Issue Description

The Hawkman soars in the skies over San Francisco. The Hawkman flies alongside a half dozen B-17 Bombers. Piloting one of the bombers is astronomer Ted Knight. Suddenly, a strange mechanical eye appears in the sky. The light the eye emits shuts down one of the B-17 Bomber's engines. Knight excuses himself from the cockpit, to take action as the Starman. The Starman uses the power of his gravity rod to keep the bomber aloft, until it's engines restart. The Hawkman engages the flying eye, but finds it's protected by a field that slows his approach. The Hawkman catches a man, who falls from the flying eye.

The Starman teams-up with the Hawkman. The flying eye neutralizes their individual flying technology. Before the Hawkman, and the Starman, fall to their deaths, their flight powers return. The Starman returns to his B-17 Bomber. The Hawkman asks the Starman how he made officer so fast. The Starman reveals that he called in a favor from the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Hawkman realizes that the man he caught, who fell from the flying eye, is dead. The Hawkman also realizes that he knows the man. The Hawkgirl, Johnny Quick, and the Shining Knight meet, to watch the sun rise over the Washington Monument.

There they run afoul of saboteurs, intent on destroying the Washington Monument. Though dealt a momentary setback, Johnny Quick is able to stop the saboteurs from detonating their explosives. The Hawkgirl, and the Shining Knight, subdue and bind the saboteurs. The Japanese attack an American outpost, in the Pacific Ocean. The American military responds to the attack. Doctor Charles McNider joins the action, as Doctor Mid-NIte. The flying eye appears in the sky, rendering all aircraft engines inoperative. Doctor Mid-Nite battles Japanese paratroopers. The flying eye departs. The Japanese break off their attack.

The Atom, and Liberty Belle, escort Roosevelt to the guest quarters housing the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The Atom, Liberty Belle, and Roosevelt walk in on Churchill in a state of undress. Churchill is non-plussed by their intrusion. Roosevelt proposes changing the Allies' name to "The United Nations". The German army battles the Russian army in the Crimean Peninsula. The flying eye appears in the sky, rendering all tanks inoperative, save one. The sole tank outside the flying eye's sphere of influence fires on the flying eye. That tank is in turn destroyed, when the flying eye fires back. As the flying eye departs, the war resumes.

Robotman finishes Commander Steel's diagnostic. Commander Steel, and Robotman, suddenly collapse. Moments later, they regain their motor functions. Racing outside, they see the flying eye in the sky. As the flying eye passes overhead, automobiles become inoperative. The flying eye travels to the White House, where it is confronted by the All-Star Squadron. The flying eye incinerates the White House Christmas Tree. A strange figure teleports down from the flying eye. Johnny Quick attacks, but is repelled. The Firebrand's attack is also ineffective. An alien being emerges from the teleport beam, plants a flag, and declares the Earth the property of the Binary Brotherhood.

Note- This issue also features All-Star Squadron Fact Files on the Atom, Liberty Belle, and the Starman, providing personal, and publication. history for each hero.

All-Star Squadron

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

"Come with us now to Earth-Two, and the awesome origin of the All-Star Squadron!"

Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler, Jerry Ordway (credited here as Jeremiah Ordway!) along with editor Len Wein, letterer John Costanza and colorist Carl Gafford begin the wartime adventures of the Golden-Age heroes of the DC Universe. Writer Roy Thomas is no stranger to World War II, or wartime comic book super-heroes having come off Marvel's WWII super-team, The Invaders.

The world of Earth -2 was at war. In a dimension not unlike that of the Justice League on Earth - 1, the greatest heroes of the 1940s had banded together to form the Justice Society of America, but even that wasn't enough to battle the Axis powers plaguing their society. So, at the behest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a new, larger team was created to help unite the war torn country. The massive All-Star Squadron was formed, setting up their headquarters in the Perisphere at the heart of New York's World's Fair.

The creative team of writer Roy Thomas and artist Rich Buckler on "All-Star Squadron" offered readers a nostalgic glimpse back in time, albeit through the slightly distorted lens of Earth-2's history. In this popular series that ran for 67 issues, readers were treated not only to the adventures of the more familiar Justice Society, but also to every other mystery man of the time and dozens of minor heroes from DC's Golden Age, including the speedster Johnny Quick, the patriotic Liberty Belle, power houses Robotman and Commander Steel, and the 1940s versions of Batman and Robin.

With Thomas'comprehensive knowledge of the heroes and history of World War II era Americana, the All-Star Squadron was a certifiable hit, even if the Earth - 2 shattering events of DC's tumultuous "Crisis on Infinite Earths" maxi series of the mid-1980s took a toll on the book's continuity.

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