Smash Comics #9

When the mysterious agent Black X is captured by Proxoff—a ruthless revolutionary plotting to conquer the world while global powers tear each other apart—he's forced into an alliance far more dangerous than he anticipated. Alongside his companion Batu, Black X must navigate a treacherous escape through submarines, mines, and Proxoff's fanatically devoted soldiers, all while trying to outmaneuver a madman with a twenty-year plan. Proxoff the Revolutionary delivers espionage, sabotage, and high-stakes intrigue as Black X fights to survive and thwart a continental threat.

Abdul and his faithful servant Hassan are enlisted by British police to track down the notorious Khabib Gang, a trio of desert robbers, in this swiftly-paced adventure from Smash Comics #9. When Abdul corners one gang member, the search intensifies for Khabib himself and his remaining followers across the harsh desert landscape. Tension mounts as traps are laid and allegiances within the gang begin to fracture under pressure.

Detective Wun Cloo squares off against the criminal mastermind Professor Ratheart, who's devised a pair of ingenious ray-based gadgets—a cane that fires a piercing beam and a ring that projects a magnetic pull—to steal the world's largest diamond from the museum. When Ratheart's plot goes awry and Wun Cloo sets a clever trap, the two must match wits in a battle of invention and quick thinking. It's a fast, funny clash of gadgetry and detective work that proves brains—and mirrors—beat brute force.

Clip Chance faces the pressure of his life when Coach Barr enters him in the decathlon at the Cliffside track meet—the school's track program depends on a strong showing to survive. As Clip battles through event after event against exhaustion, he discovers that thieves are making off with the meet's gate receipts, forcing him to pursue them while still trying to compete in the final race. With Coach Barr's job on the line and the athletic board watching closely, Clip must find a way to save both the day and the program.

When a series of bizarre burglaries plague the neighborhood—each thief making off with a peculiar assortment of items from dueling foils to goldfish to bananas—detective Philpot Veep takes the case, with his assistant Waldo dutifully recording each strange theft. A witness claims to have glimpsed the culprit: a three-foot-tall, bald creature in red underwear, but Veep's sharp mind spots a pattern the others miss. Following a crucial clue, Veep and Waldo track down the real story behind the "proxy burglar" and bring the case to its conclusion.

When a wealthy businessman turns up dead in a taxi at Scotland Yard's doorstep, Captain Cook must untangle a web of suspects and false leads to find Sir Thomas's killer. With a mysterious third passenger, a conveniently injured face, and a threatening note that arrives at the worst possible moment, nothing about this roving taxicab case is quite what it seems. Cook's relentless detective work—and a daring gambit at the pier—finally force the truth into the light.

Meet Jim Humphrey, the University of Southern California's undefeated high-hurdle champion who's training hard for the 1940 Olympics—even doing pull-ups between train berths on his way to compete at the IC4A track meet. This "Sportrait" celebrates what it takes to stay in peak condition and master the demanding technique of keeping your sprinter's stride intact over the hurdles.

John Law pursues a baffling case when a mysterious fog blankets Philadelphia's streets and several buses vanish without a trace—all while his nemesis, the Avenger, remains at large with a vendetta against wealthy businessman Robert Rolls. As Law investigates the phantom fog and abandoned subway tunnels beneath the city, his resourceful assistant June Carter takes matters into her own hands, setting off on her own dangerous investigation. With missing passengers, chemical smoke screens, and a hidden laboratory, Law must uncover the Avenger's twisted scheme before more lives disappear into the fog.

King Archie O'Toole gets a surprise delivery—his tough-talking cousin Montgomery, who's blown into town looking for an easy life on his rich relation's dime. When the pint-sized brawler enters a boxing tournament and starts throwing his weight around, Archie and his allies begin to suspect their newest houseguest isn't quite who he claims to be.