Appearing in "The Fabulous Racket"
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Villains:
- Mr. Vincent
Other Characters:
- Ed Jordan (First appearance; dies)
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Synopsis for "The Fabulous Racket"
The Sub-Mariner swims to Sea View, an island resort town where Betty is vacationing. There he is introduced to Betty's friend and fellow reporter Ed Jordan who has been vacationing with her. Namor offers to pull Ed on his surfboard for fun. However the fun turns tragic when suddenly Ed's surfboard explodes, killing him. Investigating the remains of the surfboard, the Sub-Mariner finds a strange chemical explosive that was sensitive to sunlight.
While learning where Ed kept his surfboard from Betty, the sheriff and Mr. Vincent of the chamber of commerce arrive to investigate the scene. They learn that this is the islands first murder in over twenty years. Namor passes his hunch to the sheriff about the explosive gum and the killer placing it in the storage shack. When the sheriff goes to investigate, Namor and Betty realize he's woefully qualified for the job when he starts poking around with a magnifying glass. However, the sheriff finds a cufflink with the initials "J.N." on it and suspects that the killer is Jed Norris, the owner of the Sea View Hotel and rushes off to interrogate him.
Suspecting Jordan was on a lead to a sensitive story, Namor and Betty head toward Ed's cottage. There they find evidence that Ed was about to expose the biggest racket run on the island for years. All they learn is that it involves a school house and it's teacher Laura Joy, before they are attacked by some men who knock them both out and steal Ed's notes.
When the two revive, they head to the school house. As they pass by the Sea View Hotel where Jed Norris is being arrested over protests from his daughter Ann. Talking to Ms. Norris, she explains that the case against her father is pat as his hobby is chemistry. When they asks her about Laura Joy, Mr. Norris does not recognize the name. They begin canvassing all the local school houses but find no trace of this Laura Joy. Namor decides to take a break by swimming along the island, and finds a school house that was not on their list.
Inside, he finds a man with a large sum of money. When Namor attempts to confront the man, he is blinded with chalk brushes. As Namor is recovering, Ann rushes in and is taken hostage by the man who then flees. Betty rushes in soon after and revives Namor. Finding that the man who attacked Namor had fallen on a letter opener, they find a trail of blood and follow it. The tail of blood leads them to the dock. Diving into the water, Namor swims out and finds a boat called the Laura Joy. There Namor finds that Mr. Vincent is the mastermind behind the entire plot. Namor realizes that Vincent used the correspondence school to run their rackets. Before Namor stop Vincent, he pulls out a bomb and threatens to blow up the whole boat, killing Ann in the process if Namor does not agree to let him an his men go.
However, when police sirens distract Vincent, Namor throws him out to sea where his bomb explodes killing only himself. With the men taken into custody the Norris family invites Namor to stay in their hotel, but Namor needs to return to the sea and bids everyone farewell. As he goes, the bumbling sheriff tries to convince Namor that he knew Jed Norris was innocent the whole time.
Appearing in "The Bloody Assassin"
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Villains:
- Nazis
- Herr Loeder
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Synopsis for "The Bloody Assassin"
Story reprinted from Captain America Comics #40...
The Human Torch and Toro are on their way to the Falcon Aircraft Plant in Washington D.C. to be on hand for a high profile military meeting. As they fly past Washington Park, some Nazi spies murder the body guard for General Mershing. The shots attract the attention of the two flaming heroes who double back to investigate. Finding the body and confirming his identity, the Torch and Toro follow after the killer but lose him among some derelict buildings.
Searching the properties, they over hear Nazi spies led by a man named Loerder as they plot to eliminate Mershing and sabotage the Falcon plant. Hearing the heroes snooping around, Loerder and his men ambush the heroes and douse them with fire retardant spray and knock them out. They then seal the two heroes in air tight glass cylinders and leave them to die. Left alone, the two heroes rock their prisons until they tip over and smash open on the spikes of a nearby iron maiden.
The heroes then round up Loerder and his men, and then race off to the Falcon plant where Mershing is about to christen some new aircraft. They prevent the assassin from killing Mershing and turn him over to the authorities.
Appearing in "Dead Man's Shoes"
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Villains:
- The Beak (First appearance)
Other Characters:
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Synopsis for "Dead Man's Shoes"
Steve Rogers and James Barnes are returning to base from leave when they come across the Beak and his men and the side of the road with apparent road troubles. When the two soldiers offer their aid they are told to go away. Finding this suspicious, they change into Captain America and Bucky and come back to the scene and find the men dumping a body and stealing it's clothing and lunch box.
Attacking the men, Bucky is knocked out, forcing Cap to break off the fight to check on his partner. While Cap checks on his partner the thugs getaway leaving the dead body behind. When Cap and Bucky check the body they find that the victim is wearing shoe with bulldog toes, which are commonly worn by police officers and detectives. Although Cap doesn't think he's cop due to the fact he had a lunch box, they bring the body to the police station to be identified anyway.
With the police, they ID one of their attackers as the Beak and deduce that the dead man was a security guard. Because there are no missing watchmen at various banks in the area, Cap and Bucky's investigation hits a dead end. However as they patrol the streets they come across an advertisement for the display or Oriental jewels at the Woolsey Museum and realize what the Beak's plan is. Meanwhile, one of the Beak's men his wearing the stolen guards uniform and is going to replace the daytime guard at the museum. When the guard answers the door, the thug knocks him out and shuts off the alarm and lets the Beak and his cohorts into the museum.
However, before they can rob the museum they are attacked by Captain America and Bucky who easily subdue the crooks and turn them over to the authorities. Later, back in their civilian guises Steve and James resume their trek back to base. When James bemoans the fact that they will be given kitchen duty for being over 13 hours late, Steve says it was all worth it in the name of justice.
Appearing in "The Mystery of the Floating City"
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Supporting Characters:
- General Hayword
- Lyander (First appearance)
Villains:
- Nazis
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Floating City (First appearance)
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Synopsis for "The Mystery of the Floating City"
Story reprinted from Captain America Comics #40...
On guard at a coastal airfield, Steve Rogers and James Barns watch as another bomber heads off to England. However, Steve has his worries about if it will ever make his destination after reports of bombers going missing over the Atlantic. After hearing yet another bomber has gone missing, the two go to the map room where they examine the reports and pinpoint a specific location where the bombers seem to go missing.
Changing into Captain America and Bucky the pair visit General Haywood and get his permission to investigate the disappearances. They arrive just as Haywood is getting a report that the last bomber to go missing reported a strange floating island before the radio went dead. When Captain America and Bucky take a bomber across the Atlantic on the same course, they find the mysterious floating island which they are shocked to find is a massive floating city.
Their plane is then shot down and crashes in the water. Abandoning ship, Cap and Bucky begin swimming to shore when they are suddenly approached by strange people who are able to walk on water. Thinking that they are to be taken prisoner, Cap and Bucky defend themselves until their leader -- a man named Lyander -- tells them that they are friends. Fitting Cap and Bucky with special boots that allow them to walk on water, they come to shore on the island. there Lyander explains that their home has been taken over by the Nazis and he is part of a resistance movement to force their oppressors out of their peaceful land, which they have kept hidden over the years by avoiding detection.
Sneaking their way to the rebels secret base, Captain America and Bucky agree to help Lyander and his people break free from their Nazi captors. Sneaking to the Nazis main base, Captain America and Bucky begin fighting their way deeper into the complex and finds a number of Nazi subs cradled within. When the commanding officer of the Nazi operation learns Captain America and Bucky are on the premises he orders a red alert and orders that the intruders be captured alive. Captured, the two heroes are dropped in the sub cradle where a sea monster is unleashed to kill them. Cap and Bucky climb aboard one of the U-Boat and use it to kill the monster.
As the Nazi commander orders his men to kill the two heroes, Lyander and his men storm the Nazi base. With the Nazis overpowered by the resistance, they are easily subdued and their leader commits suicide by shooting himself in the head to avoid capture. With the Nazi threat defeated, the people of the floating island help Captain America and Bucky repair their bomber and send them on their way, Cap and Bucky promising to keep their home a secret.
Appearing in "Meteor III"
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Villains:
- Dr. Throttle (First appearance)
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Synopsis for "Meteor III"
In the flat lands of Utah, Dr. Throttle has completed his new Radium powered race-car the Meteor III, a vehicle that can travel over 600 miles an hour. He plans to use the car of illegal gain, and begins a plan in motion, sending a telegram to the Whizzer inviting him to pit his speed against the Meteor III in a race.
The Whizzer accepts the invitation unaware that Dr. Throttle is using it as a means of eliminating the hero to prevent his interference in his crimes. During the race, the Whizzer manages to just barely race ahead of the Meteor III, however Dr. Throttle sideswipes the hero and races off. The Whizzer chases after him but Throttle runs down the hero, knocking him out. Taking the Whizzer back to his lab, Dr. Throttle ties him to a massive treadmill while he goes to the Drumman Aircraft factory to steal more Radium.
Left alone the Whizzer manages to break free of his bonds and run free of the treadmill and races to the aircraft factory where he easily subdues Dr. Throttle and his assistant and turns them over to the authorities.