Request For Injustice Society Collections

One of the most persistent foes of the Justice Society of America has been the Injustice Society of the World.  Premiered in All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947) by writer Robert Kanigher and artists Irwin Hasen, Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, John Belfi and Alex Toth, this group of villains has unleashed havoc across the world, as well as having grown in size (here by George Perez)....

...and while the group's Golden Age appearances have been reprinted a few times, many individual members are far from having their appearances visible since their first printings.

That needs change....and, here's a way to do that in three tradepaperback volumes!

ISW Volume 1

The first volume should include:

Wizard (William Asmodeus Zard) All-Star Comics #34 (April-May 1947):  "The Wiles Of The Wizard" Brainwave (Henry King Sr) All-Star Comics #15 (February-March 1943): "The Man Who Created Images" Gambler (Steven Sharpe) Green Lantern #12 (Summer 1944):  "The Gambler" Green Lantern #20 (June-July 1946): "The Gambler Comes Back" Green Lantern #27 (August-September 1947): "The Gambler Bets His Life" Per Degaton All-Star Comics #35 (June-July 1947):  "The Day That Dropped Out Of Time"

Thinker (Clifford DeVoe)

All-Flash #12 (Fall 1943):  "Tumble Inn To Trouble" All-Flash #14 (Spring 1944):  "The Man Who Unleashed The Past" Vandal Savage Green Lantern #10 (Winter 1943): "The Man Who Wanted The World"

...and the team appearance from All-Star Comics #37, "The Injustice Society of The World", for a wonderful collection of 319 pages (with appropriate covers, with sadly, the Thinker not appearing on any, and the Gambler only making one of his cover), with many All-Star Comics issues, and a few Golden Age Flash and Green Lantern tales.


Still, this does collect all of Per Degaton and Vandal Savage's Golden Age appeaerances, and at least the first two appearances of every charter ISW member except for Brain Wave.


Leaves some Brain Wave, Thinker and Gambler stories uncollected, but....read on!

ISW Volume 2

The second volume should include:

Icicle (Joar Makent) All-American Comics #90 (October 1947): "The Icicle" All-American Comics #92 (December 1947): "The Icicle Goes South" Fiddler (Isaac Bowin) All-Flash #32 (December 1947-January 1948):  "Duet Of Danger" Flash Comics #93 (March 1948): "Violin Of Villainy" Comic Cavalcade #28 (August-September 1948): "The Flash Concerto"

Sportsmaster (Crusher Crock) All-American Comics #85 (May 1947): "The Rise And Fall Of Crusher Crock" Green Lantern #28 (October-November 1947): "The Tricks Of The Sportsmaster" All-American Comics #98 (June 1948): "The End Of Sports"

Huntress (Paula Brooks) Sensation Comics #68 (August 1947): "Wildcat -- Former Crime Fighter" Sensation Comics #69 (September 1947): "Follow The Leader" Sensation Comics #71 (November 1947): "The Count That Never Ended" Sensation Comics #73 (January 1948): "Murder Masquerade" Sensation Comics #75 (March 1948): "The Snare That Backfired" Sensation Comics #76 (April 1948): "The Wildcat Ride" DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular #6 (1971): "Crime Wore A Costume"

Harlequin (Molly Mayne) All-American Comics #89 (September 1947): "The Harlequin" All-American Comics #91 (November 1947): "The Wedding Of The Harlequin" Green Lantern #29 (December 1947 - January 1948): "The Challenge Of The Harlequin" and "The Harlequin Haunts Green Lantern"

All-American Comics  #93 (January 1948):  "The Double-Crossing Decoy" All-American Comics #94 (February 1948): "Partners In Peril" All-American Comics #95 (March 1948): "The Unmasking Of The Harlequin" Green Lantern #31 (March-April 1948): "The Terror Of The Talismans" Green Lantern #32 (May-June 1948):  "The Case Of The Conscience Fund"

....and, with the Wizard's gathering of these villains from All-Star Comics #41 (June-July, 1948), this gives all the Golden Age appearances of these villains from the various Flash comics, Green Lantern comics and even Wildcat appearances (though he never made the covers of Sensation Comics).



Except for some of Harlequin's appearances, all of these characters Golden Age tales are here (about half of all of these stories hadn't been reprinted), with this being the largest volume, at 330 pages.

ISW Volume 3

The third volume should include Golden Age tales of the Bronze Age additions:

Shade (Richard Swift) Flash Comics #33 (September 1942): "The Man Who Commanded The Night" Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold) All-American Comics #61 (October 1944): "Fighters Never Quit" Comic Cavalcade #13 (Winter 1945): "And Then There Was One" All-Star Comics #33 (February-March 1947): "The Revenge Of Solomon Grundy" Comic Cavalcade #24 (December 1947-January 1948): "The Case Of The Withered Flower"

Missing stores of other ISW members from the Golden Age:

Brain Wave (Henry King Sr) All-Star Comics #17 (June-July 1943): "Brain Wave Goes Berserk" All-Star Comics #30 (August-September 1946)" "The Dreams Of Madness Gambler (Steven Sharpe) Green Lantern #30 (February-March 1948): "The Fatal Chance" Green Lantern #35 (November-December 1948): "Perfect Crimes For Sale"

Thinker (Clifford DeVoe) Flash Comics #65 (June-July 1945): "Adventure Of The Thinking Cap" All-Flash #27 (February-March 1947): "The Thinker Cooks With Gas" Comic Cavalcade #22 (August-September 1947): "Beware The Ice Age" Comic Cavalcade #23 (October-November 1947): "The Sleeping City" All-Flash #32 (December 1947-January 1948): "Crime, Incorporated" Flash #214 (April 1972): "The Tale Of Three Tokens"

Harlequin (Molly Mayne)

Green Lantern Vol. 1 #33/3 (July-August 1948): "The Harlequin's Leap Year"

Green Lantern Vol. 1 #34 (September-October 1948): "Harlequin's Secret Revealed"

Other villains, who joined even later or were related to the ISW:

Rag Doll (Peter Merkel) Flash Comics #36 (December 1942): "Tale Of The Treasure Hunt" The Mist (Kyle) Adventure Comics #67 (October 1941): "The Menace Of The Invisible Raiders"

The Shade joined during a JLA/JSA adventure, Solomon Grundy during the 1970s run with Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl, Rag Doll VERY much later, in JSA All-Stars, and the Mist, because his second appearance was in the Wanted collection, and this gives more than Flash and Green Lantern (and JSA stories) with a Starman story, giving 328 pages (and hope that a collection with Hawkman's Gentleman Ghost and Monocle and a few others can materialize somewhere).

A fanciful wish from someone who knows the Flash, Green Lantern, Wildcat, Hawkman and Starman stories reprinted from the Golden Age, and would like to see more, with Wizard, Brain Wave, Per Degaton, Vandal Savage, Gambler, Thinker, Icicle, Sportsmaster, Huntress, Fiddler, Harlequinn and the rest serving as a nice conduit to a forgotten era!

JLA JSA Fourth Multiple Crisis

More worlds for the discovery, as the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America make their way through another batch of team-ups.

These two teams from different Earths find their way together, and go to other Earths as well....and to other times!

Where On Earth Am I?

The first JLA/JSA team up this time around is Justice League of America #123 (October, 1975) by Cary Bates, Elliot S. Maggin, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, under a cover by Ernie Chan.

This issue starts with Cary and Elliot trying to plot an issue of Justice League of America for Julie Schwartz (yes, it is a trip to Earth-Prime, where the JLA are only comic book heroes).  Fooling around, Cary gets transported to Earth-2 on the Cosmic Treadmill, with Elliot getting help from Julie to do it himself.  Cary ends up meeting the JSA and developing super powers, while Elliot ends up on Earth-1, and is found by the JLA (and the Flash/Barry Allen helps convince them to listen to him).  Cary uses his new powers to face the JSA and defeat them, while Elliot and the JLA figure that Cary must have ended up on Earth-2, so they go there, and end up on an aircraft carrier...

...fighting the Injustice Society of the World (Wizard, Gambler, Icicle, Sportsmaster, Huntress and new member, the Shade)!

The JLA defeat them easily....to find that they were the JSA (Johnny Thunder, Hourman, Robin, Wildcat, Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite).


Who is responsible for this?

"Why, none other than that little old plot twister -- ME!" says Cary Bates.

Avenging Ghosts Of The Justice Society

Elliot S. Maggin, Cary Bates, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin serve up part two in Justice League of America #124 (November, 1975).

The JSA are dead from their battle with the JLA, and Cary Bates is continuing his crime spree for the ISW.  Feeling guilty, the JLA members are working to help Earth-2, while Cary goes to get Elliot to lure in the JLA, while ghostly spirit of vengeance JSA member the Spectre gets permission from God to resurrect the JSA with the Ring of Life (which he does during a battle with the ISW).  The heroes defeat the villains...and the writers go home to Earth-Prime, to try to sell Julie on this two issue story (in which he finds many a "plot-snag", including where Cary got his powers and the JSA's unlikely death and return).


After this JLA/JSA team-up, most of the members of the JSA (and ISW) show up in the start of the 1970s run of All-Star Comics (where Robin gets his new costume), except for Wonder Woman, Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt (and the Shade), who show up in the next JLA/JSA team-up!  Earth-Prime would return as well!

Crisis In Eternity

The JLA and JSA (along with the newly minted Squadon of Justice) fight the large menace of King Kull across the Earths, starting in Justice League of America #135 (October, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin all under this Ernie Chan cover.

This time around, King Kull (foe of the Marvel Family and last of the Beast-Men) finds a way to freeze the Gods of Eternity and the old wizard Shazam (those who give the Marvel Family their powers) at the Rock of Eternity.  Shazam was able to send Mercury to go gather help, including the JLA from Earth-1 (including Hawkgirl, who has yet to join) and JSA from Earth-2 (Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Robin and Batman - making an active debut in JLA/JSA team-ups)...

...and heroes other than the Marvel Family (Spy Smasher, Ibis the Invincible, Mr. Scarlet, Pinky, Bulletman and Bulletgirl).


Using the headquarters of the Crime Champions, the heroes are split into teams to stop King Kull's plans to destroy the three Earths (with Mercury sending Johnny Thunder on a special mission).


Saving Earth-2 are Superman and Green Arrow of Earth-1, Wonder Woman of Earth-2 and Spy Smasher from Earth-S (Earth-S named in this issue for the first time), who deal with a risen Atlantis, and Penguin and Blockbuster from Earth-1, Queen Clea from Earth-2 and Ibac from Earth-S.

Crisis On Earth-S

For this issue of Justice League of America #136 (November, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, the action switches to Earth-S, as calamities begin to strike across the globe (as reported by Billy Batson at WHIZ TV....who, along with Mary and Freddy Freeman, are unable to summon Shazam's lightning to turn into the Marvel Family).

This issue is about partners in teams, with the Earth-2 Batman and Robin and Earth-S Mr. Scarlett and Pinky facing the Earth-2 Joker and Earth-S Weeper (a foe of Bulletman's), and the Earth-1 Hawkman and Hawkgirl and Earth-S Bulletman and Bulletgirl facing the Earth-1 Dr. Light and Earth-2 Shade.  The heroes have to also deal with natural disasters, and unnatural disasters (where people are transforming into whatever substance is near them).  This was caused by two artificial satellites in the sky...one mimicking the sun, the other the moon.  The heroes figure out how to use them to annihilate each other, thus saving Earth-S!

Meanwhile, old wizard Shazam muses on Johnny Thunder's secret mission as Johnny arrives to see the Batsons and Freddy at WHIZ TV, revealing their secret identities!

Crisis In Tomorrow

The finale to this JLA/JSA team up in Justice League of America #137 (December, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin!

Superman, the Flashes, the Green Lanterns, Ibis the Invincible and Mercury face off against Brainiac and Mr. Atom in a future of Earth-1.  The heroes eventually defeat the two robotic menaces from Earth-1 and Earth-S, and all the heroes converge on the Rock of Eternity to face King Kull and free Shazam and the Elders, except King Kull exposes Superman to Red Kryptonite, sending him against everyone else.

Say, you might think Johnny Thunder would use his magic Thunderbolt to change Billy, Mary and Freddy into Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. (and you'd be right).

The Marvel Family show up at the Rock of Eternity, free Shazam and the other 11 Elders, while Captain Marvel prepares to battle Superman...but doesn't, saying "Shazam!" and letting the old wizard hurl a special bolt, that not only brings Billy Batson back, but cures Superman of his madness (this issue was only one lead up to an eventual "Superman vs. Shazam" battle). 

The JSAers all appear next in the 1970s All-Star Comics run, except for Jay Garrick Flash, who appears next in Flash #247, and the Marvel Family appears here between Shazam! #20 and #26 (with Captain Marvel appearing between Shazam! #25 and #26, and only Bulletman and Bulletgirl returning during Shazam's World's Finest Comics run).

Crisis In The 30th Century

The JSA ended up on Earth-1 (capturing the Psycho-Pirate, who fled there), they met up with the JLA quick (including their newest member, Power Girl) in Justice League of America #147 (October, 1977)  in a story by Paul Levitz, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, under a Dillin/McLaughlin cover.

As the JSA tries to return home, a mystic hand invades the JLA Satellite, taking JLAers Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Black Canary and JSAers Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hawkman and Power Girl to the 30th Century of Earth-1, where it is revealed that the hand is that of Mordru, mystic foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  Mordru captures the JLA and JSA as well as some of the Legion (some of whom; Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, Ultra Boy and Shadow Lass; he already had captive).

Mordru was trying to retrieve the Red Jar of Calytos, the Green Bell of Uthool and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath from the JLA Satellite (as Mordru knew it would soon be destroyed in a Crisis).  Instead, he got these heroes and sent them to retrieve the items (and Legion members already sent to get them) in the 30th Century.

Superman, Hawkman and Dr. Fate go to get the Silver Wheel (and Sun Boy and Wildfire) from some shape changing aliens (Proteans) who are imitating the wheel; Batman and the Green Lanterns deal with an alien race (Vaxonians) who are using the Green Bell to keep a dragon from eating them and, with Brainiac 5 and Princess Projectra's help, find a way to scare away the dragon; and Flash and Power Girl go to an interdimensional space, where Power Girl gets the Red Jar away from an alien mother who had confused it for her egg (all while Green Arrow, Black Canary and other Legion member are held captive).

Returning the items, Mordru summons up the Demons Three (Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast; old foes of the JLA, but in the current 30th Century).

The Demons Three quickly turn on Mordru, and plot to end 30th Century Earth as time runs down on Green Arrow and Black Canary, trapped in a mystic hourglass around Mordru's neck!

Crisis In Triplicate

Paul Levitz, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin conclude this JLA/JSA/LSH team up in Justice League of America #148 (November, 1977).

The Demons Three agree to destroy the three items and have some Legion members take Mordru's spirit back to be buried with his body (his power is stopped by being underground, saving Green Arrow and Black Canary for a bit), but disagree for the first time in eons, with Abenegazar loving the peace of the Legion, Rath wanting the riches of the future and Ghast wanting to end all who live.  The Demons Three find out they are equally matched, so hypnotize the JLA (Ghast) and JSA (Rath), with the Legion working with Abenegazar to stop them.

The teams prove relatively equally matched, so Rath and Abenegazar battle, exploding each other (with Dr. Fate absorbing their mystical energy).  Dr. Fate uses that extra energy to pull back the pieces of the JLA Satellite, trapping Ghast in there, and ending the future menace of the Demons Three, with Superman and the Green Lanterns returning the JLA and JSA to their home time (and putting in a post hypnotic suggestion to all that they shall not remember what they learned of their own futures, like the destruction of the JLA Satellite).

These were five of the most popular JSAers, so they all appeared next in the 1970s run of All-Star Comics, and the Legion of Super-Heroes was here between Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #231 and #232 (and how weird for the Legion to see Superboy as they normally did, then him aged a few decades, then "back to normal").

All of these stories expand the knowledge of the JLA and JSA, and can be found in the Crisis On Multiple Earths Volume 4; a natural continuation from Volumes 1, 2 and 3!

Still, will even what they have learned (and what they have kept from themselves) help them in future crises, especially if the menaces come from the past?

JSA Opposite: Injustice Society Additions Part 2

The Injustice Society of the World was the evil opposite of the Justice Society of America, made up of individual heroes Rogue's Galleries.  The first team formed to face the JSA back in All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947), with only the Wizard escaping...

...allowing him to come back with new villains and a new ISW in All-Star Comics #41 (June-July, 1948) with "The Case Of The Patriotic Crimes" by writer John Broome, and artists including Alex Toth, Carmine Infantino, Arthur Peddy and Irwin Hasen, inked by Frank Giacoia and Bernard Sachs.

Here are the last two Golden Age members not covered earlier....

Fiddler

Isaac Bowin first appeared in All-Flash #32 (December-January, 1947/1948) by Robert Kanigher, Lee Elias and Moe Worthman, facing off against the Jay Garrick version of the Flash (who was the only Flash at that time) with a "Duet Of Danger".  Isaac was a thief who ended up in prison in India, then learned the skills of a fakir while there, but using a fiddle instead of a flute, and used the fiddle to kill the fakir.  Bowin returned home, intending to become a crime boss, but instead faced off against the Flash.  Fiddler seeming fell to his doom, but returned again in Flash Comics #93 (March, 1948 by Kanigher and Elias), facing off against Jay Garrick again, with his "Violin Of Villainy", before joining the Injustice Society...

...then fighting Jay Garrick's Flash one last time in the Golden Age, in Comic Cavalcade #28 (August-September, 1948 by Kanigher, Irwin Hasen and Bernard Sachs) in "The Flash Concerto", and popping up in a times past tale set in the early 1950s in Starman #46 (September, 1998), plotting to finish off Starman (Ted Knight).

The Fiddler returned, along with Thinker (Clifford DeVoe) and the Shade (Richard Swift), as the three villains had taken over Keystone City, and it took the "Flash Of Two Worlds" (both Jay Garrick and Barry Allen) to defeat the trio in Flash #123 (September, 1961).  After that, Fiddler worked with the Crime Champions in Justice League of America #21 and #22 (1963), faced Jay Garrick alone in Flash #201 (November, 1970), rejoined the ISW along with new member, Solomon Grundy, in All-Star Comics #63 (November-December, 1976)...

....faced off against the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #46 (February, 1977), worked with the Icicle and the Shade to revive Darkseid, and was opposed by Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, the JSA and the JLA in Justice League of America #183 to #185 (1980), reunited with the Crime Champions for Justice League of America #219 and #220 in 1983, was a part of the Crisis on Infinite Earths for a bit...

....joining the Wizard, the Shade and kids of the original ISW (including Artemis, Hazard and a new Icicle) in Injustice, Unlimited in Infinity, Inc. #34 to #36 in 1987, facing Wally West Flash and the new Thanagarian Hawkman and Hawkwoman (as well as a little time travelling to the past to face Jay Garrick), in Hawkworld Annual #1 of 1990...

...figuring out how much trouble the villains were in with Neron in Underworld Unleashed #1 (November, 1995), arriving for the funeral of the original Chronos, who was hastened to his grave by Neron (and his own lust for power) in Chronos #6 (August, 1998), being there as Wally West reclaimed the title of Flash in Flash #208 (April, 2004), all before dying as a member of the new Secret Six (along with surviving members Deadshot, Catman, a new Rag Doll, Mike the Parademon and Scandal Savage) in Villains United #1 (July, 2005)..

...with a legacy character, a female named Virtuoso picking up the fiddling villainy in Villains United #5 and #6 in 2005 (and a few issues of Secret Six), with Fiddler returning as an animated corpse (Black Lantern) in Suicide Squad #67 and Secret Six #17 and #18 in 2010 (where he also faced Virtuoso).

Harlequin

Molly Maynne first appeared in All-American Comics #89 (September, 1947) by Robert Kanigher and Irwin Hasen, where she was Alan Scott's secretary at WXYZ radio, which planned to have a Green Lantern radio show.  To face Green Lantern, they went to the comics, and picked "The Harlequin" (a character only in the comics) to be his first foe...Molly, who was in love with Alan Scott, took over the identity of Harlequin, getting hypno-spectacles and a mandolin, and trying to take over the gangs of Gotham.   She faced Green Lantern, but neither learned each other's identity.  Harlequin immediately returned in All-American Comics #91 (November, 1947) by Kanigher, Hasen and John Belfi, with a plan to marry Green Lantern (it took a while, but Molly eventually had that wedding).

Molly next faced Alan in a full-length issue in Green Lantern #29 (December-January, 1947/1948), all by Kanigher, Hasen and Belfi, with the first story pitting Green Lantern against the police (who think Alan is on Harlequin's side), then in the second part of that, having Harlequin face her own gang, who think she is in love with Green Lantern!  The third story was separate from the previous two, as Harlequin gives up, turning herself into the police....as long as Green Lantern defends her in court!  Next up, in All-American Comics #93 (January, 1948), Green Lantern comes up with the idea of taking Molly on a date, to lure out the Harlequin!   Coincidentally, Alan picks the stadium Molly was going to rob, so she goes along with it, to then change into Harlequin, to continue the robbery, but Green Lantern foils it, and captures Harlequin and her gang, but failed to take away her hypno-glasses, which she uses to escape.  

Picking up where the last issue left off, All-American Comics #94 (February, 1948) by Kanigher, Hasen and Belfi, finds Alan Scott planning a coop to capture Harlequin by sponsoring a beauty contest with an opal Harlequin ring to lure his foe there (and she does enter, but uses illusions to keep Green Lantern busy).  Green Lantern hid a camera in the opal, to at least find out her identity (as she does escape with the ring), but she returns it with the camera broken.    In her final cover of the series, All-American Comics #95 (March, 1948), Harlequin finds a way to trap Green Lantern, promising to reveal her identity to him, if he does the same for her.  They actually do remove their masks in front of each other, but....a little smoke gets in the way (Gotham is a dirty city, after all).

In her final Golden Age cover, Green Lantern #31 (March-April, 1948) by Kanigher, Irwin and Belfi, a gang leader gets a hold of Harlequin's spectacles and Green Lantern's ring, forcing the two to work together to stop him.  Green Lantern #32 (May-June, 1948) sees Harlequin do something odd...offer to return her ill-gotten gains to the government, so they can return the funds to her victims.  After this, Harlequin works with the  ISW (where she helps Black Canary fight the Injustice Society to save the JSA, especially Green Lantern). 

Harlequin is only in All-American Comics #99 (July, 1948) as Molly Maynne (and Green Lantern is barely there as well as Streak the Wonder Dog takes over the tale, in a story by John Broome and Alex Toth (the Green Lantern feature soon leaves All-American Comics).  With Green Lantern #33 (July-August, 1948) by Kanigher and Hasen, Harlequin takes advantage of Leap Year to ask Green Lantern to marry her (Molly's got a one track mind).  Molly (and only Molly) has a brief appearance in Green Lantern's story in Comic Cavalcade #28 (August-September, 1948).  Then, with Green Lantern #34 (September-October, 1948) by Kanigher, Hasen and Bob Oksner, it is revealed that Molly has been a government agent all this time, working to bring down the mob!  Oddly, Molly is still Alan's secretary for an appearance in Green Lantern #36 (January-February, 1949), then helps Green Lantern and Mr. and Mrs. Superman in Superman Family #206 (March-April, 1981) in a story set in the 1950s, where she helps the heroes capture the Sportsmaster.

Molly does return as Harlequin in Infinity, Inc. #9, #12 and #18 in the mid-1980s, as she tries to get close to Green Lantern, then helps Jade and Obsidian find out who there mother is in Infinity, Inc. Annual #1 of 1985 (slight spoiler, it is NOT Molly, but yet another Kanigher creation).  Molly and Alan also get married, with the JSA and Infinity, Inc. in attendance, then appears in most of the mid-20s issues of Infinity, Inc. as the JSA deals with the Crisis On Infinite Earths (even appearing in the later issues of that series), and with Infinity, Inc. #30 (September, 1986) more or less retires as Harlequin as the JSA (including Green Lantern) get stuck in a limbo dimension for a time.

Molly remains active with the Infinity, Inc. kids until their series ends (including when Manhunter agent Marcie Cooper takes over the Harlequin's spectacles and identity for a time, and Marcie even joins Injustice Unlimited, and Molly's name grows and is shortened, as she goes by Molly Mayne-Scott with one "n" more now), pops up for a Green Lantern issue (#19 of December, 1991, with GLs Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner), and even has a brief return as Harlequin as Alan gets much younger, taking on his Sentinel identity in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #6 (Fall, 1993), then the evil part of Molly's soul takes a life of its own as Harlequin, starting with Underworld Unleashed: Abyss - Hell's Sentinel (December, 1995), before her body and soul are reunited with help from Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern (#71 of February, 1996).  Molly and Alan are still together to this day (somewhere....)...

Molly has no relationship to the current Harley Quinn, but was the last Golden Age villain to join the ISW in the Golden Age, but not the last that the Injustice Society recruited (although not until the Silver Age, with the Shade and Solomon Grundy....).  

Justice League 100 Page Super Spectacular

Time for a little gathering of heroes, and a special collection of stories of the Justice League in some of their most pitched battles against some of their greatest villains....


....all for 50 cents back in June of 1973, under a cover by Nick Cardy, was the 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-17!


Here's the special issues contained with this book....

Justice League of America #23

The JLA become "Drones Of The Queen Bee" in Justice League of America #23 (November, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs.

This story introduces the Queen Bee, Zazzala of Korll, as she directs her Bee-Men against the members of the JLA (whom she hypnotizes into doing her will, and doubles down with the threat of a doomsday device that will destroy the Earth if they don't do as she says...which is to find an immortality serum in three vials that must be collected and combined to work).  Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Flash and Green Lantern and Green Arrow are the 3 teams that retrieve the vials (and defeat threats along the way)....but they find a way to thwart the Queen Bee from getting the serum (and save the Earth, and get free).  The team goes back to their cave headquarters, where they meet Superman, Batman, Aquaman and Atom, and hear of Atom's battle against Dr. Light (which was related in Atom #8 of August-September, 1963)  

All-Star Comics #37

The Justice Society of America (the predecessors of the JLA) first meet their evil counterpart team, "The Injustice Society Of The World" in All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947) by writer Gardner Fox, and artists Irwin Hasin, Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, John Belfi and Alex Toth.

Here, as the villains gather, Hawkman is captured by Vandal Savage, Flash caught by the Thinker, Brain Wave apparently kills Green Lantern, Atom tracks the villains down (but is captured by the whole ISW team), Dr. Mid-Nite is taken by Per Degaton....and both teams gather (with the JSA, minus Green Lantern) are on trial by "prosecutor" Wizard, with the Thinker as the judge....at least until the trial starts, where Green Lantern reveals he took Thinker's place, and the JSA capture the ISW, finding them guilty!  

Adventure Comics #65

One of the JSAers not in the above story was Sandman, so he gets a reprint of one of his original stories in this issue, from Adventure Comics #65 (August, 1941) by artist Paul Norris, with "The Sandman At Sea".




Sandman (in his original gas mask costume), stops a scientist from being kidnapped by foreign agents on a yacht...


...with a little help from the U.S. Military and Dian Belmont.

Justice League of America #43

Last, but not least, is the story from Justice League of America #43 (March, 1966) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, where the JLA get clubbed by the Royal Flush Gang for the first time with "The Card Crimes Of The Royal Flush Gang".

The Justice League members are vexed by the Royal Flush Gang, with the Jack of Clubs making Hawkman fight with his wife (currently non-member, Hawkgirl), Flash gets vision problems thanks to the King of Clubs, and the Queen of Clubs robs Wonder Woman of half of her powers.  The villains do this with the help of stellaration energy discovered by old JLA foe, Professor Amos Fortune (who appeared earlier in Justice League of America #6 and #14)....and who takes the guise of the Ace of Clubs to take on Superman and Batman.  The League looks to be in trouble, until the Royal Flush Gang is defeated by a Joker in the deck....not THE Joker, but honorary JLAer Snapper Carr, who trains the stellaration energy on himself...and defeats the Gang with it.  How ironic this would be is revealed later on (in Justice League of America #77).

All in all, a great collection of JLA stories (as well as a few more)...

...coming out at a time after the Justice League had many issues of reprints within their own title as well!