Nick Peron

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Captain America Comics #36

The Blood of Dr. Necrosis

Credits

As Allied Forces clash with the Imperial Japanese army. During the combat an Australian soldier is critically injured and pulled off the battlefield and brought to a medical outpost by Steve Rogers and James Barnes. There he is given a blood transfusion and doctors are shocked when he is suddenly stricken with a strange illness that causes grey blotches appear on his skin, he soon dies in transport back to base. They soon learn that the entire supply has been tainted and without knowing the cause any of the donated blood being shipped in by the Red Cross from the Untied States would be considered suspect. Steve and James decide to offer their services as Captain America and Bucky.

Learning that all the blood is shipped to the battlefield from Brisbane, the two heroes agree to investigate there first. When they arrive at the hospital they meet with Dr. Necrosis and his assistant Mary Knowles, the daughter of the general who sent Cap and Bucky on their mission. The first thing the two heroes notice is the strange skin infection and the nurses strange behavior. Necrosis tells them that he is suffering from "white gangrene" and that he is attempting to find a cure by experimenting with blood. Before they leave, Mary pretends to trip and hands Cap a note. After their search yields nothing they leave and are about to look at Mary's note when minions of Dr. Necrosis attempts to run the two heroes down. When they fail, they crash their car and Cap begins to question them. However, before they can talk Dr. Necrosis appears on the scene and tells them that it was only an accident.

Deciding to let it go, Cap and Bucky check the note and find a request from Mary to have them meet at her place that evening. Suspecting they won't have that much time, Captain America and Bucky go back to the hospital and are caught in a trap door and subdued by Necrosis' men. Dr. Necrosis explains that he is in the process from beginning a blood transfusion between himself and Mary. He explains that he is a German loyalist who has been infecting blood supplies with his disease trying to find the ideal blood type to cure himself of his disease. He reveals that ironically enough, his assistant Mary has just the blood type he needs and that he will cure himself and infect Mary in the process.

He forces Captain America and Bucky to watch from the operating theater. However, as the process begins they break free and come to Mary's rescue. Pulling Dr. Necrosis free from the transfusion apparatus. During the struggle, Dr. Necrosis makes a lunge at Bucky who ducks causing the doctor to land on the broken glass on the floor impaling him through the heart and killing him. Soon his minions are defeated and turned over to the authorities.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, General Haywood, Imperial Japan

Meet the Director of Death

The Human Torch and Toro have been called to Hollywood, California, where they meet with the chief of police to assist in a series of mysterious fires that have each claimed a life. When another suspicious fire starts at Pixy Studios, the two flaming heroes rush to the scene and rescue a lone individual trapped in the fire. Investigating the scene after, they find that the fire was deliberately caused and decides to question the fires intended victim.

When they question the man he can't think of an angle and considers it to be an accident. However after the two heroes leave the hospital they spot a camera man filming the hospital. When the camera man is pushed off the ledge to the ground below and is loaded into the back of a truck, Toro is suspicious of the activity but the Torch dismisses it as just part of a film but allows Toro to go off and investigate it. Toro stows aboard the truck and learns that the man who fell off the building was real and really died and one of the men in the truck is really wearing a mask. Attempting to escape to tell the Torch, Toro finds that the inside of the truck is lined with asbestos. When the arrive at the "Director of Death's" hideout they begin pumping gas into the truck that will eventually kill Toro unless he flames on which would cause a massive explosion.

Meanwhile, the Torch has returned to police headquarters and decides to check in on the "shoot" he saw and learns that no such shoot was officially scheduled. He also learns that investigators have made a connection with all the fire victims: They were all part of a film where a stunt man was seriously injured and disfigured, ending his career. When his lawsuit for negligence was thrown out of court he snapped and left the hospital where he was being treated.

Heading to the stunt mans home, the Torch arrives as the stunt man sets a bomb in the garage where Toro is being kept and attempts to flee. Saving Toro from the deadly gas and the bomb, the Torch chases after the stunt man and his aid. The Torch's chase causes them to drive off a cliff crashing to their deaths.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Let's Play Detective

When playboy Henry Ricardo is found dead, Detective Mike Trapp reveals that the hotel's bellhop is responsible for the murder.

Recurring Characters

Mike Trapp, Officer Ryan

The Strange Mystery of the Leopard Woman

William Sands, the New York City water commissioner is preparing for a special party being held in honor for a visiting Polish diplomat. Attending the party are also Private Steve Rogers and James Barnes who are assigned to watch over the party. When the party is full swing it is invaded by a costumed woman calling herself the Leopard Woman and her two giant leopards. As she carries off Sands, the two soldiers attempt to stop her but they are ambushed by Nazi spies. They manage to knock out the spies and find a map of the local reservoir. They change into Captain America and Bucky and follow after the footprints of the Leopard Woman's big cats.

They follow the tracks to the massive estate owned by Countess Kyra who invites the two heroes into her home. They are suspicious of her obvious love of cats but keep quiet and convince her to allow them to search her property for the Leopard Woman and her prisoner. Outside, they are attacked by two leopards, but manage to fight them off.

Sneaking back into the Countesses' home, they find cages with more cats in the basement. They are confronted by the Countess who reveals herself to really be the Leopard Woman and changes into her costume. She unleashes her cats on them and then flees the scene, sending off a signal to her minions to go and poison the local water supply. Captain America and Bucky flee after her and beats the Leopard Woman's Nazi agents and big cats into submission and then prevent the Leopard Woman from poisoning the water supply. Captain America corners her on the top of the reservoir, but she jumps from a seemingly lethal height. Although there is no trace of her, and her threat over, Captain America tells Bucky that he suspects they will see the Leopard Woman again someday.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

The General of Death

In France, French freedom fighters are about to transmit vital information to the Allied Forces in England to assist in the eventual invasion of France. As they are telling about the Nazi's fortifying the area, they are stormed and captured before they can continue to transmit the information. Deciding that the information is too vital to lose they call in Private Steve Rogers and order him to go on a secret mission into France to recover the information at all costs. He brings along James Barnes with him, taking the lad away in the middle of another lecture from Sgt. Duffy.

Taking a plane, the duo fly into France as Captain America and Bucky. When they arrive in France they are spotted by Nazi forces who contact their commander General von Savage who orders their capture. Captain America and Bucky are knocked out and taken prisoner and taken to von Savage's while his minions torture the French freedom fighters to try and get answers out of them.

When Captain America and Bucky refuse to talk as well, they are ordered to be tortured as well. They break free and fight themselves free and free the leader of the resistance. Learning that Von Savage and his men are digging a tunnel from France to England to stage a counter invasion. Stealing a truck full of explosives and race it to the tunnel. They set off the explosives in the tunnel and flee just as General von Savage and his men arrive and are caught in the explosion killing them.

Returning back to base, Steve Rogers is commended for a job well done. Later, Sgt. Duffy approaches them furious over the fact that they were AWOL for days an vows to report them to their superior officer.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Sgt. Duffy