As I was researching my theory on Green Arrow's attitude (see my JLA/JSA Team-Ups thread), I was going over new JLA members and I recalled a poll taken to decide the next one. Since my JLA collection is here and not in storage, a little rummaging found it. The results were in Justice League #158 (S'78) and these were the Top 25. An * after their name means that they did join the JLA in the future, even if it was *shudder* Post-Crisis! The comments afterwards are wholly my own.
They said a lot of characters were mentioned like Sgt,Rock, Rex the Wonder Dog and even some Marvel heroes!
25) Doctor Fate*: the only JSA member and logically so. He was usually the focal point of the team-ups, could travel between worlds and offered something unique and not duplicated.
24) Air Wave II: the young cousin of Green Lantern, too young though and his powers weren't that great!
23) Adam Strange: perennial guest star, no powers and not known as a hero on Earth. His heart belonged to Rann ans Alanna!
22) Isis: Mighty, beautiful and wise but an impossibilty at the time!
21) Man-Bat: a curious choice but wouldn't add much.
20) Black Orchid: Intriguing. She was powerful, mysterious and a mistress of disguise but not a team player!
19) Captain Marvel (SHAZAM!)*: Obviously an asset but DC was unwilling or outright prohibited to do so.
18) Mera: perhaps to augment Aquaman with her hard-water powers. Would have been the second wife on the team!
17) The Privateer: a favorite from Steve Englehart's run but he was in Limbo until the Post-Crisis where he reassumed the identity of Manhunter!
16) The Vigilante: Western hero revived in the early 70s. A sentimental favorite but no chance!
15) Batwoman: the original brought back in Batman Family. Cool but would add little.
14) Ultraa: unpredictable here from Earth-Prime!! He fought the League more in his four appearances than help them. He vanished in the Crisis. Possible thread candidate!
13) Deadman: Obviously useful for spying and infiltration but how would they know if he was around?
12) Robin the Teen Wonder*: If Batman wasn't there and the others treated him seriously....maybe.
11) Insect Queen: My dark horse pick! An adult Lana Lang in the JLA! Did she ever use her bio-ring/insect powers in any Superman story?
10) Mister Miracle*: the only Jack Kirby/Fourth World character on the list. He had loads of potential but had to wait Post-Crisis!
9) Batgirl*: again if Batman left. Wow! FOUR Bat-characters on the list!
8) Firestorm*: one of the newest heroes on the list. Just a little patience! Creator Gerry Conway would bring him aboard in #179!
7) J'onn J'onzz*: that would be rejoining the JLA as he would in the mid-80s. Cookie, anyone?
6) The Creeper: unstable but always around, even if you didn't want him to be!
5) Metamorpho*: already turned them down. Standby Member, in fact. Would officially join later but first was part of the Outsiders. Very powerful but had a very different attitude!
4) Supergirl*: if Superman weren't around but even if he was, why not? Especially paired with Batgirl.
3) Black Lightning*: only African-American on the list, not DC had much to choose from. Would turn them down in #177 then join the Outsiders.
2) Captain Comet: already an honorary member but never took that next step. Great range of powers but not used much after Secret Society of Super-Villains was cancelled.
1) Zatanna*: a shocking winner as she was not in JLA since #102 and was not a major character at the time. She joined with a new look in #161!
Comments? Additions? Subtractions?
Replies
"Insect Queen: My dark horse pick! An adult Lana Lang in the JLA! Did she ever use her bio-ring/insect powers in any Superman story?"
I recall only one occasion in the Silver-Age when we saw the adult Lana Lang appear as Insect Queen. In fact, both she and Lois Lane took a turn at it, in "Beware of the Bug-Belle", from Lois Lane # 69 (Oct., 1966).
Thanks, Commander! Surprised that it was only one! But Teen Lana did appear as Insect Queen in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #205 (D'74) and her debut as IQ was reprinted in a Superman Family 100 Pager.
Thankfully Bee-Boy stayed in Limbo!
Of course, Lois had to get in on the act! Was it to get Superman's attention!
Actually, for once, no. As the tale relates, due to a confluence of circumstances, Lois is temporarily lodging in Lana Lang's apartment while Lana is away on assignment. While going through Lana's Superboy souvenirs (and for another first, at Lana's invitation, rather than Lois just plain snooping), she discovers Lana's bio-ring and Insect Queen costume.
Shortly afterward, a radio bulletin reports that a little girl is trapped on an upper storey of a burning highrise, out of reach of the fire department's ladders. Aware that Superman and Supergirl are on a mission in space, Lois dons the Insect Queen costume and ring and rescues the girl.
She then decides to patrol Metropolis in Superman's place until he returns and thwarts a waterfront crime.
So far, so good---but then Lois runs true to form and screws up, stupidly allowing a female criminal to get her hands on the bio-ring. It takes the double-teaming of Lois and Lana, when she returns, to set things aright.
...I don't know precisely how DC explains this post-Crisis ( Or , right now , even then ????? ) but there were two Vigilantes , an " actual " Wild Westerner and the modern-day one , in the pre-Crisis DCU ., tho the modern guy was the first to be published .
It was only the modern one who had the Chinese man ( a little person or just pretty short ? ) as an assistant , Wing , wasn't it ??? And wasn't Wing murdered , with the murder never solved/officially finished/avenged ??? If Mr. Terrific I's murder eventually got swept out of the Cold Cases file...
Travis Herrick said:
You may be thinking of Stuff, the Chinatown Kid.
Wing was the Crimson Avenger's assistant. Vigilante's sidekick for a fair chunk of his original run was Stuff, the Chinatown Kid. Wing was revealed to have been killed stopping the Nebula Man in Justice League of America ##100-102. There's quite a contrast between them. Whereas Wing spoke in broken English, Stuff wasn't depicted stereotypically at all.
According to Wikipedia, DC has published two different accounts of Stuff's death. In the 70s he was murdered on-panel (I believe) by the Dummy, in World's Finest #246. In the 90s he was apparently instead represented, in the mini Vigilante: City Lights, Prairie Justice, as having been murdered by the gangster Bugsy Siegel.
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