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
Feature Comics #21 is an issue of the series Feature Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1939.
Synopsis for "Mickey Finn"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Mickey Finn"
Featured Characters:
- Mickey Finn
Supporting Characters:
- Uncle Phil
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 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, New Jersey
- from New York City to Washington DC
Vehicles:
- The Washington Special
Synopsis for "Jane Arden // Lena Pry"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Jane Arden // Lena Pry"
Featured Characters:
- Jane Arden
- Lena Pry (See Notes.)
(reprints from the British comic Wags)
Featured Characters:
- Sir Tyrone 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
Synopsis for "Big Top"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Big Top"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for Captain Cook of Scotland Yard: "The Death of Colonel Warren"
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 Archie O'Toole: "O'Toole Transformed"
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 The Clock: "Crime at the International Fair"
At the 1939 World's Fair, in his own civilian identity, Brian O'Brien encounters and defeats two punks, the Boss and Chick.
Appearing in The Clock: "Crime at the International Fair"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Chick
- The Boss
Locations:
Synopsis for "Lala Palooza"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Lala Palooza"
Featured Characters:
- Lala Palooza
Supporting Characters:
- Vincent Palooza
Synopsis for The Bungle Family: "High Words"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in The Bungle Family: "High Words"
Featured Characters:
- Bungle Family
Synopsis for Richard Manners: "Theft by Seaplane"
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 Slim and Tubby: "Episode 21"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in Slim and Tubby: "Episode 21"
Featured Characters:
- Slim
- Tubby
Synopsis for "Ned Brant"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Ned Brant"
Featured Characters:
- Ned Brant
Synopsis for Reynolds of the Mounted: "Murder among the Cree"
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:
- Canada, Out West
Vehicles:
- two dog sleds
Synopsis for "Dixie Dugan"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Dixie Dugan"
Featured Characters:
- Dixie Dugan
Synopsis for "Joe Palooka"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Joe Palooka"
Featured Characters:
- Joe Palooka
Supporting Characters:
- Knobby Walsh
Notes
- First issue of Feature Comics, continuing the numbering from Feature Funnies.
- Published monthly by Comic Favorites, Inc.
- 'Black X:
- 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 episode.
- 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:
- Good Deed Dotty by J.P. McEvoy and J.H. Striebel, running across the top 1/5 of all 3 of their Dixie Dugan pages.
- "Joe Palooka's Boxing Course" by Ham Fisher, running across the top 1/5 of all 4 of his Joe Palooka pages.
- Lena Pry by Monte Barrett and Russell E. Ross, running in the bottom-left 1/4 of all 4 of their Jane Arden pages.
- Little Brother by H.J. Tuthill, running across the top 1/5 of both of his Bungle Family pages.
- Mortimer Mum by Bill Sakren ("Toddy" and "Mortimer Mum" share one of Toddy's two pages, with the other page filled out with advertising.)
- Nippie ("He's Often Wrong") by Lank Leonard, running across the top 1/5 of all 4 of his Mickey Finn pages.
- Off The Record (1-panel gags) by Ed Reed, in two places in this issue.
- "The Meaning of the Fourth of July" (text article)
- "The Mystery of Echo Island, Chapter 2, The House With The Single Door" (text story) by John A. Thorne
- They're Still Talking: "...About the Olympic Marathon of 1908 in London" by Bob Zuppke and R.W. Depew
- Toddy, by George Marcoux ("Toddy" runs across the top half of Mortimer Mum's page and another page).
Trivia
- George E. Brenner signed his The Clock Strikes story as himself, and his Clip Chance story as "Scott Sheridan."
- Will Eisner signed his Espionage stories as "Will Irwin" and his Archie O'Toole stories as "Bud Thomas."
See Also