Nick Peron

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Super-Mystery Comics (Vol. 3) #3

Doctor Nemesis

A plane en route to Washington carrying prominent members of the war cabinet explodes in mid-air killing everyone on board. Sometime later at Mercy Hospital, Doctor Jim Bradley and Nurse Mary Strong are making their rounds. When Jim asks Mary to go out for dinner, she shocks him by saying she is engaged to be married, explaining that she wasn’t going to wait around forever for him to propose to her. She says she is in love with her fiancee, Clark, and that they are flying to Washington tomorrow so she can meet his parents. Jim is in the middle of congratulating her when he is called to join an ambulance out on for an emergency. Arriving at a nearby alleyway, Bradley discovers that the victim is a detective who was shot in the back. One man is particularly interested in learning if the detective is alive or dead, Jim is certain the man isn’t done for yet. As they load the injured man into the ambulance, the curious man — his name is Clive — and his friend Rocco find this development to be very interesting and they decide to follow. They catch up to the ambulance and spray it with bullets. Quick thinking, Jim sideswipes the shooter's car causing it to crash allowing them to escape.

At the hospital, Jim calls the authorities and learns that the shooters fled the wreck and that the car was stolen. Knowing that the killers will try again, Jim decides that it is time for Doctor Nemesis to take over. Meanwhile, Clive and Rocco have fled the scene of the accident and begin planning their next move. Clive tells Rocco that he has a connection at Mercy Hospital that will help them out. As it turns out, this Clive is the same person who proposed to Mary. He calls to tell her that he will come to the hospital to pick up her baggage and send it ahead of their trip. Through Mary, he learns that the police officer is being held in room 206 of the hospital. They then disguise themselves as nurses so they can move around the hospital freely without arousing suspicion.

With silencers, they unload on what they think is the recuperating police officer, the two crooks are ambushed by Doctor Nemesis. However, they overpower the hero and make an escape, but not without leaving part of their nurses disguises behind. Finding a unique laundry mark from the hospital on the garments, Doctor Nemesis rides the laundry chute down to the basement and asks the attendant to find out whose clothing this was. The laundry attendant confirms that the garments belong to Nurse Strong, leaving Doctor Nemesis to wonder what she has to do with this ordeal. Going to the nurse’s quarters, Doctor Nemesis asks Nurse Strong were her nurse’s uniforms went and she tells him that her fiancee shipped them ahead of their trip to Washington. After getting his address, Doctor Nemesis ambushes Clive and Rocco at his home and after beating them into submission injects them with his truth-telling serum.

Meanwhile, Mary arrives at the airport and receives a message from Clive that he’ll join her in Washington tomorrow and is handed some of his important papers for the flight. Doctor Nemesis arrives on the scene just as the plane is taxiing down the runway. With time running out, Doctor Nemesis rams his car through the fence and cuts off the plane, forcing it to abort liftoff. Forcing his way onto the plane, Doctor Nemesis grabs Mary’s purse and throws it up into the air when it explodes. Doctor Nemesis explains that Clive Howard was part of a spy-ring who was systematically killing off government officials that are important to the war effort. He would romance women and then send them on bogus trips to Washington unaware that they were carrying bombs that were set to go off and kill everyone on board the flight.

The next day at the hospital, Jim Bradly suggests that since Mary’s engagement is off they should go out on a dinner date after work.

Recurring Characters

Doctor Nemesis, Mary Strong