The Case of the Masked Strangler!!!

A Nazi agent named Madame X calls a meeting of female war factory workers and demands that they assist her in stealing defense secrets and destroying the factories. When a girl named Eva Barry refuses to participate, Madame X strangles her to death and disappears, telling the girls that this was a warning if they refused to participate.

When the murder hits the newspapers, the Human Torch and Toro are called into the police station to help with the investigation. There they meet Bran Carter, the manager of the girl who was murdered. While questioning Carter they get a phone call from Eva's sister Lorraine who tells them that she knows who the killer is and asks to meet with the Torch at Riverside Park in 20 minutes. After Carter leaves to return to his job, the Torch and Toro go to the rendezvous point and arrive to late to prevent Lorraine from being strangled to death. Losing her attacker, they search her body and find an invitation to Oddly Hall requested by Madame X.

The two heroes arrive just as Madame X has finished threatening to kill the workers family members if they do not comply with her demands. The Torch and Toro manage to round up some of Madame X's men, but Madame X manages to escape by punching out the Torch. Going to explain the situation to Carter, the Torch notices that the manager is wearing the same ring as Madame X. Investigating Carter's background, the Torch learns that Carter is really a German immigrant who legally changed his name from Kunze.

Going to Carter's home, the Torch and Toro are captured and placed in a refrigerated glass coffin to freeze to death while Madame X goes to her next meeting with the factory workers. Able to flame on his finger, the Torch is able to super heat the glass causing it to shatter from the rapid heat change. They then rush back to Oddly Hall and stop Madame X and her men from handing bombs to the factory workers, unmasking Madame X as Bran Carter in drag before turning him over to the authorities.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Gardens of Doom

Soldiers from Camp Lehigh are on war game maneuvers in the forest near base. Two soldiers named Dave and Jim lose their unit and as they try to catch up they are both attacked by trees. When one of the trees manages to strangle Dave to death, Jim cuts it and is shocked to find the plant bleeding before he too is subdued and strangled into unconsciousness.

Elsewhere, the rest of Jim and Dave's unit try to find their opponents in the blue team. Having had no luck, Steve Rogers and James Barnes decide to venture out on their own to find the blue team in order to avoid the ire of Sgt. Duffy. Along the way they hear Jim's screams and change into Captain America and Bucky to investigate. Locating a fenced in property, Cap and Bucky climb over to investigate and find the body of Dave. Hearing someone coming, they duck into the bush and witness mad scientist Dr. Botan and his minion Number 19 coming to examine Dave's body. After pronouncing Dave dead, Botan and Number 19 are attacked by Captain America and Bucky. However, Cap is felled by a plant and Bucky is captured by Number 19.

Both heroes are brought back to Botan's lab, where Botan straps Bucky to an operating table next to Jim. He explains to the boy that he found a way to combine animals and plants and that his minion Number 19 -- a former blacksmith -- is now 75% plant. Before he can perform his experiments on Bucky, Captain America revives and knocks Botan aside. When Number 19 tries to defend his master, Cap sends the creature sprawling, knocking over a bottle of chemicals that start a fire. Freeing Jim and Bucky, Cap helps them escape the lab as it quickly burns to the ground. With Botan and his creations burned alive in the blaze, Cap reunites Jim with his unit and disappear before they can be thanked.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

Waterfront Terror!

The Sub-Mariner is swimming up Long Island Sound where he notices a great deal of pleasure yachts driving the water despite the strict gasoline rations due to the war. Deciding to investigate the situation by listening in to the service of a yacht that has pulled up to a service station, the Sub-Mariner listens as the man purchases 20 gallons of gasoline for twice the retail price and without the use of gasoline vouchers.

When Namor later questions the attendant, he initially tells the Sub-Mariner to buzz off, but when Namor pressures him he admits that to being forced by a local racket to sell the gasoline at those prices for fear of harm to himself. When Namor convinces the attendant to alert the FBI, he agrees to accompany the man unaware that they are being watched by one of the mob members.

A call is made to the boss who orders the attendants elimination. As Namor and the attendant head toward FBI headquarters, Namor is shoved aside by a man running by and then clubbed on the head from behind. When he comes around he finds the attendant has been murdered. Finding that the attendant had dropped an envelope, he finds a number of counterfeit ration coupons. Namor takes what he knows to the FBI and tells them that he will see to smashing the operation.

He seeks the aid of his friend, girl reporter Betty Dean and asks her to put in an announcement for him calling all the local gasoline station owners to meet with him. He learns that Mr. Schlick, the president of the Citizens League is also meeting with the editor of the paper and Betty suggests that Namor talk to him to gain his groups support in smashing the racket.

The owners of gas stations meet at Liberty Hall to hear Namor's talks and plans to take down the racket. Everyone, including Mr. Schlick arrives to show their support, but when Namor begins his speech mobsters burst into the hall and begin gunning down the owners. Namor quickly subdues the shooters and gets one of them to reveal that their gang operates from a basement room at the Green Lantern Inn.

Arriving there, Namor finds that the rocket boss -- Mr. Schlick -- is waiting for him and his men knock Namor out. They shackle him to the basement of the inn to leave him to die from lack of water while they make their escape. However, the Inn's proximity to shore naturally causes water to seep in during high tide and Namor uses this water to revitalize himself and go after Schlick and his men.

Namor swims after their yacht and subdues the crew. Chasing Schlick down to the lower deck of the ship, Schlick threatens to ignite barrels of gasoline. Quick thinking, Namor rips a hole in the hull of the ship causing a torrent of water to spray at Schlick, knocking him out and ending his threat. As the ship sinks an coast guard boat is called in by radio and Namor turns over Schlick and his men to the authorities before returning to the water.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean

The Maze of Madness

In the mountainside laboratory of Dr. Lars Krool, the mad scientist has completed his test on mice to try and drive them mad using mazes and decides to step up with his tests on human beings. Just then he is visited by his first test victim, Alice Jones who has answered a letter that Krool had sent her regarding her lover Charles Paine. He then takes her hostage and then sends a letter to Charles telling him to come to his home in order come get her.

When Charles receives the letter he rushes off to Krool's lab running into Jack Robinson -- aka the Whizzer -- dropping his letter. Robinson finds the letter and reads it, suspecting foul play, he changes into the Whizzer and decides to lend Paine a helping hand. When the Whizzer arrives, Krool had just forced Charles into the super-maze. With his super speed, the Whizzer manages to race into the maze and rescue Charles from its various traps and into a safe zone.

The hero then braves the maze alone, using his super speed to get through all the various traps and then saves Alice from a feral tiger. With his maze destroyed and capture likely, Dr. Krool then attempts to escape, jumping into a pit filled with his own bombs and killing himself with his own explosives. With Krool dead, the Whizzer then reunites Charles with Alice and they all depart.

Recurring Characters

Whizzer