Smash Comics #48

When a mysterious rocket from Mars crashes on Professor Drizzpan’s land, the scientist is less concerned with the cosmic visitor than with the disruption to his research. But the crash unleashes a sinister mechanical creature armed with a deadly ray, turning the quiet countryside into a battleground.

When model Diana Dare is found murdered in Skearn's Department Store, rookie cop Rookie Rankin sees his chance to prove himself to the homicide detective and escape the sergeant's threat of a graveyard beat. As Rankin investigates the sprawling department store, he uncovers clues that lead him through window displays, hidden stairwells, and a desperate chase—but nothing is quite what it seems. This 1943 mystery proves that sometimes the most obvious suspect isn't the guilty one, and that a rookie's instincts might just crack the case wide open.

When a mysterious sparkling rock turns up in Big Bernie's hideout, a goldfish narrator witnesses Lady Luck crash the scene to confront the mob boss—but it's the fish himself who uncovers the truth about the Magenta Diamond. With the cops closing in and Big Bernie getting desperate, this pint-sized witness becomes the unlikely hero who turns the tables on the crooks.

In "null" from Smash Comics #48 (1943), the Marksman finds himself outmaneuvered by a cunning German female agent whose charm and agility test his resolve. As their tense game of deception unfolds, he uncovers her true allegiance—just as a tragic twist cuts short her chance to expose him.

When a gubernatorial candidate's rally turns violent, the Jester must untangle a web of corruption linking the politician J. J. Pilbeam to gangland boss Gibb Greiner—and expose a scheme far more sinister than it first appears. With Detective McGinty in danger and the truth hanging in the balance, the costumed jokester trades quips for justice on a rooftop showdown where every laugh masks a fight for survival.