All-Star Comics #22 is an issue of the series All-Star Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1944.
Synopsis for Justice Society of America: "A Cure for the World"
PROLOGUE: On his way to the Justice Society of America meeting, Doctor Mid-Nite sees a pair of boys beating up on a third because he attends a different church. Dr. Mid-Nite shows the two aggressors the error of their ways, and takes the third boy with him to the Justice Society meeting. Wondering how to solve the problem of intolerance, the heroes invoke the living spirit of Conscience, who sends the members to different past eras where they assume native identities to battle prejudice of different kinds.
HAWKMAN: Hawkman becomes Ga, a caveman, and helps a weak artist, who is persecuted because the tribe does not understand his value of creativity.
STARMAN: Starman becomes Master Theodoratus, a member of the ancient Greek ruling class. He leads a slave army at the battle of Thermopylae to convince the Greeks that slaves are equal to free men.
JOHNNY THUNDER: Johnny Thunder becomes Johnny the shepherd in Medieval England and tries to convince the local Baron that serfs are people. Although he fails, he endears himself to the Baron, who makes Johnny his court jester. Johnny is so successful as a jester (helped in large part by the Thunderbolt's tickling of his audience) that the Baron allows him to enter a jousting tournament to prove the worth of all serfs, which Johnny wins and is knighted.
ATOM: The Atom becomes Nathaniel Pratt in Salem during the witch trials. He saves a woman who has been accused of witchcraft. After he takes her home, he fights off an angry mob that's come to kill her.
DR. MID-NITE: Dr. Mid-Nite becomes Doctor De Nider, a doctor in France during the French Revolution. He convinces an angry mob that the local Duc believes in democracy, and should not be killed merely because he's a nobleman.
SPECTRE: Spectre does not assume a new identity when he travels to New York in 1815. He protects an inventor and his new motor from factory workers who are afraid that the motor will cost them their jobs.
EPILOGUE: After completing their missions, the individual members are drawn back to headquarters. Because they were all successful, the spirit of Conscience rewards them by telling them that the solution to intolerance and prejudice is understanding. Determined to carry on spreading the message of understanding and unity, the JSA starts by organizing a rally at the school of the boy Dr. Mid-Nite brought to headquarters.
Appearing in Justice Society of America: "A Cure for the World"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- the Thunderbolt
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Baron Lotlance
- The Conscience of Man (First appearance)
- Duc D'Ormonde
- Duc De Harigny
- Galen
- Leonidas
- The 300 Spartans (Mentioned only)
- Mother Rathlow
- Phidias
- Robert Fulton
- Stephen Hare
- Tow
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "Lend-Lease for China"
Hop Harrigan and Tank Tinker fly a transport plane along the Calcutta to Chungking route, where previous transports had disappeared. Japanese fighters appear and escort the transport to a hidden mountain hanger. Before entering the hanger, Tank drops Hop's fighter out the of the transport, and Hop and Tank proceed to destroy the fighters and the base.
Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "Lend-Lease for China"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Major Hilton
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero
- Stinger
Notes
- With this issue of All-Star Comics, the Justice Society of America trim their membership from nine to seven members. There is no in-universe explanation for the change, nor any comment about what became of Sandman and Dr. Fate (who are no longer members). In the real world, the change was dictated by ongoing paper shortages that caused all comic books to reduce their page counts. The popularity of Dr. Fate and Sandman was faltering with readers, so they were deemed the most expendable by the DC / All-American editors. (both heroes would lose their individual series around this time as well.)
- Reprinted in All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 5.
See Also