Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored | Tagged: bob powell, harvey, sam glanzman
The Metal-Trade Space War in All-New Comics #4, at Auction
All-New Comics #4 (Harvey, 1943) contains a science fiction story “Poison in the Universe” based on real WWII history.
Article Summary
- All-New Comics #4 features Sam Glanzman’s “Poison in the Universe,” a WWII-inspired space war allegory.
- Ammer, Jaan, and the metal iraen mirror U.S.-Japan scrap trade tensions and fears of a surprise attack.
- Harvey’s 1943 issue also includes Bob Powell’s “Bombs Over Berlin,” reflecting wartime anti-Nazi themes.
- With just 16 Universal copies recorded, All-New Comics #4 stands out as a scarce WWII-era Harvey comic.
A peaceful world sells another planet the metal it needs to build spacecraft, only to discover that its customer has copied those ships and intends to use them for war. That’s the predicament presented in the story “Poison in the Universe,” the space adventure feature drawn by Sam Glanzman in All-New Comics #4 (1943). The supplier is called Ammer, its customer is named Jaan, and the metal is called iraen. Those names have obvious influences, but the real-world trade scenario this story represents makes the connection to history much more compelling. This is an interplanetary variation on the American-Japanese metal trade of that era, with an additional twist. Jaan’s dictator gets his ideological cues from Hitler’s radio broadcasts.
The Metal Trade Behind a Planetary War
The real-world trade relationship had already become a diplomatic issue well before this comic appeared. This story appears to be inspired by events from the earliest days of World War II and has roots that reach even further back. Following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the United States continued to be a primary supplier of key raw materials to Japan. In 1939, Japan relied on the US for approximately 90% of its scrap metal and copper. In early 1939, Chinese Americans working at the Port of Portland and the Port of Astoria organized protests against shipping scrap iron and steel to Japan. Despite protests, the situation persisted into the next year, as an isolationist Congress was unwilling to disrupt trade relations with Japan.
Finally, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was given the authority to control defense-related exports, which he used to halt the export of iron and steel to Japan beginning in October 1940. A White House announcement of September 26, 1940 placed all grades of iron and steel scrap under export restrictions effective October 16, limiting licenses to destinations in the Western Hemisphere and Great Britain. “Poison in the Universe” characterizes this delay as a near-fatal error. When the Jaan fleet attacks, using ships built from Ammer iron, the story serves as a warning that commerce with dictatorships is dangerous and potentially fatal.
The story “Bombs Over Berlin” by Bob Powell is also of particular interest, as it revolves around a suicide mission plan to kill Hitler, Himmler, and Göring with the timely destruction of the Berlin Sportpalast. The site was considered symbolic of Nazi Germany in that era due to a number of speeches given there, including Joseph Goebbels’ infamous “Total War” speech on February 18, 1943, which is likely what prompted the creation of this story.
There are 16 Universal copies of this issue, including three at 5.5 and one higher. All-New Comics #4 is deeply rooted in its WWII-era moment in time, and there’s an All-New Comics #4 (Harvey Publications, 1943) CGC FN- 5.5 with off-white to white pages and a detached centerfold up for auction at the November 5, 2026 Golden Age Century Comics Showcase Auction VI #40378.
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