Marvel Mystery Comics #40
Flaming Terror
Near the Mojave Desert, the Human Torch and Toro are selling war bonds when the air raid siren goes off. Rushing to the local military base to lend their aid, the two heroes are surprised when the Japanese army attacks with new fighter planes that have flame throwers that fire a combination of fire and acid, which decimates American fighter jets and can cause the two flaming heroes pain. They manage to fight off the fighters and force them to retreat, but they are surprised that they are flying east into Death Valley instead of back out west toward the Pacific Ocean, leading the Torch to believe that the Japanese might have a secret base on American soil.
Getting a military jeep, the Torch and Toro head out into the desert to search. Stopping at a diner, they notice how there is a Japanese newspaper inside and soon catch owner of the diner in the back using radio equipment to warn the Japanese spies in the area of the Torch and Toro's presence. They subdue the diner owner and then use the radio equipment to call for help. Hiding in the hills they spot Japanese soldiers arriving and engage them in battle. However, as they flee they lead the Torch and Toro to their hidden underground air base.
The two heroes make short work of the Japanese base and with the hidden base about to explode the two make a run for it. With American soldiers approaching on their location, the Torch and Toro keep them at bay until the base explodes and then assists in capturing the surviving Japanese invaders. In interrogating them, they learned that the base was secretly built in the desert years before the war began.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Imperial Japan
The Morale Murder Menace
The Sub-Mariner takes Betty Dean out on a date to see the latest USO performance that is raising money to fly out to put on a show for the soldiers fighting overseas. However tragedy strikes the performance as a trapeze artist falls to his death and the lion tamer is mauled to death by his own lion. The next day, Namor learns from the paper that someone had cut the trapeze rope and the lion tamer had been drugged. Namor decides to attend the next show to prevent any further tragedies from happening. However, when he and Betty are witnessing a fire eating performance by Marvo the Magician, they are shocked when the magician is struck with a poisoned dart and dies on stage.
While not far away, Nazi spy Herr Brunder and his men hear that their most recent attempt at murdering USO performers to demoralize Americans was a success and celebrate. Back at the USO theater, Namor decides that the best way to catch those responsible for the killings would be to make himself a target and so he joins the show. When Brunder hearas of this, he decides to once more sabotage the show in the hopes of eliminating the Sub-Mariner as well. That night, Brunder and his men break into the theater, knocking out the night watchman, and placing a giant squid into the water tank that Namor is to perform in the following day.
Sure enough, during Namor's performance, the Sub-Mariner is attacked by the squid, however the hero manages to fight the creature to death before the eyes of the audience. Investigating the water tank, he sees the addition added by Brunder and uses the trademark on the glass to track down the manufacturer. With a partial identification of the buyer, Namor and Betty enlist the aid of local newspaper boys to determine where the buyers car went and succeed in tracking down Brunder and his men.
Namor is knocked out, and learns that Brunder and his men intend to blow up the plane carrying the USO performers to Europe. Namor is left tied up with a string attached to him that will set off a gun if he moves enough, however Namor manages to free himself from the trap.
He then rushes to the air field where he catches Brunder and his men posing as cargo men and finds a bomb hidden in a piece of luggage, tossing it into the air where it harmlessly explodes. With the Nazis captured, Namor and Betty wish the performers luck as they fly off to put on a show for the troops.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean, Nazis
The Case of the Eager Diplomat
Terry Vance, Deadline Dawson, and Dr. Watson are at the local theater to see a musical comedy and are excited to have seats in the center of the theater. However, they are approached by Oleg, the uncle of the Princess of Borsnia and asks them if they would mind exchanging tickets and take the box office seats instead. They accept the offer, however before the show starts Terry notices that chandelier over their old seats is about to fall and saves the Princess from being crushed under its weight.
Terry becomes a person of interest to the officer that arrives on the scene, but before he can be arrested and taken in for questioning he flees to clear his name thanks to an assist by Dr. Watson. Deadline turns himself in in good faith that his friend will come back when he catches the real attempted murderer.
Going to the hotel where the Princess is staying with her uncle, Terry goes to the roof so that he can peek in and see if his suspicions are correct. Terry's hunch is correct as Oleg is trying to kill his niece so that he can seize the throne. When Terry comes crashing in through the window he is knocked out. Oleg then seals up the room and releases a gas that will eventually kill the two youths.
Outside, Dr. Watson pops on of the tires on Oleg's vehicle and punctures the oil tank so it leaves a trail and goes up to look for his master. Breaking into the hotel room, Dr. Watson breaks the seals on the windows so that fresh air can enter the room, reviving both Terry and the princess.
When the police arrive on the scene, both Terry and the Princess convince them to follow the oil trail and they end up catching Oleg outside of town with a broken down car. Stuck with no escape, Oleg confesses to his crimes and is taken into police custody.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
The Monster of Negley Hall
Pathos Pictures Inc has Negley Hall, a supposedly haunted castle shipped from Europe stone by stone to America to be used in a film. However, the set soon becomes terrorized by a creature that seems to be the legendary Monster of Negley Hall. The creature snatches one of the set builders, and later the lead actress.
The incidents attract the Vision who decides to begin investigating the mystery. Finding a secret passage way in the castle, he finds the set builder and lead actress chained to a wall. He is attacked by the Monster who gets away when he stuns the Vision with a blow to the head by a cement block. The Vision recovers then leads the captured victims to safety and goes back for the Monster.
The Vision easily beats the creature into submission and unmasks it, revealing it to be Morgan the director. In front of Mr. Smythe the owner of Pathos Pictures, Morgan admits that he staged the hauntings in order to drive Pathos into financial trouble so that he could purchase the company cheaply. As Morgan is being taken away, Smythe tells his crew that the publicity the "monster attacks" have created will help make Pathos Pictures a profitable business again. With his work done the Vision bids the crew farewell and disappears in a wisp of smoke.
Recurring Characters
Vision
The Shining Castle of Ra
Continued from last issue...
Continuing their way to the Castle of King Ra, Jimmy Jupiter and Knobby the Living Marionette come to a canyon, Knobby in his excitement to see King Ra's castle runs over the edge and falls down below. Jimmy grabs for what he thinks to be a rope but turns out to be a live snake. Before the snake can attack him, Jimmy uses the glasses he took from the witches to put the snake under his control. He then uses the glasses to summon an army of snakes to help pull Knobby out of the canyon.
Seeking a faster way to the castle, Jimmy then uses the glasses to summon an eagle that carries them all the way to the Wood of the Cursed. When the spirits that dwell within make their appearance, the evil influence of the glasses washes over Jimmy and he uses its power to scare the spirits away.
Snapping out of the power of the glasses, Jimmy and Knobby rush through the forest and run into some of King Ra's guards on the other end. There the glasses take control of Jimmy again and he threatens the guards. One of the guards slaps the glasses off Jimmy's face restoring him to normal. Explaining what happened and telling the guards that King Ra had sent for him, the guards escort Jimmy and Knobby to King Ra.
Finally meeting the king, Jimmy is told that he will be shown the splendor of the land of Fairies, although Jimmy wonders what the king could possibly show him.
This story is continued next issue...
Recurring Characters
Jimmy Jupiter, King Ra, Knobby
Tapping the Code
The city editor sends Jeff Mace and Mary Morgan to cover a story on Drummer Toggins who is performing at musical hall even though the editor insists that they cover the unsolved bombing of the Burton Plant. Arriving at the theater, Jeff picks up that Toggins is beating his drums in Morse Code and deduces that he is a Nazi spy, quickly decodes the message and learns that they plan on kidnapping workers at the Tower Plant.
Slipping away, Jeff changes into the Patriot goes back stage where he is knocked out by some spies. Recovering, he calls the police and rushes over to the Tower Plant. There he warns the job foreman of the spies attempts to kidnap workers and tells him to give a signal when men fitting the spies descriptions show up.
When the spies show, the Patriot makes short work of them and turns them over to arriving FBI agents who tell him that Toggins had been captured as well. Rushing back to the theater, Jeff changes back to his civilian identity and learns that Mary didn't even notice that he was missing. Later, when he tells the chief the story he got, Mary wonders how he found out so soon, to which Jeff quips that he heard the story from one of the chorus girls.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Mary Morgan, Nazis
The Mystery of the Missing Stars
While on vacation in Hollywood, the Angel becomes interested in reports of famous male actors who have gone missing recently and decides to take up his filmmaker friends offer to check out a movie set. When arriving on the set the next day, the Angel learns that the lead actor Myron Tower has not shown up yet and upon investigation he is suspiciously later. The Angel then goes out looking for him and finds bicycle tracks and a trail of blood that leads him to an abandoned mine in the middle of the California desert.
There the Angel finds a trio of ugly people led by a man named Hash-Head who has kidnapped all the male actors so that he can disfigure their handsome faces and ruin their careers. The Angel attacks but is soon captured by Hash-Head and his minions.
Hash-Head decides to disfigure the Angel first and reveals that he is really actor Steve Strong who was disfigured in an accident ten years ago and disappeared from Hollywood. The Angel tosses sand in Hash-Head's eyes and uses his hot poker to burn through his bonds and begins fighting back against the kidnappers. As he does so, the other actors follow his example and free themselves from their bonds and help the Angel defeat Hash-Head and his followers. After Hash-Head and his people are turned over to the authorities, the actors return to the set of the film to much fanfare.
Recurring Characters
Angel
