Marvel Mystery Comics #50
Battling the Nazi Vultures
The Human Torch and Toro have been asked to assist in the war effort in steppes of Russia in the Allied Forces attempts to push back all Nazi invaders. After assisting in a defensive attack they arrive at an American camp where they meet with General Dawson. Dawson tells the two heroes that they are needed to assist in eliminating the booby traps set up by Nazi General von Bock so that Allied Forces can drive them out of the country. The flaming pair agree to help, and after destroying all the mines placed in the battlefield, they escort a joint American/Russian battalion into battle.
Later, the pair return to Stalingrad where they have dinner at a cafe. There they are watched by two Nazi spies, Stephanie and Captain von Klutz (posing as Allied soldier Captain Landis). While dancing, Klutz tells Stephanie that it is imperative that she keep an eye on the Human Torch and Toro in order to prevent them from assisting in Dawson's G-2 plans. When another Nazi spy named Weaselface delivers a slip of paper to the dancing couple, the Human Torch and Toro spot it and correctly deduce them to be spies. The Torch decides to investigate what they were exchanging by asking the girl to dance. While they are dancing, the Torch snatches the note and tells her that he'll keep it safe for her. When Stephanie decides to leave and asks for the paper back, the Torch tells her that he "lost it". The two play coy about the note, but neither are fooled about what is going on.
When Klutz, Stephanie and Wealeface meet back at their hideout, Stephanie tells them that it does not matter that the Torch took her note as she memorized the message on it, convinced that the Torch would not be able to discover the true message was written on the note in invisible ink. Transmitting the information to her fellow Nazis via radio, they all toast to the fact that the Allies will be lead into a trap the following day.
However, at the hotel where the Torch and Toro are staying, the Torch had deduced that there is a secret message on the note and reveals it by dousing the note in water. Realizing that the Nazis are aware of the Allies coming attack on their stronghold, they then rush to the army base and warn Dawson of the spy in their midst. Dawson tells the pair that they need to capture those spies. Meanwhile, at the spies hideout, Klutz orders Stephanie to lure the Human Torch and Toro into a trap so that they can eliminate the two heroes. As they lay out their plan to lure the Torch and Toro that night and then attack the Allied Forces the next day, they are unaware that their room has been bugged with a Dictaphone by the Torch and Toro who play along with the spies plot.
When the Torch and Toro arrive at Stephanie's home, they are ambushed by men wearing asbestos lined suits. Despite their best efforts, the Torch and Toro are outnumbered and knocked out. They are then placed on a press that increases its pressure every minute, and are left to die. However, the Torch and Toro come around just in time to save themselves from being crushed to death. They then round up the Nazi spies and then force Weaselface and Kluts to crash land on the Goering Works, destroying the Nazis weapon manufacturing capabilities in the area, insuring that the Allies land a victory on the Russian front.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Nazis
Eerie Howl of the Wolf Pack
Japanese navy officials meet with their commanding officer Baron Togi to inform him that their trap: decoy boats left in Papau Harbor are ready to be used to lure American ships into a trap. They soon find the Sub-Mariner listening in on their plot. They attack Namor, but the Sub-Mariner manages to escape capture. Baron Togi decides to not bother with the hero when he learns that American ships are approaching.
The Sub-Mariner meanwhile swims to Papau Harbor and learns the truth about the decoy ships: They are merely constructed out of wood, and diving below he spots Japanese subs finishing their task of loading the decoys with explosives which they intend to use to destroy the approaching American ships. When the American fleet arrives, Namor is too late to prevent one of them from being destroyed by a decoy ship, but Namor manages to warn the others. After the American ships destroy the decoys from a safe distance with their cannons, Namor spots a wolf pack of submarines heading to engage the Americans. Namor deflects a torpedo and then forces himself aboard the sub carrying Baron Togi. Fighting his way into the radio room he gives orders to the other subs to surface. Complying with the false orders, they are all blown out of the water.
When Baron Togi confronts Namor with an army of his men, the Sub-Mariner rams the Baron's head into the bulkhead of the ship so hard it breaks through the hull. As the ship fills with water, Namor escapes leaving the Japanese sailors trapped inside to drown.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan
Deadline Dawson's Pay-Off
Having the day off, Deadline Dawson and Terry Vance head to the beach to do some fishing when, to Deadline's dismay, they find that the beach is closed in the evening. Terry tries to cheer Deadline up by introducing him to his other friend Nickie. The two show Deadline the abandoned glider they have been repairing and experimenting with along a coastline once used by bootleggers during the prohibition.
When giving the glider a run, they are careful not to fly out beyond the limits set out by the coast guard. When Deadline tries out the glider he is shocked to spot a Nazi sub attempting to smuggle spies into the country. Warning Terry and Nickie of what he saw. Nickie rushes off to see what he can do while Terry and Deadline go off to find out where the Nazis are trying to land. They find the Nazis but are held at gunpoint. Before the Nazis can execute the boys who caught them, their boat is rammed by retired bootleggers and Nickie soon arrives with the coast guard to arrest them. When questioned later, Nickie explains that he has connections with the old bootleggers who were none to happy to hear that Nazi spies were using their old channels.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson, Nazis
Scourge of the Nazis Part 2
Continued from last issue...
Miss America has entered a munitions plant to find that it is under siege by Nazi saboteurs. She comes to the rescue of a worker who is standing under a vat of molten steel that is about to be dumped on him and then attacks the Nazis as they attempt to flee. They briefly knock her out by striking her from behind with a crane hook, but she uses her x-ray vision to track them down and chase after them.
Miss America attempts to stop them again by a spy armed with a blowtorch forces her back into a safe which they lock her into. Although she has the strength to break free, Miss America decides to listen in on the locations of three bombs the spies have planted.
When the spies depart, she then uses her strength to break free from the safe and then collects all the bombs tossing them away to blow up safely and then captures the spies. With the spies plot foiled, Miss America is hailed as a hero.
Recurring Characters
Miss America, Nazis
Introducing Miss Patriot
Nazi scientist Dr. Groitzig and his assistant Scharrolla have completed the new formula that they were ordered to create by their Nazi masters. Seeking a test subject, the go into New York City where they kidnap reporter Mary Morgan who is waiting for Jeff Mace to arrive for their date. Jeff arrives just as Mary is being dragged away, and follows after them in a cab. However, Jeff must stop outside the city limits due to the gasoline ration and walk the rest of the way. Changing into the Patriot he rushes to the nearby lighthouse where the Nazi agents have taken Mary.
He arrives too late to prevent the Nazis from injecting Mary with their formula which is supposed to grant her with super-human strength. However, it appears that the formula is a failure and the Nazis begin wrecking their serum angry at their failure. The Patriot arrives and easily beats the two Nazis into submission.
Freeing Mary, the Patriot is shocked to find that Mary has gained the ability to see and hear things from far away when she alerts him of Nazi agents arriving at the lighthouse. With this tip-off, the Patriot easily gets the drop on the Nazis who arrive and turn them over to the Coast Guard. When the threat is over, Mary thanks the Patriot for rescuing her and the Patriot assures her that they will meet again.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Miss Patriot, Nazis
Continuity Notes
This is the only Golden Age appearance of Miss Patriot however her alter-ego, Mary Morgan, still makes a number of appearances although he double identity is not referenced. What happened is explained in more detail during Captain America: Patriot #1-4 reveals that Mary still operated as Miss Patriot for a time during the 1940s against the advice the wishes of Jeff Mace, offering an explanation why she never goes into action as Miss Patriot when Jeff is around in later stories.
The Glowing Death
The Angel is returning home from England aboard a merchant ship in a convoy. However, it is far from a peaceful trip as one of the crew members is stabbed to death by an unknown assailant.
Survivor of the attack named Slate tells that their attacker disappeared as quickly as appeared, but the Angel becomes suspicious. After finding a duplicate of the killer's knife from Slate's bunk, the hero catches the sailor tossing strange bottles off the side of the ship. The Angel figures out that Slate had been smashing bottles of luminescent paint on the side of the ship to alert a nearby Nazi U-boat wolf pack. Slate and the Angel get into a fight which the hero quickly wins.
Learning of the location of U-boats from the Nazi spy, the convoy is able to blow them up and continue on their voyage to America.
Recurring Characters
Angel, Nazis
