All-Star Squadron #26

All-Star Squadron #26 (Oct 1983)
title: "Talons Across Time!"
writer/editor: Roy Thomas
penciller: Jerry Ordway
inker: Mike Machlan
letterer: Cody
colorist: Gene D'Angelo
letter column: Roy Thomas
cover: Mike Machlan & Jerry Ordway

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

Other Stars:  Robin, Johnny Quick, the Guardian, Wildcat, the Flash; members of Infinity, Inc Brain Wave, Jr, Jade, Obsidian, Fury, Northwind, Nuklon, and Silver Scarab; cameos by Batman, Tarantula, Liberty Belle, Commander Steel, the Atom, and Green Lantern 

Opponents:
The Ultra-Humanite and her operatives Amazing Man, Deathbolt, Cyclotron; time-displaced villains Vulcan, the Mist, Psycho-Pirate, Brainwave, the Monocle, and Rag Doll 

Overall Summary: 
The All-Star Squadron members already on-site disappear into Limbo, replaced by the time-displaced Secret Society of Super-Villains from the future! A new group of All-Stars must come together, then learn about Infinity, Inc from the mysterious Brain Wave, Jr, before heading off to confront the Ultra-Humanite!   

Plot Summary:

At the warplane plant in Los Angeles, Batman and Tarantula disappear. Phantom Lady and Robin are shocked to see them replaced by future villains The Mist and Vulcan, Son of Fire. 

As Vulcan begins destroying airplanes, the Mist knocks out Robin. Phantom Lady then leads the Mist into a wind tunnel, which threatens to pull him apart. 

He reverts to normal, allowing her to hit him. Vulcan, meanwhile, slams his battle-axe into the wind tunnel, destroying it. Believing that Phantom Lady has been crushed under the collapsing debris, the two villains depart. 

At the Brooklyn Navy Yards, Liberty Belle and Commander Steel disappear and are replaced by future villains Psycho Pirate and Brain Wave. Brain Wave knocks out the Guardian, and they quickly depart. 

In Detroit, Green Lantern and the Atom disappear and are replaced by future villains the Monocle and Rag Doll. They meet Amazing Man, who they bring with when they depart to answer the Ultra-Humanite's summons. 

Brain Wave, Jr knows that Johnny Quick is still at a Manhattan hospital because of his recent injury, so he goes to meet him there. The future Infinity, Inc member is able to convince Johnny that he might really be from the future, so Johnny brings him back to the All-Star Squadron headquarters with him. 

Besides Phantom Lady, Robin, and the Guardian, the Flash and Wildcat are also in attendance. The Flash tells them that he raced out to each city and found only the comatose bodies of the Infinity, Inc members, which he brought back to their headquarters. Brain Wave, Jr is happy to know that they are all okay. 

Brain Wave, Jr proceeds to tell the All-Stars that the future Ultra-Humanite somehow made contact with the WW2 era Ultra-Humanite, and together with his father, Brain Wave, the bad guys manipulated the Infinity, Inc members from "the future" back in time to 1942. Ultra-Humanite then mentally controlled  them to do her bidding. She also made it so that when All-Star Squadron members touched them, the heroes would be sent to Limbo, swapped out for the future Secret Society villains. 

Now better understanding the dangers that they face, the six All-Stars and Brain Wave, Jr head to Mount St. Helens to confront the Ultra-Humanite and his cohorts. 

After they leave, Obsidian and Jade are able to revive themselves and their friends, and Infinity, Inc also heads to Mount St. Helens. 

Review: 

What a mess! 

As always, let's start with the good stuff. The art, by Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan, is first rate. I especially like their versions of Robin, the Flash, and Wildcat, although I don't know how Ted Grant is able to see out of those tiny mask slots. 

I like how the Guardian is the more anxious and less trustworthy of the bunch. It not only makes sense that someone would not be willing to swallow Brain Wave, Jr's story whole, but it makes sense that someone like the Guardian, who is basically just a policeman on a beat, is the one to doubt the Cosmic stuff. 

As for what DOESN'T work.....oh, vey. If you read the plot summary above, I will let it speak for itself. Time-manipulating super-gorillas and displacing super-heroes from one era with super-villains from another....? Come on! I will simply say, how in the world did Brain Wave, Jr KNOW all of that, anyway? His mental powers, right? Suuuuure........

Two things in this issue REALLY bothered me, above and beyond the melodramatic situation. First, in the "cliffhanger" ending last issue Phantom Lady and Robin are presented like this: 

Read this panel and tell me that Robin doesn't know who has suddenly appearred?

Yet in this issue we get the same panel from last time, but with one additional comment: 

This reads like a cheat to me. Either Robin KNOWS who is about to appear, ("It's.....the Joker!") or he DOESN"T KNOW ("Who.....is that!?!") 

Yes, it's a minor thing, but when I read this issue, after immediately reading the last one, it pulled me out of the story. 

Secondly, compare these two self-introductions of two separate characters, shown at two different times in the same story. This is Exhibit A and Exhibit B as to why Roy Thomas needed an editor. 

Vulcan and Wildcat both say the nearly exact thing. 

Yes, I know it is difficult to write convincing dialogue for a cast of 22 characters, but this is just lazy. A good editor would have suggested a change. 

Phantom Lady Moment 

Phantom Lady has internalized her black-out ray. 

Freedom Fanmail
There is no mention of any Freedom Fighters in the letter column this issue; in fact, there were no letters at all as Roy says good-bye to Jerry Ordway, hello to Rick Hoberg, and asks readers for feedback on the Black Dragon Society story from All-Star Comics #12.  

Freedom of Information

• This the first time Phantom Lady appeared on the cover of All-Star Squadron. 
• The cover is an homage to Marvel's The Invaders, which Roy wrote before moving to DC. They would often stand around and shout, "Okay, Axis, here we come!" 
• The Ultra-Humanite is featured in this story as both the World War II era Dolores Winters AND as her/his then-current (1983) albino gorilla persona. 
• Johnny Quick is shown changing into his uniform from the nude, without any athletic supporter or jock of any kind either implied or shown (obviously). 
• The Secret Society of Super-Villains were put into Limbo in JLA #197.
• Vulcan disappeared into Limbo in All-Star Comics #61.  
• Brain Wave made his debut in All-Star Comics #15.
• The Mist made his debut against Starman in Adventure Comics #67.
• The Monocle made his debut against Hawkman in Flash Comics #64.
• Psycho Pirate made his debut in Showcase #56, fighting Dr. Fate and Hourman.
• Rag Doll made his debut against the Flash in Flash Comics #36.  

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein