Marvel Mystery Comics #2

History

The issue arrived in the immediate wake of the runaway commercial success of Marvel Comics #1, whose November 1939 second printing moved roughly 800,000 copies and convinced publisher Martin Goodman to commit to an in-house staff; he hired Funnies, Inc. writer-artist Joe Simon as editor, who in turn brought collaborator Jack Kirby and artist Syd Shores aboard — a creative infrastructure that was assembling even as issue #2 went to press. The title rename from 'Marvel Comics' to 'Marvel Mystery Comics' took effect with this issue, establishing the branding that would carry the series through issue #92 in June 1949. Interior art was divided among the core Funnies, Inc. contributors — Burgos on the Human Torch, Everett on the Sub-Mariner, Gustavson on the Angel, Anders on the Masked Raider, Paul J. Lauretta on the American Ace reprint, and Thompson on Ka-Zar — while the cover was painted by Charles J. Mazoujian, who also illustrated the included Angel text story 'Death-Bird Squadron' scripted by David C. Cooke.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First issue published under the title 'Marvel Mystery Comics' — the series had been called simply 'Marvel Comics' with issue #1; the rename is permanent beginning here (Dec. 1939).
• First Timely Comics appearance of the American Ace (aviator Perry Wade/Perry Webb — sources vary on surname; see Flagged), whose origin story was a reprint of material originally prepared for the uncirculated theater giveaway Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (April 1939), drawn by Paul J. Lauretta.
• First cover appearance of the Angel (Thomas Halloway), illustrated by Charles J. Mazoujian; the Angel would go on to appear in every issue of the series through #79 (December 1946), the longest continuous run of any character in the title.
• Interior credits confirmed across sources: Carl Burgos (Human Torch story 'Murder at the Racetrack'); Bill Everett (Sub-Mariner story 'Attack on New York City'); Paul Gustavson (Angel story 'The Treasure of Alano'); Al Anders (Masked Raider story 'The Town of Wanted Men'); Ben Thompson (Ka-Zar story 'The Battle with Bardak'); David C. Cooke (text story 'Death-Bird Squadron,' Angel); cover by Charles J. Mazoujian.
• The issue contains the second appearances of the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), the Sub-Mariner (Namor), the Angel (Thomas Halloway), the Masked Raider (Jim Gardley), and Ka-Zar (David Rand) — all having debuted in Marvel Comics #1.
• The American Ace feature was short-lived at Timely, abruptly ending after only two installments in this series; the character's material subsequently appeared at competitor Centaur Publications under a different name before that publisher also folded.
• The entire issue has been reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics Vol. 1, which also collects Marvel Comics #1 and issues #3–4, making the material accessible to modern readers.
• The issue was produced and edited under the direction of Martin Goodman, with Joe Simon having just been brought on as editor following the breakout success of Marvel Comics #1 — the early editorial apparatus that would grow into the full Timely Comics studio was forming around this very issue.

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