All-Star Squadron #41

All-Star Squadron #41 (January 1985)

title: "....Catch A Falling Starman!"
writer/plotter: Roy Thomas (pages 1-3, 23)

dialogue: Paul Kupperberg (pages 4-22)
penciller: Arvell Jones
inker: Bill Collins
letterer: L. Lois & Clark

colorist: Gene D'Angelo
editor/letter column: Roy Thomas

cover: Arvell Jones & Jerry Ordway

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

Other Stars:  Starman; Hawkman, Firebrand, Green Lantern, Tarantula, Robotman, Liberty Belle, Hourman, Johnny Quick, Amazing Man; Batman and Robin

Opponents:
German saboteurs, Dr. Doog

Overall Summary: 
The All-Star Squadron meet up with an injured Starman, and as he recuperates Tarantula remembers how Ted Knight came to take on his costumed identity. 

Plot Summary:
As several members of the All-Star Squadron make their way to their New York City head-quarters, they see a falling figure up ahead of them. Firebrand rushes from the airplane and finds that it is Starman. She tries to catch him, but he is too heavy for her. Hawkman and Green Lantern help her, and together they bring him into the others. As they watch over him, Tarantula remembers the story of how Ted Knight became Starman. 

Ted is a bored playboy in Gotham, taking his date, Doris, out for the evening. As he talks to her about his new telescope, a gang of thieves try to rob the patrons. Batman and Robin stop them, with a little help from Ted that he makes look like it was accidental. Doris believes that Ted is little more than a "creampuff playboy," so he is more determined than ever to make something of himself. 

A few days later, Ted goes to Washington, DC to meet his cousin, Sandra. She pushes him to help her work on a black-light device Professor Davis sent to her so that her father could look at it. Ted is more interested in another of Davis' inventions, a "gravity rod." Davis is no longer working on these because he is more interested in his "Ultra Dynamo." Ted borrows the gravity rod, hoping to harness his newly discovered cosmic rays into it. 

Ted succeeds, and he is soon flying through the sky with Davis' gravity rod. He eventually manages control the device so that he can descend, and also to blast a hole in a local wall. 

When Ted calls Sandra to discuss his success, she tells him how she saved her father from Nazi spies using a rolled-up newspaper. She has decided to work on the black-light device on her own and is upset at Ted for not helping her. 

A few nights later, Ted is out with Doris again when the FBI contacts him. He was going to tell her about his gravity rod but decides to answer the summons instead. As he leaves the building goes dark.

He switches to Starman in the darkness and then flies to meet the local FBI agent, a man named Woodley Allen. Allen tells Starman about the Brotherhood of the Electron, a group of extortionists who are feeding off the electricity of the city. Starman uses his gravity rod to track the excess electricity to the mountains, where he finds the hidden lair of Dr. Doog. Starman manages to break in to the sanctuary, where he discovers the kidnapped Professor Davis. Together they escape as Davis' Energy Dynamo destroys the mountain hide-out. 

Starman awakens and tells the other All Stars that his nightmare is about to come true! 

Review: 

This is a only a nominal Freedom Fighter adventure because it is only a nominal Phantom Lady adventure.....BUT, it features the origin of Phantom Lady, so I figured I had to include it. I reprinted all the pages that Sandy Knight appeared on, 6 out of 24. Speaking of length, the original "origin" of Starman waay back in 1941 took only eight pages, total. I think that tells you all you need to know about editor Roy Thomas' motto: never use one word when five will suffice. 

Phantom Lady Moment 

Sandra Knight vows to become Phantom Lady

Freedom of Information

• Phantom Lady does not appear in her uniform in this story. 
• Roy Thomas references Freedom Fighters #15, where we originally saw Phantom Lady's origin. 
• The Battle of Java Sea is referenced in this story as having just occurred (February 27, 1942). The Tarantula, holding the newspaper about the conflict, tells us that Starman's first case was "nearly a year ago."  
• Dr. Doog is "good" spelled backwards. The opposite of "good"? 
• Phantom Lady's father is a US Senator running for his second term. There was a Senate election in 1940 and in 1942, but not in 1941. There were 32 seats up for election in 1942, but not California, which was my guess as to where Senator Knight hails from. Of the 32 elections in 1942, 22 incumbents won.  
• Phantom Lady made her debut in Police Comics #1 (Aug 1941). Starman made his debut in Adventure Comics # 61 (April 1941).  

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein