All-Star Comics #1 is an issue of the series All-Star Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1940.
Synopsis for "Hawkman vs. the Sorcerer Trygg"
Hawkman is flying over the Welsh Mountains in search of adventure, and finds some. He saves a brother and sister from their uncle Trygg, a sorcerer who has learned the Haitian secret of zombies, and who wishes to kill them for their inheritance, a mine, and from his ally, a witch named Beldame Gaffy. An army of zombies are working the inherited mine. In order to protect the madman's niece and nephew, Hawkman destroys Trygg, his accomplice, and their mountain headquarters in an explosion.
- Hawkman body count > 14.
- Shiera Sanders doesn't appear in this story.
- Hawkman may be en route to New York from Arabia, scene of his previous adventure, at this story's opening.
Appearing in "Hawkman vs. the Sorcerer Trygg"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Trygg the Sorcerer (First appearance)(Dies)
- Beldame Gaffey (Dies)
- an army of zombies
Other Characters:
- Jan (Beldame's nephew)
- Margo (Beldame's niece)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Welsh Mountains
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Sandman vs. the Twin Thieves"
As Wes Dodds visits a jewelry store to buy a watch, a hold-up man enters intending to rob the place. He gives chase and passes the man...now wearing a completely different suit! Intrigued, Wes follows the man home, but returns later as the Sandman to investigate, and discovers a safe loaded with jewels. The man enters the room and shoots Sandman, who recovers in time to prevent his being unmasked, and then rounds up the thieves who turn out to be twins.
- This shoulder wound is the Sandman's FOURTH bulletwound.
Appearing in "Sandman vs. the Twin Thieves"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Don (a thief)
- Jed (a thief; Don's brother)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Flash: The Murder of Widow Jones"
The Flash investigates a murder, and manages to solve it before the policeman present can even return to the station to report the crime. In the process, the Flash harasses the police chief so badly that he is deputised as a police detective by Commissioner Gardner, and for a while there it looks like he'll be a police officer in future stories.
Appearing in "The Flash: The Murder of Widow Jones"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
- Commissioner Gardner (Single appearance)
Villains:
- John "Clutch" Widdles
- unnamed accomplice
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Jones (Behind the scenes)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "The Spectre: The Tenement Fires"
When an epidemic of tenement fires breaks out in Cliffland, the Spectre investigates. He finds that the fires are caused by arsonists in the employ of the tenements’ owner, Dr. Cragg, to collect the insurance. But in his initial investigation, after finding a scrap of cloth in a burned out warehouse, the Spectre goes to the afterlife to question the spirit who had once worn the cloth. The dead man informs the Spectre that he spotted the arsonist responsible for the deadly blaze. In the end, when he confronts the businessman responsible, he shows him the faces of all those who died in the fires, which causes the businessman to drop dead, from either fright or shame. And there's no doubt that the Spectre kills him on purpose.
- Spectre body count > 8.
Appearing in "The Spectre: The Tenement Fires"
Featured Characters:
- Spectre (Jim Corrigan)
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Doctor Cragg, slumlord
- Nick "Bates" Brant
- Pete, arsonist
Other Characters:
- Fire Warden Zane
- Several disembodied spirits
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Hourman: The Forest Fire"
Tick-Tock Tyler, the Man of the Hour, as the Hour-Man, after putting out a forest fire which threatens a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, also undoes the plan of arsonist John Blair to force Peggy and her father to turn over the land they own in Mill Meadows to him, so that he may make a huge profit selling it to the government.
Appearing in "Hourman: The Forest Fire"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Blackie
- John Blair
Other Characters:
- Peggy
- Peggy's father
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Mill Meadows
- Civilian Conservation Corps campground
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Red, White, & Blue: The Volcano Invasion"
Red, Whitey and Blooey are called into G-2 HQ and informed that they have been doing such a good job that they have earned a vacation: in Alaska! After getting settled in a local hotel, they discover that Doris West is already there. She tells them that Alaska is being overrun by Kalvanise men who are disguising themselves as Eskimos, and who are believed to have captured or killed a G-2 operative in that area. The trio then go on to round up the oriental crooks and save the life of the G-2 man.
Appearing in "Red, White, & Blue: The Volcano Invasion"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Doris West
Villains:
- Wolf Mechant
Other Characters:
- Spear Forty Seals (an Eskimo)
- Spear Forty Seals' wife
- Ig Kluk
- Hal Cool
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Ultra-Man: The European war in 2240"
Appearing in "Ultra-Man: The European war in 2240"
Featured Characters
Notes
- There are very detailed synopsis available for issues 1-45 at comics.org
- This issue is reprinted in All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 0.
- The first two issues of this series serve as an anthology title spotlighting various costumed heroes and adventurers in individual stories. With All-Star Comics #3, the format changes, merging eight super-heroes into a shared continuity where they band together as the Justice Society of America. Prior to that issue, the individual characters are regarded as operating within their own insular continuities, separate from that of everyone else.
- This issue includes an Ultra-Man story entitled, "The European War in 2240" by Jon L. Blummer. Jon L. Blummer is credited as Don Selby in this issue.
- This issue also includes a Biff Bronson story entitled, "Remembo" by Albert and Joseph Sulman.
- This issue also includes "Exile to Jupiter" text story by Evelyn Gaines.
- The Flash appeared last in Flash Comics #6. He chronologically appears next in the first flashback story from All-Star Comics #3.
- Hawkman appeared last in Flash Comics #6. He appears next in Flash Comics #7.
- Hourman appeared last in New York World's Fair Comics #2. He appears next in Adventure Comics #52.
- The Sandman appeared last in New York World's Fair Comics #2. He appears next in Adventure Comics #52.
- The Spectre appeared last in More Fun Comics #56. He appears next in More Fun Comics #57.
- Only Golden Age appearance of Trygg the sorcerer. Trygg doesn't appear again until Hawkman (Volume 4) #35.
Trivia
- This issues hosts a contest offering a free copy of All-Star Comics #2. The contest asks readers to fill out a coupon listing three characters to leave out of the next issue, and then list three others that they'd like to see in All-Star Comics #2. [1]
- New York City police commissioner, Gardner is likely named after writer Gardner Fox.
See Also
Links and References
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