Marvel Mystery Comics #62
Dolls of Death
When wealthy Wall Street Broker Jack Carlson receives a second note demanding that he pay a sum of money or suffer the consequences. Considering it the work of a prankster Carlson ignores the warning. Later that day a package is delivered to his home and his wife signs for it. Inside the package is a doll that she believes one of her husband’s colleagues purchased for their child. However, before she can give the gift to her daughter an explosive inside the doll goes off.
Later, when the police arrive on the scene they call in the Human Torch and Toro to investigate. When they arrive on the scene they look at the crime scene and learn that the only evidence on site is the shattered remains of the doll. Suspecting that local doll maker was responsible for the bomb, the Torch and Toro pay a visit to Grafton & Grouse, the largest doll-wig manufacturing company. There, they are given a manifest of all the companies clients who bought wigs from the company.
With the list they go from doll shop to doll shop purchasing dolls in the hopes of finding the manufacturer responsible for making the bomb rigged doll. After shopping all day, its not until they purchase a doll at the Ellen Lane doll shop that the Torch suspects something fishy going on. While they are browsing, the Torch recognizes one of the men in the store as Joe Grabbe a policy racketeer.
Sneaking around back, they listen in as Joe meets with the dollmaker and they discuss their next planned attack. When Toro accidentally knocks over some garbage cans, the crooks inside become wise to their presence and go into the shop to "discuss" things but are really setting a trap for the two heroes. When the Torch and Toro come barging in they are trapped in a fireproof dome and douse the heroes with a hose. They then take them into a room where they are bound in asbestos-lined suits and tied to a pole. Above the pool is a buzz saw which threatens to cut them to ribbons and they are left to die while the crooks prepare their next explosive doll.
The Torch manages to get free by ducking down just enough to allow the buzz saw to cut through his asbestos suit. Flaming on, the Torch then melts the buzzsaw and frees himself and Toro. They then confront the crooks. When the leader attempts to threaten the two flaming heroes with a bomb, the Torch tosses a fireball at her and flee the scene as the bomb explodes killing the entire gang.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
Fountains of Flame
Somewhere in the Pacific, an American convoy is traveling the south seas when suddenly the entire convoy is enveloped in a massive blue flame that springs out of the water and destroys everything.
Later in a Honolulu cafe, Namor meets with military brass to discuss the situation. The lounge singer is a Chinese woman named Ming Toy and she asks the Sub-Mariner to meet her in secret about the strange blue flames that have been reported in the area. She tells Namor to meet her Waikiki Cove and to disguise himself as a Japanese man. Arriving on the scene that night he meets with Ming Toy. She explains to him that she is meeting with Japanese spies and for him to play along with her. However, before they can bring them to Dr. Nichi one of the Japanese men recognizes her as a spy as her father is a famous Chinese general and they attempt to grab her.
Namor doffs his disguise and fights back, finding that he is outnumbered, he pushes all his opponents into the water nearby. There, with his strength at its peak, Namor easily beats the Japanese spies to death. Spotting a Japanese sub nearby, Namor swims after it. He is spotted by Dr. Nichi who fires one of his special blue fire torpedoes at the Atlantean. The resulting blue flames knock Namor out, but before he can recover fully Dr. Nichi sends divers to recover him and take him prisoner.
Brought before Dr. Nichi, the Sub-Mariner finds that Ming Toy has been taken prisoner, learns how the bombs work and how Nichi and his men plan on blowing up a US task force that is on its way. Nichi then unleashes some of his blue flames on Namor, however, the water used to fuel the flames revitalizes the hero faster than the flames can weaken him and he breaks free. Namor then frees Ming Toy and they escape out of a torpedo tube. Spotting one of Nichi's blue fire torpedoes, Namor redirects it back at the Japanese sub, destroying it and ending the threat of the blue flames.
Sub-Mariner, Imperial Japan
Triple Mysteries
When reading the newspaper Madeline Joyce notes three pressing headlines: How escaped con Nick Bruto has escaped a police dragnet, the disappearance of a noted scientist and reports of a possible enemy bomber reported flying over the city.
While out for a walk, Madeline is offered a ride from a woman on the street. Madeline accepts the ride and as they are stopped at a red light, Nick Bruto suddenly appears and steals the drivers necklace. As the woman chases after Bruto, Madeline changes into Miss America and flies after him. She catches up to him, but he temporarily blinds he by tossing dirt into her eye and then mysteriously vanishes without a trace.
Back at her home, Madeline tries to relax but can't take her mind off the stories in the paper. When the radio reports that Nick Bruto is robbing Tiffan Jewelry store, she once more rushes into action as Miss America. As a police drag net closes in on Bruto, Miss America once more tries to help capture him but he escapes. Reading the paper again after Bruto's escape, Miss America happens upon the story about the missing scientist, Dr. Payne, whose house had apparently disappeared as well. When she determines that the house literally vanished, Miss America realizes what is going on.
Rushing back to the spot where Bruto gave her the slip earlier that night, she canvasses the neighborhood and deduces that the street has one more house than it should have. Upon closer inspection the house's number in incorrect as well
Barging in she is struck over the head by Bruto then to her surprise the house begins lifting off the ground. Before Miss America can do anything, Bruto kicks her out the door sending her falling to her apparent demise. Inside the house, Dr. Payne -- having had his anti-gravity house stolen by Bruto -- attempts to fight the crook while his guard is down. Bruto pushes him out a window to his seeming demise as well. However, Miss America flies back into the house with Payne in her arms. She makes quick work of Bruto and returns the house to the ground. After Payne explains everything Bruto is turned over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Miss America
The Mystery of the Million Dollar Loot
Midnight at a small-town bank, a criminal known as the Cracksmith -- a master safecracker -- and his men have broken into the main vault. However, instead of stealing money, the Cracksmith leaves 10 thousand dollars and note and then leaves. Later when the night watchman calls the bank owner, Mr. Grady, he informs his boss that he did not call the police because it did not appear that the thieves stole anything.
Going to the bank to investigate things himself, Grady finds the extra cash and the note. While outside, Jeff Mace is passing by and spots the Cracksmith's men slinking away from the bank. When he confronts them they start a fight and knock Mace out and leave. Inside the bank, Mr. Grady offers money to the guard to keep the incident quiet just as Jeff Mace makes his way into the bank. When Jeff confronts Grady about the bandits outside, Grady dismisses the notion prompting Jeff to look into things further.
Later when Grady returns home, he finds the Cracksmith waiting for him inside his home. The Cracksmith offers Grady an offer he cannot refuse: a means to rob his own bank, explaining to Grady that because he accepted the money earlier that night he is now an accessory to breaking and entering.
The following night, Jeff keeps an eye on the bank and witnesses as an armored car pulls up. Finding this suspicious he approaches one of the guards and begins asking him about why so much money is being shipped into the bank. With his press credentials, he learns from the guard that a quarter million is being brought to the bank to be stored in the vault.
Later at Grady's house, when the call comes in informing them that the money has been delivered, the Cracksmith reveals his intention of betraying Grady. But before the Cracksmith can shoot the banker the Patriot appears. When Grady attempts to call the police the Cracksmith stabs him to death. A fight breaks out, and the Patriot is knocked out when one of the Cracksmith's thugs breaks a chair over the heroes’ head.
Brought to the bank, the Patriot is placed in the safe to suffocate after the Cracksmith and his men finish robbing it. However, when the Cracksmith comes to say farewell to the Patriot, he makes a move, rushing past the Cracksmith and his men and sealing them in the vault instead and calling the authorities. Later at his newspaper, when a female employee asks how he manages to get so many stories about the Patriot, Jeff jokingly tells her that the copy boy is really the hero.
Recurring Characters
Patriot
The Epicure of Crime
A renowned criminal known as the Epicure reads the paper and learns how the Angel had succeeded in capturing the Murphy gang and decides that he will pit his criminal expertise against the crime-fighting techniques of the hero. Later that evening the Epicure calls the Angel from a payphone and issues a challenge to the Angel that the hero cannot capture him on his current string of crimes. He tells the Angel that he intends to rob the Van Puy's mansion the following day at noon and challenges the hero to try and stop him.
The next day the Angel is hiding in a tree over the Van Puy's home when the Epicure arrives. However, when the Angel attempts to get the drop on the Epicrue, the villain sees the hero through a reflective surface on his cane. So when the Angel attempts to get the drop on the Epicure when he enters the mansion, the master thief surprises him by turning around and facing him. As the Angel is distracted, one of the Epicure's men (hiding in a suit of armor) clubs the hero over the head, knocking him out. The Epicure then breaks into the Van Puy safe and steals only a single flawless pearl.
The Epicure then has the Angel tied to a chair and leaves him at the foot of a staircase with a cryptic note before departing for his next caper. When the Angel recovers, he forces himself to tumble down the stairs, breaking the chair and freeing himself. Finding the Epicure's note and finds it contains a cryptic message about "rainbow-hued feathers". Not knowing what this could mean, the Angel visits with the chief of police. When the chief mentions the art museum, the Angel realizes that the Epicure is seeking to steal the golden peacock from the local art museum.
Soon after the Epicure breaks into the museum and incapacitates the guard he manages to steal the peacock. However, before he can flee the scene, the Angel arrives and another fight breaks out. Knocked out once again, the Angel revives after the Epicure has fled. Looking out the window he finds the Epicure's discarded cane lying on the ground outside. Deducing this is a decoy to throw him off the trail, the Angel rushes to the roof where he catches the Epicure and his minions attempting to escape.
However as the Angel is busy beating the Epicure's men into submission, the Epicure himself manages to escape. After the battle is over, the Angel realizes that he is facing a worth opponent, while not far away the Epicure is admitting the same thing and vows to cross paths with the Angel again.
Recurring Characters
Angel
