Manic Monday Triple Overtime--100,000 Words!!

Yeah, yeah,we made you read last time.

So, to make it up to you--picture time!!

Quick set-up--a Nazi invasion fleet (including aircraft-carrying submarines) is cruising up the Hudson River!!The U.S. is trying to repel it!! The Human Torch has been turned into a super-fire-monster thing under the bad guys' control!! Namor is trying to fight him.

Enjoy the double page spread. Please click to embiggen at your discretion.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this thing--in the middle of a fifty-page epic--it probably worth 100 times that!!

From Human Torch #8 (1942). Pencils by Allen Simon and Harry Sahle, inks by Al Gabriele.

Suicide Squad 0?

Speaking of Golden Age prequels to modern franchises, there's the time the original Human Torch invented the Suicide Squad!

Sadly, the "Suicide Squad" never appears in this story, and this is the last pre-war issue of Marvel Mystery Comics that's on Marvel Unlimited, so I'm not sure if they ever actually showed up, here (or in an issue of the Torch's own book). Anyone know?

Anyway, of interest are the villain's name. Our lead "fifth columnist" is called...

Pinhead!!

What, is he a Dick Tracy villain??

And his chief henchman?

Mr. Wickedkop?

Wickedkop?!?

WICKEDKOP!?!?!?!??!?!

The odd thing is, he's not a cop of any kind. Go figure.

The Torch shuts down their plans, but at least Pinhead goes out in a blaze of glory...

...literally!!

From Marvel Mystery Comics #16 (1941)

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--The Human Torch's Day At The Zoo!!

Earlier this morning, we saw one of Namor's rampages tearing up the Bronx Zoo!

Well, the Human Torch has been hunting Namor, but the whole day he's been one step behind (and indeed, this story is in the exact same issue, immediately following Namor's!).

So, when Torchy sees zoo animals running amuck...

So how will Torch do?

Hey!! Stop killing the beasties!!

Job done...or is it?!?!

Hey!! I said stop it!!

So, while Namor killed a lion, Torch killed (or allowed to be killed) a tiger and an ape.

Who's the real menace here, Torch?

From Marvel Mystery Comics #8 (1940)

Namor Must Have Had A Very Good Press Agent!!

Ladies and gentlemen,the Four Horsemen!

Wait...what?!?

Hitler, Mussolini, Death...and Namor?!?!

It's the second half of 1941, and while the U.S. isn't in the war yet (as evidenced by the lack of Hirohito is that quadrumvirate of destruction), Namor, like many of the Timely heroes, has had a grand old time fighting Nazis.

But continuing German/British/Russian naval battles are hurting Atlantis!

Refugees from other undersea civilizations have come, seeking the Sub-Mariner's help!

Man, some weird looking dudes live under the sea...

So, they'll unite to end the war!! Huzzah!!

But Princess Rathia has more ambitious goals...

Presenting the best use of quotation marks in Golden Age history:

"Friendlier." Snort.

Anyway, Namor is letting his nether parts do the thinking, and he dreams...

So he sets out to conquer the world.

The Human Torch tries to warn everybody...

...but it's tough in the era of fake news!

As an aside, the Torch does find time to go warn his jungle buddy Ka-Zar!

[Note: that's the Golden Age Ka-Zar, not Kevin Plunder who would end up in the Savage Land. 'nuff said!]

So, yes, the jungle character is having animals build a giant ark to protect themselves against tidal waves caused by Atlantean war machines! Because comics!!

BTW, check out Namor's new fascist fashions!

Anyway, Namor captures the Torch, and uses mind-control drugs to get him to blow up vital wartime shipping!!

Ah, but when the Torch sees the American flag, that's enough to snap him of Namor's spell!!

In the meantime, as we saw in yesterday's post, Namor managed to conquer Gibraltar, destroy the Italian navy, briefly capture Berlin, and march on Chicago with mechanical whales!!

But the Torch managed to thwart him, and now has Namor on the run. Which means, it's time for the amazingly convenient renunciation of the taking of thousands of lives!!

Let's note--there was no "spell" here. No magic, no mind control, no telepathy. She just got "friendly" with Namor and Lady Macbethed him into trying to conquer the world.

But just like a Star Wars movie, saying "Gee, I'm sorry" is enough to forgive genocide!!

He does, she's captured (and never seen again, ever), and...

"You must behave"?!?!? Talk about soft on crime!!

I wonder how often these events came up at Invaders meetings...

From Human Torch #5[b] (1941)