Nick Peron

View Original

Daring Comics #9

The Nazis Take Little America

After helping American forces fight the Japanese in the Pacific, Namor gets a lift close to Atlantis by the Navy so that he can return to his people. Swimming the rest of the way Namor is shocked to find that his homeland has been attacked by Nazis dropping depth charges on his kingdom. Questioning his people he learns that the Nazis learned the location of Atlantis from Gralt and his son Og.

Gralt explains to his ruler that he and his son were surface fishing when they came to the aid of two surface men in a raft lost at sea. Leading an aero-sub to the location of the stranded men, Gralt was shocked to find that they were nothing more than a decoy for a German battleship that then sank the aero-sub and then bombed the area.

Furious of this attack on his people, Namor swears revenge on the Nazis and is about to leave to destroy every Nazi ship in the area when he is told that his people need him. Just then the alarms are tripped an Nazi forces in U-Boats begin to descend on Atlantis. Namor rushes toward the two U-Boats and sinks them, drowning the crew. Seeing that they were heading south of his kingdom and finding supplies for braving the cold, Namor realizes that the Nazis have set up operations in Antarctica and goes to investigate.

Coming to the surface around the Antarctic research village known as Little America, Namor finds that it has been taken over by Nazis and attacks. Although Namor manages to have the upper hand a Nazi soldier manages to sneak up behind him and land a blow to his head, knocking him out. Coming around later, Namor finds himself in the presence of Professor Deems and his daughter, two scientists who were working at Little America before the Nazis took it over. Before Namor can act, Professor Deems attempts to tell him what the Nazis are up to. When the guard overhears the Professor about to talk he shoots him before he can explain the Nazi's plans.

Breaking free of his bonds, Namor attacks Deems killer, slaying him. Raiding the Nazis armory, Namor leaves Miss Deems with enough firepower to defend herself while he returns to Atlantis and gathers an attack force. Attacking the Nazi forces, the Atlanteans succeed in bombing the base and rescuing the Deems. After a doctor treats Professor Deems, the scientist warns Namor that the Nazis are setting up a store of ammunition to start another world war should the current one turn out to be a lost cause. With the threat ended, Namor bids the Deems farewell, and when the Professor's daughter asks if she'll ever see Namor again, he tells her that anything is possible when the war is over.

Recurring Characters

  • Sub-Mariner

  • Nazis

The Nazi Wolf

Nazi agents led by the Wolf are creating counterfeit money in the United States to ruin the American economy, much like they did other countries in Europe. With a new batch of counterfeit bills, the Wolf orders them distributed into Detroit hoping to entice race riots in the area. When the bills hit circulation they are soon discovered and the news makes national headlines.

Reading the story in the newspaper, the Torch and Toro decide to investigate the situation and put a stop to the Nazi counterfeiting. Going to the Hisgreen department store, the Torch and Toro spot a man making change for a $50 bill. Finding this suspicious, they examine the bill and find out that its a phony. Taking a taxi they follow after the man as he speeds away in his getaway car. Noticing they are being followed, the Nazi spies manage to lose the two heroes by speeding across a railroad track just before a train passes.

Flaming on, the Torch and Toro canvas the area and find the getaway car as it pulls into an abandoned garage. Flaming off and running inside, the Torch and Toro are clubbed from behind and bound up in an asbestos lined net. When the two heroes revive, they leave them to suffocate as they fill the garage with carbon monoxide exhaust. However, as the room fills with the smog, the Torch and Toro flame on together causing the gases to explode, blasting them free from their deathtrap.

Following after the spies, the Torch and Toro are led to their hideout. There, they find the Wolf overseeing the operation of more bills being printed and attack. While the Torch and Toro are busy rounding up the spies and destroying their printing presses the Wolf manages to escape. The Torch and Toro follow after him searching the city until they find him driving on the George Washington Bridge. With capture imminent, the Wolf decides the only escape is death and drives his car off the bridge into the river below, killing himself.

Recurring Characters

  • Human Torch

  • Toro

  • Nazis

Messengers of Satan

After a series of disasters are reported by the Star Newspaper before any other paper in the city, Betty Dean's editor calls Betty in to have her try and find out how the Star manages to scoop everyone else. When Betty theorizes what might be happening her boss warns her to find the truth or be demoted to writing fashion reports. Betty rushes off on her assignment to learn the Star's secret. As part of her plan to get the story, she gets her hair dyed brown and make-up done.

Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Namor hears radio reports of the recent act of sabotage at the local docs. When he arrives he sees Betty with a reporter from the Star and seeing through her disguise almost blows her cover. Betty, gets the burly reporter to try and get Namor to go away, but the Sub-Mariner knocks him out. Betty explains that she has assumed an alias and gotten a job with the Star in order to learn the secret of their scoops. Finding this plan brilliant, Namor leaves her to it and goes off to pursue his own avenue of investigation.

Meeting with the shipping yard super attendant, Namor learns that the buildings that were recently burned were recently painted. Learning the name of the company that made the paint, Namor rushes to their head office to question the owner. Getting a record of the companies biggest buyer, gets a suit and heads off to the Chatlos Aircraft Company in Chicago. Coincidentally enough, as Namor boards a passenger plane to Chicago, he boards the same flight that Betty is with the Star reporter.

At the aircraft company, Nazi spies posing as factory workers are busy spraying aircraft with incendiary paint which is activated when mixed with a special concentrated chemical that the spies have smuggled into the factory in chewing tobacco. Later, when the plane lands, Namor passes a note to Betty, but it is spotted by the reporter and when they arrive at their hotel, Betty is swarmed by Nazi spies who take the note and learn that the Sub-Mariner wishes to meet with her. As Namor discusses the situation at the local FBI office, he gets a call from a female spy who is posing as Betty, who tells Namor to meet her at the Lakeside Hotel for 4:00.

When Namor arrives at the hotel, the Nazi spies manage to jump him and knock him out. Tying him to a chair and placing a heat lamp on him to dry Namor out, the Nazis explain their plot to destroy the aircraft being built at the factory with their special paint and then leave Namor to die under the heat of the lamp. Quick thinking, Betty knocks over the heat lamp causing a fire and when firemen arrive on the scene to douse the flames the immerse Namor in water, restoring his strength.

Namor then dives into the water and swims to the aircraft plant and destroys the sabotaged planes before they can explode and destroy the factory. Namor then quickly rounds up the spies and turns them over to the authorities. Later he and Betty are thanked for a job well done.

Recurring Characters

  • Sub-Mariner

  • Betty Dean

  • Nazis

The Bloody Butcher of Istanbul

In Turkey, an American engineer begins taking specifications for a special artillery replacement unaware that he is being observed by Nazi agents who are plotting to kidnap him before he leaves.

Meanwhile in the United States, the Human Torch and Toro get a call from Mr. Wescott the president of Armaments Inc. the largest manufacturer of heavy coast artillery in the country. Flying to the factory, they meet with Wescott and learn of his concerns about his engineers in Turkey who suspects that the Nazis might convince Turkey to join their side in the war, losing an advantage to the Allied Forces.

The Torch and Toro agree to see what they can do to help and fly off to Turkey to investigate the situation. Along the way, the Torch and Toro pass through a battlefield and lend a hand destroying Nazi fighters in the area before continuing on their way to Istanbul.

They arrive just as Blake the engineer is being kidnapped by Nazi agents. Seeing is assistant running for help, the Torch and Toro catch up to him just as he is being gunned down by Nazi bullets. They dying man laments that he never got to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play before death. The Torch and Toro then rush to Blake's hotel room, the source of the shots, and find the place has been ransacked and Blake captured.

Going to the Turkish authorities, the Torch and Toro officially are refused aid, however the chief of police steps out, suggesting that if they were to look at a file on a German named Baron von Ritter, he would not know. Checking the files in secret, the Torch and Toro confirm that he is their likely suspect and flame on and head to his estate. Searching the property, they hear Blake being tortured by Von Ritter's men in the stable and come to his rescue.

Flying into Ritter's home they confront the Nazi before he can communicate Blake's information. Ritter orders his men to attack while he flees the scene. The Torch and Toro easily trap the Nazis in a ring of fire and follow after Ritter. Following Ritter into another building, the Torch and Toro walk into a trap. They find themselves trapped in a room that Ritter begins pumping full of chlorine gas and leaves them to die.

When they find a dead rat in the room, they realize there must be a hole someplace and find a crack in the wall. Revitalizing themselves with fresh air, the Torch is able to flame on his hand from within the hole and melt their way to freedom. They then chase after Von Ritter who attempts to escape in a plane. Creating a downdraft of heat, the two heroes then force Ritter to land his plane. With nowhere to run Ritter takes the cowards way out and shoots himself in the head, dying instantly. The Torch and Toro then recover the plans and return them to Blake.

Recurring Characters

  • Human Torch

  • Toro

  • Nazis