Blonde Phantom Comics #16
Modelled for Murder!
At one of New York's largest advertising firms, the chief asks his secretary to call for models to pose in an advertising campaign for Lovely Girl Soap, but tells her not to hire anyone from the Carleton Agency as they have all been branded thieves. Later, at the office of Mark Mason, Mason reads the newspaper and remarks to his secretary Louise Grant how five different models from the Carlton Agency have been arrested for theft while on various modelling jobs. Suddenly, they are visited by a model named Linda Waters, who had been previously arrested for a theft. She asks for their help, telling them that she was released due to lack of evidence. When they suggest she go back to the Carleton Agency with them, she fears doing so and runs off with Mark chasing after her to investigate things at the Carleton Agency.
Left alone, Louise changes into the Blonde Phantom in order to investigate in her own. She arrives at the Carleton Agency where she questions Mr. Carleton, who does not want to answer he questions as he is busy with the Ritz Fashion Salon. The Blonde Phantom then decides to check out Carleton's records when she is suddenly attacked by a crackly faced goon named Stillface. However, before he can subdue her, he is called off by Venita Van, Carleton's assistant. She explains that Stillface had his face shot off and rebuilt with plastic surgeons who replaced his face with porcelain. Having caught her snooping, Van asks the Blonde Phantom to leave and warns her against interfering in company business again. Leaving the model lounge she runs into Mark Mason who brings her to "meet" Linda Waters. They find her dead in one of the offices. Searching the room, Blonde Phantom finds a tub of Rio Red lipstick and pockets it. As Mark calls the police to report the murder, Blonde Phantom heads off to the Ritz Fashion Salon.
She arrives at the Ritz, where she tells Carleton about the murder of Linda Waters and convinces him to let her examine the girls dressing room. She begins searching the girls purses when Venita and Stillface catch her. Stillface knocks her out, infuriating Venita who does not want to kill the heroine in the open. She orders Stillface to lock her in the closet before the other models return, satisfied that Blonde Phantom will suffocate. However, Blonde Phantom wakes up in the closet and is able to use an iron bar to pry the closet door open. She is instantly attacked by Stillface, but manages to keep him at bay until Mark Mason arrives who subdues her. He tells all gathered that the safe to the Ritz had been robbed, and Venita who denies stealing the money. As she does, Blonde Phantom notes the lipstick she is putting on. Grabbing one of the girls purses she shows Mark that the money had been planted there and accuses Venita of doing so.
When Venita tries to flee, Blonde Phantom stops her accusing her of the thefts, and the murder of Linda Waters. Unable to escape Venita breaks down and admits to the crimes, explaining that she loved Carleton who would have nothing to do with her so she attempted to ruin his company in revenge. The Blonde Phantom reveals she figured out that Venita was responsible for the crimes when she murdered Linda, explaining that she noticed that Venita was wearing Rio Red, but accidentally picked up Linda's brand, Garnet, when they struggled before her murder. With the case over, Mark asks Blonde Phantom out on a date, but she politely declines.
Recurring Characters
Blonde Phantom
Mark Mason
The Murder at the Mardi Gras!
At the masquerade shop of Antoine, the love of his life Louisa comes to get a costume for the Mardi Gras parade. She explains that she is the queen of the parade and mocks him for the fact that she is dating Caesar instead of him. Goaded into anger, Antoine attacks the girl and attempts to strangle her. Outside on the streets, Captain America and Bucky overhear Louisa's cries for help and rush inside to her aid. Captain America subdues Antoine, and warns him against doing so. Louisa thanks Captain America and Bucky for their help and asks them to participate in the Mardi Gras parade, an invitation they accept.
Later at their hotel room, Bucky reads a newspaper article about the parade and how Louisa is the parades queen and that she is going to be wearing a jewelled necklace worth a fortune. While Bucky dresses up in a rabbit costume, Captain America is satisfied wearing his own uniform to the parade, and suggests to Bucky that they keep a close eye on the necklace in order to prevent it from being stolen.
During the parade, Cap and Bucky stay close to Louisa, who is astride her boyfriend Caesar who is wearing a stilted clown costume. Suddenly, Bucky feels weak, Cap realizes what it is causing it when suddenly Caesar notices that Louisa is dead. Cap examines the body and notices that someone has replaced Louisa's necklace with a fake. Cesar spots Antoine in the crowd and Cap easily subdues him. When a doctor gets a look at Louisa he determines the cause of death as exposure to Cyanide Potassium gas, Bucky suddenly arrives with a deflated balloon, an Cap realizes how Louisa was exposed to the gas.
When Cap begins questioning Caesar about spotting anyone releasing balloons, Cap suddenly realizes that Caesar is responsible. When the man attempts to flee, Cap tackles him causing his stilts to snap. After knocking out Caesar, Bucky searches the hollowed portions of his costume stilts and finds the real necklace inside. After Caesar is turned over to the police, Captain America muses about how Louisa feared the man who truly loved her, while the man she loved was the cause of her death.
Recurring Characters
Captain America
Bucky
Continuity Notes
The appearance of Captain America and Bucky here are attributed to Jeff Mace and Fred Davis as per What If? #4.
The Sultan Strikes!
In the country of Bangook, the Sultan attempts to stave his kingdoms financial crisis by selling off all his slaves, but his courtier informs him that this is not enough. The Sultan comes up with a plan to obtain more wealth: Go to America with his countries two best thieves, Zoro and Belefir, intending to rob America's wealthy for his own gain.
Days later at the office of Mark Mason, Mason is reading the newspaper and tells his secretary Louise Grant about the recent theft of the Lantz Necklace, explaining that two thieves ransacked the mansion during a party being thrown in the honour of the Sultan of Bangook. As Louise presses Mark about how they are going to get the rent for the month they are visited by a young man. The man fears that his girlfriend, wealthy Marion Carter, will break off their engagement and marry the Sultan of Bangook instead and hires Mark to look into the Sultan's background and find out if he is on the level.
That night, Louise Grant changes into the Blonde Phantom, intent on investigating herself by crashing a party that Carter is throwing for the Sultan. Sneaking onto the property, she watches as the Sultan romances Marion, but soon spots Zoro and Belefir sneaking into another window. Climbing in after them, she catches the thieves just as they are attempting to crack a safe. She easily knocks them out and rushes out to alert the Carters when she is also attacked by the Sultan. Their fight attracts the attention of the Carter family and Blonde Phantom tries to explain what happened. She leads them back into the room where she caught the two thieves to find it empty. With no proof to her claims, the Blonde Phantom is asked to leave the property and not come back.
The following day, at Mark Mason's office, the young man is angry that Mason has not come up with any results amid news that Marion is going to be marrying the Sultan. However, when Mark points out that the Sultan is genuine the young man storms out, determined to find out the truth behind the Sultan for himself. Disguising himself as a waiter at the hotel the Sultan is staying at, he overhears the Sultan gloating to Zoro and Belefir that he is only tricking Marion into marrying him for her money. He attacks the trio, but is knocked out. Before the Sultan and his men can get rid of him, the Blonde Phantom appears but is also knocked out. The two of them are then placed in a car and pushed off a pier to drown, while the Sultan and his men go to rob the Carter safe.
The Blonde Phantom, revived in the water, manages to break the wind shield of the car and rescue herself and the young man. She then rushes to the Carter house where she catches the Sultan and his men in the family safe red handed and easily subdues them. She is soon joined by Mark Mason who assists in turning the Sultan and his men over to the authorities. Later, Marion and her fiancée come to the office of Mark Mason to thank him for his help investigating the Sultan. While Mark moons over Blonde Phantom once more, Louise shows him an article that shows that Bangook had become a Democracy after the Sultan's arrest.
Recurring Characters
Blonde Phantom
Mark Mason
