On March 20, 1936, Olive Oyl receives a package from her uncle, Ben Zene Oyl. It's a wooden crate with a label on the side which reads "Eugene the Jeep." None of Olive's family or friends have ever heard of a Jeep before. From the attached note, they know only that it's some form of animal from deepest Africa and that to survive it must eat rare and costly orchids. Olive has no use for a pet, especially one with such an expensive diet. She tells Popeye, "Pets are a bother, I'd sell it for thirty cents."
Coincidentally, a local man named Chizzleflint has been long searching for a Jeep. When word reaches him that Olive has one, he rushes to her house and offers one hundred dollars for the creature. Olive is thrilled by the windfall and readily agrees, but Popeye steps in, much to her and Chizzleflint's chagrin, and announces that the Jeep is not for sale. Chizzleflint keeps raising his offer, Olive keeps accepting, and Popeye keeps vetoing the deal.
Chizzleflint decides that in order in to acquire the Jeep he must eliminate Popeye. He hires an assassin to do just that. The gunman shoots Popeye five times at point blank range only to see the sailor cough up the bullets and spit them into his own hand, saying, "Don't look so susprised, did ya think I was a sissy?"
Popeye tells Olive that if the Jeep is valuable to Cizzleflint he might be of equal value to her and therefore should not be sold. Olive agrees and turns down an offer for one million dollars. Chizzleflint tells Olive that only he knows the power of the Jeep. Without that secret the animal is useless to her. He then leaves, apparently giving-up any hope of owning Eugene. But he hasn't quit yet. Chizzleflint again decides that Popeye is in his way and must die. He approaches J. Wellington Wimpy on the street, not knowing him and choosing him solely because he looks like a person who will do anything for a buck. He takes him to his home and offers him $100,000 to kill someone, neglecting to mention just whom. Wimpy is hesitant to commit a murder, saying that although he needs the money, so, too, does the potential victim need his life.
Chizzleflint leaves to allow Wimpy time to think about the offer. While he's gone Wimpy notices a small notebook on a nearby table and begins to read. Chizzleflint notices his notebook is missing and rushes back to retrieve it. He accuses Wimpy of having read it. Wimpy naturally denies everything. Chizzleflint pulls a gun and is about to silence Wimpy forever when Popeye arrives. He'd come to ask Chizzleflint for information about the Jeep but saves Wimpy's life instead. Wimpy says "He tried to hire me to commit a murder." Popeye replies "An' I'm the swab w'ich he wants killed." Whatever Wimpy read in the notebook must have been important, because he goes to the pawnshop and gets five dollars for his pocketwatch. He then buys an orchid for three dollars and pays the Oyl home a visit. Olive is more than happy to let Wimpy feed the orchid to the Jeep. She tells Popeye "If he's sap enough to buy orchids for Eugene it's o-kee-doke with me." After giving Eugene the orchid, Wimpy begins to speak to him, apparently in some strange code, for neither Popeye nor Olive can understand what he's saying. The interrogation proceeds for several strips until April 20 when Wimpy asks the Jeep, "What about 'Dud in the Mud'?"
At the mention of these words the Jeep suddenly bows down with his nose to the ground, his tail standing straight-up in the air. Wimpy gives a gasp and runs from the house without another word. Popeye and Olive are baffled. If they could only see where Wimpy was running all would be made clear, because he makes a beeline for the horse racing track and places his last two dollars on the longshot, 'Dud in the Mud'. Of course, today we're well aware of the Jeeps's power to fortell the future, so we know the outcome of the race. The next day Wimpy again appears at the Oyl house and not only has he another orchid for Eugene but also presents a box of chocolates to Olive and a can of spinach to Popeye. He then has a second chat with Eugene. Over the next few days Wimpy keeps returning to visit the Jeep and each time he appears more prosperous than the last. Popeye suspects he is getting information of some sort, but Wimpy won't share his knowledge. Olive finally has enough and announces that Wimpy can speak to the Jeep, but only for the enormous fee of five thousand dollars. Imagine her surprise when Wimpy calmly hands her five one thousand dollar bills.
Popeye and Olive finally figure out that Wimpy must know the secret of the Jeep and demand he tell them. At first he refuses, not out of greed but for fear of what Chizzleflint might do to him. He later reconsiders and tells them all he knows. Olive immediately pawns everything she owns and joins Wimpy at the horse track. Popeye refuses to participate, because he feels that his gambling would set a bad example for all of the local children who look up to him. Instead, he decides to sign-up for a prize fight with the champion, James J. Jab and win his money ethically by beating another human being to a bloody pulp. Olive and Wimpy decide to bet on the fight and double their already substantial nest egg. They're sure Popeye will win but just to play it safe they ask the Jeep if Popeye will lose. They're shocked when Eugene bows down with his tail in the air. They tell Popeye who is understandably incredulous. He immediately asks the Jeep if he is to losethe prize fight. Again the Jeep puts his nose to the ground, or in this case, tabletop. Popeye is stunned. He fears that if he loses the fight all of his child friends will lose respect for him and stop eating spinach. He becomes so despondent as the next several days pass that he becomes weaker and weaker and finally is admitted to the hospital in a faint. Olive and Wimpy worry about Popeye's condition but sentiment doesn't stop them from betting against him and putting $600,000 collectively on Jimmy Jab. On the day of the fight Popeye is too weak to walk but demands to be taken to the arena. He is carried into the fight ring on a strecher. Jimmy Jab sees this as a ploy for public sympathy and is infuriated. At the sound of the bell Popeye wobbles out of his corner in a delirium with his arms hanging at his sides. He doesn't even know where he is. when Jab approaches with a raised fist, however, Popeye instinctively lashes out and hits him. Jab falls to the canvas. Popeye looks down and sees a man at his feet. In his delirium, he kneels down and asks "Did somebody hit ya, pal?" He helps Jab to his feet then goes in a search for the imagined assailant of his new friend. He circles the ring, comes back to Jab, and asks " Why'd ya do it? Why'd ya smack me pal?" He hits him again, and Jab falls unconscious but is saved by the bell. In the second round Jab comes out of his corner in a fury and hits Popeye with everything he's got. Instead of knocking him down, the punches only snap Popeye out of his dazed state. He immediately remembers where he is and why he's there. The results are predictable and soon Wimpy and Olive are once again penniless. Both are furious at Eugene for having apparently lied to them. Olive orders him out of the house and out of her sight. Popeye promptly claims him as his own. As he approaches Eugene, he sees a Junebug fly across the room and land in front of the animal who bows down for a closer look, his nose to the ground and his tail in the air in a perfect imitation of the Jeep signal for Iyes'. As it turns out, the Jeep hadn't even been listening to the questions about Popeye's upcoming prizefight. He had been looking at the beetle and his actions had been misinterpeted by all. Eugene would play a pivotal role in the next two continuities. First he would help Popeye locate his long lost father, then he would battle the Sea Hag in her third strip appearance. After that he would be used less effectively, mainly in Sunday strips as Swee'pea's sidekick. It's too bad too, because he's such a fun character. It only goes to show the power that the 'Thimble Theatre' comic strip had that a character which could possibly carry an independent strip of his own is relegated to the status of only an occasional appearance. That Segar could create these personalities and then practically toss them aside is a testament to his talent.
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