Bulletman #16 (1946)

The Foreman, Tom, for a new tunnel project reports to Mr. Kaye, President of Acme Construction Co. that two more workers were crushed to death and the workers are scared of going in. They are building the longest underwater tunnel in the World and if they don't finish Kaye is ruined. He suspects sabotage so reports it to the Police. As a former sandhog he makes sure his men get the best conditions and tools, so is suspicious about the deaths. All his money is tied up in this, he doesn't want the city go give the contract to another company. Meanwhile, the Workers are planning on making a petition telling the City to turn it over to the Senesco Construction Co. However Barr stops them, telling them the Police have been alerted and will look around, which they agree to. Jim and Susan get into the elevator but the cable breaks, so they change to Bulletman and Bulletgirl. Bulletman tells Bulletgirl to fly around so they don't feel anything when it hits the bottom. Bulletman finds the cable broke too evenly, meaning somebody sabotaged it. Bulletgirl then hears a leak, and the Flying Detectives rush to find it before the whole tunnel is flooded and ruined. However, Foreman Tom appears with a blowtorch and says he'll take care of them the way he took care of Barr and Kent in the elevator, not recognizing their faces. Bulletman tells Bulletgirl to stay back as their helmets are of no value against fire. The man misses Bulletman and is knocked over, though Bulletman loses his helmet. He tells Bulletgirl to find the emergency lock before the entre tunnel is flooded. She says she'll get his helmet, but as she finds the lock, the petitioner appears and knocks her out with a metal pipe, after which he starts tying her up, claiming she'll come to in time to drown when the entire tunnel is flooded. Bulletman hits Foreman Tom, who offers to talk, saying the Senesco Construction Co. paid him to cause the accidents, and the little Worker with the petition is really Senesco himself. As the water is still rising, Bulletman realizes something must have happened to Bulletgirl. He finds her with her hands tied and her mouth gagged, and while untying her asks what happened. On finding out, he tells her it was Senesco, and activates the emergency lock so the metal doors seal of the water. He sees his helmet sinking in the mud, but Bulletgirl gets it. They go up with Tom. At that moment Senesco is claiming Tom, Bulletman and Bulletgirl drowned down there, so they must petition the city. But one of the Workers asks what he means as Bulletman and Bulletgirl are there. Bulletgirl calls him Senesco, meaning the Workers begin to realize what happened, and Bulletman says Tom the Foreman will explain. As Tom confesses Senesco tries to escape along the pier, which Tom alerts the Flying Detectives to. Telling Bulletgirl to keep her eyes on Tom, Bulletman says he'll get Senesco, who says Bulletman is pretty good in the air, but asks to see how effective he is in the water. But Bulletman compares himself to a Pelican picking up poor fish in the water and captures Senesco, who is jailed. Months later, the tunnel is dedicated to Bulletman and Bulletgirl, and Lt. Kent says that he's sure they couldn't find anyone better than Susan to cut the ribbon.