| Synopsis | - 900.0
- While Cotton Carver and King Marl of Marlanda were having a late chat about Cotton's adventures in this vast world under the surface, the traitorous Jagar discussed his wicked plan of taking the throne with the other guards, bribing them with gold and silver if they would help. As the night went on, back in the royal dining hall Cotton and King Marl were about to retire for the night. Suddenly the young adventurer sees a reflection in the mirror of a castle guardsman about fire an arrow at his back. Cotton quickly whirls around and shoots his revolver at the assassin. The King bemoans the traitorous actions of his own men. Cotton sends him aside as more guards burst into the room, meeting them with his sword. He is able to fend off the attackers long enough to escape with King Marl, who takes him to his Magneto-Ship, a vehicle shaped like a small raft, but that can fly through the air. King Marl guides the ship towards the land of Barlunda, knowing that the traitorous Jagar will likely try to beseech the pirates there to assist with his overthrowing. But, he explains to Cotton, if he can get there before Jagar spreads his influence, King Marl believes he can make them a better offer that would include their freedom, plus the gold from Marlanda's mines of which only he knew the secret. However, it would seem that the elements were also working against them, for a torrential downpour drove the Magneto-Ship down into the jungle in a crash landing that knocked it's two occupants out cold. It is hours later, when the first rays of the morning sun arouse Cotton, who had been thrown into a bush after the impact. King Marl lies on the ground by the wreckage in an injured state. Cotton comes to his aid and thankfully realizes that the wounds weren't too serious, but they would prevent Marl from moving about freely. The king tells him to find a settlement nearby and relay his wishes to the good people there. So, leaving the King's side for the moment, Cotton continues on his way, little suspecting that directly above him hangs a menace to his life! Warriors in flying crafts leap to the ground in front of him in an attack stance. Cotton pulls out his gun, and as the first man charges, he brings him down with a single shot. More of the strangely garbed men swarm all around him, but he will not be overcome! A he last warrior falls, Cotton turns to run only to find a young woman calling out to him. He thinks up a fast lie, should she be with the men who just attacked him, telling the girl that his father had been injured in the storm last night and he was seekin aide. She offers her assistance, introducing herself as Deela, queen of the Burlunda pirates...
Returning to the crash site, Deela uses a few herbs picked along the way to help Cotton's phony father, unbeknownst to her to actually be King Marl. The quick-witted king sees Cotton wink, to let him in on the ruse. As they help Marl up, large shadows on the ground avert their gaze upward, where mighty battleships pass by. Deela tells them that her people are to join Jagar in war against King Marl, though she agreed to this reluctantly, feeling that if only the king would toss them his own protection, Burlunda wouldn't have to ally itself with a traitor! Something in the way she speaks indicated that she had been aware of King Marl's true identity from the start. And so dropping the ruse, the king offers her and her people his protection as well as all that he had promised before. Deela happily accepts. Minutes later, the three of them are aboard her great battleship of the sky, planning a counterattack to Jagar's hostile takeover of Marl's city. In order to gain the advantage, they'd have to use a bomber to take out the powder store-rooms, weakening Jagar's defenses. Only one person could get through, however, and Cotton courageously volunteers. Though he is succumbed to both his companions' protest, King Marl, who had come to think of him as a son, and Deela, who felt herself falling in love with him.
In the bomber craft, Cotton swoops over the city, looking for his targets below. Timing the drops just right, Cotton is able to score direct hits on the buildings! The city rocks with the explosions! And then Cotton returns safely to the battleship's dock. To celebrate the victory, King Marl decides to adopt Deela as his daughter, making her the princess of Marlanda as well as Burlunda's queen. She also asks Cotton if he would like to stay with her in her new title. But just at that moment, the ship begins to shake, as something causes it to increase speed! At the same time, Jagar is facing a hidden control console, messing with buttons and levers while scheming in revenge... What crooked plan did the traitor have in store?
- Tied up on the platform above a pit of spikes, Steve Carter watched helplessly as the pendulum continued swinging lower and lower. Meanwhile, Rusty was stirring in his cell, shouting at the top of his lungs to be let out! A guard opens the door and threatens to silence the boy with his blade if he doesn't calm down. Rusty ceases this opportunity to trip the guard to the floor and make a run for it, not stopping until he got to the stairs! Back at the torture pit, Chen Fu watches from his balcony as the pendulum is now only inches away from Steve's flesh! A sudden interruption by one of his guards, stating that the boy had escaped, creates a momentary confusion that gives Steve enough time to thrust his tied hands up at the oncoming blade, letting it cut through his ropes as it passes. He does the same with his feet, and then springs after the pendulum, grabbing hold of it's chain and riding it te top of the balcony where Chen Fu sat. He gave the smuggling lord a swift flying kick to the head! Then by using the nearby candelabra as a weapon against the oncoming guards, he is able to break through the ranks and escape to the corridor beyond! All over the House of Chen Fu, men are roused awake to help search for the escaped prisoners.
In a darkened hall, a shadowy figure carrying a gun happens upon another coming around a corner. The first orders the second to halt in his tracks and not to move. But as the figures approach each other it turns out to be Steve and Rusty, mistaking each other for Chen Fu's men. Just as the two friends are reunited, a noise from a little ways off makes them go silent again, fearing the worst...
- Socko, Jerry, and Professor Starwin are chased into a cave by a prehistoric T-Rex! And now, coming at them from the other side of the cave was a Stegosaurus, flailing its spiked tail about. Socko led his two companions up onto a ledge that they could use to bypass the spined beast and arrive at the other end of the tunnel. Emerging out of the second exit, the three adventurers continue the hike across the valley. To return to their ship they'd need to find the fallen tree that bridged the gap between the twin cliffs. As they were walking, a sudden rumbling like thunder was heard, then the entire ground began shaking, hurling the trio to the ground. The quake didn't last very long, but it had been tremendous while it had went on. Jerry warns that tremors such as that one usually come about in threes, meaning they needed to get off that island quickly! They climbs with full haste to the top of the cliff, where all their hopes were dashed by what they saw. The spot where the fallen tree had once rested was now bare, the earthquake having jarred it loose to the ground far below! Jerry fell in despair. How would they get back home now? Professor Starwin decided it would be safest for them if they returned to the valley. If another tremor occurred while they were up high, the cliff was liable to give way under their feet.
As they descend the cliff, another shock occurs, more severe than the first! Huge cracks appear in the face of the cliff, then comes the horrible danger the Professor had foreseen... A rock slide, coming down towards them fast! They tumbled down the rest of the way as the cliff continued to shake. A large boulder dislodged from the top and struck Jerry on the shoulder, knocking the wind out of him. The blow had broken his shoulder blade, putting him in some pain, but not so much that he couldn't continue on. Slowly... painfully, the trio make their way down into the flat-bottomed valley, expecting every second to hear the rumbling that preceded the earthquakes. As they are sitting down to rest, Jerry looks up at the sky and starts to get hysterical. Following his gaze, Socko and Starwin discover what has their friend so excited. An airplane swoops out of the sky and flies over their heads, circling gracefully around as it slants downward. Finally, it lands on a plain only a short distance away. Socko became shocked as the pilot emerged. It was Sedburn, the man they had rescued from the jungle island! Sedburn raced over and shook Socko's hand, saying it was lucky they had told him the location of the island before he had left so he could save them. After they all help in carefully lifting Jerry into the cabin, the plane taxies down the valley for a perfect take-off. As they fly off, the island is shaken by the third and final earthquake. It seems to rise into the air, and then slowly settle back and sinks into the ocean! Of course, Socko and the others won't shed a tear for the land where they almost met their end!
- Lieutenant Commander Don Kerry and his pal Red Murphy are detailed to investigate the activities of Dr. Phineus Merkel. A renegade who had become known as the "Devil's Physician" since becoming head of a devil-worshipping cult on the isle of Bayti. They start by questioning Hamby Undertow, of Undertow's Pearl Fisheries. Hamby describes Dr. Merkel as a fiend, forcing him to give up the best pearls out of his catch, or face the threat of a native uprising. Don asks if the doctor has a lot of influence over the island locals, which Undertow replies that they have actually made him the head witch doctor, giving him power over all the natives on Bayti! Red takes a glance out the window and spots the wicked Dr. Merkel and some natives heading towards the business for his cut as they speak! Don promises Mr. Undertow that he won't allow the villain to take anymore of his pearls. He and Red march outside to meet the group of embezzlers in front of the Fisheries building. When they deny Merkel's demand for the pearls, he angrily sics his natives on them! Don and Red fight against the gun-toting men by using their feet to kick the weapon away, and then using their fists to sock the natives out cold. However the doctor managed to get away during the scuffle, with a terrified Undertow stammering that Merkel will surely be back to take his life, burning him alive at his temple like he's done to all the others who defied him. Don inquires to him about this temple, and is told that it lies up the river where all the other white men feared to tread. Having a sudden burst of insight, Don momentarily searches through his belongings, while Red goes on and hires a native dug-out boat and oarsmen so that they could have a personal meeting with the mad doctor. Too afraid to stay behind, Hamby goes with them. The trio are rowed far upstream, while Hamby quakes with fear, Don reads studiously from a book labeled "Magic and Parlor Tricks", something he brought with from the ship in case they needed to beat the witch doctor at his own game. Their oarsman's voice shouts out, a group of Merkel's devil worshippers come running for the boat! Don quickly slips his book into the water before they notice.
The temple is full of natives waiting for the sacrificial ceremony to begin. Dr. Phineus Merkel stood on a raised dais before the crowd, with Don, Red, and Mr. Undertow forced to stand off to the side by their guards. A purple-colored smoke emits from a jar, as Don notes that Merkel was mixing chemicals within to create the effect in order to impress the natives. He's been using his medical knowledge to trick the locals into thinking he had mystical powers. After the worshippers started to chant along with their witch doctor, Don set his plan into motion and stepped up onto the dais beside Merkel, shouting that he was nothing but a phony and could out-perform him! Merkel pulls a gun on Don in anger, which Don announces is because he fears his powers. Thinking their is nothing the navy man could do, Merkel stands aside and lets him make a fool of himself in front of the tribe. Stepping away from the Devil's Physician, Don suddenly turns, making the gun fly out of the doctor's hand like magic! Even as he attempts to recover the pistol, it continues to move away from him! The natives are awed by the sailor's powers over their leader, seeing him offer the doctor a hand up, causing his hand to bleed even as Don showed he had nothing concealed in his palm. And soon they have seen enough, accepting Don as the more powerful witch doctor, they are told to treat the white man as friends and give up the needless sacrifices and killing.
Back on the boat, with Phineus Merkel tied up in their custody, Don and Red ride along with Undertow back to the harbor. Don shows hos he performed each magic act. An invisible string tied around his finger that he looped around the barrel of Merkel's gun was what caused it to move. As for the cut on Merkel's hand, Don showed them his ring, which releases a tiny curved blade when pressure is applied to either side. It was a simple trick, yet one that saved their lives as well as the lives of all the other white men on the island!
- An explosion rocks all of Paris as a municipal court building is reduced to a pile of rubble. The police are baffled, and the populace is panic-stricken at the attack from an unseen enemy. All the newspapers are printing the story, men are afraid to go to work, and mothers are too scared of sending their children to school. In the office of French Intelligence, Inspector Legrand and Barry O'Neill are tasked with discovering the cause of the explosion, and find out who was behind it. The chief hands them a letter he received that morning signed by a Count Berlotti, threatening more violence if money is not deposited in a mysterious account. The name at the bottom, Barry suspects, is a false one, as the transcript of the letter has a definitive east oriental style. That night, at the stroke of twelve, a darkly cloaked figure lurks high on the Eiffel Tower. Using a strange device, the figure shines a light on one of the buildings as a screeching loud sound echoes throughout the area. The noise is so painful that people have to cover their ears, and then, without anyone going near it, the building explodes and collapses. Legrand is stumped by the incident, but Barry is beginning to understand, though he wasn't completely sure yet.
While the city's in a panic, a radical speaker begins to gather a crowd. He draws on their need for retaliation, saying that since the police will not act, they should take matters into their own hands and find the culprit responsible! Jacques, an old man inspired by the words of the radical, says goodbye to his wife before going off to join his fellow vigilantes in search of any clue that would lead them on the right path. They move through the sewers of Paris, unknowingly approaching the secret lair of the terrorist party. A secret alarm goes off, alerting the hooded figure that led the destructive cell that someone was drawing near, and so the cloaked man places a huge machine at the entrance, facing in the direction the group will come. When Jacques is the first to round the corner, the machine is activated, and a screeching noise starts to emit. Jacques recognizes the sound from the night before and warns for the rest of the party to take cover as he races back through the tunnel they came. Not fast enough, the machine caused an explosive force to strike the wall behind them, burying the vigilante citizens under the rubble. Jacques managed to survive and escape back out to the streets, where an ambulance was called to take him to a hospital. He is treated by Dr. Bonfils, who makes a call to the inspector to let him know that there was a witness in his care at that minute. When Barry and Legrand arrive, Bonfils mentions that the man had been muttering about a bright light followed by a screeching sound. Barry snaps his fingers, finally certain that his theory was correct. Back in the inspector's office, he demonstrates with a glass, shifting the pitch in his own voice until it shatters. The building are being destroyed in the same manner, with a machine that emits sound waves at just the right frequency.
Late that night, with rope in hand, Barry approaches the Eiffel Tower that stood majestically on guard over Paris. He begins climbing the beams, the elevator was too obvious for a clever villain to use. High up on the tower, perched over a beam, the mysterious hooded fiend begins to once again wreak his villainy. But before the device can be aimed properly, Barry comes swinging in on the rope and knocks it off the tower with his feet! The hooded man curses at Barry by his full name, and reveals himself once held at gunpoint. Fang Gow! The man responsible for all the trouble back at Port Said, and who had been thought dead by the authorities. He threatens his old rival with revenge, and gloats that soon he will succeed in conquering the world! But for now, Fang Gow is taken to the police station where he is placed in a cell that will prevent him from working any more destructive plots upon the city...
- Several ships have sank over the past few weeks while cruising over the Indian Ocean, and no one knew why. After the latest sinking of a Merchant vessel, Colonel McAllister requests for Captain Desmo to fly out and discover what was causing the catastrophe. After all preparations and last minute check-ups, Desmo and Gabby set off in their plane for their latest adventure. Hours go by of flying across the ocean without evidence of any kind to explain why the vessels kept disappearing. Then, a speck of land that wasn't on any maps was mysteriously spotted by the captain, and he flew in for a closer look. The island was formed in a peculiar style, with a mountain shaped very much like a skull situated in the center... The plane began to sputter and cough. The fuel gauge was on "Empty", forcing Desmo and Gabby to make an emergency landing in the jungle! Sometime later, Captain Desmo and Gabby, who were able to just barely walk away from the crash that had wrecked their only flight off the island, stopped their hike through the lush wilderness when they came across a skeleton wearing old sailor's garb. An arrow had gone through his chest into a tree, propping the body upright. They came across yet another, this one slumped over a rock with the arrow jutting from his back. Both their uniforms suggested they were part of the crew that belonged to the missing ships. Someone had murdered these men!
Scavenger birds circled over the heads of Desmo and Gabby, as if they knew that the duo would soon meet their end. Even as they hiked, it felt to them like they were being watched and then, as they passed through a clearing, a pack of strange creatures emerged from the brush, surrounding them. Knee-high, with human faces, and bodies completely covered in brown fur, they stared as Gabby and Desmo tried to make sense of it all. The tiny monkey-like creatures spread out as a man stepped out of the jungle to greet his new guests. Count Ogreoff was his name, and the creatures were called Mutes, who had highly sensitive noses. He led the two adventurer's to his home which happened to be inside the great stone skull that they had seen from the plane. Gabby was impressed by the way the residence was set up like a modern apartment. The Count offered his guests the finest hospitality, letting them eat in the palatial dining hall and offering the finest rooms for the night. As he and Gabby are preparing to retire after a long day, Desmo hears a knock on the bedroom door. He opens it to find a young woman with a very worried expression, who warns him that if he does not escape now his life will be in danger because the Count was a madman. Desmo calmly dismisses her warning, not willing to believe that a man who's treated them so well could be dangerous. The next day he and Gabby awaken to another knock, this time it was Count Ogreoff, carrying a gun that he points at them. He explains that it was time to play a game. He would give them six hours head start before he started to hunt them down in the jungle with his bow and arrows. Recovering from their surprise, Desmo and Gabby take to the jungle in an effort to outwit the madman. They climb up a cliff to get a better idea of where they were, with Gabby standing at the edge keeping a lookout for Ogreoff. Suddenly the ground underneath Gabby crumbles and gives way! With horror, Desmo watches as his friend plummets downward!
- A customer at a local pharmacy buys a bottle of Gorman's Cough Medicine and returns home. He takes a sip, hoping to be relieved of the cough he's had since morning. Instead, he clutches his throat in agony and falls to the floor, dead. The Daily Sun newspaper headlines cover the story, in which hundreds die from poisoned medicine! Steve Carson is told to investigate Gorman's Company and find out if the poisoning was deliberate, or just an accidental tragedy. His first step is contacting the company manager and getting the facts from him. The manager gives Steve a tour of the factory, showing him all the complicated machinery used to turn out just one bottle of cough medicine. He is then shown to a huge vat where an employee named Fisher boils the mixture to remove any impurities. Abruptly, Fisher trips and stumbles into Steve, knocking him off balance and plunging into the boiling vat! He is fortunate enough to grasp the vat's side, stopping his fall. The manager and Fisher work quickly to pull him back out before his grip slackens. Fisher offers his humble apologies, though Steve Carson wonders if the "accident" might have been premeditated?
As lunchtime rolled around, the manager led Steve into the company's own cafeteria. The detective adds a cup of coffee to his food tray while complimenting the Gorman Company on it's convenience for the workers to be able to take breaks without having to leave the building. Unseen by Steve, a hand reaches out to the coffee and drops a powdery substance within. Finding a nearby table, the manager boasts about having the best cups of coffee in the city, challenging Steve for his opinion. But the FBI agent is curious about the odd odor coming off the cup, and asks to have it analyzed by the company's lab. The scientist in charge there took the coffee and had it tested, after which he said it was very lucky that Carson never took a drink, as the same poison found in the cough medicines was present in the cup! It was now clear that someone was targeting him for murder. Placing a call in to FBI Headquarters reveals some very enlightening information... To the manager's curiosity, Steve grabs the coffee and hurries back to the factory area, straight toward Fisher at the vat. He tells the man to have a drink, which Fisher anxiously refuses. No matter how many times Carson asks, Fisher simply will not take a sip. The manager asks what this will prove, and Steve responds that the reason Fisher refuses is because he knew the drink was fatal, meaning he was the one who had been adding the poison! Fisher lunges at Steve, who makes a lightning swift dodge. Before he can stop himself, Fisher plummets over the edge into the boiling chemicals at the bottom of the vat. It's found out that one of the competitor companies had hired Fisher to drive Gorman's out of business.
- Taking a vacation in the south seas, Wesley Dodds flies to a lonely island. His plane scarcely stops rolling on the smooth beach where he lands, when a hysterical girl breaks from the jungle and runs toward him. An arrow pierces her shoulder right as she reaches him. Whipping out his revolver, Dodds shoots down the two bowmen standing at the jungle's edge, killing them. He takes the first aid kit out of his plane and begins removing the arrow from the woman's shoulder, bandaging her up afterward. Wesley is eager to hear the girl's story, fearing that there may be others in the jungle that would need his help...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island sits a small cluster of buildings situated around a pearl harbor. Within the settlement, men gathered to discuss the disappearance of Australia Nelson, daughter of the harbor boss, Mr. Nelson. It seemed likely that the natives, who had become more restless of late, were responsible. Two of the men, Knute and Piper, head off together through the jungle with rifles, to search for her. Piper gets to talking about Red Hatch, Nelson's rival who would like to get his hands on the pearl beds for himself. Perhaps he was the one who riled up the natives and orchestrated the kidnapping? Deeper and deeper they trek, as the sun begins to sink, with still no sign of Australia... Suddenly they are ambushed by the natives, and taken to the village where Red Hatch confronts them. He sneers at their attempts to poke around his operation, musing that they were "just like the other one." Hatch admits to having captured the girl only to have her escape, so he ordered some of the tribesmen to chase after her with orders to kill. Knute tries to lunge at Hatch but is held firmly by the native warriors. War drums begin to sound! Red Hatch says that the time to attack has come! The frenzied natives race through the dark jungle in their goal to kill every last white man at the port!
At Nelson's pearl harbor, the sound of the drums had reached the men's ears. They knew that the natives were coming for them, and the only chance they would have was to barricade themselves inside the storehouse. Mr. Nelson and his men armed themselves with the guns and ammunition they found inside, and used crates and sandbags to block the doors. The war drums were getting closer by the minute, putting the group's nerves on edge. Then, all of a sudden the drumming stopped, and there was a dead silence for several minutes... Followed by the crackling of a burning arrow that struck the side of the building! Immediately afterwards, the jungle came alive with savage yells and screams as the natives began rushing towards the white men! Despite the firing of their guns, the men could do little to keep the savages at bay. But the action momentarily ceases as a roaring sound from above is heard, growing louder until a small red plane swoops down over the harbor. The natives become frightened of this great bird that they had never seen before. Their fear grows into absolute terror when the plane starts dropping gas bombs across the grounds, that affects their minds, making many of their warriors fall asleep where they lie. One huge warrior whirls on Red Hatch, running a blade through his chest in anger. He was the one who caused the mighty bird god to rain its fury upon them, making the tribe follow his lead and therefore earn the god's wrath! The plane comes to a landing in front of the villagers, and the Sandman jumps out, with the harbor master's missing daughter in his arms. The natives all bow before the Sandman's presence. He walks up to Mr. Nelson and tells him to inform the tribesmen that he will return if they commit anymore attacks on the white man. The dizzying effects of the gas will wear off if they swear this. With that, the Sandman re-enters the cockpit and thunders away, leaving behind an island full of confused and astonished people.
* Sandman body count = 4.
- While taking a walk around Fort Morrison one day, Skip Schuyler is approached by a fellow soldier, Breezy, who excitedly exclaims that they're going to be movie actors. A Hollywood studio was sending a crew out to the base to shoot some scenes for a movie. And two of the biggest movie stars, Kent Morgan and the beautiful Lorraine Brent, would be arriving for the lead roles. But Skip had a disinterest in all the Hollywood glam, and walked away without a second thought. The next day, a car drives up through the base occupied by the movie stars themselves. All the men are running to get a glimpse at Lorraine Brent, falling instantly in love with the lovely young lady. Kent Morgan, who had been driving, stopped the car to ask directions to the General's warehouse, where they were supposed to be staying, from Skip, who had been passing by. He began to explain the correct route when suddenly he met Lorraine Brent's gaze, his heart skipping a beat. Skip decides to get in the car and just show them the way instead, much to the amusement of the nearby Breezy, who laughed as he watched the "Hollywood Hating" Schuyler fall head over heels...
On the following afternoon, the movie began shooting it's first scene. The director, Mr. Blum, explained the shot to Lorraine, whose character would be driving a speedboat to a hundred yard distance, turn around and come back. Miss Brent, who always performed her own stunts, wa an inspiration to the army men who were watching from behind the scenes. They all admired her bravery, including Skip, who watched her every move with something a bit more than simple admiration... Lorraine climbed into the speedboat and expertly guided it out into the harbor. Something went wrong at about 75 yards out, the boat hit a piece of driftwood and shot upward, then slapped back into the water. The force caused Lorraine's head to snap forward onto the steering wheel with a sickening crack! She slumped down in her seat, unconcious, while the boat continued to careen forward at high speed! The entire crew watch the whole thing in horror, the men knew that if she continued in that direction, the boat would eventually crash into a break water wall that sat about a mile out! Skip tells Breezy to fetch a rope ladder from the nearby hangar while he preps the plane for an emergency take-off. Shortly after, they were flying over the speedboat. While Breezy manned the controls, Skip climbed out down the rope ladder. With the precision flying skills of Breezy, Skip was able to drop into the front seat next to the still unconcious form of Miss Brent! He wrenched the wheel to swerve the craft sharply just before it crashed into the looming wall, the turn causing water to spray across the actress's face providing a cold shock that revived her. Again their eyes met. Lorraine now started to feel her own heart flutter as the brave Schuyler drove the boat back into the dock. As Mr. Blum would put it, it seems that Hollywood's Lorraine Brent had a new leading man...
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