All Star Comics #16 - "The Justice Society Fights for a United America"

It's Spring 1943 and Hitler is at it again. Feeling the pinch from American forces (and the Justice Society), he sets out on a plan to attack America from the inside - by having Nazi spies infiltrate the United States and start convincing people that those they've trusted are taking advantage of them.

It starts at a steel factory not far from Hawkman's territory, where a German bloke named Buehler has managed to get a job at the factory so that he can persuade the workers that the steel factory owner, who has always been kind to them, is making a fortune off of their sweat, and must be taking more than a fair share. An uprising seems evident, until Hawkman, with the aid of two young men (one the steel factory owner's son, the other one of the employees' sons, both best friends since youth) put a squash to it and expose the Nazis plan to bring a halt to steel (and thus armament) production during the war.

The Dr. MidNite tale is a bit more somber than has been customary for the Doc in past issues. The reader is greeted by what looks almost like a spectral version of an old-school gangster named "Tough Tony Scarlotti," who talks about what a terrible youth he was and how he strives for his son, Tony Jr, to be a better person.

What could have quickly devolved into a typical punch-em-up caper is a heartfelt tale about racism in America. Tony Jr has been getting into fights and even taking a black eye or two, but not because he's starting trouble. No, it's because he's been standing up for kids who have been picked on because of their ethnic background.

The prejudiced ideas are being planted into the children's heads by members of the Axis powers, who are working covertly in American to spread hate. That's when Dr. MidNite gets involved (also because Tony Jr is a member of the Junior Justice Society of America, which any kid could join back in the 40s, for a few cents and mailing in the certificate found in the comics The membership materials, including the Junior Justice Society badge are worth hundreds of dollars today).

When the spreaders of hate-filled racism find that young Tony is trying to teach the neighborhood kids better, they decide it's time to get the little squirt out of the way, kidnapping him. While he's eventually rescued by Dr. MidNite, rats kidnapping his son does not set well with Tough Tony, who pulls out his old "chatterbox" and drops in as Dr. MidNite tangles with the enemy.

Of course, Tony ends up a bit in over his head, and finds himself on the other end of the gun for a change. He dies, but as he tells both Dr MidNite and the reader, he's dying happy, knowing the boy he raised is a better man than he.

Written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Stan Asch (the same guy who handles art chores on Johnny Thunder), this short tale really holds up today, delivering compassionate thoughts on where the country stands with its melting pot status, and how words of hate can quickly turn to violence and death. Definitely a stand out.

The Atom finds himself also at odds with those who wish to spread messages of hate and intolerance across America (noticing a theme yet?), only he is dealing with the workers of a coal mine.

In fact, the story opens with the Atom single-handedly propping a mine shaft on the verge of collapse. As the miners rush to safety, the mine gives way and The Atom, tapped beneath the rubble, recalls how he got into this mess.

The son of one of the miners (also a member of the Junior Justice Society) informs the Atom that his father and other workers are being told that the mine's owners, because they are foreigners, don't care at all about the workers and that the mine's are a dangerous place for them to be working. They want the workers to turn against the owners, solely on the base of what country they were born.

While the workers, at first, don't buy into the propaganda, once The Atom addresses the crowd about the safe conditions and not judging people by their birthplace, the propaganda artists decide to set off explosions in the mine and prove their point.

Bringing us to the present, The Atom is thought to be dead by the miners, who are starting to believe the hate-message about the mine's owners. That is, until The Atom, who managed to survive, comes forth and lets the workers know who was really behind the explosion.

Dr. Fate's got a mystical foe on his hands, or so that foe would like the public to believe. A so-called prophet calling himself "Mr. Fortune" blows into town in a nice suit and turban, reading fortunes and giving residents a glimpse of what's to come. When the incidents start to actually happen, the town goes into a panic, and is ready to do anything Mr. Fortune tells them.

Of course, this turns out to be nothing but a ruse. Once Mr. Fortune builds the public's confidence in himself, he can spread the hate of the Axis Powers, his true intention after all. When Dr. Fate tries to intervene, the public turns on the hero, taking Mr. Fortune for his word that Dr. Fate is "un-American."

Naturally, all goes well in the end and Mr. Fortune is exposed as a fraud, but I can't help but mention how much I dug the name of "Mr. Fortune" as a villain. Sure, his look was typical 1940s villain (a suit), with the addition of the turban, but something about it just worked for the Golden Age.

I also have to wonder if his look helped inspire the character of "Sir Swami" from the Justice League animated series (by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, James Tucker, Dwayne McDuffie and company), in an episode that put the League in an alternate dimension with clean-cut heroes and villains that slightly resembled the heroes and rogues of the Justice Society stories of the 40s. In this case, Sir Swami was a stand-in for JSA villain, "the Wizard," but his look certainly seems to come heavily from Mr. Fortune.

Alas, as interesting as he is in a very simplistic way, I've yet to find reference to any other appearances by Mr. Fortune with the JSA or Dr. Fate.

The Sandman, meanwhile, is haunting the dreams of Henry Overman, the publisher of a newspaper called "The New Way," meaning a confrontation between the two will soon come to pass. Once again, beautiful art by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

Using his newspaper, Overman, working for Hitler and the Third Reich, is publishing false articles, supposedly by "experts" that state the American forces are in pretty bad shape when it comes to the war, and are facing a losing battle.

Overman hopes this will raise doubt in American citizens and stop them from buying war bonds to support the forces.

With the help of the newsies who didn't realize they were on the street peddling a Nazi paper, The Sandman brings the publication to a halt.In the end, the newsies realize they all come from different ethnic backgrounds and get along fine, so why should it make any difference in other parts of life?

Starman finds himself in a similar boat, racing to the midwest to get to the bottom of a near-revolt by America's farmers. It seems some strangers have blown into town and planted the bug into their ears that they should be getting paid more for their crops, and that the middlemen and the shops are taking far more than they deserve.

 

Just to be clear, this is a very real problem, even in today's world, where farmer's receive far too little for the necessary crops they grow and provide our dinner tables with. I have a great admiration for the work farmers too, but also a great sympathy for the way they are treated or poorly compensated for such a necessity.

On the night of a vote by the farmers to decide whether or not to stop growing, Starman intervenes and reveals the new men in town as nothing more than Nazi propaganda artists. Seeing that they were being duped by Nazis who hoped to damage the American crops, and morale at home and on the front lines, the farmers decide it's best during the course of WWII to keep things running as-is for the greater good.

In another factory, elsewhere in the country, another troublemaker has broken into the company safe to steal secret documents with the sole intention of planting them on someone of an ethnic background to create friction. Posing as a factory worker and befriending a man name Jan Seybowsy, the Axis spy has found his target. Planting the stolen documents on Jan, the rest of the factory workers quickly turn against him and open their ears to what this stranger has to say. When The Spectre gets word of this, he spirits the evildoers away to the far reaches of space, and a fiery planet where the Nazi is convinced he's burning in hell. The Spectre even take on the frightening form of Satan to push the villain over the edge.

When the man is returned to earth, he has been so frightened that he tries to contact the mother country by radio. When he does, it's before an audience of factory workers and townspeople brought over by The Spectre, who quickly realize they've made a mistake, running the Nazi muckraker out of town, and apologize to Jan for their quick emotional reaction without thinking.

Johnny Thunder (still wearing his Naval uniform) is on the lookout for the Nazi propaganda culprits when he stumbles into a meeting where he unwittingly (is there ever a time that Johnny does something wittingly?) gets caught up in the discussion and ends up making the propaganda speech himself. When he realizes what he's done and the people who led him down this not-so-rosy path, he and his magic Thunderbolt quickly go to work exposing the truth.

The story wraps with the entire Justice Society making an appearance at a War Bond rally at a theatre, where they introduce the audience to the various hard-working Americans across the country, from the miners, the farmers, the women in the factories, the mothers at home, and more.

All-Star Comics #15 - "The Man Who Created Images"

Cover dated February-March of 1943, the battle of Stalingrad will come to an end, gasoline and shoe rationing will go into effect, and U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower will be selected to command the U.S. forces in Europe while this book sits on newsstands.

Wonder Woman shows up to the monthly Justice Society meeting, only to find that she's the only one in attendance. Apparently, her duties as Secretary (because why would the JSA want to let the most powerful member do anything but?) includes getting the mail, because she finds letters from each member, dictating why they can't make it to the meeting.

So what does Wonder Woman do?

She gathers the girlfriends of each of the JSA members, tells them what's going on, and dresses them up like their boyfriends' costumed identities to launch a rescue.

Because, come on, doing so without the costumes would just be plain silly.

While your sewing abilities are impressive, Wonder Woman, it still begs the question as to why you were making women's versions of JSA costumes in your spare time.

Let's also not forget that most of these women were supposed to be unaware of their beau's nighttime activities, so way to let the cat out of the bag, Wonder Woman.

Meanwhile, the reader learns of the predicament of each JSA member through the letters sent to Wonder Woman. For Hawkman, he was out on the town with girlfriend Shiera when someone is shot dead. Following the underworld gunmen, Hawkman learns that an evil force, known only as The Brain Wave, has even the seediest of gangsters running and scared and doing his bidding.

The same goes for Dr. MidNite, who is brought in under the guise of his everyday identity of Dr. Charles McNider, to treat a sculptor who is convinced that his works of art are coming to life and talking to him. His wife and drunken stooge of a son are looking to have him committed so they can inherit his fortune, but Dr. MidNite proves that the family is in cahoots with gangsters to get that money and get it to this mysterious Brain Wave, who seems to have power and thrall over even the hardest of criminals.

Johnny Thunder (who is dressed in his sailor suit for the first time since we saw all the JSA members enlist under their civilian identities) is raising questions about "The Morrison Museum,' which keeps itself private most of the time, but opens its exhibits to the public four times a year to qualify as a "public museum." In a bit of thinking that I found ahead of itself for a children's comic, the museum has this weird schedule so its owner, Mr. Morrison can qualify as a public museum and not have to pay the taxes a private one would. Also, it's because he uses the museum the rest of the year as a clearing house for stolen items.

With the help of his magic Thunderbolt, Johnny gets a peek at the museum, where he does battle with historic statues that have been brought to life, and even Mr. Morrison himself, who would have shot Johnny dead if not for the Thunderbolt's interference. That's when Johnny learns the real mind behind this scheme is the man known only as "The Brain Wave."

Al Pratt is at a baseball game when he notices that star player Johnny Spartan appears to be throwing the game. Apparently, sporting events require the intervening of super heroes, because Al changes into The Atom and heads into the locker room to have a talk with Johnny.

It seems that Johnny's crooked manager, and a network of criminals is behind the scheme, with Johnny being mentally crippled from making the hits during the game. A little snooping around the manager and his cronies, and The Atom learns it's also the work of The Brain Wave, and heads to Sharktooth Bay (the alleged hideout of this criminal) to find out more.

The Sandman usually is found haunting the dreams of criminals deep in the night, but this time, he appears to be shaking down both the rich (both criminal and legit) in their bedrooms. However, something is not quite right when The Sandman appears before millionaire Wesley Dodds telling him to fork over protection money.

When he overhears another wealthy socialite (albeit a well-known crooked one) complaining of The Sandman's shakedown, Wes and his sidekick, Sandy, stand watch as money is left at a drop off site for "The Sandman." Two suited gangsters show up to grab the bag of cash, but when the heroes pounce, the number of crooks suddenly multiplies, and the two are facing an army of criminals. After a few minutes of battling, the army suddenly disappears, and the heroes learn it was all a mental illusion, distracting them from seeing the real criminals taking the money. Some inquiries across the underworld, and Sandman has the man at the top who's behind this scheme - The Brain Wave.

Starman also finds himself in the middle of a very bizarre case as he comes across a man who is convinced that little elfin creatures are following him around trying to drive him insane - more specifically, driving him to the point of killing his wife. He is unable to sleep, to think, and is convinced he probably IS going crazy - until Starman sees the little creatures and realizes the man is right!

Creepy little runt, isn't he?

The victim tells Starman of a deranged man he's known since childhood named Henry King, who, as they grew older, began showing signs of strange mental abilities, including creating apparitions out of nothing. As the two men grew older, King became insanely jealous of the man's relationship with a woman named Lucy, now the man's wife. On their wedding day, King actually tries to scare Lucy off by warning her that her beau to be will murder her one day - a foreshadowing that it seems King is intent on bringing about.


With that information in hand, Starman heads out after this mysterious Henry King, who, one can deduce is the mysterious "Brain Wave" that has the underworld squirming.

The Spectre's situation is incredibly similar to his colleagues. He comes across some crimes that involve invisible henchmen and learns that it is the work of a man named "The Brain Wave" who is offering his services to the underworld for a cut, and scaring most of them in the process.

Dr. Fate's adventures is told through the eyes of an ex-con who's now gone legit, but whose old cronies are trying to persuade him to get back in the underworld game. You see, "Fan" Gregory is no longer a racketeer. He's served his time, and even has a job at the bank where his sister is secretary, and that's exactly why his old colleagues want him in on a new act, to provide them with whatever his sister may know about the bank's vaults and securities. "Fan" won't play ball, though, and when he tells Dr. Fate of the scenario, the mystical Doctor is ready for the crooks, who go through with the plan anyway. Not surprising, these criminals are also working with "The Brain Wave," and set Dr. Fate on a path to Shark Tooth Bay.

In a castle on Shark Tooth Bay, sits the robed man known as The Brain Wave as he recounts what brought him to this moment. As a young child, it seems Henry King (while down at the ol' watering hole), realized that he had the ability, when he concentrated enough, to create images from his thoughts, creating an army of playmates for his childhood. As he got older, his abilities grew, until finally, power corrupted, and King decided he wanted money, lots of money.

The girlfriends of the JSA members have arrived, and are greeted by their boyfriends, all in costume, and taken prisoner. It's not really the Justice Society, though, merely thought images created by Brain Wave to take the women captive.

This brings up some timeline flaws. The story started out with Wonder Woman getting letters from each of the Justice Society members that they wouldn't make the meeting. She then calls all the girlfriends, gets them in costume, and heads out to Shark Tooth Bay. During that time, we're recounted through the letters of the predicament each of the men got themselves into before heading out to Shark Tooth Bay. Yet, the women all arrived at Shark Tooth Bay before the men did.

Either those guys are either slower than molasses when the Flash isn't with them, or that is one super-efficient postal service that got the letters to Wonder Woman with enough time to get the girls and head out before the man (after mailing the letters) made it to Brain Wave's hideout.

Okay, okay. I'll let it go. Just suspend logic and we'll be okay for the rest of the trip.

The JSA members soon arrive, however, just as The Brain Wave anticipated. The minute they come crashing through his wall, the villain spells out their dilemma.

 They obviously weren't too concerned with the girlfriends. "If you come at me, they'll die!" "Go get em', guys!"

Well, maybe they were confident that Wonder Woman would come to this realization and break the women free.

Of course, like many comics of the day, the actual battle was short-lived, with Brain Wave tripping (that's what he gets for making his costume a green baggy robe) and falling over the ledge of the castle to the depths below. No one looks for a body, though, which can pretty much ensure that Brain Wave will return.

This tale is pretty significant. Most notably, it's actually the first appearance of a super-villain for the JSA, who were accustomed to fighting gangsters in suits and Nazis for most of their short existence at this point.

Sure, Batman had a colorful rogues gallery by this time (Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, Two-Face and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum had all made their way through Gotham City at this point), but other than The Dark Knight, true super-villains were few and far between.

Brain Wave was the first of a handful of villains from the Golden Age who only decades later would be remembered as 'the rogues gallery of the Justice Society.' At the time, they were lucky to have two appearances against the JSA before being banished to comic limbo until the 60s or 70s.

James Robinson, 57 years later, in the summer of 2000, will visit this tale in his series "Starman," detailing the life of Jack Knight, son to original JSA member (and original Starman), Ted Knight. In it, Ted recalls the adventure to his son, and with some minor, modern-day tweaks, Robinson removes Dr. Mid-Nite and The Atom's counterparts from the story.

Sure, the ladies still get captured...

However, with some retroactive alterations to the tale, the girls free THEMSELVES, rather than waiting for the men to save them.

Robinson also does a nice job, in just one narrative sentence of explaining away how the girls, after this story, seemed to no longer know their boyfriend's secret identities.

Seeing these pages of the modern-retelling just reinforces my desire to see DC Comics do some sort of "retro" title, where a modern day writer and artist team could tell Golden Age-based stories with the JSA in the 40s and 50s, but with modern day sensibilities. What an amazing title that could be. Alas, to dream.

As for the original 1943 story, there is an awful amount of 'moodiness' throughout this tale. Having the hardened gangsters of the underworld, who would usually be the villains of the piece, running scared of someone more evil and frightening, certainly sets up a dark tone. Add to that, numerous scenes that take place in the dark of night as the heroes find themselves getting tangled into the Brain Wave's web, and you've got a nice, dark, solid Golden Age adventure.

Compared to many other Justice Society tales of the day, this one is a stand out, in all the good ways.

All-Star Comics #13 - "Shanghaied in Space"

Hitler is pissssed. Not because of the effort of the U.S. Forces on the ground, but because he says the Justice Society are always around every corner, thwarting his plans. With that in mind, he brainstorms with other Axis leaders to come up with a plan to do away with the JSA for good.

I'm not quite sure that the Germans and Japanese were ever in this close proximity during the war years, but, what the heck, we'll let it go- just check out that beautiful Jack Burnley artwork.

Just when Hitler's about to pull his hair out with frustration, a German engineer enters with an idea - he has developed rockets that he believes can launch the JSA members into Space, and out of the Axis Powers' hair for good.

Pleased with the idea, Hitler orders an infiltration of the JSA Headquarters, where the heroes are to be knocked unconscious, loaded into the rockets and launched into space.

Historical side note: While this issue is cover dated October-November 1942, it is safe to assume that, like most comics since their inception, the actual release date of these books is months before the cover date.

That means this issue probably came out some time in the Spring or Summer of 1942, months and months before this real-life incident happened:


October 1942 saw the first successful launch of an A4 rocket at Peenemunde, Germany. The rocket flies 147 kilometres wide and reaches a height of 84.5 kilometres and is therefore the first man-made object reaching space.

Talk about life imitating art. Grant Morrison might appreciate the true-life manifestation of that.

Each JSA member finds themselves stranded on a different planet, with each chapter introduction giving the reader a tidbit of knowledge about hat particular planet. For example, we learn Saturn is "very light in weight due to the gases that form her outer atmosphere, 16,000 miles deep."

The tales are all pretty cut and dry. Hawkman helps a race of people on planet Saturn, who look very much like people of Earth, but ride giant birds.

Fancy that, he speaks bird-tongue

The Sandman lands on Uranus (cue cheap laughs here), which houses a race of beings made of pure crystal.

The king has been disturbed by dreams of "Kafta, the Evil One," who looks to destroy the planet's people with his poisons. How, oh how is the Sandman going to defeat this evil being of Crystal?

Sure. That works.

Meanwhile, Dr. Midnite has landed on Neptune where he is greeted by beings that appear half human and half plant-like. He's also the first Justice Society member to run into trouble understanding these other races.

Math - bringing interplanetary races together since 1942. Keep your nose in your books, kids.

The planet's people are in a panic when Dr. MidNite arrives, as they have been plagued by what they know only as "The Red Death" and fear that their lives are doomed. That is, until the blind hero drops a little reality bomb on them, along with an antidote:

Jupiter - "bigger than all the rest of the planets put together, including our Earth. Its gravity is three times that of the Earth..." Starman finds this out the hard way when he crash lands there.

Starman finds that the planet is occupied by beings that, due to the cold and lack of oxygen, must wear rustless metal clothing, with their internal organs encased inside. In other words, he stepped out of the rocket and was greeted by this:

Starman fights off a giant fungus menace that plagues the planet and is sent on his way with the help of these mechanical men. And all show in once again beautiful art by Jack Burnley.

"Mars - the red planet...its canals, and varying colors, of green and rust, suggest vegetation, irrigated by the melting polar cap..." is our introduction to the next chapter, as the tiny hero known as The Atom crash lands on the red planet.

The Atom, much like Sandman did on Uranus, has to help a race of beings living on the planet who are being threatened by one of their own to poison their water supply. The Atoms' given a tiny boost in his heroic abilities thanks to the atmosphere of Mars.

The Spectre has crash landed on the planet Pluto, which the tale tells us "is four billion miles from the sun - so distant is it, that the sun looks like a mere star" (which it is).

It's still a bit of a stretch that The Spectre could even be knocked unconscious in his spirit form by the knockout gas used in the beginning of the story in order for the Nazi's to place them all in rockets. He's a ghost, after all, and ghosts don't require oxygen. It is explained away as thus:

Once on Pluto, The Spectre finds a city far beneath a well on the planet - where resides a group of people living in fear from "the furred men," which turn out to be other human-like creatures dressed in parkas. The parka-men are more warriors than the peace-loving civilization in the well. However, a few punches from the Supernatural Spectre and the threat of his re-visiting the planet "every now and then" to check in prompts a peace treaty.

The planet Mercury - "the one nearest the sun - incredibly hot, its surface temperature is enough to melt lead or tin," which is why Johnny Thunder is having a helluva time trying to keep cool as he finds himself crashing toward the planet.

His magical Thunderbolt fills him in on the attempt by the Nazis to shanghai the JSA, and Johnny tries to just make a go of the hand he's been dealt.

Manifest Destiny.

Somehow Johnny manages to not notice the Spider that is the size of the building, and walks right into its clutches. The arachnid takes Johnny home to show to its mate, but the pair are scared off by a giant ant-eater. Yes. A giant ant-eater.

Johnny actually befriends his spider captors when he and the Thunderbolt lure the giant ant-eater into quicksand, freeing the giant spiders to live their lives in peace. Johnny begins to think that he should start studying the Spider civilization if he's going to be stuck on that planet forever. It apparently never occurred to him that his magic thunderbolt, with the powers of a genie, might be able to get him off the planet whenever he wants.

Wonder Woman, meanwhile, finds herself rocketing towards the planet Venus, which apparently is inhabited by a race of flying women with wings. Pulled out of the crashing rocket by these women, Wonder Woman tries to return the favor.

Sheesh. That's a bit presumptive, isn't it?

Okay, so maybe she was right. The women are being attacked by a race of warriors who are capturing and killing their men. Being a peace-loving planet, the women possess no weapons, and have no idea on how to fight back. Apparently, neither does Wonder Woman.

Yikes.

Quick history lesson for you folks who may not know - Wonder Woman's creator, William Moulston was not only the inventor of the lie detector, but was pretty obsessed with S&M, thus his fascination with bondage and domination that is on display in many of his early Wonder Woman stories.

The men of Venus try to fight back, but the dandies are crushed by the sheer strength of their attackers.

It looks like its up to Wonder Woman to save the entire race, and she does so in quick fashion, and under the power of her might and her magic lasso, the warriors submit. Bound by chains, the leader of the Venusians tells Wonder Woman that they will work to make the men loving and peaceful.

Each member of the Justice Society has made it back to Earth, each thinking they were the only one launched into space. This descends over several panels into a game of one-upmanship as everyone tries to be the biggest hero in the room.

"You should have been on Uranus!"

Following the government's leads to the spies who launched the JSA into space in the first place, the heroes take out Hitler's cronies and send him a message via radio.

But, wait. This adventure is not over. Wonder Woman has done a lot for the JSA. The power of the gods flow through her and she's easily the most powerful member of the team, and the JSA feel it just isn't right to have her be only an "honorary member." What to do?

Wa wa waaaaa

That's not all, though. Meanwhile, in Germany...

Alas, Hitler never did learn his lesson.

This tale was later adapted/updated in a multi-chapter arc of back-up stories beginning in the series All-Star Squadron #52 some 40+ years later by JSA Superfan Roy Thomas. The story is retold with a more "modern science" behind it, and the JSA are explained to have been stranded in 'hyper-space' as opposed to the actual planets we all know and love. I have not actually had the chance to read this updated version, but hope it will make it into the first or future editions of DC's collected Showcase Presents All-Star Squadron edition.

All-Star Comics #12 - "The Black Dragon Menace"

All-Star Comics #12 has a cover date of August-September 1942. A little background on what was going on in the world at the time - Gandhi was arrested in Bombay by British Forces; Walt Disney's animated film "Bambi" made its debut, six would-be German saboteurs are executed, a massive burst of cosmic rays are detected in London, and a Japanese floatplane drops incendiary devices at Mount Emily near Billings, Oregon.

Well, when you've got a story from 1942 that also happens to be titled "The Black Dragon Menace," you sort of know what you're getting into.

An old man, leading Japan's Black Dragon Society has ordered his agents to steal secret weapons from the United States - weapons that he claims Japan can duplicate for their own purposes during the war.

This says way more about the skewed view and opinions of many Americans at the time, I'm sure, than it actually does of what the Japanese are or are not capable of.

Wartime hysteria is nothing new, nor is it anything extinct. How soon after an attack or disaster of some kind in today's world do some eyebrows raise in skepticism at someone of a nationality different than theirs, or the same as those who happen to claim responsibility? It was going in full force during WWII, no doubt, and the "Black Dragon Society" seems to play right into those Golden Age wartime fears.

Historical background diversion:

The Black Dragon Society traces its roots to the turn of the century, where it was created with the goal to support the driving of the Russian Empire out of East Asia. In the 20s and 30s, they reportedly became more of a political organization against liberal and left-leaning thought, never with more than several dozen members at a time. However, it had ties to leading members of government and the military, which it gave it a bit more power and influence than other groups.

By the 30s, they moved from being directed only against Russia to having agents in various parts of the world, including Europe, the U.S., Morocco and more.

On March 27, 1942, FBI agents reportedly arrested members of the Black Dragon Society in the San Joaquin Valley, California and in the Manzanar Internment Camp a small group of pro-Imperial Japan flew Black Dragon flags and intimidated other Japanese inmates.

They officially disbanded by order of the American Occupation authorities in 1946, but was reportedly re organized as "The Black Dragon Club" in 1961.

The Society was also the featured villain in several films on the early 1940s.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled blogging:

Well, in this tale, the American government is concerned, and asks the Justice Society of America to investigate. Fortunately for the JSA, they've got a new member in the ranks - one with the power of the gods flowing through her veins! A powerhouse rivaled only by Superman! There's no way they can lose!

Oh, wait...

Each of the JSA'ers (minus Wonder Woman) are given a scientist/invention to investigate and take off.

No, you can't go, Wonder Woman. You need to type up our last meeting's minutes and re-organize the filing cabinet.

Hawkman has to reclaim a giant spinning propeller vehicle - not a vehicle with a propeller, but just a giant propeller, before the Japanese use it to drop bombs below. Aside from getting knocked out and tied to the propeller at one point, he does so with ease, knocking the thieves out into the skies, but noting they have parachutes and "will land safely."

How can he guarantee that?

Those are some damn-well trained hawks.

Mission accomplished, Johnny Thunder's magic Thunderbolt swoops in and takes Hawkman away, claiming that Johnny is in trouble. Shocking.

The Sandman, meanwhile attempts to rescue the inventor of "Modern Greek Fire" - fire that can burn on water. The inventor is being held captive in an underground cave, but his rescue is short lived, as both he and The Sandman are soon taken captive, and given a demonstration of the "Greek Fire" by Japanese scientists. Together, Sandman and the scientist free themselves and Sandman is soon, also swept away by Johnny's magic Thunderbolt.

However, Sandman seems perfectly fine in leaving the captured U.S. Scientist alone with the man who kidnapped him in the first place...

Next up is Al Pratt, otherwise known as The Atom. I'm going to focus a little bit more on The Atom than I ever have before in one of these entries, and you'll find out why in just a few moments.

You see, The Atom has to stop a plot to blow up San Francisco, but how he stops the plot is really not anywhere near as interesting as to who he does it with...

Wait, wait. There's more. The Atom goes undercover on this case.

How undercover you ask?

Disguised as a Japanese miner, The Atom infiltrates the tunnels that are being planted with bombs and puts an end to the plot, but not before first reminding all those impressionable 1942 youth that some Japanese people are bad...but not all...


Starman's task is to reclaim American planes that have reportedly been stolen by Japanese forces and being used for their own intentions. The art by Jack Burnley, as always, is beautiful on the Starman tales, but other than the beautiful art, there isn't much to report on this chapter. Starman makes pretty quick work of the perpetrators, while spreading the "Yay! America!" Message that flows very openly throughout the tale.


A tank with a long-barreled flame thrower. That's what Dr. Fate - the man with the the power of the occult on his side is after. However, the writers seem to be weakening the once all-powerful Dr. Fate for the purposes of storytelling, as noted by this panel:


Dr. Fate is also aided in his quest by a group of Native Americans that he comes across in the desert, who seem all too eager to help.


At that time, it should be noted, there were a large amount of Native Americans who enlisted in the armed forces and fought for the United States in World War II.

The assignment for Dr. Mid-Nite reads "You are to find Dr. Stander, discoverer of the X-Ray - - we have no absolutely no clues, except that he's disappeared like the rest..."

Since the X-ray was already built by the late 1800s, and the fact that a page later, Dr. MidNIte refers to it as the "Y-ray," I think it's safe to assume that first panel was a typo.

Dr. MidNite decides that with no way to find the Black Dragon Society without a lead, he'll make them come to him, and has his owl Hooty drop a note among the missing scientist's belongings addressed to MidNite's alter ego, Dr. Charles McNider. The note references the secret ray, leading the kidnappers right to McNider.

Once kidnapped, McNider is placed in a cell with Dr. Stander, the inventor of the "Y-ray," described to Dr. MidNite as an "instrument of healing" that the villains wish to use as a "weapon of destruction." When turned on to a plant, the plant withers and dies. When the villains pull the scientist from his holding cell with plans to turn the weapon on him, Dr. MidNite makes his move, attacking the kidnappers - a fight that inadvertently turns the ray on the bad guys instead of the scientist.

With the case wrapped, Mid-Nite is about to leave when he, like all the other JSA members, are picked up by Johnny's Thunderbolt and swept away.

Meanwhile, deep in the depths of the sea, The Black Dragon Society has Charles Reagan, the inventor of "the amazing rocket-bomb" held captive in a submarine. The bomb, the scientist explains to his captors can be adjusted to hit any particular spot using magnetic forces. When the villains try to use it on Chicago, it grabs the attention of the supernatural Spectre...

The Spectre, proving once again that he is the JSA's resident bad-ass, growing to grim proportions, then decides to launch the sub into space...

The Spectre then follows the Thunderbolt to join the others in assisting Johnny. Not surprisingly, the U.S. Government has given Johnny the mission of staying out of the way. Which is probably the smartest assignment anyone has given Johnny Thunder. Can you imagine giving this guy a vital role in this case and yet making Wonder Woman take notes?! These JSA guys will go a long way to save face for the sake of male pride.

Of course, it doesn't take Johnny long to accidentally stumble across members of the Black Dragon Society, and even less time to draw attention to himself.


Naturally, the JSA show up in time to save Johnny's behind, and do so courtesy of some more, great Jack Burnley artwork.


And with the case wrapped up, all that remains is for the armed forces to take the lack Dragon Society members into custody and the JSA to file their report.

Thank goodness Wonder Woman sat around all that time to take down the notes...

Silly boys.