The Machine of Death

Herr Wilhelm von Sin has invented a powerful weapon he has dubbed the Machine of Death for the Nazi forces. The machine uses a remote controlled drone plane that's loaded with explosives to magnetically attract itself to enemy ships via magnets. With his new weapon complete, von Sin shows it off to his superiors and after a successful test run he is commended but warned to watch out for the Nazi's greatest threat in their own homeland: the Destroyer.

Meanwhile the Destroyer is on patrol he overhears a couple complaining about how hungry they are after being refused food at a local shop. He tells them to go to a nearby building and wait for him. After fighting off some Nazi guards he confronts the shop owner and strong arms him into giving him some food without the proper stamps. With food in hand, the Destroyer warns the shop keeper against denying a hungry man food again. He delivers the food to the couple, leaving them his calling card.

Later, the Destroyer resumes his civilian guise of Keen Marlow and goes out with his girlfriend Florence von Banger. They come across Herr Sin running another test of his Machine of Death. Being spotted, Sin tells them to watch his demonstration so he can gloat over the destruction of another British ship. Unable to stand idly by, Keen tries to stop Sin, causing the drone plane to crash in the water beside the British ship. Furious, the Nazis then arrest Keen and Florence and take them to a concentration camp.

Afterwards Herr Sin is ordered to see Hitler himself. When brought before the Fuhrer, he finds the Nazi leader having a manic episode. Sin, taking pity on his leader promises to sink many ships with his new weapon in his leader's name. However, Hitler is not happy with just this and orders Herr Sin to eliminate the Destroyer as well.

Later, Keen is brought outside of his cell to be executed by firing squad. Before they can finish their death count, Keen bounds over the prison wall and changes into the Destroyer. Returning to the concentration camp, the Destroyer fights off the Nazi guards there and learns that Herr Sin is going to launch more of his drone planes. Believing this is more important to stop, the Destroyer goes to end Sin's goals. Preventing Herr Sin from destroying a fleet of British battle ships, the two get into a fight and it ends with Sin falling off a cliff to his death. His soldiers surrender and the Destroyer allows them to leave when they explain that they were forced into obedience and they now plan on fleeing the country and fighting for freedom. Posing as Herr Sin, the Destroyer radios the concentration camp and orders Florence's release.

Later when the truth is learned, Hitler is furious to have his plans once more thwarted by the Destroyer. While back at their apartment, Florence suggests that they take a rest, but Keen refuses to do so until the threat of the Nazis have been ended once and for all.

Recurring Characters

Destroyer, Nazis (Adolf Hitler)

Continuity Notes

• Per the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3, this appearance of the Destroyer can be attributed to Kevin Marlow.

The Witness

A group of criminals calling themselves the "League of Blood" are led by a man named Natas who has the group accepting assassination jobs. Natas sends them out to target Sid Stern, a football star. Natas is to be paid $5000 for the hit. The League breaks into Stern's home while he sleeps and beats him to death with a baseball bat. They are unaware that they are being watched by a new costumed defender who calls himself the Witness.

The Witness fights all the crooks to the death, but leaves one alive when he tells him that Nick the Gambler called for the hit on Stern so that he could win a bet he had placed on the game. Much later, Natas goes to collect his money from Nick, but when he arrives at the scene he is shocked to find that the Witness has killed him. Attempting to attack Natas, the Witness fumbles when the crook strikes him over the head with his cane and flees the scene.

Natas then meets up with his surviving gang members and they begin planning their next hit: To attack a trucker named Rowlings who refuses to pay protection money. They confront Rowlings and his truckers and toss them in the back of his own truck and drive it out to a mountain pass where they intend to drive the truck off a cliff. There they are confronted once more by the Witness. The Witness beats them into submission and frees the captured truckers from the back of the truck. The Witness points the men towards their fleeing captures. When the drivers return after having caught them they inspect the scene, only to find that the Witness has fled, and that Natas' dead body now lay at the bottom of the cliff. They are left wondering if Natas fell or if he was murdered by the Witness.

Recurring Characters

The Witness

The Black Widow

Lewis and Sykes are two munitions salesmen who are making a great deal of wealth selling arms to both the Axis and Allied forces alike. Their war profiteering attracts the attention of Satan, who sends his agent the Black Widow to collect their souls. Going to the land of the living, the Black Widow disguises herself as a woman seeking a job at Lewis and Sykes munitions plant. Lewis decides to take her on as an additional secretary and begins a private interview. However, when alone with the Black Widow, she doffs her disguise and kills him.

Entering the room to see what the commotion is, Sykes witnesses the murder and attempts to flee the scene. Chasing Sykes into his own office, the Black Widow proves to be immune to his weapons. When he attempts to douse her in a corrosive chemical, she deflects it with her cape, throwing it back at Sykes, killing him instantly.

Recurring Characters

The Black Widow, “Satan”, Nazis

Continuity Notes

• The Satan here is not any of the commonly known Hell Lords (Marduk Kurios, Mephisto, Satannish, etc.) In fact, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #1 uses the name Satan in quotations, suggesting that this is a demon posing as the Satan.

Heritage of Destruction

Text story. The Destroyer fights the elite Nazi unit called the Storm Troom.

Recurring Characters

Destroyer, Nazis

Continuity Notes

• Per the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3, this appearance of the Destroyer can be attributed to Kevin Marlow.

The Challenger

Some shady criminal types develop an interest in the boxer known as the Ape. The criminals go to one of the Ape's matches and decide to try and hire him. Meanwhile Will Waring, who's also attending the match, worries about the potential of the Ape turning to crime. These fears become a frightening reality when the mobsters confront the Ape in his dressing room and hire him to help out during a bank job.

The Ape takes the job and is used as a decoy to distract the patrons of the 6th National Bank. Witnessing the crooks leaving the Ape's dressing room, Waring decides to look into things further as the Challenger. When the Ape assists in the robbery, the mobsters doubled cross him by ditching him so that he can be captured by the authorities while they make their escape. The Ape takes a bullet to the head but his thick skull prevents it from being fatal, however it does serious damage to him mentally causing him to act unreasonably. Growing increasingly angry, the Ape tracks down the mobsters and attacks them. During the attack the Ape is confronted by the Challenger who arrives just in time to prevent the Ape from killing the mobsters. Outmatched, the creature flees the scene with the Challenger in pursuit. The police arrive as their leaving and arrest the beaten mobsters.

After evading the Challenger the Ape attacks a shopkeeper, demanding food. Shortly after the Challenger stumbles upon the Ape while he's strangling the shopkeeper. The Challenger throws a rock through the store's window causing the Ape to come out and take the fight to the streets outside the store. During the fight the Challenger hits the Ape's head wound causing him to pass out, ending his reign of terror.

Recurring Characters

Challenger

The Terror

A group of looters led by a crook named Potoro have been hitting a number of small businesses in order to keep a low profile with the law. However, upon hearing the story of a shopkeeper who was gunned down in cold blood during a robbery, the Terror decides to investigate.

After days of wandering the streets the Terror who is simply Laslo Pevely at the time hits pay dirt when some of the looters attempt to rob a men's clothing store while he is in it purchasing some shirts. Transforming into the Terror form, he attacks the crooks, but he is overpowered by their sheer numbers and taken to Potoro to be dealt with.

Potoro decides to take the Terror out to a nearby park and murder him, however upon their arrival Laslo once more transforms into his monster form and beats Potoro and his minions in a fair fight, and leaves them to be found by the authorities.

Recurring Characters

The Terror

Davey and the Demon

A young orphan named Davey decides to run away and satisfy his craving for exploration. Going through the nearby forest he comes across a secret cave. Going inside he hears someone or something calling for help through a large golden wall. Davey agrees to help the voice by tapping a black protruding stone near the bottom of the wall three times.

To his shock and horror Davey then realizes that he has freed a massive demon from his centuries old imprisonment. The Demon tells the boy that he is the embodiment of all evil and that now that he is free he plans on getting revenge against the human race. To thank the boy for freeing him, the Demon gives Davey a cloak that makes it impossible for the Demon's power to harm the boy. The Demon then leaves Davey in the cave and heads off for his disturbing work to rid humankind from existence.

Wracked with guilt, Davey decides that it is his responsibility to stop the Demon no matter what, and follows after him. Davey alerts the local authorities to the existence of the Demon but he proves to be too powerful for them. Davey still feeling responsible does all he can to get in the Demon’s way, and whenever the Demon tries to stop him, his enchanted cloak saves Davey from harm. This keeps the Demon occupied long enough to allow the heavy artillery to arrive. These bullets actually cause the Demon pain which prompts him to flee. While fleeing however he vows to get his revenge and soon.

Recurring Characters

Davey, The Demon

Continuity Notes

• As revealed in All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes #2, many Golden Age stories are works of fiction based on real events. Among those are the Timely era Davey Drew stories. How much of this story is true and how much is fiction has yet to be detailed.

The Black Marvel

Dr. Weems, a noted biologist, is attempting to come up with a cure for pneumonia, however it transforms him into the criminally insane Grinner instead. Motivated to commit crimes, the Grinner gathers an army of mobsters and goes on a crime spree. This attracts the attention of the Black Marvel who tracks down the Grinners base and attacks the mob.

The Grinner manages to escape back to his lab, and use his potion to change himself back to normal in order to throw the Black Marvel off. Changing back to his Grinner form, the criminal then attempts to lure the hero to another safe house decked in traps. However the Black Marvel frees himself and chases the Grinner back to his lab once more. This time the Black Marvel isn't fooled and catches the Grinner attempting to switch back to Dr. Weems. In a one-on-one battle, the Black Marvel lands a blow that causes the Grinner to fall backward and strike his head against the stone wall of his lab. The blow is fatal and upon death the Grinner is restored to normal revealing his true identity to the Black Marvel.

Recurring Characters

The Black Marvel

The Blazing Skull

After reading about a series of museum robberies, Mark Todd decides to investigate the seemingly impossible crimes. As the Blazing Skull, Todd stakes out the museum and catches a large man who disguised himself as a statue making the robberies. He chases after the man and beats him into submission, finding his loot he learns that "Big Joe" has been hired by the museum curator Hawkins to steal the works of art so that they can be sold later.

Tracking down the curator, the Blazing Skull captures him and turns him over to the authorities. So frightened by the hero, the museum owner confesses his crimes.

Recurring Characters

Blazing Skull