The Mystery of the Sinister Black Bag!

The Young Allies are in Grand Central Station to take a train into the Adirondacks for a camping trip. As they get ready to board the train, Tubby says a man just stole one of his bags. The Young Allies chase after the men and a fight ensued. Although they get the bag back, the thieves manage to getaway. Deciding to leave it be, the Young Allies board the train for their trip. That’s when Whitewash points out that there are two identical black bags, it’s now that they realize that the men didn’t actually steal Tubby’s bag after all. When the train makes a stop at 125 Street, Jeff spots the men they encountered earlier boarding the train. The men recognize Jeff an nab him.

Meanwhile, the other Young Allies are about to turn the suspicious bag over to the conductor when he gives them a note from some men at the back of the train. It’s warning them that Jeff has been taken hostage and that they won’t let him go until they return the bag they stole. Although the rest of the Young Allies are willing to fight for Jeff, Bucky errs on the side of caution. When he hands the bag over to the men holding Jeff hostage. When the train stops at the next station, the men grab Jeff and Whitewash and flee, threatening to kill them if the rest of the Young Allies follow. Flaming on, Toro follows after them in the sky and is led to a nearby barn that has been converted into a summer theater. Inside, the men hand the bag over to their boss. When he opens it up he discovers there is nothing inside but foot and scolds his minions for grabbing the wrong bag.

Back at the train station, Tubby grows hungry and opens what he thinks is his bag and realizes that they still have the bag the men were after. Looking inside, they find nothing but men’s clothing, making them wonder why the men wanted it so badly. That’s when Toro returns to tell the rest of the team where Jeff and Whitewash have been taken. After checking in the bag at the train station, Bucky and the rest of the team head to the barn. With Toro waiting as back up, Bucky, Knuckles and Tubby go into the barn and catch the men whipping Jeff and Whitewash to try and learn the location of the real bag. The leader of the gang pulls a gun on them and demands to know where their bag is. Bucky tells him that it’s stashed someplace safe and they will hand it over once they’re sure their friends are safe. That’s when one of the gangsters realizes that one of the Young Allies isn’t accounted for. That’s when Toro comes flying in, but he is quickly caught in an asbestos lined net. When Bucky tries to rescue his friend he is pistol-whipped into unconsciousness. When the leader of the gang threatens to shoot their prisoners, Knuckles gives in and tells them they checked the bag in at the train station and gives them the claim ticket. Keeping Toro, Bucky, and Knuckles prisoner at the barn, the rest of the gang take Jeff, Whitewash, and Tubby with them to reclaim the bag. While the others are gone, the leader of the gang has Knuckles, Bucky, and Toro dumped in an old well. They then cover it with boards and parks a tractor on top to trap them inside. They then drive to the train station and discover that they can’t recover the bag until the baggage check opens again in another half hour.

Back at the bottom of the well, Toro can’t flame on because they are neck-deep in water. Knuckles manages to use the serrated edge of a discarded tin can to cut through his ropes to free themselves and the others. Bucky and Knuckles then lift Toro out of the water long enough for him to dry up and flame on. He then burns a way for them to get out. While Knuckles and Bucky are freeing themselves, Toro races ahead to see what he can do for the others. While Bucky and Knuckles catch a lift in a passing car, Toro arrives just as the crooks recover the checked bag and attacks. In the ensuing fight, the gang’s leader flees in his car while the Young Allies round up his men. Unfortunately, the mobster doesn’t get far when he crosses paths with Bucky and Knuckles coming his way. They bail out of the car when the mobster tries to ram them off the road and sends his own car tumbling down the side of a cliff in the process. In the aftermath, the Young Allies see that the bag they were after was thrown from the car and split open spilling a pile of stolen money hidden in the lining of the bag. When the sheriff arrives on the scene, he thanks the boys for their help in stopping the gang as they were involved in a series of bank robberies.

Recurring Characters

Young Allies (Bucky, Toro, Knuckles O’Toole, Tubby Tinkle, Jeff Vandergill, Whitewash Jones)

The Mad Beast

In history class, Tommy Tyme is stumped by yet another question from his teacher. When she asks him how man first learned how to make fire, he’s not sure. Luckily he still has his Clock of the Ages and uses it to go back in time to the early days of man. He quickly comes across some primitive men who are eating raw meat. Deciding to help them along, Tommy shows them how to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together on some kindling. When he gets a good fire going, the cavemen are frightened by the flames. While Tommy tries to wrap him around the paradoxical concept of being the first man to invent fire, he becomes aware of a massive shadow looming over him. Looking over his shoulder he is shocked to discover a massive dinosaur has sneaked up behind him. While the cavemen try to flee the monster, Tommy fashions a primitive torch and tosses it into the dinosaur’s mouth when it leans down to try and eat him. The creature swallows the burning torch and flees in pain.[1]

The bewildered cavemen then begin bowing before Tommy. Suddenly, one of them shoves Tyme out of the way of a falling boulder. Seeing that another caveman attempted to push the massive rock on him, Tommy fends off this rival tribe with his slingshot. He then teaches his newfound followers how to fashion their own slingshots. With their new weapons, the tribe manages to fend off their attackers with ease. Figuring he’s learned enough, Tommy returns to his own time where he is able to answer the teacher’s question.

Recurring Characters

Tommy Tyme

Continuity Notes

1. Assuming that Tommy Tyme’s adventures occur in the Marvel Universe, the idea of primitive man existing side-by-side with dinosaurs seems unlikely unless his trip through time also landed him in the middle of the Savage Land, where man and dinosaur co-existed together.

The Death Trap

Big Ears and his gang have ended up in jail after their latest crime was foiled by the Whizzer. However, Big Ears has come up with a new scheme that is sure to succeed. The next day, his gang is put on work detail outside of the prison. After knocking out the guard, Big Ears and his men manage to escape. The news of mobsters escape makes front-page news. as Jack Robinson reads about it in the newspaper he is interrupted when his doorbell rings.[1] It’s a telegram from Big Ears himself daring the Whizzer to try and stop him from stealing a rocket sled.

Racing to the scene, the Whizzer arrives too late to stop Big Ears and his men from making an escape. However, they leave a note challenging the hero to try and stop them from robbing the Fourth National Bank. When the crooks arrive at the bank, Big Ears has one of his men wait in the car and orders him to floor it when the Whizzer arrives. Sure enough, the crook does just that and the Whizzer gives chase. Expecting this, Big Ears and his men leave the bank with the stolen loot and leave the scene in a stolen chicken truck.

When the Whizzer realizes he’s been tricked, he backtracks and narrowly misses Big Ears and his men as they are carried off in a plane. Racing to the nearby US Army Spotting Command he learns where the crooks plan on landing their plane. When Big Ears and his men finally land their plane they find the Whizzer waiting for them and they are quickly sent back to jail.

Recurring Characters

Whizzer

Continuity Notes

1. As explained in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age 2004, Robert Frank developed the identity of Jack Robinson so the Whizzer had a public face.

Lady Raffles

Tiger Lil Larson, the notorious jewel thief, has managed to steal a famous crimson bracelet from the city museum and Detective Mike Trapp is assigned to the case. Luckily she is still in the museum and law enforcement are searching for her. In another room, Larson spots the employee locker room and sees it as her ticket out of the museum.

When they find no trace of Tiger Lil, Detective Trapp orders everyone in the museum rounded up. Upon closer inspection, Mike is able to deduce that Tiger Lil has disguised herself as one of the security guards. Wither her cover blown, Larson is arrested. Later, when officer Ryan asks Mike how he saw through Larson’s disguise the master detective explains that the big give away is that when men wear a jacket the wear left lapel over the right. Lil gave herself away by buttoning on the left as a woman would.

Recurring Characters

Detective Mike Trapp, Officer Ryan