The Monster from the Morgue

A jealous scientist named Dr. Weirdler learns one of his colleagues has developed a serum that will reanimate dead bodies and is planning on testing it on a recently deceased gorilla. Dr. Weirdler takes the brain of an executed criminal named Killer Kole and places it in the gorilla's body. The experiment doesn't seem to work and the medical students bury the gorilla's body where the grave is struck by lightning and Killer Kole is revived. He goes to the zoo and breaks out a pair of gorillas for his mob and then sets out on a path of vengeance against the three judges who sent him to the chair. Dr. Weirdler informs Cap about the beast terrorizing the city and then takes a knife thrown at Cap to atone for his crime. Cap socks Killer Kole off a highrise and he falls to his doom.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

Sub-Earthmen's Revenge

As Midwest army maneuvers begin, reporter Hans Knutte criticizes the American soldiers. Soon after, explosions set the local camp ablaze: Cap and Bucky pursue the arsonists, who escape. The explosions damage the Sub-Earthmen's underground territory. Queen Medusa leads her race, astride their worm steeds, to the 'Top World," emerging near Millbrook. They seek peace but Clem, a hunter, spies them, shoots, kills one and flees. In town, Steve and Bucky overhear Clem tell the locals his story and follow a posse that kills more Sub-Earthers. Cap and Bucky protect Medusa, but the sheriff arrests her. Later, the pair free her and escort her to her people in the hills. Later, the costumed Spook, a Nazi operative, offers to help Medusa conquer the "Top World." She refuses, but some Sub-Earthmen follow him and invade Millbrook, killing many. Soldiers mobilize against them. Cap and Bucky rescue Medusa from Spook's men, although Spook escapes. Leaving Bucky to protect Medusa, Cap departs, promising to stop the army, but Spook knocks him unconscious. When the army attacks, Spook leads his forces into battle. When Cap returns, he and Bucky overcome the Sub-Earthmen, then sue for peace on their behalf. The army withdraws. As reporters question Gen. Haywood, Cap recognizes Knutte's voice as the Spook. After one Cap punch, Knutte confesses.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis, Sgt. Duffy, General Haywood

The China Road

Will Prince, an American soldier in China, is assigned to lead a convoy through the mountains. He is given a guide and translator named Ah Knee, who unknown to Prince is really a Japanese spy who radios his superiors and informs them of the route they will be taking.

Their convoy is attacked by Japanese soldiers, but Will (earning the nickname the Fighting Yank) manages to lead the Chinese soldiers into fighting off the Japanese attackers. Returning to his truck he catches Ah Knee in the process of sabotaging his truck and is knocked out with a wrench. Ah Knee attempts to kill the Fighting Yank by tossing him off a cliff, but he has the impeccable luck of landing in a large branch.

Climbing back up the cliff, the Fighting Yank helps stop the Japanese attackers by getting to a Gatling gun and mowing them all down. Confronting Ah Knee, the Fighting Yank loses the opportunity to deal with his would be killer as Ah Knee then commits suicide in order to escape capture. With the attacks thwarted, the Fighting Yank manages to get the convoy to its intended destination.

Recurring Characters

Fighting Yank, Imperial Japan

Continuity Notes

• This is the FIghting Yank’s one and only Golden Age appearance. He will resurface decades later in Ant-Man: Last Days #1.

Machine of Doom

Horrified by the war, Prof. Molt, in his quicksand-surrounded lab, decides to halt the evil by destroying the Earth. He prepares his Cosmic Depressor to disintegrate all matter within 48 hours. Meanwhile, Steve and Bucky drive near Murky Swamp. Their car tumbles in and Bucky is lost in the quicksand. Le Bull's forces parachute down, and Cap fights them. When Cap is caught in quicksand, they reach Mott. who traps them between electrical bars. Escaping the quicksand, Cap returns two days later, via glider, and reaches Mott, who levitates him with a Gravity Detractor. The 48 hours up, people, objects, and buildings across the world begin gradual disintegration. Bucky. having survived in a subterranean tunnel, emerges from a trap door and punches Mott, who disintegrates entirely. Bucky shuts down the Compressor, but accidentally frees le Bull and company, knocking le Bull into a panel which shuts off the Retractor. Le Bull grapples with the Compressor controls before fleeing and sinking into quicksand. Cap and Bucky, pursuing, witness the lab exploding, killing le Bull's men.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis, Sgt. Duffy

The Stolen Birth Certificates

While delivering papers Roddy Colt stops by the home of Mr. Eckerman, an employee of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. He finds it strange that Eckerman's dog Snoopy does not seem interested in catching the paper like he usually does. Paying the dog no mind, Roddy returns home where he learns that his family have invited newspaper reporter Jerry Dash over for supper. During their meal, Jerry comments that newspaper reporters make better detectives than police officers due to the fact of the nature of their job and the need to out scoop their rivals at other papers.

Later that night, after Jerry says goodbye to the Colt family, Roddy spots Mr. Eckerman's dog Snoopy again. Noting the dogs distress, he follows the dog back to Eckerman's home and spots a pair of men leaving out the cellar door. Changing into the Secret Stamp, Roddy attacks them, but the two thugs manage to get away. As they speed off, he notes that they have an out-of-state license plate. Going into Eckerman's home, he finds the man on the floor, alive but in some sort of state. Searching the house, he finds birth certificates, but quickly hides as Jerry Dash soon arrives on the property having followed Roddy there. Entering the Eckerman home, Jerry begins investigating the scene, and the Secret Stamp quietly listens in, curious at how good a detective Jerry really is.

Jerry finds a syringe and assumes that Eckerman was doped up and calls it into the paper. However, finding documents that indicate that Eckerman is diabetic, he realizes that it must be a hypoglycemic shock, he calls the paper back and cancels the story and then calls an ambulance. When a medic arrives on the scene, Jerry realizes that his initial assumption was correct, that someone had doped up Mr. Eckerman.

Deciding to head home, the Secret Stamp exist the Eckerman home and finds yet another syringe. He is then confronted by two more men who demand to know if he found anything interesting around the area. The Secret Stamp suggests that they check out Eckerman's home, and as they see Dash with the paramedic they prepare to shoot the two. However, they never get the chance as the Secret Stamp tips off some officers nearby and they arrest the two men.

The following morning, Roddy pays a visit to the district attorney as the Secret Stamp before class to have him dust the syringe he took from the scene for fingerprints. Later in Miss Wilken's class on government, Roddy learns that the Bureau of Vital Statistics keep records of every American citizen's identity and that one could manipulate the department to make fake identities. Realizing what the goons were up to the night before, Roddy rushes back to the D.A.'s office as the Secret Stamp and tells the D.A. what happened, correctly deducing that they were Fifth Columnists attempting to forge new identities in order to learn defense secrets. With this information, the D.A. gets the FBI involved.

Jerry meanwhile has scooped the other papers on the story, and when he tells Roddy about it, Roddy decides to blackmail Jerry into buying some Defense Stamps by jokingly telling him that he will tell about his snafu the night before. Having no idea how Roddy knew about it, Jerry decides to buy the stamps knowing that they will go to a good cause.

Recurring Characters

Secret Stamp, Jerry Dash, Nazis