DC SUPERHEROES OF THE SIXTIES TO EIGHTIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog picks up from last weekend’s look at DC’s 30s-50s characters by examining some of their 60s-80s heroes. 

FLASH VS HIS ROGUES GALLERY – I looked at the 1960s to 1980s stories in which Flash did battle with many of his foes assembled during their Semi-Annual Convention of Flash Villains and its related mayhem.

Readers got some landmark tales as the Scarlet Speedster took on his recurring foes like Mirror Master, the Trickster, Captain Cold, Pied Piper, Captain Boomerang, the Golden Glider and others. Click HERE.

BLACK LIGHTNING – Beginning in the 1970s, High School teacher Jefferson Pierce became the costumed superhero called Black Lightning. He used his new powers to fight crime and other dark forces in Metropolis’ Suicide Slums.

Black Lightning faced a variety of villains, like the Whale, Syonide, Cyclotronic Man, Steel Fist, the Annihilist and the criminal organization called the 100. Click HERE.

MANHUNTER II (1973-1974) – DC’s second superhero to use the nom de guerre Manhunter discovered the connection to his predecessor, whose secret identity was Paul Kirk.

Framed as a criminal, Manhunter eluded his pursuers while whittling down the members of an international conspiracy called the Council. His closest ally was his former hunter, Interpol Agent Christine St. Clair. Click HERE.

THE SPECTRE – New York City Detective Jim Corrigan was really a ghost who battled the forces of evil as the Heavenly avenger called the Spectre.

This blog post reviewed the Spectre’s mid-70s horror-laced stories which proved very controversial due to the brutal violence unleashed on his victims by the grim, pitiless entity. Click HERE.

BLACK ORCHID – I reviewed the early adventures of this ahead-of-its-time series about the enigmatic superheroine called Black Orchid! She possessed incredible powers and her adventures were detailed guessing games until the reveal.

Follow this incredibly underrated heroine into action from 1973 to 1988, when she was replaced! Click HERE.

THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES – DC’s long-running series about superheroes headquartered in Metropolis of the 30th Century.

The Legion works for the United Planets organization and experiences science fiction adventures as well as conventional superhero sagas. With members like Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Wildfire, Shadow Lass, Karate Kid and many, many more. Click HERE.

THE CREEPER – Steve Ditko’s superhero who had super-strength, wall-crawling ability, incredible agility and a healing factor long before Wolverine came along.

Follow the Creeper from the 1960s to 1980s as he takes on villains like Proteus, Maddox, the Guru, Major Smej, the Disruptor and others. He even infiltrates the Secret Society of Supervillains at one point. Click HERE. 

MAN-BAT: HIS EARLY STORIES – A look at the early 1970s adventures of Batman’s sometime enemy and sometime ally Man-Bat. Scientist Kirk Langstrom’s experiments on bats meant to help humans who suffer from deafness go wrong when he tests a serum on himself.

Langstrom transforms into a man-sized bat-creature and reluctantly assists Batman in taking down a ring of criminals. Click HERE.

THE FATAL FIVE VS THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES – DC’s superheroes of the far future and their classic battles with their deadliest group of supervillains.

See the Legion go up against the cyborg mastermind Tharok; the Emerald Empress, wielder of the Emerald Eye; Validus the rampaging monster; the intergalactic executioner called the Persuader; and Mano, who can destroy whole planets with his touch. Click HERE. 

OMAC: ONE MAN ARMY CORPS – Jack Kirby’s series set during future events that lead up to the Great Disaster which resulted in the post-apocalypse world of Kamandi. Buddy Blank is granted superpowers by the AI-run satellite Brother Eye.

As OMAC he takes on the corporate villains who run Pseudo-People, Inc. plus high-tech dictators and a global crime syndicate. His allies include the covert alien-run organization called the Global Peace Agency. Click HERE.

SWAMP THING – I examined the initial 1970s run of the Swamp Thing horror comic. Sample some early clashes between Swampy and opponents like Dr. Arcane and the Un-Men.

Alec Holland’s monstrous alter ego gets caught up in horror and sci-fi adventures that are always on the bizarre side. He also meets Abby Arcane, soon to be Abby Cable. Click HERE.

FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL – This 1975-1976 anthology series was used to introduce brand new characters to gauge interest in their potential for a series or to try launching a new series for old and established DC heroes.

Among the new figures featured were the Warlord, the Mikaal Tomas Starman, Lady Cop, Codename: Assassin and the truly unusual Green Team. Click HERE.

CREATURE COMMANDOS – DC’s Weird War series set during WW II. Against the Axis Nations the Allies unleashed Project M aka the Creature Commandos.

The team consisted of Warren Griffith, a werewolf; Elliott Taylor, landmine victim pieced back together as a Frankenstein Monster; Vincent Velcro, a science-spawned vampire; and female physician Dr. Medusa, possessed of snakes for hair. Click HERE.

STALKER – An undeservedly canceled series! This sword and sorcery story was about a warrior who “stalked” the dark god worshipped by a violent religion. The reason – he wanted to win back his soul, which he sold to the entity in exchange for his greater than human fighting abilities.

Back when Game of Thrones was big, Stalker should have been revived and given another chance. Click HERE.

KAMANDI: THE LAST BOY ON EARTH – The early adventures of this young human struggling to survive on Earth after the Great Disaster wiped out nearly all human life and mutated animals into intelligent humanoids.

Kamandi was a very endangered species as he roamed the dangerously transformed geography of post-disaster Earth and fought armies of gun-wielding humanoid animals. Click HERE.

PREZ – In the near future, a Constitutional Amendment makes teenagers eligible to run for president. A spunky young blonde guy wins election and sets out to reform the United States.

An unfunny but weird comedy series about “Prez”, as he’s nicknamed, leading the government against evil big business, conniving politicians and revolutionary armies. Oddball series. Click HERE.

FOR MY REVIEW OF THE 1975 TV ADAPTATION OF THE 1966 SUPERMAN STAGE MUSICAL CLICK HERE.