Captain Marvel Adventures #16 is an issue of the series Captain Marvel Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1942.
Synopsis for "The Alaskan Adventure"
One day, early in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands, Billy Batson and Sterling Morris receive a radio transmission from Olaf Smorgasbord, on Misko Island, Alaska Territory. While Olaf's reporting about how calm and peaceful things are on Misko, three Japanese soldiers (Hissyu and two enlisted men) climb in through the window behind him, and grab the old sourdough by the neck. Back in the city, Billy hears this happen, and immediately gets SHAZAMed up and flies to Alaska, arriving over Misko in thirty-seven and three-quarters seconds. Captain Marvel has memorized the location of every island on Earth.
Sitting atop old Olaf's shack, Captain Marvel eavesdrops as the officer, Hissyu uses Olaf's transmitter to call his brother officer, Missyu, and declares the island to be undefended and ready to invade. Captain Marvel flies into the shack and beats up Hissyu and his squad. The radio equipment is still on, and Marvel uses it to talk some smack at Missyu, who laughs it off, and says to expect his arrival that afternoon. Then there's some shooting outside. According to Olaf, that would be Klondike Mike and Kodiak Ike, still pursuing their lifelong feud. Cap is very offended that two Americans should be shooting at each other, especially right now, and he flies into the woods to look into this, leaving Olaf and his rifle to guard the (four or more) prisoners.
Cap finds Mike and Ike, interrupts their beard-pulling, ear-twisting fight, and tells them what's going on; they both declare themselves ready and able to take on the enemy. Marvel stations them and their rifles on some high ground overlooking the island's only harbor, the inevitable landing zone. Then he flies back to Olaf's shack, where he finds Olaf playing cards with Hissyu, and has already won his coat and cap. Meanwhile he's also been transmitting to the American Fleet, but with no reply so far. Captain Marvel then flies out to scout the enemy task force.
He finds at least seven warships approaching, lands on one of them, and changes to Billy, in order to slither down a ventilation duct for better eavesdropping. He sneaks his way into the wardroom where Missyu is going over his invasion plans, out loud and in English, with a subordinate. The plan is to invade Misko with infantry, and to air-raid Dutch Harbor simultaneously. Billy sneezes and is caught. Billy is having an allergic reaction to the incense burning in the room, and is sneezing so much and so rapidly that he can't quite say his magic word, until after he's been thrown over the side. In the water, alongside the Japanese warships, which are now shooting machine guns at him, he finds three submarines, disguised to look like whales. Then he says his magic word, flies straight through one of the subs, and flies to Misko Island, from where he warns Dutch Harbor by radio. In the next room, Olaf and Hissyu are still playing cards; Olaf has now won almost all of Hissyu's uniform, and it's cold in Alaska.
At the island's natural harbor, the Japanese invasion force is just landing its first boat when Mike and Ike roll some improvised explosive barrels down the hill to greet them, then open up with their rifles. The first landing party is repulsed, with 41 casualties. Captain Marvel flies back out to the Japanese flagship, lands, converts back to Billy size, and sneaks around some more, soon overhearing two officers plan their second move: sending one of the fake-whale submarines to the beach. Cap flies back toward the island, finding one sub already in the bay, and already encountering a real whale. That encounter quickly turns violent, and the sub is smashed asunder by the giant animal, which then rampages through the nearby fleet. Most of these ships, it turns out, are fake, made of cardboard and wood. Only the aircraft carrier and the flagship and a few of the subs are real, the rest are props for an enormous bluff. The flagship, however, still packs a formidable battery of big guns; Missyu starts shelling the island, intending to leave no creature alive upon it.
That's when a task force of U.S. surface warships shows up, guns blazing. Missyu steps off-panel and commits hara-kiri. Captain Marvel congratulates and thanks his rifle team and returns to the radio cabin. Hissyu is now wearing only a barrel, Olaf has won his clothes, his money, the Japanese fleet, Singapore, and Tokyo. Outside, Klondike Mike and Kodiak Ike have gone back to fighting (now it's over which killed the most enemies), and Olaf Smorgasbord goes back to radio-reporting on how quiet things are on Misko Island. Captain Marvel flies back to civilization, and Billy gives the public a rousing pep-talk about Americans standing shoulder to shoulder against the enemy.
Appearing in "The Alaskan Adventure"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Hissyu, Japanese military officer
- Missyu, Japanese task force commander
- Imperial Japanese military
Other Characters:
- Olaf Smorgasbord
- Klondike Mike
- Kodiak Ike
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Misko Island, Alaska Territory
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Trumpet of Doom"
Billy and Steamboat lease a run-down old house, which is mostly empty except for an old, battered trumpet they find in a trunk. Captain Marvel translates an engraving on it that proves to have an ominous message: "Once man touches lips with me, mankind shall no longer be."
A Mr. Terwilliger appears, looking for that very trumpet for its archeological significance. As he tells it, that's the very trumpet the Archangel Gabriel will blow on Judgement Day. Not convinced Terwilliger is the rightful owner, especially if indeed the instrument has the power he claims, Marvel refuses to give it over. He hires some thugs to help steal the trumpet, but it ends up in a scrap metal donation truck and is used to build a bomb that's dropped on Japan.
Appearing in "The Trumpet of Doom"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Terwilliger
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Trumpet of Doom
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The World's Mightiest Mistake"
Appearing in "The World's Mightiest Mistake"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Kid: "Rattlesnake Ike"
Appearing in Captain Kid: "Rattlesnake Ike"
Featured Characters:
- Captain Kid
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Rattlesnake Ike
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "In Mexico"
The "American secretary" is visiting Mexico as part of a goodwill tour, with Billy and Steamboat on hand to broadcast the event. While they're setting up underneath the secretary's box for a bullfight, Billy notices a drum of TNT. When he realizes it's wired, he follows it to a detonator planted by German spies. Captain Marvel tussles with them, and in the course of the brawl one lands on the detonator with his behind. Captain Marvel contains the blast by actually shoving all the exploding force back into the drum containing the TNT with his hands! While he was occupied with that, the spies slipped away.
The bullfight commences, but the bull is too placid, and Captain Marvel razzes the beast to make him mad enough to charge for the crowd. It works too well, and when a woman falls into the arena, he has to punch out the bull to save her. The matador who was supposed to fight the bull is humiliated and challenges Captain Marvel to prove his mettle. Which the hero does, as he's unwilling to turn down a challenge, though this means he isn't around to keep an eye on the secretary. Indeed, no sooner has he left, than the spies from before force their way into the secretary's hotel and kidnap him.
After getting bored withstanding the matador's attempts to see him off, Captain Marvel returns and finds a man claiming to be the secretary's new assistant. He assures Marvel everything is fine. At the broadcast that night, though, the "secretary" declares the Axis are good people the Americans don't want to fight. An enraged Marvel attacks and unmasks him as an imposter, who caves and admits the real secretary was taken to the catacombs under the city. Although the spies try to flood the tunnels to keep Marvel from escaping with their hostages, he easily escapes. The matador from before, eager to avenge himself on the one who actually impugned his honor, captures and punches out the leader when he tries to escape.
Appearing in "In Mexico"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Herr Schmaltz and his spies
- Bicarbo the matador
Other Characters:
- The American Secretary
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Front cover depicts Captain Marvel and Uncle Sam, and cover text announces: "Captain Marvel fights shoulder to shoulder with Uncle Sam to beat the Jap Invaders in Alaska!" Uncle Sam doesn't actually appear in the story, it seeming to be more of a metaphorical depiction.
- This issue of Captain Marvel Adventures also presents:
- "A Dead Jap is a Good Jap!" (text story), by Joseph J. Millard
- Giant "Paste the Axis" Contest, art by C.C. Beck
- Back cover: "Here are two more Comix Cards":
- #3 Bulletman
- #9 Commando Yank
See Also