Human Torch Comics #22
The Sentence of Death
In Gotham City, a jury finds mobster Tony Sloan guilty of murder and Judge Drake sentences him to death. As Sloan is being dragged away by security, he vows that he will not face the electric chair. Watching in the crowd, are the Human Torch and Toro. After the trial, the Torch and Toro pay a visit to West Point Military Academy to put a show up for the recruits.
Meanwhile, Tony Sloan is visited by his lawyer who tells him of their plan to keep Tony from seeing the electric chair: They have found out the location of Judge Drake's son, and plan on kidnapping the boy in order to force the judge to give Sloan a lighter sentence. The kidnapping goes off without any interference, however when the authorities find out they contact the Torch and Toro at West Point. Rushing back to police headquarters, the two flaming heroes are informed by the chief of police that Sloan's gang have given them four days or they will kill the boy.
The Torch meets with Drake and his wife and get them to promise to keep quiet about the ultimatum and not make a decision right away while they are looking for their kidnapped son. Soon they are alerted that the crooks getaway car was found by the waterfront and they confirm the finger prints in it. Realizing that the crooks must have rented a boat, the Torch questions boat rental companies and learns that the kidnappers rented out a boat called the "Mary Jane" and track it down near Frog Island.
Deciding to play dumb about the boys kidnapping, they attempt to question Blake's gangs about "missing fishermen", however the crooks douse the heroes flames with fire hoses and take them prisoner. The duo are then tied up and thrown into the water to drown. However, the Torch manages to use the rocks below to cut their bonds and the pair swim to the surface, attacking the boat with their flames. They completely decimate the boat and rescue Drake's son and capture the surviving members of the gang. The following day, Judge Drake presides over Tony's sentencing, condemning him to the electric chair.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Baffling Mystery of the Pawnshop Murder
One day at a New York Pawn Shop, an old woman in need of money pawns off a bracelet that her husband gave her on their anniversary, hoping to reclaim it before her husband finds out. Suddenly a man claiming to be from the IRS pays a visit to the shop and asks the pawn shop owner to present his books. When the owner opens his safe, the man shoots him dead and robs the place.
His gun shots attract the attention of the Human Torch and Toro who chase after the killer. Flaming off to apprehend the man, the two heroes are knocked out from behind. When they come around they find their attackers gone and discover the dead pawnshop owner and his robbed safe. Reporting the incident to the chief of police they learn that this is the fourth such robbery and that the police have no clues on who is responsible. The Torch and Toro take on the case, as the recent murder reaches the newspapers.
The men responsible are part of a gang led by Trigger, when news about he police being unable to solve the crimes reaches them, Trigger notices that his minion Slip is talking to his girlfriend Mitzi. Trigger warns Slip to get rid of Mitzi because he thinks that she is bad news. Meanwhile, the Torch and Toro have not turned up any clues and return to the police station. There they walk in on the old woman who pawned her bracelet, hoping to get it back, and she tells them about the "taxman" who came to visit the shop just as she was leaving. Realizing how the crooks were committing their crimes, the Torch gets the woman to agree to help them set a trap for the gang. They then put an ad in the paper offering a $500 reward for the return of the stolen bracelet.
Elsewhere in the city, Slip returns to Mitzi's apartment and she encourages him to stand up for himself and stop taking orders from Trigger. When they read the story in the paper about the reward, Mitzi suggests that they claim it and leave town before Trigger finds out. However, when Slip returns to their hideout to get the stolen bracelet he is caught red handed, but manages to convince Trigger that he is getting the money for the gang.
Soon Slip goes to the hotel meeting place unaware that he is being watched by the Torch and Toro. He calls Mitzi who suggests he play it safe and he calls the old woman and demands that he meet her 2037 West Lane Avenue alone. The old woman, believing that the Torch and Toro are watching over her, leaves a note and leaves. When Slip rushes out of the hotel, the Torch and Toro follow after him but lose him and return to their post unaware that the old woman is heading to meet with Slip.
When the old woman meets with Slip and Mitzi, they get her to hand over the money, then Slip pulls a gun on her intending to shoot her when Trigger and his men suddenly arrive and shoot Slip dead. When Mitzi tries to flee she is slapped down, but then the Torch and Toro arrive and easily round up the crooks.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Fatal Fifth Bullet
The Human Torch and Toro are in Hollywood again working on a film about their crime fighting exploits. After shooting a scene where a "squealer" gets shot and the Torch bust the shooter, the set is is closed for the night. The director Mr. Maxwell thanks the two heroes for their help and tells them about his next film "Golden Dreams", casting the young actress Mona Trent in the lead roll.
As the Torch and Toro prepare to leave, they notice that John Wells, the actor who was playing the squealer who got shot, hasn't gotten up off the ground. Checking it out, they are shocked to find that the man is dead. They are told that the prop man, Jerry Buck loaded the guns with only blanks. When they call Jerry to the set he confirms this and tells them that only John had the gun after it was loaded. Soon they are confronted by camera man Homer Hamlin who tells them that he photographed a picture that proves who replaced the blanks with live rounds. Taking them to his photo studio, they catch a man trying to steal the photographic evidence. The Torch knocks the man out and they learn that he is Ted Terrence. They look at the photo and see that it is of Mona placing a gun in John's jacket. When they demand answers from Ted, he tells them that he is in love with Mona. Just then the police arrive and search the set. They find a marriage certificate between Mona and Ted, and a letter from Wells threatening to reveal this information to Mona's employers whose contract specifically stated that she must refrain from getting married for at least five years. Mona pleads her innocence, but with the evidence stacked up against her, Mona is arrested.
Mr. Maxwell is undaunted and continues with his shooting of "Golden Dreams", planning on filming the lead roll shots later when a replacement is cast. Unconvinced that the case is closed, the Torch takes Toro back to the police department to get another look at Hamlin's damning photograph. Upon closer examination, the Torch is convinced that Homer Hamlin is the real killer. They race to the location where the film crew is shooting "Golden Dreams" and are directed to Hamlin's cabin by Ace Maxwell. However, there is a trap waiting for them and they plunge through the floor into a pool of quicksand. Quick thinking, the two flame on and make a rope of flame to pull themselves out of the mire. They then quickly round up Homer and Ace.
The two confess to their crimes, explaining that they used to run an actors agency, that routinely underpaid their actors. When John Wells threatened to expose them, they arranged to have him killed. They then doctored the photo of Mona and framed her, because she had spurned their interests in her. With the plot revealed, the Torch and Toro turn Hamlin and Maxwell over to the police and Mona is cleared of the murder charges. Free again, Mona is offered her role back and a new contract with the movie studio.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Doomed Fishermen
The Sub-Mariner is reading a newspaper story about two gold bearing cargo ships that recently sunk en route from South America when he suddenly notices a girl jumping into the water to try and drown herself. Namor saves the girl, and learns that she is distraught because her fiancée Jim apparently abandoned her after taking up a job with Captain Storm. She shows Namor this strange letter, apparently from Jim Powers, telling her that he is going to stay on the Captain's ship, the Vulture. Suspecting something terrible might have happened, the girl agrees to let Namor investigate and not try to kill herself.
Namor tracks down the Vulture and climbs aboard as Captain Storm learns that his crew threatens to mutiny if they don't get paid more. When Storm attempts to attack the bearer of the news, Namor intervenes sending Storm fleeing back to his ship. There, Storm begins whipping his crew and ordering his goons to continue forcing them to work. Namor suddenly attacks, and easily rounds up Storm and his men and demands to know where Jim is. Storm refuses to talk so Namor drags him to the lower levels of the ship and locks him up in the brig while he searches for clues to Jim's whereabouts. Namor finds a log book showing some dismal returns on the ships fishing expeditions.
Meanwhile, Jim's girl has smuggled herself aboard the Vulture in a barrel. Coming out of hiding, she demands Captain Storm reveal the location of Jim to her. Storm agrees to do so only after she frees him and helps him deal with the Sub-Mariner. While the girl is breaking Storm free, Namor is above deck helping the sailors catch some large fish. When he returns to the ship he is ambushed by Storm and his men who retake the ship. and knock out the weakened Namor. They then seal him inside an air tight oil drum and dump him overboard, hoping the lack of contact with the water will kill him while they continued on their journey.
Namor revives inside the barrel and finds a file that the girl had left for him in the barrel and uses it to puncture a hole in it and let water in. His strength revitalized, Namor busts free and chases after the Vulture. When Namor catches up with the ship he sees that they sending divers down to recover the sunken gold from the ships. Rising to the surface, Namor hears that Captain Storm caused the ships to sink, so that he can recover the gold. When his men complete their job, he intends to drown them alive, much like she did to Jim Powers, horrifying his girl. Namor then attacks, using Storm's own TNT on his ship, diving overboard with the girl as it explodes, killing Storm and his crew. Soon a Coast Guard cutter picks Namor and the survivors up. Back on the mainland, the girl tells Namor that she can go on with her life now that Jim's death has been avenged.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner
