Ring In The New Year With Harley Quinn!

A Happy New Year to all, celebrating with the Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1 from February, 2015, with the New Year's variant to the issue by Amanda Conner! 

Remembering Stan Lee

Remembering Stan Lee (1922-2018) on his birthday.  

Stan created the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom and the Inhumans with Jack Kirby, and Spider-Man and Dr. Strange with Steve Ditko.

Excelsior!

'Nuff said.

A Quiet Night For Batman

Ever have a night when everything went wrong? 

Even Batman did, as Harlan Ellison (a story he had long ago promised to do for Julie Schwartz, just a decade and a half late), Gene Colan and Bob Smith presented in Detective Comics #567 (October, 1986) under a Klaus Janson cover.

In "The Night Of Thanks, But No Thanks!", Batman....wasn't needed.  The Gotham Police Department had things handled, people just lost the keys to their cars, electric company workers were just doing their jobs....all in all, when Batman gets home at the end of the night shift, he tells Alfred that he had a bad night....because there was no crime for him to stop!

If only Batman had more of those nights!

Flash Facts: The Early Days of Captain Boomerang

George "Digger" Harkness was an Austrailian who happened to have a little mastery of boomerangs, as well as a penchant for thievery. 

He happened to be in the right place at the right time, becoming Captain Boomerang, which helped to fast track his way.....to jail with the help of the Flash.

Let's return to where it all began!

Here Comes Captain Boomerang!

Captain Boomerang premiered in Flash #117 (December, 1960) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.  "Digger" Harkness had learned how to use a boomerang evading the law in Australia, and, seeing an ad by W.W. Wiggins, the head of a toy company looking to make the boomerang an America fad, answered and became the toy's spokesman.

Problem was, "Digger" was also committing crimes, though he was able to first convince the Flash he was innocent.  Still, Captain Boomerang kept at it, causing Flash to return as well, eventually capturing Captain Boomerang (though not without "Digger" trying to launch the Flash into space on a giant boomerang!).

This story was reprinted in the 80 Page Giant #9 (April, 1965), as well as in the Flash Archives #3 and the Flash Omnibus #1.

Space-Boomerang Trap

Captain Boomerang returned in Flash #124 (November, 1961) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.

This time around, Captain Boomerang was using a new boomerang with a gimmick, that could travel through time!  This allowed him to rob while being observed not to be while being observed by the Flash.  Flash called in his friend, Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, for some help with this mystery, and, after working together to stop an alien invasion from another dimension, stopped Captain Boomerang as well.

This story was reprinted in Flash #160 (April, 1966), Flash Archives #3 , the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told and in the Flash Omnibus #1.

The Day Flash Went Into Orbit

Captain Boomerang was released from prison again in Flash #148 (November, 1964) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, and though he tried to return to his thieving ways, kept having his take taken from him!

The real thieves were the Crooked Four, which were headed by a man named Fanning, Digger's old cellmate, who was using hypnosis while Digger slept to plant the ideas for crimes in Digge's head, then committing those crimes before Digger could get there.  In trying to get Digger caught, the Crooked Four get caught by the Flash, who then captures Captain Boomerang.

This issue has been reprinted in the sixth Flash Archive and second Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus.

The Rogues

John Broome and Carmine Infantino brought Captain Boomerang back in Flash #155 (September, 1965) and Flash #174 (November, 1967), but this time along with Captain Cold, Mirror Master, the Pied Piper, the Top and Heat Wave!  These six villains formed the foundation of the Flash's Rogue's Gallery, a specific group of Flash foes (no speedsters!).

Operation Jail The Justice League

Captain Boomerang seemed to like the idea of safety in numbers, as he returned with a group of villains including Penguin, Luthor and Dr. Light in Justice League of America #61 (March, 1968) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Sid Greene.

Led by Dr. Destiny, who had a grudge to settle against Green Arrow, there was a Green Arrow vs. Captain Boomerang fight (though, to be fair, it was Dr. Destiny disguised as Captain Boomerang and Flash disguised as Green Arrow, as the doctor was saving Captain Boomerang to fight the Flash later).

This issue was reprinted in the Limited Collectors' Edition #C-41, as well as in the eighth Justice League of America Archives, and the second Justice League of America Omnibus.

Beyond The Speed Of Life

Captain Boomerang returned yet again with Flash #209 (September, 1971) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano, under a cover by Dick Giordano.

Boomerang and the Trickster (who had yet to have joined the Rogues) have escaped prison together and are working together....and think they have killed the Flash!  They were actually working for a secret foe, but it is a good thing they did that, as Flash's astral self ended up helping the Sentinel in the Beyond against the Devourer (the only appearance of all these characters), before returning to his body to stop his three foes.

This issue has yet to be reprinted.

Team-Ups

Captain Boomerang liked safety in numbers, so he joined both the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Suicide Squad (though the later was not by his choice).  With these groups, the Flash's Rogue's Gallery or on his own, Captain Boomerang can be counted on for one thing....his ability to return!

Christmas Around The World

Superman may be a visitor from another planet, but he's no stranger to Christmas.

In Action Comics #93 (February, 1946) by Don Cameron, Ira Yarbrough and Stan Kaye (and cover by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye), Superman celebrated "Christmas 'Round The World", taking young wartime refugees back to their home countries to be reunited with their families, as well as finding a lost lad and returning him to his father in Metropolis.

All this, and Clark Kent gets a kiss from Lois Lane under the mistletoe, proving Christmas can be super if you have someone to share it with.

Getting Presents From Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn is playing Santa instead of chasing Batman or fawning over the Joker, with the Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1 from February, 2015 with a cover by Amanda Conner!

A fun little book to help you pass the time as you wait for Santa!

An Outsiders Christmas Carol

The Outsiders have been celebrating Christmas for a few years, and Charles Dickens' classic tale has been around for a few years longer....

....so, it only makes sense to mash them together!  

Outsiders 

Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo brought us "A Christmas Carol - 1985" in Outsiders #5 (March, 1986), with the Scrooge like character being Eben Mudge, a man who was forced into being a mob account 40 years ago for Tommy Sinclair, after losing his partner at Christmas time.

The Outsiders try a Christmas Carol operation on him to try to get him to turn state's evidence, with Katana putting a samurai potion in his coffee to make him suggestible.  Mudge is then visited by the ghost of his old partner (Geo-Force), who tells him of the three ghosts who will come next.  

Halo arrives as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Metamorpho as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Black Lightning as the Ghost of Christmas Future.  Mudge not only gives up the evidence to telepathic Looker (who needed the trip down memory lane to probe his mind), but also convinced the man to reconcile with his estranged family.

As a back up tale by Mike W. Barr and Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightning and Katana help save a department store from thieves who kidnapped the store's Santa's son!

Adventures Of The Outsiders

Now, a year later in Adventures Of The Outsiders #43 (March, 1987), this tale was reprinted for the newsstand (The Outsiders followed in the footsteps of the New Teen Titans and the Legion of Super-Heroes having a Baxter series direct to comic shops, then a year later, reprinted the tales for newsstand distribution).

This experiment didn't last long (only 8 issues in The Outsiders case), but did give us this Kevin Maquire/Bruce Patterson variant cover of Jim Aparo's original cover.   The Outsiders had had a few previous Christmas tales, one meeting with Phantom Stranger, the other with Superman, and A Christmas Carol was also used by the Teen Titans as well!

Power Man And Iron Fist Sweet Christmas Special

Yes, Power Man and Iron Fist would have to celebrate Christmas, which would, of course, have to be sweet (thanks to the old Luke Cage/Hero For Hire comics)....


.....and did so in 2017 with the Power Man and Iron Fist Sweet Christmas Special with a main cover by Jason Campbell!

The story, by David Walker and Scott Hepburn, had Luke and Danny, as well as Damion Hellstrom and Spider-Woman helping Santa Claus against Krampus, the Christmas demon.  Just go with, enjoy the holiday, and the two variant covers as well, by Trevor Von Eeden and Kris Anka!

No Christmas For Aquaman

It seems Atlanteans don't celebrate Christmas, as, while Aquaman has been in an occasional holiday special comic, Aquaman hasn't really celebrated Christmas during his nearly 80 year publishing history.

But, since it doesn't seem fair to not include the King of the Seas this week, here's a cover of Mego action figures, with Aquaman taking on the JLA from Aquaman #12 of October, 2012....and proving to be a bit naughty, so maybe the Sea King isn't worried about coal in his stocking (after all, how would Santa get into a home in Atlantis with no chimneys?).

Superman Celebrates Christmas

See Superman celebrate Christmas with some kids, as he reads them stories of the Justice League of America, in this shot from the 1976 Super DC Calendar by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

May you and yours have a Merry Christmas!

Green Christmas

Green Lantern Kyle Rayner feels like spending Christmas alone after losing his girlfriend, Alex DeWitt, so he volunteers to take Monitor Duty at Titans Tower on Christmas Eve as the rest of the Titans rush out to handle their Christmas business.


Kyle ends up fighting one of Hal's old villains, the magnetic Dr. Polaris over Rockefeller Center, but at least gets a little Christmas joy from Darkstar Donna Troy (the former Wonder Girl/Troia) at the end of this story of a "Green Christmas" by Ron Marz, Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal from Green Lantern #59 (February, 1995).

Archie Gives Betty And Veronica A Gift

Archie tries to give Betty and Veronica a Christmas gift on this classic cover from Dan DeCarlo for Archie Giant Series Magazine #618 (January, 1991).

Doesn't look good for Mr. Andrews!

Sugar And Spike Try To Understand Christmas

A little fun, as Sugar Plumm and Cecil "Spike" Wilson wander around indoors, discovering the traditions of Christmas as only babies that can talk to each other can.

Their creator, Sheldon Meyer, provided the cover to this Christmas issue, Sugar & Spike #26 (December-January, 1959/1960) with Christmas Trees and Stockings!

Hulks Smash Christmas

Spreading the Christmas love with a couple of Hulk covers from 2009.

Ed McGuinness supplied the art for two connected covers of Hulk #9 (January, 2009), with the regular green Hulk and the new Red Hulk, getting ready for the holiday!

A Captain Marvel Christmas

Billy Batson had been use to celebrating Christmas alone, but after finding his sister, Mary, in the previous issue, Billy was able to say "Shazam!" with joy, as he and his sister both became Marvels!


Marc Swayze provided the cover to the second appearance of Mary Marvel in Captain Marvel Adventures #19, which came out on January 1, 1943, with Cap and Mary helping out Santa Claus!

Batman and Robin Set A Christmas Tree

Be careful when setting up your Christmas tree...

...something Batman learned as the acrobatic Robin, the Boy Wonder seemed to have a little bit of trouble putting up theirs in this cover from Batman #33 (February-March, 1946) by Dick Sprang.

A Crisis Is Coming

"Worlds Will Live.  Worlds Will Die.  And the DC Universe will never be the same!".

DC was right about that in their ad that preceded their 50th Anniversary celebratory 12 issue maxi-series, the Crisis On Infinite Earths!

Now, thanks to the CW's Flash, Arrow and Supergirl, the television viewing audience knows the term, but, the Crisis didn't happen in a day.

Over the course of the next year, it's time to introduce a few of the key concepts and characters that were part of that series!

To start...

Flash

Barry Allen was a police scientist struck by lightning in his lab, and the electrified chemicals gave him super speed, as of Showcase #4 (September-October, 1956), when he became the Flash.  The Flash helped found the Justice League of America, and, found out the existence of alternate Earths when he met Jay Garrick, the Flash of another Earth, who was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. 

These two Flashes had multiple adventures together, which also led to the reformation of the Justice Society, as well as adventures of the JLA and JSA together.

Supergirl

Kara Zor-El escaped the destruction of Krypton on a piece of the planet which contained her home, Argo City, broke off, but even it was prone to disaster, resulting in her being rocketed to Earth in Action Comics #252 (May, 1959).  There, she found her cousin, the hero known as Superman, and, having powers like his, trained in secret in Midvale and then became a hero in her own right as Supergirl (while establishing her alter ego as Linda Danvers). 

While Supergirl didn't have as many adventures on alternate Earths as her cousin, Supergirl and Superman did work together with Captain Marvel and his sister, Mary Marvel, preventing the destruction of their Earths.

Psycho Pirate

Roger Hayden was the second man to become the Psycho Pirate, after rooming with the original, Charley Halstead (a foe of the JSA) in prison, as revealed in Showcase #56 (May-June, 1965).  Gaining the powers of emotion manipulation from the Medusa Mask, Psycho Pirate menaced Dr. Fate and Hourman, and later, all the members of the Justice Society of America for a time. 

Hayden even joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains (with Brain Wave, Killer Frost, the Cheetah and others), and menaced both the JLA and JSA during one of their annual team-ups, and, after being caught, ended up being brought back in time for a bit to menace Infinity, Inc. and the All-Star Squadron.

Monitor

One being to watch them all.  That was the Monitor, who was doing that, starting with New Teen Titans #21 (July, 1982), providing villains to face the Titans.  For most of his appearances prior to the Crisis, the Monitor was seen either in silhouette or not in full view on his satellite, to keep an air of mystery about the character....as he was a power broker to super-villains, providing manpower and equipment to fight super heroes. 

All part of his plan to gather information on those heroes, for when their powers and abilities would be needed in the most dire of situations....the Crisis On Infinite Earths!

Check back, as time allows, more mysteries of the Crisis will be revealed!

Flash And Green Lantern Face A Major Disaster

True, this was the first appearance of a brand new villain, Major Disaster, as well as a Flash and Green Lantern team-up, which had happened before....but, something was a little different about this one, as there was a little switch with our heroes!


Here's the story as it unfolded in Green Lantern #43 (March, 1966) under this cover by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson, in this story by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene!

Catastrophic Crimes Of Major Disaster

Hal Jordan has a problem with Carol Ferris, as she loves Green Lantern....but today, she reveals that she knows Hal IS Green Lantern.  Iris West is Barry Allen's fiancee, but....today she tells him about his speedy alter ego of the Flash.  The girls convince the boys to suit up and head to Pineaire City (only wanting to reveal to each other their boyfriend's alter egos).  But, then, disasters pull the super heroes away from their dates....and, as they are stopping the problems, they find Major Disaster and his henchmen robbing businesses, and are unable to stop them, as their powers seem to have disappeared. 

Major Disaster sent the letters to Carol and Iris, to keep the heroes busy.  Major Disaster wanted to remove their powers permanently, but could only switch Flash's aura with Green Lantern's ring charge.  Green Lantern and Flash head back to Coast City, so Hal can charge his ring and they can check Hal's confidant, Thomas Kalmaku, and his casebook, in which he records all the details of Green Lantern's adventurers (including Barry's identity).  Barry, after dusting for prints, finds two pair, Tom's and Paul Booker's. 

Then, when Hal and Barry go back to recharge Hal's ring, Barry begins to glow, while Hal manifests super speed.  After getting use to their new abilities, the two go to confront Booker (the alter ego of Major Disaster, who found Tom's book by accident while fleeing police; then, he convinced some scientists to build machines for him to threaten Coast City and Central City).  Barry saves Coast City from more disasters with green energy, while Hal beats Major Disaster and his scientists, which switches their powers back. 

Trying to use his machine again, Major Disaster forgets his protect from the disastrous effects....and it appears to be disaster for him (as well as causing amnesia for the residents of Coast City, including Carol and Iris).  Major Disaster didn't finish himself off, and came back to menace Green Lantern and other heroes in the future!

Arrow Shots: The Early Days of Dr. Destiny

If you follow your dreams, you can find your destiny.   That's what the scientist called Dr. Destiny tried to do.....except his dreams were to eliminate the Justice League of America and to take over the world.

Not exactly dreams friendly toward the rest of the world, but such is where stories start.

Here's where the story of Doctor Destiny begins.....

When Gravity Went Wild

As JLA members were dealing with a prison break featuring some of their fiercest foes (like Flash's Captain Cold, Green Lantern's Puppet-Master, Martian Manhunter's Getaway Mastermind, Aquaman's Electric Man, Wonder Woman's Professor Menace and Green Arrow's Clock King, the heroes found themselves hampered in trying to stop their foes...all by one of their own,  the JLA's newest member, Green Arrow!  This is the story of Justice League of America #5 (June-July, 1961) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs.

But, Green Arrow had a reason for his madness, and seeing his teammates in action helped prove it....the team had been infiltrated by a villain (disguised as Green Lantern), but a new one, Dr. Destiny.

Dr. Destiny then used the machines he had used to manipulate gravity to send the JLA members floating away, but, all this time gave the captive Green Lantern time to get free, save the day and stop Dr. Destiny and save his friends, which also showed the team that Green Arrow, the JLA's newest member on his first case after joining the team, was a good choice.


This story has been reprinted many times, including in the first Justice League of America Giant issue, Justice League of America #39 (November, 1965), as well as in the first volume of every JLA reprint Archive, Omnibus, Showcase Presents or Tradepaperback.

The Super-Exiles Of Earth

Next up, the members of the JLA find themselves confronted by more powerful, yet villainous, versions of themselves in Justice League of America #19 (May, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, under a shocking cover by Murphy Anderson.

The real JLA members are blamed for the crimes of their counterparts, sentenced to be exiled despite the efforts of Atom's lawyer (and fiance) Jean Loring and exiled into space.  That's when the team members realize that these super-version of themselves were created by Dr. Destiny using a newly invented weapon of his (the Materioptikon, which allows the doctor to manifest dreams) and that the team has to return to Earth.

The super heroes return in their alter egos (except Aquaman, who really has no other side to disguise as), facing their foes again (with little success), until the Atom manipulates the minds of the dream-JLA at subatomic size, allowing the heroic alter egos to beat their more powerful versions, and after capturing Dr. Destiny and returning Aquaman from exile, use Superman's Amnesium to erase their knowledge of each other's alter egos (except for those that already had shared those facts) from each other's minds.

This story was reprinted in Justice League of America #112 (May, 1963), the third Justice League of America Archive, the second Justice League of America Showcase Presents and Tradepaperback, and the first Justice League of America Omnibus, as well as in the JLA: The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB.

The Deadly Dreams Of Doctor Destiny

Next up, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman and Atom all have strange dreams where they gain new abilities due to an encounter with an odd object, but this leads them all to their doom, as originally related in Justice League of America #34 (March, 1965), by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, under a cover by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson.

Scarier still, Snapper Carr finds those objects in the JLA's Secret Sanctuary (a ring for Batman that gives him uncontrollable speed, gloves for Hawkman that hinder his flight, glasses for Superman that remove his Kryptonite vulnerability but give him vulnerabilities to yellow and fire, a mask for Wonder Woman which broadcasts her thoughts and an antennae for the Atom which gives him uncontrollable telescopic vision), and the items leave the JLA's Souvenir Room, to find their dreamers (and they start down the dooms their had dreamed!).

Thankfully, knowing their dooms via dreams helped the JLA, as they where able to stop their foes (like Batman's Joker and Hawkman's Chac) by knowing how to avoid their mistakes.  The teammates realize that Dr. Destiny must be behind this menace, and go to his prison cell to stop him, realizing he has been able to create a new Materioptikon within his own dreams, and arrange psychiatric treatments to stop him from being able to dream that way again.

This story was reprinted in the Limited Collector's Edition #C-46, in the fifth Justice League of America Archive, the second Justice League of America Showcase Presents and Omnibus, and in the fourth Justice League of America tradepaperback.

Operation: Jail The Justice League

Green Arrow is the focus of this issue, Justice League of America #61 (March, 1968) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Sid Greene, wherein our hero again discovers that the JLA has been infiltrated by Dr. Destiny.

To smoke out the villain, Green Arrow reveals his identity as Oliver Queen and that he is quitting being Green Arrow. The male members of the team think he must have been influenced by something, so all go out disguises as Green Arrow, and end up facing one of their own villains (Luthor for Superman, Penguin for Batman, Dr. Light for the Martian Manhunter, Tattooed Man for Green Lantern, Captain Boomerang for the the Flash, Cutlass Charlie for Aquaman, I.Q. for Hawkman and the Floronic Man for the Atom).

The heroes are defeated, and the villains change identities with the heroes, putting the JLA in jail as their foes.

Oliver learns that it was Dr. Destiny disguises as the villains, using his Materioptikon, and stops him from capturing the Atom, then after calling Wonder Woman and Snapper Carr, and getting the heroes changed back to their normal selves, end up facing the real versions of those villains at the Secret Sanctuary.

After defeating them,  Hawkman realizes who Dr. Destiny disguised himself as -- the Atom -- as the Atom was the first one to the meeting where Oliver presented his resignation (and Atom, who travels by telephone line, couldn't have been the first one there....as he needs someone there to pick up the phone to let him in!).

This tale has been reprinted first in the Limited Collectors' Edition #C-41, as well as in the eighth Justice League of America Archives, the fourth Justice League of America Showcase Presents and the second Justice League of America Omnibus.

I'll Kill You In Your Dreams

Dr. Destiny had undergone major changes before he appeared again in Justice League of America #154 (May, 1978) by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin (all foreshadowed by a cover by Michael William Kaluta and Al Milgrom).


As the Justice League couldn't let Dr. Destiny sleep, they had psychiatrists hypnotize him into not sleeping, which caused the doctor many problems, as his body started to wear out, become pale and draw in, making him look like a living skeleton.

But, Dr. Destiny was a model prisoner, and got himself an early release, to go back to building a physical Materioptikon, and using the dreams of Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Atom and Black Canary against them (as they stayed in a new Gotham Starscraper hotel).

After the JLA members dream their doom, they nearly face it again in reality, or would have, if his plot hadn't been discovered, and the Atom manipulated his new machine to give the heroes a happy ending (not so much for Dr. Destiny).

This issue is scheduled to be reprinted for the first time with the Justice League of America Bronze Age Omnibus Volume 3.

But Can An Android Dream?

Red Tornado is the focus of Justice League of America #175 (February, 1980) by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin (under a cover by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano).

The android JLAer was not feeling up to snuff, thinking his lack of a life is preventing from being a helpful teammate, so Reddy resigns from the JLA for a time, to reestablish his alter ego as John Smith.  As John Smith, Reddy adopts the orphan girl Traya he had rescued, as well as restarting his relationship with social worker Kathy Sutton.  During this time, members of the JLA are attacked by dream monsters from their psyche....including Red Tornado, who is able to defeat his menace (and realizes if he dreams, he can do dream to do better as well, and plans to, as a member of the JLA).

Sadly, this issue has yet to be reprinted.

The Dream Factories Of Doctor Destiny

The story from the last issue continues in Justice League of America #176 (March, 1980) by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin (under a Dick Dillin/Dick Giordano cover).

Joined by Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Zatanna, Red Tornado tracks down Dr. Destiny, whose previous work was only a test run of his real plan, to trigger three Materioptikons across the world simultaneously, locking the population of the world into a world of waking nightmares (which he feels is just revenge for his own loss of dreams).  The heroes split into teams of two and head to locations to stop the machines, which they do.

This story has yet to be reprinted.

A Dream Of Demons

Next up, a smaller group for Dr. Destiny to face, as he only haunts Superman and Black Canary in DC Comics Presents #30 (February, 1981) by Gerry Conway, Curt Swan and Vince Colletta, under a cover by Rich Buckler and Steve Mitchell.

Dr. Destiny is settling in to Arkham Asylum, and even sleeping well, unlike Black Canary, who is having dreams of Larry Lance, warning her of some evil to come (sending her to seek out Superman for help at his Fortress of Solitude).  Seems Dr. Destiny has found a way to tap into a Dream Dimension, and is working on controlling it as a way to attack the world.  Superman builds Black Canary a way to get into the Dream Dimension, unknowing finding Dr. Destiny there, and, as the heroes face off against Dr. Destiny's dream horrors, Black Canary finds strength from Larry in her dream state and uses her Canary Cry to make the area unstable, allowing her and Superman to leave, trapping Dr. Destiny in the Dream Dimension (which leaves him sleeping in Arkham Asylum).

If I Should Die Before I Wake....

This leads Dr. Destiny to the Justice League of America Annual #1 (1983) by Paul Levitz, Len Wein, Rick Hoberg and Dick Giordano, with a cover by Hoberg and Giordano.

This time, Dr. Destiny faces a JLA a little in turmoil, with Green Lantern Hal Jordan confined offworld (with John Stewart showing up in an early rare outing as Earth's Green Lantern of the time) and Batman off forming the Outsiders.  So, Commissioner Gordon has to use Elongated Man to let the JLA know that Doctor Destiny has escaped Arkham Asylum.   The JLA split up and go across the world, but end up being captured by Dr. Destiny's dream machinations, except for one member, who gets help from Jack Kirby's second (red and yellow) Sandman, master of the Dream Dimension (who had hijacked the Sandman's realm as a place to hold the JLA).

They freed the team and defeat Dr. Destiny...and even offer this Sandman a membership to the JLA (but, as he can only exist in the real world for an hour at a time, Sandman declines).

Dr. Destiny, like most of the DC Universe, shows up next during the Crisis On Infinite Earths, though his role is little more than a cameo.

Continued Dreams

Dr. Destiny continues to scheme against the JLA and others, getting an alter ego (the name of John Dee) as he faced off against Morpheus (Neil Gaiman's Sandman, also known as Dream of the Endless), who, by his captivity had supplied Dr. Destiny the original red ruby which was the power source for the Materioptikon (and, in getting his power back from the ruby, Morpheus granted Dr. Dee some dreams in his sleep).  Sadly, Dr. Destiny started to dream up alternate realities to defeat the JLA, and still continues to do so.

Destiny Written 

Dr. Destiny is not to be confused with the Book of Destiny, used by Destiny (of the Endless).   Destiny was one of the hosts of horror tales from Weird Mystery Tales and Secrets of Haunted House (like Cain and Abel for the House of Mystery and the House of Secrets), and carried with him the Book of Destiny, in which one's fate is written.

Destiny was always careful with this book, as, in the wrong hands, history could be rewritten....