JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1977 STORIES

With Halloween Season behind us, this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog resumes looking at the Justice Society’s revived series in the 1970s. 

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #64 (February 1977)

Title: Yesterday Begins Today

Justice Society Roster: Hourman, Power Girl, Wildcat, Star Spangled Kid, the original Superman, original Flash, original Green Lantern and original Hawkman

Villains: Vandal Savage and his android army

Synopsis: The original Superman postpones his retirement as the JSA is urgently summoned by former Seven Soldiers of Victory member the Shining Knight. Our heroes wind up in Camelot helping King Arthur against the Justice Society’s old enemy Vandal Savage.

That villain is leading an army of robot Roman Legions in a bid to conquer Camelot.

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #65 (April 1977)

Title: The Master Plan of Vandal Savage

Justice Society Roster: Hourman, Power Girl, Wildcat, Star Spangled Kid, the original Superman, original Flash, original Green Lantern and original Hawkman

Villains: Vandal Savage and his android army

Synopsis: The Justice Society members continue their battle with the time traveling Vandal Savage and his androids.

Ultimately, our heroes defeat Savage’s plans of conquest and his efforts to steal Superman’s powers in order to add them to his own. 

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #66 (June 1977)

Title: Injustice Strikes Twice

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Fate, Wildcat, Power Girl, Star Spangled Kid, the original Flash and the original Hawkman 

Villains: The Injustice Society

Synopsis: The JSA’s archenemy Brain Wave has assembled the latest version of their old foes the Injustice Society. He leads the Wizard, Icicle and the Thinker as they attempt to seize control of the world’s oil, gasoline, metals and precious gems that are still underground.

As part of the conflict the Injustice Society abducts Wildcat, prompting his teammates to launch a rescue attempt.       

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #67 (August 1977)

Title: Attack of the Underlord

Villains: Ayrn the Underlord and his armies

Synopsis: With the Injustice Society defeated, their secret ally reveals himself. That ally is the brand new villain Ayrn the Underlord, ruler of a subterranean race who live in what they call Middle Earth. (No relation, of course, to Tolkien’s Middle Earth.)

In Middle Earth, our heroes learn that Ayrn and his armies were working with the Injustice Society to seize control of the underground riches (the oil, metals, etc) that the Underlord felt belonged to his people.   

Power Girl leads the way as the JSA defeats Ayrn and his forces and returns to the surface world with Wildcat. Meanwhile, in a subplot, the Justice Society’s old foe the Psycho Pirate surreptitiously uses his powers to take control of the original Green Lantern.

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #68 (October 1977)

Title: Divided We Stand

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Fate, Hourman, Power Girl, Wildcat, Star Spangled Kid, the original Flash, original Green Lantern and original Hawkman

Villain: The Psycho Pirate

Synopsis: The moment comes when Psycho Pirate uses his control over the original Green Lantern to make him rampage through Gotham International Airport. The villain also has the controlled superhero help him take on the rest of the Justice Society. 

In the end the JSA members free Green Lantern from Psycho Pirate’s emotional control and defeat the villain. As they take Psycho Pirate into custody the 2nd Green Lantern, from Earth-One, teleports the Justice Society and their captive to the Justice League satellite, since it is time for the annual meeting of the JSA and JLA.   

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #147 (October 1977) – and #148 (November 1977) Click HERE.

Titles: Crisis in the 30th Century and Crisis in Triplicate 

Villains: Mordru the Sorcerer and the Demons Three

Synopsis: During the JSA-JLA meeting, a few members from each team are brought to the 30th Century by Mordru the Sorcerer, a recurring foe of the Legion of Superheroes. This two-part crossover finds the League and the Society allied with the Legion of Superheroes against Mordru and the old JLA foes the Demons Three. 

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #69 (December 1977)

Title: United We Fall

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, Power Girl, Hourman, Star Spangled Kid, Wildcat, Dr. Fate, the original Robin, original Superman, original Flash, original Wonder Woman, original Green Lantern and original Hawkman

Villain: The Psycho Pirate 

Synopsis: The Justice Society members who went to Earth-One return to Earth-Two with their prisoner Psycho Pirate. They learn that the villain had, in addition to the original Green Lantern, taken control of Gotham City’s Commissioner Bruce Wayne.

NOTE: Bruce, long retired as Batman, had replaced the late Commissioner Gordon during the JSA’s 1976 adventures, covered last time around.

During the few days that the Justice Society members were on Earth-One, Commissioner Wayne declared those members outlaws and subject to arrest for all the damage they caused at Gotham International Airport. Bruce called the original Superman out of retirement plus recruited Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, the original Robin and original Wonder Woman to arrest them.

The two separate groupings of the JSA do battle, with each believing the other to be under Psycho Pirate’s control. In the end, the villain is defeated, and all but a few of the heroes, weary and disgusted at this misunderstanding and needless violence, claim they are quitting the Justice Society for good.   

NOTE: Obviously, the angry heroes who quit don’t stay away long, and the team’s 1978 adventures see many of the “quitters” eventually return. This issue featured a cameo by the second Huntress, secret identity Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce and his late wife the original Catwoman, Selena Kyle-Wayne. In the next issue, the new Huntress – whose origin was presented in DC Super-Stars #17 (also December 1977) – joins the few remaining JSA members to keep the team alive. 

JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS 1963-1969 HERE.

THE JUSTICE SOCIETY’S WORLD WAR TWO-ERA STORIES HERE.

FOR CANADA’S 1940s SUPERHEROES CLICK HERE.

OTHER DC SUPERHEROES OF THE 1940s HERE.