Atom & Hawkman #44

Atom & Hawkman #45 (On Sale: June 3, 1969) has a wonderful Hawkman cover by Joe Kubert. Kubert, Hawkman, Gentleman Ghost, sarcophagus; what else is there to say?

Hawkman stars in "The Ghost Laughs Last" a thirteen-page story by Robert Kanigher and Murphy Anderson, continuing Hawkman's battle with the Gentleman Ghost from last issue. Hawkman is convinced that Craddock isn't a real ghost, but rather a charlatan using clever tricks. Meanwhile, the Ghost begins seeing Zita, a blind psychic, who falls in love with him. Zita tells Craddock that exposure to a rare jewel, her sight can be restored. The Ghost promises to steal  the Empress Ra-Na's necklace from the Louvre. 

Although his men are captured by Hawkman and Hawkgirl, the Ghost eludes the Winged Wonders and returns to Zita with the necklace. The jewel however, does not restore Zita's sight, so the Ghost steals the Fire Ruby from a Paris fashion show, once again eluding the Winged Warriors. As the Gentleman Ghost escapes into the Paris sewer system, all evidence points to Craddock actually being a ghost.

The Fire Ruby works in restoring Zita's sight, but the Ghost leaves, telling her that he will not return until his physical body can be restored and they can be together. This one was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Hawkman Vol. 2 TPB.

The Atom stars in "Hate is Where You Find It," an eleven-pager by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Sid Greene. The Atom breaks up an altercation between two college boys and Professor Heinrich Von Rilk. The boys are angry because Professor Von Rilk destroyed the school's electron-microscope and accuse him of being a Nazi. (Ha ha, funny story, we used to not like Nazis in this country.) Anyway, Von Rilk explains that he discovered a microscopic lifeform about to invade the Earth, and he destroyed the microscope to stop the invasion.

The boys think Von Rilk is lying, so the Atom shrinks to microscopic size to see if he can confirm or deny the Professor's story. The Atom finds Ag, the vanguard of an invasion force, readying to invade Earth. The Atom stops Ag and destroys the creature's ability to invade Earth in the future.

Later, the Atom testifies in court and Professor Von Rilk is set free.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.