Fellows, the Justice Society is starting a crusade against juvenile delinquent gangs and we need your help! 
- — Doctor Mid-Nite
All-Star Comics #40 is an issue of the series All-Star Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1948.
Synopsis for Justice Society of America: "The Plight Of A Nation!"
At a meeting of the Justice Society of America, Hawkman urges the other members to take on Claw and his Crimson Claw Gang, who have been pulling off a series of daring crimes. Their only clue for finding the Claws is a letter written by a member of the Junior Justice Society, containing only a meeting time and place. Green Lantern and Black Canary go to the rendezvous, finding a young boy named Don Brent. Don tells them that his brother is in the Crimson Claws. He starts to tell the pair about the Claws next job at "Tony's", but before he can provide any details, he is knocked out by a thrown object. Green Lantern and Black Canary take the boy to a doctor, then bring him home. Setting out to find Tony's, they find a gang of youths wearing Crimson Claw emblems robbing a Tony's market. To figure out what's happening, they confront the kids, then pretend to be knocked out by the kid's slingshots, so they can follow them. The Junior Crimson Claw gang heads to a rival gang's clubhouse to start a fight. Green Lantern and Black Canary break up the fight, but not before a Junior Crimson Claw sets fire to the other gang's clubhouse. Hearing news of the fire over the radio, Hawkman and Flash decide to investigate, but see a night watchman knocked out on the sidewalk in front of a factory, first. They go inside to investigate, and find the real Crimson Claw gang breaking into the factory safe. They start to round up the gang, but are knocked out when a vat of hydrocyanic acid is pierced by a bullet. The Claw has them put into an electrolysis bath and turns it on, leaving them for dead.
Concerned about kid gangs, Green Lantern and Black Canary set out to tackle the problem; Green Lantern meets with the police and a social worker to discuss the issue of 'Juvenile Delinquents', while Black Canary discusses the issue with Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman sends Doctor Mid-Nite and the Atom to enlist the help of the Junior Justice Society. The Junior Justice Society suggest infiltrating the Junior Crimson Claw gang by using Don Brent as a double agent. Black Canary and Green Lantern return to the Brent's house, to confront Chick Brent, a Junior Crimson Claw they recognized from the gang fight, but his older brother Eddie Brent, a member of the real Crimson Claw gang, knocks out the Green Lantern and Black Canary with a wooden chair. Before Eddie can shoot them, Flash and Hawkman arrive and knock him out. As they explain how they escaped from the electrolysis bath, Eddie slips out. Later that day, Don is exposed as a spy, so the Junior Crimson Claws tie him to a railroad track, then set off to break windows on their rival gang's turf.
The Flash catches and trails Eddie Brent to the Crimson Claw's hideout, and contacts the JSA. He attempts to engage the entire gang, but gets knocked out. Eddie Brent explains how the Crimson Claws have been so successful: they've been using the Junior Crimson Claw's activities to draw police attention, then they start their robberies. As they start their next job, however, they are surprised to see the Justice Society waiting for them, thanks to Flash's message. The Junior Justice Society find and rescue Don from the railroad tracks, then confront the Junior Crimson Claw gang in their hideout, where JJSA soundly beat them in a fight. The Justice Society arrives, and watches the fight, impressed. Once the Junior Claws give up, Wonder Woman shows the Junior Claws their future, using her Magic Sphere. They are shown being sent to the electric chair for their crimes, and their remorse at having joined a gang in the first place. Not wanting that fate, all of the Junior Claws renounce the gang, and promise to become worthy citizens and treat other people with respect.
Appearing in Justice Society of America: "The Plight Of A Nation!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Junior Justice Society of America
- Don Brent
Antagonists:
- Claw
- Crimson Claw Gang
- Eddie Brent
- Junior Crimson Claw Gang
- Billy Peters
- Chick Brent
- Lefty
Other Characters:
- Dr. M. S. Vine
- Julia Brent
- Mr. Jennings
- Mr. Peters
- Mrs. Peters
- Oriole Gang
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Civic City
- Ajax Chemical Company
- Crimson Claw Cellar
- Don Brett's House
- Elm Street Railroad Tracks
- Gotham Bridge
- Gotham Central Palace
- Granite Heights Station
- Hastings Street
- JSA Headquarters
- Junior Justice Society Clubroom
- Oriole Clubhouse
- Riversend
- Riversend School
- Safeway Armored Car Company
- Tony's Vegetable Market
- Civic City
Items:
- Bracelets of Submission
- Green Flame of Life
- Green Lantern Ring
- Lasso of Truth
- Mental Radio
- Nth Metal Wings
- Wonder Woman's Magic Sphere
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
Notes
- Reprinted in All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 9.
- Don Brent's house is stated as being at 232 Forest lane and on Hooper street on separate occasions
Trivia
- This issue introduced a new Justice Society line-up that would be unchanged for the remainder of the team's run, which ended after issue #57, making it the longest lasting line-up the Society had during the golden age.
See Also