I once worked on an ad campaign for a news station and the tagline was, “Sometimes more answers just lead to more questions.” In this story, I completely agree. You will read how Dr. N-R-Gee got his powers, yet I still have no idea why he has a lightbulb for a head. Perhaps I’m missing something and you can fill me in! Enjoy!
So….why did they make his head a lightbulb? And why were they thinking he was ungrateful? I don’t think anyone would be grateful to have a lightbulb head.
RichieRichcomicsfanclub 
The representation of a lightbulb head is questionable and coming from a long line of electrically oriented people, I am also left scratching my head over this one. I’m only scratching with my fingers, though, which is probably why I have avoided the same fate as Dr. N-R-Gee. I find his bitterness to be justifiable. I don’t know why they said he is ungrateful. WATTS up with that?
Indeed, and Richie is quite sassy for a boy with a gun pointed at his head. Did you get the pun? Filament? Phil Lament? Waaa haa hoooo!
Oh yes, I got it alright. No need for you to shed extra light on the matter! Bahaaa!
The image of the Riches being introduced to a Richville crowd is a little odd to me. I just kind of assumed everyone in town knew them on sight…and possibly vice versa as well. But this IS the Harveyverse we’re talking about. Staggering wealth might not be enough to make you really stand out in a town where you might see Dot or Lotta doing something considerably stranger than “having a solid gold car”. In fact, hyperbillionaires aren’t exactly in short supply in this neck of the woods, are they? Add to that the very real risk of bumping into a guy with a lightbulb head or toxic onion breath, and I guess it’s fair to say maybe there are some folks in Richville who don’t know or care who the Riches are.
I quite like the way the redshirt mook slips in a final line at the end of the story “Right through the curtains? The curtains that I secured earlier?! IMPOSSIBLE! You’re just trying to make me look bad in front of Boss!” Why he doesn’t call him “Doc” is beyond me. The physicians seemed likewise determined not to address Phil as “Dr.” but that might well be a professional rivalry thing. (“An engineering degree? Let me know when you can rattle off the cranial nerves from memory, MISTER Lament.”)
Actually, I’m kind-of enjoying the many comedic moments in this story, once we get past Phil Lament’s stupidity in inventing/using his head-scratching device.
Great moments in comedy:
The doctors telling him how helpful it was to have a pre-accident photo of him, which, of course, was useless since they placed a bulb on his head instead.
Dr. N-R-Gee huffing down the street, while a passerby was so scared of him that his hat flew off.
The storekeepers trying to give Dr. N-R-Gee some helpful advice in covering up the bulb and he wasn’t even offended when sent to a lamp store. He even tried on the frou-frou lampshade!
Dr. N-R-Gee wearing a Mao jacket. Yessiree! During the time of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) in China itself to eradicate scientists and university teachers, Mao jackets were the fashion for evil scientists in the US! Oh the irony!
Is it my imagination, but in this early Dr N-R-Gee story, his bulb is much smaller? The bulb in the later stories is larger, indicating that he swaps bulbs occasionally. Why? Maybe his brain is getting bigger?
Also, why would Mr. Rich donate a pile of cash ($5 million) to buy sports equipment for kids all across the country? Too many bad things can happen with piles of cash. Like gusts of wind blowing it into the stands, or rain, or thousands of desperate people rushing the field. Or evil scientists with a leaf blower or red vacuum beams… you get the picture. Why wouldn’t Mr. Rich present an oversized check instead?
I figured it was a special helmet to protect people from dying instantly from exposure to the glow of his irradiated head, or to hold him together lest his skull evaporate. Though even with it he has been show to be able to focus his light energy to melt concrete. If it weren’t a comic for kids, he could probably just burn our heroes, or some poor incompetent underling, to ash with just a look.
I remember this story when it came out… I was about 8 years old. Never got the Phil Lament pun until now! 🙂
There are so many things I didn’t catch when I was a kid! I didn’t even get Mayda Munny. Oh my.