All-American Comics #17

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Graded population

CGC records 46 graded copies for All-American Comics #17 (1940). Population is the number recorded by this grading source, not the total print run or all surviving copies.

The Sign of the Green Lantern

In Metropolis, Commissioner of Public Works Gorson awards a construction bid for a new library to Muller Contractors. Also vying for the contract is Alan Scott) and his employer, John Hall. Hall knows that Gorson is corrupt and is secretly business partners with the disreputable Muller. Alan publicly accuses both men of being grafters and threatens to expose their racketeering schemes.

Expecting some sort of retribution for his brash statements, Alan returns home and recharges his power ring. That evening, he goes for a stroll in his civilian identity only to become the victim of a drive-by shooting. Green Lantern is impervious to bullets, however, and follows the gunmen back to their hideout as Green Lantern. He follows them to the Muller Contractors and Builders complex and walks through the walls into the meeting room. He finds Gorson conspiring with Muller. Muller sends his thugs after him, but the Green Lantern uses the power of his ring to melt a pile of steel girders, intimidating the goons into retreating. As he enters Muller's office, however, Muller uses a ceiling trap door to incapacitate him. Unwittingly, Muller constructed his trap door from wood - the only thing that can defeat Green Lantern.

Muller has GL bound in chains and tossed into the Metropolis Harbor. The sudden shock of cold water awakens him, and Alan uses his ring to break free. Knowing that the killers believe him dead, he flies back to their lair and pretends to be a ghost. His spectral visage threatens to haunt Gorson every night of his life unless he goes public with his underhanded business practices. Gorson is terrified and agrees to Green Lantern's demands, but Muller turns on his business partner and shoots him dead. Alan backhands Muller and telephones the police to come pick him up.

The following day, John Hall reads the newspaper account of the incident and tells Alan about this mysterious Green Lantern. Alan scoffs at the notion, declaring such fantastic beings only exist in comic books.

| Appearing1 = **Featured Characters:** * Green Lantern) **Supporting Characters:** * John Hall **Antagonists:** * Commissioner Cyrus Gorson * Muller **Other Characters:** * **Locations:** *Earth-Two ** Metropolis *** City Public Works building *** Metropolis Harbor *** Muller Contractors and Builders complex **Items:** * Green Flame of Life Power Battery * Green Lantern Ring **Vehicles:** *

| StoryTitle3 = Hop Harrigan: "The Plane Hater" | Synopsis3 = | Appearing3 = **Featured Characters:** * Hop Harrigan) **Supporting Characters:** * Ikky Tinker) **Antagonists:** * Trampas **Other Characters:** * A town mayor * Barney and a group of young boys * Clancy (a police officer) **Locations:** * Earth-Two ** unidentified small town near the border **Items:** * **Vehicles:** * Hop's airplane

| StoryTitle5 = Scribbly: "Dude Ranch, Part 4 of 4: The Stray" | Synopsis5 = | Appearing5 = **Featured Characters:** * Scribbly) **Supporting Characters:** * Widow-Maker, a horse * Gus Hunkel * Mr. Macklin **Antagonists:** * **Other Characters:** * Dinky Jibbet) * Ma Jibbet * Sisty Hunkel) * Huey Hunkel * Ma Hunkel) * Hunk Hunkel * Pip Hunkel * Miss Blake **Locations:** * **Items:** * **Vehicles:** *

| Notes = * **Green Lantern**: ** "The Sign of the Green Lantern" is reprinted in The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Vol. 1 (Collected). ** This issue's Green Lantern story establishes that Green Lantern)'s original base of operations was Metropolis, the same city where Superman) operated. *Secret Origins (Volume 2) #18* establishes Metropolis as Alan Scott's birth place. Alan Scott moved from city to city for his first few adventures, from Metropolis to New York to Capitol City, and eventually to Gotham City. ** At the end of the 1930s and the beginning of the "golden age" of superheroes, as shown in several early Superman stories and at least one Green Lantern story, the municipal and state governments of Metropolis were riddled with corruption. ** *Secret Origins (Volume 2) #18* establishes that the events from "The Sign of the Green Lantern" take place only a few weeks after the events of All-American Comics #16. ** This is the first time that Green Lantern) leaves a ring impression on his victim's faces following an attack. This tactic becomes one of Alan's trademarks in the early part of his career. ** Alan Scott also creates an invisible wall to block attackers, demonstrating that not all of the ring's effects are necessarily green in color. * Also appearing in this issue of All-American Comics were: ** Mutt & Jeff/Cicero's Cat (newspaper strip reprints), by Bud Fisher ** Daisybelle (newspaper strip reprints), by Gene Byrnes ** Ben Webster (newspaper strip reprints), by Edwin Alger ** Popsicle Pete, by Art Helfant ** "Murder in the Classroom" (text story), by Evelyn Gaines | Trivia =

| Recommended = | Links =

Creative credits

Writers: Bill Finger, Carl H. Claudy, Jon L. Blummer, Jon L. Blummer, Jerry Siegel, Sheldon Mayer

Interior art: Martin Nodell, Stan Aschmeier, Jon L. Blummer, Jon L. Blummer, William A. Smith, Sheldon Mayer

Source records & attribution

Panel Profits keeps each source identity attached to its edition record.

COMICBASE: comicbase:42303

GCD: 930

PANEL PROFITS: 2335868