Marvel Mystery Comics #34
Carl Burgos Meets the Human Torch
Carl Burgos is stuck for a story with a deadline looming when suddenly Torch and Toro spring to life from his drawing board. They give him an idea for mocking Hitler and Martin Goodman approves it. Torch and Toro guard the comic books from Nazi attempts to destroy them on their way to England and as they are distributed from planes to German citizens. Enraged, Hitler orders anyone who laughs at the comics to be shot and demands Carl Burgos be assassinated. Carl plans another story conference with Torch, Toro and Sub-Mariner at a diner where a Nazi agent has replaced the soda jerker. Carl collapses after drinking the soda and is taken to the hospital. Torch and Toro apprehend the spy and Carl recovers since they should have known better than to try and poison a guy with a cast iron stomach.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Timely Comics Staff (Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Martin Goodman), Nazis (Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels)
The Shark Subterfuge
The Sub-Mariner, posing as a dock-hand tries to give some children swimming advice. When one of the boys is attacked by a shark, Namor dives in and saves the boy's life, fighting the shark to death. In the aftermath of the battle, Namor is puzzled when he sees that someone had slacked a long cut along the side of the aquatic predator.
Curious, the Sub-Mariner decides to go out to sea and investigate things further. Far from shore he spots a Nazi U-Boat that is capturing sharks with a harpoon gun and pulling them aboard, then a few short moments later shooting them out of a torpedo tube. Finding a whole collection of dead sharks in the water, Namor investigates and finds that they have all had their sides cut open and stitched shut and are collected by men in boats closer to shore. Taking one of these sharks and dragging it to the bottom of the ocean, Namor pulls through the stitching and is shocked to find water proofed crates of explosives and coded messages for Nazi spies.
Namor chases after the fishing boat that collected the dead sharks and attempts to attack the sailors on board. They catch the prince of the deep in a net and manage to knock him a strong blow to the head causing him to fall overboard in a daze. Namor is rescued by the boys whom he was giving swimming lessons to while the ship gets away. Revived, he thanks the boys for their help and swims after the boat. Catching up with them on shore, Namor witnesses as a Nazi spy buys the sharks off the sailors for $500 each. Disgusted by this act, Namor throws one of the dynamite loaded sharks at them and the resulting explosion kills all the sailors and the Nazi spies.
With one shark having survived the explosion, Namor takes it and swims out to sea toward the U-Boat, and uses it to trick the Nazis into pulling him aboard their ship. Inside, Namor beats the Nazi sailors senseless and then forces them to rise out of the water. From there, he gets out of the sub and tosses another explosive filled shark at the Nazi vessel destroying it and killing all aboard.
After his mission is finished, Namor returns to the mainland to continue his swimming lessons with the boys.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Nazis
The Beast of Cactus Canyon
A camera crew for Marvel Films is out in the wilderness filming a movie about the legendary Beast of Cactus Canyon, with an actor playing the role of the local legend. Although they are warned by a local that making a movie about the creature would anger it into attacking them, the director of the film scoffs at the idea and shooting continues.
That night after the shoot is wrapped up for the day, the crew is suddenly attacked by what appears to be the real Beast of Cactus Canyon. The creature grabs the lead actress and attempts to flee into the woods. Just then the Vision appears and fights off the creature, forcing it to give up the girl and flee into the forest. Thinking that the creature was really their lead actor in his costume, they search his tent and find the costume and actor missing. When the actor arrives his director accuses him of being the beast. The truth comes out when they all turn their attentions toward two beasts fighting it out.
To their shock and horror one beast kills the other, revealing it to be the crew's cameraman wearing the costume. Realizing that they are dealing with the real Beast of Cactus Canyon, the Vision gets between the monster and the film crew. Although the beast is stronger than the Vision, the other-dimensional hero manages to impale the creature on a small tree, killing it.
With the monster dead, the Vision finds that the location they are filming in is rich with uranium deposits. He then deduces that the cameraman likely discovered this and used the beast costume to try and scare the crew away so it was universally known and he had to split the claim with the crew. With the discovery made, the crew offer to split the find with the Vision, however the hero points out that they are on government property, and that the government is the rightful owner of the uranium before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Recurring Characters
Vision
Exposed! The Jap Invaders
Jack Casey, Jeff Mace and Mary Morgan are sent on assignment to cover the war effort in Australia to repel Japanese invaders. Along the way they pass by a strange domed island that bombards their plane with a purple beam that kills their engine and causes their plane to crash. Swimming to the island the three reporters are then captured by apes that are wearing Japanese military uniforms.
Taken inside a lab within the island, they are made prisoners of a Japanese scientist. The scientist shows them his evolutionary ray that he is using to hyper-evolve lizards into powerful apes under his control which he intends to use to invade Australia. Sending his army of "Shaggy Men" to attack Australia, the Japanese scientist then decides to experiment on the captured Americans using his ray to devolve them into lizards. With Mary fainted, the scientist picks Jack and begins transforming him into a lizard.
Jeff breaks free form his bonds and changes into the Patriot, and stops the scientist. Restoring Jack back to normal, the Patriot then tosses the Japanese scientist on the slab, but the scientists flailing arms hit the controls causing the device to transform him into a harmless lizard. With the scientist disposed of, the Patriot hears that the invasion is in full force, but uses the evolution device to remotely transform the apes back to their original lizard forms. The sudden transformation causes the lizards heads to explode, ending their threats. With Jack and Mary coming around, Jeff changes back into his civilian clothing and tells them that he will explain what happened when they get to safety.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Jack Casey, Mary Morgan, Imperial Japan
Dr. Watson Makes Monkeys Out of the Japs
Terry Vance, Dr. Watson, and Deadline Dawson are in San Francisco sight seeing. Observing a government building, they see two men luring around inside and decide to break in and investigate. Inside they find that the intruders are Japanese spies attempting to steal secrets. The trio are captured, and the leader, Captain Nokuru has the boys smuggled out of San Francisco in a Japanese fighter plane to a Japanese battle ship out in the Pacific.
There, the Japanese soldiers explain to the boys that they are going to use a remote control submarine to attack San Francisco. This is but a diversionary tactic which they intend to keep the American military busy while they attack their true target: San Diego. In order to dispose of the meddlers in their plot, Captain Nokuru has Terry, Deadline and Dr. Watson tied up inside the submarine so that they are destroyed along with it.
As the sub speeds towards San Francisco, Dr. Watson manages to undo their bonds and exploring the ship, Terry finds that the ship is controlled by the sounds coming from a phonograph. Managing to get the sub to stop in its tracks, they cannot figure out how to get it to reverse. Dr. Watson manages to save the day when he screeches into the ship's microphone causing it to speed backwards.
Quickly, the two boys bond together every buoyant object together into a makeshift raft and abandon ship. They get out just in time to witness the sub crash into the Japanese battleship causing a powerful explosion that sinks the vessel. Spotted by an American aircraft, the boys and Dr. Watson are rescued by the United States military and are commended for a job well done.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson, Imperial Japan
In His Tunnel To China
Continued from last issue...
Jimmy Jupiter's mother calls out to her boy that lunch is ready, unaware that Jimmy is in the realm of Wonderland after falling through a hole in the ground while trying to dig his way to China.
Following a directional sign pointing the way to China, Jimmy finds it leads to a strange building with the head of the devil. Mustering his bravery, Jimmy enters and finds himself at the gates of Hades. Deciding that passing through is the only way he can make it to China, Jimmy enters the fiery domain. There he is greeted by Satan, who hopes the boy has been behaving himself.
When Jimmy tells the devil that he wants to get to China, Satan assigns a dwarf named Werjil to lead Jimmy safely through Hades to get to China. Along the way he is grabbed by a the disciplinarian named Matilda who tosses him into a spanking machine before Werjil can explain to her that he is only a visitor. The device actually lands Jimmy in the middle of a classroom where he is asked by the devil how he can get down off an elephant. Jimmy correctly answers the question when Werjil arrives and leads him away.
Continuing on their travels, they are greeted by Temptation who begins to try to lead Jimmy into temptation. Jimmy accepts candy from Temptation, but refuses a cigarette from him. Jimmy finally begins to succumb to Temptation by riding on a merry-go-round despite Werjil's warnings that if he rides it more than once it will never stop. Before Temptation can convince Jimmy to go on a second ride, he is attacked by Will Power who beats him senseless and tells Jimmy that should he ever need him, he just need call. Jimmy thanks Will Power for his help and continues on his way to China.
This story is continued next issue...
Recurring Characters
Jimmy Jupiter
Continuity Notes
As Captain America (Vol. 6) #1-5 explained, Jimmy has the ability to access a dimension called Nowhere, a place where his imagination becomes reality. As such, the Hell depicted in this story should not be confused with the any of the Hell Realms that exist in the Marvel Universe. Instead, this is what Jimmy imagines Hell would look like and is just another one of his creations in Nowhere.
The Curse of Professor Torture
Professor Torture and his gang have been kidnapping the family members of Florida's wealthy. Taking them to an abandoned prison ship off the coast of Miami and torturing them. Professor Torture then photographed his victims and demanded a massive ransom. When these ransoms were not made, Torture would kill his prisoners and dump their bodies into the ocean to be recovered by the authorities.
The grisly case gets the attention of the Angel, who decides to go down to Florida and investigate. Deducing that the Fitzmorgan family would be targeted next, the Angel arrives too late as the gang had just arrived and kidnapped the Fitzmorgan's son Jack. The Angel chases after them and the crooks unknowingly lead him to their hideout.
Inside, Professor Torture hangs Jack over a cauldron of hot oil and prepares to torture the boy when the Angel crashes into the room. The hero manages to fight off Professor Torture and his men, except for one which is in the upper level of the ship. This crook manages to stop the Angel by grabbing him in a clamp lowered from above. With the cauldron overturned, Professor Torture orders the Angel thrown in the iron maiden while he prepares a new torture for young Jack.
When placed in the iron maid, the Angel pretends to faint before Professor Torture's men can close the case. When one of the thugs attempts to right the "unconscious" Angel, the hero kicks him into the spikes impaling him. The Angel then rushes into the next room where Professor Torture and his men are about to use a pulley on Jack. The Angel attacks again and in the confrontation, Professor Torture and his accomplice are both knocked onto the chopping block of a guillotine which swiftly decapitates them. With Professor Torture defeated, the Angel gets the drop on the last of his men and then frees Jack and calls the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Angel
