Detective Comics #3 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1937.
Synopsis for Speed Saunders, River Patrol: "A Stowaway In Need"
Speed Saunders rents a boat to go on vacation with, only to find that a young woman was stowing away inside. A gang, led by "Spider" Liverman, were chasing her because of the plans she held, for a new brand of typewriter.
Appearing in Speed Saunders, River Patrol: "A Stowaway In Need"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lora (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Spider Liverman (Single appearance)
- Jos (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bill Bunce (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Sailboat
Synopsis for Hope Hazard, G-Woman: "The Air Mail Mystery"
Something has been causing all the mail-delivery planes to disappear, and government agent Hope Hazard has been sent out to investigate! She becomes a passenger on the next plane, piloted by Bill Littlejohn, and discovers that a strange force causes the engines to fail when they pass over a certain mountainous area. Thanks to expert piloting, Bill and Hope land safely, only to be captured by a couple of goons with guns. They learn a special "Z-Ray" was being used to cause mail-planes to crash, so that the thugs could steal whatever was inside. Hope and Bill break away from the goons' clutches, running around the mountain's rocky trail until they lose sight of their pursuers. The Z-Ray would need to be found and destroyed before others fell victim to its rays, and so Hope and Bill begin the search in a nearby cave. Deeper down, inside a large chamber, a mass crowd of underworld types are gathered as their leader, Xavier, questions the out-of-breath goons who had captured the plane, growing angry at the news of the government woman's escape, and ordering her capture, as a stunned Bill and Hope look on from the shadows.
Appearing in Hope Hazard, G-Woman: "The Air Mail Mystery"
Featured Characters:
- Hope Hazard (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Bill Littlejohn (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Xavier (First appearance)
Items:
- Z-Ray
Vehicles:
- Plane
Synopsis for Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Kidnapping of Angus MacDonald"
Angus MacDonald, owner of a well-known steamship company, was due at a conference hall to make a speech in front of his colleagues, whose workers were having a seaman's strike. Unfortunately, he's kidnapped by some masked men who pull him into their car. His wife Ethel enlists the aid of the famous detective Cosmo, who believes that because of the ongoing strike, one of the men at the conference may not have wanted her husband to make that speech. With his make-up kit, which he carries with him everywhere, Cosmo turns himself into a perfect likeness of Angus MacDonald. Later, when he arrives at the conference hall, only one of the men seemed visibly surprised by Angus' appearance. Cosmo rips off the false face and begins aggressively interrogating the man about MacDonald's whereabouts. The man confesses and informs him that Angus was being held in an old warehouse. The police are called and the warehouse is quickly found and broken into, Angus MacDonald is rescued and the kidnappers are arrested.
Appearing in Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Kidnapping of Angus MacDonald"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Angus MacDonald (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Roxton (Single appearance)
- Louie (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ethel MacDonald (Single appearance)
- Watkins (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Bruce Nelson: "The Claws of the Dragon (Part 3)"
In Chinatown, a tong war is currently being waged between the On Leong and the Hip Sing families. Inside an unassuming building, the aged leader of the Hip Sings gives an assignment to two of his best assassins, Hong Ah Kay and Sing Dock, to kill a man who's currently at the "house of the lion guarded gates". The two hitmen head outside where a plainclothes cop, Mulrooney, recognized them and secretly made a call to Lieutenant Casey. They trade suspicions that there was more than a simple "tong war" going on, and the Von Holtzendorff kidnappings had something to do with it. Inquiries with the locals brought about rumors of a gang of Chinese killers coming to America, led by a fearsome man named Lu Gong...
Meanwhile, Bruce Nelson was being held at gunpoint by a nervous Joe Stucchi. He beckoned Nelson to follow as he slowly retreated backwards. In a single moment, Bruce leapt forward suddenly and wrested the firearm away from Stucchi, causing him to dash away in fear. Bruce watched in amusement, which quickly turned to annoyance when he discovered why Joe was so nervous. The gun was empty. A sound of footsteps sent him ducking into the shrubbery just in time, for a group of five Chinese carrying long knives entered through the gate. Sensing that it was him they were searching for, Bruce rushed quickly behind the shrubs looking for a place to hide. A small summerhouse in the yard seemed perfect, so he ducked inside. When three of the Chinese approached, Bruce readied the gun in hopes that he could at least use it to scare them away. But just then there was a loud scream coming from the front of the house! The Chinamen headed back to investigate, while Nelson shadowed them cautiously. Another Chinese man laid on the pavement bloodied and broken by a new group of men. They were dressed in elegant styles, two of them opening the front gate to allow a car to enter. When the vehicle came to a halt, a large Chinese gentleman that Bruce did not recognize stepped forward. But soon a figure he did know came stepping out of the car as well. It was the man he had seen at the restaurant with the young woman! Erick Von Holtzendorff!.
Appearing in Bruce Nelson: "The Claws of the Dragon (Part 3)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Mulrooney (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Lu Gong (Behind the scenes)
- Hong Ah Kay (First appearance)
- Sing Dock (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Lieutenant Casey
- Sigrid von Holtzendorff
Locations:
- New York City
- Chinatown
- Chinatown
Synopsis for "The Wales Case"
A murder is committed, and witnesses say they saw Elmer Bell do it. But at the time, Elmer was at a party, as fifty guests all spoke to him then. When the court is stumped, it calls for the help of "Lazy" Smith, who figures out the truth; Bell had a twin brother.
Appearing in "The Wales Case"
Featured Characters:
- Lazy Smith (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Elmer Bell (Single appearance)
- Elmer's twin (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jasper Wales (Single appearance; dies)
- Grandpa Spears (Single appearance)
- Colonel Aspinwall (Single appearance)
- Dimwit Bales (Single appearance)
- Helen White (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Dingtown
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "The Nearly-Weds"
At At Sally's wedding to socialite Phil Marden, she is just about to say "I Do" when the minister pulls out a gun and points it directly at her! Using threats, the false minister kidnaps Sally and takes her to Olga Balinoff's apartment, leaving captain Bart Regan to come to her rescue.
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "The Nearly-Weds"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Olga Balinoff
- Gregg (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Phillip Marden (Final appearance)
- Officer Kelly (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Buck Marshall: "Bullets In the Dark"
After a long day's ride over the rough mountain trails, Buck Marshall draws near the Box-H range that lies in the wooded valley beyond. He comes up to a log cabin, ducking down beneath the brush with his steed when two men stepped out the door. Buck could hear them arguing over what he guessed was the amount of livestock they needed. One of the men he recognized as Bull Leary, a wanted rustler that he had been chasing across three states. As the other man mounts his horse and rides away to speak with their "supplier", Buck leaps out of the foliage with his gun pointed at Bull Leary's back. Bull attempts to swing around and fire at him, but Buck shoots the gun from Leary's hand! The outlaw is then tied up helplessly on top of Buck's horse as he rides with him back down to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff is told what Buck heard the two men arguing about, and explains the Box-H range owner, Jim Slade, had recently complained that his livestock was disappearing. Bull Leary was known to be working for Box H, but the Sheriff suspected he was planted there by a gang of rustlers. Buck came up with an idea, taking Bull Leary's hat and horse, he rode back to the cabin up in the valley. Arriving at nightfall, Buck is relieved that the other man hadn't come back yet. He tethers the horse to it's hitch-rail and steps into the cabin. It's a few hours of waiting before the sound of hoofs are heard coming from outside. Standing just to the left of the window, Buck is startled by red darts of hot buckshot being fired into the cabin directly at the bunk. It was clear that whoever was out there had just tried to murder Bull Leary.
Appearing in Buck Marshall: "Bullets In the Dark"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Bull Leary (Single appearance)
- Jim Slade (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- The Sheriff (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "Slam Delivers the Message"
Slam clears up a group of hoodlums, when a bystander offers him a business proposition. He must deliver an envelope to a man at an exposition on the next day. When Slam and Shorty enter the Expo they are being watched by three sinister figures.
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "Slam Delivers the Message"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- D'arcy (Single appearance; dies)
- Purnelli (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Elmer (Single appearance)
Locations:
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc..
- At this time, More Fun Comics and New Adventure Comics were still being published by "Nicholson Publishing Co., Inc."
- Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Kidnapping of Angus MacDonald" and Buck Marshall: "Bullets In the Dark" are printed in black & white.
- Hope Hazard: Closing blurb says Continued next issue. but really it's not. After this issue, Hope Hazard, G Woman does not return until More Fun Comics #30, Mar/Apr 1938.
- The Wales Case is told in rhyme.
Trivia
- Slam Bradley has a distinctively different look in this issue. His hair, for example, is light brown instead of the usual black.
See Also