Synopsis
This issue moves into early 1940 as the Human Torch is still on the loose and Thomas Holloway dons Two-Gun Kid's mask and a cape and costume to fight crime.
In Frankfurt in February Hans Bruder at Project Nietzsche, the German superpowers project, is continuing the study of Private John Steele, a superhuman the Germans captured at the end of WWI and kept in suspended animation. Steele was a Timely hero from 1940, appearing only once in Daring Mystery Comics #1. Marvels Project and Marvel Mystery Handbook claim the WWI soldier had superhuman strength and durability from an unknown source. (To me he appears in his one story to be just another man who succeeded against great odds because he was on the side of right.) I would have thought Steele's body would have had some input into Abraham Erskine's super-soldier process, but this issue claims it didn't.
Erskine is off to report progress to Himmler near the border with Luxembourg. Lt Sawyer and the Sky Devils (behind the scenes) drop Nick Fury and Red Hargrove across the border in Germany to intercept Erskine's transportation and extract him, as he requested last issue. This is the only thing in this issue related to the US government's project to direct the development of superbeings. The Sky Devils replaced Steele in DMC#2 (and continued in #4,5). They were an American, a Frenchman and an Englishman flying for the British before the US joined the war. (And in this issue of MP, before France has been conquered.)
Halloway stops a carful of crooks fleeing from the police. When the press photographer/reporter corners him he says to call him the Angel. This was a name the inmates of the prison his father was warden of gave him as a youth, after he saved an innocent man from execution.
Other mystery men crop up in the succeeding weeks, including Fiery Mask, Phantom Bullet, Mister E and Monako the mystic detective. These were also short-lived in DMC. Phantom Bullet and Mister E's only outings were in #2. Monako appeared in #1,4,5,6. Fiery Mask was in #1,5,6 plus Human Torch #2. None of these characters' cameos are taken specifically from any Timely issues. At least Fiery Mask and Mister E were resurrected in the Twelve limited series. This issue explains why Phantom Bullet didn't last long. Angel sees him discovered dead by the police. Halloway attends the funeral of the Bullet's secret identity Allan Lewis, who turns out to be the reporter who interviewed him earlier. Angel vows to avenge him.
Human Torch is hiding in a barn practising control of his flame when he stops some mobsters from executing an undercover cop. Later Torch offers to join the police force, posing as a normal human. HT did join the police in MMC#7 under his alias Jim Hammond. He was helped in this by his undercover cop friend Pete Johnson. Possibly this is the man HT saves in this issue, although their meeting is very different from the original in MMC#2.
Nazi Major Kerfoot is in New York as Prof Hamilton lying in wait for Erskine. He kills a cleaning woman when she uncovers his secret. Kerfoot is only previously referred to in Captain America #155. I can't find his alias Hamilton anywhere in Marvel.