Welcome to our re-read of the first and greatest superhero team in comics ... and quite a bit more!
My plan is to re-read and discuss the Golden Age Justice Society of America, which ran from All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940) to All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951), and is currently being reprinted in DC's "DC Finest" line.
But, as ever, I am consumed by context. What events brought us to All-Star Comics #3? What characters did editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox have available from which to choose? What else was competing in the superhero space? To achieve that context, I plan to start the discussion at the publisher's beginning, when Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched National Allied Publications Inc. in 1935. That was the first step toward the Justice Society — and to DC Comics as we know it today.
So before we even get to the JSA, I'll re-read and open for discussion all the solo stories starring JSA members, mostly from DC's Archives and Famous First Edition series. Which is actually quite a lot! (Although not as much as I'd prefer. I want it ALL!) I'll be writing about non-JSA superheroes created by National, Detective Comics Inc. and All-American Comics Inc. too, like Crimson Avenger and Doctor Occult. I'll also be tipping my hat to some non-powered characters, principally those who managed to appear outside their parent title, like Slam Bradley and Hop Harrigan. That means no re-read for the likes of "Bart Regan, Spy" and "Speed Saunders." Sorry, fellas, but I had to draw the line somewhere — before I found myself doing a deep dive into the history of Ginger Snap.
But I will be re-reading reprints, or availing myself of online information where reprints don't exist, of 14 of the 17 Golden Age characters who launched or appeared in All-Star Comics #3-57. Those characters include:
- The Atom: All-American Comics #19-46, 48-61, 70-72; All-Star Comics #3-26, 28-35, 37-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #80, 82-85, 87 89-95, 97-100, 102-104; Comic Cavalcade #22-23, 28; Sensation Comics #86.
- Black Canary: All-Star Comics #38-57; Comic Cavalcade #25; Flash Comics #86-88, 90-104.
- Doctor Fate: All-Star Comics #3-12, 14-21; More Fun Comics #55-98.
- Doctor Mid-Nite: All-American Comics #25-102; All-Star Comics #6 (text story), 8-57.
- The Flash: All-Flash #1-32; All-Star Comics #1-7, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties)
- Green Lantern: All-American Comics #16-102; All-Flash #14; All-Star Comics #2-8, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Green Lantern #1-38.
- Hawkman: All-Star Comics #1-57, Big All-American Comic Book, Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Hourman: Adventure Comics #48-83, All-Star Comics #1-7, New York World's Fair Comics [#2].
- Johnny Thunder: All-Star Comics #2-4, 6-35, 37-39; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-91; New York World's Fair Comics [#2]; World's Best Comics #1; World's Fair Comics #2-3; Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Mister Terrific: All-Star Comics #24, Big All-American Comic Book, Sensation Comics #1-63.
- Sandman: Adventure Comics #40-102, All-Star Comics #1-21, Boy Commandos #1, Detective Comics #76, New York World's Fair Comics [#1-2], World's Finest Comics #3-7.
- The Spectre: All-Star Comics #1-23, More Fun Comics #52-101, a single panel in More Fun Comics #51.
- Starman: Adventure Comics #61-102, All-Star Comics #8-23.
- Wildcat: All-Star Comics #24, 27; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-2; Sensation Comics #1-90.
The obvious exceptions here are Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. Superman and Batman, called "honorary members" in the text, appeared twice in All-Star Comics, but I don't plan to re-read all their adventures from 1938 to 1951. They are peripheral at best to the Golden Age JSA, and would overwhelm the discussion through sheer volume. This problem extends to Wonder Woman as well, who appears in four titles in the Golden Age (Sensation Comics, Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade, All-Star Comics). I'll re-read and report on her JSA adventures, but like Batman and Superman, I'll just note her solo stories in passing with a summary that I'll grab somewhere online. That will keep the discussion abreast of any major developments, like new supervillains, in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman stories.
Here are their appearances that are concurrent with All-Star's run:
- Batman: All-Star Comics # 7 (cameo), 36; Batman #1-63 (February-March 1951); Batman 3-D #1; Detective Comics #1-169 (March 1951); New York World’s Fair Comics [#2]; World’s Best Comics #1, World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Superman: Action Comics #1-154 (March 1951); All-Star Comics #7 (cameo), 36; New York World’s Fair [#1-2]; Superman #1-69 (March-April 1951); Superman 3-D #1; Superman at the Gilbert Hall of Science; Superman Miniature; World’s Best Comics #1; World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Wonder Woman: All-Star Comics #8, 11-22, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Sensation Comics #1-102; Wonder Woman #1-46 (March-April 1951).
Fortunately, Jeff of Earth-J is already doing a re-read of the Golden Age Superman. Jeff isn't doing a re-read of all Batman books, but he is compiling "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told," by which he means "all of them." Recently he's begun re-reading other major Bat-villains, which he discusses in Batman vs. Penguin, Riddler — Prince of Puzzles, The Crimes of Two-Face and Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale.
I should note that my methodology changed over time, as realities required. For instance, I initially lumped books together by monthly cover date, but complications ensued for books without them, like quarterlies and one-shots. As the number of quarterlies and their importance increased, I ended up going by on-sale dates as the primary organizational tool. (Which aren't available for all books, but that's a lesser devil than chronologically misplacing Batman or All-Star Comics). Initially I only included mention of others strips in anthology books if they were of some importance, like Slam Bradley, but eventually I started including all of them. Here and there I would try to improve the format. And so forth. In some imaginary "someday" I'll go back through and make them all consistent.
I've tried to be comprehensive, relying on a variety of sources, from online to reprints to "companion" books. A tip of the cowl to a Luke Blanchard post in what amounts to an outline for this discussion. But I'm sure I've left out tons, especially stories I don't have or can't find, which may be at hand in your collection. I hope folks will do re-reads of stories I've left out, as well as comment on what I've written. So let's hear what I've missed Legionnaires — and what you think!
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The Commander can tell me whether or not the other members were in the know, but if they were, it wasn't emphasized to the point that I remember it, like I do Clark/Bruce and Hal/Barry. I'm probably all wet, but in my head canon, the only people who knew each other's IDs in early Justice League were those who were friends outside of it. I think somewhere down the line they made a show of telling each other because their IDs had been used against them. But again, fuzzy memories.
The story that you are vaguely recalling, Cap, is the one which I cited in my post above: "The Great Identity Crisis", from JLA # 122 (Sep., 1975), written by Martin Pasko. Mr. Pasko intended to tell the heretofore "untold" story of why the members of the Justice League decided to mutually exchange knowledge of their civilian identities. The problem was that Pasko's plot failed to justify that premise. As you noted, in the tale, Doctor Light, after learning the secret identities of the JLAers involved in the current case, attempted to use those civilian ID's against each other. The first problem with the story is that Mr. Pasko failed to account for the fact that certain of the Justice Leaguers already knew each other's identities, such as Superman/Batman and the Flash/Green Lantern, all four of whom appeared in the tale. The second problem was that, even if the first problem hadn't been there, the structure of Dr. Light's scheme did not require the Justice League's collective knowledge of their civilian selves to fall through. In other words, it didn't make a case that there was a need for the JLAers to blab their secret ID's to each other.
As for what JLA members in the Silver Age knew each other's identities, you're right, Cap,.most of them were close friends. Besides Superman and the Batman, and the Flash and Green Lantern. the Atom and Hawkman also fell into that group. Then, there were special cases, such as the pairing of the Green Arrow and J'onn J'onzz in the first team-up issue of The Brave and the Bold---# 50 (Nov., 1963). We've discussed how it appeared that DC was setting up those two to be another "Superman/Batman" team. Contributing to that idea is, in that issue, G.A. and the Manhunter disclose their civilian ID's to each other.
Another special case occurrred in JLA # 41 (Dec., 1965), when circumstances of the plot force Hawkman to use his absorbascon to learn the civilian identities of his fellow JLA members (and they're not too happy about that). The Winged Wonder retained that knowledge at the end of the tale.
Keeping track of all these one-off times is difficult, so I prepared a list so I wouldn't forget:
The Atom's secret ID was known to Hawkman (Hawkman # 9 [Aug.-Sep., 1965]) and revealed to the Batman, the Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Superman, in JLA # 60 (Feb., 1968).
Wonder Woman's secret ID was known to Hawkman (JLA # 41), then after she lost her powers, to the Atom, Batman, the Flash, Green Arrow, and Superman in JLA # 69 (Feb., 1969).
As you can see, by the time the Bronze Age rolled around, most of the Leaguers knew each other's civilian ID's already---something which Mr. Pasko didn't take into account in his story.
Although it never seemed to come up, thanks to the absorbascon, Hawkman & Hawkgirl should have known everybody's secret identity.
BONUS!
JULY 28, 1981
November 1981, DC Comics Inc., 36 pages
Cover by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano
"The Dooms of Dark December"
By Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway (25 pages)
Title Watch: Might be inspired by the sci-fi novel Dark December by Alfred Coppel, published in 1960. Roy Thomas would have been about 19 years old when it came out.
Calendar Watch: The night of Dec. 7, 1941.
JSA Roll Call: The Atom, Batman. Dr. Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Johnny Thunder, Sandman, The Spectre, Starman, Superman.
All-Star Squadron Roll Call: Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle, Phantom Lady, Plastic Man, Robin, Robotman, Shining Knight, Wonder Woman.
Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Liberty Belle, Phantom Lady and Plastic Man invade Degaton's sub-sea carrier. Grundy is depicted as extremely powerful, ignoring punches from Atom and Shining Knight (both of whom nearly break their hands). Only Robotman can actually hurt him. (A little.)
Wotan tries to kill Danette Reilly in the cavern where the other heroes are imprisoned, hitting her with "eldritch bolts" that knock her into artificial lava. (Spoiler: She doesn't die.)
Shining Knight frees The Spectre with his valiant last effort, who frees all the others (who save Danielle), while Degaton tries to blow up his man-made volcanic isle.
Everybody converges on Degaton, who flees back to 1947, realizing that he will forget all this (as will everyone else). He will regain his memory of these events in All-Star Squadron #14, launching "Crisis on Earth-Prime." But the All-Stars never do. In All-Star Squadron #21, Johnny Quick says of All-Star Squadron #1-3: "Not that we recall much about that little caper — except we all wound up partying on the Golden Gate Bridge."
The Bad Guys: Before the fight, Degaton muses over where he got each of his hench-villains, revealing that information to the readers.
Fun Facts: Degaton plans to have a "surprise" for Grundy when he returns him to 1947, and sure enough, when he does, Grundy ends up on the Moon instead of the center of the Earth. Why? Because the Moon is where Grundy escaped from in his next chronological appearance, Showcase #55 (March-April 1965). Who else but Roy Thomas would remember to fix a continuity error that old?
Everyone forgets everything about Per Degaton, whose equipment all disappears, too. So there are no Zeroes to back up anyone's claims of air raids on the West Coast. But those claims were still made, so maybe there's a vague memory among the populace.
So, if the Reset Button has been hit, why is Grundy still on the Moon?
So, if the Reset Button has been hit, why is Grundy still on the Moon?
He was visiting a distant relative who hitched a ride with her students?
. . . Grundy ends up on the Moon instead of the center of the Earth. Why? Because the Moon is where Grundy escaped from in his next chronological appearance, Showcase #55 (March-April 1965). Who else but Roy Thomas would remember to fix a continuity error that old?
When I read this, Cap, I was prepared to charge Roy Thomas with fixing a "continuity error" that didn't need to be fixed, that it wasn't a continuity error at all. But before doing so, I indulged in a bit of Solomon Grundy research. As it turns out, Mr. Thomas did not fix a continuity error; rather, he, like other writers, ignored a bit of the Marshland Monster's history. Let me explain . . .
At the end of Solomon Grundy's introductory story, from All-American Comics # 61 (Oct., 1944), Grundy is run over by a locomotive, and the Green Lantern writes him off as dead.
In the G.L. tale from Comic Cavalcade # 13 (Winter, 1945), a scientist finds Grundy's body in the rail yard, and understanding that he is a pseudo-form of life created from vegetation, restores him with a dose of concentrated chrolophyll. At the end of the story, Green Lantern puts paid to Grundy by enclosing him in a green bubble which prevents carbon dioxide from reaching him (knowing that plants rely on carbon dioxide for nourishment).
Then comes All Star Comics # 33 (Feb.-Mar., 1947). Here, a lightning bolt from a thunderstorm frees Grundy, who goes on a rampage requiring the Justice Society to get involved. The final chapter is a free-for-all between the JSAers and Grundy, which is ended when Green Lantern uses his power ring to imprison Grundy on the moon. (And it's Johnny Thunder's idea, believe it or not.)
Aye, I said the moon. So, it was Gardner Fox, the writer of that JSA tale, that put Grundy on the moon, not Roy Thomas. However, it appears that Roy Thomas was even more confused than by just overlooking this tale.
Grundy's next appearance came in Comic Cavalcade # 24 (Dec., 1947-Jan., 1948), where we see him return to Earth from the moon, thanks to an anti-gravity power he claims to have developed during his imprisonment there. As you noted in your synopsis, Cap, it was at the end of this tale that Green Lantern imprisoned the Marshland Monster in the core of the Earth, from where Per Degaton released him.
It's Grundy's first Silver-Age appearance where the snag develops. The opening of Showcase # 55 (Mar.-Apr., 1965) states that a passing meteor frees Grundy from his imprisonment on the moon. The fact that Green Lantern exiled him there in All Star Comics # 33 is even referenced in a footnote. Ergo, it completely ignores that Grundy had already gotten off the moon and was imprisoned at the Earth's centre in Comic Cavalcade # 24.
At the end of Showcase # 55, a combination of Doctor Fate's magic and Green Lantern's power ring puts Grundy in a force bubble sent into eternal orbit around Earth-Two. However, the complicated events of JLA # 46 (Aug., 1966) free the monster from his orbiting prison and send him back to Earth-Two.
And that's where I stopped following the revolving doors of Solomon Grundy's prisons. Clearly, though, there was some confusion over just where Grundy was last trapped when he was brought into the Silver Age, and Mr. Thomas added to it.
Some comments about All Star Squadron #3:
BONUS!
THE OTHER PEARL HARBOR
I have to digress from my digression.
All-Star Squadron #1-3 takes place on Dec. 7, 1941, from early morning hours in the first issue to evening hours in the last. Meanwhile, a flashback from All-Star Squadron #32 also takes place on Dec. 7, 1941, also at Pearl Harbor. Just not on Earth-Two. And its timing places the story here, simultaneous with All-Star Squadron #1-3.
The story is told in flashback, with the set-up in All-Star Squadron #31 (March 1984). Uncle Sam crashes the first full meeting of the All-Star Squadron on Feb. 22, 1942, raving about a parallel Earth. Shortly thereafter, a wounded Midnight and Doll Man arrive, confirming the story. Green Lantern uses his power ring to help heal Doll Man. (I don't think I've seen him use the ring that way in the Golden Age stories prior to Feb. 22, 1942, but All-Star Squadron consistently presents Green Lantern's ring as it operates today, not as it operated then.) And Uncle Sam begins his story.
That's the only part of All-Star Squadron #31 we're concerned with today. I'll tell the rest of it (including the full All-Star Squadron Roll Call) when we get there, chronologically. Meanwhile, the bulk of the flashback is told in the following issue:
JANUARY 3, 1984
ALL-STAR COMICS #32
April 1984, DC Comics Inc., 36 pages
Cover by Jerry Ordway
"Crisis on Earth-X! The Prequel"
By Roy Thomas, Rick Hoberg and Bill Collins (23 pages)
Title Watch: Inspired by the title to Justice League of America #107, "Crisis on Earth-X!" But it probably ought to titled "Crisis on Earth-X! The Re-Write."
Time Watch: Dec. 7, 1941 (on Earth-X)
JSA Roll Call: The Atom, Batman, Dr. Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hourman, Sandman, The Spectre, Starman, Superman.
All-Star Squadron Roll Call: Black Condor, Doll Man, Firebrand, Human Bomb, Invisible Hood, Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle, Magno, Midnight, Miss America, Neon the Unknown, Phantom Lady, Plastic Man, The Ray, Red Torpedo, Robin, Robotman, Sargon, Star-Spangled Kid, Steel, Tarantula, Uncle Sam, Wonder Woman.
Sam says he discovered he could visit parallel worlds by concentrating, and did so in the summer of 1940. (Sam had debuted several months earlier, in National Comics #1, cover date July 1940, which shipped April 14, 1940.) He mentions the German invasion of Russia as having just happened, which was June 22, 1940. On this new Earth, which had no superheroes, he had visions of Japanese planes attacking an American naval base (Pearl Harbor, obviously). Since our world had plenty of superheroes to protect Pearl (although they didn't, thanks to Per Degaton), he recruited some heroes from Earth-Two to go to this new world (soon to be called Earth-X) to protect its Pearl Harbor. He recruits Invisible Hood, Magno the Magnetic Man, Miss America, Neon the Unknown, Red Torpedo ... and Hourman!
This probably places this part of the story just after All-Star Squadron Annual #3 (in-story date June 28, 1941), where the side effects of Miraclo were first addressed in-story, chronologically. And Hourman did, in fact, achieve a Miraclo Ray in Adventure Comics #71 (in-story date unknown, but published on Dec. 26, 1941).
Back in the "present," Sam says, "Then Tyler told us 'bout how he'd recently taken a leave of absence from the Justice Society, after a special mission for President Roosevelt." It was "so top secret the rest o' the world might not be ready to learn about it for decades." I assume this is a reference to All-Star Squadron Annual #3, which took place immediately after All-Star Comics #7, and doubtless precedes Sam's flashback story. (I addressed All-Star Squadron Annual #3 on Page 114.) This issue of All-Star Squadron was published in 1984, however, and readers wouldn't get All-Star Squadron Annual #3 for another year. But it was in that story, chronologically, that the side effects from Miraclo became too much for Tyler to take and he anounced his leave of absence, clearing up a 45-year-old mystery.
To finish the story, Sam & Co. do stop the Japanese fleet, so there was no Pearl Harbor on Earth-X. But, as far as Uncle Sam knows, all of his colleagues died in the process. Spoiler: It turns out that only Quality's Magno actually died. Each of the others turned up later with various explanations. (I suspect Magno was discarded because there was another Magno the Magnetic Man in the Golden Age, over at Ace Magazines, who is in public domain.) So, yes, Hourman is still alive, but as this issue concludes, nobody knows that.
But they will, as this story continues with another trip to Earth-X, courtesy of The Spectre. But that's a tale for another time. (That time being All-Star Squadron #33, set between All-Star Comics #12 and #13.)
Quality Watch: This continues the soft reboot of the Quality characters started on the cover of All-Star Squadron #1. As all fans know, Justice League of America #107 (September-October 1973) established that all Quality characters began on Earth-10, and all but six of them died. But All-Star Squadron has established that they all began on Earth-Two, and all of them are potentially alive (except for the ones Roy Thomas kills). In fact, we see a lot of them in the first half of All-Star Squadron #31, which we'll get to shortly.
So this flashback re-writes quite a bit of Justice League of America #107-108 (1973). In that story, the JSA members who visit Earth-X meet the Freedom Fighters for the first time, whereas this story establishes they knew each other — or at least knew of each other — long before. And now Plastic Man and Blackhawk didn't die there, any more than the rest of the Quality roster, and remain alive and well on Earth-Two. If JLA #107-108 now exists at all (which is doubtful, because Crisis), there was no home team — the JLA, JSA and Freedom Fighters were all visitors.
That may seem like a minor point. It was certainly easy for me to take in stride in 1984. But it has had at least one significant ramification: It kept the Quality characters anchored to Wolrd War II despite Crisis, which could have launched them as new characters. DC responded by, basically, killing most of them off and replacing them with younger versions. The only original Quality character left of which I'm aware is Uncle Sam, who is apparently immortal. We're on, like, the third Phantom Lady, right?
Hourman Watch: Further, there are also subtle reveals in, or maybe retcons of, Hourman's Golden Age history. We all know Hourman took a "leave of absence" from the JSA after All-Star Comics #7, never to return. All-Star Squadron Annual #3 gave him one more adventure with the team, and explained why. But his solo strip continued for another year, until Adventure Comics #83 (February 1943). And during that time Rex Tyler did, in fact, succeed in creating a Miraclo Ray, in Adventure Comics #71 (February 1942). So all of Hourman's dimension-hopping must have happened before that issue. When Hourman returns from Earth-X — and of course he does — we can assume that's when the remainder of his Golden Age stories take place. Except that the official reason he doesn't return to the JSA is side effects of the pills, which he replaced with the ray, and he doesn't return to the JSA, so what happened? Did the Miraclo Ray not work out? Was it retconned away? Were all those 1942 stories retconned away as well? Or is there is another explanation that I have forgotten, or has yet to be written?
Thought Experiment: All-Star Squadron establishes that the Quality characters all originated on Earth-Two. But there were at least two doppelgangers on Earth-One. DC Comics introduced Blackhawk in its main universe in Blackhawk #108 (1957) and the Pliable Policeman in Plastic Man #1 (1966). Both series were on hiatus in 1984, but the characters were still around (if Bob Haney's ersatz Brave and Bold is to be believed), and both Blackhawk and Plastic Man would enjoy later revivals. Which makes me wonder: Were there any other Earth-One counterparts of the Quality characters? And if so, where were they, and what were they doing? It all becomes moot with Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I find it fun to think about.
Another Thought Experiment: Have you ever noticed how ineffective Uncle Sam is? He's supposed to be the Spirit of America, which you'd think American comics would celebrate. Not only should he win pretty often, but he should win big. That's how Americans think of themselves, isn't it?
But he was a failure in "Crisis on Earth-X!" until the JLA and JSA bailed him out. He gets everybody killed (as far as he knows) in "Crisis on Earth-X! The Prequel" and has to run for more help (and, spoiler, another Quality character will get killed). He's hardly a juggernaut in Freedom Fighters. And it really goes downhill after Crisis, with all the subsequent Freedom Fighters reboots, the S.H.A.D.E. business, and Alex Ross' unpleasant Uncle Sam (1997). I don't think DC intends to make Uncle Sam incompetent; it's probably an unintended consequence of creating suspenseful stories. But they need to give him a few more in the "W" column, if you ask me.
Anyway, come tomorrow we'll be back to our previously scheduled program.
We're on, like, the third Phantom Lady, right?
Four:
My lists do occasionally come in handy.
EDIT: Ghost Woman (Real Name Unknown), New Super-Man #2, October 2016, is Phantom Lady's counterpart in the Freedom Fighters of China
This is my personal theory about Plastic Man, Blackhawk and what may have happened HERE !
Have you ever noticed how ineffective Uncle Sam is?
Rather like Congress in that respect (the 119th one, anyway).
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