All Star Squadron Campaign

February 12, 1942

Members of the All-Star Squadron (The Flash, Vigilante, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman) are performing at Madison Square Garden in a benefit for the USO by the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. Vigilante impresses the crowd with his singing voice and trick shooting, Green Arrow shoots an apple of Vigilante’s head (then sinks an arrow through that arrow!) and the Flash amazes the crowd with an acrobatic display (that they can barely see–although some in the crowd swear they saw him fall into the net not once, but twice!) Wonder Woman amazes the crowd with a game of Bullets and Bracelets–blocking the gunfire of an army private with her amazing bracelets!

However, as soon as Green Arrow shoots the arrow into his other arrow, armed men begin to emerge into the stadium. The Orphan, a new mysterious hero, spots them along with Wonder Woman and the Flash. They cow the crowd, then two of Batman’s villains, The Cavalier and the Scarecrow, emerge, informing the crowd that they are being robbed!

The heroes make sort work of the villains (not in small measure due to Green Arrow knocking some sort of fear grenade out of the Scarecrows hand, which takes some of the thugs and the Cavalier out of the fight almost immediately. The crowd takes only minor injuries, and the All-Star Squadron has a new ally–the Orphan!

After Wonder Woman interrogates the thugs, they learn that Baron Blitzkrieg is behind this caper, and has arranged it to delay and decoy our heroes form another, more sinister, plot. They wake the Scarecrow (knocked out with a boxing glove arrow from Green Arrow), and learn that there is an attack planned on the Brooklyn Navy Yard only fifteen minutes from now!

Our heroes rush to the Navy Yard, finding Fausta Grables, an old enemy of Wonder Woman, leading a group of hooded men and a huge robot, trying to sabotage the U.S.S. Missouri! What’s more, the group is armed with laser rifles, and Fausta herself has a force field which keeps her from harm.

Thanks to the Orphan’s timely mind blasts, and the Flash’s fleet work (and despite an early misstep with an explosive arrow which accidentally rocks the Amazing Amazon), our heroes defeat the evil Grables and put a stop to her plan. Upon interrogation, Grables spill that Baron Blitzkrieg has an even more sinister plan in mind–one that will “destroy the Allies forever!”

February 14, 1942

Liberty Belle calls a briefing at the Perisphere of the All-Stars who are in town. She reminds those present not to be tempted to run off (she especially eyes the Flash and Johnny Quick) to the European or Pacific theatres because of the sphere of influence over both places–which could render invading powered heroes subject to Nazi command! She also briefs the remaining All-Stars on the recent run-in with Fausta Grables and the nefarious plans of Baron Blitzkrieg. Further, she reminds everyone the Mister Who is at large, and looking to score a huge payday to fund his research. Lastly, she mentions the theft of the Kalpa Vigraha from a monastery in the Himalayas–an ancient Hindu statue that commemorates Shiva, and one of the oldest religious artifacts in the world! With that, the briefing comes to an end.

(4/5/25–retcon!)

February 16, 1942

The Orphan spends the morning walking the streets of Manhattan, getting acquainted with the city. As he nears Midtown, he sees a disturbance–a bank seems to be in the process of being robbed. Thugs wielding some sort of blaster device are putting a hole in the side of the building, guided by a bespectacled, bearded man–one he identifies as Mister Who, an enemy of Dr. Fate. He signals the members of the All-Star Squadron he has worked with–Green Arrow, the Vigilante, and the Flash. The Flash arrives first, and once the others arrive in the Arrowcar, they make short work of the thugs–but Mister Who manages to escape by becoming immaterial and moving through the building. After comparing notes, the Orphan notices a newspaper–another artifact has been stolen from a private collector in Los Angeles, Robert Galliard: The Tooth of Buddha.

The group traces Mister Who to his sanctuary in the Hamptons, but finds it empty–Mister Who has fled for parts unknown. While investigating the manse, Vigilante accidentally sets off a trap, but they escape. The Flash takes some arcane notes that Mister Who left behind, but is unable to decipher them–at least, at the moment.

February 17, 1942

Our adventurers are alerted to a threat on The Alamo. Deathbolt, a (former?) accomplice of the Ultra-Humanite, and perhaps now working for the Nazi Bund, has announced that he will destroy the Alamo and kill hostages inside if the United States does not withdraw from the European Theater. Taking the All-Star Special, Green Arrow, Vigilante, the Flash, and the Orphan hightail it to San Antonio! At the airport, they are greeted by the authorities, who, after conferring with the Vigilante, update them on the situation.

(5/10/25)

The Flash runs ahead to scope out the area. Deathbolt is on top of the Alamo (the old chapel itself–which has a hole blown in the roof), while hostages are evidently held inside. He returns to confer with our other heroes, then they all travel to the area together. They take up some specific positions: The Orphan ready to mindblast Deathbolt from in front (taking cover behind the Cenotaph), The Flash and Green Arrow reconnoitering the chapel itself, and the Vigilante in the former stables ready to come in.

The Flash first goes through the chapel walls into an adjoining room that he hopes will be vacant–once through the thick walls, he is assaulted by a wave of cold which almost sends him into a state of suspended animation or freezes him to the ground. Able to resist the cold, the Flash immediately retreats from the building. This reminds Green Arrow of an old enemy he thought dead: Professor Merlin, who had a “Creeping Death” cold projector that was similar to this, although much less powerful than what the Flash describes. Professor Merlin died in a explosion–or so Green Arrow thought!

After some discussion, Green Arrow decides to chance a sneak attack on Deathbolt–one quick boxing arrow later, and Deathbolt is down. (Unbeknownst to our heroes at first, he falls into the hall in the roof of the Alamo unconscious, and is seriously injured by the 22 foot tumble onto the stone floor!

With Deathbolt down, our heroes discover that the cold effect does not extend into an area near the front of the Alamo–and the remaining villains inside have threatened to blow up the building in five minutes! The Flash goes through the wall again–this time in the unaffected region–and attempts to take down one of the thugs inside. Unable to knock him out, he then unlocks the front door for The Orphan and Vigilante–Green Arrow pins the fleeing thug to the ticket counter with some well-placed arrows.

Upon opening the doors, Vigilante and The Orphan rush in. The Flash takes the protective gear from another thug and puts it on. The thugs (and Professor Merlin seem to be suddenly affected by a something as they attack–it staggers the thugs for moment, and causes Professor Merlin to move forward to threaten a hostage. The Flash–now clad in the protective gear–removes the hostage from the room at super-speed, while the Vigilante pierces his protective gear with a trick shot! Professor Merlin falls victim to his own “Creeping Death,” while the thugs, instigated by the Orphan, flee out of the Alamo–and into the waiting arms of the police.

After interrogation of the thugs and Professor Merlin (Deathbolt won’t awaken from his injuries for some time), none of them recall how they ended up in the Alamo in the first place! Professor Merlin recalls attending a meeting with other members of The Hand with an anonymous prospective client–but nothing afterward.

(7/12/25)

February 22, 1942

A briefing at the Perisphere with Liberty Belle alerts Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Vigilante, and the Flash to a possible plot…and a mission. Kung is known to be in the United States, and this deadly assassin is connected to chatter intercepted by Army Intelligence to have a mission in D.C.–perhaps dealing with the Smithsonian. What that mission might be is unknown, so this group of All-Stars must investigate.

Upon their arrival in D.C., the All-Stars are met by their good friend Corporal Karl, who whisks them to the Smithsonian Castle, the administrative center for the institution. There, they ask Frank Coolidge about anything strange. The only thing he can report is that two guards, both of whom guard a warehouse of undisplayed /uncategorized Smithsonian property have no call/no showed that morning.

The All-Stars, particularly Wonder Woman, are intrigued, and they investigate the warehouse. While there doesn’t seem to be anything going on right at that time, they do discover that some items have been (relatively) recently moved. When they question the guards who are there, they can’t answer their questions–because of national security. After questioning Coolidge, they learn that many valuable/irreplaceable/cultural important items have been moved to a secret location in the Shendoah Mountains. The Flash checks this location out, and finds nothing out of the ordinary. The All-Stars now have a quandry–which location might be the target of Kung and his minions?

That evening, the All-Stars have some personal triumphs and tragedies. The Vigilante’s alter ego, Greg Saunders, performs in front of the President (and the All-Stars in their secret identities, unbeknownst to each other. Saunders elicits a standing ovation from (almost) everyone in attendance with his performance (and the Green Arrow figures out who is behind the Vigilante’s mask.) After the performance, Vigilante is puzzled that his sidekick, Stuff, hasn’t attended the performance–in fact, he can’t seem to contact him.

The Flash is asked by Arthur Williams, his girlfriend Joan’s father, to check on her, as she has been struck by fits of lethargic torpor punctuated by sleepwalking for a few weeks now. The Flash doesn’t discover the source of these fits, but he agrees with Arthur that treatment might be in order, perhaps by the new celebrity psychiatrist practicing in New York.

Back in D.C., All-Stars discover that the bodies of the two guards have been discovered in the Potomac. After investigating the bodies–which were beaten before they were strangled–they decide to stake out the warehouse. Their choice seems to be rewarded when they spot a hawk circling the warehouse–which they decide is a shape-changed Kung–and a group of thugs pulls up in a truck and attacks the guards. The group makes short work of these thugs–due mainly to a well-placed Gas Arrow by Green Arrow–but Kung seems to escape. He is last seen flying westward toward Shenandoah, so the Flash returns to the secret warehouse…to discover it under attack! He returns and helps the Invisible Plane move faster toward the battle–doubling its movement speed!

At the warehouse, they discover Killer Shark, Black Star, and Insect Master (the former a known Nazi operative) attempting to escape the warehouse with a crate. They’ve arrived just in time! Wonder Woman destroys their escape vehicle while the rest of the All-Stars start the battle. Insect Master is defeated first–but not before he orders his insect hordes to attack the Flash! Black Star is the next to fall, thanks to an incredible shot by Green Arrow–who then falls to an attack from Tiger Shark. Tiger Shark then turns Black Star’s Growth Ray device on some ants, who attack our heroes, downing Vigilante. Wonder Woman lassos Tiger Shark with her Lasso of Truth and uses him as a human mace to knock out some of the Nazi commandos–an attack which also knocks out Tiger Shark. A lucky shot by a Nazi takes the Amazing Amazon out of the fray, leaving only the Flash to thwart a late-arriving Kung and defeat the remaining Nazi soldiers. The All-Stars have prevented the theft of….the Ark of the Covenant (revealed to be in the crate they were attempting to rush away.) Kung escapes, but the theft is thwarted!

(8/3/2025)

February 24th, 1942

President Roosevelt is ribbon-cutting at the new wing of the National Naval Medical Center, accompanied by his new favorite musician, Greg Saunders (the Vigilante.) He’s guarded by a couple of Army privates…and Commander Steel, how often serves as his primary bodyguard after a few assassination attempts. Inside the hospital, Dr. Charles McNider (Dr. Mid-Nite) is helping out on a new temporary assignment in his role as an army doctor. Suddenly, a shot rings out–FDR is barely missed and one of the soldiers is killed. Another shot hits FDR, just as the Vigilante knocks him to the ground. Vigilante drags the bleeding President into the hospital, where his life is saved. Steel knocks the assassin out–a carbon-copy to the the assassin who had threatened both him and Winston Churchill just months ago.

Meanwhile, Green Arrow in his alter ego of socialite Oliver Queen is home for the first time in a few weeks, and notices his ward and partner, Roy Harper (Speedy) is lethargic and has been sleepwalking. He’s been advised to visit the new celebrity therapist in NY, a Dala DuBois, about his issue. She is a Hungarian ex-pat who is an expert in somnambulism–as well as the same therapist who is now treating Joan Williams. Queen goes to meet her, but, although he makes an appointment, he is unable to meet personally with Dr. DuBois.

March 2nd, 1942

Almost a week later, Dr. Mid-nite is still working at the Naval Medical Center when a patient is brought in who was struck in a car accident that morning. McNider treats him, but is startled when, an hour so later, the patient attempts to leave the hospital, murmuring something about “a task” and “earth, wind, fire, and water….” His severe head injury renders him unconscious. McNider is worried, and checks the soldier out, discovering two things: a program for a rally a few nights before in D.C., and a cyanide capsule in his mouth.