Mystic Comics #9
Hitler Speaks
Hitler is giving a public address which is witnessed by Keen Marlow and Florence von Banger. The address is interrupted when the pirate radio group called Freedom Broadcast interrupts the Furher's public address, mocking his tyrannical ways. This angers Hitler who orders his minion Baron Uhh to not only dismantle Freedom Broadcast but also to capture the Destroyer.
The Destroyer pays a visit to the operators of Freedom Broadcast from their secret hideout. However, Uhh and his men track down the broadcasting signal and attack. The Destroyer manages to fight them off and flees with the pirate radio broadcasters into the night to set up operations elsewhere. Furious, Uhh decides to get public help by offering a 1 million Marks reward for the Destroyer's capture. This leads them to Florence von Banger's home where they capture the girl in the hopes of learning the Destroyers location.
Florence's capture does not stop the Destroyer from participating in the next broadcast, interrupting and mocking Hitler during another one of the crazed dictators speeches. The Nazi's track the broadcast to a mobile van. The Destroyer attempts to fight off the Nazis but is knocked out and taken prisoner. He is brought before Hitler and Baron Uhh just before they are about to torture Florence with a red hot swastika brand.
The Destroyer breaks free from his bonds, lands some punches on Hitler, and burns Uhh's rear end with the swastika brand. Breaking Florence free they race to the secret hideout of the Freedom Broadcast. This time they use an airplane to fly over Germany and broadcast their mockings of Hitler during yet another speech from the Furher, infuriating Hitler to no end.
Eventually, the Nazi's send a plane to shoot the radio broadcast out of the sky, but the Destroyer and the others abandon ship with the radio equipment and go into hiding. The Destroyer vows to return and continue his crusade against the Nazis.
Recurring Characters
Destroyer, Florence Von Banger, Nazis (Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goring)
Continuity Notes
Per the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3, this appearance of the Destroyer can be attributed to Kevin Marlow.
The Gambling Ship
Vic Duval has a successful gambling ship that is located three miles offshore, keeping it safe from the law. However, his operation is a crooked one and he uses shady means to insure that when certain customers lose, they lose big. When Mr. Atkins loses ten grand, he calls Duval on his game rigging. Duval answers to these claims by having his men club him and dump him into the waters close to shore. Atkins is rescued from drowning by the Witness who jumps the men who tossed Atkins in the water and uses their boat to get to the illegal gambling ship.
There, the Witness fights his way to Duval's office where he catches the illegal gambler attempting to blackmail Judge Jeffreys into paying him twenty five thousand dollars. The Witness is knocked out, however before Vic and his men can dispose of the hero he reveals he was only playing possum and beats them all into submission. With Vic and his men all tied up, the Witness then reveals to the patrons that all the games are rigged causing a riot to break out as the gamblers attack Duval's men.
In all the commotion, the Witness then knocks out the ships pilot and steers it back to shore, where the police arrive and take Duval and his men captive.
Recurring Characters
The Witness
Continuity Notes
This is the last Golden Age appearance of the WItness. He is next seen during the Twelve limited series.
Poison Incorporated
An elderly criminal known only as "The Old One" gathers a mob together to start an organization called Poison Incorporate, which hires itself out to clients to poison their enemies. Their first customer is John Bradley, the owner of a construction company. Bradley hires them to eliminate the editor of the Star Newspaper who has been accusing him of paying graft money to politicians. The Old One sends his men to break into the Star office and rig a poisoned needle on the editors typewriter. This plot works out and the editor dies the following morning when he begins typing another editorial on Bradley.
Reading about the editors death in the paper, the Terror deduces that Bradley might have had something to do with it. Confronting Bradley at his home, the Terror frightens him into revealing that he hired Poison Inc to do his dirty work. While the Old One is eliminating protection racketeer Mugsy Murdock for one of his rivals, the Terror arrives at Poison Inc's headquarters and roughs up the men on hand. Tracking down the Old One to Murdock's home, the Terror attacks but is knocked out from behind and is dumped into a river to drown.
Revived from the shock of cold water the Terror attacks the Poison Inc members at their hideout. Choosing death over capture, the Old One smokes a poison cigar when the authorities arrive to arrest them.
Recurring Characters
The Terror
Mortal Combat
Continued from last issue....
The Demon is about to toss Davy Drew into a cauldron of boiling water when he is suddenly confronted by the Prince of Good, the powerful being that first imprisoned the Demon to begin with. The Prince knocks out the Demon and frees Davey. As they leave the Demons cave the Prince causes it to collapse. Convinced that the Demon is eliminated the Prince of Good disappears again.
However, the Demon had survived the cave in and breaks free and begins his reign of terror anew. Attacking New York City, the Demon is once more confronted by Davey Drew and the Prince of Good. The Prince overpowers the Demon once more and sends the creature smashing through the ground, burying the Demon beneath the streets trapping him once more. However, even though the Prince of Good is once more convinced that the Demon has been defeated, the creature is still alive and plotting to break free once more.
Recurring Characters
Davey Drew, The Demon
Continuity Notes
As revealed in All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes #2, many Golden Age stories are works of fiction based on real events. Among those are the Timely era Davey Drew stories. How much of this story is true and how much is fiction has yet to be detailed.
Longnails
Jerry Madden, a reformed criminal, is released from prison on good behavior. Wishing to turn over a new leave, Madden is delighted that the warden has managed to find him a job as a security guard for the City Trust Co. One day while having lunch, Madden is recognized by mobster "Longnails" Legarya who upon learning that Madden is a guard for the bank asks him to help with a job. Not wishing to go back to a life of crime, Madden punches Longnails and tells him to scram.
Angry at this refusal to aid, Longnails decides to get back at Jerry and goes after him with his mob. Jerry is saved by the timely arrival of the Black Marvel who fights off Longnails and his men, telling the reformed con that he won't have to worry about them again.
The Black Marvel's promise appears to be wrong as Longnails decides to frame Jerry for a bank job. Knocking Jerry out on his way to work and stealing his uniform, Longnails robs the bank and kills the bank manager before fleeing the scene. Meanwhile, Jerry is held at gunpoint at Longails' hideout. The Black Marvel soon arrives and fights the crooks until the police arrive.
Longnails manages to escape, but the Black Marvel chases after him, catching him before he can escape in a motorboat and forcing him to confess his crimes, clearing Jerry's name.
Recurring Characters
Black Marvel
Continuity Notes
This is the last Golden Age appearance of the Black Marvel. He is not depicted again until Marvels #1.
Throwback
Garry Gaunt is a renown criminologist who has become the target of a number of local mobsters. On night while in his lab working on a new virus he barely manages to stop a bomb from being tossed into his window. He then gets a call from mobster Leres the "Big Guy" who asks for Gaunt's protection as people are gunning for him. When Gaunt heads out of his house he is attacked by some mobsters, but easily fights them off.
Realizing that he might be heading into a trap, Gaunt drives off to meet Leres anyway. Along the way, his car is blown up. Surviving, Garry crawls back to his home and before he passes out attempts to treat his injuries by drinking a formula on his counter. When Gary's girlfriend Jean Carson comes to pay him a visit, she spots a massive man leaving Gary's house and no trace of Gary. Finding this suspicious she follows after the strange figure and catches him in the process of robbing a bank.
Trying to stop the crook, it runs away from her shots and she leaves the scene after it foolishly leaving her purse behind making her a prime suspect. While she returns to Gary's home to see if he can help clear her name, the brute she encountered goes on a crime spree. At dawn she is frightened when the man creature returns to Gary's home. Before it can attack her the creature suddenly transforms into Gary. Gary explains that when he was injured he accidentally ingested the virus that he was testing out.
Realizing that he may turn into a monster each night, Gary decides to flee but fails to convince Jean to not go with him. She agrees to help him find a cure, and they begin their day planning to return what Gary stole while in his transformed state.
Continuity Notes
This is the only appearance of Gary Gaunt on Earth-616. However, a version of the character from Reality-20051 (the “Marvel Adventures” universe) appeared in Marvel Adventures: Super-Heroes #21.
The Mystery of Red Valley
Mark Todd does on vacation making a stop in Red Valley where he hopes to visit his fathers friend Old Man Lester. Inquiring where Lester lives, he learns from a hotel owner that the old man has become a recluse who turns away visitors. Undaunted, Todd decides to pay a visit and gets the door slammed in his face. When Old Man Lester tries to shoot him, Mark decides to investigate things further as the Blazing Skull.
As it turns out, Lester is plotting to rob the city bank by way of travelling through an abandoned mine. His robbery goes off without a hitch, and he fatally shoots a security guard. The guard tells the authorities that Lester made the robbery before dying. While Lester returns home with his loot, the Blazing Skull arrives and attempts to fight him and his gang of thugs. The Skull is knocked out and tossed in a room with... Old Man Lester? As it turns out Lester was knocked out and is being impersonated by mobster Killer Brogan.
With the authorities on their way to arrest Lester, Brogan removes his mask and enters the room to try and kill the Blazing Skull. The hero easily trounces Brogan and his men and reveals the truth to the authorities. Brogan manages to escape capture and rushes into the mine. Fighting Brogan in the mine shaft causes a cave in that kills Brogan. Later, back in his civilian identity, Mark Todd pays a visit to the real Lester.
Recurring Characters
Blazing Skull
Continuity Notes
This is the last Golden Age appearance of the Blazing Skull. He isn’t depicted again until Invaders (Vol. 2) #1-4.
Horror Mansion
Lawyer Lewis has his client Mr. Morton take out an expensive life insurance policy with the J.A. Hungle Insurance Company. That night, Morton gets a not telling him that his lawyer is attempting to cheat him with the insurance by a man calling himself Murdock who invites Morton to meet him at Greywin Castle. There, Murdock invites Morton in, and when he is left alone the man is haunted by what appear to be ghosts causing his weak heart to fail on him. Hearing Morton's screams, the Challenger rushes to the castle and arrives to late.
Suspicious of Murdock's story, the Challenger decides to pay close attention to the J.A. Hungle Insurance Company. The following day the Challenger spies Lewis arranging another life insurance policy with the wealthy Linda Smythe. Sure enough Linda also gets a letter from Murdock. This time however, the Challenger -- having researched the castle and learned who the owner is -- is on hand to help. Fighting off Murdock's attack dog, the Challenger prevents Murdock from tossing Linda down a flight of stairs.
During the struggle, Murdock is thrown over the stairs himself and falls to his death. The Challenger then reveals to Linda that Murdock was really her lawyer Lewis in disguise who sought to collect on his clients life insurance policies.
Recurring Characters
Challenger
