Smash Comics #12

In the tense early days of World War II, U.S. Ambassador Blank travels to Europe for a crucial peace conference, guarded by secret agent Black X and his ally Batu. As they navigate a web of espionage, the trio fends off mysterious threats from the enigmatic Madam Doom, all while keeping their mission hidden from prying eyes.

Detective Wun Cloo sets a trap for The Eel, a slick second-story burglar terrorizing the city—but when the criminal's real nature as an electric eel puts him in serious danger, our clever detective must devise an even more ingenious scheme to finally catch him. With a steel spring, an electrified safe, and an unconventional escalator trap, Wun Cloo proves that outwitting a crook sometimes requires thinking as creatively as the criminal himself.

In this sports portrait, South American fighter Arturo Godoy faces heavyweight champion Joe Louis as a heavy underdog, employing an extremely low crouch that frustrates the great champion throughout their bout. Drawing on his record against tough opponents like Tony Galento, Godoy proves he belongs in the ring with one of boxing's elite, staying competitive across all 15 rounds despite the odds stacked against him.

Detective Philpot Veep proves that disguises are alive and well in the sleuth business when he masquerades as a circus manager, a foreign ambassador, and a king—all to pull off an elaborate con that leaves his roommate Waldo convinced a man-eating gorilla is on the loose. Determined to get even, Waldo hatches his own disguise scheme, trading in his usual methods for a costume rented from a theatrical shop. The tables turn in ways neither detective quite anticipated in this lighthearted battle of wits and wardrobes.

John Law, famous lawyer and scientist, faces a dangerous game when the Avenger—his imprisoned nemesis—manages to steal Law's experimental radio-controlled model plane and uses it as a weapon against Mr. Arms' munitions factory. With his borrowed plane commandeered by the villain and lives hanging in the balance, Law must use his scientific ingenuity to turn the tables before the Avenger can complete his vengeful strike.

Captain Cook of Scotland Yard finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery at a sensational 1940 air show where a revolutionary rocket bound for Mars becomes the centerpiece of a deadly scheme. When a warning note arrives and a body surfaces in the laboratory, Cook must untangle the web of betrayal spun by Kelton, Zenah, and a crooked inventor to recover stolen rocket plans. Suspicion, deception, and a daring escape aboard an experimental spacecraft collide in this four-page thriller.

Wings Wendall, a special agent for Military Intelligence, is dispatched by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to counter a metallic army invading America from the Southwest, targeting the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma. Forced to go undercover behind enemy lines with an American woman he rescues, Wings must infiltrate the invaders' command structure and locate their devastating super-weapon before it destroys the last of the defending American forces. With Commander Zergoff and his troops closing in, Wings races against time in a desperate bid to turn the enemy's own firepower against them.