It was late 1940, some two years after the appearance of Superman in ACTION COMICS #1, in Europe the Second World War had been raging for a year already and it would be another year before the attack on Pearl Harbour. Amid this backdrop appeared ALL-STAR COMICS, an anthology title featuring eight characters from four other comics. From FLASH COMICS there was the Flash and the Hawkman, from MORE FUN COMICS was the immortal Doctor Fate and the Spectre, from ADVENTURE COMICS came Hourman and the Sandman and finally from ALL-AMERICAN COMICS came Green Lantern and the Atom. The title would have remained forgotten to comics' historians if it had not been for the third issue. As a framing device for that issue's anthology stories the heroes (then called Mystery Men) gathered together in a New York hotel to share and swap stories. The Justice Society of America (JSA) was born.
The JSA was not the first time that characters from different strips had met each other, that honour can be claimed by Human Torch I and the Sub-Mariner. However the JSA was different in that it was the world's first formal superhero team and laid the foundation for the Justice League, the Avengers, WildCATS and ten dozen different teams for the next sixty years. ALL-STAR COMICS #3 (which now exchanges hands for over $US 30,000) was a simple group meeting but as the title got going things changed. Characters would leave and be replaced as their respective strips appeared and disappeared. The JSA would stay with ALL-STAR until 1951 when with the decline of the Mystery Men the title changed to ALL-STAR WESTERN.
However that was not the end for the JSA. With the launch of the Justice League of America (JLA) and the historic "Flash of Two Worlds" story the possibility was opened for the return of the JSA this time from the "newly" discovered Earth-2. A whole new generation of fans encountered the JSA with their annual team ups with the JLA. The Crisis and the ALL STAR SQUADRON title (all hail Roy Thomas) implanted the Justice Society into the main stream DCU. After all that work came the ZERO-HOUR, three of the team members were killed, others retired and the worlds first superhero team was effectively destroyed. Or was it?
Somehow this comics' fan doesn't think so. We have a resurgence in popularity JSA related characters like Power Girl, the Huntress and the new Starman. Some of the old faces still maintain positions of power in the DCU including the original Flash and Green Lantern. The Spectre, Dr Fate and Hawkman are only a limbo away so perhaps, just perhaps we might just get a new Justice Society.
ARTICLES
FOUNDING MEMBERS
ALL STAR COMICS #3-57
The Golden Age Print History of the Justice Society.
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DOCTOR FATE I Since before the age of man the Lords of Order have battled the Lords of Chaos. One of them - Nabu - descended into our world to create the champion Doctor Fate by using the host body of archaeologist's son Kent Nelson. One of the founding members of the JSA, the Immortal Doctor Fate is one of the most powerful beings on the planet. |
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HAWKMAN I AND HAWKGIRL I From the depths of ancient Egypt Prince Khufu and his beloved were reincarnated as part of the Hawk Avatar cycle. Using belts of anti-gravity Ninth Metal and feathered wings they soar above their foes. |
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SPECTRE Forged as the Divine Wrath the Spectre is a being of pure vengance. Empowered to be the agent of divine justice he is boned to a human host which services as a moral anchor. The most recent of his anchors was police detective Jim Corrigan. [By Alan Kistler] |
NON-FOUNDING MEMBERS
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BLACK CANARY I -Deceased
Dinah Drake was the daughter of the crusading policeman Richard Drake. When powerful people feared that she would take after her father her application to Gotham Police Acadamy was turned down. She fought back as the Black Canary with many people initially considering her a criminal herself. |
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DOCTOR MID-NITE -Deceased
Gifted the ability to see in total darkness by a criminal attack, Doctor Mid-Nite became the bane of the gangster and common criminal. Either from his popular newspaper column or from the night time roof tops he was an effective force. |
JLA, Related Icons and images are copyright DC Comics or their original creators/artists and are used without premission. This site is non-profit making and in no way exists to defraud the original artist/writers of the discussed material - it is a work in homage and it is hoped that it is seen as such. All questions please address to Jason Kirk.
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