Nick Peron

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Captain America Comics #2

The Ageless Orientals That Wouldn't Die!

Credits

When two bankers named Benson and Finley meet to discuss fear of tax evasion due to recent FBI interest in their business activities Benson is not afraid. Shortly thereafter, FBI agent Thompson is murdered a giant seemingly indestructible creature. Hearing gunshots, fellow agent Betty Ross goes to investigate and finds that Thompson is near death, he warns her that his attackers were invincible and she fails to stop one from escaping into the night. When Benson explains that he has arranged to have the FBI agent investigating them murdered, Finley freaks out as he does not want to be party to murder, and so Benson has his minions giant "Oriental Giants" slay Finley. With Finley out of the way, he orders his giant slaves to next go after Betty Ross. When they do, they happen to be spotted by Captain America and Bucky who are on patrol. The two heroes clash with the Oriental Giants, forcing them to flee without eliminating Ross.

The following day at Camp Lehigh, Betty pays a visit to the camp and Steve Rogers is given grief by Sgt. Duffy for flirting with her while on K.P. duty. Soon the camp is attacked by the Oriental Giants. The attack is forced away when Bucky manages to kill one of the giants by tossing a grenade at it, however they are still puzzled to know where the monsters came from and what had actually killed them. Angry at this failure, Benson then sends his minions to rob banks and bring him as much wealth as possible. These robberies attract the attention of Captain America and Bucky, and during the fight, Captain America is taken prisoner and taken to Bensons hideout.

There Benson explains to Captain America that he found these creatures while on an expedition of the Himalayan mountains. Learning that these near indestructible creatures could be killed by loud noises he enslaved them and forced them to return to America with him in order to amass a great deal of wealth. With the truth revealed, Bucky would smash through a window and free Cap. During the course of the fight, the duo would set off a large cannon that would kill the creatures and cause a wall to collapse on Benson, killing him. When the police would arrive on the scene Captain America and Bucky would flee. The next day while on KP duty they would be chastised by Duffy in front of Betty Ross for slacking off at the job again.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Betsy Ross, Bucky, Sgt. Duffy

Trapped in the Nazi Stronghold!

Henry Baldwin, a wealthy American, has agreed to donate part of his fortune to the British war effort. After making his public announcement, Steve Rogers and Bucky decide to keep an eye on Baldwin. Sure enough, that night he is grabbed by Nazi operatives and forced into a car before Captain America and Bucky can stop them. Deducing that the Nazis are seeking to smuggle Baldwin into Europe, he decides it's best for the two of them to travel overseas. Disguising themselves as a woman and a young boy, Steve and Bucky sneak out of Camp Lehigh and take a plane to Europe. Along the way they are shocked to see that Baldwin is in the same plane as them along with a few Nazi operatives.

That night they change into Captain America and Bucky and hear Baldwin screaming. Coming to his aid, they fight off the Nazis but Baldwin disappears. Changing back to their disguises they decide to investigate further. Tracking Baldwin to Nazi occupied France, Captain America and Bucky are surprised to hear that Baldwin had resurfaced and apparently put on a ruse to appear to be captured. What they are unaware of is the fact that Baldwin is seemingly allied with the Nazis, and is working for Hitler directly.

Travelling to Britain, Captain America and Buck expose "Baldwin" as a Nazi spy who is posing at the millionaire. Before they can get answers from the spy, he is gunned down, however when knocking out his killers they learn that Baldwin has been taken to the Black Forest concentration camp in Germany. Travelling there, the two heroes storm the camp and free Baldwin, delivering a humiliating defeat to the Nazis while Hitler and Hermann Goering are both on location. Fighting off Nazi forces, the two heroes rescue Baldwin and bring him back to Britain. When they return to the United States and to Camp Lehigh, they find an angry Sgt. Duffy waiting for them demanding to know why the two went AWOL for a number of days.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis (Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goring)

The Wax Statue That Struck Death!

Nazi agent the Wax Man has begun a series of murders killing notable military officials and statesmen around the Camp Lehigh area and leaving wax replicas of their faces at the scenes of the murders. After the murder of Senator Keats, Steve Rogers and Bucky decide to investigate as Captain America and Bucky. Unknown to them, the Wax Man and his minions -- through a secret base -- are working to create an army of tanks to attack the camp.

The Wax Man then leads an attack on the camp, prompting Steve and James to change into Captain America and Bucky. They take control of one of the enemy tanks and destroy all the other attackers. Quickly switching back to his civilian identity, Steve Rogers is given hay duty by Sgt. Duffy but abandons his post when he learns that Bucky has been kidnapped by the Wax Man. Meanwhile, Mayor Dobbs meets with General Stevens to pressure him into dealing with the Wax Man as voters are looking for solutions.

That night, Captain America investigates the only lead: the local wax museum. There he is attacked and captured by the Wax Men and his minions. Tied up, Captain America hears how the Wax Man intends to bomb the United States. Using a nearby open flame, Cap burns through his bonds and free Bucky. Smashing up the operations, Captain America would unmask the Wax Man as Mayor Dobbs and leave him for the authorities.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis

Short Circuit

Captain America and Bucky discover and stop Nazi sappers planting explosives in and old mine under their camp.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis

The Valley of the Mist

As Tuk and Tanir continue their search for Atlantis, they come across the people ruled by King Amir who are being terrorized by the Hairy Ones a tribe of primitives savages. Fighting them off, Tuk and Tanir are thanked and shown the path to Atlantis. This takes them through the Valley of the Mist, and they soon find that the mists have anesthetic properties and are soon knocked out.

They are captured by the Witches of Endor who seek to sacrifice them. When they revive they find that they have Princess Eve, formally of Atlantis, as their prisoner and hope to convert her into one of their own. Tuk and Tanir then fight off the Witches and free Eve and escape into the jungle. Eve explains that she was recently ousted fronim her kingdom by her evil uncle and asks the pair to help them liberate her people.

This story is continued next issue....

Recurring Characters

Tuk, Tanir, Princess Eve

The Devil and the Green Plague

Hurricane agrees to accompany the Holden expedition into the Mato Grosso, where they will join a Doctor Clay, who is battling a strange body wasting disease that is killing thousands there daily. Hurricane soon learns that the green plague was created by his old nemesis Pluto who has convinced the Jivaro Headhunters to help destabilize the region and prevent all attempts to contain the plague.

While Ruth Holden and Ralph Rand work on a cure, Hurricane goes looking for Dr. Clay but learns that he was captured by the Jivaro. Tracking them down he not only finds that the Jivaro had killed Clay, but also captured Holden and Rand. Using his powers to blast through the Jivaro strong hold, Hurricane creates a pair of wings to fly Holden and Rand to safety while he brings the Jivaro's fortress down around them. With the castle destroyed and a cure made for the green plague, Hurricane flies off into the air. While elsewhere, Pluto learns of the failure of his plan and vows to deal with Hurricane in the future.

Recurring Characters

Hurricane, Pluto