Freedom Fighters Pt. 22: DC Comics Presents #62

Superman is surprised to encounter Uncle Sam on his own Earth-One. Sam explains:

You’ll find me wherever America’s in need! And your U.S.A. is in plenty of trouble!

But it’s not any of a number of natural disasters than concerns Uncle Sam:

Somebody has stolen the Constitution and Declaration of Independence!

While Superman flies off to investigate southern salt caverns that are collapsing and spewing oil out of the ground, Uncle Sam meets with his team…

Meanwhile, the neo-Nazi group that stole the documents also meets…

As WGBS television reporter Clark Kent reads an on-air bulletin about another strange natural disaster (wheat crops dying), broadcast transmissions fail. Superman flies to his Fortress of Solitude to examine a handful of wheat. While there, he gets an emergency signal from the White House.

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When the Freedom Fighters fail to stop a riot, Superman flies over for an assist before investigating a convoy of Soviet ships heading for Cuba...

The Freedom Fighters immediately locate the neo-Nazis. How? Uncle Sam explains:

Those stolen documents and I share the spirit of America!

Near Cuba, the space shuttle is on course to crash into one of the Soviet ships, causing Superman to realize:

This is more than a mere accident or coincidence! Someone must be behind this series of disasters…

Anyone think this is all connected? Superman figures it out…

Notes:

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DC Comics Presents #62 is actually a story-within a story that takes place on Earth-Prime, the Earth upon which you and I live. During a field trip to the Museum of History, one young student has no interest in the tour, but he does have an interest in comic books:

He changes his tune, though, after reading the adventure summarized above. (See, comic books are good!) Then, reality collides with fiction when a surprise visitor ends the wraparound story:

I don’t usually complain too much about the art, but Irv Novick draws Black Condor way too muscular, at least compared to how we’ve seen him before:

However, I am glad that writers Bob Rozakis and Dan Mishkin bring the story into continuity by referring to the Freedom Fighters series that ended its run prematurely over five years earlier. As a bonus, this also brings Phantom Lady's appearance in Wonder Woman into continuity by indicating that they've been back and forth between Earth-X and Earth-One.

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Then again, where is Phantom Lady in this issue?!? Only the male members of the team (minus Firebrand) participate in the adventure and there's no mention of Phantom Lady's whereabouts.

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Although they make appearances in Crisis on Infinite Earths #5-7 and 9-12, DC Comics Presents #62 is the final pre-Crisis appearance of the Freedom Fighters. Individual characters would return from time to time, both in titles of their own, as well as guests in other titles. In recent years, they've starred in some excellent mini-series: Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters (2006-2007, 2008-2009) and Freedom Fighters (2009-2010, 2019-2020.)

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For now, we leave them, perhaps to return one day. Next up: Man-bat!

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Title: DC Comics Presents

Issue #: 62

Cover Date: October, 1983

On Sale Date: July 7, 1983

Writer(s): Bob Rozakis, Dan Mishkin

Penciller: Irving H. Novick

Inker: Dave Hunt

Editor: Julius Schwartz