Marvel Mystery Comics #63
Killers Inc.
At the McArthy Steel Factory, Old "Steel" McArthy prides himself over his two eldest sons, Harry and Ed, but bemoans his meek, youngest son Bill who is a complete push over. This is compounded when Bill confronts some of the workers about their underweighted loads. The two men become angry at the accusation and when Bill tries to passively defuse the situation he is punched in the face. As the other members of the McArthy clan chastise Bill, the Human Torch and Toro arrive on an appointment to help melt down scrap metal. Seeing the scene, the two flaming heroes break up the fight and remind them that there is war going on and that they should be working together instead of fighting and everyone gets back to work.
Meanwhile, at rival Apex Steel Mills, owner Carter Blackstone is informed by his step-daughter Anne Gibson that men that he has hired have arrived. Blackstone invites them in and they begin hatching a plot. That evening, the Torch and Toro walk Bill home and listen as Bill confide in them. He believes that he is going to have to move out of his fathers home due to his passive behavior. When the Torch and Toro part company they spot Anne being hassled by the men that her step-father hired. The Torch and Toro easily knock the men out and surround them in a circle of fire until the authorities arrive. Anne explains who she is and that she intends not to return home. Suspecting that something is up, the Torch invites the girl back to the apartment he shares with Toro. There, Anne tells the two heroes that her step-father has hired men to wreck the McArthy Steel Plant in order to win a bid on a contract both mills are competing for. She explains that her step-father will resort to any means to obtain wealth and power. She explains that at lunch time tomorrow, the hired men will use Apex's overhead cranes to dump loads of steel on McArthy's equipment, ruining it. The Torch tells Anne that they will handle the situation.
While at the Apex Mill, one of the escaped thugs returns to Blackstone's office who tells his employer of their encounter with the Human Torch. Blackstone realizes his daughter will talk and decides to do something about it. He calls in his three best men, called the Three Aces. He takes the professionals to the Torch's home to knock out the heroes. The three crooks rush upstairs to the Torch's apartment and the succeed in knocking out the two heroes and Anne. Blackstone and his men then drive the trio out to a lake outside of town and toss the three in to drown and leave. The water revives the Torch and he uses his flame powers to evaporate the lake so he can rescue Anne and Toro before they drown. The Torch and Toro then take Anne to the McArthy mill where they use their flame powers to stop the dumping of steel on the equipment. Before they can knock out the Three Aces and Blackstone, the Torch and Toro are surprised when Bill rushes on the scene and knocks the men out. With Blackstone and his men turned over to the authorities, the McArthy's congratulate their weaker sibling for finally being brave and the Torch and Toro note a budding relationship between Anne and Bill.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
Vanishing Killers
Rockville Penitentiary: three convicted killers succeed in a daring jail break, one of many that have been hitting prisons across the country. When the story hits the newspapers, the Sub-Mariner becomes interested in the case and begins to wonder where the criminals could be hiding. He then meets with Betty Dean who has no leads on the story, but is planning on going to meet with Warden Hawes of State Penitentiary that hasn't seen a prison break in over 12 years. Namor suspects that this prison might be the next one to be a target of another prison break. Namor dives into the water nearby and swims up state to get to the prison as fast as possible.
Later, during Betty's interview with the warden, she is given a tour of the prison. Just as Betty is spots something shiny on the floor, the prison alarm goes off. While outside on the main wall three prisoners dive into the water below as guards try to shoot them. However, when they land in the water the Sub-Mariner is there to meet him and is in the middle of rounding them up when a boat comes up from behind and strikes him. Knocked out, Namor revives shortly after to find the boat and the prisoners have escaped. Meeting with the warden, he finds that nobody has any clues, and that Betty had returned to the newspaper.
When Namor arrives at the paper he finds that Betty has not arrive yet. When he is about to leave he accidentally knocks over a pile of papers on the secretaries desk. Spotting a coded message in the classifieds, Namor realizes that the crooks have been plotting their schemes through the messages. Deciphering the message, Namor deduces that the boat that helped the crooks escape is located at Dock 12. At the local dock, the captain of the ship opens a bunch of barrels containing the escaped crooks. Namor arrives and knocks out the crooks and goes after to the captain who flees to the inside of the ship. There, Namor finds that the captain taken Betty prisoner. With Betty being threatened at gun point, Namor surrenders and the captain and one of his crew member ties a live wire around Namor's legs that begins to pump him full of a lethal electrical charge.
Left alone to die, Namor manages to knock over a mirror on a table onto the generators control panel. The broken glass jams the generators inner workings, allowing Namor to free himself and untie Betty. Playing possum when the captain and his man return. Namor takes advantage of the bucket of water they brought to taunt him, by kicking it onto himself, revitalizing his strength. Namor then easily subdues the men and forces them to reveal the location of the crooks hideout.
There Namor is shocked to find the warden of State Penitentiary is the mastermind behind the whole plot. When the crooks try to fight back, Namor easily defeats them and turns them over to the authorities. With the crooks back in prison, Namor learns that the "warden" was really an impostor who killed the real warden and took his place.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean
The Black Flag of Doom
Madeline Joyce is visiting the air traffic control tower of a local air force base when suddenly air traffic control gets a distress call from one of their planes, claiming to be attacked by pirates. Slipping away in the excitement, Madeline changse into Miss America and fflies off to find out what's happening. She catches up to the plane and is shocked to find men dressed as pirates on the wing of the plane. Trying to stop the men, Miss America is knocked out. The pirates then light the cockpit of the plane on fire and escape. Miss America escapes just in time and as she flies off to try and find where the pirates went when she is suddenly struck by a seemingly invisible object.
Grabbing onto it, she is surprised to find that it is a nearly invisible plane. Trying to find the hatch, Miss America is grabbed by the pirates who pull her aboard the ship. She is brought before their leader who claims to be Blackbeard. Blackbeard has his men tie weights to Miss America's body and tosses her out of the plane to fall to her death. Falling through the air, Miss America breaks free but loses Blackbeard in doing so.
Changing back into her civilian guise, Madeline has dinner with a military officer who tells her that the military has suffered four attacks from this so-called Blackbeard. When news gets out that a local war plant was attacked by Bluebeard and his men, Madeline goes out that night as Miss America to search for Blackbeard's base. Remembering old stories about how Blackbeard hid in the bayous, Miss America flies over the local swamp in vein. When she lands on the ground, she is attacked by Blackbeard's men.
During the fight, Blackbeard appears and is accidentally struck by one of his own men's bullets, which has no effect. However, when Miss America attacks Blackbeard, she is surprised to find that "Blackbeard" is not a ghost at all, but a Japanese spy wearing a disguise and wearing a bullet proof vest. When "Blackbeard's" men attempt to escape, Miss America chases after their plane, causing it to crash. Later, riding a train back home, her Uncle Jim notices that Madeline is reading a book about pirates.
Recurring Characters
Miss America, James Bennett
The Master of Death
With a series of fires that have been plaguing the city, Jeff Mace and Mary Morgan get an interview with the mayor who dismisses the fires as being accidental. However, as their interview is ending, they spot a fire engine racing down the street. The pair follow it to the zoo where there is a fire already raging. Learning that the fire started near the elephants cages, Jeff begins looking around where he finds an asbestos lined glove discarded on the ground. He is witnessed by Dr. Hades -- the man responsible for the fire -- who knocks Mace out.
Coming around, Jeff changes into the Patriot and follows after Dr. Hades. The Patriot is over powered by Hades' men who take him prisoner, bringing them to the shrine devoted to fire. There, the Patriot witnesses as Dr. Hades encourages his followers to continue in their belief that fire is powerful and should be worshiped. The Patriot questions Dr. Hades how arson and murder can be a form of worship, and learns that Hades is just manipulating the cult as he is being paid to cause the fires. Leaving the Patriot tied up, Dr. Hades and his men leave to light city hall on fire. The Patriot manages to break free of his bonds and tries to stop the cult from leaving. When confronting Dr. Hades, the Patriot is temporarily stunned by the villain's phosphorous gun.
Getting an officer to call for back up, the Patriot races off to city hall and confronts Dr. Hades who holds the hero back with the water pressure from a fire hose. When Hades attempts to flee, the Patriot grabs the hose and uses it against his foe. The blast of water sends Dr. Hades flying into the burning building which then collapses on him, ending the threat of Dr. Hades. Later, back in his civilian guise, Jeff hands in his story leaving Mary to wonder once more how Jeff managed to get the scoop on the story.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Mary Morgan
The Horror of the Catwoman
One night the Angel is walking down the section of town called Jewelers Row when he hears gun shots. Rushing upstairs he catches a costumed criminal calling herself the Cat-Woman robbing a safe of a jeweled necklace. Although the Angel get the drop on the Cat-Woman, she manages to kick him in the face and flee to the roof of the building. Where she jumps off the roof and uses a flagpole to escape through a window on the lower floor.
The Angel sees this and follows after her in the same way. However as he rushes out of the buildings lobby, another man runs into him. When the Angel tries to stop the Cat-Woman's car, the man -- thinking the Angel to be a masher -- tries to stop him. The Angel pushes the man off, but is too late to stop Cat-Woman from escaping. Suspecting that the interference from the "good Samaritan" is too convenient, and follows the man as he takes a cab.
Riding on the back of the cab to an old two-story house. Changing into his costume, the Angel finds that the house is owned by the Cat-Woman and she and her men are lording all over their stolen loot. The Angel smashes through a window and begins fighting the Cat-Woman's men. When the Cat-Woman tries to stab the Angel in the back, the hero tosses one of her goons at her instead.
The Cat-Woman tosses a chair in the Angel's face and attempts to flee the scene. The hero jumps on the roof of her getaway car. Not wishing to be taken alive, Cat-Woman sends her car fatally crashing into a building while the Angel bails out of the vehicle. When the police arrive on the scene they find the tell-tale shadow that informs them that the Angel was involved.
Recurring Characters
Angel
