Issue Description

Akhet, representative of the Binary Brotherhood , lays claim to the planet, Earth. Akhet is confronted by the All-Star Squadron. Akhet issues an ultimatum, one of surrender or annihilation. Rashly, Commander Steel, the Hawkgirl, Johnny Quick, and Robotman attack Akhet. With a wave of his hand, Akhet repels the Hawkgirl, and Johnny Quick, while simultaneously immobilizing Commander Steel, and Robotman. The Atom, the Firebrand, Liberty Belle, and the Shining Knight attack Akhet. A levitation beam carries Akhet back to his flying eye. Akhet abducts Commander Steel, and the Hawkgirl. The Atom, and Liberty Belle, tackle Akhet. Akhet repels the Atom, and Liberty Belle.

Akhet throws Commnader Steel, and the Hawkgirl, into the Flying Eye's levitation beam. Despite Firebrand's best efforts to stop him, Akhet abducts the Atom, and Robotman. The Shining Knight fails to stop Akhet. The United States Army fails to stop Akhet. With four members of the All-Star Squadron taken captive, Akhet departs. The Army Air Corps, along with the Shining Knight, attacks the flying eye. All are defeated. The Flying Eye departs the United States of America, for Europe. After passing over Great Britain, and France, the Flying Eye journeys to Germany. Akhet confronts the Reichsfuhrer, Adolf Hitler, to issue his ultimatum. In short order, Akhet issues his ultimatum to the leaders of Russia, China, Italy and Japan.

The All-Star Squadron convenes a meeting, with the President of the Untied States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The Allied leaders consider uniting with the Axis leaders against Akhet. Gunfire draws the All-Star Squadron, heralding the arrival of the Hawkman. Upon identification of their target, the sentries cease fire. The Hawkman sheds light on the Akhet situation. In an earlier encounter with the Flying Eye, the Hawkman caught a corpse, dropped from the flying eye. The Hawkman recognized the dead man as Garrett Owens, a bio-chemist. Owens' collar bore the old alchemist's symbol for the Spirit Of The World.

The same emblem adorns Akhet's flag. Garret had been missing for nine years. The Atom, and the Hawkgirl, regain consciousness, aboard the Flying Eye. The Atom discovers a hidden door. The Hawkgirl hands the Atom a glass dagger, to pry the door open. The Hawkgirl reflects on retrieving the dagger from her headquarters, in New York City. Using the dagger, the Atom is able to open the door. Following a clue connecting Garrett to a brain trust, unearthed by Johnny Quick, the All-Star Squadron journeys to the estate of Elwood P. Napier, the world's greatest physio-mathematician. The All-Star Squadron find Napier's estate abandoned.

The Hawkmna recognizes a face in one of Napier's photographs. Before he can get a closer look, the photographs all burst into flame. The Atom, and the Hawkgirl, ambush Akhet. To their surprise, Akhet proves to be no more than a mannequin. The Atom, and the Hawkgirl, discover a chamber, holding a number of long-missing scientists, in large glass tubes. Among the imprisoned scientists are Commander Steel, and Robotman. Doctor Hastor reveals his presence.

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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