Appearing in The Sandman: "On the Waterfront"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- None
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Janice Blue (Single appearance)[1]
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for The Sandman: "On the Waterfront"
At a foggy night on the pier overlooking the waterfront, two unsavory men walk into a decrepit old freighter, unknowing that their every move is watched by a young woman. Inside, one of them pleads with the other, ("Wing"), for some of the narcotics he was selling. But the man didn't have enough cash to meet Wing's asking price, and when he threatened to tell the cops if he wasn't given anything, Wing has him killed in response. The woman, who had snuck onboard in time to hear this exchange, gasps when the man's body falls to the floor. She is heard by the narcotics dealer who turns the gun in her direction, but she runs and flings herself over the side of the ship to avoid the shots. The dealer and his henchmen rush to the small motorboats tied at the docks to go search for her so she doesn't rat them out. The Sandman had been secretly watching the girl since she first arrived at the dock. As soon as she jumped, he switched his usual gas mask with a diving mask and dove off the dock before the drug peddlers came running out. While Wing and three of his boys went out on one boat, another was charged with guarding the waters near the dock to make sure she didn't make it ashore. The Sandman lunged out of the water behind the guard and pulled him back below the ocean where he held him tight until the thug drowned. He then took the thug's boat out to where the girl was swimming and hoisted her aboard.
Meanwhile, Wing came across the guardsman's floating body, and alerted the rest of the men to be on the lookout. As they reached the dock one of his men pointed in the direction of the abandoned power facility, as two figures ducked inside. After helping the girl to hide in an old furnace, the Sandman waits in the shadows for one of Wing's men to pass, when he lands a hit on the crook's skull to black him out. He takes a pack of matches out of the shirt pocket of the unconscious man and begins to ascend to the roof, planning on creating a signal for the police. Wing has discovered the girl's hiding place far in the back of the furnace. Cruelly, he threatens to light the fire inside, burning her alive unless she crawls out to them. But, before the flame from his match can touch the kindling, a gas pellet hits the ground, sending a strange smoke up to surround the area. It has the effect of putting Wing and his associates into a deep sleep. The Sandman puts his gas gun away and whispers to the woman that all was safe now, before running off into the night just as sirens sounded outside.
The police are busy arresting the narcotics suppliers while the girl, who reveals herself to be investigative reporter Janice Blue, searches to no avail for the mysterious masked stranger that saved her life...
- Sandman body count = 1.
Appearing in "The Suicide of Major Duval: Part 4"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Inspector LeGrand
Villains:
- Vadlop Durez (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Agent X-3 (deceased)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Fishing Boats
Synopsis for "The Suicide of Major Duval: Part 4"
Barry O'Neill has gone missing in Tunisia while investigating rumors of espionage. His friend, Inspector LeGrand, is currently in talks with the director of a French Intelligence branch office, who had just recieved word that the undercover operative assigned to work alongside O'Neill has been found dead, the body recovered as it floated near the pier. There was no sign of Barry. The director decides to dispatch the port authorities to an area where a suspicious salvage boat has been operating. Inspector LeGrand opts to go along, wanting to investigate the salvagers for himself.
On board the large salvaging vessel, a man going by the name of Cecil Krull grows impatient at the lack of progress as the French fleet's arrival time grows nearer. His men assure him they are working as fast as they can, when one of them comes rushing over to report that a small boat was headed towards them. Seeing that it was the port authorities, Cecil decided it was safe to let them on and threw down the ladder. Inspector LeGrand climbed aboard and, after exchanging pleasantries, asked to see the salvager's legal papers which Cecil led him to, inside the cabin. Everything about the documents seemed legitimate, but the inspector couldn't shake his gut instinct that something was wrong. As he took his leave, he and Krull make eye contact, and LeGrand suddenly recalled seeing the very same face some years ago, under a different name. Krull recognized him too, and once the authorities take off back to shore, he orders his men to follow them and kidnap the inspector. The thugs wait until he separates from the authority after stepping on dry land, and then follow him into an alley where they strike! A mysterious Tunisian native jumps into the fray and helps fight the men off, until a heavy club comes down on his head, and LeGrand is then overpowered.
Tied up in a cellar, being interrogated by Cecil Krull, Inspector Legrand finally remembers where he's seen him before! It matched the Intelligence Bureau's picture of Vadlop Durez, an international spy, who's file was packed with the various crimes he committed against France. And now, as Vadlop explains, he was going to blow up the fleet of french ships using the underwater mines his men set up while acting as salvagers. Legrand was helpless to warn the ships of the danger, and to make sure he never said a word ever again, Durez ordered his boys to take the good inspector out on their plane and drop him into the ocean. His bindings will prevent him from being able to swim. Outside the building, the strange native who tried to help LeGrand earlier was eavesdropping on the conversation...
Appearing in Federal Men: "The Deadly Snowfall"
Featured Characters:
- Steve Carson
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Plane
Synopsis for Federal Men: "The Deadly Snowfall"
The citizens of the small town of Cornyville hurry about their daily business, unmindful of the snow that started to fall gaily upon them. The weatherman had told them earlier, after all, that a snowstorm would be coming. But after the first body is found, a nightmare begins to unfold, as people start dropping to the ground left and right. The town is thrown into a frenzied panic, none of them understood what was happening or why people were suddenly dying. When the snow finally stops, there isn't a single person stirring... Cornyville had become a "dead town".
The terrible news was spread across a stunned nation. All the newspapers, televisions, and radios were talking about the strange occurence that had all the scientific minds baffled! Then people were treated to the voice of the well-known fanatic, Mobrune, who warns the nation that the wicked were being purged from the world. As the days pass, he gains more and more listeners. And then a week later, another town is hit by the snowstorm of death, leaving not a soul alive. Mobrune tells all to rally around him in order to save themselves, as told to him in a vision.
Meanwhile, the FBI sends Steve Carson out to investigate Mobrune, with suspicions that he may know more than he is letting on. Visiting the fanatic's headquarters, Steve witnesses a spectacular meeting taking place, with Mobrune getting the crowd all excited with his words. As the rally goes on, Steve sneaks away unobserved and conceals himself behind a cabinet and waits. His patience eventually pays off when he hears Mobrune talking with another man about the money they've made off the nation's panic. But they feel more is needed, so Mobrune mentions another snowstorm that's supposed to hit Lane City in the afternoon, in which he winks at his associate as the two men depart. Having heard the entire exchange, Steve steps out of his hiding place and proceeds to his car with a determination to stop whatever it was they were planning. He trails the crooks to a private flying field as they drove to a lone plane on the takeoff runway. Steve parked his car behind some bushes and hurriedly raced over to the plane before the duo got to it and crept inside. Mobrune and his assistant walk into the cockpit and take off. He quickly goes over the plan, to fly above the clouds over the town and release his specially made, undetectable deadly gas. When the temperature gets cold enough, the compound will break up and spread across the unsuspecting townsfolk, killing them as they breathe it in. Steve has heard enough. He jumps out with his gun drawn, ordering Mobrune to land the plane. But Mobrune will not be taken in easily, and in a quick motion raises his own gun to Steve's chest. But an air pocket suddenly makes the plane lurch, causing him to lose his balance and fall through the open floor, to his death far below. His assistant complies with Steve's request and turns the plane back around to the private airfield. Back at the FBI headquarters, news is spread quickly that there was no longer a reason to fear the great "Snow Death".
Appearing in "The Fiddler and the Bank Robbers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Stomp McHenry (First appearance)
Villains:
- Slash Morlin (First appearance)
- Morlin's men (First appearance)
- Mugiel
- others
Other Characters:
- Speck McHenry (First appearance)
- Sheriff Henkle (First appearance)
Locations:
- Town of Hondas
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "The Fiddler and the Bank Robbers"
While riding the dusty trail on his loyal steed, Jack Woods comes up alongside an old man heading in the same direction. They greet each other, the man introducing himself as Stomp McHenry, and the two ride beside eah other the rest of the way to town. Stomp says he needed to make a stop at his home nearby to pick up his son, Speck. But as they arrive, a figure steps out onto the front porch of the cabin with a pair of six-shooters in his hands and threatens for the two of them to come inside. Old Stomp recognizes the bandit as Slash Morlin. Speck is being held hostage by one of Slash's gang inside, which infuriates his father. Jack holds him back, warning that for now, the bandits held all the cards. Slash tells him that he was planning on a bank robbery tonight during the town dance, and since Stomp would be playing the fiddle, he would be responsible for keeping the sheriff busy with a tune. If he refused, the bandits would kill his son, so Stomp had no choice but to agree. They then turned their attention to Jack, who Slash told to leave town. Pretending to go along, Jack Woods hopped up on his mustang and rode off, much to the disbelief of his friend Stomp.
That night, as the townsfolk had their party in the dance hall, one of Slash's cronies was watching the proceedings from a nearby alley when he was suddenly tackled from behind. Jack Woods tied up and gagged the man, and gently dragged him off to a hiding space where he wouldn't be found for a time. Inside the hall, a troubled Stomp McHenry was anxiously plucking at the fiddle strings as the sheriff arrived. He wanted to warn him, but the bandits said they'd kill his boy if he tried. Stomp felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he turned he was surprised to see Jack at his side. Jack whispers that he took care of the watchman out front, and that if McHenry would come with him, together they could stop the robbery!
Slash and his gang of bandits were inside attempting to figure out the vault lock. A guard was placed at the front entrance to warn them if anyone was coming. Hiding by the barrels at the side of the building, Jack told Stomp to wait while he made his way up behind the bandit... (Concluded Next Issue)
Appearing in Socko Strong: "The Flying Dutchman: Part 2"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jerry Indutch
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Beri (Single appearance)[1]
- Sedburn (First appearance)
- Tribal Chief (Final appearance)
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Socko Strong: "The Flying Dutchman: Part 2"
Shipwrecked on a tropical Island, Socko Strong and Jerry Indutch have befriended the local natives. While Socko was serving as the chief's new bodyguard, Jerry spends time with the chief's daughter, Beri. However, their peaceful stroll was being watched by the jealous eyes of Nogoodi, the strongest warrior in the tribe and the chief's former bodyguard. He hates the white men for stealing his position and the heart of the girl he adored. He takes it out on Jerry, pummeling the meek little man in order to prove his strength to Beri. But just then, in response to his friend's pleas, Socko appears out of the brush to teach Nogoodi a lesson. The angry native attacks, and Socko counters with an uppercut that sends Nogoodi to the ground. The enraged warrior continues to go after the white man, and each time ends up succumbing to Socko's fist. Jerry cheers for his friend, while Beri admires his strength in combat. Attracted by the commotion, the village chief runs up in time to see Socko deliver a knockout blow. He declares Socko the new strongest man in the village, and gives his daughter's hand in marriage as a prize. Socko refuses the offer, though, unintentionally insulting the chief. As a result, he and Jerry are locked up in an outlying hut where they will remain under guard until Socko changes his mind. The odds were highly against them if they tried to fight, and escape seemed impossible as well. However, they discover that they were not alone. Another prisoner, a white man like them, started to speak from one corner of the hut. He says his name is Sedburn, and that he was an aviator whose plane crashed on the island seven years ago, he's been held by the natives ever since! The sound of Tom-Tom drums grab the trios attention... The tribe was holding a council to decide the fate of their prisoners. Every witch doctor in the tribe gathered together to give the final verdict: Death, in seven days...
Three days passed as the trio tried to come up with a plan. Simply running would be fatal, as Sedburn indicates the spears the natives carry are all tipped with a deadly poison. Jerry spots the chief's daughter, Beri, and calls her over. Socko notices she is carrying a strange case, as she comes closer, he recognizes it as a portable projector! Beri says she found it in the ship debris that had washed ashore, but she is willing to give it to Socko as a gift. Lucky for them, the projector had a fresh battery with some film included with it, giving Socko an idea that could set them all free. On the seventh day, the prisoners are taken to a beach down by the cliffside where a strange ceremony begins. Socko indicated that it was time to put his plan into motion, and as the witchdoctor performed the dance that starts the ritual of death, Socko began mocking him. The witchdoctor glared at the white fiend, angered by his disrespectful actions, but Socko continued to tell the tribe that he could perform a better trick, and he opened up the projector and aimed it at the rocky wall. An image of an erupting volcano flashed on the cliff face which frightened the tribe so much, having never seen a moving picture before, that they fled screaming into the jungle forgetting all about Socko, Jerry, and Sedburn. The trio took that as their cue to depart, racing across the shore until they spot a ship anchored out in the distance. It was too risky to make a signal fire, so they decided to build a crude raft that would get them up close enough to climb aboard. It was only as they started ascending the bow that Jerry noticed the ship's name...
The Flying Dutchman...
Appearing in Captain Desmo: "Revolt of the Thugs: Part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gabby Maguire
Villains:
- Revolting Natives (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Colonel McAllister
- Sergeant McTavish (First appearance)
- Rawlins (First appearance)
- Riley (First appearance)
- Kennedy (First appearance)
- Kent (First appearance)
- Stashu (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Captain Desmo: "Revolt of the Thugs: Part 1"
After receiving an urgent note from Colonel McAllister, Captain Desmo and Gabby Maguire head down to his office to find out what's going on. As the Colonel explained it, the natives were on the verge of revolt, already they wiped out the interior bases. Reports were saying that the revolt was being led by a lone figure that had unusual abilities. As Desmo listened, the radio through which the outpost stationed at Jeddur city had just been transmitting its report had fallen silent. McAllister cursed, knowing it to be the work of natives. He calls forth a Sergeant McTavish and assigns him a six-man detail to hike out to the city of Jeddur and repair the lines while offering any assistance to the patrol that was there. Captain Desmo and Gabby request to go along should things get rough.
After hasty preparations, the group follow the trail. Many difficult hours of travelling pass, and then at last the small city of Jeddur was before them. But there was something strange afoot. Desmo noticed that the city seemed to be deserted, as not a single person was seen in the streets. While the Sergeant and his troop fix the cut wires, Desmo and Gabby head down to investigate. To their horror, when they checked the outpost, all they found was the dead body of the operator slumped over his desk. Gabby checks the building across the way and walks right in on a meeting between a horde of unsavory characters, who start to rush him with knives and blunt instruments. Of course, Gabby's skill in combat hadn't failed him yet and he's able to hold his own until the Sergeant's detail arrives on the scene and helps fight off the rest. Captain Desmo sees a pack of natives pouring over the rooftops, and follows them to where his friend Gabby was locked in fisticuffs with several more of the revolters. He joins the fray until the numbers become overwhelming, when he orders the Sergeant and his men to retreat. A grenade keeps the natives temporarily at bay, giving Desmo, Gabby and the team enough time to get a head start. The race to a footbridge over a deep gorge, with the horde nearly at their backs! Once he and his party are across, Desmo starts hacking at the ropes with a machete. Suddenly the entire bridge gives way, plunging the natives many feet downwards to a watery grave.
Back at the office, a worried McAllister had been waiting for hours without hearing a word from the captain and his team. Just when he had given up all hope, Captain Desmo walked through his door, the others following behind. And as Gabby presented what he called a "souvenir" to the Colonel, an old weapon that he recognizes as an instrument used by the Thugs, an old religious cult consisting of robbers, assassins and the like, thought to have disappeared from India in the 1860's. Later that same day, Gabby was pulled aside by Stashu, a known local who often helped the colonel by doing odd jobs, telling him that he knew where the Thugs had their hideout. Being a man who often fell in over his head, Gabby thought that if he let Stashu take him there, he could single-handedly take out the leader and save McAllister a lot of trouble. With a swelled head, Gabby followed Stashu into the hot desert, unaware of the natives plans for the English Army...
Appearing in "Quiet In India: Part 1"
Featured Characters:
- Kenneth Stone
Supporting Characters:
- Ted Collins
- Professor Watkins
Villains:
- Lasba Tribe
Other Characters:
- Ali Masb
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Quiet In India: Part 1"
text Deep in the Hindu Kush Mountains, a caravan of explorers led by Kenneth Stone were hiking the rocky trails, in search of the legendary temple of the long forgotten Lasba tribe. Joining the group was Ted Collins, former football champ during his college years, and Professor Watkins, who has spent the last three years of his life pouring over maps and ancient texts in relation to the Holy Temple. As they set up their pup-tents for that evening, Professor Watkins described the wonders they were about to uncover, for the temple had lay undiscovered by man for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years. Ali Basb, their native guide, had claimed to have come across it once when he was a young boy. Claiming to be a member of the Lasba tribe, Ali warned Stone when they first set out that most of his people were very unfriendly towards outsiders.
After supper, the party turned in for the night. Stone was awakened by a strange sound coming from near where Watkins had his tent, almost like someone was taking soft steps so as not to be heard. Stone grabbed his revolver and cautiously moved to the front of the professor's tent and glanced around, his eyes trying to pierce through the darkness to detect even the smallest hint of movement... And then, all of a sudden there was a bloodcurdling scream that woke up the entire camp! Watkins and Collins exited their tents and rushed with Stone towards the scream's direction. The natives were forming a circle around a figure on the ground, they frighteningly muttered in their own language. Pushing their way through, the three white men found, to their horror, a natives corpse lying on the ground with a knife protruding from his back. Stone saw a note attached to the hilt and examined it, but he couldn't read the language it was written in. He handed it to Watkins, who identifies the text as Lasba, and proceeds to translate. It was a warning to all seeking the temple, saying death would be the only treasure they would find. Stone calls Ali over and hands him the knife the murderer had used, asking for his opinion. The young native takes one look at the etchings on the handle, a two-headed serpent, and immediately drops the blade in fear. He tells them that the knife was evil, the serpent serving as a symbol of power and destruction which all the holy men of the Lasba tribe possess. His recommendation? To turn around and forget all about the temple.
Stone, Collins, and Watkins hold a private conference to decide whether or not they should continue, despite the threats and the danger posed. It was unanimous. They had come all this way, and a superstition wouldn't stop them from achieving their goal! Once day broke through, the trio pushed the native caravan onward, moving ever further into the mountain range... (Story concludes next issue)
Appearing in "The Monsters of Sin Yen"
Featured Characters:
- Don Kerry
Supporting Characters:
- Red Murphy
Villains:
- Sin Yen (Only appearance; dies)[1]
- Gorilla Man (Only appearance; dies)[1]
- Boa-Spider (Only appearance; dies)[1]
- Octo-Dile (Only appearance; dies)[1]
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Radio Controlled Torpedo
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "The Monsters of Sin Yen"
Lieutenant Commander Don Kerry has arrived on shore after spending a week studying the top secret plans for the Navy's new prized possession, the radio guided torpedo! While in the town, he takes his best friend Red Murphy out to see a flick at the theater. But just as they had decided on a movie, Don spots a strange sight. Walking across the street in plain daylight was Sin Yen, the master spy and a wanted man by the secret service! Don and Red try to follow him as he walks into a warehouse and down a corridor which turns into a bare room. When they got there, at first there was no sign of Sin Yen, but as soon as they turned around, Sin Yen was there armed with a handgun. He had led Don Kerry into a trap so that he would draw up a perfect reproduction of the plans for the radio controlled torpedo. Don had other ideas, however, and he kiks the gun out of Yen's hand, then he and Red made a run for the exit, but they slam into an invisible pane of glass that had been secretly placed in front of the doorway. Their heads throbbed as they drifted into unconsciousness.
Don Kerry and Red Murphy woke up an hour later to find themselves in a large room with a control booth attached to the the ceiling. Inside, Sin Yen spoke through a microphone, asking Don one last time if he'll reconsider. Don replies that nothing Sin Yen could say or do will make him betray his country, so Yen began to press a few buttons on his console. Portions of the wall slid open, revealing the results of his twisted genetic experiments on animals. The first to attack was a giant 7-foot-tall ape that walked like a man. With it's monstrous strength, it threw Red across the room into the wall, knocking him out cold. Don crashed a table down over the beast's head but it only served to anger him. However, as it charged towards Don, the Gorilla-Man fell through a weak spot in the floor to be impaled on sharp wooden stakes. It seemed that Sin Yen had also set up trap doors in the floor to catch the navy officers. Before Kerry could take a moment to relax, another wall panel slid open, this time admitting a creature with the front half of a large spider and the back of a slithering snake! It started crawling right for Red's prone form. Don hopped on the creature's back and locked his powerful arms around it's head in an attempt to choke the life out of it. He felt the snake part wrap around him like a boa constrictor in a retaliatory effort. Man and Beast held their grips against each other, waiting to see which of them would give first... Just when it seemed his lungs would burst, Don managed to choke the last breath out of the beast, causing it to go limp. Suddenly a heavy wall of glass came down, separating Don from Red, whose side of the room began to fill with water! Sin Yen asked for the plans one final time, threatening to end his friend's life with his last creation if he didn't. Red was starting to stir, the water reviving him. Don was helpless to save him as long as the glass separated them but, being a member of the United States Navy, he again refused the villains request! The angry spy pulled a lever releasing the "Octo-Dile", an eight tentacled being with the ferocity of a crocodile and the reach of an octopus. Red jumps aside to avoid being slammed by one of the tentacles, and the infuriated creature swings its other limbs around wildly, breaking the glass barrier, causing shards to fall every which way. One of the glass fragments stuck itself in the Octo-Dile's chest, causing it to thrash around in agony. It's wild movements struck the control booth and brought it, and the crazed Sin Yen within, crashing to the ground. Another minute, and the abomination of nature was completely still. Sin Yen's body lay nearby, crushed under the booths weight. A hole had been torn in the side of the room, leading to the street outside.
The citizens were dumbstruck at the sight of the two soaked sailors walking away from the crumbling building. Don and Red laughed. If only they knew...
Appearing in "The Modern Rustlers"
Featured Characters:
- Skip Schuyler
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Cattle Rustler (Single appearance)[1]
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Aeroplane
Synopsis for "The Modern Rustlers"
At the ranch house of retired Colonel Danforth, Skip Schuyler was sitting in the study asking about the urgent letter the colonel had sent him, requesting his assistance. Colonel Danforth replied that his ranch has been having problems of late, but before he could explain further, a young woman walked into the room. The colonel introduces his daughter, Leslie, to a speechless Skip who was dumbstruck by the girl's beauty. He could barely pay attention to Danforth's story about the cattle on his ranch, as Leslie passed him by with a smile, and before Skip knew it the Colonel's assistant had called them in for lunch. Afterwards, Danforth takes Schuyler out on the horses and shows him the eight hundred and fifty acres of land he owned. It was far too large for the small amount of farmhands the ranch had, and the disappearance of his cattle by rustlers threatened to run the colonel into bankruptcy. He tells Skip that was why he called him out here, because he needed someone with modern ideas for dealing with the new turn-of-the-century rustlers that use automobiles and aeroplanes to steer cattle away. It was impossible to know when the plane will strike or which herd it will go after, and there was nothing the farmhands could do to stop the cattle from stampeding. All he knew was that the plane steered the cow several miles until they reached the highway, where men armed with machine guns would gather them up in a trailer. Listening to Colonel Danforth, Skip comes up with a plan. He'll use the army plane he flew out there in to patrol the skies. With the plane's speed, he doubted any criminal could outfly him...
The next day, Colonel Danforth and Leslie wished Skip luck as he got into his plane and took off. He cruised around, keeping an eye on the outlying sections of the ranch. Below, several herds of cattle could be seen grazing in the pastures, but still no sign of any plane. And then he saw them, out on the highway was a line of cars and trailer trucks lining up on the side of the road, preparing to steal another herd. A drone of another aeroplane engine was heard coming out of the west, and Skip maneuvered his own plane towards the sound. Sure enough, the plane that had been stampeding the cattle appeared, and Skip decided to try to get it to land by utilizing a scare tactic used in the old war. He charged directly towards the outlaw in a game of chicken, with the other plane realizing what he was doing and at first holding it's ground. But Skip's nerves of steel paid off, and the outlaw pilot dove out of the way at the last moment. Skip tried the maneuver a few more times until the rustler couldn't take it anymore and brought his plane down in an open field. When both planes had touched down, Schuyler got out of the cockpit and rushed towards the other pilot. But he stopped in time to see the man flash a gun. With quick reflexes, Skip picked up a fist-sized rock off the ground and threw it at the pilot's head, knocking him senseless. To end things, Skip dragged the limp form of the pilot back to his plane and then stuck one end of a gasoline soaked rope into the gas tank of the man's plane. As he took off in his army plane, with the outlaw tied up comfortably in the back seat to be delivered to Colonel Danforth, the flame followed the rope until it struck the main fuel line, and Skip watched from high above as the rustler's main means of cattle robbing went up in smoke...
Appearing in "The Menace of Chen Fu: Part 1"
Featured Characters:
- Rusty
- Specs
- Tubby
Supporting Characters:
- Steve Carter
- The Duchess (Diane)
Villains:
- Chen Fu (First appearance)
- Chen Fu's men (First appearance)
- Long Sin (Mentioned)
Other Characters:
- Alfred P. Forrest (Final appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Seaplane
Synopsis for "The Menace of Chen Fu: Part 1"
After their last adventure, in which Rusty and the gang had left Long Sin and Ichabod Slade to their fates on a sinking island, the party were relaxing as the Duchess, former smuggler, flew them across the ocean to safety. At least, that was the plane until the fuel gauge indicated they were out of gas. Steve figured one of Long Sin's men had shot a hole in the tank, meaning the fuel was quickly leaking out. With her expert piloting skills, the Duchess was at least able to glide the plane onto the water where unfortunately they would remain until a ship passed by or they starved to death, which was a thought that made the always-hungry Tubby groan. It was three days of being surrounded by grinning sharks before Rusty suddenly cried out that a ship was coming towards them. Finally they would be saved!
Sometime later, after the unfortunate occupants of the plane had been picked up and fed, the ship resumes it's journey. That night on the deck, Steve was spending a romantic time with the Duchess. She insisted that he start calling her by her name, which was Diane... after which, they kissed.
Two days later the ship docks at Liverpool where all sorts of reporters met the gang at the dock, unrelentlessly hounding them with questions about the death of criminal Long Sin and their discovery of a smugglers ring! But in another part of England, a man was not pleased with the headlines. Chen Fu, the secret head of the vast Opium smuggling ring, was furious at the loss of his best man, Long Sin, and the shipment of Opium that he had promised him. The crimelord demanded vengeance! Calling in two of his henchman, Chen Fu provided them with a photograph of Rusty and ordered them to kidnap the boy and bring him back to the hideout. As Rusty strolls down the streets of London later that day, he fails to notice the two sinister figures following him...
Appearing in Cotton Carver: "The Land of Thule: Part 3"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- King of Loma
Villains:
- Sacla, the Scarlet Seeress (Only appearance; dies)[1]
Other Characters:
- Kothe
- Elara
Locations:
- Mayala
- Thule
- Loma
Items:
- Malar (magical sword)
Vehicles:
- Flying Car
Synopsis for Cotton Carver: "The Land of Thule: Part 3"
In the Shrine of Dagan, after Cotton Carver defeated Voggoth and his band, the great golden statue of Dagan started to turn into the wall, revealing the source of the speaking statue as a woman sitting at a throne on the other side. The majestic woman beckons Cotton to come closer. She tells him that she is Elara, priestess of Dagan, and that she was impressed by his journey through the temple of the heartstone. If he would come with her now, she may be able to help him get back home to the outer crust, but Cotton would have to leave his friends in the shrine, where Voggoth would treat their wounds with a special medicine. Ever curious, Cotton agrees and allows Elara to lead him through the dark cavern behind the glorious statue until they come to a small dock where a little boat was waiting. Once they both sat inside, the boat magically began to move without the use of a motor or oars! Soon, the boat brings them to a massive gate that puts Cotton in awe... Elara speaks, commanding the gate to open and admit them to the palace of Thule, her home. The gates respond as they withdraw, letting the tiny boat move onwards towards a gloomy castle on an island. Elara has taken Cotton to her father's tomb inside the castle, where she explains a prophecy of a strange warrior that would arrive when Thule's last ruler died. She believes him to be that warrior, and presents Cotton with a sword named Malar, saying it had magical properties. Cotton, meanwhile, was completely in the dark and remained very confused. He asked just what it was she wanted him to do? Elara answered that he was destined to slay the wicked Scarlet Seeress, who sought to conquer the entire world with her power. Only the blade of Malar could do her any harm. If Cotton would do this, Elara promised to show him the path to the outer crust. Before sending him off, she offers him a token of her good will in the form of a gold bracelet that will bring him luck.
Cotton Carver journeys through a forest in the direction he was told to travel by Elara. As he moved along, he thought of all the strangeness he has so far encountered in the land below the crust, things undreamed of in the world above seemed commonplace here. Then, while he was lost in thought, a large, glass bell-jar drops over him, and he starts to experience a dizzy falling sensation... Cotton awakens to find a red-headed woman kneeling over him, attempting to get him to drink a foul concoction. He slaps the cup aside, angering his captor who casts a spell to put him into a deep trance-like sleep. While in this state, Cotton is commanded to follow the woman into a tower where a bearded old man sits at a throne. He asks Cotton why he has come to the Kingdom of Loma, which Cotton replies he was sent to avenge the death of Thule's King. This obviously comes as a shock to the old man, who accuses the woman, whom he calls Sacla, of murdering Thule's last ruler. Sacla laughs wickedly, admitting that the fall of Thule would only be the start of her world takeover, and then she disappears in a cloud of smoke! Cotton has foolishly left the sword of Malar back where he was first found by the Scarlet Seeress, but he could not remember where that was. The old man takes out a mystical plate that reflects what the user wishes to see, and through it Cotton is able to see the blade, lying in an open field! He is then lead outside, the old man explaining that he had a method of quick travel through the woods. He was taken to an odd looking vehicle which the man said was his flying car, and indeed it did fly when they got inside, with the man steering it towards the clearing where the sword lie.
Outside the gates of Thule, Sacla, the Scarlet Seeress, had gathered her dark army for the invasion. But she was interrupted by Cotton Carver, who leapt from the flying car with blade in hand, to face down the wicked woman. A fight between the two breaks out, but Cotton has had the upper hand from the beginning! The sword of Malar sliced through Sacla in a bloody finale, and the dark horde disappeared back into the shadows from whence they came...
Notes
- Bert Christman is credited as Larry Dean in this issue.
- "On the Waterfront" is reprinted in Golden Age Sandman Archives, Volume 1.
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Adventure Comics Vol 1 41 on the forums
- Images from Adventure Comics Vol 1 41
Links and References
Footnotes
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