All-Star Comics #25

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime [Introduction]" from All-Star Comics #25, the Justice Society of America is thrown into suspense when a mysterious man collapses in their headquarters, muttering about Rob Victor’s innocence and the disappearance of a long-dead district attorney. With no memory of who he is and cryptic clues hinting at a decades-old crime, the JSA must unravel the truth before a hidden enemy—watching from the shadows—strikes again.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 1," the Hawk follows a silver belt buckle to a long-abandoned country home, where a mysterious attack and a tense confrontation lead him to a housekeeper who witnessed the murder of Tim Kimball. With no clear answers, the case deepens as the housekeeper reveals the District Attorney—key to the original trial—vanished without a trace, leaving the Hawk with more questions than clues.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 2," G.L. follows a cryptic clue—a wallet embossed with "From Boots to Doe"—to a newspaper reporter who recalls it was a birthday gift from Doris Black to Tim Kimball, though the identity of "Boots" remains a mystery. As G.L. presses on, he’s ambushed by unknown assailants, fending them off with ease before tracking down Doris, who shares her version of that fateful night, and later the prison warden, who reveals Rob Victor escaped two years after his incarceration.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 3," the Atom follows a lead from a mysterious scarf to Bleak Point, where he confronts the former butler Jabez Smith—only to be ambushed by unknown assailants. As the Atom fights them off, a red-hooded figure slips into the shadows, stealing the murder weapon Smith claims to have hidden. The sudden disappearance of the gun and the odd detail about it having just one bullet leave the Atom puzzled, unsure if the clue points to a killer or a trap.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 4," Mid-Nite follows a gold watch clue to Hengast Kimball, a wealthy oil magnate with motive, only to intercept a hooded assassin attempting to kill him. As Mid-Nite battles Kimball’s guards and presses the survivor for answers, he learns of a chilling night when Kimball was forced to witness his own brother’s body being set ablaze and sent out to sea.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 5," Johnny follows a clue to a tie clasp only to be ambushed and left in an abandoned house with a candle burning down to gunpowder. Just as the danger escalates, a hooded figure intervenes, claiming Victor is innocent—but insists he must kill all the Kimballs before revealing the truth. With time running out, Johnny realizes he can’t let that happen and sets off on a desperate chase straight to the Kimball house, where he draws the murder weapon and prepares to confront the mystery head-on.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Interlude," the Justice Society of America converges at the Kimball home, where Johnny reveals a shocking accusation: the red-hooded figure claims the Kimball family murdered the District Attorney. With tensions rising, Flash is assigned to track down Big Hunk Adams, the gang czar whose men have been obstructing the investigation, while Hawkman prepares to bring all witnesses together to finally uncover the truth—along with the identity of the mysterious figure in red.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 6," the Flash presses Big Hunk for answers after a brief clash, uncovering a shocking twist: Hengast Kimball secretly paid Adams to sabotage the JSA’s investigation. With Adams confirming his men can identify Kimball, the Flash prepares to bring them in—though not without a little persuasion to ensure they come along willingly.

In the final pages of "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime," Flash delivers a crucial confession to Hawkman: Big Hunk admitted Hengast Kimball hired him to obstruct the JSA’s investigation. As Hawkman pieces together the evidence, the revelation about the single bullet shocks Hengast—especially when he realizes the JSA knows the gun was empty when Rob Victor held it on everyone. With the red hooded man still unmasked and Tim Kimball’s memories returning, the truth about the boat and a tramp’s death begins to surface.