The website's gone though a small handful of my timelines have been archived. Check out archive.is/uorcr

I'm unsure about Plas, I tend to assume that there are lots of Plastic Man counterparts everywhere.

All-Star Squadron Annual #3



Superman looks like he is about to punch Batman, based on his eyeline; Hourman is looking at Batman and Flash just seems to be passing through.

Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor, Dann Thomas-co-plotter, Jerry Ordway-pencils (1-4,40-41), inks (1-4,13-16,28-30,40-41), Rick Hoberg-pencils (4,6-12,35-39), Rich Buckler-pencils (5), Wayne Boring-pencils (13-16),Richard Howell-pencils & inks (17-18), Carmine Infantino-pencils (19-21), Don Newton-pencils (22-24), Martin Nodell-pencils (25-27), George Perez-pencils (28-30), Keith Giffen-pencils & inks (31-34); Bill Collins-inks (4-12, 35-39), Frank Giacoia-inks (19-21), Mike Machlan-inks (22-24), Joe Giella-inks (25-27),; Cody Weiss & L Lois Buhalis-letters; Gene-D'Angelo-colors

"Programs....get your programs here.....can't tell the players without a program...."

Page breakdown credits from GCD, which notes that Bill Collins is a bit of a guess and that some of the others may have done additional pages. Dann Thomas is credited as "researcher, but the All-Star Companion, Vol 2, lists her as co-plotter. She had assisted on previous issues, without credit. She would be increasingly credited as co-plotter and writer with Roy on future projects.

GCD also notes the Buckler page wasn't originally intended for this and makes the guess that it might have been for America vs the Justice Society of America.

Whew.......

Haven't even gotten to the plot, yet....

Synopsis: It's still February, 1942 (it only had 28 days, Roy, let's get a move on...) and Tarantula is chasing some German Abwehr agents, when he makes a rookie mistake and trips over a tool box. He is rescued by Wonder Woman, who gives context to the name Ernst Rohm (see below) and lassos the goosesteppers. Tarantula opens up the tool box and finds old newspaper clippings and such. They head back to the Perisphere and use the Magic Sphere to look at the history related tot he clippings. It takes them to June 1941 (in between issues 7 & 8 of All-Star Comics). The JSA convene a meeting and report on collecting their $100,000 pledges for war orphan relief. Johnny Thunder came up short, bu, T-Bolt rounds up Superman, Batman and Flash, who make up the deficit. The meeting concluded, GLand Dr Fate are drawn to Washington, where they save FDR from shadowy figures. They stop them and they are revealed to be goons sent by Ian Karkull to scare FDR to death. That won't work fellas; "The only thing we have to fear is fear, itself!"

GL finds a list of names and villains, with 10 locations and people listed as targets. So, time to divvy up and go hit some bad guys.



After they split up, we meet the villains...



Dr Doog (fought Starman, in his debut), Catwoman, Sieur Satan (fought the Flash), Alexander the Great (fought Hawkman on his 2nd mission), Lightning Master (fought Superman in Supes #14), Tarantual (fought Sandman in his debut, not John Law), Wotan, Zor (fought the Spectre).

Superman goes first and faces Lightning Master in hot Springs, AK. He saves Lois Lane after her plane is hit by lightning, then dumps her when she gets bitchy and goes after LM. He was a bit of a rick (spelled with a silent p) in those days. Lois parachutes and LM cackles...



LM's "futuristic airship" looks very "enterprising." Superman gets zapped about by lightning, before Johnny Thunder and T-Bolt come to the rescue. He then punches out the ship and re-rescues Lois.

Hawkman & Hawkgirl stop Alexander, while Spectre beats Zor and Atom & Sandman knock out Tarantula.

Flash heads to Ft Lewis, Washington, where the new camp commandant is arriving, with his wife.



Flash faces Sieur Satan and rescues Joan Williams (the future wife) and prevents the death of the commandant.

Batman goes to Hollywood and saves a B-movie actor from being killed by Catwoman, in her old kitty mask.



GL fails to stop Wotan from killing an unknown kid. Hourman faces Dr Doog, but is having issues with Miraclo and Starman has to help him out.



Dr Fate faces Karkull, himself, who wants the helmet of Nabu. Dr Fate is on the ropes; but, Nabu unleashes power, which brings the rest of the JSA there to beat up Karkull. He's defeated, Hourman steps down as JSA chariman to deal with his Miraclo addiction. Starman joins, GL drops down to honorary status and Dr Fate decides to do something about his over-reliance on the manipulative Nabu.

Wondy and Tarantual never figure out the meaning of the paperclips; but we do, when we see them at the end...



They are the next 8 Presidents of the United States, plus some unnamed 9th, who died so that George Herbert Walker Bush could be president (we are still in Reagan's first term, on this issue). They were: Senator Harry S. Truman, Col Dwight David Eisenhower, John F Kennedy (fresh out of college), Lyndon B Johnson (losing a senate race) Richard M Nixon (on a Caribbean cruise), Gerald R Ford (setting up a law practice), James E Carter (graduating high school) and Ronald Reagan (filing Kings Row). Bush was 16, but would become a naval aviator, during the war.

Thoughts: This is a bit overly convoluted and is yet another continuity "fix" from Roy, to explain why Hourman abruptly stepped down as JSA chairman and Green Lantern became an honorary member, as well as Starman becoming a new member, between All-Star 7 and 8. Given that the bulk of the audience for this probably never saw those stories, who cares? Well, Roy did.

The story is typical of the type of thing in All-Star, with some big threat at the beginning, a splitting of the team, their individual fights, and a reunion at the end. The villains are barely 3rd string, let alone major threats. Karkull doesn't really do much, aside from F with Dr Fate, but gets beaten. The energies released in the fight are retconned into what kept the JSA so young, when they et up with the JLA and, eventually, had kids who formed Infinity, Inc. This was unceremoniously stripped away by Extent (aka Hank "Hawk" Hall, aka the Monarch), at the end of Zero Hour and a couple of people died. That was all part of an editorial FU to the JSA, carried out by factions who didn't like the older heroes, despite the relatively new Justice Society comic having a pretty loyal and growing fanbase and good critical praise. Mike Parobeck was becoming a bit of a fan favorite, which would be cemented on Batman Adventures.

The artists are paired up with their main characters, with Wayne Boring handling Superman, Rick Hoberg gets the JSA, Richard Howell handles the two-page spread of Hawkman, Spectre, Atom & Sandman, Don Newton does Batman, Carmine Infantino the Flash, Mart Nodell GL (for the first time in decades), George Perez does Hourman and Starman, and Kieth Giffen handles Dr Fate. Giffen is doing his murky, Jose Munoz thing, though I preferred his Legion stuff, which was a bit sleeker.

Nothing of real consequence, other than Roy indulging his inner fanboy. Not sure how well this sold. It's a bit of a letdown from the previous 2. This is also the last All-Star Squadron Annual.

Historical Notes

As mentioned, the targets are all future presidents. Truman was a senator, from Missouri and would become FDR's running mate, in 1944, as a compromise, as Harry Hopkins was too liberal for Southern Democrats, who threatened to break with the party. He would inherit the presidency when FDR died and would make the fateful decision to use the Atomic Bomb. Eisenhower was a Colonel assigned to Fort Lewis, though he would soon go to Ft Sam Houston. he was promoted to Brigadier General in October, after his performance in the Louisiana maneuvers, a war game which tested the US Army's ability to potentially fight in the war in Europe. It led to much overhaul of doctrine, as it revealed many deficiencies. After Pearl harbor, Eisenhower was called to the War Department to serve under Gen Marshall, before being assigned to command the Allied Expeditionary Forces in operation Torch, the landings in North Africa.

John F Kennedy had just graduated from Harvard and taken a vacation. He would enlist in the US Navy and attend OCS, first stationed in Washington, then reassigned to the Pacific, as a PT Boat skipper, in the Solomons. His vessel, PT 109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and he helped rescue much of his crew and get them to safety on a nearby island. he then made several swims to attempt to signal a rescue party, before making contact with natives and conveying a message carved on coconuts. Kennedy was cited for his leadership and bravery, which resulted in successful rescue of his crew. He would go on to become a senator, before running for the presidency. Johnson was a representative, but lost an election for the US Senate. he would end up in the Senate, then as Kennedy's running mate, assuming the presidency after the assassination. He successfully ran for office in 1964, but declined to run in 1968, largely due to the Vietnam War and the likelihood of a defeat.

Richard Nixon worked in the Office of Price Administration, before applying to the US Naval Reserve, in 1942. he served in the Pacific, in a rear echelon role, supervising cargo loading and unloading and manifest for transport aircraft. He was elected to the US House in 1946 and the Senate in 1950. he became Eisenhower's running mate in 1952 and ran against Kennedy in 1960. he ran again and won in 1968 and won re-election in 1972. he resigned the office in the wake of the Watergate Scandal, as articles of impeachment were being prepared in the House and a polling of senators revealed a likelihood he would be removed from office. Gerald Ford served in the US Navy, on the USS Monterey, in the Pacific, taking part in landings at Kwajalein and Eniwetok and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He was elected to the House in 1948 and served on the Warren Commission, investigating the assassination of Pres. Kennedy. When Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace, he became the Vice President, under Nixon. Upon Nixon's resignation, he assumed the presidency and tyhen lost the 1976 election. he is the only man never to be elected to the Vice Presidency or Presidency.

James E "Jimmy" Carter attended the uS Naval Academy during the war and served on active duty after. He was part of the fledgling nuclear Navy, under Adm Hyram Rickover (a grade A nutjob, but father of nuclear propulsion in the US Navy). He was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1962 and Governor in 1972. In 1976 he surprised the nation by winning the Democratic nomination for the US Presidency and defeated Gerald Ford in a close election. He was president during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and while the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. He also inhereted a post-Vietnam economic recession, the worst since the Great Depression. These three factors led to him losing to Ronald Reagan.

Reagan graduated from Eureka College and first worked in radio, before becoming a film actor. His first screen credit was in 1937 and he was a supporting actor to friend Errol Flynn in a couple of movies, while starring in B-Movies. During the war he served in the Army Reserve and worked in public relations and military film units. He was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild and was involved in efforts to by conservative members to root out supposed communists, cooperating with HUAC on the Blacklist. He was elected governor of California in 1966 and ran for the presidency in 1976 and then again, successfully, in 1980, winning re-election in 1988. He survived an assassination attempt in 1981, but his later term involved several health scares, the Iran-Contra Scandal, and suggestions that he was already suffering from Alzheimers, for which he was ultimately diagnosed, in 1994. He was extremely popular during his presidency and oversaw an economic recovery, though a decline in US manufacturing and exports and a decline in real wages (the buying power of wages earned). Elements of the CIA and the Department of defense were involved in illegal arms sales to Iran, in exchange for currency that was funneled to the Contras, in Nicaragua, to fight the Marxist Ortega Government, which led to Congressional hearings.

George HW Bush enlisted in the US Navy, on his 18th birthday and trained as a Naval aviator. He was assigned to fly the Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber and his squadron was assigned to the USS San Jacinto, where he took part in bombings at Wake Island and was shot down, but rescued by the USS Finback. he would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was reassigned to the San Jacinto, in preparation for the Invasion of Japan, when the Japanese surrendered, in the wake of the Atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was elected to the House in 1966 and was an advisor in the Nixon Administration, before becoming UN Ambassador. he was named Director of Central Intelligence in 1976. He ran for the Republican nomination in 1980 and became running mate to Ronald Reagan, serving as Vice President for both of his terms. he was elected to the presidency in 1988 and oversaw the US military operations in Panama and in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Despite great approval coming out of the Gulf War, a recession hurt him in the election and he lost to Bill Clinton.

Ernst Rohm was an early ember of the Nazi Party. He served in the Wehrmacht in WW1 and the Reichswehr following the armistice, before joining a Bavarian freekorps, which helped put down the Munich Soviet republic, through force of arms. He joined the right wing German workers party, which became the Nazi Party, with Adolf Hitler as its leader. He participated in the Beer Hall Putsch, in 1923, seizing control of the German War Ministry, before Bavarian Police put the revolt down. Rohm was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended and he was put on probation. In 1930, at Hitler's request, he took over the Sturmabteiling, the SA, or the "stromtroopers." They were the muscle for the Nazis, engaging in street battles with communists and socialists, creating civil unrest which helped propel the Nazis to power. They were heavily involved in the harassment and beationg of Jews and other targets of the Nazis, culminating in Kristalnacht, when Jewish businesses and synagogues were attacked and smashed. Rohm had designs on the SA replacing the Reichswehr as the military of Germany, which earned them opposition from the powerful military factions in Germany. To gain the military's support, Hitler made promises to reduce Rohm's power and expand expenditures on the Army and Navy. On June 30, 1934, with trumped up "evidence," Rohm and leaders of the SA were rounded up by the SS and murdered, claiming they had been paid by France to depose Hitler. Himmler consolidated the power of the SS and became second to Hitler in the Nazi power structure, with control over the Waffen SS, the Gestapo, and other SS wings.

August 1942:

Mohandas Gandhi is arrested by British forces in Bombay. On the 13th, the All-Indian Congress passes a resolution which begins the civil disobedience movement against British rule.

The US Eighth Air Force flies their first bombing missions over France. Casualties are high in the early stages of bombing raids, especially as the progress deeper into German territory and are forced to fly without fighter escort. The movie 12 O'Clock High is an excellent dramatization of the early learning curve within the bomber squadrons, as well as the qualities of leadership.

6 German saboteurs are executed after the failed Operation Pretorious, which placed agents in defense factories, for the purpose of sabotage. The FBI discovered the plans and turned several agents and rounded up others, with the end result that German operations in both the US and Great Britain are virtually destroyed or neutralized.

On August 19, British and Candadian forces, plus a detachment of US Army Rangers, carry out the Dieppe Raid, the largest commando raid of the war. The operation was carried out to test the feasability of seizing and holding a port in occupied territory, for the purpose of launching an invasion of the continent. It was also intended as a morale boost. It turned into a fiasco. The plan called for landings along 6 beaches, but only 6 destroyers were provided for naval gunfire support, as the First Sea Lord was reluctant to expose capital ships (cruisers and battleships) to potential bombardment from land-based aircraft. The range of the destroyer's guns was only about 5 miles, vs over 20 for a battleship. Destroyers also gad fewer guns to bring into operation. Bombers were assigned to support, but without fighter escort.

Intelligence of the area was poor and the summation of German strength was woefully inaccurate. The Germans were on high alert, thanks to double agents and increased radio traffic. Landings began at 0450, on Aug 19. The first wave ran into a German convoy and were attacked and the destroyers misidentified the fire as coming from ashore and did not move in to rescue the landing craft. At Yellow beach, commandos were unable to destroy shore huns, but sniping was effective enough to disrupt their use. However, commandos on Yellow 1 were cut off and forced to surrender, while only 18 got ashore on Yellow 2, and were eventually forced to withdraw. Orange Beach had the only success, led by Lord Lovat, who would lead British commando forces at Sword Beach, at Normandy. They succeeded in scaling a cliff and neutralizing a shore battery. At Blue Beach, Canadian forces were slaughtered by German artillery, after delays in landing them eliminated their smokescreen. They lost over 200 of 500 men assigned, and 264 captured. Green beach had similar problems, as landing craft drifted beyond their target and landed in the wrong area, forcing Canadian troops to have to cross a bridge to reach their objectives. the Germans had machine guns positioned to cover the bridge and halted their advance. Lt Col Charles Merritt won the Victoria Cross by repeatedly crossing the bridge to show it was feasible and spur on his men to get across. Only 341 men reached the landing craft for withdrawal.

A slightly successful element of the raid was an attempt to infiltrate a radar expert into a German station to gain intelligence on their workings. The commando team couldn't get him inside their defenses, b; but, he did manage to sever their phone wires and forced them to communicate via radio, which was intercepted and recorded for study. The information gave a great insight into German radar installations and density and helped to develop jamming techniques.

Red and White Beaches came under intense fire and the Canadians lacked armor support and their reinforcements were brought to bear too late. Again they suffered heavy casualties. Air operations proved effective enough to keep the Luftwaffe away from the area, during operations, one of the few successes. The Germans even captured copies of the Dieppe plans, which allowed them to study them and beef up defenses along the Atlantic Wall. The Allies learned everything not to do, which influenced planning for Normandy.

On August 7th, the US Marines made their first landings int he island hopping campaign, in the Solomon Island Chain, at Tulagi, the Florida Island, and Guadalcanal. Tulagi had a large natural harbor and a Japanese seaplane base, while Florida Island dominated the harbor. 3,000 Marines landed at Tulagi and secured it in two days, all but wiping out the Japanese defense forces, after intense and difficult fighting. The Marines were largely uncontested at Guadalcanal and soon moved inland, aiming to capture the Japanese airfield that was under construction, which led to it being hastily added to the targeted islands. The marines made steady advance and secured the airfield by 1600 on the 8th. The captured food and equipment left by the Japanese, after heavy naval bombardment led the construction units to flee the area. The Japanese launched aircraft from Rabaul and attacked the supporting ships damaging a destroyer and setting a transport on fire (and ultimately sinking it). The US lost 19 fighters in air engagements, to the Japanese 36. Adm Fletcher, worried about the loss of aircraft, withdrew his task force, while still unloading men and equipment. On the night of the 8th, a convoy of ships from Rabaul attacked the US escorts and sank 4 cruisers (1 Aussie and 3 Yank) and damaged 3 other ships, but did not attack transports when they had the opportunity. the Marines were left without heavy equipment, ammunition and rations. The Marines worked quickly and extended tremendous efforts to set up a defensive perimeter around Lunga Point and the airfield and to finish the airfield to allow air transport resupply and fighter protection. They moved supplies within the perimeter in staging dumps. By the 18th, Henderson Field (named after a downed pilot at the Battle of Midway) was operational. The Marines were surviving on the 5 days worth of rations they came ashore with and captured Japanese rice, subsisting on 2 meals a day. Dysentery also affected 1 in 5 Marines.

The Japanese would launch a counter attack on the 21st, at what was known as Alligator Creek, in the Battle of Tenaru. A coastwatcher spotted their movements and warned the Marines, who were prepared with artillery and machine guns and slaughtered the Japanese, inflicting 700+ casualties on the force of 900, with the loss of 60 Marines. Guadalcanal would continue to be a battle ground until the end of the year. Witnessing the Battle of Tenaru was Marine PFC Robert Leckie, who wrote of the killing in his memoir, A Helmet for My Pillow. Leckie was a sportswriter who enlisted in the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor and would serve at Guadalcanal and Cape Glouscter, in New Britain (off New Guinea) and then at Peleliu, where he was wounded. He was driven to write his memoir after walking out of a showing of the movie version of South Pacific, telling his wife Vera that people had to know the truth about the fighting. His book would form part of the research material for the HBO mini-series, The Pacific. Leckie would go on to wrote several books of US military history, from the French & Indian War on up through Vietnam. I have read his George Washington's War, covering the Revolution, and his overall history of WW2, which are excellent general histories of those subjects. Leckie also wrote several novels and works for children.

The last ite, is the Makin Island Raid. The US Marines eventually acted upon suggestions from LTCol Evans Carlson to create the 2nd Raiding Battalion, to employ training and disciplinary techniques he observed with Mao's forces in China. His men were trained in long, hard marches, living on a diet of rice, bacon and raisins, as the Japanese, and to act as a cohesive unit. Operational plans were dissected by all ranks, with everyone free to speak. They espoused gung ho, or fighting spirit, a term which was used in a derogatory manner by other elements of the Marines who disliked the radical Carlson and his men. Carlson had the advantage of a friendship with FDR's son, which got him support at the War Department, which ruffled feathers. A plan was put together to land an element of the Marine Raiders on the Makin Island atoll and attack the garrison there, launching rubber rafts from the USS Nautilus. The plan called for landings at two beaches; but, failures of outboard motors and heavy surf lead Carlson to land all of his men on one beach. A lieutenant Peatross and his 12 men didn't get the word and arrived at their designated landing area nd moved inland. The main force engaged the Japanese and met heavy resistance, but wiped out the Japanese, while Peatross' group arrived behind the Japanese and finished them off. Withdrawing the men proved difficult. Peatross and his men withdrew as planned, after never making contact with Carlson. Heavy surf inhibited Carlson's group and many had to abort. A second attempt was made in the morning but only 7 boats made it to the sub. The sub sent a rescue boat, with a rope line, to make transit easier, but the arrival of Japanese planes forced the sub to crash dive. The sub resurfaced after dark and the Marines finally made it off the island, though 9 were unwittingly left behind. The raid got great press coverage as a morale boost, though it held little strategic value. however, they were the first group to successfully engage the enemy and defeat them, as fighting on Guadalcanal was still raging. Carlson's methods were heavily criticized within the Marine Corps and no new raids were planned. However. the 2nd Raider Battalion was used to conduct deep penetration patrols on Guadalcanal, where they proved very effective in fighting the Japanese and carrying out reconnaissance. It was here that the marine Raiders really built their name.

All-Star Squadron #36



Captain Marvel vs Superman

The greatest grudge match of the century; but, DC Comics is booking it, so guess who's going to "do the job?"

Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor/dreamer, Rich Buckler-pencils, Richard Howell-inks, Cody Weiss-letters, Carl Gafford-colors

Synopsis: Superman, Batman, Hawkman, The Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman have been assembled; but, this is Earth-2, 1942. This is the Justice Society of America!



They watch newsreel footage, from Britain, as scenes unfold of the German's latest weapon: a flying super being...



The figure destroys aircraft; but, lets the pilots parachute to safety. Bullets do no harm. Churchill sends up The Shining Knight to face him and his enchanted lance has some effect, but does not defeat the man. The flying man is stunned and Sir Justin draws his enchanted sword and continues the attack, but the flying figure is ready. He unseats Sir Justin, who plummets earthward, saved by Winged Victory, who dives after his master...



The screen finishes with footage of another weapon sent against the Nazis, the Blackhawks. Superman is angry and downcast. The term "Super-Nazi" hits too close to home. He wants to do something about it. Plastic Man, the FBI liason to the All-Star Squadron, turns up to tell them they are wanted at the White House. As the walk past a newsstand, Superman grabs a comic, featuring Captain Marvel and points to him as the Super-Nazi. It makes no sense. Hawkman (and Roy) points out that the idea o a "superman" didn't originate with the Man of Steel, that even Nietzsche had written of the "ubermensch." Superman burns the comic with his heat vision and takes off for London. The debate lasts 2 seconds and the JSA follow. They miss seeing two figures who wave to them, trying to attract their attention...



In Berlin, der fuhrer waits the Super-Nazi, while Goering sucks up. Finally, Hauptmann Wunder arrives...



They have reports of Superman crossing the Atlantic and Herr Schickelgruber orders Der Großer Roter Käse to go meet him and kill him. Hauptmann Wunder is a bit reluctant to kill and Hitler rants at him. He then meets with the engineer, Gootsden, who seems to be at the heart of this. They go into the next room, where a boy is bound and gagged with iron...



At the White House, the JSA meet with FDR and he tells them he invoked his war powers and confiscated all copies of the newsreel, for morale. he then introduces them to The Man Known as Intrepid, William Stephenson. He briefs the JSA; but we are kept out of the loop.

Meanwhile, Superman arrives in London, to face an anti-aircraft barrage. He flies past and lands at a hospital, where he finds Sir Justin. Sir Justin briefs him on his battle with Hauptmann Wunder and describes how he seemed vulnerable to magic. They are interrupted by an air raid and the Mountain has come to Mohammed.



The battle is fierce and Superman burns him with his heat vision, but Hauptmann Wunder lays him out. Green Lantern grabs him with his ring; but, Wunder is able to slowly move through the energy. He punches GL, who reapplies the ring as a facefull of green fire, blinding Wunder. Hawkman joins the fight, followed by Batman and Wonder Woman, in her invisible plane. Hauptmann Wunder turns away and speeds across the Channel. The others follow until Batman realizes what he is trying to do and yells a halt and GL stops Hawkman in time.



They regroup where Superman fell and confer, when they are interrupted by the two shadowy figures: Mary Batson and Freddy Freem; or, as they are better known, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr...



Thoughts: Excellent issue, as Roy sets up a major problem for the All-Stars, while also creating the mystery of how Captain Marvel came under the control of Adolf Hitler. How did he get to Earth-2, along with Junior and Mary? And where is Uncle Dudley? Are these the Earth-2 Marvels or are these the real World's Mightiest Family, of Earth-S? You're damn skippy I'm coming back next month, to find out!

Roy is an unabashed fan of the Marvels and he turned Marvel's trademark hostage into a modified version, a sort of Blue & Red Cheese, for a time, when he turned Rick Jones into an ersatz Billy Batson, switching places with Captain Mar-Vell. Now, he gets to handle the real deal. And he handles him well. Buckler is another fan and he goes to town on this, just as he did in the Superman vs Shazam Collector's Edition (which gave Alex Ross the idea for Captain Marvel battering Superman with his magic lightning, with rapid changes between Captain Marvel and Billy Batson). This looks sensational and I still wish he had stayed on the book, as he is the best artist for the material, next to Da Ordster!

Roy reminds us in the letters page that DC was then only licensing the Marvels from Fawcett, and only the Marvels, as a writer requests seeing Spy Smasher and other Fawcett heroes (as well as more Quality heroes and Spirit buddies, which were owned by Will Eisner). At first, DC licensed Captain Marvel, but added some of the other Fawcett heroes, with permission. However, there came a point where Fawcett was only licensing the Marvel Family. DC was somewhat limited in what they could do with them, for whatever reason. Eventually, DC would outright purchase the Marvel Family and characters, possibly all of the Fawcett heroes, though I have never seen that element confirmed. Jerry Ordway did use Bulletman, Spy Smasher and Minute Man in The Power of Shazam and Alex Ross had new versions, in Kingdom Come.

Roy would get to do more with Captain Marvel, when he wrote the Shazam: The New Beginning mini-series, drawn by Tom Mandrake, where he created a new post-Crisis Captain Marvel, along with Black Adam and Dr Sivana. Unfortunately, aside from a story in Action Comics Weekly, that was it for The Big Red Cheese, until Ordway's Power of Shazam graphic novel. Well, Cap did get used in the Legends mini (which set up the Shazam mini) and in Justice League (also set up by Legends).

This time, I think Roy has a better focus on the story that fans want to read, rather than playing continuity contractor and mixing in distracting subplots.

Historical Notes: Roy brings in William Stephenson and mentions him being the liason between he and Churchill, even before the US entry into the war. Stephenson was Canadian and served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, which was broken up among other regiments and he ultimately ended up attached to the Royal Flying Corps, when he was released from the Canadian military and signed into the Corps. He flew Sopwith Camels (alongside a funny looking kid, with a big nose) and had 12 kills to his name, before being shot down behind the lines and was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was released in Oct 1918. He returned to Canada and went into business, but was not successful. He went back to England and established successful businesses, including a patent for transmitting pictures via radio transmission, which earned him a fortune. he married an American tobacco heiress and diversified into several businesses. He was recruited by British intelligence and sent to the US to run the British Security Coordination, which was tasked in investigating enemy activity, protect British property from sabotage, and influence American public opinion to aid the British. A large segment of their efforts were geared towards bringing the US into the war, with the British, creating pro-British propaganda and letters to editors of newspapers and the like. Stephenson also acted as an advisor to FDR, on security matters. It was Stephenson who advised FDR to appoint Col. William J Donovan as the head of the newly formed Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which was to coordinate intelligence gathering for the US and would evolve into the post-war CIA. He was also one of the few trusted with raw ULTRA decodes and given authority to pass on what he deemed necessary to the US and other allies. He was not, however, a liason between Churchill and Roosevelt and Roy seems to be basing his information on the now-discredited book, A Man Called Intrepid, by William Stevenson (not different spelling, as it isn't the memoirs of the man, himself). Many claims maid in the book have been proven false or misleading and there is even question that Intrepid was his code name, with evidence that this was the telegraphic address for the BSC. Much of the scholarship that refuted Stevenson's narrative came after this comic was written; so, it's not Roy's fault. Years later, conservative revisionists who have tried to repaint FDR as colluding with Churchill to force the US into WW2 have played up the Stephenson angle. The reality is far more complex. FDR was certainly sympathetic to the British cause and could see that the US was likely to become embroiled with the war, at some point. He also was wary of German influence in Europe, both pre-war and its conquest, during.

War with Japan had been brewing for some time and the idea that Roosevelt "allowed" the Pearl harbor attack to happen is ridiculous. War plans had foreseen the possibility of an attack on the US Pacific fleet at Pearl harbor, for the precise reason that it was home port to the fleet. It was the reason Hawaii was annexed int he first place (along with economic considerations). The very reason was that the Japanese did the same thing in 1904, against the Russian naval base at Port Arthur, in Manchuria, launching a surprise attack on their fleet. However, wartime intelligence suggested the greater threat was to US interests in the Philippines, rather than an attack on Pearl Harbor. The Navy believed that the shallower waters of Pearl Harbor made it invulnerable to torpedo attack, until the Japanese disproved this by training their pilots to make shallower torpedo runs. No, the Navy expected an attack on the Philippines, which is why the garrison there had been strengthened, before the war. It was a failure of intelligence, both the gathering of information and imagination to see how the unexpected could be accomplished. This kind of institutional thinking has plagued militaries and governments for centuries. What is true is that Roosevelt agreed with Churchill that stopping the Nazis was the greater priority and the Pacific Theater was woefully under-equipped to carry out their missions, for nearly 2 years. However, Japanese strategy had always been built around securing territories for raw materials and food, while establishing a system of fortified island bases to protect the Japanese sphere of influence. The attack on Pearl Harbor was not intended to conquer America; but to prevent it intervening on their planned attacks across the South and Central Pacific, to create that line of defense, while conquering the lands that could provide fuel and mineral resources.

September 1942-

Fighting continues on Guadalcanal, as the US controls part of the island, around the captured airfield, which has been renamed Henderson Field.

On September 2, the Small Scale Raiding Force, aka No. 62 Commando, carried out Operation Dryad, and attack on the Channel island of Les Casquets, near Alderny. A lighthouse there was used as an observations point, as some of the fastest currents in the English Channel flowed past there, making it an ideal sailing area. The British deemed it ideal for a commando raid and had planned several previous ones that were cancelled, due to weather. The team traveled on a motor torpedo boat (known as The Little Pisser) and landed secretly, catching the garrison completely by surprise and capturing 7 prisoners without firing a shot. They eventually captured 19 prisoners, where mission planning had only accounted for 10. The men were taken back to England, after the commandos seized intelligence material, smashed the radio, and dumped the German weapons into the sea. The Germans were oblivious until they stopped receiving reports and sent a scouting party. They ended up re-garrisoning the lighthouse with a stronger force. The activities of the SSRF led to a later mission, where escaping German prisoners were shot, leading Hitler to issue the "Commando Order," which dictated that captured special raiding forces were to be treated as spies and executed. The orders were kept secret, given to senior commanders, though many, including Rommell, never disseminated the order to their subordinates. There were executions committed though and charges were brought at the war crimes trials. Gen Anton Dostler was sentenced to death for carrying out the order, with the court rejecting the legality of the order. It was used as part of the convictions of Generaloberst Alfred Jodl and Field Marshal Wilhem Keital, both of whom were hung.

The Germans attempt to liquidate the Lachwa Ghetto, in Poland, leads to the first uprising in an occupied territory. Others would follow, including the mass Warsaw Uprising. Jews in Wolbrom, Poland, were rounded up by Germans and Ukranians and completely wiped out. A memorandum issued by August Frank gives specifications for the disposition of confiscated property from "evacuated" (murdered) personnel. Money was confiscated by the state and paid into an SS Reichsbank account. Watches and similar possessions were repruposed for sale at post exchanges, for frontline troops. Clothing and household goods, especially fine fabrics and furnishings, were turned over to the Volksdeutche Mittlestelle, for redisposition to ethnic German populaces, outside of Germany. women's silk underwear and furs were highly prized.

The Japanese submarine, I-25 surfaced off the Oregon coast and launched a floatplane to drop two incendiary bombs on forrested areas, to create a wildfire. However, the bombs were not dropped at the correct height and forestry service personnel were able to contain it.


(The float plane hanger is the elongated bubble, forward of the coning tower, and the launch rail extends up towards the bow)

A second bombing was attempted with negligible damage.

Both the Womens Auxiliary Flying Squadron and the Womens Flying Training Detachment were established. These groups were merged, in 1943, to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who ferried airccraft to military posts, towed targets for gunnery practice, transported cargo, and simulated strafing missions for training purposes. The group were civilian women pilots and were not given military status. Still, 38 women lost their lives in flying missions and one was missing, presumed dead. They were not granted veteran status until 1977, denying them both the recognition and benefits due to them for their service, which allowed male pilots to go to combat postings. I first learned about the pilots while touring Wright-Patterson Air Museum, which had a display dedicated to the women of the WASPs. To the best of my knowledge, Marvel never linked Janet Van Dyne to the real WASPs, even as inspiration for her name. Someone needs to get on that.

SOE agents Andree Borrell and Lise de Baissac became the first female agents parachuted into occupied France, to coordinate Restance activity. Borrell had been a nurse and served with the Red Cross, and had worked with British-coordinated Resistance operations, before being evacuated to England. She attempted to join the Free French, but they were only interested in information about her activities for the british, which she refused to divulge. She was recruited by the SOE, trained, and sent in to the Paris area, as part of the Prosper Cell, operating there. She became second in command of the group and was well regarded. She was betrayed and captured in a Gestapo raid, in 1943 and remained silent against interrogation. She was eventually removed to Germany and executed, in 1944.



Lise de Baissac was a British citizen, from a French family, on the island of Maritius. Her family relocated to Paris, in 1919. She fled to England after the Germans overran France and was recruited by the SOE. She was tasked with creating a new resistance cell. There job was to be a link to other cells, coordinating supply drops and sharing intelligence, in a secure area. She used the cover of amateur archeologist to scout potential drop zones in the countryside. After the Prosper network was blown (and Borrell captured) she was evacuated back to England and assisted in training other agents. and suffered a leg injury. When it healed, she was sent back into France to coordinate the Pimento network. She was reunited with her brother, who had joined the British Army, in France, before the French surrender, who was parachuted in to scout potential drop zones in Normandy. After D-Day, she collected information to pass to the advancing armies. When U forces arrived to liberate her area, she appeared in her First Aid Nursing Yeomanry uniform, which she had hidden away.



The exploits of these and other women were dramatized in the tv series Wish Me Luck, about SOE operations in France, and the film Les Femmes de l'ombre, aka Female Agents, with Sophie Marceau and Volker Bruch (star of Babylon Berlin).

 

The Japanese launched an attack on the Allied airfield at Milne Bay, on eastern New Guinea, as the result of poor intelligence as to the garrison's strength. The Japanese landed 12,500 troops of the Special Naval Landing Force (the Japanese "marines"), in the belief that the garrison had only between 300 and 600 men. However, the Allies had received ULTRA signals that indicated the Japanese targeting the airfield and had reinforced it heavily. The Japanese sent their force from Rabaul and coast watchers alerted the Allies, who sent bombers to scout for the raiding force. Bad weather hindered efforts, but, a portion that had stopped at Goodenough Island were spotted by Australian Kittyhawk planes and the landing barges strafed and destroyed, stranding about 300 men on the island. The main body was spotted, but weather again hindered the attacks and little damage was done. Australian forces were redeployed on the area to strengthen their line of defense. The Japanese landed and moved inland, with the support of 2 light tanks, but no air cover, as the Allies had shot down aircraft sent from Buna and aircraft from Rabaul were turned back due to weather. The Allies strafed supplies and landing barges, eliminating their use to outflank the Australians, after the initial landings. The japanese mete stiff resistance from the 61st Infantry Battalion, who fought a retreat, before being replaced by veteran Second Australian Imperial Forces, who held positions. The Japanese landed reinforcements, but were harrassed by shelling. The Australians counter-attacked. The Japanese planned to reinforce, but were unable to do so and remaining troops were withdrawn. The Australians brought in aircraft and maintained anti-shipping air patrols, allowing them to maintain the area. The troops on Goodenough Island remained stranded until October.

The battle resulted in the first decisive defeat of the Japanese on land and did much to boost Allied morale in Burma and along the Kokoda Track, on New Guinea, where fighting with the Japanese was ongoing. Here, and in fighting on Guadalcanal, the Japanese were increasingly being shown to be vulnerable and and end was coming to the myth of them being invincible fighters. However, as Guadalcanal would show, they would fight to the death, rather than surrender, if withdrawal was not possible. Victories over the Japanese would come, but the costs would be very high.

In the Atlantic, u-boats sink 6 ships in North Atlantic convoy ON-127 and German cruiser Stier and US Liberty Ship SS Stephen Hopkins engaged in a gun battle that ended in the sinking of both ships. It marked the first time a German vessel was sunk by an armed merchant ship. She had one 4 inch gun and 2 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, plus 6 machine guns.

One of the weaknesses of so many Golden Age comics was the lack of memorable villains. That was part of what made the Dick Tracy comic strip memorable and Bill Finger swiped the idea for Batman. Dc did a better job than most companies, though it took a while, for some characters. The Marvel Family had a pretty diverse bunch, which helped to fuel the epic serial The Monster Society of Evil. For many characters, the best they managed was one enemy. Crimebuster fought Iron Jaw, though he was scary enough that you could do a lot with him (and they did, enough for an entire book of reprint stories, from AC Comics). The MLJ heroes never really developed any, apart from The Skull, who was part of the Black Hood's origin and who fought him several times. Quality Comics were a bit lacking, in that department. So was Timely. Captain America had the Red Skull and that was pretty much the only major baddie, of any real stature.

You get a lot of murderers in hooded robes and fright masks, mad scientists, dictators, gangsters and petty thugs; but, not as many A-list villains.

I just want to throw in that this ending annoyed the crap out of me. I understand that Billy is supposed to be the lead 'relatable' character, I guess, but if he's the one that figures out the solution to the problem, what do we need the Wisdom of Solomon for?

Why should Batman be cool with a couple of kids, one on crutches, walking deep in the heart of Nazi Country? After all, he decided to recruit a teenager (what is Robin at first, like 13) to help him fight dangerous, armed criminals.