The Brave & The Bold Special #1 - Batman and "4 Famous Co-Stars" - homage to Captain America #264

Latest Golden Age Team-Up Project commission - The Brave & The Bold Special #1, teaming Batman with "4 Famous Co-Stars" (the Guardian, Hawkman, Miss America and Captain X Of The RAF), adapted by Bambos Georgiou from Mike Zeck and John Beatty's cover to Captain America #264.

Spring 1945 - and Batman races to the Perisphere in the Batmobile to pass on shocking news! When he arrives, he finds a handful of his fellow All-Stars, including co-chair Hawkman, receiving a report from famed aviator Captain X that a number of heroes working behind enemy lines in Europe - Mr America (now operating as the Americommando), the Marksman and Commander Steel - have been captured in separate strikes by the Nazis, although all seem to be being held prisoner as the Axis high command are apparently awaiting additional developments.

Before the heroes can discuss what their next moves should be, with the Allied leadership reluctant to authorise any more super-heroic activity behind the front lines as the armed forces close in on capturing Berlin and ending the war, Batman reports his news - the members of Axis Amerika who had been taken prisoner only a few days beforehand (as seen in The Brave & The Bold Annual #5) have been broken out of their incarceration! Although details are sketchy, it seems clear that their rescuers - described as a giant Japanese samurai, a speedster and a shape-changer by the surviving prison guards - are Sumo The Samurai, Zyklon and Kung, all of whom have clashed with members of the All-Star Squadron in recent years.

With a threat close to home, Batman believes that all of the Squadron's membership need to be notified so that they can be on their guard, and Hawkman agrees - but when Miss America attempts to make contact with their fellow heroes, a number do not answer the radio calls, which makes Batman suspicious - a suspicion which only grows when both the Guardian and Captain X slump into unconsciousness!

Fearing that they are under attack, Hawkman, Miss America and Batman scan the Perisphere for indications of any assault, but they, too, are overwhelmed and fall to the floor - and as they do so, a cadre of Nazi troops, last seen in The Brave & The Bold #202, materialise out of nowhere! Commenting that the invisibility machines of Dr Daka have served their purpose, the super-strong Nazis scoop up the fallen heroes and carry them off...

... to a nearby structure where Hawkman, Miss America and Captain X are chained up, while a group of Bundists set up a camera to film the captive heroes! As the Nazi goons return to drag Batman to be chained, however, he bursts into action, having avoided the worst effects of the gas which paralysed the others by slipping gas-filters from his utility belt into his nose at the first signs of attack, and launches himself at the Nazis!

Batman is still weakened, however, and starts to succumb before the superior numbers of his foes - but the Guardian revives and joins in the fray! Together, the two heroes battle the Nazi operatives, driving them back and allowing the Guardian to hold them off, while Batman attempts to free the chained-up Squadron members. Unfortunately Miss America, who might have used her transformation powers to speed up the release, is still deeply affected by the gas attack and cannot be revived - and Batman is only part-way though picking the locks which constrain Hawkman when the Guardian is overwhelmed, and the Nazis swarm at the Gotham Guardian!

Despite a valiant battle, Batman is ultimately beaten down by hs attackers and chained alongside the other heroes - and from out of an adjoining room steps the mastermind behind the assault: the Dragon King! The Japanese villain announces to the cameras that the second phase of the Axis' plan is well under way, and soon, even more heroes will fall!

To be continued in a new Special - coming soon!

(When I realised this cover would lend itself to being used to spotlight four guest-stars alongside Batman, I couldn't resist re-using the "4 Famous Co-Stars" logo previously used on B&B #100 and #130, even though I recognise that Captain X stretches the defintion of "famous" more than a little bit.)