Kid Komics #2 — Nick Peron

Aug 8

Aug 8 Kid Komics #2

Gaze of Doom

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In the middle night, Senator Hammond is awoken by the sound of knocking outside his bedroom. Getting up to check it out, he is instantly killed when he opens his bedroom door, triggering a bomb. This is the 10th such death, and after the 11th murder, the FBI gets involved as all the victims were all key figures in the fight against the axis powers.

On the day of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, a Nazi operative known as the Dwarf is called to Berlin for a one-on-one meeting with Adolf Hitler himself. As their Japanese allies have struck the opening salvo against the Americas, Hitler wants the Dwarf to carry out the next phase of his plan. The Dwarf, a genius psychologist who can bend the wills of others looks forward to serving his fuehrer.

A few days later, the Dwarf is operating out of an abandoned house near Washington, D.C. and begins working on his next victim. Meanwhile, at Central High School. young Tim Mahoney fights one of his fellow students who make fun of their teacher, Professor Jim Jordan. Professor Jordan quickly breaks up the fight. After school, Jordan and Tim read the afternoon paper and read about the mysterious murders. Jordan thinks that this is the job for Captain Wonder and the pair change into their costumes and travel to Washington to investigate.

There, Captain Wonder and Tim find the place swarming with the police. Sneaking around town, Captain Wonder and Tim search the scenes of the murders for clues that will help them identify the killer. In one of the homes, Captain Wonder finds a clue that will lead them to the next target. Unfortunately, they don’t arrive in time to save the next victim who suddenly goes into a trance when the clock begins to chime. At that moment, form his secret hideout, the Dwarf chants at a skull, calling for Senator Dobbs to meet with death. Back at the senator’s house, the senator hears the Dwarf’s words and goes into his desk for a gun and puts the barrel to his head. Captain Wonder tries to stop the Senator from killing himself but it is too late. Sensing the presence of Captain Wonder at the scene of his latest murder, the Dwarf decides to make the hero his next wonder.

Leaving the Senator’s apartment, Tim spots some thugs attacking a man in the alley below and they leap down to help. These men turn out to be Nazis spies and they were staging a fight so they can take Tim hostage in order to force Captain Wonder to surrender. They are both taken to the Nazi hideout where one of the thugs explains that the Dwarf will use his skills to force them to commit suicide. However, Captain Wonder and Tim refuse to go down without a fight. while they are busy fighting the Nazis, their ringleader tries to make a run for it and escapes in a car. Amazingly, Captain Wonder and Tim are able to run after the car all the way back to the abandoned house that serves as the Dwarf’s secret base of operations. However, while Captain Wonder is busy dealing with the guards, Tim is captured once again. Captain Wonder goes into the house to find his sidekick when he is knocked out from behind by one of the Nazis.

When Captain Wonder awakens he finds himself and Tim chained up in one of the rooms. The Dwarf then uses his powers to hypnotize Captain Wonder and orders the hero to toss Tim into a pit of boiling lava. At first, Captain Wonder appears to obey the Dwarf’s command, however, instead of throwing Tim into the pit, the hero tosses his boy sidekick a the Dwarf instead. While they are busy fighting the Dwarf’s goons, the Dwarf tries to make his escape. Captain Wonder leaps up on a catwalk over the lava pit to try and grab his foe. When the Dwarf tries to step on Captain Wonder’s hand, Tim throws a gun at their foe’s head, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the lava. With their foe dead, Captain Wonder thanks Tim for saving his life and they head back home.

Recurring Characters

Captain Wonder, Tim Mulrooney, Nazis (Adolf Hitler)

The Suicidal Saboteurs

Six loyal Japanese fanatics receive a special branding from their master who tells them they are to be taken to the American coast by submarine. There they will seek out a fishing boat where they will meet with the leader of the Young Nippon organization for further instructions. Once they arrive on the fishing boat, the begin drawing lots to determine who will strike and where.

The next afternoon, the Young Allies are watching a parade in Chinatown when they witness a fight breaking out among the parade attendees. When the Young Allies try to intervene, the man who started the brawl runs off, threatening to kill anyone who follows him. The Young Allies learn that the man, who is wearing a mask and has a strange knife-shaped branding on his chest started the fight by spitting on the Chinese flag. Over the next few days, a number of acts of sabotage are reported to have happened across the city. A group calling themselves the Young Nippon Society has claimed responsibility for the attacks, signing each of their letters with the sign of a dagger. As Bucky reads the news reports to his teammates, Jeff notes how the dagger symbol on the notes is the same as the branding they saw on the man who started the fight during the parade. That’s when Bucky hears a radio report that the four-block radius around the radio terminal is being cordoned off and protected by guards. Bucky deduces that this is where the Young Nippon Society will strike next and the Young Allies rush to the scene to see what they can do to prevent the attack.

Although the Young Allies catch some Japanese spies trying to sneak on the premises, they are too busy fighting to stop a bomb from blowing up the radio terminal. Returning to their clubhouse, the Young Allies compares notes. When Whitewash Jones notes that the Japanese spies they fought smelled like fish, Bucky deduces that they are hiding out on a nearby fishing boat. While the other Young Allies run to the scene, Tubby tells them it’s too far for him to walk and he opts to take the bus. Arriving at the pier, the Young Allies stake the place out waiting for the spies to appear. When the Young Nippon Society surface, the Young Allies overhear them plotting to sabotage six American ships and ambush their foes. Despite the fact that they have the element of surprise, the Young Allies are quickly defeated after Toro’s flame is snuffed out.

As Tubby finally arrives on the scene, the rest of the Young Allies are tied up. The Japanese spies tie a spiked trap hanging over their head, they then place a candle under the rope that is keeping the spikes suspended over their heads and leave the young heroes to die. Once the spies are gone, Jeff quickly blows out the candle. They then attack the spies on the boat and in the ensuing struggle Bucky gets hold of a rife and fires off some rounds into the air, alerting the coast guard. They quickly learn that the Japanese spies are going to use themselves as human torpedos, sacrificing their lives to destroy the American ships. Soon the harbor is flooded with spotlights and most of the Young Nippon Society is blown out of the water before they can complete their mission. However, their leader is still alive and lurking in the water waiting for the right moment to strike. When Bucky spots the last spy, he leaps into the water and beats the spy into submission and turns him over to the authorities. With the battle over, Tubby arrives on the scene and asks his friends what he missed, much to the irritation of his teammates.