Spotlight on the Tarantula, with an origin recap that explains why he and the Simon & Kirby Sandman have similar costumes; versus Thor, from the Sandman story “The Villain from Valhalla”!
Johnny Quick is summoned to an emergency meeting of the All-Star Squadron. En route, Johnny Quick recovers a woman's purse, momentarily torn from her grip by strong winds. Johnny Quick spies the "Sandman" swinging towards the Justice Society of America's headquarters. A reporter tries to interview Johnny Quick. A powerful gust of wind tears the "Sandman" loose from his line. Johnny Quick, running at super-speed, generates a tornado, beneath the "Sandman" to break his fall. The "Sandman" fires out another line, and swings inside the building. Unseen, the Villain From Valhalla steps back into the shadows.
To throw the reporter's nose for news off the scent, Johnny Quick feigns departing, then doubles back unseen. Johnny Quick enters the headquarters of the Justice Society of America, to find the All-Star-Sqaudron, and the "Sandman" waiting for him. Upon a closer look, Johnny Quick realizes that this man is not the Sandman. The mystery man identifies himself as the Tarantula. Liberty Belle has recruited the Tarantula, into the core of the All-Star Squadron, to aid with their latest case. Seven members of the Justice Society of America, and Wonder Woman, have all gone missing. The Tarantula reveals his origin.
The Tarantula, as novelist Jonathan Law, made the acquaintance of Dian Belmont, while doing research on a new book, about mystery men. Belmont provided Law with a sketch of a new costume design for the Sandman. Belmont sensed the design might be of use to Law, just as Law sensed that Belmont had a romantic connection to the Sandman. While the Sandman was away, Belmont became aware of a suspicious fire, set by saboteurs. Belmont, donning the Sandman's uniform, decided to investigate. In flushing out the saboteurs, Belmont, driving the Sandman's roadster, came under heavy weapons' fire.
When the roadster's tires were shot out, Belmont lost control of the car, and crashed. Law, wearing Belmont's rejected Sandman costume design, attacked the saboteurs, as the Tarantula. The Tarantula seemed to be doing well against the saboteurs, but his overconfidence nearly proved fatal. In the crosshairs of a trio of saboteurs that he thought unconscious, the Tarantula was saved by the Sandman. The Sandman, also wearing Belmont's new costume design, savagely beat the saboteurs into unconsciousness. The Sandman, and the Tarantula, pulled Belmont's shattered body from the wreckage. Belmont was dead.
At Belmont's graveside, the Sandman, and the Tarantula, agreed to both wear Belmont's costume design, to honor her memory. Not long after, the Sandman modified the design, and took on Belmont's nephew as his sidekick, Sandy, the Golden Boy. The Villain From Valhalla storms the headquarters of the Justice Society of America. Mistaking the Tartantula, for his true foe, the Sandman, the Villain From Valhalla, goes after the Tarantula. The Tarantula evades the Villain From Valhalla's opening attack. The Villain from Valhalla subdues Commander Steel, and Robotman. The Villain From Valhalla subdues Johnny Quick. The Villain from Valhalla subdues the Firebrand.
Liberty Belle, and the Tarantula, fight a desperate, largely defensive, battle against the Villain From Valhalla. The Tarantula tricks the Villain from Valhalla into striking the building's wiring. The Villain from Valhalla is electrocuted into unconsciousness. The All-Star Squadron recover from the Villain From Valhalla's attack on the Justice Society of America's headquarters. The reporter returns with an urgent message from the President Of The United States of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A message, in morse code, has been detected at the 1939 World's Fair Grounds, challenging the All-Star Squadron. The All-Star Squadron race off to meet the threat.
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