All-Star Squadron #25

All-Star Squadron #25 (Sept 1983)

title: "The Infinity Syndrome!"
writer/editor: Roy Thomas
penciller: Jerry Ordway
inker: Mike Machlan
letterer: Cody

colorist: Gene D'Angelo
letter column: Roy Thomas

cover: Jerry Ordway

Order of Appearance: Phantom Lady is the only Freedom Fighter to appear in this story. 

Other Stars:  Dr. Mid-Nite, Hawkman, Starman, the Sandman, Wonder Woman, Johnny Thunder; Batman, Robin, Commander Steel, Green Lantern, the Atom, Liberty Belle, Tarantula, the Guardian, the Newsboy Legion; cameos by Firebrand, Robotman, Superman, and Brainwave, Jr. 

Opponents:
the Ultra-Humanite and her operatives Amazing Man, Deathbolt, Cyclotron; time-displaced Infinity, Inc members Nuklon, Silver Scarab, Fury, Northwind, Obsidian, Jade 

Overall Summary: 
The Justice Society is ordered to stand down, to prep for a mission for the US government, as other All-Star Squadron members battle Amazing Man in NY, then head off to protect three targeted cities from the Ultra-Humanite's sabotage. And who ends up being the Ultra-Humanite's tools? None other than the members of Infinity, Inc!   

Plot Summary:
The Justice Society is about to head out to join the fray against the Ultra-Humanite, but are ordered by US Secretary of War Stimson, Army General Marshall, and Army General Brody to prepare to attack the Black Dragon Society instead. 

At the All-Star Squadron headquarters several members are fighting Amazing Man, who is working for Ultra-Humanite. However, when Amazing Man learns that she is planning on destroying his hometown of Detroit, as well as Los Angeles and Brooklyn, he swears to help the All-Star Squadron instead. Liberty Belle and Green Lantern convince the others to trust him, and they all split up to stop the Ultra-Humanite's sabotage plans. 

In Brooklyn, the Guardian and the Newsboy Legion are unable to stop Nuklon and the Silver Scarab from attacking the Brookly Navy Yard. Even after Liberty Belle and Commander Steel arrive, the fight is uneven. Then suddenly, the two All-Star Squadron members disappear, to be replaced by something (or someone) shocking. 

At a Los Angeles airplane manufacturing plant, Batman, Robin, and Tarantula prepare to defend it from the Ultra-Humanite's attack. The plant is being visited by US Senator Henry Knight and his daughter, Sandra, when Fury and Northwind burst through the roof. 

Sandra gets her father into one of the warplanes to protect him as Northwind's army of birds attack the workers and guards, as Fury begins destroying warplanes. 

Phantom Lady bursts onto the scene, using her black-light ray to blind Northwind so that Tarantula can bring him down. Batman and Robin struggle against the more powerful Fury, but successfully keep her from destroying more warplanes. 

As Tarantula and Batman try to get the Infinity, Inc members to explain their actions, the two men disappear, to be replaced by---- ! 

A similar scene occurs in Detroit, as the Atom and Green Lantern disappear while battling with Amazing Man against Jade and Obsidian. 

Back in Manhattan, Brain Wave, Jr wakes up in Tarantula's apartment and heads out to the All-Star Squadron headquarters to find his friends. 

Review: 

Let's start with the positives: the art, by Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan, is stupendous! All of the All-Star Squadron members look on point, and the Infinity, Inc members never looked better. That makes sense, because they were designed by Ordway in the first place. He clearly has an affinity for them. 

Phantom Lady looks gorgeous, as well, and is again represented as a cool-headed, methodical super-heroine. Her teamwork with Tarantula to bring down Northwind is the highlight of the story; in fact, they and the Atom against Obsidian are the only members who are actually able to defeat their opponents. So, good for you, Phantom Lady. 

One last thing about Phantom Lady....she now wears green goggles instead of a green mask, as she did during her earlier appearance in this series. While I can understand the need to cover her face, this isn't much of a disguise. And sure enough, Tarantula realizes almost immediately that she is Sandra Knight, whom he had just met. (see bottom panels of third page reprinted above) 

My gripe is, if Roy is going to maintain that masks on Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick, and Green Lantern, for example, are sufficient to "hide" their true identities, how are green goggles NOT sufficient? If you create a rule that is supposed to work, why ignore it whenever you want to? Tarantula's side-comment took me out of the story. 

As for the story itself..... well.... ANOTHER time travel story?!? Is it a coincidence that the last story arc that featured Phantom Lady in this book ALSO was a time travel story? Listen, tell me if you've heard this before: villain from the future pulls other characters from the future back into the past and manipulates the situation so that they battle the present-day good guys. That's the plot of this story arc, as well as the plot from All-Star Squadron #s 1-3! I can understand Roy and Jerry wanting to give a sneak-peak to the then-upcoming Infinity, Inc book, but why couldn't they have come up with a different plot? What if some All-Star Squadron members had been pulled into the future, instead? Oops, that's the story-line of the then-recent JLA-JSA-All-Star Squadron team-up from issues #14-15. Ugh. 

As it was, I remember distinctly reading this story arc and being very disappointed with this book. This story is not very good just because it's so convoluted (even though it looks amazing). And speaking of amazing, one of the other things that annoyed me, that has nothing to do with Phantom Lady, is the characterization of Amazing Man. Here's a Black American in 1942 with a huge chip on his shoulder, given powers by and now in the employ of the Ultra-Humanite. He then hears that his home is in danger, and he swears allegiance to the All-Star Squadron. They all basically believe him and he  joins their counter-attack against his former employee. That's a little bit too quick, don't you think? It smacks a bit too much of the writer knowing that Amazing Man is trustworthy, so the other characters therefore know he's trustworthy, too. It's all a little bit too pat.  

Anyway....did I mention that the art is incredible? 

Phantom Lady Moment 

Phantom Lady blinds Northwind for Tarantula to knock him down 

Freedom Fanmail
There is no mention of any Freedom Fighters in the letter column this issue. 

Freedom of Information

• The Ultra-Humanite in this story is in the body of former actress Dolores Winters. Her (?) plot is to use kidnapped scientist Chuck Grayson to transplant her (?) brain into the body of Robotman. She is threatening sabotage of various sites in the US to keep the super-heroes from tracking her down.  
• This is the debut of six members of Infinity, Inc. (Brainwave, Jr made his debut in A-SS #24). 
• US Senator Henry Knight is shown again to be in California, prompting a theory that he is the Senator from California. The actual Senators from California in 1942 were Hyram Johnson (R) and Sheridan Downey (D). 

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein