Sensation Comics 15

The Railroad Plot!

To a casual observer, the two sitting at the café's corner table appeared to be nothing more than a simple couple on a date. If one eavesdropped, however, one might have gotten the sense the pair were not quite your usual couple. The man, dressed in a sharp suit, had a bouquet of roses sitting next to him.

The woman, in comparison, was dressed in a plain shirt and dress. There was no mistaking the muscles under the long sleeves, however, or the calluses on her hands. "I'm not sure what to say Steve."

"Ms. Dolly Dancer is one of the biggest stage stars in the world and that I'm darn fortunate to have gotten into her good graces?" Steve Trevor sipped his coffee.

"True and I agree." To anyone asking the brunette's name was Polly Prince. Queen Hippolyta or Wonder Woman if one were being formal. "Hardly explains why you summoned me here. I'm glad your romantic conquests are going well but if this was all…"

"Not quite angel." Steve slouched in his seat. "Look, spies are everywhere. All I'm asking is maybe you could use your lasso? Just to ease my mind."

She narrowed her eyes. "The Lasso of Truth isn't a toy in a parlor game. Do you really think this Dancer is a spy?"

"I'm not sure if I can answer that, but look we've been getting sightings of some heavy hitters. If there is a ring at work, we need to crack it and fast."

"I'll see what I can do."

-D

Dolly Dancer was a spy and, in her own opinion a darn good one. Her status allowed her some freedom and ease of travel, both rare things in the world. She didn't work for any one country, rather she only served the only master worth following in her mind, i.e. cash.

A thin man in a black suit entered her dressing room. "Master I. sends his regards."

"And I thank him. Tell your employer I'm working on my current assignment and should expect results within twenty-four hours."

The man nodded and a thick bundle of bills fell on the table.

-WW

The theater was packed, but Steve Trevor had no issue slipping backstage. Finding the right dressing room, he knocked once on the door. "Come in!" a heavenly voice cried.

Steve entered and handed the roses to Dolly. "How's my favorite girl?"

"Better since I saw you. How did you like the show?" Dolly took the flowers and effortlessly slid into his arms.

"Fantastic, as always."

"Steve, darling, when are we going to be alone?"

"I thought we were alone now?" He gestured towards the empty dressing room.

"I meant someplace other than dressing rooms or crowded diners. Why not a date in the country?"

"I'm awfully busy darling…" Dolly pouted.

"But I suppose I could make an exception for my best gal."

She giggled and hugged him tight. "How about a train? They're so romantic and close, why I bet we could just spend the entire trip in our compartment."

"There are worse ways to ride a train."

"You often take the train, don't you? For that big important job which you never tell me about."

"Well, I was going to Metropolis this weekend for a conference. Why don't we make a date out of it?"

She squealed in delight. "I'll pack my bags!"

-D

Later that night, Dolly walked slowly on the pier. A harshly accented voice came from behind her. "Did you succeed?"

"Would I be here if I failed?" Dolly smirked as she spun around. "He practically gave me the codewords and a roster."

"So, the Allies are sending their best generals to a secret war meeting after all…" Ishti, formerly of the Imperial Japanese Army but now currently one of its master spies, stepped into the light. "Our intelligence was right but you have the schedule?"

Dolly handed him a notepad. "The fool thinks it's a date. I'll keep him occupied during the trip while you have your men kidnap the generals. He even told me which cars to avoid." She smirked. "Just have the money when the train stops."

Ishti glared at her. "Don't worry, you'll get what you'll deserve."

The train left the station without trouble. As it pushed north, a blurry shape hovered over the last car. Wonder Woman slipped out of her invisible plane and dropped onto the last car. Spinning around, her armored costume was replaced with the simple dress of Polly Prince. She casually popped the doorknob off and entered the car.

Inside the conductor lay slumped over his desk. He was breathing, but the lump on his head told her enough.

Moving through the car, she entered the luggage car. It was pitch black with only the occasional shots of moonlight pouring into the compartment. She moved silently, but stopped as she heard nearly silent footfalls surrounding her.

She dropped into a defensive stance. A small ball was tossed at her feet. She barely had time to shield her eyes as the ball exploded into a blinding flash of light. Holding her hands over her eyes, she didn't see the two men, dressed in black, rush forward and quickly bind her wrists together. "No!"

"So, the Baroness was correct." Ishti stepped forward as her vision cleared. "You don't know me your highness, but I'm a simple soldier with a job to do. So without any ado." He drew a blackjack from his pocket and brought it down over her head.

-W

Wonder Woman slowly opened her eyes. Her wrists were still bound together with a thick twine that cut into her wrists and hands. "Where am I?" She lay on a crude metal frame.

Ishti entered the room. "Someplace far from that train." She noticed the car batteries lining the wall. He noticed her gaze. "Yes, a bit crude and no doubt below your status but I'm in a hurry and I've found pain a good motivator."

"I won't talk. We Amazons are sturdier that you think."

"Perhaps, perhaps. And I've no doubt you'll tell us." He turned to the men standing in the corner and spat in rapid Japanese. She understood him, but she didn't let on. Torture then death was all in store for her.

He left. The men silently applied the hook ups to her at various points and flipped a switch. The current surged into her. The pain was intense. The men would stop for a second and ask a question. She said nothing as the men flipped the switch again.

As the torture continued, Wonder Woman focused on one thing. The twine. The cords were growing looser as she struggled. Holding them against the metal, which grew hot as the current raced through it, slowly loosened the materteral. She slumped, her body going limp in the frame.

The lights grew brighter as the men swarmed closer. "Is she dead?"

"Not quite" her response was in perfect Japanese. She snapped the loosened twine and glared at her captors. One man, bolder than his fellows, drew a gun.

She wrapped the twine around his wrist and yanked it upwards. The bullet shattered the light. The rest of the men tried to flee as they heard their comrade be lifted up and tossed around the room. They never made it to the door as Wonder Woman tossed their fellow spy at them like a bowling ball, knocking them down and tearing open the door in the process. "Now to stop that train!"

-W

Thankfully her equipment hadn't been taken. Ishti had been so focused on finding out how her lasso worked he kept it there. Punching her way free, she found herself in the woods. Breaking into a run, she easily found the train tracks. Pressing a hidden button on her tiara, she summoned her invisible plane and quickly took to the sky.

-W

Ishti relaxed on his motorcycle. The train was quickly approaching the bridge. He smiled as he lit another cigarette. The dynamite his men planted should be enough to take down the bridge and gravity would do the rest, he thought.

True, he was sad to lose an asset like Dolly Dancer but her greed was becoming a liability. She was convinced that the train would be hijacked and the generals kidnapped. "Why ransom when death would be cheaper?" Ishti chuckled at the thought. "With her gone all loose ends will be tied up and I'll be on the next sub to Tokyo."

He waited by the plunger when a familiar figured jumped seemingly out of nothing and landed in the riverbed. To his horror she snatched the bomb away and tore the wires apart. "Attack!" He hissed to his commandos as the train barreled on towards its destination.

-W

Steve casually read the paper. Dolly, who until a few minutes had been the very picture of passion, fidgeted in her seat and seemed obsessed with her watch. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing" although the way she jumped told otherwise. "I was just curious when the next stop was."

Steve put down the paper and drew his pistol. "For you I'd say twenty years at least." He waved off her shocked expression. "We've known for a while about you working for the Axis."

"Then why did you let me on the train?"

"We wanted to meet your contact." Steve slipped a pair of handcuffs out and smoothly cuffed her to the seat. "Now be a good girl and don't try anything."

-W

Wonder Woman landed on the roof of the train. She spied the dim lights of the motorcycles racing through the woods towards the train's rear. "This time things are going to be different."

She slipped her lasso free. With perfect aim she snagged the lead driver and yanked him free, causing the cycle to wreck. Two of the commandos wrecked as they failed to get out of the way in time. She hauled the screaming man to the roof. "Sleep!" She ordered. The man went limp. She tore his gun belt away and tossed him into the luggage car through a hastily punched hole in the roof.

The rest, eight in all, reformed. Two of them ditched the bikes and boarded the train. One climbed to the roof and met her with a small machine pistol. He fired but she blocked each shot with her bracelets. When he paused to reload, she leaped forward and crashed into him. The man howled in agony as he was flung off. "Did the other one get inside?" She didn't have time to worry as the other spies started throwing grenades. Using her Amazon speed, she snatched the deadly orbs midair and tossed them back into the night.

-W

Ishti wished for many things, but at the moment all he wanted was a machine gun and a smoke. He had to settle for a silenced pistol. Although that part was largely pointless considering the explosions that buffeted the back of the train. He checked his bag.

A small bundle of dynamite rested carefully in the satchel. "No loose ends." He steeled himself and climbed into the dining car. The car was thankfully empty save for a single shadow. Not wishing to waste any more time, Ishti drew and fired.

Steve Trevor ducked to the floor. He fired off two rounds, shattering a window. "Give it up!"

"Never!" Ishti shouted back in Japanese.

The lights flicked as another explosion rocketed the train. Both men heard heavy footsteps coming from the roof.

A hole was torn open as Wonder Woman dropped down into the car. "Your men can't help you. Surrender and you will be treated fairly."

Ishti leveled his pistol at the strange woman's heart. With one hand he gripped the detonator. He took a steady breath but before he could move, a golden lasso was wrapped around him. He struggled briefly before he was overcome with the urge to sleep. Both weapons dropped from his hands.

-W

The train pulled into the next station with some fanfare. Military police were waiting to take the spies into custody. Dolly was walking calmly towards them, her hands cuffed together. "Major, I'd like to confess that I didn't know Ishti was going to kill those generals. He told me he was going to kidnap them."

"No doubt to get you on the train where he could tie up his operations here." Steve looked at her. His gaze wasn't hard but there was some pity. "So you sold out your country for cash?"

Dolly shrugged. "I was broke, he offered good bread and all I had to do was report on a few comings and goings. Seemed like an easy break."

Steve shook his head as she was led off. Wonder Woman put a hand on his shoulder. "So that's why you wanted me to use my lasso?"

Steve turned to face her. "It would have been nice, but we were suspecting Dancer a few months ago. We planted the story about the generals to see who would bite." He jerked a thumb towards the train cars. "A few privates in different uniforms. The actual generals took a plane."

Wonder Woman smiled. "Impressive

The end

Based on "The Railroad Plot" which was first published in Sensation Comics I#10 (October 1942) with credits to William Moulton Marston (script), Harry G. Peter (pencils/inks).

Next time, "Mission to Planet Eros"

Sensational Mail

From Darci

Wonder Woman's plane gets interplanetary capabilities, and Tina, Thelma, and Lita are new characters in this new version of Wonder Woman's second issue. Probably the biggest reason to modify this story was to remove the Axis countries but there's a lot of other streamlining too. Was Hippolyta's parentage new? I don't remember that.

Another exciting tale! I hope there are many more to come!

You and me both! Yeah there will be a fair amount of streamlining in this series but Hippolyta's parentage was based more on Greek myth than any one issue

Be on the look for the following tales

Detective Comics#14-The Case of the Joker

Action Comics#14-Superwoman at the World's Fair

All American Comics#2-The Sign of the Green Lantern