The Secret Origin of the Mystery Men of America
by lawrenceliberty
Prologue
December 1941
A ruggedly handsome man stood inside the White House’s Oval Office. He was a frequent presence in the famous room or at least he had been since President Roosevelt’s 1933-1934 renovations expanded the room and added the indirect lighting that enabled the executive staff to work there in more comfort even through the night. The gray-green walls and heavy green drapes with their eagle patterned valances did little to keep out the normal December chill; however, today was warm for the time of year and the location. It was nearly fifty degrees outside. However, Major Craig Williams pulled his trench coat together as he listened to President Roosevelt’s clear, distinctive voice. It was the same crisp “radio voice” that had given hope to countless Americans through his famous fireside chats dating back to the earliest days of his first term.
“Major, I know I may rely on you and Captain Hornet to complete your assignments. You two and Agent Borden are as capable and reliable as the caped and masked men we need at this time!” he said as he caressed his small but famous dog Fala.
Major Williams said, “Thank you, sir. Your faith in us is gratifying! I suppose you know how much faith all of us Americans have in you too!”
President Roosevelt briefly flashed a much photographed smile as he looked upward and tilted his head slightly to one side.
“We can only hope that even the Republicans have some of that faith! We need every American to pull together now!” he said.
As Major Williams departed the Oval Office he thought, “Amen!”
1
A beautiful blonde named Ginger Dare was not thinking about the temperature or the President. She was fighting for her life against a man in a weird feline patterned brown costume and cowl. He grinned at her in a way that was all too familiar to the lovely woman. Men had always looked at her in such a lascivious manner. She was very lovely and she knew it. At this moment she would have gladly traded her Betty Grable figure for the thundering fists of Joe Lewis! Still, Ginger was nothing if not the kind of girl who made the most of what she had. She caught her breath. They had faced one another for several minutes already as they circled each other warily.
She smiled back at the man even as he moved closer and stepped over the fallen bodies of her fellow V-Agents. The young men were members of an underground resistance movement dedicated to opposing the Axis forces in every manner possible. The three men on the floor had failed to stop the killer known as the Manx! Ginger pushed her long blonde hair away from her face and vowed to do her best to slow him down if she could not stop him. Their leader’s life might depend on her actions.
She timed her movements perfectly and lashed out with a kick that narrowly missed the more agile intruder.
“You are a real wildcat! I like that!” he said as he grabbed her and wrestled her down to the ground in spite of her furious struggles.
“What kind of man are you? What kind of American helps the Nazis? You’re more Rat than Cat!” she said.
The Manx slapped her across the face and delivered a series of rapid blows that left her stunned in his arms.
“You talk more than the Green Mask!” he said.
He scowled as he heard voices from outside.
“I can’t take on all of them! By now they’ve hidden that old man! This little witch delayed me long enough to ruin everything! I can still claw her before they get here!” he hissed.
He raised his gleaming talons and then grunted as Ginger suddenly punched him in the throat.
He dropped her and she rolled to safety. “I was playing ‘possum! You should appreciate that since you seem to be into animals!”
The Manx cursed and leaped out the window even as Ginger Dare passed out for real. Moments later, several young men entered the room and bent over their fallen friends.
“They’ll live but Agent Dare is hurt pretty badly. I think she may have internal injuries!” said a blonde youth.
An old man with white hair and intelligent eyes looked down on her with compassion and determination. He glanced over at the other younger men who looked to him for instructions.
“She’ll live! I’ll see to that! As for the Manx, I don’t know how he found us but our most celebrated agent will deal with him. The venerable and mysterious freedom fighter known as Father Duroc lifted his hand where a large ruby gemstone rested in an ordinary setting.
The ring glowed brightly and he gazed in it as an advanced communication system allowed him to use the altered ring to send a message to the American agent he sought.
“V-Man! You are needed! Listen carefully, I have much to tell you!” said Father Duroc.
In America, the patriotic Mystery Man V-Man (Jerry Steele) jumped to his feet within a small hotel room and looked at his own ring. He said, “I’m listening, sir. How can I help you?”
2
Cemeteries have a silence all their own. No other place combines the lonely solitude of personal loss with the silence of the grave. A man may stand within a crowded graveyard and still feel totally alone with his grief and in the case of one mourner in the Windy Hill Cemetery, with his sense of guilt.
Jim Blake was lost in his thoughts as he looked down at the grave and wiped away a few blades of grass from the small tombstone. He touched the engraved name Anna May Ryan and remembered the lively and brave woman.
“I only knew you for a few months but I’ll never forget you!” he thought.
Anna May Ryan had been a good woman who had fallen in with a bad crowd. In the early days of the Great Depression it was easy to do so even for those who had been raised to respect traditional values. Things like personal dignity and high sounding values faded away like ashes in the wind when faced with hunger, and the need for shelter. The uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring made living by certain values today seem pointless. Anna had become an associate of some gangsters and in time had recovered her sense of self and her desire to do right. Jim Blake had helped her in this reformation but he knew that he had not initiated it. Anna had always desired to change and to be a woman who could hold her head up with pride or a sense that she had nothing to be ashamed of in her life.
Jim shook his head and thought, “You died a heroine. You saved me and Phil as well! We’ll always owe everything to you!”
At that moment a young boy walked up to him and hesitantly said, “Jim, I’m…I’m sorry about Anna. I know you cared for her and she was really swell. I’m just sorry that I was such a rat when we first met her. I guess I didn’t trust her but more than that I was sort of jealous of her. I guess I thought you wouldn’t need me if you had her!” he said.
Jim said, “Phil, you are like a son to me. Nothing will ever change that. Anna didn’t want to change that either. She cared for you too. I hoped in time we might be a real family. I want you to know that she knew you cared about her. She didn’t hold your initial suspicions against you. Usually, when people care about one another in a real way they know it. Words aren’t always needed.”
Phil nodded and said, “She saved me more than once. Remember, how she tackled that crooked maid? She was something else!”
Jim Blake said, “She sure was. Phil, since I gained my powers, I’ve searched for the best way to use them. I called myself the Moth at first and then not long before you lost your folks in the flood, I started using the Lynx as my costumed identity. Well, I still want to help people but Anna died in my arms while I was the Lynx and I don’t think I can ever use that costume or name again. The fact is I can’t help but see her face when I look at that costume. I blame myself for her death!”
Phil said, “You can’t do that. You’re the greatest guy I know. You would have saved her if you could have. Nobody knew she was going to jump out in front of those thugs. Even the Lynx can’t move faster than a bullet!”
Jim said, “You’re a good person. You’re loyal and you’re selfless. Still, whatever happens, we’re family….just maybe not mystery men anymore! That part of our lives is over! The Lynx died when that gangster shot Anna Ryan!”
Later, Jim Blake sat across from a tall, elderly woman in her small apartment. Dr. Anna Von Braun was a brilliant scientist. She had fled from Eastern Europe to escape from religious persecution and now she considered herself to be a proud American.
“James, I am sorry to interrupt your mourning. I am sincerely sorry for your loss; however, I need your help. I have been watched and followed. Perhaps, I am more sensitive than most because of my Polish background but I fear I am in peril. Hitler’s madness reaches even here into the New World.” she said as she glanced over her shoulder.
“Dr. Von Braun! You know you can count on me. You saved my life when I was dying. Your energy formula made me a mystery man for a time. I’ll do whatever I can for you!” said Blake.
The brilliant Polish scientist smiled at him and said, “Thank you. I saved you because I knew you were a good man and a true hero. You are a hero by any name, James Blake!”

She recalled the day when some thugs surrounded her in the street and began yelling ethnic slurs at her. The then frail Jim Blake had tried to defend her as best he could; however, he was overcome by the group and they only left him alone when the police showed up. Dr. Von Braun had taken the injured man to her nearby home and after realizing how badly he had been hurt, she administered what she called her “energy formula,” The experimental substance not only healed Blake but turned him it to a true super human with enhanced strength and the ability to fly!
He listened carefully as the scientist explained how she had been followed more than once recently and felt her life was in jeopardy
“While the formula only worked on you for some reason, it could still be valuable to many who want to create their own so-called Master Race!” she said.
Jim said, “Something about my metabolism just clicked with that formula. I’m a very lucky man! I’ll do all I can for you but I recently made a decision.”
Jim dropped his coat and revealed a solid red costume that covered his whole body and a cowl that covered the top of his head. He brought out a case and removed a pair of expanding wings that attached to the back of his red suit.
“The Lynx is dead. The Moth lives once more! The same energy formula you gave me that gifted me with enhanced strength and stamina also gave me the power to fly. The wings only enabled me to control my flight path more accurately. In any event, I’m going to be the Moth from now on!” he said.
At that moment, the door swung open to reveal a monstrous figure. The man was bald but not elderly. He stood over six feet tall and his awkward gait did nothing to diminish the imposing nature of his rippling muscles. He wore a ragged suit of navy blue.
Dr. Von Braun screamed and Jim Blake stepped in front of her. She was like a mother to him. Indeed, her chemical formula had given him what amounted to a new life when her experiments enabled him to become a super human!
“Stay back, fellow!” he demanded.
“As Phil might say, he looks like Boris Karloff’s ugly brother!”
The monstrous intruder laughed harshly and said, “You think Kraaken is a monster? I will live up to your expectations! “
He charged forward and Jim Blake dived for him and said, “Let’s see how you do against someone closer to your size. You’ve menaced an older lady for long enough!”
He managed to force the bigger man backward but the grinning brute wrapped his arms around Blake and exerted tremendous force.
Blake kicked off the ground and began to fly even as the towering attacker struggled to retain his hold on the hero.
In spite of Jim Blake’s efforts, the brute overcame him and tossed him down to the ground as he grabbed the frightened Dr. Von Braun.
“You are much sought after. Be quiet and you shall not be harmed!” he said.
He scooped up the scientist and the Moth and lurched out of the apartment which was now as silent as the graveyard had been!
3
Jim Blake wasn’t the only one mourning a lost love that December day. A beautiful black haired woman named Shannon Kane gazed sadly at a framed photo on a desk in a small New York apartment and turned back to face a nearly empty lab table.
“Poor Harry. I still miss you as if it was only yesterday!” she said softly. Shannon Kane was the young widow of a brilliant scientist Dr. Henry Kane. The couple had been devoted to one another and she had happily shared in his scientific pursuits even as he had pretended to relish her more athletic activities.
“You never could get the hang of tennis!” she thought with a rueful smile.
He certainly could work wonders in his lab though. As a government scientist he created an alternative to steel in the form of an adhesive that he jokingly called “spider web fluid.” While this miraculous substance was not exactly what he had been seeking for the government, it would become a weapon for justice in the hands of Shannon after foreign agents murdered Harry.
She said, “Your killers paid for what they did. They failed to get your inventions and they earned nothing more than prison sentences for their efforts. I’d like to think you’d approve of how I’ve used your chemical formulas to become the Spider Queen!”
She wore a long sleeved blue blouse, a very short pleated red skirt and yellow high heeled ankle boots. Two large silvery bracelets rested on each arm. She adjusted them carefully.
“Wouldn’t do for this little spider to run out of webbing!” she said.
Shannon Kane breathed deeply and smiled. She loved Harry deeply but she knew he would never want her to bury herself away from society. His passion for her was like his love for the wonders of the natural world. Both were too deep to be quenched by loss or grief. She would embrace life in his name and perhaps as the heroine known as Spider Queen she would bring justice to others before they suffered the kind of losses she had experienced.
“Harry always said I was smarter than I would admit. I think using his adhesive formula to make various kinds of artificial webbing or spider web fluid as he called it and creating wrist projectors for it would make him very proud of me!” she mused.
“In a world with Mystery Men like the Flame and the Blue Beetle, there better be room for the world’s very first Mystery Woman!” she said to herself.
“You were the first but perhaps you will also be the last!” said a newcomer who entered the lab and interrupted Shannon Kane’s reverie.
He wore a red costume that consisted of a jumpsuit and boots. His hands were covered in heavy gloves like the kind associated with factory workers who dealt with dangerous work environments.
Shannon whirled around and confronted him defiantly. She had deliberately adopted a mocking attitude in her guise as the Spider Queen and she was also angry that anyone would dare invade her home again after Harry’s murder two years ago.
“Sorry, the Halloween party ended over a month ago, pal!” she declared.
She fired a thin line of webbing at him and nodded with approval as she struck his chest. She was nearly an expert markswoman dating back to her days hunting with her late father. He certainly couldn’t break free from the amazingly strong substance.
He scowled and casually almost disdainfully removed his gloves and gripped the webline with both hands. The webbing dissolved as smoke arose from where his hands made contact with the webline.
“How did you do that?” gasped Spider Queen.
He said, “I’m Dr. Leo Sugar the Corrosive Man! Poisons I employed for crime altered my metabolism. Now, I literally burn like a living flame and all I touch does so as well!”
He dived at Spider Queen but she darted aside and rolled backward over the lab table.
“I can’t trade punches with that creep. I assume touching his skin would do more than rub me the wrong way!” she mused as she hurled a paperweight at him.
He said, “Come my dear, you are much too pretty to engage in combat. I am a man of science. I merely want the files that belonged to the late Dr. Henry Kane. Give them to me and I shall depart!”
Spider Queen said, “You’re not taking anything of Harry’s!”
She flipped through the air and connected with both feet against his chest. He staggered backward and collapsed under the impact.
“At least his protective suit doesn’t emit any toxic substance. I can’t touch his bare skin but then again why would I want to?” she thought.
The Corrosive Man gasped for air. He was clearly not an experienced fighter. Still, he had enough energy left to grab her boot as she stood over him. Spider Queen slipped out of the shoe and dived backward.
As the Corrosive Man regained his footing and he discarded the now melted remnants of the shoe, he spread his arms wide and said, “Dr. Kane was part of an elite group. His work should be preserved. Why interfere with things you can’t comprehend. You are as bad as that mindless thug the Blue Beetle!”
“I’d take that as a compliment sister!” said a newcomer as a sexy woman in a brief yellow and green costume swung into the window and kicked Leo Sugar aside.
“I’m the Phantom Lady! This guy seems like a real masher. Why don’t we do the mashing for a change?” she quipped.
A blond man entered in the Phantom Lady’s wake and brandished a gun.
“Okay, buddy. I’m a G-Man. You can give up now! Trust me, you don’t want to tangle with these ladies!” he declared.
“Stay back, Don. We can handle this without gunplay!” said Phantom Lady.
Phantom Lady aimed her own wrist-device at the villain and a beam of inky darkness covered his head.
He staggered to one side and Spider Queen carefully fired her own webline so that it attached to a bookcase.
She pulled with all of her own might and brought it crashing down on the blinded Corrosive Man!
He grunted once and then remained still.
Spider Queen sighed with relief and said, “That idiot wanted the late Dr. Kane’s research. You say that you’re a G-Man? Well, I’d like to know what you’re doing here now? Your kind certainly didn’t prevent goons like him from killing Harry.”
The blond agent held up an identification card as he put his gun away.
“I’m Don Borden. I know you’re Dr. Kane’s widow. I’m sorry for your loss. His murder was a tragedy. See, I knew him. I’m here because Dr. Kane’s research is not the only scientific research being sought after by some unsavory types. There have been reports of abductions of notable scientists and robberies from various labs. They fit a particular pattern too!” he said.
Phantom Lady added, “Your husband was part of a government think tank several years ago. It seems as if all the members of that group are being targeted either for abduction or robbery depending on whether or not they are still among living!”
Spider Queen frowned and said, “Agent Borden, I accept your condolences and your reason for being here but what’s with the bathing beauty over there? Do all G-Men have pin-up girls as aides now?”
Phantom Lady said, “Now, wait a minute, honey. I’m here to help and that little get-up of yours would make Rita Hayworth blush!”
Spider Queen moved forward with her fists clenched. Something about the other heroine simply irked her.
“Don’t honey me, you, you hussy!” she cried.
Borden stepped between the costumed women and raised both hands.
“Mrs. Kane, Spider Queen, we are here to help. This super human the Corrosive Man is just one of the criminals who have been reported being at the attempts to rob or abduct the other members of the late Dr. Kane’s group. Clearly, someone wants their secrets. We came here to protect you but clearly you can handle yourself in a fight. I only recognized you because Harry showed me your photo when I worked as security agent for the think tank. In that costume and with that mask I see on the table, I doubt anyone else would be able to discern your real identity. You may trust us!”
Spider Queen lowered her fists and glared at Phantom Lady.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m protective of my secrets and Harry’s work! Back then he was not working on an adhesive. He and the others were looking into various ways to boost human capabilities to create physically enhanced specimens!” she said softly.
Phantom Lady said, “I’m sorry too. We’ll work together and find the answers we need. Truce?”
She extended her hand to Spider Queen who slowly clasped it and nodded. “Truce!”
Phantom Lady said, “Maybe we can learn something from our captive here!”
She gestured to where the fallen cabinet pinned the stunned Corrosive Man.
“I have an idea regarding that hothead if you ladies will cooperate!,” sighed Borden.
Spider Queen nodded and said, “Thank you both!”
Phantom Lady grinned and said, “You know, I do like your skirt! Wonder if I could pull off a blue and red costume?”
4
In a large and luxurious penthouse apartment, Major Williams surveyed a scene of chaos. The elegant furniture had been overturned and signs of a break-in and a struggle were evident. He looked at a glum looking butler and the agitated British valet said, “Please, you must find Master Bill. He is a most kind man although he is rather eccentric at times. He was home on leave from his unit. I went out to buy some groceries for his evening meal and when I returned I found this terrible scene.”
Major Williams nodded and said, “It is okay, Jason. I was on my way here anyway. Your employer and I are old friends. I was a security agent for his government project a while back. I had heard rumblings about sinister interests in their old project but I had no idea Dr. Powers was in immediate jeopardy.”
He thought, “I don’t know if this butler knows his master is really the Action Hero known as the Eagle so I won’t let on that I was actually coming here on F.D.R.’s express request. He wanted to see the Eagle and other mystery men on a separate matter of national importance!”
He thought, “I know the Eagle can take care of himself. In fact, I hate to imagine the kind of threat that could take him down! I owe that man a lot. I won’t let him down now!”
He rushed by Jason and said, “We’ll be in touch. Try not to worry. You are not in danger. You said Bill’s ward Buddy is still at the Army base? Have him stay there just to be safe. We will find Bill Powers!
He reached the elevator and nodded grimly. “The Eagle made me the man I am. It is time for Major Williams to vanish and the Hood to take over!”
He changed into a solid yellow costume with red trunks and red gloves. A blue hood, cape, and boots completed his new look.
He exited the building and soared into the sky.
“When I worked security for Bill Powers and the other scientists in the Think Tank, he confided to me that he was working on a chemical formula that would enable the user to fly. We became good friends over time and he asked me to keep a sample of his formula in case something happened to him. Eventually, I got tired of wrestling red tape and adopted this action hero identity. Using that formula on my costume enabled me to literally defy gravity. I owe that to the Eagle or Dr. Bill Powers and I always repay my debts!” he thought.
He only hoped he would get that chance!
5
The Green Mask (Michael Shelby) was not about to give up a fight while he was still standing. He had been born to wealth but had chosen to use his talents to fight crime as a private investigator. He did so to honor his late father who had been murdered by criminals. When that outlet had not proven to be enough for his desire for justice, he adopted the green mask and costume that gave him his mystery man name! He glanced to the side. He was accustomed to looking out for his young sidekick Domino (Don Mason) who had joined his crusade after the murder of his own father. However, on this December night the hero was alone.
“I’m glad Don is at ski camp. He deserves time to just be a kid!” he thought.
He looked up at a lofty manor house not unlike the one he had grown up in as boy. He hurried forward and easily entered the home through a window. His agility was impressive but he had something more going for him than a keen mind and superb athletic abilities. The Green Mask had super strength and the ability to fly!
“I owe my enhanced abilities to Professor Martin Lascomb. He used his experimental vita rays to save my life when Dad and I were attacked. News Blake, reporter for the Daily Globe, says his underworld sources say the Prof. is in peril. He won’t be harmed if I can help it!” he mused as he silently moved through the darkened home.
“He’ll be in the lab! He works to all hours in that place!” he thought with a smile.
He opened the lab door and ducked as a huge figure bounded for him. Only his superb agility enabled him the dodge. He connected with a stinging punch of his own and the burly giant grunted and swung at him again.
The eerie figure wore a huge trench coat that seemed too small for his massive form. A battered old hat covered his upper face.
He snarled like some jungle beast and dived at the Green Mask who fell backward under the crushing impact.
The Green Mask twisted aside and knocked the bigger man to one side. His hat fell off and as a narrow beam of light from within the partially opened lab illuminated his features, the Green Mask gasped in dismay.
The beast before him was literally a beast!
“You’re a gorilla!” he stammered.
The Gorilla spoke in a guttural tone of voice but in ordinary English!
“Figured that out did you Fancy Pants? I’m more than any dumb ape. I’m Jack Castle- King of the Mobs!” he bellowed.
He grabbed the Green Mask who belted him again and again before finally gaining the upper hand.
As the Green Mask moved forward toward his fallen enemy he heard a low groan from within the lab.
“Martin!” he said. He looked toward the lab and was knocked cold by a lightning fast blow from the Gorilla.
“Dumb punk! I’d kill him here and now but the Boss said to bring any mystery men we run into to his HQ along with the eggheads!” mused the gangster whose brain now rested in the body of an African gorilla.
He kicked the Green Mask and then scooped him up and moved into the lab to pick up a stunned Martin Lascomb.
6
Abe Franz enjoyed running his drug store. He liked dealing with customers and he relished helping those in need. He also liked being the secret mentor to the heroic Blue Beetle (Police Officer Dan Garret); however, the old man didn’t advertise this role on the flyers his staff handed out to customers. That’s why he was surprised when a blonde woman with a golden tiara and a flowing pink gown with puff sleeves and matching heels flounced into the store and casually ignited a display with a gesture from her dainty hands.
“I am the Weather Queen! You may bow down to me and worship my beauty at a later time. Merely gaze in awe at my splendor while I take Franz here as my captive!” she said.
He knew any super villainess had to be connected to the Blue Beetle. After all, his friend had battled a good number of costumed crazies and this lovely but lethal blonde had to be another enhanced felon. How she knew that he had invented Vitamin 2X that gave noble but human Dan Garret super human powers was beyond him. They had always been so careful about their connection.
“I’m Abe Franz. I will come with you. Please do not harm anyone else or damage my property!” he said with a sincere desire to protect his staff and customers.
“I shall grant your request!” she said with a smile.
At that moment a black costumed figure darted into view and rammed a shopping cart into a display. The display crashed down around the Weather Queen who shrieked and covered her face with her hands.
“Blue… I mean black…. Who are you?” stammered Abe.
The newcomer was dressed entirely in black with a long red cape and a black cowl. He said, “I’m the Black Fury! Stay back! This doll is crazy!”
The Black Fury was secretly reporter John Perry of the Daily Clarion. After his father was killed by gangsters he adopted a costume to fight society’s enemies in any manner necessary to get the job done.
“I thought my underworld sources were crazy when they said that fairy tale escapee was dangerous but she has some tie to my old foe the Fang so trailing her here was a good idea!” he thought.
He charged at the Weather Queen and she frowned at him. She raised both hands and a powerful wind knocked him backward.
He struggled to his feet and leaped at her again. This time she gestured and ice sheathed his legs and held him in place.
“You won’t stop me, you crazy witch!” he vowed as he smashed away at the ice and managed to break free.
At that moment the Blue Beetle entered the pharmacy and yelled, “Everyone get out now! Help each other get to safety. I’ll take care of the woman!”
Black Fury said, “Thanks for the hand! I had her on the ropes though!”
Blue Beetle said, “I saw the way you handled her. Let me take over. You could have hurt an innocent shopper by hurling yourself into battle without looking around first!”
He charged forward and the Weather Queen laughed in a sinister manner.
“My father once opposed the Moth but I hate all insects so I can stomp a beetle just as easily!” she said.
Blue Beetle glanced left and right. He had led customers to safety before making his presence known to the pink clad beauty.
Now, with no one else but the reckless Black Fury in sight, he decided to act!
He tackled Weather Queen and gripped both of her wrists tightly.
“You seem to rely on your hands to unleash elements of weather. You can’t use them now!” he said.
Black Fury said, “Just slap her a good one across the face!”
The Beetle said, “Do you always just bluster your way into these situations? Don’t you ever form a plan?”
Black Fury (John Perry) said, “I have my methods but usually my fists are all I need!”
The Weather Queen smiled coldly with perfectly shaped lips and then a blazing bolt of lightning ran through the Blue Beetle and caught the Black Fury as he moved too close to the duo.
They collapsed at her feet and Abe Franz hurried around the counter. “Please take me! Don’t harm them! They were just trying to protect me!”
Weather Queen tossed back her flowing blonde hair and said, “It appears as if they should have never challenged the Weather Queen!”

7

U.S. Jones (Dan Jones) was close friends with a character named Grumbler but as the red, white, and blue clad hero battled two colorfully dressed men, he felt like he was the one with something to complain about! He was in the small cluttered and already dusty private practice of the late Dr. Samuel Medwick. While personal belongings gave a sense of the brilliant physician’s personality, the rapid accumulation of dust and a pile of junk mail on the floor near the mail slot in the wooden door suggested how long he had been gone and how empty the place truly was under normal circumstances. These, however, were not normal circumstances.
The first attacker was dressed in a black mask and a gray costume and cape. He was a skilled fighter and he clearly relished displaying his abilities. He practically looked for an appreciative crowd as he grappled with Jones.
He crashed backward into a desk and kicked out at the bigger man. As he sent him reeling backward, the second thug dived through the air and landed on his chest!
The diminutive man was dressed like his taller partner. As Jones knocked him off the desk and dodged a dagger hurled by the first man, he realized something.
“You two are some bargain basement version of the Green Mask and Domino! Let me guess, you call yourself the Black Mask and Solitaire? he quipped.
The Black Mask sneered and said, “Almost, correct. My ally is known as Jumping Jack!”
U.S. Jones ducked a left punch and connected with two of his own.
“Now you can call yourself Black Eye!” he said.
He twisted to avoid another hurled knife and nodded in approval as a newcomer entered the office and knocked the smaller man cold.
Jones finished Black Mask with a final punch that stunned him.
Jones said, “I know you. Flagman,right? Between the guy in the black mask who calls himself Black Mask, and now a man in a red and white striped shirt and star-spangled hood who goes by the name Flagman, you are all pretty literal!”
Flagman (Captain Peter Hornet) smiled and said, “I try to embody the best our country has to offer. If my sources are correct, your own heroic name U.S. Jones is rather literal too!”
U.S. Jones nodded and said, “Thanks for the hand. I caught these two searching this office. It belonged to a late friend of mine…but you already knew that, right?”
Flagman said, “I knew the late Dr. Medwick’s energy formula made you into the superb athlete you are! I also knew that his office was a potential target of some thieves working for a foreign power!”
Jones grinned and said, “What else have you got to tell me? I’m all ears!”
Flagman said, “President Roosevelt is trying to round up some mystery men for a special mission. At the same time that some of us are looking for guys like you, there is also some kind of plot against members of a former government think tank in progress. I suspect these two were part of that plot.”
U.S. Jones said, “And you are here for the first reason. Are you saying Uncle Sam wants me? As you can tell from my own red, white, and blue union suit, he’s got me!”
Flagman said, “Time is of the essence. Let’s secure these two and then I can take you to where we need to go. My super car is parked outside.”
Jones rubbed one hand through his hair and shook his head.
“Super car? This just keeps getting more literal by the minute!”
8
The Eagle (Bill Powers) groaned and opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt and he had to blink a few times before he could see clearly.
He wore his customary blue cowl, mask, and leotard with a yellow eagle emblem on his chest, matching yellow gloves, red boots and a red and white striped cape. The costume was insulated to resist temperature extremes and the special chemical coating he had saturated the suit with made it durable and enabled him to defy gravity as the high flying hero called the Eagle.
“I was in costume when I was attacked. Clearly, my attacker knew my secret identity or at least knew to look for me at the home I live at as Dr. Bill Powers. I got in a few good punches but he finally got the drop on me as they say in the Cagney films Buddy loves so much! It was as if he struck from out of thin air!”
He looked around the room. He was within a large chamber that seemed to combine elements of an advanced lab with a normal if old fashioned ball room from the turn of the century. It was clearly a large home with aging but ornate features that indicated past wealth and hard times or neglect for the owner. He noted every detail with his customary attention to nuances of environment. He was an inventive genius but he also had strong powers of observation and deduction. While he had a gregarious nature and was quick with a joke, he was also a thoughtful man with an interest in human nature and psychology. He was complex and he brought these many facets of his personality to his role as the costumed hero called the Eagle.
He frowned as he saw other costumed figures seated nearby. When he tried to move he felt some unseen force holding him and apparently all of the heroes in a confined space.
“A force field? Amazing!” he thought.
He recognized the Blue Beetle, the Black Fury, and the Green Mask. He didn’t know a man who wore a winged red costume.
He also spotted several weird figures including the gaunt man who had captured him.
The grinning villain approached him when he saw that he was awake.
“You don’t need to feel bad Eagle. You were defeated by the Fang- the world’s only invisible man!” gloated the criminal genius.
Black Fury said, “Don’t get too busy patting yourself on the back, Fang. I’ve knocked your teeth out more than once, you know! Actually, I thought you’d died on more than one occasion!”
Fang said, “You’ll die soon enough! I promise you that! As for my seeming return from beyond, I owe that little feat to my leader!”
The Gorilla looked down from a dangling light where he was hanging.
“The boss promised to use his science to give me a human body again. He promised all of us the gift of eternal life too! That’s why we picked up those eggheads. They were all studying ways to make men into super men!” he growled.
Weather Queen said, “I owe my association with this assembly of evil knights to Sir Fang. He shall receive my favor in time!”
Black Fury thought, “My sources were right. That dizzy babe is connected to Fang Face!”
Kraaken said nothing but he leered at the Weather Queen and giggled from time to time. She ignored him with regal disdain.
Blue Beetle said, “I’m glad you fellows are awake now. We’ll get out of this mess! Good to see you again, Green Mask, although this situation is a bit darker than our little trip to the circus!”
Green Mask smiled at his friend and said, “Next time let’s just go see Benny Goodman or something!”
The Moth remained silent. His thoughts were with the deceased Anna, the captive Dr. Von Bruan, and his own plans to save them all!
The Manx scowled and said nothing. Clearly, he was well aware of what price his own apparent failure in the eyes of their unseen master might bring.
Fang said, “Ah, laughter in the face of certain death. How typical of you mystery men!”
A distorted voice echoed through a loud speaker and the villains stopped their banter.
The unseen speaker said, “The Corrosive Man and the Black Mask failed to return at all. The Manx returned empty handed. Still, it is time we made use of what resources we have!”
Black Fury whispered to Blue Beetle. “Now why does that sound like a bad idea to me?” 

9
At that moment the Corrosive Man entered the chamber. He wasted no time in crying out his excuses for failure.
“There were mystery men there. I think one of them was Samson himself! The Flame and Yarko the Great were all there waiting for me!”he whined.
Blue Beetle recognized his somewhat altered old foe.
“Careful, Leo, you look flushed! Are you coming down with a fever? You need a good pharmacist. Too bad you were such a rotten one!”
Suddenly, darkness enveloped the line of villains and the force field was abruptly deactivated!
Phantom Lady, Spider Queen, and Don Borden had deliberately allowed Dr. Leo Sugar to escape from custody while they pretended to confer in the late Dr. Kane’s lab. In truth, it had been Borden’s idea to simply follow the felon back to his own hidden base in rural New York. Phantom Lady had used her black light ray to blind the villains long enough for Borden to free them from the constricting energy field.
The Fang cursed as he stumbled out of the darkness and was confronted by the agile Spider Queen.
She snagged him with her webline and pulled him closer before he could turn invisible. She connected with a powerful punch and then bound him to the wall.
“Now, honey, you feel free to pull your vanishing act anytime you want…not that you can actually go anywhere!” she said as she posed defiantly.
The Blue Beetle tackled the Gorilla and brought him down to the floor before he could use his agility to his advantage.
He stunned the big ape and made sure that the struggling villain could not get any leverage even with the added use of his feet.
The shambling giant called Kraaken found himself being pummeled by the Green Mask who flew into the air and then dived down at the mishapen man
The Green Mask (Michael Shelby) knew he had to act while he could.
“My flying power is unreliable at the best of times and these certainly aren’t ideal conditions!”
He ducked as Kraaken tried to grab his throat and he slammed into him again and again. He rammed one knee into the bigger man and then knocked him cold.
The Eagle and the Moth were occupying the Weather Queen by swooping around the huge ballroom in a dazzling display of aerial grace.
She pouted as she attempted to bring them down with a carefully focused whirlwind but even as she swept the Eagle aside, the Moth dropped down and knocked her cold with a stunning kick.
The Black Fury had charged directly at the Manx and now he ignored the other man’s raking claws as he brought all of his own strength to a series of powerful punches.
Spider Queen gazed around the room in search of something she could do to help since she had subdued the Fang so quickly.
“I see such skill from the rest of them but the Black Fury seems to have no strategy at all, he just uses brute force and raw courage. He doesn’t even try to protect himself from those claws!” she thought.
Indeed, the Black Fury was bleeding but he seemed unfazed and he managed to drive the cat-themed crook to his knees.
“Time to put the cat out!” he joked as he knocked him flat.
The Corrosive Man raised his hands and his acidic touch came into play as he moved closer to the heroes.
The Eagle swooped down and casually dropped a gleaming chandelier onto the burning man.
There was a burst of steam and then he remained still.
Then, applause echoed eerily through the huge room. The heroes barely had time to thank Phantom Lady and Spider Queen before a tall, gaunt man appeared. He moved forward with a stately grace like someone from an earlier, more courtly time. He had white hair and a very stylized white Van Dyke beard.
“Well done, ladies and gentlemen! You acquitted yourselves well against my little pack of outlaws; however, I always expected as much from you! You’ll be pleased to know young Borden has freed Professor Lasomb and the other so-called Brian Trust members. He found them and led them across my back field a few moments ago!” he said.
The Blue Beetle said, “And yet you don’t seem upset? You didn’t really want them at all nor did you want their research!”
The old man chuckled and said, “Correct as usual…. Officer! You see I told my villainous pawns that they were to abduct the scientists and in return I would use their combined data to make my minions super human and able to regenerate healthy tissue and bone after any injury. What the fools didn’t’ realize was that I already knew more than any of their victims. Indeed, my rejuvenation formula has enabled me to return from more than one apparently fatal accident. I’ve even sold it to some of your other foes like the Rook, the Beast, and the unfortunately named Dr. Drool. I only used the scientists as a means to draw you all here. I allowed some data to fall into your hands and that of some potential allies of yours who may arrive shortly because I wanted you to come to me. I knew abducting or robbing those men and Dr. Von Braun would attract you because, you see, I already knew all of your secrets! It took little effort for a man with my intellect and resources to learn the truth.”
The Green Mask said, “And yet you didn’t care enough to strike at us before now. You also didn’t let your minions as you called them in on our secrets did you?”
He nodded and said, “Michael, you may be the smartest one here. At least you are a master sleuth I will grant you that! That brain of yours makes you deadly even without the Vita rays!”
He gestured theatrically toward the fallen villains and said, “I used a little trinket of my creation called the hypno ray to make them all forget anything they may have learned about you. Knowledge is power and I do not wish to share your secrets with anyone!”
The Moth said, “Some of us have never met. Some have no connection to any scientist. What made you orchestrate this elaborate plot to bring us here now?”
Black Fury frowned as he clinched his fists. “He leaked data to Blake the reporter who helped me connect Weather Queen to Fang. He knew I have no link to any scientist yet he managed to lure me here just like the others! Who is this guy?
The old man said, “My name? I am Doctor Mortal. Time is fleeting. I have not yet invented a time machine. Perhaps, I will when I rule the world. That was my goal. You see, all I wanted was to lure you all here so none of you would be available to stop the Japanese from bombing the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor earlier this morning! You see, this country will soon be at war with the Axis forces and when the world is ignited in the flames of conflict, I shall more easily step in and conquer the winning side. I could not have you answer President Roosevelt’s summons. I could not let you stop the start of World War II! ”
The heroes exchanged startled gasps as the evil genius laughed madly. They knew he was brilliant. They could see he was mad. They also accepted that as he said so gleefully their world was now at war!

10

Even though the captured villains (Black Mask, and Jumping Jack) refused to talk or reveal anything about their respective missions, their captors found themselves together and united in their own quest shortly after their battles concluded.
V-Man (Jerry Steele) wore a patriotic red, white, and blue costume that was not terribly different from the one worn by U.S. Jones. Steele had been an American aviator who was recruited to join the mysterious group of freedom fighters called the V-Agents. After being badly injured during his own escape from a Nazi prison camp, Steele was rescued and revitalized by the enigmatic Father Duroc who led the secret group. The wise old man seemed to have amazing powers. He appeared and disappeared at will and seemed to be a master of disguise. He had vast resources that enabled him to know things that were seemingly top secret. Apparently, he owed this knowledge to the many men and women around the globe who loyally served him and the cause of freedom. They fed him data from their own sources and the old man benefited greatly.
He had done much more than heal the injured Steele. He had turned him into the super human V-Man and now as Jerry thought about the beautiful Ginger Dare, he prayed Duroc would work another miracle with his secret sciences and heal her as well. Jerry was attracted to the brave girl and in fact owed his introduction to the V-Agents to her.
After learning what had happened to Ginger, V-Man had received additional briefings from Father Duroc via their shared communications system. He also learned the Manx was merely one of several agents sent to abduct various scientists many of whom were known to Duroc from time he had spent as a member of a scientific research group.
“Vita rays were the preferred means of stimulation and physical enhancement theorized by my old colleague Martin Lascomb. I have learned that he has been abducted. I can locate him and his own special agent the Green Mask via a device that detects those rays!” explained Father Duroc.
V-Man listened carefully and fought his own urge to go into action. He wanted to fight back and hit someone. He wanted to make the Manx sorry that he had ever touched poor Ginger.
“Sir, give me anything you can! I’ll do whatever you want!” he said eagerly.

Father Duroc said, “I have an address for you. It is outside of New York! I’ve also had Agent 99 break into the communications system built into the advanced vehicle of a potential ally. Be prepared to join Flagman at this address!”
V-Man obeyed and after a rapid drive he intercepted the amazing super car and its driver Flagman.
Flagman (Captain Rick Hornet) had been shocked by the manner in which Father Duroc’s Agent 99 abruptly activated his car’s communication system. As F.D.R.’s personal agent Captain Hornet was not pleased that anyone, even someone as benign as the V-Agent appeared to be, could tamper with his equipment. Still, he hid his dismay since he did trust the other two patriotic heroes and something about the insouciance good humor displayed by U.S. Jones. Flagman knew a great deal about the other mystery men of America. Indeed, his boss had sent him out originally to locate and recruit some of them for a special mission.
After they talked for a while during their drive, Jones made an interesting observation
“From what you’d said, we have more than a color scheme in common!” said U.S. Jones.
V-Man nodded and said, “I think a lot of mystery men have something in common! It sounds like several of us gained special abilities from researchers who were part of that think tank. Father Duroc gave me special drugs that healed me and gave me greater physical and mental powers than those normal guys possess!”
U.S. Jones said, “Right. My bum arm was healed when the late Dr. Medwick gave me a wonder fluid that not only fixed me right up but made me what he called “the most powerful of men!”
V-Man nodded. He wasn’t prepared to reveal someone else’s secrets even to an apparently reliable ally but privately he thought, “When I worked with the Blue Beetle and the Flame, the Beetle mentioned some kind of miracle pill that gave him his own powers!”
They pulled into a strange old estate in rural New York where they spotted a young man leading a group of older men and a woman across the rundown grounds.
The Hood said, “That’s Borden. I know him! He’s freed the Brain Trust!”
Flagman stopped the car and the Hood, V-Man, and U.S. Jones rushed forward to greet them.
“Agent Borden! What’s going on? Is their kidnapper in that crumbling old house?” asked Flagman.
Borden said, “Yeah, along with a bunch of captive mystery men too! I’m going back as soon as I get them to safety!”
At that moment flames gutted the old house and the ground trembled as an explosion rocked the grounds.
.Moments later, the Moth and the Eagle soared out with Spider Queen and Phantom Lady in their arms. A hastily created net of webline followed in their wake with most of the stunned villains caught in its sticky embrace.
The Blue Beetle followed with the burly Gorilla and Kraaken under each arm and finally Green Mask crashed through a wall with a hurled bank of twisted metal machinery he had pulled down and used as a battering ram.
Black Fury came out last and shook his head. “I can’t believe it. That maniac calmly blew himself up!”
“Doctor Mortal is not dead! I’d bet my life on it!” said a newcomer as a truck pulled up and a black haired man jumped out.
“My name is Gary Brent. I’ve been trying to stop Dr. Mortal for a while now. I’m involved with his niece. He’s a real madman. One minute he wants to protect her and then at the drop of a hat, he wants to kill her. All I can say is that he is a warped genius and his science seems capable of achieving any kind of nightmare. I’ve been searching his various properties. He has holdings around the globe. I guess I got here too late,” he said.
“The one thing I can tell you is that somehow he has cheated death again and again! I know he is too smart to just die in an explosion!”
Flagman raised one hand for silence. He looked at the others and shook his head. “We’re too late. The President wanted some of you to assemble in response to a possible threat to national security. We tried to round you up but Pearl Harbor’s been bombed!”
“We heard! Mortal even gloated about it. He did all this just to occupy us so we couldn’t interfere!” said the Eagle.
V-Man nodded and said, “We’ll find him! That’s a promise!” Even as he made that vow, he wondered if somehow Dr. Mortal had even duped his own wise mentor Father Duroc.
The next few weeks passed in a blur as the heroes dealt with matters in their personal lives, helped the scientists resume their own normal routines, and secured the captive villains.
Finally, Agent Borden summoned them all once more to invite them to a special meeting on Christmas Day at the White House.
The Hood (Major Williams) and Flagman (Captain Hornet) were not present since each had been assigned separate duties by their government contacts; however, Phantom Lady, Spider Queen, and Black Fury had been asked to attend along with the other heroes who had originally been sought after prior to the day of Infamy.
V-Man had been assured that plucky Ginger Dare was already on the mend and Father Duroc hinted that the special treatment he had given her might yield some surprises in the near future.
The Moth had decided more firmly to resume his crime-fighting career under his original alias. The Lynx was dead but the Moth was just beginning his flight.
The Eagle and the Hood had had a brief exchange alone after the fire at Doctor Mortal’s manor. At that moment, The Eagle gave Major Williams his blessing for his own use of the antigravity fluid. The Hood was given full permission to continue to fly again in his own battle against crime.
U.S. Jones smiled briefly as he gazed up at the huge White House Christmas tree and he nudged the Blue Beetle and said, “I can’t say I felt like celebrating this year but when F.D.R. calls, any good American would answer!”
The Green Mask agreed and said, “All of us have to keep fighting and I think part of that means not letting our enemies rob us of simple joys where we may find them!”
Spider Queen thought of her late husband and eyed Phantom Lady as the other heroine laughed and slapped the Black Fury on the arm. She was not at all sure if she would ever like the other woman.
The Eagle said, “Look! It’s President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill!” The always jaunty F.D.R. and the rotund but pugnacious Churchill approached together. President Roosevelt leaned on his son’s arm as the eldest Roosevelt James support his father.
.“Thank you all for coming. Merry Christmas to you all”! said President Roosevelt.
“As you know I asked you here for a purpose as we prepare for war. Last night when I addressed our country, I said that there is another preparation demanded of this Nation beyond and beside the preparation of weapons and materials of war. There is demanded also of us the preparation of our hearts; the arming of our hearts. .And when we make ready our hearts for labor and the suffering and the ultimate victory which lie ahead then we observe Christmas Day- with all of its memories and all of its meanings as we should! Now, I would add that nothing could so hearten everyone as we face those who would oppose all that Christmas means than an assembly of heroes. I want to ask you all to come together in common cause as the Mystery Men of America! I know some of you have plans to enlist and some already have done so but I ask you to defer such individual service as civilians to band together as inspiring costumed champions!” he said.
The Blue Beetle said, “I think we are in agreement, sir. We already talked informally about something along those lines. I’d like to see my old friends the Flame and Samson join us too!”
Churchill nodded and said, “I am certain that like the Knights of Camelot, all men of valor will step forward to give their all for freedom, I must say I like men and women like you who grin while they fight!”
The heroes exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
“The Mystery Men of America! Whatever you want! We’ll do it together!” said U.S. Jones.
And so in the light of a glowing Christmas tree in a world at war, a group of heroes and heroines came together and a legend was born!

The End