Marvel Mystery Comics #55
The Terrorists of Time
The Human Torch and Toro are at Grand Central Station having returned from a trip out of town when they are rocked off their feet by the force of an explosion. Springing into action they rush outside to see that a bomb had gone off in a nearby clock tower. As the two heroes rush to contain the flames, they are unaware that they are being watched by a group of Nazi operatives calling themselves the Hourmen who are led by a man calling himself Der Tag. With their mission a complete success, Der Tag orders his men to return to their hideout to plot anew.
Meanwhile, the Human Torch examines the scene and finds a strange hose attached to the clock face. Deciding that it is suspicious he and Toro pay a visit to Peter Herrick, the curator of the cities large clocks. When the Torch shows Herrick the strange hose, the man dismisses it as nothing more than useless debris that fused itself to the clock during the explosion. With no further clues, the two flaming heroes decide to wait to see if their mystery saboteur strikes again.
Later at the hideout of Der Tag and his minions meet once more and begin planning their next attack, this time on the Trysler building. Deciding to make their mission known, they hijack a local radio station to broadcast their planned attack. At that time, the Human Torch and Toro are researching four previous explosions that happened while they were out of town and come to the conclusion that all the buildings blown up had clock towers. At that moment, Der Tag's radio broadcast hits the airwaves and he tells the listening public that with each passing hour he and his men will blow up another local clock tower.
Getting the list of targeted buildings from the broadcast, the Torch and Toro race off to the Trysler building and look inside. There they find another hose attached to the clock, and upon removing it disarm the explosive that threatened it. With the key to stopping the explosions figured out, the Torch relays the information to the authorities and then goes after the man he suspects is responsible for the attacks.
As the Hourmen lament over the failure of their first bomb, they are suddenly surprised by the arrival of the Human Torch and Toro. As Toro rounds up the Hourmen, the Torch prevents Der Tag from setting off the bomb set in the Moolworths building and then melts off his mask, revealing him to be none other than Peter Herrick. With the plot foiled, the Torch and Toro turn Herrick and his men over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Nazis
The Flying Graveyard
The Sub-Mariner is summoned to a local lighthouse where the keeper shows him -- through binoculars -- a battle raging between two ships full of American troops. Confused why American soldiers would be fighting each other, Namor dives out into the water and swims to one of the ships. Boarding it, he is attacked by the soldiers who, much to Namor's surprise, are speaking in Japanese. The men attack Namor, but the fight is abruptly ended when a direct hit from the other ship sinks the vessels. Before Namor can question any of the "Japanese" soldiers most of the survivors all commit suicide leaving Namor perplexed by the mystery.
Grabbing the only two survivors, he drags them to the other ship and turns them over to the military. There the commanding officer checks their paperwork and everything checks out. Before they can question the men they poison themselves. Namor learns that the men were part of a crew that went missing about a month previous while on a voyage in the area. Learning that another ship is about to take the same route, Namor dives into the water to intercept it and monitor its progress. As the ship continues on its route, they soon come into the path of a massive tornado.
Finding its path suspicious, Namor dives into the water and swims toward it and gets swept up into its funnel. Taken up into the clouds, Namor finds himself aboard a massive Japaneses sky fortress that can pull up entire battleships into itself. There he finds the crew of an American ship being tortured by a Nazi soldier calling himself the Black Snake. Attacking, Namor has to hold back when American soldiers -- brainwashed into believing that they are Japanese attack him as well. This leaves him open for an attack from the Black Snake, who subdues the hero and takes him prisoner.
Namor is then tossed in a massive fish tank emptied of water and left to perish while he prepares the next wave of brainwashed soldiers back to sea. The Black Snake leaves Namor under the supervision of an Italian chemist who has been forced into working for the operation. Left to his own devices, the Italian man uses a hose of water to revive Namor's strength and help the hero escape from his prison. The Black Snake returns and attacks Namor, but is no match for his revitalized strength. Fighting him into the whirlpool in the center of the airship, Namor sends him falling through the tornado to a water death and then sends the airship crashing to the water below. With the operation destroyed, Namor and the Italian chemist return to the American ship where the Italian promises to restore the soldiers to normal.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan
Terry Vance
Terry Vance and Deadline Dawson are invited to the Mighty Circus to help investigate a series of robberies of the payroll. Terry and Deadline take the offer and begin investigating the case.
After being shown around by the owner, Terry spends some time playing with Dr. Watson. Watson knocks over the illusion case of the local magician named Marko. Marko is furious and attacks Watson, but the ape manages to fend him off. Terry apologizes for the trouble, but Marko vows to get revenge against the boy.
That night, as Terry goes for a walk, Dr. Watson pays a visit to the payroll wagon. There, he witnesses the payroll manager getting knocked out by Marko and his men. They steal the money and then in order to frame Terry, Marko hides some of the stolen money in Terry's tent. When the authorities arrive, the payroll managers only remember seeing Dr. Watson and accuses the ape of knocking him out.
When they search Terry's tent they find the planted money. Terry and Dr. Watson flee and later confronts Marko in his tent. During the fight, Terry and Marko knock each other out and a gas lamp is knocked over. Dr. Watson pulls both humans out of the tent and when the authorities arrive they find the stolen money in Marko's tent and take him into custody.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
Patriot
Jeff Mace and Mary Morgan are heading to the west coast to cover a visit by Madam Chiang, the Chinese first lady to the United States. Arriving there, Jeff and Mary begin searching for the first lady in the Chinese quarter they get a newspaper and learn of the recent breakout of Japanese POW's from the internment camps.
When they make their way to the American-Chinese Society building they find that the men at the door are no longer admitting visitors into the event. Realizing that the men are really Japanese, Jeff slips away and changes into the Patriot. Sneaking into the building, the Patriot witnesses as the dinner guests are held hostage at gunpoint by the Japanese escapees. When the hero attempts to stop them he is knocked out by a blow to the back of the skull. Revived shortly thereafter, the Patriot learns that the Japanese men kidnapped Madam Chiang.
Detecting the odor of fish from the ropes used to tie up the guests, the Patriot correctly deduces that the Japanese were hiding out near the local fishing fleets and rushes to the docs. There, the Patriot tries to stop the Japanese from escaping in a ship. They hold him off with gunfire and manage to escape with Madam Chaing in a speed boat and light the ship on fire. Diving into the water, the Patriot swims to a fireboat and orders the crew to chase after the speedboat.
They follow it out to sea where the speedboat meets up with a Japanese submarine. The Patriot dives aboard and fights off the crew as the men aboard the fireboat come aboard and take them, prisoner. For rescuing her, Madam Chiang thanks the Patriot. Later, as Mary and Jeff fly back home, Mary wonders who managed to wire the story to their friend Jack Casey back home.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Mary Morgan
Chain Murders
Madeline Joyce and her Uncle Jim are driving to her uncle’s office when they hear a radio report about the death of the assistant to the District Attorney, the sixth murder caused by the so-called Chain Murderer. When they arrive there, they learn that Uncle Jim's co-worker has fainted because he too has gotten a letter form the Chain Murderer ordering him to kill or his daughter will be harmed. They go to the District Attorney's office where the letter is handed over to a man named Mathers who has been handling the Chain Murderer case. He takes the letter and assures them the safety of those threatened.
On their way back home, Madeline asks to be dropped off so that the can go "shopping". Little do they suspect that Madeline is really going into action as Miss America to investigate the case herself. She rushes to Mather's office and crashes in through the window demanding that Mathers confess that he is really the Chain Murderer. When asked, she tells him that she deduced his true identity when he specified that Uncle Jim's co-worker had a wife and child before that information was offered up to him. Mathers blinds Miss America by throwing ink into her eye and then knocks her out. Hearing someone coming he locks Miss America in his cabinet. It is an officer who come to ask Mathers to help guard Perkin's home in order to catch the killer.
Mathers agrees to go along and when everyone's guard is down, he knocks out the officer and is about to execute the Perkin's family when Miss America (having revived and freed herself) comes crashing through the window. Mathers manages to escape, taking Perkin's daughter as a hostage and escaping in his car. Miss America chases after him and in the high-speed chase Mathers crashes his car and flees on foot, abandoning his hostage. When cornered Mathers chooses death and lunges at an electric fence, electrocuting himself to death.
Resuming her civilian guise and picking up some shopping, Miss America returns home to find her father listening to the radio reports about Mathers defeat.
Recurring Characters
Miss America, James Bennett
Angel
The Angle is taking a stroll along Times Square when he is approached by an elderly flower woman and buys a carnation from her. Later, he hears a scream and comes across the dead body of actress Ingrid Ilsen. Searching her body, he finds that she has a similar carnation pinned to her jacket and makes the connection with the flower woman.
The Angel searches for her and spots her climbing onto the running board of a car passing by. Changing into his Angel costume, the hero leaps onto the back of the car and hitches a ride. As he goes, he is spotted by a beat cop who decides to keep tabs on the hero.
When the car at the old woman's hideout, the Angel tries to sneak in but is knocked out from behind. Coming around the Angel finds himself tied to a chair and is surprised when the old lady reveals herself to really be not only a man, but Siegfried Kunz of the Gestapo. Kunz explains to the Angel that he was hired to eliminate the actress due to the fact that she learned about some Nazi spy operations happening in the United States.
Kunz then leaves a time bomb to blow up the Angel, but before they can leave out the front door, they find that the building has been surrounded by the police. They then escape out a secret passage. Left alone, the Angel manages to pull apart the ignition wires from the bomb rending it useless and when the police officers find him they untie the hero and follow him as he goes after the spies.
As the Angel is busy dealing with Kunz's men, Kunz himself attempts to kill the hero by firing a bullet at a gas line. Ironically enough, the flames from the ignited gas engulf Kunz instead, burning him alive. When the police catch up with the hero they take Kunz's men into custody.
Recurring Characters
Angel
