Sub-Mariner Comics #16
The Black Demon of Death
Aircraft engineer George Allen is returning to an American aircraft carrier after his pilot had successfully tested his newest plane design. However as they land the ship is attacked by Nazi spies led by a man calling himself the Black Demon, and they succeed in Mr. Allen as a prisoner and escaping. Later that night, airplane part manufacturer Thomas Carter meets with engineer Kenneth Brown and invites Brown to the birthday party they are throwing for their colleague John Dilling. Brown tells Carter he has work to do and politely declines the invitation. When Thomas Carter exits the building he is confronted by the Black Demon and his men who kidnap him as well.
Later that evening, the Sub-Mariner attends John's birthday celebrations. Namor is thanking John for inviting him to the party when a man rushes to John and tells them about Allen and Carter's kidnapping but there have been no ransom demands made as yet. Namor decides to search for the missing men, promising John that he will try whatever he can. Suddenly the Black Demon and his men crash the party and try to hold the party goers hostage. Namor fights back, knocking most of the men outside into the water. Namor has the advantage in his native element however all the men escape except for one who is killed in the fight. Searching the man's body, Namor finds a note saying that they will capture Thomas Grant -- owner of the Grant Parachute Factory -- next.
When Namor returns to the party, he finds that the spies kidnapped John in the confusion. Needing to find Thomas Grant fast, Namor calls Betty Dean and sees if she knows where to find him. Betty tells Namor that Grant is often seen at the Playboat. The pair arrive at the scene and they begin looking for Grant. Finding him, Namor and Betty decide to stay by his side to make sure nothing happens to him. However when the Playboat staff tell Grant he has a phone call, he is away from Namor long enough for the Black Demon's men to attack. Namor hears the commotion and comes to his rescue. Namor is clubbed over the head during the fight and tossed overboard while the Black Demon and his men take Grant hostage. Namor revives and spots the Nazi spies escaping and saves Grant and takes him back to the Playboat.
There Namor finds that Betty is nowhere to be found. He finds a note telling him to meet at Rock Crest apparently from Betty, but Namor sees that it is not Betty's handwriting and suspects that he is walking into a trap. Namor decide to go anyway and dives into the water and begins swimming for Rock Crest. Namor arrives at the Nazi's hideout. Namor easily fights off the spies and defeats the Black Demon. Realizing that the Black Demon is wearing a mask, Namor reveals that he is really Kenneth Brown. Namor then frees Betty and the captured inventors and then returns to the sea when the authorities take Brown and his minions away.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean, Nazis
Rendezvous With Death
Namor is swimming past an ocean liner that is on a voyage to South America. Watching the passengers, Namor notices one man looking particularly glum. The man, whose name is Hal Jordan, reaches through his pockets for a cigarette, dropping a note overboard. Namor grabs the note and finds that it has a warning to stay away from Cuba or face death.
Deciding to look into this further, Namor climbs aboard the boat and follows after Hal to find out what danger he might be in and how he might help. In his cabin, Hal looks through the various going away presents he got from leaving America. As he is about to open a gift cigarette case. Namor rushes in and pushes Hal out of harm’s way as a bomb in the case explodes. Namor then asks who might be plotting against him. Hal explains that he was part of the air corps and before the war was a commercial pilot. He explains how when he was in combat in the South Pacific his plane cracked up and his friend was killed and has not been able to fly since. This new found fear of flying has dashed his dreams of opening his own commercial airport with the money he was set to inherit. Probing further, Namor learns that he and his step-brother and cousin are the heirs to a big plantation in Cuba and that he is heading that way to get his share.
Suspecting this is why someone is trying to kill him, Namor decides to tag along to protect him. Arriving in Havana two days later, Hal muses how nobody has tried to kill him yet and tells Namor how he plans on marrying his girlfriend Maria. They are unaware that two masked me are watching them. When a staged fight breaks out between two Cubans, Namor tries to stop it while the two masked men grab Hal. When Namor finishes breaking up the fight he notices that Hal has disappeared.
Going to the plantation he meets with Maria, and Hal's relatives but finds that Hal has not appeared there as well. With everyone else busy with other things, Namor decides to look around. Looking around Jose's room a man with a gun attempts to attack Namor. However, Namor fights him off when more men start pouring into the room who knock him out. When Namor revives he continues searching Jose's room, Namor finds the same stationary that was used in the threatening note sent to Hal.
Seeking Jose, Namor finds George in the office, who claims that Jose went to walk Maria home. Leaving the house to look for Jose, Namor spots George fleeing toward a boat with a violin case in his hands. Following after him to a nearby airport, Namor witnesses that Hal is tied up and that George intends to inject him with a poison filled needle. Namor bursts in before anything can be done, and attempts to fight off Hal's would-be killers, but has a large sash weight dropped on him. The killer flees leaving his men to eliminate Namor and Hal, but Namor breaks free and knocks their attackers out. Untying Hal, Namor feigns being seriously injured and tells Hal to use the airplane in the hanger to help rescue Jose from being killed. Hal follows Namor's orders, thus overcoming his fear of heights.
When Hal is out of sight, Namor rushes back to the mainland where he arrives just in time to save Jose from being killed. When Georges attempts to flee the scene, Hal arrives and punches his treacherous cousin out. Soon the authorities take George into custody. Later, Hal tells Namor that he and Maria are getting married and opening their airport and Jose shows off the 2000 year old violin.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner
Mystery of Horror House
At the home of wealthy old Mrs. Van Horne, some men come to visit her to try and convince her to sell their house. Soon her relative Douglas arrives and ushers the men off the property, the real estate agents warn Van Horne that she will regret her decision. Later that night Mrs. Van Horne and her wait staff are shocked when they find Mrs. Van Horne's cat Clementine. Later that night a masked man murders Mrs. Van Horne's house keeper.
The story ends up on the front page of the Daily Reflector, whose editor Grant has assigned his fiancee Ginny Day is assigned to cover the story. At their offices they are visited by the Angel who wonders when Grant will finally ask Ginny to marry him, and learns about the Van Horne case. Later when Ginny is interviewing Mrs. Van Horne, the masked killer cuts loose the chandelier causing it to fall on Van Horne, killing her. When Ginny attempts to escape, the masked man grabs her and ties her up. Much later, Grant begins to worry about what is taking Ginny so long, and the Angel goes out to see what's keeping her.
Arriving at the Van Horne house, the Angel sees the damage done and finds Ginny tied up. Freeing her, the Angel learns about the real estate men and their previous threats. Tracking down one of the men to a shady nightclub he attacks him and demands answers but he denies having anything to do with it. Returning to the Van Horne house, the Angel spots the masked man, and chases after him. Catching up to the killer, the Angel punches the killer knocking off his mask and revealing him to be Douglas van Horne and turns him over to the authorities. Later, as the Angle's shadow casts over the hospital room where Ginny is recovering, Grant proposes to her.
Recurring Characters
Angel
