Dates
- Cover date
- Summer 1944
- On sale
- May 16, 1944
- Pages
- 52
Editions and covers
- Original editionSource ↗
Creators
Stories
- The Biscuit Eater by James Street · Good Books Worth Reading · 0.67 pages
- The Man Who Relived His Life [Introduction] · 5 pages
The President asks the JSA to visit a man at the hospital that may change a man's life, and are greeted by Professor Everson. He tells them that the man for whom they are to do something for is Joe Fitch, a man with a shady past. The professor had created two serums, one that could save human life and one fatal. Fitch decides to become the guinea pig, but takes the wrong one and is dying. The JSA has one hour to change Fitch's criminal past, and use the professor's time ray to go into his past and correct his misdeeds.
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 1 · 6 pages
In 1904 Joe is a bank teller invited to a gambling den where he gambles and loses thousands of dollars. The crooked owner wants Joe to provide the safe combination in the bank, and by doing so will forgive his debt. When Joe says no, thugs beat on him until Hawk stops them. Then he and Joe lay a trap for the gambler, which works. Joe refuses the reward, deciding to give it to the gambler's wife to help her get by. In 1944 the mailman delivers a dusty letter to an old lady: Slim's wife, being told the mail was found in the old post office being torn down. Inside: the reward money on Slim!
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 2 · 5 pages
It's 1906 in San Francisco as Joe Fitch begins a banking job. One night, he is enthralled with a performer, Lily D'Arcy, whom he asks out, and which angers Big Mike McCullum. They have a fist fight and McCullum swears revenge. Sandman overhears the threat and tries to prevent Joe from gunning down the crook. An earthquake hits as Joe's fires the gun, and the theatre burns, and Joe thinks he's guilty. Sandman sees someone else fire the shot. Fast forward to 1944: an old lady, named Lily, reads an article in the paper that it was Palmer, not Fitch, who killed McCullum and she is much relived.
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 3 · 5 pages
Joe Fitch flees to Mexico in 1914, and joins up with Pancho Villa, acting as an expert shot. Villa tells him to dynamite the Horseshoe Saloon, owned by a rival named Smith. Instead, Joe disables the explosives, plants them, but surprised when the saloon blows up! Starman chides himself for goofing up the assignment, then spots the two men overheard bragging about blowing up the saloon. Fast forward to 1944: on the very site where the saloon stood years before, a group of engineers uncover sticks of dynamite that hadn't exploded...because they were full of sand, not gun powder!
- Express to Berlin · 2 pages
Hop and Tank fly out in a B-25 toward Tunis carrying a glass cylinder containing a potent and powerful gas, when they are suddenly attacked by the enemy. One was shot down by others, who re-grouped and continued on their way. A German spy, hidden aboard, emerged from behind and demanded they fly to Berlin. Hop mentioned to the spy, Chambers, that the box at their feet contained a secret invention. Tinker opened it and dropped the glass cylinder, letting the gas overcome the German, while Hop and Tank put on oxygen masks. The spy fell over and Hop re-directed the plane back toward Tunis.
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 4 · 5 pages
Joe heads to Texas and spends two years cow punching before being drafted into the A.E.F., sent to France. A German bomber drops bombs whose explosions drive Joe mad, remembering the Horseshoe Saloon, and thinks himself a coward. Mid-Nite can't convince him otherwise, but when the battle begins, Joe starts to desert his unit. But Mid-Nite revives Joe's spirit and he goes out and saves his unit and Lt. Jones from an enemy grenade. Fast forward to 1944: former Lt. Ed Jones, wheelchair bound since the Great War, suddenly feels that he wasn't really wounded in that attack and gets up and walks!
- Slapstick "Corn" · 1 pages
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 5 · 5 pages
After the war, Joe becomes a fur-trapper in Canada, but by 1924 is transporting rye and scotch to warehouses in the city. Joe's boss wants Joe to murder a nosy newspaperman and that he knows all about Joe's criminal past. Joe is ready to shoot Nason when his gun suddenly points to the floor and goes off, Nason falling over dead! Fate has caused the gun to do what it did, but Joe learns that Crump has secretly poisoned Nason. The two put an end to Crump's activities, then Joe sits down at a typewriter and types out a complete affidavit for the Police about Crump's illegal activities.
- The "Corn" Belt · 1 pages
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Chapter 6 · 5 pages
In 1932 an older Joe applies to Gus Gordon for a job on the local election board for the up-coming election, but realizes Gordon is a shady politician, but overlooks that fact in order to gain maybe an office himself. Johnny tries to convince Joe not to back Gordon for Mayor, but Gordon's thugs promptly give Johhny the treatment. Later, Johnny visits Joe and again tries to convince him not to do that illegal act. This time Joe sees the light, and Johnny and the Thunderbolt make short work of Gordon's plans. Joe decides to beat it, however, fearing retribution.
- The Man Who Relived His Life, Conclusion · 2 pages
Back in his hospital room, Joe Fitch tells Professor Everson that he suddenly feels like a different man, as though he knew that he never committed any of those crimes. As the JSA members re-appear and Joe is thankful, there is a knock at the door and in walks Lily D'Arcy. She walks over to Joe's bed and tells him she she accepts his proposal of marriage, even though she knows he is dying. Later that evening, Joe passes away.
Characters
Reprinted in
All Star Comics Archives (1991), DC Finest: Justice Society of America: The Plunder of the Psycho-Pirate (2025)