Story: "Hero Hotline" (22 Pages)

Credits: Bob Rozakis (plot, script, colors); Stephen DeStefano (pencils); Karl Kesel (inks); John Costanza (letters); Brian Augustyn (edits)

Feature Characters: Coordinator (behind the scenes; last behind the scenes in Action Comics Weekly #640), Diamondette, Hotshot, Private Eyes, Stretch, Voice-Over (all five last in Action Comics Weekly #640), Microwavebelle (last in Action Comics Weekly #639); Mister Muscle (last as Flex in Action Comics Weekly #640; all eight as Hero Hotline)

Supporting Characters: Suzy-Q, Melanie Boulder (both last in Action Comics Weekly #640), Fred (first "appearance"; an invisible man or just a fraud), Zeep the Living Sponge (first appearance, see Comment); Hotline operators (last in Action Comics Weekly #640) and other Hotline staff

Villains: Quakemaster I (last in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10; next in Justice League America #43), Ralph Bartoli (first appearance; a wife-beater)

Other Characters: Ms. O'Flaherty (first appearance; a journalist), George, Sweetums (first appearance of both; a loving couple), Mrs. Bartoli (first appearance; a battered wife; next in issue #5), Mrs. Culligan (first appearance; an old lady; next in issue #3)

Comment: Zeep the Living Sponge first appeared as a "Dial H for Hero" identity in Adventure Comics #483, but this is his first "real" appearance.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Hero Hotline – the 24/7 heroes for hire organization who takes on missions from "normal joes". We are introduced to their leader called the Coordinator (only appearing as a voice on the Hotline communications system), the robotic secreatary 500-2Q a.k.a. Suzy-Q, the aged shapeshifter Stretch, fire-wielder Hotshot, Diamondette with her super-hard hands, energy-wielding housewife Microwavebelle (or "Microwave Mom"), the bodybuilder calling himself Mr. Muscle (or whatever name suits him for the day), the voice-throwing Voice-Over and his invisible and intangible friend Fred (whom we are not sure really exists at all); the optical detective called Private Eyes and his girlfriend, busty country queen Melanie Boulder, and finally the Night Crew member Zeep the Living Sponge who is an active union member always demonstrating for his rights. Mr. Muscle is assigned to help a battered wife named Mrs. Bartoli. When her husband Ralph gets home, Muscle grabs his hand to prevent him from giving her another beating, and gives the man a wrist injury in the process.
Voice-Over and Fred answers to a call for help from the aged Mrs. Culligan who claims she has been approached by Martians who wants her to be their queen. Not being able to keep a straight face, Voice-Over smoothly dodges the mission and makes Fred watch over the confused woman instead. The entire Hotline crew fights the powerful supervillain Quakemaster, who plagues the city with earthquakes while searching for his hidden loot. Diamondette is able to disarm the villain, and the heroes defeat him.

Feature: "[No Title]" (4 Pages)

Credits: Bob Rozakis (plot, script, colors); Stephen DeStefano (sketches); Brian Augustyn (edits)

Comment: "Who's Who"-like presentations of Hero Hotline, the Coordinator, Sooz, Stretch, Voice-Over, Fred, Diamondette, Hotshot, Microwavebelle, Private Eyes, Mr. Muscle, the Operators, the Night Crew, and an introduction to the series itself.