Nick Peron

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Captain America Comics #32

The Menace of the Murderous Mole-Man

Credits

During a vacation in London, Steve Rogers and James Barnes are present during an air raid and are ordered to head to one of the bomb shelters. Down below they hear some racket caused by Nazi agents of the Mole-Man who are planting bombs in underground locations in London to coincide with the air raids making it look like the bombings above ground are successful. Spotted by the two soldiers, the Mole-Man's men shoot at them and flee. Finding the situation suspicious the two decide to investigate as Captain America and Bucky. Meanwhile, the Mole-Man is furious that his men fled the scene without completing their task. They are found by the two heroes, and during the fight, Cap is winged by a bullet and the Mole-Man manages to escape.

Searching the location with British air-raid marshals they find no trace of the Mole-Man or his men. Having developed a hunch about the Nazis plot, Captain America convinces a British commanding officer to allow him and Bucky to go up in an interceptor plane during the next air raid. During the next attack, Captain America suddenly lands when some of the Nazi bombers get through defenses and leads Bucky back into the underground tunnels, telling Bucky that when the bombers dropped their pay load it gave them away.

While down below, the Mole-Man and his men plan their next plot: the bombing of 10 Downing Street, in an attempt to eliminate Prime Minister Winston Churchill. However, with Captain America still hunting for them, the Mole-Man decides to bait a trap for the hero. While on the surface, Captain America and Bucky continue in their efforts to find the Mole-Man's secret hideout. As they are walking the streets as car passes by and tosses a note telling them the location of the Mole-Man's hideout. Knowing that they are walking into a trap, the two heroes go anyway as it is their only lead to stopping the Mole-Man.

When they go to the address in the note, they get the drop on the thugs placed to attack them and beat them into submission. Cap then forces one of the Nazis to explain whats going on and leads him to the bomb placed under 10 Downing Street. There, they are attacked by the Mole-Man and more of his men. They get the drop on the heroes and subdue them. The Mole-Man then had Bucky tied to another bomb and decides to torture Captain America mentally by forcing him to watch his helpless sidekick before shooting him in the back.

When the Mole-Man is briefly blinded by the light of one of his minions lanterns, Captain America goes into action, knocking out Mole-Man and his men. After alerting the British authorities of the spies locations, Captain America rushes to 10 Downing Street and fights his way to the basement where he disarms the bomb, he then rushes back to the other bomb that Bucky is tied to and frees his sidekick and disables the other bomb. With the crisis over, Captain America and Bucky are thanked personally by Winston Churchill for their heroic efforts.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Nazis, Winston Churchill

Ali Baba and His Forty Nazis

Nazi agent Ali Baba has gathered a band of ruthless cutthroats from Iran, Iraq and Turkey under orders of his superiors to create a counter "underground" movement in Turkey to undermine American-Turkish relations. Ali Baba and his men begin a reign of terror across the country that prompts Turkish officials to ask the American military to assist in quelling the uprising. A state of marital law is called and American soldiers begin patrols in the cities. Among these patrols are Steve Rogers and James Barnes.

When Steve is out on patrol with his superior officer, Sgt. Duffy, they witness one of their fellow soldiers being killed in the street by one of Ali Baba's men. Giving the attacker chase they lose him in the street. Searching for him in a cafe, they witness a Turkish girl belly dancing, the girl tries to get Steve's attention while Duffy questions the cafe owner -- unaware that he is really Ali Baba.

Suspecting the girl was trying to tell him something, Steve returns with Bucky as Captain America and meets with the girl, named Yanni. However, before she can tell them anything, guards enter the room and she pretends to help them try and execute the two intruders -- only "bungling up" so that she can save them from being shot. She quickly tells Cap to watch her next dance the following night and the two heroes fight their way out and flee into the night. When Ali Baba learns of Captain America's visit, he does not believe it at first but then orders his men to triple is guard around the cafe.

The following night, Cap and Bucky secretly watch the Yanni's dance and realize that she is using tap dancing to communicate a message in Morse Code. When Ali Baba realizes this, he orders his men to kill her, prompting Captain America and Bucky to swing into action. While the heroes save Yanni's life, Ali Baba manages to escape. Yanni tells them that she is a member of Turkish intelligence and that Ali Baba intends to attack the military camp and use the radios to cause a massive panic by calling a false emergency.

Rushing to Ali Baba's house while Yanni goes to the camp for help, they feign being shot by the tower guards. When one of them checks on them, they grab him and use him as a human shield to get into the castle. There they fight their way through Ali Baba's minions, but are overpowered and taken prisoner. They are brought before Ali Baba, they are taken to a cave where a number of barrels are kept. Ali Baba explains that during a routine scrap and oil delivery, Ali Baba intends to sneak explosives in the barrels in order to launch his attack.

Captain America and Bucky soon find that Yanni has been captured as well and they are left tied up while Ali Baba and his men go to complete their mission. Cap, Bucky and Yanni break free from their bonds and find a way out of the cave. Fighting their way to freedom, they chase down Ali Baba's convoy and cause an avalanche when they pass through a tight ravine. The resulting explosion kills Ali Baba and his remaining men. With the crisis averted, Captain America and Bucky return to camp and are forced to knock out Sgt. Duffy in order to slip in and protect their secret identities.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Sgt. Mike Duffy, Nazis

The Talons of the Vulture

James Barnes is worried about what is taking Steve Rogers to get back to camp. Steve is so late, Sgt. Duffy notices that he is AWOL and begins giving James grief. Unknown to them, Steve -- as Captain America -- is meeting with military officials run supplies to French gorillas fighting Nazi forces in occupied France. As Cap prepares to leave in a plane he is joined by Bucky, who tags along. Bucky is a little disappointed that they are only going on a supple run, especially when a Nazi agent known as the Vulture has sworn to eliminate the gorillas.

They land in the meeting place without issue and meet with the rebels. When they learn that the gorillas intend to use the supplies to stop the transport of French slave workers, Bucky asks Cap if they can help, but Captain America tells them that their orders are to deliver the supplies and return to base.

As Captain America and Bucky are heading back to Britain, the Vulture has learned of the coming attack and orders his men to prepare a surprise attack on the French rebels. As the attack goes awry, Captain America and Bucky spot the failing mission below and land their plane to lend their assistance. However, as they attempt to do so, their plane is shot down and they are taken prisoner.

With the rebel attack thwarted, and Captain America and Bucky his prisoners the Vulture decides to keep the heroes alive to bring to Berlin and deliver directly to Hitler himself. However, as they are being prepared for transport, Captain America and Bucky break free from their bonds and take their guards prisoner as they flee back to the gorilla camp.

They are stopped by the sentries and, believed to be Nazi spies themselves, are brought to the commander of the French rebels. She does not believe them when they try to convince her that they are the real Captain America and Bucky. However, they break free an grab the girl and force her to take them to the general of the resistance. Able to confirm that he is the real Captain America, and tells Cap about how the Nazi's under the Vulture's rule intends to ship submarine parts. Cap agrees to lead a resistance force to stop this shipment, and before going the girl tells him that her brother is a prisoner of the Vulture.

The attack ends in failure and Captain America and the others are captured and locked up in a cell and tortured to try and pry information. Captain America refuses to talk despite constant whippings. When he is brought out a second time to be tortured, Cap and Bucky are surprised when the girl is captured also. However, this provides sufficient distraction for Cap to break free and free the other prisoners. They then storm the base, taking down the soldiers inside and taking the Vulture prisoner. During the fight it is learned that the girls brother betrayed his unit leading to their capture.

Trying to take the Vulture back to the gorilla camp, they force him to drive their getaway car. However, the Vulture attempts to escape but swerves the car into the crossfire between Nazi and resistance fighters and is gunned down. With the battle over, Cap and the others return to the resistance camp where the general shoots the girls brother for his betrayal. Later, back in camp Steve Rogers gets flack from Sgt. Duffy for daydreaming of the French girl while in the forest where the resistance fighters still camp, the girls thoughts are of Captain America.

Recurring Characters

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

Mind Smasher

The Human Torch and Toro are out for a walk one night when they hear gunshots in the streets. Going to investigate and try to stop the gunmen. However, they manage to escape in a moving truck prompting the Torch to follow after them. When he catches up to the truck, he finds the occupants and their cargo have vanished without a trace.

Elsewhere in the secret hideout of Nazi scientist Professor Fear, the two mugs have delivered the motor that the evil genius needs to complete his super sonic device. Not telling the two thugs what his device is for, Fear puts on a helmet that shields him from the devices effect and activates it. The sonic blasts from the device shatters the senses of the two men, leaving them in a catatonic state.

With his device a success, Professor Fear intends to use it to put everyone in the city under his control. When he hears the Human Torch snooping around his hideout, and has his new slaves capture him. Binding up the Torch, Professor Fear prepares to use the device on the hero as well. However, before he can do so, Toro comes crashing into the room and blows up the device. When Professor Fear attempts to flee the scene, they knock him out and turn him over to the authorities.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis