All-Star Comics #44

Issue Details

Synopsis

EVIL STAR OVER HOLLYWOOD! When a star-masked racketeer who calls himself Evil Star terrorizes Stellar Studios, demanding they stop work on their latest movie, THIEF IN THE NIGHT, studio owner Frank T. Fanum calls in the Justice Society to help protect him. Black Canary asks Fanum if they can read the script to look for clues, but Fanum tells them that he only has half the script. Fanum recalls the story where masked, armed man broke into his house, giving him only part of the script, promising to mail him the rest of the script later. Doctor Mid-Nite hypothesizes that the script is a true story, and Evil Star must be the czar of all the Hollywood rackets, who is attempting to stop the movie from being made, because it will expose his true identity. Hawkman decides that the film must be made, and gives the members their assignments.  Flash and Doctor Mid-Nite pose as actors, protecting a location shoot where bandits raid a hotel resort. Evil Star's gang, replace of the actors, then try to force the crew off a steep slope. The JSA duo reveal themselves and defeat Evil Star's gang, but Evil Star subdues them with the help of prop movie smoke. Wonder Woman and Hawkman watch over a police chase scene on a boat. They notice that the movie cops have real clubs and guns, and not props. Knowing something is wrong, they defuse a bomb, and defeat the phony cops. Evil Star appears, then runs away, springing a trap on the duo with more movie props. Black Canary and the Atom who have stayed behind at the studio, are watching over Fanum. Fanum is meeting with Guy Pompton, the owner of a movie rental agency, who supplies studios with props. After Pompton leaves, Fanum, Atom, and Black Canary chase after him with one last business question. They can't find him, but they do find the chief studio chemist knocked out, and all of the studio's silver missing. Atom spots Evil Star making a getaway, and Atom and Black Canary chase him through the studio, however, Evil Star leads them into an ambush, and his gang subdues them both.   Green Lantern follows the postmark from the script envelope to see if he can find the script writer and learn of Evil Star's true identity. He finds a ghost town, with only one resident. The man tells Green Lantern that the town was supposed to be a second Hollywood, but no movies were ever made. Searching the studio, Green Lantern finds the author, who tells him nervously that the whole story is false. Green Lantern doesn't believe him and finds and captures Evil Star. Evil Star uses a sound playback machine to distract GL, and knocks him out. All seven members find themselves in the front row of a theater, tied to the trigger of a knife throwing machine, with seven knives aimed at each of their hearts. At Green Lantern's suggestion, they all move simultaneously, and dodge the knives. Returning to the studio, they accuse Guy Pompton of being Evil Star, offering to show a copy of the last page of the movie script as proof. Guy Pompton becomes Evil Star and his gang rushes the room. The JSA knock out the gang, and Green Lantern nets Evil Star as he tries to jump out the window.