Kid Komics #5
Mad Fiends of Horror Castle
The Young Allies are given a tour of the Neptune Shipyards, one of the most vital yards in the war effort as every ship constructed there goes into the Allied’s convoy fleet. Mister Williams explains that the men working in the yard are starting to get nervous and shows Bucky a note they received recently. It contains a threat from someone calling himself the Phantom, warning that they will all die. That’s when they hear cries for help and witness as the Phantom — a hideous looking man — rips apart a scaffold with his bare hands sending the works falling to the ground. The Young Allies rush to stop the Phantom from committing more acts of sabotage but are forced to let him flee when some of the workers get knocked overboard and need rescuing.
They follow the fleeing Phantom and are led to a nearby castle. Knocking on the door, they tell the property owner that they are looking for the Phantom. Introducing himself as Count Kazan of Hungary, he tells them that he knows about the Phantom He explains that he only recently immigrated to America and had his castle shipped to the country stone by stone. The Phantom was believed to haunt the castle and somehow, the creature followed him from his native country. He tells the youths that the Phantom is the ghost of one of his ancestors who was murdered in the castle. The Young Allies are not convinced the Phantom is real, and the count agrees to let them look around, saying the only people whole live here are himself and his servant.
The Young Allies split up and begin searching the castle grounds. Bucky and Toro manage to find the Phantom and connecting some punches, Bucky is convinced they are not dealing with a ghost, but a man. When Toro tries to round up the Phantom, he uses a bellow to snuff out Toro’s flame. He then pushed Bucky into an iron maiden and closes the lid then ties Toro up onto a torture wheel. By this time, the other Young Allies have turned up nothing and return to the count. However, Bucky, Toro, and Whitewash have all gone missing. Kazan then summons his servant who insists that the Bucky and Toro were captured by the Phantom in the torture room. The servant then leads the Young Allies to the torture room where the Phantom traps them in a cage. After setting a torch on the cage to roast the boys alive, the Phantom leaves to continue his acts of sabotage at the shipyards. That’s when Whitewash arrives, having hidden in a suit of armor. He frees the others from the cage and Toro from the torture wheel. Fearing the worst, they open the iron maiden and are relieved that Bucky is still alive. He survived due to the fact that the iron maiden was designed for a full-grown man and he was small enough that the spikes wouldn’t reach him.
They quickly rush back to the shipyard where they ambush and subdue the Phantom. Unmasking their foe, the Young Allies discover that he is Count Karza. With his scheme foiled, Karzan reveals that he is actually a Nazi spy. With the count turned over to the authorities, Whitewash tells his friends that he is stuck in the suit of armor and asks for them to help him get out.
Recurring Characters
Young Allies (Bucky, Toro, Jeff Vandergill, Tubby Tinkle, Knuckles O’Toole, Whitewash Jones)
Phantom Invasion
In Berlin, Adolf Hitler is becoming increasingly paranoid that the Allied forces will soon invade his home. His unease grows when Herman Goering informs him that the Allied forces continue to press forward. Willing to stop them at any cost, Hitler orders Goering to initiate their master plan in the hopes it will stop the Allied push. Soon tanks are deployed for the western front to oppose the Allied forces. This is witnessed by the Destroyer who decides to do something about it. Sneaking inside one of the tanks, the Destroyer not only discovers the tank is unmanned but it is also made entirely out of cardboard.
On the western front, the Destroyer ambushes the Nazi soldiers setting up these phony tanks and demands to know why they are trying to trick the Allies into attacking these fake tanks. The commanding officer explains that they are trying to lure the Allies to a nearby dam, but before he can explain the plot further he is killed by a bomb. The Destroyer decides to check out the dam and spots Nazis soldiers rigging it with explosives. Deducing that the Nazis intend to blow the dam and drown the Allied forces, the Destroyer quickly beats the Nazi troops and disarms their bombs. He then leaves a note for Allied forces warning them that they are being lured in the trap and they continue pushing forward toward Berlin.
When news reaches Berlin, Adolf Hitler begins to panic as the end is near.
Recurring Characters
Destroyer, Nazis (Adolf Hitler, Herman Goering)
The Tell-Tales Heel!
An underworld figure named Spike Donnergan is killed in cold blood in the woods one night. when Detective Mike Trapp is assigned to the case. Investigating the murder scene, Trapp suspects that Spike was murdered by Dapper Dan, as he and Spike were mortal enemies. His suspicions are confirmed when he finds a footprint at the scene. Mike and Pepper Burns pay a visit to Dapper Dan, who tells them that he has an alibi for the evening of the murder. When Mike reveals that the killer left a footprint with a pair of hobnailed shoes, Dan reveals that wears rubber heels with diamond marks. This is sufficient enough evidence for Mike to arrest Dapper Dan. Later, Pepper asks Mike how he figured out Dapper Dan was responsible for the murder. Trapp reveals that the footprints were diamond marks all the time and that he had lied to Dan in order to admit that he wore the same type of shoes as the killer.
Recurring Characters
Detective Mike Trapp, Pepper Burns
The Defense of New Orleans
In class one day, Tommy Tyme is asked by his teacher how New Orleans was defended from the British during the War of Independence. Stuck with the answer, Tommy decides to activate his Clock of the Ages and goes back in time to the year 1812. Appearing in New Orleans, Tommy’s modern-day clothes interest Andrew Jackson who asks the boy where he comes from. Tommy explains that he comes from Brooklyn, but Jackson doesn’t know where that is. Hearing Tommy’s strange manner of speaking he suspects that the boy might be one of Jean LaFiett’s pirates. He then tells the boy how his armies cannot get reinforcements in time to stop a British invasion of New Orleans and could use the help LaFiett’s band of pirates. Unfortunately, the pirates are also being tempted to join the British forces who are offering to pay them in treasure for crushing the revolutionary forces. This angers Tommy who assures Andrew Jackson that he will make sure that the pirates don’t ally themselves with the British.
After stealing a rowboat, Tommy rows out to the swamps north of New Orleans and finds Jean LaFiett’s pirate ship. Climbing aboard he’s spotted by LaFiett’s men who think he is a spy. When they try to rush the boy, Tommy is able to keep them at bay with his slingshot. This impresses Jean LaFiett, insulting Tommy enough to shoot the pirate in the face. Angered by this affront. Another shot from Tommy’s slingshot knocks the pirate off his feet and he is so impressed he agrees to join Andrew Jackson’s army. LaFiett’s information on the British proves invaluable to the revolution. Tommy also helps by teaching them how to dig foxholes so they can ambush the British forces. Sure enough, Andrew Jackson and his armies are able to repel the British invasion of New Orleans.
After the battle is over, Tommy returns to his own time and is able to answer his teacher’s question. He tells her that Andrew Jackson was able to stop the British invasion with the help of Jean LaFiett.
Recurring Characters
Tommy Tyme
Continuity Errors
Andrew Jackson claims to have never heard of Brooklyn before. Which is odd since Brooklyn was originally settled in 1634 and was a well-established city by 1812.
