“Just imagine! The mightiest heroes of our time,” trumpeted a DC house ad in 1960. “Superman! Batman! Flash! Green Lantern! Wonder Woman! Aquaman! J’onn J’onzz—Manhunter from Mars!”
. . . and a finger-popping, “hepcat” teen-ager.
The Justice League of America was the next logical step after DC editor Julius Schwartz’ successful revamps of the company’s Golden-Age super-heroes the Flash and the Green Lantern. Back in 1940, when it was known as National Comics, DC had been responsible for the creation of the first super-hero team in comics---the Justice Society of America. At the time, National was merged with All-American Publications, and heroes from both companies were banded together in All Star Comics.
For the super-team’s revival, Schwartz insisted on a modification of the name. “Society”, he felt, was too sedate a word. “League”, however, was more familiar to youthful male readers, from professional baseball’s National and American Leagues. To write the adventures of those mightiest heroes, Schwartz turned to the man who had created the Justice Society: Gardner Fox. As for the team’s membership, Schwartz and Fox conscribed the freshly revised Flash and Green Lantern, along with Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman, the heavy-hitters who had their magazine titles survive throughout the super-hero doldrums of the early 1950’s. Rounding out the group were Aquaman, whose series had also managed to be published continuously, in one title or another, from the Golden Age---and, for reasons which are still speculated upon, the Manhunter from Mars, who’d débuted in 1955 as a back-up character in Detective Comics.
Messrs. Schwartz and Fox were satisfied with these seven charter members of the Justice League of America. But for the team’s first adventure, “Starro the Conqueror”, set to appear in The Brave and the Bold # 28 (Feb.-Mar., 1960), the two creators had an eighth character thrust upon them by Whitney Ellsworth, DC’s editorial director. According to Schwartz, in an interview appearing in the magazine Alter Ego, issue # 38 (Jul., 2004), Ellsworth wanted to exploit the burgeoning youth culture, obsessed by rock-and-roll and social rebellion. Perhaps reflecting the fact that he lived in Hollywood, Ellsworth told Schwartz to add a teen-age figure modelled after the hep-talking “Kookie”, portrayed by Edd Byrnes on the then-popular television series 77 Sunset Strip.
Ellsworth had even come up with a name for the character---Snapper Carr! It was up to Gardner Fox to give him the personality that the editorial director desired. And Fox laid it on thick, giving the youngster a speech pattern which would’ve made a beatnik grimace and adding a constant trait of finger-snapping that justified the character’s nickname. Set against the ultra-serious super-heroes of the JLA, Snapper’s presence grated like the scratch of a phonograph needle skipped across a record, but Schwartz and Fox were stuck with him.
By 1961, the Justice League had graduated to its own title and was enjoying impressive sales. Ten blocks southeast of DC’s mid-town Manhattan offices, its burgeoning rival, Marvel Comics, was playing catch-up. Noting how Justice League of America was flying off the spinner racks, Marvel’s publisher, Martin Goodman, ordered his editor, Stan Lee, to put out a comic featuring a team of heroes. As usual, Lee had his own way of doing things and, with the art supplied by Jack Kirby, created the Fantastic Four, a group of characters that defied most of the comic-book conventions for super-heroes.
Lee had been forced to weave the Fantastic Four out of whole cloth because, at that time, Marvel did not have enough super-heroes in its stable to compile a team, the way DC had. Two years later, however, Lee had put together a sufficient line-up of costumed do-gooders that he could revisit the concept. Thus, begat the Avengers, a heroic team consisting of Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Ant-Man, and the Wasp, introduced in its own title in July, 1963. The Avengers followed the template of the Justice League in basic structure only. Where Gardner Fox’s JLA tales were plot-driven, with nary a hint of individual characterisation of the team members, Lee delivered a super-team that thrived on personality conflicts and in-group dissention as much as smacking down the bad guys.
The Avengers did copy the Justice League in one significant respect, though. “The Earth’s Mightiest Super-Heroes” also included a teen-ager among its ranks. But, even here, Smilin’ Stan did things differently. For one thing, he didn’t have to make up a new character; he already had a youngster waiting in the wings—Rick Jones, who had been indirectly responsible for Doctor Bruce Banner’s transformation into the brutish Hulk. We saw that back in The Incredible Hulk # 1 (May, 1962). The boy had been a member of the regular cast through all six issues of that title, then moved on to appear in most stories that guest-starred the Emerald Behemoth. Since the Hulk was included in the Avengers, it was natural for Rick Jones to follow.
Rick was roughly the same age, height, build, and hair colour as Snapper Carr, but that was where the similarities ended. Despite his hepcat patois and annoying finger actions, Snapper was as respectful and well-behaved as Wally Cleaver. He resided in the 1950’s-sitcom town of Happy Harbor, with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Carr; his sister, Janet; and a kid brother, Jimmy.
While Snapper lived down the street from the Nelsons and the Andersons, Rick Jones was a product of Flatbush, in spirit if not in geography. He was cocky and resisted authority; yet, he possessed the virtues of honesty and loyalty. Most of all, he was self-reliant, a trait demanded by his status as an orphan. Rick’s only living relative was his elderly Aunt Polly, and we saw her just once. This accounted for the teen’s freedom to support Dr. Banner, as well as accompany the Hulk to wherever his forty-league leaps took him.
Status With the Team.
During its efforts against Starro the Conqueror, the Justice League discovers that Snapper Carr is, somehow, immune to the effects of the interstellar starfish’s powers. That becomes the key to the villain’s defeat. Snapper’s protection stems from the fact that he was still saturated in lime after spreading it over his front lawn. Aquaman points out, “Oyster men use quicklime to fight starfish who prey on oysters in the sea!” The JLAers then dump bags and barrels of the stuff on Starro, calcifying him into a static display for the souvenir room of their headquarters.
As a reward, the heroes unanimously vote to make Snapper an honorary member of the Justice League, issuing him his own signaling device.
Initially, that meant a passive rôle for the youngster. He attended regular meetings of the League. If an emergency signal was sent out, Snapper’s job was to report to the team’s secret sanctuary HQ. The JLA made it easy for him to do that---by installing a special anti-gravity device in his jalopy. When Snap pressed a concealed button in the secluded outskirts of Happy Harbor, the anti-grav function immediately whisked him through the air, across country, to the secret mountain hideaway of the Justice League.
(Incidentally, this feature establishes that, contrary to what writers of later eras insisted, the Secret Sanctuary was not located near Happy Harbor. A scene in JLA # 28 [Jun., 1964] shows that there is a road permitting automobiles to drive to the Sanctuary; thus, if the Sanctuary were near Happy Harbor, Snap could simply drive there. There would be no need for the anti-gravity device. So, obviously, Snapper had to travel a considerable distance from Happy Harbor to attend JLA meetings.)
Eventually---mainly because Gardner Fox needed to give Snapper something to do---the boy’s participation in the League expanded. He picked up the League’s mail from its post office box and screened it, answering routine enquiries and forwarding requests for help to the super-heroes. And he maintained a casebook of the Justice League’s adventures.
The Snapster’s major purpose, though, was to provide an English-warping wisecrack for each issue’s smiles-all-around ending.
Though, on occasion, circumstances unwittingly involved Snapper in a League mission, sensibly, the JLAers did not allow the youngster to participate in a case. Usually. JLA # 10 (Mar., 1962) was the first time we saw Snapper accompany the super-powered members in the field, for no apparent reason, within the story or without. Still, it wasn’t a common thing. Snap took a voluntary part in only a half-dozen JLA adventures over the title’s eight-year Silver-Age run.
Over in the Marvel universe, Rick Jones was also involved with the Avengers from the get-go. His contribution to the team, though, was greater than just not taking a shower after doing some yardwork. Actually, Rick had a direct hand in the formation of the group.
The events of The Avengers # 1 (Sep., 1963) kick off when Loki, the Norse god of mischief, launches yet another scheme to defeat the Mighty Thor by making it appear that the Hulk has gone on another rampage. It’s a simple plan: Thor finds Hulk---Hulk smashes Thor! However, Rick Jones remains loyal to the big green palooka, and he attempts to contact the Fantastic Four by ham radio to request their help.
But Loki wants Thor to get thumped down, not the F.F., so he magically diverts Rick’s broadcast to Dr. Don Blake’s transistor radio. One stamp of his cane later, and the Mighty Thor soars off in response to the call for aid. However, Loki isn’t as masterly with his spell-casting as he thinks he is---and the re-routed transmission is also received by the Ant-Man and the Wasp and Iron Man. The four super-heroes converge and set off on a search for the Hulk.
The rest you know. After a brief conflict with the Green Goliath, Thor figures out that Loki is back of the trickery. It doesn’t take long for the five heroes, working together, to send the God of Mischief scurrying back to Asgard. After the Ant-Man suggests they combine their crime-fighting talents on a permanent basis, the Avengers are born!
The Hulk’s membership gave Rick Jones an excuse to hang around, even after he angrily quit the team, since the Avengers felt beholden to track down the green-skinned brute before he could wreak any havoc. The youngster was on hand when Captain America was revived and became an Avenger in issue # 4 (Mar., 1964). Somehow, it seemed, that justified Rick continued presence.
Unlike Snapper Carr, whose honorary membership in the JLA was specified, Rick Jones’ status with the Avengers was not clearly defined. He attended meetings, which wasn’t a problem since he started living at the Avengers Mansion, but had no rôle other than cheerleader for the Hulk. Most of the time he was paired off with Captain America, as the Sentinel of Liberty’s groupie. Cap spent time training Rick in self-defense arts and commando tactics. Perhaps that’s why the Avengers let the kid regularly accompany them on missions. From The Avengers # 5 (May, 1964), for most of the next dozen issues, Rick was invited along and took an active part in the group’s adventures.
The 1960’s Captain America spent much of his downtime crying in his beer over the wartime death of his teen-age partner, Bucky Barnes. It resulted in a proprietary attitude towards Rick Jones. In The Avengers # 10 (Nov., 1964), Iron Man actually proposes making Rick a member of the Avengers. Cap immediately shoots down the idea, insisting that such a decision is up to him alone. That the other Assemblers back down without question shows how domineering the flag-draped hero could be.
It's not the first time that Cap parries the prospect of Rick becoming an Avenger. In fact, the issue is stalled for so long that it isn’t addressed until after Rick Jones stopped appearing with the team. In Tales to Astonish # 64 (Feb., 1965), months after Rick rejoined the cast of the Hulk’s series, the youngster seeks an audience with the President of the United States to bail Bruce Banner out of a jam. He gains entry to the Oval Office by flashing an Avengers I.D. card. This is the first evidence that Rick holds an official status with the Avengers. We have to extrapolate just what that status is, though. If Stan Lee had intended for Rick to be a full-fledged Avenger, there probably would’ve been a scene highlighting it, just as was done with Captain America and later inductees. Therefore, we have to conclude that Rick was an honorary member of the team.
It took them long enough to tell us.
The Weakest Link.
Clearly, there was going to be a problem with letting an ordinary teen-ager pal around with a super-team. It doesn’t matter how many judo and karate tricks he’s taught, the kid’s going to be easy prey for any villain seeking revenge against the super-heroes or a way to sneak past the group’s defences.
The best approach would be to simply keep it a secret. That appeared to be the way Gardner Fox was handling it early on. We see, in JLA # 7 (Oct.-Nov., 1961), that Snapper Carr hasn’t even told his girl friend, Midge, about being a Justice League member---until he’s forced to send out the emergency signal after the two of them are transported to an alien world by the Cosmic Fun House. It’s further implied that the teen keeps his status with the League hidden in JLA # 12 (Jun., 1962), when Snap abandons a sure victory in a fishing tournament to respond to the emergency signal, and he rushes off without explanation.
Nevertheless, Snapper’s honorary membership with the League certainly becomes public knowledge in JLA # 50 (Dec., 1966), when the youngster stands with his super-hero buddies before news cameras at a ceremony at the White House.
Still, even before that, it wasn’t that well kept of a secret. As early as the JLA’s second recorded adventure, in The Brave and the Bold # 29 (Apr.-May, 1960), Xotar, the Weapons Master from the year A.D. 11,960, kidnaps Snapper in order to lure the Justice League into a trap. And while one could attribute that to Xotar’s future knowledge, the villainous Key discovered Snap’s association with the League through careful study of the team’s activities. In JLA # 41 (Dec., 1965), the Key takes advantage of the easy access to Snapper by infecting him with a mind-enslaving psycho-chemical. Under the Key’s domination, Snap slips the drug to the rest of the League, putting them under the evil-doer’s control, as well.
It's remarkable that, over the JLA’s Silver-Age run, these were the only times that villains struck at the League through its obvious soft spot.
Rick Jones’ connexion with the Avengers wasn’t kept much under the radar, either. He often appeared in public with the team. As protective as Captain America was at keeping Rick away from danger, he had no problem with the boy being present with the Avengers for press conferences and briefings by authorities, without even the benefit of a mask, as Bucky had worn. Consequently, it’s no surprise that villains struck at the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes through Rick Jones.
In The Avengers # 10, the time-manipulating Immortus lures Rick into his clutches and falsely lays the blame on the Avengers, knowing that it’s going to piss off Captain America. Immortus’ treacherous intention is to sow dissention in the Assemblers’ ranks, leaving them vulnerable to an ambush by Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil. When that scheme falls flat, Zemo takes a more direct route, in issue # 15 (Apr., 1965), by kidnapping Rick right out.
Again, the idea is to divide the Avengers’ forces. Zemo uses Rick as bait to draw Captain America to the hooded villain’s South American hideaway while the Masters of Evil whoop up on the other Avengers in Manhattan. It doesn’t work out well for the bad guys this time, either. Particularly not for Baron Zemo, who gets smooshed by a rockslide.
Saving the Day.
Perhaps as a way of justifying Snapper’s presence in the JLA, Gardner Fox gave the youngster a hero turn. Quite a few, in fact. In “For Sale—the Justice League”, from JLA # 8 (Dec., 1961-Jan., 1962), Snapper single-handedly rescues the super-heroes from death, after learning of the will-deadening cyberniray in a letter from its inventor. And circumstances conspire in “Journey into the Micro-World”, from issue # 18 (Mar., 1963), to make Snap the only member of the League capable of defeating the Protectors of Starzl.
When the Royal Flush Gang uses its stellaration power to inflict five members of the Justice League with individual handicaps, in JLA # 43 (Mar., 1966), Snapper challenges the quarrel-compelled Hawkman to use Thanagarian science to nullify the radiation’s insidious effects---and the Winged Wonder does. After that, the card-gang goes down like a 7-2 opener in a game of Texas Hold ‘Em.
But it’s in JLA # 27 (May, 1964)---incidentally, my favourite issue of the title---that the slang-banging honorary member really earns his keep.
After the nebulous “I” removes the “success-factor” from the Justice Leaguers, it leaves the super-heroes unable to work as a team. With the Justice League’s morale at its nadir, it’s Snapper Carr who jumps to his feet with the solution to their predicament. An answer which eluded the critical thinking of the Batman, the super-brain of Superman, and the scientific minds of the Atom and the Flash. Snapper’s cure for their situation is elegant in its simplicity and satisfying to long-time JLA fans (with whom Fox played fair by telegraphing the day-saving idea in the first panel of the story).
(Somebody should’ve shown these tales to Denny O’Neil who stated, in a 2004 interview with Michael Eury, that he “didn’t see what story function [Snapper] was serving.” This was O’Neil’s reason behind his atrociously scripted story writing Snap out of the JLA in 1969.)
Over on the Marvel side, Stan Lee was notorious for hating the idea of teen-age sidekicks. That’s probably why he gave Rick Jones only one shot at being the hero. In the adventure against Kang the Conqueror, from The Avengers # 8 (Sep., 1964), the tyrant from the future captures most of the Avengers and uses a paralysis ray to hold them prisoner within his spaceship. Only the Wasp and Rick remain free to act.
Rick and his Teen Brigade, a club of young ham-radio enthusiasts, persuade Kang that they’ve come over to his side. Obviously the kind of fellow who would fall for “Hey, your shoelace is untied!”, Kang allows the youngsters free run of his ship. Once inside, Rick locates the controls for the paralysis ray and disables them, freeing the super-heroes. With the element of surprise on their side, the mighty Assemblers send Kang scooting back to A.D. 3000 with his tail between his legs.
Throughout his time with the Avengers, Rick Jones pushed to be made a full-fledged member of the team, and he figured the best way to accomplish that was to become a super-hero himself. It was that desire that led him to fall for an advertisement that promised to grant super-powers, in The Avengers # 10. Even Millie the Model would’ve seen that it was a trap, but fortunately for Immortus’ evil plans, Rick wasn’t that smart.
That still wasn’t as foolish as the time, in The Avengers # 7 (Aug., 1964), when Rick donned Bucky’s costume and approached Captain America, hinting that he might become the Star-Spangled Avenger’s partner. Cap did not take it well.
Conversely, Snapper Carr had no desire to be a super-hero. He was content with just attending JLA meetings, answering the team’s mail, and gawking down Wonder Woman’s bustier. Ironically, he did become a super-hero briefly, at the end of the aforementioned adventure involving the Royal Flush Gang. Having temporarily gained stellaration powers of his own, the teen donned a costume and accompanied the heroes, as their trump card, on their showdown with the Royal Flushers. Snap even assumed the nom de guerre of “the Joker”. (Fortunately for him, that other Joker didn’t come after him for trademark violation.)
I consider JLA # 63 (Jun., 1968)---the last issue, written by Gardner Fox, to be drawn by Mike Sekowsky---as the final Justice League story of the Silver Age, Snapper Carr stuck around as an honorary member in good standing until then (and for a year or so afterward). His longevity had its benefits. Fox eventually eliminated the youngster’s exaggerated traits. (The last time Snapper spoke in heptalk was in issue # 45 [Jun., 1966]; his last finger snap, in issue # 49 [Nov., 1966].) From then on, Snapper sounded as mature as the super-heroes. It cost him his individual personality, but it was an improvement, nevertheless.
After his poorly handled dismissal by Denny O’Neil, the Snapster dropped off the scope, except for an occasional return spot in JLA during the 1970’s. He did get to enjoy a last hurrah, before 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, as a minor player in six issues of Superman Family.
Rick Jones, on the other hand, didn’t last nearly as long with the Avengers. His final appearance with the Assemblers came in The Avengers # 17 (Jun., 1965), the issue following the famous line-up change that saw most of the membership replaced by Hawkeye and Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The teen vanishes early in the story, still moaning and groaning about not becoming an official Avenger.
However, Rick’s post-team career was much busier than Snapper Carr’s. After a decent run as a main character in the Hulk’s series in Tales to Astonish, he went on to a brief stint as Captain America’s partner. (Apparently, Cap had changed his mind about that.) This was followed by a long association with Captain Marvel throughout the ‘70’s. He remained a constant presence in the Marvel universe, eventually becoming the super-hero he always wanted to be.
I know, I know . . . now, nay-sayers with their modern sensibilities yell, “Child endangerment!” But, back then, I never gave a second thought to the idea of any inherent risk to a teen-age boy hanging out with super-heroes, and I can’t say it bothers me much, now. It’s a dramaturgic device, like Jack Armstrong taking young Billy and Betty to some primitive jungle, or Jonny Quest tackling mummies, pygmies, and evil scientists alongside his father and Race Bannon.
Strictly as a story-telling element, what did you folks think of Snapper Carr and Rick Jones’ presence in their respective hero teams?
Replies
...if the Sanctuary were near Happy Harbor, Snap could simply drive there. There would be no need for the anti-gravity device.
To be fair, if my car was equipped with an anti-gravity device, I'd utilize it to go to the corner drug store and back.
But it’s in JLA # 27 (May, 1964)---incidentally, my favourite issue of the title
FWIW, mine us probably the 1966 JLA/JSA crossover in Justice League of America #46-47, the most "Mavel-esque" of the crossovers
This was O’Neil’s reason behind his atrociously scripted story writing Snap out of the JLA in 1969.
Yeah, I didn't care much for that one, either.
...the time, in The Avengers # 7 (Aug., 1964), when Rick donned Bucky’s costume and approached Captain America, hinting that he might become the Star-Spangled Avenger’s partner.
I think it's worth mentioning that Rick tried the same tactic for a second time in Captain America #110 (Feb 1969, still within your "Silver age" parameters, I believe). You did mention that Rick "went on to a brief stint as Captain America’s partner," but you didn't point out that, by that time, even Rick was sick of Cap "crying in his beer over the wartime death of his teen-age partner, Bucky Barnes." When Cap admonishes him for daring to wear Bucky's costume, Rick slaps his hand away, saying, "Get off your soapbox, mister! Rick Jones just ain't buyin'! If I'm not good enough to fill Bucky's boots... say so! But spare me the Hamlet bit! Sooner or later, everybody loses somebody! You're not the only one who's had it tough! Maybe I ain't a big, muscle-bound super-hero... But if I was... I'd give another guy a chance!" That's one of my favorite speeches... and favorite scenes.
Strictly as a story-telling element, what did you folks think of Snapper Carr and Rick Jones’ presence in their respective hero teams?
Since you asked...
Rick Jones has long been my favorite non-powered character in the Marvel Universe. I accept Snapper Carr as (more-or-less) his DCU counterpart, but my favorite non-powered character in the DCU has always been Robin, the Boy Wonder. And, like you, I never gave a second thought to either one of them hanging out with super-heroes. Both were "grandfathered in" AFAIAC.
After a brief conflict with the Green Goliath, Thor figures out that Loki is back of the trickery.
Because he always is.
Ha! Life is so much simpler in Asgard.
FWIW, mine us probably the 1966 JLA/JSA crossover in Justice League of America #46-47, the most "Mavel-esgue" of the crossovers.
JLA # 46-7 was my favourite JLA/JSA team-up. If you can ignore Gardner Fox's terrible attempt to imitate Stan Lee's tone, he delivered a hell of a crisis. Actually, three crises, separate, but each affecting the others.
I think it's worth mentioning that Rick tried the same tactic for a second time in Captain America #110 (Feb 1969, still within your "Silver age" parameters, I believe). You did mention that Rick "went on to a brief stint as Captain America’s partner," but you didn't point out that, by that time, even Rick was sick of Cap "crying in his beer over the wartime death of his teen-age partner, Bucky Barnes." When Cap admonishes him for daring to wear Bucky's costume, Rick slaps his hand away, saying, Get off your soapbox, mister! Rick Jones just ain't buyin'! If I'm not good enough to fill Bucky's boots... say so! But spare me the Hamlet bit! Sooner or later, everybody loses somebody! You're not the only one who's had it tough! Maybe I ain't a big, muscle-bound super-hero... But if I was... I'd give another guy a chance!" that's one of my favorite speeches... and favorite scenes.
Steranko's brief run on Captain America is outside of my cut-off for the Silver Age. (It can vary by title, but in no case, is it later than December, 1968.) But I got those issues and was impressed as all get out by them. When I mentioned that Rick Jones finally got to take a turn as Cap's partner, I'd forgotten the speech that he'd made, essentially telling the Star-Spangled Avenger to get over it. You're right---it is a great moment in comics. I'd like to think that Rick finally having the fortitude to stand up to him is what told Cap that the boy was ready to be his partner.
Steranko's brief run on Captain America is outside of my cut-off for the Silver Age.
I stand corrected.
I'm a fan of that team up too (not sure I'd pick it as a favorite. Love those crossovers so much I'm not sure I have a favorite). Partly because Anti-Matter Man is an interesting antagonist, an explorer who sees the superheroes as an obstacle the same way Reed Richards look at creatures of the Negative Zone as an obstacle to exploring there. Plus, of course, end of the worlds Solomon Grundy, the Spectre.
Commander, for an upcoming column (or two), I'd like to see a collexion :) of your top 10 Great Moments in Comics. Or maybe a DC list and a Marvel list. I'm fascinated in knowing your opinion. Thanks!
ELS
The Silver Age Fogey
That's a great idea! The moment I read it, I started thinking of possibilities. If you have any considerations, Fogey, send me a PM with them.
Snapper's slang never bothered me — like Bob Haney's Teen Titans, growing up in England I had no reason to think American teens didn't talk like that.
He also has the distinction of graduating high school and going to college before Peter Parker.
I never found Rick as edgy and rebellious as Stan Lee claimed. He and the Teen Brigade came off about as wild as the Junior Justice Society.
Rereading the JLA's debut a while back I was struck by how well structured it is. Given it includes two new heroes (Flash, GL), and two backup features (J'Onn, Aquaman) it's written so that they all get a chance to show what they can do.
I still wonder why Aquaman and Martian Manhunter were included, while Green Arrow was not.
When Brave and Bold #28 came out (Feb-Mar 1960), it included or had cameos of every solo superhero who had his or her own title (Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman) and one whose title was in production (Green Lantern). Candidates from the back-up realm were slim, as the likes of Robotman, Johnny Quick and Shining Knight had been squeezed out by reduced page counts and no longer appeared. Characters like Tommy Tomorrow, Roy Raymond, Supergirl, Superboy and Congorilla were disqualified, either for being from the wrong time period, not being superheroes, being redundant with Superman or being gorillas.
That left Aquaman, Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter. But only two were selected. And, arguably, the one who wasn't selected was the most popular -- Green Arrow appeared in the monthly Adventure Comics and the bi-monthly World's Finest Comics. Aquaman appeared only in Adventure, and Martian Manhunter only in Detective Comics. (Aquaman would get a Showcase try-out in 1961, followed by an eponymous title.)
I don't think I've ever heard a good explanation for the Emerald Archer's exclusion. I don't remember what Justice League editor Julius Schwarz said in his biography, but I think it was along the lines of "I forgot." Whatever it was, it didn't satisfy me. Frankly, fandom whispers that Schwarz and Green Arrow editor Mort Weisinger didn't get along make more sense, but I'm not sure I've read that anywhere officially.
And Speedy was initially excluded from Teen Titans, not showing up until issue #4. (Weirdly, Green Arrow didn't show up in JLA until issue #4.)
There are a lot of possibilities, and not just the concept of editorial fiefdoms. Green Arrow was the only one of the three back-up superheroes without super-powers, which may have knocked him down a few pegs. He also had a teen sidekick attached at the hip, which may have been more than Schwarz wanted to deal with. Maybe the fact GA was already appearing in two titles was deemed sufficient, while the other two could do with more exposure.
Anybody know? In retrospect, the extremely obscure Martian Manhunter was an extremely strange choice. At least over Green Arrow, who'd been appearing steadily (along with Aquaman) since 1941.
TBH, I'm thrilled that MM was chosen over GA. After all these years, I can't imagine it any other way. I'm just curious.
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