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!

Flash Crossover Multiple Issues

One odd thing over the years, is that while JLA/JSA meetings seemed to take either more issues or more space, Flash team-ups usually only went for one issue....

...except for the 3 issues where Barry and Jay Flashes worked together here!

Follow along quickly as the tale is told....

Vandal Savage -- Wanted Dead And Alive

It started simple enough in Flash #235 (August, 1975) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Tex Blaisdell (under a stunning Dick Giordano cover), heralding not only Jay Flash's return, but that of Green Lantern Hal Jordan and villain, Vandal Savage....in a full length tale.


Barry thought his Flash adventures were going to make him late for a dinner of Veal Scaloppine with his wife Iris...but, instead, he found her missing.  Instead, he is confronted by Vandal Savage, who tells him he took his wife (and after a bit of a battle....in Barry's mind), Flash follows up on this.  Meanwhile, Hal Jordan (Earth's Green Lantern) is getting his ex, Carol Ferris, back in his life, until Vandal Savage shows up and takes her from him (and gives Hal a little mental battle as well).

The heroes end up on Earth-2, helping out Flash Jay Garrick, and asking him about Vandal Savage....and he relates that the meteor crash which may have not have taken Savage's life, but just transferred him to Earth-1, but, Jay was mysteriously too busy to help the heroes.  Back to Earth-1, where Vandal Savage taunts Flash and Green Lantern, goading them to finding the meteor which would restore Savage's immortality, and Hal uses his power ring to see at least one of the girls are inside it.....and Green Lantern and Flash use their powers to put out the flaming meteor (and capture Vandal Savage).  They open the meteor....to find only Carol Ferris.  Savage explains he went to kidnap Iris, but she was already missing.  This puts Barry into detective mode, now on the hunt for his wife....though, if he could just peer into Earth-2 he would find her, as Jay is hiding her from him!


Jay Flash was last in a team-up with Barry in Flash #229, and Vandal Savage appeared in the Jay-Barry meeting the time previous, in Flash #215, both covered here, with Vandal Savage next returning for a bit in the 1970s All-Star Comics run.

Nowhere On The Face Of The Earth

Not finding Iris has put Barry in a bit of distress, as shown in Flash #236 (September, 1975) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Tex Blaisdell (under a Mike Grell cover).

Barry Flash is searching (a little carelessly) through Central City and the surrounding areas for his wife, Iris, to no avail.

Meanwhile, on Earth-2, Jay Flash is stopping menaces in Keystone City, with a little help from the mystical Dr. Fate, who has come to help with another problem...that of Iris Allen!  Dr. Fate uses a spell to keep Barry Flash busy on Earth-1 while Jay Flash and he look for a solution for the problem Iris has, which is she now has an aura that, if it comes into contact Flash's super speed aura, will result in a cataclysm.

Barry thinks he sees Iris on a live TV report, so goes to the tunnel that it is coming from, and does find Iris....or so he thinks, as the lady says she isn't.  While there, he is attacked by a pair of mystical hands, and he tries to keep "Iris" safe from them, eventually defeating the hands, and finding out that this lady wasn't Iris.  It was all a mystical spell by Dr. Fate to keep Barry busy, but, while that did, neither Dr. Fate nor Jay Flash found a cure for Iris.  So, they decide to send her to the 30th Century for help....but, coincidentally, that's where Barry Flash is going to look for her, speeding off on his cosmic treadmill!

Dr. Fate is fresh off his appearance with the JLA/JSA, meeting the Freedom Fighters (as chronicled here), and Joan Garrick makes a quick appearance, between Flash #229 and the 1970s All-Star Comics run..

The 1,000 Year Separation

The distractions Barry had faced to find Iris has made him desperate in Flash #237 (November, 1975) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin (with Ernie Chan doing the cover....and revealing the mystery villain behind Iris' disappearance....the Reverse-Flash!).

Barry is on his way to 1000 years in the future, the time Iris West originally came from (she was translocated into the past to keep her alive, explained in another story for another day).

Flash is approaching his wife and her parents in the future....when he suddenly gets a mystic bolt from Dr. Fate explaining to him what has been going on and the dire fate the universe will suffer if he touches his wife again.   Even being this close to Iris causes disasters, but why?

Well, Reverse-Flash shows up to explain.  Seems he set this plan in motion the last time he battled Barry (and tried to marry Iris).  Now, Reverse-Flash plans to marry her in 2975!  Barry is dejected, but notices things Eobard Thawne does....and, after a quick battle with his foe, figures out the vibrations he uses to cancel out the energy flux around Iris, and is able to duplicate them to free her from their problem.  Thawne escapes, as Barry and Iris enjoy their reunion, then head home for a long overdue dinner!

Dr. Fate appears next in his first solo story since the Golden Age, then joins Jay in the first issue of the JSA revival of All-Star Comics that introduced Power Girl.  Reverse-Flash isn't done with alternate Earths either, as he meets with the magical fellow here in a later issue of Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Come back quick, because there are still many Flash crossovers to come!
 

Flash Facts: Jay Garrick Villains

Flash had gotten away from his team-ups with his alternate Earth friend for a while, but that changed with a few tales....

...as quickly presented here.

A look at a couple of team-ups of Flashes Barry Allen (from Earth-1) and Jay Garrick (from Earth-2), featuring Golden Age villains like Vandal Savage and Rag Doll (plus one or so.....).

Death Of An Immortal

Barry and Jay have their first team up since the pair worked with their other similar named JLA/JSA members against Solomon Grundy, in Flash #215 (May, 1972) by Len Wein, Irv Novick, Frank McLaughlin and Dick Giordano, under an emotional cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.


The team up does being with a little confusion...

...as Barry wakes up thinking that he is getting ready for a medal ceremony for the Flash in Central City (Earth-1), but finds he's really in Keystone City (Earth-2), as Jay's wife Joan gets to explain, much to both of their surprise as Barry has woken up in Jay's bedroom!


Nothing illicit going on, just a little multiple Earth confusion.  Jay was suppose to get an award as the Flash from Keystone City, but he's missing....so, Barry jumps in Jay's costume to take his place, hoping to spot someone that will be surprised that he is there.  That doesn't pan out, and on his way to his next idea, Barry saves an old man from an out of control truck...who surprises Barry by letting him know that he isn't the Flash (of Earth-2). 

The old man, Dalvan, takes him to his fortune telling business, where he reveals to Barry that he knows Jay is trapped in limbo, and, giving Barry his own uniform, opens up a doorway to limbo for him.  In Limbo, Barry finds Jay, who says he is there to track down a meteor, which, if he doesn't find and return to Earth-2, his world will die.

But, what about the old man?  He wasn't what he appeared to be....he was Vandal Savage!  The immortal villain found out that he wasn't as immortal as he thought, and needed to be exposed to the meteor again to keep his life going, and sent Jay into Limbo to retrieve it, yet found the powers of one speedster wouldn't be enough, so came up with this plan to get it, using items he got from his fellow Injustice Society of the World members. 

The Flashes found the meteor and used their super speed backdraft to send it where it is needed, but, nearly kill themselves, only to be saved when they encounter Tempus, the Guardian of the Time Stream.  Tempus blocks them from going back to the time when Limbo opened to let them in (as they figure that is also their way out). 

They defeat Tempus, and work their way through other time hurdles to leave Limbo after passing through the End of Time, and back to where they entered (finding out of Vandal Savage's role as they go).  The meteor shows up and Vandal is there for it to strike him....and both disappear!  

Did time catch up to Vandal Savage?

Jay returns next in the 11th JLA/JSA team-up, that introduces the Freedom Fighters, with his wife Joan having last appeared in a Jay Garrick solo tale in Flash #201 (November, 1970) and appearing next in the next Flash team-up...and villain Vandal Savage was last in the Flash team-up that revived the JSA, and appears next in an upcoming Flash team-up to be covered later.

The Rag Doll Runs Wild

Before Vandal Savage returns, time to check in on another of Jay's old foes, Rag Doll, in Flash #229 (September-October, 1974) by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin, all under a cover by Nick Cardy.


Barry Allen decides to have lunch with an old friend's wife...

...but, to do that, has to travel to Earth-2 to meet Jay's wife, Joan Garrick. 


Along the way, he stops a break in at the Central City Community Center (the place where Barry first went to Earth-2), quickly dispatching the Walton Gang, and heads off to the alternate Earth.

Joan confides in Barry that she has seen something wrong lately in Jay.  Barry goes off to find him, with Jay in action as the Flash, looking for an old foe of his, the Rag Doll, on a new crime spree, stealing old dolls.  Jay had trouble catching this old foe, and was concerned about it, as Rag Doll should have no additional tricks other than being a contortionist.  Jay is worried he is losing a step, so Barry helps out, and, with a little extra effort, Barry helps Jay beat Rag Doll.

Barry sees an odd energy around both Rag Doll and Jay-Flash's head, and wonders what that means.  While interrogating Rag Doll at police headquarters, Rag Doll puts on his mask...and becomes a real rag doll?  How did he pull off that trick?   Jay and Barry call it a day, with Barry going back home...or did he?  Barry came back to find the Thinker, the mastermind who had manipulated Rag Doll's return, and Jay's mistakes, using his Thinking Cap. 

So, Barry came up with his own plan, switching out Peter Merkel for a real Rag Doll to confuse the Thinker, which worked, or would have had the Thinker not been able to shock Barry Allen.  Thankfully, Jay showed up to take on the Thinker, his confidence now better, and defeated the villain with a little helmet switch of his own.  Barry returned to his home, and explained to Iris that he faked being duped by the Thinker, so Jay could defeat him to get his confidence back!

Jay was last in the 12th JLA/JSA team-up featuring Sandman and Sandy, Rag Doll makes only his second appearance here (after Flash Comics #36) to return with the Secret Society of Super-Villains in a later JLA/JSA battle, and the Thinker, without his snazzy purple costume he got fighting the two Atoms, returns with the Injustice Society of the World to face the JSA with Power Girl in their return in All-Star Comics in the mid-1970s.  The issue also has reprints, including some of the Golden Age Flash and Johnny Quick!

Something to think on over time....and more alternate Earth teams to follow in the future!

The Early Life of Vandal Savage

Vandal Savage has been around a long time, not only because he's a caveman who was made immortal by a meteor strike, but he's been appearing in comic books since the days of the 1940s, with two Golden Age appearance, first in Green Lantern #10 (Winter, 1943 by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell) and then, as a member of the Injustice Society of the World in All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947 by Robert Kanigher and a small army of artists).  One of the claims Vandal Savage made during these appearances is that he caused trouble all over the globe in early eras....so, let's take a look at a few of those troubles!

Savage in China

First stop....China, in 1927.  With the four issue mini-series, Guns of the Dragon (October, 1998 to January, 1999, written and drawn by Tim Truman), we see Vandal Savage hanging out on "Dragon Island" (later to be known as Dinosaur Island, starting with Star-Spangled War Stories #90), where he faced off against aging cowboy, Bat Lash (whose wild west adventures started with Showcase #76), German World War I fighting Enemy Ace, Hans Von Hammer (who fought the allies in World War I starting with Our Army At War #151), Biff Bradley (a relative of Slam Bradley, a detective that first appeared back in the original Detective Comics #1).

While there, they face Communist forces, as well as Miss Fear (a female fighter pilot who would go on to later face Blackhawk starting with Modern Comics #49) and Kung (a shape-changing soldier who worked with Baron Blitzkrieg, Tsunami and Sumo the Samurai against the All-Star Squadron in World War II, but first appeared fighting Wonder Woman in World War II flashback tales in Wonder Woman #237).

A truly joyous little series for dinosaur fans, fans of cowboy and war comics, and fans of Tim Truman, as well! 

Vandal in Ancient Egypt

All roads once led to ancient Egypt, and that was never more true than in JSA #42 to #44 (January to March, 2003), when writers David Goyer and Geoff Johns, along with penciller Leonard Kirk and inker Keith Champagne, took the modern day JSA back in time to the Egyptian 15th Dynasty looking for Captain Marvel, but find the Egyptian time Vandal Savage, along with Teth-Adam (the man who would become Black Adam, starting with Marvel Family #1), Nabu the Wise (the mentor who made Kent Nelson into Dr. Fate as of More Fun Comics #55), Ahk-Ton (a priest who used the Orb of Ra to become a Metamorph, and had faced Batman and the Outsiders including Metamorpho first in Batman and the Outsiders #17) and Prince Khufu and Lady Chay-Ara (the lovers who were later destined to be Hawkman and Hawkgirl, starting in Flash Comics #1 for Hawkman,  and Flash Comics #24 and JSA Secret Files #1 for Hawkgirls!).

So Many Troubles

Vandal Savage was very active in the later 20th Century, heading up his own Illumunati group, quietly plotting to control the world, and, over the course of the eight issue Time Masters mini-series of February to September, 1990 by writers Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner, penciller Art Thibert and inker Jose Marzan Jr., we found out how active Vandal Savage was in the past as well.

Fresh off his post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reintroduction in Booster Gold, Rip Hunter began dealing with the problems of time travel (making him a slightly different character than the Rip Hunter who was a member of the Forgotten Heroes), Rip started to recruit his new Time Masters, starting with Bonnie Baxter and Jeffrey Smith, and even dealt with many modern day heroes in quick cameos, including the Metal Men's Doc Magnus, Booster Gold and the Justice League America, Superman, Animal Man and Green Lantern Hal Jordan (and dealt a little with how the Crisis had changed how they travel in time and who they knew as well).

As the series progressed, Rip recruited Bonnie's younger brother (who found out one of the problems of post-Crisis time travel, that it was a one-shot deal), spelunker Cave Carson, Rip's cousin Dan Hunter, petty thief and computer expert Tony (Antonia)....

...and as various people went back in time, they encountered various historical DC characters in the appropriate eras as well.

Starting with September, 1874 in Time Masters #3, Jeff Smith encountered scarred Southern Civil War veteran Jonah Hex (who first appeared in All-Star Western #10), Indian garbed lawman Scalphunter (a.k.a. Brian Savage and Ke-Woh-No-Tay, who saddled up first in Weird Western Tales #39), and gambler Bat Lash (earlier in his life, but after having met the previous two, but before leaving the States for China), working against Vandal Savage's plans against the president of the United States.

In 1770, it was Dan Hunter who had come back to that time in Time Masters #4, dealing with Tomahawk (a frontiersman, who had his first comic book adventure in Star-Spangled Comics #69), and plots of Lord Shilling (an English foe of Tomahawk's, who first later appeared in Tomahawk #28), and the early Illuminati plot to replace George Washington with Adam Weishaupt before he became the U.S. President!  This tale also had Dan staying in 1770, to continue to help Tomahawk....(and, as of that first appearance of Tomahawk, he did have a partner named Dan Hunter!).

Time Masters #5 had Tony helping Jon the Viking Prince (who began his battle, swinging his sword against the forces of evil with Brave and the Bold #1) against Vandal Savage and his Knights Templar (earlier versions of the Illuminati), back in the days of 980 A.D.

Time Masters #6 saw Bonnie go back to ancient Egypt, helping Nabu (Dr. Fate's mentor) against the Illuminated Ones (the 2578 B.C. version of the Illuminati).

Time Masters #7 saw the crew meeting up with the mage Arion, the Lord of Atlantis (who first appeared back in Warlord #55), dealing with problems in the ancient city and keeping Arion's granddaughter, Kara, safe, as Rip had figured out another two ways to travel in time, allowing him and Jeff to go back, along with Cave Carson....

...and Rip used up his way back in time again in Time Masters #8, where he went back to the time when Vandal Savage was still caveman Vandal Adg, before the meteor hit....and learned some scary truths in the process, while Bonnie used her second chance to go forward and learn of the Illuminati's legacy.

Vandal Savage made many claims on being an important man in history, and, at least as far as these tales show, he was correct! He even was quite a menace to the future of the DC Universe, as Resurrection Man and DC One Million would show, but those are tales of the future....

 

 

  

JSA Opposite: Injustice Society of the World Part 1

Every hero needs a villain....and even groups have their opposite number.


For the premiere super-team of the Justice Society of America, their evil counterpart came with All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947, by Robert Kanigher and Irwin Hasen) with "The Injustice Society of the World"...a team made up of foes of the JSA!


This team was made of these members the first time around...

Vandal Savage

Starting with the oldest member of the team...the caveman, Vandar Adg was a caveman who killed his father to take over his tribe (and was exposed to the energy of a meteor, granting him an exceptionally long life, wherein he battled to control the world) and he first faced the original Green Lantern in Green Lantern Quarterly #10 (Winter, 1943 by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell) with "The Man Who Wanted The World" (in his only Golden Age appearance besides the team adventure).

Vandal Savage was responsible for the return of the Justice Society, fighting the two Flashes in Flash #137 (June, 1963), and returned again and again, not only to face the JSA, but also the Flashes (Jay Garrick and Barry Allen in Flash #215 and #235 in the 1970s  and Wally West in Flash #1, #2, #13 to #16 and more in the 1980s and Flash #48 to #50 in the 1990s), Superman (Action Comics #515 #516, #542, #543 and #556 in the 1980s), Rip Hunter with the Forgotten Heroes (Action Comics #552 and #553 in February and March, 1984) and Time Masters (Time Masters 8 issue mini-series in 1990), the Martian Manhunter and his Justice League Task Force (including Gypsy in Justice League Task Force #17-#21, #25, #27, #28 and #37 and the Ray in Ray #14-#21 and #28), Hawkman (Hawkman #29 and #30 in February and March, 1996), Arsenal (in the four issue Arsenal mini-series of 1998) and the Titans (fronting their gathering of foes, Tartarus in Titans #5 to #12 in 1999), Resurrection Man (Resurrection Man #24 to #27 of 1999), and even his own daughter, Scandal Savage and her group, the Secret Six (Villains United #5 and #6 of November and December 2005, and Secret Six #3 to #6 of September to December, 2006), as well as being the driving force in getting the Justice Legion A to come back to the current time in DC One Million...

Someone worth more of a look in the future, especially as more tales from his past come to light as well, as it seems this villain has been fighting the JSA even before they became the JSA (in JSA #42 to #44 of January to March, 2003), and was instrumental in helping them end as well (mentioned in Justice Society of America #1 to #8 of 1991, and JLA: Year One #2 and #3 of February and March, 1998)...


...not bad for an old man around almost as long as the dinosaurs, eh?

The Gambler

Next up is another foe of the original Green Lantern, Steven Sharpe III premiered in Green Lantern Quarterly #12 (Summer, 1943 by Henry Kuttner and Martin Nodell) in "The Gambler".  Steven tried to marry his high school sweetheart right after graduation, but the girl, Helen, ran off with another local boy who won the lottery.  Then, Steven encountered an armored car that lost a bag of money, and he could see the writing on the wall...it was better to take a chance and hope for luck, and he became a Gambler, like his grandfather.

The Gambler picked up skills like mastering disguise, throwing knives and guns (his gimmicked to fire ammonia or blackout gas), and ran across Green Lantern (Alan Scott) next to his own wanted poster in Gotham City!  Gotham seemed to have a problem keeping criminals in jail, or maybe it was just luck...the Gambler returned again and again in the Golden Age, with Green Lantern #20 (June-July, 1946), Green Lantern #27 (August-September, 1947), joining the ISW, and coming back to face Green Lantern twice more, in Green Lantern #30 (February-March, 1948) and Green Lantern #35 (November-December, 1948), though as luck would have it, he didn't make it onto any of those covers.

The Gambler returned once more with the Injustice Society, facing off against the combined JLA and JSA in Justice League of America #123 and #124 (October and November, 1975) and surviving the Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December, 1985), before being cheated of his ill-gotten gains, and shooting himself in the head with his own derringer.  Still, his legacy continued with his granddaughter, Rebecca, who joined Injustice, Unlimited to face Infinity, Inc. with her own luck power (starting in Infinity, Inc. #34 of January, 1987), and his grandson, Steven Sharpe V, who became the new Gambler, to join with the Royal Flush Gang and face the New Teen Titans (in New Titans #68 and #69 of July and September, 1990).

The Thinker 

Clifford DeVoe first faced the original Flash in All-Flash #12 (Fall, 1943, by Gardner Fox and Everett Hibbard) in the "Tumble Inn to Trouble".  Clifford was a lawyer, who just couldn't make any money, failing in prosecuting mobster Hunk Norvock, and realized that criminals, who had the skills to make money, but not the smarts, just needed someone to lead them, to be their "Thinker", to find success.  The Thinker came to face the Flash, more than occasionally using the latest scientific devices, but failed again and again, in All-Flash #14 (Spring, 1944), All-Flash #27 (February-March, 1947), Comic Cavalcade #22 (August-September, 1947), Comic Cavalcade #23 (October-November, 1947), the team appearance, All-Flash #32 (December-January, 1947/1948) and one unpublished Golden Age adventure presented in Flash #214 (April, 1972).

The Thinker, along with the Fiddler and the Shade, kept Keystone City under their personal control, until defeated by the combined efforts of Flashes Barry Allen and Jay Garrick (Flash #123 of September, 1961), with Clifford now using the Thinking Cap of Dr. Hartford Jackson (from Flash Comics #65 of June, 1945), which gave the mob organizer amplified brain power, including projecting mental force.  Soon after being defeated by the two Flashes, the Thinker moved up to full super-villain mode, getting a costume and improving the helmet, facing off against the two Atoms in Atom #29 (February-March, 1967), then working with old Flash foe, the Rag Doll, in Flash #229 (September-October, 1974), rejoining the ISW in All-Star Comics #66 (May-June, 1977), and facing off against the Huntress and Power Girl in Wonder Woman #274 to #276 (December to February, 1980/1981)...all the while pretty much avoiding being on a comic cover!

The Thinker died when recruited for a mission for the Suicide Squad in Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad #1 (1988), but really thought his way out of this fighting mess, instead dying quietly from brain cancer in Flash #134 (February, 1998) even when Jay Garrick tried to revive him by finding his original thinking cap; Clifford still wanted to die as it was his time.

The Thinker continued, with Ronnie Raymond's high school nemesis, Cliff Carmichael, getting the Thinking Cap DeVoe left behind from Amanda Waller, and being the new Thinker for a time (starting in Firestorm #99, July, 1990)...and another version of the Thinker in an Artificial Intelligence that was part of a new Injustice Society of the World (starting in JSA #16, November, 2000) (that eventually went to work for Amanda Waller in Checkmate, no less).


Check back soon for the other 3 original members, Brain Wave, Per Degaton and The Wizard!