All-Star Squadron #25

History

Jerry Ordway had been inking All-Star Squadron since its first issue, but beginning with issue #19 (March 1983) he transitioned to series penciler; it was in that new capacity that he and writer Roy Thomas jointly developed Infinity, Inc. as a companion concept to the ongoing WWII-set book. According to Ordway, character designs were largely a collaboration between himself and inker Mike Machlan, who was originally slated to pencil the eventual spin-off series — the two would sketch ideas on napkins at a local bar on Fridays after visiting a comic shop. Thomas had the final say on costumes and concept, and the creative trio of Thomas, Ordway, and Machlan are formally credited as Infinity, Inc.'s co-creators. The idea of JSA descendants forming their own team had earlier precedent in Gerry Conway's 1970s All Star Comics revival, but Thomas gave the concept its full realization here, with the story's editorial credits listing Roy Thomas as editor and Nicola Cuti as assistant editor.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First team appearance of Infinity, Inc., a group composed primarily of JSA offspring and heirs, created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway, and Mike Machlan (All-Star Squadron #25, September 1983).
• First appearances of Jade (Jennie-Lynn Hayden, daughter of Green Lantern Alan Scott), Obsidian (Todd Rice, twin brother of Jade and son of Alan Scott and Rose Canton/Thorn), Nuklon (Albert Rothstein, grandson of the atomic-powered Cyclotron and later reimagined as Atom-Smasher), Silver Scarab (Hector Hall, son of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl), Northwind (Norda Cantrell, godchild of Hawkman), and Fury (Lyta Trevor, daughter of the Earth-Two Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor).
• The story, titled 'The Infinity Syndrome!', was scripted by Roy Thomas with pencils by Jerry Ordway and inks by Mike Machlan; Ordway also drew the cover.
• In the issue's plot, the Infinity Inc. members — under mental compulsion from the Ultra-Humanite — are sent back in time to 1942, where they battle members of the All-Star Squadron and the JSA across three simultaneous locations: the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a Los Angeles airbase, and a Detroit tank factory.
• The story is part of a multi-issue arc (running across issues #21–26 and Annual #2) and continues directly into the following issue; it is set firmly in Pre-Crisis Earth-Two continuity and is not preserved in Post-Crisis DC canon.
• The letter column of this issue features a letter from Golden Age comics legend Sheldon Mayer, who reviewed All-Star Squadron #21.
• The issue has been reprinted twice: in Infinity, Inc.: The Generations Saga Vol. 1 (DC, September 2011) and in the Eaglemoss DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection #102 (January 2017).
• Several characters who debuted here went on to significant roles in other DC titles: Fury (Lyta Trevor) became a key figure in Neil Gaiman's Sandman as the mother of Daniel Hall; Nuklon later served in the JSA as Atom-Smasher; and Obsidian appeared in live-action in Legends of Tomorrow and the CW series Stargirl.

Full credits

Key issues in All-Star Squadron

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#21 1st appearance — Deathbolt

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#24 1st appearance — Brainwave Jr.

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#33 1st appearance — Tsunami

Variants (2)