Marvel Mystery Comics #21 (Timely, 1941) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Cream to off-white pages....

Auction amount: $14,400.00

Sold: Sep 13, 2025

Marvel Mystery Comics #21 Values

Publisher: Marvel, 1941

About Marvel Mystery Comics #21

The first appearance of the Patriot. Nazi war cover featuring the Human Torch and Toro, by Alex Schomburg. Sub-Mariner pin-up on back cover. Text story by Stan Lee. Story art by Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Paul Gustavson, Carl Burgos, and Bill Everett.

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COVER DETAILS

Title: As the Nazi floating fortress dragged Toro toward his doom...

Characters: The Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; the Nazis

Pencils: Alex Schomburg

Inks: Alex Schomburg

STORY DETAILS

(9 Stories)

Title: The Idol of Death

Characters: Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro [Thomas Raymond]; Mr. Nelson (museum director); Mr. Morrison (idol owner); Prince Itor (villain, dies); Nalda (villain); Crowley (villain); Jarvis (villain)

Synopsis: Prince Itor wishes to acquire the Idol of Death as legend holds it will grant him the power to rule men as the pharaohs did. A gangster named Crowley just wants to sell it for its value.

Pages: 15.000

Script: Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Pencils: Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Inks: Carl Burgos [as Burgos] (signed)

Notes: The splash page shows a newspaper which reads : 'THE IDOL OF DEATH BY CARL BURGOS'

Title: The Magnetic Lake Mystery

Characters: The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]; Betty Dean; Captain Fritz Wiener (villain); un-named partner of Wiener (villain)

Synopsis: When an airline company suffers five crashes, the Sub-Mariner uses Betty to get the low down from a mysterious Nazi. The Nazi confesses to Betty that he and his boss are attempting to gain control of all of the major American airlines.

Pages: 12.000

Script: Bill Everett (signed)

Pencils: Bill Everett (signed)

Inks: Bill Everett (signed)

Notes: The Masterworks edition lists the inker as unknown.

Title: The Case of the Transport Crashes!

Characters: Terry Vance; Dr. Watson (a monkey); Deadline Dawson; Major Dahl; Miss Dahl (the Major's daughter); un-named foreign agents (villains, all die)

Synopsis: After five mysterious airplane crashes, Terry decides to use his radio-controlled model plane to investigate what is happening in the air.

Pages: 7.000

Script: Ray Gill (signed)

Pencils: Bob Oksner (signed)

Inks: Bob Oksner (signed)

Title: The Story behind the Cover

Characters: Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro [Thomas Raymond]; Mr. Dymopolis (Greek Minister); the Nazis (villains)

Synopsis: The Flaming Duo investigate the Nazi destruction of ships carrying vital war goods to Greece.

Pages: 2.000

Script: Stan Lee (signed)

Pencils: Carl Burgos [as C. B.] (signed)

Inks: Carl Burgos ?

Letters: typeset

Notes: The Masterworks edition credits Carl Burgos with the inks.

Title: Danger Ahead

Characters: The Patriot [Jeffrey Mace]; Mary; Casey; Lt. Heinrich Von Betz (villain)

Synopsis: The Patriot takes on a Nazi agent who has been placed in charge of organizing a campaign of sabotage.

Pages: 5.000

Script: Ray Gill

Pencils: Art Gates

Inks: Art Gates

Notes: Patriot continues from Human Torch #3. The Masterworks edition credits Alan Mandel with the artwork.

Title: Fight against the Fascists

Characters: Ka-Zar; Pindar (an eagle); Chaka (an ape); Italian fascists (villains, all die?)

Synopsis: While aiding the British as they drive the Italian fascists out of East Africa, Ka-Zar encounters a column of Italian tanks making their way through the jungle from Kenya.

Pages: 6.000

Script: Ben Thompson ?

Pencils: Ben Thompson

Inks: Ben Thompson

Notes: The Masterworks edition lists the inker of the story as unknown. The strip is titled "Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great".

Title: The Sabotaged Schoolhouse

Characters: The Vision [Aarkus]; Senator Reeves; Colgan (villain, death); Paget (villain)

Synopsis: Senator Reeves and his committee head to a seacoast city to investigate the collapse of a school, but the Vision beats them to the punch, uncovering the men responsible for the shoddy construction.

Pages: 7.000

Script: Jack Kirby ?; Joe Simon ?

Pencils: Jack Kirby

Inks: Joe Simon

Letters: Howard Ferguson

Notes: The Masterworks edition lists the writer as unknown, Jack Kirby doing the title page, Al Avison doing the pencils and an unknown inker assisting Joe Simon on inks. Michael J. Vassallo credits Kirby/Simon.

Title: The Weird Ghost of Amber Swamps

Characters: The Angel [Tom Halloway]; unnamed girl reporter; Butler (Miller's butler, death); C. J. Miller (villain, millionaire, death)

Synopsis: The Angel saves a girl reporter in his quest to uncover the identity of the ghost of Amber Swamp.

Pages: 9.000

Script: Paul Gustavson (signed)

Pencils: Paul Gustavson (signed)

Inks: Paul Gustavson (signed)

Letters: Paul Gustavson

Notes: Gustavson credits from Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.

Title: Sincerely, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner

Characters: The Sub-Mariner [Prince Namor]

Pages: 1.000

Pencils: Alex Schomburg

Inks: Alex Schomburg

Notes: While the Masterworks edition features the pin-up, the credit page doesn't list it. Found on the back cover of the original comic.

Data Courtesy of Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license

GoCollect Price Guide Report for this comic

Exclusive to Heritage members: GoCollect price report for this certified comic.

CGC Census Report*

Grade	0.5	1.0	1.5	1.8	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	4.5	5.0	5.5	6.0	6.5	7.0	7.5	8.0	8.5	9.0	9.2	9.4	9.6	9.8	9.9	10.0	Total
Universal	3	1	0	1	0	4	6	5	2	3	4	4	4	2	4	3	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	51
Qualified	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Signature Series	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Restored	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	11
Total	3	1	1	1	0	6	7	6	5	3	5	5	4	2	5	5	0	3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	66

*All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. No item may be returned or refused based on this information which is provided as a service to our customers. You should contact each pricing source directly to determine the accuracy of this information.

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