Sensation Comics #23 is an issue of the series Sensation Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1943.
Synopsis for Wonder Woman: "War Laugh Mania"
Across the United States, thousands of factory workers contract a strange disease that makes them laugh to the point of exhaustion - and eventually, death. Concerned for these lost lives (as well as production), Washington deploys Steve and Diana to a local factory to investigate, with full cooperation from factory head Cyrus Knowles and his assistant, Eileen.
When a cursory inspection produces no leads, Diana convenes with the Holliday Girls, who agree to go undercover as factory workers. In time, all the Holliday Girls contract "War Laugh Mania" - except Etta, who is too short for the factory's standard uniform and thus works in home clothes. From this, Etta correctly deduces that the disease is carried by germ-tainted uniforms, distributed to unsuspecting factories nationwide.
Meanwhile, Wonder Woman finds herself intervening against schoolyard bully Mugsy McGrew, who comes to admire her. At Mugsy's request, Wonder Woman visits the McGrew house, a broken home where Mugsy and his older sister are tyrannized by their father Pat, an unemployed drunk. To her shock, Wonder Woman finds Mugsy's sister is none other than Eileen; seconds after this discovery, Eileen attacks her father with a pistol and flees.
After saving the elder McGrew's life, Wonder Woman returns to the factory, where she convenes with Etta and puts a swift end to the tainted uniforms. Subsequently, the Amazon Princess is captured by Eileen, really an Axis-employed impostor; indeed, the whole factory management has been infiltrated by Axis spies, whose leader is currently masquerading as Knowles. The false Eileen, real name Magda, has Wonder Woman bound with processed steel and thrown into an underground cell with the real Eileen.
Undaunted, Wonder Woman telepathically sends plans to Steve, who relays them to Mugsy. Obediently, Mugsy enters the factory and loudly accuses the false Knowles of kidnapping. This panics the spies, giving Wonder Woman the opening to break free and - with Steve's help - unmask the entire operation. Once the spies are apprehended, their germ-breeding laboratory is quickly found and destroyed; the impersonated personnel are restored; and most heartening of all, a humbled Pat McGrew finds new employment as a war worker.
Appearing in Wonder Woman: "War Laugh Mania"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- (Impostor) Cyrus K. Knowles
- Magda
Other Characters:
- Pat McGrew (Single appearance)
- Eileen McGrew (Single appearance)
- Mugsy McGrew (Single appearance)
- Jimmy Simpson (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Washington, D.C.
- General Aircraft Plant
- McGrew Home
Items:
Synopsis for Black Pirate: "The King of Polonia"
Appearing in Black Pirate: "The King of Polonia"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Duke of Bellemead
- his lackeys
Other Characters:
- King of Polonia
Locations:
- Polonia
Era:
Vehicles:
- Valor's ship
Synopsis for Little Boy Blue: "Pies, Spies and Alibis"
Appearing in Little Boy Blue: "Pies, Spies and Alibis"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Dan Rogers
Antagonists:
- Spies
Locations:
Synopsis for Gay Ghost: "Broken Banzais"
Appearing in Gay Ghost: "Broken Banzais"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lt. Charles Collins (Appears only as a corpse)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Mr. Terrific: "The Battle of the Toy Soldiers"
Appearing in Mr. Terrific: "The Battle of the Toy Soldiers"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Harmonica Hal
- his gang
Other Characters:
- Chauncey Lowe
- Edgar Lowe (Dies)
Items:
- set of solid gold toy soldiers
Synopsis for Wildcat: "The Vanishing Suitors"
Appearing in Wildcat: "The Vanishing Suitors"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Custer
- Hoops
- his henchmen
Other Characters:
- Eve Borden
- her suitors
Locations:
- haunted house
- radium mine
Notes
- Published by J.R. Publishing Company.
- "War Laugh Mania" is reprinted in the following:
- 'Wonder Woman Archives Vol. 3'
- Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1
- Also appearing in this issue of Sensation Comics was:
- "Contract With Death, Part Two" (text story) by Evelyn Gaines
Trivia
- The fate of the real Cyrus Knowles is unmentioned, though his impostor claims Magda was too softhearted to kill him.