Norvell W Page

Collected for the first time: prolific pulp writer Norvell W. Page's stories of private sleuth Jules Tremaine and his battles with the Catrini crime family from the pages of Black Mask magazine. Witnessing their cruelty first-hand, Tremaine sets out to whittle the Catrini down to size-violently. Over the course of three consecutively published stories, Page built a compelling narrative of gut-wrenching crimes and brutal street justice. Among the earliest detective stories written by the future author of The Spider magazine, the popularity of the Jules Tremaine series likely helped Page in snagging that prestigious Spider assignment. Also collected in this edition are several other detective stories by Page from the same era, including his backup story from the first issue of The Spider. Includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray.

Like an eerie devil-dawn, that green death-ray spread its lethal shadow over New York-burning to smoking crisps the helpless hundreds who dared its path. For the Eye of Flame had loosed his fire-fiends upon America's proudest city, and, as prisons poured forth their criminals, and the underworld came into its terrible own, no man could hope to combat that ray of death. Single-handed, Richard Wentworth, in the Spider's gruesome garb, dared the Flame-fighting for an entire people's safety against a monster who had learned to make millions out of human misery and the charred cinders that had once been men

Over Manhattan's dizzy towers fell that insidious, invisible menace-an unseen cloud of death that first transformed the entire metropolis into a laughing, drunken riot and then blasted it to bits Who was the evil Master of these Flame Men, who had found a real way to amass millions by gutting New York with fire? In defense of those reeling, giggling victims, trapped in their awesome death-spree, Richard Wentworth, in the Spider's weird robes, rose from the charred embers-to fight his greatest battle against an arson assassin no one had ever seen-for a doomed people so blind-drunk they could not see

Before the horrified eyes of the Senate's jammed galleries, that revered Senator died by his own hand. And Richard Wentworth, who had reached Washington in response to the newspaper agony column's personal, "In the name of democratic humanity, come to Washington before September 9..." knew that this marked only the beginning of a yogi-ridden dictator's reign. Behind that welter of machine guns and storm troops moved the Cobra, striking at the nation's very chief-and the Spider was face to face with the strangest battle ever fought by man

A blood-red mailed fist crashed into the shadowy dens of New York's underworld, dangling the promise of vast loot for alliance, and a threat of stark horror for betrayal. The answer came swiftly in an orgy of killing and rapine-the Red Hand ruled all crimeland Richard Wentworth, hastening to set the Spider's might against the new terror, was trapped in a murder net with Nita van Sloan, branded a policeman's slayer in the Red Hand's grip Only the Spider could hope to win through this criminal army to the devil-brain behind that fist. And the Spider must battle alone, against time-and a foe who coldly put a price on wholesale, ruthless slaughter

The most diabolical criminal ever to menace America, Tang-akhmut, the Egyptian, had descended like a blighting plague on Cincinnati. Tang-akhmut, leading a new and terrible army of dwarfed monsters-scourging helpless women with poisoned and barbed whips; who set about systematically to wreck the water supply of the city and then set uncontrollable conflagrations to cover his looting. Richard Wentworth, the Spider, penniless, a man outside the law, once more faces him in single-handed battle

It is Wentworth himself-the Spider-who is first to feel the dread hand of that Master of Darkness-The Blind Man, and his satanic weapon. His best friend, Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police, is strangely attacked by the forces of evil; his beloved Nita van Sloan spirited away into a fearsome fate... And the Spider himself destined to a horrible life of pain and misery. Caught between the forces of evil, the Spider at last seems doomed to die in ignominy

Richard Wentworth-whose grim, anti-crime crusades as the Spider have made him world-famous-was the first objective in the Poison Master's murder campaign. His best friend, Kirkpatrick, lay in a death-like stupor. His beloved, Nita van Sloan, was stricken with the horrible living death And at the same time, countless thousands were felled by the same fatal venom... Caught in the crossfire between the Law and the Underworld, the Spider must battle the blind apathy of a nation ensnared in a subtle death-trap-must overcome the despair in his own brave heart...

Never had Richard Wentworth-he who is the scourge of the Underworld in his guise of the Spider-faced such tremendous odds or been so alone in the strife Nita, his beloved, had tried to kill him, was hopelessly insane. His faithful servant had been tortured beyond human endurance. And the Master of Madness, chief of a powerful, fiendish syndicate, was spreading his germs of mania unchecked. Who could rescue America from screaming, murderous frenzy when the Spider, harried by Law and lawless, himself half-doubted his own skill and bravery?

Death in its ugliest form ravaged America. An ambitious, clever madman, master of a far-flung criminal empire, spread cholera germs through every rank and class of a large and totally unsuspecting populace. Numbed by terror, the citizens fled from certain death... while the police, baffled and powerless, campaigned relentlessly against the Spider, the only man able to save the stricken and bring the Plague Master to justice

Richard Wentworth-who, as the swift-killing Spider, is the scourge of the Underworld-thought the Fly was dead. But once more that most formidable enemy had arisen, pillaging, slaying wantonly, armed with a ghastly new weapon, the Green Globes of Death Ruthless and astute, heading a gigantic criminal syndicate, the Fly was butchering innocent persons only, it seemed, to see their red blood flow. It was with flagging hope and heavy heart that the Spider took up his newest battle with the preying jackals of crime

Never before had a shrewd criminal leader so successfully defied the Law-and the Spider's sure vengeance A powerful Eastern murder syndicate, employing two deadly weapons, held America for ransom, spreading pain and terror and red destruction... Never had the Spider's struggle against the Underworld seemed so futile, for the name of Richard Wentworth was disgraced, his fortune was forfeit, and his beloved had betrayed him into the hands of the police-and certain death

Pitiless, astute, ambitious, yellow-skinned Wang-ba emerged from the mystic Orient to proclaim himself Emperor of America Sight of his green face caused blood-curdling terror; his anger could be appeased only by soul-twisting agony and writhing, long-lasting death... Such was the criminal genius whom Richard Wentworth had to kill. Never before has the Spider been squeezed so tightly between the vise-jaws of the Law and the Lawless. Nor has he ever struggled so fiercely against the pleading of his own brave heart

In that single, unguarded moment while he played his precious Stradivarius, the combined forces of the Mayor of Hell-the crooked Law and the vengeful Underworld-besieged Richard Wentworth, otherwise known as the Spider, nemesis of criminals Mourned as dead, the Spider must start life anew, without friends or funds or hidden refuge, so that the Mayor of Hell's bloody-handed henchmen-who judge no deed too base, who respect neither man nor God-may find their just reward-in death

Never before had greedy, criminal genius loosed so loathsome and deadly a weapon The Bat Man-leading a band of savages, releasing clouds of bloodthirsty vampire bats-planned to make himself a greater conqueror than Napoleon or Genghis Khan One man stood in his way-Richard Wentworth, who when the Law fails, sallies forth as the dread Spider to spread red death in the Underworld. And the Spider-his beloved Nita forfeited, his loyal servants captive, his own life ever in horrible danger-must battle both the Bat Man and a broken heart

The Spider-who was really Richard Wentworth, a true American aristocrat-had fought a hundred battles and faced a thousand foes... But never before had a more brilliant criminal genius challenged him. For the Boss, employing a horrible, new weapon, ruled the Underworld with an iron hand, slaughtering, maddening, and loosing maniacs to ravage the nation...

Looting, maiming, slaughtering, El Gaucho launched his colossal plot to unite the Underworld-to make himself King of America No torture was too cruel for him to employ; no deed too bloody; no life too precious, except his own. Richard Wentworth-the Spider, who exacts justice when the Law fails-realized he alone could save America from wanton butchery, in spite of the grim reward posted for his head-its own weight in the purest gold