Comic Title: All-Star Squadron #66
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: February 1987
On Sale Date: November 27, 1986 Newsstand Date November 27, 1986
Source: DC Releases, #33

Newsstand Date November 27, 1986
Source: Amazing Heroes, #104

Shipping Date November 4, 1986
Source: DC Releases, #33

Shipping Date November 4, 1986
Source: Amazing Heroes, #104

Shipping Date November 4, 1986
Source: Comics Journal, #111

Copyright Date November 4, 1986
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1986
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Roy Thomas

Title: "The Origin of Tarantula"
Pages: 21

Feature(s):
All-Star Squadron (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Alan Kupperberg
Inker: Tony DeZuniga
Letterer: David Cody Weiss
Colorist: Carl Gafford

Feature Character(s)

• All-Star Squadron (no appearance)
• Tarantula (last appearance in All-Star Squadron #65; next appearance in Young All-Stars #2)

Guest Star(s)

• Sandman (in flashback; last appearance in All-Star Squadron #67; next appearance in All-Star Squadron #64)

Villain(s)

• A gang of jewel thieves (no further appearances)
• A group of saboteurs (in flashback; no further appearances)
• Ace-Deuce and his gang (in flashback; Twitchy named; no further appearances)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Olga (first post-Crisis appearance; also appears in flashback; no further appearances)
• Dian Belmont (first post-Crisis appearance; dies in flashback ; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Guests at a war relief party (in flashback; no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Tarantula (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in All-Star Squadron #64)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Firebrand (in flashback to Tarantula joining the All-Star Squadron)
• Johnny Quick (in flashback to Tarantula joining the All-Star Squadron)
• Liberty Belle (in flashback to Tarantula joining the All-Star Squadron)
• Robotman (in flashback to Tarantula joining the All-Star Squadron)
• Commander Steel (in flashback to Tarantula joining the All-Star Squadron)
• Hawkman (pictured as a member of the All-Star Squadron)
• Shining Knight (pictured as a member of the All-Star Squadron)

Comments:
This story reveals the post-Crisis origin of Tarantula. It consists mostly of flashbacks recounted through a framing sequence. The flashbacks take place as follows:

• Pg 4 (circa 1932) - Jonathan Law grows up in depression era Missouri.
• Pgs 4-5 (circa 1938) - Law moves to New York and becomes a detective fiction writer.
• Pgs 5-21 (circa 1941) - Law meets the Sandman and becomes the Tarantula.
• Pg 21 (Jan, 1942) - Tarantula joins the All-Star Squadron.

This story is an adaptation of the third story of Star Spangled Comics #1 and All-Star Squadron #18.

This is a Tarantula solo story. The All-Star Squadron appears only in a cameo flashback to Tarantula's induction.

Synopsis:
The Tarantula returns to his apartment after foiling a jewel robbery. He then records his origin for his book on mystery men.

Jonathan Law grew up in depression era Missouri with a love for detective stories and spiders. He moved to New York in 1938 and soon became a best-selling crime fiction author. After seeing the Sandman one evening, Law approached Dian Belmont for an interview. She gives him a costume design, which Law decides to use to become a masked crimefighter too.

On his first adventure, the Tarantula spots a gang of saboteurs. He watches as the crooks kill Dian Belmont who was disguised as the Sandman. The real Sandman and the Tarantula then defeat the saboteurs in the outfits Dian created.

A few days later the Tarantula has his first solo adventure. He battles gangster Ace-Deuce who is trying to rob a war relief charity event. After defeating Ace-Deuce, Tarantula would go on to join the All-Star Squadron and eventually change his costume to one designed by Olga, his housekeeper.