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"Uncle Sam: "Uncle Sam Leads the Way"": The Dictators of Europe, having laid waste to all the fruitful land and productive cities there, decide to feed their enslaved populations by looting the United States of its crops and natural resources. Massive waves of bombers are hurled into American ai

Quote1 Barry, take a good look at Mrs. Stoner ... You're going to make me up to look like her .... Quote2
Sally O'Neil

National Comics #7 is an issue of the series National Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1941.

Synopsis for Uncle Sam: "Uncle Sam Leads the Way"

The Dictators of Europe, having laid waste to all the fruitful land and productive cities there, decide to feed their enslaved populations by looting the United States of its crops and natural resources. Massive waves of bombers are hurled into American airspace, but are repelled by U.S. fighter planes. The European forces withdraw, and an enormous industrial project is undertaken. Fifty giant submarine-tanks, each carrying 1000 soldiers, are swiftly constructed, and when they are complete, the second invasion wave begins. These monstrous machines march undetected across the entire Atlantic Ocean, approaching America.

Uncle Sam and Buddy Smith just happen to be out in a rowboat, fishing, off the coast of Long Island, when several hundred dead fish float to the surface all around them. Unc dives into the ocean to investigate, spots one of the giant submarine-transports, returns to the rowboat, and propels it to shore with amazing speed, passing at least one speedboat along the way. Sam sends Buddy to alert the Coast Guard, and addresses all the fishermen of Montauk Point, about fifty of them, rallying them to arm themselves and embark, in dories and fishing smacks, to the defense of their town.

A wave of European warplanes meets severe ground-based antiaircraft cannonfire, but it's all a distraction, as the behemoth amphibious tanks wade ashore, and their troops emerge. Uncle Sam and his volunteers rig up some deep-sea diving suits and get into the ocean. As they approach the tanks they are spotted, and European marines with oxygen masks are deployed. Uncle Sam smacks them about, and the Montauk fishermen join in. Sam leaves the melee to enter one of the tank-subs, then returns in fifteen minutes and gives the all-clear signal. The volunteers commandeer this sub-tank, and ram it thru a formation of the other giant vessels. Uncle Sam swims free, lifts one sub-tank free of the ocean floor, and stands it on one end, at least briefly.

Soon U.S. submarines arrive and pitch in to the sub-surface combat, while U.S. fighter planes do the same to the air battle above. U.S. Infantry and heavy bombers arrive. The tide of battle turns against the invaders. Uncle Sam takes down one last enemy dive bomber, hand to hand, captures both crewmen, and throws away the plane.

The next day, the Fishermen of Montauk are awarded medals for valor, at a special ceremony, with all of the captured enemy troops in attendance. One spokesman emerges from the P.O.W.s, to denounce their dictators, and vows that if they ever return to their country, they will restore democracy there. Uncle Sam accepts this, and tells them they're free to go home.

Appearing in Uncle Sam: "Uncle Sam Leads the Way"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Men of Montauk
  • U.S. Coast Guard
  • U.S. Infantry

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • European Giant Bombers, fleet after fleet of them
  • European Fighter Planes, swarms of them
  • European Giant Submersible Troop-carrying Tanks, fifty of them
  • Dories and Fishing Smacks
  • U.S. Submarines, three of them
  • U.S. Fighter Planes


Synopsis for Sally O'Neil Policewoman: "The Counterfeiter's Gang"

Snoopy young Joe Stoner spots a counterfeiting operation, thru a basement window, and is himself spotted by one counterfeiter, who chases him. Joey runs to his Grandma's news stand and tells her what he's seen, then runs away. Mrs. Stoner tells her customer, Sally O'Neil, about this. According to her, the Lupino Gang is behind all this. Sally has a plan.

Sally's boyfriend, movie star Barry Gilmore, uses theatrical makeup to make Officer O'Neil look like the elderly news vendor, Mrs. Stoner, and Sally tricks the Lupino gang into kidnapping her and taking her to their hideout. Barry flags a taxi and follows the kidnap car. At the counterfeiters' shop, Lupino shows "Mrs. Stoner" around, explaining and bragging about how it all works. He offers her one chance to join the operation; she turns him down cold. Also she pulls out a handgun, and when Lupino steps in anyway, she pistol-whips him with it. Another punk gets behind her with a blunt instrument, but she's too quick for him too; up go his hands. Watching all this are a group of little kids, who have up until now been forced to pass fake money around. When the gang slugs Sally, these kids scatter and look for the cops. Meanwhile Barry is sneaking into the hideout; he meets up with some of the kids. Most of them don't trust him, and keep on running, but Joey and Tony team up with Barry and charge into the hideout. A few seconds later, the O'Neil brothers and a bunch of other cops arrive.

Appearing in Sally O'Neil Policewoman: "The Counterfeiter's Gang"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Barry Gilmore, (Sally's actor boyfriend)
  • Pat O'Neil (Sally's brother)
  • Mike O'Neil (Sally's brother)
  • Tom O'Neil (Sally's brother)

Antagonists:

  • Lupino
  • his gang

Other Characters:

  • Mrs. Stoner
  • Joey Stoner
  • gang slave kids: Tony, others

Locations:

Synopsis for Kid Patrol: "School Days"

At their first day of school, Sunshine gets picked on by Slug and Daisy, two bullies. Professor Tinker gets four pranks played on him, by Sunshine, who gets ratted out by the bullies, neither of whom really saw him do anything, but both of whom are liars. Still Sunshine actually is guilty, and he owns up to it, so he has to stay after school. He falls asleep. Professor Tinker forgetfully locks up the school and goes home. The bullies observe this, and play another prank on Sunshine, tricking him into writing on the chalkboard all night long, or at least until he falls asleep again.

The next morning, Professor Tinker is very surprized to find Sunshine there, and a couple of explanations later, the two team up, to play a prank on the bullies. The punks get scared silly and flee the school. Outside they meet Teddy and Porky, and try to bulldoze the two of them, fail completely at that, then resume fleeing.

The next day at school, Slug and Daisy pretend to be Slug's mom, and telephone in sick, so everybody has a hearty laugh at their expense.

Appearing in Kid Patrol: "School Days"

Featured Characters:

  • Kid Patrol
    • Teddy
    • George Washington Abraham Lincoln "Sunshine" Jones
    • Porky
    • Spunky
    • Suzy

Antagonists:

  • Slug Muggins
  • Daisy Ricco

Other Characters:

  • Prof. Tinker

Locations:

Synopsis for Paul Bunyan: "Search For the Ape-Men"

Paul Bunyan and King the Ape-Man and their new friend Professor Daniels, along with a gang of loggers, travel by steamship to India, which takes several weeks, then trek to the Himalayas, seeking out the lost tribe of King's giant simian people. This tribe is hostile to Paul's expedition, but Paul defeats the chief in single combat, and King remains in the Himalayas as Paul and his crew return to the Northwest.

Appearing in Paul Bunyan: "Search For the Ape-Men"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Bunyan's Boss
    • Lumberjack Crew: Axel, Cookee, others (One dies.)

Antagonists:

  • Wild Desert Tribe

Other Characters:

  • King, an ape-man, as tall as Paul, wears trousers
  • Professor Daniels, of Raleigh University (First appearance)
  • tribe of Himalayan Ape-Men (Single appearance)

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • Passenger Steamship

Synopsis for Wonder Boy: "The Lost Mountain of Gold"

In San Francisco, a prospector named Jed organizes an expedition to Alaska's Romanzo Range, seeking a "lost mountain of gold." Jed's finances dry up, and they're unable to hire a ship. Wonder Boy shows up and offers to help; the prospectors, with no better prospects, play along. Wonder Boy sprints into a forest and uproots a series of giant trees, and lashes them together, forming a giant raft. The prospectors unload their truckload of equipment onto this thing, and get aboard. Wonder Boy drags it a long distance to the ocean, launches it, then tows the raft from California to Alaska at a very high speed. They obtain some dog sleds and proceed inland. They traverse treacherous glacial slopes and vast rocky desolation.

The lead sled, with Jed aboard it, encounters an avalanche, and before any rescue work can get under way, an enormous piece of glacier slides toward the rest of them. Wonder Boy holds the glacier in place while the others run away. Once they're clear, Wonder Boy lets go of the ice, which buries him instantly, then punches and clambers his way to the top of the frozen mass and rejoins the group. They find the spot where Jed had been, and Wonder Boy can hear him, still alive, under the ice. He spins in place and drills through the ice, then locates and retrieves Jeb. There is a doctor among the prospectors, who determines that Jed needs to rest for a few days. They pitch a camp, and that night, a pack of wolves sneaks right up to the edge of it, then silently charge toward the prospectors. Wonder Boy's sixth sense warns him of the danger, and he piles into the wolfpack, flinging some of them into others until they are routed.

A few days later, Jed's prospectors find gold. Wonder Boy takes a couple of nuggets back to California, and sends a shipload of food, fuel, and tools to the new colony in the Romanzo Range.

Appearing in Wonder Boy: "The Lost Mountain of Gold"

Featured Characters

Supporting Characters:

  • Jed, prospector expedition organizer

Antagonists:

  • Old Raider, wolfpack leader
    • Old Raider's wolfpack

Other Characters:

  • prospectors
    • doctor

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • giant raft
  • dog sled
  • small freighter

Synopsis for Quicksilver: "Crime At the State Fair"

Big Boss Tony Sinn and his gang do some crimes at the State Fair, picking pockets and sticking up cashiers. Quicksilver is present, in civilian clothes, and when his pocket is picked he changes outfits and goes into action. He zips and zooms to every corner of the fairground, disrupting crimes and tossing gangsters around like kewpie dolls. Tony Sinn pulls out a knife and tries to take him out; Quicksilver works him over until he falls down, then tosses him into a embarassing situation at the Tunnel of Love.

Appearing in Quicksilver: "Crime At the State Fair"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Tony Sinn
    • his gang

Other Characters:

  • carnival patrons and workers

Locations:

Synopsis for Prop Powers: "Prop Powers Joins The Navy"

Famous transport pilot Prop Powers quits his well-paid airline job and joins the Naval Air Corps. Along the way he meets and teams up with Lank Loomis; they work together thru their Naval Air training at Bermuda.

On a small island near Bermuda, Count von Krum and a covert unit of Nazi sailors, heavily drugged, are undertaking a suicide mission, piloting speedboats rigged with torpedo-style explosives. Their targets are scattered along the U.S. East Coast. An escaped refugee girl tells Prop and Lank what these agents are up to and where they are. Powers and Loomis commandeer a dive bomber and search for the Nazis, finding them still bunched together, just starting their mission. With some trick flying, Prop causes two speedboats to explosively collide. Their scout bomber is unarmed, but Lank has brought along his squirrel rifle; he picks off all of the rest of them. They then return to base and report to their commandant. An air-raid is dispatched, and dive bombers lay waste to the tiny island base. Count von Krum and his remaining henchmen are captured alive; their nation's government disclaims all knowledge of their activities.

Appearing in Prop Powers: "Prop Powers Joins The Navy"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Lank Loomis (First appearance)

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • U.S. Naval Air Corps
    • Bermuda Base Commander

Locations:

Vehicles:

  • "Old Nell", Powers' personal Waco biplane (yellow & red)
  • U.S. Douglas dive-bomber (bright red)
  • U.S. Curtiss biplane dive-bombers (all bright red)
  • ten Nazi suicide speedboats (Destroyed)

Synopsis for Pen Miller: "The Registration Racketeer"

The radio news announces the passage of a new law requiring all non-U.S. citizens to register, and so some new rackets spring into existence, based on defrauding or extorting foreign workers. When Pen Miller hears of this, he connects it to a murder case that he's working on. A near-eastern dead man had been found floating in the river, tied up with cotton-hemp carpet-weaving twine.

Miller and Niki visit the Near-East Rugs factory, on the waterfront, where they meet an exploited unregistered Asian kid, who tells them that there's virtually slavery going on there. While Niki takes the kid back to Miller's apartment, Miller confronts the factory boss, Mr. Kasgar, then explores the factory. A fake accident almost kills him, and when Kasgar shows up to explain it away, Pen pulls out a handgun and arrests him. But Kasgar yells to his workers, in their Asian language, and tricks them into piling onto Miller. They truss him up and toss him into the river, just like the earlier murder victim, but Miller manages to free himself from the twine bonds. When he tries to sneak back into the factory, he's spotted by a knife-thrower, who misses, and gets tossed into the river.

Once he's back in the factory, Miller is again surrounded by the misled alien workers, who again rush in to attack him, and he regretfully punches several of them out. Then Kasgar walks in, gun drawn, but standing too close to Miller, which gets him disarmed and whisked away to the cartoonist-detective's studio-office. There the Asian kid tells his story, indicting Kasgar for a variety of crimes. Saying nothing, Kasgar hurls himself thru a closed window, and plunges to his death on the sidewalk below. Miller then turns over the witness to the district attorney, and gets busy delineating the story onto paper, for publication in National Comics.

Appearing in Pen Miller: "The Registration Racketeer"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Niki, his valet

Antagonists:

  • Kasgar (Dies)

Other Characters:

  • English-speaking exploited unregistered alien kid
  • many other exploited unregistered aliens
  • District Attorney (Mentioned only)

Locations:

Synopsis for Kid Dixon: "Saving the Tiger"

At his training camp, Kid Dixon breaks training by drinking large volumes of water, and Bottle Topps is worried about him gaining weight from it, so he tricks him into drinking a pitcher of soap suds.

The next day, ex-champion boxer "Tiger" Kelly visits the camp, and works some training bouts with Dixon, who finds him to be still quite formidable. Tiger showers the kid with ridicule the whole time.

That night, four old enemies of Kelly show up, bent on murdering the Tiger and pinning it on the Kid. They are very careless about discussing their plan out loud, Dixon overhears them, and a melee begins. He methodically works his way thru them, and works up quite a thirst while doing so. The commotion wakes up Kelly, who comes outside to berate the Kid about it, but when he recognizes the strewn-about assailants, and is told what just went on, Kelly gets all weepy about it and they hug it out.

Appearing in Kid Dixon: "Saving the Tiger"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • B. Galsworthy "Bottle" Topps, Dixon's Manager/Trainer

Antagonists:

  • four old enemies of Kelly

Other Characters:

  • Tiger Kelly, ex-champion

Locations:

  • small town
    • Dixon's training camp
    • crooks' hideout

Synopsis for Merlin the Magician: "Flight To Fairyland"

Merlin the Magician accompanies a skeptical materialist high school principal on a rapid tour thru the realm of the Princess of Fairyland, where they encounter and subdue two horrendous ogres, abscond with a golden goose egg, and free the Princess' boyfriend from a fire-eating dragon. The principal changes his mind about whether magic is real.

Appearing in Merlin the Magician: "Flight To Fairyland"

Featured Characters:

Magical Animals:

  • Dobbin, Merlin's Horse, formerly Baron Munchausen's
  • Cherry-Tree-Antlered Deer, formerly Baron Munchausen's
  • Unicorn
  • Lion
  • Pegasus
  • Golden-Egg-Laying Goose
  • Fire-Eating Dragon

Other Characters:

  • Mr. Grone
  • Princess of Fairyland
  • Prince Allen

Antagonists:

Locations:

Items:

  • Merlin's Magic Cloak
  • Golden Goose Egg

Notes

  • Prop Powers's new hillbilly sidekick Lank Loomis chews tobacco.
    • Prop Powers's rank is not revealed. Neither is that of Lank Loomis. Their unit is also not identified.
  • Last issue for Dan Zolnerowich art on Merlin the Magician, replaced next issue by Arthur Peddy.
  • Quicksilver breaks the Fourth Wall in the last panel of the last page, to make a wisecrack at the expense of one of the captured crooks.
  • Sally O'Neil's movie star boyfriend Barry Gilmore was last seen in National Comics #4, and will return in issue #10.
  • Uncle Sam's European military enemies wear bright red uniforms.
  • Wonder Boy has a sixth sense that detects danger.
  • Also appearing in this issue of National Comics were:

Trivia


See Also


Links and References

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