Human Torch Comics #12

Jul 31

Jul 31 Human Torch Comics #12

Riding a Rocket to Doom

The Human Torch and Toro are called into military intelligence in Washington D.C. where they are told that the Atlantic patrol has spotted massive Nazi rockets heading toward the Atlantic coast. The two heroes flame on and rush out to the ocean to see what they can do. Arriving at the scene of the approaching rocket, they find that American fighters cannot shoot the massive rocket out of the sky. With no time left, the Torch uses his flames to melt off the rockets engine sending it exploding harmlessly in an abandoned section of the water front.

Returning to military intelligence, they are told that Free France agents have reported in to inform them that Nazi agents are launching the rockets from Nazi occupied France from the city of Brest. With the looming threat of more rockets being launched at the United States from across the ocean, the Human Torch and Toro agree to fly to Brest and eliminate the threat.

Flying across the ocean, they soon land in the town of Brest where they find that the French citizens that live there are being forced out of their homes while the Nazis convert the land to suit their rocket launching needs. When Nazi soldiers arrive to rough up the exiles that are taking to long to leave, the Torch and Toro come to their defense easily beating the soldiers before continuing on their mission.

When they approach the Nazi base, Toro is blasted out of the sky by a Nazi cannon forcing the Torch to go back for his sidekick and save him from a fatal fall. Deciding to sneak onto the base, they witness as the Nazis, led by their leader Baron Execute, are loading up an even larger rocket on the launcher. Rushing down to try and stop it, the two flaming heroes are spotted and when they attempt to get close to the rocket are gassed. While Toro passes out, the Torch manages to flame on and fly away. With Toro as their prisoner, Baron Execute orders his men to tie the boy to the front of the rocket so that he will be sent to his death.

When the rocket is launched, the Torch realizes that the bigger threat is the Nazi base which is preparing to launch more rockets. Gambling that he might have time enough to save Toro later, the Torch then uses his flame powers to jam up the rocket engines of the next massive rocket to be launched. Sure enough, when the Nazis attempt to fire it off it explodes destroying the base and everyone on it.

The Torch then races after the rocket carrying Toro on it and manages to free the lad. Then, they melt off the rocket engine, sending the massive explosives crashing into a fleet of Nazi U-Boats, destroying them in the process.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis

Unmask a Gestapo Rabbit

When Nazi forces invade the Russian town of Dograd, female soldier Sonia Petroya manages to gun down the field marshall of the invasion force leading to a swift victory for the Russian forces. Made a national symbol of heroism in the war, Russian officials decide to send Sonia to the United States to give lectures on radio and television to gain support of the war. When word of this plan reaches Adolf Hitler, he is furious and contacts his agent the Rabbit. He orders the Rabbit to go to the United States and eliminate Petroya in order to ruin American morale in the war, a mission the Rabbit accepts.

Weeks later, while Petroya is on her speaking tour the Human Torch and Toro decide to see one of her lectures on the same night that the Rabbit and his men make their attempt to capture her. When the stage lights are doused during Petroya's speech, the Human Torch and Toro intervene in the Rabbits attempt on her life. Tripping the heroes up in a massive curtain, the Rabbit and his men leave taking the Sonia as their prisoner. In order to make the audience believe that it was part of the act, the Torch and Toro then put on a fire show for their entertainment before going after the Rabbit.

As the authorities turn up no clues as to where the Rabbit has taken Petroya, the spy attempts to force her to denounce the American war effort on the radio and proclaim Nazi superiority. When she refuses, the Rabbit then prepares her to be doused in a vat of chemicals that makes her his subversive slave. He then sends her off to her next radio appearance to spread his message. At the radio station the mind controlled Petroya tells the station manager that the previous nights kidnapping was all a publicity stunt.

Upon hearing the news, the Torch suspects something funny going on and races to the radio station with Toro. He arrives to hear Petroya telling the American people that fighting against the Nazis is pointless and discounts the events that made her a hero in the eyes of the Russian people. This amuses the Rabbit, shocks the American listening audience, and convinces the Torch further that there is something strange going on.

The Torch and Toro follow Sonia back to the Rabbits hideout where they discover that the Russian has been brainwashed and they are soon overpowered by the Rabbit and his men who douse them in a chemical that prevents them from flaming on. Before the Rabbit can get the chance to brainwash the two heroes, they begin fighting back even without their flames. Getting away from the Nazi spies, they find the solution that can wash away the chemicals and use it to clean themselves off. With their flames restored, the two heroes easily capture the Rabbit and his men and turn them over to the authorities. With a means to cure Sonia of her brainwashing the authorities complete the process and then begin to have her appear on radio to explain the Nazi plot and continue her speeches.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis (Adolf Hitler)

Lair of the Pig Boats

The Sub-Mariner is aboard an American battleship on the Caribbean to learn more about the U-Boat patrols in the area. Along the route the Sub-Mariner becomes interested in the four masted Schooner that is sailing the area. The captain of the American ship tells Namor that the Schooner is known as the Marcelle and since the start of the war has been shipping supplied between Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Havana. Watching the ship as it heads for Port of Spain, Namor notices a queer thing: the Schooner suddenly sank three feet into the water. However, they dismiss it as a trick of the eye when radar detects no submarines or other dangers in the water.

When the American vessel lands at Port of Spain, the Sub-Mariner notices that the Marcelle has landed as well and asks the Captain to introduce him to the skipper of the Schooner. Namor is introduced to Captain Kale who is more than happy to show the Sub-Mariner around his sailing ship. While taking a tour of the ship Namor notes that the cargo hold inside the boat is abnormally small and that there is a ship steering wheel below and wonders what it could mean. Returning that night, Namor sneaks aboard the Marcelle and examines the strange steering wheel.

Turning the wheel, Namor opens a secret passage that reveals a secret storage compartment aboard the ship. There he witnesses as the crew of the Marcelle are preparing to drop a Nazi U-Boat, explaining why the ship suddenly sank 3 feet in the sea: it picked up extra weight. As he watches the sub being loaded with torpedoes, Namor notices as one is accidentally dropped. Namor rushes to it in order to save himself from being blown up and gives away his position.

Namor is then swarmed by the Nazi sailors and is knocked out by a blow to the head with a boat anchor by the Nazi U-Boat captain. He takes Namor prisoner in a cage and attempts to bring him back to Nazi Germany to deliver to Hitler himself. However, while at sea, their U-Boat is struck by Allied torpedoes causing the prisoner hold to spring a leak. The water replenishes Namor's strength allowing him to break free and escape the U-Boat as it is blasted apart and sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

Swimming to the surface, he finds the American vessel he was riding on before and warns them of the Marcelle's danger. After protecting the ship from another U-Boat attack, Namor swims after the Marcelle and softens up the crew until the American vessel can catch up to round up all the traitors. With the crew defeated, the Sub-Mariner fishes Captain Kale out of the water and turns him over to the military authorities.