Nick Peron

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Captain America Comics #29

The King of the Dinosaurs

Credits

Steve Rogers and James Barnes hear a radio announcement about a great discovery during an antarctic expedition: the discovery of a dinosaur preserved in the ice in suspended animation. There, Professor Schultz and his assistant Olaf Olsen marvel at their discovery. Schulz, a Nazi sympathizer has been indoctrinating Olsen into his way of thinking and hopes that their discovery will help prove his ideals of German superiority.

Back in the United States when reports say that the dinosaur is to be put on display at Widmver Museum, Bucky is excited that it is so close by and hopes that they can go and see the creature soon after it arrives.

When the creature is put on display, Schulz explains that the even though the creature is still technically alive, it's brain is in a coma like state. Later that night, Schulz meets with Nazi spies where he explains that he seeks to revive the prehistoric creature and use it to destroy American defense plants. To this end, he has his men take Olaf and he performs surgery on his assistant and his his brain transplanted within the body of the dinosaur. With brain of Olsen reanimating the inert dinosaur, the evil scientist lets it loose and the confused Olsen goes on a rampage through the city.

Learning of this over the radio, Steve and James go into action as Captain America and Bucky. They arrive at the museum where they meet with Professor Schultz and Olaf's sister Erda, unaware of Schultz's Nazi ties they offer their assistance to stop the dinosaur whom Schultz pretends to want to stop. Erda is concerned about her brother Olaf being missing following the dinosaurs' escape, little suspecting the true fate of her brother.

When the two heroes investigate around the site of the dinosaur's escape, Erda follows them. Suspicious about Schultz, as she knows his Aryan ideals tells Captain America and Bucky that she suspects something is up and tells them that Schultz has a secret lab below the museum where he performed bizarre experiments. Going down there, they spot the Nazi spies and the two heroes easily dispatch them. Upon their arrival at the secret opening to the lab, they run into the dinosaur. However, when Erda is endangered during the attack, the creature stops attacking and flees the scene allowing Captain America to deduce the creatures true identity, but he says nothing.

Inside the lab, the trio find that Schultz had been experimenting on the dinosaurs brain, unaware that Schultz and some of his men are watching. They get the drop on them and while Captain America and Bucky fight off the Nazi spies, Professor Schultz grabs Erda and flees the scene. Deciding that the dinosaur is a bigger threat, the two heroes go after it and witness as the military are powerless to stop it from destroying the various munitions plants in the area.

Confronting the creature, Captain America tries a surprise tactic: talking to the dinosaur. Knowing it is Olaf, Cap convinces him that he had been duped by Schultz and that he now has his sister hostage. Angered, Olaf travels to Schutlz's home and trashes the property, sending the Professor fleeing still with Erda has his hostage. Captain America and Bucky corner the Nazi spy and free Erda. As Schultz attempts to flee, he is attacked by Olaf who throws him off a cliff and soon throws himself off the cliff to his death as well.

With the chaos over, Captain America decides to spare Erda the horror of learning her brothers true fate, and tells her that he instead sacrificed his life fighting the monster.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis

Carnival of Doom

The Human Torch and Toro get an advertisement for a new show called "Ballet Gestapo" a play that mocks the Nazi regime. As they decide to check out the show a grenade is tossed into the window of their apartment. Flying out of their apartment, the two flaming heroes attempt to stop their attacker. But the man falls from the fire escape and is fatally injured. Questioning the dying man all they learn that he was ordered to try and keep the two heroes away from the ballet that night.

The two decide to check it out as the play begins, a bunch of men dressed in devil costumes attack the actors portraying Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering and Joseph Goebbels. When the Torch and Toro realize that the "devils" pitch forks are real and they are killing the actors on stage, they flame into action.

The Nazi spies in the devil costumes give the two heroes a bit of a fight, however when the Torch burns away a rope on the scaffold, the trio of Nazi killers fatally fall to the stage, ending their threat.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis

The Case of the Phantom Engineer

Heading home from a furlough, Steve Rogers and James Barnes find themselves stuck on a lonely station along the Peconic & Western lines. They learn from the station attendant that not a lot of trains pass through this region because the tracks are supposedly haunted.

Interested, Steve and James learn how about a mile of track is supposedly haunted by a ghost train that runs other trains off the track, and the legend of the Phantom Engineer who haunts the canyon pass. Just then, the supposed Phantom Engineer appears and warns them that he will wreck any trains that pass through the canyon that night and then flees. The attendant decides to call Peter Blankemann the district traffic manager about the warning. With a military train due to pass through at midnight, the locals protest the use of the rail line in order to spare the soldiers lives, however Blankemann refuses to believe in the existence of the Phantom Engineer and tells them that the trains will continue to run through the canyon pass.

Suspicious of the goings on, Steve and James decide to investigate as Captain America and Bucky. Searching the canyon, they are attacked by what first appear to be hooded ghosts, but they soon learn that they are nothing more than Nazi spies dressed in luminescent robes. They realize that this is all a Nazi hoax in an attempt to stop the use of the rail line. They are soon met by Dora Thomas, whose father is the engineer of the train due to pass through the canyon and came to see what she can do to insure that her father passes through alive.

While explanations are being exchanged, they are shocked to see the phantom train appear and ride the rails. However, when it does not turn down the curve of the track, they realize that it is merely a projection and rush up the side of the canyon. There Captain America and Bucky find a bunch more Nazi spies with a film projector. They learn from one of the spies that the wrecks are caused due to the rails being removed, completing the illusion.

With no time to spare, the duo grab a rail car and race toward the speeding train in the hopes of stopping it before it hits the wrecked rails. The Phantom Engineer attempts to stop them, but Captain America fells the supposed ghost with a single punch and smashes open his mask, revealing him to be none other thna Peter Blankemann. With their foe defeated, the two heroes rush to the mouth of the canyon and manage to signal the train to stop before disaster can strike.

With the train saved, Captain America and Bucky are thanked by the soldiers and are soon on their way back to their own camp... aboard the rail car, with Bucky worrying about getting trouble from Sgt. Duffy.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis

The Case of the Headless Monster

In Pocano County, Pennsylvania, the night are subject acts of sabotage and murder caused by a massive headless monster. When the story reaches the press, it is read by Private Steve Rogers and James Barnes who decide to investigate the story as Captain America and Bucky.

They track down the creature to Ramapo Hills and attack it, but it proves to be too strong for them. The creature knocks them aside and then strides into a cave where they soon hear cries for help. Inside, they find a deformed man crying for help. Coming to his aid they learn that his named is Jonathan Torgson and that he was captured and terrorized by the creature. They escort Torgson back to his home, and with no trace of the monster anywhere return home for the night, although Captain America suspects something strange about the man they just rescued.

The next day, as Steve and James are put on dish duty, Sgt. Duffy shows them a front page story about the Headless Monster issuing a challenge to Captain America. Reading the story, Steve learns that the monster has challenged his alter ego to meet at the Playground amusement park for a battle to the death.

That night, Captain America and Bucky go to the amusement part to face their challenger. There they witness an act of sabotage as the roller coaster car crashes. Suspecting that the Headless Monster could be hiding in the Tunnel of Love, the duo ride one of its boats into the ride. There they lose the Headless Monster in a hall of mirrors, and barely manage to escape from the tunnel when it lights on fire. Outside, they are greeted by a paper boy who tells them that Jonathan Torgson sent him to find the two heroes to tell them that he thinks the Headless Monster is after him again.

Rushing to Torgson's house they find it empty. Searching around they find a secret passage way that opens to a massive cave with a pit of water below. They are knocked into the pit by the Headless Monster, but the two heroes use team work to pull themselves out. They then attack the Headless Monster, revealing that it is really Torgson in a massive exoskeleton. Torgson explains that he created the suit to get revenge on those who mocked his deformed appearance. Breaking free from Captain America, he climbs up on a ledge and throws himself from it and falls to his death, ending his tortured life.

Back at camp, Steve and James are once more confronted by Sgt. Duffy who tells them of the news reports of Captain America's exploits. Duffy comments on how great Captain America is, giving the two soldiers a smile.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Sgt. Duffy