Superman Meets Superman

To be fair, Superman has met Superman before....that sounds strange, doesn't it?

But, in this case, it is the Superman of Earth-1 (the one who was Superboy and a member of the JLA), and the Superman of Earth-2 (the one who started his career before World War II and was a member of the JSA), having their first one on one team-up, in Superman Family.

Time to take a look at what they did!

Save My Friend, Kill Your World

This solo team-up started simple enough, with the Superman of Earth-1 taking his friend, Professor Potter up to the Justice League of America's satellite, and showing him the Transmatter Machine in Superman Family #186 (November-December, 1977) by Gerry Conway, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (under a cover for the Lois Lane story of the issue by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez). 

Of course, just as Professor Potter touches it, someone is coming through....so, a short circuit happens, bringing in interdimensional menace, Krogg, to Earth-1.  Krogg proves mightier, than Superman, and even airless space was of no problem to him.  

Meanwhile, on Earth-2, that Superman is dealing with his Jimmy Olsen dying from a rare disease that is eating one of his organs....doctors could use a duplicating device to save the man, but this Jimmy has a rare blood and no living relatives.  Superman thinks quickly, knowing Jimmy has a younger duplicate on Earth-1, and heads to the JSA's Transmatter Machine in their Brownstone....but, as he is heading to Earth-1, a short circuit opens a dimensional breach....which allows Krogg to go to Earth-1 in Superman of Earth-2's place. 

Navigating his way through some interdimensional space, the Earth-2 Superman finds a spacial rift to Earth-1....and arrives just in time as Krogg got back to the JLA Satellite, intent on destroying the Transmatter Machine and Professor Potter, so he cannot be exiled again (like an old wizard did long ago)....

A Phoenix Of Steel

Superman Family #187 (January-February, 1978) by Gerry Conway, Curt Swan and Jack Abel (with a cover relating to this story by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez)...but, that's jumping a head a bit.

Superman of Earth-2 doesn't have any better luck against Krogg...who leaves the JLA Satellite, heading to Earth below.  The Earth-2 Superman rescues the Earth-1 Superman from space, and Professor Potter suggests they need to combine their power against Krogg. 

Both Superman don't think just teaming up will do it....and that's not Potter's idea.  The Professor wants to use the Transmatter Machine to combine them into a Super-Superman to take on Krogg.  The Men of Steel agree....and the combination works, and they fight with Krogg, overloading him so he explodes, and doing it quickly, so they can get back to the JLA Satellite to be split apart again (or they would also explode) and Superman of Earth-1 goes to retrieve his Jimmy Olsen so the Superman of Earth-2 can take him to save his Jimmy (this is reflected in the Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane stories of the issue).

The Superman of Earth-1 muses philosophically at the end....pledging to keep a bit of distance from his other dimensional duplicate because they were just a little too close for comfort (who actually was busy at this time in the 1970s All-Star Comics revival with his cousin, Power Girl).

Of course, Superman had met Superman before, in the seventh JLA/JSA team-up (where they looked very similar, and powers were about equal), worked together against Solomon Grundy in the ninth JLA/JSA team-up, and had a massive team-up well after this story in DC Comics Presents Annual #1 in 1982 with their respective Luthors, as well as a flashback to a time when Superman was Superboy and Clark Kent, as explained in two issues of the New Adventures of Superboy....all before the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Flash Facts: Jay Garrick Villains

Flash had gotten away from his team-ups with his alternate Earth friend for a while, but that changed with a few tales....

...as quickly presented here.

A look at a couple of team-ups of Flashes Barry Allen (from Earth-1) and Jay Garrick (from Earth-2), featuring Golden Age villains like Vandal Savage and Rag Doll (plus one or so.....).

Death Of An Immortal

Barry and Jay have their first team up since the pair worked with their other similar named JLA/JSA members against Solomon Grundy, in Flash #215 (May, 1972) by Len Wein, Irv Novick, Frank McLaughlin and Dick Giordano, under an emotional cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.


The team up does being with a little confusion...

...as Barry wakes up thinking that he is getting ready for a medal ceremony for the Flash in Central City (Earth-1), but finds he's really in Keystone City (Earth-2), as Jay's wife Joan gets to explain, much to both of their surprise as Barry has woken up in Jay's bedroom!


Nothing illicit going on, just a little multiple Earth confusion.  Jay was suppose to get an award as the Flash from Keystone City, but he's missing....so, Barry jumps in Jay's costume to take his place, hoping to spot someone that will be surprised that he is there.  That doesn't pan out, and on his way to his next idea, Barry saves an old man from an out of control truck...who surprises Barry by letting him know that he isn't the Flash (of Earth-2). 

The old man, Dalvan, takes him to his fortune telling business, where he reveals to Barry that he knows Jay is trapped in limbo, and, giving Barry his own uniform, opens up a doorway to limbo for him.  In Limbo, Barry finds Jay, who says he is there to track down a meteor, which, if he doesn't find and return to Earth-2, his world will die.

But, what about the old man?  He wasn't what he appeared to be....he was Vandal Savage!  The immortal villain found out that he wasn't as immortal as he thought, and needed to be exposed to the meteor again to keep his life going, and sent Jay into Limbo to retrieve it, yet found the powers of one speedster wouldn't be enough, so came up with this plan to get it, using items he got from his fellow Injustice Society of the World members. 

The Flashes found the meteor and used their super speed backdraft to send it where it is needed, but, nearly kill themselves, only to be saved when they encounter Tempus, the Guardian of the Time Stream.  Tempus blocks them from going back to the time when Limbo opened to let them in (as they figure that is also their way out). 

They defeat Tempus, and work their way through other time hurdles to leave Limbo after passing through the End of Time, and back to where they entered (finding out of Vandal Savage's role as they go).  The meteor shows up and Vandal is there for it to strike him....and both disappear!  

Did time catch up to Vandal Savage?

Jay returns next in the 11th JLA/JSA team-up, that introduces the Freedom Fighters, with his wife Joan having last appeared in a Jay Garrick solo tale in Flash #201 (November, 1970) and appearing next in the next Flash team-up...and villain Vandal Savage was last in the Flash team-up that revived the JSA, and appears next in an upcoming Flash team-up to be covered later.

The Rag Doll Runs Wild

Before Vandal Savage returns, time to check in on another of Jay's old foes, Rag Doll, in Flash #229 (September-October, 1974) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin, all under a cover by Nick Cardy.


Barry Allen decides to have lunch with an old friend's wife...

...but, to do that, has to travel to Earth-2 to meet Jay's wife, Joan Garrick. 


Along the way, he stops a break in at the Central City Community Center (the place where Barry first went to Earth-2), quickly dispatching the Walton Gang, and heads off to the alternate Earth.

Joan confides in Barry that she has seen something wrong lately in Jay.  Barry goes off to find him, with Jay in action as the Flash, looking for an old foe of his, the Rag Doll, on a new crime spree, stealing old dolls.  Jay had trouble catching this old foe, and was concerned about it, as Rag Doll should have no additional tricks other than being a contortionist.  Jay is worried he is losing a step, so Barry helps out, and, with a little extra effort, Barry helps Jay beat Rag Doll.

Barry sees an odd energy around both Rag Doll and Jay-Flash's head, and wonders what that means.  While interrogating Rag Doll at police headquarters, Rag Doll puts on his mask...and becomes a real rag doll?  How did he pull off that trick?   Jay and Barry call it a day, with Barry going back home...or did he?  Barry came back to find the Thinker, the mastermind who had manipulated Rag Doll's return, and Jay's mistakes, using his Thinking Cap. 

So, Barry came up with his own plan, switching out Peter Merkel for a real Rag Doll to confuse the Thinker, which worked, or would have had the Thinker not been able to shock Barry Allen.  Thankfully, Jay showed up to take on the Thinker, his confidence now better, and defeated the villain with a little helmet switch of his own.  Barry returned to his home, and explained to Iris that he faked being duped by the Thinker, so Jay could defeat him to get his confidence back!

Jay was last in the 12th JLA/JSA team-up featuring Sandman and Sandy, Rag Doll makes only his second appearance here (after Flash Comics #36) to return with the Secret Society of Super-Villains in a later JLA/JSA battle, and the Thinker, without his snazzy purple costume he got fighting the two Atoms, returns with the Injustice Society of the World to face the JSA with Power Girl in their return in All-Star Comics in the mid-1970s.  The issue also has reprints, including some of the Golden Age Flash and Johnny Quick!

Something to think on over time....and more alternate Earth teams to follow in the future!

Last Laugh For An Old Joker

While a lot of attention has been given to heroic doppelgangers, the bad guys haven't necessary gotten their equal due.


So, today, in fairness, a quick little look at the elder statesman of crime, the Golden Age Joker!

Beginnings

The Joker first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring, 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane) with a pair of stories, returning multiple times (starting with Batman #2 of Summer, 1940, meeting with Catwoman), and continued to menace the Dynamic Duo for well over a decade.

To be fair, sources have picked different issues for the last Golden Age appearance of the Joker, but the most logical seems to be Batman #80 (December-January, 1953/1954), as the next issue has the first appearance of the Earth-1 Two-Face (as evidenced by the fact that Harvey was remade into Two-Face in this issue, and an appearance in Superman Family stated that the Earth-2 Harvey Dent had never had his surgery undone).

JLA/JSA Crossover

Be that as is may, the definite first appearance of an Earth-2 Joker (which is to say, an appearance of the original, Golden Age Joker after Earth-1 and Earth-2 where named and set) was in Justice League of America #136 (November, 1976)...


...where a semi-retired Batman and Robin, the ex-Boy Wonder worked with the JLA, JSA and Squadron of Justice (heroes of Earth-S which didn't belong to the Marvel Family like Ibis the Invincible, Spy Smasher, Bulletman and Bulletgirl) against villains united by Captain Marvel's old foe, King Kull, such as Dr. Light, the Shade and the Weeper.

The story, "Crisis On Earth-S" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin didn't really show much different in this Joker than his Earth-1 counterpart...

...other than that he was an age appropriate analog for the older Batman of the Justice Society of America (though he did have a little more of Dick Sprang look to him, at least on the inside of the book, than the current, more Jim Aparo, thin look which was on the cover by Ernie Chan and Frank Giacoia).


He barely even appeared in the issue...

....just a mild distraction for a couple of pages, as he was working with the Weeper.

Joker Vs. The Batman's Daughter

The Earth-2 Joker pretty much remained incarcerated during the 1980s, at least until after the death of Batman. 

The Joker did return, to face Batman's daughter, the Huntress (Helena Wayne), in a run of her back up stories from Wonder Woman #280 to #283 (June to September, 1981, in stories by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton and Steve Mitchell).

The first story, Wonder Woman #280 (June, 1981), didn't have much in it, as Huntress was concluding her battle against Lionmane (a foe that had forced Helena's mother, the Catwoman, out of the criminal business), but, the battle began in earnest in Wonder Woman #281, as Huntress investigated what Joker did to Harry Simms, and then, the Joker also got his toxin into Commissioner O'Hara as well!

Helena took some time to try to track down the Joker via the ingredients in his toxin in Wonder Woman #282, as well as taking a trip back to her childhood home, Wayne Manor.  There, she hope to come up with an idea to stop the Joker.  Meanwhile, back in Gotham, the Joker himself made an interesting discovery....that, his eternal foe, the Batman....may still be alive????

Yes, a showdown was about to happen....a battle royal between the original Batman and original Joker in Wonder Woman #283.....or was it?  Using the Bat-Signal on police headquarters, Joker hoped to lure Batman to him.  Huntress came because of the alarm in the Bat Cave under Wayne Manor, and was able to defeat the Joker (thus retrieving the anti-toxin to save Simms and O'Hara), with "Batman" watching.

But, who was that "Batman"?  Here's a hint (and he appeared in the next issue in his usual identity).

Last Laugh

The Earth-2 Joker had his last appearance, finally accepting the death of Batman, in Brave and the Bold #200 (July, 1983) by Mike W. Barr, Dave Gibbons and Gary Martin in "Smell Of Brimstone, Stench Of Death".



The Joker, ever the instigator, is the roommate of the mostly comatose since the 1950s Brimstone (Nicholas Lucien), a villain who faced the Earth-2 Batman and Robin in a cleverly made flashback tale (though he felt much more like a 1960s TV Batman villain, with a flame motif), but fell into a coma after his first battle after being battered around by Batman, only waking up in prison after the Earth-2 Batman was dead.

Joker inspired him, perhaps unintentionally, to switch Earths, and try to enact his vengeance on the Earth-1 Batman (as Joker made him so mad that Lucien was able to project his mind into his Earth-1 doppelganger), in what was the closest to a team-up of the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Batmen.


This also allowed the Joker a bit of a legacy, inspiring an evil which could even cross Earths, all before the Crisis On Infinite Earths!

Multiple Crisis Plus Green Lantern 61

Not all of the Earth-1/Earth-2 team-ups were included in the volumes of the Crisis On Multiple Earths The Team-Ups two volumes.

Green Lantern #61 (June, 1968) by Mike Friedrich, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, with a cover by Kane and Greene, was one of those tales, which we will monitor right now....

Thoroughly Modern Mayhem

This time around, the action starts quick!


The Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Alan Scott defeating Captain Challenge on Earth-1, with Alan then heading home to Earth-2 to resume his work at Gotham Broadcasting in his alter ego, trying to just have a normal day....

.....only to end up stopping a fight between two co-workers, Johnny Halliday and Tommy Saunders, with Tommy going to the hospital.



Still more keeps the hero busy, multiple crimes, break-ins, running him all the way to the dawn and beyond!

Even at stately Wayne Manor, as Dick Grayson was a grown up Robin, and not staying there, and Bruce Wayne was away, getting an award for his good works as Earth-2's other Gotham Guardian, Batman....Green Lantern responds to the alarm he had set up there.

Green Lantern makes quick work of that thief and heads home, just to hear more trouble, and to find out his own home had been ransacked!


That was it!  Alan decides to will away all evil and everyone disappears!


Returning to his Earth, GL Hal Jordan finds the entire population of Earth-2 in the Earth-1 Utah desert, so, goes to check Earth-2, finding it empty (but Alan's ring at his home).

The GLs return work to return everyone home, with Alan realizing he can't do it all alone, so Hal goes to try to stop the crime wave (following odd radio broadcasts), while Alan checks up on Tommy in the hospital. 

Hal follows the radio signals there, to find Alan beating up two thugs, then the GLs go to Gotham Broadcasting where GL Alan goes after Johnny Halliday.  Johnny was the mastermind behind the crime wave, using the radio frequency to broadcast hate and coordinate robberies, Tommy found out, so that's why they were fighting. 

Alan realizes that just by doing something small, we can all do our part to stop the bigger evil.  This is a parallel to a later story involving Hal Jordan, who faces his own Zero Hour Crisis, and tried to do away with evil as Parallax.

Green Lantern Alan Scott was last in a team up with Hal (as recounted here), and appears next in the 6th JLA/JSA team-up, debuting Red Tornado. 

One of many Multiple Earths stories not in these volumes....more will come!

What If There Were Two Versions Of Batman

Dealing with the death of Batman.  Seems odd but true, hinted at in this issue of Detective Comics, but not something come about in the normal way.

Spoiling the secret hinted at on the cover....so, read on only if you dare!

The Strange Death Of Batman

In the main part of the story of Detective Comics #347 (January, 1966) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, the Dynamic Duo faced off against a new foe, the Bouncer.  The Bouncer was a criminal metallurgist, who created a suit out of a special combination including metal and plastics that he called Elastalloy, which allowed him to rebound off of any material.

The Bouncer was able to best Batman and Robin multiple times, before Batman had figured out a way to beat him, using science to stress the material of the villain's costume (and gun), which prevented them from bouncing, allowing Batman to be victorious against this baffling bad guy.

What If

Here's where readers are suddenly introduced to Gardner Fox, the man who had penned this very tale!


The writer of the tale takes you through his thought process for the issue, but then takes the reader along a different path...one where Batman's plan was not successful, with the Bouncer killing Batman with his gun. 

Robin mourns his mentor, with the Justice League promising the lad that they will bring in the villain, but Robin does it on his own anyway, instead of finding the elastic limit of Elastalloy, he gives it elastic fatigue.  Robin defeats the villain, but is still alone....until he hears the voice of Bruce Wayne! 

 

It is the Silver Age introduction Batman of Earth-2, who, since his Robin had grown up, came to Earth-1 to now be a mentor to young Robin, bringing along the Earth-2 Alfred as well (Alfred had been thought to be dead at this time).

Now, this was still early in the history of the multiple Earths, taking place between the 3rd and 4th JLA/JSA team-ups, and certainly before readers had been introduced to the grown up Earth-2 Robin...

....but, a real interesting little tale allowing Gardner Fox to quietly sneak a little of the DC Universe into Batman's Detective Comics.

Superman Times Two Plus One

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  That's true wherever you might go, even across the reaches of the DC Multiverse.

Not sure about that?  Well, here's a look at that philosophy in action, with DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (September, 1982), by Marv Wolfman, Rich Buckler and Dave Hunt, all under a cover by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano.

Crisis On Three Earths

It all stars with a battle between Superman and Luthor, as Lois watches.  But, it plays out a little differently depending on which Earth you live on.

On Earth-1, reporter Clark Kent has to avoid Lois Lane to go and fight bald Lex Luthor as the JLA's Superman, saving the Daily Planet (a subsidiary of WGBS Communications) from his attack.

On Earth-2, editor Clark Kent gets help from Lois Kent to go and fight red haired Alexei Luthor as the JSA's Superman, saving the Daily Star from the extreme attack.


Still, the Luthors end up captured and in jail, with the Supermen victorious, and Metropolis safe.

But, a new twist...in jail, the Earth-1 Luthor plans his escape, by switching places with the Earth-2 Luthor....leading to each Luthor taking on the other's Superman...with similar results, and the two Superman deciding to imprison the two Luthors in the Limbo dimension between worlds.

Still, the Earth-1 Luthor was ready....and using equipment in his green and purple suit, take the two to a third Earth, Earth-3, which has its own version of Superman... Ultraman.  But, this is no hero, he's a member of the evil Crime Syndicate of America, and is powered by Kryptonite.

The three villains go off to make plans, observed by this Earth's Lois Lane.  This Lois goes to warn Earth-3's Alexander Luthor....who calls in the two Supermen for aid, and, spurred on by Lois, puts on a super suit of his own, to finally give Earth-3 its first hero.

Meanwhile, the villains have continued their plan, albeit working against each other as much as together.  While the Earth-1 Luthor was looking to conquer the world, the Earth-2 Luthor planned on destroying Earth-1 and Earth-2 (while Ultraman was to betray them both).

Still, the heroes united battle their foes, with Alexander taking out Ultraman while Superman-2 takes down both Luthors, and the Superman-1 prevents the two Earths from merging into the same space.

The villains defeated, the heroes each end up dealing with their own version of Lois, with slightly different results.

All the while, awaiting an approaching bigger Crisis On Infinite Earths..... 

Superman, Superboy and the DC Universe

Superman is considered the primary hero of the DC Universe, and in places, the first super-hero of the DC Universe.

But, for a time, there were heroes on Earth that predated Superman, but not the younger version of Superman, Superboy.

Here's a quick bit of history on two of DC's founding super-heroes, and a unique thing that links them together!

Superman First Appearance

Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June, 1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, with the basics of his origin (coming from another planet, with strength and speed beyond those of ordinary men), fighting against injustice, working as reporter Clark Kent for the Daily Star, working along side Lois Lane.

As the years went by, more details were added to the origin and life of Kal-L of Krypton, and he helped found the Justice Society of America, joined the All-Star Squadron, and even married Lois, as well as meeting many heroes from other worlds as well, as the world which this Golden Age Superman grew up and protected had come to be referred to as Earth-2.

 

Superboy First Appearance

On the other hand, there was a world where Superman was just one of many heroes around, but young Superboy (Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El) was a lone hero for a time, first appearing in More Fun Comics #101 (January-February, 1945) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (though Green Arrow and Speedy got a rare cover), with Jor-El fighting the Science Council about the end of Krypton, and sending his son to Earth, where he would be found and raised by the Kents in Smallville, growing up and learning to use his powers, meeting the Legion of Super-Heroes from the future, and eventually being the Superman who helps found the Justice League of America, and meeting even more heroes, as this Superman on the world which was called Earth-1.

But, since being Superboy was a unique trait of the Earth-1 Superman, who trained young Clark Kent on Earth-2 to use his powers and be a hero?

Why, Superboy of course!

In the New Adventures of Superboy #15 (March, 1981) by Bob Rozakis, John Calnan and Tex Blaisdell, "Superboy Meets Clark Kent".  While fighting a freak tornado in Smallville, Superboy finds himself transported to another Smallville, but earlier in time (the early 1930s), and figures out he has not only transported in time, but to another dimension.  While checking around, Superboy meets the young Clark Kent of this world, who has strength and speed beyond those of normal men, but was planning to join the circus.....so, Superboy starts to train young Clark in the use of his powers.

Then, in the New Adventures of Superboy #16 (April, 1981) by Bob Rozakis, John Calnan and Dave Hunt, we see the results of "The Superboy Training Of Clark Kent".   While training young Clark, Superboy meets his parents, John and Mary Kent (similar to his John and Martha), then tries to return to his own world.  Young Clark tries to join the circus as the Masked Wonder, but instead saves the day as the main circus pole cracks.  Instead of joining the circus, Clark decides his future would be better off being a hero.  Superboy returns at this time, enlisting young Clark's help to crack the dimensional barrier to get home.  The two Kryptonians succeed, with both ending up on their own Earth, wondering how the other fared, and continuing their growth into the Superman they will be, proving any Superman will help anyone, even himself!

Batman Marries Catwoman

It isn't a hoax, imaginary story or any other such phony plot device, but a real wedding for Batman and Catwoman....or, technically for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

It happened long ago, on a place called Earth-2, where the original Batman (who was a member of Justice Society of America) and the Golden Age Catwoman lived....

The Autobiography Of Bruce Wayne

Brave and the Bold #197 (April, 1983) by Alan Brennert, Joe Staton and George Freeman (with a stunning cover by Jim Aparo), presents the story where Bruce and Selina finally admit their love for each other in 1955.

Batman worries about being alone as one of Bruce Wayne's former girlfriends gets marries, and, thanks to a recently paroled Scarecrow, that fear manifests, as Robin, Batwoman, then Alfred, Gordon, even Lois Lane and Superman disappear.  Batman goes for help from an old enemy, Catwoman, serving time as Selina Kyle after turning herself in (and claiming amnesia for most of her time as Catwoman).  During their search for Scarecrow, the two open up to each other about how much life had hurt them, and that they had both needed someone...so that they both conquered their fear of being alone by trusting each other.  The story ends with a quick summary of their wedding, as well as the events which happened in the decades following.

This story is one of the best Batman stories ever written, and has been reprinted many times, including in the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told of 1988, Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years of 2015, and in Tales Of The Batman: Alan Brennert of 2016.  This tale alone almost makes any of those collections worth buying, and the other tales around it are just a bonus.

The Kill Kent Contract

Bruce and Selina get married in Superman Family #211 (October, 1981) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Kurt Schaffenberger and Dan Adkins, with guests like Dick Grayson (Robin), Alfred Beagle, Commissioner James Gordon, Harvey Kent (the former Two-Face), and Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Mr. and Mrs. Superman).

This tale starts with Clark and Lois getting an invitation of Bruce and Selina's wedding (via Batplane, no less), and the pair heading to Gotham City to attend (revealing Lois knows both parties secret identities as well as how Selina gave up, about her brother Kyle, the King of Cats).  A phone mix up allows Lois to hear that a plot to kill Kent is afoot at the wedding.  The ceremony shows Dick Grayson as Bruce's best man, Karl Kyle giving Selina away, and Bruce's butler, Alfred Beagle (the Golden Age version of Alfred Pennyworth), Com. James Gordon (with wife Barbara and son Tony).  Afterward, at the reception, Clark and Lois meet Harvey Kent, former Gotham District Attorney (and Two-Face, before cured with plastic surgery), who as the Kent who was the target.

Superman foils the criminal's plans, and later, when Lois, Clark, Bruce and Selina are alone, Lois and Clark reveal their secret to Selina, hoping the couples would be best of friends (but it was Bruce and Dick who returned for a second appearance in the Mr. and Mrs. Superman feature in Superman Family #216). 

Sadly, this tale, like most of the Mr. and Mrs. Superman tales other than Lois and Clark's wedding from Action Comics #484, has not been reprinted, but this whole run from Superman and Superman Family, along with the Action Comics issue cries out to be collected, as writer E. Nelson Bridwell really fleshed out the differences between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 versions of Superman (and Batman) with entertaining tales of a married Clark and Lois set in the 1950s.

From Each Ending....A Beginning

A quick peak at Bruce and Selina's wedding happens in DC Super-Stars #17 (November-December, 1977) by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton and Bob Layton, as well as a little look at Bruce and Selina's life after getting hitched, including how both retired their costumed identities for a while, as they raised a daughter, Helena Wayne.

The majority of this issue is about Helena, and Bruce and Selina's life at that time, but this does have that first flashback to her birth in 1957, as well as a little time of her growing up, as well as establishing many of the guests at Bruce and Selina's wedding, setting up for the later tales which help fill in the holes of the details.  The issue also introduces Silky Cernak, and the catastrophe he will introduce into the lives of Bruce, Selina and Helena Wayne in 1976, which the title of the tale suggests, leading to the introduction of the Huntress and her costume which looks like a hybrid of Batman and Catwoman's (though Huntress appeared only days earlier in All-Star Comics #69, technically her first appearance in a cameo in the JSA tale, though this story happened first).

This tale has been reprinted a few times, in Batman In The Seventies from 1999, Huntress: Darknight Daughter from 2006 (which cries for a follow up volume to finish the Huntress reprints from the 1970s/1980s from the back of Wonder Woman as her history shows, almost all her other tales have been reprinted), and in Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years from 2015), completing our look back at the first time Batman and Catwoman got married.