Mystic Comics #8
The Largest Diamond in the World!
The Chisholm Diamond mind located in South America is the site a huge diamond being discovered. However, those who touch it die suddenly. The local witch doctor, Buka of the Mari Tribe warns that it is punishment from his peoples Earth-core god Vool-Kan cursing those who mine it's territory. This causes the native work force to refuse to work the mines threatening the business of the Chisholm mine owners.
One night, some crooks break into the mine attempting to steal the diamond, however not only does one of them fall to the supposed curse of the diamond, the Black Marvel arrives and subdues the rest of the would be diamond thieves. Unfortunately for our hero, some of the natives enter the cave and knock him out taking him to the Mari tribe and their leader Buka. Buka orders that the Black Marvel be their next cannibal feast, and a pot is prepared to cook the hero. The hero frees himself and fights his way through the tribe, and while travelling through the jungle slays a trio of lions that attempt to make him their next meal.
Arriving at the mine office, the Black Marvel stops the owners before they can sell the mine over to a man named Ridley, telling the owners that the "curse" was his plot to buy the mine cheaply. When Ridley attempts to shoot the Black Marvel he punches him out and takes the owners to the mine. There they are attacked by what appears to be the personification of Vool-Kan. The Black Marvel smashes the so-called "gods" mask, revealing him to be Buka. When Ridley enters the mine bent on killing everyone on site, Buka blames everything on Ridley. Both are knocked out by the Black Marvel who reveals to the mine owner that the "diamond" was nothing more than a painted rock coated with a lethal poison that killed on contact.
Recurring Characters
Black Marvel
No One is Safe
Continued from last issue...
The Demon continues his rampage since being freed from his eternal prison by Davey Drew. As he attacks the town of Midville, Davey tries once more to quell the creature he accidentally unleashed. The Demon attempts to kill the boy, but cannot touch Davey thanks to the magical cloak he made the mistake of giving to the boy in reward for freeing him.
Unable to touch the boy, the furious Demon wraps him up in a net instead and carries the lad back to his hideout cave where he intends to boil the boy alive in a pot of water. However before he can drop Davey into the cauldron a mysterious figure arrives on the scene, one that strikes fear into the heart of the Demon.
This story is continued next issue...
Recurring Characters
Davey Drew, 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.
Hitler Meets the Destroyer
An elderly German man is caught and beaten by Nazi soldiers when he is caught painting the letter "V" on the side of a building. Spotting this, the Destroyer comes to the mans rescue, keeping the Nazi soldiers at bay long enough to escape. Fleeing the soldiers, the Destroyer slips into a hotel kitchen and changes into a waiter uniform. Passing himself off as a waiter, he gets a job working at the hotel. Overhearing some Nazi customers gloating about torturing scientists in a concentration camp, the Destroyer "accidentally" spills hot soup on them. He is later given a job to deliver food to one of the hotel rooms. He finds that it is the place where Nazi soldiers are torturing a British spy to get information. The Destroyer changes into his costume and frees the British spy, before both flee into the night. Keen returning to his position as a waiter, finding it ideal for his subversive operations.
When word of the escaped spy reaches Hitler himself, the Fuhrer is furious and sends his best man-hunter and apparently his only friend Von Maus to track down the Destroyer. Suspecting that the Destroyer must be posing as an employee at the hotel Von Maus goes for dinner at the hotel and immediately notices that Keen's accent is not perfect. Although Keen manages to deflect Von Maus's questions, the man-hunter is suspicious and tells his waiter that he has captured the Destroyer and plans on torturing him tonight.
This plays right into Von Maus's hands, as Keen fears that the Nazi's may have captured someone else thinking it was him and is torturing an innocent man. After Von Maus leaves the hotel, Keen follows after him, walking right into Von Maus's trap. As the Destroyer, Keen defeats Von Maus and decides to pay a little visit to Hitler. Disguising himself as Von Maus, he gets an audience with the dictator and humiliates him before revealing his true identity. As security forces burst into the room, the Destroyer slaps a note on Hitlers back with the mark of "V" and fights his way through the Nazi soldiers and away to freedom so that he can plague the Nazi menace once more, much to Hitler's chagrin.
Recurring Characters
Destroyer, Nazis (Adolf Hitler)
The Gems of Doom
A mobster named the Imp sends two of his men to go and rob Cartiffy's Jewelry store, content that his plans will eventually make him the over-lord of crime in the city. Unfortunately for the Imp, his minions commit the robbery while the Witness is on patrol. The Witness confronts the two crooks just as they loot the jewelry store, managing to knock out one of the crooks, but the other manages to escape in a subway train. This does not discourage the Witness who goes to the downed mobster to learn what he can about the Imp.
Meanwhile, the escaped crook returns to the Imp's secret hideout and warns him that the Witness captured his colleague. The Imp assures his man that he will determine a way to deal with the Witness permanently. The following day at a local pawnshop, shop owner Booie Dawdly is visited by his friend Officer O'Brian who tells him about the robbery at Cartiffy's the night before and asks him to keep an eye out for anyone who might come in and pawn off the stolen jewels. Dawdly agrees to remain vigilant and the officer leaves.
Outside, the Witness scales down the buildings and also pays Dawdly a visit based on information the crook told him the night before and asks for his assistance in finding the Imp. Dawdly tells the hero that the Imp is hiding out in his basement and shows him a trap door down into his shops cellar, the hero is more than happy to go down looking for him. As it turns out, mild mannered Dawdly is really the Imp and he sneaks around to another entrance into the basement to ambush the Witness with his minion. However the Witness is ready for this and easily beats the Imp and his man into submission. He then leaves the Imp, his goon and the stolen loot upstairs in the pawn shop for Officer O'Brien to find.
Recurring Characters
Witness
Death Drews
Nazi forces are using slaves to build railroad track to move their supplies through the deserts of Dakar. However, their slave drive causes massive fatalities depleting their supply of workers. One of the commanding officers has the solution though: using a boat, they pose as a ship crew helping European refugees flee to America when in reality, they are shipping them to Dakar to be forced into slave labor.
This plot is learned by the Terror who decides to put a stop to the operation by posing as a refugee. Boarding their next ship apparently leaving for America, the Terror goes into action when the crew begins herding the passengers when they realize they are not heading to America. In his transformed state, the Terror easily over powers the Nazis and locks them up in the brig and pilots the ship toward America. Just outside of American shores, the Terror spots a Nazi U-Boat and in order to trick it into sinking the vessel raises a British flag in place of the French one. Fleeing in life boats the Terror and the passengers watch as the U-Boat sinks the ship with the captured Nazis still on board. They are soon picked up by an American cruise ship and brought to American shores.
With his charges safe in America, the Terror then travels to Dakar to free the slaves and dole out justice to their Nazi masters.
Recurring Characters
The Terror
The Thing
An ugly beats of a man named Dr. Fear is going about the town frightening people to death and robbing them. The body is found by one Amborse Q. Meak, who lives up to his name when he becomes faint upon discovering the body. However when he only makes the back pages of the paper, Dr. Fear decides to step up the ante in order to spread more fear across the city. To this end, Doctor Fear enters a local bank and frightens the entire clientele to death and robs them and the bank.
When the bank manager arrives around noon he calls the police, who call in criminologist Mark Todd to help on the case. The scene is visited by Meak, who demands that the police do more to capture the monster who committed the crime. His outburst causes gossip to spread all over town and people to live in fear of the monster known as Doctor Fear.
On patrol that night, Todd finds the streets empty until he confronts Amborse Meak and warns him about being out while a killer is on the loose. Meak surprises Mark when he angrily tells him to mind his own business before departing. Shortly thereafter, Mark is attacked by Dr. Fear and thrown off a bridge to the water below. Surviving, Mark changes into the Blazing Skull and follows after Dr. Fear.
Fear has invaded a local radio station and taken over Anthony J. Jack's "Benevolent Hour" radio program to demand a ransom from the city of a million dollars in 24 hours or his murder spree would continue. However the Blazing Skull arrives and the two battle it out. The Skulls superior strength gives him the edge and he beast Doctor Fear in the fight, removing his mask and revealing himself to be none other than Amborse Q. Meak, who tried to gain fame and fortune through crime.
Recurring Characters
Blazing Skull
League of Crime
Four criminals have banded together to form the "League of Crime": gunsle Nails Swigland, wrestler Crusher Collins, master swordsman Pierre La Verne and psychology professor and hypnotist Remu the Great. They cause an unstoppable crime spree across the city, prompting the police to enlist the aid of the Challenger to stop them.
Meanwhile, after a series of successful crimes, Ramu uses his hypnotic power on his colleagues to force them to take a lesser cut of their ill gotten gains and do his bidding. He first sends Nails out to commit a theft. Nails runs into the Challenger who defeats him in a gun duel, leaving him for the authorities. When Nails doesn't return, Ramu then sends out Crusher to commit another crime. Crusher is defeated by the Challenger and tells the hero where his colleagues secret hideout is located.
There, the Challenger battles Pierre in a sword fight and despite interference from Remu the Great, manages to defeat both crooks and turn them over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
The Challenger
