Marvel Mystery Comics #52
Tyrants Must Die
The Human Torch and Toro have travelled to France to help the resistance fighters liberate their country from Nazi occupation. They meet with General Giraud, the leader of the French resistance. The General tells the pair that the Nazis have been intercepting the food and supplies that are being sent to them from the United States. When the next shipment is attacked by the Nazis, the Torch and Toro stop it. In retaliation, the leader of the local Gestapo unit orders everyone in the village to be killed. However, the Torch and Toro arrive and prevent from slaughter from happening.
This defeat as well as the continued distribution of resistance leaflets infuriates the Gestapo who threaten to kill every woman and child in the village unless General Giraud surrenders. Giraud considers surrendering, but the others insist that the people of France will gladly sacrifice their live to ensure the resistance lives on. Instead, the Human Torch and Toro fly to the countryside where they derail a train carrying Nazi soldiers recruited to carry out the Gestapo’s threats.
Thanks to information from a woman named Carmine, a double-agent for the French resistance, the Torch and Toro are able to hit a number of Nazi operations. Fed up, the Gestapo captain decides to follow through on his threat, sending Carmine to witness the execution of a group of children. Unable to let this atrocity from happening, Carmine tries to fight back against the Nazis, blowing her cover. Taking Carmine prisoner along with the other women and children, the Gestapo order the immediate surrender of the Torch and Toro.
When the pair do surrender, they are horrified when the Nazis still execute the women and children. Furious, the pair flame on and slaughter the Nazis and free Carmine. With the resistance taking control, the Torch and Toro fly off, intending to stop the tyranny of Hitler and the Nazis.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro, Nazis
Sinister Secret of the Sewer Snakes
An American freighter approaches New York Harbor and attempts to avoid the mines that are placed, but unfortunately hits one of the mines and is destroyed. That evening, some Nazi operatives emerge from the waters and murder some sailors before retreating back into the sea. The following day the Sub-Mariner happens by the scene of the murders and overhears people talking about it and the destruction of the freighter. Overhearing how people are losing faith in the government’s ability to protect the seas, the Sub-Mariner strips off his civilian clothing and dives into the water determined to get to the bottom of these grave crimes.
At that moment, a group of Nazi spies gloat about their plan working out. Emerging from their sewer hideout, the dress in diving gear and plant explosives on a number of PT Boats. Thankfully, the Sub-Mariner is arrives in time to divert the explosives. Unfortunately, the hero is knocked out by the Nazi’s miniature torpedos. When he recovers from the blast, Namor deduces that the Nazis must be using the sewers as the staging ground to for these acts of sabotage.
Searching the sewers, the Sub-Mariner locates a number of caches of explosives and diving gear and destroys them. He finally tracks down the Nazi hideout and while he is subduing the spies their leader tries to escape. However, the Sub-Mariner forces him up to the surface and pulls the Nazi spy from his car before turning him over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Nazis
Terry Vance Boy Detective
Suffering from a toothache, Terry Vance goes to a new dentist named Doctor Gumm since his regular doctor had been drafted to fight in the war. While Terry is undergoing examination, Doctor Watson — his pet age — snoops around and grabs a strange negative from the x-ray dark room. When Terry finishes his appointment, Doctor Watson hands him the strange negative. Unable to make sense of it he takes it to his friend Deadline Dawson at the local newspaper. Developing the negative they still cannot make sense of the image and decide to return it to Doctor Gumm.
When they return the negative Doctor Gumm and his nurse take Terry and Deadline prisoner. As it turns out, Gumm is a Nazi spy who has been stealing government secrets and developing his films using the x-ray dark room. In order to silence Terry and Deadline, Gumm seals them in his office that is slowly filling with anesthesia in the hopes of suffocating them. However, the pair are saved when Doctor Watson takes the stolen negative to the local FBI office. Recognizing what it is, the FBI agents get the monkey to lead them to Doctor Gumm’s office. There they save Terry and Deadline from their impending doom and apprehend Doctor Gumm and his nurse.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson, Deadline Dawson
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Jeff Mace has been assigned as a correspondent in Washington, working out of the Daily Planet newspaper. When he checks out his latest headline story, he is shocked to discover that someone changed his story that it is calling for Americans to have sympathy for the Nazis. At the local press club, Jeff discovers that other reporters have also had their stories similarly changed. Checking with his paper back home, his co-worker Jack Casey tells Jeff that there is nothing wrong with his story published in New York City.
Suspecting that Nazi spies are manipulating the press by printing phony papers with secret printing press leads to a search of Washington for the location of the printing press. Unfortunately, the FBI are unable to locate the secret printing press, much to the glee of the Nazi operatives who are operating it from their secret hideout hidden below a merry-go-round. The Nazi agents then decide to replace a message that President Franklin Roosevelt has ordered to be read to members of the press to reassure them that the government is doing everything they can to make sure that the news it not tampered with.
When the Nazis knock out the messenger, the attack is seen by Jeff Mace who quickly changes into the Patriot and attempts to stop them. Unfortunately, the Patriot is knocked out when hit over the back of the head and passes out. When he wakes up the hero discovers a golden ring and figures it is a clue that will lead him to the secret printing press. He then rushes to the press club and discovers that the Nazi spies have changed Roosevelt’s message into a pro-Nazi speech praising Adolf Hitler. However, the gathered reporters know that this is the work of the fifth columnists that have been altering their work.
That’s when the Patriot realizes that gold ring he found comes from the local merry-go-round. Sure enough, when he goes there, he watches the Nazis open the secret hatch into their hideout and knocks them out before they can run off more fake news with their printing press. Not only does the Patriot stop the spies from manipulating the press, Jeff Mace also manages to get the scoop on the story.
Recurring Characters
Patriot, Jack Casey, Nazis, President Roosevelt
Pinhead Killer
Madeline Joyce and her Uncle Jim are returning home when it begins to rain. Jim asks Madeline to come inside, but Madeline decides to go for a walk instead. As she walks she happens upon a young girl being attacked by a man. When she tries to interfere, Madeline is knocked aside and the girl taken hostage.
Changing into Miss America, Madeline chases after the man and finds a hideout of Nazi spies. Beating them into submission she learns that their leader has taken the girl up into the penthouse of the building. Going up there, she finds the so-called "Pinhead Killer" threatening to torture the girl if her grandfather did not tell them where a new defense model was being hidden. Before he can talk, Miss America interferes and battles the Pinhead. The Nazi agent knocks her out from behind and then lowers her down an elevator shaft and then attempts to drop an elevator on her. Miss America comes around and flies out of harm then defeats the Nazis, tying them up for the authorities to deal with before leaving.
Recurring Characters
Miss America, James Bennett, Nazis
The Angel
Officer Duffy Serenely is walking his beat when he is killed in a drive-by shooting. This is all part of a plan by a mobster named Midge. He has been killing police officers in order to distract them from his true crime, robbing the city bank. Taking interest in the series of police murders, the Angle decides to investigate and discovers that all the murders have been taking place in the vicinity of the bank. Finding this suspicious, the hero decides to pay a visit to the police station. There he discovers that beat cops are refusing to take the foot patrols in the area for fear of being killed in the line of duty.
The Angel tells the chief his suspicions and they agree to put an officer named Flannigan on the beat as well as stationing more cops at the bank. Sure enough, when Flannigan begins his beat, Midge and his minions try to mow him down in the street. However, the Angel sees the killers coming and warns the office quickly enough for Flannigan to duck out of the line of fire. Midge emerges from the car and orders his men to rob the bank while he deals with the Angel. Despite his diminutive size, Midge manages to overpower the Angel and leaves the hero to help his minions.
By the time the Angel recovers he is too late to stop the robbers from getting away. Borrowing a police motorcycle, the Angel races after them and forces the crooks to crash their car. Emerging from the vehicle, Midge tries to fight the Angel once again, but this time he is overpowered. With the robbers stopped, the Angel turns them over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Angel
