Captain America Comics #5
The Ringmaster of Death
When a circus comes to town near Camp Lehigh, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes decide to check it out, unaware that it is secretly a Nazi operation and that the Ringmaster has been charged with eliminating various military officials in the area. Using his "Wheel of Death" the Ringmaster sets his sights on General Blaine. When his assistant Tommy Thumb refuses to participate in murdering Blaine, the Ringmaster uses violence to force the dwarf to do as he is ordered. Tommy goes and lets a lion loose from it's cage and it mauls Blaine to death. Spotting the danger, Steve Rogers and James change into Captain America and Bucky and subdue the big cat and return it to its cage. Deducing that Blaine's death was not an accident the pair attempt to capture Tommy Thumb but are stopped by other circus workers. Overhearing them talk of a "ringmaster" in charge they become suspicious of the operation.
Returning to Camp Lehigh in their civilian guises, Steve and James get in trouble with Sgt. Duffy who assigns them to K.P. Duty. The following morning Steve tells what he believes to Betty Ross who decides to take Steve's suspicions to Defense Commissioner Newsome. However, Newsome is the next target on the Ringmaster's list and he sends Omir the Snake Charmer, Zandow the Strongman, and the Trapeze Trio to eliminate him. Newsome is bitten by a cobra and dies from the venom. Witnessing the Circus of Crime escaping from the scene of the murder, Betty Ross is attacked. When Captain America and Bucky attempt to rescue her they are easily over powered and the crooks get away with Betty as their prisoner.
Captain America and Bucky soon follow after them to the circus unaware that the Ringmaster has targeted them for death next. They are confronted by the entire circus staff who attack them head on. The duo fight their way through the circus staff and rescue Betty from a deadly plunge from the top of the big tent. Chasing after the Ringmaster, Captain America easily beats him into submission. After Betty thanks them for saving her life again, Captain America and Bucky leave when the authorities are on their way.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky, Betsy Ross, Circus of Crime (Ringmaster), Sgt. Duffy
Continuity Notes
This is the only Golden Age appearance of the Circus of Crime. The fact of the original Ringmaster is revealed in Marvel Two-In-One #76. The modern day Circus of Crime appears in Incredible Hulk #3.
The Gruesome Secret of the Dragon of Death
Steve Rogers and James Barnes are assigned to accompany General Haywood on a mission to Honolulu to act as the generals orderly. As they are on their way to the island, natives in the area warn military officials of a supposed giant sea monster that is in the pacific swallowing up entire ships. Deciding to investigate the claims, the Navy sends out their ship the Winfield to investigate. Sure enough they come across what appears to be a giant sea monster that swallows up the entire ship. When General Haywood arrives shortly after with Steve Rogers and Bucky they learn of the disappearance of the Winfield which piques Steve's interest to want to investigate as Captain America.
The sea monster however is really a massive submarine built by Imperial Japan called the "Dragon of Death", and it's leader Captain Okada has taken Commander Phillips, the commanding officer aboard the Winfield and demands that he provide secrets regarding the Navy's on Kuona Island which is the site of a dormant volcano. However, when even torture fails to get answers from Phillips, Okada orders his minions to kidnap Phillips daughter Marie, hoping that her tortured screams will make the tight lipped Naval officer talk.
Deducing that something suspicious is up, Captain America and Bucky would keep an eye on Marie Phillips and witness her being captured by the Japanese soldiers. Following after them they would witness as they are swallowed up by the Dragon of Death. Following inside they are confronted by and fight their way through an army of Japanese soldiers while Marie is brought to the room where her father is being kept. However before Phillips is forced to talk, Captain America makes his way to the control room and announces that he has taken over the vessel. Fearing capture, Okada orders everyone aboard his private submarine and he makes his escape, taking Marie hostage and escaping. Finding Phillips, Captain America learns that Okada plans on detonating explosives on Kuona Island to cause the base to be flooded with lava.
Diving out to sea, Captain America swims after Okada's submarine and fights the his minions as they are setting the explosives. With the ship on a direct course to the island with explosives they abandon the sub in a boat. Captain America rushes down below and saves Marie, ejecting her to safety through a torpedo tube and then attempts to divert the boat. He succeeds but the ship explodes. Fearing that Cap was killed, Bucky would use the weapons aboard the Dragon of Death to sink Okada's escape ship killing him. Shortly after Marie is pulled aboard the Dragon, Captain America arrives alive and well.
With their civilian identities unaccounted for, Captain America and Bucky jump ship and resume them only to be told by General Haywood that they would be assigned K.P. Duty following their return to Camp Lehigh due to their "absence".
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky, Imperial Japan, Sgt. Duffy, General Haywood
Killers of the Bund
Members of a German Bund operating in the United States is starting to pressure German-Americans to join up their cause and roughing up the ones who refuse. One such German-American citizen is Heinrich Schmidt, who flat out refuses and is beat up as a result. Heinrich is the father of Bob Schmidt, who is classmates with Bucky Barnes. When Bob returns home to find his father seriously beaten, he goes to Camp Lehigh to tell Bucky and his mentor Steve Rogers what happened. Going to the hospital to see Heinrich, they learn what happened to him and learn the location of the Bunds "Camp Reichland".
As Captain America and Bucky, they sneak into the Bund and when they are discovered beat all the soldiers into submission and warn them against aggressive actions against American citizens in the future. Later, Bucky meets with the Sentinels of Liberty Youth Group and encourages them to go out and spy for Captain America and sniff out other Nazi Bunds that are operating in secret in the United States. However, the men in charge of the Bunds decide to seek out and capture Captain America, and succeed in doing so.
When Captain America revives he learns that the Nazi soldiers within the secret Bund intend to execute him before launching an attack on American soil. Not wanting to go down without a fight, Captain America fights through the army and steals one of their plans and makes a daring escape. Reunited with Bucky, Cap leads his sidekick and the Sentinels of Liberty on an attack on the Bund, easily smashing up the operation and putting an end to their aggression tactics against those who will not champion the Nazi cause on American soil.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Young Allies (Bucky, Whitewash Jones, Jeff Vandergill, Tubby Tinkle, Knuckles O’Toole), Nazis
Captain America and the Ruby Robbers
After A Sentinel of Liberty meeting, Bucky walks his friend Jerry Briggs home. Jerry's Father shows the boys a ruby that he is in charge of getting to a safe for his boss, Mr. Crowley. Mr. Briggs forbids Jerry from going to any more Sentinel of Liberty meets because he doesn't think Captain America is real. Two Robbers who have been watching Mr. Briggs enter the house demanding the ruby. Before the robbers can escape, Captain America and Bucky thwart the would be robbery. Mr. Briggs apologies to Captain America explain he didn't know he was real, and Cap replies that as long as there is crime and injustice there will be Captain America.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
The Terror That Was Devil's Island
Steve Rogers and Bucky travel to Devil's Island to see their friend Tom Jason, who is a prisoner of the evil Commandant Pedo Laroc. Seeing that their friend is an abused prisoner, starved nearly to death they decide to act on the matter in their costumed identities of Captain America and Bucky.
Breaking into the prison that night, they fight through it's traps and fight off Pedo Laroc and free Jason, who is thankful for their aid and informs them that he will join with the Greek air force to fight Nazi tyranny in Europe. Returning home in their civilian guises, Steve Rogers and Bucky read a newspaper story about a new Greek fighter pilot in Europe who has had a successful career and deduce that it must be their friend Tom Jason.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Headline Hunter Foreign Correspondent
Jerry "Headline" Hunter is an American reporter working as a war correspondent in London who is having a hard time getting scoops over the other reporters in the area. He is soon called into the paper office by the managing editor who sends him on assignment to cover some important happenings at the American embassy. There he learns that the American and British governments are working on a food contract, however it has been stolen. If the contract is not recovered in the next 24 hours the Nazis could potentially learn the location of the sea convoys and sink them. There are three suspects that have been rounded up that were near the document before it's stolen. However, before the questioning can begin there is an air raid by Nazis, forcing everyone to seek shelter.
Spotting someone sneaking away from the general crowd, Hunter follows after him and finds a secret passageway. Entering it, he is attacked by a group of Nazi spies and learns that the one who stole the plans is American embassy official Mr. Cooles. Taking Hunter as his prisoner, Cooles explains that he is going to attempt to bomb the Prime Ministers residence during the air raid and takes Hunter aboard his plane. In order to cover his tracks, Cooles then has his minions tie Hunter to the bomb that he plans on dropping on 10 Downing Street. However when the bomb is dropped, Hunter manages to grab hold of the landing gear and hold on for dear life.
Thinking his mission a success, Cooles orders his pilot to fly back to Berlin. When they are flying over a German munitions plant, they are shocked when their own bomb suddenly drops and blows it up. Just then, Headline Hunter breaks in and knocks out all the goons aboard the plane and forces the pilot to turn around and return to Britain. Upon returning there Hunter is commended on a job well done, and his story lands the front page of the paper.
Recurring Characters
Headline Hunter
The Death of Bonzo
Continued from last issue...
Tanir is still being forced to use his bow and arrow for Bonzo the savage and his minions, and so Tuk begins actively trying to find a means to rescue his friend. When he lures a saber tooth tiger into the area, Bonzo forces Tanir to slay it. Realizing that Tuk is responsible, Bonzo orders Tanir to kill his friend.
Tanir has no choice and fires a burning arrow toward a herd of elephants, and the blaze spooks them into stampeding. Tuk uses this stampede to his advantage, leading the herd toward Bonzo's group, forcing them all to scatter. Left alone, Bonzo becomes easy prey to Tanir who slays him with his bow and arrow.
With Bonzo dead and his minions scattered, Tuk and Tanir continue on their quest to find the island of Attilan.
Recurring Characters
Tuk, Tanir, Bonzo, Princess Eve
The Miser and the Counterfeit Millions
Hurricane, in his civilian guise goes to the bank to exchange some of his money and finds that he has been given a number of counterfeit bills. Seeing a story in the paper about millionaire Mr. Flintheart giving millions to charity, Hurricane suspects the two have something in common and decides to pay a visit to Flintheart. When Flintheart's men refuse to allow Hurricane to see him, he uses his speed powers to force his way in.
Flintheart provides no answers and sicks his men on Hurricane, prompting him to drop his guise and easily defeats his attackers. Demanding answers, he learns that Flintheart is planning on inflating the market with counterfeit money in order to cause a massive inflation so that he and his accomplice can buy up properties cheap. Flintheart is shot dead by one of his men, but not before revealing the identity of his benefactor: "Old Nick".
After burning the fake money, Hurricane goes out looking for this old man named Nick and learns that he poses as a homeless man as a means of dumping off massive amounts of counterfeit money. Following him back to his hideout, Hurricane learns that he is not a homeless man at all but a mob leader. Hurricane then leads the police to his hideout and allows them to all be arrested.
Recurring Characters
Hurricane
