All-Star Comics #45

In "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals! Part I," the Justice Society of America investigates a mysterious disappearance when the Rocky Castle Gang vanishes mid-chase, leaving only a trail of cosmic energy. After finding Dr. Egri bound in his isolated lab, the team learns the gang has stolen plutonium-enriched items that tap into limitless cosmic power—power that could unravel the world if misused. With danger spreading across four distant locations, the JSA splits up to track the threat before it's too late.

In "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals, Part II," two pairs of crooks—Ox and Gun-Shy, then Pee-Wee and Specs—pull off daring heists, only to be thwarted by Wonder Woman and Hawkman, then Atom and Dr. Mid-Nite. When the heroes touch the stolen items—cosmic-radiated accessories—their fates take an unexpected turn, hinting at a strange, shared phenomenon tied to the stolen gear.

In "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals, Part III," a robbery gone cosmic unleashes a chain of strange events: Slowpoke gains super-speed from a burst of cosmic rays, Flash is stunned by the power of the stolen jacket, and a mysterious foreigner arrives with a rare ivory necklace. As Rocky and his gang pursue the artifact, a cosmic ring grants them strange abilities—until Green Lantern vanishes upon touching it. With the JSA imprisoned and their enemies revealed as pawns in a larger scheme, the fate of the heroes hangs in the balance. Black Canary steps in to turn the tide.