Marvel Mystery Comics #20

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CGC records 76 graded copies for Marvel Mystery Comics #20 (1941). Population is the number recorded by this grading source, not the total print run or all surviving copies.

The Hunt for Hawk Rivers

thumb|left|150px The Human Torch) and Toro) fly straight into the heart of New York City Manhattan where an arsonist has struck. Together the pair of crime fighters work to minimize the damage and save lives. Toro riding on an ambulance towards some citizens in need of medical attention collides with a fire truck attempting to put out all the fires. After the Torch helps repair the ambulances' engine using his flames to quick weld it back together, Toro along with some citizens are transported to Trylon Hospital. The Torch visits Mayor Hawkins at his office.

The mayor is convinced that politicians are behind the arson in order to remove him from his position but the Torch suggests Hawk Rivers) an escape convict. As the Human Torch ensures the mayor that he'll put a stop to the arsonists regardless the mayor's makeshift fire alarm goes off alerting to more fires spreading in District 4 where the Trylon Hospital is located. The Torch takes off towards the hospital and spots planes demanding ten million dollars or they will burn down New York with Arson bombs. The Torch takes down their planes while Toro in the hospital discovers an arson bomb and shows it to the Human Torch. The Torch angered that they would place a bomb in a hospital where Toro is staying, burns a symbol of a rat into the foreheads of a couple of captured pilots.

The mayor pulls up soon after and informs Torch of the blackmail demands to which the Torch hatches a plan with the mayor. Toro meanwhile thinks to himself that placing the bomb must have been an inside job and overhears a man speaking about the Torch. He follows the man into a warehouse and is taken captive. They bind him with asbestos strips and place his feet in plaster of paris before taking him aboard an airplane. The Torch meanwhile goes through with his plan and sets up the deal with the arsonists. The mayor goes to the location and hands over the case before alerting the arsonists that it was simply the Human Torch disguised as the mayor. The arsonists pass off the case to a plane and take off while the Torch contends with the other planes.

Catching up to the main plane they warn the Torch not to follow or Toro and the city will face the consequences but the Torch doesn't listen resulting in more buildings begin caught on fire and Toro dropped out of the plane. The two work together to save civilians before refocusing on the arsonist. The Torch destroys the landing gear and forces them to land using landing gear constructed from his fire. The arsonist is revealed to be Hawk Rivers and he and his men are arrested.

| StoryTitle2 = To Crush Killer Casey | Writer2_1 = Bill Everett | Penciler2_1 = Bill Everett | Inker2_1 = Bill Everett | Colorist2_1 = N/A | Letterer2_1 = Bill Everett | Editor2_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing2 = **Featured Characters:** * Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)) **Supporting Characters:** * NYPD) ** Betty Dean) **Antagonists:** * Killer Casey) * Casey's Manager) * Mopey * Steve * Watson) **Other Characters:** * Nazis) * Holy One) * Danny Dougherty) * Slim) * Little Joe) * Mrs. Dougherty) * Lord) **Races and Species:** * Mutant) Atlantean-Human Hybrids * Humans) * Fish ** Sharks * Polar Bears * Dogs * Snakes) **Realities:** * Earth-616 **Locations:** * Earthspace ** Earth *** North America **** United States of America ***** New York) ****** New York City ******* Manhattan ******** Madison Square Garden ******** Battery Park ******** Belle View Hospital ******** Eighth Avenue ******** Ninth Avenue ******** Tenth Avenue ********* Killer Casey's Apartment Building ******** Central Park *** Southern Ocean **** Atlantis) * Heaven)

| Synopsis2 = thumb With the apparent death of their Emperor) and recent cure of an illness blighting his people his people using RadiumSub-Mariner Comics vol 1 1, Namor) returns to New York City to return the Radium he procured. Afterward he meets with his friend Betty Dean) who asks him for his assistance. She takes him to her apartment building and introduces him to Danny Dougherty), a young boxer who was crippled in a match against Killer Casey). Betty suspects foul play that led to Danny's defeat and asks the Sub-Mariner to help beat Casey in the ring.

Namor decides to take up the request and quickly goes to Madison Square Garden where he announces that he will battle Killer Casey. He then barges into the office of Casey's managers to deliver his challenge personally and floors Killer Casey with a single punch. The Sub-Mariner then goes to the Boxing Commissions head office to sign up and partake in basic training until the big match.

On fight night, the Sub-Mariner and Killer Casey meet in the ring. However, while Namor is more than a match for Killer Casey, his managers have brought things to try to throw things in their boxer's favor. First they attempt to use a heat ray to weaken the Sub-Mariner. When this doesn't work they try greasing the ground in Namor's corner to make him slip in the next round. Again, they fail. As a last ditch effort, Killer Casey's manager squirts ammonia into Namor's eyes with a water pistol. Namor is only briefly stunned by this and becomes so enraged that he goes at Killer Casey with his full strength, beating him into unconsciousness and winning the match. With Casey defeated, the Sub-Mariner gives the money to Dougherty's family to pay for his ongoing medical expenses.

| StoryTitle3 = The Vampire Killer of Star City | Writer3_1 = Joe Simon | Writer3_2 = Jack Kirby | Penciler3_1 = Jack Kirby | Inker3_1 = Jack Kirby | Inker3_2 = Joe Simon | Colorist3_1 = N/A | Letterer3_1 = Jack Kirby | Editor3_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing3 = **Featured Characters:** * Vision (Aarkus)) **Supporting Characters:** * Star City Eagle) ** Dave Steel) **Antagonists:** * Plant Man (Florus Homo) (Experiment #36-B) **Other Characters:** * SCPD) ** Murphy ** Fogarty ** Mike ** Numerous unnamed police officers * Daily Bulletin) * Doctor Rhonik) * Numerous unnamed citizens of Star City * Lord) **Races and Species:** * Smokeworlders * Florus Homo * Humans) **Realities:** * Earth-616 **Locations:** * Earthspace ** Earth *** United States of America **** Connecticut) ***** Star City * Smokeworld * Heaven)

| Synopsis3 = thumb A strange "vampire killer" has claimed ten victims in Star City over the past number of nights attracting the attention of the Vision). Investigating the story, the Vision decides to search the lab of the first victim, a scientist. As a police officer is killed and has his blood drained by the mysterious stalker, the Vision comes across notes about "Experiment 36-B", a new breed of plant dubbed "Florus Homo", a humanoid plant that lives off of human blood.

Realizing what he is up against, the Vision goes out looking for the plant man and finds the creature just as it is about to attack another man. The Vision fights it off, and easily slays the creature by using its one weakness: fire.

| StoryTitle4 = High Tension: The Origin of the "Angel" | Writer4_1 = Ray Gill | Penciler4_1 = N/A | Inker4_1 = N/A | Colorist4_1 = N/A | Letterer4_1 = Typeset | Editor4_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing4 = **Featured Characters:** * Angel (Tom Hallaway)) **Supporting Characters:** * Bob Soler)

**Other Characters:** * Unnamed Young Girl * Tom Hallaway's Mother * Unnamed Warden (Tom Hallaway's Father) * Death Row Prisoner **Races and Species:** * Humans) **Realities:** * Earth-616 **Locations:** * Earth ** United States of America

| Synopsis4 = Bob Soler, the Angel's childhood friend tells some people the origin of the Angel. Soler an old man explains that the Angel was born from the wife of a prison Warden and that she died soon after. The boy had very little in the way of friends outside of Soler because of his "home" mainly being the prison where he spent most of his time. The Angel's father had a tutor teach him which the Angel excelled at and from seeing the prisoners he quickly realized who were the good ones and the bad ones based on his intuitions. It would be the conversations the Angel heard from these prisoners that sometimes the law wasn't enough to end criminals and that sometimes criminals could be innocent or have well meaning intensions for their crimes.

When one such man was sentenced to death the Angel and Bob went for a hike like they often did but further than they ever had before. On the way back it had started to rain and the two boys saw a car pulled to the side. Inside was a man who had been shot the two were able to stabilize him and the man informed him that he had a message for the Warden to halt the execution of the man who would be killed in 15 minutes. Wasting no time the Angel grabbed the car jack and some wire and ran for the electric lines that ran through the mountains to the prison. There he tied the wire to the jack and through it into the lines grounding the electricity and causing a power outage at the prison.

The man was saved and since had referred to the boy who saved him as the Angel. The Angel has used the moniker ever since. As the old man explained that he knew this story because he was the Angel's best friend the listeners began to question how a man so old could have been friends with the Angel who still looks so young. Would the Angel ever grow old?

| StoryTitle5 = The Mystery of the Radio Robberies | Writer5_1 = Ray Gill | Penciler5_1 = Bob Oksner | Inker5_1 = Bob Oksner | Colorist5_1 = N/A | Letterer5_1 = N/A | Editor5_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing5 = **Featured Characters:** * Terry Vance) **Supporting Characters:** * Globe Press) ** Deadline Dawson) * Unidentified Police Department ** Inspector Crane) ** Numerous unnamed police officers * Dr. Watson) **Antagonists:** * Bank Robbers ** Two unnamed robbers **Other Characters:** * Mary (Crane's Maid) **Races and Species:** * Humans) * Mackerel * Monkeys * Cats **Realities:** * Earth-616 (flashback) **Locations:** * Earth (flashback) ** United States of America (flashback) *** Crane's House *** Terry Vance's House *** United Trust Bank

**Vehicles:** * Terry's Car

| Synopsis5 = thumb Terry Vance) and Deadline Dawson) are listening to the police band radio and hear of a bank robbery. Deciding to lend a hand they arrive at the scene and meet with Inspector Crane). Crane informs them that the crooks made off with $10,000 and the only evidence left behind was the remains of a radio tube. With no sign that the bank safes were tampered with Terry and the Inspector decide that they need to look into the radio tube clue a lot closer.

Later, Crane returns home to find his maid tied up and his papers shuffled through. He calls Terry to come at once, but when Terry arrives Crane is dead and his maid explains that he dropped dead after answering another phone call. Crane had the forethought to write a note for Terry, and when Terry looks it over he rushes off to get Deadline Dawson's help to crack the case. Rigged with a radio wave tracking device, Terry and Deadline begin scanning the area to find the source of the criminals' radio transmissions.

As the police learn of Crane's murder they put an APB out for Terry to help them with the case. Terry and Dawson meanwhile have tracked the criminal radio signals to United Trust Bank where they catch the crooks in the act and subdue them for the police. After the crooks are taken away by the authorities, Terry points out the crooks managed to learn the combinations to the bank vaults by planting sensitive microphones to record the sound of the tumbles going off. They also managed to rig a miniature gun inside the receiver of Inspector Crane's phone enabling them to murder the inspector via radio control. With the crooks' plot foiled, Terry is once more credited for his detective work.

| StoryTitle6 = The Cat's Paw - Chapter 3 - Tombs of Torture | Writer6_1 = Paul Gustavson | Penciler6_1 = Paul Gustavson | Inker6_1 = Paul Gustavson | Colorist6_1 = N/A | Letterer6_1 = Paul Gustavson | Editor6_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing6 = **Featured Characters:** * Angel (Tom Hallaway))

**Antagonists:** * Cat`s Paw Gang) Ends Nazi) affiliation and disbands ** Cat's Paw) ** Numerous unnamed members * Nazis) ** Unnamed Nazi Spy **Other Characters:** * J.P. Thomas) * American Aircraft Inc.) ** Unnamed Employee * United States Government) **Races and Species:** * Humans) * Panthers * Mackerel * Rats **Realities:** * Earth-616 **Locations:** * Earth ** North America *** United States of America **** New York) ***** New York City ****** Manhattan ***** Unidentified Castle ** Britain, Europe

| Synopsis6 = thumb Continued from last issue....

As the Cat's Paw) and her minions attempt to escape the scene of their most recent murder, the Angel) attempts to hitch a ride on their getaway car. He manages to grab hold but as the car gets out of the city limits the Angel is thrown from the vehicle. As he picks himself up from the ground he is attacked by another car full of the Cat's Paw's minions. He jumps aboard the car and fights all the passengers into submission, throwing them all out of the car and taking control of the vehicle himself.

Now with a way to catch up with the Cat's Paw, the Angel follows her all the way to her hideout, a mansion in the mountains. Witnessing as her foe heads toward her, the Cat's Paw causes the Angel to wreck his car and he almost meets his end driving off a cliff. Surviving, the Angel climbs back up and fights his way into the mansion. In the building's lower levels the Angel is shocked to find a torture chamber. Here he witnesses the Cat's Paw torturing a businessman to learn who the stock owners are for American Aircraft Inc. Realizing that the Cat's Paw is targeting companies that are aiding the British war effort he springs into action.

Catching the Cat's Paw by disguise, the Angel easily subdues her. With her defeat her employer appears, and reveals himself to be a Nazi agent). With the aid of the Cat's Paw (who is shocked to have been duped by a Nazi), the Angel defeats the Nazi agent and ties him up. With the battle over, the Cat's Paw asks to have some privacy to change out of her costume. The Angel agrees, however when she takes too long the Angel bursts into the room she is in and finds the remains of her costume burning away. Inspecting the room he finds that the only way the Cat's Paw could escape would be out a window that is a five hundred foot drop into quicksand, and that her survival is unlikely.

| StoryTitle7 = Action in Ethiopia | Writer7_1 = Ben Thompson | Penciler7_1 = Ben Thompson | Inker7_1 = Ben Thompson | Colorist7_1 = N/A | Letterer7_1 = N/A | Editor7_1 = Joe Simon

| Appearing7 = **Featured Characters:** * Ka-Zar (David Rand)) **Supporting Characters:** * Trajah) (Elephant) * Chaka) (Gorilla) **Antagonists:** * Axis_(Earth-616)) ** Nazis) *** Numerous unnamed soldiers ** Fascist Italy) *** Numerous unnamed soldiers **Other Characters:** * Numerous unnamed elephants * Royal Air Force) ** Numerous unnamed pilots **Races and Species:** * Humans) * Elephants * Pigs * Leopards * Lions * Apes ** Gorillas ** Monkeys * Snakes) * Zebras **Realities:** * Earth-616 **Locations:** * Earthspace ** Earth *** Africa **** Ethiopia ***** Addis Ababa **** Suez Canal **** Algeria Map **** Libya Map **** Egypt Map **** French Somaliland Map **** Kenya Map **** French West AfricaWestern Sahara, Mauritania, Mali), Niger Map **** Dakar) Map **** Italian East AfricaEritrea, Somalia, Somaliland Map **** South Africa Map *** Gibraltar Map *** Red Sea Map * Heaven)

| Synopsis7 = thumb Hearing news about Nazi soldiers) setting up camp in Italy controlled Ethiopia, Ka-Zar) decides to fight against these invaders and calls on Trajah) and his tribe of elephants to help him in this matter. Sneaking onto the Nazi base, Ka-Zar gets the jump on one of the guards and steals his keys. He frees some captured British soldiers and helps them escape by using the Nazis' own planes. Ka-Zar is caught, he resists but is easily overpowered due to the Nazis' superior numbers. Ka-Zar finds himself tied to a bomb, but he is far from helpless. He calls on Trajah and the other elephants to attack. They trample the Nazis to death and free Ka-Zar. They then escape just as British bombers fly over head and destroy the base.

Ka-Zar then groups Chaka) and his apes and Zar to help him and the elephants attack an Italian supply train bringing in weapons for the Axis Forces active in the area. With the help of the animals, Ka-Zar boards the train and forces it to ride off the rails and into a chasm below a rail bridge. They then attack the nearby Italian base, overpowering the soldiers there with their sheer numbers. With the enemy defeated, Ka-Zar sets the fortress ablaze and he and the animals all flee as the bases ammo dump catches on fire and explodes, destroying the entire compound.

| Solicit = If the Golden Age heroes don’t pay up, New York City may go up in a smoke by an arsonist’s plot! Even Torch gets scorched by this one!

| Notes = ===Continuity Notes=== **To Crush Killer Casey** * In this story neither the Atlanteans or Emperor Thakorr are addressed by name it is also stated that Thakorr was killed. Other than a flashback story in Sub-Mariner Comics Vol 1 32 he did not appear in another tale during the 1940s. However the character reappeared in the 1950s. It was later retconned in Saga of the Sub-Mariner Vol 1 5 that Thakorr was seriously injured, not killed, and Namor's rise to the throne was only temporary. That same issue states that following the conclusion of World War II, Thakorr came out of his coma and reclaimed the throne, exiling Namor to the surface as he was furious of his grandson assisting the surface dwellers. This would explain later Sub-Mariner stories that were utterly devoid of appearances of other Atlanteans (other than Namora) from 1945 until the 1950s.

| Trivia = | Recommended = | Links =

Creative credits

Writers: Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Ray Gill, Ray Gill, Paul Gustavson, Ben Thompson

Interior art: Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Jack Kirby, N/A, Bob Oksner, Paul Gustavson, Ben Thompson

Color: N/A, N/A, N/A, N/A, N/A, N/A, N/A

Source records & attribution

Panel Profits keeps each source identity attached to its edition record.

COMICBASE: comicbase:718112

GCD: 1462

PANEL PROFITS: 2385548