Marvel Mystery Comics #18

Jul 26

Jul 26 Marvel Mystery Comics #18

The Man Who Framed the Torch

The Human Torch and Toro are on patrol when they spot a military patrol as it speeds towards Camp Gill with the troops pay checks, and then head off so that the Torch can show Toro how the local police station operates. Soon after, the Torch seemingly attacks the convoy, and when Toro happens by he follow the "Torch's" orders to burn through the armored truck. After knocking Toro out, this Torch impostor steals the money inside. When the news gets out, everyone thinks the Torch has gone criminal and when he visits the chief of police he resists arrest and flies off to clear his good name.

Toro, having been arrested as an accomplice to the fake Torch soon breaks free form his cell and, also thinking his partner has gone evil decides to bring the Torch to justice. When Toro runs into the Torch, the Torch maintains his innocence and Toro feigns believing him hoping to capture the Torch when he has his guard down. When they search Camp Gill for clues, the Torch finds a singed Asbestos lined glove. Toro dismisses it, but the Torch believes it to be a clue to discovering who framed him. They are observed by some crooks who speed off to tell their employer. Rushing to police headquarters, the Torch attempts to get finger prints off from the inside of the glove. It's here that Toro makes his move using his flame powers to drop an air tight container to cut off the Torch's flame.

With the Torch trapped, the crooks (who have followed them to police headquarters and have been spying on them through a nearby window) toss in a grenade hoping to slay the Torch and Toro. The two survived, and convince that the Torch is innocent, Toro helps his redeemed partner capture the thugs. When they demand answers from the crooks, the two fire-bugs find themselves attacked by more criminals wearing asbestos lined suits. However, they too are easily subdued by the pair and they soon learn that they are working for a crook who calls himself the Brain.

The Torch races off to confront the Brain while Toro turns the crooks over to the authorities. Confronting the Brain at his hideout, the Torch is trapped in a room that is slowly filling with water. Putting on his flame suit, the Brain runs into Toro on his way out, and attacks the boy when he suspects something is up. Toro manages to best the Brain by trapping him in a barrier of fire and threatening to shoot his flames through the vulnerable visor. Toro then frees the Torch and they turn the Brain over to the authorities, clearing the Torch's name.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

The Legion of Loyalists

Namor returns to Northern France where he stumbles into the hidden laid of his comrades Luther Robinson and Lynne Harris. With the Nazi units in the area busy fighting off Allied Forces, the pair of resistance fighters work together to plant mines around the Nazi base and detonating them, striking a blow to their forces. With their mission in France accomplished, they leave in the Sub-Mariner's aero-sub and return to Atlantis. There they are welcomed back by the Emperor who orders Luther and Lynne to be put to work. Lynne takes up a job as Princess Fen's servant girl while Luther's scientific abilities are plied in the electrical laboratory.

Wishing to go home, the couple write a request to the Emperor to allow them to make a brief visit back to America. However, their request is denied and so Luther and Lynne begin crafting a means of escaping from their plight. Building a radio device, Luther accompanies an Atlantean scouting party to investigate a disturbance in the Horlick Mountains. There they find an Nazi outpost which has been abandoned. There, Luther uses his device to send an Morse Code SOS signal to the United States. This distress signal is intercepted by the Atlanteans who then imprison Luther and Lynne and prepare to go to war in fear of reprisals from the United States.

The message eventually gets back to Betty Dean, who goes on a leave of absence and gathers her Legion of Loyalists to pool their resources in attacking Atlantis and rescuing Luther and Lynne. With a fleet of battle yachts and airplanes they arrive in Antarctica and attack the surface entrance into Atlantis. While Namor is held at bay with flame throwers, some of the Loyalists manage to break into the lower levels of Atlantis and free Luther and Lynne. While Namor attempts to stop a yacht he thinks his prisoners will escape in, Betty instead loads up Luther in Lynne in an airplane and fly away, escaping recapture by the Sub-Mariner.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Luther Robinson, Lynne Harris, Holy One, Princess Fen, Betty Dean, Bob James

Young Ka-Zar

Text story about how Ka-Zar, in his youth, shortly after the death of his father John Rand at the hands of Paul De Kraft. One night, he is awoken by Nono the Monkey who claims he saw the “ghost” of the N’Jaga being kidnapped. Investigating, Ka-Zar discovers that this is the work of Paul De Kraft, who had painted the leopard with luminescent paint in order to scare away a local tribe so he could search for diamonds. Although Kazar exposes this scheme, Paul De Kraft manages to escape.

Recurring Characters

Ka-Zar, Trajah, Nono, N’Jaga, Zar, Sha, Quog, Paul De Kraft

Beasts of Black River

Ka-Zar sets out to explore the mysterious Black River region of the Congo and soon finds himself swept up in an underground river that takes him to a hidden land full of strange plant life. He is soon attacked by a massive dinosaur creature, however before it can eat him it is killed by an arrow fired by a giant. Curious, Ka-Zar follows after the giant back to its cave. Inside he tries to get a closer look at the giant who is cooking, however, another one enters the cave and catches Ka-Zar. The jungle hero curses himself for a fool and being so easily captured.

This story is continued next issue...

Recurring Characters

Ka-Zar, Bogat

The Stolen Bicycles

At school, Terry Vance overhears his classmates lament over the principals refusal to allow them to start a bike club. Knowing that Terry is smart and well liked, his classmates ask him to help convince the principal to let them form the club. Terry does so, telling the principal that the bike club will go on biology trips. The principal allows the group to form, relieved that the students are no longer requesting that they install bike racks at the school.

After their first meeting at school as a bike club, the students go outside to collect their bikes and are shocked to find that they have all been stolen. When Terry tells the principal, he calls the police but refuses to budget the purchase of a bicycle rack so that bikes can be locked up. Later, Terry and Dr. Watson meet up with the bike club and find that one of it's members is quarreling with another student. The boy has picked a fight with him because even though it has a different paint job, he recognizes his stolen bike due to it's unique welding. Investigating, Terry learns that the boy purchased his bicycle from Ike's Bikes downtown and decides to investigate. Terry brings his reporter friend Deadline Dawson along to cover any potential for a news story. When the owner of the bike shop deflects their questions, the pair decide to follow him after the bike shop closes.

Following him to a building that is up for rent, they stumble upon a secret operation run by the school janitor along with the owner of Ike's Bikes to steal bicycles, repaint them and sell them. When the crooks attempt to flee the scene by car, they are chased by the bike club and their reckless driving causes them to crash and be easily captured. When the police apprehend the crooks and go to the school to arrest the janitor, the principal agrees to finally install bike racks. Later that day, Terry is nominated president of the bike club.

Recurring Characters

Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson

Menace from the Planet Torsa

The planet Torsa has spiraled into our solar system and taken orbit around the Earth. It's dominant life forms, winged creatures known as the Antons then decide to invade the Earth so that they can populate the larger planet. With the invasion in full force, Professor Zog decides to use Electro to fight back against invasion. To this end, he teams up with fellow scientist Dr. Horace Forde.

Using Forde's rocket they intend to fly to the planet Torsa and destroy it. As they rocket toward the alien world, the Antons launch an attack against their vessel. To defend themselves, Professor Zog unleashes Electro to fight off the invaders. However, Electro is overpowered and captured by the aliens who take the robot back to their leader. The leader of the Antons take the moment to study the robot and plots to create an entire robot army. In the meanwhile, he sends his minions down to Earth to attack any resistance attempting to prevent their invasion of the Earth. When the soldiers attempt to counter attack, the Antons unleash Electro against them.

Meanwhile, Dr. Forde and Professor Zog arrive on the planet Torsa and fight their way into the Antons base. Exploring the area they come across a magno-generator which will allow them to destroy the alien world. The two scientists destroy the aliens device controlling Electro and the freed robot turns against the aliens who enslaved it. However, Zog and Forde are soon captured by the leader of the Antons who has them tied up. A fire is started at their feet in the hopes that they will be burned alive. However when Zog's bonds are burned away, he uses a hidden control device strapped on his chest to command Electro to fight off the Anton invaders again. Freeing themselves, Forde and Zog activate the magno-generator and flee the planet. The device throws Torsa out of Earth's orbit and the planet violently explodes, ending the threat of the Antonian invaders.

Recurring Characters

Electro, Professor Zog

The Boss of Newton City

Political leader Tim Skelley and mobster Heinie Meyers have been secretly working together heading organized crime in Newton City for years. However, when Douglas the new D.A. is causing too much trouble, Heinie comes to visit Skelley to demand that something be done about the do gooder. To this end, the pair frame Douglas for the murder of Dan Reardon a political rival.

Douglas is put on death row for the crime that he did not commit. As he smokes a cigarette and laments over his plight, the smoke draws the extra-dimensional Vision into his cell. The Vision, knowing the truth tells Douglas that he will help capture the real killers and clear Douglas's good name.

The Vision begins pressuring underworld figures and learns of the connection between Skelley and Heinie. Going to Skelley's office he catches the two men collaborating and demands that they confess their crimes. Refusing to do so a fight breaks out and in the struggle Skelley accidentally shoots Heinie trying to kill the Vision. The shots bring the police to the office where they arrest Skelley. Because the Vision is out of sight, the police do not believe his claims that the Vision was there and eventually confesses his involvement in the frame up of Douglas. With the confession, Douglas's name is cleared and he is released from prison, very thankful for the Visions assistance.

Recurring Characters

Vision

The Cat's Paw Chapter One: Claws of Death

Continued from last issue...

After helping the Roberts family with finding a cure for lycanthropy, the Angel is asked by Dr. Lin for assistance in apprehending a criminal. Before Lin can explain anything he is gunned down and the Angel finds the calling card of the Cat's Paw. Following the assassins in his car, they lead the Angel to a fancy apartment building on Park Avenue. The Angel then sneaks into the building and breaks into the shooters apartment. There he overhears the shooter making arrangements with his employer at a place called Durantes on Water Street. The Angel then beats the man into submission and then ties up his female accomplice leaving her to quiver under his trademark shadow and reflect on her crimes.

The Angel soon ends up on Water Street, at the diver known as Durantes. Spotted lurking around by the bar-tender, the Angel is taken prisoner and before he can make a move he falls through a trap door. Quick moves saves him from a serious fall and he manages to pull himself out sending the bar-tender down in his place. Going deeper into the hideout, the Angel spies on some mobsters that are plotting their next move when he spots their leader coming in through the window: the female costumed criminal known as the Cat's Paw. Before she can discuss her plans, she spots the Angel and orders her men to kill him. When the Angel attempts to escape out a window, steel shutters close down on them and the Angel soon finds himself trapped in a room with a number of armed criminals with their guns blazing.

This story is continued next issue....