WHEN FALL THE MIGHTY
ALL-STAR COMICS #62
 Published: 24th June 1976 Cover Date: October 1976 Cover Artists: Ernie Chan / Tatjana Wood Writer: Gerry Conway / Paul Levitz Penciler: Keith Giffen / Wally Wood Inker: Wally Wood Colourist: Carl Gafford Letterer: Ben Oda Editors: Gerry Conway |
Introduction
Not much to say here except to say that for the rest of the year we’ll be looking at the classic All-Star Comic run as I try to get back into the flow of this blog again.
Synopsis
We start with an amazing full page of a Kirby-like machine that is keeping Doctor Fate alive! Or at least Kent Nelson, as he starts off out of costume with the helmet off. The fancy machine, as well as showing his vitals also shows the symbol of the Ankh, as pointed out an Egyptian symbol of life (and divinity). In a nice touch, it’s Hawkman, and Green Lantern for some reason, explaining to the alien Pee Gee what the symbol signifies. We also get a quick recap of his origins with the wizard Nabu.
You’d think with such a bold statement that Doctor Fate needs immediate aid that this would be the main focus of the issue, but no it’s actually a plot setup for future issues, instead, we focus on the Hawkman plot setup in the previous issue of a mysterious figure enclosed in a block of amber.
Talking of that subplot someone is walking through the museum owned by Carter (Hawkman), to stumble on Zanadu the Chaos-Maker! Shiera, Hawkgirl, who apparently lives above the museum stumbles into Zanadu who’s burned Doctor Kliburn, the point of view character we’ve been following in the museum. This is broken up by a panel of Wildcat complaining that Pee Gee hogged the limelight by defeating an alien threat all by herself, with nothing to do with the plot whatsoever just to break up the story to keep the tension of the Zanadu reveal. Talking off our agent of chaos teleports away with Shiera. Using the cutaway effect again, Pee Gee still pissed at Wildcat, over using the term Girlie, smashed a vase which then cuts to Hawkman, now at the museum, seeing a similar vase and wondering why Shiera would damage a priceless artefact. So he calls for help, not only getting our bickering pair and Hourman but also Superman!
Confusingly after summoning the stay-at-home JSAers Hawkman goes back to their HQ to explain what happened, with more lovely bickering amount WIldcat and Pee Gee. This even continues when Superman turns up and defends Pee Gee being on the team, only for Pee Gee to chastise him for apparently not allowing her enough freedom. Normally I can at least partially defend her being angry, but this one comes out of nowhere and on this part I tend to side with Superman.
Half a world away in a frankly terribly done, almost stereotypical racist rural Asian, Tokyo Zanadu appears above what I’m guessing is meant to be Mount Fuji. He plans to drain the inhabitants of Japan, or at least Honshu it is unclear if he’s talking about all of Japan or just the main island, of their life energies.
Luckily at this point, the JSA show up to stop them, after one more jab about Power Girl being left out of Superman’s catchphrase of all things, even to the point of pooe Clark apologising because he’s still not used to working with a partner. Whether it’s this bickering or just the power of Zanadu the two are quickly taken out of action, Supes in encased in lava, from the nicely named Lava Fire-storm, and Power Girk being sucked under the earth. Not that the other two JSAers can appreciate the loss as Wildcat is suddenly controlled by strange music into attacking Hawkman…
Final Thoughts
It takes a little shifting of gear back to this form of comic storytelling, where three different plots are weaved into and out of the narrative, but it’s worth the effort as it tells the more soapy style story that I enjoy.
Or I would do if it didn’t lean so hard into the whole angry Power Girl.
In earlier issues she’s generally been in the right, with the other members, mostly Wildcat, not treating her as an equal, but here it just nudges too far with the comic going out of its way to have her be antagonistic even when in the wrong. Hopefully, it’s all upwards from here, as it ruins for me what is basically a pretty solid story with a powerful threat to the team.