I recently obtained The Doc Vandal Omnibus: Vol. 1, which has the first three novels by Dave Robinson featuring Doc Vandal, a steampunk take on Doc Savage. Doc Vandal was influenced by Doc Savage, but also Captain Future and Perry Rhodan.
He exists in a different world where aliens exist and other strange things. Born on the Moon and raised by alien AIs, Vandal is an improved human who uses his skills and knowledge to create inventions and stand up against evil.
He has a small group of associates that over the first three novels slowly increases. Originally he is aided by Vic, Gus, and Gilly. Vic is an expat Russian countess, pilot, and thrillseeker who is more of a sister to Doc. Gus is a talking gorilla from a lost city in Africa and a genius. Gully is the group’s driver, as well as a diver and photographer, and is black. Over the next few books they are joined by Gus’ gorilla wife, Vic’s girlfriend Li Ming (who is also a doctor), and Shard, an alien from another dimension (who is more of an associate than a member of the team).
Gus was kind of the focus of the first book, and in the third, we learned a little more about Vic — that she is not quite human.
In the fourth novel (which is not in the Omnibus), Vic and her secrets are the focus of the story. Giant Robots of Tunguska mixes in giant robots, Soviets, and Imperial Japanese. Things kick off when Vic’s cousin, Viktor, who she thought was dead, shows up. And says her mother is still alive in a prison camp in Siberia. When several men in powered armor show up, demanding the cousin, Doc, along with Vic and Gilly, confront them in power armor that Doc invented. But things get out of control when Vic suddenly shows vastly increased strength and speed — beyond what the armor could provide — and then collapses.
Doc soon figures out that the power source for the Russian suits, which use an unknown radioactive material, is the source of Vic’s increased powers. And its source seems to be in Tunguska. So it’s planned that Doc, Vic, Gilly, and Ming will head there via ships. Gus and wife will remain behind.
These novels are set in the late 1930s, when Japan was working to expand and was already ruling Manchuria. There are issues between Japan, China, and the Soviet Union. And in the second novel, Doc and friends messed up some of the Japanese plans. So there will be issues with pirates before they land in Manchuria, and then Doc is imprisoned by the Japanese. There he meets up with Ming’s mother, Tigress, who had run afoul of the Japanese. The team regroups and works to take the Tigress’ huge flying wing, but in another encounter with giant robots, Vic is again affected and heads to Tunguska on her own power.
Things will come to a head there, as Vic finds her mother, the rest of the team arrives but runs afoul of the local Soviet leader. Then the Japanese arrive with their own giant robots. The secret of Vic is discovered, and a major threat to the world is addressed.
At the end everyone is home, and it looks like Vic’s mother will now live in New York along with Ming’s mother. I wonder how things will be in the next work, The Sunkiller Affair? This is a fun series, but one that must be read in order. This is a very original take on the Doc Savage model of characters.
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