All-Star Comics #8

(December 1941-January 1942)

Another Message to Our Readers (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

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

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Introduction] (Table of Contents: 2)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

E. E. Hibbard

Inks

E. E. Hibbard

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Justice Society of America hereby elects Green Lantern as the fourth honorary member, like Superman, Batman and the Flash-- said honorary membership to be for life...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Atom [Al Pratt]; Batman [Bruce Wayne] (inset on splash page, not in story); Doctor Fate [Kent Nelson]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Charles McNider]; The Flash [Jay Garrick] (honorary member, inset on splash page, not in story); Green Lantern [Alan Scott] (honorary member, inset on splash page, not in story); Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Starman [Ted Knight]; Superman [Clark Kent / Kal-El] (inset on splash page, not in story); Johnny Thunder]; Hooty

Synopsis

Arriving at JSA headquarters, the members remark to each other that, oddly enough, each member was working on a different case, yet their witnesses suddenly went mad. Just then, Dr. Mid-Nite arrives with a story to tell the members that may help solve their dilemma.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Gravity Rod

Indexer Notes

Dr. Mid-Nite and Starman join the JSA, replacing Green Lantern and Hourman, and Hawkman becomes the JSA Chairman.

First appearance of Dr. Fate's new half-helmet in a JSA story.

The splash page is the same exact piece that appeared in All-Star #7 as the promo for this issue except for Dr. Fate's helmet.

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 1] (Table of Contents: 3)

Dr. Mid-Nite; Justice Society of America / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Stan Asch

Inks

Stan Asch

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It was late at night... I was dictating an important letter to my secretary, Myra Mason... Suddenly...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Dr. Mid-Nite [Charles McNider]; Hooty; Myra Mason; John McGraw (former Commissioner of Roads); Professor Able's caretaker; Professor Elba's lawyer (villain); unnamed city political boss (villain)

Synopsis

Dr. McNider hears on the radio that a former city official has escaped from a mental institution and has a fear of light. Dr. Mid-Nite captures the official, binds him and takes a blood sample, indicating a rare blood disease found in apes! He goes to see a Professor Able, who has discovered a cure for the disease, and also finds a vial of the antidote. He brings the city official back to sanity, but then runs across two criminals in the employ of a Dr. Elba. Capturing both, the Man of Night is suddenly struck from behind by Dr. Elba and would have been shot to death had not Hooty intervened.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Blackout Bomb; Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Interlude] (Table of Contents: 4)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

E. E. Hibbard

Inks

E. E. Hibbard

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

...and that's my problem, gentleman... and yours, too! We have to find this Professor Elba!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Atom [Al Pratt]; Doctor Fate [Kent Nelson]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Charles McNider]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Starman [Ted Knight]; Johnny Thunder]; Hooty

Synopsis

His story ended, Dr. Mid-Nite now provides each member a hypo full of the antidote, called Solution K, to use on the witnesses that had been driven insane. Then the JSA could possibly get a clue from them as to where to find Dr. Elba.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 2] (Table of Contents: 5)

Doctor Fate; Justice Society of America / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Stan Asch

Inks

Stan Asch

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Inza! I have something that I think will clear up this mystery.... and help Bill and Marge at the same time!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [Doctor Fate [Kent Nelson]]; Inza Cramer; Bill Ford [aka Bill Benson] (bus franchise owner); Marge Benson (Bill's wife); unnamed bus driver; Goopy Gus Gluck (villain); Gluck's gang (villains)

Synopsis

Dr. Fate visits Inza, who is watching over a friend, Bill Ford, who was driven insane. Ford tells Fate that Goopy Gus Gluck was behind a city bus fraud ring and that he has kidnapped his wife, Marge. Fate disguises himself as a bus driver, and when he is attacked, he rounds up the ring and forces Goopy to sign a confession before heading out to look for Dr. Elba.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 3] (Table of Contents: 6)

The Atom; Justice Society of America / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Ben Flinton

Inks

Ben Flinton

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

This Solution K that Doctor Midnite gave me will snap that rat out of his insanity!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Atom [Al Pratt] (part-time jewelry store clerk)]; Mr. Corson (jewelry store owner); Hartford Dormley (villain, attorney); Brent (villain); Butch (villain)

Synopsis

Al Pratt, working at a jewelry store, is visited by a man who tries to sell a jewel worth a fortune, but is arrested for selling a stolen gem. Later, an "attorney" threatens to sue to for false arrest, but will agree to a $1000 settlement out of court. Al smells a rat, follows the lawyer back to his office and confronts the two. A fight ensues, Brent is driven insane by a drug-laden wooden sliver, then Atom gives the man the antidote. Atom rounds up the rest of the gang, then discovers a note to the gang to see Dr. Elba for more insanity serum, and sets out to track down the evil doctor.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 4] (Table of Contents: 7)

Justice Society of America; The Sandman [DC, traditional costumed hero] / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Cliff Young (signed)

Inks

Cliff Young (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

From the Justice Society meeting the Sandman races to a lonely little cabin in upstate New York, where two raving maniacs, await his return...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]]; Dian Belmont; District Attorney Belmont; Senator Kenneth Spring (mention only); unnamed photographer (villain); O'Hooliny (villain); two thugs (villains)

Synopsis

Armed with Solution K, Sandman injects his two witnesses with it, and they tell him of a racket they are involved in. It seems that they go to conventions and take compromising pictures of gentlemen there, then sells them back to those men at ridiculously high prices. Sandman then tracks down the other people involved in the scheme and turns them over to the Police.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K; Wirepoon

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 5] (Table of Contents: 8)

Justice Society of America; Starman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Jack Burnley

Inks

Jack Burnley

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

With the counteragent to Professor Elbas 'insanity serum' clutched tightly in his hand, Starman drops from the sky toward an old wreck of a house, just off the main highway!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [Starman [Ted Knight]]; Doris Lee; Billy (young boy); B. Jamison Baker (baker, socialite, publisher); Whitey (villain); "Alabama" (villain); un-named gang members (villains)

Synopsis

Billy discovers a trunk of money in an abandoned house, and hurries to tell his father when he runs in front of Ted Knight's car. The lad is saved and tells Knight and Doris about the trunk. Starman takes the boy back to the house just as several criminals are peering into the trunk's contents. He plows into them and all escape but one who is injected with the insanity serum. After injecting the antidote to the thug, Starman learns that his gang was forging phony letters to hurt the chances of a person running for Governor. Starman then captures the gang and heads out to find Dr. Elba.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Gravity Rod; Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 6] (Table of Contents: 9)

Hawkman; Justice Society of America / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Shelly)

Inks

Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Shelly)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

From the meeting of the Justice Society, the Hawkman wings his swift and silent way through the still reaches of the night to a lighted campfire in his hidden Valley of the Hawk!!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [Hawkman [Carter Hall]]; Hawkgirl; Big Red (a hawk); Preston Nevel (banker); Hunt (villain, death); Watkins (villain, death)

Synopsis

Hawkman arrives to the location of his insane witness and injects him with Solution K. The man relates that he is a part of a gang which studies newspaper clippings in order to dig up some dirt on people with money that they could blackmail. During the initial confrontation with the gang, Hawkgirl is stunned by radio-controlled lightning. Hawkman rescues her just in time, being aided by his hawks, then he takes care of the two blackmailers.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Hawk Valley; Mountain Lake Lodge; Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 7] (Table of Contents: 10)

Justice Society of America; The Spectre / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed as Baily)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed as Baily)

Colors

?

Letters

Bernard Baily

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Spectre's supernatural powers proved of no avail when the star witness in the lottery racket went raving mad... now, with Dr. Midnite's Solution K in his possession, the Grim Ghost plummets down toward the city jail...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]]; unnamed prison Warden; Louis Scaloni (villain); "Boss" Williams (villain); William's butler (villain); William's gang (villains)

Synopsis

The Ghostly Guardian visits the State hospital to inject his witness, Louis Scaloni, only to discover that the man is missing. Reverting to his Jim Corrigan identity, he visits gang "Boss" Williams to discover Scaloni's whereabouts, and is knocked out. When he recovers, he is shown Scaloni in the basement, now totally insane, so that he couldn't go to the cops about Boss Williams. Spectre then injects Scaloni with Solution K and rounds up the entire gang of Boss Williams.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit from Craig Delich.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

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

Here It Is! (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

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

Sky Cutups (Table of Contents: 13)

Hop Harrigan / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Jon Blummer (spot illustration)

Inks

Jon Blummer (spot illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Tank scowled slightly as Hop read aloud, then busied himself with a last minute checkup of his Ryan sports plane, 'The Sprite'.

Genre

aviation

Characters

Justice Society of America [Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Charles McNider]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Superman [Clark Kent / Kal-El]]; Hop Harrigan; Tank Tinker [aka The Super Duper Man]; Tanner

Synopsis

Hop decides to attend an air stunt show, put on by a guy billing himself as The Super Duper Man, who could out-do any JSA member living! The plane goes into a dive and can't pull up, and Superman saves the plane and pilot, Tank Tinker! Hop agrees to test the plane himself with Tank, who bails out at 5,000 feet, saved by the Flash! Tank goes up again, bailing out at 2000 feet with wings attached to his back. A wing loosened but he was saved by Hawkman, and together they glided down for a safely. Upon reaching the reviewing stand, Tank was awarded the prize of $50,000 for completing the stunts.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

The Sprite

Indexer Notes

The other JSA members are alluded to.

Credits from Craig Delich.

The "Big Six" Now Becomes the "Big Seven"! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page (report information)

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

Lionel / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Chapter 8] (Table of Contents: 16)

Johnny Thunder [superhero]; Justice Society of America / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Stan Asch

Inks

Stan Asch

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Armed with a supply of Solution K, Johnny Thunder starts on his quest--

Genre

humor; superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [Johnny Thunder; Thunderbolt]; Johnny Thunder; Daisy Darling (cameo); Herman Darling (cameo); Oscar K. Doodle (contractor); Doodle's butler (villain); a thug (villain); Professor Elba (villain)

Synopsis

Hypo in hand, Johnny heads out for the house where an insane man was left, telling the Thunderbolt to butt out of this case. Unfortunately for Johnny, when he arrives at the house, he is confronted by a pair of thugs, who beat him up and throw him in with the crazed man. Fortunately, the T-Bolt shows up with the Solution K, and it's successfully injected. Johnny discovers the man was not a crook, but someone who was about to turn in the crooks to the D.A. for selling colored sand as cement to construction companies. The crooks are rounded up, but Dr. Elba shows up and knocks out brother John.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Keywords

Solution K

[Two New Members Win Their Spurs, Conclusion] (Table of Contents: 17)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

E. E. Hibbard

Inks

E. E. Hibbard

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

When the lights go on again the vicious professor is gone...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice Society of America [The Atom [Al Pratt]; Doctor Fate [Kent Nelson]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Charles McNider]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Starman [Ted Knight]; Johnny Thunder; Thunderbolt]; Hooty; Dr. Elba (villain, death)

Synopsis

As Dr. Elba is about to inject Johnny with the insanity serum, the Thunderbolt arrives with the JSA members. As the JSA approaches Elba, the lights go out and Elba disappears. Dr. Mid-Nite approaches a man in the shadows, believing him to be the missing Professor Able, and, as that man beckons the Man of Night closer, he suddenly tells him that he is BOTH Able and Elba, and attempts to jab Mid-Nite with a hypo of insanity serum. However, Elba injects himself accidentally, and falls out a window to his death.

Reprints

• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)

Indexer Notes

Oddity: in several panels in the story, artist Hibbard draws a white circle around Starman's yellow chest star.

Hooty is made the official mascot of the JSA.

[All-Star Comics #9 Preview] (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

Justice Society of America / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Introducing Wonder Woman (Table of Contents: 19)

Wonder Woman / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

William Marston (under house name Charles Moulton) (signed as Charles Moulton)

Pencils

Harry Peter (signed as H.G PETER)

Inks

Harry Peter (signed as H.G PETER)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

At last, in a world torn by the hatreds and wars of men, appears a woman to whom the problems and feats of men are mere child's play--

Genre

superhero

Characters

Amazons [Hippolyte (introduction, Diana's mother, Queen of the Amazons); Mala (introduction)]; Aphrodite; Steve Trevor (introduction); Wonder Woman [Princess Diana] (origin) (introduction); unnamed doctor; Athena (goddess of wisdom); Diana (goddess of the Moon, mention only); Hercules (flashback); Fritz (villain); von Storm (villain)

Synopsis

Captain Steve Trevor crashes on Paradise Island and is nursed back to health, and has to be returned to the U.S. Queen Hippolyte's daughter has fallen in love with him, so the Queen tells her Diana the story of the Amazons and how she must not leave the island, lest she lose her eternal life. She uses the Magic Sphere to show how Trevor crashed on Paradise Island, but refuses to allow Diana to return the Captain to the U.S., so she holds a contest to select the suitable Amazon to do the chore. Diana, in disguise, wins the contest, and is allowed the return the Captain home.

Reprints

• in Wonder Woman (DC, 1942 series) #196 (September-October 1971) [abbreviated]
which is reprinted
• in Wonder Woman (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972 series) (1972)
• in Wonder Woman (Crown Publishers, 1972 series) (1972)
• in Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon. (Chartwell Books, 2015 series) (2015) [pages 1-4]
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #2 ([June] 1993)
• in Wonder Woman Archives (DC, 1998 series) #1 ([April] 1998)
• in Millennium Edition: All Star Comics No. 8 (DC, 2001 series) (February 2001)
• in The Wonder Woman Chronicles (DC, 2010 series) #1 ([May] 2010)
• in Coleção DC 75 Anos (Panini Brasil, 2010 series) #1 - A Era de Ouro (novembro 2010)
• in DC Comics Anthologie (Urban Comics, 2012 series) (février 2012)
• in Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941-1945 (Chartwell Books, 2015 series) (2015)
• in Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC, 2016 series) ([November] 2016)
• in Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([December] 2016)
• in Wonder Woman: The Golden Age (DC, 2018 series) #1 (2017 [January 2018])
• in Wonder Woman #750: The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2020 series) ([October] 2020)
• in Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor (DC, 2020 series) ([October] 2020)
• in Wonder Woman: 80 Years of the Amazon Warrior The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2021 series) ([November] 2021)

Keywords

Amazonia; Amazons; bullets and bracelets; Greece; Magic Girdle; Magic Sphere; Paradise Island

Indexer Notes

Storyline continued in Sensation Comics (DC, 1942 series) #1.

The illustration of Wonder Woman on the splash page was used on the cover of Sensation Comics #1.

[Sensation Comics] (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

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

Superman Is in the Movies! (Table of Contents: 21) (Expand) /

The Adventures of Superman / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Here's Another Message from Hop Harrigan! (Table of Contents: 22) (Expand) /

All-American Flying Club / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 23) (Expand) /

Metro Publications / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Prizes! They're Yours! (Table of Contents: 24) (Expand) /

American Specialty Company Christmas Cards & Seals / advertisement / 1 page (report information)