Marvel Mystery Comics #18

(April 1941)

[The Man Who Framed the Torch] (Table of Contents: 1)

Human Torch / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Burgos (signed)

Pencils

Carl Burgos (signed)

Inks

Carl Burgos (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Police Chief Ryan; The Brain (villain); Shorty (villain); Buddy (villain); Cliff (villain); Tom (villain)

Synopsis

A criminal called the Brain uses a costume to impersonate the Torch when he robs the Army payroll. He captures the Torch in a water tank, but Toro forces the Brain to tell him how to release Torch after Toro realizes the Brain can't be the Torch because he can't fly.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)
• in Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Human Torch by Carl Burgos Omnibus (Marvel, 2019 series) (2019)

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

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

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Special offer for readers of Marvel Comics

Genre

superhero

Characters

Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]

Synopsis

Illustrated promotional ad from Captain America and Bucky thanking readers for voting them the most popular hero in comic books, and asking them to join his Sentinels of Liberty if they haven't.

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2011-1-10.

[The Legion of Loyalists] (Table of Contents: 3)

Namor the Sub-Mariner / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Everett (signed)

Pencils

Bill Everett (signed)

Inks

Bill Everett (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Bill Everett

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; Betty Dean; Luther Robinson; Lynne Harris; Tha-Korr; Princess Fen; Adra; Sina; Lobro; Police Radioman Regan; The Legion of Loyalists (Betty Dean's "Home Guard" regiment); Bob James (Legion member); the Nazis (villains)

Synopsis

After meeting again with Luther and Lynne, and dispensing some justice to the Nazis, Namor returns his prisoners to his undersea kingdom in the Antarctic. However, the two escape, enlisting the aid of Lt. Betty Dean, and the undersea peoples must brace themselves for invasion.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)
• in Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett - The Pre-War Years Omnibus (Marvel, 2019 series) (2019)

Indexer Notes

continued next issue

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Pencils

Bill Everett; ?

Inks

Bill Everett; ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Ahoy Mates----

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; The Angel [Thomas Halloway] (inset)

Synopsis

Illustrated promotional ad for Sub-Mariner Comics #1, on sale March 1, 1942.

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2011-1-10.

Young Ka-Zar (Table of Contents: 5)

text story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Script

Ray Gill (signed)

Pencils

Ben Thompson

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Characters

Ka-Zar [David Rand]; Trajah (the elephant); Zar (the lion); Sha (Zar's mate); Nono (the monkey); N'Jaga (the leopard); Paul De Kraft (villain)

Synopsis

Paul De Kraft, who murdered Ka-Zar's father, returns and captures N'Jaga, whom he paints with luminous paint to scare off those who befriend him.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)

Indexer Notes

This sequence takes place within the story in issue #1. The Masterworks edition lists the inker as Ben Thompson.

A Challenge to You (Table of Contents: 6)

Challenger / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Characters

Challenger [Bill Waring]

Indexer Notes

Illustrated promotional ad, featuring the Challenger, asking readers to pick up the new and better Daring Comics.

[Beasts of the Black River] (Table of Contents: 7)

Ka-Zar the Great / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Ben Thompson ?

Pencils

Ben Thompson (signed)

Inks

Ben Thompson (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

jungle

Characters

Ka-Zar [David Rand]; Bogat (un-named in this story)

Synopsis

Ka-Zar hears of a strange land known as the "Black River" and decides to investigate. Once there, he has his life saved from a terrible monster by a giant.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)

Indexer Notes

continued next issue

[The Stolen Bicycles] (Table of Contents: 8)

Terry Vance, the School Boy Sleuth / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Ray Gill (signed)

Pencils

Bob Oksner (signed)

Inks

Bob Oksner (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Terry Vance; Jane; Deadline Dawson; Principal Dikes; Dr. Watson (a monkey); Ike (villain); un-named school janitor (villain)

Synopsis

Terry must investigate the theft of bicycles, which are being repainted and sold to unsuspecting kids.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)

[Menace from the Planet Torsa] (Table of Contents: 9)

Electro / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Steve Dahlman ?

Pencils

Steve Dahlman (signed)

Inks

Steve Dahlman (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

science fiction; superhero

Characters

Electro; Professor Zog; Dr. Horace Forde; The Antons and their King (villains)

Synopsis

Professor Zog offers the services of Electro to combat the evil, winged inhabitants of the planet Torsa, the Antons.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)

Indexer Notes

The last panel of this story is a promotional ad for the new issue of Captain America.

[The Boss of Newton City] (Table of Contents: 10)

The Vision / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ?; Joe Simon ?

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Joe Simon; Jack Kirby ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Vision [Aarkus]; D.A. Tom Douglas; Big Tim Skelly (villain, political boss); Heinie Myers (villain)

Synopsis

Political boss Skelly frames the current district attorney for the murder of Daniel Reardon, a political rival.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)
• in Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Simon & Kirby Omnibus (Marvel, 2019 series) (2019)

Indexer Notes

Skelly is a dead ringer for Richard Nixon.

The Masterworks edition only credits Jack Kirby on this story.

The Cat's Paw, Chapter 1: Claws of Death (Table of Contents: 11)

The Angel / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Pencils

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Inks

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Paul Gustavson

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Angel [Thomas Halloway]; Dr. Lin (Halloway's friend and teacher, death); The Cat's Paw (villain); Cartier (villain); Hanson (villain); Frank (villain)

Synopsis

Seeing his friend and teacher killed before his eyes, The Angel attempts to track down the killer and discovers a new and sinister villain behind the killing: The Cat's Paw.

Reprints

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #5 ([December] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Continued next issue.

Gustavson credits from Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.