WHAT IF #4

"WHAT IF THE INVADERS HAD STAYED TOGETHER AFTER WORLD WAR TWO?"
Co-Conjurers of Cosmic Cacophany: Roy Thomas & Frank Robbins
Embellisher: Frank Springer | Colorist: George Bell
Letterers: Joe Rosen & John Costanza

The Plot: In April of 1945, the Invaders have gone their separate ways. Captain America and Bucky are presumed killed in action as they thwart Baron Zemo's attempted theft of a new Allied radio drone. Meanwhile, the Human Torch and Toro have taken the fight to Berlin, where the Torch kills Hitler in his bunker. Elsewhere, Namor battles the Japanese in the Pacific while Spitfire and Union Jack defend Winston Churchill from Nazi assassins. The group is summoned back together by their liaison officers, who reveal the deaths of Cap and Bucky. Namor and the Torches then fly to the United States for a meeting with recently inaugurated President Harry Truman, who explains that he had the press quash all coverage of Cap's death. Truman introduces Namor and the Torches to a new Captain America and Bucky -- the former Crusader called the Spirit of '76, and New York Yankees batboy Fred Davis -- and asks that they be allowed to join the Invaders.

Truman also adds the Whizzer and Miss America to the group, revealing that the Liberty Legion recently disbanded. Thus the new Invaders battle together and separately against the final remaining Axis power, Japan -- until the war finally ends. At that point, again at Truman's suggestion, the team re-christens themselves the All-Winners Squad and continues to fight crime in the United States. But eventually, the All-Winners decide to take a break. The Human Torch and Toro fly to Boston to visit the Torch's creator, Professor Horton -- but find that he has been imprisoned by his new android creation, Adam-II. Adam traps the Torch and Toro in a deathtrap with Horton, then departs on a mission. But former Liberty Legionnaire the Patriot comes to the aid of the Torches and Horton. As soon as he has freed them, Horton reveals that Adam-II is on his way to replace a congressional candidate with another android.

INVADERS #28

"CALLING THE KID COMMANDOS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists/Artisans: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colors: George Roussos | Letters: John Costanza
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner burst into Agent Axis's underground lair. Teaming up with Bucky, Davy Mitchell, and Gwenny Lou Sabuki, the group easily defeats Axis's henchmen and sends the villain into retreat. Axis takes Doctor Sabuki hostage and boards his iron mole. The Human Torch gives chase, but loses track of the mole undergorund. However, when the vehicle emerges in a desert reservoir, Namor confronts Axis and rescues Sabuki. Captain America then arrives to fight Axis.

Meanwhile, Bucky, Davy, Gwenny Lou, and the recovering Toro finish off the henchmen. The Invaders return moments later with Axis captive and Doctor Sabuki rescued. Soon after, Bucky, Toro, Davy, and Gwenny Lou board Namor's flagship with Doctor Sabuki and set out for the Sandy Flat internment camp. En route, Davy and Gwenny Lou don costumes and christen themselves the Human Top and Golden Girl, respectively. At the camp, Agent Axis reappears and the kids defeat him, after which camp commander Captain Simms allows Golden Girl to depart with Bucky and company, while Doctor Sabuki remains behind.

Bucky and friends bring Axis back to the other Invaders, where the villain reveals himself as Namor in disguise, having pulled a fake attack in order to give the kids more credibility with Captain Simms. Then, as the adult Invaders return to England, Bucky, Toro, Golden Girl, and the Human Top opt to remain in the United States and fight on the homefront as -- the Kid Commandos.

INVADERS #27

"AGENT AXIS-- MASTER OF MURDER!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Storytellers: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: Aboard Agent Axis's "mechanical mole" machine, Bucky lets slip that Toro lies near death in a nearby hospital. Axis changes course to go kidnap Toro as well. At that instant, a young man named Davy Mitchell wanders into Toro's room. When the mole arrives, Davy is taken along with the young Torch.

Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner arrive at the Sandy Flat internment center, where they find Namor's parked flagship and learn of Bucky's kidnapping. Namor realizes that Bucky took a homing device from the ship before he disembarked, and sets about tracking the young man down.

Agent Axis and his captives arrive at his hidden underground lair, where he demands that Doctor Sabuki cure him of his multiple personality disorder. Sabuki agrees, on the condition that he be allowed to help Toro first. Some time later, Sabuki begins work on Toro, and removes the bullet. With Toro stabilized, Sabuki turns his attention to Axis. The villain has attached Davy and Sabuki's daughter, Gwenny Lou, to equipment that will kill them if Sabuki tries anything on Axis during the procedure. But when Toro awakens and blasts Axis's henchmen, a fight breaks out. The equipment is ruined, and in the process, Gwenny Lou and Davy are endowed with super-powers. A moment later, the Invaders burst into the room.

INVADERS #26

"DAY OF INFAMY...DAY OF SHAME!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: Joe Rosen
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Bucky leaves Doctor Sabuki's California home and takes Toro to a local hospital. There, a helpful nurse tells Bucky where Sabuki is interned. Leaving Toro at the hospital, Bucky travels to a Japanese detention center, where he runs afoul of the racist warden, Captain Simms. When Simms refuses to give Bucky access to Doctor Sabuki, Bucky goes rogue, fighting off Simms' military police, and goes in search of Sabuki.

Meanwhile, the Invaders return to Falsworth Manor, where they find that Union Jack's old friend, Roger Aubrey -- formerly Dyna-Mite -- has been restored to normal size and taken on the identity of the mighty Destroyer. Soon after, Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner depart London in a British bomber, bound for California to check on Bucky and Toro.

Back at the internment camp, Bucky finds Doctor Sabuki and his daughter, Gwenny Lou. Sabuki agrees to aid Bucky, but before they can leave, Sabuki's quarters are attacked by a trio of masked men and their leader, Agent Axis. Axis defeats Bucky and kidnaps Sabuki, bringing Bucky and Gwenny Lou along as well.

INVADERS #25

"THE POWER AND THE PANZERS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

What's this? Didn't we just look at issue 23 last week?? Did we skip an issue?! No, Frantic Ones, you didn't miss a thing. Apparently INVADERS #24 was entirely and completely a reprint of a Golden Age story, without even a new framing sequence to explain it! Chalk up another casualty to the Dreaded Deadline Doom, I guess. We now rejoin our Scarlet Scarab epic, already in progress...

The Plot: The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner battle Scarlet Scarab near the pyramids, while Captain America, Spitfire, and Union Jack aid British forces against the German advance on Cairo. Sacrlet Scarab wins his battle and moves along to the front line, where he seeks audience with the Nazi general leading the charge. When the battle briefly stops, Cap and the others go in search of Namor and the Torch.

Scarlet Scarab offers to fight for the Nazis if they will leave Egypt when the battle is done. When the Germans agree, the Scarab charges out to battle the reunited Invaders. But when he spots the German general about to execute an old Egyptian man for defying the Reich, the Scarab turns on his new allies. With the Invaders fighting alongside the Scarab, the Nazis are driver into retreat. In the aftermath, the Scarab departs, declaring himself neither friend nor foe of the Invaders.

Meanwhile Bucky arrives in California with the injured Toro, seeking Doctor Sabuki -- but is shocked to learn that the doctor has been sent to a Japanese internment camp.

INVADERS #23

"THE SCARAB OF THE NILE!"
Writer & Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators & Illuminators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Captain America, Bucky, Namor, and the Human Torch stand by in a hospital waiting room as Toro undergoes surgery. The surgeon soon appears, stating that Toro is stabilized but still has a bullet near his heart. Only one doctor is proficient enough to remove the bullet: Sam Sabuki of California. Namor volunteers his flagship to ferry Toro quickly to the U.S.A., but Spitfire arrives just then to announce that the Invaders have a new mission. Bucky volunteers to take Toro in the flagship while the rest of the team goes with Spitfire, and the Torch ultimately agrees.

The Invaders are dispatched to British-occupied Egypt and deal with a terror group called the Sons of the Scarab, who are wreaking havoc there even as the German General, Rommel, advances toward Cairo. The group, joined by Union Jack, arrives in Egypt soon after, where they are immediately ambushed by the Sons of the Scarab. The villains escape, and the Invaders meet up with their liaison officer, Major Harrison, and an Egyptian civilian archaeologist, Doctor Faoul. The British believe that the Sons of the Scarab are hiding out in the pyramids, and they want the Invaders, advised by Faoul, to ferret them out. While Captain America, Union Jack, and Spitfire head to the front line to aid the British against Rommel's forces, the Human Torch and Namor go with Faoul to the pyramids.

The Torch and Namor dig their way into a hudden chamber, where a mysterious ruby scarab waits. Faoul grabs it, revealing, beneath his clothes, ancient Egyptian garb that marks him as a Son of the Scarab. The ruby gifts Faoul with incredible powers, as he brags to the heroes that his not simply a member of the Sons -- he is their leader. He holds his own against the duo and then takes off to assist the Nazis in driving the British from Egypt. Meanwhile, Captain America and the others struggle to hold the line againt Rommel's advance.

INVADERS #20 & #21

"THE BATTLE OF BERLIN!" | "THE BATTLE OF BERLIN! PART TWO!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Letterers: Tom Orzechowski (#20) & John Costanza (#21)
Colorists: Don Dickens (#20) & Sam Kato (#21) | Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: (Issue 20) As Union Jack battles the Nazis, the Invaders shake off the effects of their drugs and join the fray. But Toro is shot, sending the Human Torch into a frenzy. As soon as Master Man and Warrior Woman are married, Hitler sends them into the fight, running off with Captain America's shield. Hitler and his scientist, Colonel Dietrich, board a plane and fly off, unaware that Dyna-Mite has hitched a ride.

(Issue 21) Dyna-Mite reveals himself and takes out Hitler's guards, but the dictator bails out of the plane, which is actually being piloted by Lord Falsworth and his aide, Oskar, to evade capture. On the ground, the Invaders are on the defensive against the Nazi army, Master Man, and Warrior Woman. When the plane comes back around, they board it and fly out of Germany, barely making it back to the English Channel. There, the crashed heroes are rescued by a British patrol boat, as the Torch declares that Toro needs medical care.

INVADERS #19

"WAR COMES TO THE WILHELMSTRASSE"
Author/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Innovators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Goerge Roussos | Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Namor, the Human Torch, Toro, and Bucky, all captives of the Third Reich, are paraded through Berlin. Captain America and the Destroyer observe from hiding, until Bucky angers a Nazi guard. When the guard prepares to shoot Bucky, Cap leaps into action, and the Destroyer follows. But in the ensuing skirmish, the Destroyer is killed by a grenade blast, and Cap is captured.

The entire incident is observed from hiding by Lord Falsworth, Spitfire, Dyna-Mite, and their aide, Oskar. The quartet has come to Berlin seeking a way to restore Dyna-Mite to his normal size, and looking for Falsworth's son, Brian. When the group heads to the Nazi Institute of Science, they run across the scientist who altered Dyna-Mite and the other Crusaders, but he captures them with a trap door and some knockout gas.

The next morning, Spitfire stands alongside the other Invaders, all drugged to prevent escape, for execution. As Master Man and Warrior Woman stand before a minister to be publicly wed, Hitler orders a firing squad to finish the Invaders. But before the squad can carry out this command, Union Jack leaps into the scene.

INVADERS #18

"ENTER: THE MIGHTY DESTROYER!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: George Roussos

The Plot: Captain America, hurled from Hitler's fortress ramparts by Warrior Woman, plummets toward the ground -- but he manages to break his fall with his shield and is caught on the ground by a costumed mystery man. Meanwhile, Hitler orders that Master Man and Warrior Woman will be wed to sire a new race of superhumans. When Warrior Woman bristles at this, Hitler gives her time to think it over.

Three Nazi soldiers arrive to collect Captain America's body, but instead find themselves attacked by Cap and the man who saved him, the Mighty Destroyer. The duo defeats the soliders and then ducks into the Destroyer's cavern hideout, where he describes his origin to Cap. Meanwhile, Hitler orders the imprisoned Invaders loaded up for transport to Berlin, where they will be publicly executed.

At that moment, Spitfire, Lord Falsworth, and Dyna-Mite arrive secretly in Berlin and link up with Oskar, an old German friend of Falsworth's. Back at the fortress, Warrior Woman orders Private Biljo White executed -- but after she departs, Cap and the Destroyer rescue him, and then learn that the Invaders have already been taken away.

INVADERS #17

"THE MAKING OF WARRIOR WOMAN, 1942!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: Hitler and Master Man gloat over the imprisoned Invaders, then depart. Meanwhile, Private Biljo White is interrogated by the woman he once knew as Julia, but who now identifies herslef as Madame Ratzel. When Ratzel hypnotizes him, White tells her that he grew up with a man who is now a government scientist, and who told him that one of the key ingredients in the Super Soldier Serum is potassium.

Realizing this was the one ingredient Brain Drain lacked when he created Master Man, Ratzel quickly sets about creating a new serum. But she is interrupted by a Captain Schneider, who realizes she plans to test the serum on herself. Schneider tries to stop her, and in the ensuing struggle, Ratzel's machinery explodes. Schneider is killed, while Ratzel is empowered with superhuman strength.

The Invaders manage to free themselves and confront Hitler and Master Man on the ramparts of Hitler's fortress. But when Ratzel arrives, calling herself Kriegerfrau -- "Warrior Woman" -- the heroes once again fall. Captain America is hurled off the castle, and the rest of the team is recaptured.

INVADERS ANNUAL #1

"OKAY, AXIS--HERE WE COME!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas
Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer (Chapters 1 & 5),
Alex Schomburg (Chapter 2), Don Rico (Chapter 3), Lee Elias & Frank Springer (Chapter 4)
Colorist: Sam Kato | Letterers: Darn Near Everybody! | Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: In London, the Invaders meet with their British and American liaisons and are informed that three of their old enemies have resurfaces, working for the Axis powers, in the United States. Captain America, Namor, and the Human Torch head for the East Coast, where they split up to search for their sparring partners.

First, the Torch finds his foe, the Hyena, out to hijack a shipment of valuable medical supplies. The Torch lays a trap and intercepts the Hyena's ambush, but the Hyena has a trap of his own waiting for the Torch. After capturing his enemy, the Hyena extracts some of the Torch's blood for use in making super-powered Nazi agents, and then prepares to kill the Torch -- but the hero vanishes into thin air before the Hyena can finish him.

Elsewhere, Captain America arrives at the Statue of Liberty to meet an FBI contact, but is shocked that the man is a mere puppet of the sinister Agent Axis. Axis has come to take Captain America's shield, and already has his originial triangular shield with him, which he has determined has no special properties. Cap fights back against Axis, and their battle takes them up the statue. Cap flings his shield at the villain, but it's magnetically pulled to a nearby autogyro. Seconds later, with only his triangular shield in-hand, Cap vanishes, to reappear in a featureless void beside the Human Torch.

Namor jumps from his flagship to protect a British ship from an attack by the Shark. But the Shark's electrified torpedo knocks out the Sub-Mariner, and when he comes around, he finds himself a prisoner of the Shark, who has taken his special scaled trunks for study. Namor manages to get free, but vanishes, reappearing with the Human Torch and Captain America. The trio then mateiralizes in front of the Lourve in occupied Paris, face-to-face with three costumed characters who they assume to be Axis agents.

The Invaders battle these strangers, Black Panther, Yellowjacket, and the Vision, but the strangers, who identify themselves as the Avengers, are victorious. Briefly, the Avengers explain that the battle is part of a contest between cosmic beings called Kang and the Grand Master, then both groups vanish. The Grandmaster returns the Invaders to their proper time, where they confront Agent Axis, the Shark, and the Hyena aboard the Shark's boat. The Invaders win the day, recover the blood, shield, and trunks, and head home.

INVADERS #15

"GOD SAVE THE KING!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: Don Warfield | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: The Invaders discuss King George's order to replace them with the Crusaders as his honor guard at the christening of a new warship. With urging from Spitfire, they finally agree to give up their roles at the ceremony. Meanwhile, the Crusaders meet with their handler, the cab driver Alfie, who shows them photos proving the Invaders are actually Nazi agents.

Alfie then departs and, from a secret waterfront lair, reports in to his superiors in Germany that the Crusaders have fallen into line. But Alfie has been followed by Dyna-Mite, who he tosses into the sea. Dyna-Mite escapes the water and makes his way to Falsworth Manor, where he warns the Invaders of Alfie's plan. The next morning, the Invaders -- less Spitfire, who remained behind to tend to Dyna-Mite -- arrive to stop King George from breaking a booby-trapped champagne bottle. The two super-teams come to blows, but when the bottle explodes -- harmlessly thanks to the Human Torch and Namor -- the Crusaders realize they've been had. Alfie makes a break for it and the Torch pursues, but Alfie drives off the Tower Bridge and his flaming car explodes in midair.

With Alfie dead, the control belt that provided the Crusaders with their powers is gone as well, leaving the group normal humans once more. They make peace with the Invaders, who then head back to Falsworth Manor -- where they discover that Spitfire, Lord Falsworth, and Dyna-Mite have departed on a secret mission.

INVADERS #14

"CALLING... THE CRUSADERS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: Marie Severin | Letterer: Joe Rosen

The Plot: The Invaders return to Poland to find London under siege by German aircraft. One Nazi plane crashes and its pilots begin to massacre members of the British Home Guard -- until three new heroes, the Spirit of '76, Dyna-Mite, and Ghost Girl, come to their aid just before Namor, the Human Torch, and Toro arrive. Meanwhile, Captain America, Bucky, and Spitfire move to aid the victims of a nearby fire, when three more heroes appear: Captain Wings, Tommy Lignting, and Thunderfist. Collectively, these six call themselves the Crusaders, but they depart before answering any of the Invaders' questions about where they came from.

The Invaders return to Falsworth Manor and then set out the next morning aboard Namor's flagship for a secret mission. But their task is interrupted when a car below explodes. The Invaders land to investigate, and are directed by a cabbie to search for the culprit in nearby St. James Park. But at the same time, a limousine carrying King George is attacked by an assassin. Dyna-Mite appears to thwart the villain, and the rest of the Crusaders arrive just behind him.

The Invaders soon arrive as well, realizing that the car that exploded was a decoy meant to pull them from the attack on the king. The Crusaders announce that they, as mostly British-born heroes, want to replace the mostly American Invaders as King George's honor guard at the christening of a new warship the next day. The king and the Invaders agree. When the announcement of this switch is made over a radio broadcast, the cabbie, Alfie, laughs maniacally.

INVADERS #13

"THE GOLEM WALKS AGAIN!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artist: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: The Invaders, awaken, prisoners of Colonel Eisen, a.k.a. "The Face" -- the commander of the Nazi forces in Warsaw. Eisen taunts the Invaders and then takes Captain America's shield to study it as a way to get back into Hitler's graces, following the recent theft of some heavy water under his care.

Elswhere, Jacob Goldstein, who has come into possession of the heavy water, performs a ceremony with the water to create a Golem. Goldstein is merged with the earthen creature and storms through the Nazis in Warsaw, headed for Eisen's castle. There, the mindless Golem frees the Invaders and goes in search of Eisen. Captain America follows, recovers his shield, and watches helplessly as the Golem pursues Eisen to a tall tower and throws him off, killing him.

In the aftermath, the Golem changes back into Jacob. He insists on remaining in Poland to aid his people in someday revolting against their Nazi overlords The Invaders honor his wishes and depart.

INVADERS #12

"TO THE WARSAW GHETTO!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: Phil Rache | Letterer: Joe Rosen

The Plot: The Human Torch flies over London, despondant over Jacqueline's obvious feelings for Captain America. As he passes the Tower of London, where Professor Gold is being held following his rampage as the Blue Bullet, the Torch decides to pay the professor a visit and question him about his comment that what happens next will be on the Invaders' heads. In his cell, Gold says that he worked for the Nazis unwillingly. He is a Polish Jew who fled the Nazi occupation to become an Allied scientist -- but the Nazis found him and forced him to do their bidding, lest they kill his brother, who remained behind in Warsaw.

The Torch returns to Falsworth Manor to recruit the Invaders in rescuing Gold's brother. Jacob. The group, now counting Jacqueline in the guise of Spitfire among them, boards Namor's flagship and flies to Poland. Under cover of night, they inflitrate the ghetto to find Jacob in his book shop. But the Invaders run afoul of Nazi soldiers, who call in a few Panzer tanks as backup. The heroes make short work of two tanks, but when the third tank's commander threatens to kill Jacob and several other civilians, the Invaders are forced to surrender, and are taken away.

Jacob returns to his shop, realizing he must now stop ignoring the Nazis' atrocities and stand up against them to help the Invaders and his own people.

INVADERS #10 & INVADERS #11

"THE WRATH OF THE REAPER!" | "NIGHT OF THE BLUE BULLET!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorists: Don Warfield (#10) & George Roussos (#11) | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: (Issue 10) As the Invaders fly the injured Lord Falsworth and Jacqueline to London, Captain America reminisces about an adventure he and Bucky shared months ago back in the United States, against a Nazi agent called the Reaper.

(Issue 11) Soon after, the Invaders arrive at a hospital, where they turn the Falsworths over to the staff. Doctors begin to operate on both, but Jacqueline needs a special blood transfusion to survive. The Human Torch volunteers his android blood and the procedure begins. But power to the operating room goes out, leading Namor and Toro to restart the hospital's generator while Captain America and the Torch supply light for the operation to continue. Once the generator is back online and the operations finished, Cap and Bucky investigate its failure, learning that a Professor Gold is developing a special armored suit called the Blue Bullet, and his experiments cut the hospital's power.

Soon, the Blue Bullet goes on a rampage through the hospital. At Cap's order, Namor holds back against it to preserve the invention, but as a result, the Bullet plows through the Invaders. When it barges into the room where Jacqueline and the unconscious Human Torch are recuperating, Jacqueline grabs the Torch and escapes with him at lightning speed. Namor, refusing to hold back further, Attacks the Bullet at full strength and defeats it. When the Invaders open up the armor, they find not Professor Gold's surly assistant, Norris, who they expected, but rather the professor himself -- revealed as an undercover Nazi agent, inside.

In the aftermath of the conflict, Jacqueline reveals her powers to her father and declares that she wants to join the Invaders. But no sooner does she say so, than the Human Torch quits the team.

INVADERS #9

"AN INVADER NO MORE!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza | Heroes All!

The Plot: The Invaders return to Falsworth Manor with their newest member, Union Jack, following a night of searching fruitlessly for Baron Blood. But upon entering the house, the heroes discover that Jacqueline Falsworth has been bitten by Blood, who had appaerntly visited the manor while the Invaders patrolled for him.

The next night, the Invaders head out to search London once more for their quarry, but Union Jack remains behind to guard Jacqueline. Blood attacks, however, gaining the upper hand on Jack via hypnosis. But the Human Torch, who had secretly remained behind as well, springs forth to attack Blood. The baron lures the Torch outside into the rain, where his flame is snuffed, and then escapes with a captive Jacqueline to a cavern near the manor house. Union Jack follows and confronts Blood, who cripples him with a boulder dropped on his legs.

The Torch summons the remaining Invaders, who join him in a renewed attack on Baron Blood. During the skirmish, Union Jack levers the boulder off his legs, sending it plummeting into the battlefield -- where it knocks Baron Blood onto a stalagmite, impaling him. In the battle's aftermath, Captain America reveals that Jacqueline has lost a great deal of blood.

INVADERS #8

"UNION JACK IS BACK!"
Author/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artist: Frank Robbins | Inker: Frank Springer
Colorist: Petra Goldberg | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: At Falsworth Manor over dinner, Lord Falsworth tells the Invaders about his time as a costumed secret agent during World War I, concluding the story with his one and only encounter with Baron Blood on the Tower Bridge, where he fought the vampire off to save a member of Parliament.

The next morning at dawn, Captain America chats with Jacqueline about her father's war stories, and the two encounter John Falsworth in the estate garden, shortly after Jacqueline mentions that she never sees him about during the day. That night, the Invaders set out to hunt Baron Blood. But using trickery and dummies, the Baron takes out the Human Torch and Toro, then Namor. Captain America and Bucky confront Blood and are captured, thrown into a death trap with their teammates.

Lord Falsworth, clad once more in the costume of Union Jack, appears to aid the Invaders. With the help of his rigged revolver, he sends Baron Blood into retreat and frees the heroes. Jack asks to join the team, and the Invaders agree.

Continuity Notes: Not regarding continuity, but worth noting: as the cover blurb indicates, beginning with this issue, the previously bi-monthly INVADERS is now on sale every month.

INVADERS #7

"THE BLACKOUT MURDERS OF BARON BLOOD!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artist: Frank Robbins | Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Phil Rachelson

The Plot: In London, the Invaders aid British forces to fight off a Nazi blitz. Afterward, the group splits up for some downtime. The Human Torch, in his guise of Jim Hammond, bumps into a beautiful British Home Guard member named Jacqueline, being escorted home by a man named Derek. But when Jacqueline and Derek come under attack by a vampire, the Torch flies to their rescue. The vampire escapes, and Jacqueline brings the Torch home to her family mansion.

There, Jacqueline introduces the Torch to her father, Lord Falsworth. Falsworth confides in the Torch that, during World War I, he was a costumed government operative called Union Jack. When Jacqueline mentions the vampire attack, Falsworth realizes that his old foe, Baron Blood, a super-powered WWI German operative, has returned. The Torch flies out to summon the other Invaders, and Cap, Bucky, and Toro spot his signal. The trio boards Namor's flagship and takes off, but the ship is immediately attacked by Baron Blood. Blood then escapes and changes into a human identity, while the Invaders regroup.

Joined by Namor, the team heads for Falsworth Manor, where Lord Falsworth reveals his secret to them as well. As the group heads to dinner, they are joined by one final guest: Falsworth's nephew, John -- Baron Blood's secret identity.

INVADERS #6 & MARVEL PREMIERE #30

"...AND LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Vince Colletta
Colorist: Phil Rachelson | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: At their New York radio station base of operations, Bucky and the Liberty Legion hold a brief press conference, daring the Red Skull to send the Invaders against them. The group then heads out, battling Nazi spies across the home front, until the Skull can take no more. He publicly announces that he will send the Invaders to destroy the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and the Lincoln Memorial.

The Liberty Legion splits up to guard the historical landmarks, with Jack Frost and the Blue Diamond defending Lady Liberty from the Sub-Mariner. The duo gets Namor on the ropes and he is ordered to retreat by the Red Skull. Meanwhile, Captain America attacks the Liberty Bell, but is fought off by the Patriot and Miss America. Cap escapes as well, while Red Raven and the Whizzer battle the Human Torch and Toro at the Lincoln Memorial. The heroes defeat and capture Toro, but the Torch escapes, flying to New York, where Bucky and the Thin Man spot him out the radio station window.

Continuity Notes: Days pass during the course of this issue, as the Liberty Legion fights Nazis to draw out the Red Skull.

Krieghund, the Nazi U-boat commander from GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #1, now serves the Red Skull in America. Krieghund notes that he assisted the Skull in capturing the Invaders thanks to equipment he brought to the U.S. from the late Brain Drain's base. Moments later, when the Skull boasts of his creation, the "Nulla-Ray" branwashing machine, Krieghund accuses him of actually stealing the technology to create the device from scientists in occupied Europe. This leads to the Skull executing Krieghund's right-hand lackey to keep him in line.