It seems that all crime has ceased--the JSA can't scare up any business at all. But it's not so: the criminals are laying low while working on a plan to take care of the JSA, at the direction of the mysterious 'Mister X'.
Flame Farmer is directed to start fires in a certain neighborhood, where the Flash is believed to live. They're right about that, but Flash takes care of the fire and the crooks, then sends a telegram to warn the other members of the JSA what's happening.
A gang of kidnappers take Dian Belmont to lure the Sandman. He takes the bait, but makes short work of them. Then he goes to look for Mister X.
Some crooks arrange for Hawkman to hear of a robbery at a jewel store, so they can kill him and leave him for the cops to find, apparently killed while himself robbing the store. He defeats the ambushers, though. He makes alterations to an extra set of equipment he had constructed and gives it to Shiera with a plan that she will pose as him. However, the plan is spoiled when Shiera is shot, and Hawkman simply beats up the crooks. She's not seriously injured, fortunately, so he takes her to receive medical aid, then heads off to search for Mister X.
Magico, a phony magician, lures Doctor Fate to a seance to kill him, but Inza leaps before the bullet meant for Fate. Fate uses his powers to save her, then captures Magico and convinces him to go straight. Then he, too, sets off to find Mister X.
Some auto thieves attempt to frame the Hourman for their crimes, in order to draw him out. It works, but he is more than a match for them. After turning them over to the cops, he heads off to search for Mister X.
A man named 'Muscles' who runs a gym wants to get back at the Atom for making them look bad while being so scrawny, so he sets his thugs to rounding up all the scrawny guys around and forcing them into buying his five hundred dollar training course. The Atom easily stops them, and it turns out they were put up to it by Mister X.
Criminals running an illegal gambling operation frame the Spectre for it, but he simply defeats them, then sets off to find Mister X.
Newspapers received a declaration from Mister X: unless he is given two million dollars, he will send an airplane to bomb both the city courthouse and the power plant, and he dares the Green Lantern to stop him. GL can't stop him, though he does use his power to restore electricity to the city. He, too, now wishes to find this Mister X.
Throughout all of these events, an ordinary-looking man has been showing up in places he shouldn't be. Finally, the JSA spot him going into a police station, and follow to see what's up. It turns how that he is Mister X. Since crime no longer pays, he's giving himself up:
