All-Star Squadron #141, homage to Avengers issue #49

Latest "Continuation Project" commission - All-Star Squadron #141, drawn by new-to-the-Project artist Jeff Brennan, and based as always on the cover of a comic written, plotted or scripted by Roy Thomas, in this case Avengers #49, original art by John Buscema.

Title: "None Are So Blind..."

Story: November 1942 - and Will Everett arrives for his latest appointment with Dr Charles McNider, who's been checking him over since his original powers were restored (in #108) only to find McNider's private surgery ransacked and the doctor missing! Searching for clues, he's interrupted by the arrival of Doll Man, on the trail of the abducted Sandra (Phantom Lady) Knight, which has led him to McNider's residence.

The two heroes find a heap of distinctive feathers in a corner, which leads them to an unconscious Hooty. When the bird is revived - having clearly been in a battle with another animal - he seems keen to fly off so, with Doll Man astride McNider's pet, and Amazing Man following, the heroes trust Hooty to lead them to their missing comrade.

Arriving at a nearby walled mansion, they encounter their fellow All-Star Squadron member the Spider, on the trail of a recently-escaped criminal. Joining forces, they scale the walls and eavesdrop as Dr Mid-Nite and Phantom Lady are threatened by former Superman villain the Night Owl (from Action Comics #53, October 1942).

Following his defeat by the Man Of Steel, the Night Owl was sprung from prison by members of his gang, and determined to increase the power of his black-light machine by incorporating elements from Phantom Lady's black light ray and Dr Mid-Nite's blackout bombs. Tracking the two heroes down, he had them kidnapped and brought to his hideout - and when Dr Mid-Nite refuses to share the details of his invention, he orders the torture of the captive Phantom Lady!

This spurs the other heroes into action and, breaking in, Amazing Man and the Spider engage with the criminal mastermind's gang while Doll Man frees the captured heroes. Hooty is attacked by the villain's owl - but before the bird's poisoned claws can incapacitate the heroic Hooty, the Spider uses one of his arrows to clip the evil owl's wings! Dr Mid-Nite and Phantom Lady then join forces in subduing the Night Owl, sending him back to jail, hopefully (with his gang also captured) for a much longer stretch.

The Night Owl is another obscure Golden Age villain I found in Michael Fleisher's "Great Superman Book" back in the 1980s and thought was a natural opponent for Dr Mid-Nite - and bringing in the similarly-powered Phantom Lady also seemed like a viable plan. I saw Jeff's artwork on a Legion page and thought he'd make a great addition to my roster - and I think he delivered brilliantly. More to come from him in future...