Astonishing #3

Mister Death!

At the insurance company where Bob Grayson works, Bob meets with his employers who ask him to investigate Omar Khayam Rasch the leader of a cult whom has convinced many of their clients to sign over their life insurance policies to him. Those who have ended up dying shortly thereafter and Bob's employers suspect foul play. Bob takes the case and decides to pay a visit to Rasch's cult as Marvel Boy. Showing up at the cults headquarters, Marvel Boy asks for the audience of Omar Khayam Rasch and is welcomed into the worshipping hall.

There Marvel Boy watches in disbelief as Rasch (dubbed Mr. Death by Marvel Boy) and his followers engage in one of their ceremonies. Suddenly the room fills with a strange gas that knocks out Marvel Boy. When the hero revives Rasch welcomes him to join their cult. When Marvel Boy inquires about the gas that knocked him out, Omar tells him that it came from the coffin of one of their recently deceased members and that it was a kiss from the Gods of Death, accepting him into their cult. Omar then asks Marvel Boy to join him his office to discuss some formalities to join the cult. There he asks Marvel Boy to sign over his insurance policy. Playing along, Marvel Boy signs over a phony policy in order to set a trap for Omar. After the business is finished, Marvel Boy calls in to his employers and fills them in on what has happened so far.

The following day, during the next cult meeting, Omar tells his followers that the gods have spoken to him and said that their member the widow Jane Dumont is destined to die. Fearing for her life, Jane asks Marvel Boy to help her and he agrees. He meets with Rasch who tells Marvel Boy that the gods are greedy and that without a monetary offering to the gods they will take her life. When Marvel Boy accuses him of blackmail or murder, the fanatical Rasch loses his temper and tells Marvel Boy that Jane died earlier of a heart attack and orders him to his room to meditate.

Realizing that Omar is killing his followers, Marvel Boy comes up with a means to catch him in the act and expose him for the murdering fraud that he is. To this end, Marvel Boy has another meeting with Mr. Death pretending to fear for his life and asks that Omar communicate with the gods and inform him of his fate. Omar puts on a seance that appears to summon the spirit of the prophet Mohammad to communicate with him. Scrawling an apparent message from beyond the grave, Omar informs Marvel Boy that he will die. Marvel Boy once more vows his loyalty to the cult and tells Omar to keep his insurance policy. However, a member of the cult asks to speak with Marvel Boy shortly thereafter.

A few hours later Marvel Boy visits with Omar once again and admits that he knows that Mr. Death is a fraud and promises to keep quiet so long as he gets his insurance policy back. Omar appears to comply and offers Marvel Boy a drink that he has secretly poisons. Marvel Boy drinks the poisoned beverage and seemingly dies. Omar has his assistant place Marvel Boy in a coffin and calls his followers for another ritual. As he is telling his followers that Marvel Boy has died, they are all shocked when the coffin suddenly opens and what appears to be the spirit of Marvel Boy appears before them. This sudden manifestation frightens Omar who tries to flee and runs right into Marvel Boy's employer and the authorities who arrest him.

As it turns out, Marvel Boy is alive and was using trickery to appear as a ghost. He explains to those gathered that he realized that Omar was a fraud he was tipped off by one of the followers who suspected this as well and discovered that Omar was poisoning his followers. With this knowledge, Marvel Boy prepared himself by immunizing himself to the poison in order to lure Omar into a trap.

Recurring Characters

• Marvel Boy

The Runaway Planet

Returning home to the planet Uranus on the summons from his father. Arriving home, Marvel Boy is told by his father that a rabble rouser named Casimar is causing trouble on Uranus. He asks Robert to figure out who Casimar is working for and why. Marvel Boy goes out into the city and comes across Casimar addressing the public asking them to raise up against their rulers. When he is finished his speech, Marvel Boy decides to follow Casimar to see where he goes. Casimar returns to his home and radios his master, the ruler of the Satanians and reports his progress unaware that Marvel Boy is spying on him.

Marvel Boy reports back to his father and they agree to gather his Youth Patrol to deal with Casimar in a peaceful fashion. The next day when Casimar is addressing the Uranians, Marvel Boy and the Youth Patrol quiet his speech, using his light beams to blind Casimar and take him into custody. With the Santanians still to deal with, Marvel Boy takes his rocket to the planet Satania where he is met by armed Satanian warriors. Marvel Boy surrenders in peace, asking to speak to their leader.

Marvel Boy is taken to their leader where he learns that the Satanians worship the sun. Marvel Boy suddenly realizes why they are causing trouble on Uranus: Satania is heading into the sun, threatening to destroy their world and are seeking to invade Uranus and take it over in order to avoid destruction. The Satanian leader orders Marvel Boy locked away, but the hero fights free and spotting Satana, daughter of the king, kidnaps her and takes her back with him to Uranus. Back on Uranus, Marvel Boy shows Satana that the people of Uranus live in peace and harmony and have developed a peaceful utopia on their planet.

Marvel Boy then takes Satana back to Satania where she shows her father reports Marvel Boy brought with them showing proof that Satania is not really hurtling into the sun. Realizing that there is no threat to his world, the leader of the Satanians realizes the errors of his ways and thanks Marvel Boy for his help. Marvel Boy returns home where he is congratulated by his father.

Recurring Characters

• Marvel Boy

• Matthew Grayson

Time-Bomb Terror!

The United States Senate is investigating the Communist connection with mobster Dynamite Carr and his gambling syndicate. To this end they have subpoenaed Miss Davis, a young woman who used to hang out with Carr and his men. When the story hits the newspaper, Marvel Boy pays Miss Davis a visit to protect her from any danger.

As Marvel Boy feared, the moment he arrives members of Dynamite Carr's gang come to take Davis away. However, before Marvel Boy can stop them he is knocked out with a blow to the head. When he comes around, one of Carr's men is waiting for him and takes him prisoner. He is taken to their hideout and is tied up in one of the rooms. When one of Carr's men comes to give him a meal, Marvel Boy breaks loose form his bonds and knocks him out. Searching the mansion, he finds Miss Davis and learns that she has found out that Carr and his men have planted a bomb in FBI headquarters. Marvel Boy tells Davis to stay where she is while he goes to deal with the danger.

Marvel Boy goes to the local police station and FBI regional office to try and warn them, but he is dismissed as a hoax. Furious that nobody is taking the threat seriously, Marvel Boy changes into his costume and flies to Washington D.C. where he visits Dr. Adam and gets his help in warning the authorities. The authorities call in the military but the idea that there is a bomb is still not taken seriously. The building is evacuated, the military and Marvel Boy go into the building but the soldiers still laugh off the idea that there are time bombs in the building.

Marvel Boy goes down into the basement and finds one of the mobsters down in the boiler room planting the bomb. Marvel Boy is forced to let him escape in order to deal with the bomb. When he cannot disarm it, he calls an evacuation and the building explodes, but no lives are lost. Marvel Boy spots the mobster in the crowd and captures him, learning that the bomb was planted by Dynamite Carr. Marvel Boy then leads the military back to their hideout where the gang is captured and Miss Davis is freed.

Recurring Characters

• Marvel Boy