I almost didn’t recognize Dr. Carter with his hat/helmet removed…
Of course characters have the opportunity to morph in the Trailverse… we may even be looking at a visual representation of how Rusty sees this guy… and his desire to know his birth parents… Now there’s a story line that could go on for years…
The Daily Trail 
Got that right, Dennis. Looks like Dr. Carter lost about 15-20 years, all at once. Mystery of the Maya strikes again.
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Or…this could be a hitherto “unseen” young assistant, suddenly showing up to provide additional details. This could be a case of James Allen having a bit of fun with the readers.
It might look strange that this potential new assistant dresses just like Dr. Carter; but they really dress like Mark does, as almost all of the “leading men” in the strip tend to do.
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In fact, this HAS to be an assistant, since Dr. Carter first appeared on the June 21 sequence wearing khaki slacks.
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Whoever he is, he has an odd swimsuit area. Almost like he’s wearing a skort. I think the Good Doctor and the current Mrs.Trail have a history. And as far as that little nerd Rusty goes, his old man could be anyone who wandered through Lost Forest while Cherry was ovulating back in her prime, including Dr. Carter.
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This story line is a shameless rip-off from a book titled “Lost City of the Monkey God,” by Douglas Preston. Read the book, a fabulous non-fiction adventure yarn, if you’re exasperated by the incessant discharge of non sequiturs this strip leaks out.
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