The Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1981.
Synopsis for Batman: "The Origin of the Penguin!"
After losing his mother to a long illness and losing his parents' pet shop to creditors, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, who had been teased in childhood for his girth and walk and called a "penguin", turned against the law and fashioned the criminal identity of the Penguin. Now he confronts Batman once again during a bird-themed theft.
Appearing in Batman: "The Origin of the Penguin!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Mr. & Mrs. Cobblepot (Penguin's parents) (Single appearance; dies)
- Miranda Cobblepot (Penguin's aunt) (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Aquaman: "Aquaman, Coward-King of the Sea!"
This story is reprinted from Aquaman #29.
When the Ocean Master endangers all shipping via a booby-trapped whale that causes aquatic disasters, Aquaman and Aqualad are called upon to stop him. But Aquaman refuses to fight the Ocean Master, though he and Aqualad do destroy the whale. The Sea King explains that Ocean Master is really Orm Marius, his half-brother. Tom Curry, Aquaman's father, remarried after the death of Aquaman's Atlantean mother Atlanna and had another son, who naturally could not inherit Aquaman's water-breathing powers and was jealous of his older sibling; as a result of which he got into trouble with the law repeatedly. A blow to the head caused him amnesia, after which he eventually became Ocean Master. Though the villain gets away, Aquaman knows that he will face him again in the future, and does not know what his course of action will be.
Appearing in Aquaman: "Aquaman, Coward-King of the Sea!"
Featured Characters:
- Aquaman (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Ocean Master (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Captain "Forty-Knot" Burke
Locations:
Items:
- Automated Whale Hunter
- Torpedo
Vehicles:
- Various Naval Vessels
- Ocean Liner
- Ocean Master's Underwater Saucer
- Pontoon Plane
- Fishing Boats
Synopsis for Flash: "Here Comes Captain Boomerang!"
This story is reprinted from The Flash #117.
The W.W. Wiggins Game Company is looking to market play boomerangs as their next big sales sensation, and the owner W.W. Wiggin's puts out an advertisement looking for somebody to play the company mascot. "Digger" Harkness, a petty crook, decides to apply for the job to launch his own criminal career as Captain Boomerang, using gimmicked boomerangs to commit crimes.
When word of Captain Boomerang's first robbery reaches Barry Allen, who is out on a date with Iris West, he leaves to investigate. She wonders why Barry disappears whenever the Flash appears to fight crime. Confronting Captain Boomerang, the Flash falls for a sob story that he's on the straight and narrow and that he's working to help care for his elderly parents (really crooks in disguise).
Later, following more crimes of jewelry theft, Flash runs into Captain Boomerang again. Flash avoids the first boomerang but is struck from behind as Captain Boomerang had used a lightning boomerang to strike him from behind, knocking him out.
When he awakens, Flash finds himself tied to a giant boomerang, which the Captain launches into the ocean. However, the Flash manages to free himself by vibrating through the ropes and running across the ocean back to Central City. Flash captures Captain Boomerang and his criminals turning them over to the police.
At dinner, he explains to Iris that when he saw the boomerang he moved quickly, for once, to call the police to warn them. This quickly erases Iris' suspicions that Barry had a connection with the Flash.
Appearing in Flash: "Here Comes Captain Boomerang!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Captain Boomerang (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- W.W. Wiggins (First appearance)
Locations:
- Central City
- Bartier's Jewelery
- W.W. Wiggins Game Company
Items:
- Queen Ann Necklace
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Green Lantern: "The Shark That Hunted Human Prey!"
This story is reprinted from Green Lantern (Volume 2) #24.
Hal and Pieface are en route to meet up with Carol and Terga for an afternoon double date when Hal suddenly stops the car and tells Pieface to go without him and as quickly as possible, changes into Green Lantern and flies away. The reason why is such:
Prior to these events a nuclear test had caused a shark to mutate into a highly evolved humanoid shark form. The Shark becoming more and more intelligent begins telepathically seeking prey until it learns of Hal Jordan and his secret identity as the Green Lantern and sends a telepathic message challenging him. This is what had caused Hal to act so rashly so suddenly.
Rushing to charge his power ring, Green Lantern falls right into the Shark's trap, and is suddenly transported into a room that's completely yellow. The Shark appears and warns Green Lantern that he has sealed Coast City in a giant dome that will remain unless the Green Lantern can defeat him. Realizing the Shark's weakness is the cold, he uses his power ring to create a giant ice maker and knocks out the creature, then uses his power ring to change the Shark back to its original form and puts him in the local aquarium.
Changing back to Hal Jordan, he catches up with Pieface, Terga and Carol.
Appearing in Green Lantern: "The Shark That Hunted Human Prey!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Shark (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Hanson (Single appearance)
- Bill Bowery (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hawkman: "Shadow Thief of Midway City!"
This story is reprinted from The Brave and the Bold #36.
Midway City is plagued by a series of robberies by a new super-powered criminal known as the Shadow Thief. The authorities have a hard time capturing him because it's almost as though the Thief is a real shadow. Even when Hawkman and Hawkgirl try to stop him from robbing, but they manage to take pictures for their future reference.
The Thief returns to his trailer outside of town where we learn that he's really a criminal named Carl Sands, who had become obsessed with shadows once after he was arrested for robbery. Once he was released from prison he turned his obsession into a quest to learn how to literally become a shadow to further his own criminal ends. As fate would have it, one of his experiments allowed him to contact with a creature from another dimension who was trapped. With Sand's help the alien was freed and as thanks, the alien gave Sands a device called a dimensionometer to allow him to exist in both dimensions simultaneously and become a shadow on Earth.
Sands used the device to commit fantastic crimes, ignoring the warnings from the alien that further use of the dimensiometer would cause Earth to undergo another Ice Age.
Meanwhile, Hawkman and Hawkgirl have used their photographs to successfully learn Sand's true identity and come up with a plan to capture him. Going to his trailer, they secretly lift it high into the air before alerting Sands that they intend to capture him. As expected, Sands turns on the dimensiometer and dives out the door, only to find that he's thousands of feet up in the air and is at risk of falling to his doom. Unable to be rescued unless he turns off his dimensionmeter, Sands turns it off and tosses the device to Hawkgirl so that he may be save. He is then turned over to the authorities and Hawkman and Hawkgirl decide to keep the device in their museum.
Appearing in Hawkman: "Shadow Thief of Midway City!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- George Emmett
- Thar Dan (First appearance; unnamed)
Antagonists:
- Shadow Thief (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Michigan
- Xarapion (First appearance)
Items:
- Anti-Gravity Belt
- Dimensiometer (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Green Arrow: "Green Arrow vs. Red Dart"
This story is reprinted from World's Finest #95.
As Green Arrow and Speedy try to stop a series of robberies, they seem to always be behind the newest costumed hero, Red Dart. However, Red Dart is really criminal John "Midas" Mallory, who is in league with the gold thieves. The next night, when Green Arrow, Speedy and Red Dart all show up at the scene of the crime. Green Arrow captures the crooks and also ropes up Red Dart, having deduced his identity. To prove that Mallory was involved in the robberies, he removes one of Mallory's gloves to reveal gold stains which is a tell-tale sign of testing gold with Aqua-Regia.
Appearing in Green Arrow: "Green Arrow vs. Red Dart"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Red Dart (First appearance)
- Mugsy Miller (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Trick Arrows
- Tricky Darts
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Superman: "Power of the Parasite!"
This story is reprinted from Action Comics #340.
After Superman finishes an experiment with radioactive materials, a lab assistant, Jensen, is assigned to dispose of them. Jensen opens the container and is irradiated by atomic particles. He soon discovers that though disfigured he can drain energy from people.
Jensen plans to use his new powers for crime by stealing the power of Superman. He visits a construction site where the Man of Steel is scheduled to attend and begins draining Superman's energy. In so doing, Parasite discovers Superman's secret identity. Despite Superman's efforts to fight the Parasite he continues to grow weaker. Finally the Parasite draws more of Superman's power than his body can contain. Parasite seemingly explodes into nothingness.
Appearing in Superman: "Power of the Parasite!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Parasite (First appearance) (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Various Atomic Scientists
- Metropolis Mayor
Locations:
Items:
- Intergalactic Radioactive Waste
Vehicles:
- Lois Lane's Car
Notes
- "The Origin of the Penguin!" is the only original story in the issue.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- The Flash Recommended Reading
- Green Lantern Recommended Reading
- Green Lantern (Volume 1)
- Green Lantern (Volume 2)
- Green Lantern (Volume 3)
- Green Lantern (Volume 4)
- Green Lantern (Volume 5)
- Green Lantern (Volume 6)
- Green Lantern (Volume 7)
- The Green Lantern (Volume 1)
- The Green Lantern: Season Two (Volume 1)
- Green Lantern Corps (Volume 1)
- Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2)
- Green Lantern Corps (Volume 3)
- Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors (Volume 1)
- Green Lantern: New Guardians (Volume 1)
- Green Lanterns (Volume 1)
- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps (Volume 1)
- Hawkman Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- The Atom (Volume 1): The Atom and Hawkman #39– #46
- Brightest Day
- Convergence: Hawkman
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- Hawkgirl (Volume 1)
- Hawkgirl (Volume 2)
- Hawkman (Volume 1)
- Hawkman (Volume 2)
- Hawkman (Volume 3)
- Hawkman (Volume 4)
- Hawkman (Volume 5)
- Hawkworld (Volume 1)
- Hawkworld (Volume 2)
- JSA (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 3)
- Mystery in Space (Volume 1): Mystery in Space #87– #91
- The Savage Hawkman
- Shadow War of Hawkman
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow Recommended Reading
- More Fun Comics (Volume 1): More Fun Comics #73–107
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1): Adventure Comics #246–269
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1): Detective Comics #521–567
- Green Lantern (Volume 2): Green Lantern (Volume 2) #76–124
- The Flash (Volume 1): The Flash #217–219
- Green Arrow (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow (Volume 2)
- Green Arrow: The Wonder Year (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow (Volume 3)
- Black Canary (Volume 3)
- Green Arrow and Black Canary (Volume 1)
- Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood (Volume 1)
- Justice League: Rise and Fall
- Green Arrow (Volume 4)
- Green Arrow (Volume 5)
- Green Arrow (Volume 6)
- Event Leviathan
- Justice League (Volume 4) #59-75
- Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Green Arrow
- Green Arrow (Volume 7)
- Green Arrow: Year One (Volume 1)
- Black Canary (Volume 1)
- Black Canary (Volume 2)