Marvel Mystery Comics #21

(July 1941)

[Big, All New Smashing Comic Book.......] (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

The Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; the Black Marvel [Daniel Lyons]; The Angel [Tom Halloway]

Synopsis:

Illustrtaed promotional ad for All Winners Quarterly #1, on sale May 20, 1941.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Found on the inside front cover.

The Idol of Death (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Pencils:

Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Inks:

Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Mr. Nelson (museum director); Mr. Morrison (idol owner); Prince Itor (villain, dies); Nalda (villain); Crowley (villain); Jarvis (villain)

Synopsis:

Prince Itor wishes to acquire the Idol of Death as legend holds it will grant him the power to men rule men as the Pharaohs did. A gangster named Crowley grabs the idol first because he just wants to sell it for its value. Torch and Toro pursue Crowley, but he knocks them out during a fight underwater in a river. After Toro pulls Torch from the river, the two set off after Crowley who has driven off in a car with the idol. He gets into a crash and Prince Itor is on the scene to acquire the idol. When he picks it up, he changes into a monster with the power to turn men into mindless zombies. He flees into the subway and Torch pursues him onto a train where he melts the idol. Prince Itor changes back to normal and attempts to escape by leaping out of the train window, but lands on the third rail and is electrocuted.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

[A sneak prevue............] (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

?; Jack Kirby (story page); Joe Simon (story page)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (cover illustration); Jack Kirby (story page); Joe Simon (story page)

Inks:

Syd Shores (cover illustration); Joe Simon (story page)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?; typeset (some)

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

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

Synopsis:

Illustrated promotional ad for Captain America Comics #5, with cover shown as well as a page of the story (plus additional Cap figure), on sale May 5, 1941.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

[The Magnetic Lake Mystery] (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Bill Everett (signed)

Pencils:

Bill Everett (signed)

Inks:

Bill Everett (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; Betty Dean; Captain Fritz Wiener (villain); un-named partner of Wiener (villain)

Synopsis:

When an airline company suffers five crashes, the Sub-Mariner uses Betty to get the low down from a mysterious Nazi, and he confesses to Betty that he and his boss are attempting to gain control of all of the major American airlines.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

The Masterworks edition lists the inker as unknown.

The Case of the Transport Crashes! (Table of Contents)

Terry Vance / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ray Gill (signed)

Pencils:

Bob Oksner (signed)

Inks:

Bob Oksner (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

detective

Characters:

Terry Vance; Dr. Watson(a monkey); Deadline Dawson; Major Dahl; Miss Dahl (the Major's daughter); un-named foreign agents (villains, all die)

Synopsis:

After five mysterious airplane crashes, Terry decides to use his radio-controlled model plane to investigate what is happening in the air that may have caused them.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

The Story Behind the Cover (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Stan Lee (signed)

Pencils:

Carl Burgos [as C.B.] (signed)

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Mr. Dymopolis (Greek Minister); the Nazis (villains)

Synopsis:

The Flaming Duo investigate the Nazi destruction of ships carrying vital war goods to Greece.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

The Masterworks edition credits Carl Burgos with the inks.

Danger Ahead (Table of Contents)

The Patriot / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ray Gill

Pencils:

Art Gates

Inks:

Art Gates

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Patriot [Jeffrey Mace]; Mary; Casey; Lt. Heinrich Von Betz (villain)

Synopsis:

The Patriot takes on a Nazi agent who has been placed in charge of organizing a campaign of sabotage.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Patriot continues from Human Torch #3. The Masterworks edition credits Alan Mandel with the artwork.

[Fight Against the Fascists] (Table of Contents)

Ka-Zar / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ben Thompson ?

Pencils:

Ben Thompson

Inks:

Ben Thompson

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

jungle

Characters:

Kazar; Pindar (an eagle); Chaka (an ape); Italian fascists (villains, all die?)

Synopsis:

While aiding the British as they seek to drive the Italian Fascists out of East Africa, Ka-Zar encounters a column of Italian tanks making their way through the jungle from Kenya.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

A ? has been added behind the name of Ben Thompson as writer. The Who's Who doesn't credit Thompson writing any of the features he did for Timely. The Masterworks edition lists the inker of the story as unknown. The strip is titled "Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great".

[The Sabotaged Schoolhouse] (Table of Contents)

The Vision / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Joe Simon; Jack Kirby

Pencils:

Jack Kirby

Inks:

Joe Simon

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Vision [Aarkus]; Senator Reeves; Colgan (villain, death); Paget (villain)

Synopsis:

Senator Reeves and his committee head to a seacoast city to investigate the collapse of a school, but the Vision beats them to the punch, uncovering the men responsible for the shoddy construction.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

The Masterworks edition lists the writer as unknown, Jack Kirby doing the title page, Al Avison doing the pencils and an unknown inker assisting Joe Simon on inks.

The Weird Ghost of Amber Swamps (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Paul Gustavson ?

Pencils:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Inks:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Angel [Tom Halloway]; un-named girl reporter; Butler (Miller's butler, death); C. J. Miller (villain, millionaire, death)

Synopsis:

The Angel saves a girl reporter in his quest to uncover the identity of the ghost of Amber Swamp.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

A ? has been placed behind the name of Paul Gustavson as writer. The Who's Who states that Gustavson only wrote very, very early humor strips.

[Sub-Mariner pin-up] (Table of Contents)

Sub-Mariner / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Alex Schomburg

Inks:

Alex Schomburg

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Characters:

The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #6 ([September] 2011)

Indexer Notes

While the Masterworks edition features the pin-up, the credit page doesn't list it. Found on the back cover of the original comic.