All-Star Comics #2

(Fall 1940)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Creig Flessel (The Sandman); Bernard Baily (The Spectre); E. E. Hibbard (The Flash); Marty Nodell (Green Lantern); ? (logo)

Inks

Creig Flessel (The Sandman); Bernard Baily (The Spectre); E. E. Hibbard (The Flash); Marty Nodell (Green Lantern); ? (logo)

Letters

?; typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Attention!

Characters

The Spectre [Jim Corrigan] (upper body view); The Green Lantern [Alan Scott] (upper body view); The Flash [Jay Garrick] (upper body view); The Sandman [Wesley Dodds] (upper body view)

Indexer Notes

Found on the inside front cover.

Readers were thanked by the editors for the great sales on the previous issue, and, in response to their requests for two new features for this issue, Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder appear, and Doctor Fate will be found in the next issue.

Readers were also informed of a contest to be found later in the issue (opposite Hour-Man) that they can participate in to win free copies of All-Star #3, being asked to select the most popular feature in All-Star: the one they would most like to get their own book, like Superman and Batman.

[Sacrifice for Yum-Chac] (Table of Contents: 2)

Hawkman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Shelly)

Inks

Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Shelly)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Chet Norris (Aztec specialist); Irene Norris (Chet's sister); unnamed Sheriff of Itza; Nyola (villain, death); "The Indian" (villain, associate of Nyola); Yum-Chac medicine man (villain)

Synopsis

While flying over the city one evening looking for a hint of crime, Hawkman spots the Police leaving a suburban home. Investigating, he discovers the body of a woman inside who appears to have drowned, and a glass knife near her body. Taking the knife with him, as Carter Hall he researches the knife and finds that it was involved in Aztec ritual involving Yum-Chac, their rain god. Carter decides to visit an Aztec specialist about it and discovers he has been tied up, and learns that his sister has been kidnapped to be sacrificed to the Aztec god. Immediately Hawkman heads out to rescue her.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Itza; Yum-Chac the Aztec Rain God

[The "Robot" Men] (Table of Contents: 3)

Green Lantern / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Finger

Pencils

Marty Nodell (signed as Mart Dellon)

Inks

Marty Nodell (signed as Mart Dellon)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; The "robot" men; Baron von Zorn (villain)

Synopsis

Throughout many U.S. cities, hoards of men: vagrants, hobos and tramps, have disappeared, but then are suddenly pillaged by troops of wild-eyed, robot-like figures. Alan Scott, reading of these crimes, visits the morgue where bodies of some of these robot-men are found and examines a sample of their blood, recognizing a drug in their systems that paralyzes the human nerve cells. Scott disguises himself as a bum, is taken into captivity with other such men, then changes into the Green Lantern to clean up this evil plot by Baron von Zorn and restore the others to their sanity.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Daily Star; Lamp of Power; Oath; Power Ring; Rocky Point

Indexer Notes

The last panel features an illustration of the Green Lantern and readers are told that his further adventures can be found in All-American Comics each month.

[The Curse of Kulak] (Table of Contents: 4)

The Spectre / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Bernard Baily

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; un-named Police Chief; unnamed museum curator; Benson (museum guard); Kulak (villain, High Priest of Brztal, introduction, presumed death); The Legions of Brztal (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis

Jim Corrigan investigates the theft of an ancient manuscript so old that it had to have belonged to a lost civilization. The guard on duty the night of the theft was in shock and could only say "Kulak! Kulak!" The Spectre takes over, materializes a vision of the stolen parchment, reads it, and then comes face-to-face with Kulak, who warns the Ghostly Guardian to lay off or else! Kulak brings several plagues upon the city, which the Spectre eliminates, then he comes face to face with Kulak for the final battle engagement.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Brztal; The Oriental Museum; The Parchment; The Ring of Life; The Whispering Death

Indexer Notes

Kulak next appears in All Star Squadron #20.

Letterer credit from Craig Delich.

The last panel features an upper body illustration of the Spectre, and informs readers that the Spectre's adventures can be found in More Fun Comics and in future issues of All-Star Comics.

[The Glowing Globe] (Table of Contents: 5)

Sandman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Creig Flessel

Inks

Chad Grothkopf

Colors

?

Letters

Chad Grothkopf

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Sir Basil Lorimer (medical doctor, death); unnamed detective; Sir Basil's brother (villain, death)

Synopsis

Wes Dodds is visiting a noted medical man, Sir Basil, when the radio blares a story of mysterious deaths in which lives were taken by an unknown force. Changing to the Sandman, he discovers Sir Basil dead, but is then over-come by a strange glowing globe known as the "Life Stealer". Fortunately he recovers and sets a trap for the yellow-faced villain, who, in turn, knocks out Sandman and discovers his true identity, then submitting Dodds to the Life Stealer again. Dodds recovers, oversomes the glowing orb, and finally subdues the villains, who commits suicide.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Gas Gun; Life Stealer; Scientist Bank and Trust Company; United States Treasury

Indexer Notes

Pencil and letterer credits from Craig Delich.

Inker and letterer credits confirmed by Chad Grothkopf.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

various

Inks

various

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

All you need in comic magazine reading...

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Flash [Jay Garrick]; The Hawkman [Carter Hall] (inset); Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; The Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; The Hour-Man [Rex Tyler]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds] (inset); Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]

Indexer Notes

2-page center spread, spotlighting the covers of new and soon to be on sale comics from DC Comics: Flash Comics #10, All-American Comics #19, Action Comics #29, Superman #7, Batman #2, Adventure Comics #55, More Fun Comics #60, Detective Comics #44, and All-Star Comics #2.

Sequence added by Craig Delich.

[Invisible-Ink Gas] (Table of Contents: 7)

Red, White and Blue / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel

Pencils

Bill Smith

Inks

Bill Smith

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; war

Characters

Red Dugan; Whitey Smith; Blooey Blue; Doris West; unnamed Fire Chief; unnamed Street cleaner (death); Sherm (G2 chemist); unnamed G2 building superintendent; unnamed G2 clerk; Truck Bieler (villain); Rusty (villain, Bieler's accomplise); Professor Leaman (villain)

Synopsis

Red Dugan and Doris are walking along the street when a fire truck races by them, and they follow it to the fire. Checking the building over with an arson investigator, they discover a body in the rubble, and gas tanks. Red picks up a badge at the scene and investigates how it could have gotten there. With the help of Whitey and Blooey, they discover a plot by someone to use a peculiar gas to make the writing on important government documents disappear, then steal them to obtain the secrets.

Reprints

• in Comic Cavalcade (DC, 1942 series) #1 (Winter 1942) [modified]
which is reprinted
• in Comic Cavalcade Archives (DC, 2005 series) #1 ([June] 2005) [as modified here]
• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Litho-Ruthenium-Hydro-Alcohol (a gas)

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Craig Delich.

The story was edited from its original format for Comic Cavalcade #1 to reflect changing editorial policies to remove swearing, provacative clothing, and a dead body, per Kevin Wilkens.

The final panel blurb tells readers that they can follow further adventures of Red, White and Blue in All-American Comics.

[The Darling Apartment] (Table of Contents: 8)

Johnny Thunder / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

John Wentworth

Pencils

Stan Asch

Inks

Stan Asch

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

humor; superhero

Characters

Johnny Thunder; The Thunderbolt [Archibald]; Daisy Darling (Johnny's girl); Herman Darling (real estate businessman); Mr. Throstle; Hiram Crooker (villain, political boss); Faber (villain)

Synopsis

Herman Darling has just bought up some property in order to build apartment houses, but when he goes over to that property, the former owner refuses to leave. Johnny decides to help his girl friend's father, so he goes over to do the job of throwing the former owner out...but he gets thrown out himself! Through a series of mis-adventures, and the help of the Thunderbolt, Johnny accomplishes the task.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Davis Pool Room; Herman Darling Real Estate; Say You

Indexer Notes

Thunderbolt is shown only a a red bolt of lightning.

The final panel blurb informs readers to follow further adventures of Johnny in Flash Comics.

The Invisible Star (Table of Contents: 9)

text story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Script

Evelyn Gaines (credited)

Pencils

? (spot illustrations)

Inks

? (spot illustrations)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

science fiction

Characters

Ric Martin; Gus Henchard (Ric's pal); Lona; Lona's mother

Synopsis

Ric Martin, U.S. Ambassador to Mars, is very concerned about a Martian military build-up as a precursor to war. A sign of trouble was that Earth's temperature, in the dead of winter, had reached 125 degrees plus and rising, and the body count was mounting. To Ric, the only solution was to move Earth's population to another planet because of a new star that had appeared (yet invisible) that was causing the rising temperatures. The mission was accomplished just before the planet Earth blew up.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

The Lightning (space ship)

Indexer Notes

Story takes place in February of 2450.

[For Swell Vacation Reading, Don't Miss These Two!] (Table of Contents: 10)

New York World's Fair Comics; Mutt & Jeff / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

various

Inks

various

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

humor; superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Mutt; Jeff

Indexer Notes

Illustrated promotional advertisement, with covers, for two new DC comics now on sale: New York World's Fair Comics 1940 Issue and Mutt & Jeff #2.

Sequence added by Craig Delich.

[Here's How You Can Get the Next Issue of All-Star Comics Free] (Table of Contents: 11)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Readers were asked to write down the names of up to 10 heroes from Flash, All-American, All-Star, Adventure and Fun Comics that they'd like to see win their own complete book (like Superman and Batman). Mail-in coupon provided.

Amazing Combination Offer (Table of Contents: 12)

Remington Rand / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? photos

Inks

? photos

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Illustrated advertisement (with photos of a typewriter and desk set) from Remington Rand, Inc., alerting readers to some great offers. If they purchased a new typewriter, they could buy a nice desk for only $1.00 (at a cost total of a good-will deposit and about 10 cents a day). There was also a special typewriter case available as well. Coupon provided.

This advertisement was NOT reprinted in the Archives.

Sequence added by Craig Delich.

[Dr. Morte, Spiritualist] (Table of Contents: 13)

The Hourman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Ken Fitch

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Bernard Baily

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Hour-Man [Rex Tyler]; Mr. Bannerman (Rex's boss); Minute Man Martin [Jimmy Martin]; The Minute Men of America [Thorndyke; other member unnamed]; Robert T. Davis (mine owner, Mr. Bannerman's brother-in-law); Clara Davis [nee Clara Bannerman] (Robert's wife, death); Dr. Morte (villain); Longo (villain)

Synopsis

A fake spiritualist, Dr. Morte, cons people out of their money by convincing his victims he can make contact with their dead loved ones. Rex Tyler decides to get Minute Man Martin and the Minute Men involved in investigating the situation, while he, as the Hour-Man, tracks down Morte himself.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

Golden Eagle Mine; Miraclo

Indexer Notes

Script and letterer credits from Craig Delich.

The closing panel, illustrated with The Hour-Man, Jimmy Martin and Thorndyke, encourage readers to follow their adventures in Adventure Comics.

[The One-Man Newspaper] (Table of Contents: 14)

The Flash / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited as Gardner F. Fox)

Pencils

E. E. Hibbard (credited)

Inks

E. E. Hibbard (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Flash [Jay Garrick]; Bill Jackson (mention only); Joan Williams; Anne Baxter; Mr. Baxter (Editor/owner of the Daily Column, Anne's father); The Boss (villain); The Boss' gang (villains)

Synopsis

Jay Garrick decides to visit a friend, Bill Jackson, at the Daily Column newspaper office, but is shocked to find the building absolutely empty of people! As the Flash, he decides to go ahead and publish an edition of the newspaper to see if those responsible for the staff's disappearance will be curious enough to come over to the newspaper office and investigate. They do and Flash starts rounding the gang up, one by one, to the Police. But The Boss threatens to kill the owner of the paper if he doesn't sell off the newspaper to him.

Reprints

• in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #13 (1974)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #0 ([May] 2006)

Keywords

The Daily Column

Indexer Notes

The final panel blurb at the end of the story, with illustration of the Flash, tells readers that they can follow the Scarlet Speedster's further adventures in Flash Comics.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15)

Wilson Chem. Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

This advertisement was NOT reprinted in the Archives.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16)

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Back cover.

This advertisement was NOT reprinted in the Archives.