Daring Comics #12
Home Front Renegades
With a boom in black market liquor being sold, Betty Dean meets with Namor to discuss the problem, prompting the Sub-Mariner to look into the problem. While they are at a diner, they spot a police car rushing by, and Namor follows it to the government alcohol warehouse where a gang has stolen 1000 barrels of government controlled liquor. Spotting the crooks escaping by boat, Namor dives into the water and swims after the ship. When he surfaces, he is hit over the head with an anchor, knocking him out.
Coming around, Namor follows the boats trail to a Home-Crest Island, where the only likely house to run such an operation is a large mansion owned by millionaire George Reynolds. After learning this from Betty, Namor decides to pay Reynolds a visit. Forcing his way past the mansions front gates Namor gets the drop on Reynolds and his gang. He is about to rope them up when a distiller is knocked on him by Rocky Wilson who has arrived with his gang to take over Reynold's operation by force if necessary.
Threatening the rival gang with death, Rocky learns that Reynold's men were next planning to hit the government warehouse on Pier 36. With this information, Rocky and his gang gun down Reynold's men, and then place both Reynolds and Namor in a gas chamber that is pumped with gas. When Namor revives, he uses one of Reynold's matches to blow open the door, freeing them, but Reynolds is knocked out in the process.
Namor then dives into the water and swims to Pier 36 where he easily bests Rocky Wilson's gang. Wilson manages to flee the scene in a boat, but Namor follows after him. Before the Sub-Mariner can stop Wilson, Reynold arrives in his own boat intent on killing his rival. The two boats collide and the resulting explosion kills both men, ending the black market booze racket in the area.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner
Betty Dean
Diamond of Death
Bobby Tolan rushes to Club 22 where he forces his way into a meeting with diamond dealer Nick Finelli. Tolan complains that Finelli purposely had his men jump him and rob him of the diamond he recently puchased off Finelli. Finelli acts dumb, and Tolan leaves to get the authorities. Furious, FInelli sends his men to eliminate Tolan, who is gunned down while driving his car, causing it to crash in a farmers field who then calls the authorities.
When the news reaches the press, the editor at the Star sends Betty Dean to learn who killed Dolan. She meets with Stooley, an underworld informant who cleans car wind shields for a living. Stooley tips Betty off, suggesting she investigate Club 22. As Betty prepares to go out to the club she gets a call from the Sub-Mariner who has arrived from the oceans to spend some time on the land. She invites him to join, but she soon finds that Namor was hard up to get a suit that late in the day, but takes him along anyway.
While Betty scopes out the club inside, Namor is sent around back to investigate. Inside, Betty spots Larry Hotchkiss another rich man who she sees going into the managers office. There, Nick sells Hotchkiss a diamond, intending to steal it back later, unaware that Namor is watching the transaction from the window. When Hotchkiss leaves Finelli's office, Betty tries to get an interview with him in order to pickpocket the diamond he bought. While outside, Namor overhears Finelli order his men to steal the diamond back. Before Namor can do anything about it, he is spotted by one of Finelli's men and is soon knocked out in a fight.
Witnessing Namor's defeat, Betty pretends to be a pickpocket that was busted by Namor in the past, showing Finelli the pocketed diamond as "proof" to her claims. Impressed, Finelli offers Betty a job with him. They then tie up Namor and Finelli takes Betty out in his car to get rid of the hero. Alone with Finelli, Betty knocks out the crook out and then forces his goons car off the road. As the car crashes into a fire hydrant, the water revives Namor to his full strength.
During the fight with Finelli's goons, the revived Finelli knocks out Betty and tries to escape in his car. Namor gives him chase knocking Finelli out and saving Betty.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner
Betty Dean
The Devil's Murder Web
The police raid an illegal gambling house, arresting everyone except for its owner Lucky Benson who avoids capture by hanging outside the window. Furious about the police crack down on his illegal gambling operations, Lucky meets with his men and has them take advantage of the kids that live out on the street and prompt a juvenile crime wave to take attention away from his gambling operations. Soon a wave of juvenile crime sweeps town, having the desired effect Benson was looking for.
Meanwhile, the Human Torch and Toro are on their way home when they spot some youths trashing a night club. While the two flaming heroes are rounding up the gang of kids, their leader tries to escape by jumping through a plate glass window, fatally cutting himself. Sandra, a woman that was rescued by the Torch and Toro explains to them about the spike in youth crime, prompting them to investigate.
To this end, Toro goes undercover, disguising himself under the alias of Red McGowan. "Red" is placed in the jail cell with the other arrested youths, and convinces them to let him join their gang by helping them break out of the jail. Taken back to Lucky Benson's hideout, "Red" is thanked by Benson for his assistance. Toro then overhears Benson talking about a planned robbery using the kids to commit it. Toro then trails Benson and his man back to their home and tips off the Torch.
However, Toro is unaware that Benson and his men noticed that he had followed them. Later, when the youths are called together, Benson asks "Red" to come to his office. There Toro is blackjacked and taken to a car to be disposed of. When Toro fails to meet the Torch at midnight, the hero arrives at the youths clubhouse where they have realized the errors of their way. Before Benson's gang can eliminate them, the Torch arrives an incapacitates them then learns that Benson is attempting to toss Toro over the East River Bridge.
After Benson dumps Toro into the East River, the Torch recovers him and the pair rush back to the club house where they capture Benson and his men before they can harm any of the youths.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch
Toro
The Vanishing Ghost Gun
The Destroyer is in New York City waiting in the office of his colleague, private detective Jerry Crane. When Jerry's secretary hears someone at the door, she is shocked when a dead body falls into the office when she answers it. Checking the body, the Destroyer identifies him as "Trigger" Connolley. The Destroyer then leaves the secretary to call the morgue while he follows Connolley's trail of blood.
The trail leads the hero to Calhoun Park, where he finds the spot where Trigger was shot. He is attacked by a thug. The Destroyer easily bests his attacker and turns him over to the authorities. As he is doing so, he hears a radio report that another man was found murdered on 23rd and Elm. Arriving at the scene, the Destroyer deduces that the dead man was shot from a long range, and when the coroner arrives at the scene he rushes back to Calhoun Park.
There he determines the trajectory of the bullets and deduces that the shots were fired from the top of the Union State Building. On the top floor a rival gang is using a specially made long range machine gun to eliminate their targets. The Destroyer, finding the elevator out of order, scales the elevator shaft to the top floor. There he easily bests the gang and turns them over to the authorities.
Back at Jerry Crane's office, the Destroy wishes something exciting would happen. Exasperated, Jerry's secretary kicks out the Destroyers chair telling him to never say that again.
Recurring Characters
Destroyer
