The Massive, Extravagant, Over-the-top Golden Age JSA Re-read

Captain Comics November 5, 2025 at 10:33pm

It was probably Nabu or some prior incarnation that imprisoned Mayoor, not actually Doctor Fate.

That's how I work it around in my head canon. When Fate says something like "I have been living for centuries" I think "Nabu has been living for centuries, and he just started calling himself Doctor Fate recently, to avoid prank calls from Wotan or something." But, boy, you have to work at it pretty hard in these early stories!

Captain Comics November 6, 2025 at 2:55pm

'ADVENTURE COMICS' #59
Cover date: February 1941
On-sale date: Jan. 3, 1941
Cover: Hourman, by Bernard Baily

Sandman
Gardner Fox and Bernard Baily (10 pages)
Where I read it: Golden Age Sandman Archives Vol. 1

Dian and Sandman investigate a ruby that can hypnotize people into performing crimes they don't remember. Dian is hypnotized twice before Sandman whips up some "cobalt" lenses that stop the effect. Then he makes short work of the bad guys.

This is the last story in the Golden Age Sandman Archives, and I don't think any more are reprinted until Simon & Kirby take over the strip with issue #72. The Sandman had already been turned into a standard Golden Age superhero by then, with tights and kid sidekick (Adventure Comics #69). That took away what made Sandman unique to me, which was the genre-blender of '30s screwball comedy and mystery man tropes. But as I've seen in the last few stories in the Archives, I think that was already fading.

I'll keep reporting what I find out about Sandman stories online until we get to the Simon & Kirby stories, whereupon I will resume reading Sandman in print!

The Hour-Man
Untitled by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily (8 pages)
No reprint (read onlline)

The Minute Men are on a camping trip when an escaped inmate from a nearby psychiatric institution almost drowns, but Jimmy saves him with CPR. He is terrified to return, but Hour-Man allows it, because he's going to investigate. He sees the head guy, Dr Feher, hypnotizing a patient. He breaks in and Feher appears to hypnotize Hour-Man. Feher sends Hour-Man and the patient to his house, where the patient will rob his own safe and leave Hour-Man to take the blame. But Hour-Man is faking, because his will is stronger. He snaps the patient and his doctor out of their trance, and while they are figuring out the doctor's scheme to hypnotize wealthy patients and have them rob themselves, Jimmy and Thorndyke visit the institution and are captured. Hour-Man and the Minute Men hear their radio call for help (they evidently carry pocket radios) Hour-Man on his belt radio. They converge and capture Feher and his gang.

Takeaways:

Hour-Man is still hyphenated.
I assume Feher is pronounced "fear." Maybe he could be added to our supervillain list.
I don't think an adult male could spend so much time with underage boys these days unless he had some sort of official sanction. There would be suspicion.

Minute Men watch:

Of course Jimmy Martin knows CPR, as all fine and decent America boys do!
There are a lot of Minute Men in this story, but only Jimmy and Thorndyke are named.

Continuing: Barry O'Neill, Mark Lansing, Federal Men, Cotton Carver, Steve Conrad, Manhunter.

Philip Portelli November 6, 2025 at 2:56pm

I found my copy of Golden Age Secret Files (F'01) and its lead story by John Ostrander and Cliff Chiang focuses on the Crimson Avenger and his impact on the early mystery men. They kept his "Green Hornet" beginnings, Secret Origin #7 (O'86) though without diminishing the Sandman and his death in DC Comics Presents #38 (O'81) because why ignore a beautiful story!

Except that they did by jettisoning his incredible start from Secret Origins #5 (Au'86) and gave him a new origin connected to Deadman's Nanda Parmat and Rama Kushna who shows him the future "death" of Superman from 1992-93 and he vows to "avenge" that death, thus making Superman the spark of the Golden Age!

Also, they have Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Ted Grant give reporter Clark Kent a rundown of the dawn of heroes with the Crimson Avenger being first, then the Sandman, the Flash gaining his powers in late 1938 but not calling himself the Flash until a year later (perhaps to take Superman's spot as the first super-powered hero).

Also in 1939 was Hourman and Starman for some reason, probably a James Robinson retcon. Then came the rest of the JSA heroes including the Queen Hippolyta Wonder Woman before the end of 1940.

Also active before 1941 were Quicksilver (Max Mercury), Doll Man, Black Condor, Uncle Sam, Steel the Indestructible Man, Blackhawk and the Red Tornado!

Captain Comics November 6, 2025 at 3:32pm

I think eventually I'm going to have to include stories from Golden Age Secret Files, JLA/JSA Secret Files and the two JSA Secret Files, in addition to Secret Origins, just to keep track of post-Crisis changes. In my head Superman is the first superhero and always will be, but now there are competing versions of who got there fustest. They don't get a place in my head, but I should keep track of the latest version.

I wonder if the "Sand and Stars" storyline in Starman moved the goalposts on those two superhero debuts. I wouldn't have been aware of any retcons when I read that story the first time, but I would be now.

Captain Comics November 7, 2025 at 1:14pm

'SUPERMAN' #9
Cover date: March-April 1941
On-sale date: Jan. 3, 1941
Cover: Superman, by Fred Ray
Where I read it: Superman Archives Vol. 3 (1991)

See Jeff of Earth-J's Superman from the Beginning.

Superman
Untitled by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)

GCD: "Superman battles against some members of the Committee Against Militarism, whose leader is actually employed by a warring totalitarian nation, which wants to see to it that the United States does not re-arm, thus making it ripe for take-over."

Takeaway: The subtext of this, it seems to me, is to suggest that isolationist movements like Charles Lindbergh's "America First" are sponsored by countries like Germany and Japan. Like with comic book stories about widespread espionage and sabotage in the USA, or feared invasions of Panama, I suspect that it's more fantasy than reality. After Pearl Harbor these organziations quietly dissolved or became inconsequential, making it a moot question.Superman
Untitled by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)

Superman
Text article with spot illustration by Joe Shuster and Paul Cassidy (1 page)

"Superman [thru the editors] tells his readers that, when he is not busy on a case, he likes to relax and envision what his club members do for relaxation and recreation. He tries to show the importance of every part of this nation. There is a secret Superman code message in Code Neptune No. 7 to decipher, and a coupon is provided for readers to fill out and send in to join the Supermen of America."

Superman
Untitled by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)

GCD: "Superman prevents Judge Crane from committing suicide, and, after talking with the judge, discovers that his daughter has been kidnapped and will not be released unless the judge declares racketeering defendant Joe Gatson not guilty for his crimes."

Superman
Untitled by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)

GCD: "Editor White sends Clark out to Lamson Laboratories to get to the bottom of an unknown person or persons causing problems at the lab in an attempt to force the W-142 formula out of Lamson, and Lois is sent to Swasey Swamp, which is said to be emanating powerful electrical discharges. When someone attempts to kill Kent, Superman begins to see a connection between the two situations, and intervenes in time to save the formula."

Superman
"Super-Strength by Superman"
Text piece by Jerry Siegel with spot illustrations (1 page)

GCD: "The story is told of how the Superman Physical Development Club came into being."

Takeaway: Even text pieces need an origin story!

Superman
By Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy (13 pages)

GCD: "The death of Morton Carling leads Lois, Sgt. Casey and Superman to uncovering the fact that the Jackson Jewelry Company was a front for a murder syndicate, which disguised the transfer of blood money as jewelry payments."

'BATMAN' #4
Cover date: Winter 1940
On-sale date: Jan. 15, 1941
Cover: Batman, by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson

Batman and Robin
“The Case of the Joker’s Crime Circus!” is by Bill Finger, Kane, Robinson and George Roussos (13 pages)
Where I read it: Limited Collectors' Edition #C-25 (1974)

GCD: "The Joker organizes a crime circus that performs at the homes of wealthy patrons to size up the joint, then later robs them."

See Jeff of Earth-J's The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told.

Batman and Robin
“Blackbeard’s Crew and the Yacht Society” is by Finger, Kane, Robinson and Roussos (13 pages)
Where I read it: Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 1 (1992)

GCD: "When an exclusive yacht is taken over by a band of pirates led by the immortal Blackbeard himself, the Batman and Robin come aboard to swab the decks with them."

Batman and Robin
Untitled by Finger, Kane, Robinson and Roussos (13 pages)
Where I read it: Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 1 (1992)

GCD: "Batman must contend with Jimmy McCoy, a young bully who claws his way up through the ranks until he becomes the overlord of crime, but ends up being deserted by his mob, hunted by the Police and killed in a gutter."

Takeaway: "Crime Does Not Pay." Pretty grim for a post-Robin Batman story.

Batman and Robin
Untitled by Finger, Kane, Robinson nad Roussos (13 pages)
Where I read it: Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 1 (1992)

GCD: "The Caped Crusader doubles as a star football player, who has been kidnapped in order that his team will lose and criminals will gain big time from the bets they have made."

Takeaway: If Batman had played professional football, he'd have retired early. That game is rough!

Fun facts:

Batman uses a gun in this story.
Splash page becomes cover to Batman #5.

THE COMPETITION

Amazing-Man Comics #20 (of 26, Centaur)

Big Shot Comics #10 (of 33, Columbia)

Blue Bolt #9 (of 101, Novelty/Premium/Curtis)

Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (of 22, Archie)

Champ Comics #12 (of 25, Harvey)

Crack Comics #10 (of 62, Quality)

Crackajack Funnies #32 (of 43, Western)

Doc Savage #3 (of 20, Street and Smith)

Exciting Comics v3 #2 [#8] (of 69, Pines)

Fantastic Comics #15 (of 23, Fox)

Feature Comics #41 (of 124, Quality)

Fight Comics #11 (of 86, Fiction House)

The Flame #4 (of 8, Fox)

The Funnies #52 (of 64, Dell)

Green Mask #4 (of 17, Fox)

Hit Comics #8 (of 65, Quality)

Jumbo Comics #24 (of 167, Fiction House)

Jungle Comics #14 (of 163, Fiction House)

Lightning Comics #5 (of 13, Ace Magazines)

Marvel Mystery Comics #16 (of 92, Timely)

Master Comics #11 (of 133, Quality)

Minute-Man debuts.

Mystery Men Comics #19 (of 31, Fox)

National Comics #8 (of 75, Quality)

Pep Comics #12 (of 136, Archie)

Popular Comics #60 (of 145, Dell)

Prize Comics #9 (of 68, Prize Comics)

Samson #3 (of 6)

Smash Comics #19 (of 85, Quality)

Startling Comics v2 #2 [#5] (of 53, Pines)

Super Comics #33 (of 65, Western)

Super-Mystery Comics #6 (of 48)

Thrilling Comics v5 #1 [#13] (of 80, Pines)

Top Notch Comics #12 (of 27, Archie)

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #5 (of 263, Dell)

Weird Comics #11 (of 20, Fox)

Whiz Comics #13 (of 155, Fawcett)

Wings Comics #6 (of 124, Fiction House)

Wonderworld #22 (of 33, Fox)

Zip Comics #11 (of 47, Archie)

Philip Portelli November 7, 2025 at 1:32pm

I hate to keep harping on Superman not being brought up in the beginning of DC Special #29 but in his three years of existence, the Man of Steel had went to/or interfered with several other nations. He could have been persona non grata in quite a few European countries, to the point that the State Department might have been hesitant to send him overseas.

Captain Comics > Philip Portelli November 8, 2025 at 12:12pm

I must have hit a nerve on DC Special #29! It seems everybody liked it but me.

Which is actually pretty cool. If everybody agreed on everything, what a boring world this would be -- and there'd be no need for forums!

As to the current matter, Philip, you and Luke Blanchard have pointed out the "rising from the press building" line to counter my "what is Superman doing there?" remark. Well, yeah, I read that, too. It means Superman was in the National Press Building for some reason. Could be because Clark was on assignment, as you suggested, Philip. Or on vacation and checking out the building, which is where the Washington Press Corps has had offices since the 1920s. Or maybe Superman was giving a press conference to the corps. There could be a lot of reasons why he'd be there.

But my point was how convenient it was that he was there, for the sole purpose of being the hero of the story. He was nowhere to be found in Gotham City, or Scotland, or Berlin, or Dover, but suddenly he's in D.C. He somehow remained unaware of an overnight fight over the Atlantic (it's pretty likely the failed invasion made the news), or declined to join. Doctor Fate, who crossed his fingers to summon The Spectre, didn't summon Superman, who would be easier (and far more useful than Sandman, Hawkman and Atom). And The Spectre was mysteriously de-powered (with no in-story explanation) so that he couldn't dispose of a bunch of mythlogical creatures that Doctor Fate alone had beaten in Berlin. All to arrange for Superman, the second-most-powerful JSA member, but the most symbolic, to play deus ex machina. (When, of course, The Spectre actually works for the deus.) To this reader, the writer's fiat was overwhelming, and unwelcome.

I'm not stumping for Spectre, or have anything against Superman -- I just found it badly written. Is Superman "persona non grata" outside the U.S.? Then Levitz needed to establish that, and early on. As it is, it's not said, nor hinted at, nor implied. Is there a reason the goverment didn't summon Superman? That Doctor Fate didn't enchanted-tendril him? That he didn't respond to news reports about the invasion of England, or a weird, 12-hour fight (or more) over the Atlantic? Levitz needed to excuse him from those things, in print, but didn't. All to feed the "surprise" appearance of a character we knew was going to join anyway. (I assume that most readers, like me, began anticipating Superman the second we saw Batman. "Oh, honorary members will be in this one. Sweet.")

Of course, all this can be explained or overlooked if you liked the story. But I didn't like the story. I was 19 or so, and perhaps I suffered from youthful arrogance. I was in the midst of college lit courses, so perhaps I noticed the poor story structure and plot holes because those were the very things I was being taught to notice. Or maybe, as I said in my intro, I set a high bar for the origin story of a superteam I dearly loved.

What I wanted in a JSA origin story is what usually happens in origin stories, which is to give each character a scene or scenes showing what they bring to the table. Sandman needed a mystery to solve, and a safe to crack. Flash needed a scene where he extracted information by playing invisible ghost, and undressing people. Hawkman needed a scene where, as the expression goes, he could "travel to exotic, distant lands; meet exciting, unusual people and kill them." And so forth. Instead, the ground-based heroes spent most of the story as spectators, watching The Dr. Fate Show.

There would need to be a supernatural root for all this, possibly Wotan and Zor working together, or maybe something original and specific to the JSA, to keep Doctor Fate and Spectre from winning on Page 1. Some reason to need the others. And to represent a power level that no one hero could defeat alone. And all the cases the various characters were working would lead to the same place: the Battle of Washington. Where FDR would challenge them to form a team. (Spectre could wave his hand and keep it out of the history books.)

And this being the '70s, we'd want a little more interaction than the '40s. Doctor Fate and Spectre would deal with the mystical threat directly, possibly by pulling the Marvel trick of having the most powerful character mind-controlled, and turning on the others (See: Avengers #1, Avengers #2, Avengers #3, Avengers #7 ...). Flash and Green Lantern get their piece of the clue together in Scotland (and are NOT handily defeated, but instead demonstrate their awesome powers). Sandman and Batman run into each other solving a puzzle in an urban setting (maybe even Berlin), which leads them to the Middle East, where they help Hawkman find an archaelogical clue. Atom and Hourman bulldoze their way through some henchmen together to find out about the invasion. And so forth. You want to save Superman for the end? He's captured by the mystical threat at the outset, and when the team seems on the verge of defeat, heroically breaks free and turns the tables.

That's just one scenario, from an absolute amateur. But it satisfies my requirements for an origin story for a team: A) a reason wny the powerful members need the weaker members, B) each character shows his strengths, C) a threat too big for any one character, no matter how powerful, to deal with alone.

Avengers #1 met these requirements. Justice League of America #9 met these requirements. DC Special #29, whatever its other virtues, disappointed me on this score. I set a bar it didn't meet.

Which is personal to me and me alone. If you enoyed DC Special #29, good on ya. As I've said before, I'm envious. I'd always rather enjoy something than not, and if I can find my way to, I will.
Philip Portelli > Captain Comics November 8, 2025 at 2:29pm

Addressing who did what in the story, one must remember that by 1977, readers were brought up with Doctor Fate as the STAR of the Justice Society. He was the driving force in every story that he was in. I'm going to assume that most kids thought that he was the JSA chairman because he sure acted like he was.

Heck, when I got the All Star Comics Archives, I was struck by how Fate wasn't more important.

As far as his role in the JSA went, no one expected Batman to do much.

Superman, by this point, on Earth-Two became more of a special attraction than a member, coming and going, never really treated like a regular member. Then there are the JLA/JSA stories where he's there with the Earth-One Superman and fades into the background, sometimes not even having dialogue!

It goes without saying that any story with the Spectre, whether here or in Brave and the Bold, Justice League of America or even Showcase #100 must have the Ghostly Guardian unable or unwilling to solve the crisis immediately.

Regarding Hawkman, Sandman and the Atom, well they had to get involved somehow. Hawkman despite being part of the revived All Star Comics never really did much besides a great action sequence by Wally Wood and getting a cool new helmet which got dropped in 1984.

Sandman and the E-2 Atom were seldom used thus their limited involvement though the Mighty Mite does get his moment at the end!
The Baron > Captain Comics November 8, 2025 at 3:51pm

All the things that you point out are valid points, Skipper, but none of them ever stopped me from me from enjoying the story, either. I would have been fourteen when this came out, and not what you'd call a "critical reader". For me, Superman was there at the end because saving the day at the last minute was what Superman did. I do think that we - and I include myself in this - tend to read these stories far more critically than the people that wrote them ever imagined that anyone ever would. But, I also understand that picking them apart can be part of the fun, like wondering why the Hell that anyone would ever go to a comedy club in Gotham City - it's like begging to be murdered by the Joker.

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The Massive, Extravagant, Over-the-top Golden Age JSA Re-read

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