Now this is a landmark. Helix Leiter first appeared "on camera" back in strip #421, lurking ominously in the background. He's also the suspicious guy tailing James Stud's car in #437. Just like in the movie version of Dr. No, where Felix Leiter is seen in several scenes looking shifty before he is finally introduced as a good guy. If you know the film well, you might even have figured out that this guy was Leiter over 400 strips before his first lines.

Yes, I had it planned that long ago that this character was Leiter. In fact, I've had this gag scripted and in my ideas file for well over a year. I'm glad it's finally seeing the light of day.