National Comics #67

The Barker must unravel the mystery when a jealous sheik curses the circus after discovering his runaway wife, Salamo, has found refuge among the performers—and suddenly the circus animals begin to sicken and die. As The Barker and Colonel Land race against both superstition and sabotage to save the show, they'll have to figure out whether Ali Ben Riff Raff's curse is genuine or if something far more calculated is at work. It's a wild blend of carnival chaos, desert intrigue, and humor as The Barker debunks the curse and uncovers the truth.

In this brief 1948 humor piece from National Comics #67, Salty boasts to his nieces and nephews about his cool demeanor during the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll—only to be startled into a jump when one of the kids pops a bubble-gum bubble.

Steve Wood, waterfront detective, spots a mysterious tug riding oddly high in the harbor fog—and when he investigates, nearly pays the price. As he closes in on the wanted fugitive Charon, Steve discovers the ship is far more than it seems, and finds himself trapped aboard a vessel with a sinister secret and no way out but to outthink a desperate criminal.

In "The Wasp," a jilted inventor driven to desperation by betrayal turns his mechanical wings—designed to soar—into instruments of vengeance. When his greedy former partners deny him his due, he uses a stinging syringe mounted on his wings to exact retribution, but fate takes a cruel turn when he accidentally pricks himself.

When policewoman Sally O'Neil catches a stage performance by animal trainer Sandu at the Star Theatre, she's called away to hunt a leopard that's escaped from his act—but what begins as a wild-animal chase quickly turns into a murder investigation. As bodies pile up and Sandu himself falls victim to the very leopard everyone's been hunting, Sally uncovers a twisted nine-year scheme of blackmail and revenge that's far more dangerous than any escaped beast. Working to expose a killer who's been hiding in plain sight, Sally devises a cunning trap to flush out the true murderer before another life is lost.