When this comic strip publisher came to me to ask me about the Powernaut, I started talking about 1944. But then they started asking about 1968.

1968 is embarrassing for me... The real Powernaut had disappeared. Paula Power had become a flower girl. Stonewater Smith was marching with civil rights movements. Of the former Power Patrol, only I was still working for the national defense. And in 1968, national defense became unpopular.

Then came this new guy, calling himself the Powernaut. We knew exactly who he was; he never hid it. So I actually did meet him. He was obviously a smart guy, which is fine with me. The embarrassing thing is, he wasn't a fraud; he had powers of some sort! Not like the *real* Powernaut, of course, but he didn't need that! He could go anywhere almost instantly. He dodged the Power Patrol and other authorities that way, more than once.

As you can see, I appeared in the Powernaut 1968 comics. I of course was portrayed in an unflattering Beetle Bailey art style, and (I think) made to look stupid. Oh well. I try not to brag, but I *did* invent the Mars rocket the Powernaut used in 1962. I've also adapted to the changing times. Here in 2005, I'm pleased to say I'm still around and the 1968 Powernaut is the ancient artifact. For instance, no one today could get away with openly ingesting a drug like he did.

I have to wonder how Powernaut Comics ever got away with printing some of those 1968 comic strips. I hear they made a conscious decision to try to appeal to underground comic readers. Their "Secret Agent" Powernaut comics of 1966 must not have been too successful, even though in my opinion those comics show the Powernaut's finest moment.

Still, I have to admit the 1968 Powernaut beat us to solving a *couple* of problems the world had. This series has his account of these adventures.