Smash Comics #8

A frightened grocer arrives at detective Philpot Veep's door bearing ominous warning placards that countdown to his doom, claiming a mysterious shadow haunts his bedroom each night. Philpot and his assistant Waldo stake out the man's home to uncover who—or what—is behind the sinister threats before time runs out. A clever bit of detective work reveals the truth lurking in the shadows.

Captain Cook of Scotland Yard is summoned back from America to investigate a devastating explosion at the Cambridge Arsenal that's claimed five guards and sent a fortune in gold bullion missing—but the detective assigned to the case, Inspector Niven, vanishes before Cook even arrives. Stranded at a farmhouse near the arsenal during a storm, Cook makes a chilling discovery that sets him on a collision course with the thieves behind the heist. With his gun back at his car and danger closing in, Cook must use his wits and his short-wave radio to survive the night and solve the case before the killers strike again.

"Bucky" Wells, the daring bob-sled driver who holds the Lake Placid mile record, faces a race day crisis when his team discovers they can't afford a proper sled—but the resourceful driver and his crew are about to learn whether determination and perfect teamwork can overcome the odds. With meticulous preparation and nerves of steel on the curves, "Bucky" and his team are ready to put their coordination to the test.

When saboteurs linked to Adolf Zhun strike across the country—destroying a munitions plant, sinking a ship, and downing a test plane—Hugh Hazzard and his robot partner Bozo intercept a coded radio message that reveals the mastermind's identity. Racing against the clock from a Batzi spy hideout to Washington and beyond, Hugh must stop Zhun and Herzog before they can execute their most devastating attack yet on American soil. It's a high-octane chase through enemy operations that will test man and machine alike.

King Archie O'Toole is desperate to turn his kingdom into a perfect utopia, so he enlists his trusted adviser Montgomery for help—but when a mysterious visitor named Ipswitch arrives claiming he can fix everything in just two weeks, the king eagerly accepts. What sounds like a dream come true turns into a lesson about what "perfect" really means when Ipswitch's radical reforms produce some very unexpected consequences.

Reporter Chic Carter returns from Europe to investigate the "Star of Egypt," a diamond that's left nearly everyone from its expedition dead—everyone except Professor Lansing and his daughter Brenda. When a knife attack targets the Professor at his estate, Chic uncovers a scheme far more sinister than any curse, catching the true culprits red-handed as they attempt to steal the jewel from his collection.

John Law, the scientist-detective, closes in on the mysterious "Avenger" who's been targeting thirteen wealthy men—but when Albert Mills receives a terrifying threat, Law must uncover how the killer's twisted schemes work before his next victim falls. Using scientific ingenuity and a carefully laid trap involving thirteen phone lines and a fake newspaper, Law sets out to expose the Avenger's true identity and locate the kidnapped Mills before time runs out.