Marvel Mystery Comics #17
The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner: Fighting Side-By-Side
Left wondering what his enemy Pinhead has said about a coming invasion, the Human Torch meets with the Sub-Mariner. After a brief fight between the two, Namor warns the Torch of an impending attack from Japan, whose forces are already digging a tunnel from Japan to Alaska. Giving the Torch a special diving helmet, the two dive into the ocean where Namor's submarine takes them to the location of the tunnel. They come across a German U-Boat and easily take it down before continuing on their journey. After fighting another ship full of Nazi's they learn of the location of the tunnel located on a volcanic island near Alaska.
There they attack the Japanese forces and during the fight the Japanese soldiers are easily defeated however a wall breach causes the tunnel to fill with explosive volcanic gasses. With no other alternative, and with Namor knocked out, the Torch uses his flame powers to set off the explosive gas in the hopes of destroying the underground tunnel. The explosion kills off the Japanese soldiers and the Torch carries Namor back to the surface to recover while he goes back and follows the tunnel to see how far it goes. Reviving, the Sub-Mariner returns to his army and orders them to go down the Bering Strait to Siberia and destroy whatever work is being conducted there.
While Namor's forces attack the Axis forces in Sibera, the Sub-Mariner puts on a diving helmet to protect himself from the volcanic gasses and follows after the Human Torch. The Torch meanwhile has located Japanese forces who are using captured prisoners to dig the tunnel for them. As Namor comes across a room full of explosives, the Torch battles Japanese forces and one of his flames sets off the explosives. The blast knocks Namor out, leading to him being easily captured by the Japanese. The Human Torch soon comes to the rescue of Namor, and the two confront a Nazi operative who is in charge, however rather than be captured he floods the tunnel killing himself. Melting their way to the surface, the Torch and Namor find themselves in the middle of an Alaskan town. Going to the governor, they tell him how they foiled an Axis plot to invade his state and he commends the two heroes on a job well done.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan, Nazis
Mor the Mighty
From his castle on Ghoul Mountain, the mystical Mor the Mighty decides to use his magical powers to take over the world. Using his magical powers he increases the size of his pet cat. Then with his minions, including the ape-man known as Zabu, he gathers a bunch of explosive powder and prepares to launch an attack on various railroads and government buildings.
The next morning Mor begins his attack, blowing up various government buildings and unleashing his giant cat. The FBI soon get into contact with Dr. Philo Zog and ask for him to send his robot Electro to assist them. Zog dispatches Electro who easily slays the cat. When he pits his robot against Zabu, Electro is ripped apart by two giant birds created by Mor. Zog attempts to shoot down Mor's plane, however he is shot down instead and crashes.
Surviving the crash, Zog then rushes to the remains of Electro and repairs his robot. With the robot in full operation, Zog sends it back into action where it knocks out Zabu, chokes Mor's giant birds to death and forces Mor to crash his plane, ending his threat.
Recurring Characters
Electro, Philo Zog
Thin Ice
Text story about Terry Vance and Deadline Dawson saving the lives of children who had fallen through thin ice.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
War Against the Werewolf
Doctor Roberts has returned has returned from Calcutta India with his aid Singa after an long expedition. Roberts is deeply troubled, and when he returns home his daughter Jean is hopeful that her fiancee and fathers aid Robert Harrison has returned with them as well. Roberts tells his daughter that Harrison is still in India and will likely remain there for another year or two, much to her upset.
However, this is far from the truth -- which is far more horrible than he could ever admit to his daughter: For some strange reason Robert has been bee transformed into a werewolf. Roberts has smuggled his future brother-in-law back into the United States and has vowed to find a cure for his condition. Finding no leads himself, he calls on his friend Dr. Lin for assistance. After examining Roberts himself, Lin cannot find cure himself. However, upon reading the latest exploits of the Angel in the papers -- and remembering the hero from when he was learning to become a doctor, decides that the Angel is the only one who can help. To this end, Dr. Lin releases Harrison hoping that his rampages will attract the heroes attention.
The Angel tracks down Harrison and easily subdues him in battle, then uses his keen detective skills to learn his identity and return him to the Roberts home. There he examines Harrison's body and learns that his condition has been caused by a mixture of rare Indian herbs. As he prepares to heal Harrison, Singa attacks him, transforming into a werewolf himself. The Angle easily defeats Singa, throwing him out a window and sending him falling to his death. When the Angel finally cures Robert, he pays his leave. As he is walking out of the Roberts estate, he is stopped by Dr. Lin who tells the Angel that he requires his assistance on another matter.
This story is continued next issue...
Recurring Characters
Angel, Doctor Lin
Burk and the Bomber
Terry Vance is working on cracking the case of a police officer being murdered by a bomb along with his pal Deadline Dawson. After testing out how the bomb was made, Terry and Dawson decide to interrogate the man who was captured by the police. When they go to his cell, he tries to fake them out by threatening them with a "bomb" stat turns out to be hoax. Going to where Burk worked prior to his arrest, the two young men attempt to look around but are told to go away by the guard on duty. However, he relents and allows them to investigate the building when he learns that Dawson is a reporter. As they are looking around the facility, Terry notices that the guards hands have been stained by some chemicals, arousing his suspicions. When asking an employee at the plant about the security guard, they learn that he has been bitter ever since he was accidentally injured in an explosion a few years previously.
After dropping Dawson off at the newspaper, Terry decides to keep an eye on the security guard and witnesses as he is grabbed by some men in a car. Following after them to a house, Terry arrives just after the men shot the security guard and left. Finding the fatally wounded security guard, Terry learns that the men had forced the guard to make a bomb to plant in the Strand Theater.
Rushing to the scene and alerting the authorities, Terry forces the owner of the theater to order his customers out of the building while Terry and Dr. Watson search for the bomb. However, when they find the case, they find nothing but junk and a confession from the guard explaining that he was forced to build the bombs for a mobster. No longer wishing to be forced into doing their dirty work he made a fake bomb, and his confession would lead to the mobsters capture and Burk's release from jail.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
Hoodlums, Inc.
Vince Garone, a former bootlegger during prohibition has decided to get into another illegal business: He purchases the Ajax trucking company and decides to ruthlessly eliminate his competition through criminal means. For those truckers who do not join his company, he has his men sabotage their equipment and force them to crash. After a series of horrible and fatal truck crashes, the Vision materializes on Earth to try and bring Garone to justice.
Garone's men next target trucker Hank Steel who refuses to bow down to pressure despite the threat of death and violence. When Garone's men attempt to stop Steel on one of his delivery runs, they are attacked by the Vision who saves Steel's life. Steel rallies a number of truckers and sends them to attack Garone's trucking company. Being tipped off, Garone attempts to flee the scene when the police arrive. Chased by the Vision, Garone is frightened when the Vision creates one of his illusions causing Garone to drive off a cliff to his death, a fitting end to a crook who murdered people in much the same manner.
Recurring Characters
Vision
The Legacy of John Rand
A friend of John Rand has come to the Belgian Congo to seek out Ka-Zar, who he suspects is really John's son David. When he and his guide go over Zombo Falls, Winston is rescued by Ka-Zar himself. Meeting the jungle adventurer for real confirms what he suspected is true, and tells Ka-Zar that he has come to turn ownership of his father's diamond mine over to him. However, there is another man -- Alec Wright, John's lawyer, who has forged Rand's document to appear as co-owner of the mine and who plans to kill Ka-Zar in the hopes of claiming the entire mine for himself.
When Winston introduces Alec to Ka-Zar, he refutes the possibility that Ka-Zar is David Rand, and Ka-Zar agrees to take them to the wreckage of his family plane and the graves of his parents. Along their trek into the jungle they decide to stop and rest in an abandoned cabin for the night. Wright choses the moment to show his colours and at gunpoint, locks Winston and Ka-Zar inside the cabin which he sets ablaze hoping that they will both burn to death. Ka-Zar manages to get himself and Winston free by calling Trajah the elephant to smash the cabin open.
Fearing Ka-Zar's wrath, Wright flees until he comes to the edge of a cliff. When he attempts to hold Ka-Zar back with a gun, he blithely stumbles off the cliff and falls to his death. With Ka-Zar now the sole owner of the mine, he tells Winston to go back to London and make sure all profits from the mine go to the War Relief Fund.
Recurring Characters
Ka-Zar, Trajah
