Mystic Comics #4

(July 1940 (August 1940))

Become a Stamp Collector (Table of Contents)

Frasek Company Stamps / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

[The Trustees of Hate] (Table of Contents)

The Blue Blaze / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

? [as Harry / Douglas] (signed, see notes)

Inks:

? [as Harry / Douglas] (signed, see notes)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Blue Blaze [Spencer Keen]; Senator Coyne (orator of Borsia); Lor (villain, hangman of Horror Hall, death); "The Trustees of Hate" [Dr. Vortex (death); Weasel (death); Lara] (villains, many un-named)

Synopsis:

The Blue Blaze, who is now described as returning to the grave between adventures, takes on an organization that's using a hate ray to goad two neighboring countries to war.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Who's Who theorizes "Harry / Douglas" to be Harry Ramsey and either Douglas Grant or Douglas Ryan. However, various art spotters who examined this for the Masterworks credits concluded that this is not the case. Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. observes that the artist on this feature could arguably be the same as the "Harry / Douglas"-signed Stuporman story in Daring Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) #6, but that the similarly signed Blue Blaze story in issue #1 of this series is a different art team altogether. He and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo theorize that "Harry / Douglas" is simply a shop name.

To complicate things, the first appearance of the Blue Blaze that is signed "Harry / Douglas" appears to be from the Chesler shop, but most of this issue, despite thick panel borders typical of the Chesler shop, appears to be the work of Funnies, Inc. artists. The source of this particular story is unknown.

There is a teaser for a story in which the Blue Blaze fights the Vampire of Doom next issue, but that story never appeared.

[Earthquake] (Table of Contents)

Hercules / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Malcolm Kildale

Inks:

Malcolm Kildale

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Hercules David; un-named friend of Hercules; Lemo (villain, inventor, death)

Synopsis:

Hercules fights a mad scientist who wants to rule the world or smash it to bits with his monster earth-shaking machine. The scientist captures Hercules and tries to mentally enslave him, but Hercules is too strong.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Art spotting by Ron Goulart.
Funnies, Inc. material.

[Origin of the Thin Man] (Table of Contents)

Thin Man / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Klaus Nordling [as K. Nordling] (signed)

Inks:

Klaus Nordling [as K. Nordling] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Thin Man [Bruce Dickson] (introduction, origin); Council of Elders; Olalla (daughter of the Elder's Chief); un-named Police Commissioner; Clip Walton (villain)

Synopsis:

Bruce Dickson stumbles on a utopia in the Himalayas and its people welcome him, granting him the power they all have to become exceedingly thin through surgery with their electric rays. He is shown their science and their peaceful communication with the Martians, but convinces them to let him return to the outside world to fight crime. The Elder's daughter, Olalla, goes with him and on their first adventure they put a stop to a protection racket.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

This story probably came from the Iger shop. Unlike other artists and writers seen in this issue, Klaus Nordling had no known connection to Funnies, Inc. Note that the Fletcher Hanks-drawn stories in Daring Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) around this same time also suggest an Iger shop connection.

[The Teutonian Agents] (Table of Contents)

Flexo the Rubber Man / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ben Flinton [as FOS] (signed)

Pencils:

Bill O'Connor [as FOS] (signed)

Inks:

Leonard Sansone [as FOS] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Flexo; Joel Williams; Joshua Williams; Professor Winston; un-named agent of Teutonia (villain); un-named Dictator of Teutonia (villain, death?); un-named Secretary of Teutonia (villain)

Synopsis:

The Williams brothers take Flexo to Teutonia to retrieve a stolen explosives formula.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

We (and the Masterworks art spotters) have Ben Flinton listed as the writer, even though Who's Who has him down as pencils/inks. There is a teaser for another Flexo story in the next issue but it never appeared.
Funnies, Inc. material.

[Introducing the Black Widow] (Table of Contents)

The Black Widow / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

George Kapitan (signed)

Pencils:

Harry Sahle (signed)

Inks:

Harry Sahle (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Black Widow [Claire Voyant] (anti-hero, introduction, origin); James Wagler (death); Mrs. Wagler (death); Pat Wagler (death); Satan (villain)

Synopsis:

Spirit medium Claire Voyant, momentarily influenced by Satan, curses a family after they doubt her skills. When the mother and daughter of the family die, the son blames Claire and kills her. Satan claims her soul and transforms her into the Black Widow. After giving her a tour of Hell, he allows her to go back to earth and avenge herself by killing her own murderer. Satan then tells the Black Widow that her role will be to collect the souls of evil men on earth at his direction.

Reprints:

• in Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Magazine (Marvel, 2010 series) #1 (June 2010)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Funnies, Inc. material.

The Black Widow (anti-hero) is the first known super-powered woman in comics, predating Owlgirl, Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman, which all appeared in 1941.

[Suicide Mystery] (Table of Contents)

The Invisible Man Known As Dr. Gade / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

George Harrison [as Geo. Harrison] [as G.H.] (signed)

Inks:

George Harrison [as Geo. Harrison] [as G.H.] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Invisible Man [Dr. Gade]; Janet Wayne (actress, death); Mary; Fatty (villain, death); Slade (villain, death)

Synopsis:

The Invisible Man discovers a murder behind an apparent suicide.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Strip now titled "The Invisible Man". Several of Dr. Gade's speech balloons start with parenthetical notes like "(Thinking)" or "(Loudly)". There is a teaser for another Dr. Gade story in the next issue, but it never appeared. Next appearance in All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes (Marvel, 2011 series) #1.
Funnies, Inc. material.

Devil-God (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Andrew McWhiney (signed)

Pencils:

Bill Everett (signed)

Inks:

Bill Everett (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Characters:

Dr. Karl Strang (naturalist); Tom Barron (big game hunter/explorer); Mannlicher (villain, a dinosaur, death)

Synopsis:

Karl and Tom are on a journey in deepest Africa to find the natives' devil-god, and discover that a colossal dinosaur is the devil-god which has the natives living in fear.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Funnies, Inc. material.

[The Train Wreck] (Table of Contents)

Merzah the Mystic / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Russ Lanford (signed)

Inks:

Russ Lanford (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero; occult

Characters:

Merzah (introduction); Diana (introduction); Jose (introduction); Ivan (villain); Agent Nasaki (villain); Togo (villain); Matsu (villain, international spy, death)

Synopsis:

After a train is wrecked by sabotage, Merzah, his assistant Diana and his driver Jose take down the spy/sabotage organization which is trying to steal plans for an unsinkable lifeboat.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

The last panel shows a telegram to Merzah giving his address as "Mystic Comics, New York City NY".
Next appearance in All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes (Marvel, 2011 series) #1.
Russ Lanford is not known to be associated with any of the studios that supplied material to Mystic Comics. This may have been freelance work, or we may just be missing the connection as this is his only known comics work.

[The Jewelry Store Robbers] (Table of Contents)

Dynamic Man / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Dynamic Man [Curt Cowan]; Chief Hopkins; Professor Monte (villain, death); Prentiss (villain, death)

Synopsis:

Dynamic Man investigates jewelry store robberies in which only gold was stolen. He discovers a scientist who is using a "magnet" that affects only gold to commit crimes. The scientist uses his new dirigible with this magnet to steal more gold, and Dynamic Man must chase him across the Atlantic Ocean.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

The source of this story is unclear. Last golden age appearance. Next appearance in The Twelve (Marvel, 2008 series) #1

What Six Things are Wrong With This Picture? (Table of Contents)

activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Characters:

Johnny; Dan

Synopsis:

Single panel has six boys in different positions in the scene, and each scene has something wrong with it that the reader is invited to discover.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Upper half of the page. The source (shop or freelance) of this artwork is unknown. The artist is probably not the same as the lower half of the page.

["The boy is wrong!"] (Table of Contents)

activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Synopsis:

Readers are invited to see if they can spot the seven hidden profiles of Indians in an art panel.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Lower half of the page. The source (shop or freelance) of this activity is unknown. The artist is probably not the same as the upper half of the page.

Make Your Own Records at Home (Table of Contents)

Home Recording Co. Home Recording Unit / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

The Leading Comic Magazine Now at Your Newsdealer! (Table of Contents)

Marvel Mystery Comics #8 / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Alex Schomburg

Inks:

Alex Schomburg

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Angel [Thomas Halloway]; The Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 ([February] 2011)

Indexer Notes

Back cover. Contains a nearly full-size non-colored reprint of the cover to Marvel Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1939 series) #8.