The Kids Are All Right - All-Star Comics 59

All-Star Comics #59 (March/April 1976)
"Brainwave Blows Up!"
Gerry Conway/Paul Levitz-Ric Estrada/Wally Wood

Doug: It's high time we returned to this series, as for many of us its appearance signaled an entry point to the JSA and DC's legacy heroes. For the first year or two of the All-Star revival I was hooked; this magazine was on my "to buy" list, when I could find it. We've only been here once before, in my review of the inaugural issue (that introduced Power Girl to Earth-2 continuity, and four years ago!); however, we had a great response to a query about the Justice Society of America near the end of June. That made me think that this book has some traction with our readers -- so here we are!

Doug: Before sitting down to pen today's post, I felt it prudent to read my thoughts on All-Star Comics #58 (linked above). In that review I voiced my general prejudice against 1970s comics from the Distinguished Competition, saying that it was written for a 10-year old, "like a Bronze Age DC". And while I reached the conclusion that it's existence as such ended up being OK by me, I must report that I was again awash in that sentiment as I read today's fare, four years later. Truly, the entire time I was reading this comic I attempted to remember how I might have encountered the plot and pay-off as a 9 1/2 year old near the New Year of 1976. But enough of me -- let's give you some information so that you might formulate your own opinions.

100-Word Review: BrainWave fantasizes about destroying the JSA, as a rumpled old man stands by his side, convinced the two of them can rule the world. Elsewhere, Flash, Wildcat, and Power Girl leave the JSA HQ to follow her lead to BrainWave. But continuing the previous issue’s disasters, three teams of JSAers confront volcanoes, earthquakes, and gas leaks. In each case a member of the Super Squad (the young newcomers) saves the day. In the end, BrainWave and his ally, Degaton, are defeated in space, averting a plot to pull the Earth from its gravitational orbit. Power Girl wins it for the JSA!

There's no need to flesh that out -- it's really the basic plot of the story. But, for some nitty gritty, let's head to our spectrum of praise:

The Good: I'll lead this section by continuing a positive comment from the previous issue's review and that's the inks of Wally Wood. Ric Estrada is certainly competent, but WOW if Wood doesn't polish the pencils in this ish. At times you, like me, might find the figures to be a little stiff. But Wood's lush inks really add some pop to the panels. I'd also mention that the coloring in this trade (Justice Society, volume 1) is wonderful. The paper is basically newsprint, although of a higher quality than what we read from in the Bronze Age. But the colors are really vibrant.

I liked the three youngsters who are invading the space of the "old guard" JSAers. As I've remarked many times, when I was a kid I related to kid characters. Bucky & Toro, the Teen Titans, the Legion, etc. -- all of those (and others) were among my favorites. So that Power Girl, the Star-Spangled Kid, and the almost-adult Robin were shaking things up (soon to be joined by a young 20-something Huntress) was fine by me.

The Bad: Unfortunately, my praises of this story seem short. It was not a horrible book, not a waste of my time. But I can't say that my life has been enhanced by having completed the reading. Maybe my feelings are actually a praise after all... if one gets out of something what they had assumed ahead of time to be a particular level of satisfaction, then that should be a success, right? 

I find Wildcat to be annoying. I have always found characters who are written as possessing below-average intelligence to be troubling. Oh, it's not that I have a profound issue with my brothers and sisters who might be in that boat. Rather, it's the stereotypical "voice" such characters are given. Wildcat has it. Sometimes Ben Grimm has it (particularly in cartoons and motion pictures). Wolverine's voice in the 1990s X-Men cartoon trended that way. For whatever reason, that "punch drunk palooka" personality grates on me (and yes -- I know that Wildcat's alter ego, Ted Grant, is a boxer). Maybe it's just me.

I did not own this book as a child. In fact, preparing for this post was the first time I'd read it. But whereas I could get by the whole BrainWave thing in the first issue, the introduction of Degaton (who I know of) would have gone right by me as a kid. Now, I read this and am like, "Oh, wow! That must have been cool for those who were into the JSA!" But as a 9- or 10-year old 40 years ago there would have been zero payoff with the Degaton reveal. Zero. So while Gerry Conway might have felt he'd done us all a good service, I was not the intended audience then for such a gift.

Lastly, and maybe I'm just showing my ignorance, but I thought when BrainWave transformed from his new body to his usual appearance he looked an awful lot like the Captain Marvel villain Sivana.

The Ugly: I've not much to say here, other than the scene depicted on the cover of this magazine is literally one panel on the inside. Here -- see above? Not sure how great that is from a marketing standpoint, but then at least it happened. How many times were we flat-out deceived by comics covers through the years?

In closing, I would highly recommend the Justice Society trades (volumes 1 and 2), as well as the Huntress: Dark Knight Daughter tpb. While every story contained within the covers of these books isn't of the home run variety, there are certainly plenty of smiles to be had. Nostalgia is a powerful things, and you'll have an abundance of it if you get your mitts on these books.

Who's the Best... Justice Society of America Member?

And Then I Saw It...

Doug: Venture with me to those days of yesteryear, when the men were men and the boys (and girls) got all wide-eyed and giddy when they entered the aisle at the supermarket with the magazine rack. Yep -- I'm talking about the Bronze Age, baby, with no Internet, no Diamond Previews, nothing at all to tell a poor soul what magnificent four-color love was about to enter my life. I have three distinct memories (among others) to share.

Doug: The first breath-taking moment I'll relate occurred at the Thrif-t-Mart on Broadway in Bradley, IL in the summer of 1977. Eleven-year old Doug was along with Mom on the weekly grocery run. As was my habit, I'd make my way over to the magazines and paperbacks. I felt all grown up looking at Parade, Creem, and their ilk. I was most enraptured by anything I could find that featured KISS. And then I saw it, right there on the bottom shelf just begging to be picked up: Marvel Super Special #1, starring KISS. Wowza. I grabbed it, leafed through it quickly, and then made a mad dash to the meat counter where I found my Mom. You may not think $1.50 is a lot of money, but back in those days that was "begging and pleading" money. But as she usually did, she said to put it in the cart. Yes!!!

Doug: Chronologically, my next moment came just a short while later, and it was a "twofer", so even better yet. I was at Belscot, a discount department store (sort of like a Wal-Mart or K-Mart) in Kankakee, IL. Not sure why that particular trip was being made, but you guess it -- I stole away to the magazines. And that store had a huuuuuuge magazine rack full of all sorts of goodies. On that particular day the pot o' gold happened to be Justice League of America #s 147 and 148! Not a regular JLA reader at the time, I had been however digging the Legion of Super-Heroes as well as the Justice Society revival in the pages of All-Star Comics. So to see all three teams in a throwdown, and against Mordru, was 10 tons of awesome right there. And again, the combined $1.20 price tag didn't seem to faze Mom and I walked out with all that comic book goodness.

Doug: Lastly, and this was also at Belscot but a few years later, I vividly remember having my senses shattered from a distance when Marvel Treasury Edition #21 met my eyeballs. We mentioned this one a few days ago -- the twice-up (that's original art talk to you) presentation of Fantastic Four #s 120-123 is spectacular. The John Buscema/Joe Sinnott art is worthy of the size, and what a grabber the cover is! And talk about pushing my luck... at $2.00 I'm sure I had to pledge to do some extra work around the house. But I exited the premises with that tome in my clutches -- you know I did!

Doug: I could go on, about the time I saw the Spider-Man novel, the first in that series, or the paperback that reprinted the first few issues of Amazing Spider-Man in color, or the similar offerings from DC that presented early tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. But that's what you're here for -- to share those memories etched in your childhood's memories. I'm looking forward to it.

Guest Reviews - Crisis on Earth-Prime!

Doug: We hope our friends in the States are enjoying their Labor Day off. Our pal from north of the border, Mike W., is along to walk us through a fun Justice League of America summer team-up romp. Take it away, Mike!

M.S. Wilson: Since my last Justice League of America review (from #195-197) was so well-received, I thought I'd try another one... but with a couple of extra parts this time. This is a review of the 5-part crossover "Crisis on Earth Prime", which spanned JLA #207-209 and All-Star Squadron #14-15. I was reminded of this crossover a while back when someone (possibly Edo) mentioned it as being one they liked. I remember liking it too, but it's been years since I read it, so I was interested to see if it holds up. I'm a big All-Star Squadron fan, so I'm predisposed to like this. Enough talk, let's get reviewing!

 Book One: Justice League of America #207 (October, 1982)
"Crisis Times Three"
Written by Gerry Conway; Art by Don Heck and Romeo Tanghal

 We start out with five members of the Justice Society (Dr. Fate, Starman, Green Lantern, Huntress, and Power Girl) getting ready to beam to Earth-1 for their annual get together with the JLA. Five JLA members (Superman, Hawkman, Firestorm, Aquaman, and Zatanna) eagerly await the arrival of their friends (and we learn that Firestorm still has the hots for Power Girl). But something goes horribly wrong! (Hey, it's a JLA/JSA crossover... something always goes wrong.) Instead of the JSA materializing on the satellite, the Leaguers are shocked to see their old foes the Crime Syndicate (and we get a splash page that's a rip-off -- I mean homage -- of X-Men #100, with the teams facing off against each other). Since Firestorm hasn't met them before, he (and any new readers) are treated to a brief history of the Crime Syndicate: They're from Earth-3, where there are no superheroes but only super-villains; they fought the JLA before and were trapped in Limbo. But now they're out and make short work of the JLA. This seems like one of those DC fights where the good guys lose because it moves the plot forward; I'm sure when it's time to wrap up the story, the Leaguers will mop up the floor with the bad guys. Anyway, the Syndicate smashes a hole in the satellite and send Superman and Zatanna tumbling into space; they then repair the hole in the satellite and steal the JLA rocket plane to go conquer Earth-1. I'm no scientist, but I'm pretty sure a gaping hole to outer space would cause explosive decompression and pull everyone into space... maybe they have one of those Star Wars force fields that allows people to stand in open docking bays. The Syndicate mentions (several times) that they were betrayed by someone named Per Degaton ... now, who could that be? Any fans of All-Star Squadron are way ahead of me.

We next find out what happened to the missing JSA members; logically enough, they're in the inter-dimensional stasis bubble that previously housed the Crime Syndicate. We get more exposition about the Syndicate, including a recap of their previous appearances, as the JSA work on an escape plan. It doesn't take them long to bust out and Green Lantern says he knows how to get back home (something to do with a rip in the dimensional fabric, blah, blah, comic book science, blah, blah). But instead of ending up on Earth-2 (or Earth-1 for that matter), they find themselves on another Earth -- one that's been devastated by what seems to be a nuclear holocaust. It looks like they're in New York City... the Empire State Building seems to have broken in half, but the antenna tower on top is surprisingly intact! They're attacked by some mutated plants, which they defeat easily. GL uses his incredible plot device -- I mean ring -- to deduce: (1) that they're on Earth-Prime, a world with no superheroes i.e. our world; (2) that the nuclear holocaust happened decades ago; and (3) that the holocaust was caused by... Per Degaton! That is one handy ring.

Back above Earth-1, Superman saves Zatanna (miraculously, of course) and the JLA decide to use the trans-matter cube to go to Earth-2 and look for the missing JSA members. I guess it never occured to them to look in Limbo, where the Syndicate were imprisoned? Firestorm is shown to be reluctant to use the trans-matter cube -- seriously, he's like Dr. McCoy -- but hasn't he used it before? I'd swear he's been to Earth-2 before. Anyway, they go to Earth-2, but JSA headquarters is a shambles and, according to a wall calendar, has been abandoned since 1942. They go outside and all the cars and fashions are straight out of the 1940s, but they quickly realize they're in the present (1982), but a present far different from the one they expected. They soon figure out Per Degaton is behind the altered history (the gold statues of him on every corner kinda give it away) and are attacked by some of Degaton's thugs. After a quick fight, they go back into JSA headquarters and Superman and Firestorm combine powers to travel back in time (another of those plot convenient abilities that's never seen again). We're also reminded that Firestorm is the young, hip member of the team when he references Rick Springfield... in 1982, nobody was hipper! When they get back to the 1940s, the JSA headquarters is intact, so they know whatever Degaton did to change history hasn't happened yet. They hear someone at the door and eagerly anticipate meeting a young, dynamic JSA (in Zatanna's case, she seems very eager), but when the door opens they're shocked to see... the All-Star Squadron! Wait, who? We'll find out in part two! (Actually, part two tells the parallel story of the All-Star Squadron leading up to this moment, so we'll have to wait even longer to see the fantabulous first meeting between these two teams).

 

 

Book Two: All-Star Squadron #14 (October 1982)
"The Mystery Men of October" 
Written by Roy Thomas; Art by Adrian Gonzalez and Jerry Ordway

This issue starts with twelve members of the All-Star Squadron giving Nazi salutes to Per Degaton and then trying to kill each other. Professor Zee (Degaton's boss from All-Star Squadron #3) shows up to remind the Squadron that Degaton is a bad guy; the heroes quickly turn on him and... Degaton wakes up. Yes, he was just dreaming (at least Patrick Duffy wasn't in the shower), but the dream has restored Degaton's memory of his two previous defeats. That's right, last time Degaton was defeated, Roy Thomas used that old cliche of having everyone (hero and villain) forget everything that happened. Well, I'm sure he and Gerry will find a much more clever way of ending this story.

 

Anyway, now that Degaton has regained the memory of being ignominiously defeated (twice), he immediately starts working on a new scheme. I'm sure this one will work out much better. He kills Professor Zee (well, that's new at least) and uses the Professor's time machine to go from 1947 (his present) into 1982 (his future) to get weapons so he can go back and conquer 1941 (his past)... got all that? But there's a glitch and he winds up in 1982 on Earth-Prime (aka our Earth). He realizes there are no superheroes there and figures it's a great place to steal weapons. But back in his time machine, he's caught in a timestorm and ends up in Limbo. He rescues the Crime Syndicate from their stasis bubble and we get another recap of their history. Degaton asks the Syndicate to do him a favor since he busted them out, and they agree. He takes them to 1962 (on Earth-Prime) and has them steal the missiles from the Cuban Missile Crisis (and Roy Thomas gets to be a schoolteacher again as he gives us a rundown of the real life Cuban Missile Crisis). They get the missiles, which leaves the United States and the Soviet Union hurling accusations at each other over the "missing" nukes; this explains the devastation found by the JSA on Earth Prime in JLA #207. Naturally, the Crime Syndicate betrays Degaton, but he was expecting that (would you trust people who call themselves the Crime Syndicate?) and as soon as they touch him, they're hurled forward to a random Earth in 1982. Degaton doesn't know which Earth, but we do, since we already saw the Syndicate appear on the JLA satellite on Earth-1. Now that Degaton has a bunch of nukes, he's ready to go back to Earth 2's past and take over the world. And speaking of Earth-2 in the 1940s...

 

We next see Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick, and Firebrand getting out of a taxi in New York. They're immediately attacked by a goofy-looking guy calling himself Nuclear the Magnetic Marauder. Robotman and Commander Steel show up to help, but they probably aren't the best choice to go up against a guy who controls magnetism. After a short fight, Nuclear gets away and the All-Stars continue on to JSA headquarters. Nuclear is seen again in All-Star Squadron in a couple months, but he's not exactly a classic villain. It feels like this issue was running short and they needed to fill up a few pages. When the Squadron members get to the JSA meeting room, who do they find? Yes, it's the five JLA members from Part One. So, we end with the same scene, but get two different paths leading to it. It's actually a neat idea and it's executed pretty well, tying Degaton, the Crime Syndicate, and the nuclear holocaust on Earth-Prime all together. Gerry and Roy are listed as plot consultants in each other's books, so they were obviously working closely to tie everything together. So, in the next issue we'll see the long-awaited confrontation between the JLA and the All-Star Squadron... unless they decide to take a side trip to Earth-C to bring in Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew!

 

Book Three: Justice League of America #208 (November 1982)
"The Bomb-Blast Heard Round the World" 
Written by Gerry Conway; Art by Don Heck and Sal Trapani

We start off with something we've already seen twice -- the confrontation between the JLA and the All-Star Squadron in JSA headquarters on Earth-2 in January 1942. We get the usual misunderstanding fight (remember, Gerry and Roy both worked at Marvel for years), but it's soon settled and the two teams compare notes and recap the previous two parts of this crossover. Firestorm also tries to make time with Firebrand, but things don't really work out. The Squadron gets a call from President Roosevelt and they all head to the White House to see him. Most of the JLA members are quite impressed; in fact, Zatanna seems very taken with FDR. I'm not sure if Gerry's trying to write Zatanna as being kind of "man-hungry", but that's the way it comes off to me. I know later on he writes her as (almost literally) salivating over Dale Gunn, but this characterization seems a little weird to me. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Anyway, the meeting is interrupted by Degaton (on one of those futuristic projection television devices... Japanese-made, no less), and he tells them -- and the rest of the world -- that he has nukes from the future and intends to demonstrate their devastating potential the next day on some random targets. The heroes realize this is the turning point that leads to the future where Degaton is master of the world, and they vow to stop him and restore history.

We now check in with the JSA members in the nuclear devastation of 1982 Earth-Prime. They track some "human" readings with Green Lantern's ring, but find only mutated freaks. After a short fight, they find a normal (relatively speaking) human and Dr. Fate absorbs his memories, learning about the Cuban Missiles disappearing. Fate senses a psychic residue and realizes Per Degaton was behind it all. Back on Earth-2 (1942), the All-Stars and the JLA watch Degaton's nuke demonstration in the middle of the ocean. The Squadron members are shocked by the power of the warhead and realize Degaton could potentially destroy the world. Suddenly, the missing JSA members appear in their time-bubble above the ocean. They're unconscious, but the JLA and All-Stars grab them and take them aboard the observation ship. Speaking of observation, Per Degaton is watching them from a jetliner, which he also stole from the future apparently (along with a communications satellite and whatever else is needed for the plot to advance). Degaton gloats about the stranglehold he now has on the world and plans his conquest, along with the destruction of the All-Star Squadron. Will he succeed? We'll have to wait until next issue to find out.

Book Four: All-Star Squadron #15 (November 1982)
"Master of Worlds and Time" 
Written by Roy Thomas; Art by Adrian Gonzalez and Jerry Ordway

We start this issue with Per Degaton still watching the first gathering of the three teams (JLA, JSA, and All-Star Squadron). He's still confident he can take over the world and eliminate all of them in the process. We get a flashback explaining how the JSA happened to show up here -- Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, and Starman combined powers to get off of Earth-Prime and Degaton's nuclear demonstration drew them to this exact time and place... or something like that. GL refers to "your Earth" when talking to the All-Stars, but aren't they both from Earth-2? These particular JSAers are from the future, but it's all Earth-2 as far as I know. Anyway, the three teams tell Roosevelt what's going on and Degaton sends another threat to the world, saying he has another two dozen nukes and will use them against any nation that doesn't turn over supreme power to him. Roosevelt tells the assembled heroes that he'll do what Degaton asks if they can't get rid of all the nukes.

They split into smaller teams (which is a staple of these crossovers). Superman, Dr. Fate, and Robotman attack Degaton's satellite up in space. But Degaton left a surprise for Superman--some green kryptonite! Robotman learns not to open unlabeled lead boxes, but before he can remedy his mistake, Ultraman (from the Crime Syndicate) shows up (getcha scorecards, you don't know the players without a scorecard!). Yes, apparently the Syndicate is working with Degaton again, even though last time we saw them (on Earth-1 in 1982) they were mad at him for double-crossing them. Robotman almost sacrifices himself to save Supes from the green-K, and Supes (after pounding Ultraman) returns the favor by yanking Robotman out of the atmosphere before he burns up. Fate does his usual magical mumbo-jumbo.

 

We next see Aquaman, Starman, and Liberty Belle over the ocean south of Japan. Liberty Belle worries about what would happen if Degaton (or anyone) used nukes. Aquaman and Starman decide not to tell her how WWII is going to end. They track the nukes to an island and get jumped by Superwoman. She's beating them until Aquaman gets a couple of blue whales to smash into the island, flooding the facility and (I guess?) destroying the missiles. During the fight, Starman warned Superwoman that using his cosmic rod might set off the nukes, but apparently thousands of tons of seawater pouring in on them is just fine. Starman does give Liberty Belle a small spoiler by mentioning Jimmy Doolittle's Tokyo raid, but he covers by saying he was talking about Doctor Doolittle ... and Libby apparently buys it. People were so innocent in the 40s.

 

Meanwhile, in the Midwestern United States, Hawkman, Huntress, and Johnny Quick search for more nukes. Huntress steadfastly refuses to give Johnny any clue about what happens in the future, but still manages to slip up a couple of times. They find the missiles hidden in grain silos (of course) and are attacked by Power Ring. He says the Crime Syndicate have been planning to double-cross Degaton the same way he did to them ... I think we all saw that one coming, didn't we? Huntress knocks out Power Ring quite easily (thus making the parallel between him and Hal Jordan complete), but his ring still launches one of the nukes. Johnny and Hawkman catch it and defuse it, as well as the others still in the silos. On the final page, we see Per Degaton freaking out about the Crime Syndicate betraying him (well, I guess someone was surprised by it), but he boasts that the rest of the missiles will never be found ... and even if they are, he has an ace up his sleeve. What could it be? We'll see in the final chapter.

 

Book Five: Justice League of America #209 (December 1982)
"Let Old Acquaintances Be Forgot..." 
Written by Gerry Conway; Art by Don Heck 

We open with the three successful teams from last issue returning to the White House to tell Roosevelt they've found most of the nukes. But as long as Degaton still has some left, the world still isn't safe. We then get a quick recap of the overall story so far. There's also an interesting aside as Roosevelt is shown pondering the ethics of the Manhattan Project. We next see Geneva, Switzerland where Firestorm, Power Girl, and Commander Steel are looking for the last three nukes. They're confronted by the mayor, who I can only assume came through Degaton's time machine since he's dressed like someone from the 1800s. They're attacked by some of Degaton's thugs and Power Girl is pounded by Johnny Quick (the Crime Syndicate guy, not the All-Star). Quick accidentally launches the missiles before Firestorm takes him out and the three heroes have to disable the nukes, which they do, of course. A couple of them are shown exploding, but I'm assuming (hoping!) the nuclear warheads were disabled so half of Europe isn't covered by fallout. I'm not sure how Power Girl could get into Europe... at this point, I thought Hitler had the Spear of Destiny, which turned any super-powered person into a Nazi (that was Roy's explanation for the obvious question of why the superheroes didn't just go to Europe and end WWII within a day or two). Maybe Power Girl wasn't affected because she's from the future? It can't be because she's Kryptonian (which she still was, at this point), because the Earth-2 Superman was affected by the Spear in other stories.

 

Anyway, back in Washington the rest of the heroes are relieved that all the nukes are accounted for. But three of the heroes haven't been seen yet. Zatanna, Green Lantern, and Firebrand are at Professor Zee's lab, trying to convince him that his bumbling assistant Per Degaton (who's absent today) will use the Professor's time machine to wreak havoc in the future. The Professor says his machine isn't working yet, but GL and Zatanna fire it up and program it to send them to Cuba in 1962 so they can stop the theft of the nukes before it starts... even though it's already happened! A few issues ago, Superman said something about the timestorm (which Degaton mentioned in All-Star #14) affecting probability, so the heroes would actually be able to change events that had "already happened". Well, if Superman said it, it must be true. Also, the missiles were stolen from Earth-Prime's 1962, so I guess the Professor's time machine can cross dimensions too... or maybe that was part of GL and Zatanna's programming? I guess in this case, we can truly use "a wizard (witch) did it" as an explanation.

 

The rest of the heroes track Degaton to his hideout, which turns out to be the site where the Pentagon will soon be built. You gotta admit, Degaton's got style. The heroes make short work of Deggie and his minions, despite the futuristic weapons he's equipped them with. Owlman -- the last Crime Syndicate member -- being a master tactician, decides to run away, but Huntress pounds him. In 1962 Earth-Prime Cuba, the three heroes beat the Crime Syndicate quite handily, which harks back to my earlier comment about plot convenience: is this really the same Crime Syndicate that took out (or will take out) five Justice Leaguers, including Superman? Degaton is with the Syndicate and tries to flee, but Zatanna knocks him out. She and GL combine their powers again and send the Syndicate and Degaton back where they belong, which instantly reverses everything that happened... and  everyone forgets the whole damn story. Arrrrggghhhhh! They did it again! I can see the logic (Degaton didn't steal the missiles to begin with, so none of it ever happened, so nobody can remember something that didn't occur), but I hate when they wipe out the whole story like that; it makes me feel like reading it was all just a big waste of time, since none of it "really happened". That's my main complaint about Infinity Gauntlet/War/Crusade/Whatever... everyone's memory is wiped at the end, so what was the point? But at least those stories still happened, even if no one remembers... this story has been retroactively wiped from existence. And who knows what sort of dangerous precedent that might set for DC?

We get a few pages of wrap-up, showing everything back to normal. Of course, some characters have "lingering feelings of doubt", but that's par for the course with this type of story resolution. We see the full JLA/JSA reunion, where some of the heroes marvel that nothing happened this time around and Batman says another crisis was "against the odds". It also looks like Firestorm might actually get somewhere with Power Girl (speaking of dangerous precedents). And that's the end. Overall, it was a pretty good story; the plotline got a little convoluted, but it's not as hard to follow as I remembered -- though it comes close in a few places. It was well done in general, with most of the story making sense, though the "everybody forgets because it never really happened" ending still bugs me. The art is good--I always liked Gonzalez/Ordway on All-Star Squadron, and Heck's stuff looks better than usual here. So, all in all, I'd say it's worth reading, as long as you don't mind a few time travel convolutions and a bit of a cheat ending. But if we let things like that bother us, we'd all have given up on comics years ago!

Guest Review - Justice League of America 195-197

Doug: Today the Bronze Age Babies are most pleased to bring our readers an Arc of Triumph...? guest review, featuring the events of Justice League of America #s 195-197, by M.S. Wilson.

M.S. Wilson: Welcome to my review of Justice League of America #195-197, which features a new version of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. This is one of the annual JLA/JSA team-ups that ran in Justice League in the Silver and Bronze ages, and it’s one of my favorites. I read this when I was nine and I loved how the bad guys seemed to be winning through the first two issues, but the heroes turned things around (with a little help) in the third. These comics were also my first introduction to some of the Earth-2 villains; I was familiar with the JSA members from previous team-ups and the All-Star Comics revival, but some of these villains (Monocle, Mist, Rag Doll) were new to me.

Justice League of America #195 (October 1981)
"Targets on Two Worlds!"
Gerry Conway-George Perez/John Beatty (cover by Perez

M.S. Wilson: The story begins in JLA #195, with over half of this issue dealing with the “recruitment” process, showing the gathering of two sets of villains, one on each Earth. We start on Earth-2 with the Monocle, now retired from villainy. This scene actually addresses the old question about why super-villains don’t turn their talents toward legitimate ends instead of crime; apparently the Monocle has used his knowledge of laser optics to build a successful company and make a lot of money. But I guess being rich isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as we see him complaining (aloud, even though he’s alone) that he’s bored and feeling nostalgic for his life of crime. Conveniently, a mysterious figure has a great way to relieve his boredom ... get back into crime!

The recruitment drive continues on Earth-1, with Signalman escaping from a hospital. The coincidences really pile up here, as Signalman escapes by climbing down the big neon sign outside, shorting out letters as he goes; luckily for him, the name of the hospital is St. Ignatius Loyola, so he’s able to spell SIGNAL. Anyway, he’s picked up by Killer Frost, who seems to be in charge of recruiting on Earth-1, and invited to join the Secret Society. The scene shifts back and forth between the two Earths as we see more bad guys join the team. On Earth-2, Psycho Pirate breaks out of jail (why is he kept in a regular cell, where anyone can see him? Shouldn’t he be kept behind some kind of opaque barrier?). On Earth-1, Cheetah almost gets assaulted by three guys (they said they only wanted a kiss, but the art makes their intentions pretty clear), but she slices them up before joining Killer Frost. Back on Earth-2, Rag Doll robs a bank (after mailing himself to the manager in a box!), and gets help with his escape from Psycho Pirate and Monocle, as well as the mysterious figure who’s been assembling the Earth-2 villains. He’s shown to have a hairy paw... now who could that be?

On Earth-1, Killer Frost and friends talk Floronic Man into joining them (and he gets an angst-ridden speech about how he’s no longer human but not fully vegetable-matter either, so he feels like a freak). On Earth-2, the Mist kills a couple of his old gang members in revenge for letting him go to jail alone. He is asked to join the Secret Society immediately afterward, by a large, furry, apelike... actually, I’m not sure why they’re drawing out the mystery of the new Society’s leader; it’s revealed in this same issue. I guess Gerry just wanted it to seem more dramatic. Anyway, back on Earth-1, the four villains go to a secret base and meet Brainwave, who’s using his illusion powers to look young and buff instead of his usual short, bald, wrinkly self. They travel through a dimensional transporter to Earth-2 (remember when it used to be difficult to transport between the Earths?) and meet the leader of this little conspiracy, who turns out to be ... the Ultra-Humanite! Since Signalman doesn’t know who that is, Mist helpfully recounts to him (and us) Ultra’s history: his longstanding enmity with the Earth-2 Superman, his ability to switch his consciousness into other bodies, and the fact that his latest mind-switch was into the body of a gigantic albino ape; Irwin Donenfeld would be proud! The newly furry Ultra-Humanite explains that each of the super-villains he’s chosen has a counterpart, a favorite enemy, and if these ten particular superheroes are sent to Limbo, it’ll cause a cosmic imbalance, eliminating ALL superheroes from either Earth-1 or Earth-2. The villains, figuring they have a 50/50 chance of ridding their world of all its superheroes, agree to Ultra’s plan.

Finally, we see the stars of the book, the JLA and JSA, at one of their annual reunions. There are a few character bits, and some of the heroes express surprise that nothing has happened to disrupt this year’s meeting. After everyone has left (I find it fascinating that the JLA Satellite exists only on Earth-1, but can beam the JSA back to Earth-2; was this ever explained? Maybe Dr. Fate had something to do with it), Black Canary is left alone on monitor duty. The Mist exploits a security bug in the transporter and sneaks aboard the Satellite to attack BC. He beats her by turning himself intangible, which is a new power for him (he could previously turn transparent, but was still solid.) On Earth-2, Monocle takes out Hawkman with a remote-controlled monocle. And back on Earth-1, Cheetah attacks Wonder Woman near the Washington Monument and really pounds her. Apparently Cheetah blames Wonder Woman for (supposedly) leaving her to drown in WW #275, and she’s a little miffed about it... or maybe a little psychotic. So the bad guys have successfully taken down three of the ten superheroes that they’re gunning for. At the end of this issue we see Ultra-Humanite gloating to himself, and we find out that it isn’t a toss up as to which Earth will lose it’s superheroes ... it’s definitely Earth-2, and Ulty knew that all along. The leader of a group of super-criminals has his own agenda? I’m shocked!

Justice League of America #196 (November 1981)
"Countdown to Crisis!"
Gerry Conway-George Perez/Romeo Tanghal (cover by Perez and Dick Giordano)

In JLA #196, the villains continue taking down the superheroes of two Earths one by one. Psycho Pirate beats Hourman; of course, Hourman is smart enough not to look directly at Psycho Pirate, so PP needs a little help from one of Ultra-Humanite’s devices, a psycho prism. It reflects PP’s sleepy-face all over the room, so Hourman can’t avoid seeing it, and promptly goes night-night. Signalman uses flashing lights to turn a crowd against Batman (although the post-Crisis Batman might have just pounded them all into submission.) Rag Doll gets Flash (Jay Garrick) with an explosive, while Floronic Man takes out Atom (Ray Palmer) with some soporific pollen. Brainwave takes down Johnny Thunder (and his T-Bolt) by luring him to a clothing store (where Johnny almost updates his look!) Firestorm is beaten by his own overconfidence when Killer Frost brings the ceiling down on his head. Finally, Ultra-Humanite lures Superman (of Earth-2) to a zoo, where he surprises Supes by shooting Green Kryptonite spray from a device on his chest. At the end of this issue, the beaten heroes are put in a centrifuge and sent to Limbo. The first time I read this, I was surprised that the villains’ plan actually worked; I couldn’t wait to see how the heroes got out of this mess. 

Justice League of America #197 (December 1981)
"Crisis in Limbo"
Gerry Conway-George Perez/Keith Pollard/Romeo Tanghal (cover by Perez and Mike DeCarlo)

And get out of that mess they did, of course, in JLA #197. As this issue begins, the superheroes are sent to Limbo and the plan actually works; Earth-2 starts to twist and deform around them before “snapping back” to normal. The Earth-1 villains realize immediately that Ultra-Humanite knew banishing the heroes would eliminate all the remaining superheroes from Earth-2 only; he’d let them think there was an equal chance to affect Earth-1 because he’d needed their cooperation. But before they can do anything, they’re transported back to Earth-1, and when they try to return, the transporter device blows up. Killer Frost shows some leadership by slapping down Signalman and Floronic Man, and coming up with a plan to get back to Earth-2 to get revenge against Ultra-Humanite for using them (her strength here is undercut somewhat when she reveals her main motive for villainy is “I want power! Power to punish men for spurning me!” Yes, she’s a super-villain because she can’t get a boyfriend. One step forward, two steps back.). Anyway, they go to Coast City and capture Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)... rather easily, I have to say. They also seem to know a lot about the Satellite transporters, including their locations in various cities. You’d think the JLA might change the locations regularly to avoid something like that. Anyway, they use the unconscious Green Lantern to beam to the Satellite, where they take down Elongated Man (also rather easily, it must be said.)

Back on Earth-2, the villains are enjoying a world with no superheroes (I’m wondering if eliminating the superheroes from Earth-2 also got rid of other super-villains? We don’t see any others here... and what about non-powered heroes like Robin or Huntress? Apparently they were eliminated too? I guess it doesn’t pay to examine these things too closely.). Monocle and Rag Doll are having fun messing with the cops, Psycho Pirate and Mist rob a “collector’s convention”. There’s no mention of comics, but there is a shout-out to Star Trek fanzines; the villains steal jewels, which apparently are exhibited at conventions on Earth-2. Brainwave uses his powers to... basically rape an actress? That’s the implication, anyway. And Ultra-Humanite decides to take over the United Nations... no thinking small for him!

Meanwhile, the Earth-1 baddies have used the JLA transporter to go to Limbo (which it can do, apparently) and rescue the heroes. That’s right, the heroes only survive this because they’re rescued by the bad guys; let that sink in for a minute... the only reason these heroes win is because of the villains’ sour grapes. Killer Frost even says: “If we can’t have a world without heroes, neither can anyone else!” Who’d have thought pettiness could come in handy? Of course, the heroes immediately pound their rescuers (there’s gratitude for ya!) and head for Earth-2 to set things right. They somehow take the whirling centrifuge with them (or maybe it stays in Limbo and just creates a vortex, I’m not sure) and toss all the bad guys into the dimensional vortex, banishing them to Limbo. Earth-2 reality goes back to normal (without all the weird visual effects, which Superman mentions in passing) and the villains are all banished to Limbo, where they have a few things to discuss with Ultra-Humanite. Apparently banishing these ten villains has no effect on the cosmos, nor do the superheroes seem to care overly much.

I liked this arc when I was a kid and still do, although some of the plot holes are more obvious to me now. The villains seem much more competent here than in the usual comics story; in fact, they technically win here. If not for the Earth-1 villains rescuing the heroes from Limbo, Earth-2 would’ve been hero-less and taken over by bad guys. That sort of role-reversal blew me away as a kid. One thing that always bothered me was how the villains defeated the heroes so handily in the first two issues, but were soundly trounced in only a few pages at the conclusion. The way the villains paired off against their “usual” foes was a little strange too (although in Limbo they mixed things up a bit more.) In hindsight, this arc would’ve been perfect for an “Acts of Vengeance” type story, with the villains taking on heroes they weren’t normally used to fighting. But overall, I love this story; it introduced me to some new villains, the story is different from the usual fare, and the art is great. There’s even a cool centerfold in #195 featuring the JLA on one side and the JSA on the other ... what’s not to love?