Welcome to our re-read of the first and greatest superhero team in comics ... and quite a bit more!
My plan is to re-read and discuss the Golden Age Justice Society of America, which ran from All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940) to All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951), and is currently being reprinted in DC's "DC Finest" line.
But, as ever, I am consumed by context. What events brought us to All-Star Comics #3? What characters did editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox have available from which to choose? What else was competing in the superhero space? To achieve that context, I plan to start the discussion at the publisher's beginning, when Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched National Allied Publications Inc. in 1935. That was the first step toward the Justice Society — and to DC Comics as we know it today.
So before we even get to the JSA, I'll re-read and open for discussion all the solo stories starring JSA members, mostly from DC's Archives and Famous First Edition series. Which is actually quite a lot! (Although not as much as I'd prefer. I want it ALL!) I'll be writing about non-JSA superheroes created by National, Detective Comics Inc. and All-American Comics Inc. too, like Crimson Avenger and Doctor Occult. I'll also be tipping my hat to some non-powered characters, principally those who managed to appear outside their parent title, like Slam Bradley and Hop Harrigan. That means no re-read for the likes of "Bart Regan, Spy" and "Speed Saunders." Sorry, fellas, but I had to draw the line somewhere — before I found myself doing a deep dive into the history of Ginger Snap.
But I will be re-reading reprints, or availing myself of online information where reprints don't exist, of 14 of the 17 Golden Age characters who launched or appeared in All-Star Comics #3-57. Those characters include:
- The Atom: All-American Comics #19-46, 48-61, 70-72; All-Star Comics #3-26, 28-35, 37-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #80, 82-85, 87 89-95, 97-100, 102-104; Comic Cavalcade #22-23, 28; Sensation Comics #86.
- Black Canary: All-Star Comics #38-57; Comic Cavalcade #25; Flash Comics #86-88, 90-104.
- Doctor Fate: All-Star Comics #3-12, 14-21; More Fun Comics #55-98.
- Doctor Mid-Nite: All-American Comics #25-102; All-Star Comics #6 (text story), 8-57.
- The Flash: All-Flash #1-32; All-Star Comics #1-7, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties)
- Green Lantern: All-American Comics #16-102; All-Flash #14; All-Star Comics #2-8, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Green Lantern #1-38.
- Hawkman: All-Star Comics #1-57, Big All-American Comic Book, Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Hourman: Adventure Comics #48-83, All-Star Comics #1-7, New York World's Fair Comics [#2].
- Johnny Thunder: All-Star Comics #2-4, 6-35, 37-39; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-91; New York World's Fair Comics [#2]; World's Best Comics #1; World's Fair Comics #2-3; Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Mister Terrific: All-Star Comics #24, Big All-American Comic Book, Sensation Comics #1-63.
- Sandman: Adventure Comics #40-102, All-Star Comics #1-21, Boy Commandos #1, Detective Comics #76, New York World's Fair Comics [#1-2], World's Finest Comics #3-7.
- The Spectre: All-Star Comics #1-23, More Fun Comics #52-101, a single panel in More Fun Comics #51.
- Starman: Adventure Comics #61-102, All-Star Comics #8-23.
- Wildcat: All-Star Comics #24, 27; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-2; Sensation Comics #1-90.
The obvious exceptions here are Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. Superman and Batman, called "honorary members" in the text, appeared twice in All-Star Comics, but I don't plan to re-read all their adventures from 1938 to 1951. They are peripheral at best to the Golden Age JSA, and would overwhelm the discussion through sheer volume. This problem extends to Wonder Woman as well, who appears in four titles in the Golden Age (Sensation Comics, Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade, All-Star Comics). I'll re-read and report on her JSA adventures, but like Batman and Superman, I'll just note her solo stories in passing with a summary that I'll grab somewhere online. That will keep the discussion abreast of any major developments, like new supervillains, in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman stories.
Here are their appearances that are concurrent with All-Star's run:
- Batman: All-Star Comics # 7 (cameo), 36; Batman #1-63 (February-March 1951); Batman 3-D #1; Detective Comics #1-169 (March 1951); New York World’s Fair Comics [#2]; World’s Best Comics #1, World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Superman: Action Comics #1-154 (March 1951); All-Star Comics #7 (cameo), 36; New York World’s Fair [#1-2]; Superman #1-69 (March-April 1951); Superman 3-D #1; Superman at the Gilbert Hall of Science; Superman Miniature; World’s Best Comics #1; World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Wonder Woman: All-Star Comics #8, 11-22, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Sensation Comics #1-102; Wonder Woman #1-46 (March-April 1951).
Fortunately, Jeff of Earth-J is already doing a re-read of the Golden Age Superman. Jeff isn't doing a re-read of all Batman books, but he is compiling "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told," by which he means "all of them." Recently he's begun re-reading other major Bat-villains, which he discusses in Batman vs. Penguin, Riddler — Prince of Puzzles, The Crimes of Two-Face and Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale.
I should note that my methodology changed over time, as realities required. For instance, I initially lumped books together by monthly cover date, but complications ensued for books without them, like quarterlies and one-shots. As the number of quarterlies and their importance increased, I ended up going by on-sale dates as the primary organizational tool. (Which aren't available for all books, but that's a lesser devil than chronologically misplacing Batman or All-Star Comics). Initially I only included mention of others strips in anthology books if they were of some importance, like Slam Bradley, but eventually I started including all of them. Here and there I would try to improve the format. And so forth. In some imaginary "someday" I'll go back through and make them all consistent.
I've tried to be comprehensive, relying on a variety of sources, from online to reprints to "companion" books. A tip of the cowl to a Luke Blanchard post in what amounts to an outline for this discussion. But I'm sure I've left out tons, especially stories I don't have or can't find, which may be at hand in your collection. I hope folks will do re-reads of stories I've left out, as well as comment on what I've written. So let's hear what I've missed Legionnaires — and what you think!
Replies
Ooh, re-writes. Interesting!
If I were to completely re-write the JSA from a modern perspective, what changes would I make? Ma Hunkel instead of Johnny Thunder and/or Atom is an interesting approach, Dave. Maybe remove Sandman, too. If there are to be JSA members without powers, why would you have more than one? Pick the most interesting one, and dump the rest.
But Red Tornado was primarily a parody, as Johnny Thunder was primarily a humor strip. I wouldn't put either in my rewrite. The JSA appearance in Jay Garrick: The Flash dropped Hourman and Sandman from a 1941 lineup that otherwise included all the charter members, without explanation. The result was a powerhouse team with Atom as the wiseguy/reader POV -- and the ONLY character without powers (if you don't count Hawkman). I really liked that lineup.
I should also mention that I've been documenting the instances where Atom demonstrates super-strength well before he officially gained it in the late '40s. In any re-write, I'd either make him as strong as Hourman from the get-go, or dump him in favor of Hourman. (Joe Morgan says he has "glands"!)
By the end of 1941 the real-life lineup had changed considerably, with Flash, Green Lantern and Hourman out, and Starman, Johnny Thunder and Dr. Mid-Nite in. That was the result of real-world considerations, and unnecessary from a modern perspective. If I was re-writing this today, I certainly wouldn't leave Flash and Green Lantern out of any lineup, as they are two of my three "Trinity" members. Wonder Woman is the third, and I'd definitely include her from the beginning, as Jeff Lemire is doing in "Year One" right now.
Like Jeff, I don't want Johnny Thunder in any iteration of the team, so in my re-write he's a mascot, or utterly absent. Dr. Mid-Nite can certainly join, but like Pieter Cross, ought to be more medical support than field member. That would be a good place for Red Tornado, as a sort of house mom who makes sure her boys get enough to eat. Starman is OK, but doesn't really bring anything unique. He was written out by editorial fiat in 1945, and James Robinson says it's because he had a nervous breakdown. I'm OK with that.
Since Spectre has been retconned to be god tier from the beginning, I'd use him sparingly -- just when murder is involved, maybe. But Doctor Fate is my guy, and I'd have him from beginning to end. Besides, every group needs a magic-user.
So my core field team would be Atom, Doctor Fate, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman & Hawkgirl (no reason to delay her) and Wonder Woman. Oh, and give me Wildcat, too -- he doesn't have to be a charter member, but I wouldn't mind if he was. Or maybe he replaces Starman. Or Atom! Give me Black Canary when she comes along, maybe replacing Wildcat occasionally. (I wouldn't want Wildcat and Black Canary together too much, as they'd be redundant.) Spectre would appear sporadically for the murder of innocents and/or cosmic events, Starman for three years and out. I might use Hourman briefly and dump him with the same excuse the comics did (Miraclo side effects). Or kill him off. In support, you've got Dr. Mid-Nite, Red Tornado and maybe Terry Sloane as a financier, as he really isn't useful on the field team I like. Wesley Dodds might be called upon now and then to solve a mystery, and also be financial support.
Well, that was an interesting thought experiment!
While the Red Tornado was primarily a parody, and before I got to read some of her actual stories I expected her to be as ridiculous as Forbush Man, who so strongly resembled her, but once I had the chance to see her in action, I found that, while she considered the whole "long underwear " crime fighter thing to be kind of silly, she was really good at it. She consistently managed to out maneuver both dangerous criminals and the police that wanted to unmask her, and her solo chapters in the JSA stories would have been a vast improvement over what we got from Atom & JT. By the time Al got his official upgrade, he no longer had solo chapters.
I had only been thinking about replacing what I consider the two biggest wastes of space on the team, not addressing the overall power imbalance, as the way I would have handled that would have been to adjust the menaces the heroes faced in their respective chapters to balance better with them, so Atom (or Red Tornado) could beat up some smugglers while the Spectre or Dr. Fate could deal with someone with some decent supernatural gimmicks, all working for some mastermind who specifically recruited underlings that could handle the heroes if they showed up.
To me, the weakest part of All-Star Comics was the underwhelming villains they tended to face. Admittedly, most of DC's best villains (Batman's rogues being the major exception) didn't show up until 1947...
Of the eight original JSA members, seven of them were on the cover of their home titles. The Atom was filler and only in All-Star Comics because he was the only other masked hero in All-American Comics with Green Lantern. Had GL stayed in ASC, Doctor Mid-Nite would have replaced the Atom like Starman replaced Hourman. Or if Sargon the Sorcerer debuted earlier.
The Atom was filler and only in All-Star Comics because he was the only other masked hero in All-American Comics with Green Lantern.
Sometimes I wonder if Atom wasn't created simply to have a second All-American character to use in All-Star Comics. He debuted just three months before All-Star Comics #3, when in my head the the editors were sitting around thinking, "Hey, we need another contemporary superhero from All-American. Anybody got any ideas?" And the guy who came in to pick the dry cleaning or something, said, "Hey, what about all this "atom" business we hear about? Sounds powerful to me." They said, "sounds good," and that's as far as the thinking went: Strong guy named Atom. Oh, and small, because atoms are small. Done!
In a perfect world, theyd' have come up with Dr. Mid-Nite first, and he'd have been a charter member. In that world Atom never existed, or was teen humor or something. Mid-Nite is still pretty superfluous on a team with Dr. Fate and Spectre, but at least he has a super-power of a sort. And he's a doctor!
'WORLD'S FINEST COMICS' #3
Fall 1941
On-sale date: Aug. 15, 1941
Cover by Fred ray. And of course Batman is the bat man.
"The Case of the Death Express"
By Jerry Siegel and Leo Nowak (13 pages)
Where I read it: Superman: World's Finest Archives Vol. 1
GCD Summary: Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman) investigates a series of railroad accidents that turn out to be anything BUT accidental!
Johnny Thunder
"The Story of the Man Who Couldn't Lose"
By John Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier (8 pages)
Summary: I couldn't find the story or a summary online. It has never been reprinted. Anybody know anything about it?
Sandman
"Crime Visits the Opera"
By unknown, Creig Flessel and Chad Grothkopf (8 pages)
GCD Summary: Wes and Dian attend the opera to hear a singer they know well, but are astounded to hear loud boos from the audience in response to a superb performance. Sandman discovers a cruel racketeer who is blackmailing top stars to pay up front for audience approval or else!
Takeaways
Batman and Robin
"The Riddle of the Human Scarecrow"
By Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson and George Roussos (13 pages)
where I read it: Limited Collectors' Edition #C-37 (August-September 1975)
First appearance of Scarecrow!
GCD Summary: A new master criminal begins his career by using psychology upon his victims: the psychology of fear!
Takeaway: I like him a lot more than Two-Face or Penguin, but I guess I'm a minority opinion, since he doesn't appear much. Meanwhile, It feels like Joker is the co-star of Batman.
Continuing: Red White, and Blue; Crimson Avenger; Young Doc Davis; Zatara; The King; Lando, Man of Magic.
'ACTION COMICS' #41
October 1941
On-sale date: Aug. 18. 1941
Cover by Fred Ray
By Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)
Where I read it: Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 3 (2001)
See Jeff of Earth-J's Superman from the Beginning.
GCD Summary: Superman follows up leads in a case involving the sabotage of the Gargan Factory by saboteurs bent on causing widespread destruction.
Continuing: Black Pirate, Three Aces, Mr. America, Congo Bill, Zatara. Last Pep Morgan story.
Johnny Thunder
"The Story of the Man Who Couldn't Lose"
By John Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier (8 pages)
Summary: I couldn't find the story or a summary online. It has never been reprinted. Anybody know anything about it?
A little, Cap. After Johnny's girl friend, Daisy Darling, encourages (i.e., nags) him to better himself by getting a higher education, he enrols in the Lurnfast night school. After his first class, Johnny intercedes when he comes across fellow student Oscar van Gelt de Smythe, Junior, roughing up a girl during a quarrel. While Johnny is rolling up his sleeves, the spoilt de Smythe summons two of his knuckle-dragging henchmen to do his fighting for him. However, Johnny was smart enough to summon his Thunderbolt beforehand, and the hex genie literally ties the two bruisers into a human knot. The cowardly de Smythe flees, but in his haste, he knocks down the Dean of Lurnfast School, who expels de Smythe on the spot.
Junior goes whingeing to Oscar van Gelt de Smythe, Senior, and Daddy arranges for his coddled offspring to attend the Starbrite night school. At the same time, the elder de Smythe plots to get back at Lurnfast and, in particular, Johnny Thunder.
A week later, between classes, Johnny encounters the captain of the Lurnfast football team, who encourages Our Hero to try out for the team. Johnny demurs until he finds out that the money earned from the football season keeps Lurnfast in business, but this year, the team has had a bad season and the school is in danger of folding. Given the circumstances, Johnny agrees to try out for the team---and incredibly, wins a spot as the team's back-up quarterback. However, during practice, de Smythe, Junior, has sabotaged the equipment to make Johnny look bad. Nevertheless, Johnny is kept on the team.
Soon, it's the day of the Big Game, against the Starbrite School team. The fate of the Lurnfast school rides on the outcome---win, and the school is good for another year; lose, and it goes out of business. (I'm not sure how money from the game factors into this. I'm guessing that the school alumni will sponsor Lurnfast for another year, if the team wins, and will take their money someplace else, if it loses. That's the only way it makes sense.) Seeing his chance for revenge, de Smythe, Senior, hires brutish, over-muscled thugs to play for the Starbrite team, and he instructs them to injure as many of the Lurnfast players as possible. Daddy's little boy will play quarterback for the team of ringers.
As the teams take the field, Johnny is sent in to quarterback the Lurnfast players. Honorably, Johnny refuses to call in his Thunderbolt for help; he insists on winning fair and square. Unfortunately, the Starbrite bruisers don't see it that way, and over the course of the game, they injure most of the Lurnfast bench. (Four are "permanently disabled" reads a caption.) The Lurnfast second- and third-string players are too scared of the opposition to put up a defence. By the start of the fourth quarter, Johnny is the only Lurnfast player left willing to mix it up with the Starbrite bruisers. The Lurnfast coach wants to forfeit the game, but Johnny says no. Johnny's figured out, though, that there's dirty work afoot on the Starbrite side, and he decides to even the odds by summoning the Thunderbolt. With the T-bolt's aid, the Lurnfast team wins.
The final panel shows the triumphant Lurnfast players cheering Johnny and marching him off on their shoulders. Alas, we never see de Smythe, Senior and Junior, get their comeuppance.
Amazingly, Johnny Thunder is quite respectable in this tale. He isn't as dumb as a retarded tree toad; he shows loyalty to his school by trying out for the football team after he learns how important it is to the school's future; he's decent and ethical in not calling on his Thunderbolt to help the team---until he realises that the Starbrite team is essentially a bunch of thugs deliberately trying to injure Lurnfast players. True, Johnny's not Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy, here---but if he'd been consistently depicted like this in his strip and in All Star Comics, he would've been easier to stomach.
As far as the Thunderbolt's appearance, he's pink and totally anthropomorphised, now---except for three or four panels in which he's virtually identical to the way Mike Sekowsky drew him in the JLA/JSA team-ups.
Hope this helps.
Thanks a million! It does seem Johnny is a respectable lead here, in a story that isn't painful. I have no explanation, since GCD says it's by the usual team of Wentworth and Aschmeier.
Where on earth did you read it? Or do you (gasp) actually own this Golden Age book? There are other stories I can't find, and if there's another online source available thatn what I know, that would be handy. I used to read old World's Finest Comics on MoreThanHeroes, but that seems to have gone belly up.
Where on earth did you read it?
I found it on this Read Comics on Line site (https://readcomiconline.li/), after plugging in World's Finest Comics # 3. It's been a handy site for me, especially in selecting the art for my Deck Log entries. I no longer have to go through the pain of scanning a particular panel from a particular comic, when I can pull the needed comic up on that site and cut-and-paste the art I want.
I'm shocked, shocked to find out that you use a site that violates copyright! I would never use that site in my posts or to research comic books.
I swear, someone else must have added it to my computer's bookmarks.
October-November 1941
On-sale date: Aug. 19, 1941
Cover: All eight members, including new member Johnny Thunder, by E.E. HIbbard. The box name-checks them, and adds "Aided by the honorary members Superman, Batman and The Flash!" Vignettes of those three appear as well. This is the first time Superman or Batman has appeared in All-Star Comics, except in advertisements.
INSIDE FRONT COVER
Why on earth is Mutt & Jeff included in this ad? "Do you like Superman and Batman? Then you'll love lame comic strip reprints!"
INTRODUCTION
By Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard (3 pages)
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The next two pages begin with the now-famous (at least on this board) caption reading, "Since the Flash has become an honorary member, the Green Lantern has been elected chairman of the Justice Society." As we have discussed, there wasn't any mention of Flash being chairman in the first four JSA adventures. There are plenty of mentions in modern comics, but so far this caption is the best we've got in the Golden Age.
And from this, obviously, we must infer that Flash was the previous chairman. The wording doesn't leave much wiggle room for any other interpretation. But "previous" doesn't mean "first," and we still don't have any on-panel proof of that. I'm sure he was. I'm just making it clear that it was never stated outright in the original text.
Anyway, GL arrives and says he's just visited "war-torn Europe and Asia," where he saw a lot of orphans. He proposes the JSA "make crime-fighting pay" and raise $1 million for those children. Anticipating Sally Struthers and thousands of late-night television ads, he says, "I understand only $20.00 can keep a little Chinese boy or girl alive for a whole year!"
Hawkman makes the motion, and it's unanimous. Each member will raise $100,000, except for Johnny Thunder, who volunteers to raise $300,000. Hey, maybe he is mighty!
Headquarters watch: Nothing specified at the beginning, but Johnny returns to "the Society's headquarters" at the end.
Fun Facts
CHAPTER 1: GREEN LANTERN
By Gardner Fox and Nodell
Concurrent GL team: Nodell and Bill Finger
Green Lantern decides to consult Doiby Dickles, who might be helpful "in his own peculiar way."
Doiby reads a newspaper story about Felix Doon, a magnate who has gone "temporarily insane" due to stress, and his twin brother Matthew, who is taking over the business. Conveniently, a man claiming to be Matthew Doon tries to get in the cab. Men claiming to be from an insane asylum say it's Felix and they've come to take him back. But Doiby spots guns in their pockets and starts laying them out. Criminal reinforcements arrive, and both Doiby and Doon are captured, and taken to a houseboat. Doon will be held for ransom.
When the Emerald Gladiator finds Doiby missing. He asks the lantern where he is. Evidently, he must concentrate mightily for dramatic effect. Then the lantern shows him the houseboat. He arrives, and Doon says he'll give Lantern $100,000 to rescue him. He does, with Doiby's help, but Doon turns out to be Felix. It's OK, Matthew arrives with the police and makes good on his brother's promise.
1,001 Uses for a Power Ring
Takeaways
CHAPTER 2: THE SPECTRE
By Gardner Fox and Bernard Baily (6 pages)
Concurrent Spectre team: Baily and Jerry Siegel
This is a weird one, and not in the way you'd expect a Spectre story to be weird!
Spectre goes about his task as Jim Corrigan. He wins a prize fight, wins money on the stock market, and wins more money betting on horses. (He uses his "occult senses" at the brokerage, and I assume at the racetrack as well.) This is pretty odd behavior for a hero, since it's basically all cheating.
Finally The Spectre comes out to play, and his first act is to help a spiritualist convince people he can genuinely summon spooks. Again, not a good look for a superhero. What would Clark Kent and Lois Lane say? They're always putting those guys out of business. Jerry Siegel would never write this!
Then he takes time out from raising money to expose a "tool of a foreign government" in a union. USA! USA!
Finally, he digs up some buried treasure, which he should have done in the first place. (In a Silver Age story, Superman, Superboy or Supergirl would have done that on Page 2.) Where the treasure came from, or where it's buried, is unexplained. (Must be pirates!) A passing crook decides to steal it, and shoots the Ghostly Guardian, as you do. Naturally the bullets go right through — he's a ghost, after all. Then Spectre just disintegrates the guy. Mission accomplished!
Body count: 1.
CHAPTER 3: THE ATOM
By Gardner Fox and Ben Flinton (5 pages)
Concurrent Atom team: Flinton and Bill O'Connor
Summary
Al Pratt overhears a dean's meeting at Calvin College discussing gamblers who have corrupted Calvin sports. The dean considers ending all sports programs. Why is Al eavesdropping on the dean's office?
A donor says he'll withdraw funding if Calvin cancels sports programs. "We need sports to build healthy young men!" Also, college sports are incredibly profitable. From the Commander's description of the Johnny Thunder story in World's Finest Comics #3, the football team is all that keeps Lurnfast Academy in business.
Al changes to Atom, and offers to take care of the gamblers for the money.
"I am The Atom," says The Atom. "I serve justice, and bring law and order to places where they never were before!" What places would those be? Does he mean college?
The donor offers $50,000 for Atom to stop the gamblers, and the dean offers $50,000. So Al Pratt boxes for the college as the Domino-Masked Demon and wins all his fights. The gamblers offer him money to take a dive, and he agrees. Of course, he double-crosses them. He puts a dummy in Al's bed and waits for the gamblers to take revenge. When they arrive, Atom comes through the window and beats them up.
A gambler falls out the window. "I can't let him be killed," Atom says. "He's got to repent for his deeds in jail!" That could happen, I guess.
He takes them to the police, and threatens one of them until he signs a confession.
Takeaways
CHAPTER 4: DOCTOR FATE
By Gardner Fox and Stan Aschmeier (6 pages)
Concurrent Fate team: Fox and Howard Sherman
Summary
Doctor Fate seeks out Inza, as she is his guide to the world of humans, on advice on how to make money. She suggests a convenient contest that will pay $25,000 for the best article on how to commit a crime and how to prevent it. Kent Nelson wins, but it turns out the contest is phony, run by crooks who want to steal the ideas. Since Inza's name is on the submission envelope, they kidnap her and offer her a cut. She refuses (and contacts Fate telepathically), so they leave her with a bomb. Fate saves her, and goes to stop the thieves at the crime his essay suggested. They are blowing a hole in a bank, after having installed printing presses next door to cover up the sound. Fate seals the building (flames from fingers) and beats up the crook. The leader (Birdy) tries to escape through the skylight, but Fate beats him up too. Fate keeps the crooks there until morning, and tells the bank people what happened overnight. The manager offers $50,000 reward, but Fate wants double that and explains why. The manager agrees, as it's a good cause.
Takeaways
Fun facts: This is the last appearance of Fate's full helmet in the Golden Age.
CHAPTER 5: HAWKMAN
By Gardner Fox and Sheldon Moldoff (7 pages)
Regular Hawkman team: Same.
Summary
At the Country Club, Carter Hall and Shiera Sanders run into Will Harring, publisher of the Tribute newspaper. He's having trouble with men attacking his newspaper operations, and mentions he'd give $50,000 to anyone who'd stop them.
Hawkman visits him that night and gets the story. The thugs want to stop Tribute editorials against defense delays, so obviously they're in the employ of a foreign agent. Hawkman says he'll stop them, and Harring offers another $50,000 if he can tag along and get the exclusive story.
So Hawkman and Harring follow newsapaper trucks and deliveries, and when thugs attack, Hawkman beats them up. They give up the boss, a man named Kogg. So Hawkman beats him up, and receives his check.
Takeaways
CHAPTER 6: SANDMAN
By Gardner Fox and Cliff Young (6 pages)
Concurrent Sandman team: Unknown and Paul Norris
Dian suggests Wesley get his $100,000 by catching men who have rewards listed on wanted posters. They pick three that add up to $100,000. Sandman catches Mu King, who had a secret identity as harmless Chintatown Charlie. He catches Roughouse Rogan in a hidden room beneath the cellar of the Two Spot. Sharpie Slocum is also there, saving Sandman another trip. Dian she'll take the three crooks to her father, D.A. Belmont, and explain that Sandman wants the checks written to charity.
Takeaways
HOP HARRIGAN
"Secret Airport"
Text story by unknown with art by Jon Blummer (2 pages)
Summary: Prop is developing a new "pursuit plane" for the Army at a secret airport, for reasons. Prop and Ikky are kidnapped by spies, but Hop rescues them and captures the spies.
Takeaways
HOUSE AD
There's no double-truck this issue, but there are four house ads.
CHAPTER 7: HOUR-MAN
By Gardner Fox and Bernard Baily (6 pages)
Concurrent Hourman team: Unknown and Baily
Summary
Rex Tyler is sent to Madarini, Mexico, with chemical supplies for the Arthur Wonders dig. Wonders is searching for Aztec treasure.
Coincidentally, Killer Blane and his gang are also on the plane, en route to dig up some hidden loot. Naturally, the loot is buried where Wonders is digging. Tyler noticed the men on the plane talked like criminals (they called him a "lug"), so Hour Man pays them a visit. He listens outside their cabin, but is discovered and captured.
A rogue general and his bandits are also after Killer's money, and accidentally free Hour Man. He beats them up, then beats up the thugs. One of them throws a hand grenade, which Hour Man deflects, and it exposes the Aztec treasure. Wonders offers Hour Man $100,000 as his share of the discovery.
Takeaways
HOUSE AD
Here's the house ad announcing that Green Lantern will become an honorary member, and Doctor Mid-Nite will take his place. That's not all, and here's a hint: "Be sure and read the last two pages of this issue!!"
CHAPTER 8: JOHNNY THUNDER
By Gardner Fox and Stan Aschmeier (7 pages)
Concurrent Thunder team: Aschmeier and John Wentworth
Summary
Johnny tries to borrow $300,000 from a bank, which blows him off. Just then the bank is robbed by Hotfist Gilhooley and his gang, and the teller thinks Johnny is part of the gang (Johnny says he's a member of the Justice Society, but the teller thinks he said "Ruster's Society.") The guards threaten to shoot to kill, so Johnny flees in a taxi, accidentally with the bank robbers. He offers them protection, because plot. They throw him out. He accidentally says his magic words, and asks Thunderbolt for advice. Thunderbolt says to sell peanuts. So Johnny tries to sell peanuts. Then umbrellas. Then ice cream. Then hot coffee. A policeman rebukes him for blocking the sidealk and fines him for selling without a license.
Meanwhile, "Sandman" and "Atom" — clearly imposters — burst into Gilhooley's hideout and demand protection money. The Gilhooley gang decides to take Johnny up on his offer of protection — from the Justice Society! They find him and take him to their hideout, and when the two imposters arrive, Johnny wishes off their masks. Then he wishes they give him their guns. Then he wishes they'd jump out the window (Thunderbolt kicks them out). The gangsters give Johnny $10 for his protection, but he demands more. Unfortunately, an hour has passed since he said Cei-U, and the crooks get mad and throw him out. The same policeman as earlier escorts him to court to pay his fine. Now he's broke.
Thunderbolt watch: The Thunderbolt is fully anthropomorphized in his two appearances here. He and Johnny have a conversation, although nobody else seems to see him. I don't know why he advised Johnny to sell peanuts. Maybe he's not any smarter than his master. This is very close to the final version of Thunderbolt.
Takeways
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
By Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard (3 pages)
Caption: "The others tease Johnny ... for he is a popular member, even though his powers are not equal to theirs." So now we know why they tolerate him.
Strangely, the scene accompanying that caption shows Sandman and Atom, the two members who have no powers at all. And given the Thunderbolt, which can make wishes come true, Johnny's power is conceivably up there with Doctor Fate and Green Lantern — possibly even Spectre. If he wasn't an idiot, that is. Then the members make fun of Thunderbolt, and charmingly, Johnny comes to his defense ... and says "Say you."
Johnny wishes the three honorary members would show up with $100,000 each. So of course they do. Superman says they raised the money when Thunderbolt told them about his "troubles." It's unclear whether he means just now between panels, or back in the peanuts scene. All three could have raised the money in between panels; two by super-speed and one by raiding his piggy bank.
I am amused by Superman holding a cartoon money bag with a dollar sign on it.
Fun fact: This is the first time Superman and Batman appear together in a story of any kind. Batman won't appear with the Man of Steel in The Adventures of Superman radio show until 1945.
Then comes the bombshell: A full-page scene announcing that Green Lantern has been elected to honorary status (using the same "certificate" format as when Flash received the same honor in issue #6) and that Doctor Mid-Nite would replace him on the Roll Call. This is old news, given the house ad roughly 10 pages earlier. But what is new, and surprising, is that Hourman (that's how it's spelled, at least in this scene) is taking a leave of absence (which becomes permanent), and will be replaced by Starman. No explanation is given.
But Dennis Mallonee suggests one in All-Star Companion Vol. 2.
"It was doubtless the promotional structure of All-Star that dictated who the replacements would be," Mallonee wrote. "When The Flash and Green Lantern gained honorary status, their replacements were Johnny Thunder and Dr. Mid-Nite, heroes likewise from Flash Comics and All-American Comics, respectively. And when Starman, a promising new lead feature in Adventure, joined the JSA, the hero dropped was Adventure's Hourman. In this way, the mandated symmetry of All-Star was maintained."
"The so-called Man of the Hour might've stuck it out in the JSA a while longer," Roy Thomas wrote in the foreword to The JSA All Stars Archives Vol. 1, "but when the DC head honchos came up with Starman, it was decided the new hero should be both ADVENTURE's cover feature and Hour-Man's replacement in the Society. They didn't even retire 'Tick-Tock' with a gold watch; they just granted him a 'leave of absence' at the end of ALL STAR #7, and that was that."
You have to read the certificate to see that Hourman has been bounced. His "leave of absence" isn't explained in the Golden Age (although a couple of modern comics have given it a go). The poor guy was just quietly shown the door. He would still appear for another 16 months in Adventure Comics (through issue #83, February 1943), but if you ask me, this unceremonious exit shows us what DC thought of the character.
Fun Facts:
JSA Phases
This is the end of what I call "Phase I" of the JSA. With a miss here or there, the charter members and Johnny Thunder were the stars of All-Star Comics #1-7, and comprised the team in issue #3-7. With the next issue, three charter members are gone, two of them for three years, and one of them permanently. This configuration lasts until 1945, but isn't stable. That begins the era I call Phase II, and it begins next issue.
HOUSE ADS
They really had high hopes for Star-Spangled Kid, didn't they? And they tout Jerry Siegel in the ad. DC pushed its creators more than I had expected when I started this project.
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