Marvel Mystery Comics #44
The Phantom Strikes
The Human Torch and Toro spot a strange sight: an Arabian man riding on the side of a car with his sword drawn. Swinging into action the Torch melts into the car to try to stop the attack but is attacked. The sword of the Arab melts on the Torch's flame and bails out of the car. The Torch tries to stop him on the street. He tosses a grenade that douses the Torch's flame, and when the Arab man is about to kill him with a dagger, he is chased off by a beat officer who arrives on the scene. Investigating the car they find the words "Yashmak 3" written on the windshield of the car in blood by the dead driver.
Going to the coroner's office, the Torch and Toro learn that the dead man is FBI agent John Garry. At FBI headquarters they learn that Garry was in Istanbul, Turkey on assignment. The two flaming heroes decide to go investigating in Istanbul and fly to the location. There they begin their investigation by stopping into a cafe. They hear some of the patrons talking about a beautiful woman named Elinor von Drei. The Torch realizes that "Drei" in German means "3" and wonders if the woman has anything to do with the incident in New York. He asks the woman to dance and tells her that he has the Yashmak. They make an agreement to meet elsewhere. Before going, he tells Toro to come after him after he does not come back in a half-hour.
When the Torch goes to meet with Elinor he falls into her trap, as he falls through a trap door she tells him that she knows he is lying and that her agent is on his way back from the United States. As the Torch falls he attempts to flame on, but the pit is filled with water and his flames are instantly doused. Later when Toro attempts to rescue the Torch he is confronted by one of Elinor's minions, Toro easily dispatches him and goes looking for the Torch. Inside the building, he finds a dungeon where a woman named Naobi is being held, prisoner. Freeing her, Toro learns that she is the priestess of her people and that a woman who wears the sacred Yashmak commands the entire tribe.
They are both ambushed by Von Drei who knocks them both out. Back in the Torch's cell, the Torch finds a leak in the room and makes it bigger so that the room drains. After he has tried he flames on and burns out of his cell. Attacking the Arabian man they fought in New York, the Torch burns off his beard forcing him to surrender. He turns over the Yashmak and it is returned to Naobi and Elinor is taken into custody. With the mystery over, the Torch and Toro return back to New York.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Nazis
The Niagara Falls Power Plot
A Nazi U-Boat is heading toward US waters intent on smuggling Dr. Grant and his dimwitted assistant Benni into the United States in order to bomb an hydro dam off Niagara Falls. Along the way, they spot the Sub-Mariner approaching them. Namor forces the sub to rise but when he attempts to go down the conning tower, Grant tosses a bomb that knocks the Sub-Mariner clear of the sub. Assuming that Namor has been killed the U-Boat continues on its path and lets off Grant and Benni. Dr. Grant, a violin enthusiast, finds that one of the strings of his beloved violin had broken and is insistent on getting it repaired before continuing on his mission.
Namor, having survived the blast wakes up and goes to shore to look for the spies who got off the sub. As he passes a boarding house he hears a violin being played. Recalling that one of his attackers was carrying one he goes to find out who it is and attacks Grant and Benni. He attacks the pair, but Benni knocks him out a window slowing up the Sub-Mariner long enough to escape. Asking the desk clerk where they might be headed he learns that they left to take a train up to Niagara Falls.
Arriving there the next day, the Sub-Mariner searches around the Niagara Falls area for the spies. Namor spots logs with numbers painted on them and realizes that they must be watching to see how quickly the logs travel and go down the falls. Deciding to investigate further, Namor hollows out a log and uses it as camouflage as he swims up the river to find the Nazis.
He finds Dr. Grant and Benni just as they are preparing to let loose a time bomb hidden in a log to blow up the dam. The Sub-Mariner attempts to stop them, but Grant attempts to kill the Sub-Mariner by setting off a bomb with his violin. The bomb kills Grant and Benni, but the Sub-Mariner survives. Rushing after the bomb, Namor manages to disarm it after he goes off the falls.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Nazis
The Circus Mystery
Terry Vance and Deadline Dawson see and advertisement for the Farnsworth-Stone Three Ring Circus which is advertising its star attraction Colosso a massive gorilla. When Deadline asks Terry if he'd be interested in accompanying him, the boy detective declines as he has to prepare for the big basketball championship at school. When they stop by the newspaper so that Deadline can get passes for the show. The editor tells Deadline that Colosso has escaped and sends him out to try and get a lead on where the ape has gone. When the editor asks Terry if he will help solve the case, Terry declines so he can focus on his game.
After Terry's team wins the match, Terry and Deadline note that someone is excessively ringing the bell in the school bell tower. Going up to investigate they find that Colosso has been hiding up there. While the pair keep the gorilla distracted, Dr. Watson climbs up onto the bell and uses it to knock the ape out.
Later when the gorilla is given back to the circus, Terry is given a $500 reward which he decides to spend on war bonds.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
The Land of the Rubber People
Jimmy Jupiter is bouncing around a rubber ball outside when he comes across a billboard advertising the need for rubber to be donated to the military asking people to "Send their rubber to war!" Bored, he begins to relax in front of the billboard and is shocked when his rubber ball comes to life. The ball tells Jimmy that he can be put to better use, and shows Jimmy by taking him into the billboard.
They are transported to the land or rubber which Jimmy learns lives up to its namesake. Taken into city of the rubber people he finds that a number of the living rubber objects are locked in a concentration camp. He is soon attacked by the rubber beings who blame Jimmy for being one of the many unpatriotic Americans not letting the rubber people free to go to war and help.
Jimmy pleads with them about what he can do, and they stop attacking. The rubber ball tells Jimmy that he needs to help collect rubber to give to the military. Jimmy vows to the Mayor Bounce that he will do just that and the people of Rubber Land allow Jimmy to return home.
Once he does he organizes a rubber collection drive and has all the local children to help donate.
Recurring Characters
Jimmy Jupiter
The Gem That Blinded
Jewel collector Seni Karlan entertains two guests and shows them his jewel collection. Taking them into the back room he shows them his most prized possession: The Karlan Sapphire. The woman drops the jewel and when she picks it off the ground. Seni pulls out a gun and grabs the woman's hand revealing that she was attempting to pocket the gem and replace it with a phony telling them he was onto the fact that they were stealing the gem. As it turns out, Seni Karlan stole the jewel himself and the couple had come to try and recover it for its original owner.
Seni then shows off some of the jewels unique properties, using a special light, a beam shot through the sapphire causes the man to go blind. The smoke from the machine allows the Vision to appear and he attempts to stop Seni. The man quickly tosses the lamp at the Vision, the electricity inside shocks the hero and he disappears in a puff of smoke.
When Seni Karlan and his attempt to perform the same effect on the woman, the Vision reappears and unplugs the lamp. The Vision knocks out Seni's henchman, and when Seni attempts to plug the lamp back in the Vision tosses at him the resulting impact causes Karlan to be electrocuted. With Seni dead and the stolen gem, the Vision departs.
Recurring Characters
Vision
The Kid Crime Wave
With juvenile delinquency on the rise in the city, reporters Jack Casey, Mary Morgan and Jeff Mace decide to go down to the local courthouse to get the story from the judge.
Elsewhere in the city, Nazi spies led by Von Gukk send some children to attack the newspaper reporters in order to boost publicity of the the rash of youth crime. The trio are mugged, leaving Jeff to believe that someone bigger is responsible.
Jeff decides to lead the kids into a trap to find out who and goes into a cab and flashes stage money. The kids mug him again, and this time he follows them. When the boys are being punished for their failure, they are caught by the three reporters. However, while Jack and Mary are being captured and tied up, Jeff slips away and changes into the Patriot.
When the Patriot rushes in to save his friends he gets unexpected help from the youths who have realized the errors of their way. With the Nazis rounded up, the Patriot frees his friends and then slips away to change back into his civilian identity.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Jack Casey, Mary Morgan, Nazis
The Case of the Laughing Death
The Angel has been hired on as a stunt double for a movie being made by Grumlin the Great. While meeting with Grumlin in his office, they are interrupted by the arrival of man named Able Doone. Doone has come to try out for a role in a comedy. However Doone is not the slightest bit funny and his hideous appearance makes Grumlin offer him a role in his film the "Dark Horror". When Grumlin refuses to give him a role in a comedy he snaps and attempts to strangle Grumlin. The Angel stops him and security has Doone thrown out.
At his home, Doone is completely unnerved by the experience and decides that he will make all those who rejected him to die laughing. He breaks into Grumlin's home and begins to tickle the man to death. The Angel spots him from outside and rushes to Grumlin's aid. Doone attacks the hero and attempts to tickle him to death. However Able runs away when Grumlin's security guard tries to shoot him. When a coroner arrives on the scene of the murder it is determined that Grumlin died laughing.
The Angel tracks Doone to his home and attempts to apprehend but the killer manages to escape. The next day while the Angel is on the set of the movie, Doone attempts to eliminate the hero. Doone attempts to slay one of the other film stars but the Angel attempts to stop him and is attacked as well. However, when caught in Doone's death tickle, the Angel manages to break free and fight him into submission. The entire fight is caught on film and Doone is turned over to the police.
Recurring Characters
Angel
