Trapped Under the Earth

Mark Mason bursts into his office one morning and tells his secretary, Louise Grant, to put a notice in the newspaper for the Blonde Phantom to contact him immediately. When Mark says there is no time to explain, Louise figures that she’ll know soon enough since, unknown to Mark, she is the Blonde Phantom. After the notice is published, Louise slips away so she can change into her alter-ego. When she returns to the office, Mark tells her what the situation is. He reminds her of their recent case when they captured the criminal known as the Mole.[1] he tells her that he was sentenced to Penal Prison, the largest most closely guarded prison in the world. However, soon after his incarceration the entire prison suddenly vanished. Although this story is unbelievable Mark insists that it is true and they need to go and investigate or else some of the most notorious criminals in the world might get loose. When they arrive on the scene the Blonde Phantom realizes that Mark was telling the truth after all. When they get out of the car to look around, the Blonde Phantom gets the feeling that someone is watching them.

Her intuition is not wrong as at that moment, the Mole and his fellow prisoners are observing them from a television in their underground hideout. He gloats over how he managed to escape and decides to give the Blonde Phantom a first-hand demonstration of how he did it. Activating his electronic gravity control device, he pulls the Blonde Phantom into the caverns through the very ground itself. The Blonde Phantom quickly finds herself a prisoner of the Mole and his army of crooks. She asks him how he managed to do this and he explains that he earned the nickname of the Mole because he spent most of his time exploring underground. It was during one of these expeditions that he came across the electronic gravity control device. He found the device, which resembles a wristwatch, in an underground cave that was once the dwelling of a prehistoric race that used to live below the Earth.[2] He explains that the device harnesses the force of gravity of the Earth to increase the pull of gravity on a given object in order to pull them down into Earth, hence how he managed to bring the entire prison and the Blonde Phantom to this underground cavern. When she asks where exactly they are, the Mole tells her that they are now 4000 miles below the surface of the Earth and that the only way back to the surface is to use the device on his wrist. After explaining how he pulled off this impossible escape, he orders his men to take the Blonde Phantom away.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Mark Mason claws fully at the ground trying to convince the gathered authorities that the Blonde Phantom was swallowed up. Unfortunately, everyone thinks Mason has finally cracked up and could use a nice long vacation. Back below the surface, the Mole unveils his next plan, the formation of a new underground kingdom devoted entirely for crime, with himself as the ruler. As he rants and raves, the Blonde Phantom tries to struggle free from her bonds. Suddenly, the Mole’s speech is interrupted by a massive hairy beast. It introduces itself as Shag and tells them that this domain is currently ruled by a society called the Underground Empire and warns them to return to the surface or he will destroy them all. When the Mole threatens to have his men shoot Shag, he laughs this off telling the crooks that their bullets are useless against him and that his kingdom has millions of beings just like him. He goes on to say that his people lived above the surface centuries earlier in what people now believe to be Atlantis. They had a perfect utopian society until a great flood sunk their nation. A great many of these people survived this great cataclysm by fled to below the surface of the Earth where they built their new society.[3] His people decided to close themselves off from the death and destruction of the surface world. Concluding his story, Shag tells the assembly of crooks that the punishment for intruding on their kingdom is death.

The Mole pleads for their lives and Shag agrees to spare they bring Shag with them when they return to the surface world so he can pass on this warning. Without a moment of hesitation,the Mole activates his device returning everyone and the prison to the surface. After the Mole surrenders himself and the others to the police, the Blonde Phantom removes her Shag costume. She reveals that the ropes used to tie her up were incredibly old and completely unraveled. Draping the strands over her costume and using some wooden stilts she was able to trick the crooks. With all the escapees in police custody, the Blonde Phantom tells the authorities that she will destroy the Mole’s gravity device to prevent it from ever falling into the wrong hands.

Recurring Characters

Blonde Phantom, Mark Mason

Continuity Notes

1. The Mole is identified as Alan Brialige in the Blonde Phantom entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #7

2. Although the identity of this “prehistoric society” is ever given, one could assume that this device is an invention of the Deviants. Per Eternals (vol. 1) and Marvel Universe #4-7, the Deviants lived below the Earth and were responsible for much of what is found there from mutated monsters to abandoned settlements and technology.

3. Shag is referring to the sinking of Atlantis during the Great Cataclysm. This was first depicted in Strange Worlds #2. As explained in Eternals #2, this was caused by the Celestials as punishment for the Deviants enslaving the people of Atlantis.

Technical Errors

• The Mole claims that they are 4000 miles (about 6400 km). This would be an impossible feat to survive. The Earth has a radius of about 6000 km. If it were possible for you to travel that distance you would find yourself in the Earth’s molten core. This error is probably based on what little people knew about the composition of the Earth back in 1949, or at least it was easier to be ignorant of the facts. That said, one could assume that either the Mole is really bad at making calculations or he’s exaggerating.

Jackpot of Death

Pulp’s Breakfast Cereal has hired Mark Mason to guard the $25000 cash prize that is being given away on a radio quiz show that they sponsor. Since this is going to be a simple security job he invites his secretary Louise Grant to join him and watch the show. That evening while the show is begins, two of Brow Benson’s gang storm the program’s office and steal the answer sheet for this evening’s show. With the program manager tied up, one of the gang members disguises himself as the manager and goes out to hand out the questions to the host of the show.

By this point, he contestants for this evening’s show have been selected. Watching from the studio audience, Louise finds one of the contestants familiar and becomes suspicious when she spots someone hands him a sheet of paper. As this man answers all of the questions perfectly, Louise notices that he keeps checking the sheet of paper and realizes that he somehow has all the answers and is cheating. That’s when she finally places where she has seen him before when she saw it on a police line up. The man is Brow Benson and knows that the crook is far too stupid to know the answers to the questions he is being asked.

Telling Mark that she has a headache, Louise slips away and changes into the Blonde Phantom backstage. There she writes a new set of answers and hands them to the quiz show host during a commercial break and tells him all about Brow Benson. Sure enough, when Benson is asked the next question — a simple math equation — he gets the answer wrong. With his identity exposed, Benson pulls a gun and demands the prize money, no longer caring that his robbery is being broadcast on live radio. Acting quickly, the Blonde Phantom grabs another contestant’s purse and hits Brow over the head hard enough to make him drop his gun. While their boss is being subdued, his two accomplices try to make off with the money but the Blonde Phantom manages to ambush them.

As the police come to arrest Brow and his gang, the Blonde Phantom changes back to her civilian identity and asks Mark what happened. Mason explains how the Blonde Phantom spoiled Brow Benson’s theft of the prize money, however, e still wonders how the Blonde Phantom always happens to appear at all the right times.

Recurring Characters

Blonde Phantom, Mark Mason

Death Lurks in the Pool!

The Sub-Mariner has volunteered as a lifeguard on the beach at Coney Island. One day someone starts calling for help prompting the hero to investigate the source. He finds a man standing on the beach calling for help and asks what’s wrong. The man introduces himself as Squidd and tells him that what he has to say is a secret. Getting away from the crowd, Squidd tells Namor that he operates one of the pools on the other side of the boardwalk. He claims that there is some kind of trap in the bottom of the pool and some swimmers have been caught in it.

Going over to check things out, the Sub-Mariner asks why Squidd hasn’t drained the pool and learns that the pumps for the pool are all stuck. Curious, Namor agrees to check it out and leaps into the pool. Once the hero is below the water Squidd begins to laugh. At the bottom of the pool the Sub-Mariner finds a trap all right, however it’s not something that is getting swimmers struck, but a gang of men in diving gear armed with knives. While the divers keep Namor busy, Squidd and the rest of his gang head off in a speed boat so they can rob a nearby cruise ship.

However, Squidd and his men have not taken into account of the fact that water is Namor’s element. He easily overpowers the divers and once getting them out of the pool has them tell him what’s going on. Diving into the ocean, Namor creates massive tidal waves that toss the speedboat around until Squidd and his men surrender. Once ashore, Squidd and his men are quickly arrested by police. Before they are taken away, the Sub-Mariner takes a moment to rub in the fact that as long as he is underwater nobody can defeat him.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner

Doomed For Death!

After a strange mist falls gently over her, the Blonde Phantom soon finds herself before Father Time, who tells her that he has summoned her for an urgent mission.[1] after assuring the Phantom that she is not dead he tells her that she must capture a crook by the name of George Caspelli. This comes as a shock to her because Caspelli is a prominent citizen and a trustee of the Foundation Trust Company. Father Time explains that twenty years ago Capelli was once a criminal until he was almost killed in a robbery and decided to go straight. This leads the Blonde Phantom to believe that he is going to try and steal the quarter of a million dollars that have been entrusted in his care. Father Time concludes that once she has captured Caspelli, he will return to take George to the pearly gates to stand judgment for his past crimes.

With her lunch break now over, the Blonde Phantom changes back into her civilian guise of Louise Mason and return to work. There, Mark Mason is driving himself crazy that she was late coming back from lunch and tells her that George Capselli has disappeared, apparently taking all of the Foundation Trust Company’s money with him. With a five thousand dollar reward being offered for the return of the money, Mark grabs Louise and rushes out of the office as there is no time to lose.

Mark asks to investigate George’s office and when they arrive they learn that another private investigator, Jim Forrest, is also investigating the robbery. As the men go over the office, Louise feels a strange push and looks around to see who touched her. She sees nothing but her outstretched hand touches something that feels like a beard and she realizes that Father Time is in the room. He has come to tell her to take a look at the calendar hanging on the wall. She notices that September 15th is circled and notes that this is when New City Mardi Gras is celebrated. Louise then feigns being sick and after Mark takes her home, Louise quickly books a flight to New City. When she arrives at the New City airport, Louise has to quickly duck out of sight when she spots Jim Forrest coming off of another flight.

At the hotel, the desk clerk introduces himself as Mister Tuscan tells her that the hotel is completely sold out, but he owns two suites and he is more than happy to sub-lease one to her for her stay. He then personally escorts her to her room. Along the way, she notices Forrest riding in the same elevator car as her but is able to slip out without him noticing her. Once in her room, Louise begins unpacking when she is visited by Father Time again. He tells her that the man that introduced himself as “Mister Tuscan” is actually George Caspelli in disguise. They then go and check the other suite and they find the stolen money hiding in the suite. After making this discovery, Louise is visited by Tuscan again who invites her to the large costume parade that is happening this evening. While Tuscan dresses up in a renaissance era costume with a domino mask, Louise puts on her Blonde Phantom costume. As they leave the suite, they are unaware that they are being observed by Jim Forrest. It’s then that Louise tells Tuscan that she has to go back and powder her nose. In reality, she had gone back to put the stolen money in her purse to make sure someone else doesn’t take it. As she does so, she doesn’t know that Tuscan is watching her from the crack in the door.

After a while, Tuscan says he has a headache and suggest that they cut across a deserted alley to go to a quiet cafe. Along the way, Tuscan pulls a gun and demands that she give the money back. He admits that he is George Caspelli and is about to shoot her when Jim Forrest arrives on the scene and shoots George instead. With the thief down, the Blonde Phantom drops the money and flees before Jim can recognize her. Back out among the parade attendees, he thinks she sees Father Time and goes to tell him what happened but realizes that this is just another parade attendee when he removes his fake beard to complain about how hot it is. Louise then takes the evening flight back home so she can report to work the next day. There, Mark tells her how Forrest managed to catch Caspelli and recover the stolen money. More, Forrest has sent a gift for Louise, opening the box she discovers a silver fox fur piece. This annoys Mark, who not only had the case stolen from him, but Jim also went out and bought the gift that he was hoping to get her

Recurring Characters

Blonde Phantom

Continuity Notes

1. So who exactly is Father Time here? Some sources on the internet say that it’s the Elder of the Universe. That would be wrong. As per the Blonde Phantom entry on the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #7, it doesn’t say that it is the Elder of the Universe known as Father Time. Both the Blonde Phantom story and the Handbook also refer to the Father Time in this story as the Grim Reaper. More likely, the Father Time in this story is actually an aspect of Death. Although Death typically appears as a female skeleton, it has appeared in other forms. It could be that Death chose to appear as Father Time — a kindly old man — so that the Blonde Phantom would trust it more easily. It should be pointed out that the Official Marvel Handbook states that the Blonde Phantom has worked with Father Time in the past. That’s not correct. This is the only Blonde Phantom story where she encounters Father Time. I presume they are referring to Blonde Phantom #15, however,the story that features a father time was actually the Sub-Mariner story in that issue, and that Father Time turns out to be an old man who lives in a lighthouse who is nicknamed Father Time because of his appearance, not because he is Father Time.