Story #2The Petals of Doom!
Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Al Avison. Inker: Syd Shores. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
A masked villain known as the
Yellow Claw is terrorizing America with his sinister schemes. Late one night, as
Captain America and Bucky are returning to
Camp Lehigh after an adventure, they encounter a dying Army officer. They pursue a trio of suspicious figures but the baddies get away in the darkness. The next night at a camp dance, Steve Rogers is startled to find his girlfriend
Betty Ross dancing with the new intelligence officer
Captain Elliot. Soon after there is a rash of dead officers, following deliveries of flowers to the camp. Cap and Bucky trail the delivery van to the hideout of the Yellow Claw; bursting in, the heroes easily overwhelm the baddies but Bucky collapses after sniffing a flower. Cap allows the Yellow Claw to escape in order to rush his partner to the hospital where doctors valiantly save his life. Cap then deduces that the flowers are poisoned. The two heroes race to the military ball where the Claw and his henchmen will be distributing the deadly petals to the officers. Cap tries to warn everyone but Captain Elliot drives him off as a madman. The Yellow Claw then kidnaps Betty, who has realized Cap was telling the truth, and uses her as a hostage to lure Cap into a trap. Cap and Bucky burst in and defeat the villain and his gang. The mastermind falls among his poisoned flowers and dies. He is unmasked as Captain Elliot, secretly a
Nazi spy.
Story #3Gruesome Gus
Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Chad Grothkopf. Inker: Chad Grothkopf. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
One evening,
Jefferson Vandermeer goes out for a stroll and lets the
Imp out of his ear for companionship.
Gruesome Gus and his thugs leap out and capture the Imp to use in a money-making scheme. They put the little fellow on a leash and pretend he is tiny because he is malnourished and so beg for cash from compassionate citizens. The Imp’s rope breaks and he escapes, finding Jeff in the city looking for him. Gruesome Gus and his thugs beat up Jeff and prepare to throw him to the alligators. The Imp arrives with a "lake demon" made up of tree branches and leaves and so scares the bad guys that they run straight to the jail for protection.
Story #4The Commandos
Writer: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Inspired by tales of
Commando raids in the European theater,
Captain Clive of the Australian forces, organizes similar bands of men to fight behind enemy lines in
Malaya. Through stealth and careful organization they manage to destroy a valuable Japanese supply line, earning a commendation from the top commander.
Story #5Elmer
Writer: ?. Penciler: Mike Sekowsky. Inker: George Klein. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Three single-page gags about a stupid boy:
Elmer blows up the house with his new chemistry set, plays postman by mailing out his mother’s old love letters, and mistakes the bank president for a robber.
Story #6The Three-Man Blitzkrieg
Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Don Rico. Inker: Don Rico. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Newsboy
Roddy Colt becomes suspicious when
Mr. Lenz refuses to buy
defense stamps for the war effort. Changing into the
Secret Stamp he follows a couple of sinister characters through a hidden tunnel and into Lenz’s house. He discovers they are all
Nazi agents and are plotting to sabotage the town’s power plant. Secret Stamp leaps out and confronts them but
Spud Sickles, Roddy’s stamp-selling rival, has followed him into the tunnel. Spud’s distraction causes the Stamp to be shot by Lenz. Pretending to be dead, he is dumped outside where he radios his reporter pal
Jerry Dash to call the police. The Secret Stamp then returns and beats up the bad guys before they can dynamite the power plant.