Marvel Mystery Comics #51
The Human Torch and Toro Unmask the Masquerading Mr. Grim!
The Secretary of War leaves his him in Washington, D.C. when he is confronted by a man calling himself Mister Grim. Horrified by Grim’s skull-like face, the secretary is distracted enough for his attacker to spray him with poison gas hidden in his umbrella. This follows a string of murders of other important military officials. Reading about the mysterious killings, the Human Torch suggests that he and his partner Toro head to Washington to try and reveal the hero.
They arrive just as Mister Grim — disguised as a blind man — murders his next victim, General Vorhees. They are too late to stop the killers, the Torch and Toro call the authorities to report the killing. They also meet with General Cartwright to discuss the killings and they all agree that they are being carried out by an Axis spy. General Cartwright abruptly ends his meeting with the Torch and Toro when he gets a telegram asking him to meet to discuss policy with General Viking. Looking at the telegram, the Torch finds it suspicious and decides that he and Toro should keep an eye of things.
As it turns out General Viking is really Mister Grim in disguise and when a group of other military officials arrive he traps them in a cage in preparation for killing them. That’s when the Torch and Toro arrive and burn through all of the Mister Grim’s death traps, freeing the captured generals from a vat of water. While trying to flee the Torch and Toro, Grim slips in a puddle of water and impales himself on a massive shard of jagged glass, dying instantly. With t he danger over, the generals thank the Human Torch and Toro for saving their lives.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
Horror on Ositu Island!
Naval Intelligence has just received a message from the Sub-Mariner asking them to invade Ositu Island on Tuesday morning. When officials ask for more information, their commanding officer tells them he cannot give them anymore details because they are top secret.
The island is a prisoner of war camp run by the Imperial Japanese army. The commanding officer here is Major Sokati, who demands that an American soldier named Neil Harmon and demands that he use their radio to warn the Americans to stop their conflict with the Japanese. However, Harmon refuses to betray his country by doing so. In order to force Harmon to do their bidding they decide to torture him with a water dunking device. However, as they torture with the American soldier, the Sub-Mariner emerges from the waters and comes to Neil’s rescue. After his torturers are knocked out, Neil tells Namor that the island is home to some 600 American prisoners of war. While Namor deals with the soldiers, he sends Neil Harmon to free the other prisoners.
Outnumbered, Namor allows himself to be captured and is taken before Major Sokati. There, Namor breaks free from his bonds and sends the Major fleeing to find his men. The Atlantean prince then fights his way to the armory and grabs all of the weapons stored there. That’s when Niel arrives with the other prisoners. Armed with the stolen weapons, the American soldiers help. With his forces falling to the Americans, Major Sokati tries to attack Namor with a tank. However, the Atlantean easily destroys the vehicle and takes Sokati prisoner.
When the Japanese commander tries to commit suicide, Namor stops him intending for Sokati to face justice for his war crimes. Soon the Navy picks up the freed prisoners and Ositu Island is leveled to the ground.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan
Terry Vance the School Boy Sleuth
Deadline Dawson calls up his friend Terry Vance and tells him that they are going to Washington for a press conference that will explain the government’s post-war plans. They travel to the capital by train where Deadline notices that Terry is taking a tent along with them. Terry tells Deadline he’ll explain why later. When they arrive in Washington, Deadline and Terry discover that all the hotels are booked up and there are no vacancies. Having anticipated this, Terry sets up their tent so they can camp out while they are in Washington.
Unfortunately, when Deadline and Terry try to get the scoop they are turned away by the guards at the facility. The following evening, the pair discover that someone is using light signals inside the building to send messages to the outside. Curious as to what they mean, they send Terry’s pet monkey — Doctor Watson — with a camera to snap photos. As it turns out, Nazi spies have infiltrated the facility. They spot Doctor Watson and attack the ape. Seeing his monkey being thrown out of a window, Terry leaps over the retaining wall to check on him and is instantly arrested by the FBI.
Recovering the film, Deadline rushes back to the newspaper while Terry is being interrogated. Developing the photos and checking his files, Deadline discovers that the men who attacked Doctor Watson are Nazi spies. Rushing back to the facility, Deadline confronts the spies and clashes with them until FBI agents arrive on the scene. However, thanks to Deadline’s evidence the Nazis are arrested and Deadline and Terry are helped for helping expose their scheme.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson, Nazis
Adventure of the Bridge of Death
On her way to meet her uncle Jim, Madeline Joyce witness a hit and run. A beat cop asks her to help him pursue the drivers in her car, but the officer is gunned down as the drivers get away. Madeline slips into an alley to change into Miss America and chase after them.
Miss America races after the drivers and nabs them for the police. Another officer arriving on the scene takes the killers and explains to Miss America what the hit-and-run victim said before dying. She deduces that someone is going to sabotage the nearby drawbridge and flies there and catches Nazi spies in the act of planting explosives on the bridge.
With an American battleship passing under the bridge, Miss America grabs the bomb before it can fall on the ship and destroy it. She then tosses the bomb into the water where it explodes harmlessly.
Recurring Characters
Miss America, Nazis
The Patriot
Jeff Mace is unhappy to learn that he is being reassigned as a correspondent in Washington, DC, fearing that he is going to miss all the big stories while covering the war conferences there. Taking a train to the capital, Jeff notices that among the passengers are a some Nazi spies that were recently arrested, however he figures that there will be no story as the prisoners are too heavily guarded to allow him to get close enough to get an interview.
However, other Nazi operatives are on board the train and they take control of the train in an effort to free their captured comrades. When the train is screeched to a halt Jeff, who is in the bathroom, suspects there is some kind of trouble and changes into the Patriot. Unfortunately, the Patriot is too late to stop the Nazis from gunning down the military officials guarding their prisoners. Clashing with the spies, the Patriot is overpowered and the Nazis attempt to fee in a car. However, the Patriot tosses a live grenade at the fleeing spies killing them in the blast. With the soldiers avenged, Jeff Mace reports back to the paper with the sensational story.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Nazis
The Angel
The Angel has returned to America, arriving at the port in New York City, glad to finally be home. Starving after his long trip, the hero slips into a nearby diner for something to eat. There, a number of the patrons start getting sick from the food and it is assumed that it has been poisoned. One of the patrons becomes so enraged at the idea of being fed tainted meat tries to attack the restaurant owner until the Angel steps in and stop him to attack. The Angel learns that the owner has been forced to buy his ingredients from Gunner McLair a local racketeer.
The Angel soon goes to the meat packing plant and discovers that McLair and his men are planning to blow up the warehouse to cover up their crimes. When he attacks them, the Angel is overpowered and knocked out and is then sewed up in a pig carcass which has been loaded with explosives. Fortunately, the Angel comes to and rips free from the carcass and blows up the crooks with their own explosives putting an end to their racket once and for all.
Recurring Characters
Angel
Continuity Notes
At the time of this story, the Angel had recently spent a period of time in England starting in Marvel Mystery Comics #46-48. Halloway was depicted as returning to the United States in Marvel Mystery Comics #49. His following appearances in issue #50 and Sub-Mariner Comics #12 depict the Angel as still being in the United States. However, none of these stories depict Thomas’ return to the United States. Since this story depicts the Angel actually returning home to New York, this story actually must take place prior to Marvel Mystery Comics #49
