As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, I had my eleventh birthday just before this time. This was also the period when, for some reason, Marvel decided to forego cover dates on its comics for three months. I don’t know if this was an experiment in seeing if they could get newsstand outlets to keep the books on sale longer or what, but I wasn’t a fan of it. It played too much with my sense of order. Anyway, this issue of INVADERS would have been purchased at my trusty 7-11 when it came out, since INVADERS was a regular buy for me. That cover is trying mightily to evoke those of Alex Schomburg from the vintage WWII era–though it’s covered with enough copy and balloons in what was the style of this period to blunt the effect somewhat.
This story is pretty daffy, and really an extended way to create a new young WWII-era super hero team to replace the culturally-insensitive Young Allies. But writer/editor Roy Thomas didn’t take the short or easy path to this goal. Roy had been a comic book reader starting in the mid-1940s, so he had a true fan’s affection for the comics and stories of this era–INVADERS was something of a dream assignment for him, at least until he’d eventually get to do ALL-STAR SQUADRON for DC in a few years, with a similar premise.
The story picks up with Agent Axis having captured both Bucky and Doctor Sabuki and his daughter from an American Japanese internment camp. Bucky was there to seek out Dr. Sabuki’s help in operating on Toro, who lies in a nearby hospital near death. Upon learning this fact, Agent Axis diverts the course of his subterranean borer machine to the hospital, intent on adding Toro to his collection of captives. He succeeds, but also winds up with young Davy Mitchell, an African-American kid who worked as a delivery boy for a local florist, and who had the misfortune of looking in on Toro’s room when the snatch took place.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Invaders are on the chase, but still operating two or three steps behind Agent Axis. They make their way to the Japanese internment camp that was attacked last issue, and Captain America gets into it with the hardcase commander of the base–providing a decidedly 1978 perspective on the wrongness of what is taking place there. Namor had lent Bucky his own flagship to take Toro to medical help in the United States, and when the Invaders board that now-abandoned ship, they realize that Bucky has taken one of Namor’s tracking chips with him–so they can follow its signal to locate the young Invader.
By this point, Agent Axis has reached his own secret base, and we’ve learned what he wants from Dr. Sabuki. You see, Agent Axis’ origin is that he was three spied, a German, an Italian and a Japanese, who were merged by a fluke accident into a single being. Agent Axis wants Dr Sabuki to operate upon him, to separate his three component parts. For reasons that don’t make a lick of sense, he first allows Sabuki to remove the life-threatening bullet from Toro, saving the flaming kid’s life. Then, just to make sure that Dr Sabuki doesn’t double-cross him, Agent Axis has Sabuki’s daughter Gwenny-Lou and the extraneous Davy Mitchell strapped into the operating machine with him. Should any harm befall Agent Axis, the device will duplicate Sabuki’s movements, and the same fate will befall the two captives. All of this is just bonkers, and stretches credibility beyond the breaking point–but as we sometimes need to do in the world of comics, we just need to roll with it here.
So the procedure starts–and you can just feel an origin about to break out, can’t you? In the midst of it, Toro wakes up, sees what’s going on, and launches a fireball into the middle of their captors. Having just had surgery, he really shouldn’t be in much shape to be doing stuff like this, but whatever. Chaos erupts, and the machine holding Gwenny-Lou and Davy runs wild! And wouldn’t you know it? They both come out the other side with super-powers! Gwenny-Lou discovers that she can fire off golden bolts of kinetic force, like battering rams made of light. And Davy can spin around at superhuman speed like a Human Top.
But still, the four young crusaders start to get overwhelmed by the superior numbers of their foes. Agent Axis has had enough of this story, and he orders his men to kill everybody, including Dr. Sabuki. But before the order can be carried out, crashing through a convenient wall come the main Invaders: Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner! The odds have completely tilted now–but with only 17 pages of story available in a given issue, this story, like so many others, has To Be Continued!
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
This is one of my favorites you posted. I’ve loved the invaders since I was seven. And I’ve been a fan of and eventually got to know Roy. Glad you shared this.
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Seventeen year old me loved Invaders too. I would buy anything by Robbins back then. I had no idea about his artistic pedigree and never warmed to the Spirit or other properties drawn like Robbins did but I still adore Robbins’ art.
The present day attitude towards race relations or women’s rights does bother me a bit usually when I see it. I long ago decided I’d rather not have seen characters like the two nascent heroes in this issue treated like they realistically would have been. Besides, it feels right in this context. Cap is supposed to be an ideal so being color blind feels right for him even this early in his career. Torch is only a handful of years old so never learned prejudice and Namor’s Atlantis has at least three skin colors and widely varying facial characteristics so I could see him wondering why extra melanin would be a big deal to an intelligent being…
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A link popped up so I reread this and caught something that I missed the first time: I never noticed even one instance of missing cover dates during those three months! Good thing I already know I’m not always the most observant (former) kid on the block!
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Iron Mole ( Mole Machine or as Tom called it Borer Machine ) Timely Comics prototypes: 2 Mechanical Moles ( cover story that A to Z Handbook says happened ) [ USA Comics#2 ( November 1941 ) Captain Terror cover story — Black Claw ( Nazi Scientist ), Adolf Hitler Double & Nazi Soldiers ] & The Mechanical Mole [ Mystic Comics Vol. 2#1 ( October 1944 ) Second story — “The Mechanical Mole” — Human Torch & Toro vs. Nazis. Other characters Gloria Radin & Professor Radin ]. KID COMMANDOS: Me I would reveal that the TOUGH KID SQUAD [ Tough Kid Squad Comics#1 ( March 1942 ) Tough Kid Squad ( Danger Twins ( Wally & Tom Danger — have Super-Soldier Serum ), Butch ( the fat kid ), Derrick Dawes & Eagle ( Native American ) ) — Doctor Danger ( father dead — My DOC SAVAGE and alive ), Professor Moxon ( raised Wally ), Wong Chee ( criminal who raised Tom ) — Doctor Klutch ] renamed themselves the KID COMMANDOS and that BUCKY & TORO were already members along with other TIMELY COMICS TEEN HEROES ( Tim Mulrooney ( — Lt. Wonder would be my name for him [ Kid Komics#1 ( February 1943 ) Captain Wonder story ] ), Rusty [ USA Comics#1 ( August 1941 ) Defender story ], Jimmy Jupiter [ Marvel Mystery Comics#28 ( February 1941 ) ], Little Hercules [ Daring Mystery Comics#5 ( June 1940 ) ], Marvel Boy 1 ( Martin Simon Burns ) [ Daring Mystery Comics#6 ( June 1940 ) ], Marvel Boy 2 ( Martin Oskner Burns ) [ USA Comics#7 ( February 1943 ) ], Microman ( Jimmy Everett ) [ Human Torch Comics#2 ( Fall 1940 ) — Professor Schmidt ], Roko ( Lon Crag ) [ USA Comics#5 ( Summer 1942 ) — Menelaos ( sorcerer — his SHAZAM ) ], Secret Stamp ( Roddy Colt ) [ Captain America Comics#13 ( April 1942 ) ], Subbie [ Kid Komics#1 ( February 1943 ) — Father Neptune, Egbert “Eggie” Cortland & Beans – Netar ( a ray ) ] and Young Avenger ( Bill Bryon ) [ USA Comics#1 ( August 1941 ) — unidentified shadowy being ]. Davey Drew [ Mystic Comics#7 ( December 1941 ) Davey & the Demon — magical cloak ] & Tommy Tyme [ Young Allies#7 ( April 1943 ) — Clock of Ages ]. Young Allies ( Bucky, Geoff/Jeff, Knuckles, Toto, Tubby & White Wash Jones ) [ Young Alies#1 ( Summer 1941 )]. Victory Boys( Maxie Stein, Victor, Gus Weher, Hans Brauer, Warren Zumwald & Kurt Erzberger ) [ USA Comics#5 ( Summer 1942 ) — Victor’s father ( American Secret Service Agent ) has white hair like CRIMSON COMMANDO ]. Bobby [ USA Comics#5 ( Summer 1942 ) Gypo the Gypsy Giant — Fido ( red dragon pet ) ] like Microman’s could take place earlier so that during WW2 they aren’t the Power Pack kids age. I see Bobby riding Fido the Red Dragon like a TIMELY COMICS Moonboy & Devil Dinosaur.
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When it comes to the 2 MARVEL BOYS you NEED to SUPERBOY them UP ( Both Eternals — one a clone and the second one a human bio-formed into an Eternal — both with super-strength, speed, flight, invulnerability, energy projection, ability to rearrange molecules, teleportation & any other power I forgot ) , plus the Second Marvel Boy’s origin and Hercules’ Sarcophagus ( Hercules’s blood working a little like the Carrion Virus )– that sarcophagus should have taken Gilgamesh’s sarcophagus place in Captain America: Hail Hydra#2 ( April 2011 ) and the GREEN TERROR foe of the 3Xs should have been the bad guy in that — 2 Hydras ( One like the ancient one the Green Terror is in charge of and the other Baron Strucker’s version ). ROKO the AMAZING — get rid of Achilles Heel weakness ( Cycnus son of Poseidon was invulnerable to spear and sword so during Trojan War Achilles crushed and suffocated him — suffocation would work against Achilles too — MY WAY of SAYING MAKE HIM MORE LIKE CYCNUS or CAPTAIN MARVEL ( Billy Batson ) who don’t have a heel weakness Give him Hermes speed — again MARVEL needs HEROES that can match Superman, Supergirl, Powergirl, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Martian Manhunter & now named Shazam Family in speed ) — ROKO’s shield should be made as big as Cap’s and as durable as Dragonfang.
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Like Davy Mitchell & Gwenny-Lou Sabuki, Timely Comics has characters/heroes who gained powers from the bad guys too: Fiery Mask ( Dr. Jack Castle ) [ Daring Mystery Comics#1 ( January 1940 ) by the Mad Doctor ( since Timely Comics has a Nazi named the Zombie Master I would steal the Claw’s other name The Green Claw [ Silver Streak Comics#6 ( September 1940 ) Lev Gleason ] )– 8 People were missing ( 1 woman & 6 men seen ( 5 green ( Peter Johnson named & shot — I would have him resurrected ) & 1 bandaged ) — all potential HEROES & VILLAINS ], Miss Patriot ( Mary Morgan ) [ Marvel Mystery Comics#50 ( December 1943 ) by Dr. Groitzig and Signore Scharrolla’s Super-Soldier Serum ], Marvex the Super-Robot [ Daring Mystery Comics#3 ( April 1940 ) by Bolo a Fifth Dimension alien, other Fifth Dimensional people seen ( all allegedly killed by the explosion that blasted a hole in the dimensional barrier to Earth — I say allegedly because Bolo was wearing a high-tech headband that I would reveal gives him the artificial abilities to transfer his and his people’s minds into clone bodies like the Ovoids ) ], and the one not science experiment the Black Widow ( Claire Voyant ) [ Mystic Comics#4 ( August 1940 ) from Satan ( high probability he is Mephisto since the Bounty Hunter & the Fly Dutchman’s Ghost had the same job ) ].
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Then there is Percy Private [ Krazy Komics#15 ( June 1944 ) Super Soldier by Stan Lee ] was accidentally given a Super Serum instead of the Death-Drug by the Sinister Scientist ( a Nazi ) that made him 10 times stronger ( Which Percy says makes him as strong a normal man ). Percy says he has a super brain. He is durable enough to take an artillery shell in the back and he can fly.
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NONE WERE CREATED HERE ( BUT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ): Dr. Sendach ( an eminent stomach specialist ) [ The Human Torch#2 ( Fall 1940 ) The Fiery Mask ( Dr. Jack Castle ) “The Strange Case of the Bloodless Corpses” — Julie ( his nurse ), Captain Benson ( Police ), Editor of the Daily Herald vs. Sendach’s Creatures ( a.k.a. Cyborgs — mechanical stomachs ( 1 wears a Blue Costume with a Cape ) — At first I thought the whole mechanical stomach plot had to do with the writer either having a member of his family with stomach cancer or reading about it in a newspaper, but it might be from the saying “CAST IRON STOMACH” to describe someone who can eat all kinds of things without ever feeling sick )]– had this DC COMICS hero — Steel, the Indestructible Man#1-5 ( March 1978 – October-November 1978 ) been a Marvel hero instead this should be his origin cause I would reveal that Dr. Sendach went full Cyborg on some of his so-called Creatures. Then there is Professor Dorn [ Marvel Mystery Comics#23 ( September 1941 ) Sub-Mariner, Mona Lake ( mind-controlled ), Ramon Valerez ( mind controlled & killed ) vs. 5 Pseudo-Sub-Mariners ( Black John named — all missing convicts ), plus at least 2 to 3 corpses under sheets ] — Timely Comics already has the Sub-Mariner, Namora, Fin, Luther Robinson & Lynne Harris does it need more aquatic heroes[ Captain America Comics#1 ( March 1941 ) AD for USA Comics just before the Hurricane story -Mr. Liberty, USA Marine undersea guardian of America, Sky Devil, Also .. Young Allies, United States Man, Headline Hunter, the Black Ace & The Star ]? The FIN [ Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#11 ( February 1993 ) ] could be one of the Corpses under the sheets not quite dead and further mutated by the blast on the last page [ or you could turn Strangler Burns ( who is as big as the Marvel Fin and he was either trying to make his death mean something by giving up his hand or trying to by himself into heaven — he got the Electric Chair – did it mutate him & regrow his missing hand? ) Captain America Comics#9 ( December 1941 ) Captain America 4th story “The Case of the Black Talon” – Sgt. Duffy, Dr. Steiner & Surgical staff ( female nurse & 2 males ), Rafael Miller ( dead ), Oliver Simms (dead ) vs. Black Talon ( Pascal Horta ), Red, Slugger & others ], and the 5 others could be potential villains. CAPTAIN FLAME ( Frank Cortez ) from the wasteful [ all-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes#1 ( August 2011 ) THERE NEVER WOULD BE CRAZY SUES — ONLY MORE INVADER TEAMS who won’t have the disadvantages of members whose powers require them to either be wet or dry ] could be one of the MISSING PEOPLE in the FIERY MASK ORIGIN [ Daring Mystery Comics#1 ( January 1940 ) ].
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The Lord of Death [ all-Winners Comics#1 ( Summer 1941 ) Captain America story “The Case of the Hollow Men” — Sgt. Duffy, Major Grant vs. The Hollow Men ( science created zombies using his Di-Namo Fluid ) & Adolf Hitler ( see Lord of Death profile at marvunapp.com ) ] was seen conducting experiments on his zombies ( one was decapitated ). Miss Fury creator Tarpe Mills created a science spawn zombie hero called the Purple Zombie [ Reg’lar Fellers Heroic Comics#1 ( August 1940 ) ( Eastern Color ) — Dr. Malinsky ( evil ) & Dr. Hale creators — intent was to prolong life, but Malinsky wanted a zombie army ( see Jess Nevins Golden Age Encyclopedia ) ]. Death Head ( disembodied head with vast mental powers ) [ Catman Comics ( Holyoke ) — apparently Middle-Eastern, this man was beheaded, but a mystic managed to grant the head life ( Hood foe – see herogoggles.com ) — he isn’t a product of science by the similar Atlas Age Nazi the Brain [ Adventures into Terror#4 ( June !951 ) 1st story ( see profile at marvunapp.com ) ] is..
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@TomBrevoort Tom, how much are you paying this guy for his research? A No-Prize won’t cut it! 😉. Yeesh. Reems of facts & obscure references. On every thread.
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Much respect. That seems like a lotta work.
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