All-Star Squadron #5

All-Star Squadron #5 (Jan 1982)
title: "Never Step On a Feathered Serpent!"
writer/co-creator: Roy Thomas
penciller/co-creator: Rich Buckler
inker: Jerry Ordway
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Carl Gafford
editor: Len Wein
letter column: Roy Thomas
cover: Rich Buckler & Romeo Tanghal

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

Other Stars:  Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, the Atom, Johnny Thunder, the Spectre, Hawkman, the Sandman, Dr. Fate, Johnny Quick, Robotman, Liberty Belle, Shining Knight

Opponents:
German saboteurs, the Feathered Serpent

Overall Summary: 
The All-Star Squadron head to Mexico to investigate the disappearance of Shiera Sanders, but not before they deal with the flaming debut of Firebrand!  

Plot Summary:
The Justice Society members agree to disband their organization so that each of the individuals can join the US Army. Johnny Thunder, however, mysteriously announces that he cannot join the Army... because he has joined the Navy!

Hawkman, the Atom, and Dr. Mid-Nite agree to head down to Mexico together to investigate the disappearance of Hawkman's fiancée, Shiera Sanders (aka Hawkgirl). Before their flight in the morning. they check in on Danette Reilly, who is resting in her brother's penthouse apartment in New York City. 

Johnny Quick and Robotman make quick work of Nazi saboteurs who hoped to blow up the Statue of Liberty. They then join the others at Danette's apartment, where they discuss the next assignments of the All-Star Squadron. 

Meanwhile, Danette wakes up and remembers what her brother Rod's friend Slugger had told her about a secret key to a secret closet. Behind the secret door she finds his Firebrand uniform, and as she alters it to fit her female form she is enveloped by flames. 

Although she initially panics, she begins to realize that somehow whatever Wutan did to her on the volcanic island, she can now control fire. She quickly volunteers to go with the others to Mexico. 

The next day they arrive in Yucatan and Firebrand is able to stop a Nazi flame-thrower from killing several of the All-Stars. 

Review: 

I was not going to include this story in my Freedom Fighters reviews, either, but then I decided that the most famous Quality Comics character to get All-Star Squadron status was Firebrand, so I decided it made sense to include this. Of course, Danette Reilly Firebrand is not the same as her brother Rod Reilly as Firebrand who is still and again not the Earth X Rod Reilly Firebrand, so....I will not include every further issue of All-Star Squadron that features Danette (which is, I believe, all of them). This issue covers her debut and origin, as shown here, and also has the only appearance of the actual (male) Firebrand in the book, so it will suffice. 

As much as I may criticize Roy Thomas' work, he did do some things very well. Case in point: he took a forgotten Golden Age male character with no modern pizzazz at all and re-worked him into a fiery female character who is, arguably, one of the better remembered DC characters from the Eighties. Male Firebrand had literally nothing going for him, but Danette as Firebrand had a fiery personality, a fiery power-set, and a great looking uniform. Well done, Roy. Would it surprise you to learn that she was named for his second wife?  

Firebrand Moment 

Firebrand, after a rocky start, enters the fray hands a'blazin, stopping a Nazi flame-thrower cold!   

Freedom Fanmail

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

Freedom of Information

• The male, Rod Reilly Firebrand makes a cameo in this story via a newspaper clipping. 
• Although shown on the cover, Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Firebrand do not participate in the Statue of Liberty adventure. 

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein