Miss Fury #5 — Nick Peron

Aug 8

Aug 8 Miss Fury #5

Continued from last issue…

Rushing to the aid of her injured friend, Captain Dan Carey, Miss Fury becomes aware that a Nazi soldier is behind her. Turning, she is shocked to discover that this soldier has been horribly maimed by a grenade blast and watches as his pitifully scratches across the ground looking for his commanding officer, General Bruno Beitz, hoping to get his help. His blind scrambling reveals a secret passage way the Nazis have been using. Out in the open, Miss Fury drags Dan to cover hoping the marines can deal with the remaining Nazis before they can find them.

By this time, General Bruno has emerged from the secret passageway and shoots Private Schwartz in order to end his pathetic whining. He then tosses a grenade at the marines stationed outside, forcing them to get to cover so he can search for their captain without interference. Spotting the grenade, the soldiers — as well as Fingers Martin — duck for cover. Bruno then begins checking the wounded and dead to try and find Captain Carey, giving the living troops cigarettes. Although they are grateful for this mercy, the soldiers become concerned about a flamethrower that their general is wearing on his back. Miss Fury manages to keep herself and Dan hidden. Eventually, Bruno becomes furious that he cannot find the captain and begins shooting his own troops and in order to cover up any secrets begins using his flame thrower to incinerate everything within the base.

Trapped among the flames, Miss Fury wonders how she can get Dan to safety when she is found by Albino Jo and helps her escape. Meanwhile, General Bruno has escaped through his secret passageway and tells his surviving troops that they his suicide squad has sacrificed their lives in order to cover their escape, although this action concerns the other soldiers. Bruno retires to his office where he listens to radio reports of how the Allies in Europe are making great strides in the war effort against the Nazis. Hearing about the most recent loss, a furious General Bruno tosses a bottle at a photograph of Adolf Hitler.

By this time, the rebels have set up a new camp where Era asks Fingers to find her some decent clothing so she isn’t parading around in the nightgown she was wearing the night before. Dan Carey wakes up and is told by Albino Jo that he is expected to recover from his injuries. That’s when he is reunited with Marla Drake who tells him that she did not get married after all. Delighted by this news, Dan asks his friends to look the other way while he and Marla share a kiss. However, not everyone is happy to learn that Dan Carey is among their party. Fingers — a former crook from Brooklyn who fled the law in Brazil — recognizes Dan as a New York City police officer and fears that if Dan recognizes him and blames the former officer for ending his career. Still, with the marines now in their camp, Fingers decides to make a bunch of money to impress Era by fleecing the soldiers of their cash by playing dice. By this time, Marla has just filling Dan in on everything that has happened since they last saw each other. When he expresses his concern about the Nazi general, Marla is certain that Fingers killed him with a grenade during the battle. Confirming that this man is Fingers Martin, Dan insists that they find Fingers as he was a notoriously crooked gambler back in America. Although Marla dismisses the idea that this is the same man Dan knew back home, Fingers has managed to fleece the other soldiers of all their money. When they ask for a chance to win their money back, Fingers decides to try and make a run for it but is stopped by Marla who wants to introduce him to Carey. However, he continues to try and flee the soldiers who have just learned that he Fingers has been using loaded dice. Even though Era tries to convince the angry soldiers to leave Martin alone, he eventually ditches his ill gotten gains when one of the soldiers threatens to shoot him.

While all this is happening, none are aware that the surviving Nazis are observing them from their secret hiding place. General Bruno pays close attention as their fallen troops are buried by the enemy. Later, Marla places flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers. She is joined by Dan, who has grown tired of saying in bed. Looking around the scene of the battle, the pair discover footprints leading to a rock face wall. This prompts Marla to remember seeing a secret passageway but she keeps quiet as Dan looks around so as not to expose her double identity. However, their snooping around has gotten General Bruno concerned and he has the pair captured. While Marla is knocked out with a rag soaked in chloroform, Dan is knocked out by a blow to the head. With the commander of the marines and the woman who knows about the metal dust as their prisoner, General Bruno orders his men to dress in civilian clothes and they leave their secret base in cars. Despite the orders of discretion, General Bruno dresses in full military garb, insisting on maintaining a regal appearance.

They soon arrive at the home of Doctor Diman Saraf who is concerned that General Bruno has arrived for fear that he may discover that the Baroness Von Kampf has been around recently. However, he has no other choice to assist Bruno and takes in the two prisoners. Later, when Marla wakes up, General Bruno demands that he tell her what she knows about the metal consuming dust that was used against his armies. If she does not, he reveals that Doctor Saraf will use his surgical skills to horribly disfigure Dan Casey. While Bruno tries to pressure Marla into talking — as well as romance her — Gruen tries to convince Dan to help him overthrow Bruno’s rule. However, Marla eventually talks — although she lies — telling Bruno that the formula was lost in the fire that he started to try and capture the Brazilian resistance. Bruno becomes furious and is about to renege on his promise to let the two captives free. Instead of executing them, Bruno agrees to allow Dan to fight for their freedom. However, Bruno orders that while the two of them will be engaging in a boxing match, Dan will have one arm restrained and if Carey loses the fight, he also loses his left arm. Before the fight, Bruno has Marla locked up and tells t he woman that not only will he defeat her lover, but also claim her for his own. As the boxing match begins, Bruno’s soldiers are slowly being convinced by Gruen to turn against their leader, telling them that Brazil is a lost cause and they can return to Europe and lead the Nazis to glorious victory. First he pays a visit to Marla and knocks her out and takes the woman away. Gruen then goes to where the boxing match continues.

By this time, Dan has overpowered Bruno and is trying to strangle him to death with a hank of rope. With both combatants preoccupied and nobody willing to intervene, Gruen decides to take advantage of the situation and takes aim with his gun.