All Star Comics Archives #6

In "This Is Our Enemy! [Introduction]" from All Star Comics Archives #6, Jo and Flash return to the JSA headquarters, where they’re greeted with cautious warmth. When news arrives that Dick Amber, a young man skeptical of America’s war effort, is about to be drafted, the team takes it upon themselves to show him the cost of conflict—through a journey across Germany’s past, guided by the reawakened Conscience of Man. A single JSA member will accompany Dick, but only as a silent witness, as he must confront history on his own terms.

In "This Is Our Enemy! Chapter 1," Dick finds himself in 1410 caught between duty and conscience when his role as a Teutonic Knight clashes with his growing awareness of the Poles’ plight. As he helps a Polish maid and questions his allegiance, he’s forced to choose sides—only to be swept into another time by Mr. Terrific, where Amber’s fate takes a startling turn as Manfred von Klug.

In 1740, General Manfred finds himself caught between loyalty and conscience as his cousin, Emperor Frederick II, begins manipulating the German people with fear of foreign enemies. When Manfred finally refuses to carry out the Emperor’s increasingly dangerous orders, betrayal strikes from within—his wife Elva turns against him. With the help of Mr. Terrific’s timely intervention and the arrival of Dr. Mid-Nite, Manfred must survive the Emperor’s violent retaliation before being pulled into another chapter of Germany’s turbulent past.

In the final pages of "This Is Our Enemy! Conclusion," Dick Amber confronts the weight of his experiences, admitting at last that he understands the true danger of German war-mongering—and that it must be stopped for the world’s sake. With renewed purpose, he vows to join the Army, and the Conscience of the JSA, guided by the wisdom of its members and Wonder Woman, declares a shared mission: to reveal this hard-won truth to the world through their "Formula for a Lasting Peace," signed by all the regular JSA members and the Secretary.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime [Introduction]" from All Star Comics Archives #6, the Justice Society of America stumbles upon a mysterious man collapsed in their headquarters, muttering about Rob Victor’s innocence in Ted Kimball’s murder and claiming to hold vital clues—clues that could unravel a decades-old mystery and expose the fate of a missing district attorney. As the JSA begins to follow the cryptic trail, an unseen figure watches from the shadows, vowing to eliminate them one by one before the truth comes to light.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 1," Hawk tracks a silver belt buckle to a long-abandoned country home, following a trail that leads him through a web of secrets and a vanished prosecutor. With the housekeeper’s cryptic testimony and a missing District Attorney lingering in the shadows, the case begins to unravel—just as Hawk realizes he’s not the only one searching for the truth.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 2," G.L. follows a cryptic clue—a wallet marked "From Boots to Doe"—leading him to a reporter who recalls a bitter feud over Doris Black, but offers no name for "Boots." As G.L. presses forward, he’s ambushed by unknown assailants, dispatching them with calm precision. His trail then takes him to Doris herself, and later to the prison warden, who reveals Rob Victor escaped two years prior—leaving the past tangled and the present tense.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 3," the Atom follows a trail from a mysterious scarf to Bleak Point, where he confronts the former butler, Jabez Smith—only to be ambushed by unseen assailants. As Smith reveals the gun’s connection to the Kimball family and its single bullet, a red-hooded figure steals the weapon, leaving the Atom stunned and questioning why one bullet could hold such weight.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 4," Mid-Nite follows a trail led by a gold watch to Hengast Kimball, a wealthy oil magnate with everything to gain from his cousin’s death. When a hooded assassin attempts to kill Kimball, Mid-Nite intervenes—only to face off against his bodyguards and uncover a chilling account: Kimball was forced to witness his own corpse being set adrift on a burning boat.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 5," Johnny follows a lead from a mysterious tie clasp only to be kidnapped and left in a burning house with a ticking time bomb. The hooded figure who rescues him claims Victor is innocent—but insists on killing every Kimball before revealing the truth. As Johnny races toward the Kimball house, the weight of the mystery and the danger ahead forces him to confront a terrible choice, and he calls for the Thunderbolt to summon the rest of the JSA.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Interlude," the JSA gathers at the Kimball home as Johnny confronts the team with a shocking claim: the red-hooded figure accuses the Kimball family of murdering 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 the witnesses together to finally uncover the truth—though the identity of the mysterious red-hooded man remains unknown.

In "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime, Chapter 6," the Flash presses Big Hunk for answers after a brief clash, uncovering a shocking lead: Hengast Kimball secretly paid Adams to sabotage the JSA’s investigation. With Adams confirming his gang can identify Kimball, the Flash must convince the reluctant crew to join him—no easy task when trust is as fragile as a speedster’s shadow.

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 details of the case, he realizes the significance of the single bullet—something Hengast thought he’d hidden. The revelation unsettles Hengast, who tries to flee, unaware that Hawkman already knows the truth behind the empty gun and the identity of the man with amnesia.

In "Vampires of the Void! [Introduction]," when scientist Herbert Crawford vanishes, Hawkman shares his chilling theory: Earth faces an invasion by living metal beings from Jupiter, creatures that consume and grow like some cosmic plague. With strange metallic anomalies cropping up around the globe, each All Star Comics member is sent to investigate one of the sites—where the line between machine and menace begins to blur.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 1," Hawkman investigates the sudden disappearance of a silver mine in Silverland City, only to confront strange, metallic creatures that drain metal and grow under the sun’s warmth. As he battles them, he discovers they’re stealing the mine’s payroll and using dynamos to charge up—until he uses a handful of pennies to short them out. Puzzled by their motives, Hawkman alerts the rest of the JSA, setting the stage for a mystery that’s as much about what the creatures want as how they came to be.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 2," the Atom investigates a mysterious collapse of a city’s subway system, only to discover that Jovian beings are devouring the iron rails—turning the underground into a feeding ground. With help from Hawkman and a custom oxygen accelerator built by the police, the Atom unleashes a shocking counterattack that turns the creatures to rust, revealing their true nature as iron-eaters.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 3," Jo finds himself caught in a sudden ambush by a Jovian metal man while working on a revolutionary alloy, only to be rescued by G.L. The Green Lantern, guided by a cryptic message from Hawkman via his power ring, races to the factory just in time to uncover a heist—Jovians siphoning cash from the safe. With the creatures now vulnerable due to their reliance on magnesium, G.L. tracks them beyond the city, using his ring to stop them without destroying the factory.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 4," Dr. Mid-Nite faces a bizarre threat as the Jovians—creatures drawn to metal—ravage telephone cables and then target a bank for cash. With no immediate way to stop them, he teams up with metal workers to set a clever trap, luring the beings into a bank rigged with lead-laced fixtures. The story unfolds with tense ingenuity, as the Jovians' hunger for metal leads them straight into a deadly deception.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 5," a mysterious swarm of tiny metallic beings descends on a museum, draining gold from jewelry with eerie precision. When the Flash arrives, he quickly realizes their hunger isn't just for treasure—it's for the very essence of the metal itself. With a flash of insight and a clever twist, he uses gold’s malleability to turn the tide, turning the invaders into inert lumps and protecting the museum’s priceless artifacts.

In "Vampires of the Void! Chapter 6," Johnny ventures into the frozen north, guided by rumors of a long-lost spaceship, where he’s aided by wary but kind natives who warn him to turn back. Undeterred, he presses on—only to find the ship, kick it, and trigger a bizarre chain reaction as it begins rolling downhill, swelling in size. When the locals blame him for the chaos, Johnny calls on the Thunderbolt for help, then sends a message to the rest of the JSA to join the unfolding spectacle.

In the final pages of "Vampires of the Void!," the Justice Society of America faces a chilling twist as their victory over the alien ship is upended by Herbert Crawford, who suddenly reveals himself as a new threat—absorbing the powers of the Metal Men. With the team reeling, Hawkman’s quick thinking turns the tide, exposing Crawford’s vulnerability. The story closes with the JSA committed to helping Crawford rebuild, even as the weight of his transformation lingers.

In "A Place in the World [Introduction]" from All Star Comics Archives #6, Fred Monday—a former football star now missing his right arm after a wartime explosion—finds unexpected clarity when his younger brother Jimmy’s letter reminds him of the empathy he once lacked. Touched by the memory of how he once judged Jimmy for being differently abled, Fred seeks out the JSA at a soldier’s hospital, hoping to help other young veterans facing similar struggles.

In "A Place in the World, Chapter 1," Hawkman takes a quiet moment to connect with Edouard Laviere, a young man navigating life with infantile paralysis, when he sees an opportunity to help him step beyond his limits. When the two team up to track down the "water robbers" at a remote cabin, Ed’s courage and resourcefulness shine as he uses his daily swim to summon help. The story captures a quiet, heartfelt moment of empowerment, where bravery isn’t measured by flight, but by the strength to act when it matters most.

In "A Place in the World, Chapter 2," Dr. Mid-Nite finds a reluctant ally in Hal Porowski, a blind teenager on the edge of despair, and together they take on the dangerous arsonist Ox Morgan, whose fires threaten the timberland. With Hal’s sharp hearing guiding them through darkness and danger, the two face off in a tense showdown that ends with Morgan’s capture. Afterward, Hal shares a quiet moment with Mid-Nite, revealing a new purpose: to become a teacher and share the gift of braille with others.

In "A Place in the World, Chapter 3," G.L. finds an unlikely ally in 16-year-old Sven Lindquist, a boy with an artificial arm grappling with self-doubt and the weight of others’ judgments. When G.L. enlists Sven’s help uncovering the truth behind a myth involving the Zuni-god Shu-lu-wit-zu, the boy discovers a purpose beyond his past struggles—leading to a quiet but powerful moment of recognition from the town that changes everything.

In "A Place in the World, Chapter 4," Wildcat tracks down Anthony Cellini, a quiet student in Big City who’s nearly deaf but has mastered lip-reading. When Anthony unknowingly aids a gang of crooks, Wildcat uses his keen insight to uncover the truth—and together, they turn the tables on the criminals. The story celebrates quiet courage and the power of perception, showing how one overlooked student becomes an unexpected hero.

In "A Place in the World, Chapter 5," Johnny sets off west to help his brother Tommy O'Leary, who struggles with stuttering, after learning of a threat from the Bad Buttes Gang. Drawing inspiration from the story of Demosthenes, Johnny suggests Tommy practice speaking with pebbles in his mouth, a challenge that sparks hope and determination. When Johnny injures his lip jumping on a horse, T-Bolt takes matters into his own hands, rallying the townspeople and turning the tide—only for the community to ultimately honor Tommy’s courage by funding his speech therapy.

In the quiet aftermath at JSA HQ, Fred Monday brings his brother Jimmy in to share a powerful idea—one that calls for a new kind of justice, not in battle, but in how society treats those who return from war with scars, visible and invisible. With the team listening, Jimmy proposes a code of conduct meant to guide how we all honor the resilience of disabled veterans and all people with disabilities.

In the distant year of 11,946, in the city of Nu Yuk, a warning lies sealed in strange jars—left by the Justice Society, who know too well the power held within. When Nels Farrow discovers them, he learns that the paints themselves are alive, and with a brush, he can bring his visions to life, for better or worse. As he faces the consequences of his choices, the JSA must race to protect five men from a threat born from a single, painted lie.

When archaeologist Hank Kavanaugh uncovers an ancient gold platter linked to lost Atlantean secrets, a full moon ignites a mysterious painting—bringing gangster figures to life. Hawkman arrives just in time to witness the surreal spectacle, only to find the figures immune to his attacks. Realizing the beings must return to the canvas by day, he seizes the painting and flies off, leading the living figures on a chase across the night sky.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Chapter 2," Green Lantern tracks down hunter Elbert Jenkins on the African veldt, seeking a mysterious painting said to come alive under moonlight. As the two race to secure it before nightfall, a hidden helper betrays them, unleashing the painting’s ancient power—and the figures step from the canvas into the wild.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Chapter 3," Dr. Mid-Nite races to the frozen north to warn Greg Scallop about his mysterious painting of armored knights—only to find the artwork already awakened by moonlight. With the mine’s elevator cables severed and the painted figures come to life, Mid-Nite holds them off while the cable is repaired, then flees on skis down the slope with the living paintings in pursuit, the empty canvas now his only weapon.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Chapter 4," Johnny finds himself aboard the S.S. Headliner, whisked away by the Thunderbolt to warn the ship’s Captain about the dangerous painting he’s inherited. When moonlight ignites the artwork, living figures burst from the canvas and unleash chaos among the passengers. With the Thunderbolt overwhelmed and turpentine failing to stop the onslaught, Johnny makes a desperate move—grabbing the rolled-up canvas as the pair flee, pursued by the animated figures riding flying seahorses through the night sky.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Chapter 5," Jo Cassidy’s new Farrow painting proves far more than just a collector’s delight—when the Atom arrives with a warning, the figures within the canvas suddenly step out, turning the gallery into a battleground. As the living art descends on Cassidy’s oil fields, the Atom races to contain the chaos, only to find that fire and oil can’t stop the creatures born from paint. With the canvas in hand and the painted beings in pursuit, he’s forced to flee, turning the office into a desperate last stand.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Chapter 6," circus owner Josh Mason finds himself caught between a speeding Flash and a nightmare made real when a cursed painting comes to life, unleashing ancient, savage figures into the arena. With the crowd enthralled and the air thick with chaos, Flash must outthink the painted beasts—until he realizes the only way to stop them is to lure them away with the empty canvas that once held their prison.

In "The Paintings That Walked the Earth! Conclusion," the JSA gathers at their headquarters with empty canvases, ready to face the aftermath of the sentient paint beings they once unleashed. As the creatures return to their origins, the heroes carefully collect the remnants, sealing them away with Green Lantern’s final touch—locking them in jars marked with a warning meant for a distant future.