All-Star Comics #10 - "The Case of the Bomb Defense Formula"

A group of America's top scientists are hard at work on a formula that would protect the country from air bombings (obviously a very real and looming threat when this story was published in 1942. So, when a group of gangster storm into the laboratory wanting the scientist's work for themselves, the eggheads are lucky that a few members of the JSA are nearby (for reasons unexplained) to help them.

The other members are gathered and Chairman of the Board Hawkman decides its in the best interest of the country and the JSA to protect the scientists, including one who claims he has built a "time ray' that can zap people into different time periods. Now, if he was able to successfully create that, you'd think the war might already be over, but I digress.

Struck by inspiration, Johnny Thunder suggests the JSA go into the far future where future-scientists are bound to have discovered the "anti-air-bombing formula." They all agree, and leaving the scientists under the watchful eye of Green Lantern, the team heads into the far future, courtesy of the time ray.

The JSA stumbling into the scientists lab at just the right time to stop the gangsters, I'll buy it. The anti-air bombing formula, a long stretch, even by 1940s standards, but given the fear that surrounded the war at the time, especially for children, I would imagine, I'll buy that too.

But I still have a hard time swallowing how Hawkman summoned the rest of the team...

I wonder how long those lessons took. Do you think Dr. MidNite's owl, Hooty, got jealous?

So, Hawkman arrives in the future, where he is very quickly arrested as a suspected spy. No one believes he is truly Hawkman, who, along with the other members of the Justice Society, are revered as the greatest heroes of all time. Briefly imprisoned, Hawkman escapes and goes to the one place one would look to find out where the anti-air-bombing formula is hidden.

The library? No. The hall of records? No. Quickly! To the Televisabrary. Try saying that five times fast. Heck, try saying that at all.

"All the records are kept via television!" Oh, I love the 30s-40s view of the future.

Hawkman watches a girl talk into a mic asking for the current population of New York City in the year 2442, to which a magic mirror-like television screen displays a man who gives her the answer of 50,700,000 people. Just to note, the population of NYC in 2011 during the last census numbers is 8,175,133. So if you like over population now, just wait another 431 years, Big Apple!

Talking to the television, Hawkman learns the formulas for anti-bombing defense have been hidden in various points across the globe, conveniently enough, in just as many places as there are Justice Society members searching for them. So, after a brief scuffle with the future-police, Hawkman meets up with his colleagues, stealing some flying contraptions in the process, for those heroes who can't fly on their own.

The first up to give these flying contraptions a try is The Sandman - although a regular reader would quickly note that Sandman has ditched his classy suit, hat, and gas mask look for a more cliche superhero tights ensemble of yellow and purple. No reason is given within the story for the sudden design change, but editorially it was the work of writer Mort Weisinger and artist Paul Norris and occurred shortly before comic legends Jack Kirby and Joe Simon took over the character.

Sandman's mission in the year 2442 is to get the second piece of the anti-bombing formula and bring it back to WWII era scientists. He stumbles upon a group of miners who are taking a break from their duties for a little exercise through the air.

Sandman and the mystery on Fire Island

Stealing a pair of clothes from the now half-naked, miners, Sandman disguises himself and heads into the mine, where he is put to work at an underground area that houses 'the chamber of manuscripts.'

I'd say without any prior knowledge of where he was to even begin looking for the formula, Sandman's luck pretty much saw him through this one. It doesn't take long before the other miners become suspect and the Sandman finds himself in a rush to overpower the miners while still copying down the formula in the chamber. Upon his success, Sandman flies out of the mine, determined to make his way back to 1942 and leaving the future-era miners in awe of having encountered a hero from hundreds of years in the past.

Though not a single one asked where his gas mask was...

The Atom's quest takes him to a land of giants - because if you want to send someone to the land of giants, naturally, you send the teammate who is already known for how small he is. Needless to say, it isn't long before The Atom gets captured and placed in a bird cage as someone's pet.

What saves the mighty mite? Is it keen thinking and intellect? The brawn that comes with years of training and fighting wartime criminals alongside the Justice Society?

Nope.

Finally, those months of bird-speaking lessons from Hawkman pay off.

Once he escapes, the Atom easily finds his piece of the anti-bombing formula and heads back to 1942 to meet up with the rest of his teammates.

Starman, meanwhile, has been sent to the section of the U.S. that has now become a virtual kingdom of giant trees - "the great redwoods grown to giant-size," as the hero puts it.

Like some of his colleagues, Starman is recognized as wearing the costume of a great hero of history and immediately thought to be a loon. So, the authorities take away his gravity rod and incarcerate him - in a glass bubble. Not just any glass bubble, but one that is hanging between two rocky cliffs.

Obviously, the highly-advanced architects of the future didn't give any thought to this failed jail setup.

Naturally, Starman escapes from the glass bubble and secures his portion of the secret anti-bombing formula before returning to 1942.

Dr. Fate enters a portion of the United States that, in the future, is primarily under water. (Sorry, too soon for any off-color natural disaster jokes) There, he befriends a young guardsman, who believes the hero that he is the Dr. Fate of historical record, and even shows him the great statues erected to he and his super-hero brethren as legends of history.

The young man and his wife gladly share what they know of the anti-bombing formula with the mystical Dr. Fate, which is contained in an information system not unlike today...

"We here in the future call it wikipedia!"

So, Dr. Fate sets out to find the formula, which is hidden many fathoms below the sea. Now, ordinarily, you would think an all powerful being like Dr. Fate would snap his fingers and teleport to the formula...or make it teleport to him. But, apparently that's just not as much fun, as Dr. Fate instead borrows a specially-made diving suit invented by the young man and sets out underwater to find the formula.

He finds it, all right, and then quickly heads back to 1942.

Part of being a super-hero apparently means having no regard for the SPECIALLY MADE suit you just borrowed from someone and left in the ocean. Mystical jerk.

Dr. MidNite finds himself headed to future's "City of Knowledge," located in the former lands of Egypt's deserts. The Sphinx and pyramids appear to have survived anything that occurred in the hundreds of years since 1942, but a civilization has been built, literally, around them.

It is here that Dr.MidNite - and Hooty, because who would go to the future and NOT bring their pet owl - ask about where they might find the shrine of science, which is where the anti-bombing formula is kept.

Like many of his fellow Justice Society colleagues discovered, claiming to be the original Dr. MidNite gets him sent straight to the loony bin, where the only thing that saves him is when a high-powered official (apparently in a non-psychiatric wing) needs a surgery that "only the legendary Dr. MidNite could perform."

Yes, that's right. Despite hundreds of years of science and medical development, there is only one man in history who can perform this surgery, and he just happens to have been locked in the psychiatric wing. Makes you wonder just how many other people have died when no one could operate on them.

Hospital staff tries to stop him, but Dr. MidNite, with some assistance from Hooty, manages to perform the surgery, while keeping the orderlies at bay.

Thank god they also committed Hooty to the asylum, right?

Having saved the man's life, the doctors all somehow seem convinced that this must be the real Dr. MidNite, and tell him exactly where to find the secret Shrine of Science, where the formula is kept. It is deep within the catacombs of the pyramid that MidNite finds the secret formula, along with some criminals who have followed him. It seems for all the advancement of the future, crime still exists. It's only how they deal with criminals that has evolved.

Your tax dollars at work.

And with the formula in hand and the criminals vanquished, Dr. MidNite (and Hooty) head back to 1942.

The Spectre's missing piece of the formula is hidden away on a planet called "Ultima," which, as the caption box points out - "hasn't yet been discovered in 1942." In his earthly guise as Detective Jim Corrigan, The Spectre hitches a ride on a rocket (portrayed as the future equivalent of a taxi) to the planet Ultima. Along the way, though, he eavesdrops on two men who plan on using a new type of ray gun to take over the planet.

His 'better plan' involves taking the place of a high priest on Ultima, letting himself get shot by the would-be assassins, and then taking them out. So, your great plan is just delaying the destruction of these criminals for another few pages? Got it.

Naturally, in gratitude, the high priest lets the Spectre take a copy of the secret formula.

Johnny Thunder is up next. Man, have I come to dislike having to make my way through these Johnny Thunder chapters. In typical Johnny fashion, he's been given wings that malfunction, and so he spends the first part of his adventure flying around backwards bumping into guardsmen on accident.

Yes, folks, this was one of the original members of history's first super-hero team. Apparently, requirements were not all that high in the 1940s.

Johnny gets duped by some future guardsmen who are looking to have some fun at his expense, and sent off to take care of "Black Butch," a troll-like being who lives in a cave. To the surprise of all the law enforcement officers, Johnny takes down Black Butch, albeit with the help of his magical thunderbolt, and in return, secures his part of the anti-bombing formula.

He then heads back to 1942, flying backwards, because even with the power of a magical genie at his command, he still can't figure out how to put the wings on straight.

Once the entire team returns to 1942 (only minutes after they left), the group of scientists gets right to work on the anti-bombing formula.

"Just some common, every day household items. This should be a jiff!"

Once the scientists get their device created, they decide it's time to test it out - and what better way than just dropping some bombs.

I really don't think that's the time for puns, Dr. Fate.

Well, apparently the device worked, and the JSA suggests getting the new anti-bombing raid device into the weapons archives of the U.S. Government.

The "weapons archives" of the government? Why do I keep getting the feeling I've seen that place before...(cue the John Williams' Indiana Jones theme)

Overall, the story had the rah-rah-rah U.S. Democracy that was typical of many of the early Justice Society stories of the times. It was an entertaining, if not always interesting take on the future, with the idea of the world split off not into countries, but into almost tribal-like societies - air, underground, underwater, etc.

It sticks to the classic JSA story structure of once again setting up a story framework and then having the team split-up so each member gets their own solo story. I understand that time was a factor here, too, but did it really make sense, other than from the standpoint of ease for the writer (Gardner Fox), to have one team member handle infiltrating an entire civilization on his own? You'd think the combined might of the JSA might have helped wrap this case up a little faster.

Anyway, a side note as we look both ahead at future issues, and back to the past over the course of JSA history.

For those following along, in about two dozen issues, we'll meet a super-villain named Per Degaton who will become a recurring nemesis to the Justice Society. Some time in the 1980s, writers decided to ret-con (retroactive continuity) the story of Per Degaton, and re-wrote that he was, in fact, a lab assistant to the team of scientists in this story. In this original edition, he is no where to be found, but as later writers cherry pick and add and subtract, it's an interesting notion to mention.

All Star Comics #9 - "You don't even know what it means to be a Mexican!"

No title to speak of on this issue, dated February-March 1942, so I have decided to title it for my purposes after my favorite line in the story, but we'll get to that soon enough.

The JSA is getting a notable guest at their latest meeting - The FBI Chief.

Much like his previous appearance with the JSA, the character is drawn only in shadows, or has his head conveniently hidden via word bubbles. I don't know
whether the publishers didn't want to personify J. Edgar Hoover in the books, or whether they were intentionally trying to make the FBI look like more of a "secret organization" that way.

Regardless, it seems the JSA have done such a good job of cleaning up fifth columnists and spies in the United States, that the government wants them to get to work on menaces in South America and Mexico, or as the FBI Chief puts it - "We have to help our good neighbors to the south stop them!"

Each of the JSA members are given their mission, each with a separate country and threat to tackle.

Before they disperse, Johnny Thunder encourages all of the Justice Society members to join him in a round of ass-kissing...

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that each solo chapter makes note of not only where that particular hero is in South America, but what that region is known for economically and in terms of resources. Sure beat a chapter of the Geography book in school for some 1940s kids, I'm sure.

Hawkman finds his mission in Mexico, where he drops in on a member of the "Mexican Secret Police."

I have broken into your bedroom, am wearing a bird mask and no shirt and am standing above your bed. "I am at your service..." No need for alarm.

The police officer tells Hawkman to look for a man named Johan Krauss, a quest that leads the feathered hero right into a trap sprung by men who speak broken English with the occasional "Ach!" and "Himmel!" thrown in just to let you know they're of the Nazi persuasion. After escaping fists, gunfire, and even a bomb, Hawkman discovers the spies' plans to cripple communication and supply lines in preparation for a "day of invasion" by the Third Reich.

He also discovers that the men who he was getting his information from was no Mexican Police Officer, but instead the very Johann Krauss he was searching for, and who is leading this takeover of Mexican forces.

Hawkman does not take kindly to being duped.

There is nothing I could say that would make this panel any funnier than it already is.

Meanwhile, The Spectre finds himself in Argentina, where army planes are being stolen in mid-air thanks to a helicopter-like device with suction-tentacles. In his human form of Detective Jim Corrigan, The ghostly Spectre makes contact with the Argentine Secret Service, who tells him that they are transporting a spy to a prison via airplane - the perfect opportunity for the plan thieves to strike, Corrigan thinks, and tags along.

As expected, the plane is stolen mid-flight by the weird, tentacled aircrafts. Leaving his human host body behind, The Spectre discovers the Nazis are stealing these planes to build their own air fleet.

Sooooo...the Nazis spent how much money to build these aircrafts that can steal planes in midair, just so they can then turn around and use those planes themselves? Wouldn't it have made more sense to just use the money toward building your own fleet of warplanes? Just sayin'...

Despite their lack of financial logic, the fleet takes off and attempt to bomb Buenos Aires. It's a solid attempt, unless you've got a supernatural phenomenon like the Spectre following you. As the bombs fall, The Spectre swallows them like a kid catching a grape in his mouth, spitting them back out at the plane.

The Spectre eats Nazi bombs for breakfast! (And then spits them back up)

Once again, The Spectre proves that he is the JSA's resident bad-ass.

While The Spectre is killing off Nazis in Buenos Aires, the pint-sized hero known as The Atom is on a mission to Chile. It is there, in his secret identity as college student Al Pratt, that he meets with officials about how he can help the cause.

Does the Chief of the Identification Service see just anybody? Even if that were the case, who would let a college student in on the grounds that he claims he'll rid the country of Nazis? Does this guy not have a secretary or security team to screen for stuff like this? **sighs**

It seems the Atom has been charged with taking out the Nazi propaganda machine that is believed to be stationed in Chile. How does he go about finding it? Why, by waiting for the alleged leader to come wandering by in a restaurant and start talking obnoxiously loud about how much he hates Nazis. Naturally, this gets the leader fired up and sticks his men on poor little Al outside the restaurant after dinner.

What the Nazi thugs don't realize is that the pint-sized runt their about to jump is secretly the tiny powerhouse, The Atom, who ducks behind a fence where he changes into costume and proceeds to mop the floor with these goons.

Don't ever call this guy short. Sheesh...

It doesn't take long for the goons to spill the beans, leading The Atom directly to the secret printing press the Nazis are using to spread their propaganda through Chile and beyond, taking out their (shockingly) blond haired leader, and alerting the Chilean authorities just where they can find the villain's hideout.

The Sandman's mission brings him to Venezuela, which is noted for "its coffee, cocoa, and gold," according to the opening panel. I imagine this issue also served as a semi-geography lesson on South America for those 1940s children who were reading JSA at the time, as, like I mentioned earlier, each chapter opens to a little description about the country each particular hero is assigned to and what that country is known for.

And who said comics weren't educational? ;)

Anyway, Sandman meets with the head of the Venezuelan Secret Service, who informs him that Facist saboteurs are planning on attacking Venezuela's oil wells, which, of course, are of great use to the United States and Great Britain.

"Whatever you do in this wartime, do not sabotage or destroy the oil wells." Well, we at least know that this guy survived long enough to write speeches for Bush II.

So Sandman pursues the saboteurs, only find himself taken down before he can stop their plot to blow up the oil wells at midnight. You would think that would spell the end for our hero, but no...

Really? Let's leave the costumed man who just beat the crap out of us alone so we can prove a point? That guy in the brown wants to slug his buddy for that one, you just know it.

When Sandman awakens from that inescapable death trap of...being left...on the ground...he immediately checks his watch to see that it is ten after one in the morning. He panics, as the saboteurs were planning on blowing up the oil wells at midnight.

Arriving at the oil wells, though, Sandman finds everything still intact, and the evildoers just now planting their explosives. He makes quick work of the saboteurs, who are no doubt kicking themselves now for listening to their buddy's idea of just leaving Sandman unconscious rather than just shooting him.

Villains captured. No explosives planted. Disaster averted.

But wait - you want to know why the oil wells weren't blown to bits already when Sandman awoke at 1:10 am?

Let this be a reminder of the dire consequences when we don't reset our clocks for daylight savings too.

Johnny Thunder finds himself on a mission to Cuba, and if there's a Cuban crisis to be found, Johnny's likely the one who caused it. Johnny's been told to search out spies that could harm the American cause.

It doesn't take long for Johnny to get distracted, although his taste may leave something to be desired.

Sorry to knock the artwork by Stan Aschmeier, but man, that's a harsh "pretty face" for Johnny to fall for.

This story would probably take too much time to sum up thoroughly, and quite honestly, isn't worth it. Needless to say, by not speaking Spanish, Johnny gets caught up in a spy ring by accident. However, with the help of his thunderbolt he captures the spies and saves the day, and learns that the girl who set him up in the first place is actually a spy-catcher herself. Seeing Johnny in action somehow has her all hot and bothered (don't ask me) and with their mission accomplished, she begins to set her sights on her next catch - Johnny.


Meanwhile, the democratic leader of Brazil is under attack by the Nazi party. First, they attempt to poison his wife while she rides a train - an act that would have succeeded if Kent Nelson (aka Dr. Fate) hadn't been on the same train en route to his JSA mission.

After questioning the Nazi on the train who tried to administer the poison, Dr. Fate soon learns that the Nazis have replaced the Democratic leader with a lookalike of their own.

It doesn't take long before the lookalike and the Nazis are taken down, and the Democratic Leader of Brazil is rescued.


Once again, it seems that Dr. Fate forgets that he even has occult powers on his side, as all he seems to do is throw punches at the bad guys.


The Bolivian Secret Police enlist the help of Starman in finding out how their tin mines are getting sabotaged with no sign of the Nazis headed in or out of the mines.

To say that Starman goes undercover to get to the root of the problem would be inaccurate, as he spends a week in the mine, like this...

No. I can't see how that would draw attention or clue anyone in that a superhero was on watch. Not at all.

Finally, despite the blatant appearance of Starman, the Nazis do attack, via an underground tunneling tank that they used to get into and out of the underground mines.

It also bears a striking resemblance to something from a cartoon (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) some 50 years later that I remember from my own childhood. The bad guys used a very similar vehicle to get around underground. I'm betting someone on that art or writing staff was a JSA reader when they were a kid.

Starman catches up the Nazis in their underground lair, only to be knocked unconscious. The villains then try to run Starman over with their giant drill, to no avail. His gravity rod protects him and he then uses it to melt the living hell out of their tank.

Don't ever piss off Starman...or he will melt your toys.

Meanwhile, Dr. MidNite is in Colombia, where masses of people are suddenly turning on the thought of democracy. Some investigating soon leads Dr. MidNite to discover it is the work of a Dr. Swein (Swine, how appropriate), who is inoculating his patients with a serum that makes them susceptible to his anti-democratic radio broadcasts, only audible to those who have taken the drug.

For reasons that he doesn't make clear, Dr. MidNite decides that even though he's uncovered the scheme, he should get injected with the serum himself to help the case. What?!

Regardless, when the hypnotized citizens start to rebel, MidNite puts a stop to Dr. Swein's scheme, smashing into his lab and making him release the Colombian citizens from his thrall. When the angry mob then tries to turn on Dr. Swein, Dr. MidNite gives them a harsh lessen in democracy.

No violence in Colombia? Oh, Dr. MidNite, just wait about 40 years or so when the drug wars kick into gear.

With their missions accomplishments, the JSA members are all scheduled to meet at the Panama Canal. For a debrief? Another dangerous mission for the U.S. Government?!

Nope. For a dance with their girlfriends, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

Ridiculous? Certainly. However, I can see how the writers may have been looking for an ending that humanizes the characters a little bit. Sure, they were super heroes, but after a long day of fighting Nazis, who wouldn't want to come home to their sweetie? I'll give em' a pass on that.

Next issue...the Justice Society of America travels into the far future...

All Star Comics #8 - "Two New Members Win Their Spurs"

First off, before we get anywhere on the actual content of this issue, we need to talk about this cover, and the dynamic visual it provides. What 1941 kid wouldn't want to pick this up off the newsstand when they went by? From the colors to the semi-eerie tone as the JSA's supernatural being, The Spectre, gazes into that crystal ball. And check out those pencil lines for shading and light texture. I love it.

The cover to this issue (by legendary artist E. E. Hibbard) will go on to inspire the cover of Justice League of America #29, more than twenty years later, in August 1964. That issue will be the second meeting of the then-modern Justice League and their WWII predecessors.

Okay, so on to the issue itself.

Green Lantern, much like The Flash before him, has left the JSA, taking on the role of Honorary Member, and has given up the position of Chairman that he held for only one issue, on to Hawkman, who would remain the Chairman of the group for decades to come.


Without mention, Hour-Man is also mysteriously absent from the team in this issue, beginning what would become a decades-long tradition of a rotating roster of Justice Society members.

With Green Lantern and Hour-Man now gone, that leaves two openings in the team - which as this issue's December 1941-January 1942 dated cover shows, will be taken over by newcomers Dr. MidNite and Starman.

For reference's sake, here's all you need to know about either one:

Dr. MidNite - A brilliant surgeon, who, via a freak accident during a surgical procedure, loses his eyesight in daylight, but gains extraordinary vision at night. To compensate for daytime fighting, he wears goggles that simulate night darkness for his eyes, and uses "black out bombs" that cloud an area in thick, black, dark smoke.

Starman - An astronomer and scientist who discovers a way to harness energy from the stars into a rod, giving him the power to fly and shoot energy blasts. His costume, red and green, with a fin on top of his helmet, seems to have nothing to do with his motif.

So, on to this issue's story. It seems all the JSA members have had run-ins with criminals that seemed absolutely insane. Not Joker-crazy, but normal people who just seemed to go batty. Dr. MidNite recalls a Dr. Able, who has, apparently, discovered a similar disease in Apes, as well as an antidote.

While Dr. MidNite can't locate Professor Able at his home, he does locate the antidote, and administers it to any victims he comes across of this "madness drug." Along the way, he learns that it is a "Professor Elba" who is the one behind the malicious drug.

Side note - did the writers really think the children reading this at the time in 1941 weren't bright enough to catch that the mysterious professor is "Prof Able" and the mysterious figure who's using the drug is called "Prof Elba"? Professor Cane and Professor Able would've at least been a bit more subtle. But alas, my time machine is on the fritz, so traveling back to 1941 to talk story elements with Gardner Fox isn't on the agenda today.

Dr. Fate tracks down some kidnappers who spirited away a friend's wife and injected him with this new madness drug. It turns out that the criminals aren't just into kidnapping, having their hands in protection rackets to boot. Of course, that doesn't mean anything to a sorcerer like Dr. Fate, who gives them all a firm ass-kicking.

For some reason never explained, Dr. Fate decided to cut his helmet in half starting in this issue, exposing the lower half of his face and making him look much less haunting, and much more goofy.

Also, is it odd that a character whose entire premise is being a powerful magic-wielder to not use a single element of magic as he battles criminals, instead merely flying and engaging in fisticuffs?

Perhaps he was just bored with the whole magic thing. I'm sure it gets tiresome being one of the most powerful beings on the planet, right?

To no surprise, The Atom runs into some similar trouble. Only while working part-time in a jewelry store, he comes across a crook who sells what appears to be fake diamonds to the owner. When the owner calls the police, the man then sues for false arrest, since the diamonds are real. Of course, he's willing to settle out of court for a small amount of money. It's a racket they've been running all over town.

The Atom springs into action, discovering the scheme, but not before the one thug who's been captured gets injected by his colleagues with the "madness formula."

The by-laws of the early JSA days must have been pretty damn strict about not missing meetings. How else do you explain leaving the middle of a case, not to mention the insane man you just tied up and left on a couch, so that you can go attend the meeting?

That puts the Atom right where we came into the story, at the JSA's meeting, where each member takes some of the antidote with him. So, flash-forward in time for the next panel, and Atom's back with the cure, getting the information he needs out of this suspect. From there, he pays a visit to the men behind the scheme, only to find that the mysterious "Professor Elba" is no where to be found.

"There's no time for pleasantries while crime is afoot!"

The Sandman, meanwhile, is looking into a case of some high profile citizens who are being blackmailed by some unseemly photographers.

Don't let the PR fool you, it's folks like this that came up with Photoshop.

Once again, the crooks behind this little scheme use the insanity formula to keep anyone from spilling the beans about their operation, and it all goes back to this Professor Elba.

Sandman isn't the only one dealing with blackmailers.

In another city, a young boy has taken on a dare by his friends and entered a creepy, old, abandoned house, only to find a trunk full of cash. Running home to tell his father, he almost gets hit by a car - a car driven by Ted Knight, also known as Starman.

"Nothing to see here, officer, just randomly picking up children as I drive by."

Ted, with nothing else to do, apparently, decides this kid's story about the trunk of money is worth investigating as Starman. What he finds is that it's the work of a trio of blackmailers who have created "phony letters" from a man running for governor that they were going to publish if he didn't pay up. Apparently, no one told the gubernatorial candidate that he could claim they were forgeries.

Of course, this information comes AFTER one of the men is induced with the insanity formula and requires the antidote. So, summoning all his manly heroic courage, Starman does what any hero (At least in this story) would do: take off for his Justice Society meeting and leave the wanted criminal in the care of a young child. Attaboy, Ted!

"Starman, this man's going crazy!" "Sorry, kid. Gotta go!"

Like several of his colleagues, Starman spends the time between panels at the opening's JSA meeting, returning with the antidote to the madness drug. Once administered, his informant spills the beans about the extortion job, and Starman cleans house with the criminals.

Meanwhile, Hawkman is dealing with some similar criminal activities - men who bought out "a press clipping bureau" to go through the old newspaper files and dig up dirt on people who they can extort.

It's apparently extortion week here at the JSA.

And these men went on to create Google.

When the president of a Trust Company becomes the target and tries to kill himself, Hawkman happens to be nearby and saves the man's life. After hearing his case, and the names of the blackmailers, Hawkman is off to set things right, with Hawkgirl following close behind.

I know when I'm being pursued, my first thought is to describe, in detail, my worst fears and fates.

Hawkgirl tries to find the crooks on her own, only getting into trouble (those silly 1940s girls) and getting captured, putting her in (surprise) need of a rescue. Hawkman tracks down one of the two men responsible, but not before the crook is injected with the madness drug by his partner.

So, with no resolution, no justice, and Hawkgirl still captured, what is a hero to do?

Eh, she'll be okay, right? I mean, it's not like there's another JSA meeting next week or anything that you could go to.

Hawkman returns from the meeting, only to find the one crook he captured, free, and trying to get away in the mountains. Well, wouldn't you know it...this is the same guy who's greatest fear, told to us in great detail earlier in the story, is being crushed to death by rocks. What do you think happens to him as he runs through the caverns?

As the crook meets his fate under a pile of rocks, Hawkman comes across Hawkgirl, who is shallowly breathing, and somehow resuscitated when Hawkman puts his belt to her mouth. I'm not kidding. Check it out...

Leaving her in a safe spot to recover, Hawkman goes after the final criminal in the duo - the one afraid of electricity - who stumbles through an electric fence and meets a shocking end.

All is back to normal, and Hawkman continues the path of his fellow JSA members to find this "mysterious Dr. Elba."

Oh, and the gubernatorial candidate was extremely grateful.

Why does every man who sees the shirtless Hawkman start gushing like a school girl?

As much as I poke fun, as always - the art by Sheldon Moldoff on Hawkman is amazing, especially when compared to some of the other art of the period, which often times crossed the line from being aimed at children, to looking like it was drawn by children...depending on the artist, of course. But Shelly Moldoff is one of the greats of the Golden Age. Right up there with E. E. Hibbard and Bernard Bailey, if you ask me.

But back to our adventure.

The Spectre's hunting down corruption. A key witness to a trial - Louis Scaloni - has been released from custody, at the behest of a man referred to as "Boss" Williams. That doesn't sit too well with Detective Jim Corrigan, who pays a visit to "the boss" and finds Scaloni infected with the madness drug in Boss Williams' basement. Turning from Corrigan into the ghostly Spectre, the antidote is quickly given to Scaloni, leaving The Spectre to dish out some justice to the Boss and his minions.

It doesn't take much for The Spectre and his control over the supernatural to scare the criminals into confessions. However, it won't do too much good in court, as The Spectre has pushed Williams so far over the edge, that he takes his own life.

And the Spectre is very much broken up about the whole thing:

"Just another day at the office"

Oh, Johnny Thunder. Thinking that he's got a crooked contractor on his hands, Johnny just feels he needs a confession - one that will be prompted by administering the insanity antidote to the contractor, who's name is Oscar K. Doodle.

So determined to make his arrest, Johnny is willing to fight through some no-good mobsters to get to his prey. Of course, he does so with the usual Johnny Thunder flair.

What Johnny does succeed in is getting himself captured, and soon finds himself held in the same room as Oscar K. Doodle, who isn't a crook, but turns out to be another victim. Now injected with the antidote, Doodle tells Johnny that he was kidnapped because he uncovered the crooked practices of the racketeers, and is willing to help Johnny turn the crooks over to the police.

That is, if Johnny can convince the cops he's not a loony as well.

And wouldn't you know it...just as Johnny's escorting the police to the racketeers, who happens by but Johnny's infatuation - Daisy Darling, and her father.

What the heck did Johnny ever see in this bitch?

Score one for underdog Johnny Thunder, as the police haul the racketeers away. Once the police leave the scene, though, Johnny, who doesn't seem to be needed for any kind of police statement, just hangs around the crime scene...where the mysterious Dr. Elba shows up, clobbering him and taking him prisoner.

Johnny seems to full of pride to call on his magic thunderbolt for help, but ends up needing it. Just before Dr. Elba can inject Johnny with the insanity serum, Johnny's Thunderbolt comes crashing in with the entire JSA, who quickly overpower the mad doctor.

Dr. MidNite learns he's not as smart as he thought he was.

Injected with his own serum, Dr. Elba goes insane, and throws himself out the window, causing not a blink from the JSA, who are so preoccupied with giving new members Dr. MidNite and Starman three cheers, that they fail to notice the man falling to his death out the window.

But wait! There's more!

This issue of All-Star is important for one reason in particular, and that's this:

That's right. Here, with no fanfare, not even a spot on the magazine's cover, one of the most iconic female characters in the world - Wonder Woman, made her very first appearance.

"A man!" Oh, those crazy amazons.

In the story, an Amazon named Diana wins a contest of physical endurance on her home of Paradise Island and is chosen to be the champion sent to the outside world to fight for justice...and yes, live among men. Egads!