(April 1941)

Marvel, 1940 Series
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Volume
2
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
68
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1941-02-06
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Timely Comics Inc.
Editing
Joe Simon

Issue Notes

DARING MYSTERY COMICS published monthly by Timely Comics, Inc., Meriden Conn. Entry as second class matter pending at the post office, Meriden, Conn. Entire contents copyright 1941 by Timely Comics, Inc., 330 W. 42nd St., N. Y., N. Y. Vol. 2, No 7, Apr. 1941. Yearly subscription $1.00. Printed in U. S. A. For advertising write Marvel Group.

Credits from or confirmed by the Masterworks reprint unless otherwise noted.

The on-sale date is from the publication date recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1941, New Series, Vol. 36, No. 2.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Thunderer; The Fin; Blue Diamond; Challenger; Captain Daring / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Joe Simon
Inks
Joe Simon
Colors
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
The Thunderer [Jerry Carstairs]; The Fin [Peter Noble]; The Challenger [Bill Waring]; Blue Diamond [Elton Morrow]; Captain Daring
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The red and blue colors of the Thunderer's costume are reversed on this cover.

The Amazing New Comicscope! (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Comicsope Co. of America / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 2)

The Thunderer / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
John Compton (signed)
Pencils
Carl Burgos (signed)
Inks
Carl Burgos ? (see notes); ? (see notes)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
We give you... The Thunderer
Genre
superhero
Characters
The Thunderer [Jerry Carstairs] (introduction); Eileen Conroy (introduction); Nazis (villains)
Synopsis
Jerry Carstairs uses his radio skills to intercept Nazi messages and construct the booming voice he uses as the Thunderer. While discouraging his friend Eileen from reporting on the fifth columnists for her own safety by day, by night he protects her and fights against the Nazis as the Thunderer.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

On the Timely-Atlas list, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo indicated that there might be a different inker on this story.

Introducing the Fin (Table of Contents: 3)

The Fin / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

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

Genre
superhero
Characters
The Fin [Peter Noble] (introduction, origin); Sub-Ruler Ikor of Neptunia (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
Lt. Peter Noble is the sole survivor of a wrecked U.S. Navy submarine. As he escapes the wreck he finds himself unable to float and ends up inside a cavern populated by flying mer-men. After he defeats their leader they hail him as the reincarnation of their hero, the Fin, so he puts together a costume to fit the name.
Reprints

[Origin of the Blue Diamond] (Table of Contents: 4)

Blue Diamond / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ben Thompson (signed)
Inks
Ben Thompson (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Blue Diamond [Elton Morrow] (introduction, origin); Graham (introduction); Nazis (villains)
Synopsis
Professor Elton Morrow finds an enormous blue diamond on an Antarctic expedition, but it is shattered when Nazis attach his returning ship and the fragments become embedded in his body. Discovering that his whole body has become as hard as a diamond, he thwarts a burglary at his museum and decides to created a costumed identity for fighting crime.
Reprints

[Kokey Flo] (Table of Contents: 5)

Officer O'Krime / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Fred Schwab (signed as Al Weine)
Pencils
Fred Schwab (signed as Al Weine)
Inks
Fred Schwab (signed as Al Weine)
Colors
?
Letters
Fred Schwab

Characters
Officer O'Krime; Kokey Flo (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
Officer O'Krime can't figure out whom to protect and whom to arrest.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Previous appearance Red Raven Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) #1. Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-4-26.

[Origin of the Silver Scorpion] (Table of Contents: 6)

The Silver Scorpion / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Harry Sahle (signed as Jewell) (see notes); ? (see notes)
Inks
Harry Sahle ?; ? (see notes)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
The Silver Scorpion [Betty Barstow] (introduction, origin); Dan Hurley (introduction); Greggs Hansen (introduction); counterfeiters (villains, introduction)
Synopsis
Betty Barstow, secretary for private detective Dan Hurley, dresses in a costume to go to a masquerade but ends up foiling a crime at the cemetery with her jiujitsu skills instead.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Dr. Michael J. Vassallo notes that this art looks different from the feature in the next issue which Sahle signed under his own name. He speculates the pen name "Jewell" indicated a collaboration with another artist.

The Valley of Time (Table of Contents: 7)

The Challenger / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Ray Gill (signed as The Challenger)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
The Challenger [Bill Waring] (introduction, text only)
Synopsis
Bill Waring, traveling the world to learn more weapon skills for his life as the Challenger, is captured by a lost Roman civilization and taken to an arena to fight gladiators armed only with a cestus.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Part one of an unfinished story. The Challenger's feature moved to Mystic Comics after this issue, but the second half of this text story did not appear there with it. The bottom half of page 2 features an illustrated ad for Captain America Comics #2.

Captain America Thanks You! (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Captain America's Sentinels of Liberty / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[The Benefactor] (Table of Contents: 9)

Mr. Million / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ray Burley
Inks
Ray Burley
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor
Characters
Mr. Million (introduction); Nickie (introduction); Mr. Wilson (introduction)
Synopsis
Mr. Million helps a boy who his trying to pay for his sick mother's medicine, but has to do it indirectly as the boy refuses any money he hasn't worked for.
Reprints

The Underground Empire (Table of Contents: 10)

Captain Daring / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Simon; Jack Kirby; ? (splash figure)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Simon ? (see notes); Jack Kirby ? (see notes)
Colors
?
Letters
Jack Kirby (see notes)

Genre
science fiction; superhero
Characters
Captain Daring (introduction); Susan Parker (introduction); The Undergrounders (villains, introduction); their leader (villain, introduction, death); Frano (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
In the far future, Captain Daring and Susan Parker lead the forces of the U.S.A. against attackers from an underground city.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

First appearance. As shown in the next issue, the adventures of Captain Daring take place in the mid-31st century.

Note that the Captain Daring in USA Comics (Marvel, 1941 series) #7 is an entirely separate character.

Harry Mendryk attributes the art to Kirby alone at http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/archives/category/periods/timel…, while others have indicated inking by Simon.

Letters credit identified by Greg Theakston and later Harry Mendryk on the Jack Kirby Museum web page http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/archives/2369, 31 October 2008 (retrieved 15 December 2014).

Sub-Mariner #1 (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

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

Meet the Challenger (Table of Contents: 12)

The Challenger / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Charles Nicholas (signed as Nick Karlton)
Inks
Charles Nicholas ?
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
The Challenger [Bill Waring] (introduction, origin); Mr. Waring (flashback, introduction, death); Mary (introduction); Mary's father (introduction); Dram (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
After his father was killed trying to alert the authorities to a conspiracy of crooks and politicians, Bill Waring travels the world to learn all fighting forms and weapons. He returns as the Challenger, challenging everyone connected to his father's death.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Next appearance in Mystic Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) #6.

According to notes from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo on the Timely-Atlas list, Nicholas (then known as Wojtkoski) may have been assisted by an inker on this story. But contrary to the earlier GCD credit, the inker is not George Klein.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Remington Noiseless Deluxe Portable Typewriter / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Prizes for All! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

American Seed Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Thunderer; The Fin; Blue Diamond; Challenger; Captain Daring
  2. 1. The Amazing New Comicscope!
    Comicsope Co. of America
  3. 2. ["We give you... The Thunderer"]
    The Thunderer
  4. 3. Introducing the Fin
    The Fin
  5. 4. [Origin of the Blue Diamond]
    Blue Diamond
  6. 5. [Kokey Flo]
    Officer O'Krime
  7. 6. [Origin of the Silver Scorpion]
    The Silver Scorpion
  8. 7. The Valley of Time
    The Challenger
  9. 8. Captain America Thanks You!
    Captain America's Sentinels of Liberty
  10. 9. [The Benefactor]
    Mr. Million
  11. 10. The Underground Empire
    Captain Daring
  12. 11. Sub-Mariner #1
    Sub-Mariner
  13. 12. Meet the Challenger
    The Challenger
  14. 13. ["This Beautiful Desk for Only $1.00"]
    Remington Noiseless Deluxe Portable Typewriter
  15. 14. Prizes for All!
    American Seed Co.
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Henry Andrews
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • John Censullo
  • Bill Crupe
  • Steve Dasinger
  • Craig Delich
  • Del Gruber