Daredevil of Crime

The Human Torch and Toro report to Supermont Movie Studio to Director Mr. Ogleby for their appearance in an anti-crime film. With a previous shoot wrapping up, the two heroes are invited to look around. They watch a stunt scene for a film called "The Emerald Necklace Mystery" which features stunt woman Starra posing as actress Adrienne Kenmore during a stunt scene. After Starra successfully jumps out of a speeding car and the shot is done, she approaches Ogleby and asks him for a starring role in another picture. The director tells Starra that starring roles take time, however she is jealous of the attention that Adrienne is getting and the fact that she is wearing a necklace worth half million while she has to wear a fake and quits, storming off the studio lot in a huff. With the drama over the Torch and Toro are called on set to film their scene.

Later in Starra's dressing room, the jaded stunt woman is visited by Tommy, a neighbourhood kid who tells her about the Torch and Toro's scene. Starra tells Tommy to go away, but she is inspired to use her stunt woman talents to become a master criminal. Later she goes to a bar and hires on some crooks to assist her in her first crime. Elsewhere, the Torch and Toro have been invited to a Hollywood party being thrown by Adrienne, who has used her fortune to purchase the emerald used in the film. Suddenly, Starra swoops in and steals the emerald and flees the pursuing Human Torch and Toro. She manages to escape after tricking the Torch and Toro into flying into a nearby swimming pool. When the Torch and Toro recover they sweep the area but are unable to find her. Returning to the Kenmore estate, they promise Adrienne that they will recover the necklace.

The next morning while listening to the radio the Torch realizes that it is Friday, the day that Supermont Movie Studio hands out its payroll and the two heroes rush back to the movie studio. They arrive just in time to save some actors from a falling false-front, distracting the heroes long enough for Starra to zip by on a motorcycle and steal the payroll. When the Torch and Toro try to apprehend her, Starra grabs Adrienne and holds her at gunpoint and succeeds in escaping with the actress as her hostage. However, the Torch spots that the getaway car has driven through a bucket of luminescent paint and he and Toro manage to follow Starra and her goons back to their hideout. There, Starra is practising jumping through mirrors when the two heroes arrive. However, their flames are doused in by a water hose hidden in a stuffed lion and they are dumped into a pit with Adrienne. Starra then begins filling the basement with water, leaving them with a time bomb that will blow them up. With the room rapidly filling up, the Torch manages to unclasp Adirenne's necklace and use it to turn off the water. Freeing themselves from their bonds they manage to escape just moments before the bomb exploded.

Free, they note that the crooks have ditched their car, but when Adrienne tells them that Starra was jumping through mirrors the Torch deduces that she is going to rob the Mirador Club. The Torch and Toro rush there and easily round up Starra and her goons and recover the necklace. Later, the Torch visits Starra in jail to tell her that she should have learned the message the film he starred in was trying to teach: That crime doesn't pay.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

The Pirates of the China Sea

Namor and Namora have come to Shanghai, China to visit their friend Sun Yat, who once more thanks them for helping with his son two years prior...

Two years ago Lipo was completely enamoured by the western world and was more interested in hanging out with his American friends than participating in the traditional family business of exporting silk. When Sun Yat cuts his son off from the family money, Lipo vows to show his father that the ways of the west are better than the traditions of the east. Day later a Chinese ship is attacked by a band of pirates led by a western woman calling herself the White Flower. They loot the ship, attacking the crew and setting and explosive. When the ship explodes, it attracts the attention of Namor and Namora who swim up to investigate. They help the survivors get to life boats and learn that the White Flower has struck again. Namor approaches her ship and attacks the pirates, however the White Flower knocks out Namor from behind and throws him overboard. When Namor revives and returns to the surface he finds that the White Flower's ship has disappeared without a trace.

While back in Shanghai, Sun Yat calls his son Lipo and asks him to ride aboard his latest shipment of silk heading west out of fear that it might be attacked by the White Flower. Elsewhere, Namor and Namora review the shipping manifests and find that it is only silk cargo ships that are being attacked by the White Flower and that they are all owned by Sun Yat. They pay Sun Yat a visit and they agree to accompany his latest ship to protect it and keep his son out of trouble. Sure enough, when the ship is out at sea, White Flower and her crew attack. Lipo recognizes White Flower as one of his American friends, and when she tries to eliminate him the Sub-Mariner and Namora easily defeat White Flower and her crew. After the pirates are turned over to the authorities Lipo realizes what mistake he has made.

... Two years later, Lipo has become a successful member of the family visit and they all admit that after the experience that the separation of the two cultures is not the best way, but a coexistence between the two is.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Namora

Continuity Notes

• In the Sub-Mariner story "The Pirates of the Chinese Sea", Sun Yat states that the Sub-Mariner and Namora came to his aid two years prior. This would place the story as taking place during 1946. Sun Yat must be mistaken considering the fact that Namora did not fighting crime alongside Namor until 1947 as seen in Marvel Mystery Comics #82.

You'll Die Laughing

Popular theatrical comedian Humbert Humperdink has grown weary of always being casted in a comedy role and during an evening performance decides to change the pace by changing the comedy routine by not acting the fool, punching out the male lead and manager John Drake and scooping up the lead Cynthia Palmer. As the curtain closes, the Human Torch and Toro -- having been invited to the show by Cynthia -- are impressed by the show and decide to take up her invitation to see her back stage.

There, John demands to talk to Humbert in his dressing room and leaves. Humbert then professes his love to Cynthia and asks her to marry him, telling her that he has real feelings and is tired of being a joker. He tells her about his child hood, looking funny and having an equally funny name and that nobody ever took him seriously. However, after spilling his heart out to her, Cynthia merely walks away. Defeated, Humbert goes into John's dressing room and explains that he wants to have more serious roles, but John laughs at the notion, believing that Humbert is only destined for comedy roles. Furious, Humbert smashes a jug of water over John's head knocking him out. In a panic, Humbert then loads John in a trunk and as he tries to lug the trunk out he gets an unexpected hand from the Human Torch, who has no idea what Humbert is lugging.

The Torch and Toro meet with Cynthia who tells them about Humbert's profession to her and admits that she could never love someone who plays the fool all the time. The Torch, Toro and Cynthia leave to get some fresh air before the next show at 8 O'Clock. However, as she runs late and without John to play the lead role in a war drama, Humbert takes the lead role of the soldier lamenting over the desolation caused by war. When the Torch and the others return they find out that John is missing and find him in the trunk. John tells them that he was attacked by Humbert, but when they try to apprehend him he ends the scene of the play by stabbing himself to death. In the aftermath of the actors death, the Torch realizes that with each hearty laugh in the life of Humbert Humperdink was a tear.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro