Story #2The Case of Rozzo the Rebel
Writer:
Unknown. Penciler/Inker:
Al Avison.
Synopsis
President Alvaro of the South American nation of
Oroco is visiting the United States and
Steve Rogers and
Bucky Barnes have been assigned to guard him. Alvaro is attacked by a gang led by
Rozzo the Rebel wielding deadly bolas. Alvaro save Steve and Bucky from the attack (!) and the two GIs change into
Captain America and Bucky to take on the assassins. With Alvaro’s help they drive the baddies off. Returning as Steve and Bucky, Alvaro tells them his story: he started out as a gaucho on the Pampas, partners with Rozzo with whom he had an agreement to share all money equally. Soon afterwards, Alvaro joined the revolution against the nation’s dictator and rose through military ranks. When the revolution succeeded, Alvaro discovered that Rozzo was leading the loyalist forces; Rozzo demanded a share of the profits of government but Alvaro, an honest leader, argued that there weren’t any. Rozzo was exiled and Alvaro became President. Later Cap accompanies Alvaro to a nightclub where Rozzo tricks a dancer into presenting the President with an exploding rose. Cap recognizes the danger and deflects the bomb with his shield and he and Bucky beat up the gang. The baddies get away with the captive Alvaro and the heroes pursue them to their hideout, a stronghold built in a swamp. They dodge several traps and gain entry to the citadel. During the ensuing battle, the walls collapse and the river rushes in but Cap again rescues Alvaro. Rozzo then challenges Alvaro to a sword duel atop a nearby building. Cap goes there first but is captured by the villain. The two enemies duel with swords but it turns out the President’s sword is defective. Cap escapes his bonds and saves Alvaro’s life and Rozzo falls to his death from the roof.
Story #3[Introducing the Imp]
Writer:
Stan Lee. Penciler/Inker:
Chad Grothkopf.
Synopsis
In an ancient town, a gang of ruffians plot to loot the city. To this end they release a dragon from a cage to terrify the populace.
Jefferson Vandermeer sees the trouble and the magical
Imp emerges from his ear to fight for justice. The tiny avenger leaps upon the monster but find his blows have no effect—until he tries tickling the beast. The chuckling dragon flies off with the Imp aboard and the town police set off to capture the beast when it lands. The villains seize the opportunity to enter the city and rob the populace but the Imp manages to reverse the dragon’s course and crash it into the river, drowning it. The police return and apprehend the miscreants, while the Imp returns to Jefferson Vandermeer’s ear.
Story #4Timber!
Writer:
Unknown. Penciler/Inker:
.
Synopsis
Pat Cowley is the son of the owner of a lumber firm. The Cowley company is competing with a rival concern, the
Corivan outfit, for a big contract which will go to the company that can float the most logs downriver by the end of the month. Pat’s concern is that Corivan has a reputation for dirty tricks. In the middle of the night, Pat suddenly smells smoke coming from their lumber stores and rouses the men to put out the blaze just in time. He spies a new worker who was already fully dressed in the middle of the night and accuses him of being a saboteur planted by Corivan. The crook reports back to his boss, who personally sneaks into the Cowley camp to plant dynamite in their lumber engine. Pat catches him, punches his lights out, and the Cowley firm wins the contract.
Story #5[The Flaming Horror]
Writer:
Stan Lee. Penciler/Inker:
Jack Alderman.
Synopsis
A big city tenement building is on fire and a young woman cries out that her father is inside.
Larry Scott, passing by, switches into his
Father Time costume and rushes into the blazing structure and comes out with the old man, who is dying from a gunshot wound. The man reveals that he spotted the building’s owner,
Beretti, starting the fire himself to collect on the insurance and was shot, and points out the bad guys standing nearby before he dies. Father Time pursues the crooks to a railroad yard where he is overpowered and tied beneath the wheels of a train. He escapes with the aid of his scythe and heads back to town where the old man’s daughter is being kidnapped. The baddies get away but one stays behind to silence a witness. Father Time catches him and forces him to reveal the location of their hideout. The hero breaks in and beats them all into submission.
Story #6The Silent Death!
Writer:
Stan Lee. Penciler/Inker:
Unknown.
Synopsis
Headline Hunter, an American correspondent in
London, is attacked by an angry mob. It seems that a rival newspaper is accusing him of having revealed sensitive troop movement in an article which led to a military defeat. Headline goes out to the country to think of a way to clear his name and he spots a strange cloud overhead. A handy piece of litmus paper (all news reporters carry it, right?) warns him that this is no ordinary cloud. The
Nazis are jamming the radio so he has a local printer mass-produce leaflets warning of a poison gas attack and hires a plane to take him up to drop the leaflets over the city. His plane is attacked by a Nazi fighter so he hurls the heavy bag of circulars at the enemy plane sending it crashing to the ground. The dead pilot is revealed to be the owner of the rival newspaper who had accused him of treason.