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

Issue Details

Issue #43
Published October-November 1948
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 52
Editing Whitney Ellsworth (with Julius Schwartz)
Notes This is the first issue with a brand new logo, and this is the last story in which the JSA operates out of Gotham City. All notes, synopses and credit verifications added by Craig Delich (Feb. 2006).

Cover Details - "The Secret of the Golden Universe!"

Characters Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Black Canary; Atom [Al Pratt]; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Dr. Mid-Nite (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA)
Genre superhero
Pencils Irwin Hasen
Inks Irwin Hasen
Notes This is the first issue with a brand new logo, and this is the last story in which the JSA operates out of Gotham City. All notes, synopses and credit verifications added by Craig Delich (Feb. 2006).
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #9

12 page Justice Society of America story "The Secret of the Golden Universe! [chapter 1]"

Characters Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Black Canary; Hawkman [Carter Hal]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Atom [Al Pratt] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Aurikon (villain); The Gold Men
Synopsis The editor of the Gotham Globe calls in his star reporter, Benson, and criticizes him for writing a story that must be pure nonsense: that the Simpson Timer Company had its safe stolen during the night, but all the huge payroll was left behind! As they speak about this, the teletype in the editor's office clicked out yet another fantastic tale: that the Midwest Limited left Gotham, but later crashed due to the fact that fifty feet of track had disappeared. Reporter Benson sees a connection between the two events and is ordered to go out and dig up more info on the matter. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, master illusionist Raymond is about to commit suicide because the JSA has not answered his urgent letter to meet with him. However, the All-Stars show up in time, and Raymond relates how, as a person who also likes to expose frauds, he visited Gotham Island, where he was attracted to a certain exhibit involving Aurikon and his solid gold men. He watched the gold men jump into a tank filled with sulphuric acid and remained unharmed.....and they even drank the stuff without harm. Raymond then snuck up behind one of the gold men and cut off a piece of his hair and tested it, only to discover that it WAS gold....that is before he was knocked out from behind by the gold men in his lab, stuffed in a wooden crate and dumped into the harbor to die. Raymond used his "great escape' knowledge to free himself and contact the Justice Society. Believing Raymond's story, the JSA take him to Gotham Island, enter the dressing room of the gold men and discover hundreds of bars of iron...some marked Gotham City Railroad. The All-Stars now realize the gold men were responsible for the strange occurences in the city....but are suddenly come face-to-face with the gold men, who overcome the JSA, kidnap Raymond and get on the caterpillar ride, taking off at fantastic speed. When the ride comes to a stop, the gold men and Raymond are missing, so the JSA decides to duplicate the feat to see if they can follow the beings to wherever they went.
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Irwin Hasen (splash also)
Inks Bob Oksner (splash also)
Notes The splash somewhat replicates the cover, but was redrawn with JSA members in different spots and a different-looking robot.
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #9

12 page Justice Society of America story "The Secret of the Golden Universe! [chapter 2]"

Characters Black Canary; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Atom [Al Pratt]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Hawkman [Carter Hall] (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Aurikon (villain); The Gold Men; Myrla
Synopsis During the ride, the JSA lose consciousness, and when they awaken, they find themselves in a city of gold! They meet with Myrla, chief scientist of that city, named Xenca, who had brought the unconscious members to her home. She is surprised to actually meet carbon people, but she willingly informs the All-Stars that they have been transported to a dimension of gold. When the JSA tells her that the gold men stole iron from their dimension and brought it to this dimension, she realizes that it means the end of Xenca's civilization. Iron is their rarest element and was used in the past to fuel giant robots. But now they live at peace and the robots were put into storage, not to be used again. After 1000 years of peace, Myrla sees the theft of the iron, most likely engineered by her half-brother Aurikon, as a prelude to destruction. The JSA vow to stop him, but first must locate the robots, and Myrla tells them where they are. The team of Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite and the Atom head for the bay area, where one robot stands on a pedestal, where they witness the robot coming back to life. Hawkman and Atom attempt to stop the creature, while the Wonder of the Witching Hour enters the robot to gain access to the controls. Over-coming two gold men inside, Dr. Mid-Nite sees the robot has grabbed his two fellow members and grabs the control to release them, when he is shocked into unconsciousness. Elsewhere, Black Canary and Wonder Women arrive at the National Museum, where one of the robots is displayed. Unfortunately, one of Aurikon's gold men has already gained access and are attempting to fuel the robot when it starts to move....and out jump the All-Stars at them. But the duo is soon overcome and taken away to........?
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Arthur F. Peddy
Inks Bernard Sachs
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #9

10 page Justice Society of America story "The Secret of the Golden Universe! [chapter 3]"

Characters Flash [Jay Garrick]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Atom [Al Pratt]; Wonder Woman [Earth-2]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Black Canary; Dr. Mid-Nite (all as the Justice Society of America/JSA); Aurikon (villain); The Gold Men; Myrla
Synopsis Meanwhile, Green Lantern and the Flash arrive at the country estate of Myrla in time to see the final robot crash out of a building. A fierce struggle ensues and the robot heads into a mammoth cave, where the JSA duo overcomes it. As G.L. and the Scarlet Speedster stand atop the robot, two gold men emerge and render the pair unconscious. Later, Myrla, having been captured by the gold men, is taken to the National Museum by Aurikon and shown the JSA, on display, in a glass case and in a state of suspended animation for all time. Meanwhile, while Myrla tries to take the situation in, Aurikon visits the captive Raymond and tries to deal with him to be their agent, to travel to the Earth's dimension and secure needed iron to fuel the robots. He refuses....but after Aurikon has left, the master escape artist pits his abilities against the gold straight-jacket he has been placed in. He succeeds in escaping and crashes through the glass case in which the JSA members are housed to free them. The JSA then makes short work of the robots, rounds up Aurikon and his gold gang, and takes them to Myrla to be imprisoned. The Flash then re-creates the speed of light to get the members back to their own dimension, and they then meet with reporter Benson and give him the greatest story of his career....one which he refuses to write for fear of getting fired by his editor, who wouldn't believe it!
Genre superhero
Script John Broome
Pencils Irwin Hasen
Inks Bob Oksner
Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #9

1 page text story "Messengers from Space"

Genre sci-fi
Pencils ?
Letters typeset
Notes This text story was NOT reprinted in the Archive.

5 page Johnny Peril's Surprise Story! story "Blue Boxer Crimes"

Characters Johnny Peril; The Blue Boxer [Ricky Jones] (villain)
Genre fantasy
Script Howard Purcell ?
Pencils Howard Purcell
Inks Howard Purcell
Notes This story was NOT reprinted in the Archive.