The U.S. Government has been after you and your gang a long time, Baron Basil. America has no place for your theories. I advise you to leave the country!
- — Black X
Appearing in "Mickey Finn"
Featured Characters:
- Mickey Finn
Supporting Characters:
- Uncle Phil
Synopsis for "Mickey Finn"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in Espionage Starring Black X: "Pursued By Baron Basil"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Major Murdock
Antagonists:
- Baron Basil (gets away)
- his assassins (20 are caught)
Locations:
- Newark Airport
- from New York City to Washington DC
Vehicles:
- The Washington Special
Synopsis for Espionage Starring Black X: "Pursued By Baron Basil"
Circa 1938-April: The Black X has captured Baron Basil, but Basil escapes, leaving behind some incriminating documents, that will expose a foreign spy. Black X has to make it from New York to Washington with the evidence, before Basil's numerous tireless enemy agents catch up with him, in a fast-paced cross-country passenger-train chase, aboard the Washington Special. Towards the end, Black X eludes two badguys by the "Richard Stanton method," that is, he dresses up like a very dapper old lady, chats them up, and leaves them, with an insulting note pinned to one's coat.
Appearing in "Jane Arden // Lena Pry"
Featured Characters:
- Jane Arden
- Lena Pry
Synopsis for "Jane Arden // Lena Pry"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Featured Characters:
- Sir Neville of England
Supporting Characters:
- Alice D'Assigny, Princess of Navaria
Antagonists:
- Chopak
- his robbers
Other Characters:
- Prince of Navaria
Locations:
- France
- village near Marseilles
Era:
- Early 9th Century, Reign of Charlemagne
(reprints from the British comic Wags)
Appearing in "Big Top"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for "Big Top"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in Captain Cook of Scotland Yard: "The Death of Colonel Warren"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Chief of Scotland Yard
- Metropolitan Police
Antagonists:
- Charles the Chauffeur
- the Butler
Other Characters:
- Colonel John Warren (Dies)
- Molly the Maid
Locations:
Synopsis for Captain Cook of Scotland Yard: "The Death of Colonel Warren"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in Archie O'Toole: "O'Toole Transformed"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Suzy Sweet
Other Characters:
- Garfinkle
- Queen Bea Hyve
- Strange Professor
Locations:
- Pyromania
Synopsis for Archie O'Toole: "O'Toole Transformed"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in The Clock: "Crime at the International Fair"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Chick
- The Boss
Locations:
Synopsis for The Clock: "Crime at the International Fair"
At the 1939 World's Fair, Brian O'Brien encounters and defeats two punks, the Boss and Chick, in his own civilian identity.
Appearing in "Lala Palooza"
Featured Characters:
- Lala Palooza
Supporting Characters:
- Vincent Palooza
Synopsis for "Lala Palooza"
{newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in The Bungle Family: "High Words"
Featured Characters:
- Bungle Family
Synopsis for The Bungle Family: "High Words"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in Richard Manners: "Theft by Seaplane"
Featured Characters:
- Richard Manners (Final appearance)
Supporting Characters: Antagonists:
- Ned Parsons
Other Characters:
- Mitch, the Hick Detective
Locations:
- Crestville
Vehicles:
- Parsons' seaplane
- Manners' seaplane
Synopsis for Richard Manners: "Theft by Seaplane"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in Slim and Tubby: "Episode 21"
Featured Characters:
- Slim
- Tubby
Synopsis for Slim and Tubby: "Episode 21"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Ned Brant"
Featured Characters:
- Ned Brant
Synopsis for "Ned Brant"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in Reynolds of the Mounted: "Murder among the Cree"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- RCMP Chief
Antagonists:
- Chief Big Horn
Other Characters:
- Constable Burton
- Cree Indians
Locations:
Vehicles:
- two dog sleds
Synopsis for Reynolds of the Mounted: "Murder among the Cree"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Dixie Dugan"
Featured Characters:
- Dixie Dugan
Synopsis for "Dixie Dugan"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Joe Palooka"
Featured Characters:
- Joe Palooka
Supporting Characters:
- Knobby Walsh
Synopsis for "Joe Palooka"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Notes
- First issue under new title of "Feature Comics".
- Black X "Pursued by Baron Basil":
- Baron Basil starts the story tied to a chair, but he's loose from that before the first page is over, and that's the last we see of him, for now.
- Baron Basil looks exactly like Basil Taneo (Smash Comics #5), he's thin but jowly and has an almost-handlebar mustache.
- Batu does not appear in this issue's episode of Espionage.
- Jane Arden and Lena Pry appear on the same pages, with Jane's feature running across the top halves of the pages and Lena's across the bottom halves.
- Last issue for Richard Manners, Super Sleuth by Frank Frollo. Next issue Rance Keane by William Smith begins.
- Also featured in this issue of Feature Comics were:
- Mortimer Mum by Sakren, runs across the bottom halves of the same pages as Toddy.
- "The Mystery of Echo Island, Chapter 2, The House With The Single Door" (text story) by John A. Thorne
- Off The Record by Ed Reed
- They're Still Talking: "About that Dramatic Ninth at St. Louis" by Bob Zuppke and R.W. DePew
- Toddy by George Marcoux, runs across the top halves of the same pages as Mortimer Mum.
Trivia
- Will Eisner signed his Espionage stories as "Will Irwin" and his Archie O'Toole stories as "Bud Thomas".
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Feature Comics Vol 1 21 on the forums
- Cover gallery for the Feature Comics series
