Marvel Mystery Comics #13

Jul 26

Jul 26 Marvel Mystery Comics #13

Human Torch

After a series of subway crashes, where the passengers are looted and then murdered, the police put the Human Torch on the case. When Captain Rawlins is sent a warning message thrown through his window on the end of the knife, the Torch chases after the goons responsible and learn that the next subway attack will happen 5:30 Southbound Express. Rushing to the subway car, he gets aboard the train but is too late to prevent it from crashing.

The Torch intervenes in their attempt to loot passengers and take female hostages, however the Torch is soon overwhelmed and knocked out. Taken prisoner he is tossed in a cell with Mr. Morton the man who design the subway, the crooks confident that the Torch's flame will melt the tunnel unleashing the Hudson River above them in the tunnels. The Torch learns that Morton became embittered about the subway after both his sons were killed in it's construction and sought to get people to stop using the subway by building a series of tunnels and hiring the men to cause the subway wrecks. However, the men took over the operation and began using it to their own advantage. Morton agrees to help the Torch in anyway possible to bring the men to justice.

Even though he cannot activate his flame, the Torch is still able to generate enough heat to melt through his bonds and confront the crooks. Still incredibly hot, but not on fire, the Torch also fools the crooks into thinking that he's vulnerable. Easily subduing them, the Torch leaves Morton to keep an eye on them while he chases after their leader Reiss.

Following Reiss up an escape tunnel the Torch chases after him across the river, although a cloud of fog briefly trips him up. After Reiss fails to trick the Torch into chasing after his empty boat, the Torch captures him and turns him over to the authorities who have just finished collecting Morton and the gang. Morton has turned over a new leaf promising to repay society for his involvement in these crimes.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch

Sub-Mariner

Following his failed attempt to make Lynn Harris his bride, the Sub-Mariner is at a loss at what to do with himself. Lady Dorma suggests that Namor decide to resume his adventuring, prompting Namor to once more turn his attention to the war going on in Europe. Namor and Dorma pay a visit to Toro the tailor of Atlantis and they are given durable costumes as well as specially made gas masks. With Dorma having undergone a process to allow her to breath above water.

Swimming to a French island, they decide to stop to rest and are soon taken prisoner. Brought before the governor, he hears that Namor intends to lend his aid in the war effort. The governor agrees to let Namor and Dorma continue on their way if they promise to leave the island right away, or face imprisonment. Just then, an army of Nazi fighter jets attack, dropping paratroopers to secure the land.

With Namor and Dorma's aid, the French army manages to shoot all the ships out of the sky, taking the surviving Nazi's prisoner. Namor condemns the senselessness of the surface mens war.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Lady Dorma, Nazis, Princess Fen

The Vision

Professor Enoch Mason is about to activate his "Dimensional Smasher" device, to prove his theory that those beings of the super-natural believed to be ghost are in reality beings from another dimension near ours. However, before he can begin his experiment, crime boss "Brains" Borelli, a man whom Mason owes for loans to purchase his equipment, vows to send his men to collect the outstanding balance or destroy the device. Brains tells his girl Queenie that he takes joy in getting scientists indebted to him and then destroying their inventions after years of being made fun of for being unintelligent.

However, when Borelli's men arrive at the lab, they are too late to stop Mason from activating the device. Nothing seems to happen, until the smoke from one of the mobsters cigar creates the conditions needed to open a portal to another dimension. From the smoke comes Aarkus, a bring come to Earth to eliminate all evil, calling himself the Vision he kills one of the crooks with a touch, causing him to freeze alive. The other criminal flees out of the mansion and out into the street, where the Vision's illusion casting powers cause him to get tun down by a car.

Wondering how to explain the dead body in his home, Mason calls the police and waits for them to arrive. Aarkus however has assumed a human form and comes up with a believable explanation for the authorities: The criminal had ventured to close to some refrigerator coils. With this explanation, the police are satisfied and soon leave. That night, Mason, his daughter Sheila and Aarkus are all kidnapped by Borelli's men and taken to their hide out.

There "Brains" tells Aarkus that he intends to kill them for failing to pay up. Aarkus asks Borelli for "one last cigarette" and uses the smoke to transform himself into his Vision form. The Vision then easily defeats the crooks, stealing their pants and calling the authorities to collect them. When the police arrive, the Vision disappears in a puff of smoke. After the crooks are arrested, the Masons wonder if the Vision will ever return again.

Recurring Characters

Vision, Enoch Mason Sheila Mason

Continuity Notes

The Vision's origin is explained in a text story presented in Marvel Mystery Comics #23 which explains that the Vision is a law officer from the Smokeworld, a dimension filled with smoke. However in Avengers/Invaders #8 the Vision claims that his people's role is to nurture the growth of Cosmic Cubes, which seems contrary to his original origins. This contradiction remains unexplained.

Although not implicitly stated here, Invaders (Vol. 2) #3 and Mystic Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 confirm that the Vision was trapped on Earth thanks to Enoch Mason's invention.

Terry Vance

At an art gallery, Terry Vance and Deadline Dawson are impressed by the artistry of a man who is making copies of the paintings on display. Finding one of the display paintings a little off, Terry decides to take a photograph of it with his hidden camera and examine it at his photo lab. Examining the photo with a picture of the original print, he notices a smudge on the painting.

Terry then returns to the museum with his ape, Dr. Watson who confirms his suspicions: the seemingly 400-year-old painting still has fresh paint. Kicked out of the museum, Terry follows some paint-splattered men, by following them in his car. Following them up to their office, he uses their speakerphone to listen into the conversation and realizes that the men are operating a scheme to smuggle paintings out of the museum and replacing them with fakes. However, Terry is soon caught and tossed down an elevator shaft.

Terry manages to save his own life by grabbing the elevator cable and then has Dr. Watson free him from the shaft. Calling Deadline Dawson, Terry meets up with him an a team of reports to catch the crooks in the act. Caught by surprise, the painting smugglers are easily knocked out and turned over to the authorities. Terry is commended for his fine work by captain of the police.

Recurring Characters

Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson

Electro

Professor Zog and his robot Electro are accompanying Dr. Simon Crane and his daughter Betty on a manned rocket flight to the moon, where they hope to send Electro out to explore the area before people touch down on the moon.

Letting Electro loose on the moon, they find its surface barren but come across the ruins of a castle. Electro is soon attacked by an army of robots, which Electro easily destroys. However, another army of the robots come and easily over power the robot and take it to their leader, the alien known as Gnorr. Gnorr traps Electro in a clear dome which cuts off access to his power source rendering the robot inert.

With Electro trapped, Zog, and the Cranes put on space suits and with grenades destroy Gnorr's castle, seemingly killing the alien. Electro, surviving the explosion, would be recovered and brought back to Earth.

Recurring Characters

Electro, Philo Zog

The Angel

After going straight, former criminal Happy Norton is gunned down by a member of Limpy Savoy's gang. The assassination is witnessed by Thomas Halloway who chases after the man and beats him into submission to learn that it was Savoy who put the hit out on Happy. Calling Savoy directly, Halloway warns Savoy that he will bring down his operations as the Angel.

Savoy does not take this threat standing down, sending his men to hunt down and kill the Angel, hoping that they will keep the hero busy while he jumps town. However, the Angel easily defeats the crooks and catches Limpy at his office. In their scuffle, they knock the phone off the hook allowing the operator to hear Limpy confess to the crimes that Happy Norton would have testified against him the next day in court. This sends the police to the location. By this time, the Angel and Savoy's fight have taken them to the roof of the building. Distracted by police sirens, Limpy loses his balance and falls to his death.

Recurring Characters

Angel

Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great

Continued from last issue...

Confronted by the police at the zoo, Ka-Zar surrenders so that they do not shoot Zar. Ka-Zar tells his "brother" to allow them to lock him up in the zoo, promising the lion that he will free him soon. Interrogated by the police, Ka-Zar is then locked up in a jail cell.

There, he tricks an officer to get close enough to his cell to grab his gun and escape. Hearing about animals that are keep at a nearby circus, Ka-Zar demands that the officer drive him there. In the car, the officer radios for help, and Ka-Zar, not realizing what the officer had done is soon surrounded by police.

Just then, Ruth Wilson arrives at police headquarters demanding to see Ka-Zar, explaining that she can talk sense into him. Taken to the stand-off, Ruth manages to convince Ka-Zar to stand down and talks the police into putting Ka-Zar into the custody of her father. At the Wilson home, the Wilsons learn of Ka-Zar's plight, and Dr. Wilson agrees to help Ka-Zar and Zar return to Africa. In the meanwhile, he gets Ka-Zar fitted for clothing and gets him a haircut, even though the jungle man finds civilizations customs uncomfortable.

Becoming restless to get back home, Ka-Zar sneaks out into the night and returns to the zoo where Zar has been kept caged in order to free his "brother". As Ka-Zar begins to bend the bars to free his friend, the police arrive on the scene with orders to shoot to kill.

This story is continued next issue....