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.

INVADERS #5 & MARVEL PREMIERE #29

"RED SKULL IN THE SUNSET!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas
Pencilers: Rich Buckler & Dick Ayers | Embellisher: Jim Mooney
Colorist: Petra Goldberg | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: The Invaders rampage through a munitions plant in the Midwest, destroying it and departing. That night, the Red Skull cuts into all American radio and TV broadcasts to inform the populace that the Invaders now serve him and their attack was staged at his command.

At the White House, the Invaders' FBI Liaison, Mr. Stuart, explains to President Roosevelt that it all started when the group was tapped by the government to appear in a New York parade, sponsored by magnate Bettman P. Lyles, to raise money for war bonds. There, the Red Skull abducted Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, and Toro via a strange vortex, and Bucky was left catatonic.

Following Stuart's story, Bucky appears in the Oval Office, jogged from his stupor by reports of his teammates' attack on the plant. Bucky has a plan, but since he is unwilling to disclose it to the president, Roosevelt turns him down. Bucky leaves the White House, despondent.

Continuity Notes: While Stuart appeals to the adult Invaders to join the parade, Bucky and Toro look over a stack of comic books about their own exploits, pointing out everything the creators have gotten wrong. This seems to be Roy Thomas reiterating his stance, described in a column back in GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #1, that the original Golden Age stories about these characters are considered apocryphal until stated otherwise in the pages of INVADERS.

INVADERS #4

"U-MAN MUST BE STOPPED!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Vince Colletta
Colorist: Janice Cohen | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: Captain America, the Human Torch, and Toro break onto a U.S. Army Air Corps base and steal a plane to pursue Namor and Bucky, who are themselves in pursuit of Winston Churchill, aboard an American plane bound for Bermuda. And in Bermuda, a group of reporters awaits Churchill's plane. But the reporters are attacked by U-Man and his warriors, and taken prisoner. The lead reporter, Betty Dean, escapes and warns off the plane, which takes off again just after nearly setting down.

But U-Man has grabbed hold of the plane's pontoon and is attacked by Namor as the craft rises back into the sky. Captain America and the Torches show up moments later to challenge U-Man's men, while Namor fights U-Man himself. But Churchill's plane is suddenly caught in a bizarre energy warp, which knocks out all aboard. Namor saves the plane from crashing, but U-Man escapes. Churchill decides to fly home intead of taking a boat, and bids the Invaders farewell.

INVADERS #3

"BLITZKRIEG AT BERMUDA"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Vince Colletta
Colorist: Don Warfield | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: En route back to the U.S. from Britain aboard Namor's flagship, the Invaders observe as Namor teaches Bucky how to operate the craft. But before long, the heroes spot a British warship under attack by a Nazi submarine. The Invaders save the ship and capture the U-boat's commander, who carries with him a coded secret message. Later, in Washington, D.C., the Invaders' contact, Stuart, has the message decoded. It reveals plans for the Nazis to intercept Winston Churchill on his way home through Bermuda. But Stuart reveals more to the Invaders: the Nazis have a new super-agent named U-Man, a blue-skinned water warrior who will lead the attack on Churchill.

Realizing that U-Man must be a super-powered Atlantean -- and that he has a troupe of Atlantean soldiers following him -- Namor sets out to attack the villain alone. The Invaders try to stop him, but after a skirmish at the Capitol, Namor escapes in his flagship with an unlikely ally -- Bucky, who wants to tag along as Namor's backup pilot. Meanwhile, Stuart learns that Churchill is ahead of schedule, having already left for Bermuda aboard an American plane. Captain America, the Human Torch, and Toro set out to follow Namor and protect the Prime Minister.

Continuity Notes: As mentioned above, Bucky received flying lessons from Namor in the issue's opening scene, leading to his joining Namor's mission later on. Following from Bucky being sidelined in the past two issues as the Invaders' liaison to the British, I can only assume that Roy Thomas is still searching for a proper role for the young sidekick. Unlike Toro, Bucky has no super-powers -- not even an enhanced physique like his partner, Cap. He's just a teenage kid running around with a bunch of super-heroes. So it makes sense that Thomas might want to find some support position for him to fill since he's unlikely to contribute to the sorts of super-battles in which the Invaders are sure to become involved.