| Issue | #3 |
| Published | Winter 1940-1941 |
| Frequency | quarterly |
| Cover Price | 0.10 USD |
| Pages | 68 |
| Editing | Joe Simon |
| Notes | HUMAN TORCH published quarterly by Timely Publications at Meriden, Conn. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at Meriden, Conn. under Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright 1940 by Timely Publications, 330 W. 42nd St. N. Y., N. Y. Art narratives by Funnies, Incorporated, N. Y., N. Y. Volume 1, No. 3, Winter issue. Printed in U.S.A. Single copies 10c; Yearly subscription 40c |
| Characters | Human Torch; Toro; Sub-Mariner |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Alex Schomburg |
| Inks | Alex Schomburg |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Captain America |
| Synopsis | Ad for Captain America Comics #1. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Joe Simon |
| Inks | Joe Simon |
| Notes | Inside front cover. All info & credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Human Torch; Toro |
| Synopsis | The head of a large spy ring reads about the Torch and Toro in the newspaper, and decides on a plan to eliminate the Torch. He heads out to the circus with his men and attempts to convince Toro that his parents are still alive. But when Torch intervenes, Toro pushes him away and decides to go with the men. They go to an apartment where a couple, dressed as his parents, put on an act to convince Toro of who they are, but Torch shows up, telling Toro that they are phonies. When he can provide no proof, Torch must leaves and his "parents" tell him that they have arranged for him to join the Junior Ideal Club, a supposed patriotic organization. He leaves for his initiation, not realizing the Torch is following and has learned of the devilish plans they have in store for the lad. Torch steals the plans and tracks down Toro and tells him that he can prove the organization is unpatriotic. In the ensuing moments, it seems that Torch has killed Toro's father and the Police claim Torch blew up a munitions works. Torch and one of the fifth columnists are arrested and taken to jail, but Torch escapes. He discovers that Toro has been taken out to sea by the group behind the scheme, and before he can locate the young boy, the spies shoot a torpedo at the Police boat, and it explodes, apparently killing the Torch! |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Carl Burgos |
| Pencils | Carl Burgos (layouts probably) [as Burgos] (signed) |
| Inks | Harry Sahle (finished art probably) |
| Notes | Revised artistic credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). Inker credit previously given to Carl Burgos. |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Human Torch; head-views of the Vision, Angel and Sub-Mariner. |
| Synopsis | Ad for Marvel Comics #16. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Alex Schomburg |
| Inks | Alex Schomburg |
| Notes | Sequence added by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Human Torch; Toro; Hermann Goering (as Herr Medals); Adolf Hitler (as Chancellor Hiccup); Benito Mussolini (as Benny Musclein) |
| Synopsis | The Torch is sinking beneath the surface after the horrible torpedo explosion, but slowly revives and tries to find the missing liner without success. Aboard ship, Toro learns that his "parents" have been condemned as traitors and sentenced to death. Toro agrees to help free them as the Torch finally locates the ship, boards it and disguises himself as a crew member. He discovers the ship is smuggling gold out of the U.S., so he burns a message into one gold brick and addresses it to Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The Captain of the ship, meanwhile, has wired explosives to detonate and blow the ship and crew to smithereens. Toro sees this from shore, but now has been made a "prince" by other spy members.....all of which has been seen by the Torch from hiding, so the Torch decides to destroy all weaponry in the munition works Toro has been taken to. Torch heads out for Hiccup Palace to take on Herr Medals, Hiccup & Benny Musclein, who have captured Toro and have placed him in a giant rocket-cannon and blasted him off into space. Toro regains consciousness inside the rocket as Torch follows the ship over New York City. Unfortunately, the rocket shoots a brown mist at the Torch, putting out his flame and Toro rescues him. Toro finnaly realizes that he has "been had" by the Nazis, so he helps Torch destroy the rocket flotilla aimed at New York. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Carl Burgos (signed) |
| Pencils | Carl Burgos (layouts probably) (signed) |
| Inks | Harry Sahle [finishes probably] |
| Notes | Revised artistic credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). Inker credit formerly given to Carl Burgos. |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Human Torch; Sub-Mariner; Toro |
| Synopsis | The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner once again meet....but this time it is to argue which of their artists is the best: Burgos or Everett? |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Carl Burgos? |
| Inks | Carl Burgos? |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Spot illo credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Captain America; head-view of Bucky |
| Synopsis | Readers are told to look for the next issue of Captain America to learn how they can become one of Captain America's Sentinels. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | ? [traced Jack Kirby figure of Captain America] |
| Inks | ? [traced Jack Kirby figure of Captain America] |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | All info by Craig Delich (Dec.2005). |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | GS: Human Torch, Toro |
| Synopsis | As Sub-Mariner swims along, he notes the water getting warm and finds the molten gold bar that the Human Torch wrote a message on for him to find. Namor arranges to meet Betty Dean and show her the bar, and she tells him that the Torch and Toro were working on an espionage case down near the waterfront. Namor disguises himself as a crew member and goes aboard a ship to seek out a job. Discovering the crew to be German, he adopts a phony German accent, but is recognized by the ship's Captain and thrown into the brig. Sub-Mariner then has iron boots put on his feet and is tied to the mast so he can't escape. Then he is taken and tied to the wing of a plane, flown out over the ocean and dropped in. The Torch and Toro happen to see this and they rescue Namor, informing him of an enemy invasion coming. Namor leaves the pair to garner his forces to do battle, which they do the following day with devastating results....for the Germans! Namor returns back to base in time to hear a plea for him to come to Washington to meet with War Department personnel. He is then informed that another massive armada is poised to attack in 48 hours and could he help out again? Prince Namor says that, although he has lost many planes and personnel, he will help out as best he can. Amassing his focres once again, Namor meets and defeats the enemy forces and is cheered throughout the land. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Bill Everett (signed) |
| Pencils | Bill Everett (signed) |
| Inks | Bill Everett (signed) |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |
| Characters | Black Marvel; head-views of Super Slave, Moon Man, Sub-Earth Man, The Fin, The Terror & The Black Widow. |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Jack Kirby |
| Notes | Inside back cover. Info and credits by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005). |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005) |