and Linda, it makes up in the strong friendship between the Linda and Georgia. If you are a fan of the red-headed nurse Christine, be sure to check in next time for the fourth (and last) issue of Night Nurse, which features Christine predominately.

Unlikely Romance - Night Nurse #2

Welcome to the second installment of Marvel's Night Nurse here on Sequential Crush! If you missed the first issue, check it out here! Hailing from January of 1973, this book has a cover penciled by John Romita and interiors penciled by the astounding Winslow Mortimer and written by Jean Thomas.

Now that our three heroines Linda, Christine and Georgia are finished with nursing school, the gripping drama really begins. For these three nurses, issue two really is, as the title states so eloquently, "Night of Tears...Night of Truth!"

It all starts with Linda on her way home from her swing shift at Metro General. As she tries to shake the memory of her lost love Marshall, Linda witness a young girl violently struck by a dark green Cadillac and left for dead.


Linda, being the calm and professional nurse that she was trained to be, rushes to the girls side and calls out for an ambulance.


She clearly impresses the attending police officer, who apologizes for not believing she could handle the situation. She confidently responds, "I just did what's second nature to any nurse." Well put, Night Nurse!


As the young victim is brought to the hospital it is discovered that she is Betsy Greeley, the police commissioner's daughter. Her father bursts onto the scene and demands that Betsy be transferred to a private hospital with a private surgeon, Dr. William Sutton. Fortuitously, Dr. Sutton is on Metro General's board and is available to operate.


Having been technically off duty, Linda goes home to rest. The story from here on out switches to focus on the flame-haired Christine, who is consequently wooed by Dr. Sutton.


The following week Christine begins her work as Dr. Sutton's special assistant, where she is given the job description: keep records of supply requisition, instrument counts and schedules, report information from interns and residents, act as primary scrub nurse, and oh yeah... go on dinner dates with the doctor.


You may remember from the first issue that Christine's family was not keen on her becoming a nurse, especially her wealthy father. One Saturday he travels to the city to pay her a visit and threaten her to come home. Mulling things over in a classic romance comic pose (reclined in bed), Christine realizes one of the reasons she may love work so much is because of Dr. Sutton. A close encounter of the doctor-operating-while-intoxicated kind may just change Christine's mind however.


Nope! Not quite. Christine continues to go on lavish dinners with Dr. Sutton. She lets him know though that she is aware of the fact that he is writing excessive amounts of prescriptions. Linda is also aware of it, and confronts Christine. Christine distracts Linda by introducing her to Dr. Sutton's handsome new resident, Dr. Jack Tryon. Coincidentally, Jack is missing his prescription pad.


Young Dr. Tryon has some insight into the going-ons of how Dr. Sutton's operating room is run. After comparing notes with Linda, the two decide to do a little detective work.


Meanwhile, on another date with Dr. Sutton, Christine notices that he is impaired. He drives anyway, and hits a parked car. Hey! Where's Lady Cop when you need her?!


The date is cut short when Dr. Sutton receives a radio page from the hospital. Betsy, the hit and run victim has taken a turn for the worse! In response to the tragic news, Dr. Sutton does what any irresponsible, car-hitting, drunk driving, cradle-robbing doctor about to operate on a friend's daughter would do... he hits the booze and downs a handful of pills.


Unaware of the Greeley girl's spiraling condition and the events transpiring at the hospital, Linda and Dr. Tryon go to confront Dr. Sutton at his home. Since he is away, they decide to "wait" for him. Snooping through his drawers, they discover that Dr. Sutton is not only stealing drugs from the hospital, but that he was the hit and run driver that struck Betsy Greeley that fateful night!


Linda and Dr. Tryon rush to the apartment to tell Christine the revelation of the evening. Before they can break the news the phone rings. For Christine the beginning of the end ensues -- Betsy Greeley has died and an immediate inquest is on the docket. Before Christine can go protect Dr. Sutton, Linda tries to fill her in on the startling discovery. Christine flees in disappointment and disbelief.

At the hospital, while the board of trustees wait for the inquest to begin, slimy Sutton tries to convince Christine to lie for him.


Christine tries to protect him, but before too long her conscience kicks in and she tells the truth. Phew!!!


Dr. Sutton tries to deny everything, but Linda pressures him into telling the whole story of how he not only stole drugs, but how he was the one driving the dark green Cadillac the night Betsy was hit.

With the truth on the table and Dr. Sutton in the back of a squad car, Christine disappears into the night. A somber Linda and Jack leave for a long walk, and thus concludes the second issue of Night Nurse!


Pretty heavy stuff for a comic book, that's for sure! It's a great story though, don't you agree? The art is amazing, and the pacing perfect. My one complaint though is that save like one panel, Georgia is pretty much absent from this issue. I would have liked to see her more, but don't fear! She will be back in the third issue! It is also apparent in this issue that a little romance may be on the verge of blooming between Linda and Dr. Tryon. Good thing too!

Unlikely Romance - Night Nurse #1

If you have followed Sequential Crush for a while, you may have gathered that one of my favorite comic book romance artists is Winslow Mortimer. Last week, Mykal over at the blog Gold Key Comics featured a Mortimer story from Ripley's Believe It or Not #28 (September 1971). I was super excited to see Mortimer art from a genre other than superhero or romance. I promised Mykal that I would showcase some of Mortimer's romance work, and Night Nurse really is the pinnacle of his work drawing pretty ladies.

I know what you are thinking... Night Nurse isn't romance! I beg to differ however! Though it may not be one of the traditional romance comic book titles, it has the proper elements -- fashion, a group of roommates, a love interest and plenty of drama!

The splash page of Night Nurse #1 (November 1972) (penciled and inked by Mortimer and written by Jean Thomas) introduces us to the beautiful and torn Linda Carter, Student Nurse. Like many romance characters, Linda is conflicted with the decision of career or man.


Agonizing over the decision, Linda harkens back three years prior to when it all began. First came the joyous celebration accompanying the acceptance letter, and then the meeting of roomies - Georgia Jenkins and Christine Palmer. Though from completely different walks of life, they share one common goal -- to become a nurse.


The three young women soon learn that their training is no walk in the park. Their days are filled with grueling classroom lectures, practical laboratory work, and patient interaction. While they all love nursing -- they do not love each other. Having been placed together as roommates by a dorm mother and not by choice, Linda, Christine and Georgia must learn to get along if they want to make it through their intense training at Metro General.

One evening, while bickering in their dorm, the three heroines are called back into the hospital for an emergent situation involving a four-alarm fire. They forget their beefs with each other while shuffling children to the burn ward and unloading ambulances. It isn't until things calm down that the stress catches up with Linda. She is consumed with homesickness. Her tears open the floodgates, which in turn opens the door to friendship between the three roommates.


Time flies for the student nurses as their training continues. Three years go by and page ten of the story takes us to their senior year. It is during that last year that Linda meets Marshall Michaels -- a handsome and pushy prospective donor who happens to be in for an Appendectomy.


As you can see from the gorgeous close up of their romantic kiss, Mr. Michaels and Linda become quite fond of each other and decide to take their relationship farther than nurse and patient.


Linda goes on a dream date with Marshall which involves a ride on his "rowboat" and dinner at a French restaurant. It also involves an ultimatum.


Meanwhile, while Linda mulls over leaving her career to become Mrs. Michaels we get to know Christine and Georgia. Christine, estranged from her rich father also faces a choice. Continue with nursing after graduation or receive anything she wants from daddy.

Though Georgia's life isn't as glamorous as Linda's or Christine's, it is by no means less meaningful. Her day off doesn't mean yacht rides or promises of European vacations -- but a return to her neighborhood. After visiting with her family she attends to a sick neighbor and a young man who is injured in a street fight. Though her time off was rewarding, she is bothered by the fact that her brother Ben won't return home.


The mystery of Ben's whereabouts is soon uncovered when the downtrodden areas of the city are "browned out" and lose electricity due to a heat wave. Unrest becomes apparent, and those affected by the loss of electricity gather at the hospital to show their displeasure. Among those who descend on Metro General is Georgia's brother Ben and his up-to-no-good friend Rocky.


Georgia tries to get to the bottom of why they are headed to the basement of the hospital. Though she is suspicious, Ben sways her into believing that they are doing "work."


While going back to attend to injured patients, Georgia and her roommates overhear that there has been a short and the brown-out has turned into a full scale black-out. Linda is comforted by the fact that the hospital has a large generator until Georgia reveals her encounter with her brother and Rocky. Realizing that they were headed towards the generator, the three heroic nurses spring into action.


Though it is too late for the guard, Georgia and Linda catch Rocky just as he is about to throw down an explosive device. What Ben thought was an attempt to coerce the electric company into restoring power to the city, has turned into a violent fiasco. In an effort to shutdown Rocky, Ben himself is brought to the ground.


Georgia applies pressure to Ben's wounds to control the bleeding and Linda trips Rocky -- sending the bomb flying into her hands. While looking down the barrel of a gun, Linda tries to convince Rocky that he is making a terrible mistake. He isn't having it. Luckily, the police rush to the scene in the nick of time. Obviously shaken from the events, Georgia is surrounded by her two friends who vow to see that justice prevails and Ben gets the medical and legal help he needs.


While at Ben's side with Georgia and Christine, Linda is notified of a caller -- Mr. Michaels. She rushes into his arms, anxious to relay the events of the day. He brushes her off and asks if she has made a decision concerning her career and their relationship.


Lucky for us, Linda chooses nursing. Her friends comfort her, but she insists they not make a big deal over it. After all, they have tomorrow to think about.

Most romance stories involving a tough decision such as Linda's don't have this ending. They usually end with the girl giving up her career for her man. It is this spin that sets Night Nurse #1 apart from other romance tales and sets the stage for the rest of the dynamic series. Though the ending is somewhat of an aberration from other romance stories, it has many of the other elements of classic romance stories. In my opinion, it is one of the best comic book romance stories out there! This isn't even taking into consideration Mortimer's art which so expertly depicts the three very different student nurses, and effortlessly moves the story along. If you liked this first issue, be sure to tune in soon for the second installment of Marvel's Night Nurse!