JUSTICE LEAGUE AND JUSTICE SOCIETY VS DARKSEID, PLUS MORE (1980-1984)

For this weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog, I will review the final few crossover stories involving DC’s Justice League and Justice Society. For my review of their 1963-1969 crossovers click HERE.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #183 (October 1980)

Title: Crisis on New Genesis

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Fate, Power Girl, the original Huntress and the original Wonder Woman (Diana Prince-TREVOR)

Justice League Roster: Firestorm, 2nd Superman, 2nd Green Lantern and 2nd Batman

New Gods Roster: Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, Metron, Lightray, Highfather and Oberon  

Villains: Darkseid, the Fiddler, Icicle and the Shade

NOTE: This crossover has the JLA and JSA teaming up with the New Gods, Jack Kirby’s creations which were kind of the third version of the X-Men and the Inhumans. His fourth version, the Eternals, had been introduced back at Marvel during his 1970s return there.

Synopsis: The planet called New Genesis is the home of the superpowered figures called the New Gods. Their arch-foe is Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips. As the story begins, Darkseid is still presumed dead following his previous clash with the New Gods.

The remaining evil forces on Apokolips – led by Granny Goodness (a Kirby creation, needless to say) – have raided New Genesis and abducted most of the inhabitants, then taken them as slaves back to their own planet. They did it with the help of three Earth-Two villains – Icicle, Shade and the Fiddler – so the New Gods use the annual get-together of the Justice Society and Justice League to recruit the two teams to help them recover their kidnapped population.

The combined teams break up into smaller groups and set off for different locations in their campaign against Apokolips. Orion, Firestorm and Power Girl clash with the Fiddler, Icicle and the Shade. Fiddler and the Shade are defeated, but Icicle keeps fighting long enough to carry out the villains’ plan – restoring consciousness to Darkseid, who is still alive.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #184 (November 1980)

Title: Crisis Between Two Earths

Villains: Darkseid, Granny Goodness, Icicle, the Shade and the Fiddler

Synopsis: Darkseid is unleashed once more. Elsewhere on Apokolips, the original Wonder Woman, 2nd Superman and Big Barda form an alliance with the Underground Fighters, guerillas who live literally UNDER Granny Goodness’ (damn you, Kirby) castle where she trains Darkseid’s elite soldiers.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fate, the 2nd Green Lantern and Oberon free the leader of the New Gods – Highfather – from captivity. The 2nd Batman, original Huntress and Mr. Miracle infiltrate Darkseid’s Imperial Palace, where they learn his plan is to use a new device to teleport Apokolips into the solar system of Earth-Two, home of the Justice Society, and destroy that world. 

For only the third time, the JSA/ JLA team-up story goes three issues.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #185 (December 1980)

Title: Crisis on Apokolips

Villains: Darkseid, Granny Goodness, the Shade, Icicle and the Fiddler

Synopsis: Dr. Fate, the 2nd Green Lantern, Highfather and Oberon battle Darkseid’s parademons as they continue fighting their way out of the castle. Meanwhile, at Granny Goodness’ fortress, the original Wonder Woman, 2nd Superman and Big Barda defeat Granny’s troops to free her captives. 

Back at Darkseid’s lair, the original Huntress, 2nd Batman and Mr. Miracle free the imprisoned Power Girl, Firestorm and Orion, then discover that Darkseid also imprisoned his presumed allies from Earth-Two – the Fiddler, Icicle and the Shade. Those betrayed villains are willing to join the heroes in working against Darkseid. 

With all of the JSA, JLA, New Gods and the three supervillains fighting together, the captive populace of New Genesis is freed and they join the war against Darkseid, Granny Goodness, their parademons and troops. Next, all three superteams clash with Darkseid himself.

Metron of the New Gods, meanwhile, uses his scientific genius to reprogram Darkseid’s devices so that when they are used to launch the villain’s plan to teleport Apokolips to take Earth-Two’s place they instead unleash destruction on Darkseid himself. The three teams all part company and return to their respective planets.

NOTE: Naturally, Darkseid was not really gone for good and would return in the near future.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #195 (October 1981)

Title: Targets on Two Worlds

Justice Society Roster: Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Hourman, the original Huntress, Johnny Thunder, original Superman (with graying temples), original Flash, original Green Lantern, original Robin, original Hawkman, and the original Atom

Justice League Roster: Firestorm, Zatanna, Elongated Man, the 2nd Aquaman, 2nd Superman, 2nd Wonder Woman, 2nd Batman, 2nd Red Tornado, 2nd Black Canary, 2nd Atom, 2nd Flash, 2nd Green Arrow, 2nd Hawkman, 2nd Hawkgirl, and the 2nd Green Lantern

Villains: The Secret Society of Super-Villains (Ultra-Humanite, Brainwave, Cheetah, Floronic Man, Mist, the Monocle, Psycho-Pirate, Killer Frost, Signalman and Rag Doll)

NOTE: This incarnation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains consists of villains from both Earth-One and Earth-Two.

Synopsis: On Earth-Two, the Ultra-Humanite, a foe of the original Superman, rounds up several villains from both Earths to form a new Secret Society of Super-Villains. His genius has permitted him to craft a plan which will wipe out all the superheroes on either Earth-One or Earth-Two.

The Ultra-Humanite explains to his colleagues that by beating ten heroes from the two Earths and casting those heroes into Limbo, a cosmic balance will be upset, causing all of the superheroes on one of the Earths to cease to exist. The villain says that which Earth cannot be predicted.

The villains go to work: The Mist takes down the 2nd Black Canary, whose mother he often fought. Cheetah defeats Wonder Woman, and the Monocle downs the original Hawkman. Ultra-Humanite casts them into Limbo as his teammates prepare to capture additional superheroes.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #196 (November 1981)

Title: Countdown to Crisis

Villains: Secret Society of Super-Villains

Synopsis: The villains keep picking off their designated victims to further their plan to cause a Cosmic Imbalance and therefore eliminate all the superheroes on one of the Earths. (It’s a comic book. Just go with it.)

On Earth-One, Killer Frost defeats Firestorm, and Floronic Man smacks down the 2nd Atom. Over on Earth-Two, the Psycho-Pirate defeats Hourman, the Ultra-Humanite takes down the original Superman, Rag Doll beats the original Flash and Brainwave downs Johnny Thunder.

With all ten targeted heroes taken, they are about to be cast into Limbo, fulfilling the villains’ plan to wipe out all superheroes on one of the two Earths.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #197 (December 1981)

Title: Crisis in Limbo

Villains: Secret Society of Super-Villains

Synopsis: Casting the ten superheroes into Limbo has the effect that the Ultra-Humanite predicted, and it is Earth-Two that has all its other superheroes wiped from existence. Ultra-Humanite, Rag Doll, Psycho-Pirate, Mist, Brainwave and the Monocle reveal that they knew all along it would be their own Earth which would be made hero-free.

The Earth-One villains, Cheetah, Floronic Man, Killer Frost and Signalman are outraged that they never stood a chance of it being their own Earth that would be rid of its heroes and attack. Ultra-Humanite and company banish them back to Earth-One.

Next, the six Earth-Two villains go on a rampage in a world with no superheroes to oppose them and do as they please. Back on Earth-One the banished villains realize the only way they can get back to Earth-Two is to use the Justice League’s transmat device at their headquarters.

The supervillainess Killer Frost leads Cheetah, Floronic Man and Signalman in a raid on the JLA satellite. The villains defeat Elongated Man and the 2nd Green Lantern, then use the transmat device to round up the ten superheroes who were cast into Limbo (real dumb decision) and then move on to Earth-Two.

Once there, the heroes battle the unopposed villains on Earth-Two. In a memorable clash, the supervillains are all defeated – including the idiotic Earth-One villains who freed the heroes from Limbo. The “cosmic balance” is restored and Earth-Two returns to normal, with all its superheroes springing back into existence.

The Justice League and the Justice Society say their goodbyes and return to their respective Earths.

NOTE: In 1982, DC did a five-part JLA/ JSA crossover story, but, as a sign of how convoluted DC’s continuity had become, that story involves so much time travel and travel between Earths that it would require more explanations than the poor story deserves. Especially since when it was all said and done, the time-traveling made it so that the story never happened in the first place and no characters remember it.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #219 (October 1983)

Title: Crisis in the Thunderbolt Dimension

Justice Society Roster: Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Power Girl, Starman, the original Flash, and the original Huntress

Justice League Roster: Firestorm, Zatanna, Elongated Man, the 2nd Superman, 2nd Wonder Woman, 2nd Black Canary, 2nd Red Tornado, 2nd Flash and 2nd Green Lantern

Villains: The Crime Champions (The Wizard, Felix Faust, Chronos, the Fiddler, Icicle, Dr. Alchemy and the 2nd, evil Johnny Thunder)

Synopsis: During the annual get-together of the Justice Society and Justice League, Johnny Thunder’s Thunderbolt attacks the meeting on its own. It incapacitates only the Earth-One superheroes, leaving all of the Justice Society members standing as well as the 2nd Black Canary and 2nd Red Tornado since they originated on Earth-Two as well.

NOTE: All other Earth-One superheroes have been rendered comatose as well.

Meanwhile, the supervillain team called the Crime Champions have reassembled and are running amok on Earth-One, where the JSA/ JLA meeting is being held. While Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Power Girl, the original Flash and the original Huntress do battle with the rampaging Crime Champions, Starman and the 2nd Black Canary trail the Thunderbolt between dimensions.

When they trace the Thunderbolt all the way to its home dimension, they encounter the main villain behind it all – the evil Earth-One version of Johnny Thunder, who has once again wrested control of the Thunderbolt from Earth-Two’s original Johnny Thunder. Black Canary is shocked to see that the evil Johnny has the glass coffin which contains the bodies of her parents – Larry Lance and the original Black Canary. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #220 (November 1983)

Title: The Doppelganger Gambit

Villains: The Crime Champions and the 2nd Johnny Thunder

NOTE: DC Comics used this story to clarify the chronology of events regarding when the 2nd Black Canary took over for her mother as a superheroine with the same nom de guerre. That said, I’ll avoid the detours in the storyline pertaining to that.

Synopsis: On Earth-One, where the Justice Society members are still fighting the Crime Champions, Sargon the Sorceror shows up to help them. He reveals that though he, too, started his career on Earth-Two he transported himself to Earth-One in 1950 and started fresh.

Back in the Thunderbolt Dimension, the evil Johnny Thunder, in his fancy new costume (see cover), takes Starman and the 2nd Black Canary captive and does a Villain Rant about his plans and about how the Black Canary’s parents were already entombed here in this dimension to keep their remains from being disturbed. He also displays his Earth-Two forerunner in mystic chains.

The evil, second Johnny took control of the Thunderbolt once again, like he did during a 1960s JSA/ JLA crossover, then formed an alliance with the Crime Champions, whom he reunited. The Thunderbolt is able to resist evil Johnny’s orders to strike down the original Johnny’s close comrades from Earth-Two, hence why they are able to function while all Earth-One heroes are comatose.

Back on Earth-One, Hourman and the original Flash defeat Chronos and the Fiddler at Mexico’s Pyramid of the Sun. Meanwhile, the original Huntress and the 2nd Red Tornado defeat Icicle and Dr. Alchemy at Egypt’s Great Pyramids, and Power Girl & Sargon the Sorceror defeat the Wizard and Felix Faust at Stonehenge.

In the Thunderbolt Dimension, the original Johnny Thunder at last manages to free himself from his mystic bonds and retakes control of the Thunderbolt, which puts the Earth-One superheroes back to normal. With the villains defeated, the JSA/ JLA meeting for this year resumes.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #231 (October 1984)

Title: Family Crisis

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Fate, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite and the original Green Lantern

Justice League Roster: Supergirl, the 2nd Flash, 2nd Wonder Woman and 2nd Superman

Champion Family: Joshua Champion, Meredith Champion, Ian Champion, and Victoria Champion

Villain: The Commander

Synopsis: On Earth-One, a physicist named Joshua Champion succeeds in contacting an alien dimension, but becomes possessed by the Commander, the vile entity which has conquered that entire dimension. While trying to fight off the Commander’s mental control, Joshua Champion endows some of the Commander’s powers on his sister Meredith plus his children Ian and Victoria.

Meredith, Ian and Victoria contact the only Justice League members on their satellite headquarters at the moment – Supergirl, the 2nd Flash, 2nd Superman and 2nd Wonder Woman. Informing them of the situation, the Champions then teleport themselves and the Justice Leaguers to Earth-Two, where the Commander has begun his interdimensional invasion.

That invasion is being spearheaded by winged monkeys, creatures drawn from Joshua Champion’s memories by the Commander. Already, four Justice Society members – Dr. Fate, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and the original Green Lantern are fighting the invasion force.

The Commander observes the eight superheroes in action against the winged monkeys, noting their powers and weaknesses. At length, the Commander’s winged army disappears. The JLA members and the Champions update the Justice Society about what is going on. 

You can bet on the memory of Gardner Fox that their next move is to break up into separate groups to take action. Dr. Fate, Supergirl, the original Green Lantern and the 2nd Wonder Woman go with Ian Champion to the Pentagon to battle another invading army sent by the Commander. This army consists of monstrous creatures drawn from all the world’s myths, courtesy of Joshua Champion’s memories.

While that massive battle goes on at Earth-Two’s Pentagon, Starman, the 2nd Flash, 2nd Superman, Dr. Mid-Nite and the two female Champions attack the domed capital city of the Conqueror in his own dimension. The heroes overcome the Commander’s high-tech defenses and his army of mind-controlled billions – the enslaved inhabitants of this realm. 

The Commander, still controlling Joshua Champion’s mind, lets the heroes think they have succeeded in beating his forces and retrieving Joshua’s body. Superman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, Flash and the Champion ladies return to Earth-Two, little dreaming that they are all under the mental control of the Commander. All except Dr. Mid-Nite, who could not be enthralled due to being blind and having artificial vision.

JUSTICE LEAGUE Vol 1 #232 (November 1984)

Title: Battlegrounds

Villain: The Commander

Synopsis: At the Pentagon, Dr. Fate, the original Green Lantern, Supergirl, Ian Champion and the 2nd Wonder Woman have defeated the Commander’s army of mythic beasts. Soon, Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, the 2nd Flash, 2nd Superman, plus Meredith and Victoria Champion arrive on the scene via teleportation. 

The Commander, still in control of Joshua Champion’s mind but feigning unconsciousness, touches soil. Delighted that he has finally reached a new dimension to conquer he uses Joshua’s body to wield his mind-control powers on the enthralled Superman, Flash and Starman, forcing them to attack the other heroes.

After a lengthy fight, the Champions and the free-minded heroes use teamwork to free the enthralled heroes AND Joshua Champion from the Commander’s control.

The Commander resists banishment back to his home dimension and reveals his physical form, a gigantic figure that battles all eleven assembled heroes. Unknown to any of the good guys, the alien being known as the Monitor is watching the battle unfold, alongside his female aide, Lyla aka Harbinger. 

NOTE: The Monitor had previously appeared in Teen Titans stories and would go on to play a large part in upcoming multiverse stories in DC Comics. He and his evil brother the Anti-Monitor even showed up in CW tv shows about DC superheroes over the years.

The battle outside the Pentagon goes on and on. Without making his presence known to the heroes, the Monitor distracts the Commander at just the right moment to enable a victory over the villain. The JLA members return to Earth-One, and the Champion family use their powers to go on a vacation touring the multiverse and are never seen again to this very day. 

*** Next, DC did a 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline which jumbled all the company’s heroes together, including the Charlton Comics superheroes from Earth-Four.

From there, the company kept resetting and reshuffling their continuity to this very day, often wiping out several heroes and/or entire storylines. I have no idea where they stand now.

JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS 1963-1969 HERE.

JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS 1970-1974 HERE.

JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS 1975-1979 HERE.