(Planet Comics 005, 1940)
We've seen it before and we'll see it again: comic book plots spun out of the popular pre-Pearl Harbor US position that America should stay out of the burgeoning European conflict. This time, we're treated to a political allegory in the far future, as planet Jupiter (Germany, presumably) attacks tiny planetoid Cato (Belgium, I guess) and draws the ire of the rest of the Solar System (the nascent Allied Forces). Many on Earth (America) want to join the anti-Jupiter taskforce, but Captain Nelson Cole advocates caution.
And he is right to do so! The entire space war is a ploy by Cato's ruler Zirgo, in league with Earth munitions king Morgo, to weaken Jupiter sufficiently that they can then step in and take over the larger planet..
A perfectly reasonable sci-fi plot, but it does fall apart somewhat when scrutinized as an allegory. The US shouldn't get involved in WWII because it's just a big set-up by Belgium to weaken Germany in preparation for a counter-invasion? And if the Jovians know about this plan and are in fact only attacking Cato because of it... why attack in the first place? Why not simply expose him?
Lucky for the Jovians, Captain Nelson Cole is on the case. He exposes Zirgo's treachery and leads a force to bring down his evil regime, though I'm not sure why this police action is okay when the other was not. Political allegories... are hard.
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