Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #45
Published February-March 1949
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 52
Editing Whitney Ellsworth
Notes The JSA now meets in Civic City as their new and final base of operations. The JJSA secret code message in this issue is from the Atom. All notes, synopses and credit verifications added by Craig Delich (April, 2006).

Cover Details - "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals!"

Characters Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA)
Genre superhero
Pencils Irwin Hasen
Inks Bob Oksner
Notes The JSA now meets in Civic City as their new and final base of operations. The JJSA secret code message in this issue is from the Atom. All notes, synopses and credit verifications added by Craig Delich (April, 2006).
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

10 page Justice Society of America story "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals! [chapter 1]"

Characters Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Atom [Al Pratt]; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Black Canary; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Hawkman [Carter Hall] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Dr. Felix Egri; Gun-Shy; Peewee; Rocky; Slowpoke; Specs; Ox
Synopsis The Rocky Castle Gang is on the lam from the Police, who in pursuit of the Gang's car when it just disappears without a trace! The JSA decides to investigate and come upon an isloated cottage and hear cries for help. Entering, they discover a scientific lab and a helpless Dr. Egri tied up, who explains his experiments with cosmic radiation. He tells them that when stars go nova, the power expended comes to Earth in the form of cosmic rays, and these rays, filtered through a plutonium screen, have allowed certain material objects to absorb that power. He stored those objects under glass, but the members of the Rocky Castle Gang have stolen those objects from him. He's scared of the damage they can now inflict on manking once the clouds thin out and allow the starlight to reach the earth. The JSA leaves Black Canary with Dr. Egri and visit a professor at the Civic City Science Foundation, who tells them that odd cosmic radiation has occured at four different sites in the last 24 hours. So the JSA splits and heads for those areas, hoping to capture the members of the gang before it's too late.
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Irwin Hasen (splash also)
Inks Bob Oksner (splash also)
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

Half page filler "Ma Nature's Curiosity Shop"

Genre humor; fact
Script Martin Naydel ?
Pencils Martin Naydel (signed)
Inks Martin Naydel (signed)
Notes This filler is NOT found in the Archives.

10 page Justice Society of America story "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals! [chapter 2]"

Characters Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Atom [Al Pratt] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Gun-Shy; Peewee; Specs; Ox
Synopsis Ox and Gun-Shy are at the Civic Theatre, hoping to rob it of the $20,000 in gate receipts for that evening, but accidently set off a burglar alarm when heisting the box office. However, as the clouds begin to clear, the cosmic rays strike the stickpin and wristwatch the two are wearing and they take on unusual powers. Just then, Wonder Woman & Hawkman zoom to the attack and overcome the duo.....but when they take control of the watch and stickpin, something strange occurs. Meanwhile, two other gang members, Pee-Wee and Specs, are visiting the Mammoth Carnival when suddenly they decide to rob the circus of the $75,000 in the owner's safe. Succeeding in looting the swag, the clouds begin to part and strike the gloves and flashlight they took from Dr. Egri, allowing one super-strength and the other to shine a black light with the normal flashlight. Just then, Atom and Dr. Mid-Nite arrive on the scene, with the Atom wiping up the super-powered thug while the Man of Night isn't affected by the black light and over-powers the other gang member. But when they place their hands on the objects stolen from Dr. Egri, something strange happens to them!
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Irwin Hasen (light roughs only)
Inks Bernard Sachs (finishes)
Notes Credits revision and adjustments by Craig Delich & Jerry Bails (Jan. 2006). Pencil credit previously given to Arthur F. Peddy.
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

12 page Justice Society of America story "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals! [chapter 3]"

Characters Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Atom [Al Pratt]; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Black Canary; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Hawkman [Carter Hall] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Gun-Shy; Peewee; Rocky; Slowpoke; Specs; Ox; Dr. Egri (villain)
Synopsis The Flash heads for the Roger's mansion in the far west, where the owner is celebrating his 70th birthday by giving out $1 million cash to his friends. Inside Slopoke knocks out Rogers and steals the money. Heading outside, the clearing clouds allow the cosmic rays to strike his jacket and he gets super-speed from it. But the Fastest Man Alive catches up and nabs him....but again something strange happens when he touches Slopoke's coat. Elsewhere, a young woman arrives in the U.S. wearing a necklace made of one piece of flawless ivory. However, Rocky Castle is on the scene and nabs the necklace and makes a break for it. The clouds clear and the cosmic rays strike the ring he stole from the doctor and it now gives him strange powers. Wgen Green Lantern arrives, his rings makes short work of Rocky....that is, until the Green Gladiator touches Rocky's ring. Not long after, in the cottage of Dr. Egri, the gang reconvenes and Egri tells them that when the JSA members touched the objects, they were automatically transported to the cottage by the doctor's cosmic transporter and are now prisoners. Then donning all the objects he once gave to the gang members, Dr. Egri now turns on the crooks and threatens them. He brings in Black Canary, who has "turned crook" and offers to kill her JSA buddies. However, she turns the tables on Egri, knocks him to the floor and releases the JSA members, who capture the gang. Then, as they advance on Egri, the doctor brings the cosmic power of the objects to bear....but blows himself up!
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Irwin Hasen
Inks Bernard Sachs
Notes Ink credit from Craig Delich (April 30, 2004). Ink credit originally give to: Bob Oksner.
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

2 page text story "A Diller a Dollar"

Script John Osgood (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes This text story was NOT reprinted in the Archives.

8 page Johnny Peril's Surprise Story! story "Aladdin's Lamp"

Characters Johnny Peril
Genre fantasy
Script Howard Purcell ?
Pencils Howard Purcell
Inks Howard Purcell
Notes This story was NOT reprinted in the Archives.