Sub-Mariner Comics #22

Aug 3

Aug 3 Sub-Mariner Comics #22

The Black-Hooded Monster

Namor meets with his friend Betty Dean at the pier and she invites him to accompany her to the local college where she is going to cover a dramatization of Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Raven". Arriving at the college they meet with the organizer, Professor Ramsey who tells them that they have been working from an original and valuable manuscript of Poe's work that he had purchased and intended to donate to the college. He introduces them to the only other people who have access to it: His secretary Lorraine Bennett, his assistant Tom Scully who also wrote the dramatizations, and Waldo Evans who designed the set, acts and also trained a raven for the play. After introductions are made, Professor Ramsey goes back to work, but Namor and Betty note that something is weighing heavily on him.

Later that night, Betty and Namor are watching the Waldo perform "The Raven" when there is suddenly a gun shot heard from the office upstairs. Namor rushes up to investigate and finds that Professor Ramsey dead at his desk and that his safe open and the manuscript taken. With Lorraine, Tom and Waldo gathered up Namor then calls the police who begin an investigation. While the authorities are busy, Namor goes to search for the murder weapon, checking the river that runs alongside the college. Returning to shore, he finds that the gun has been buried in the sand, but before he can recover it he is attacked by a masked man with a knife. Although Namor avoids the knife he trips over his feet and is knocked out by his attacker who takes the gun and flees.

With no trace of his attacker, Namor returns to the college where police have learned that Tom Scully was seen leaving the theatre during the play, and now he has gone missing. Lorainne is upset, and does not believe that Tom killed the Professor, telling them at they are in love and were to get married. When Namor describes his attacker, Waldo tells them that the costume was made for the dramatization but discarded and accessible to anyone. While the police go to file their report, Betty returns to her paper to write the story. Left on his own, Namor begins exploring the campus and comes across Benny the Bird-Man, who had rented the college his raven to use in the play. Spotting what he thinks is his bird, Benny is surprised when it ignores his calls and flies away. Noticing that the bird is not flapping its wings, Namor dives into the water and swims after it.

Following it back inland, Namor enters the woods and finds a tree stump that the raven had entered. When he grasps it he is shocked into unconsciousness, having fallen for a trap set out by his attacker. When the Sub-Mariner revives he finds himself tied up and upon recognizing that the bird that he followed is mechanical realizes that the masked killer is really Waldo Evans. Waldo reveals himself explaining that he had stolen the manuscript two days earlier. When Ramsey suspected him the professor gave him two days to return it, but Evans instead plotted to kill him. Setting up a gun that he could trigger from the stage he fired it when a signal light he rigged informed him that Ramsey had returned to his desk.

Before Waldo can dispose of Namor, he is knocked out from behind by his mechanical raven, whose controls were being manipulated by the arriving Betty Dean. Betty douses Namor in water, restoring his strength. Namor frees himself and then knocks Waldo out and turns him over to the police. Later they run into Lorainne and Tom, Tom explains that he ran away in order to try and catch the real killer and clear his name.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean

House of Horror

While taking some time under a dock, Namor is visited by a telegram delivery boy and finds that Betty is asking for him. Going to her office at the newspaper, she asks him to accompany her to Ulster, Ireland to assist her in exploring Killymore Castle for a newspaper story. Namor agrees and they take a cruise ship to Ireland.

Days later, they arrive in Ulster and travel out to the office of the District Commander and Royal Engineers. There she asks for directions to Killymore Castle. However, the District Commander pretends to have never heard of the place, clearly frightened. Outside, they manage to get directions from a frightened villager. When they arrive at the castle they find it is surrounded by a moat of stagnant water and that the draw bridge is up. Since Namor cannot swim in the stagnation, they begin looking for another way in. Along the way they run into a little girl who tells them that she knows of a tunnel that leads into the castle and ask her to lead them.

Along the way to the tunnel they run into two American tourists, Karl and June Burgess. Finding the tunnel the group begins following it despite the little girls warnings that there are dragons that guard the castle. The girl explains that centuries ago the Baron O' Burgess captured three dragons from Gaul to guard his castle, leaving the aides behind and that each generation the dragons kill each new heir to the castle. Realizing that Karl shares the same last name as the Baron, the girl flees in terror, telling them to stay away from the castle, but the party continues on. Reaching the end of the tunnel, Namor opens a secret passage way that leads into the castle and tells the others to wait while he explores.

He enters a library and when a man and woman enter the room he quickly ducks behind a curtain, but his feet give him away. Namor dodges a bullet, and fights off the two people forcing them to flee. The Sub-Mariner follows after them, but loses them. When the man attacks through a secret passage, Namor avoids his shot and chases him through the tunnel into a water filled room. Swimming after the man into another chamber, Namor is trapped inside when the man shuts the passage way in his face. He then hears a cry for help and finds an emaciated man chained up and gives him water. The man, stark mad, attacks and Namor knocks him out. Breaking him free of the chains, Namor swims to the other chamber only to be cornered by the man and woman. Karl enters the room and gets the drop on them, and when the man attempts to flood the room Namor stops him, just as Betty and June arrive. Karl reveals that the madman is his Irish cousin Rodney and that their attackers are the house keepers of the castle. The housekeepers then confess to trying to kill Rodney in order to claim the castle as their own. With the a confession made, Namor turns them over to the authorities and Betty gets her story.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean

Mr. X--Master of Crime

Senior Valderez, an ambassador from another country, has arrived in his yacht on the American east coast to pick up a pair of expensive jewels being gifted to his country by the United States. This attracts a lot of press attention, and the story lands in the newspapers. Reading the story, the Sub-Mariner finds Valderez familiar and wonders where he has seen him before. Deciding to pay the ambassador a visit, he is stopped by a security detail placed on the yacht and is forced to leave. Still curious, Namor decides to seek out the aid of his friend Betty Dean. Betty and Namor go through the newspapers morgue files to find out what they can about Senior Valderez, but find nothing on him.

Meanwhile, Valderez is being given the jewels and is being informed of the insurance policy on them when suddenly the security guard bursts in to warn Valderez about an attempt to steal them. The guard trips over Valderez's assistant Pedro and suddenly the room is filled with smoke. When it clears they find that the jewels have been stolen, and Valderez orders Pedro to make sure nobody gets off the boat while the harbor patrol surrounds the vessel to insure nobody escapes. While Valderez berates the guard who failed to stop the theft, the authorities search the ship top to bottom but find no trace of the stolen jewels or who could have stolen them. With no other choice, the insurance company agrees to pay out the amount the jewels were insured for.

After Valderez and Pedro collect the insurance from the insurance company, Namor bursts into the office and learns that he is too late to stop the payment. He tells the insurance agent to call the bank to cancel the check and rushes off after Valderez. Namor then swims out to the ambassadors yacht and fights his way through security. Finding a locked door, he asks the revived guards what is behind it and they say that Valderez refused to allow them into there. Namor smashes through the door and finds a man dressed in a police uniform. When Namor questions him he tries to flee, but he is captured by the guards and identified as Fingers Malone. While out in the water, Valderez and Pedro are heading back to the yacht when they are warned by Fingers that the Sub-Mariner is inside the boat. When they try to turn and flee, Namor dives in after them. As the authorities climb into speed boats to give chase, Namor is winged by a bullet. Diving below the water, the Sub-Mariner then capsizes.

Namor then nabs Valderez and Pedro and turns them over to the authorities. At police headquarters, the Sub-Mariner has the police search Valderez and they find the stolen jewels. Namor then smacks Valderez across the face, wrecking his disguise, and revealing him to be notorious international jewel thief Jade Nelson.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean

The Clown Who Killed For a Laugh

The Young Allies are taking some time to visit the local circus where their friend Knuckles has taken up a job taking care of the elephants. While inside the circus' main office, Derko the clown is being fired by his employer for not being funny. The situation causes Derko to snap and he suddenly begins strangling his employer to death. However before he can choke the owner to death, his partner Mr. Vanna steps in and lands a punch on the clown, sending him sprawling. Derko is thrown out, but vows to get revenge on his former employers for firing him.

Meanwhile, Bucky, Toro, and Tubby find Knuckles as he is giving fresh water to Jumbo, one of the elephants. As they pet the animal they are suddenly alerted by a scream and rush to its source. Toro arrives first, catching Derko just as he finished stabbing the circus owner Mr. Martin to death. Toro knocks out the clown with a single flaming punch as the other Young Allies arrive on the scene. They check on Derko's victim and find that the clown carved a smile in his face. Before they can deal with the clown, Jumbo suddenly charges at the tent, trampling it and allowing the homicidal clown to escape. With no way to clearly identify the killer, the Young Allies begin canvassing the circus to see if anyone knows Derko's true identity.

As they investigate, Derko tracks down Mr. Vanna and attacks him as well. Learning that Mr. Vanna is at the animal cages, the Young Allies rush there, unaware that Vanna is already dead. They arrive just as Derko has finished placing Vanna's corpse into the tiger cage and flees the scene. Thinking that Vanna is still alive, they allow Derko to get away so they can "free" Vanna, but discover that he is dead. Searching the area for clues, Toro comes across a pasteboard used by clowns to paint their victims. Derko spots this and realizes this would allow them to discover who he really is and knocks the boy out with a rock. However, he is spotted by Kunckles and Tubby who knock Derko out. The Young Allies then turn Derko over to the police to face justice for his crimes.