National Comics #52

When a drifter calling himself The Jinx lands a job as an animal keeper at Colonel Lane's struggling circus, things quickly spiral into chaos—the tigers go docile, the strongman loses his nerve, and the elephant runs wild, all while the carnival's desperate crowds demand refunds. The Barker and the crew scramble to figure out what's really going on before The Jinx's mysterious influence brings the whole operation crashing down.

In this 1946 humor tale from National Comics #52, Salty returns from a mission with a mysterious "ja-do-do" bird egg, only to be met with disbelief from the Professor—apparently, the bird hasn’t existed in over a century. But as the egg cracks open, it becomes clear that the past isn’t always a hard stop.

When boxer Socker Sampson announces his retirement from the ring to protect his health, he catches the attention of two criminals—Heavy and Galdo—who see an opportunity to exploit his spotless reputation and good name for their own crooked warehouse scheme. Quicksilver suspects foul play and races to uncover the truth before the crooks can use the unsuspecting fighter as their cover for a major jewelry heist. What unfolds is a battle of wits and fists as the retired champion must decide where his real talents—and loyalties—truly belong.

Commander Blake of Destroyer 171 accepts a perilous mission to chart the defenses of Ohama Harbor under cover of darkness—a task that seems nearly impossible when his small boat is detected and destroyed by Japanese guns. Stranded and hunted, Blake improvises a daring plan that turns an inspection visit from the Japanese Minister of War into an unexpected opportunity to gather the intelligence his superiors desperately need. The result is a chart of the harbor's secrets, authenticated in the most unlikely way imaginable.