 What does Dan Garrett plan to do next? Will his activities draw down upon his good friend, Dr. Frann, the wrath of the purple dragon? What will happen when the blue beetle faces the purple dragon? Meanwhile, in the room adjoining the auditorium of a little Chinese theater, deep within the confines of Chinatown, a group of hard-faced men are receiving instructions from their chief. I want you men to get this straight. There must be no slip up. 1130 tonight, you have commissioner Warren in this theater or else. I don't care how you get him here, what get him? Sure boys, we'll get him. Bringing him in the back way. Put him in one of the boxes to the left of the state. Is that clear? Yeah. You two men stay with him. Tell him if he makes a move to escape, he'll never see his daughter alive again. You got that straight? Yeah, we got that straight. Well, and you leave the rest of the purple dragon. In Dr. Frann's laboratory, Dan Garrett is donning the mask and blue chain armor of the blue beetle. Oh, Danny, commissioner Warren called just before you arrived. Oh, what did the commissioner have to say? He said the two most financially successful men last year were Roger Gillespie, the contractor, and a fellow by the name of Anthony Rondos. Gillespie seems to have made a fortune during the building boom last year, and Rondos apparently made a great success of the importing business. Rondos is our man, I'm sure of it. Where'd he live, did Warren say? Yes, he recently bought the Ridley home. I know that place. Yes, Danny, I know. I remember you visited the house secretly one night while you were making an investigation of the banker Ridley's strange death on the operating table. That's the place. Well, that'll be the blue beetle's first call tonight. So long, Doc. Yes, this is Rondos. What's that? Well, listen, Lacey, I won't be able to see you tonight. I'm going with some of the boys to a show. A Chinese masquerade. What? Well, I'm going as the purple dragon. Yeah, ain't that something? Yeah. Yeah, well, goodbye. I gotta get going. Blue beetle. Yes, Mr. Purple Dragon, alias Tony Rondos, extortionist and blackmailer, the blue beetle. Oh, you're wise to my racket, I guess, and I'm going to end your racket tonight. That's what you think. But no one is going to end my racket tonight or any other night. I don't know. Father, to shoot. Your bullets can't pierce this chain armor I'm wearing. The blue beetle is... Good work, wine towel. Hold the token cord tighter around the blue beetle's neck. And that's enough. He's gone under. Let him drop. Is the blue beetle dead? I don't know, but tie him up and throw him in the vault downstairs. Oh, here, here's a hundred bucks, buy yourself a new opium pipe. I'm going down to Chinatown. I'll deal with the blue beetle later. I demand to know where you're taking me. To see your daughter, Commissioner Warren. Where is she? Where have you hidden her? If you've harmed a head of her head, I'll see... Don't worry, Commissioner. She ain't dead yet. Her hands are a little short since the purple dragon cut it off. But that wasn't necessary, but the part she's playing tonight. Part? What part? She's playing a part in a Chinese play. What sort of a game is this? My daughter's not an actress. Let me out of here. Quiet, quiet, Commissioner, if you want to see your daughter again. Alive. All right. What is it you want? A purple dragon wants you to resign his commissioner of market. What? Never. I've sworn to protect the merchants of this city against extortion records, and I intend to do it. Better think it over, Commissioner. This part your daughter's playing is awful dangerous. Come on, Commissioner. This is the place. In you go. Maybe you'll change your mind when you see the play. Meanwhile in his laboratory, Dr. Franz is working on some of his interesting experiments. Now, let's see. Four cc's of number 17, and someone out front in the store. Coming. You all the same, Dr. Franz? Yes, yes, I am Dr. Franz. What can I do for you? Not all I look in his Chinese costume. Oh, I can't eat. Bless my soul. You know, for a minute, I thought Confucius himself had ended my shop. And my disguise had gone. Oh, it's excellent, Danny, excellent. But why is the Blue Beetle dressed as a Chinese Cooley? Well, the Blue Beetle is attending a theater party in the old Chinese theater tonight as an uninvited guest. And I think that when the party is over, the purple dragon and his extortion racket will be a thing of the past. Anything I can do to help? Yes. I throw among your collection of curios a ugly Chinese warrior's mask. I'd like to borrow it tonight. Certainly, Danny, certainly. I'll get it for you. It's in this chest, right over here. I'm going to throw a scare into some real as well as fake Chinese tonight. Hey, what an ugly mask. Here, let me put it on. There we are. How do I look? Oh, terrifying. That's good. Well, the stage is set and the audience is waiting. Good night, Docs. The Blue Beetle is playing a new role tonight. In a dimly lit auditorium, a hushed group of Chinese merchants await the performance they have been ordered to attend. In a box at the left of the stage sits the man, apparently the only accidental presence. Beside him sit two grim looking individuals in Chinese costumes. A strange power seems to hold the audience hypnotized as the curtain begins to ascend and reveals a large altar in the center of the stage surrounded by lighted candles. Upon the altar is stretched the bound figure of a white girl, shorn of her hair and clad in a white silk kimono, embroidered with a large purple dragon. Before the altar stands a gigantic Chinese, his head covered with a golden helmet and his face hidden behind a cruel hideous mask. His upraised hands clutch a two-edged sword. Back of him a group of dozen tense-muscled Chinese, likewise masked. Suddenly... My teeth to the ten-goddess angry. The white infidel has defied her will, so Tibetan-goddess must be appeased. Human sacrifice must be made upon the altar. No, no, that's my daughter. Tibetan-goddess speak again. Her voice says death to white maiden. No, no, I don't do anything. What is it you demand? The white infidel interfered with police of Tibetan-goddess. He encouraged Chinese merchants to withhold tribute. I plead for the dragon's demand. You'll resign from my office. No, I won't resign. This is a racket. You and your gang are supposed to think this way. Um... Free time has come and has opened. Our verdict is death to white maiden. Only our blood upon this heart will appease. The blue beetle. Yes, the blue beetle. Reincarnation of the oriental god, the final judgment. Is the blue beetle that crazy Chinese mask up there? No, he's a fake. The real blue beetle is in the vault of my home. Then shall I put him there? Oh, God of Impassion. He calls for sacrifice. Oh, God of... I give you your... Drop that order, I'll blast you with my magic rays. Oh, God of... God of is in ruling. He cannot be taught. Ruling is of God of sacrifice. Oh, God of Impassion. I want our racket. Oh, 40, 20, 25. Come on, all of you, real Chinese, fake Chinese. I can handle you all. This is for you, Hussey. Now go, John Mask, triple dragon. And here you go. And here comes the police to pick up the pieces. Come on, let's get out of here. Oh, you don't. There'll be room for you in the wagon room. Look, our blue beetle likes Chinese, the sword. That's gonna take care of you. 27th the 4th. Thanks, Commissioner, for the warning. Hey, you mercantile audience, here's your chance to clean up your own racket. Go to it, my man. Clean out the rats that have been testing your pieces. No more will the triple dragons shake the court of human sacrifice over your heads. He has been unmasked by the blue beetle. The blue beetle's work is done. And so the blue beetle smashed another racket and regained for his fellow citizens the admiration and respect of a grateful people. Later that night, the trolman Dan Garrett no longer in the costume of the blue beetle sits in Dr. Fran's laboratory discussing the case with Dr. Fran. Well, Danny, what gave you your first clue? A package of hair that Commissioner received. And to think that such things can be. Why didn't some of those Chinese merchants report this racket to the police? Fear of vengeance. You know, Doc, fear is the greatest enemy of mankind. Back of every hatred, every failure, every broken human relationship. That's very true, Danny. Well, Doc, run along now. Gotta get some sleep sometime. Yeah, that's true. The trolman Dan Garrett has to rest if the blue beetle wants to fly. Good night, Doc. I'll go up in tomorrow and see how you're coming along with that new portable television set you're building. So Dr. Fran's is working on a portable television set. Will it be successful? How can the blue beetle use it to run down criminals? What will be the blue beetle's next case? These questions will be answered in the next episode of The Blue Beetle. The Blue Beetle is a copyrighted Fox feature appearing in Mystery Men Comics magazine on sale at your newsstand. The Blue Beetle is on the air twice a week on this same station. Consult the broadcast schedule in your local newspapers. And don't forget to listen in.