Menace Of The Man-Sized Atom

One of the biggest mistakes made in the post Crisis (on Infinite Earths) world, was when there were flashbacks to the Justice League of America with the Atom standing with his fellow members in the Justice Cave or on the Satellite, full-sized in costume.  

Atom power was his small size, but, here are a few exceptions to that from the Silver Age with art by Gil Kane.

The Up And Down Dooms Of  The Atom

First up is a tall tale from Atom #32 (August-September, 1967) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene (with cover by Gil Kane).

Here, Ray Palmer is paralyzed by being struck by a beam in a laboratory accident.  The accident also gave Ray telepathic abilities, and he contacted his fiancee, lawyer Jean Loring, to activate his shrinking belt....and thus Ray shrank...out of sight.  

At submicroscopic size, Ray could move again, but, at that size, he was a giant in a microscopic world, where he has to save a group of farmers (the Palonds) from invaders (The Honds).  There, he finds a radiation that cures his problem of moving while full-sized and returns home.

Sometime the smallest guy in the room can make the biggest difference!

Trouble At The Ten-Year Club

The second story, from Atom #11 (February-March, 1964) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson (with cover by Kane/Anderson), does have a human sized Atom (but also shows WHY he shouldn't be!).

Here, scientist Ray Palmer meets with 10 fellow Ivy University graduates from his class, all bringing back an item to the reunion from their current profession, except for Jack Archer, who sends a note saying he will steal the other nine objects.  

Archer would have gotten away with the items too, if not for the Mighty Mite, but the Atom had to beat him after he forced the Atom up to normal size (where Archer beat him).  Ray knew his Atom costume was invisible at full size, who Jack couldn't have done what Ray thought he did, and found out he was doing it all via hypnosis using the power of Hindu idol.  The Atom turned the tables, and used the idol to plant a suggestion in Archer's mind, allowing Ray to capture him.

The Atom NOT being in costume at full size saved the day here for Ray Palmer!  

The original Justice League of America title had a few appearances (the first reprinted in a JLA Giant) where Atom was larger than his team (making Ray a giant member of the Justice League)....

...but, if you check other appearances, even outside the JLA, like when the JLA members battled the Calculator, or when Atom was searching for Jean Loring in Super-Team Family, they show (properly) Atom being Ray Palmer when he was around his teammates in his full size!

Secret Origins Of The Super DC Heroes

Certainly the best collection of Secret Origins, bar none, was the Crown Publishers collection of origins for the Secret Origins Of The Super DC Heroes from 1976, with cover by Neal Adams, an introduction by Carmine Infantino (who was DC's publisher at the time) and a little historical text before each hero by Denny O'Neil, all of which made this an incredible package, designed to thrill youths of all ages!

Let's dive right into the stories reprinted here!

Superman...He's The Key, The Granddaddy Of Them All

Superman was the one that started it all, in Action Comics #1 (June, 1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and the one page origin they provided was reprinted here.

It had the young Superman launched from his exploding planet, to end up in an orphanage, where he exhibited extraordinary strength.  Later, he also had superb speed and incredible endurance, all of which allowed him to take up his career as Superman.

A pretty bare bones origin, to say the least, but more would be added to the legend of Superman and his history.

Carmine Infantino was said to have wanted a longer origin for Superman, so getting E. Nelson Bridwell as the writer, himself doing the layouts, with Curt Swan providing finished pencils and Murphy Anderson the inks, readers got the Superman origin presented in The Amazing World Of Superman, Metropolis Edition (1973), the 17 page origin reprinted here, lengthening that Golden Age origin, including Jor-El's fight with the Science Council to save Krypton, Jor-El and Lara's tearful farewell to young Kal-El, his landing in Smallville and being found by the Kents, being raised and taking the identity of Superboy, then watching his adopted parents pass away, leading him to Metropolis, and the Daily Planet, where, as reporter Clark Kent, he continued the neverending battle for truth, justice and the American way as Superman!

Probably the best of all Superman origins, this was expanded upon to make the story in Action Comics #500 (and even included a mention of Superboy's history with the Legion of the Super-Heroes!).

Batman...He Was Unable Not To Fight Criminals

Batman's origins were different, starting in Detective Comics #27, but not getting an origin until Detective Comics #33, with the 2 page version reprinted here the slightly altered version from Batman #1 (Spring, 1940, which also saw the first appearances of Joker and the Catwoman) with words by Bill Finger, art by Bob Kane (with backgrounds by Sheldon Moldoff), with the story of how a mugger shot and killed Bruce Wayne's father and mother, Thomas and Martha, with young Bruce dedicating his life to strike fear into criminals' hearts as the Batman.

A simple enough origin, and the basis for every origin that followed.

This origin was pretty much the origin readers saw in Batman #47 (June-July, 1947) by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Charles Paris, with a few subtle alterations, like Martha dying from seeing her husband shot (and having a weak heart), young Bruce glaring at the mugger, and the mugger being given a name, Joe Chill, with Batman hunting him down, getting final vengeance (though it was Chill's own men who killed him, having heard that Chill was responsible for creating the Batman).

Both of these origins did fit under the umbrella of the Golden Age Batman, but a much longer origin for Batman (as well as his friends) did surface later, in the Untold Legend of the Batman, which added many details added to Batman's origin from the Silver Age (like his father being a Batman, as well as Bruce's stint as Robin).

Wonder Woman...The Female Sex Is Assuming Day By Day A More Dominant Role In World Affairs

Wonder Woman herself got a special condensed version of her origin, after premiering in All-Star Comics #8, then headlining starting with Sensation Comics #1.

In Wonder Woman #1 (Summer, 1942, the tale reprinted here), the story of how Hippolyta carved young Diana from clay, raised her on Paradise Island, saved pilot Steve Trevor, and competed to go back with Trevor to the mainland to fight in World War II (and taking on the identity of military nurse, Diana Prince) was summarized by William Moulton Marston (under the pen name of Charles Moulton) with art by Harry G. Peter.

This would be the definite version of Wonder Woman's Golden Age origin, and the one that formed the basis for the many that followed.

That Wonder Woman origin more or less stuck, but Wonder Woman #206 (June-July, 1973) by Cary Bates, Don Heck and Vince Colletta (under a stunning Nick Cardy cover), added a current battle with Ares to the mix (as well as Diana Prince's job at the United Nations), as well as Hippolyta withholding some memories from Diana, of how Ares came and kidnapped her sister, Nubia, from Hippolyta, and was used as a pawn by him to have the two battle (and Hippolyta's revelation of his history to her daughter, with Nubia coming to stay on Paradise Island).

Sadly, this little era of Wonder Woman, fitting between her time as a powerless Wonder Woman and the twelve trials of Wonder Woman to rejoin the JLA (including one issue of Supergirl with Hippolyta and the Amazons) has not been reprinted elsewhere.

The Flash...You Can Do Almost Anything With Him...

Now, with the Flash, the distinctions between the Golden Age and Silver Age become clearer, as it was student Jay Garrick who first became the Flash in Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940) by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert.  Jay accidentally inhaled "hard water" and spent a year of college in a coma, before awakening with super speed (which he mostly kept secret, though he did show off for his girlfriend, Joan Williams).

Eventually adopting the identity of the Flash, he saved Joan from the Faultless Four, eventually helping to found the Justice Society of America, and being there when it ended in the 1950s (and having many stories)....then getting revived with the help of the next young man....

Barry Allen, who first appeared in Showcase #4 (September-October, 1956), became the Flash after exposure to lightning striking a wall full of his police scientist chemicals, or at least that was the story Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert gave readers.  Barry made his own identity as the Flash (based on a comic he read), and beating the Turtle to save Iris West in this first go around.

Sometime after this, Barry would help found the Justice League of America, and later, finding the original Flash, Jay Garrick, on an alternate Earth (which would eventually lead to Earth-1/Earth-2, with Barry on 1, Jay on 2), and later, so many other Earths, as well as a Crisis, but it all started with Barry and Jay, and the Flashes of Two Earths.

Green Lantern...No Evil Shall Escape My Sight

Alan Scott was a train engineer who nearly died in a crash, except that he was holding onto a strange green lantern as related in All-American Comics #16 (July, 1940) by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell.  That green lantern related its history, bringing with it power that Alan could focus after he made a ring of its metal to wear, useful against all items but wood, with Alan taking on the identity of the Green Lantern.  This Green Lantern would go on to found the Justice Society as well, having many cases with them as well as many solo cases, facing foes like the Gambler, Vandal Savage and the Icicle.

Green Lantern was a part of the team when it ended the first time, and being there for its first revival.

Hal Jordan was the man to become Green Lantern in Showcase #22 (September-October, 1959) by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella.  Hal was a test pilot in Coast City, who gets a Green Lantern ring from a dying Abin Sur to make him into the Green Lantern of Earth.  Hal uses his ring to fight crime, giving himself the identity of Green Lantern (and adding a mask to the Green Lantern uniform), with a ring that can make anything he can think of, but needs to be recharged every 24 hours, and is useless against yellow.

Hal also helps to found the Justice League of America, finds out about the Green Lantern Corps (and that he is the protector of Sector 2814), and works for the Guardians of the Universe (who know a little bit more about the beginnings of evil, as well how the magic that formed Alan Scott's ring, than they let on).

The Green Lantern Corps are the successors of the Manhunters as well. 

 

Hawkman...The Weirdness Seems To Be Part Of Hawkman's Appeal

Carter Hall was an archeologist researching the dagger of Khufu, when he bumped into Shiera Sanders (fleeing from an electrified railroad) in Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940) by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville.  Turns out Carter was Khufu reincarnated (as Shiera was the reincarnation of his wife, both murdered by Hath-Set....who was reincarnated at Doctor Hastor, the man behind the electrical menace).  Carter uses information he had gotten on a dig to clothe himself as Hawkman, using ancient weapons and the secret Nth Metal to make wings so he could fly.  Hawkman defeats Hastor, saving Shiera.

Later, Shiera becomes Hawkgirl and assists Hawkman with his missions.  Hawkman is also a founder of the JSA, and the only member to be involved in every JSA case in the Golden Age.

Katar Hol came to Earth as a Thanagarian policeman, with his wife and partner, Shayera Hol, pursuing the shape-changing villain, Byth, in Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March, 1961) by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert.

Using Thanagarian science (including the Absorbascon, which allowed them access to all of Earth's knowledge), ancient weapons and an ability to speak to birds, the duo took up crimefighting as Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and Earth alter egos as Midway City Museum curators, Carter and Shiera Hall.  Hawkman joined the Justice League soon after its founding, with Hawkgirl joining the JLA later.  Unlike Flash, Green Lantern and Atom, the Hawks of two Earths never worked together in the Hawkman title, though the Hawkman of Earth-1 regularly worked with the Atom of Earth-1. 

Hawkgirl later took on the name Hawkwoman, then, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths and Invasion!, Hawk history got confusing (as this history of Hawkgirls will show).

Green Arrow...A Streamlined Robin Hood

Though Green Arrow and Speedy first appeared in More Fun Comics #73, their origin waited until More Fun Comics #89 (March 1943) by Joe Samachson, Cliff Young and Steve Brodie.  Oliver Queen was marooned on the Lost Mesa, where he met Roy Harper, a boy who had been raised by the local tribe of Indians, and the two had to work together using their archery skills against thieves who planned to plunder a local gold mine.

This Green Arrow never joined the JSA, but instead joined the Seven Soldiers of Victory, and had many adventures with them, as well as only with Speedy.

Oliver Queen got a new origin in Adventure Comics #256 (January, 1959) by France Herron, Jack Kirby and Roz Kirby.  Oliver Queen was a reckless millionaire who fell overboard on a yacht, ending up on Starfish Island, alone, and having to learn archery to survive.  Queen even made some trick arrows to pass the time, and ended up getting off the island when he came upon pirates, and crafted a quick disguise to allow him to use his archery to stop them (and get off the island when the authorities arrived).  This was one of many adventures of Green Arrow illustrated by Jack Kirby.  Speedy then got a slightly newer origin as well, though not until Kirby had left Green Arrow.

Green Arrow was the first non-charter member of the Justice League of America, and later became involved with the Black Canary after getting a new costume working with Batman and losing his fortune.

Introducing The Mighty Atom

Al Pratt was a diminutive college student who started on his way to super heroics in All-American Comics #19 (October, 1940) by Bill O'Connor, Ben Flinton and Leonard Sansone.  Mugged in front of his girlfriend, Mary James, Al loses the girl for a bit, but meets Joe Morgan, a homeless ex-boxer, who helps him learn the manly art of pugilism (boxing, as well other athletics).  After a year, and in much better shape, Al goes to visit his ex-girlfriend, and stops her from being kidnapped (though Mary never sees him, as she is blindfolded).  Al decides to take up the identity of the Atom, and fight for justice (having a costume with his next appearance).

Atom is a founding member of the Justice Society of America, and, later, gets actual super-strength as well as a costume change among his many solo adventures.

Physicist Ray Palmer turns himself into the hero, the Atom, starting with Showcase #34 (September-October, 1961) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson.  In the origin half of his tale, Ray has been experimenting with White Dwarf star material to make items shrink.  Problem is, the items become unstable after a time and explode (and Ray is unable to safely enlarge them).  His girlfriend, lawyer Jean Loring, takes him and a group of students on a nature hike into a large chain of caverns, which collapse while they are inside, trapping the group with little hope of rescue.  Ray spots a small hole, and, having accidentally brought the White Dwarf lens with him, shrinks himself to allow him to climb the smooth walls to enlarge the hole, and, while heading back to tell Jean and the kids, accidentally walks under the lens beam again, but grows this time (as cave water had gotten on the lens, bringing along some element that allowed him to grow).  Not explaining his shrinking was a success. Ray then creates a size changing uniform out of White Dwarf material, taking on the identity of the Atom.

Atom joins the Justice League after Green Arrow, and faces many foes, including Chronos.  Jean and Ray even marry later on, after Ray reveals his identity to her, but  they later divorce. 

 

Shazam!...In One Thing A Sense Of Fun And The Whole Sense Of Adventure

Billy Batson was a homeless paperboy who followed a mysterious stranger into the subway in Whiz Comics #2 (February, 1940) by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck.  At the end of the line, Billy met an old wizard, who said he was dying, and wanted to pass on his powers to the lad....who only had to say the wizard's name....Shazam!  Billy then transformed into Captain Marvel, who had the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.  This gave Billy the ability to fight the evil Dr. Sivana, who planned on blacking out the radio stations of the day.  Billy did this, and ended up getting a job with Whiz radio.

Billy eventually gathered a whole Marvel Family around himself, including his sister, Mary, and their friend, Freddy Freeman, and later, Tawky Tawny and Kid Eternity.  Thrown into suspended animation, they revived in the 1970s, and had more adventures on their own Earth, that of Earth-S, until the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Plastic Man...One Of The Wildest Imaginations...

Eel O'Brian was a small time hood who got pinched in a folied robbery in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941) by Jack Cole.  That ended up being the best thing that ever happened to him, as he was doused in chemicals, and, while recovering in a monestary, found he had the elastic properties of plastic.  Deciding to change his life for the better to follow the monks who had helped him, Eel adopted the identity of Plastic Man, and used his crooked knowledge to find criminals, so his super self could put them in jail.

Later, Plastic Man started working with Woozy Winks (a shifty indiviual himself) and the two stopped odd criminals for as long as Quality Comics lasted.  Later, Plas and Woozy found themselves at home at DC Comics, with a DC Special, reprinting some of their earliest work together.  The original Plastic Man later became a member of the All-Star Squadron, and, long after the Crisis On Infinite Earths, Plas joined the JLA as well (at a time when there was only one Earth).

True, there was a pretty good collection of Secret Origins in 1961, which led to even More Secret Origins, and even a seven issue run of reprints of Secret Origins (all of which included a few origins not seen here), but this 1970s tome was truly the greatest of them all!

A Key To Superman's History

Unlocking a little mystery of Superman, starting with a few facts related to his home, the Fortress of Solitude, as well as solving the mystery and defining the differences between the Golden Age/Earth-2 Superman and Silver Age/Earth-1 Superman, by telling where the first adventure of the Silver Age Superman is.....

The Super-Key To Fort Superman

In a story by Jerry Coleman, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye, Action Comics #241 (June, 1958) introduces readers to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, a desolate area in the arctic, which is place where he can go to relax, as well as conduct experiments (including samples of Kryptonite), keep keepsakes for his friends, follow up on his hobbies and keep trophies and souvenirs, which includes an interplanetary zoo. 


This is a well protected place, but, Superman's friend, Batman, found a way to sneak in, to play a prank on Superman, and remind him of the anniversary of the day Superman first arrived on Earth from Krypton.

This key issue has been reprinted many times, most notably in the Superman Annual #1 of 1960, as well as in the Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives #1 of 2004, more or less making this the first appearance of the Silver Age Superman (the arctic Fortress is one of the defining characteristics of the Earth-1 Superman, as is soon to follow additions to the Superman family, like Brainiac and the city of Kandor which Superman would store in the Fortress as well, and Supergirl and her home of Argo City). 

But, this story focuses on Superman having a rich past, so, it obviously isn't the start of the Silver Age Superman, so, let's continue the look back to find a few more distinguishing characteristics....and the true first appearance.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen

It was the Silver Age that saw Jimmy Olsen to be more involved in Superman's life, and that started with Jimmy getting his own title with Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #1 (September-October, 1954).

Jimmy got first used his signal watch, which he could use to call Superman in this issue, as well as the introduction of the Flying Newsroom, which allowed Jimmy to quickly get into the action (or trouble), so he could capture photos of breaking news...and later issues introduced things like Jimmy's own super-hero identity of Elastic Lad, as well as Morgan Edge and the beginnings of the battle for control of the Fourth World with Orion and Darkseid.

Jimmy was just the photographer, it was Clark Kent and Lois Lane who usually put words to the pictures, and Lois got the start of her solo adventures as well, a few years later, starting with Showcase #9 (July-August, 1957), which, after a second featured appearance in Showcase, led to her own title as well. 

Just a few issues prior to Lois' focused debut, was Showcase #4 (September-October, 1956), with the premiere of the Silver Age Flash Barry Allen, and a few years after that, the concept of Earth-1 and Earth-2 was introduced in Flash #123 (September, 1961) with the return of the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick (and, soon after that, the return of the Golden Age Justice Society, the counterparts of the Silver Age Justice League of America).

World's Finest Comics

One of the Silver Age Superman's friends in the Justice League of America was Batman, and their regular team-ups began with World's Finest Comics #71 (July-August, 1954), as their two features in this magazine merged into one.   Before that, the only time the two teamed up in this comic were for the symbolic covers that they had, suggesting Superman and Batman (as well as Robin) were friends, but only teasing readers.

These team-ups predated their founding of the Justice League of America (along with Flash Barry Allen and four others: Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern, and their first published battle against Starro the Conqueror), but their friendship had begun even before that.

It was in Superman #76 (May-June, 1952) that Superman and Batman learned each other's identities (a crucial point in the story of the Fortress, as Batman used that knowledge to torment Superman), and this issue was also counts as the first appearance of the Silver Age Batman (as well as Robin), though it was not the first meeting of the Silver Age Superman and Batman....that happened in a flashback tale told in World's Finest Comics #94 (May-June, 1958)

Superboy

Superman recalled events of his earlier life in Superboy #1 (March-April, 1949), which was a title devoted to the adventures of Superman when he was a boy living in Smallville with Ma and Pa Kent, facing a younger Lex Luthor, and keeping his secret from Lana Lang.

Superboy was another unique factor in the life of the Silver Age Superman; the Golden Age Superman did not have adventures in costume as a boy, only slowly learning of his powers over time (including an adventure where Superboy crossed over from Earth-1 to Earth-2, to help teach a confused young Clark Kent on that world a little bit about dealing with his Kryptonian powers).

 

But, Superboy #1 was not the first appearance of Superboy, that happened in More Fun Comics #101 (January-February, 1945), where we first saw the adventures of the younger Superman (by extension, this also makes More Fun Comics #101 the first Earth-1 story, as all the other comics of the time dealt with Golden Age characters and members of the Justice Society of America and Seven Soldiers of Victory, as well as many unaffiliated heroes....which were retroactively put into the All-Star Squadron).  Superboy's adventures continued from More Fun Comics to Adventure Comics, where he met a literal Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics #247 (April, 1958), a team of heroes from the future who recruited the lad to join him (and a team which, in the real world, predated the Justice League of America).

Now, More Fun Comics #101 could be considered the first appearance of the Silver Age Superman (as Superboy would later grow up to be Superman), but the earliest chronological appearance of the Earth-1 Superman as Superman was in Superman #46 (May-June, 1947), in a story called "That Old Class Of Superboy's" by Jerry Siegel, John Sikela and George Roussos, wherein Clark Kent checks up on some of his old Smallville classmates (and mentions being Superboy for the first time in a Superman story).  Worth noting as well, Lois Lane is also in this story, which makes this the first appearance of a Silver Age Lois Lane as well....solving the mystery of the beginning of the Silver Age Superman.

Giant Wonder Woman Annual

To be honest, Wonder Woman didn't have either an 80 Page Giant or an Annual back in the Silver Age, but that was a problem rectified in February of 2003, when DC put out a faux Silver Age Wonder Woman 80-Page Giant....

...containing some great reprints from Wonder Woman's Golden and Silver Ages!


Here are the stories represented in this book...

Wonder Woman #28

First up is Wonder Woman #28 (March-April, 1948) with the three part introduction of "Villainy, Incorporated" by Joye Hummel and  H. G. Peter (though the writing was originally credited to Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston, who passed away on May 2nd, 1947, at least part of the tale was written by Marston's wife, Joye).


Villainy, Incorporated was a Golden Age gathering of the worst of Wonder Woman's villains from previous issues, freed from their prisons on Paradise Island by Eviless (who originally appeared first in Wonder Woman #10 of Fall, 1944) to menace Wonder Woman and her mother, Queen Hippolyte.

Those villains included Cheetah (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #6 of Fall, 1943, and later elsewhere), Zara (who first appeared in Comic Cavalcade #5 of Winter, 1943), Queen Clea (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #8 of Spring, 1944), Giganta (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #9 of Summer, 1944), Hypnota (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #11 of Winter, 1944), Byrna Brilyant (a.k.a. the Blue Snowman, who first appeared in Sensation Comics #59 of November, 1946), and Dr. Poison, who had two appearances, one in Sensation Comics #2 and the other in Sensation Comics #24 (in 1942 and 1943).  Only the Golden Age Cheetah and Queen Clea appeared again after this story (at least these Earth-2 versions of the characters).

Wonder Woman #105

Wonder Woman encountered dinosaurs and more, helping out Steve Trevor, as he checked out missing Mars rockets in Wonder Woman #105 (April, 1959) in the "Eagle Of Space" by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, finding himself in trouble again (a pretty common occurrence at this time for the Air Force man!).
 



The dinosaurs were alive and well at the moon of Titan (in Saturn's orbit), with Wonder Woman helping out the primitive humans there before Steve and the Amazon Princess left the moon in Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet....

Wonder Woman #108

Under this incredible cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito lurked the story of "Wanted -- Wonder Woman" from Wonder Woman #108 (August, 1959) by Robert Kanigher, and art by Andru and Esposito.

Aliens came to take over the world, but first, they used their mind control abilities to take over Wonder Woman and have the Amazing Amazon commit crimes to undermine our nations faith in this powerful princess...

...while they were successful, they didn't count on Wonder Woman following them into space and causing trouble for the aliens while they were away from Earth, thwarting their invasion plans.

Wonder Woman #144

Last, but not least is a tale definitely from the Silver Age, with the "Revolt Of The Wonder Woman" from Wonder Woman #144 (February, 1964) by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

This story features Wonder Woman's fear of losing her humanity, as she feels the world only notices her for her fighting prowess, so Wonder Woman gives up rescuing people for a while.

At least until a young blind girl, Mary Jane, finds her, befriending Wonder Woman in her time of need (not knowing that she is Wonder Woman).  Fate conspires to put the girl in danger, with Wonder Woman saving her, but still treating Wonder Woman as her friend, restoring the Princess' faith in humanity!

Wonder Woman Foe The Mask

Sometimes, it's the simplest things that stick in our memory....

...that might be the case with Wonder Woman foe, the Mask, as she menaces Wonder Woman on and off for decades, with little more than a domino mask and a gun!

Golden Age

Nina Close premiered in Wonder Woman #24 (July-August, 1947) with "The Challenge Of The Mask" by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter (being one of the last Wonder Woman villains created by Wonder Woman's creator).  Nina was a pilot, rescued by Wonder Woman, getting Wonder Woman involved in Nina's life (with her dominating husband, Brutus, who was a big game hunter).  Their marriage was not a happy one, but it got worse, with Brutus being trapped in a mask rigged with an acid drop by a villain called the Mask, and Brutus' freedom being ransomed off.  Wonder Woman tried to catch the Mask at the drop off, only to find the Mask able to steal her Invisible Plane!  Planning revenge against Wonder Woman, the Mask kidnaps Brutus, along with Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls, with Wonder Woman coming to their rescue...to find the Mask (and black wig)....hid Nina Close (who had a breakdown thanks to her husband, and came up with this scheme to get her revenge against him).  Brutus then tried to get Nina help for her actions....and that was the end of the Mask for an era.

Silver Age

The Mask returned in Justice League of America #35 (May, 1965) in the "Battle Against The Bodiless Uniforms" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs (though it technically was the Earth-1 Mask, and even then, really only a magical duplicate brought to life by the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast to battle the Justice League (along with Flash rogue Pied Piper, Batman villain Killer Moth, Aquaman menace Dagon and Green Lantern's enemy of Dr. Polaris).   The Mask didn't even make the cover!

More Modern

A more recent version of the Mask debuted in Wonder Woman #4 (February, 2007 by Allan Heinberg with Terry and Rachel Dodson) (making the cover of Wonder Woman Annual #1 of 2007 in the upper right hand corner), along with many other Wonder Woman villains re-imagined for a new age.  As Wonder Woman was struggling with her own identity, Nina Close came back as an empowered woman (in an all black outfit, but keeping the domino mask) using the fortune she got from killing her husband to fight for oppressed women everywhere (though her over-aggressive tactics brought her into conflict with the peace loving Wonder Woman, proving violence in and of itself is not the answer....but must also be tempered with kindness and wisdom).

Wonder Woman Golden Age Vs Silver Age

Wouldn't it be great if the original Wonder Woman met the new and improved one?

Well, that happened in DC Comics, for a few special issues of Wonder Woman (inspired by the TV Show, Wonder Woman, DC was looking to cover adventures of Wonder Woman during World War II, so they came up with an interesting idea....)

Wonder Woman #228

With Wonder Woman #228 (February, 1977), readers were treated to a "Retreat To Tomorrow" by Martin Pasko, Jose Delbo and Vince Colletta, with the then modern Wonder Woman (1977, more or less a "Silver Age" Wonder Woman, who worked with the Justice League of America on Earth-1) facing off against an aerial attack from the Red Panzer in an experimental Nazi plane over New York, and as the two battled, they fell back through the space warp to Washington DC in 1943 (where the Red Panzer was from), and into Earth-2 (an Earth where the world was protected by the Justice Society since just before the start of World War II, and Superman, Batman and Robin had started their adventures in the 1930s, with their own Wonder Woman soon after).   The two Wonder Women met (battled briefly), with the Golden Age Wonder Woman sending the Silver Age Wonder Woman back home in the Panzer Ship, and the battle between the Golden Age Wonder Woman (and Red Panzer) continued until next issue....).

Wonder Woman #243

Wonder Woman's World War II adventures continued in her own title (as well as in World's Finest Comics #244 to #250, and a few other places, as the Silver Age Wonder Woman still adventured in the Justice League of America) until Wonder Woman #243 (May, 1978) with "The Five-Sided Square" by Jack C. Harris, Jose Delbo and Frank Chiaramonte), where the two Wonder Women met again, thanks to the Earth-1 Angle Man (escaping prison, and using his time and dimension spanning weapon, the Angler, to come back to World War II).  The two Wonder Women worked together to defeat the Angle Man, with the stories in the comic following the Earth-1 version back to her own after afterwards (because, after the first season of the Wonder Woman show on ABC, the show moved to CBS for its second and third season, and was in the then modern world of the 1970s!).

More Wonder Women Facts

During the course of these two adventures, the Earth-1 Wonder Woman made the Earth-2 Wonder Woman forget about their adventures (as Earth-2 wasn't discovered by Earth-1 until the Flash of Two Worlds in Flash #123 of September, 1961, with Barry Allen and Jay Garrick).   The two Wonder Woman didn't even look different in these team-ups, but did in their first meeting (a large meeting of the JLA and JSA to free the Seven Soldiers of Victory from traps in the past, with the Golden Age Wonder Woman spotting a classic look, and the JLA's Wonder Woman in her white pantsuit "mod" look as Diana Prince for Justice League of America #100 to #102 in 1972).

A more fulfilling Wonder Woman meeting happened in Wonder Woman #300 (February, 1983), when an older, Golden Age Wonder Woman (married to Steve Trevor, with a daughter named Hippolyta, who later became Fury), met the Silver Age Wonder Woman (who had improved her breastplate from an eagle symbol to the stylized double "W"), as Earth-1's Diana was looking to make some changes in her life.

Still interested in more Wonder Woman?


Well, there was a whole Encyclopedia based on her history out a few years ago, and you can read my interview with one of its authors, John Wells, with Part 1 here and Part 2 here!


Great Hera, there's good reading in the Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia!