Introducing Toro, the Flaming Torch Kid

Passing by a traveling circus, Human Torch spots a young kid on the ground with his body aflame. Landing, and a bit puzzled, he helps the young boy named Toro to be able to flame on at will and fly. Just then, the circus strongman, Samson, buts in and takes on the Torch. Samson loses and swears revenge.

In the meantime, Toro relates how he was involved in a train accident and lost both his parents after trying to save them in the fire. He fell unconscious, holding a piece of molten metal in his hand. He was adopted by two circus performers and has been with the circus since.

Meanwhile, Samson is planning his revenge against the circus and especially the Torch, the latter with a stolen invention called "The Rayon Gun" that puts out flame. The Police eventually arrest Samson and the Torch tracks down his henchmen.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

Continuity Notes

• The origin of Toro’s powers are a mystery here. Invaders #22 suggested that Toro might be a mutant. This had been reinforced for years, particularly in the Avengers/Invaders series. However, more recently, it was revealed that Toro’s powers came from a recessive Inhuman genes in his DNA as explained in All-New Invaders #8.

Sub-Mariner Crashes New York Again

The Navy has lost four battleships to fifth columnists at the Baltimore Naval Base, so the Sub-Mariner decides to head that way and look over the situation. He discovers a submerged Nazi U-Boat and some suspicious men diving down to it. Fearing sabotage, Namor decides to be on hand for the christening of a new ship the next day. As the ship slides into the water, aerial subs of Prince Namor show up, anchor discs to the ship, raise it out of the water and put in back in dry dock. In a letter to officials, Namor tells them the ship was to be sunk, and that he knows where the saboteurs are and will take care of them personally.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Nazis

Extortion for a Bail-Out

Carl Burgess, District Attorney, runs into a Mrs. Bankhead on his way out of court and learns that her husband has been kidnapped by men demanding $50,000. Changing to the Falcon, he tracks down the kidnappers and learns that they were trying to get the extortion money to bail out their boss, Big Jim Peterson, whom Burgess was attempting to prosecute.

Recurring Characters

Falcon

A Wish Come True

Bored little Jimmy Everett visits Mr. Schmidt in his lab while he is experimenting. After finding out the old chemist has invented a potion that can shrink someone, he runs an errand for him, and comes back to find him asleep. Jimmy decides to take the potion and shrinks down to the size of a nickel laying on the floor. When the chemist awakes, he spots the coin and picks it up, not noticing Jimmy on the coin, and puts it in his pocket. The old man happens to pick up a magnifying glass and sees the tiny boy, gives him the antidote and restores him to regular size.

Hidden Treasure Means Death

Mantor the Magician sees a young lady drowning and acts quickly to save her. She tells him that her father recently died and left her a castle and a queer map that supposedly leads to a treasure. Together they go to the castle and he examines the map, which speaks of a secret button and hidden passage leading to the treasure. Mantor tells the girl to lock herself in her room while he investigates. An attempt is first made on Mantor by a deformed creature, before he finds the passage and is able to save the young lady from a phony ghost, namely Saunders the Butler.

Continuity Notes

• Although “A Wish Come True” and “Hidden Treasure Means Death” are the only appearances of Jimmy Everett and Mantor the Magician both have profiles in the Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special.

The Strange Case of the Bloodless Corpses

Dr. Jack Castle is called in Police HQ to look at a recent murder victim who doesn't have one drop of blood left in its body. He agrees to help the suffering people involved, but the Police will have to solve the mystery. Soon, more victims are reported in the local press, and Castle cannot allow any more victims to die, so he changes to the Fiery Mask and prepares a trap for the perpetrators at his lab. Swarms of ghoulish men come in and overpower the Mask, who is found injured the next morning by his nurse, who also discovers his secret identity. Later, he tracks down the man behind the terror, Dr. Sendach, eminent stomach specialist, who disappeared long before and who had been experimenting on a mechanical stomach.

Recurring Characters

Fiery Mask