Human Torch Comics #28

Jul 31

Jul 31 Human Torch Comics #28

The Twins Who Weren't

The Human Torch and Toro are patrolling the city when they spot a woman on the ledge of a building about to jump and save her from the fall. Pulling her back into the building, she introduces herself as Joyce Clayton and that she doesn't remember how she got on the ledge and recalls a man at the window who looked like Sir Lancelot. The two heroes bring her back to her home where they meet her family: her wealthy Uncle John who tells them that she is really Elaine Clayton, her twin sister who is apparently the real Joyce Clayton and their cousin Tom. Two men quickly grab Elaine and lead her away as she protests that she is not Elaine but Joyce. Uncle John explains to the two heroes that Elaine has gone crazy ever since she had a bad relationship at the age of 18. Shows them some love letters from her former boyfriend Charles Smith, where he refers to himself as "her Lancelot". When Elaine went crazy she saw Lancelot everywhere and had to be sent to an insane asylum. Suddenly, Tom enters the room and informs everyone that Charles Smith had been murdered. They meet a homicide detective who explains that Charles was shot to death in his studio with a note that read "Farewell, Lancelot!" and asks the Torch if he can get a confession from Elaine.

At the sanitarium, Elaine manages to break free from her minders and flee outside just as the Human Torch and Toro arrive on the scene. She manages to put out their flames with the sprinkler system and knock them out with a shovel before fleeing. The two heroes are revived by Dr. Montrose who explains that Elaine suffers from a split personality, and that the personality prone to murder believes itself to be Elaine's sister Joyce.

The two heroes then return to the Clayton home to search for "Elaine" and find that Uncle John has also been murdered. Spotting someone running away the Torch stops them with fireballs and it turns out to be Tom, who explains he was running after Elaine after witnessing her murder her uncle. When Joyce arrives she worries about her insane sister and the Torch notes that Joyce is wearing a engagement ring. Tom explains that she is going to marry Larry Amber a wealthy businessman who is on business. The Torch thinks of something and the pair leave, the Torch then instructs Toro to go back to the Clayton house and secretly keep an eye on Joyce. Toro hears someone going down the hall to Joyce's room. There, Joyce is surprised when Tom suddenly pulls a gun on her. Tom is planning on killing Joyce so that he can collect his uncles fortune. Before he can shoot, Toro intervenes melting his gun, but Tom tosses a gas pellet at the youth, smothering his flame and allowing Tom to knock Toro out.

The Torch arrives on the scene before he can bludgeon Joyce and surrounds him in a ring of fire. The Torch has realized the truth and "Joyce" is really Elaine, when she denies it a man in a suit of armor enters the room and "Joyce" blows her cover by thinking it is her Lancelot having come to her finally. Men from the mental institution then take the real Elaine away as "Lancelot" takes off his helmet, revealing himself to be the homicide detective. The real Joyce arrives and tells a confused Toro that the Torch found her after discovering the truth. They then go to the police station where Tom makes a confession: he explains that he and Uncle John sought to obtain their cousins fortune which was under the control of Joyce. They arranged to have Elaine break out of the asylum and then drugged Joyce, placing her on the ledge and spooking her with an helmet. They then planned to convince Elaine that she was really Joyce and have her sign off their fortune to them. However, becoming greedy, Tom killed his uncle to claim the entire fortune for himself, planning on pinning the murder on "Elaine".

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Dead End

As young boys, Ed Sampson and Daniel O'Toole where friends, however Ed took advantage of Daniel's kindness by borrowing his last quarter then taking the same girl Daniel intended to go out on a date with.

Ten years later, now adults, Daniel had grown up to become a police officer while Ed a criminal. After Ed robbed a bank he was chased by the Human Torch and Toro, forcing him to crash his getaway car. Surviving the crash, Ed managed to slip away from the two heroes and manages to slip into the home Daniel shares with his girlfriend Nancy. While Nancy cleans the cut on his forehead, Ed plays innocent telling them both that he had been framed for the robbery. Ed uses his long time friendship with Daniel to convince them not to call the police, by Dan warns him to stay out of trouble.

The following day Ed arrives back at the house and presents Nancy with a ring and proposes to her. She declines, telling him that she is in love with Daniel, Ed storms out telling her that when Dan leaves her, he'll be there to pick up the pieces. On the way out he runs into Dan, and tells him that he and Nancy are engaged. Dan believes him but has learned that Ed has become a big time racketeer and warns him that he is setting up for a big fall.

Days later, earning the reputation "Scarhead", Ed robbed a warehouse shooting one of the clerks. The Human Torch and Toro arrive too late to stop the robbery and are told by the dying man who was responsible. They track down the delivery truck and Ed flees from the heroes again. Around the corner he runs into a police officer and shoots without realizing its Dan. Reacting in kind, Dan shoots Ed. The shot is fatal and as Ed dies he tells him that he lied about his engagement to Nancy. Later, the Torch and Toro attend Ed's funeral with Dan and Nancy. As Dan reflects on how different the paths their lives went, the Torch points out that in the end crime never pays.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Case of the Bends

The Sub-Mariner is passing a woman in the streets when she suddenly collapses. Rushing to her aid, Namor notices that she is exhibiting symptoms of the Bends. When she suddenly dies Namor calls the police who come to collect the body. The Sub-Mariner is puzzled how a woman could die of the bends and not be near water. Looking out into the pier he spots a dredge boat near the river and wonders why it is there.

Swimming to the dredge, a mobster named Muggsie tries to stop him from boarding the ship, but Namor knocks him out. Namor searches the ship and finds a compression chamber, pumps and a diving platform inside the ship. Searching around, he finds a note from a Dr. D Mencha informing Mugsie that their next test will be conducted that evening at midnight. With midnight 10 minutes away, Namor disguises himself as Muggsie and welcome Dr. Mencha and his men aboard the ship. They board with a young woman who Namor witnesses being strapped in a breathing apparatus and lowered into the water. Realizing that this experiment will give the girl the Bends, Namor quickly dives into the water and rescues her before the nitrogen in her blood can fully effect her. Leaving her in the water, Namor dawns his disguise again as Dr. Mencha raises the platform to find his guinea pig gone. Mencha demands "Mugsie" bring the girl aboard and Namor does just that. Seeing that he girl is still alive, Mencha finishes his experiments for the day and leaves with his men, telling "Mugsie" that they will conduct another experiment the next night. After Mentia and his men leave, Namor threatens Mugsie not to reveal that he was ever there.

Swimming back to the mainland, Namor hops on the back of Mentia's car and follows him back to his home. Learning where it is, Namor realizes that Mentia must be paying poor women to participates in his sick experiments and decides to enlist the aid of Namora. Going to Betty Dean's apartment, Namor explains his plan to Namora and she disguises herself as a poor woman and pays a visit to Dr. Mentia's home asking for work. Upon learning that Namora is "desperate" for money, Mentia invites her in and has his assistant put her in a room and she is locked in.

Meanwhile, Namor swims bac kto the dredge ship and knocks out Mugsie again. Later that night, Mentia and his men bring Namora to the dredge and prepare her for the same experiment. Unlike Mentia's other victims, Namora does not suffer from the Bends when she is lowered into the water. Namor switches places with Namora on the platform while it is in the water while Namora swims to the surface. Mentia is horrified to find that the Sub-Mariner has taken the place of his latest victim. While Namor is busy beating Mentia's minions, the mad scientist tries to make a break for it in a speed boat. However, Namora swims after it and jams the motor and easily apprehends the scientist. She drags him to shore where she calls the police to take him away. Namora then leads them to Mentia's home where they arrest his assistant and free the girl who almost died the night before in Mentia's experiment. Namor and Namora attend the trail of Dr. Mentia and he his found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. As he is being carried away Mentia continues to plead his innocence and plans to appeal. As Namor and Namora return to the sea, they muse about how insane Mentia was.