The Human Torch

The Human Torch rushes back into New York City and seeks out his friend Johnson and asks him to help join the New York police. After months of training, the Torch in his civilian guise of Jim Hammond soon becomes a beat officer working in a slum section of New York. Johnson warns the Torch to be careful of a crooked politician named Roglo who works in the area.

From a building across the street, Roglo and his assistant Red note that the new officer on the street has a striking resemblance to the Human Torch. Inviting him up to his office, Roglo warns the new officer that police working in his neighborhood are to do what he says. Not willing to be a yes-man for a crooked politician the Torch relents and is attacked by Red and Roglo. Torch flames on, burning away his uniform and melting the butt of Roglo's gun when the man tries to strike him with it. The Torch warns Roglo that while the police could not find proof of Roglo's control of the local rackets, he is now dealing with the Human Torch and departs.

Returning to the police station, the Torch is worried what the Captain will say about his uniform being destroyed when he flamed on. However, when he reveals his true identity to his boss, the Captain tells the Torch that he has the full support of the police department and the mayors office and that he has been sanctioned to operate out of uniform.

Meanwhile, as Roglo is informed that his fire insurance policies have been finalized, he notices that the Torch dropped his police man's cap during the scuffle and decides to lay a trap on him. Calling and pretending to be a concerned citizen, Roglo tells Hammond where to collect his hat. Recognizing Roglo's voice, the Torch knows that he is entering a trap but goes anyway. When he arrives at the building where his hat is supposed to be he is doused with water and sealed in an air tight bag preventing him from flaming on. Leaving the Torch with Red, Roglo goes off to do his dirty work.

When Red ties the Torch up with chains in the basement, he unknowingly cuts the air tight bag open allowing the Torch to flame on and stop the crooks from cutting him in half with a saw. As Red tries to flee the scene, the Torch follows after him to a building that Roglo intends to set ablaze to collect the insurance. When Red warns his boss that the Torch escaped he is shot for his troubles. When the Torch attempts to stop them, Roglo tosses kerosene on him the explosion knocking the Torch out. When the Torch revives he finds the entire building ablaze, he is informed by Red of Roglo's plans before the thug dies. As the flames spreading across the block endangering lives. Using his control over flames, the Human Torch pulls the flames to a nearby river putting them out.

Chasing after Roglo's getaway car, he forces the crooks to stop and Roglo surrenders promising to confess when turned over to the police. Later at the police station, the Human Torch is informed that the Sub-Mariner is attacking the city.

This story is continued next issue....

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Pete Johnson

Master of Men

The Angel saves young Betty Martin from two thugs trying to throw her out of a car. As they try to get away the thugs force them off the side of the road and down into a river at the bottom of the cliff. Surviving the fall, the Angel pulls Betty back up to the street while the two crooks try to look for their bodies. The Angel gets the drop on both and puts one thug in the trunk and the other he ties to the front of the car. Threatening to send him speeding to his death, the Angel learns that Betty's Aunt Emma was attempting to murder her and later poison her father in order to claim the family fortune.

With the poison being put in her fathers dinner wine, Betty points out that it's a half hour before supper. The two rush toward her family home and are eventually escorted by police. When they arrive at the scene, the Angel crashes through the window before Henry Martin can drink his poisoned wine and exposes Aunt Emma's plot. As Emma flees the Angel tries to warn her that the police have orders to shoot to kill, but they come too late and Emma is gunned down by the officers.

Recurring Characters

Angel

Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner

Continued from last issue...

Furious after the Americans botched attempt to execute him, Namor returns to Atlantis and demands the Holy One to allow him to return to New York City and conquer it. The Holy One offers the entire military of Atlantis for this endeavor, however the Sub-Mariner refuses, telling the Holy One that it is a personal affair for him to deal with. Taking a flying sub, the Sub-Mariner rushes back to New York.

Leaving the sub below New York Harbor, Namor decides to strike the Statue of Liberty making it the castle of his new empire. After forcing those to on the island to leave, the police are called in and rush toward the island in a ocean liner. Seeing this as a pathetic attempt to stop him, the Sub-Mariner causes the liner to crash into a river boat then heads into the city.

At the docks he is attacked by officers armed with metal nets and tear gas but he is able to break free and fly away. He goes to the mayors office and laughs at the mayors warnings that he will call the National Guard if Namor does not cease his hostilities. After roughing up the mayor, Namor continues to terrorize the city. After smashing the EL train, he damages the top of the Empire State Building.

As his rampage continues the police Commissioner sends Betty Dean out to try and talk sense into Namor. She isn't sure she can as Namor blamed her for his treatment when he was last in the city but goes anyway. She manages to stop him as he is on his way back to the Statue of Liberty and tries to convince him to stop his hostilities. She warns him that he Human Torch is now a member of the police force. Having heard of the hero before, Namor balks at this warning and tells her that he is not through and to tell her people to send the Torch before diving back into the water.

This story is continued next issue...

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Holy One, Betty Dean

The Masked Raider

Nat Parker and his son are riding home weary of running into robbers when they are suddenly ambushed. The Masked Raider (disguised as a cowboy) sees the altercation and comes to their rescue and sends the robbers fleeing, although Nat is winged and his son seriously wounded. Coming to their aid, the Rider notes that one of the dead horses is marked with a Bar Y brand. Riding them into town the Raider manages to get them to the doctor in time. However, when the sheriff arrives, he tries to pin the shooting on the Raider, despite Nat's claims of the contrary forcing the Raider to flee the scene.

Changing into his costumed identity, the Raider pays a visit to Nat Parker at home and learns that the crooks have been plaguing him for some time. Stealing his cattle and horses and murdering his ranch hands. When someone tries to take a shot at the Masked Raider they fail, prompting the Raider to investigate the Bar Y ranch. There he finds the robbers however he is over powered and tied up. When Lightning chews threw his bonds he rides after the robbers and find them setting Nat's house ablaze. With the aid of Nat, the Masked Raider guns down all the men save their leader, who to their surprise turns out to be the sheriff. As it turns out, the sheriff was attempting to force Nat off his land because it was rich in minerals. With the sheriff exposed, the Masked Raider leaves him in the hands of Nat Parker.

Recurring Characters

Masked Raider, Lightning

Electro: The Marvel of the Age

When the Ohio River would overflow causing massive floods, requests would go out to Professor Zog to send Electro to help. Appealing to the cries for help, Zog would send two of his operatives along with Electro to help with the rescue effort saving many of the flood victims.

Elsewhere in the flooded area, "Boss" Sarpo and his men decide to take advantage of the lack of police presence in the flood ravaged towns to loot and pillage as they saw fit. While stranded store owners and other stranded would attempt to defend their properties from being looted, Sarpo and his men would have superior firepower and would gun down all those that would attempt to stop them.

Noticing the chaos, the Electro operatives would send Electro to stop the crooks. While the thieves are easily captured by Electro, Sarpo would escape with the loot in a speed boat, managing to escape before the military can secure the area. Electro would track Sarpo to the opposite end of the flood where he and a dishonest zoo keeper are unloading the stolen loot. Before Electro can stop them the zoo keeper unleashes two elephants to keep the robot busy. However, this fails and Electro captures both the zoo keeper and Sarpo. In jail, Sarpo vows to get revenge by eliminating Professor Zog, Electro's creator.

This story is continued next issue...

Recurring Characters

Electro, Philo Zog

Ferret: Mystery Detective

As the Ferret and his pet Nosey deboard a subway train a woman in front of them trips and supposedly breaks he ankle. Seeing her into a cab, he is jumped from behind by a man named Duke who keep the detective at gun point. Knocking him out, the load him up in the Duke's car and drive off to an estate.

There he is locked in a room where he finds Cynthia Brant, the candy store heiress. When she explains that she has been held hostage, he tells her that her father paid the ransom making both wonder why she hasn't been released. The Ferret is then forced into a meeting with Duke and is demanded to sign a check for fifty thousand dollars. When the Ferret refuses, he is beat into seeming unconsciousness and Duke orders his men to force the signature out of him and then eliminate him and Cynthia both.

To do so, the Duke's men tie the Ferret up to a chair and put him through the Chinese water torture. However, his faithful pet Nosey comes to his rescue and chews through the ropes binding his hands. Catching the crooks off guard, the Ferret easily waylays them and reveals the woman who tricked him before to really be a man in disguise. With the ransomers tied up the Ferret then calls in the police to apprehend them.

Recurring Characters

Ferret, Nosey

Continuity Notes

• This is the last Golden Age appearance of the Ferret’s trusty pet Nosey. The fate of Nosey is revealed in Marvels Project #4

Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great

Ka-Zar takes interest in a plane that suddenly lands on the river bordering his domain in the Belgian, Congo. Weary of the white men inside, he decides to watch to see if they are friend or foe. From the plane come Professor Rice and his daughter Mara and their pilot. With only a month worth of supplies, the Professor is insistent that their pilot leave as soon as possible so that they can last the entire month he wants to spend searching for rare plants.

Unfortunately for the Rice's, their pilot is really wanted criminal "Red" Skeleton who is wanted in two countries. When Red attempts to romance Mara it leads to an altercation where Red reveals his true identity and demands that the Professor sign a contract allowing Red to extort him for one hundred thousand dollars and the right to marry Mara or he threatens to leave them behind.

As he is blackmailing the Rice's, Ka-Zar goes to Zar for aid and they rush back to the camp just as Professor Rice tries to lunge at Red. Red shoots the old man dead, and Mara flees into the jungle with Red following after her. Ka-Zar sends Zar to track the girl while he inspects the airplane. Inside, he comes across a lighter and accidentally sets some oil rags on fire causing the plane to explode into flame, drawing both Red and Mara back to the river. Blaming Mara for destroying their only means of escape he is about to shoot the girl so that he can use her rations to escape the jungle on foot when Ka-Zar attacks him. Red attempts to shoot the jungle man, but misses and Ka-Zar slays him.

Introduced to Ka-Zar, the thankful girl wants to stay in the jungle with him, but he refuses to allow her as he feels it is too dangerous, however the girl is insistent. When Trajah arrives and alerts Ka-Zar of a caravan passing through nearby, he loads the girl on the elephants back and begins to ride off to meet it even though the girl continues to try and convince him to stay.

This story is continued next issue....

Recurring Characters

Ka-Zar, Zar, Trajah