New
York City, 1939: photographer Phil Sheldon and his pals (including a young
J. Jonah Jameson) are eager to cover the war in Europe; Phil attends a demonstrate
where Professor Philip Horton shows off a synthetic man that bursts into
flames. The Human Torch then escapes, terrifying the city. Soon after, the
Sub-Mariner comes ashore to threaten the populace. With these superhuman
marvels, Phil is reluctant to marry his girlfriend Doris because of the
uncertainty of the times. But he is also drawn to them, turning down an
assignment in Europe so he can continue to observe them. Then the Human Torch
battles the Sub-Mariner and the city is again transfixed. Soon, Police Officer
Betty Dean, a defender of Prince Namor, brokers a truce between Namor and Torch
but nothing really changes. Because of his uncertainly, Doris breaks up with
Phil….
Then
Captain America appears on the scene and is hailed as a hero, another marvel
but a non-threatening one. Shortly thereafter, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner are
seen to battle the Axis powers and they too are called heroes. Phil and Doris
reconcile but soon word comes that Namor is leading a force against the USA and
people are thrown into confusion and panic. From the roof of a tall building
Phil sees and photographs the massive wave crashing into New York as well as
the midair fight between Namor and the Torch. A chunk of masonry hits him in
the face and he ends up losing an eye. When he recovers he marries Doris and
ships out to Europe as a war correspondent, and as he witnesses a team of
heroes parachuting into enemy territory, he concludes that the Marvels are here
to stay….