The Death Battallion (America's Greatest Comics #1)

With America's Greatest Comics #1, history was made, as the first team of supervillains... all of whom had previous appearances separately... joined forces as the Death Battalion. Consisting of Mr. Scarlet's adversaries in Wow Comics #2 of Doctor Death, the Ghost, the Horned Hood, and his opponents in Wow Comics #3 of Black Thorn, Black Clown and the Laughing Skull, together with mastermind the Brain formed a true challenge for the crimson crusader.

While there has been acknowledgement that before the Injustice Society of Earth-Two, before the Monster Society of Evil on Scarlet's Earth-S which faced his pal Captain Marvel, and even before the Five Fingers of the Hand who met their match versus Law's Legionnaires on Earth-Two, there were a triad of terror that faced Bulletman, the Revenge Syndicate. However, that would occur in 1942, while this tale predates all of these problematic paladins. And does so early in Mister Scarlet's career, shortly after he picked up his trusty sidekick to help him thin out the herd of heinous heretics in this hideous hive.

Our tale commences when six of the worst criminals in Gotham City, which Scarlet protects, escape their prison and are assembled by the mysterious helmeted Brain. Meanwhile, prison warden Loomis resigned out of failure for allowing these dangerous dudes to escape his grasp. We will see him again.

In order to strike terror throughout America through coordinated attacks on five key men. While each of these criminals had their own agendas based on greed, they willingly submit to their new master's orders. Pledging allegiance to Brain, it becomes apparent that he holds some sway over the sextet. What that is is untold.

The first target, Senator Dean, is removed by Doctor Death... although this leads to a confrontation with Mister Scarlet who learns about the Battalion before his old foe escapes. The Brain then sends his new henchmen on their individual missions of chaos. Kudsen (head of a defense program) whom the Black Clown tries to eliminate with the aid of a trained gorilla, F.B.I Chief Doover is scared near to death by the Ghost.  a cabinet of politicians zapped by Black Thorn's mummy ray (wasn't that thing destroyed, and Thorn wasn't it's original designer so how did he rebuild it from scratch?), armory General Dodd whose guard is taken out by the Horned Hood, and the dynamic duo itself by the Laughing Skull. 

Mister Scarlet and Pinky each take separate targets, and help each other out when the other is captured at different points during this adventure. They are able to capture Laughing Skull and Horned Hood, while the other four retreat to the Brain's hideout.

As such, when the pair of missing felons arrive at Brain's lair... somehow they obtained the location of it, perhaps from their captured foes... Scarlet and Pinky make short work of the remaining crooks. And in the end, learn that mastermind the Brain is in reality Warden Loomis, a plant from Nazi Germany sent to sow discord in America at this critical juncture during World War II.

This decisive defeat is such that none of these villains will return for later a rematch with the crimson crime fighters, falling into obscurity. So much so that they are all but forgotten in the annals of history as being history's first team of supervillains, a template that would repeated multiple times thereafter.

• Supporting Scarlet: Pinky shows his mettle facing off against a few of the Battalion on his own, and coming the his mentor's rescue.

• Red Romance: None this go around. Miss Wade only appears trying to dissuade young Pinky from his costumed career.

• Menacing the Mister: The Death Battalion are the culmination of a gaggle of gaudy greedy goons, who repeat their mistakes and end up on the business side of our Dynamic Duo's fists.

• Crimson Capabilities: Mister Scarlet's massive might versus Black Clown's gorilla, and Pinky's effortless gliding through the air as if flying, are inexplicable and unbelievable.

• Fawcett Facts:Once more to repeat.... before the Revenge Syndicate, the Sivana Family, the Monster Society of Evil... there were these guys. One and done, but historical nonetheless.