All-American Comics #41 is an issue of the series All-American Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1942.
Synopsis for Green Lantern: "The Tribe of Terror"
Lone Hawk, the son of a dead Indian chief, returns to his people after studying at a white man's university. He's ridiculed for his clothes and behavior, and even more when he tries to talk his people out of their ancient worship of the great Buffalo Spirit. Lone Hawk's attempts to go to the Indian Affairs office for help are foiled when Wycker, a lawyer working on behalf of the tribe, brings up freedom of religion rights, causing Lone Hawk's case to be thrown out. He sneaks along to watch a ritual for the great Buffalo Spirit, noticing the tribe offering piles of red stones, which they'd never done before. When he investigates after the ritual, realizes they're valuable cinnabar. Unfortunately for him, Lone Hawk's caught in the act and bopped on the head by those responsible. Meanwhile, Alan Scott, Irene Miller and Doiby Dickles show up from across the country to broadcast a story on the tribe, only to be told by Lone Hawk's uncle, Blue Claw, that white men aren't welcome there. Lone Hawk's old girlfriend, Sunbright, interrupts and says Lone Hawk's gone missing. Irene appeals to Alan for help, but he demurs. That is, until he has a chance to slip away and become Green Lantern.
Some criminals kidnap Sunbright and Green Lantern follows them, but is brained by their boss throwing a rock, a non-metal that his powers don't protect him against. Green Lantern wakes up to find himself being thrown into a snake pit by the head of the operation, Jay Wycker, but escapes by burning his ropes away with his ring. Following the gang, they lead the hero to a factory where the cinnabar's being processed into mercury, and on the way grabs Lone Hawk's uncle, Blue Claw, so he can see the duplicity of Wycker's operation. Joining Doiby in beating up Wycker's gang, Green Lantern makes short work of them. Blue Claw realizes Lone Hawk only wanted the best for his people, and they decide to commandeer Wycker's factory and use the wealth from the mercury for the good of the tribe.
Appearing in Green Lantern: "The Tribe of Terror"
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Antagonists:
- Jay Wycker (attorney)
- Bear-Man
Other Characters:
- Irene Miller
- Lone Hawk
- Sunbright
- Chief Blue Claw
- Snakes
Locations:
- Tsichah Tribe Reservation Home
Items:
- Green Flame Power Ring
- Cinnabar
- Buffalo Spirit totem
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Synopsis for Atom: "The Society of the Black Dragon"
Appearing in Atom: "The Society of the Black Dragon"
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Synopsis for Doctor Mid-Nite: "Dr. McNider Appeals to Patriots"
Appearing in Doctor Mid-Nite: "Dr. McNider Appeals to Patriots"
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- Slimey Gats
- Lefty
- Benny
- Hugo Schultz
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Synopsis for Sargon: "The Barber Shop Gangsters"
Arriving in a new town, Sargon stops off at the first barbershop he sees for a shave, only to find out a gang of hoods have tied up and impersonated the real barbers in order to extort an envoy of a foreign country into signing over all their national funds to the traitors who've overthrown the government. Sargon easily corrals and torments the hoods with his magic, and compels one to be dragged back to his employers by his necktie. Once there, the foreign spies try to incinerate incriminating documents, but Sargon magically restores them. He leaves the foreign envoy they were trying to coerce holding them up at gunpoint until the FBI get there. Back at the barbershop, the hood relates to his compatriots how much more rewarding being good is. Meanwhile, Sargon finally sits down to get his shave.
Appearing in Sargon: "The Barber Shop Gangsters"
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Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "The Blueprints"
Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "The Blueprints"
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Synopsis for Scribbly: "The Broken Window"
Appearing in Scribbly: "The Broken Window"
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Synopsis for Red, White, and Blue: "Death Test"
Appearing in Red, White, and Blue: "Death Test"
Featured Characters:
- Red, White, and Blue
- Red Dugan, USMC
- Whitey Smith, USA
- Blooey Blue, USN
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- Doris West, G2
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Notes
- These stories are from the 1940s. In the context in that period, the Native Americans are referred as "Indians", which sounds "politically incorrect" today. Comic book stories from 1942 may depict some ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American culture. Such depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While not representing the DC Comics view of today's society, these stories are being indexed and summarized as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.
- During this part of Green Lantern's career, any non-metal objects could hurt him, not only wood. A Native Indian manages to head-konk him him with a stone.
- Also appearing in this issue of All-American Comics was:
- Mutt & Jeff // Cicero's Cat (newspaper strip reprints) by Al Smith
Trivia
- Tsichah is a fictional tribe.
- The Buffalo spirit worshipped by Tsichah might be an allusion to one of two Lakota personified concepts:
1) Ta Tanka (Great Beast) - The male Buffalo spirit of plenty. 2) Tatankan Gnaskiyan (Crazy Buffalo) - The malevolent spirit who wreaks havoc on love affairs, causing feuds, murders, and suicides.
- When asked if he would help a Native American girl, Alan Scott answers: "I am a radio engineer, not Hiawatha." Hiawatha was a precolonial Indian leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accounts, he was born an Onondaga but adopted into the Mohawks.
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