Marvel Mystery Comics #13-16

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Marvel Mystery Comics #13-16

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MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #13 (November 1940)
By Carl Burgos

APPEARANCES:
Human Torch, Mayor LaGuardia, Capt. Rawlins, Mr. Morton, subway saboteurs, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Someone is sabotaging subway cars and the mayor wants it stopped. The Human Torch is put on the case (by Capt. Rawlins this time, instead of his usual guy Chief Wilson) and pretty quickly takes care of business. There’s some stuff about a subway engineer being bitter about his sons dying in a subway collapse, but more importantly, the Human Torch reveals he can control his heat without turning on his flames. Bullets just melt off his normal looking face!

NOTE:
Includes a house ad for Human Torch Comics #2, on sale September 25. According to Mike's Amazing World of Comics, M/MC 13 and HTC 2 were released the same month; it looks like M/MMC 13 hit stands on September 17, and HTC 2 was indeed September 25. INTERESTING!

Last issue’s plot is mentioned, but it wasn’t recent.

Preceded by “Cut-Throat Justice” text story on inside front cover, continued on inside back cover.

2nd Story:
By Bill Everett

APPEARANCES:
Sub-Mariner, Dorma, Princess Fen, Atlanteans, Nazi soldiers, an island nation’s soldiers & governor

SYNOPSIS:
Sub-Mariner is bored, so Dorma suggests they go pick a fight with the Nazis since they’re stirring up so much trouble in Europe. They get some fancy new clothes and do just that.

NOTE:
Last issue’s plot is mentioned, and it was kind of recent. Not yesterday, but not months and months ago, either.

3rd Story:
By Jack Kirby

This Vision story is already in the MCP. Also, it’s great.

4th Story:
By Ray Gill & Bob Oksner

APPEARANCES:
Terry Vance, Deadline Dawson, Doctor Watson, art forgers

SYNOPSIS:
Terry Vance breaks up a ring of art forgeries. Also, the bad guys try to kill Terry (and think they did). Terry thought they were bluffing and was SHOCKED! when they tossed him down an elevator shaft. For a smart kid, he sure is stupid.

5th Story:
By Steve Dahlman

This Electro story is already in the MCP.

6th Story:
By Paul Gustavson

APPEARANCES:
Angel, Lumpy Savoy & his gangsters (Rocco, Punchy, Happy Norton named), bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Angel attacks Lumpy Savoy’s gang. Angel’s able to get a confession from Lumpy to the police, but kills Lumpy anyway.

NOTE:
Includes a note to check out Daring Mystery Comics #6, which hit stands two months previous.

7th Story:
By Frank Frollo

APPEARANCES:
Ka-Zar, Zar, Ruth Wilson, Mr. Wilson, police

SYNOPSIS:
Ka-Zar is arrested and learns that his lion is being held at the zoo with a bunch of other animals. He breaks out of jail, but Ruth Wilson arrives (from last issue) and convinces the police Ka-Zar doesn’t know any better and to let her and her father take custody of Ka-Zar. They give him a haircut and clothes, but he doesn’t like them. That night he breaks into the zoo to free Zar. The police arrive and prepare to shoot to kill.

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #14 (December 1940)
By Carl Burgos

APPEARANCES:
Human Torch, Ronald, Tibetian Lamas (Kalif & Culflam), police (Pete named), a Fire Monster

SYNOPSIS:
Rich jerk Ronald has pissed off some Tibetian Fire Monks by stealing their secrets and using them for his own profit (after they saved his life in the mountains). They burn down his mansion and kill him. Torch follows the monks and they explain the situation (Ronald also released some Fire Monsters to cover his escape). Eventually, the Torch agrees to help. To be continued!

2nd Story:
By Bill Everett

APPEARANCES:
Sub-Mariner, Dorma, Lt. Folma (bts), French soldiers, Nazi soldiers

SYNOPSIS:
Namor interrogates the captured soldiers (from last issue) and learns of a secret Axis base off the coast of Florida. He tells Dorma to have Folma bring the Atlantean Navy to help out and they destroy the base. They plan to go to America to see what’s going on there next.

NOTE:
Dorma mentions it’s a shame that the Germans were warped by one ego-maniac that was manipulative enough to fill their heads with the idea that they were better (or superior) to others. Very insightful, Dorma!

3rd Story:
By Paul Gustavson

APPEARANCES:
Angel, Prof. Hanley, a German scientist & his thugs, rich jerks, a hobo, police

SYNOPSIS:
Angel breaks up a plot to flood the market with synthetic diamonds, so a rich guy can get richer.

NOTE:
Yet again, radium is mentioned.

NOTE:
Followed by “Redskins Bite Cinders” text story.

4th Story:
By Jack Kirby

APPEARANCES:
Vision, Prof. Martin Keller (expert in the occult), Gordon Sanders (prominent Wall Street executive, also as “George Brown,” a werewolf), Llhupa Sanders (lady werewolf, Gordon’s new wife), Lewis (Gordon’s guard), Gordon’s butler

SYNOPSIS:
A man tries to get help from an expert in the occult to deal with his lycanthropy, but it takes too long to explain and he turns into a werewolf and kills the poor sap. Vision arrives too late and fights the werewolf, but he escapes. The fella returns to his big fancy home ad accuses his new wife of turning him into a werewolf. Vision arrives and finds the wife has turned into a werewolf and killed her husband, so Vision kills her. All while the butler watches, screeching in terror.

5th Story:
By Ray Gill & Bob Oksner

APPEARANCES:
Terry Vance, Deadline Dawson, Doctor Watson, Diana Dunn (actress), movie crew, kidnappers, police

SYNOPSIS:
Terry and Deadline foil a kidnapping plot to ransom and actress for a ton of cash.

6th Story:
By Steve Dahlman

This Electro Story is already in the MCP.

7th Story:
By Frank Frollo

APPEARANCES:
Ka-Zar, Zar, Ruth Wilson, Mr. Wilson, police, British sailors

SNOPSIS:
Ka-Zar frees his lion but is chased by the police. He escapes. The police go to the Wilsons to see if they know where Ka-Zar is, but they don’t. Ka-Zar returns, and realizing Ka-Zar will never fit into civilized society, get him on a boat to Africa. However, the boat is torpedoed and sinks; Ka-Zar and Zar are the only survivors. They start to swim through the ocean…

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #15 (January 1941)
By Carol Burgos

APPEARANCES:
Human Torch, Culflam, Kalif, Red, Chief Wilson, two Flame Monster (one is a corpse), police, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Continued from last issue: As it turns out, one of the Flame monks is using a Flame Monster to rob jewelry stores. The Human Torch figures it out and rounds him up.

2nd Story:
By Bill Everett

APPEARANCES:
Sub-Mariner, Dorma, Luther S. Robinson, Lynne Harris, Lt. Folma, police, Atlanteans

SYNOPSIS:
Continued from last issue: Namor tells Dorma to return to Atlantis. Meanwhile, he goes to New York and, well, forcibly removes Luther Robinson and Lynne Harris from their home. He takes them to Atlantis so he can marry Lynne and “allows” Luther to come along. Luther undergoes the same process Lynne did, so now they can both breathe underwater. The Americans try to escape, but Namor beats them into submission. They agree to return to Atlantis.

3rd Story:
By Ray Gill & Bob Oksner

APPEARANCES:
Terry Vance, Deadline Dawson, Doctor Watson, reporters, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Deadline Dawson is assigned to write a story about tenement building (Terry tags along) and they stumble across a corpse. It turns out the dead guy’s kid killed him.

NOTE:
Followed by “Dreadnaught from Mars” text story.

4th Story:
By Jack Kirby

APPEARANCES:
Vision, Rhamu Rondi, Harley Stone, Hannah Stone, Linda Wayne, hired thugs (Mike, Mulligan, Stacey, Krantz named), police

SYNOPSIS:
The Vision stops a plot to scare an old woman to death so a jerk can inherit ten million dollars.

5th Story:
By Paul Gustavson

APPEARANCES:
Angel, Prof. Donaire (evil scientist), Karlo (hunchback servant), police, corpses

SYNOPSIS:
The Angel investigates various corpses popping up in the woods. He discovers Prof. Donaire is responsible; he’s created a disembodied brain that controlled the various men. Angel blows up the lab and the professor dies.

6th Story:
By Steve Dahlman

This Electro story is already in the MCP.

7th Story:
By Ben Thompson

APPARANCES:
Ka-Zar, Zar, Nazi sailors, British sailors

SYNOPSIS:
Ka-Zar and Zar are picked up by a Nazi sub. They prepare to kill the friends for their insolence, but they attacked by a British destroyer. After the fight the British take Ka-Zar back to Africa.

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #16 (February 1941)
By Carl Burgos

APPEARANCES:
Human Torch, Mayor La Guardia, police, Pinhead & his fifth columnists

SYNOPSIS:
The Human Torch return to police HQ after dealing with the Fire Monsters (last issue) and immediately gets tangled up in a plot involving fifth columnists. Torch stops propaganda from being dropped by planes, melts tanks in the streets of New York, bombing runs and armed attackers. When Pinhead (the leader) realizes he’s lost, he kills himself by tackling and holding on to the Human Torch. The Torch then gets a message from the Sub-Mariner; there’s an invasion coming!

NOTE:
Also this month, Human Torch Comics #3!

2nd Story:
By Bill Everett

APPEARANCES:
Sub-Mariner, Luther Robbins, Lynne Harris, Nazi soldiers

SYNOPSIS:
The Sub-Mariner tells Luther and Lynne that before they return to Atlantis (so he can marry Lynne and consummate their nuptials. That’s right!), he wants to swing by France first. Namor isn’t happy with the way the war in Europe is going and wants to turn the tide against the Nazi regime. At night, they beat up some drunk soldiers and steal their uniforms. They sneak around and discover the Nazis are digging a tunnel under the English Channel. The Sub-Mariner sets some explosives and destroys it. An engineer wails at the failure of his plan, and reveals another tunnel is in the works to invade America. Namor decides he needs the Human Torch’s help to take care of this one…

NOTE:
As Namor disguises himself as a soldier, he sings a version of the Schnitzelbank song, but changes some lyrics to make fun of the Nazis.

To be continued next issue! But this time, instead of Namor and the Torch fighting each other, they’re teaming up to battle a bigger threat: the Axis Powers.

The Sub-Mariner stories are continued back-to-back leading up to next issue, so M/MC 13/2-17 should be uninterrupted in his chronology. The Human Torch stories are also continued back-to-back, so M/MC 14-17 should also be uninterrupted in HIS chronology (there’s a break between 13-14 for the Torch, but not for Namor).

HTC 2-3 were published during this time, and Toro first appears and becomes the Human Torch’s sidekick there. Toro hasn’t yet appeared in M/MC, so the HTC stories likely happen later (which is how we currently have it). As I go through more issues M/MC stories we’ll see if that still holds. The Sub-Mariner stories in HTC 2-3 are also currently placed after these stories, and while his placement doesn’t hinge on Toro there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of time for them to happen during M/MC yet. We’ll see what happens!

3rd Story:
By Steve Dahlman

This Electro story is already in the MCP.

NOTE:
Followed by “Death Trap” text story.

4th Story:
By Jack Kirby

APPEARANCES:
Vision, Barney Bailey (runs a circus with dinosaurs), reporters, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
A circus owner found dinosaur eggs in Siberia, so he hatched them and made the dinosaurs circus attractions. Of course, the dinosaurs break free and wreak havoc on the town. The Vision arrives and throws a bundle of dynamite in one of the dinos’ mouths and blows it head apart. The circus owner screams in outrage; the noise attraction another dinosaur, who eats the owner. Vision throws an entire box of dynamite in that one’s mouth and blows the top half of the dino apart, raining charred dinosaur bits on the people in the streets. His job done and people safe, Vision vanishes into the smoke as the crowd cheers his name.

5th Story:
By Ray Gill & Bob Oksner

APPEARANCES:
Terry Vance, Deadline Dawson, Doctor Watson, Scoop O’Brien, Rochelle family (inc Janet), Pete (runs a deep sea diving company), gangsters, police, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
While fishing, Terry and his pals stumble across a murder scene on a boat. They eventually figure out gangsters killed some schmuck from a rich family.

6th Story:
By Paul Gustavson

APPEARANCES:
Angel, Karl Schwab (also in fb), fifth columnists (Hoffman, Bromberg named), bystanders (others in fb)

FLASHBACK:
Two weeks ago, Karl Schwab is released from prison. He served twenty years for plotting to overthrow the American government.
SYNOPSIS:
The Angel stops Karl Schwab (and his recruited fifth columnists) from another attempt to overthrow the government.

7th Story:
By Ben Thompson

APPEARANCES:
Ka-Zar, Zar, Rajah Sarput & his goons, Pindar (an eagle), Trajah

SYNOPSIS:
Finally back in Africa, Ka-Zar learns that Sarput is still killing animals. He breaks into Sarput’s castle and calls his animal friends to help. Trajah the lion kills Sarput and Ka-Zar burns down the castle.

Chronologies!

ANGEL/DR. THOMAS HALLOWAY
……
M/MC 12/3
*M/MC 13/6
M/PROJECT 4
*M/MC 14/3
*M/MC 15/5
*M/MC 16/6
M/PROJECT 5
*[M/MC 17]
*[M/MC 18]
*[M/MC 19]
*[M/MC 20]
M/MC70A
HTC 5A/3
……

DAWSON, RAYMOND “DEADLINE”
M/MC 10/7-VO
{M/MC 12/4}
*M/MC 13/4
*M/MC 14/5
*M/MC 15/3
*M/MC 16/5

DOCTOR WATSON
M/MC 10/7
M/MC 11/5
M/MC 12/4
*M/MC 13/4
*M/MC 14/5
*M/MC 15/3
*M/MC 16/5

DORMA
……
M/MC 10/3
M/MC 11/2
M/MC 12/2
*M/MC 13/2
*M/MC 14/2
*M/MC 15/2
SAGASUB 5-FB
……

ELECTRO/PHILO ZOG
……
M/MC 13/5
**M/MC70A (move from here)
M/MC 14/6
M/MC 15/6
M/MC 16/3
M/MC 17/2
M/MC 18/5
M/MC 19/5
*M/MC70A (move to here)
M/PROJECT 6
……

FEN
……
SUBC 32/3
M/MC 12/2
*M/MC 13/2
SAGASUB 5 (8 - 10:4)-FB
……

*FOLMA, LT.
M/MC 12/2
*M/MC 14/2-BTS
*M/MC 15/2
HTC 2/2
……

GNORR
M/MC 13/5

HARRIS, LYNNE
M/MC 10/3
M/MC 11/2
M/MC 12/2
*M/MC 15/2
*M/MC 16/2

HUMAN TORCH/JIM HAMMOND
……
M/MC 12
*CAC70A-FB (move to here)
*M/MC 13 (remove brackets)
**CAC70A-FB (move from here)
M/PROJECT 6-FB
INV 22 (14:4)-FB
*M/MC 14 (remove brackets)
*M/MC 15 (remove brackets)
*M/MC 16 (remove brackets)
M/MC 17
……

KA-ZAR/DAVID RAND
……
M/MC 12/7
*M/MC 13/7
*M/MC 14/7
*M/MC 15/7
*M/MC 16/7
HTC 5B

LA GUARDIA, FIORELLO HENRY
……
M/MC 7/3 (6:8 - 10)
*M/MC 13
*M/MC 16
*CAC 12/2-BTS
ALLSC70A /2

MASON, DR. ENOCH
*M/MC 13/3 (remove brackets)
MYSC70A

MASON, SHEILA
*M/MC 13/3 (remove brackets)
MYSC70A

O'BRIEN, SCOOP
M/MC 16/5

PINHEAD
M/MC 16

ROBINSON, LUTHER S.
M/MC 10/3
M/MC 11/2
M/MC 12/2
*M/MC 15/2
*M/MC 16/2

SARPUT, RAJAH
M/MC 11/4
M/MC 16/7

SUB-MARINER/NAMOR MACKENZIE
……
M/MC 12/2
**N:FM 5 (3 - 5)-FB (move to here)
*SUBC70A (move to here)
*M/PROJECT 6-FB (move to here)
*M/MC 13/2 (remove brackets)
*M/MC 14/2 (remove brackets)
**N:FM 5 (3 - 5)-FB (move from here)
**SUBC70A (move from here)
**M/PROJECT 6-FB (move from here)
*M/MC 15/2 (remove brackets)
*M/MC 16/2 (remove brackets)
*M/MC 16-BTS (remove brackets)
M/MC 17
……

TRAJA
……
M/MC 11/4
*M/MC 16/7

VANCE, TERRY
M/MC 10/7
M/MC 11/5
M/MC 12/4
*M/MC 13/4
*M/MC 14/5
*M/MC 15/3
*M/MC 16/5

VISION/AARKUS
M/MC 13/3
*M/MC 14/4
*M/MC 15/4
*M/MC 16/4
*[M/MC 25/6]
MYSC70A
*[M/MC 26/3]
{INV2 3}
……

WILSON, JOHN
……
M/MC 12
*M/MC 15
HTC 4
……

WILSON, RUTH
M/MC 12/7
*M/MC 13/7
*M/MC 14/7

ZAR
……
M/MC 12/7
*M/MC 13/7
*M/MC 14/7
*M/MC 15/7
*M/MC 16/7
-Daron Jensen
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Re: Marvel Mystery Comics #13-16

Post by zilch »

While indexing the Golden Age DCU books, I found that theft of radium is probably a national epidemic.
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Re: Marvel Mystery Comics #13-16

Post by vanhornluke »

Col_Fury wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2017 12:33 amLA GUARDIA, FIORELLO HENRY
……
M/MC 7/3 (6:8 - 10)
*M/MC 13
*M/MC 16
ALLSC70A /2
I just noticed that La Guardia has another (behind the scenes) appearance in Captain America Comics #12/2.
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Re: Marvel Mystery Comics #13-16

Post by Col_Fury »

*gasp!*

You're right! It even says so in the Cap Index. Somehow we missed that one.

Edited into the above. Thanks!
-Daron Jensen
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