Fawcett Comics Presents: The Scarlet and the Gold #2

It is graduation day for Mary Broomfield! But graduating from what... middle school... high school? The date of this story was December 1946, If she, along with her twin brother Billy, were eight years old in 1940 when he first became Captain Marvel, that would make them sixteen years old at the time of this tale. 

Too old to graduate middle school yet younger than normal for a high school graduate. Although, perhaps, Mary was a prodigy. Her brother was employed at WHAM-TV as a news broadcaster, and would have had courses via a correspondence school to fit his busy schedule, so it is not specified when he himself graduated. 

At her graduation, while others may have attended this ceremony, the only ones indicated as having been there were Mary's adoptive mother, and Susan Kent.

Susan was of course the female half of the team of Bulletman and Bulletgirl. Acquaintances through Mary's brother and Susan's boyfriend Jim "Bulletman" Barr, the heroines decided to spend time in their civilian identities. Just then, however, Susan was kidnapped by her old foes the Weeper and Doctor Riddle. Although their main grudge is with Bulletman, seeing his aid and girlfriend nearby is too tempting a target to pass up. However, Mary Marvel attacks the devious duo and frees Susan.

Following a riddle to a local asylum where the fiends indicate they are, the women suspect this is a trap and approach individually. This leads to both being captured by the rogues, and trapped in an airtight room. However, Bulletgirl frees Mary Marvel this time, and the pair intercept another clue leading them to the crooks attempt at stealing gold bullion from an aircraft. While Riddle parachutes to the ground while Weeper awaits him below, Bulletgirl and Mary Marvel outmatch these devious dudes and capture them...retrieving their loot!

Fawcett Comics Presents: The Scarlet and the Gold #1

In the golden age of comics,  crossovers tales between characters within a publisher's titles was not as frequent as it is today. While DC Comics did have a few such meetings between characters in solo titles, as well as in team-up books such as All-Star Comics and Leading Comics, this was the exception rather than the rule. Fawcett had the Marvel Family alone, with a few notable one-on-one meetings or group cameos within a story spotlighting the lead character.

Mary Marvel was unique in her title as to having a few of these yet not with headliners like her brother and his pals over at Whiz Comics. Instead, it was alongside heroic sidekicks somewhat like herself. The first of these was in her title working with her "old friend" Pinky Butler, who secretly was Pinky the Whiz Kid! 

In this tale, what began as a trip to the museum wherein Mary and Pinky run into each other, turns into a mystery of criminals who appear in the building to rob jewels and other pricey artifacts, then disappear when the kids get close to catching them. 

Twice the two hoods give these crimson crime crusaders the slip, first distracting them with a falling statue, then giving chase in a darkened room to cover their trail.

However, the heroes deduce that the recently donated Trojan Horse is where the crooks are hiding, and although the pair capture them they fail to find their stolen goods.

When Mary Broomfield and Pinky Butler reappear, they are both knocked out by Professor Logan, who donated the false Horse in the first place to give his goons a hiding place. 

Attempting to destroy the evidence and remove the two youngsters aware of his plot, instead Pinky helps free Mary allowing her to become Mary Marvel. Together with the Whiz Kid, she captures the wayward archaeologist and recovers the precious items.

Although the two kids part at the conclusion of the case, later in this issue Pinky would reappear with some of Mary's friends at her dinner, although this cameo was rather brief.