This was the first appearance of Shiera Sanders as Hawkgirl, the very first costumed superheroine. The issue contains a Johnny Thunder text story and a full-page ad for All Flash #1. Howard Purcell's cover features the Flash, the Spectre, and Green Lantern. Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Hour-Man, Sandman, the Atom, and Johnny Thunder also make appearances in the issue. Story art is by Irwin Hasen, Sheldon Moldoff, and Bernard Baily.
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COVER DETAILS
Characters:
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; The Flash [Jay Garrick]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]
Pencils:
Howard Purcell
Inks:
Howard Purcell
Notes:
This cover is believed to have been prepared as the cover to All-Star #3 BEFORE the concept of the JSA was put into that issue.
Johnny Thunder is mentioned on the cover in the roll call even though he was not pictured or even a member at this point.
STORY DETAILS
Pages:
1.000
Script:
Eleanor Roosevelt
Pencils:
? (photo)
Inks:
? (photo)
Letters:
typeset
Notes:
Inside front cover.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Introduction
Characters:
Justice Society of America [The Hourman [Rex Tyler]; Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; The Flash [Jay Garrick]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; The Atom [Al Pratt]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]]; Mr. X (villain, racketeer); Mr. X's gang (villains)
Synopsis:
Crime has been defeated by the JSA so well that the members are becoming bored, unaware that crimedom is getting ready to strike back individually at each member through their leader, Mr. X, who has provided each member of his gang with a JSA member to take on and defeat!
Pages:
3.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
E. E. Hibbard
Inks:
E. E. Hibbard
Notes:
The splash page is replicated for the promo advertisement for All-Star Comics #6 at the end of this issue.
Johnny Thunder, though listed on the cover, does not appear in the roll call on the splash page.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 1
Characters:
The Flash [Jay Garrick]; un-named Fire Department Captain; un-named City Mayor; Johnny; Mr. X (villain); Flame Farmer (villain); Mr. X's arson racketeers (villains)
Synopsis:
Mr. X's minions, led by Flame Farmer, are ordered to set fire to apartment buildings in the area in order to kill the Flash, known to be living in one of them. But Flash puts out the fire in is complex and in others as well. A young boy then helps the Scarlet Speedster to locate Flame and round up the entire gang. Then he wires each JSA member to alert them to the fact that criminals are targeting them simply because they are JSA members.
Pages:
7.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Hal Sharp
Inks:
Hal Sharp
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 2
Characters:
The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Dian Belmont; Mr. X (villain, cameo); the Kidnapper's Union [Gentle Grady; others un-named] (villains)
Synopsis:
Unable to discover a crime in progress, Sandman decides to drop in on Dian Belmont, only to discover she has been captured by The Kidnappers Union! He locates their whereabouts, then uses a willing Dian to lure the group into his trap. He overcomes them and takes them to jail, after which he spots the telegram from the Flash warning him about the kidnappers.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Cliff Young [as Cliff] (signed)
Inks:
Cliff Young [as Cliff] (signed)
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 3
Characters:
Hawkman [Cater Hall]; Hawkgirl [Shiera Sanders]; Mr. X (villain, cameo); Masie (villain); un-named lawyer (villain); Wing Norris (villain); Norris' gang of jewel thieves (villains)
Synopsis:
Carter Hall is busy catching up on lab work when he is fooled into believing that Pullman's Jewelry is going to be robbed. Switching to Hawkman, he decides that the extra Hawkman emergency outfit he is working on would be ideal for Shiera to wear as a ruse for the criminals he wants to capture. Hawk's trap seems perfect until one of the thugs shoots Shiera, then a maddened Hawkman wipes up the place with the thugs, and then takes Shiera to get medical attention.
Pages:
7.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Sheldon Moldoff [as Shelly] (signed)
Inks:
Sheldon Moldoff [as Shelly] (signed)
Notes:
Shiera appears in wings and a costume, but technically doesn't become Hawkgirl until Flash Comics #24.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 4
Characters:
Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; Inza Cramer; Vera Ross; Mr. X (villain, cameo); Magico (villain, magician, reforms); Magico's henchmen (villains)
Synopsis:
Inza visits Doctor Fate, telling him about a fake magician named Magico, who is robbing a rich woman blind. Inza and Kent, along with Mrs. Ross, visit the phony magician, unaware that Magico is being used by Mr. X to draw Dr. Fate into a trap. When the trap is sprung, Inza is shot and Fate takes her his Salem Tower and uses magics from the ancient tombs of ancient Atlantis to help her recover. Then he heads out to find Magico and his minions, who attempt to blow him up in Magico's abode. Surviving, Fate lets Magico experience other worlds and their horrors, and he reforms on the spot!
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Howard Sherman
Inks:
Howard Sherman
Letters:
Howard Sherman
Notes:
Letterer credit from Craig Delich.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 5
Characters:
The Hour-Man [Rex Tyler]; Clancy (Policeman); un-named Commissioner of Police; Mr. X (villain, cameo); phony Hour-Man (villain); "Monkey" Macy (villain); Macy's gang (villains)
Synopsis:
A fake Hour-Man is used to convince Police that the real Hour-Man is a petty thief. However, it is their way to draw the real Hour-Man out into the open so that Mr. X's minions can do away with him. When Hour-Man appears on the scene, he is purposely led by one of the crooks to their hideout and knocked out. When he revives, he pops a Miraclo pill and mops up the crooks.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Bernard Baily (signed)
Inks:
Bernard Baily (signed)
Letters:
Bernard Baily
Notes:
Letterer credit from Craig Delich.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 6
Characters:
The Atom [Al Pratt]; Mr. X (villain, cameo); Muscles (villain, reforms); Muscle's Men [Butch; Crusher; Bloody; Smasher; Slug] (villains, all reform)
Synopsis:
Mr. X's men decide to trap the Atom by rounding up every shrimp walking around and forcing them to enroll in their "Be a Hercules in Five Easy Lessons" course. Al is taken to the gym with some other victims and pull through several exercises, during which time Pratt busts all their equipment. Then he goes to work on Muscle's men and gets them to reform.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Ben Flinton
Inks:
Ben Flinton
Title:
Johnny on the Spot
Characters:
Johnny Thunder; Herman Darling; Daisy Darling; Joe the Butcher (villain); Small Change (villain)
Synopsis:
Johnny gets a job as an elevator operator, not realizing that Daisy's father works in the building. But that job turns out to be a life-saver for Herman Darling when Johnny recognizes two toughs on their way up to Darling's office.
Pages:
1.500
Script:
Evelyn Gaines ?
Pencils:
Sheldon Mayer (spot illustration)
Inks:
Sheldon Mayer (spot illustration)
Letters:
typeset
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 7
Characters:
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Enrico; Enrico's un-named wife; un-named Police officer; un-named Chief of Police; Mr. X (villain, cameo); Mr. X's gang of gamblers [Baretti; rest un-named] (villains)
Synopsis:
The Ghostly Guardian is on the outs with the Police as he is accused by Mr. X's minions of running illegal gambling establishments. So Detective Corrigan begins looking into the matter, and locates the head of the gambling operations. Spectre turns the table on the boss, trapping him in the snare planned for the Ghostly Guardian. Then the leader's strange ring begins to take away Spectre's powers, so the now faceless hero is taken for a ride and shot. Rising "from the dead", Spectre rounds up the gang and deposits them at the Police station.
Pages:
7.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Bernard Baily
Inks:
Bernard Baily
Letters:
Bernard Baily
Notes:
Letterer credit from Craig Delich.
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Chapter 8
Characters:
The Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; un-named City officials; un-named newspaper editor; Mr. X (villain, cameo); The Professor (villain); Professor's gang (villains)
Synopsis:
Mr. X decides to use "light" as a weapon against G.L. as he blows up several areas within the city, blackmails the city for $2 million and then challenges the Master of Light to stop him. Green Lantern accepts the challenge, but is rendered unconscious by an electrical bolt. He later learns that the Professor has found a way to juggle the reflection of light to make an object invisible to ordinary light. With the help of his ancient green lamp, a way is found to overcome this, thus restoring power back to Capitol City.
Pages:
7.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Irwin Hasen
Inks:
Irwin Hasen
Title:
The Mysterious Mister X, Conclusion
Characters:
Justice Society of America [The Flash [Jay Garrick]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Atom [Al Pratt]; The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; The Hourman [Rex Tyler]]; un-named Police Sergeant; Mr. X (villain)
Synopsis:
A frustrated Mr. X turns himself into the Police when the JSA just can't figure out who Mr. X actually is!
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CGC Census Report*
Grade
NG
PG
CVR
0.5
1.0
1.5
1.8
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.2
9.4
9.6
9.8
9.9
10.0
Total
Universal
1
0
0
3
4
3
1
4
2
6
9
9
9
8
6
7
5
4
6
8
5
3
1
3
0
1
0
0
107
Qualified
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
Signature Series
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
CGCxJSA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Restored
0
0
0
4
1
0
3
2
2
2
3
6
2
0
2
6
1
4
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
42
Total
1
0
0
7
5
3
5
7
5
8
12
15
12
8
8
14
6
8
7
10
6
3
1
3
0
1
0
0
154
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