Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #5
Published June 1940
Frequency monthly
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 68
Editing Martin Goodman
Notes DARING MYSTERY COMICS published monthly by Timely Publications, Meriden, Conn. Application for second class matter pending at the Post Office at Meriden, Conn., under act of March 3, 1879. Entire contents copyright 1940 by Timely Publications, 330 W. 42nd St., N. Y., N. Y. Vol. 1, No. 5, June, 1940. Yearly subscription $1.00. Printed in U. S. A. For advertising write Marvel Group, 330 W. 42nd St., N. Y. C. Credits from or confirmed by the Masterworks reprint unless otherwise noted.

Cover Details - "Could the Falcon save this girl from the death machine?"

Characters The Falcon [Carl Burgess]
Genre superhero
Pencils Alex Schomburg
Inks Alex Schomburg
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (2008 series) #2 (2010)

1 page The Cromwell-Collier Publishing Co. advertisement "G-Man Outfit"

Letters typeset
Notes Found on the inside front cover.

7 page The Fiery Mask story "The Jelly of Doom"

Characters The Fiery Mask [Jack Castle]; Dork (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis The Fiery Mask saves the world from a flesh-eating ooze unleashed by a mad scientist.
Genre superhero
Script George Kapitan (signed)
Pencils Harry Sahle (signed)
Inks Harry Sahle (signed)
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

7 page Trojak, the Tiger Man story "The Devil-Flower"

Characters Trojak; Balu (the tiger); Edith Alton; Jerry Alton; The Gembas (villains, introduction)
Synopsis Trojack, Edith and Balu seek out the life juice of the devil-flower to save Jerry's life.
Genre jungle
Pencils Arnold Hicks
Inks Arnold Hicks
Notes Last appearance, although a different character called "Tigerman" appears in the next issue. The splash panel blurb claims this new "Tigerman" also has a tiger called Balu, but no tiger appears in the story.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

6 page K-4 and his Sky Devils story "Strike Against the Nazis"

Characters K-4; Sky Devils [René D'Auvergne; Ronald Wolverstone-Clodd]
Synopsis When the Sky Devils get captured on a photographing mission, they soon escape and are rescued from their pursuers by K-4.
Genre aviation
Pencils Jack Binder ?
Inks ? (see notes)
Notes Last appearance. The GCD had Maurice Gutwirth (pencils) and Jack Alderman? (inks) for this. Dr. Michael Vassallo tentatively credits Jack Binder (pencils) speculated that E.C. Stoner might have contributed inks on account of having inked Binder elsewhere, but Ron Goulart says that he sees no E.C. Stoner in the art at all. He does agree that Binder was involved. All of this discussion is from the Timely-Atlas list.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

8 page Monako, Prince of Magic story "The Origin of Monako"

Characters Monako (origin in flashback); Monako's parents (flashback, introduction, death); an Indian magician (flashback, introduction, death); Lady Anne (introduction); Lady Olga (introduction); Mike (villain, introduction); Mike's partner (villain, introduction)
Synopsis Monako tells his origin to Ladies Anne and Olga and later rescues Lady Anne from some thieves who stole her jewelry and tried to kill her.
Genre occult
Pencils Larry Antonette (signed)
Inks Larry Antonette ? [as Larry Antonette] (signed)
Notes Notes from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, Hames Ware and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. on the Timely-Atlas list indicate that an inker other than Antonette may have worked on this story.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

8 page Marvex story "Battle of the Robots"

Characters Marvex; Clara Crandall; Dr. Narr (villain, introduction, death); Brad Lewis (villain, introduction); his gang (villains, introduction)
Genre Superhero
Pencils Hal Sharp
Inks Hal Sharp
Notes Last appearance. There is a teaser panel for a Marvex story in the next issue but the story did not appear.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

7 page Whirlwind Carter story "Planet of Black-Light"

Characters Whirlwind Carter; Brenda Hale; The Black-Light Men (villains, introduction, death)
Synopsis Whirlwind Carter fights off an invasion from the planet of black light.
Script Fletcher Hanks [as C. C. Starr] (signed)
Pencils Fletcher Hanks [as C. C. Starr] (signed)
Inks Fletcher Hanks [as C. C. Starr] (signed)
Letters Fletcher Hanks
Notes Last appearance. A teaser at the bottom of the last panel promises another episode "next month" but it never appeared.
Reprinted in You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #[nn]; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

2 page none text story "The Death Clutch"

Characters Bob Johnson; Sergeant Elliot; Jack Mardel's uncle (death); Jack Mardel (villain)
Synopsis Jack Mardel has a large inheritance coming to him from his elderly uncle, but he decides not to let nature takes its natural course before he gets it!
Genre adventure
Script T. K. Hawley (signed)
Letters typeset
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

7 page Breeze Barton story "Rebuilding the World"

Characters Breeze Barton; Ann Barclay; Frenchy; Sabarr (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis Breeze and Ann start rebuilding civilization with Frenchy, but a savage tribe quickly attacks them.
Pencils Jack Binder ?
Inks E. C. Stoner ?
Notes Last appearance. A teaser promises another installment in the next issue but there was no such story.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

4 page Little Hercules story "Introducing Little Hercules"

Characters Little Hercules (introduction, origin); Two spies (villains, introduction)
Synopsis Hercules is made a doctor of all sciences at age 12 and decides to take his newly invented explosive to his government while evading two foreign agents who are trying to steal it from him.
Genre adventure
Script Bud Sagendorf [as SAG] (signed)
Pencils Bud Sagendorf [as SAG] (signed)
Inks Bud Sagendorf [as SAG] (signed)
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 (2010)

8 page The Falcon story "Meet the Falcon"

Characters The Falcon [Carl Burgess] (introduction); Dr. Sunga (villain, introduction, death); Turvy (villain, introduction, death); Dr. Sunga's gang (villains, introduction)
Synopsis Dr. Sunga is killing people by sending them wands of death, but the Falcon must discover the true mechanism behind the murders so that charges will stand up in court.
Genre superhero
Pencils Maurice Gutwirth
Inks Maurice Gutwirth
Notes In his introduction to the Masterworks, Will Murray observes that close examination of the splash panel reveals that a different logo was originally in place, that used more letters. Murray goes on to assert that the Falcon is a reworked version of the Purple Mask. While he does not comment on the costuming, it is worth noting that the Falcon's outfit in this story is different than on the cover and in his other two appearances, and indeed appears to be a re-colored version of the Purple Mask's outfit, with a chest logo added along with wings over his ears. The Falcon's general setup and civilian employment are identical to that of the Purple Mask.
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (2008 series) #2 (2010)

1 page Charles Atlas advertisement "Here's the Kind of Men I Build!"

Letters ? (cartoon); typeset
Notes Inside back cover.

1 page Remington Noiseless Deluxe Portable Typewriter advertisement "This Beautiful Desk for Only $1.00"

Letters typeset
Notes Back cover.