USA Comics #16
Riddle of the Totem Pole
The Seattle area is horrified by a series of murders where the victims are found with small, green totem poles. The mystery attracts the attention of Steve Rogers and James Barnes who decide to go to investigate the murders. Riding there by train they are attack by a group of Native American's in disguise. The duo fight them off, but their attackers jump off the train. Changing into Captain America and Bucky the pair rush to the home of the woman who contacted them and warned that her grandfather was the next victim. They arrive too late and find that the man is dead and the one of the killers trademark totems have been left at the scene. They learn from the girl that the killers are members of a Native American tribe and that the barn where they practice their rituals is in the town of Belford.
Captain America and Bucky rush to the barn where they witness the Natives worshipping the green totem god. Attacking, Cap and Bucky are surprised when the chief of this tribe orders his men to stand down and surrender to the authorities. When they arrive at the court house, Cap and Bucky are shocked to learn that there was yet another murder while the chief and his men were in custody. With no way to prove how the totem poles could have killed their victims, Captain America and Bucky go to the local library to study up on the tribe. There, Captain America finds the answer.
Soon he and Bucky canoe up to the tribes sacred land just beyond the Canadian boarder. There they are surrounded by the chief and his tribe who explain that they used the power of fear to kill their victims. He explains that their tribe has decided to drive the white man out off their land in order to appease their god. When he tells Captain America and Bucky that they are to be sacrificed, the duo try to fight back but are knocked out. They awaken sometime later at the top of a massive green totem pole that has been set ablaze. Breaking free of their bonds they find a trap door that leads them down to the base of the hollow totem where they dig their way out. As they dig free, they see as the totem collapses, causing the cliff-side dwelling of the Natives to collapse sending them all falling to their demise.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Continuity Notes
Per What If? #4 and Avengers #4, this is the last issue of USA Comics where the appearance of Captain America and Bucky can be attributed to Steve Rogers and James Barnes.
The Bloody Baron
The Bloody Baron and his men manage to cut through yet another American occupied town taking all the surviving soldiers prisoner. When an advanced column arrives at the scene the commanding officer decides to call in the Destroyer to assist in freeing the captives and putting a stop to the Bloody Baron.
Tracking the Bloody Baron's men through the jungle, the Destroyer ambushes a Japanese soldier in a tank and steals his uniform. While at the Bloody Baron's prisoner of war camp, the Baron learns that the prisoners have barricaded themselves in their prisoner barracks. Enjoying this, the Bloody Baron orders that the Americans be slaughtered immediately. Inside the barracks, the soldiers discuss escaping out of the secret tunnel they have dug out of the prison camp, but it involves some of them sacrificing their lives while the others escape, unaware that the Bloody Baron and his men have discovered the tunnel and plan on planting explosives inside.
However, as the Japanese soldiers prepare this trap they are unaware that he Destroyer has infiltrated their ranks. The hero then knocks out the Japanese soldiers and helps the prisoners escape by blowing up the Japanese soldiers outside. The Destroyer then leads the escaped prisoners up a ridge where they wait for the Bloody Baron to arrive to oversee the execution. When the Baron and his men arrive in a limo, the Destroyer and the freed prisoners toss boxes of TNT down on them, killing them in a massive explosion. Shortly thereafter American forces move into the region.
Recurring Characters
Destroyer, Imperial Japan
Continuity Notes
Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3 the appearance of the Destroyer here is attributed to Kevin Marlow.
Tainted Alibi
At a lonely farmhouse in the country a farmer rushes to the home of Martha and tells her to call the police as the local hermit had just been murdered. Detective Mike Trapp is called to the scene and he investigates the farmer. The farmer explains that he chased the killer into the woods where he got away. Trapp then arrests the farmer for the murder of the hermit. Later at police headquarters, Trapp explains to Pepper Berns that he deduces that the farmer was responsible for the murder as there was only one set of footprints into the woods.
Recurring Characters
Mike Trapp, Pepper Burns
Murder By Remote Control
On visiting day at the local prison a man coming to visit Dr. Nitro in prison. He sets off the alarm, but the security guards find only what appears to be a bottle of lotion. As the man visits with Dr. Nitro, he suddenly opens the bottle and begins pouring some of the solution on a rag. When the guards come to stop him, the man once more reiterates that it's merely hand lotion. While nobody is looking Dr. Nitro pockets the rag. In his cell, Nitro squeezes out the chemical compound, a component to a bomb that has been slowly smuggled into the prison so that he can escape. A month later Dr. Nitro uses the bomb to blast out of his cell, killing two guards in the process. Free once more, Dr. Nitro has succeeded in his latest experiment and he and his minion begin working on mass producing it.
Weeks later a man attempts to escape from thief on the run from the police. Jack Robinson happens to be walking by as this happens and manages to stop the man from getting away. Turning the man over to the police Robins learns that the man was attempting to throw a bottle of some strange liquid on a man named Standards. While the police dismiss the bottle as harmless, Jack is not convinced and decides to keep an eye on Standard who is being guarded by two police officers. Before he can find out, Standard suddenly explodes. Jack changes into the Whizzer and chases after the man who doused Standard with the liquid and catches him just before he can get into a getaway car being driven by Dr. Nitro. However, the Whizzer can find no evidence tying the crooks to the crime.
Meeting with the chief of police the Whizzer learns that his is not the first time something like this has happened, learning that all the victims received a blackmail letter from Dr. Nitro. Realizing how the killings are done, the Whizzer rushes to the garage where he caught the crooks and begins searching their car finding a secret device inside. The hero is knocked out from behind and when he comes around he finds himself doused in the same fluid by Dr. Nitro. Nitro explains that his special ray sets off the explosives. Before Nitro can set off the device to kill the hero, the Whizzer's super speed allows the hero to capture Nitro and his men and turn them over to the police.
Recurring Characters
Whizzer
Case of the Death Note
Author Pen Potter is working on his latest novel and tells his wife that the heroine of the story plans to commit suicide. In order to add an air of authenticity, he asks his wife to write a sample suicide note that can be reproduced in the novel, unaware that her husband intends to kill her in order to cash in on her $50,000 life insurance policy.
When the police investigate the murder, Detective Mike Trapp is called on the scene. When Potter turns over the fake suicide note in his wife's handwriting, Trapp asks where he found it. When Potter tells the detective that the not was clutched in the hand of his dead wife, Potter is arrested. Later at the police station Potter confesses to the crime and asks Trapp how he solved the murder. Trapp explains that Potter gave himself away when he said the note was in his wife's hand, yet the one he turned over to the police was not crumpled.
Recurring Characters
Mike Trapp, Pepper Burns
