The Black Bat battles to prove an escaped convict’s innocence — and to keep a precious secret war weapon from the hands of the enemy — when homicide, espionage and intrigue join in a conspiracy of doom!
It was not unusual for Pulp heroes to have allies, a team even to back up them up in battles and to provide both exposition and even humor when necessary. This is especially true in series, where supporting cast often became even more fleshed out than the hero himself. In most cases, these characters were male and specifically qualified by some expertise to be working with the Hero. The Black Bat was one of a handful of characters that diverted from this stereotype, making a woman a primary part of his supporting cast.
Carol Baldwin served more than one purpose in The Black Bat stories. In her first appearance, she is undercover in a gang, which criminal involvement is sort of a theme for The Black Bat’s allies. This gives her a usefulness to Tony Quinn in his campaign against criminals, but she also provides something even greater. She is undercover and comes into contact with Quinn all for the same reason, as a tribute to her deceased father, a policeman. Not only is Carol carrying on her father’s own crime fighting, but she is also the one who insures that her father’s final wishes are carried out and his eyes are donated to science. This results in Tony Quinn receiving her father’s eyes in an experimental surgery and gaining the ability to see in the dark. Carol Baldwin is an ally to The Black Bat and a main reason the character has the ability to fight crime as he does.
Thrill to Millions for a Murderer, originally published in Black Book Detective #56 March 1943 and read with two fisted excitement by award winning voice actor Milton Bagby.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Whim of a Dead Man
Chapter 2: Death Ends a Quest
Chapter 3: The Blind Can See
Chapter 4: Five Men Afraid
Chapter 5: Vanished Car Wheels
Chapter 6: Five Men Afraid
Chapter 7: Girl Made of Glass
Chapter 8: The Dead Can’t Talk
Chapter 9: The Four Left
Chapter 10: Strange Secret
Chapter 11: Coffin of Glass
Chapter 12: Carol’s Bad Luck
Chapter 13: Dr. Kroo’s Inferno
Chapter 14: Murder in the Mass
Chapter 15: Weird Rescue
Chapter 16: Tanked Annihilation
Chapter 17: Blue Death
Chapter 18: Secret Weapon
Chapter 19: Out of the Depths
Chapter 20: Battle of Murderers
