Tag Archives: Justice Society of America

JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1976 STORIES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog features the return of the Justice Society’s series in the 1970s.

asc 58ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #58 (February 1976)

Title: All Star Super Squad

Justice Society Roster: 1st Flash, 1st Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Wildcat, Power Girl, Star Spangled Kid, 1st Hawkman, 1st Robin and Dr. Mid-Nite

Villain: Brain Wave

NOTE: This issue of All Star Comics resumes its numbering from #57 back in 1951, when the JSA’s 1940-1951 series ended. Since then, beginning in 1963 came the annual Justice Society/ Justice League crossover stories. The JSA regained its popularity and now had its series resume. 

power girlSynopsis: Dr. Fate, Flash, Hawkman, Robin, Wildcat, Green Lantern and Dr. Mid-Nite are joined by the Justice Society’s newest members – Power Girl, Earth-Two’s equivalent of Supergirl, and the Star Spangled Kid, former member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and now the wielder of the retired Starman’s Cosmic Rod.

After fighting eruptions of earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters around the world, the Justice Society learns from Power Girl that the villain behind it all is the JSA’s archenemy Brain Wave. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1950 AND 1951 STORIES

For this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist blog post about superheroes, Balladeer’s Blog looks at the 1950 and 1951 issues of America’s very first superteam in comic books – the Justice Society. These are their final Golden Age stories. 

asc 51ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #51 (February 1950)

Title: Invaders from the World Below

Justice Society Roster: The 1st Wonder Woman, Dr. Mid-Nite, 1st Flash, 1st Black Canary, 1st Green Lantern, 1st Atom and 1st Hawkman 

Villains: The Diamond People (should be Diamonoids)

Synopsis: In Civic City, a geyser erupts from nowhere and a nearby lake drains underground, leaving it bone dry. The Justice Society are deployed to both locations to save lives at those disaster sites.

jsa roundtableAfter that, the government briefs the team about a top secret project which has been drilling deep down into the Earth. A scientist named Charles Crillion advised against doing this because he theorized the existence of a race of diamond-hard beings who would view the drilling as a hostile act. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1948 STORIES

jsa pictureFor this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist blog post about superheroes, Balladeer’s Blog goes back to the Justice Society of America, this country’s very first superteam.

Years ago, I covered the early years of the JSA, from their first appearance in December 1940 up to their December 1945 issue, which wrapped up their World War Two tales with a look at disabled veterans. Earlier this summer I covered their 1946 stories and their 1947 stories.

asc 39ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #39 (February 1948)

Title: The Invasion From Fairyland

Justice Society Roster: Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder, the 1st Wonder Woman, 1st Flash, 1st Green Lantern, 1st Atom, 1st Black Canary, and 1st Hawkman  

Villainess: The Lorelei

Synopsis: Every thousand years, a portal appears connecting Fairyland to the real world for 24 hours. The Lorelei, evil ruler of Fairyland, wants to lead an army of evil figures from fairy tales to take over the Earth.

The JSA members enter Fairyland and try to stop the Lorelei, a basilisk, a griffin, a dragon, Gallifron the Ogre, tinderbox dogs and a giant from using the portal to invade Earth. Lorelei leads her army in destructive attacks around the globe. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1946 STORIES

jsa groupFor this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist blog post about superheroes, Balladeer’s Blog goes back to the Justice Society of America, this country’s very first superteam. Years ago, I covered the early years of the JSA, from their first appearance in December 1940 up to their December 1945 issue, which wrapped up their World War Two tales with a look at disabled veterans. On to 1946.

asc 28ALL-STAR COMICS Vol 1 #28 (April 1946)

Title: The Paintings That Walked the Earth

JSA Roster: Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Green Lantern, the Atom, Flash, Dr. Mid-Nite and Johnny Thunder 

Villain: Nels Farrow

Synopsis: Archeologist Nels Farrow discovered six ancient containers of enchanted paint dating back to Atlantis before it sank beneath the waves. Anything, real or imagined, that was drawn using those paints would come to life and run amok through the world.

The embittered Farrow painted six works of art that would unleash destruction and suffering. The Justice Society went into action, defeating all of the evil let loose on the world from those paintings. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE TEAM-UPS: 1975-1979

For this weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog, I will review the 1975-1979 crossover stories involving DC’s Justice League and Justice Society. For my review of their 1963-1969 crossovers click HERE.

jla 123JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #123 (October 1975)

Title: Where On Earth Am I?

Justice Society Roster: Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wildcat, Johnny Thunder, the original Robin (now an adult) and the original Wonder Woman (Diana Prince-TREVOR)

Justice League Roster: The 2nd Flash, 2nd Batman, 2nd Green Arrow, 2nd Hawkman, 2nd Aquaman and 2nd Black Canary (daughter of the original)

Villains: The Injustice Society (Icicle, the Shade, the Gambler, the Wizard, the Sportsmaster and Huntress) plus Cary Bates

Synopsis: Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY/ JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS: THE 1960s

This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at DC’s team-ups between their Golden Age superheroes – the Justice Society – and their Silver Age superheroes – the Justice League.

jla 21JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol 1 #21 (August 1963)

Title: Crisis on Earth-One

Justice Society Lineup: Hourman, Dr. Fate, Hawkman (original), Flash (original), the Atom (original), Green Lantern (original) and the 1st Black Canary 

Justice League Lineup: Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, the 2nd Aquaman, the 2nd Batman, the 2nd Superman, the 2nd Wonder Woman, the 2nd Atom, the 2nd Flash and the 2nd Green Lantern

Villains: Crime Champions (The Wizard, Icicle, the Fiddler, Chronos, Dr. Alchemy and Felix Faust)

NOTE: For people who are not really into comic book history, I’ll mention that the “Crisis” referred to here was a forerunner of so many other DC stories that start with the word Crisis. In the late 1950s DC wanted to reinvent many of their late 1930s to early 1950s superheroes.

        flash 123The company’s method of adapting more “up to date” versions of their Golden Age heroes without losing the copyrights on those figures was to state that the original versions of all their old heroes came from an alternate Earth, designated Earth-Two. The Earth with the newer heroes was called Earth-One, since they were the newer, CURRENT versions.

        Previously, DC had established this notion in the pages of Flash #123 (September 1961), when the new Flash, Barry Allen, first met his Golden Age counterpart, Jay Garrick. Now both “Justice” teams, the older Society and the newer League, were meeting for the very first time. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY REVIEWS: LINKS

Wonder Woman and HawkgirlThank you to readers who reminded me that I did not follow up my examination of the World War Two-era Justice Society of America stories with my usual collection of links. I always did that after similar items like The Celestial Madonna Saga, Panther’s Rage, The Kree-Skrull War and most recently Adam Warlock’s encounter with the Magus, Thanos and Gamora.

In addition to examining these WWII stories I added detailed ways that I would have script-doctored them for a more sophisticated age.

All Star 3THE FIRST MEETING OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA (December 1940)

Gathered together for the very first time, the JSA members each share an introductory story about themselves (braggarts). The government informs them it has a vital mission for them in the next issue.

My Revision: Since it’s their first meeting I would have had the JSA – including the original female Red Tornado – recount their origin stories to each other. CLICK HERE  

All Star 4FOR AMERICA AND DEMOCRACY (March 1941)

The government sics the Justice Society of America on the Greyshirts, a Nazi-sympathizing group sabotaging America’s industries in case the U.S. enters the war.

My Revision: I had the heroes acting as a team, not on individual missions and once again used the female Red Tornado instead of the awful Johnny Thunder. CLICK HERE

All-Star 5THE MYSTERIOUS MISTER X (June 1941)

A masked man calling himself Mister X organizes America’s criminals into guilds and unions to make them more efficient.

My Revision: I had the JSA acting as a team in 3 adventures against Mister X and used the Red Tornado again instead of Johnny “Jar Jar” Thunder. Plus I used Hawkgirl instead of Hawkman. CLICK HERE Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 26: WORLD WAR TWO WRAPS UP

Mister Terrific 2Balladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s Golden Age stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

I will review the original issue and then detail how I would “script-doctor” the story for modern audiences.

All Star 27ALL STAR COMICS #27 (Winter 1945 – On sale date Nov 13th)

Title: A PLACE IN THE WORLD

Heroes: WONDER WOMAN (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, FLASH (Original), WILDCAT, HAWKMAN (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER, GREEN LANTERN (Original)

Villains: ASSORTED GANGS OF CRIMINALS (I would revise it to have PER DEGATON, the JSA’s Nazi foe, as the villain) 

Per DegatonSynopsis: In very late 1945 some superhero comic books featured their last few World War Two-centered stories, with the implication being that they had happened earlier in the year when the war still raged. Others moved on into the Post-War Era while others were a mixture, like this Justice Society tale. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 25: THE LOST PSYCHO-PIRATE STORY

Wonder Woman and HawkgirlBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

This blog post will cover the only “lost” Justice Society of America story to have definitive artwork and story elements recovered. It’s all in fragments since the story went unpublished so I’ll go with what is known and add my usual revisions for modern audiences.

Will of William WilsonPossible Publication Month: I’ve read anywhere from July to September 1945 so it may or may not have referred to World War Two still raging.

Title: THE WILL OF WILLIAM WILSON

Heroes: FLASH (Original), GREEN LANTERN (Original), HAWKMAN (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, THE ATOM (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER

Villains: PSYCHO-PIRATE AND ASSORTED THUGS

Psycho-Pirate 2Synopsis: Well the Spoiler comes right up-front since this story was apparently long known as “the lost Psycho-Pirate story.” In the original plan the fact that the Psycho-Pirate (Charles Halstead) was really the man behind the tale’s villainy was to be a surprise.

Just like when they used their superpowers to raise money for war orphans several issues ago, the Justice Society was drawn into this adventure for the sake of charity. The will of recently deceased eccentric millionaire William Wilson stated that all of his fortune would go to charities if the Justice Society of America could accomplish the seemingly impossible by securing some designated relics from around the world. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 24: ALIEN INVASION

Mister TerrificBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

I will review the original issue and then detail how I would “script-doctor” the story for modern audiences.

All Star 26ALL STAR COMICS #26 (Fall 1945)

Title: MYSTERY OF THE METAL MENACE

Heroes: FLASH (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER, THE ATOM (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, WONDER WOMAN (Original), GREEN LANTERN (Original), HAWKMAN (Original)

Villains: THE METAL BEINGS OF JUPITER 

flashSynopsis: The Justice Society members are assembled at their Philadelphia headquarters because of the disappearance of scientist Herbert Crawford. Crawford had fallen into disrepute recently over his claims that a spaceship from Jupiter was headed for the Earth with hostile intentions.

Around the world that spacecraft is spotted as it distributes beings of living metal which proceed to run amok. The JSA battle the Metal Men as they not only devour all manner of precious metals like gold and silver but also eat iron railroad lines, copper out of telephone cables and so on.   Continue reading

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