The Beginnings Of The Justice Society

Tracking the Justice Society of America down through the ages...

...here are a few of their biggest beginnings from the 20th Century...

...starting from the 1940s to the 1990s, with a little history behind each appearance...

The First Meeting Of The Justice Society Of America

The team first gathered in All-Star Comics #3 (Winter, 1940), with a cover by E. E. Hibbard, and main story by Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard, with chapters devoted to each of the individual members of the group who were in attendance at the meeting:  The Flash (Jay Garrick), Hawkman (Carter Hall), the Spectre (Jim Corrigan), Hourman (Rex Tyler), Sandman (Wesley Dodds), Dr. Fate (Kent Nelson), Johnny Thunder (a text story, as Johnny was not yet a member), the Atom (Al Pratt) and Green Lantern (Alan Scott), as well as an interlude with the Red Tornado (and hints that Superman and Batman were too busy to come).

Though the group had met before (though readers had yet to see that), the team just related individual adventures as they interacted and got ready for the next issue, where they would work as a team for the FBI!

This set the tone for many of their adventures, with team members coming (Johnny Thunder, Dr. Mid-Nite (Charles McNider), Starman (Ted Knight), Wonder Woman, Wildcat (Ted Grant), Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane) and Black Canary (Dinah Drake), as well as two appearances over the decades by Superman and Batman), as the teams adventures ran until All-Star Comics #57 (February-March, 1951) (with a later adventure, detailing how the team had been convinced to retire).

Vengeance Of The Immortal Villain

The team resurfaced in Flash #137 (June, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella (with Infantino and Murphy Anderson supplying the cover).  Here, as old (like caveman old) Flash (Jay) villain, Vandal Savage (who was one of many members of the JSA's opposite number, the Injustice Society of the World, and using a few of their gadgets), plotted to capture the retired JSA members (at least close to the final line up of the team (Hawkman, Atom, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Dr. Mid-Nite and Wonder Woman...), but hadn't counted on the interference of an alternate Earth Flash (Barry Allen) who crossed over to help Jay, and the two worked together to save team and defeat Savage.

This convinced the JSA members that they needed to gather occasionally, and they would find some Crisis that had them crossing Earths to meet their counterparts in the Justice League Of America, as the JLA/JSA team-ups began (with that first one giving readers the idea that the JLA was on Earth-1, and JSA was on Earth-2), adding new members of a grown up Robin and a new robotic Red Tornado, with the original heroes (well, at least Flash, Green Lantern and the Atom) occasionally teaming up with their counterparts away from their teams.

 

The Untold Origin Of The Justice Society

Now, in the midst of the decades of JLA/JSA team-ups, the JSA was revived in a new All-Star Comics, adding a time-tossed Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl, Superman's cousin to the team.  Halfway through that run, in DC Special #29 (August-September, 1977) by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton and Bob Layton (behind a Neal Adams cover), the origin of the team was revealed as the team was gathered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a top secret mission to stop Adolf Hitler from invading England in November, 1940.  FDR was able to get Batman, Flash and Green Lantern, and sent them, but they were not entirely successful, with Hitler planning to execute them with the Spear of Destiny (a magical item purporting to be the spear that was used against Jesus).  

Dr. Fate recruited Hourman to help him and save the trio...but that didn't quite work, with Hitler invoking some of the mystic power of the spear to summon the Valkyries (but additional heroes Dr. Fate summoned arrived...Sandman, Hawkman, Atom and the Spectre).  The Spectre especially was able to stop Hitler's sea fleet and disperse the Valkyries...and Hitler used them to guard an experimental plane he had to bomb the United States capital, and would have been successful if not for the last minute appearance of Superman.  After the Atom saved FDR from a rogue Valkyrie, the president suggested the heroes should form a team...and they did.

The Huntress joined the team during the remainder of the JSA's All-Star revival, and into their short run in Adventure Comics (the last of which had Huntress reveal to Power Girl what she knew of how the JSA retired in the 1950s....with the team's loyalty being called into question by Congress, and instead of revealing their identities, the team disappeared for a time).

This time, the team continued at least as part of JLA/JSA team-ups, as well a (sort of) revival in All-Star Squadron (which was 1980s adventures featuring the JSA, but set in the 1940s), which led to Infinity, Inc. (a group of heirs to the JSA as a team, with the JSA as supporting characters), and even another trial in America Vs. the Justice Society....all before the Crisis on Infinite Earths set in motion the events that led to the Justice Society being sentenced to limbo in Last Days Of The Justice Society Special, fighting a never-ending Ragnarok to keep the universe from ending, with only Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Star-Spangled Kid and the Spectre not being trapped in that limbo on the now (supposedly) one and only Earth.

The Gathering Of Heroes

But, you can't keep good heroes down, as in Armageddon: Inferno #4 (July, 1992) by John Ostrander, Dick Giordano, and Frank McLaughlin (and a few other artists like Tom Mandrake, Art Adams and Walt Simonson, with Mike Netzer and Joe Rubinstein on the cover), the JSA returned.  

In the previous issue (with art by Luke McDonnell and Bruce Solotoff), Spectre related to Waverider how the JSA was out of time due to the Spear of Destiny (and Kobra's attack on the Spectre) leading to near Ragnarok, but that combining their power, they could take the JSA out of the loop, and use them to fight Abraxis (an invader from another dimension, who was summoned to Earth, and empowered his minions, getting the time travelling Waverider to recruit heroes to fight him...but all this made time fragile, leading to extraordinary measures).

Still, this returned the JSA to fight Abraxis in his home dimension, where the JSA also empowered to the locals with their Ragnarok energies to help in the fight...and the nameless residents of Abraxis' hopeless dimension found hope with their power, and, replaced the JSA in their endless time loop (after the defeat of Abraxis), resulting in the JSA (plus Hawkgirl and Sandy, partners of Hawkman and Sandman) to be returned to the modern day.

The team had a few adventures (mostly Flash and Green Lantern, with their counterparts), and a slight JSA revival, before the disruption of Zero Hour (which sidelined the team for a time, until it's revival in 1999, leading the team to one of its most successful times)...but, that's a tale for another day....and later in the 21st century....

But, if you have been lucky enough to find this, make sure to check out many other articles and podcasts on the many years of the Justice Society, as we celebrate 85 years of the JSA, and you can find out where to find them checking the #JSApril hashtag, as well as a list at fireandwaterpodcast.com/JSApril.

Time For The JSA

As time ticks down, like the sands of an hourglass, so too do the variations of a classic cover, featuring the Justice Society.

Take a look below, as we head down covers featuring the Justice Society Of America, and their timely foe, Per Degaton.

All-Star Companion #4 (April, 2017)

Jerry Ordway supplied this cover for a publication covering the history of the Justice Society, with this volume focused on other teams inspired by the Justice Society, like the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the Invaders, as well as a little on Earth-2 in the 1980s with Infinity, Inc. and a look at the 1980s version of Secret Origins.

History in the pages!

JSA #72 (June, 2005)

Alex Ross supplied this stunning cover for the JSA, as the original team and the modern team work together to fight the time machinations of Per Degaton, including members like Power Girl, Jakeem and Johnny Thunder, the original Atom and Flash and more!

An epic battle for the ages!

America Vs. The Justice Society #4 (April, 1985)

Back to Jerry Ordway again, with the stunning conclusion to a historical look back at the career of the Justice Society, framed on with a court trial from accusations made in the dead Batman's diary, with Huntress and Robin leading the investigations to disprove what he did.

All while Per Degaton rages!

 

 

All-Star Comics #35 (June-July, 1947)

The original. by Irwin Hasen, wherein the Justice Society of America has their first battle with Per Degaton, the master manipulator of time, who would spent many decades just washing those test tubes as his attempted manipulations of time would fail.

See you in the funny pages!

Happy Birthday George Perez

A little happy birthday to artist George Perez...

...and, here are a few DC Digests that have his art on the cover!

Best of DC 17 (October, 1981)

A cover of Supergirl by George Perez and Dick Giordano, with issues inside reprinting Supergirl stories from Action Comics #256, #285, #318, Adventure Comics #424, Supergirl #1 and Superman Family #165!

Great tales summarizing the career of Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, aka Linda Lee aka Linda Danvers!

Best of DC 21 (February, 1982)

The Justice Society of America are rebuilding on this cover, all by George Perez himself, with stories in this issue including DC Special #29, All-Star Comics #35 and Brave and the Bold #62!

These tales include the original of the JLA, the first appearance of Per Degaton and a Starman/Black Canary team up!

DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 19 (March, 1982)

The original Doom Patrol are on view on this little cover by George Perez and Frank Giacoia, with stories inside including My Greatest Adventure #80, Doom Patrol #86, #91 and #90!

These tales include the first appearance of the Doom Patrol, the Brotherhood of Evil, Mento and battle royale!

Didn't forget about the New Teen Titans Digest, but that one is so special, it will get its own coverage!

Happy Birthday Joe Staton

Happiest of birthdays to artist Joe Staton, born January 19, 1948!

 

Over the years, Joe has drawn a lot of friendly characters in comics....

 

...and here's a little "Showcase" of them, including...

 

 

...Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps...

 

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...including Guy Gardner...

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...old and New Guardians...

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...E-Man, Nova and all their friends...

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...the Creature Commandos and Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes...

...most of the DC Universe...

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...the Justice League of America...

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...and the Justice Society of America...

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...including Huntress and Power Girl!

For all this and more (like current work on Dick Tracy with Mike Curtis in the newspapers), thank you Joe Staton, and happiest of birthdays!

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.

Crisis On Infinite Earths

"Worlds Will Live.  


Worlds Will Die.


And The DC Universe Will Never Be The Same."


That was the advertisement leading up to DC's 50th Anniversary celebration 12 issue mini-series, which started with Crisis On Infinite Earths #1 (April, 1985), in the story begun by Marv Wolfman, George Perez,  and Dick Giordano (with plot assists by Len Wein and Robert Greenberger).

Following years of build up with the introduction of the Monitor and Lyla (who became the Harbinger in this issue) in New Teen Titans, readers saw the destruction of the Crime Syndicate of America's Earth-3 with Pariah watching; only the child, Alexander Luthor Jr., the son of Alexander Luthor and Lois Lane Luthor, surviving.

This dealt with DC's Multiverse, introduced when Flash Barry Allen first met Flash Jay Garrick back in the day, leading to annual team-ups of the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s!

Quite the adventure, and it was for the existence of everything which you've been reading about here (and more!).

Hopefully, these links and articles will help expand your mind and give you some of the information you need to help you navigate the Crisis On Infinite Earths, from DC's two Supermen, Anthro, the Wild West, the World War II Losers and All-Star Squadron, the Outsiders, Infinity Inc., the Legion of Super-Heroes and more!

JLA JSA Third Multiple Crisis

Worlds will live, worlds will die.   The tag line of DC's Crisis On Infinite Earths....but, who were on all those Earths, and who was living there?

Another in a series of collections on the various Crisis events faced by the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America....and, with this series of team team-ups, additional parts of the DC Universe were added to each grouping!

Let's dive into them!

Earth -- The Monster Maker

First up this time, Justice League of America #91 (August, 1971) by Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella, with a cover by Neal Adams, and a JLA/JSA team-up of the super-heroic counterparts of each Earth, including special guest, Teen Titan Robin!

It also started off with the scene on the cover, injuring the Flash, and dealt with a lost boy and his dog, but they were interdimensional beings, who were symbiotic, so needed each other to survive.  The Flash (E-1) was injured by the dog (Teppy) by New Carthage (the college home of the E-1 Robin, the Teen Wonder).  The JLA goes to fight the animal there, where they are joined by the JSA, who had fought the boy (A-Rym), with he taking on the E-2 Green Lantern at Slaughter Swamp.  After eventually capturing the dog, the E-2 Flash and E-1 Superman head to Earth-2, bringing along the rest....to find the boy getting help from.....Solomon Grundy!

Solomon Grundy -- The One And Only

While the similarly named members of the JLA and JSA work to resolve the menace of a lost boy in Justice League of America #92 (September, 1971) by Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella (under a Neal Adams/Dick Giordano), they encounter Solomon Grundy!

While Barry Allen Flash recovers in the JLA Satellite (aided by Black Canary and Iris Allen), the JLA and JSA fight A-Rym and Solomon Grundy, with the two Robins taking a break as the E-1 Robin has a damaged uniform (and gets a new costume for a bit from the E-2 Robin, as designed by Neal Adams, and both dealing with their Batman problems, as well as battling the authority of their respective Hawkmen), then with the help of the Hawkmen, stop A-Rym, while the Green Lanterns stop Solomon Grundy, and the teams reunite A-Rym and Teddy, and see they get back to their own people. 

Meanwhile, Batman and Green Arrow find Aquaman (which leads into the next new issue after a JLA Giant, wherein the JLA faces the new villain Merlyn, and his ties with Deadman and the League of Assassins!).

Jay Flash appears next with Barry Flash fighting Vandal Savage in Flash #215, the Earth-2 Hawkman doesn't appear again until the JSA has its own series in All-Star Comics in the 1970s, the Earth-2 Atom waits until he is found by the Secret Society of Super-Villains in that team's last issue to appear again, Solomon Grundy  coming from the fourth JLA/JSA team-up, and faces the Earth-1 Superman in Superman #301, the Earth-1 Robin returns to his original costume in his next appearance (though that costume will appear again)....and the rest of the JSA are as follows....

The Unknown Soldier Of Victory

This JLA/JSA team up in Justice League of America #100 (August, 1972) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella (under a Nick Cardy cover) is a big one, so just follow along as events get revealed during the three issues!

The entire JLA (plus a few friends) gather at the JLA's original mountain headquarters for their 100th meeting (with cameos by absent Martian Manhunter, Snapper Carr and Adam Strange), when the JSA suddenly brings them to Earth-2.  The JSA explain that the Earth is being destroyed by a menace called the Iron Hand, and are looking for help.  Dr. Fate, with the help of Johnny's Thunderbolt and Zatanna summon the cosmic being Oracle, who explains that the Hand can be stopped by the same device that the Seven Soldiers of Victory used to stop the Nebula Man.  Green Arrow asks...."who are the Seven Soldiers?"....and finds out they were a group of Earth-2 heroes who disappeared after their battle with the Nebula Man in the 1950s (including his own Earth-2 duplicate), leaving behind a tomb to the unknown Seven Soldier. 

The Seven Soldiers originally gathered to fight the Hand (who united their own foes), but were now scattered in the past, waiting for the current JLA/JSA to go retrieve them.

Dr. Fate, the E-1 Atom and Elongated Man are sent to get the Crimson Avenger in Mexico in the time of the Aztecs, as readers find out that the current Iron Hand menacing the world is the original Hand who faced the Seven Soldiers!

The Hand That Shook The World

Justice League of America #101 (September, 1972) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella (under Nick Cardy's cover) is another busy one....so, let's go!

Diana Prince (at this time, the depowered E-1 Wonder Woman), is alone at the JSA HQ, and explains to late arrivals Mr. Terrific and the E-2 Robin and Green Lantern what has been going on.  Meanwhile, the E-1 Superman, E-2 Sandman and Metamorpho go to get the Shining Knight from Genghis Khan as he invades China; the E-1 Hawkman and E-2 Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite help Little John free the E-2 Green Arrow (who was filling in for Robin Hood); and the E-1 Batman with Hourman and Starman free Stripsey from Egyptian slavery building Khufu's tomb.

The three JSAers leave Diana at their HQ to help people on their Earth and find out who is in the unknown Seventh Soldier tomb.....and the Iron Hand shows up at JSA HQ....to deal with Diana!

And One Of Us Must Die

An ominous issue is Justice League of America #102 (October, 1972) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella (as seen by the Nick Cardy cover), as fate does not bode well for one of our heroes.

The cosmic Oracle bemoans that he is not allowed to interfere in man's destiny, as the E-1 Green Arrow, Black Canary and E-2 Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt save the E-2 Vigilante from American Indians and their bison in the old West; Aquaman, the E-1 Green Lantern and E-2 Wildcat deal with cavemen and a flood rescuing a flu bug bidden Star-Spangled Kid; and the E-1 Flash, Red Tornado and Zatanna free the E-2 Speedy from the ancient sorceress, Circe.

But, that's Seven Soldiers!  Who is in the tomb?

It was the "eight" Soldier....Crimson Avenger's partner, Wing, who used the Nebula Rod to stop the Nebula Man, and was buried by monks who found him in the Himalayas.  The Iron Hand now reappears, trying to kill Diana, but she uses her judo to stop him, accidentally breaking his control device to stop the menace to Earth.  Android Red Tornado takes the Nebula Rod to stop the new menace, theoretically sacrificing himself for all (though later events prove that not true).

The JSAers all came from and appear next in JLA/JSA team-ups (most from the 8th JLA/JSA adventure), with Dr. Fate having come to this adventure after an adventure with Superman in World's Finest Comics and Mr. Terrific, who appears in the next to last solo JSA adventure in Adventure Comics.   The Seven Soldiers of Victory are now in the present, and their fates play out in All-Star Conics, DC Comics Presents, Infinity Inc. and in the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Crisis On Earth-X

How do you top that last adventure?  Why, introduce a new Earth to the JLA/JSA in Justice League of America #107 (September-October, 1973) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano, with a Nick Cardy cover, in the issue that introduces the Freedom Fighters!

True, the Freedom Fighters are made up of old Quality heroes Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, Doll Man, Uncle Sam, the Ray and Black Condor....except they are living on Earth-X, a world where the Nazis won World War II.

Using new Transmatter devices, the JLA and JSA prepare to cross Earths, with the E-1 Batman, Green Arrow and Elongated Man heading to E-2, and the E-2 Superman, Sandman and Dr. Fate go to E-1....a breeze disrupts the machine while the two Flashes operate the devices on their respective Earths....that breeze being the revived Red Tornado, trapped on Earth-1 after events explained in the previous issue when Reddy joined the JLA.  The six heroes find themselves on Earth-X, fighting Nazis.   The Freedom Fighters find the heroes, and explain the world is ruled by mind control devices created by Hitler....and they all must work together to destroy the multiple devices.

Thirteen Against The Earth

Justice League of America #108 (November-December, 1973) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano (with Nick Cardy cover) deals with the JLA, JSA and Freedom Fighters in a fight against the Nazis of Earth-X.

The combined heroes work together to take out the rest of the mind control devices, and learn that Hitler, on this Earth, even conquered Japan, turning on his Axis ally.  This sets up a chance for the last mind control device to work on the JLA and JSA, forcing them to battle the Freedom Fighters....but Red Tornado is also immune, and is able to control Hitler (or his android copy), and defeat it and the last mind control device, finally freeing Earth-X from Nazi control (and the computer brain that controlled all this was sufficient to use to connect to the Transmatter Cubes, to allow the JLA and JSA to return home with help from the E-1 Green Lantern and E-2 Flash).

The Freedom Fighters would return in their own 15 issue series (though now having relocated to Earth-1....but still not able to escape the ghost of Earth-X, but here are their Quality Comics adventures), with Dr. Fate returning next in Flash #236, the Earth-2 Superman not returning until the 1970s All-Star Comics series, and Sandman...getting a special focus in the next JLA/JSA team-up!

The Creature In The Velvet Cage

Justice League of America #113 (September-October, 1974) by Len Wein, Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano (with this Nick Cardy cover) has the only one issue JLA/JSA story, but it's a doozy, explaining why Sandman left behind his yellow and purple outfit and what happened to Sandy the Golden Boy.

The JLA (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Elongated Man) meets the JSA (Flash, Hourman, Wonder Woman and Sandman) fighting the Horned Owl Gang, and discuss the E-1 Wonder Woman regaining her powers (but still not rejoining the JLA, taking on 12 Labors to prove her worthiness to herself), when Sandman abruptly leaves....the teams follow to find him at his home, with a wrecked caged room.  Sandman explains that his young partner, Sandy Hawkins, didn't leave him years ago, but instead was transformed into a silicon monster by Sandman's new Silicoid Gun.  Wes had kept him in a cage and gassed unconscious to keep him safe, and shredded his purple and yellow costume after this failure.  The teams pursued the monster, catching him, finding out that Sandy's initial madness had faded, and he was no threat.

Sandman would not return until the end of the JSA's run in All-Star Comics, Jay Flash returned to fight Rag Doll with Barry Flash in Flash #229, and Hourman and the E-2 Wonder Woman returned in the next JLA/JSA team-up (which is in the next Crisis On Multiple Earths volume).  Sandy's plight is addressed in two issues of DC Comics Presents (#42 and #47), that detail "What Ever Happened To...." Sandman and then Sandy!

A pretty important run of JLA/JSA team-ups, revealing not only a lot of DC Multiverse history, but positioning new events and happenings for later issues, building on its foundations and showcasing what was already there.


A truly special batch of stories, as new events were followed up on (especially in All-Star Comics when the JSA was revived, and the Star-Spangled Kid joined and Robin got a new costume)...

...as well as more history revealed, as later, the All-Star Squadron came into existence, and they helped fill in the holes in history with new "retroactive continuity", using new stories to fill in history that had yet to be explained (including the origins of Earth-X and the Freedom Fighters, and why Sandman first switched to the yellow and purple costume!).