History ComicBook / AllStarSquadron

A comic book series published by Creator/DCComics in UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}} starting in 1981. Coming out after DC's parallel worlds had existed for a while, and written by the continuity-obsessed Creator/RoyThomas, this series took place during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII on the parallel world of Earth-2, where DC's [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] characters were said to have existed.

The phrase "retroactive continuity" was used (attributed to a fan) in the letter column in issue #18, which soon became "{{Retcon}}". The series was heavily based around retcons in the positive sense--it often told stories that happened between issues of real [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] series, gave origins to characters who never had them, and cleared up plot holes and dangling plots from decades ago. It generally avoided the "[[ReWrite everything you know is a lie]]" type of retcon, though there were some minor history changes. It also gave a decent explanation why the really powerful superheroes didn't invade the Axis powers to end the war overnight: UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler possessed the mystic [[UsefulNotes/HolyLance Spear of Destiny]], which would take control the mind of any superhero who tried entering land under Axis control.

* CaptainFishman: Neptune Perkins is an obscure UsefulNotes/{{Golden Age of Comic Books}} character who in his original appearance was just a marine biologist who needed to spend time the ocean due to a sodium deficiency, reinvented as a descendent of [[Literature/TheNarrativeOfArthurGordonPymOfNantucket Arthur Gordon Pym]] and a member of an aquatic race he discovered at the Pole, to provide a fill-in for the RetGone Golden Age Aquaman.

* DifferentlyPoweredIndividual: The term "Mystery Men" was used for superheroes, as in real [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] comics.

* TokenMinority: Amazing Man--of course, the heroes in actual [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] comics, which the series was based on, were ''all'' white. Also Tsunami after her HeelFaceTurn and Flying Fox in ''Young All-Stars''.

* ArcherArchetype: Pre-Crisis, Green Arrow and Speedy. Post-Crisis, Tigress and Axis Amerika member Usil.

The success of the series led to the launch of ''ComicBook/InfinityInc'', whose characters appeared in the progenitor series thanks to TimeTravel. James Robinson's ''Comicbook/{{Starman}}'' and Creator/GeoffJohns' ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'', two of DC's successes in the 00's, owe as much inspiration to Thomas' ''All-Star Squadron'' as they do to the original 40s comics and the Levitz/Staton revitalization in the 70s.

* IsTheAnswerToThisQuestionYes: In issue #16, Franchise/WonderWoman asks the All-Star Squadron if they know Nuclear and a squadron member asks "Does Max Schmeling know Joe Louis?".

* TheMultiverse: Besides the team's involvement in the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', the All-Star Squadron also had visits by [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and his family of heroes and villains from Earth-S. Also they got involved in a story teaming up with both the Justice Society and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}} from Earth-1 where they had to stop Per Degaton from using the Crime Syndicate from Earth-3 to alter future history.

** Issue #16 shows the first time Franchise/WonderWoman foiled Nuclear's plans but it takes place before Nuclear made his debut in the Wonder Woman comics.

* TakeThat: In one issue the Squadron fights a villain who believes he's [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and Tarantula spends several panels mocking his [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe mangled Elizabethan grammar]]. Might also count as SelfDeprication, as Roy Thomas had written Thor himself during his time at Marvel.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Issue 14. Traveling to Earth-Prime, Per Degaton gets insulted by a Newstand vendor. he intends payback. Later, he has the Crime Syndicate go to that Earth's 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis and steal the nuclear missiles from Cuba, knowing full well this will cause a Nuclear War that will irreparably damage the civilization of Earth-Prime.

* GiantFootOfStomping: In the sequel series ''The Young All Stars'', Fury sees a giant Mekanique try to do this to her "adopted aunt and uncle", Liberty Belle and Johnny Quick, in her dreams before she wakes up. In an annual story, it is revealed that Mekanique ''doesn't'' turn big...she ''shrinks'' the All-Star Squadron to doll size and attacks them inside a model of a futuristic city. Fury and her Young All-Star companions, who were spared the shrinking, stop Mekanique from achieving the "giant foot stomp".

** ''ComicBook/AllStarComics'' #11 has the JSA successfully defeat the Japanese Army. However, Issue#18 of this series reveals this "reality" to be dream-illusions that the Brain Wave mentally placed into the captive JSA's minds. He then changes the dream by having the Japanese "kill" the JSA one by one, the trauma nearly causing all of them to die for real.

* HeroicBSOD: Green Lantern in Issue #20. Forced into Brain Wave's mental dream-world of a Japan that had massacred his fellow teammates in both the JSA and All-Star Squadron, he retaliates by destroying all of Japan with his power ring. Horrified by his actions, he is ready to kill himself, but the mental rapport shared by his "dead" teammates persuade him to use his ring to restore them back to reality. Everyone is alive and well. Unfortunately, it takes GL a little longer to reach that mindset.

* HistoricalFiction

* IsTheAnswerToThisQuestionYes: In Issue #16, Franchise/WonderWoman asks the All-Star Squadron if they know Nuclear and a squadron member asks "Does Max Schmeling know Joe Louis?".
* IfOnlyYouKnew: The Ultra Epic. Ultra-Humanite smugly announces this trope to Cyclotron when the latter notes a familiarity with one of the time-displaced Infinity Inc.: Nuklon who is actually his grandson.
* KidnappedDoctor: The Ultra Epic. Ultra-Humanite has Dr. Chuck Grayson kidnapped so he can remove the brain from his present female form and put it into Robotman.
* LivingCrashpad: The Ultra Epic. Psycho Pirate becomes this for Jade. He manipulates her into giddiness while she is in mid-air, sapping her will power, causing her descend. She manages to maneuver her body to fall and crash on the villain, breaking his control.

** Issues#1-3 has Per Degaton traveling from 1947 to December 6-7 1941. On the night of December 7, he intends to have brainwashed Japanese planes bomb a West Coast city, causing such a public outcry that FDR will have no choice but to abandon "Germany First" and focus on Japan.
** Issue#14 Per Degaton again travels from 1947. With the help of the Crime Syndicate, he goes to Earth-Prime 1963, steals Nuclear missiles from Cuba during the Missile crisis. With the arsenal, he heads back to Earth-2 January 1942 to blackmail the nations into surrendering authority to him.

* MistakenIdentity: Due to having the same designer, Tarantula's yellow-and-purple outfit often had people mistake him for the Sandman. He gets a more distinguishing costume.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: After a brief home-invasion skirmish from Brainwave Jr., Tarantula manages to calm him down and learns some important information. Before he can give more, he gets knocked unconscious by Tarantula's housekeeper.

* PowerCrystal: The Ultra Epic. Ultra gains the Powerstone and transmutes it to her forehead. She uses its power to weaken and kidnap Superman and Robotman.
* {{Prequel}}: Issue #16 shows the first time Franchise/WonderWoman foiled Nuclear's plans but it takes place before Nuclear made his debut in the Wonder Woman comics.

* PrisonDimension: The Ultra Epic. This is the dimension Limbo, where the Ultra-Humanite and the Secret Society of Super-Villains imprisoned certain members of the JLA and JSA, only for them to escape and put them into the place (''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' #195-197). In this series, the Ultra of 1983 and the Ultra of 1942 would send the All-Stars to Limbo in exchange for the villains.
* PrisonerExchange: The Ultra Epic. The imprisoned Ultra of 1983, with contact from the Ultra of 1942, teleported Infinity Inc. into the latter era and empowered them so that one's contact with them would teleport that person into Limbo. In exchange, a Limbo prisoner would appear to 1942. Green Lantern, Batman, Atom, Liberty Belle, Commander Steel, and Tarantula switched places with prisoners Vulcan, Psycho Pirate, Monocle, Rag Doll, Mist, and Brain Wave (the Ultra of 1983 escaped to his era). Later, Brainwave Jr. tricked Ultra into teleporting Flash, Guardian, Robin, Phantom Lady, Wildcat, and Johnny Quick into Limbo, resulting in the previous group of heroes returning to 1942.

* PursuedProtagonist: The hero Midnight debuts (in issue #31) running out of an office building and then hiding to ambush a Nazi pursuer before resuming his flight, until he escapes on a train.

** The Ultra Epic. Cyclotron shows Firebrand (his ex-girlfriend) the reason he has been working for the Ultra-Humanite: His infant daughter baby is dying of radiation poisoning, and Ultra promises to cure her for his assistance.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Issue 3 sees Per Degaton's plans fall to ruin. The JSA are free and will eventually track him down. He decides to use the time machine to return to 1947, although the time paradox will cause him return to his life as a Lab Assistant, forgetting everything.

** Evil android Mekanique was essentially the android from Fritz Lang's ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''. In fact, the future came from pretty much was ''Metropolis'' in everything but name.

* StupidJetpackHitler

* SuperHeroOrigin

* TakeThat: In one issue the Squadron fights a villain who believes he's [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and Tarantula spends several panels mocking his [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe mangled Elizabethan grammar]].
* TeamTitle

** Issue #45. On the death of her relative Tom Revere, and her feeling ineffectual as a super-heroine, Liberty Belle quits. She comes back the next issue.
** In Young All-Stars, Miya Shimada aka Tsunami (a Japanese-American) quits the team upon seeing her family in an internment camp, divesting herself of her uniform and going to join her mother and sister. Later, as they're relaxing, the young heroes are attacked the same group of Nazi supervillains who had previously attacked the All-Star base--this time with a Japanese villain who calls himself Kamikaze as part of the team. The villains manage to overpower them and take away a few members, and the rest of the group decide to ask Tsunami to rejoin. Although she's resistant at first, after hearing the details (particularly about the war-crazed Kamikaze) she realizes she can't let three innocent people die and--her mother's already ready with her costume. She later decides to stay on the team partly because it puts her in a position where she can bug FDR about those camps.

** Issues#1-3. Per Degaton from 1947, with Wotan, Professor Zodiac, Solomon Grundy, Sky King, King Bee, and Monster.
** Issues#14-15. Per Degaton from 1947. From 1982: Earth-3's Crime Syndicate, Earth-2's Justice League of America (Superman, Zatanna, Firestorm, Aquaman, and Hawkman), and the Justice Society (Doctor Fate, Starman, Green Lantern, Power Girl, and Huntress).
** Issues#25-26 & Annual 2. From 1983: 3 Infinity Inc. (Nuklon, Fury, Silver Scarab, Obsidian, Jade, Northwind, and Brainwave Jr.) and the Secret Society of Super-Villains (Psycho-Pirate, Brain Wave, Monocle, Rag Doll, Mist, and Vulcan).
** Issues#54-55. Firebrand to 1985.

* TonightSomeoneDies: The Red Bee, who hadn't been used in the series before and was a lame character.

* {{Trilogy}}: "The Ultra Epic" is the second Part of a Three-Part storyline involving the Ultra-Humanite and the JSA. Part 1 is a storyline from ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' #195-197 ending with Ultra and his Secret Society of Super Villains thrust (or in Ultra's case, punched) into Limbo. This Part reveals how Ultra transported the brainwashed Infinity Inc. (and his Earth-2 teammates) into 1942, and his own escape from Limbo. Part 3, the "Generations Saga" in ''ComicBook/InfinityInc'' #3-10 shows Ultra wreaking revenge on the team by turning their JSA relatives against them. Ultra, Superman, and Flash are involved in all three parts.

** The first storyline has Per Degaton use a fake volcano to hold the captivated Justice Society of America (plus Wonder Woman and Robin).

* WrongGenreSavvy: Johnny Quick catches the ringleader of the racist Phantom Empire. The ringleader smugly comments that a good guy like Quick will treat with kid gloves. Quick violently disappoints him.

** Issue 2 reveals that Per Degaton was associated with the Scientists in the main plot of ''ComicBook/AllStarComics''#10.

* AllJustADream: The JSA's fight with the Japanese in the Philippines depicted in ''ComicBook/AllStarComics'' #11 is revealed to be dream-illusions placed under captivity by the Brain Wave.

** The series' opening plot is Per Degaton kidnapping the Justice Society of America and holding them prisoner so they won't interfere with his plan to alter Roosevelt's Military plans on December 7, 1941. The more powerful members- Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Spectre, and Doctor Fate, Johnny Thunder, Starman (as well as current non-member Wonder Woman)- are overpowered (by powerful adversaries) and magically rendered unconscious in their prison. Only the less-powerful Hawkman, Doctor Mid-Nite, and Atom evade capture.

* BadFuture: Mekanique comes from a future world that resembles Fritz Lang's ''Metropolis''. She claims to have appeared in the past to stop that future from taking place, but after Alan Scott (Green Lantern) and Danette Reilly (Firebrand) change the event that supposedly causes the bad future to happen, Mekanique reveals to Robotman that the change in the event ''actually causes'' the bad future to happen, which was what she was hoping for all along.
** Of course, what stands in the way of the bad future from taking place is the All-Star Squadron still existing, which Mekanique tries to destroy in ''The Young All-Stars'' 1988 annual issue.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: In Issue 8 of Young All-Stars [[ComicBook/GreenLantern1941 Green Lantern]] starts behaving strangely, freeing a Japanese POW from prison, conjuring a terrifying image of Sedna in Alaska (which the All-Stars interfere with) and flying to Jamaica to save the life of a local girl named Maria from Baron Blitzkreig and his troops. In issue 9, after the trouble's died down, Green Lantern, who has no memory of this, turns himself in to the [=A2S=] in preparation for trial when...his ''ring'' raises an objection, saying that ''it'' had taken over Alan's body, in order to prevent the deaths of three people who would be ancestors to three important people: Sgineru Yamata (no longer fated to be slain by a sadistic American guard) would be the father of Takeo Yamata, Katy Kalmaku (no longer fated to be killed by Japanese invaders) would give birth one day to Tom Kalmaku, and Maria (no longer fated to be senselessly murdered by Nazis) would one one day be the mother of Celia Windward. The ring doesn't know what future destiny awaited thse future children, only that it needed to intervene. After explaining itself the All-Star Squadron snap out of their trance, uncertain of what had hapened. Although the ring's explanation had been wiped from their minds, they all agreed that it was clearly a one-time malfunction and that FDR would accept their explanation. In the mean time, the ancestors of three of the ComicBook/TheNewGuardians continued their lives as best as they could with a war on, and hoped for a better future.

* BackportedDevelopment: Nabu's possession of Kent Nelson whenever he puts on the Magic Helmet, Nabu's role as a Lord of Order, and Inza's relationship issues over Nabu- established in modern issues by Paul Levitz and Martin Pasko- were added to the series.

** There were indeed Golden Age heroes going by the name of "Iron" Munro, Flying Fox, and (Miss) Fury, even if they were different from their ''Young All-Stars'' counterparts.

** Axis Amerika served as an expy of the at-the-time nonexistent Crime Syndicate of Earth-3.

* CanonImmigrant: Dr. Daka from ''Film/{{The Batman|Serial}}'', is the main villain in Issue 42.

* ThoseWackyNazis

* TokenEnemyMinority: Tsunami.

* CaptainPatriotic: Commander Steel, Americommando, Uncle Sam, Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy for the males, Liberty Belle for the females. Also later joined post-Crisis by Miss America, who pre-Crisis was killed off in an early incarnation of the ComicBook/{{Freedom Fighters|DC}}.

* RetGone: Issue #60 was a vivid example of this, as it took place after the ''Crisis On Infinite Earths'' but before all the changes took place. In that issue, the Golden Age versions of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Speedy showed up for a group picture, right before Mekanique revealed to Robotman that she was holding back the "sweeping effects" of the Crisis until her mission was accomplished, and then released the effects while also wiping out Robotman's memory of the revelation. By the time the developed picture gets in the hands of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, said Golden Age heroes (save for Green Arrow and Speedy due to an error) were erased from the picture, replaced by members of the ComicBook/{{Freedom Fighters|DC}} (who pre-Crisis had gone to Earth-X).

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: In the ''Young All Stars''' ''Millennium'' crossover, Nazi supervillain Baron Blitzkrieg tells his troops not to rape a woman they captured because such behavior was unbecoming of Third Reich soldiers.

* BecauseDestinySaysSo: In Issue 8 of Young All-Stars Green Lantern starts behaving strangely, freeing a Japanese POW from prison, conjuring a terrifying image of Sedna in Alaska (which the All-Stars interfere with) and flying to Jamaica to save the life of a local girl named Maria from Baron Blitzkreig and his troops. In issue 9, after the trouble's died down, Green Lantern, who has no memory of this, turns himself in to the A2S in preparation for trial when...his ''ring'' raises an objection, saying that ''it'' had taken over Alan's body, in order to prevent the deaths of three people who would be ancestors to three important people: Sgineru Yamata (no longer fated to be slain by a sadistic American guard) would be the father of Takeo Yamata, Katy Kalmaku (no longer fated to be killed by Japanese invaders) would give birth one day to Tom Kalmaku, and Maria (no longer fated to be senselessly murdered by Nazis) would one one day be the mother of Celia Windward. The ring doesn't know what future destiny awaited thse future children, only that it needed to intervene. After explaining itself the All-Star Squadron snap out of their trance, uncertain of what had hapened. Although the ring's explanation had been wiped from their minds, they all agreed that it was clearly a one-time malfunction and that FDR would accept their explanation. In the mean time, the ancestors of three of the ComicBook/TheNewGuardians continued their lives as best as they could with a war on, and hoped for a better future.

** In Young All-Stars, Miya Shimada aka Tsunami (a Japanese-American) quits the team upon seeing her family in an internment camp, divesting herself of her uniform and going to join her mother and sister. Later, as they're relaxing, the young heroes are attacked the same group of Nazi supervillains who had previously attacked the All-Star base--this time with a Japanese villain who calls himself Kamikaze as part of the team. The villains manage to overpower them and take away a few members, and the rest of the group decide to ask Tsunami to rejoin. Although she's resistant at first, after hearing the details (particularly about the war-crazed Kamikaze) she realizes she can't let three innocent people die and--her mother's already ready with her costume.