Smash Comics #17

The Purple Trio—Warren the ventriloquist, Rocky, and Tiny—lands a peculiar job after a prank gone wrong: the mysterious old man they tricked in the subway needs them to move five mummies to a secluded house. What starts as simple labor turns sinister when the mummies begin to "speak," accusing a visiting stranger of murder and theft. With a confession on tape and armed thugs closing in, the Trio must use their wits and fists to ensure justice reaches the right hands.

When a bearded figure obsessed with the crown jewels on display in New York reveals himself as the Mole—equipped with an ingenious boring machine and X-ray guidance—he tunnels straight into the vault under Maiden Lane, pulling off a daring heist right under the nose of detective Monahan. News reporter Chic Carter picks up the case and pursues the criminal through the city, leading to a showdown that forces Carter to commandeer the Mole's strange contraption in a desperate bid to stop him and recover the stolen gems.

The Invisible Hood shadows a smuggling operation from an autogiro to a river barge hideout, determined to recover the stolen Gaston Necklace from the criminal mastermind Rufus Kane. When Kent Thurston devises a trap to expose Kane's true role in the smuggling ring, Inspector Battle and Jason White close in on the final confrontation. The Hood's relentless pursuit and Thurston's clever scheme converge to bring the operation to an explosive finish.

Wings Wendall, America's top undercover agent, goes deep as the new ambassador to the hostile nation of Barbaria, where dictator Warak is secretly developing a massive flying weapon to attack the United States. When Wings uncovers the truth and his cover is blown at Warak's hidden airbase, he must fight his way out—and make a desperate choice to stop the flying wing from escaping.

In "null," a delightfully absurd 1940 detective-mystery from Smash Comics #17, the perpetually frustrated Professor Grrr faces his greatest failure yet when his carefully orchestrated murders go awry—thanks to the bumbling detective Wun Cloo. After a series of botched attempts to eliminate his nemesis, Wun Cloo stumbles upon Super Putty Juice, transforming his body into something pliable and strange, and using his new form to play the role of the Professor’s conscience in a surreal showdown.

Abdul and Hassan infiltrate the Abakahndi village under cover of darkness to locate and destroy the formula for the deadly Medici Candle—a poisonous creation that has claimed the lives of Achmed Bey's guards. Their mission takes an unexpected turn when they discover more than just the weapon they sought, forcing them to act quickly before the awakening tribe discovers their presence.

When the warped criminal mastermind The Wizard devises a scheme using remote-controlled model planes loaded with dynamite to rob jewels and armored cars, Hugh Hazzard and his mighty robot Iron Man intercept the plan mid-air. As explosive-laden models converge on a plane carrying a priceless gem collection, the armored automaton must battle through the skies to stop The Wizard's flying death traps and dismantle his dangerous operation before the city's reign of terror continues.