Cover: Alex Schomburg

Marvel Mystery Comics #9

Jul 1940 · Marvel · 0.10 USD

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In "The Human Torch versus the Sub-Mariner: The Battle of the Comic Century!", two of Marvel’s earliest icons clash in a fiery, high-stakes showdown that pits the flame-wielding Human Torch against the sea-born Sub-Mariner. Written by Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and John Compton, with art and inks by Everett and Burgos, this landmark 1940 issue captures the raw energy of the Golden Age, featuring dynamic action and a tense confrontation that leaves the Torch trapped in a glass tube—just as the Sub-Mariner’s fury rises. The cover, by Alex Schomburg, perfectly encapsulates the clash of titans.

Contains 7 stories

The Human Torch versus the Sub-Mariner: The Battle of the Comic Century!

22 pp · Superhero

Human Torch [Jim Hammond]Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]Betty Deanun-named Police ChiefPolice Chemist Frasier

In a fiery clash of wills, the Human Torch confronts the Sub-Mariner after a public rebuke from the police commissioner, leading to a high-stakes showdown that ends with the Torch trapped in an airless glass tube. With Betty by his side, the battle tests both heroes' resolve in a clash that defines their rivalry.

The Mad Doctor of Carlburg

8 pp · Superhero

The Angel [Tom Halloway]unnamed girlHansunnamed inn keeperan unnamed scientist (villain)a beast man (villain, death)a gorilla (villain, death)

In "The Mad Doctor of Carlburg," the Angel investigates a town gripped by fear of a vampire, only to uncover a far more sinister secret: a mad scientist obsessed with transferring a young woman’s mind into a gorilla. Written by a mysterious hand and illustrated with stark, early-40s flair, the story blends pulp horror and superhero sleuthing in a chilling, tightly paced mystery.

The Stagecoach Bandits

8 pp · Western-Frontier

The Masked Raider [Jim Gardley]Lightning (the Raider's horse)Mexican PetePecos Billun-named SheriffShep Mason and his gang (villains, introduction for all)

In "The Stagecoach Bandits," the Raider takes on a mystery that unfolds on the dusty frontier, where gold shipments from a remote mining camp keep vanishing—only to reappear later, mysteriously delivered to the local assay office. With no clear trail and the townsfolk on edge, the Raider must untangle a web of deception before the next payroll disappears.

On the Planet Ligra

8 pp · Superhero

ElectroProfessor Philo ZogJago and his Dragon-Men (villains, all die)Queen Nara of Ligra [Nara Gale] (introduction)GorLion People of LigraJago and his Dragon Men (villains, all die)

The Trouble at Stacey Cleaners

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

FerretStaceyHook (villain, introduction)Frankie (villain, introduction)Martin (villain, introduction)

The Rescue of Rita Grey

9 pp · Jungle

Ka-Zar [David Rand]Zar [a lion]N'Jaga [a leopard]Trajah [an elephant]Chadak [a baboon]Rita Grey (introduction)Mr. Grey (introduction, Rita's father)

The Underworld

1 pp · Non-Fiction

In "The Underworld," a 1940 fact featurette from Marvel Mystery Comics #9, the hidden world beneath the sea comes to life with creatures like shrimp, long-legged crabs, and octopuses—each as full of drama and intrigue as any real-life criminal.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Good) $8,760

CGC 9.4 · 1 in census $329,379*

CGC 9.2 · 1 in census $219,847*

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 none in existence

CGC 8.0 $99,215*

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $67,732*

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CGC 7.0 · 1 in census $53,666*

CGC 6.5 · 1 in census $42,712*

CGC 6.0 · 4 in census $42,712*

CGC 5.5 · 4 in census $36,742

CGC 5.0 $36,742*

CGC 4.5 · 2 in census $36,742*

CGC 4.0 · 3 in census $36,742*

CGC 3.5 · 1 in census $23,909*

CGC 3.0 · 4 in census $23,909

CGC 2.5 · 6 in census $13,494

CGC 2.0 · 4 in census $13,494

CGC 1.5 · 3 in census $10,011*

CGC 1.0 none in existence

CGC 0.5 · 3 in census $6,130

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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Marvel Comics Mystery Comics Commemorative Edition. Human Torch Vs Sub-mariner $7.2

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Trivia · 8 facts

Published by Timely Comics (Marvel's predecessor), cover-dated July 1940, with an on-sale date of May 17, 1940.
Contains the climactic installment of the first major superhero crossover in comics history: the Human Torch vs. Sub-Mariner battle spanning Marvel Mystery Comics #8–10, with issue #9 carrying the bulk of the action across 22 pages.
The lead story was jointly written and drawn by Carl Burgos (creator of the Human Torch) and Bill Everett (creator of Sub-Mariner), with an additional script credit to John Compton — an unusually collaborative production for the era.
The battle ends in a complete stalemate: Namor traps the Torch in an airtight cylinder, but cannot leave or harm him without releasing him; Betty Dean brokers a truce, with Namor agreeing to depart if the Torch will not pursue him.
Issue #9 marks the final Golden Age appearance of the private-detective character the Ferret (Leslie Lenrow), who had appeared in issues #4–9 written by Stockbridge Winslow with art by Irwin Hasen.
The cover is widely attributed to Alex Schomburg (per the Grand Comics Database, citing atlastales.com), and depicts the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner in direct combat — it was the second Timely cover to feature Sub-Mariner.
The Torch-vs.-Namor story from this issue was first reprinted for Silver Age readers in Fantasy Masterpieces #8 (April 1967), and has subsequently been collected in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics Vol. 3 (covering issues #9–12), the Golden Age Marvel Comics Omnibus (2009), Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Human Torch by Carl Burgos Omnibus (2019), Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett – The Pre-War Years Omnibus (2019), and Decades: Marvel in the '40s – The Human Torch vs. the Sub-Mariner (2019).
The issue was the first time in the Marvel Mystery Comics series that a story continued across consecutive issues in a self-conscious cliffhanger format, a structural precedent rare in Golden Age anthology comics of the period.