Marvel Mystery Comics #53
Master Plan For Destruction
The Human Torch and Toro are spending some downtime to have a little R & R when suddenly the city is put in alarm due to an air raid. Although the military fires at the approaching Nazi planes, they still manage to somehow drop their bombs. A call is made by Colonel Corky to the two flaming heroes to come to military intelligence where they are shown the extent of the damage. When the Torch assesses that the damage would have taken 1000 bombs to create, Corky tells them that it was actually done by a single bomb. He explains to them that the enemy has developed a new type of explosive that is manufactured in the town of Lwow in Nazi occupied Poland. The Human Torch and Toro promise to investigate and prevent the Nazis from creating more of the powerful explosive.
As the are flying over Ireland, they spot a Nazi bomber attempting to attack an Allied troop ship and come to its aid by destroying the bomb it is dropping and then blasting the plane out of the sky. Meanwhile at a salt mine where the Nazis are making their new explosives, Nazi scientist Von Fleagle has completed the next batch of explosives for his commanding officer General Blauheim. They are warned by the arrival of the Human Torch and Toro over the salt mine and order their guards to stand ready for attack.
When the Torch and Toro arrive, Von Fleagle's vacuum weapon sucks all the air out of their flying range causing their flames to go out and the pair are captured and sealed in a glass container to suffocate. As the Nazi troops prepare or their next bombing raid of the United States, the Torch risks the last of their air to make a flame to melt through the container and manages to free them before they run out of air.
They ambush Von Fleagle and his men, knocking them out and then setting the salt mine to explode before heading after General Blauheim. They catch up with the Nazi fleet, and although the Nazi attempt to fight back, their planes are no match for the Torch and Toro's flame powers which easily decimate the fleet ending their threats and destroying the last of the super-explosives.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Nazis
Octopus of the Pacific
The Sub-Mariner is sent to the coast of Kobe, Japan by naval intelligence to investigate what the Japanese are building in the shipyards there. Arriving at shore, Namor jumps one of the shipyard workers and steals his clothes in order to sneak inside. Inside he finds that the Japanese are working on a massive submarine to use in the war. Before he can leave he is splashed with water, washing off his disguise and exposing him to the Japanese workers who sound the alarm.
Before the Sub-Mariner can escape, a massive net is dropped on him and he is gassed by a soldier before being turned over to the commanding officer Admiral Footsu. Footsu orders the Sub-Mariner to be executed and has the hero strung up and placed under heat lamps to evaporate all the moisture in his body causing him to grow weak. He tells the Sub-Mariner that they will soon unleash their supersub and then orders his minions to place Namor in a watertight cell.
As they bring Namor to his cell, he spots a mop bucket filled with water and manages to muster enough strength to knock out the guard moving him and douse himself with the water, restoring his strength and giving him the energy to break out. Namor rushes out to sea and arrives just as the Japanese super-sub has surfaced in front of an American battleship fleet and attacked. Much to Namor's relief the American ships back off before they are decimated. The Sub-Mariner then enters the sub's ballast tank and begins knocking on the hatch inside, prompting the Japanese sailors aboard the vessel to investigate. When they open the hatch, Namor springs into action with fists flying.
Namor then subdues Admiral Footsu and uses him as a human shield to reach the ballast control where he sets and explosive off causing the sub to fill with water. Namor then leaves the sub to sink to the ocean floor where Footsu and his command all drown.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan
Terry Vance
While studying up on Morse Code, Terry Vance and Deadline Dawson are called by the FBI who ask the two boys to assist them in trying to find out how information from a nearby airplane factory is being leaked to the enemy. Going to the location near the factory, they find nothing but an air raid watch tower. Deciding to investigate it anyway, they are refused to go up by the old woman who is on watch duty.
Finding it suspicious, they decide to search her house. Arriving at the old woman's property, Terry sends Dr. Watson up into the house to search for clues. The monkey has to return quickly when the old woman and her dog Heinie return from their lookout duty. When Dr. Watson returns, he brings back a razor, giving Terry a clue as to the truth behind the old woman.
Going back to the lookout tower, Terry and Deadline are allowed up by the relief lookout, from there they can get a good look of the aircraft factory and how many fighter planes are ready for transport. When they bring their findings to Deadline's editor and the FBI head, neither think the boys are on the right track to solving the mystery. Terry is not so easily discouraged and they return back to the old woman's house.
They watch as she does her duty at the lookout tower, and then rushes home to hang her laundry to dry. Terry recognizes that the sheet arrangement is in Morse Code, this is confirmed when a Nazi sub surfaces close to shore to observe it. Terry calls it in to the FBI who send a bomber to blast the sub out of the water, and the woman -- who is really a man in disguise -- is apprehended.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson, Nazis
Flaming Hate
Madeline Joyce and her Uncle Jim are passing by one of the most recent in a series of mysterious fires, and learn that it has been caused by a man calling himself the Flaming Hate who has managed to kill a fire fighter by stabbing him in the back during each inferno. As her uncle goes to keep a look out for the killer, Madeline opts to stay behind so that she can do investigating on her own: As Miss America.
Changing into her costume, Miss America flies into the nearby building and stop the Burning Hate before he can kill another victim. The Flaming Hate escapes, while she takes the injured fire fighter to the hospital. She picks up the killers trail and follows him back to a nearby insane asylum where she tries to warn the staff. they do not believe her at first until the Flaming Hate appears and attacks her. Overpowered by Miss America and with the doctor present armed with a gun, the Flaming Hate manages to escape again.
Theorizing that he might go back to the hospital to finish the job he started on the fire fighter, Miss America sends a warning and races there. Sure enough, the hospital is on fire, and inside she confronts the Flaming Hate just before he can kill the injured fireman. She chases him through the burning hospital where ironically enough he is crushed to death when the burning ceiling of the hallway collapses on him. With nothing she can do for the Flaming Hate, Miss America then rescues the remaining hospital staff and their patients as fire fighters put out the blaze.
Later, back in her civilian guise, her Uncle Jim reads Madeline the newspaper story about the Flaming Hate, revealing that he had a vendetta against firemen ever since his wife died in a fire.
Recurring Characters
Miss America
Continuity Notes
According to Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #9, the Flaming Hate was one of many villains created by the mysterious Organizers a secret cabal that created super-villains for the heroes of the 1940s to battle. However, this was told to Peter Parker by Mac Gargan, who is insane. He has been the only person who has mentioned the Organizers and their conspiracy so the validity of these statements should be considered suspect.
Patriot
Jeff Mace receives an invitation to a military officers ball in Washington D.C. There he finds the atmosphere a bit stuffy and decides to go outside for some fresh air. Outside he overhears some Nazi spies, posing as Austrian refugees, who are planning to steal the plans for a new submarine and return them to Berlin.
Overhearing that they intend to break into Admiral Parker's home to steal the plans, Jeff rushes there to catch them in the act as the Patriot. Although he gets the drop on the spies, they easily knock him out and take the plans.
With no clues, the Patriot returns to the party and waits for the two "Austrian refugees" to leave and follows them back to their secret hideout. As he is busy fighting the spies, one of their number manages to escape in a car. Chasing after the Nazi spies, the Patriot has the good luck when the spy swerves off the road and is killed when his car crashes. Recovering the stolen plans, he returns to the Nazi hideout where he rounds up the remaining spies for the authorities and returns the stolen plans.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Nazis
Angel
The Angel is taking a peaceful stroll through a residential area when he spots a strange man in a cloak slipping a note under the front door of one of the houses, rings the door bell and flees. Finding this suspicious the Angel decides to follow him. The home is owned by Hans Dreden and his wife Elsa. When Elsa answers the door she finds the note, addressed to Hans, and gives it to him. Reading the note he is horrified to find that it belongs to Max Bovar, a Gestapo agent whom he knew as a child before immigrating to the United States with his parents.
Before he can call the police, Bovar breaks into their home and holds the couple at gunpoint. He demands that Hans be loyal to his homeland by handing over the formula for the Mars-X Powder he has developed for the Mars Powder Company. This refusal prompts Bovar to call his minions and threatens to torture Elsa by branding her with a hot iron in the shape of a Swastika. Unwilling to see his wife harmed, Hans submits and begins to write out the formula when suddenly the Angel breaks through the window.
The Angel knocks out Bovar's men and chases Bovar outside of the house. There the Gestapo agent tries to blow up the hero with a grenade. Believing himself successful, he attempts to flee by hailing a cab, but the Angel ambushes him and during their struggle, Bovar is thrown out into the speeding cabs path and is fatally run over.
Recurring Characters
Angel, Nazis
