Time Runs Amok

Time, like Chronos, runs amok...as Daylight Saving Time is upon us again as an hour is stolen from our weekend.

Here, Blue Beetle fights the time thief (and Atom foe) in Blue Beetle #10 (March, 1987) in a Legends crossover with a cover by Paris Cullins and Bruce Patterson...

...setting the stage for a return battle in Blue Beetle #22 (March, 1988) with cover by Chris Wozniak and Keith Wilson.

Clocking In With The Time Foes

Time, time, see what's become of me....and it was time for villains such as Chronos, Clock King, Time Commander and the Calendar Man, who used time as motif in their villainous plans to gather together, with their most ambitious plot of the seasons.

But, before going into that, a little of the history of these villains, while we tick down the seconds to their big plans!

Chronos

David Clinton started off as a thief with a fascination for time pieces in the Atom #3 (October-November, 1962) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson, but then joined the Crime Champions, the Injustice Gang of the World, the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Suicide Squad, as well as fighting dinosaurs and playing baseball as he perfected his time travel devices.

While Ray Palmer took a little time off in the jungle, Chronos faced the Blue Beetle, ending up trapped in the time of the dinosaurs, returning home the long way (via suspended animation), making a ton of money via the stock market (having awakened a little before he had planned), facing off against the Atom again (during the Invasion!), then losing an arm during a battle with the Atom in the Atom Special #1 of 1993 by Tom Peyer and Steve Dillon.

Clock King

William Tockman faced Green Arrow in World's Finest Comics #111 (August, 1960) by Ed Herron and Lee Elias, robbing banks using a clock costume. Clock King was broken out of jail to face the Justice League (along with other foes of theirs like Flash's Captain Cold, Green Lantern's Puppet Master and Wonder Woman's Professor Menace) in Justice League of America #5 (June-July, 1961), before going back to jail again, finding out in World's Finest Comics #257 (June-July, 1979 by Paul Kupperberg, Jose Delbo and Frank McLaughlin) that the lab had made a mistake in his diagnosis (as he was robbing banks to get money for his invalid sister, as a doctor told him he had only six months to live, and his sister was dead while he was in jail, so he revealed to Green Arrow for the first time here, promising revenge again the Emerald Archer and the doctor).  Tockman faced Green Arrow again in World's Finest Comics #284 (October, 1982 by Mike W. Barr and Dan Spiegle) before the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Then, Clock King joined with other villains Major Disaster, Cluemaster, Multi-Man and Big Sir to form the Injustice League, and tried to get aliens weapons during the Invasion! in Justice League International #23 (January, 1989).  Failing at that, the Injustice League returned a few times (even giving up being villains for a time, working as a Justice League satellite branch, the Justice League Antarctica as of Justice League America Annual #4 of 1990, being involved in the Justice League Breakdowns crossover, then going back to the villainous side for Justice League Europe #49 and #50 of 1993.

Calendar Man

Julian Day started off his time as a villain in Detective Comics #259 (September, 1958) by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris, facing off against Batman and Robin using the seasons as a motif, facing Batman five times (with the Darknight Detective having to figure out that fifth season).  It took some time for the Calendar Man to return, taking the week as inspiration for his crimes in Batman #312 (June, 1979 by Len Wein, Walter Simonson and Dick Giordano), then returning a little sooner, with the red costume most often seen in, with Batman #384 (June, 1985 by Doug Moench, Rick Hoberg and Rudy Nebres), with a superiority complex, having been recruited by the Monitor to face Batman as one of Batman's most dangerous foes (well, he's more dangerous than quite a few, but  really?), this continued into Detective Comics #551 (June, 1985), and a defeat in Batman #385 (July, 1985)...but he was able to escape and be involved in the Crisis On Infinite Earths with other villains, and escaped again in Batman #400 (October, 1986).

After a quick appearance with other lower tier villains at the Dark Side Bar in Justice League America #43 (October, 1990), Calendar Man worked with a bunch of "misfits" in Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #7 to #9 of the early 1990s by Alan Grant and Tim Sale, with Cat-Man, Killer Moth and a new villain, Chancer, who, combined, were able to prove that any villain can be deadly!

Time Commander

Last but not least is John Starr, who premiered in Brave and the Bold #59 (April-May, 1965) by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon, facing Batman and Green Lantern as the Time Commander.  Starr at least did manipulate time a little with his hourglass, who was able to vex both heroes, by learning their secret identities and send them to other time periods as well.  The heroes teamed up to get home, and to defeat the Time Commander, who had disguised himself as Batman, by shattering his hourglass.  Time Commander returned quickly, facing Batman and Green Lantern again, in Brave and the Bold #69 (December-January, 1966/1967), this time trying to recreate Cosmo, a being of incredible power, that he also wanted to use to get revenge, but Cosmo's original creator, Dr. Carruthers, returned and Cosmo was dissolved.

Time Commander disappears for a while, with a promised battle with the Outsiders that didn't happen, but he did meet a few members of Justice League Europe (including Elongated Man, Rocket Red, Animal Man and Metamorpho) in Animal Man #16 (October, 1989 by Grant Morrison, Chas Truog and Doug Hazlewood), where Animal Man realized the Time Commander was trying to create a better world without suffering and death....at least until Metamorpho knocked Starr out, defeating "the villain".  Animal Man returned to Time Commander, hoping to use his abilities to travel in time to save his own family, but instead got involved in something weirder with the second Psycho-Pirate and help from Rip Hunter in Animal Man #22 (April, 1990).

Time Foes Gather

The time based villains began to gather in Team Titans #13 (October, 1993) by Jeff Jensen, Phil Jimenez and Will Blyberg, with Calendar Man freeing Clock King, Chronos, then Time Commander...but didn't face the time displaced teens until they cornered them in a mall trying to retrieve Time Commander's Hourglass in Team Titans #14 (November, 1993), being beaten by the kids (with the team of villains being used by the media against the heroes in Team Titans #15 of December, 1993, and the realization the foes were part of a bigger plan, being manipulated by Firestorm foes, the 2000 Committee, who were manipulated as well by others....as revealed in Team Titans #19 of April, 1994).

The Time Foes tried again to steal time travel tech, getting involved with JLA foe, the Lord of Time, in Showcase '94 #10 (September, 1994 by Mike McAvennie, Jason Armstrong and Stan Woch), but they messed up time, and the universe began to dissolve (which was a part of Zero Hour: Crisis In Time (which also wiped out the history of the Team Titans....)...

...and the Time Foes didn't make either of these covers, as their time together ran out.

Time Foes Apart

Each of the Time Foes did return later, with Chronos beginning by being recruited by Neron in Underworld Unleashed #1 (November, 1995 by Mark Waid, Howard Porter and Dan Green, and messing with the Legion of Super-Heroes while powered by Neron), Clock King forming his own team of Clockwatchers in Chase #4 (May, 1998 by D. Curtis Johnson, J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray), Calendar Man likely making his next date in Batman 80-Page Giant #3 (July, 2000 by Chuck Dixon and an army of artists including Joe Staton, Manuel Gutierrez, Mike Deodato, Graham Nolan, Louis Small Jr, Dale Eaglesham and Bill Sieinkiewicz) going weekly again and the supposedly dead Time Commander being behind the scenes in JLA #47 (November, 2000 by Mark Waid, Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary), and later in JLA #60 (January, 2002).....

...as well as being there for a death of Waverider in 52 #27 (January, 2007 by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Shawn Moll, Mariah Benes, Ruy Jones, Nelson, Rodney Ramos and Prentis Rollins), and finally getting his hourglass in Justice League of America 80 Page Giant #1 (November, 2009 by Rex Ogle, Mahmud Asrar and Rob Hunter) from the Lord of Time (as the two have become foes over time....).

JLA Foes Crime Champions 1

The villains known as the Crime Champions had beginnings on two Earths, and started working together in Justice League of America #21 (August, 1963) with the "Crisis On Earth-One" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs.

First up, the foes of the Justice League of America....Felix Faust, Dr. Alchemy and Chronos, the villains from Earth-1 (where the Justice League of America lived).

Felix Faust

Felix Faust premiered in Justice League of America #10 (March, 1962) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, wielding "The Fantastic Fingers Of Felix Faust" (basically, a magic user).  The sorcerer used the Justice League to gather 3 mystic items (the Red Jar of Calythos, the Green Bell of Uthool, and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath) to free the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast.  Though Faust failed here, Felix Faust continued to vex the JLA over the years (first in Justice League of America #49 of November, 1966), as well as the Outsiders, later.

Dr. Alchemy

Dr. Alchemy first appeared in Showcase #14 (May-June, 1958 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia), facing off against the Flash using his Philosopher's Stone to magically transmute elements as "The Man Who Changed The Earth".  But, Albert Desmond had faced the Flash in Showcase #13 (March-April, 1958) as Mr. Element, who used scientific knowledge of chemicals to battle the Flash.  Albert returned a few times to fight the Flash over the years, sometimes mostly as Mr. Element (starting with Flash #147 of September, 1964), but a few times as Dr. Alchemy, at least until a new Dr. Alchemy took over for a time (Alvin Desmond, not Albert; and Albert's Dr. Alchemy faced Flash as well, and was a member of the Crime Champions during their later return, then faced Blue Beetle as well).

 

Chronos

David Clinton started his criminal career as Chronos, a foe of the Atom with a clock motif in Atom #3 (October-November, 1962 by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson) fighting with the mighty mite in his home of Ivy Town.  These battles continue on and off over the years (after the first meeting with the Crime Champions, starting in the Atom #13 of June-July, 1964), and Chronos also perfects time travel technology, fighting with many other members of the Justice League and more, as a member of the Injustice Gang of the World, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the Suicide Squad and more.

The Crime Champions continued their battles against the combined forces of the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America in Justice League of America #22 (September, 1963), and later returned for 2 issues of the Justice League of America....with the help of JSA villains, the Wizard, the Fiddler and the Icicle...of which there will be more coming soon!

JLA Foes The Injustice Gang Of The World

This gathering of evil is the Injustice Gang of the World.

They were formed in Justice League of America #111 (May-June, 1974 by Len Wein and Dick Dillin) by a villain called Libra (also his first appearance, and more on him later….since even though he gathered these foes, and gave them a satellite of their own, his history didn’t get revealed until much later).

This group was unique, as it was the first named gathering of villains of established Justice League of America members (well, only JLA members…more on that later) and this group came back a few times!

So, let’s start with their members….though they weren’t the greatest foes of each of the members of the Justice League, they had fought their respective JLAers a few times before appearing here…

Scarecrow

Jonathan Crane first got noticed by the Batman back in World’s Finest Comics #3 (Fall, 1943 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane), and his first cover appearance on Detective Comics #73 (in March, 1943, though both of those were technically the Earth-2 Scarecrow, the one in the IGW was first in Batman #189 of February, 1967), and was last in Detective Comics #389 (July, 1969) before joining the IGW.  

Dr. Crane was a psychologist who went a little crazy, as his fascination with fear led him to experiment on people…and brought him into conflict with Batman and Robin (and he kept coming back, even being enhanced by Neron for a time…and facing Hawkman!   

He even fought other Batman foes like Joker and Catwoman).


Scarecrow used a fear gas to fight his foes, and make them face what they feared the most (which makes him the perfect villain for Halloween).

Poison Ivy

Pamela Isley started to cause trouble for Batman and Robin with Batman #181 (June, 1966 by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff), but she simply was a tease (based on model Bettie Page, no less!).  Poison Ivy last appeared in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #116 (November, 1971) fighting the Rose and Thorn (another Kanigher creation....) before joining the Injustice Gang.

Later appearances added her immunity to poisons and plant-manipulation powers (and when she faced Wonder Woman in a couple of World’s Finest Comics issues, she was a botany student named Lillian Rose, who was seduced herself to become a thief by a Frenchman….who then poisoned her, and she survived to become Poison Ivy).  Later, her name was changed to Pamela Isley, and she was a student of Jason Woodrue (he who became the Atom and Swamp Thing foe, Floronic Man…).  

Poison Ivy fought against the Metropolis heroine, the Thorn in the pages of Lois Lane, was also a member of later super-villain group the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and of the government sponsored group the Suicide Squad, and worked quite a bit with Joker’s gal, Harley Quinn and then with her and the Catwoman as well.


Poison Ivy was immune to poison, knew plants, had a hatred for men, but knew how to manipulate both flora and fauna.

Chronos

David Clinton first menaced the mighty mite in Atom #3 (October-November, 1962 by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane), and used devices based on clocks and watches to fight the little man.  As time progressed, Chronos seemed to gain some mastery of time travel as well... both for his good and bad.

Chronos was also a member of the Crime Champions (a villain team composed of Flash foe Dr. Alchemy, JLA foe Felix Faust, golden age Green Lantern foe Icicle, JSA foe the Wizard and golden age Flash foe the Fiddler…who did beat the IGW into existence by 90 issues…but was a mix of JLA and JSA villains…and didn’t reoccur until after the Injustice Gang’s 3 appearances as a group).  

Chronos last faced the Atom in Action Comics #427 (September, 1973) before becoming a member of the IGW.  

Chronos also joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the Suicide Squad, even the “anti-Justice League” with folks like Merlyn, the Ocean Master, Sinestro and Grodd…and even the Time Foes!  

Chronos even played baseball against a team of heroes comprised of JLAers and Teen Titans, as well as facing Elongated Man, Wonder Woman, Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow, Superman & Batman and Blue Beetle individually!

Chronos was quite the timely villain, facing foes with watch-inspired woes, clock catastrophes and time travel troubles!

Mirror Master

Sam Scudder was a crook even before he became a foe of the Flash (starting in Flash #105, March, 1959 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), and while in prison manipulated a mirror into holding an image, and used that to escape.  Somehow this convict came up with a few other mirror gimmicks, and faced the Flash…time and time again!  He even teamed up with other Flash foes like Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, the Top, and the Pied Piper to form the Flash Rogue’s Gallery, so Mirror Master was a natural at joining groups, and he last faced Flash in Flash #219 (December-January, 1972/1973)!  

Mirror Master was the first of JLAers individual foe to pop up in JLA stories (Brave and the Bold #30 with Amazo, as well as Justice League of America #40 with the Shark) and also joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains with a few other Flash foes like Grodd, Captain Cold and the Trickster, and faced Elongated Man a few times, and even Batman…before Sam died in the Crisis on Infinite Earths!  

Though the mantle of the Mirror Master was picked up a few times…before Flashpoint ended things, it was worn by Evan McCulloch, who faced Animal Man and Gunfire, before coming to face off against the Wally West version of the Flash, and Evan even joined the Rogues as well, and later faced Green Arrow even!



Mirror Master cast quite a negative reflection, facing the Flash with a little slight of hand, and polished up as quite the villain.

Shadow-Thief

Carl Sands was a criminal, who happened to be able to make contact with an extra-dimensional being named Thar Dan from Xarapion, and saved his life.  As a reward, Carl was given the Dimensiometer which allowed him to become a shadow (and a pair of gloves that allowed him to grip objects as a shadow), and became…a Shadow-Thief!  This brought him into conflict with Midway City’s alien heroes, Hawkman and Hawkgirl (in Brave & the Bold #36, July, 1961 by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert).  A side effect of the device would have plunged the Earth into an ice age, had the Hawks not stopped the Shadow-Thief!  He returned again to face the Thanagarian couple (appearing in Hawkman #5 of December-January, 1964/1965), before joining the IGW (and only appeared as a member of the group once, as when he came back to face the JLA again…along with Captain Cold, the Icicle and Wonder Woman’s foe, Minister Blizzard), the Phantom Stranger took his Dimensiometer away!  

Eventually, Carl got it back, and continued to menace Hawkman (and now Hawkwoman), and even got more power working with the Thanagarians and with the demon Neron (as well as getting some of his own history rewritten as the Hawks had their lives altered as well).


Beware what’s in the shadows, it could be the Shadow-Thief!

Tattooed Man

Abel Tarrant was a sailor who was starting a criminal career, until being exposed to some mysterious chemicals that allowed him to animate objects from images made with those chemicals.  Inking up, he became the Tattooed Man and faced Green Lantern in Coast City in Green Lantern #23 (September, 1963 by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane).  And then, the Tattooed Man pretty much only popped up in the Justice League book for a time (Justice League of America #28, #61 along with folks like Lex Luthor, Penguin and Dr. Light in #69), before joining up with the IGW (and getting a new costume, which he dumped to be part of the baseball team of villains…so he had his old suit for his two return appearances with the IGW in #143 and #158).  Abel even was thought to have been dead for a time…but it was only a tattoo image of him!  

This salty sea dog doesn’t even appear on that many covers!  Other people got inked up with his special ink, making other Tattooed Men to menace other heroes (or, even try to be a hero at times).


Being a man of many talents, this inked irritant called the Tattooed Man was an occasional bother to Green Lantern!

Libra

Justin Ballantine was just a poor boy who lost his mother when he was young due to a pharmacist who gave her the wrong medicine (because he was a drunk).  So, Justin threw himself into astronomy…and would have been killed by his father (after Justin spent all his money on a telescope), if not for the fact his father was drunk and fell to his death.  These events taught Justin balance, and after some tutoring (eventually even being a student of Ted Knight, the first Starman, in college) he was ready to strike out on his own.  

A mysterious benefactor gives him the Transmortifier (and, likely the satellite) to test against the JLA (the device absorbs powers), and he formed the Injustice Gang of the World to menace the heroes.  At the end of the battle, Libra tried to absorb the universe…and ended up on Apokolips, being reformed by Desaad, where it was revealed it was Darkseid’s device, given to Libra by Glorious Godfrey!  These New Gods then returned, gathering an army of villains (including Martian Manhunter foe, the Human Flame), and became a menace to the JLA and the world in the Final Crisis!

Libra kept things in balance, to try to turn the scales of justice…against the Justice League!

The Injustice Gang of the World wasn’t quite the first group of villains the JLA faced, but they were the most frequent in the Justice League of America title, coming back without Libra, with the Construct in charge in Justice League of America #143 (June, 1977) and Abra Kadabra pulling the strings in Justice League of America #158 (September, 1978)…in the Silver and Bronze Age, and they led the way to bigger groups  and more menaces!

Dinosaurs With Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow

It only took a few hundred million years for everything to come together correctly to allow DC Special #27 (April-May, 1977, by Bob Rozakis and Rich Buckler) with the title of "Danger: Dinosaurs At Large!" to take place.

The dinosaurs were the easy part...getting the rest of the players in place took a little more work!


Here's a quick look at the major players in the story.....

....which weren't the Justice League (though members Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Black Canary do guest-star in the issue....instead it was an honorary League member that had most of the action!).

Mutant From The Future

Adam Blake was born ahead of his time (about 100,000 years ahead).  This lad was born as a comet flashed through the sky which mutated him into a type of future man, with enhanced strength, speed and mental powers like telekinesis, telepathy and a photographic memory.  Starting with Strange Adventures #9 (June, 1951, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino),  and the help of Dr. Emery Zackro (who explains to the lad his mutant status) the newly named hero Captain Comet begins his career of fighting aliens, robots and other odd menaces (with art by Murphy Anderson in most of his appearances). 

Captain Comet could also be called the first Silver Age hero (as his debut was separate from the Justice Society of America, yet before the Martian Manhunter in Detective Comics #225 or Flash/Barry Allen in Showcase #4).  Along the way, he also picked up a girlfriend, librarian Lucy Torrence with Strange Adventures #11 (Carmine Infantino's last drawn issue), and their adventures run from Strange Adventures #9-44, 46 and 49 (49 coming out in October, 1954). 

Captain Comet then left Earth, not to return until Secret Society of Super-Villains #2 (July-August, 1976) where he fought Green Lantern (a character that used some basic ideas established in Comet's own series such as the Guardians of the Universe) mistakenly thinking GL was the villain.  Captain Comet soon learned the truth, and aided the Justice League (and members of the Teen Titans as well) against the Secret Society for the rest of that series run (until the series was cancelled).  Captain Comet popped up meeting with Superman in two issues of DC Comic Presents (#22 and #91), attended the Atom's wedding in Justice League of America #157...and worked with the Forgotten Heroes in the Crisis on Infinite Earths as well. 

After the Crisis, the Captain worked with the L.E.G.I.O.N. and R.E.B.E.L.S. (two groups of interstellar police that worked under Vril Dox, the "son" of Superman foe, Brainiac) and more recently, was teamed with other outer space heroes (like Adam Strange, Hawkman, the Weird, Starfire and Starman) in the Rann-Thanagar War, Infinite Crisis, 52, Mystery In Space and back to a new volume of Strange Adventures before Flashpoint rewrote DC history (yet, Captain Comet came back in Action Comics to face the New 52 Superman!).

Future Man Adventures

Tommy Tomorrow was a famous 21st century spaceman, working as a Colonel in the Space Planeteers, keeping the Earth and other people safe from menaces and criminals!  Tommy first appeared in Real Fact Comics #6 in the "Columbus Of Space" (by writers Jack Schiff, George Kashdan, and Bernie Breslauer and artists Howard Sherman and Virgil Finley).  Tommy comes back for issues #8, 13 and 16, but only made the covers shown.  These issues also have facts that are contradicted in later issues of Tommy's regular series, which run as back-ups in Action Comics from #127-251, then World's Finest Comics #102-124, until DC tried to give Tommy and his friend and fellow Planeteer Capt. Brent Wood his own series with issues starting with Showcase (#41 in November-December, 1962 by Arnold Drake and Lee Elias), who did all of Tommy's appearances in Showcase (#41, 42, 44, 46 and 47), but this series ended up being the first real failure of Showcase...Tommy didn't graduate into his own book, instead, not appearing until the DC Special mentioned above. 

Tommy did show up in Crisis on Infinite Earths, wherein at the end of the timeline, it was revealed that Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, grew up to be Tommy Tomorrow (after being found by Horatio Tomorrow...a story which contradicts Action Comics #255 of August, 1959, in which Supergirl met the young boy Tommy in the 21st Century in a story by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney....but, she was erased from DC history for a time as well).  Tommy Tomorrow came back in a series called Twilight by DC in 1990 by Howard Chaykin and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (which also included the Star Rovers, the Space Museum, Manhunter 2070 and Star Hawkins), but that had little to do with the rest of the DC Universe....unlike the villain of the piece!

Man Out Of Time

Chronos was a foe of the Atom, starting with Atom #3 (October-November, 1962 by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane).  David Clinton started off as a thief with obsessed with time, and later matures into a major DC villain, joining the Crime Champions, the Time Foes, Secret Society of Super-Villains, and the Injustice Gang of the World (and even plays baseball against the heroes with a group of villains, which he did just before participating in this story), as well as facing Elongated Man, Wonder Woman, Superman & Batman and Blue Beetle (as well as come later encounters with dinosaurs, and even inspiring a heroic Chronos, aka Walker Gabriel who had 12 issues of his own in 1998-1999).

For the purposes of this story, Chronos causes the problem which brings Tommy Tomorrow into the present day, as well as the dinosaurs, including the mutated dinosaur man seen on the cover, Tyrano Rex bringing us full circle!  This dinosaur man was mutated by a meteor and traveled through time to the modern day just to be defeated by Tommy Tomorrow and Captain Comet, proving that dinosaurs and radiation just shouldn't mix!