Issue Description

In Ottawa, the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder attempts to assassinate Great Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Liberty Belle, and the Shining Knight, rush the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder. The Schwarzer Meuchelmorder guns down a Canadian solider. The Schwarzer Meuchelmorder shoots the Shining Knight. The Shining Knight's armor proves sturdy enough to save his life, though he is still rendered unconscious. Liberty Belle evades the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder's weapon's fire, getting close enough to land a punch. The Schwarzer Meuchelmorder uses a flag to entangle Liberty Belle. The Schwarzer Meuchelmorder takes aim, again, on Churchill.

Before the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder can pull the trigger, he is struck, hard, by Steel, the Indestructible Man. Out of options, the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder detonates his explosive armaments. Steel, the Indestructible Man, dives on top of the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder, absorbing the explosive force of the villain's self-destruction. To the astonishment of Liberty Belle, and the Shining Knight, Steel, the Indestructible Man, lives up to his name. Badly injured, Steel, the Indestructible Man, passes his journal into Churchill's hands, then loses consciousness. The Shining Knight gets Steel, the Indestructible Man, to a hospital. Churchill finishes his speech.

Liberty Belle reports in to the All-Star Squadron. The President of the Untied States Of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, requests that Steel, the Indestructible Man, be brought back to Washington D.C. Doctor Allison discusses Steel, the Indestructible Man's unique physiology. Churchill has Liberty Belle read Steel, the Indestructible Man's journal. From the journal, Liberty Belle learns Steel, the Indestructible Man's civilian identity, that of Private Hank Heywood, as well as his origin. In February of 1940, Steel, the Indestructible Man, was on hand, in London, to thwart the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder's first assassination attempt on Churchill.

Somewhat overconfident, Steel, the Indestructible Man, managed to prevent the assassination, but the Schwarzer Meuchelmorder escaped. Churchill requested that Steel, the Indestructible Man, remain by his side, for protection. Steel, the Indestructible Man, reflected on his final days in New York. His mentor, Gilbert Giles, had suffered a massive heart attack, upon realizing that Steel, the Indestructible Man, was Heywood, the man engaged to marry Gilbert's daughter, Gloria. Heywood saved Gilbert's life, using the same Bio-Retardant formula that turned Heywood into Steel, the Indestructible Man. A pacifist, Gilbert gave Heywood a choice.

Gilbert asked Heywood to abandon his secret life as the militarist adventurer Steel, the Indestructible Man, or break off his engagement to Gloria. Heywood chose to continue his life, as Steel, the Indestructible Man. Churchill tasked Steel, the Indestructible Man, with abducting the Reichsfuhrer, Adolph Hitler. The bomber carrying Steel, the Indestructible Man, along with two British Commandos, was shot down by a pair of German Messerschmidts. Steel, the Indestructible Man, managed to destroy both aircraft. The remaining pages of Steel, the Indestructible Man's journal is blank, leaving the rest of his story known only to the man himself.

Baron Blitzkrieg keeps tabs on Churchill's position, via a tracking device. Kung, The Assassin Of A Thousand Claws, lands on the train, carrying Churchill to Washington, D.C. Kung uses his psychic powers to sedate all of the train's occupants. As Kung transforms into a tiger, he is confronted by the Hawkgirl. The Firebrand delivers Johnny Quick, and Robotman, to the Hawkgirl's aid. Kung, transformed into an eagle, manages to destroy the Hawkgirl's helmet, as well as her gravity-defying ninth metal belt. The Hawkgirl is thrown from the train. Johnny Quick rescues the Hawkgirl. Robotman confronts Kung, who transforms into a rhinoceros. Kung next transforms into a giant preying mantis.

As Robotman swings on Kung, the assassin shrinks to the size of an ordinary preying mantis. The momentum of Robotman's punch carries him off the train. The Firebrand, the Hawkgirl, and Johnny Quick, race to catch up with the train. Kung confronts Churchill. Kung begins strangling Churchill. Steel, the Indestructible Man, begins strangling Kung. To escape, Kung transforms, once again, into an eagle, and flies away. Baron Blitzkrieg is furious that Kung's assassination attempt nearly derailed Baron Blitzkrieg's own plans. Unbeknownst to Churchill, and the All-Star Squadron, Steel, the Indestructible Man, is working for Baron Blitzkrieg.

This issues also contains All-Star Squadron Fact Files on Johnny Quick, Robotman, and the Shining Knight, providing publishing history, origins, powers and abilities for each hero.

Note: This issue contains material that was unpublished following the so-called DC Implosion which saw the cancellation of Steel the Indestructible Man.

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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