- Suppose we let the American people vote to decide the best crime! That's what they call the democratic way!
- — Huntress
All-Star Comics #41 is an issue of the series All-Star Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1948.
Synopsis for Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes! Part I"
The Wizard, after escaping from jail, steals the Liberty Train without a trace. He dreams of making crime triumphant on earth, and has formed a new Injustice Society, recruiting the Fiddler, the Huntress, the Icicle, the Sportsmaster, and the Harlequin. Worse yet, using the Wizard's "Mind Eraser" machine, they have six of the JSA members in their underground lair, brainwashed, working as their servants!
In Gotham, the Black Canary, investigating the Liberty Train theft, tries to call an emergency meeting of the Justice Society, but finds their headquarters empty. She discovers the knocked out Harlequin under a table. Harlequin reveals that the JSA has been abducted (mostly by the Sportsmaster, using a lacrosse ball/concussion grenade), and she wants to doublecross the ISW and team up with Black Canary to stop the Wizard's gang. However unknown to her, the Injustice Society has already learned of her duplicity, and sent the Icicle back to JSA HQ, where he ambushes, freezes, and abducts them both. Icicle brings the girl outlaws back to the ISW's underground Gotham lair, in an abandoned coal mine. Now the ISW members plan to hold a contest to determine which of them will be the leader, with the one who commits the greatest robbery to be the winner. They plan the thefts of some famous American patriotic objects: the Freedom Bell, Plymouth Rock, Old Ironsides, and the Washington Monument. Most of the villains depart to get started on those crimes, while the Wizard, observing from a secret control room, remains behind.
Left unhypnotized and seemingly unobserved, the girls get free, and the Harlequin uses her special spectacles to hypnotize the brainwashed Justice Society members, and orders them to remember who they are. The revived JSA heroes set off in to prevent the robberies of the American treasures. Unfortunately, the Harlequin's hypnosis is only temporary, good for only an unknown length of time, and the heroes can be returned to a mindless state at any time, with the snap of anyone's fingers. Knowing this fact, the Wizard sets off to warn the other members of the Injustice Society.
Appearing in Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes! Part I"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Bill, escort pilot
- Steve, escort pilot
- Wally, train engineer
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Gotham Central Station
- Gotham FBI office
- JSA HQ
- ISW underground base
Items:
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Blackout Bomb
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Infra-red goggles
- Green Flame of Life
- Green Lantern Ring
- Hawkman's Nth Metal Wings
- Wonder Woman's Bracelets of Submission
- Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
- The original Declaration of Independence
- The original Emancipation Proclamation
- Francis Scott Key's notes for "The Star Spangled Banner"
- Freedom Bell
- Black Canary's Two Way Radio
- Fiddler's Fiddle
- Harlequin's Diary
- Harlequin Glasses
- Harlequin's Mandolin
- Huntress' Invisible Lasso
- Icicle's Cold Gun
- Sportsmaster's Lacrosse Racket and Ball/Grenade
- Wizard's Mind Eraser
Vehicles:
- Liberty Train
- U.S. Jet Planes
Synopsis for Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes, Part II"
Hawkman goes to the South Boston Navy Yard to protect Old Ironsides. The Sportsmaster creates a diversion, then steals the old frigate, using portable rockets. The Hawkman chases him down, then knocks him out with one punch. But then the Wizard steps out of the shadows and snaps his fingers, instantly rehypnotizing Hawkman, who obediently helps the Injustice Gangsters to sail Old Ironsides back to their hideout.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, the Huntress steals Plymouth Rock, by having some stolen circus elephants load it into a circus van. The Flash and the Atom overtake the van, and the Atom punches it hard enough to knock it backwards and stall it out. The Huntress almost manages to ensnare them both in her invisible lasso, but they turn the tables on her and she's soon tied up with her own rope. Unable to even snap her fingers, Huntress makes a loud snapping noise by leaping onto a wooden ramp and breaking it. Flash and Atom are instantly stopped, and await her commands.
In Philadelphia, the Fiddler drives his violin-shaped car into Freedom Hall, to steal the Freedom Bell. Wonder Woman and Doctor Mid-Nite arrive, wearing special earplugs to neutralize the Fiddler's powers, just in time to thwart the theft and bust the Fiddler. Except the Fiddler has been tipped off by the Wizard, and with a snap of his fingers, he puts the doctor and the princess under his control. He then orders Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite to help him steal the Freedom Bell, and they obediently drive his violin car, towing the Freedom Bell, to the Injustice Society's new headquarters.
The Icicle steals an experimental naval aircraft, with a super ram-jet, and uses this to steal the Washington Monument. Green Lantern intervenes, and they have a mid-air fight, which the Icicle loses. Green Lantern uses his ring to return the monument to its site, and punches out the Icicle, but then ironically, he snaps his own fingers, returning himself to his slave state. The Icicle takes this opportunity to re-steal the Washington Mounument, and commands Green Lantern to fly the ram-jet and its cargo back to Injustice Society headquarters.
Appearing in Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes, Part II"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Locations:
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- South Boston Navy Yard
- Plymouth Rock
- Boston
- Pennsylvania
- Washington, D.C. area
- Naval Air Proving Grounds
Items:
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Blackout Bomb
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Infra-red Goggles
- Hawkman's Nth Metal Wings
- Wonder Woman's Bracelets of Submission
- Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
- Fiddler's Fiddle
- Huntress' Invisible Lasso
- Freedom Bell
- Plymouth Rock
- Washington Monument
Vehicles:
- Fiddler's Fiddle Car
- "Old Ironsides"
- U.S. Navy experimental Super Ram-jet
Synopsis for Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes, Part III"
After escaping from the Wizard's Mind-Eraser, Black Canary and Harlequin explore the Injustice Society's coalmine/cavern/railroad-tunnel hide-out. They find the stolen Liberty Train in a secret railroad tunnel. The Wizard attacks them, aboard a railroad hand-car. They leap aboard it to fight him but the propulsion lever is electrically charged, and when they grab it, they both are jolted unconscious.
To ensure the JSA will no longer threaten them, the ISW drops them, and the Harlequin, to the bottom of a deep coalmine elevator shaft. Then, to determine who won their contest, the villains decide hold an election, and to this end they use the Icicle's stolen super airship to steal Gotham Stadium, during a baseball game. They plan to ask the crowd of captured baseball fans to vote on who committed the best theft. The stadium is lowered to earth inside an enormous abandoned quarry, in which are arranged all of the stolen national treasures.
Trapped in the bowels of the earth, the Black Canary and Harlequin work feverishly to convince the JSA of their true identities. Harlequin's glasses aren't working now; she thinks the Wizard has tampered with them. With constant urging, Canary and Harlequin convince Green Lantern to employ his ring, freeing the JSA from their stupor. The team then rockets up the shaft and confronts the ISW, who have reached a murderous level of frustration with their captives. Surprising the villains, the heroes quickly round them all up, and deposit the ISW in jail. In all the confusion, Harlequin slips away.
Returning to their headquarters the Justice Society inducts Black Canary as a member.
Appearing in Justice Society of America: "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes, Part III"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Locations:
- Gotham City area
- Gotham Stadium
- ISW's coalmine/tunnel/cavern headquarters
- adjacent abandoned quarry
- JSA Headquarters
Items:
- The Declaration of Independence (aboard the Liberty Train)
- Emancipation Proclamation (aboard the Liberty Train)
- Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner" (aboard the Liberty Train)
- Freedom Bell
- Plymouth Rock
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Blackout Bomb
- Doctor Mid-Nite's Infra-red Goggles
- Fiddler's Fiddle
- Green Flame of Life
- Green Lantern Ring
- Harlequin's Diary
- Harlequin Glasses
- Harlequin's Mandolin
- Hawkman's Nth Metal Wings
- Huntress' Invisible Lasso
- Icicle's Cold Gun
- Sportsmaster's Lacrosse Racket and Ball
- Wizard's Mind Eraser
- Wonder Woman's Bracelets of Submission
- Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
Vehicles:
- Fiddler's Fiddle Car
- Super Ram-Jet Dirigible
- Liberty Train
- Old Ironsides
Notes
- "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes", this issue's JSA story, is reprinted in All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 9, Justice League of America Super Spectacular #1 and Justice League of America #113.
- In this story, Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Wonder Woman all have their identities and autonomy erased by the Wizard's "Mind Eraser" brainwashing machine. The "cure" for this is hypnosis, via the Harlequin's special spectacles.
- Some time prior to this story, the Atom already has gained super strength.
- In this story, he stops Huntress' speeding truck with one punch, and his teammate the Flash is unsurprised by this.
- While his abnormal strength never was explained in any Golden Age comic book, a Retcon in All-Star Squadron #21 (May 1983) indicates that the Atom gained this super power after being exposed, in February 1942, to the radiation of the reluctant villain Cyclotron.
- The Black Canary joins the Justice Society of America with this issue, replacing Johnny Thunder.
- This is Hawkman's last Golden Age JSA appearance in a bird-head-shaped metal helmet; next issue it is replaced with a more conventional cloth cowl. As usual, no announcement or explanation is made.
- Injustice Society, second roster:
- The Fiddler (Isaac Bowin) last appeared in Flash Comics #93 and returns in Comic Cavalcade #28.
- The Huntress (Paula Brooks Crock) last appeared in Sensation Comics #76 and returns in DC 100-Page Super Spectacular DC-6.
- The Icicle (Joar Mahkent) last appeared in All-American Comics #92 and returns in Starman (Volume 2) #46.
- The Sportsmaster (Crusher Crock) last appeared in All-American Comics #85 and returns in The Brave and the Bold #162.
- The Wizard (William Zard) last appeared in All-Star Comics #37 and returns in Action Comics #484.
Trivia
- This issue serves as inspiration for the Justice League animated series episodes "Legends". The episodes feature a Justice Guild and an Injustice Guild, which is similar to this incarnation of the Injustice Society. The episode is dedicated to Gardner Fox.
- Also appearing in this issue of All-Star Comics were:
- "No More Favors" (text story) by Ted Udall
- Junior Justice Society of America: "Black Canary Inducted Into Justice Society of America!" (promotional message)
- "Keep an Eye on Your Favorite Newsstand" (full page ad for the current issues of Comic Cavalcade #27, All-Star Comics #41, Gang Busters #4, and Mr. District Attorney #3)
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Justice Society Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- All-Star Comics (Volume 1)
- All-Star Squadron (Volume 1)
- America vs. the Justice Society (Volume 1)
- Infinity Inc. (Volume 1)
- JSA (Volume 1)
- JSA: All Stars (Volume 1)
- JSA Classified (Volume 1)
- JSA: Strange Adventures (Volume 1)
- JSA vs. Kobra (Volume 1)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 1)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 2)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 3)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 4)
- Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1