This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at a particular arc of stories from DC’s original Teen Titans series.
TEEN TITANS Vol 1 #32 (Apr 1971)
Title: A Mystical Realm … A World Gone Mad
Teen Titans Roster: Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Speedy (should be Red Arrow), Lilith (later called Omen) and Malcolm Duncan (their black member who later became Hornblower and then the new Guardian)
Villain: Jupiterius
Synopsis: Mr. Loren Jupiter, the eccentric billionaire who finances the Teen Titans, tries to experiment with time travel. He accidentally sends Mal back to prehistoric times and Kid Flash is sent back to retrieve him. The two run afoul of a teen caveman called Gnarrk (soon to join the team) and accidentally cause his death.
When they return to their own time period it turns out that Gnarrk’s death caused a butterfly effect and the “present” is now ruled by an evil version of Loren Jupiter called Jupiterius. He rules the world with Lilith’s (on stairs) sorcery, monsters and the evil counterparts of what would have been the other Teen Titans. Continue reading
SHOWCASE Vol 1 #6 (Feb 1957)
TEEN TITANS Vol 1 #44 (Nov 1976)
FLASH COMICS Vol 1 #1 (Jan 1940)
Jay’s love interest Joan Williams asks him to find her father, who has been abducted by enemy spies called the Faultless Four and led by the French Sir Satan. The Frenchman and his British, Russian and Slavic colleagues want her retired major father to reveal the secrets of America’s new Atomic Bombarder.
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #8 (Dec 1941)
The island is inhabited by THE Amazons from Greco-Roman myths and they are still ruled over by Queen Hippolyta. The Queen’s daughter Princess Diana nurses Trevor back to health and falls in love with him but while he was recovering, Hippolyta used magic to probe Steve’s mind.
ADVENTURE COMICS Vol 1 #48 (Mar 1940)
NOTE: Over the years, changes would make it so that Miraclo granted Rex Tyler the strength of 50 men. Due to parental concerns about promoting drug use since Rex popped Miraclo pills, for a time it was changed to a Miraclo RAY that would increase Hourman’s strength. Other times it was retconned so that Hourman’s costume was enchanted and it was the source of his powers.
MISS LIBERTY
SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS Vol 1 #1 (Jun 1976)
Identical invitations are received by the supervillains called Gorilla Grodd, Copperhead, Sinestro and others. Everyone but Catwoman accepts. When they are all assembled in the aforementioned Citadel they meet the new woman using the Star Sapphire nom de guerre. They also meet their butler, Carstairs.
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.
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.
BATMAN: THE REAL YEAR ONE