The on-sale date is from the publication date recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Vol. 1, Part 2, Nos. 1&2, Periodicals, 1946-1947.
Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky Barnes; The Statue of Death [Peter Sazlo] (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
A Gypsy woodcarver attempts to sell his work to a blacksmith, a magician, and a Chinese curio shop but he gets no customers. He decides to murder them for the affront and leaves clues from Shakespeare which lead Cap and Bucky to the body of the blacksmith. Reading the next clue at the scene, they reach the magician in time to thwart his death. The woodcarver leaves a statue of Death at the bottom of a well to fool Cap and Bucky that it's him, and when they are trapped at the bottom of the well, he reveals that there is a time bomb in the statute. Cap props up the statue and stands on its shoulders, and Bucky stands on his. Bucky can almost jump to the lip of the well but fails, although he manages to grab a bucket and they climb the rope before the bomb goes off, and then apprehend the woodcarver.
Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro [Thomas Raymond]; Wax Master [Elena King] (villain, introduction); Harold King (villain, introduction); Anthony Lane; Jim Hargrave