The Wonderman stories were printed out of order, a grievous error indeed for the publisher given that the Wonderman stories were not only the typical lead stories in Mystery Comics, but also invariably the subject of the series' covers. I've sorted out what should have been the correct publication sequence of the Wonderman stories, following the logic of the storyline.
The first story appeared, as did many of the Mystery Comics heroes and storylines, in COMPLETE BOOK OF COMICS AND FUNNIES #1. Although not available anywhere that I could find to read, it obviously not only introduced Wonderman and his faithful love interest and helpmate Carol, but also his first villain, Dr. Voodoo. Voodoo has been siphoning out the stock of the "leading jewelry shops" (as recounted at the start of the second episode, which should have appeared in Mystery Comics #1 but instead was published in Mystery Comics #2) with his ingenious "vacuum spiral" which becomes central to all the stories, opening up access first to the planet Mars and then later the invisible planet Lilith. In this second episode Dr. Voodoo turns his invention to stealing jewels from wealthy individuals, but things turn out badly for him (he dies!) when Wonderman intervenes.
The story that WAS published in Mystery Comics #1 is actually the FIFTH episode, but looking at the first page closely it can be seen how the mistake of thinking it was the second episode might have occurred when the first issue of Mystery Comics was put together. The first panel (not counting the "splash" panel) begins with the expository introduction "In the laboratory devised by the maniacal Dr. Voodoo..." and it is quite likely that the editor saw that introduction and made the incorrect assumption that this story followed the first one which featured Dr. Voodoo. Alas, Wonderman and Carol were often in the evil doctor's lab because that's where the vacuum spiral is located and it is the "deus ex machina" that affords them interplanetary travel.
The story that should have opened Mystery Comics #1 was published in Mystery Comics #2. The GCD notes this but fails to indicate that the story that WAS printed in the first issue should have been published in Mystery Comics #4.
Link to the book:
Mystery Comics 1
