Early Wonder Woman appearance, coinciding with and contains a full-page ad for Wonder Woman #1. Wonder Woman becomes the secretary of the Justice Society of America in this issue. Hawkman, the Atom, Dr. Fate, Sandman, Johnny Thunder, Dr. Midnite, the Spectre, and Starman appearances. Jack Burnley "V" for Victory cover and art. Bernard Baily and Sheldon Moldoff art.
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COVER DETAILS
Characters:
Justice Society of America [Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Dr. Charles McNider]; The Atom [Al Pratt]; The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Wonder Woman [Diana Prince]; Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Johnny Thunder; Starman [Ted Knight]]
Pencils:
Jack Burnley
Inks:
Jack Burnley
STORY DETAILS
Pages:
0.670
Script:
Josette Frank
Letters:
typeset
Notes:
Inside front cover. Features a message in the Superman of America code.
Title:
The Black Dragon, Introduction
Characters:
Justice Society of America [The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Dr. Charles McNider]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Starman [Ted Knight]; The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; The Atom [Al Pratt]; Johnny Thunder; Wonder Woman [Diana Prince] (volunteer secretary)]; unnamed War Department official (death); unnamed War Department Lieutenant General; unnamed War Department Major; The Black Dragon Society [unnamed Old Wise Man; others also unnamed] (villains)
Synopsis:
The leader of the secret Black Dragon Society has targeted America's secret weapons as their next area of operation. Meanwhile, at the regular JSA meeting, Chairman Hawkman announces that Wonder Woman has volunteered to be the group's Secretary for the rest of the war. The War Department has asked the Justice Battalion to investigate the threat of the Black Dragon Society and their messenger notifies them that eight inventors have been overcome and their inventions stolen. The Battalion members are each given sealed envelopes containing information on tracking down these items.
Pages:
4.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Jack Burnley
Inks:
Jack Burnley
Notes:
The JSA is also referred to as the newly commissioned Justice Battalion in the story.
The Roll Call also lists the four Honorary Members of the JSA: Superman, Batman, The Flash, and Green Lantern, although they do not appear in the story.
The splash page does NOT picture Wonder Woman, who was not a member.
This story is later adapted into the story in All-Star Squadron #12.
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 1
Characters:
Hawkman [Carter Hall]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); unnamed inventor; unnamed agents of the Black Dragon Society (villains)
Synopsis:
Hawkman must locate and secure a giant propeller guided by the human brain. Once he finds it, he must stop it from being used to drop bombs on New York. He does and uses the propeller to destroy the Japanese dragon sect's castle lair, when suddenly the Thunderbolt whisks him away to...?
Pages:
7.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Sheldon Moldoff [as Shelly] (signed)
Inks:
Sheldon Moldoff [as Shelly] (signed)
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 2
Characters:
The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Ivoren (inventor); Black Dragon Society scientist and agents (villains)
Synopsis:
The Sandman jumps in his Sandcar and heads for a desolate spot in northern New England in order to track down and secure the lost "Greek Fire" which can burn on water. He finds and rescues the kidnapped inventor, but is overcome by treachery, and thrown into a flaming lake. Using a supply of sand, he is able to put out a small portion of the fire, release himself from his bonds and rout the surprised Japanese before being whisked away by Johnny's Thunderbolt.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Cliff Young (signed)
Inks:
Cliff Young (signed)
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 3
Characters:
The Atom [Al Pratt]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Eben Garner (inventor of powerful explosive); Garner's unnamed assistant; unnamed Japanese-American; Black Dragon Society agents (villains)
Synopsis:
The Atom heads for San Francisco and first meets with an assistant who developed an explosive so powerful, a single grain could blow up a ship. Atom learns that the Black Dragon intends to blow up the whole city of San Francisco. A Japanese-American agrees to lead the Atom to the hideout of the sect, where he changes to Al Pratt, disguises himself as one of the workmen tunneling under the city, changes back to his fighting togs, then finishes off the enemy before the Thunderbolt comes for him.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Ben Flinton
Inks:
Ben Flinton
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 4
Characters:
Starman [Ted Knight]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Weldon (Inventor of dirigible); Black Dragon Society agents (villains)
Synopsis:
Starman is hot on the trail of the Black Dragon when he suddenly spots a giant dirigible with the stolen U.S. dive bombers hanging from it, ready to launch an attack. The Astral Avenger succeeds in destroying several before they climb beyond his range into the stratosphere. He lands at a lab and constructs a device that will keep him warm in those altitudes, then heads back out to finish the job. Just as he succeeds, up pops the Thunderbolt to take him to Johnny.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Jack Burnley
Inks:
Jack Burnley
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 5
Characters:
Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Cliff Dwellers; un-named U.S. Army Major; Black Dragon Society agents (villains)
Synopsis:
Doctor Fate discovers the invention he is to recover out in the desert: a gigantic tank with a long-barreled flame thrower attached, and he dispatches it very quickly. Unknown to Fate, the Japanese have taken American Indian women and children hostage, forcing the men to try to re-take the tank from the Man of Magic. They overcome him with gas and capture the tank. After Fate recovers, he tracks down the Japanese and takes them on, with some help from the Indians. As he is being thanked, Fate is carried away by the Thunderbolt.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Bernard Klein
Inks:
Bernard Klein
Notes:
Oddity: Dr. Fate is subject to death from lack of oxygen and from gas.
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 6
Characters:
Dr. Mid-Nite [Dr. Charles McNider]; Hooty (an owl); Myra Mason; un-named Policeman; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Dr. Stander (inventor); Dr. Smallheimer [aka Dr. Small] (villain, death); Black Dragon Society agents (villains, all die)
Synopsis:
Dr. Mid-Nite's assignment is to find a Dr. Stander, inventor of an Y-Ray that can heal wounds and save lives. Not knowing where to look, Mid-Nite goes to the professor's lab, forges a note in Stander's hand and places it in a safe in the lab, which is found by the Police. A notice is put in the newspapers that Charles McNider has a copy of the formula for the Y-Ray, so the Black Dragon hunts him down and imprisons him with the good professor. McNider changes to Dr. Mid-Nite and defeats the Dragon as Stander destroys his invention, and soon after the Thunderbolt arrives on his urgent task.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Stan Asch
Inks:
Stan Asch
Notes:
In this chapter, Dr. Mid-Nite first seeks the inventor of the X-Ray, then later on it is the Y-Ray. Clearly, "X"-Ray was a typo.
Title:
Mystery Island
Characters:
Hop Harrigan; Tank Tinker; the Japanese (villains, some die)
Synopsis:
Hop and Tank investigate a mysterious light coming from a supposedly uninhabited bean-shaped island.
Pages:
1.500
Script:
Evelyn Gaines ?
Letters:
typeset
Notes:
Script credit from Craig Delich.
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 7
Characters:
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald] (cameo); Charles Reagan (inventor); Black Dragon Society agents (villains)
Synopsis:
The Japanese have kidnapped Charles Reagan, inventor of the amazing rocket-bomb, and are holding him in a submarine submerged in the murky depths trying to pry information out of him. He relents and tells his captors how to build the device, which they do, and they send it on its way to Chicago. The Spectre spots it, diverts it to Japan, then rescues the inventor, and captures the sub before the Thunderbolt shows up.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Bernard Baily (signed)
Inks:
Bernard Baily (signed)
Letters:
Bernard Baily
Notes:
Letterer credit by Craig Delich.
Title:
The Black Dragon, Chapter 8
Characters:
Johnny Thunder; The Thunderbolt [Archibald]; Black Dragon Society agents (villains)
Synopsis:
When Johnny opens his orders, he discovers that the War Department wants him to stay out of the situation completely! Angry, Johnny says the magic words and declares to the Thunderbolt that he'd like to be in the thick of things, and the Thunderbolt promptly drops him into the lap of the Black Dragons. They try every which way to dispose of Johnny, including several clones of him the T-Bolt whips up, until Johnny finally tells the Thunderbolt to get help from the other members before they succeed.
Pages:
6.000
Script:
Gardner Fox
Pencils:
Stan Asch
Inks:
Stan Asch
Title:
The Black Dragon, Conclusion
Characters:
Justice Society of America [Johnny Thunder; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Dr. Fate [Kent Nelson]; The Atom [Al Pratt]; Starman [Ted Knight]; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Dr. Mid-Nite [Dr. Charles McNider]; Wonder Woman [Diana Prince]]; The Thunderbolt [Archibald]; Major McNichols (of U.S. Army Intelligence); The Black Dragon Society (villains)
Synopsis:
The Justice Battalion members arrive, save Johnny and round up the other members of the sect. Johnny and the rest then meet with Wonder Woman the next day to file their report of this adventure.
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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
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
0
1
6
6
6
7
5
5
8
9
8
7
5
3
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
90
Qualified
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
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
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
5
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
14
Total
2
0
0
9
2
1
0
1
1
7
6
6
7
6
6
13
11
8
8
5
3
1
3
2
1
0
0
0
107
*All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. No item may be returned or refused based on this information which is provided as a service to our customers. You should contact each pricing source directly to determine the accuracy of this information.
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