Issue | #9 |
Published | May 1942 |
Frequency | bi-monthly |
Cover Price | 0.10 USD |
Pages | 68 |
Editing | Stan Lee |
Notes | MYSTIC COMICS is published bi-monthly by Timely Comics, Inc., at 330 W. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Vol. 2, No. 9, May, 1942 issue. Contents copyright 1942 by Timely Comics, Inc. No similarity between any of the names, characters, persons and/or institutions appearing in this magazine with those of any living or dead person or institution is intended, and that any such similarity which may exist is purely coincidental. Printed in the U. S. A. |
Characters | Destroyer [Keen Marlow]; Adolf Hitler; Hirohito |
Genre | superhero |
Pencils | Al Gabriele |
Inks | Syd Shores |
Synopsis | Table of contents for the issue, also credits Stan Lee as Editor. |
Letters | typeset |
Notes | Inside front cover. |
Characters | Destroyer [Keen Marlow]; Flora von Bangor [Florence von Banger]; Adolf Hitler |
Synopsis | The Destroyer enrages Hitler by interrupting his speeches with broadcasts from Freedom Station, a clandestine radio service run by a German named Hans. |
Genre | superhero |
Notes | Splash page bears the words: "From the famous character created by STAN LEE". The first and last names of the Destroyer's lady friend have mysteriously changed slightly. |
Characters | The Witness |
Synopsis | The Witness brings in a gambling ship that was cheating and blackmailing the players but staying too far out to sea to be in the police's jurisdiction. |
Genre | superhero |
Pencils | Pierce Rice ? |
Notes | The Witness is not in costume in this issue - instead he wears a suit and a narrow black domino mask. There is a blurb for another Witness story in the next issue, but it never appeared. Art credit corroborated by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. |
Characters | The Terror |
Synopsis | A criminal known as "The Old One" creates Poison, Inc., and commits murders for hire using poisons. The Terror hears of the these murders, and tracks down the Old One through his clients. |
Genre | superhero |
Pencils | Don Rico (signed) |
Inks | Don Rico (signed) |
Characters | Davey Drew; Demon; The Prince of Good (introduction) |
Synopsis | Davey is saved from being dropped into a boiling cauldron by the sudden appearance of the Prince of Good, arch enemy of the Demon. The Prince rescues Davey and leaves the Demon buried in the rock, believing him destroyed. But after the Prince leaves, the Demon emerges and attacks New York, leading to a titanic battle between the Demon and the Prince atop the Empire State Building. |
Genre | occult |
Pencils | Howard James (signed) |
Inks | Howard James (signed) |
Notes | Continued from the cliffhanger end of the previous issue, and the last panel, while not a cliffhanger, teases the next issue's story. |
Genre | crime |
Letters | typeset |
Notes | Text story (no illustrations). |
Letters | typeset |
Notes | Small text ad for the following titles (in order, as they appear): CAPTAIN AMERICA Comics MARVEL Comics HUMAN TORCH Quarterly SUB-MARINER Quarterly YOUNG ALLIES Comics ALL WINNERS Quarterly JOKER Comics U.S.A. Comics COMEDY Comics TOUGH KID SQUAD Comics |
Characters | Black Marvel [Dan Lyons] |
Synopsis | A young ex-con tries to go straight, but a former criminal associate frames him for murder so the Black Marvel much catch the real murderer and clear the young man's name. |
Genre | superhero |
Notes | The last panel claims there will be another Black Marvel story in the next issue but it never appeared. |
Characters | Gary Gaunt (introduction; origin); Jean Carson (introduction) |
Synopsis | Noted criminologist Gary Gaunt accidentally drinks an experimental mixture he'd made to turn rabbits into fighting animals after he receives a blow to the head. As a result, while a criminologist by day he becomes a monstrous evil-doer at night. |
Pencils | Don Rico |
Inks | Don Rico |
Notes | Artist credits from Jerry Bails' Who's Who. |
Characters | Blazing Skull [Mark Todd] |
Synopsis | Mark Todd visits an old friend of his father's, but finds him denying they know each other and acting oddly. As the Blazing Skull, he discovers that a murdering robber has taken his friend's place in order to redirect the blame for his crimes. |
Genre | superhero |
Notes | Mark Todd is back to being described as a District Attorney in this issue. A teaser in the last panel promises another Blazing Skull story in the next issue, but it never appeared. |
Characters | Challenger [Bill Waring] |
Synopsis | The Challenger stops an insurance scam where those who bought large insurance policies were lured to a castle and scared to death with ghastly apparitions in order to appear to have died of natural causes. |
Genre | superhero |
Script | Stan Lee (signed) |
Pencils | Mike Sekowsky [as M. Sekowsky] (signed) |
Notes | Inks credits originally given to Mike Sekowsky in error (per Tony Isabella, March 30, 2006) |
Letters | typeset |
Notes | Inside back cover. |
Letters | typeset |
Notes | Back cover. |