All-Winners Comics #13 (1944)

A Nazi agent named Madame X calls a meeting of female war factory workers and demands that they assist her in stealing defense secrets and destroying the factories. When a girl named Eva Barry refuses to participate, Madame X strangles her to death and disappears, telling the girls that this was a warning if they refused to participate. When the murder hits the newspapers, the Human Torch and Toro are called into the police station to help with the investigation. There they meet Bran Carter, the manager of the girl who was murdered. While questioning Carter they get a phone call from Eva's sister Lorraine who tells them that she knows who the killer is and asks to meet with the Torch at Riverside Park in 20 minutes. After Carter leaves to return to his job, the Torch and Toro go to the rendezvous point and arrive to late to prevent Lorraine from being strangled to death. Losing her attacker, they search her body and find an invitation to Oddly Hall requested by Madame X. The two heroes arrive just as Madame X has finished threatening to kill the workers family members if they do not comply with her demands. The Torch and Toro manage to round up some of Madame X's men, but Madame X manages to escape by punching out the Torch. Going to explain the situation to Carter, the Torch notices that the manager is wearing the same ring as Madame X. Investigating Carter's background, the Torch learns that Carter is really a German immigrant who legally changed his name from Kunze. Going to Carter's home, the Torch and Toro are captured and placed in a refrigerated glass coffin to freeze to death while Madame X goes to her next meeting with the factory workers. Able to flame on his finger, the Torch is able to super heat the glass causing it to shatter from the rapid heat change. They then rush back to Oddly Hall and stop Madame X and her men from handing bombs to the factory workers, unmasking Madame X as Bran Carter in drag before turning him over to the authorities.