Human Torch Comics #14

Jul 31

Jul 31 Human Torch Comics #14

Horror of the Mad Dogs

Nazi agents led by a man named Ratter hiding out in the town of Fairview are concerned about the coming of the Human Torch and Toro to deliver a lecture. The Nazis are worried that the lecture might be a cover up an investigation into the dogs that have gone missing in the area that have been pledged to the army.

However, the spies cannot be any further from the truth as the pair are really intending on doing some fishing while they are in the area. However, their friend Captain Carter informs them of the disappearance of the dogs, prompting the Human Torch to decide to investigate the disappearances instead, much to Toro's chagrin.

When the Torch and Toro arrive in Fairview and check into their hotel, they spot a man whose face is heavily disfigured who cannot talk. They attempt to see what they can do for him when some men warn him that the man has leprosy. After a fruitless search, the two heroes return to the hotel. There they are given an unexpected delivery of flowers, and realize too late that the flowers are emitting Lewsite gas, but the Human Torch manages to pull himself and Toro to safety before it can kill them.

Believing their mission to be a success, Ratter and his men begin their plot to blow up Fairview. However, Ratter realizes that the two heroes survived when they make it to their lecture which is broadcast over the radio. Furious, Ratter comes up with another scheme to destroy the two heroes. The Nazi spies attempt to gun down the two heroes during their lecture but fail and flee the scene. When questioning the audience, they learn the identity of one of the shooters and that he stays at an isolated estate on the outskirts of town.

When they arrive at the Nazi hideout, the Torch and Toro overhear the spies plan on using a secret formula on the stolen dogs. Before they can act, they are discovered and attacked from behind. As the Human Torch and Toro give Ratter and his men chase, the "leper" they saw earlier (really a prisoner of the spies who had been blinded) decides to help the heroes out by drawing a map of the secret passageways in the secret hideout.

When Ratter escapes the round up of spies, the Torch and Toro are given the map and use it to chase after Ratter. With the dogs set loose, they end up spelling Ratter's end as he and his minions prepare to fire shells with their lethal formula. When the Torch and Toro approach Ratter he attempts to toss a bullet at them, but an attacking dog causes him to drop the shell causing an explosion that kills himself and his minions.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro, Nazis

Wings of Death

Answering a call from the police, the Human Torch and Toro arrive at the scene of a murder where the victim, a bank teller, had bite marks on his throat. Examining the crime scene they find a woman's hankie loaded with perfume with a blackmail message demanding that the victim pay large ransom to someone calling themselves the White Vampire. They wonder if the attack is the work of a real vampire, but the coroner is not quite convinced.

Back at their office doing research on vampires, the Human Torch and Toro are visited by a man named Don Pardo Kelly, secretary to the US Ambassador from a South American nation. He too has received a woman's handkerchief with a demand for money. The Human Torch convinces Kelly to follow the instructions in the hopes of catching the White Vampire when they strike. However, instead of Pardo making the delivery, the Torch puts Toro go in disguise. However, when the White Vampire arrives she sees through the ruse and douses Toro in perfume before fleeing. Recognizing the perfume as the same on the handkerchiefs they rush back to Kelly's apartment only to find him dead on the floor, the victim of another attack.

Spotting a bat in the room, they realize that the White Vampire has trained vampire bats to attack anyone who is doused with the perfume. They follow the bat back to the White Vampire's hideout where they find the woman in a glass. There the White Vampire activates a trap door that sends the Torch falling into dungeon below, knocking him out. With Toro still reeking of perfume, the White Vampire unleashes her bats upon him, but he tricks them into flying into high voltage wires killing them.

With the live wires setting off explosives inside the hideout, Toro rescues the Torch and flees from the hideout as it explodes, seemingly killing the White Vampire with it.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Smashing the Bloody Plasma Pool

On the Italian battlefront, wounded American soldiers are given much needed blood transfusions with blood donated by Americans back home. However, the blood has been tampered with and all those given the transfusions end up dying. When the news reaches the States, the Human Torch and Toro get military officials to agree to let them investigate the tainted blood situation on their own.

The Human Torch and Toro then begin monitoring the transport of blood supplies to be shipped overseas. Along the way, they notice as one of the trucks takes a long time to come around a mountain pass and decide to investigate. Sure enough, they find a secret hideout where the trucks with inspected blood are replaced with blood that has been tampered with. Peering inside, they catch Nazis led by Herr Schmutz working away at tainting the blood. The Human Torch sends Toro to get the FBI while he deals with the spies directly. During the fight, Schmutz sprays the Torch with a thick liquid that coats his body, dousing his flames and encasing him in a hard shell.

Meanwhile, Toro incapacitates the truck carrying tainted blood and leads the FBI to it before returning back to the Nazis hideout. There he watches as Schmutz and his men load the Torch up in another truck and leave. Toro chases after the car and forces it to crash but Schmutz manages to escape. Recovering the Torch's inert body, Toro frees his mentor and the two stop Schmutz and his men from fleeing the country in a U-Boat.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Message to Moscow

Along the New York coast, Nazi spies are preparing for an air raid on New York City. While in the city, the Sub-Mariner meets with naval intelligence to deal with the public apathy regarding potential air raids on the United States, and their lack of preparedness with an upcoming air raid. Namor suspects that the Nazis may take advantage of this by using submarines that can carry aircraft to attack American shores. Meanwhile, a Nazi agent known as the Cobra puts his face together to prepare to get revenge against the United States over the destruction of his original face.

While at that time, the Nazis hiding out in the ocean launch missile attacks on New York. The Sub-Mariner dives into action, finding that the enemy subs launching the missiles and easily subdues the crew and turns them over to the Navy. Learning about the Nazi spy known as the Cobra, they attempt to interrogate the captured Nazi sailors but none will talk. Separating the youngest from the group they begin questioning him, but before he can give any answers he is shot in the back form outside the window. Namor is unable to catch the shooter, and they hit a dead end in their investigation.

Meanwhile, the Cobra learns that President Roosevelt is sending a messenger to deliver a message to Joseph Stalin directly, and becomes determined to find out what the message is about. Killing the messenger and taking his place, the Cobra travels to Moscow and delivers the note directly to Stalin. In doing so he learns that Roosevelt and Churchill have asked that Stalin meet them in the Atlantic to discuss the war. Stalin accepts the invitation and the Cobra leaves to plot the three leaders assassinations.

When the Cobra is picked up by an Allied plane to be returned to the United States, he drops his cover to kill the pilot and then sends a phony distress signal that their plane is experiencing trouble and he has to abandon ship. Overhearing this transmission, Namor finds it suspicious and asks the navy brass to investigate, they shrug it off as nothing more than paranoia and dismiss the possibility of trouble.

Namor, still convinced that something is afoot returns to Atlantis and gathers an army to protect the boat containing the three world leaders from attack. Meanwhile, the Cobra returns to Germany where he informs Hitler of what is going on. The Fuehrer is pleased and orders the Cobra to lead a submarine to the location and kill the three leaders.

When the enemy subs arrive, Namor and his minions attack them, and Namor boards the lead sub. There he battles the Cobra and his men and is knocked out when hit from behind and chained. However, Namor breaks free and wrecks the ship, beating the crew into submission and defeating the Cobra. After the Nazis are rounded up, Namor is commended on a job well done by President Roosevelt.