(Winter 1940-1941)

Marvel, 1940 Series
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Volume:
1
Price:
0.10 USD
Pages:
68
Indicia frequency:
quarterly
On-sale date:
1940-12-20
Indicia Publisher:
Timely Publications
Editing:
Joe Simon
Format:
Standard Golden Age U.S; Later Standard Silver Age U.S.; Full Color; Glossy Cover; Newsprint Interior; Saddle-Stitched; was On-Going Series

Issue Notes

HUMAN TORCH published quarterly by Timely Publications at Meriden, Conn. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at Meriden, Conn. under Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright 1940 by Timely Publications, 330 W. 42nd St. N. Y., N. Y. Art narratives by Funnies, Incorporated, N. Y., N. Y. Volume 1, No. 3, Winter issue. Printed in U.S.A. Single copies 10c; Yearly subscription 40c.

A flyer from Kable News Co. lists the date to place the issue on sale.

Parts of this issue are reprinted:

[untitled] (Table of Contents)

The Human Torch / cover / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:
Alex Schomburg
Inks:
Alex Schomburg
Colors:
?
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch; Toro; Sub-Mariner
Reprints: show reprint note before migration

[untitled] (Table of Contents)

Captain America / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:
?
Pencils:
Joe Simon
Inks:
Joe Simon
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Captain America
Synopsis:
Ad for Captain America Comics #1.
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Indexer Notes

Inside front cover. All info & credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005).


[Toro's Parents-----Alive?] [Part 1] (Table of Contents)

Human Torch / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:
Carl Burgos
Pencils:
Carl Burgos (layouts probably) [as Burgos] (signed)
Inks:
Harry Sahle (finished art probably)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch; Toro
Synopsis:
The head of a large spy ring reads about the Torch and Toro in the newspaper, and decides on a plan to eliminate the Torch. He heads out to the circus with his men and attempts to convince Toro that his parents are still alive. But when Torch intervenes, Toro pushes him away and decides to go with the men. They go to an apartment where a couple, dressed as his parents, put on an act to convince Toro of who they are, but Torch shows up, telling Toro that they are phonies. When he can provide no proof, Torch must leaves and his "parents" tell him that they have arranged for him to join the Junior Ideal Club, a supposed patriotic organization. He leaves for his initiation, not realizing the Torch is following and has learned of the devilish plans they have in store for the lad. Torch steals the plans and tracks down Toro and tells him that he can prove the organization is unpatriotic. In the ensuing moments, it seems that Torch has killed Toro's father and the Police claim Torch blew up a munitions works. Torch and one of the fifth columnists are arrested and taken to jail, but Torch escapes. He discovers that Toro has been taken out to sea by the group behind the scheme, and before he can locate the young boy, the spies shoot a torpedo at the Police boat, and it explodes, apparently killing the Torch!
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Indexer Notes

Revised artistic credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). Inker credit previously given to Carl Burgos.


[untitled] (Table of Contents)

Marvel Comics #16 / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:
?
Pencils:
Alex Schomburg
Inks:
Alex Schomburg
Colors:
?
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch; Vision (head-view); Angel (head-view); Sub-Mariner (head-view)
Synopsis:
Ad for Marvel Comics #16.
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Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005).


[Toro's Parents-----Alive?] [Part 2] (Table of Contents)

Human Torch / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:
Carl Burgos (signed)
Pencils:
Carl Burgos (layouts probably) (signed)
Inks:
Harry Sahle [finishes probably]
Colors:
?
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch; Toro; Hermann Goering [Herr Medals]; Adolf Hitler [Chancellor Hiccup]; Benito Mussolini [Benny Musclein]
Synopsis:
The Torch is sinking beneath the surface after the horrible torpedo explosion, but slowly revives and tries to find the missing liner without success. Aboard ship, Toro learns that his "parents" have been condemned as traitors and sentenced to death. Toro agrees to help free them as the Torch finally locates the ship, boards it and disguises himself as a crew member. He discovers the ship is smuggling gold out of the U.S., so he burns a message into one gold brick and addresses it to Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The Captain of the ship, meanwhile, has wired explosives to detonate and blow the ship and crew to smithereens. Toro sees this from shore, but now has been made a "prince" by other spy members.....all of which has been seen by the Torch from hiding, so the Torch decides to destroy all weaponry in the munition works Toro has been taken to. Torch heads out for Hiccup Palace to take on Herr Medals, Hiccup & Benny Musclein, who have captured Toro and have placed him in a giant rocket-cannon and blasted him off into space. Toro regains consciousness inside the rocket as Torch follows the ship over New York City. Unfortunately, the rocket shoots a brown mist at the Torch, putting out his flame and Toro rescues him. Toro finnaly realizes that he has "been had" by the Nazis, so he helps Torch destroy the rocket flotilla aimed at New York.
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Indexer Notes

Revised artistic credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). Inker credit formerly given to Carl Burgos.


Hot and Wet (Table of Contents)

Human Torch & Sub-Mariner / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:
?
Pencils:
Carl Burgos?
Inks:
Carl Burgos?
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch; Sub-Mariner; Toro
Synopsis:
The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner once again meet....but this time it is to argue which of their artists is the best: Burgos or Everett?
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Indexer Notes

Spot illo credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005).


[Call for Volunteers] (Table of Contents)

Sentinels of Liberty / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:
?
Pencils:
? [traced Jack Kirby figure of Captain America]
Inks:
? [traced Jack Kirby figure of Captain America]
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Captain America; Bucky (head-view)
Synopsis:
Readers are told to look for the next issue of Captain America to learn how they can become one of Captain America's Sentinels.
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Indexer Notes

All info by Craig Delich (Dec.2005).


[Namor to the Rescue] (Table of Contents)

Sub-Mariner / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:
Bill Everett (signed)
Pencils:
Bill Everett (signed)
Inks:
Bill Everett (signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?

Content Information

Genre:
superhero
Characters:
Human Torch (guest-star); Toro (guest-star)
Synopsis:
As Sub-Mariner swims along, he notes the water getting warm and finds the molten gold bar that the Human Torch wrote a message on for him to find. Namor arranges to meet Betty Dean and show her the bar, and she tells him that the Torch and Toro were working on an espionage case down near the waterfront. Namor disguises himself as a crew member and goes aboard a ship to seek out a job. Discovering the crew to be German, he adopts a phony German accent, but is recognized by the ship's Captain and thrown into the brig. Sub-Mariner then has iron boots put on his feet and is tied to the mast so he can't escape. Then he is taken and tied to the wing of a plane, flown out over the ocean and dropped in. The Torch and Toro happen to see this and they rescue Namor, informing him of an enemy invasion coming. Namor leaves the pair to garner his forces to do battle, which they do the following day with devastating results....for the Germans! Namor returns back to base in time to hear a plea for him to come to Washington to meet with War Department personnel. He is then informed that another massive armada is poised to attack in 48 hours and could he help out again? Prince Namor says that, although he has lost many planes and personnel, he will help out as best he can. Amassing his focres once again, Namor meets and defeats the enemy forces and is cheered throughout the land.
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[Mystic Comics] (Table of Contents)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:
?
Pencils:
Jack Kirby
Inks:
Jack Kirby
Letters:
?

Content Information

Characters:
Black Marvel; Super Slave (head-view); Moon Man (head-view); Sub-Earth Man (head-view); The Fin (head-view); The Terror (head-view); The Black Widow (head-view)
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Indexer Notes

Inside back cover. Info and credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005).


Editing

Table of Contents

  1. 1. [untitled]
    Captain America
  2. 2. [Toro's Parents-----Alive?] [Part 1]
    Human Torch
  3. 3. [untitled]
    Marvel Comics #16
  4. 4. [Toro's Parents-----Alive?] [Part 2]
    Human Torch
  5. 5. Hot and Wet
    Human Torch & Sub-Mariner
  6. 6. [Call for Volunteers]
    Sentinels of Liberty
  7. 7. [Namor to the Rescue]
    Sub-Mariner
  8. 8. [Mystic Comics]
This issue was most recently modified by:
  • Edgar Loftin
  • Katie
  • Jim Van Dore
  • Henry Andrews
Issues in this series have been indexed by:
  • Gene Reed
  • Lou Mougin
  • Tony R. Rose