Volume: 1
Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1939-10-13
Editing: Martin Goodman (editor)
Cover Thumbnail for Marvel Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1939 series) #2 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents)

The Angel / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
    Genre:superhero
Characters:
Reprints (7)

Indexer Notes

Art identification by Hames Ware and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Timely-Atlas list. Corrected from Claire S. Moe (Henry Andrews 2009-03-08).

Issue Data

  • Indicia / Colophon Publisher: Timely Publications
  • Indicia Frequency: monthly
  • Printer: [none printed]

Indexer Notes

Indicia (scan courtesy of Greg Gatlin):
MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS published monthly by Timely Publications, 330 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Publication office, 8 Lord Street, Buffalo, New York. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at Buffalo, New York under act of March 3rd, 1879. Entire contents copyright 1939 by Timely Publications. Vol. 1 No. 2. December 1939. Yearly subscription $1.00. Single copies 10 cents.

On sale date from the publication date found in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, New Series, Volume 34, 1939, Number 4. Second class periodical. Copyright number 432327.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 1)

Silver Streak Comics #1 / advertisement / 1 page

[Murder at the Racetrack]
(Table of Contents: 2)

Human Torch / comic story / 16 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:superhero
Characters:
Johnson (undercover cop posing as prison con and former racecar driver, introduction); Red (villain, introduction); Blackie Ross (villain, introduction); Lola (girlfriend of Blackie Ross, introduction); Police Commissioner
Synopsis:
The Torch must battle a racketeer who wants his racing car to win so badly that he uses an airplane that fires incendiary bullets into the other cars.
Reprints (4)

Indexer Notes

The Human Torch still wears his blue uniform. He doesn't adopt the Jim Hammond identity until issue #4.

[The Treasure of Alano]
(Table of Contents: 3)

The Angel / comic story / 8 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Paul Gustavson (credited) (signed as Paul Gustavson)
Inks:
Paul Gustavson (credited) (signed as Paul Gustavson)
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:The mysterious enchantment of the China Sea is broken by the low moan of the fog-horn on the S.S. Oregon as she docks at Hongkong.
  • Keywords:Hong Kong
    • Universe:Marvel : mainstream
Characters:
Jane Framan (introduction); Lelong [as Sumner] (villain, introduction)
Synopsis:
The Angel saves a woman's life when a stranger attempts to steal her map that reveals the location of a treasure connected to the lost temple of Alano.
Reprints (3)

Indexer Notes

Gustavson's credits from Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.

[Attack on New York City]
(Table of Contents: 4)

Namor the Sub-Mariner / comic story / 12 pages

Script:
Bill Everett (credited, signed)
Pencils:
Bill Everett (credited, signed)
Inks:
Bill Everett (credited, signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
Bill Everett (signed)
    Genre:superhero
Characters:
Pinkerton; un-named girl; Foley (policeman, death); Tom (paramedic)
Synopsis:
Namor heads for New York City, and while he is securing a disguise, a young woman accidentally sets her dress ablaze with a cigarette. Deciding that she can be of value to him in his war against the Americans, he kidnaps her from the hospital and takes her to his undersea kingdom.
Reprints (5)

Indexer Notes

Story continued in the next issue.

[The Town of Wanted Men]
(Table of Contents: 5)

The Masked Raider / comic story / 8 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Al Anders (signed as Anders)
Inks:
Al Anders (signed as Anders)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:western-frontier
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Nestling in a valley protected by rocky mountains lay the headquarters of a town of wanted men --
  • Universe:Marvel : mainstream
Characters:
Lightning (Masked Raider's horse); un-named Sheriff; "Hook" Tebbs (villain, introduction) and his men [Tex, Miguel] (villains)
Synopsis:
The Raider disguises himself as a fugitive in order to infiltrate a gang that has been harassing and robbing ranches in several towns.
Reprints (3)

[Origin of the American Ace]
(Table of Contents: 6)

American Ace / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:war; aviation
Characters:
Minister of Castile D'or in Attainia (death); Queen Ursula (villain, introduction), Josef (villain, introduction)
Synopsis:
Queen Ursula of Castle D'or, whose empire was shattered when she lost her colonies during World War I, plans revenge.
Reprints (4)

Indexer Notes

Story continued next issue.

Lauretta is known to have lettered Superman stories at National.

Death-Bird Squadron
(Table of Contents: 7)

The Angel / text story / 2 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
    Genre:superhero
Characters:
the Nazis (villains, some die)
Synopsis:
The Angel takes matters into his own hands against the Nazis, who, without warning, attack the Polish town of Grybow.
Reprints (3)

Indexer Notes

Art ID by Hames Ware and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Timely-Atlas list. Corrected from Claire S. Moe (Henry Andrews 2009-03-08).

[The Battle with Bardak]
(Table of Contents: 8)

Ka-Zar the Great / comic story / 12 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:jungle
Characters:
Zoro (a lion cub); Sulani (a lion cub, unnamed); Kru (a vulture); Bardak (an ape, villain, introduction, death); Tupat (an elephant); Ganya (an ape)
Synopsis:
After the death of his parents, Ka-Zar goes to live in the cave of his friend, Zar, but soon faces Bardak, who has found a mirror in the abandoned tent of De Kraft and refuses to relinquish it. Ka-Zar takes it from him and Bardak swears revenge.
Reprints (4)

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 9)

All in Fun / cartoon / 1 page

Script:
Fred Schwab (signed as Ed Wood)
Pencils:
Fred Schwab (signed as Ed Wood)
Inks:
Fred Schwab (signed as Ed Wood)
Letters:
Fred Schwab (signed as Ed Wood)
    Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:It ain't fair!
Reprints (2)

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover. Five single panel gag cartoons. Sequence added by Kauldi Gilibert (June 14, 2013).

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 10)

Loony Laffs! / cartoon / 1 page

Script:
Ben Thompson (signed)
Pencils:
Ben Thompson (signed)
Inks:
Ben Thompson (signed)
Letters:
Ben Thompson (signed)
    Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Which of you two was drivin' that crate?
Reprints (2)

Indexer Notes

Back cover. Five single panel gag cartoons. Sequence added by Kauldi Gilibert (June 14, 2013).

Editing
Edits to this issue are currently awaiting review by a GCD Editor.
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Tracked in 32 collections.
Issue at my.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. ["With a tremendous leap, the Angel catches the bomber's landing gear..."]
    The Angel
  2. ["Look for the SILVER Cover!"]
    Silver Streak Comics #1
  3. [Murder at the Racetrack]
    Human Torch
  4. [The Treasure of Alano]
    The Angel
  5. [Attack on New York City]
    Namor the Sub-Mariner
  6. [The Town of Wanted Men]
    The Masked Raider
  7. [Origin of the American Ace]
    American Ace
  8. Death-Bird Squadron
    The Angel
  9. [The Battle with Bardak]
    Ka-Zar the Great
  10. ["It ain't fair!"]
    All in Fun
  11. ["Which of you two was drivin' that crate?"]
    Loony Laffs!
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Darci
  • Hrayr Abazyan
  • Henry Andrews
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Mark Bowen
  • David Bruce
  • Keith Chandler
  • Peter Croome
  • Craig Delich
  • Kauldi Gilibert
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • Darrel McCann
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Richard Thomson
  • Jim Van Dore
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