All-American Comics #51 is an issue of the series All-American Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1943.
Synopsis for Green Lantern: "Murder Under the Stars"
A swami going by the name of Astro tries to trick a man named Markham into investing in his bankrupt company, but Markham literally blows the whistle on Astro, calling Green Lantern and revealing it was a sting operation. Astro vows vengeance on Markham, and only a few days later escapes prison. Things are even worse because, as Markham reveals, his entire family is staying at his uncle's house to hear the reading of the uncle's will, giving Astro plenty of targets. He does indeed start killing the relatives in ways related to their astrological signs (shooting a man born under Gemini with a double-barreled shotgun, pushing another born under Leo into a lion's cage, trying to shoot a lady born under Sagittarius with a bow and arrow).
Soon Astro is found in the basement, apparently having committed suicide. Green Lantern reveals a trick using a needle and string to lower a key down to the table, disputing the apparent explanation that Astro locked himself in before killing himself. GL reveals his deduction that Markham himself is the killer, who'd been masquerading as Astro. Markham confesses, revealing that he'd turned the tables and captured Astro himself, and used the swami's promise of revenge as a pretense to kill the other heirs so that Markham himself would receive the large inheritance.
Appearing in Green Lantern: "Murder Under the Stars"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Astro (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Markham
Locations:
Items:
- Green Lantern's Power Ring
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "Hippity on Base"
Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "Hippity on Base"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Army Air Transport Command
- Hippity
- Geraldine (Gerry)
- Major Prop Wash
Antagonists:
Vehicles:
- Hippity's Flying Scooter
- Harrigan's P-40 fighter
- German U-boat (Destroyed)
- w/ catapult pontoon Messerschmitt fighter (Destroyed)
- w/ catapult pontoon Messerschmitt fighter (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Scribbly and the Red Tornado: "Mur-der"
Somebody invents a mind-reading machine and Uncle Herman is acting as his agent. Uncle Gus buys in, then unwisely publicizes this development. This attracts attention from inventors, investors, and hoolums, and the hoodlums get there first. The Red Tornado subdues the hoodlums, and some scientists also, and then so do the Cyclone Kids. The innocent scientists are lucky to escape the fracas, and the hoodlums do not. When things get settled at the police station, the invention turns out to be a fake, to the great chagrin of Uncle Gus.
Appearing in Scribbly and the Red Tornado: "Mur-der"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Cyclone Kids
- Uncle Gus
- Uncle Herman
- Officer Clancy
Antagonists:
- Professor Smith
- Professor Louie Jones
Other Characters:
- Professor Zachary Rumbletummy
- Professor Ipswich
- Police Chief
Locations:
- New York City
- Vine Street, Hunkel's Grocery
- Police Station
Synopsis for Atom: "Guadzaloope Ball"
Perry Poddle invents a machine for cheating at baseball by magnetically guiding every pitch across home plate. Two sports-cheating racketeers take an interest in this gizmo, and when they publicly shake down Poddle, in a baseball game that the Atom is watching, he intervenes. But the bad guys offer to make Poddle wealthy, so he plays along with them.
Weeks go by, and Perry Poddle's phenomenal pitching wins one exhibition game after another, and sells out stadium after stadium. The shady promoters never find out about Poddle's secret machinery, and Poddle never finds out how much money they're really raking in, from ticket sales alone, not to mention the illicit gambling they've been doing. This goes on for some time before the Atom shows up and tells Perry what's really going on, then dukes it out with the racketeers, and dumps them at the police station. The Atom then grabs their loot and redistributes it, as follows: part to the Policemen's Benefit Fund, and part to Perry Poddle and his impoverished mother.
Appearing in Atom: "Guadzaloope Ball"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Bugs Bentley
- Monk
Other Characters:
- Perry Poddle
- Mrs. Poddle
Locations:
- Calvin City, Connecticut
- College Town
- Millville
- Waterbury
Synopsis for Red, White, and Blue: "Soda Pop and Subs"
Appearing in Red, White, and Blue: "Soda Pop and Subs"
Featured Characters:
- Red, White, and Blue
- Red Dugan, USMC
- Whitey Smith, USA
- Blooey Blue, USN
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Digges, G2
Antagonists:
Locations:
- Waterfront
- dive bar
- 574 Bagley Street
Vehicles:
- Nazi Submarine (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Doctor Mid-Nite: "The City of Silent Night"
Appearing in Doctor Mid-Nite: "The City of Silent Night"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Mumm, Master of Silence
- two hench
Locations:
- Keystone City
- Mr. Mumm's Penthouse Apartment
- Dr. McNider's Office
- blown-up bank
- Records Office of the Auto Commissioner
- Radio STation WMCG
- Radio STation WSM
Items:
- Mumm's Silence Machine
- Dr. Mid-Nite's Blackout Bombs
Vehicles:
- Mumm's Sedan, licence plate Y-4536
Notes
- Published monthly except May, August, November, and February by J.R. Publishing Company.
- In the Atom story, two captions refer to "College Town" and no caption or dialogue mentions "Calvin" anything.
- The Atom gets clocked with a thrown baseball, and shrugs it off, remarking "OUCH! -- Good thing my mask is PADDED!"
- Dr. Mid-Nite: "The City of Silent Night" is set in Keystone City, where Dr. McNider apparently lives.
- Malcolm Mumm invents a machine which can cancel all sound in a given area. Dr. Mid-Nite smashed that machine, but Mumm is captured alive, and still knows how to build a new one. After this story, this amazing technology is never used, seen, or mentioned again.
- Dr. Mid-Nite gets head-konked unconscious with a statuette.
- Green Lantern notes that he was born under the sign of Libra, thus between September 23rd and October 22nd.
- Hop Harrigan's Air Corps buddies destroy another enemy submarine.
- Red, White, and Blue destroy another enemy submarine.
- The arms on the swastika on this submarine are pointed backward.
- Also appearing in this issue of All-American Comics were
- 1/2 page advertisement for Green Lantern #7, and 1/2 page advertisement for All-Star Comics #17
- Mutt & Jeff (newspaper strip reprints) by Bud Fisher
- Full-page advertisement for Hop Harrigan's All-American Flying Club.
- Jimmy Stone: "The 31st Passenger, Part 2" (text story) by Evelyn Gaines.
- Full-page advertisement for Wonder Woman #5, Mutt & Jeff #9, All-Flash #10, and Comic Cavalcade #2
Trivia
- Stan Aschmeier signed his Dr. Mid-Nite story as "Stan Josephs".
See Also