Marvel Mystery Comics #80
Murder Melodies
The Human Torch and Toro are relaxing in their apartment, when the Torch reads a newspaper article about the release of Ed Clements from prison. Clements was a popular musician who was later convicted of robbing from the music firm that employed him. Just then they are visited by one of Clements former employers Sidney Otis who tells them that Ed Clements has sent him a death threat. Reviewing it, they find a written threat toward Otis and his partners Larrabee and Wilson, apparently from Clements, and a record of his hit song "Smoky Hill". The Torch tells Otis to stay in his apartment while they go and check on Larrabee.
Arriving at Larrabee's residence, they find no trace of the man but find another threatening letter and a record of Ed's song "Sunday in the Park". Searching his apartment for clues, they find tickets from previous Sunday football games and rush off to the local football field. The two flaming heroes arrive and spot Larrabee, but when they get close enough they find that someone in the crowd managed to shoot him to death without arousing notice in the loud cheering. Suspecting the hot dog vendor, the two heroes give him chase but the vendor douses them with a water hose and knocks them out. When they revive, they find that an attendant has been killed in the killers escape. While at the home of the killer, he changes his disguise and prepares his next murder, knowing how to deal with the Human Torch and Toro should they interfere with his plans again.
The Torch and Toro race back to their apartment to check on Otis, only to find a note from the man telling them that he was Larrabee had called and requested they meet at Otis' house. The Torch and Toro race off to Otis' house and along the way they spot a light on in one of the offices at the Sound-Tone Building, but speed off to make sure Otis is okay. They arrive at the house to find that it's on fire and find a horribly burned body inside. With Otis seemingly dead, the two heroes then race off to the Sound-Tone building to check on Wilson. Arriving at the building they only find the manager who tells them that among the three Ed Clements records stolen also included "You Froze My Heart". They learn from the manager that Williams often goes skating every Sunday at the Garden Rink.
At the rink, the killer spots Williams skating around and kills him by firing a sharp icicle with a sling shot directly into his heart. The Human Torch and Toro arrive and chase the killer into an ice plant where they are slowed down when the killer tosses blocks of ice at them. Forced to flame off to avoid the risk of igniting the freezing gasses used in the ice plant, the Torch and Toro follow after the killer. When the Torch and Toro revive they find themselves in a freezer. The killer explains that he is going to freeze them to death and leaves them to die inside. Left alone, the Torch notices that the roof of the freezer is made of wood and he manages to break through it to the floor above. He and Toro then escape. They find the killers footprints, recalling that Clements walked with a limp, they note that the footprints do not appear to be those of a limping man and realize that Clements is not the killer. They rush to the Larrabee-Otis-Wilson Music Company where they catch the killer trying to crack the safe. The Torch and Toro round him up in a ring of fire and reveal him to be Otis. Otis surrenders and confesses that he and his partners were selling their company for $500,000 and that he killed them so that he could take the entire amount and flee the country while framing Ed Clements for the crime. He also explains that the person who died in his house fire was his butler. After Otis is turned over to the authorities, the Torch and Toro are visited by Ed Clements who they wish the best in reviving his career.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Mad Hatter Mystery
The Sub-Mariner is in New York visiting Betty Dean who invites him along with her to a costume party being thrown by theatre producer Walter Clark. They are invited by Alice Grant, who is playing Alice in Clark's production of "Alice in Wonderland", and have been informed that the party is a costume party based on the story. Dressing up for the occasion, Namor and Betty are greeted by Alice who introduces them to Walter Clark and his nephew Roy. As everyone goes behind a prop looking glass to where the dinner is being held, the Sub-Mariner spots someone dressed like the Mad Hatter lurking around the ship. Namor confronts him and is attacked. The Mad Hatter knocks Namor aside and jumps ship, with Namor following soon after.
Meanwhile inside, Alice and their guests are surprised to find a piece of cake on the table much like in the story of "Alice in Wonderland". Alice eats a piece and to everyone's shock and horror she suddenly grows gigantic in size. Namor, having lost the Mad Hatter, returns to the ship and finds out what happened. Namor helps pull the ship to shore where Alice is then rushed off to the hospital for treatment. The Mad Hatter has meanwhile mailed a ransom note to Alice, who shows it to the Sub-Mariner, seeing that it is a demand for $10,000 in order to restore Alice to her normal height. Alice soon gets a phone call from the Mad Hatter, demanding that she meet him at Lake Park at midnight alone with the money which she was able to get from Walter Clark.
At Lake Park, Alice hands over the money to the Mad Hatter for the cure. When she is given the cure, the Sub-Mariner attacks the Mad Hatter. However, the Mad Hatter is prepared and unleashes his dragon Jabberwock on the hero. As Namor is fighting the dragon, he is knocked out by the Mad Hatter. He is revived by a bucket of water by Alice, who Namor finds has been restored to normal and that the Mad Hatter fled while he was knocked out. Elsewhere in the city, the Mad Hatter decides to deal with the Sub-Mariner by targeting his friend Betty. The next day at his apartment Namor gets a phone call from Betty telling him that she found a lead on the Mad Hatter and that he meet her at the abandoned Flamingo Roadhouse.
When Namor arrives Betty tells him that this is the Mad Hatter's hideout and brings him inside. There he is knocked out from gas sprayed from a Cheshire Cat statue. The Mad Hatter then jump Betty and knocks her out with gas as well. He then ties them up with chains attacked to a pulley system that will eventually choke them to death. The Mad Hatter then explains that he has threatened to increase the size of Walter Clark unless he agrees to pay him $50,000. He then leaves them to die while he goes to Rock Point to collect the ransom.
While left alone, Namor is able to swing with enough momentum to kick a book (ironically, "Alice in Wonderland") across the room and hit the off switch on the pulley, freeing himself and Betty. Namor then dives into the ocean and swims off to Rock Point. However he arrives too late as the Mad Hatter has fled with the money, shooting Walter Clark dead. With suspicions, Namor pays a visit to Walter's lawyer and learns that Walter's entire fortune was killed to his nephew Roy. Realizing that Roy and Alice are married, Namor realizes that the Mad Hatter is really Roy.
Rushing to the yacht, Namor finds a trap door and stilts that were used to make it appear as though Alice grew in size. He is then confronted by Alice, Roy and Edna, the maid who all worked together to plot out murdering Walter so that Roy could collect his fortune. Namor distracts Roy by telling him that the police are arriving and knocks him out. With Alice and Edna also easily subdued, the police soon arrive and take them away. Namor and Betty are at the police station where the confessions are sign and Namor explains the entire plot to Betty.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean
Flaming Death
Continued from last issue...
Two men have come to the home of Elise Winters and when she does not answer they being trying to break in. Inside, Miss America quickly uses make up and a wig to disguise herself as Elise and meets with the men. They demand that she turn over the bracelet and she pretends that she knows where it is and is taken prisoner so the men will take her to their employer.
Meanwhile, at the secret hideout of former Rex, the former Nazi has what he believes to be the microfilm and gloats to American agent Ted Banning, explaining to Banning that he will use the sun ray to carry on the Nazi's work and take over the entire world.
Elsewhere, Miss America is taken by her kidnappers to the a meeting place with their boss, a spy named Velasquesa who has made arrangements with Elise Winters to purchase the sun ray designs for $100,000. He offers "Elise" a glass of Aqua Mara, a brand that he special orders. She turns it down and tells Velasquesa that she has the microfilm hidden on her body and goes behind a changing screen to get it. Instead, Miss America changes back into her costume and attacks Velasquesa and his men. Although Miss America has the upper hand, the untimely arrival of a delivery girl stops the fight when one of Velasquea's men takes the girl hostage. Miss America and the girl and knocked out and Velasque starts a fire to eliminate Miss America and leaves he and the delivery girl to burn alive.
Miss America revives and quickly rushes herself and the delivery girl out. When they are trapped by fire, water from a fire hose bursts in to douse the flames. Outside, they find their hero is Peter Carr. When Miss America questions how he got back into town after she abandoned him, he explains that he was able to hitch a ride. He explains that he followed after the two men when he saw them leading Miss America as "Elise" out of the hotel.
Peter once more offers to help Miss America capture Rex, but she still cannot bring herself to trust Peter and flies off, leaving Peter to wonder if he should not have confided in her sooner. Seeking to find Velasquea, hoping he will also lead her to Rex, she decides to search for him via the only clue available to her: The fact that Velasquesa special orders case lots of Aqua Mara and begins the long task of canvassing wine shops to find out who he orders from.
This story is continued next issue....
Recurring Characters
Miss America, Peter Carr, Ted Banning, Rex Herr, Velasquesa, Elise Winters
Murder for a Laugh
At a radio program conference, gag-man Joe Diller tries to impress his employers with new jokes. However, none of them are funny and is fired for not being funny enough. That night, Joe's mind snaps and he decides to get revenge against the people who fired him, promising to make them die laughing. He first visits the home of Ned Wilson and after telling another one of his terrible jokes, shoots him dead.
The shots are heard by the Young Allies who are passing by and rush inside. They confront Joe who manages to smash the lights and flee the scene. Finding Ned, he tells the Young Allies that Joe is going after the writers who fired him and dies. Searching the room, Bucky finds a notebook that has the names and addresses of the other gag-men who work for the radio. With the names, the Young Allies split into a group of two to stop Joe.
Bucky and Tubby arrive at he home of Gus Goodwin, just as Joe forces Gus to laugh at his jokes at knife point. When Gus falters, he is about to be stabbed when Bucky and Tubby arrive. Joe flees outside the house, but manages to knock out the two boys and ties them up. He then forces them to laugh at his jokes at sword point. Realizing that Joe will not kill them unless they stop laughing, Bucky and Tubby hold out until Toro and Knuckles arrive to meet with them. While Toro melts Joe's sword, Knuckles knocks him out and the Young Allies turn Joe over to the police.
Recurring Characters
Young Allies (Bucky, Toro, Knuckles O’Toole, Tubby Tinkle)
Continuity Notes
This story presents Bucky as though he is the original, aka James Barnes. However, as per Avengers #4, Bucky went MIA with the original Captain America in 1945. As explained in What If? #4 the United States government covered this up by recruiting successors. The Bucky here is actually Fred Davis.
As revealed in Young Allies Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 it was revealed that all of the Timely era Young Allies stories are comic book adaptations of real missions of the Young Allies as propaganda to support the war effort. However, it is unclear what elements of this story are real and which are fabrications or exaggerations. The only fact that is clear is that the Young Allies are depicted as adolescents here when, in reality, they were in their early 20s.
The Howling Mummy
Jeff Mace is teaching his class about ancient Egypt when the bell rings ending the day. As Jeff and Fred Davis are walking home they are confronted by a young lady named Doris Ford. Doris asks for Jeff's help because of his expertise in ancient Egypt. She explains that her wealthy uncle died recently and has his body placed in a tomb based after an Egyptian pyramid. His will also issued a challenge to his surviving relatives to find his fortune which was hidden within the booby-trapped tomb. Jeff declines to help out, but tells her that he will get his friend Captain America to assist her.
That night, Captain America and Bucky meet with Doris at the cemetery and enter the tomb. There they run into Quentin, Doris' cousin. Quentin tells them that he is leaving because he is afraid and that there are traps inside. He warns them that Gaylord, their other relative is inside searching for the money. When they enter the tomb, they are confronted by Gaylord who tells them that he intends to find the fortune before they do before disappearing deeper into the tomb.
As Cap, Bucky and Doris search the tomb, Bucky is attacked by a creature calling itself the Howling Mummy. When Captain America tries to stop him, he is knocked out and the Mummy flees. When Cap revives they continue searching the tomb for the fortune. Along the way, Cap and Bucky protect Doris from various traps. They are soon trapped in a secret room, but Cap realizes that one of the walls is false and punches through it. Finding them back in the original crypt, they hear muffled cries and find that Gaylord has been tied up and placed in one of the coffins.
They are suddenly confronted by the Howling Mummy who has them at gun point. However, Cap blocks the shots with his shield and lands a punch on the Mummy sending him reeling into a sarcophagus shattering it. Cap unravels the Mummy's bandages revealing him to be Quentin, and the smashed sarcophagus being where the money was hidden. With the money found, Doris agrees to share it with Gaylord since he was not involved in the plot to kill her and claim the fortune.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Continuity Notes
This story presents Captain America Bucky as though they are the originals, aka Steve Rogers and James Barnes. However, as per Avengers #4, Bucky went MIA with the original Captain America in 1945. As explained in What If? #4 the United States government covered this up by recruiting successors. The Bucky here is actually Fred Davis.
