Before he made it big with his Mike Hammer novels, Mickey Spillane's career as a writer included a stint with Marvel Comics. (Then called Timely Comics.) In All-Winners Comics #3 (Winter 1941-42), Spillane penned a nifty Human Torch story, with the art tentatively credited to Torch's creator Carl Burgos.
The story begins when the Torch and Toro hear a shot and then see the gunman running from a nearby building. They stop the guy, who commits suicide to avoid capture. He turns out to be part of a pro-Japanese society called the Black Dragons.
Inside the building is the body of an oil tycoon, who had recently sold a Texas oil well to someone else. The Torch's investigation of this convinces him to take a look at the oil well. Confirmation that he is on to something comes when, during the trip to Texas via train, a Black Dragon assassin tries to kill him.
The assassin is wearing an asbestos suit, so is able to escape. Upon arriving in Texas, the Torch takes a job at the oil well. He and Toro soon find out that the oil is being pumped from the well to the coast rather than to a legitimate location.
The two heroes are nearly blown to bits by land mines, but soon have the local Black Dragon goons on the run. They capture all but the leader, who escapes through the pipeline and boards a Japanese submarine that has been collecting the oil.
The Torches catch the sub and burn a hole in its side, forcing it to surrender to a nearby American destroyer. So a plan by the Japanese government to steal oil is foiled.
It's a simple, fun story. Though the artist is uncredited, it looks like Burgos' style and has the same liveliness typical of his work. Spillane shows that, even early in his career, he knew how to move a story along at a brisk pace. Also, its always worthwhile to note that Marvel Comics was slamming the Axis forces before the U.S. officially entered the war. That always makes these early anti-fascist stories more fun to read.
Next week, we'll stay in the 1940s and visit Sgt. Rock.
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