An Earth-Two-Derived Post-Crisis Timeline

[The Baron]

This timeline was inspired by reading Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1.  As you know, the original post-CoIE Earth was essentially Earth-One with bits of Earths Two, Four, S and X added in.

 

In this book, the premise is that the post-CoIE Earth was essentially Earth-Two with bits of Earths One, Four, S and X added in.

 

I like the idea, and the book is OK, but I felt they didn’t do justice to the timeline’s potential, so I decided to work out my own notion of what a post- CoIE Earth mostly based on Earth-Two might have been like.

 

The Golden Age

 

1938:

• Clark Kent (a.k.a. Kal-L) begins fighting crime as Superman, becoming the world’s first “super-hero”.
• Other heroes debuting this year included the Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis), Mister America (Tex Thompson) and Zatara the Magician (John Zatara).

 

1939: 

• Bruce Wayne begins fighting crime as Batman.
• Other heroes debuting this year include Commander Steel (Hank Heywood), Doll Man (Darrel Dane), the Red Tornado (Abigail Hunkel) and the Sandman (Wesley Dodds).
• Superman meets Alexei Luthor.

 

1940: 

• Heroes debuting this year include Aquaman (Arthur Curry), the Atom (Al Pratt), the Black Condor (Richard Grey), Bulletman (Jim Barr), Captain Marvel (Billy Batson), Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson), the Flash (Jay Garrick), the Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Hawkman (Carter Hall), Hourman (Rex Tyler), Ibis the Invincible (Prince Amentep), Johnny Thunder, Madam Fatal (Richard Stanton), Mister Scarlet (Brian Butler), Quicksilver, the Red Bee (Rick Raleigh), Robin (Dick Grayson), the Spectre (Jim Corrigan) and the Spy-Smasher {Alan Armstrong).
• The US government gathers the Atom, Batman, Doctor Fate, the Flash, the Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hourman, the Sandman, the Spectre, the Spy-Smasher and Superman to battle a German invasion of Britain. The Justice Society of America is founded. All of the above join, although Batman and Superman are associate members.  Johnny Thunder crashes the first meeting of the JSA.

 

1941:

• Heroes debuting this year include Bulletgirl (Susan Barr), Captain Marvel Junior (Freddy Freeman), Dan the Dyna-Mite (Daniel Dunbar), Doctor Mid-Nite (Charles McNider), the Firebrand (Rod Reilly), the Firebrand II (Danette Reilly), the Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), the Human Bomb (Roy Lincoln), Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers), the Liberty Belle (Libby Lawrence), Minute-Man (Jack Weston), Miss America (Joan Dale), the Phantom Lady (Sandra Knight), Plastic Man (Eel O’Brien), the Ray (Happy Terrill), Sargon the Sorcerer (John Sargent), the Shining Knight (Sir Justin), Speedy (Roy Harper), Starman (Ted Knight), the Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton III), Stripesy (Pat Dugan), the Tarantula (Jonathan Law), TNT (Tex N. Thomas), Uncle Sam, the Vigilante (Greg Saunders), Wildfire (Carol Vance) and Wonder Woman (Diana Prince).
• The Blackhawks are founded.
• The Black Condor, Doll Man, the Human Bomb, the Phantom Lady, the Ray and Uncle Sam found the Freedom Fighters.
• The Crimson Avenger, the Green Arrow, the Shining Knight, Speedy, the Star-Spangled Kid, Stripesy and the Vigilante found the Seven Soldiers of Victory.
• The All-Star Squadron is founded.

 

1942: Heroes debuting this year include the Air Wave (Larry Jordan), Amazing-Man (Will Everett), Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders), Kid Eternity (Christopher Freeman), the Manhunter (Paul Kirk), the Manhunter II (Dan Richards), Mary Marvel (Mary Batson), Mister Terrific (Terry Sloane), Robotman (Robert Crane) and Wildcat (Ted Grant).

 

1943: Captain Triumph (Lance and Michael Gallant) begins his crime-fighting career.

 

1944: Judomaster (Rip Jagger) begins fighting the Axis.

 

1945: The Seven Soldiers of Victory disappear while battling the Nebula-Man

1947: The Black Canary (Dinah Drake) begins her crime-fighting career.

 

Note:  Apart from having the Spy-Smasher join the JSA, I didn’t posit too many changes to the wartime stuff, certainly not as many as one might have.  I’m assuming that after the War, the heroes mostly went back to fighting “civilian” crime.  (While there might have been some “retirements” post-War, just because super-heroes thinned out in the so-called “real world”, that doesn’t have to mean that they all quit in this fictional world.)

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The Silver Age 

 

1951: Captain Comet (Adam Blake) begins his crime-fighting career. 

 

1952: Rex the Wonder Dog debuts. Captain Comet joins the JSA.

 

1953:

• Detective Chimp (Bobo) debuts.
• The Marvel Family and several of their friends and associates are trapped in suspendium.

 

1955: The Martian Manhunter (J’Onn J’Onzz) comes to Earth.

 

1956: Heroes debuting this year include Batwoman (Kathy Kane) and the Flash II (Barry Allen). Barry Allen approaches Jay Garrick seeking permission to use the “Flash” name, which Jay grants after getting to know him. This establishes a pattern which will be followed by other heroes seeking to adopt the names of their predecessors.

 

 

1957:  The Challengers of the Unknown are formed. The Martian Manhunter joins the JSA, as the team begins recruiting new members as some of the older ones begin limiting their activities.

 

1958: Adam Strange first travels to the planet Rann.

 

1959: Heroes debuting this year include the Green Lantern II (Hal Jordan), Kid Flash (Wally West) and Rip Hunter.

 1960:

• Heroes debuting this year include Captain Atom (Allen Adam) and the Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny).
• The Sea Devils are formed.
• Calvin "Cave" Carson begins using the Mighty Mole to explore the subterranean world.
• The Flash II and the Green Lantern II join the JSA as the originals go into semi-retirement.

 

 

1961:

• Heroes debuting this year include the Atom II (Ray Palmer), Bat-Girl (Betty Kane), Hawkgirl II (Shayera Hol) and Hawkman II (Katar Hol).
• The Hols seek out Carter and Shiera Hall. They reveal to them that they were sent to Earth to study Terran police methods, and to track down some Thanagarian anti-gravity technology which was detected on Earth. This turns out to be the substance the Halls call “Nth Metal”. The Halls help set up secret identities for the Hols on Earth.

 

1962:

• Will Magnus constructs the Metal Men.
• Captain Atom joins the JSA.

 

1963:

• The Doom Patrol is formed by the Chief (Niles Caulder), Robotman II (Cliff Steele), Negative Man (Larry Trainor) and Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr).
• The Atom II, the Elongated Man, Hawkgirl II and Hawkman II join the JSA as more of the originals retire.

 

1964:  Heroes debuting this year include the Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett), Mento (Steve Dayton) and Zatanna the Magician (Zatanna Zatara). The JSA travels to an alternate universe where they battle the Crime Syndicate of America. 

 

1965: Heroes debuting this year include Animal Man (Buddy Baker), Beast Boy (Gar Logan), Metamorpho (Rex Mason) and the Son of Vulcan (Johnny Mann). 

 

1966:

• Heroes debuting this year include the Blue Beetle II (Ted Kord), Nightshade (Eve Eden, the Peacemaker (Christopher Smith) and Thunderbolt (Peter Cannon).
• Robby Reed finds the H-Dial. 

 

1967: Vic Sage begins fighting crime as the Question.

 

1968:

• Heroes debuting this year include Angel O’Day, the Creeper (Jack Ryder), Dove (Don Hall), Hawk (Hank Hall), the Red Tornado II (John Smith) and Sam Simeon.
• The storyteller Cain takes up residence in the House of Mystery. The Blue Beetle II, Nightshade and the Red Tornado II join the JSA.

 

 1969:

• The Black Canary II (Dinah Laurel Lance) joins the JSA.
• The storyteller Abel takes up residence in the House of Secrets.

 

1971: Wally West becomes the Flash III. He marries Gail Manners.

 

Note: My feeling is that instead of fading out the way they did in DC continuity, the JSA would have recruited worthy new heroes as they appeared.  Also, there wouldn’t have been any Teen Titans, since Dick and Wally would be too old, Roy would still be lost in time, and I’ve decided that Donna and Garth wouldn’t have existed in this timeline, at least not as we knew them.

 

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The Bronze Age

 

1972:

• Heroes debuting this year include the Green Lantern III (John Stewart) and the Swamp Thing (Alec Holland).
• The JSA rescues the Seven Soldiers of Victory from the time periods they were stranded in and returns them to the present day. The Star-Spangled Kid, the Green Arrow and Speedy join the JSA.

 

1973: The Marvel Family and their friends and associates are freed from the suspendium.

 

1975: The Manhunter III (Mark Shaw) debuts.

 

1976:  Kara Zor-L arrives on Earth and begins fighting crime as Power Girl.

 

1977:

• Heroes debuting this year include Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce), Celsius (Arani Caulder), the Huntress (Helena Wayne), Negative Woman (Valentina Vostok) and Tempest (Joshua Clay).
• The Doom Patrol is re-formed.

 

1978:  

• Heroes debuting this year include the Air Wave II (Harold Jordan), Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein) and the Odd Man (Clay Stoner).
• The Flash III, the Green Lantern III and Zatanna the Magician join the JSA.

 

1980: 

• Heroes debuting this year include Cyborg (Victor Stone), Raven (Rachel Roth) and Starfire (Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran). 
• Cyborg joins the Doom Patrol.
• Raven seeks out the JSA’s help against her father Trigon. Doctor Fate accepts her over Zatanna’s protests. Kent and Inza Nelson take Raven in and they become like parents to her.
• Starfire comes to Earth and seeks the JSA’s help.  Wonder Woman takes her to Paradise Island, where she learns Amazon fighting techniques.
• Raven and Starfire join the JSA.

 

1981:  Arisia Rrab of Graxos IV becomes the Green Lantern of Sector 2815.

 

1982: Doctor Mist recruits heroes from around the world to form the Global Guardians.

 

1983:  

• Heroes debuting this year include Brain Wave Junior (Henry King Jr.), Firehawk (Lorraine Reilly), Fury (Lyta Trevor), Geo-Force (Brion Markov), Halo (Gabrielle Doe), Jade (Jennie-Lynn Hayden), Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro), Northwind (Norda Cantrell), Nuklon (Albert Rothstein), Obsidian (Todd Rice) and the Silver Scarab (Hector Hall).
• Infinity, Inc. is formed.

 

1984: Heroes debuting this year include Gypsy (Cynthia Reynolds) and Steel (Hank Heywood III).

 

 1985:

• Heroes debuting this year include Hourman II (Rick Tyler), Kole (Kole Weathers) and Looker (Lia Briggs).
• Raven becomes Doctor Fate II in honor of her mentor.
• As a result of the so-called “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, the Batman, Wonder Girl and Aqualad of the former “Earth-One” find themselves “orphans of time”. The JSAers help them establish new identities.

 

Note: I’m assuming that the Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-One went off to Limbo after the Crisis, and that the Earth-One Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Nightwing and Batgirl were killed in the Crisis.  I’m also assuming that people’s pre-Crisis memories were largely superseded by their post-Crisis memories.

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The Post-Crisis Years

 

1986:

• Heroes debuting this year include Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter), Doctor Light II (Kimiyo Hoshi).
• Doctor Midnight and Hourman II join the JSA.
• The original JSAers get caught up in constantly re-fighting Ragnarok.

 

1987: Heroes debuting this year include Lodestone (Rhea Jones) and Wild Dog (Jack Wheeler). 

 

1988: Heroes debuting this year include Dorothy Spinner and Dove II (Dawn Granger).

 

1989:

• Heroes debuting this year include Agent Liberty (Benjamin Lockwood), Crazy Jane and the Phantom Lady II (Dee Tyler).
• Hero Hotline is founded.

 

1990: Lyta Trevor Hall changes her codename to “Wonder Woman II”,

 

1991: Wonder Woman II and the Silver Scarab join the JSA.

 

1992:

• Heroes debuting this year include the Black Condor II (Ryan Kendall), Jesse Quick (Jesse Chambers) and the Ray II (Ray Terrill).
• The original JSAers are freed from their eternal battle and return to Earth.

 

1993: Heroes debuting this year include the Atom III (Adam Cray) and Doctor Mid-Nite II (Pieter Cross).

 

1994: Heroes debuting this year include the Alpha Centurion (Marcus Aelius), the Green Lantern IV (Kyle Rayner), Kid Flash II (Bart Allen) and Starman II (Jack Knight).

 

1996: Heroes debuting the year include the Firebrand III (Alex Sanchez), the Red Hood (Lian Harper) and Wonder Girl II (Cassie Sandsmark).

 

1997: Heroes debuting this year include Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Bulletgirl II (Deanna Barr), Dove III (Wiley Wolverman), Hawk II (Sasha Martens), Mister Terrific II (Michael Holt) and Tomorrow Woman.

 

1998: The Secret (Greta Hayes) debuts.

 

1999: The Star-Spangled Kid II (Courtney Whitmore) debuts.

 

2000:

• Heroes debuting this year include Acrata (Andrea Rojas), the Crimson Avenger II (Jill Carlyle), Iman (Diego Irigayen), the Janissary (Selma Tolon) and el Muerto (Pablo Valdez).
• Courtney Whitmore changes her codename to "Stargirl".
• Bart Allen changes his codename to “The Flash IV”.

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Recent Years

 

2001: Heroes debuting this year include Fast Forward (Ted Bruder), Fever (Shyleen Lao), Freak (Ava) and Kid Slick (Vic Defarge).

 

2002: The telepath known as Faith debuts.

 

2003:

• The Night-Dragon (Benny Lo) debuts.
• Courtney Whitmore changes her codename to Starwoman.

 

2004: Heroes debuting this year include Manitou Raven and Sister Superior (Vera Black).

 

2006:

• Heroes debuting this year include the Atom IV (Ryan Choi), the Black Condor III (John Trujillo), the Blue Beetle III (Jaime Reyes), Cyclone (Maxine Hunkel), Doll Man II (Lester Colt), the Firebrand IV (Andre Twist), the Human Bomb II (Andrew Franklin), Miss Martian (Megan Morse), Mister America II (Trey Thompson) and the Phantom Lady III (Stormy Knight).
• The Great Ten is formed.

 

2007: Heroes debuting this year include Nathan Heywood), Mister America III (Jeffrey Graves) and the Red Bee II (Jenna Raleigh). 

 

2008: The Super Young Team is formed.

 

2009: Heroes debuting this year include Mister Unknown (Jiro Osamu) and Striker (Brandon Sharpe).

 

2011: The Red Beetle (Sara Butters) debuts.

 

2012: The Green Lantern V (Simon Baz) debuts.

 

2014: Heroes debuting this year include Kid Flash III (Wallace West) and Power Girl II (Tanya Spears).

 

2016:

• Heroes debuting this year include Bat-Man (Wang Baixi), the Flash IV (Avery Ho), the Green Lantern VI (Jessica Cruz), Mother Panic (Violet Paige), New Super-Man (Kong Kenan), Space Case (Casey Brinke) and Wonder-Woman (Peng Deilan).
• The Justice Society of China is formed.

 

2018: Jinny Hex, great-great-granddaughter of Jonah Hex, begins her crimefighting career.

 

2019: Heroes debuting this year include the Green Lantern VII (Sojourner "Jo" Mullein) and the Teen Lantern (Keli Quintela).

[Philip Portelli]

Interesting but you didn't include Steel the Indestructible Man/Commander Steel and Amazing Man. Was this because they were Bronze Age additions to the Golden Age? Because you included Firebrand and Judomaster (but not the original Blue Beetle?)!

[The Baron]

Regarding Commander Steel and Amazing-Man - I completely forgot about them, they were never favorites of mine.

Did DC ever have the Golden Age Blue Beetle as part of their continuity? I was never sure.

[The Baron]

What year were Steel  and Amazing-Man supposed to have first appeared in?

[Philip Portelli]

Steel first appeared in, naturally, Steel the Indestructible Man #1 (Ma'78). I got it in my Christmas (1977) stocking along with Firestorm the Nuclear Man #1. What possessed my mother to buy these books with characters unfamiliar to her (as opposed to Superman, Batman, Spider-Man or her favorite, Thor) is beyond me!

Anyway, Steel had his origin in the days before the USA entered WWII in 1939. His book lasted a mere five issues. Originally he was supposed to be on Earth-ONE but Roy Thomas moved him to Earth-TWO for All Star Squadron, changing his name to Commander Steel.

Amazing Man, named for both Bill Everett's original Amazing Man and for Bill Everett himself, made his first appearance in All Star Squadron #23 (Jl'83) so he debuted on Earth-Two in early 1942, having competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. His "Absorbing Man" powers later were changed into "Magneto" powers, the less said about that, the better.

Not sure if DC ever acknowledged the Golden Age Blue Beetle who first appeared in 1939 but we know he existed!

The Baron said:

What year were Steel  and Amazing-Man supposed to have first appeared in?

[The Baron]

Cool.

[The Baron]

Added Commander Steel and Amazing-Man.

[The Baron]

Updated the original post to add the Silver Age

[Richard Willis]

The Baron said:

Did DC ever have the Golden Age Blue Beetle as part of their continuity? I was never sure.

I know that Charlton had the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle show up in one of their Ted Kord Blue Beetle stories (below). I think that all of those are canon, since DC has used other elements from the Charlton stories.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

[The Baron]

The funny thing is, I read that series, but I don't remember that issue.

[Philip Portelli]

The Dan Garrett Blue Beetle was also present during JLA: Year One.

[Philip Portelli]

Does Mera exist in this timeline? Aquaman could still look relatively young, given his heritage. 

And does Aquaman ever join the Justice Society?