I'm thinking of reading a few Adam Strange comics from over the years, but I'd like to know what was the best representative story in which he appeared in the 70s?
I know he didn't star in his own stories in the 70s, but perhaps a JLA/JSA crossover, or a Brave and The Bold?
Most importantly, it'd have to be a story that I could reasonably get my hands on, so one that is available in reprint would be good.
Has Adam Strange's first appearance in Mystery in Space #53 - 'Menace of the Robot Raiders!' been reprinted anywhere? What about Mystery in Space #82 "World War on Earth and Rann!" as well?
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Jeff of Earth-J said:
DC RETROACTIVE: JLA - THE '70s:
He (Kanjar Ro) splits the zeta beam and diverts the part returning Adam Strange to Earth to Earth-Prime, where Adam ends up in a mental institution.
During an interview with Adam, the staff say that he claims to have travelled 24 trillion miles to Rann. It’s getting closer all the time.
Once the JLA learns what has happened, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow and Zatanna travel to Earth-Prime and find Adam at the Creedville Mental Hospital.
Just before this, they communicate with Sardath and Alanna using “WIM – Wormhole Instant Messaging.” Clever.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
SWAMP THING #57-58:
I just reread these two chapters in the Swamp Thing Saga and have nothing to add to your review. Great story.
Luis Olavo de Moura Dantas said:
Most of the time it seems to be utopic enough to lack even unreasonable people. But all too often it ends up meeting dangers well above and beyond what you would expect firemen (or their futuristic equivalent), police (ditto) or the local military to know how to deal with, which is why Adam has to intercede so often - and presumably why he has so little help from the locals.
Adam has courage and imagination, which most of the Rann population lacks. Swamp Thing noticed how similar they were. Were many/most of them clones? Like photocopies, only the early ones are any good. Alanna, probably by the design of Sardath, also has courage and imagination, and is Adam’s equal
The conclusion of the Showcase #101-#103 story built on the Equalizing Plague storyline from Justice League of America. In Justice League of America #109 Hawkman's mission on Earth ended and he returned to Thanagar. #117 established the population of Thanagar had been infected by a mysterious alien with this plague, which homogenised people's mentalities and physical abilities. Hawkman rejoined the JLA. (In #118 Hawkgirl returned to Earth, and in #146 she was elected a Leaguer.)
In Showcase #103 Hawkman returned to Thanagar and found Hyathis had cured the Thanagarans and was now their dictator. The Thangarans had accepted the new order. The story ended with Hawkman and Hawkgirl exiled to Earth.
The "Hawkman" feature was revived in World's Finest Comics in 1979. While it was appearing a Superman/Batman/Hawkman crossover appeared in World's Finest Comics #279 in which Hyathis was overthrown. However, the mini The Shadow War of Hawkman (which I've not read) revealed the Thangaran culture had taken a militaristic turn. This is why they're depicted as menacing in the Swamp Thing story.
I have read The Shadow War of Hawkman (and most of the 1986 series that followed it), but only once when it was new. I started a "Hawkmen" discussion a few years ago, but hit a roadblock long before I got to that point.
Allow me as I take a moment to attempt to consolidate the information; for a while now I have been trying to understand the history and issue numbers of the hostilities between Rann and Thanagar and other moments of relevance to the story of their interactions, which are often mentioned but not very easy to pinpoint at a moment's notice.
Mystery in Space #90 (March 1964): Hawkman and Hawkgirl realize that Earth has been brought to near Rann's position in space, and take part in the actions to avoid catastrophe, ending up giving Adam Strange and Alanna a ride back to Earth. Thanagar is not otherwise involved.
Hawkman #18-19 (February-April 1967): Thanagar is "stolen" from its proper place in a plot that involves the Manhawks. Rann is attacked by those same Manhawks, leading to the involvement of Adam Strange before the situation is corrected.
Justice League of America #109 (February 1974): Hawkman leaves the Justice League. He and Hawkgirl (not yet a Leaguer) have been summoned back to Thanagar.
Justice League of America #117 (April 1975): Due to the Equalizer Plague Hawkman rejoins the Justice League, while Hawkgirl is for the time being stranded on Thanagar.
Justice League of America #118 (May-June 1975): Hawkman retrieves Hawkgirl and brings her back to Earth.
Justice League of America #146 (September 1977): Hawkgirl becomes a full member of the Justice League.
Showcase #100 (May 1978): Charming as this story that features most if not all characters ever spotlighted in "Showcase" up to that point is, it does not connect to Rann or Thanagar beyond having Adam Strange as one of its many, many protagonists. This may be seen as a dry run for Crisis.
Showcase #101-103 (June to August 1978): Adam Strange meets Hawkman and Hawkgirl again in what will turn out to be the first, Pre-Crisis "Rann / Thanagar War". It involves many parties, including Kanjar Ro and his rival alien dictator Hyathis. The story ends with Hyathis ruling over Thanagar.
Justice League of America #200 (March 1982): Hawkman is caught by the Zeta Beam while drifting unconscious in the upper atmosphere of Earth. Adam Strange is led to him and drains the Zeta energy from his body, in part because Thanagarians are not too well liked in Rann at this point. Hawkman returns to Earth before he even regains conscience.
World's Finest #278 (April 1982): Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Superman and Batman depose Hyathis.
Justice League of America Annual #2 (October 1984): Hawkman and Hawkwoman leave the Justice League in this transitionary tale, after the Martian invasion of #228-230.
The Shadow War of Hawman (May-August 1985): This five-issue miniseries happens during Crisis on Infinite Earths and creates a situation in which Hawkman and Hawkwoman have to fight Thanagarian agents invading Earth in secret. IIRC they can't ask for help from other heroes for some plot reason - a dangerous device, perhaps.
Hawkman Special #1 (March 1986): This special, with the same cover date as the last issue of Crisis, does not conclude the tales of Earth-One Katar Hol. Instead, a new, 17-issue Hawkman ongoing debuts in August 1986 and is eventually decided to feature this same character despite a few guest appearances of post-Crisis characters, most notably Superman.
Swamp Thing #57-58 (February-March 1987): Thanagar attempts to acquire Zeta Beam technology from Rann and ends up tying up its diplomatic relations with Rann instead.
Invasion (three issue miniseries event, with lots of tie-ins; late 1988/early 1989): Thanagar is one of the six alien planets participating in the Alien Alliance that invades Earth.
Finally, in 2004-2005 Adam Strange got his second self-named series (8 issues), leading to the miniseries "Rann-Thanagar War" of 2005 (six issues), concluded in an Infinite Crisis Special in early 2006.
Thank you, Luis! That consolidation of information is going to come in handy if/when I get back to my "Hawkmen" discussion (plus, as I'm sure you've anticipated, the Rann/Thanagar War (and Holy War) will soon be featured in this discussion. Also, the "Shadow War" spilled over into the post-Crisis Action Comics #588.
I checked the backissies at my LCS today and they have Showcase #100-103 in stock. #100 is too expensive, but #101-103 are reasonably priced. This week I will check at home for #100-101 and next week, depending on what I find, I plan to buy either #101-103 or #102-103.
EDIT: I just checked my "Hawkman" box for Showcase #101 and reminded myself that DC Comics Presents #95 occurs between the 1986 Hawkman Special and the 17-issue solo series.
ADAM STRANGE: MAN OF TWO WORLDS #1:
When the Adam Strange series by Richard Brunning and Andy & Adam Kubert was released in 1990 I did not buy it. I almost did but, by that time, the only non-reprint, non-backissue appearances of Adam strange I had ever bought were Swamp Thing #57-58. True, this series did follow up the concept of Adam Strange as "stud ape," but Adam Strange just wasn't a character I was all that into. In 1994, however, my LCS at the time opened up its legendary backroom for a quarter sale. (I bought many comics at many quarter sales in the '90s but, chances are, whenever I mention a quarter sale, this is the one I'm talking about. I bought, like, two to three longboxes of backissues in one swell foop.) I couldn't pass up these three issues @ 25¢ a pop. Then I sat on them for nearly 30 years.
As the story opens, Adam is on Rann, still being transported back-and-forth to-and-from Earth via zeta beam. Alanna is still pregnant and is only just beginning to show. Sardath reveals that he invented a mega-zeta beam and fired it toward Earth more than four years ago, so it is almost read to strike. The mega-zeta beam will allow Adam to stay on Rann permanently with no ill effects. But Sardath fired the beam only twice, so Adam has only those chances to use it. He has stopped firing the regular zeta beams. He explains that the reason he told no one about it is in case, after five years, Adam didn't want to stay on Rann permanently, it wouldn't get their hopes up. And if he did want to, then no problem.
Adam fades back to Earth and sets about settling his affairs. We learn that Adam has an older brother (Todd, deceased) and sister (Janey). Their mother is deceased and their father is terminally ill. Janey resents being left as their father's sole caregiver. I don't generally like these kinds of EYKIWs, but this one is smoother than most. I found that I could relate to the situation because Adam is much younger than his siblings, just as I am younger than mine, and my older brother is also dead.
Adam and Janey meet with their father's pretty young doctor, Evelyn Fox, who tells them that their father doesn't have long to live. Adam decides to come clean with his father and sister about the zeta beam and his life on Rann, but they don't believe him. An argument ensues, and Dr. Fox later finds him sitting the hospital courtyard. She suggests a "diversion" and ends up taking him to the "UFO Disco" where one of her friends accuses Adam of being an "alien" because he doesn't know who Madonna is. He ends up telling her (and the readers) additional details of his life's story, and they get drunk. she takes him back to her aparement and they begin to make out when when she decides to check her machine. It is a message from the hospital informing her that Adam's father has died.
Back on Rann, we see more details of the lives of average citizens than we have ever seen before, particularly those of a woman named Marleah and a man named Delaken, her lover. Marleah is unhappily married, and she and Delaken have rebellious spirits. Day-to-day life on Rann is pretty dystopic. Sardath tells the council of Adam's plans to stay on Rann but to retire, and they upbraid him (although they do refer to him as "master"). Sardath loses his temper, refers to them as "creatures" and says, "I made you and you'll do as I see fit!" Alanna, BTW, has not been privy to whatever plans Sardath may have had for Adam all along.
Back on Earth, Adam has spent the night with Evelyn, althogh it's unclear whether or not they had sex. (I think their dialogue could be interpreted either way.) Adam makes his way to wherever it is the zeta beam is supposed to strike and catches it. It is an unexpectedly painful experience, however, and Adam hallucinates that Sardath has killed Alanna and prematurely aborted the fetus. On Rann, Adam is late. Did he change his mind or is there some sort of delay in the beam? suddenly he emerges and, still immersed in the hallucination, attacks and badly beats Sardath. Alanna has no choice but tro knock him unconscious with a rock. A witness relays what has happened to Delaken, who is a captain Ranagar's peace-keeping force. He arrives on the scene just as Adam is recovering and shoots at him several times but fails to score a diredt hit as Adam flies away. As Adam tries to figure out what is going on, his jetpack fails and he begins to plummet toward the ground.
ADAM STRANGE: MAN OF TWO WORLDS #1:
I am reading along with you on this on DC Universe Infinite. So far, this nicely fits with Alan Moore’s contribution without contradicting anything in previous stories.
Agreed. At this point I have merely skimmed Figs' treatment on the "Six Decades of Separation" thread, but I have nevertheless gleaned that the mini-series is something less than universally beloved. I will read the entire discussion of it after I have finished reading it myself. I had been planning to cover this entire series in a single entry, but I found I had more to say about issue #1 than I had anticipated. I will continue posting about #2 and #3 individually, but I may do them both today, we'll see.
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