Secret Society of Super-Villains #16

Secret Society of Super-Villains Volume 2: 

Secret Society of Super-Villains #16 

title: "Murder Times Seven!"
writer: Bob Rozakis
penciller(s): Mike Vosburg and Dick Ayers
inker: Bob Smith

letterer: Shelly Leferman

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Rich Buckler & Jack Abel (collected edition); Alex Saviuk (original story)

Order of Appearance: Uncle Sam, Firebrand, Black Condor, Doll Man, the Ray, Phantom Lady, and the Human Bomb 

Supporting Character(s): none

Opponents: Silver Ghost, Mirror Master, Copperhead, Killer Moth, Quake Master, Chronos, the Sizematic Twins

Overall Summary: 
NOW IT CAN BE TOLD! The Secret Society of Super-Villains strikes at the Freedom Fighters!    

Plot Summary:
In the San Francisco headquarters of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, Copperhead and Mirror Master are negotiating with the Silver Ghost the payment for taking on and eliminating the Freedom Fighters. The Silver Ghost turns their desk into sterling silver as a token of their payment. Although Mirror Master has some qualms about some of the choices Silver Ghost has for this team, he has no choice but to go along with him, as he is the paying customer. 

Somewhat later, at Kathy Kane's Colossal Carnival in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Freedom Fighters are relaxing after their day working as carnival players. Phantom Lady gets angry at the Human Bomb and the Ray fighting over which of them gets to spend time with her. As they argue, Doll Man gets a call from his girl-friend, Martha Roberts, who tells him that there are reports circulating that the Silver Ghost has been seen all over the United States. 

Although they are sure it is some type of trap, they decide to divide up in order to investigate. The Ray insists that he and the Phantom Lady should team-up, but she refuses; she chooses to go with Black Condor. The Ray, in a huff, heads to Metropolis alone. 

In Metropolis, the Ray heads towards a figure on a broadcasting tower who he thinks is the Silver Ghost. However, it turns out to really be Killer Moth and the Quake Master, hiding behind Moth's illusion ray. 

Quake Master hits the Ray with his Jack Hammer, then Killer Moth shoots his moth-goop on him. The Ray manages to burn his way out of the goop, but is hit again by Quake Master. He falls to the ground, and the bad guys think that he has been disintegrated. 

Actually, he landed on a huge stack of newspapers but is knocked unconscious. To Be Continued in Black Lightning #11! 

In Sun City, Florida, Uncle Sam and Doll Man chase after who they think is the Silver Ghost, but they are then attacked by Sizematic and Copperhead! 

Review: 

The hardback collection of Secret Society of Super-Villains was published in 2012. However, I did not know that it included in its pages the last two unpublished issues of SSoSV until about a year ago! After I learned these existed I promptly ordered it off-line and gobbled these two stories up. 

Obviously, I love this story and everything about it. If I was going to make any nitpicky-type comments, I would note that there were two incidents where the word balloons were mis-placed or incorrect. But I'm not. The art seems good; quite dynamic, even. Those aerial shots of Metropolis are very good. Regular SSoSV artist Mike Vosburg does tend to make all of the Fighters' men look the same; without coloring, it's hard to tell who is who, but they are also not in uniform, so there's that, too. Speaking of art, the credits claim that both Mike Vosburg and Dick Ayers penciled this story, but to my eye I don't see ANY sign of Dick Ayers' work here.I wonder if it was in the layouts that Vosburg and/or inker Bob Smith worked on? 

Anyway, I am totally happy that I got to read this story and can't wait to review next issue!   

Let's review the chronology. Secret Society of Super-Villains the series was cancelled after June 1978. (Black Lightning #11, which included The Ray solo story that happens *after* this unpublished story, was published in June 1978.)  The Secret Society of Super-Villains re-appeared in Justice League of America #166 (May 1979) but this story did not reference the Silver Ghost, Mirror Master, or Chronos. The Freedom Fighters did not re-appear until July 1983, more than five years after SSoSV's cancellation, in an issue of DC Comics Presents. This story, too, had nothing to do with the Silver Ghost or the Secret Society. 

Flash forward THIRTY YEARS and this hardback collection of the Secret Society issues with little or no fanfare publishes the stories that would have been in SSoSV #s 16-17 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. 

Maybe DC did publicize this fact. I for sure was not aware of it. Where was I in 2012? I've seen this collection around, so could have would have bought it if I had know what was inside it! 

After I finally learned of my ignorance and purchased this book, I was overjoyed to finally read these stories. We see the Silver Ghost pay Copperhead and Mirror Master and their "villains for hire" organization to take down the Freedom Fighters. We clearly see how and why the Ray gets upset and heads to Metropolis alone. We finally get to see the Ray's battle against Quake Master and Killer Moth, and how he is left for dead near Metropolis Bay, setting the scene for "The Rise and Fall of the Ray" in Black Lightning #11. 

When I first read these stories, I was instantly transported back to the summer of 1978, when as a nerdy teenager these were some of my favorite comic-book characters. I was just so happy to get to see more of what I had loved. 

And although I do love that DC Comics finally got around to publishing these, I only wish we could have gotten....more. 

As mentioned in my earlier review comments, when I read these (and the subsequent JLA vs SSoSV issues) I can't help but wonder why DC couldn't have finished this story IN CONTINUITY. How hard would it have been to have a two-parter or cross-over in The Brave and The Bold or DC Comics Presents where Batman and Superman help the Freedom Fighters take down the Secret Society? Roy Thomas managed to salvage parts of the unpublished Steel issue(s) in All-Star Squadron; I don't know why Bob Rozakis and/or Jack C. Harris couldn't have done something similar.  

I just hate that the closest we get to any closure for this wonderful Golden Age and Bronze Age group is reproduced pencils to a story with no conclusion (spoiler alert!). 

Here is an enlargement of the Next Issue blurb on the last page. Before you get TOO excited about this, here are the pertinent facts: the story only exists in very rough pencils, and it does NOT include the origin of Star Sapphire II OR her battle with Johnny Thunder. It IS still exciting, and we'll talk about it next week!  

Black Condor Moment 

Black Condor has no lines in this story. 

All he does is stand there: tall, dark, and handsome

(that's him on the far right).  

Doll Man Moment

Doll Man shows his mental telepathy powers, as due to a lettering mistake

he appears to respond to Uncle Sam BEFORE Sam actually says what he's thinking!   

Firebrand Moment

Firebrand doesn't get to say much in this story, 

but he does have the distinction of being the FIRST 

Fighter to speak!   

Human Bomb Moment

I can't really tell if this is the Human Bomb making a joke or not, 

but due to the relationship between him and the Ray, 

I'm going to assume this is Roy.   

Phantom Lady Moment 

Phantom Lady makes her choices known, 

in no uncertain terms!  

 The Ray Moment

The Ray comes this close to being able to escape from 

Killer Moth's death-trap goop----! 

Uncle Sam Moment

Uncle Sam, man of action, starts to divvy up the team....! 

Best Moment

The Silver Ghost is never at a loss for money if he can turn any object into Sterling Silver. 

The other bad guys are impressed. 

Worst Moment

I appreciate Sandy standing up for herself, 

but this whole scene between the Ray and Phantom Lady just rings false.

This is the same Phantom Lady who ran into the Ray's arms in the last 

issue of Freedom Fighters?  

Freedom of Information

• The cover is by Alex Saviuk, who also drew the cover of the last issue of Freedom Fighters. 
• Black Condor has no dialogue in this story. 
• The Ray, Doll Man, and Uncle Sam are the only members to appear in uniform in this story.
• Five pages of this story are dedicated to the Wizard, Star Sapphire, Reverse Flash, Plant-Master, and the Blockbuster and their continued efforts to take down the Justice Society of America. This time, the Blockbuster takes down Mr. Terrific.   It is this storyline that is continued in JLA #166. 

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein