Captain America Comics #50

Aug 1

Aug 1 Captain America Comics #50

The Walking Dead

Wealthy John Porter tells his sister Laura that he is terminally ill and reveals that he has developed a powerful biological weapon. Using a plane they dust their farm with the weapon, killing all the cattle on the the land, proving the weapon works, unaware that they are being watched by Japanese spies. A week later, while on his death bed, John tells his sister to bury the formula with him in secrecy and promises to only remove it should the Allies need help in the war. Laura agrees. Months after John's death, strange walking dead are sighted walking around the cemetery at night, frightening the locals. They deduce that these "zombies" must be looking for something, and along with the undertaker Peter Anzel and the constable they go up to the graveyard to investigate. Seeing the apparent walking dead, the people flee the scene vowing never to return to the grave yard again.

When the story reaches the newspaper, it is read by William Nasland and Fred Davis Jr., recall John Porter's chemical research and decide to go an investigate as Captain America and Bucky. Rushing to the grave yard, they spot men searching around and attack them in a mausoleum. However, one of the men gets away and when the pair chase after him they spot a girl running through the grave yard. Recognizing her as Laura they catch up to her and she explains the formula hidden with her brothers body, but refuses to tell the two heroes where it is hidden and runs off into the night.

Following after her, they spot her entering another mausoleum and suddenly hear her cry for help. While she refuses to talk, the Japanese spies as they just discover a secret panel in the tomb that will lead to the hidden chamber where John's body is buried. Captain America and Bucky arrive and fight off the spies, but their leader manages to slip away. Chasing him down into John's secret crypt. Captain America is too late to stop the spy from grabbing the necklace containing the formula. However, as the two fight, Cap manages to swat it into a furnace, destroying the formula. Cap then subdues the spy and unmasks him, revealing him to be the undertaker Peter Anzel, who was working with the Japanese. With their plot foiled and the formula destroyed, Cap turns Anzel and his fellow spies over to the police.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Imperial Japan

The Case of the Mad Sculptor

The Human Torch and Toro meet with Mr. and Mrs. Beasely who ask the two heroes to help find her daughter, whom is destined to marry Chris Ramsey, a famous but mad sculptor who they believe also killed his rival Jim Russell to prevent him from marrying their daughter.

The Torch and Toro agree to take the case and fly off to Ramsey's castle, which is atop a mountain surrounded by massive ice sculptures. They arrive just as Ramsey is coming at Miss Beasely with a knife and stop him. The girl tells them that Ramsey was attempting to force her to marry him but she refused to do so. While the two heroes are distracted hearing the story, two of Ramsey's men sneak up and knock them out from behind. Ramsey then has the two heroes sealed in blocks of ice to freeze to death, just as he did to Jim Russell. Trapped in the ice, the Torch revives and realizes there is no ice under his feet and is able to flame on and break free. He then frees Toro just before Ramsey and his men set an avalanche toppling down the mountain. Chasing Ramsey and his men, the Torch and Toro force them off a cliff to their deaths.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

The Mystery of the Eyes of Death

William Nasland and Fred Davis Jr. are dispatched to India where they are clashing with Japanese forces. While out in the jungles they are shocked to see some of their own men gunning down their fellow soldiers. Stopping them, they are shocked to see that the soldiers were suddenly struck blind. After getting a medic to the blinded soldiers, William and Fred slip away to change into Captain America and Bucky. They then meet with General Haywood to discuss the situation, but are interrupted when a Japanese plane attacks. When an American fighter suddenly crashes, Cap recovers the pilot and learns that he too is blind. Questioning the soldiers at camp, Cap and Bucky learn that they all went into town and went to see a local attraction called the Myriad of Mirrors. Suspecting that this might be the cause of the blindness, Captain America and Bucky head into town.

There they pay a visit to the Myriad and meet its owned an Indian named Genrami. Genrami reveals that he is working with the Japanese and is responsible for the soldiers being blinded before setting his men on the two heroes. with Cap and Bucky subdued, he shows them that he causes the blindness by making his mirrors with an element call Trilite. He then explains that he is planning on going to the American camp and selling the soldiers there mirror carvings made out of Trilite. He then traps the two heroes in an air tight room filled with Trilite, where if they were to open their eyes to see how to get out they would go blind, or suffocate. As a mocking gesture, Genrami leaves them some papers to read before leaving.

With their eyes shut tightly, Captain America and Bucky cannot feel for a way out of the room. However, Cap takes the papers and lights them on fire, causing enough smoke to fog the Trilite mirrors and allow them to open their eyes and escape before their air runs out. Then subduing the guards left behind, Cap learns that they protect themselves from Trilite with special contacts, but also have a specially built black light machine that can cure them in case of accidental blindness.

Rushing to the base, Captain America stops Genrami before he can begin selling his wares. Chasing after Genrami, the villain attempts to use a mirror that will cause instant blindness. However, Captain America tackles him, causing Genrami's contact lenses to fall out. Looking in his own mirror, Genrami is struck blind and falls off a cliff to his death. With Genrami dead and his plot foiled, Captain America turns over the black light machine to the military to use to cure the blinded soldiers.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, General Haywood, Imperial Japan

The Leopard and His Killer Mob

The warden is reading about the release of a crook named the Leopard. They remark that other than an escape attempt that saw him horribly scarred by an electric fence, the Leopard was the model prisoner, spending his time working in the machine shop. When the Leopard is released, he shows no thanks to the warden and begins plotting to get revenge over his previous incarceration.

Soon a crime wave begins with crooks that are armed with special electric guns that cause instant fatalities. Captain America and Bucky are called in to try and stop the crooks next daring robbery. During the fight, Cap's shield is destroyed by the bullets and Bucky is struck down. The gang flees but not before Cap captures one of them and learns where the Leopard is located. Rushing Bucky to a hospital, they learn that he survived the bullet due to the fact that he had lead and zinc foil tucked away in his pocket that deflected the electrical charge that comes from the pellets fired from the gun.

Taking this knowledge, Captain America then begins to come up with a plan to stop the Leopard. With the polices aid, they call for the Leopard to stop killing and is offered safe passage from the city, escorted out by Captain America himself. Suspecting a trap, the Leopard is confident that he will slay Captain America. When the hero arrives, he remarks that his shield is useless and convinces the hero to follow him into his hideout. There, Cap is surrounded by the Leopard's gang who train their guns on him. There, the Leopard explains how while under the guise of a model prisoner he created his inventions in order to get revenge on those who put him away.

When he orders his men to shoot Captain America, they are shocked when his shield is able to block their shots. Cap then subdues the Leopard and takes his gun. When his gang members try to flee the scene, Cap shoots their truck causing it to explode and the Leopard is turned over to the police. Later, when Bucky is released from the hospital, Cap explains to his partner that he had his shield coated with lead to protect him from the Leopard's weapons.