Think the Justice League of America formed fighting against the threat of the Appellaxian meteors? Think again! Here is the story, as focused around the Martian Manhunter....and how the Justice League really formed, and had quite a few more potential members involved, as well as one less, as Superman and Green Lantern gave the facts to Green Arrow one day.....in
Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977, and told by
Steve Englehart,
Dick Dillin and
Frank McLaughlin).
The Origin Of The Justice League -- Minus One
Martian Manhunter was the start of all this. Brought to Earth by Dr. Erdel and his Robot-Brain in
Detective Comics #225 (November, 1955), J'onn J'onzz had to hide in American society as detective John Jones, struggling to find a way to return home to Mars after his appearance startled Dr. Erdel to death. Using his Martian abilities in secret, J'onn fought crime on Earth.
After destroying a cache of Martian weapons found on Earth (in
Detective Comics #264 in February, 1959), J'onn was confronted by Commander Blanx, the white Martian who had sent J'onn into exile.
Narrowly escaping, J'onn was chased by Flash (Barry Allen), fresh from having confronted the
Mirror Master (in
Flash #105 from February-March, 1959). J'onn and the other Martians escaped the Flash when confronted by paranoia from the residents of Middleton, who felt they were being invaded.
They were even suspicious of new hero, Flash, so he went to Metropolis to attract the attention of someone everyone would trust....Superman. Superman did indeed show up (from
Action Comics #249 of February, 1959), with Batman and Robin in tow (these three already
a team), but, they also attracted the attention of Roy Raymond, TV Detective, who advertised for more heroes to come....and boy did they! All the heroes (plus Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen) split up to cover three different reports of alien invaders.
Team One
The first team was composed of:
the Blackhawks (Blackhawk, Andre, Chuck, Olaf, Hendrickson, Stanislaus and Chop-Chop), international ace aviators who had fought in World War II, but now were professional adventurers. Their Earth-1 adventures started in
Blackhawk #108 (January, 1957), where they fought foes like Killer Shark and the War Wheel, were aided by Lady Blackhawk, and they had last appeared in
Blackhawk #133 (February, 1959).
Plastic Man, the stretchable sleuth, had had a few variations across the cosmos, but this was the first appearance of this version, the Earth-1 Plastic Man, who would appear next (in what was chronologically his first appearance in
Brave & the Bold #95 of April-May, 1971), and later in issues
#11-20 of his own title, and a run in
Adventure Comics.
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, or at least the Earth-1 version of the reporter who first appeared in
Superman #91 (August, 1954), rounded out the team (with Jimmy coming fresh from
Action Comics #249 of February, 1959), and even had his own title,
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, that lasted 163 issues from September-October, 1954 to February-March, 1974.
The heroes faced off against a mysterious man in a cabin, who disappeared from that house, even though it was surrounded by the heroes.....and where (and when) he went to was revealed as he first appeared a little later, in
Showcase #20 (May-June, 1959), and you can figure out who he is by going
here!
Team Two
The second team was made up of:
Congo Bill first appeared in
More Fun Comics #56 (June, 1940) as a big game hunter, but added a magic ring that allowed him to exchange minds with the golden gorilla, Congorilla, in
Action Comics #248 (January, 1959), and the two last appeared in
Action Comics #249 (February, 1959).
The Challengers of the Unknown (pilot Ace Morgan, acrobat Red Ryan,
boxer Rocky Davis and scuba diver Prof. Haley), who were men living on
borrowed time since
Showcase #6 (January-February, 1957),
when the group survived a plane crash together while headed for a TV
Show appearance. They remained together to fight odd menaces like
Ultivac, as well as alien invasions, adding June Robbins as a member, with the team last in
Challengers of the Unknown #6 (February-March, 1959).
Vigilante has a bit of a confusing history, looking just like his Earth-2 version, but this Vigilante first appeared in
Justice League of America #78 (February, 1970), so this is a chronologically earlier appearance of the western warrior, who uses six-guns, motorcycles and lassos to hunt modern criminals.
Robotman is even more confusing, having started out on Earth-2 in
Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April, 1942), having his human brain transferred out of his dying body into the robot form, later retroactively appearing in World War II group All-Star Squadron as a member, he must have left Earth-2 for Earth-1 sometime after
Detective Comics #202 (December, 1953), his last Golden Age appearance.
Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane rounded out this group, having first appeared (as an Earth-1 version) in
Superman #46 (May-June, 1947), and Lois used her reporter's savvy well here (having last appeared in
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #56 (April, 1965, a flashback story itself), and Lois' title lasted 137 issues from March-April, 1958 to September-October, 1974.
This batch faced a flying menace in the woods, who was chased by all the heroes, except Lois, who figured out the mysterious figure was trying to get them to leave and area, but, that spaceman did disappear after being hit by an energy beam (and he explained it to his girlfriend, as these two were appearing between
Showcase #18 and
#19 of 1959; he later helped Superman save Lois and Earth, as explained
here).
Team Three
The third team was made up of the future
charter members of the Justice League of America:
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (coming from
Wonder Woman #104 of February, 1959), Aquaman (last in
Adventure Comics #256 of January, 1959), and the Flash!
These heroes ended up out on the west coast, in Coast City.
There were a few others investigating this with them as well...
Batman's partner,
Robin (who first appeared as an Earth-1 version in
Superman #76 from May-June, 1952, and was last in
Detective Comics #264 from February, 1959 with Batman).
Roy Raymond, TV Detective, who was the host of the Impossible But True TV show, and premiered in
Detective Comics #153 (November, 1949), but appeared here along with his assistant, Karen Duncan, fresh from
Detective Comics #264 (February, 1959) and getting the scoop for his viewers.
Rex the Wonder Dog was the last of this group, with this intelligent canine having premiered in the
Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #1 (January-February, 1952), where Rex was trained as a part of the K-9 Army Dog Training Corps. Rex and the Dennis family would help people who needed it (though none of the Dennis' appeared here). Rex had appeared in the
Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #43 (January-February, 1959).
These heroes did work together safely, after finding the captive Martian Manhunter and defeating Commander Blanx and his Martians at the Ferris Aircraft facility (where the activities of the aliens were reported by test pilot, Hal Jordan). Deciding it was still a little too soon for these heroes to gather as a team, as people were still a little too paranoid, they waited a few months (to when Earth was being invaded again) to band together and form the JLA (along with new hero,
Green Lantern, who, unbeknownst to the heroes at the time, was test pilot Hal Jordan!).
Green Arrow had not been present (and
joined the JLA later), as he and his ward,
Speedy, had just solved a case on the
island that created the Green Arrow (as revealed in
Adventure Comics #256 of January, 1959) and had stayed for a little vacation, missing out on the invasions)...
...and Green Arrow was sad to have missed the original JLA meeting (As well as the time
they formed again facing the Appellaxians), and the recent brief return to Earth for a bit of the Martian Manhunter.
