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

Issue Details

Issue #4
Published February 1940
Frequency [monthly]
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 68
Editing Martin Goodman
Notes No indicia in this issue, nor in the other issue Timely published this month (Daring Mystery Comics #2).

Cover Details

Characters The Sub-Mariner
Genre superhero
Pencils Alex Schomburg
Inks Alex Schomburg
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

12 page The Human Torch story "New York Hit by Green Flame"

Characters The Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Inspector Reiss; Dr. Manyac (Villain; Intro); the Green Flames (Villain; Intro; some Deaths); Johnson; Maizie (Intro)
Synopsis Torch has to deal with the ransom threats by a Dr. Manyac, who plans to use the Green Flames as a tool to exact revenge if his demands are not met.
Genre superhero
Script Carl Burgos (signed)
Pencils Carl Burgos (signed)
Inks Carl Burgos (signed)
Letters Carl Burgos?
Notes Torch assumes Jim Hammond identity, and still wears blue uniform. Letterer credit and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1; in Marvel Mystery Comics 70th Anniversary Special (Marvel, 2009 series) #1

8 page The Angel story "Butch the Giant"

Characters The Angel [Tom Hallaway]; Butch (Villain; Intro; Death; a giant); Rickie (Death); Brink (Intro); Weasel (Death)
Synopsis The Angel ventures into Devel's Playground, which harbors killers, murderers, and every other imaginable menace to civilization in order to battle a giant who carries out the gruesome activities.
Genre superhero
Script Ray Gill?
Pencils Paul Gustavson
Inks Paul Gustavson
Notes Writer revision from Paul Gustavson to ?. The Who's Who only lists Gustavson for art on this strip, and also lists Ray Gill as the only writer in 1940, and this story may be by him. Some info, note and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

10 page Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner story "The Sub-Mariner Goes To War"

Characters The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; Betty Dean; Tha-Korr; Council of Three (Atlantean rulers; Intro); The Nazis (Villain)
Synopsis Betty, concerned on what effect the Nazi submarine warfare has had on ocean-going travel and commerce, enlists the aid of the Sub-Mariner and his aerial subs to deal with the problem.
Genre superhero
Script Bill Everett (signed)
Pencils Bill Everett (signed)
Inks Bill Everett (signed)
Letters Bill Everett
Notes Story continued next issue. Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted In Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #9; in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

8 page The Masked Raider story "The Claim Jumpers"

Characters The Masked Raider [Jim Gardley]; Zeb; Luke; Manuel; Ben; Buck and his gang (Villain; some Death)
Synopsis A couple of prospectors discover a large gold deposit on their property, but are threatened by local crooks to give them the location of that claim.
Genre western
Pencils Al Anders (signed as Anders)
Inks Al Anders (signed as Anders)
Notes Writer revision from Al Anders to ?. The Who's Who lists no writers for this strip and Anders was an artist only. Notes, characters and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

1 page text story "Warning Enough"

Characters Steve; Naylor; Jim Stinson; "Slip" Rodney (Villain)
Synopsis Steve picks up a hitchhiker along side a road, not knowing that he is a wanted killer.
Genre mystery
Script David G. Cooke (signed)
Pencils Harry Ramsey (signed as H. Ramsey)
Inks Harry Ramsey (signed as H. Ramsey)
Letters typeset
Notes The statement of ownership is printed in the last coloume of the story. Artist's first name, note, characters and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

Half page statement of ownership "Statement of ownership, management, circulation, etc."

Synopsis Statement of ownership of "Marvel Mystery Comics, published monthly, at Buffalo, New York, for October 1, 1939."
Script Abraham Goodman; Maurice Coyne (notary)
Letters typeset
Editing Timely Publications (owner); Abraham Goodman (owner, publisher); Martin Goodman (editor, managing editor, business manager)
Notes All addresses for Martin and Abraham Goodman as well as for Timely Publications given as 330 W. 42nd St., N. Y. C.

8 page Electro, the Marvel of the Age story

Characters Electro (a robot; Intro; Origin); Prof. Philo Zog (Electro's creator); the twelve Secret Operatives (Intro); Dick Gardner (secret operative #3); Little Joyce Lovely; Hymie "The Weasel" Pazetto (Villain; Intro)
Synopsis Professor Zog creates a marvelous robot, all powerful and intelligent, as a means of helping humainity by banishing all crime and evil. Electro's first case is to rescue a kidnapped child actress.
Genre superhero
Pencils Steve Dahlman (signed as Dahl)
Inks Steve Dahlman (signed as Dahl)
Notes Writer revision from Steve Dahlman to ?. The Who's Who lists no writer for this strip. Notes and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

8 page Ferret, Mystery Detective story "Quest For a Crime Boss"

Characters Ferret (Intro); Lynn Froehm; Doc Wagner (Villain; Intro); Knuckles Johnson (Villain; Death)
Synopsis Our hero faces a challenge from the underworld, who doesn't take a liking to his "crime doesn't pay" articles and is out robbing and killing people for jewelry.
Genre mystery
Script Stockbridge Winslow (signed)
Pencils Irwin Hasen (signed as I. Hasen)
Inks Irwin Hasen (signed as I. Hasen)
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.

10 page Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great story "Fourth Episode [Return of the Oman]"

Characters Ka-Zar [David Rand]; Zar (a lion); Chaka (ape leader); N'Jaga (a leopard); Sinessa (a snake); Kru (a vulture); Trajah (an elephant); Paul De Kraft [aka Fat Face] (Villain); Ed Kivlin (Villain; Intro); Inkosi (Villain)
Synopsis De Kraft returns to the Belgian Congo, where, years earlier, he had killed Ka-Zar's parents, and when Ka-Zar spots him, he swears revenge. Now De Kraft uses deadly tactics to deal with the natives, who want to desert him because they fear retribution from the "Jungle God".
Genre jungle
Pencils Ben Thompson (signed)
Inks Ben Thompson (signed)
Notes Story continued in the next issue. Bracketed story title found in the last panel of story in Marvel Mystery #3. Writer revision from Ben Thompson to ?. The Who's Who does NOT list a writer for this strip. Notes, some characters and synopsis added by Craig Delich 11-8-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1974 series) #26; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics (Marvel, 2004 series) #1.