VIC JORDAN

Vic Jordan is a publicist.

There is some indication that prior to this current gig, he may have spent time as a reporter but when we first encounter him in Paris in the Summer of 1940, he is working as the publicist for the International Revue, an entertainment troupe comprised of an American ballet company as well as an up-and-coming French musical comedy star. Considering the influence with the members of the group he shows from the beginning, he could also be running things but that is speculation.

Certainly it is Jordan's idea for a publicity stunt that will find him sought by the Gestapo and will lead soon to his dropping his current career to join the French Resistance, or 'Underground' as they called it. The Gestapo had been ordered by Berlin to close down the performance of the troupe. The beautiful French star Adrienne lamented to Jordan that her career was "one great ruin", to which Jordan grinned and promised that it was just beginning and that she would be on Broadway in a month because he had a "terrific idea". That genius move was to put the show on despite the prohibition and to add a fun little number where Adrienne made herself look like Hitler in a less than flattering skit. Naturally, the German officials were decidedly unpleased and attempts at arrest were made with Jordan and company were on the lam.

I believe it was seeing first Adrienne arrested, though soon released after paying a fine, and then another troupe member getting snatched up by the Gestapo that switched Jordan from being a fun-loving easy-going fellow having a grand time working with the Revue to being a dedicated enemy of all things Nazi. For the next four years he will work closely with both British Intelligence, the American military, and the Maquis and will over time gain an impressive reputation both with his colleagues and with his opposition.

In the final story, taking place after the liberation of France but while the War continued in Germany, Jordan is approached by the editor of a French newspaper to assist in learning about a large group of Germans left behind when its army were forced back, said army becoming its own version of an underground. Whether it was the wish of the editor for Jordan to do the reporting or just the investigating is not known. In typical Jordan style, he lands in the middle of a very sticky situation.

Jordan is likely in his mid-30's based on his depiction, with dark slightly wavy hair. There is no doubt that Jordan is a very handsome man who definitely enjoys the attention and company of beautiful women. He enjoys good food and good refreshment and spending time with his friends but once he takes up the mantle of fighting the Nazis, his determination to keep pounding on them never lets up.

As mentioned above, Adrienne Charlet is one of Jordan's associates both before his switch to fighting the Nazis and after. She is an up-and-coming French musical comedy star, possessor of lots of talent, enthusiasm, and spirit and capable of some deviousness, especially when the man she is certain she loves, Jordan, is in the company of any other female over the age of consent and under the age of alive. She is quite impulsive, though, which makes things interesting now and then.

There is also Sue Bennett, a member of the American ballet company, which really seems to be a Follies-style chorus line who is revealed early on to actually be a member of British Secret Service. She was placed undercover with the troupe likely as a means of entry into German-controlled France since by this time England was at war with Germany but America was not as yet. Jordan is unaware at first of her real occupation but shakes off his surprise quickly when she gets into trouble. She will works with Jordan on several assignments, much to Adrienne's displeasure.

Then then there is Marty O'Brien, an American expat now running a small training facility/gym in Paris. The glass door to his facility proudly proclaims him as the "former heavy weight boxing champion of Rhode Island". He is an old friend of Jordan who at first gives shelter to Jordan and Bennett when they first go on the lam but who happily joins the Underground with Jordan. He could never be accused of being very bright but he is fiercely loyal and brave and his abilities with his fists saves Jordan's hide several times over.

There are not many references online concerning Vic Jordan but at least two of them refer to his being helped in his fight against the Nazis by the mysterious man known as 'The Noose'. This fellow, while not being that terribly mysterious, is absolutely not an ally but is a traitorous American who will devote a great deal of effort on behalf of the Gestapo to eradicating Jordan and vice versa.

Good Line:

"No one shoots himself in the head three times."

I first saw this series in the comic book format and I thought that was it, just a secondary character in an anthology magazine. I was surprised to find out that these were in fact colorized reprints from a newspaper comic strip. It took a while and a membership to newspapers.com and a lot of snipping of strips out of several different cities' newspaper funny pages (as my father called them) before I had a set of the dailies. I still have not gotten the Sunday editions.

Jordan is a pretty interesting character. He switched pretty quickly from joking, playful publicist to a devout enemy of the Nazis in general and the Gestapo in particular but then again, the mannerisms of the Gestapo and their tactics will do that to a guy.

There were not tons of different adventures for Jordan but then again the ones he was involved with were complicated and took a while to play out.

Add to that the fact that the two writers who billed themselves as Payne did something pretty interesting - they decided that their character had done enough and ended the series, much to the surprise of the handful of newspapers that carried it. Always leave 'em wanting more is an entertainment staple. Jordan was in the entertainment business before he fought fascism, so he would know.