DC Database
DC Database
DC Database
131,431
pages
in: M.C. Gaines/Executive Editor, Frank Harry/Cover Artist, Gardner Fox/Writer,
and 66 more

All-Star Comics Vol 1 15

Sign in to edit

"The Justice Society of America: "The Man Who Created Images! Introduction"": It's time for the monthly meeting of the Justice Society! But… no-one shows up apart from their secretary Wonder Woman. The eight othe

Eight Swaggering Heroes! Eight Men Keen-Witted, Muscular and Daring!
— Brain Wave

All-Star Comics #15 is an issue of the series All-Star Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1943.

Synopsis for The Justice Society of America: "The Man Who Created Images! Introduction"

It's time for the monthly meeting of the Justice Society! But… no-one shows up apart from their secretary Wonder Woman. The eight other members all send letters of apology explaining that they cannot attend because they are involved in solving a difficult case. After reading each of the letters, Wonder Woman realizes that the cases are all connected, even if the individual members don't realize it. She rounds up the girlfriends of the various JSA members along with Peach Pet Thunder. After garbing themselves as their heroic romantic partners, the ladies head out to investigate this strange matter.

Appearing in The Justice Society of America: "The Man Who Created Images! Introduction"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:




Synopsis for Chapter 1: "Hawkman"

Hawkman is trying to stop murderers who turn invisible when they're touched. He searches a murdered man's apartment, which leads him to the crime boss "Tiny" Norman. Hawkman discovers that Tiny is only working for the Brain Wave, who has powerful psychic abilities and can make realistic images from sheer mental exertion.

Appearing in Chapter 1: "Hawkman"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 2: "Dr. Mid-Nite"

In his civilian guise of Dr. Charles McNider, Doctor Mid-Nite is approached by a sculptor who thinks he is going crazy because he sees his statues come to life and talk to him. Dr. Mid-Nite uncovers a plot to steal the sculptor's money by getting him committed to an asylum. After tracking down the leader of the plot, he is informed that the Brain Wave was behind the whole plot.

Appearing in Chapter 2: "Dr. Mid-Nite"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 3: "Johnny Thunder"

After getting a zero on his naval officer's exam Johnny Thunder has his Thunderbolt force him into a closed museum to do some studying. The museum happens to be where the Brain Wave keeps all of his loot from his robberies. Some of the exhibits come alive and the Thunderbolt deals with them. Then Johnny and the Thunderbolt find out the truth about the museum from the museum owner.

Appearing in Chapter 3: "Johnny Thunder"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 4: "The Atom"

The Atom investigates baseball slugger Johnny Spartan, who has suddenly gotten over his hitting slump but seems to be making deliberate fielding mistakes. Spartan beats his slump with help from an agent of the Brain Wave, and is throwing games as payback. Learning this, the Atom sends Spartan back to the agent to learn who is behind the gambling operation.

Appearing in Chapter 4: "The Atom"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 5: "The Sandman and Sandy"

Wesley Dodds and Sandy become targets of a criminal racket where people have realistic nightmares about the Sandman, only to be woken up and blackmailed by the Sandman. Realizing it's a trick, Wesley and Sandy defeat the phony Sandman only to have him disappear. Following the money of another victim, Sandman and Sandy track down the head of the operation, and also learn that the Brain Wave was behind the whole thing.

Appearing in Chapter 5: "The Sandman and Sandy"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 6: "Starman"

The Starman rescues physicist Edwin Ackerman from little phantoms who have been harassing and attacking him in an attempt to drive him insane. Starman learns that Ackerman has a childhood enemy, Henry King, who has always been able to control images. King vowed revenge when Ackerman later married their childhood playmate, Lucy. Starman pays a visit to King, but without proof of wrongdoing, can do nothing. When Starman returns to Ackerman, he finds two thugs trying to kill Lucy. Upon defeating them, he learns that the Brain Wave is the villain behind the attempted murder.

Appearing in Chapter 6: "Starman"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 7: "The Spectre"

The Spectre has similar trouble with disappearing villains. But after studying the crimes, he successfully predicts the next and forces the robbers to turn on their leader. Tracking down the leader, the Spectre also discovers the true mastermind.

Appearing in Chapter 7: "The Spectre"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Brain Wave (Mentioned only)
  • Big Turk Thompson and his gang

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for Chapter 8: "Dr. Fate"

"Fan" Gregory, a notorious hitman is trying to go straight after being released from prison. But the ghosts of the men he's killed are haunting him, insisting he give them the combination to a bank vault. Not knowing what else to do, Fan seeks help from Doctor Fate, who sets a trap at the bank, catching the crooks. Interrogating the crooks further, he finds that the ghosts were created by the Brain Wave.

Appearing in Chapter 8: "Dr. Fate"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for The Justice Society of America: "The Man Who Created Images! Conclusion"

Meanwhile, Brain Wave is preparing for the arrival of the Justice Society and reminiscing about his youth, as Henry King. Outcast by society, he finds he has the power to create three dimensional images of whatever person or persons he thinks of. Thus, he became the Brain Wave, master criminal and ruler of a network of frightened gangsters.

Wonder Woman and her gang arrive at Brain Wave's hideout first but get locked up when they follow Brain Wave's images of the Justice Society. The real Justice Society arrives and breaks in, undeterred by the Brain Wave's threats against their lady-friends, causing the desperate Brain Wave to gas the girls. Wonder Woman breaks out of the cell when she realizes she never lost her powers: her wrists weren't chained by the real Dr. Mid-Nite, only an image of him. This startles the Brain Wave, who falls backwards out of his tower, apparently to his death.

Appearing in The Justice Society of America: "The Man Who Created Images! Conclusion"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Brain Wave (First appearance historically)
    • Baldy
    • Big John Timberlake
    • Big Turk Thompson
    • Homer Nelson
    • Horatio Morrison
    • "Hunky" Pollak
    • "Runty" Becker
    • Stanley Cord
    • Sticker
    • "Tiny" Norman

Other Characters:

  • Attila the Hun (As an illusion only)
  • Charles Shannon
  • Edwin Ackerman
  • "Fan" Gregory
  • Hedda Shannon
  • Jason Shannon
  • Johnny Spartan
  • Julius Caesar (As an illusion only)
  • Sir Lancelot (As an illusion only)
  • "Lefty" Madden
  • Lucy Ackerman
  • Mark Nevil
  • Rubberman Nevil

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Sandmobile

Notes

  • Published bi-monthly by All-American Comics, Inc.
  • Reprinted in All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 4.
  • At the end of each individual adventure, all members set off after the Brian Wave and finish their apology letter to Wonder Woman.
  • This is Brain Wave's first historical appearance. He first appears chronologically in All-Star Squadron Vol 1 17. Brain Wave would be the JSA's most recurrent foe during the Golden Age and remained a persistent enemy throughout their history.
  • A Post-Crisis retcon of this story is shown in Starman Vol 2 69, but without Myra Mason and Mary James (although they are shown as daydreams).
  • In the above retcon, Hippolyta - who took on the mantle of Wonder Woman and traveled to the past in order to serve alongside the JSA (as per John Byrne's run on the Wonder Woman series in the 1990s) - substitutes for the Earth-Two Wonder Woman, who was erased from continuity at the time. The retcon also fixes a script error from this issue that implied that Doris Lee and Clarice Winston know the secret identities of Starman and Spectre respectively.
  • Peachy Pet is only a powerless kid in this time. She doesn't wear a heroic costume here. In the retcon, however, she does.
  • In Pre-Crisis continuity, Clarice Winston was not immortal. Therefore, she is really risking her life here.
  • While Inza only masquerades as Doctor Fate in this issue, she would adopt the identity again along with real magical powers in the post-Crisis DC universe.
  • This IS NOT the first appearance of Shiera Sanders as Hawkgirl. She first appeared as Hawkgirl in issue #5.
  • Also appearing in this issue was:
    • "Death Rays from the Sun" (text story, featuring Hop Harrigan)



See Also


Links and References
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms