Captain America Comics #46

Aug 1

Aug 1 Captain America Comics #46

Invitation to Murder

As a storm rages outside the estate of the late millionaire Silas Matinson, his will is being read to his surviving family members and working staff. The butler and housekeeper of the family is given twenty thousand dollars, while the rest of the family fortune is divided up between his wife, brother and nephew. The lawyer also notes that should any of the familial beneficiaries die their share would be divided up among the surviving family members after an additional ten thousand dollars is paid to the butler and housekeeper. When the will is read, the gathered family members believe that Silas was mad to write out such conditions in his will as it could be an invitation to murder.

Two hours later, Steve Rogers and James Barnes are returning to base when their car gets stuck some mud. Spotting the Matinson home, they go to seek shelter from the storm when they witness two people fighting at the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, one of the fighting men is pushed over the cliff and falls to his death. Steve and Bucky rush at one man knocking him out, and then spot another one wandering about outside and knock him out as well. Bringing them into the house, Steve and Bucky learn that they are the Silas Matison's brother and nephew and learn all about the will. When a headcount is done, it is believed that Mrs. Matinson was the one thrown off the cliff. Soon Silas' brother and nephew begin accusing each other of killing Mrs. Matison. However upon questioning they learn that both men received a note telling them that they were in danger and to meet a secret benefactor by the cliff. However, when the notes are examined, they find that there is no writing on them.

Without further delay the lawyer calls the police to sort out matters while Steve and James slip away to change into Captain America and Bucky. Cap decides that the first step to solving the mystery is to locate the body and so they travel to the bottom of the cliff and start searching the river below to the body of Mrs. Matison. Unaware that they are being watched by a cloaked figure, the two heroes split up. When Bucky is attacked by the hooded attacker, Cap hears his partners cries and rushes to his aid. Cap knocks out the attacker who they discover is the Matison butler, who flees the scene.

The pair then return to the house and decide to investigate things further. When the housekeeper answers the door, Cap asks where the butler is, and she tells the hero that the butler is in the wine cellar. They go down into the cellar where Cap explains to Bucky that he butler is not the killer but an accomplice along with the house keeper. Cap explains that when they arrived earlier they interrupted the intended "accident" that would have seen the brother and nephew dead and that Mrs. Matison is alive and well. Suddenly they are held at gunpoint by the lawyer and the butler and a fight breaks out. After knocking out the lawyer, Cap and Bucky get the butler and housekeeper to stand down. Then, Mrs. Matison comes out of hiding and holds Bucky at gunpoint. Matison explains that she intended to kill her nephew and brother-in-law with the said of the wait staff. However with their change of plans, she murders the butler and housekeeper, revealing that she had no intention of sharing the fortune with them anyway.

The two heroes are then led to the cliff where the lawyer and Mrs. Matison plan to shoot them. When they fire their guns, Cap and Bucky duck down at the right moment and feign being shot. A fight breaks out and as Cap tackles the lawyer, his gun goes off fatally striking Mrs. Matison. The force of the tackle sends Cap and the lawyer falling down the cliff to the river below, but only Cap survives. Explaining the whole plot to the brother and nephew, they tell Cap that they intend to invest some of their fortune into the War Fund.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

The Five Traitors From Berlin

In Washington D.C. the Secretary of State hands over a list of Nazi spies that might be attempting to smuggle themselves into the United States on the Holmshaven, a passenger ship coming to port from Europe. Foreign officer Jare Barry takes the list and returns home, and is shocked when his butler Jarvis reveals himself to be a Nazi spy and pulls a gun out on his employer, demanding the list of Nazi operatives. When Barry refuses, he is shot dead and Jarvis takes the list. As he flees, Jarvis is pursued by the Human Torch and Toro who were passing by when they heard the shots and have swooped down to investigate. Flaming off to chase Jarvis on foot, the two flaming heroes are blackjacked from behind and are knocked out. When the two come around they rush back to Barry's home and find him dead and noticing that his safe is open the Torch calls the State Department to investigate the situation.

When the FBI arrive at the scene of the murder, they search the safe and find was list of Nazi operatives. Unaware that Jarvis switched the list the FBI agents believe that Jare was merely a victim of a robbery gone wrong. However, the Torch examines the list and points out that it is not in Jare's handwriting and that the killer likely changed the lists. The Torch realizes that while Jare was murdered because his replacement would not know the difference from one list or the other. With the ship set to reach shore in 20 hours, the Torch plans a trap for the gang of spies already in Washington to reveal themselves.

They get the local paper to publish a story stating that the Holmshaven is expected to arrive 12 hours ahead of schedule. Reading this in the papers, the head of the Nazi gang sends out his man to meet their operatives at the docks based on the new arrival time. However, when the spy arrives he finds nobody there and no sign of the ship. When it is announced that ship would arrive at its original intended time, the spy returns to his base, unaware that the Torch and Toro are secretly following him.

At the Nazi hideout, the Torch and Toro easily round up the spies and recover the original list of spies, and later when the Holmshaven arrives they round up the spies attempting to sneak into the country.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis

The Shadow of the Monster

Crime boss Butch Cantwell has gathered his men to discuss how to deal with Captain America. With other gangs being rounded up, Cantwell decides to come up with a different tactic to be rid of the Star-Spangled Hero. Leaving the room, Butch then returns wearing a Captain America costume. Thinking Cantwell to be the real Captain America they open fire and are shocked to find the bullets bouncing off him. Butch reveals that his costume is an exact replica of Captain America's with one added addition: It is covered in bullet proof armor. With this suit, Butch then goes out on a crime spree, framing Captain America for the crimes.

At Camp Lehigh, Steve Rogers and James Barnes hear a radio report about the crime wave supposedly being perpetuated by his alter-ego and the two decide to go into town and investigate. They arrive just as the Captain America impostor is attacking a soldier and his girlfriend on the streets. While Butch Cantwell flees the scene, the real Captain America and Bucky are shot at by the authorities, much to Cantwell's amusement. Convinced that the police and FBI would be too busy hounding the real Captain America to stop him, Cantwell resumes his attacks on the city.

Forced into hiding, Captain America and Bucky weigh their options. With no other choice, Cap decides to go to the local police station and appeal to the police chief to have a moment to clear his name. The chief of police agrees to help Cap based on his long record of heroics and places an open letter in the paper denouncing Captain America's attacks, but states that until he actually breaks the law he will be arrested. Playing into Captain America's trap, Butch Cantwell goes to the police station in his armored Captain America costume and attempts to attack the chief of police. However, Cantwell is ambushed by Captain America who knocks him out with a single punch and turns him over to the authorities, thus clearing Cap's good name.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

The Mystery of the Puff Adder Skulls

Steve Rogers and James Barnes are depositing money at the bank when they witness the wealthy Mr. Ramsey suddenly keel over as he is pulling money out of his account. Ramsey's butler rushes Ramsey to the hospital leaving the with a satchel containuing fifty thousand dollars that Ramsey was attempting to withdraw. Finding this suspicious, Steve and James go outside and witness as the butler merely dumped Ramsey in his car and is fleeing from the scene. When they catch up to the butler, he insists that he was going to get a doctor when suddenly the trio are approached by a man with a knife. As Steve fights the man with the knife, the butler punches out James and flees with the money.

After a doctor packs James' nose with Gauss they learn that Ramsey is dead due to heart complications. When the coroner was examining the body he shows Steve and James a Puff Adder skull that was found on Ramsey's body. Bucky finds a notebook on the ground that was dropped by the butler and the two are shocked to find it contains a list of wealthy men that live in the area, and that there are three more left on the list. Recognizing the crossed out names as wealthy men who have recently died due to strange complications, Steve and James decide to investigate as Captain America and Bucky.

They rush to the office of Banking and Securities manager Cyrus R. Little the next name on the list. Meeting with Little's secretary, Captain America spots a Puff Adder skull on the desk. When the secretary has no idea where the skull came from, he tells the two heroes that Mr. Little had gone to the bank downstairs. Cap sends Bucky to get a doctor while he chases after the butler who he spots at the scene. Cap attacks and fights off a gang of thugs. After Mr. Little is put under the care of a doctor they learn from Little's chauffeur the location of the killers hideout.

Knocking on the door, they are shocked to find traditionally garbed Indian men who welcome the two heroes in. They are taken to see the leader of the Snake Skulls, who meets the two heroes in his special chamber. The lead snake tells them that he and his men had been killing the millionaires to obtain their wealth. Attempting to remove the leaders mask, Captain America falters and find that he is getting weaker. The leader explains to Cap that the air is filled with Puff Adder venom and that prolonged exposure will mean his death. Unaffected due to the cotton in his nose, Bucky fights back, smashing open a window, reviving Captain America. When reinforcements arrive, Cap and Bucky easily beat them and the leader of the Snake Skulls and turn them over to the authorities. Later, Bucky marvels how a bloody nose helped save their lives.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

The Case of the Forged Check!

When a large business is the subject of bank fraud, they call in Detective Mike Trapp to help find who is responsible. With the list of possible suspects narrowed down to three, Mike suggests that he poses as a new employee and begins working for the company under the alias Elmer Thomas.

Meeting with the different employees under the guise of a fellow co-worker, Mike borrows one of his "colleagues" ink blotter. From there, he determines who wrote the bogus check, arresting an elderly employee. Later when Pepper Burns asks Mike how he learned who was responsible, Mike explains that the the elderly employees blotter had imprints of the forged check, implicating him in the fraud.