Captain America Comics #48
The Mark of the Satyre
A tiny town in Pennsylvania is rocked by a series of murders where the victims are found with the mark of a cloven hoof stamped on their foreheads or around the crime scene, causing people to believe that some creature is murdering people. The murders start driving people to pack up their families and leave. Elsewhere, a man finds something in a cave that stands to make him rich when he is confronted by the same killer, who ignores his offers to share his find before he too is killed. The man's dying screams are heard by Captain America and Bucky who are on their way back to Camp Lehigh after a mission and go to investigate. Spotting the dead man's body, they chase after his killer and are shocked when they enter a clearing and clearly see that the killer is a satyr. While they lose sight of the creature, they see that it's tracks lead to a nearby mansion.
Cap and Bucky decide to stop their chase for the time being in order to deal with the dead man's body. Taking it to the local sheriff they learn that the dead man is a man named Oaffley who had come from out of town to fish and lived at a local boarding house. When Cap inquires about the mansion outside of town, they are told that it is owned by an old man named Pierre Laballe, who once had a successful wax museum that he ran out of his home. The sheriff explains when local industry dried up his business went up as well, and that he lives there in reclusion. They also talk about a wax figure of a satyr that was made by Laballe's great grandfather and is supposedly evil.
With this information, Captain America and Bucky go to the rooming house where Oaffley stayed. There they find evidence that proves Oaffely was operating under an alias, and that he really is a geologist named Paul Cowels. When Cap finds a sand sample, he begins piecing things together and leads Bucky out to the Laballe house. There they are invited in by Laballe's son Bret. They find that Pierre is confined to a wheelchair and when they ask about the satyre statue, Pierre talks about how it is pure evil. While Bret dismisses this notion, Pierre is leads the two heroes to the wax museum where the satyr is kept.
When they arrive in the room where the statue is kept they find it missing. Hearing a scream, they rush back and find that Pierre has been murdered and the killer left he track of a cloven hoof in the blood. Chasing after the Satyr back into the museum they are shocked to find it back on its stand with the dead body of Pierre in its arms. When Bret arrives shortly after, Cap sends him to call the police while he and Bucky search the room. Finding a secret panel behind the Satyr statue, they find out too late that it's a trap and find themselves suspended over a pit by rope. Cap frees himself and then Bucky and rush back into the next room where they get the jump on the Satyr and knock him him. Cap unmasks him to reveal that the Satyr is really Bret Laballe.
Later, Captain America explains that the sand sample was proof that Cowels found oil in the area and that Laballe was murdering people to drive them away and buy up their property cheaply so that he could cash in on the oil.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
The Collector of Death
As Toro gets ready for the day, the Human Torch reads a newspaper story about yet another art theft from the night before. Noting that the gang has systematically stolen the best works of art, the pair deduce that self portrait of Rembrandt is likely the next target. They flame on and fly over to the home of a private art collector where the painting is stored. As they arrive they hear a scream from inside and arrive just as the crooks are stealing the painting. While the Torch and Toro handle a pair of the crooks, the rest of the gang escape down an elevator. Not wishing to burn the painting the Torch is forced to let them get away.
Interrogating the two captured crooks, the Torch and Toro learn where their hideout is and pay the gang a visit. There they easily round up the art thieves and question them about their employer. Learning that their employers identity is a mystery and that they call a number to arrange a pick-up, the Torch and Toro take the number to information and learn the owner is one Danbury Fawcett, an art collector.
Deciding to give Fawcett the benefit of the doubt, the flaming duo arrive and ask for an audience. The seemingly cooperative Danbury leads the pair into what they think is his private gallery, but is really a trap. The Torch and Toro find themselves stuck in an asbestos lined room that is being pumped with carbon monoxide. Unable to escape, the Torch boosts Toro up to the exhaust pipe and has the boy block it with his hands until the engine chokes. When Danbury returns to the room to see if the heroes are dead, they quickly apprehend him. Having completely cracked, Danbury confesses his crimes, saying that his obsession made him need to get all the coveted paintings he wanted even through theft is necessary. The pair then turn Danbury over to the police.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Corpse that Wasn't There
Captain America and Bucky are on their way back to Camp Lehigh after a mission when they hear a woman scream for help. While Captain America sees to the girl, Bucky chases after her captor, but is knocked out by the assailant who then gets away. With the girls lips turning blue, Cap calls for a cab and orders it take her to them to the hospital. However, along the way the girl dies, and Cap changes their destination to the local morgue. When Cap and Bucky rush inside to get the mortician, the killer appears and knocks out the cab driver and steals the girl's corpse.
When Captain America and Bucky return they find the girl's purse and learn that she was Matilda Carson, heiress to the Carson copper fortune. Suspecting that the killer murdered her for her fortune, they rush to her apartment to look for clues. Inside they fall for a trap set by the killer who knocks them out and then flees the scene before they can identify him. Reviving, Cap and Bucky find the number for a cab company and a pair of glasses that have been set out. These clues prompt Cap to take Bucky to the local newspaper. In the morgue files, they find the story about Matilda's inheritance of money. The story identifies that should Matilda's uncle Laird as the custodian of Matilda's money until she turns 21, and that should she die the money would go to the Lawson Foundation.
Captain America and Bucky then rush to the home of Laird Carson who Captain America accuses of murdering his niece. A gang bursts in, but the two heroes easily subdue them and capture Laird. Laird explains that he had been embezzling money from the inheritance for years. In order to avoid getting caught, he orchestrated the murder of his niece but also planned to have her body go missing so it could not be confirmed, locking the money in his control for the next seven years while he tried to recoup what he stole. With the truth out, Captain America and Bucky turn Laird over to the police.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
The Case of the Clutching Claw!
A series of three murders are committed by a killer the newspapers have called the Clutching Claw. After the death of the third victim, Detective Mike Trapp and Pepper Burns are visited by Ken Kennedy, a wealthy businessman. Kennedy tells them that he suspects that he may be the next victim of the Clutching Claw. He explains that when his friend Jim Godwin passed away, he willed his entire fortune to be split six ways between his friends and colleagues, the amounts to be paid out exactly ten years after his death. Kennedy explains that he only survivors are himself, bank William Grayson and department store owner John Roy.
Kennedy goes on to explain that the three victims of the Clutching Claw were all beneficiaries of the fortune, and suspects that the killer is one of the survivors attempting to claim the entire fortune for himself. Learning this, Mike then sets up a trap for the killer. Ordering Ken to publicise that he is leaving town, they then get a pickpocket named "Fingers" Farrel to pose as Kennedy outside the train station. When the Clutching Claw attempts to kill Farrel, the police scare him off. Mike Trapp then arrests William Grayson for the murders, revealing to Pepper that when the Clutching Claw attempted to kill their decoy, Fingers managed to pilfer the killers wallet.
Recurring Characters
Mike Trapp, Pepper Burns
Colosso and His Murder Marionettes
Captain America and Bucky are on the trail of Dr. Colosso, a travelling medicine man who hawks a bottle of medicine that apparently grants enhanced strength, and puts on a puppet show for locals at various county fairs across the country. This is because wherever Colosso and his travelling medicine show goes, there are robberies and murders nearby.
As Colosso's latest show is winding down, Captain America and Bucky respond to gun shots at a nearby bank and fail to stop robbers from escaping. When they question one of the survivors at the hospital, he talks about puppets with painted cheeks. Rushing to the carnival grounds, Cap and Bucky meet with the sheriff who regrets to inform them that while the crime was taking place Dr. Colosso was at the fair. With no way to arrest Colosso and his men, Cap and Bucky follow them off to the next town, as Cap saw something that confirms his suspicions about he crimes.
Watching Colosso's truck, they witness a false bottom open up and his marionettes (really men with dwarfism) try to leave the truck. They knock the dawfs out, and while Bucky climbs in under the false bottom, Cap confronts Dr. Colosso directly. As they fight, one of Colosso's men starts up the truck. Cap and Colosso fight it out on the top of the truck. As they drive across a bridge, Colosso attempts to toss Cap over the edge, but Cap gains the upper hand and lands a punch that sends Colosso falling to his death. With the truck driving out of control, Cap and Bucky bail out as it crashes. Later Cap explains that he deduces Colosso's scheme when he saw a passing fly cause one of his "marionettes" to wrinkle its nose.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Continuity Notes
This issues marks the last Golden Age appearance of Steve Rogers and James Barnes as Captain America and Bucky. As seen in Avengers #4 the pair went missing in action in 1945. What If? #4 reveals that the United States covered this up and selected others to pose as Cap and Bucky. All Captain America stories after this issue, despite the fact that the characters are identified as Steve Rogers and James Barnes, are actually successors who took their place.
