Words With Wells on Wonder Woman Part 2

Thanks for coming back for more.  Part one of my interview with comic historian and co-author of the Wonder Woman Encyclopedia,  John Wells, was here, and we'll pick up right where the red skies, walls of anti-matter and warnings from Pariah from the reality-bending Crisis on Infinite Earths had left us with the end of Diana's Silver Age and the start of her new life, as every ending is a beginning...

Wonder Woman's history had become a bit....involved by the 1980s. So much so, that DC gave George Perez the ability to start Diana's history over from the beginning following on the heals of his success with Marv Wolfman on the New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths.  At the time, John Byrne and Marv Wolfman were redefining Superman, and Frank Miller was getting a chance to explore Batman's origins.  What was the best thing that this reboot brought to Wonder Woman? And the worst? 

JOHN WELLS: Well, in fairness, Diana's history had truly gotten "involved" in the 1960s with stuff like the Wonder Family although the matter of Steve Trevor's two later resurrections didn't help. In any event, the Perez reboot was marvelous in the sheer amount of thought it put into the details and motivations of everyone connected to Wonder Woman's life. His run, particularly the first couple years, is an incredibly rich, satisfying experience. Honestly, the only downside has less to do with George than DC's decision not to have Diana's origin set in the past--which meant Wonder Woman was no longer a founding Justice Leaguer and started the slippery slope of Donna Troy's retcons.


DAVE MARCHAND: Sad that Donna had to suffer so because of Diana's improved history, but the Perez work was just breathtaking, and he introduced so many characters into Wonder Woman's history as well.  Do you have a favorite supporting character? Favorite villain?

JW: I like Paula Von Gunther and the fact that she renounced evil and changed for the better as the series. Her reformation would've worked better if it had been planned from the beginning--it's VERY hard to believe she was working under duress in her earlier appearances--but I still like the fact that it happened.  

The one-shot Elliot S. Maggin businessman/villain Maximus was LOTS of fun, too, and I really would've enjoyed seeing more done with him. The Priscilla Rich incarnation of the Cheetah (as conceived by William Moulton Marston) is a favorite, too.

DM: Poor Maximus. "No prison on Earth could restrain him".  But he hasn't been seen since!!!  When John Byrne took over in the 1990s, he really tried to bring back the grandeur of Wonder Woman, a step followed up even more so by your co-author on the Wonder Woman book, Phil Jimenez (who also tried to bring back a lot of Wonder Woman's history himself during his tenure on the comic). So, have you noticed any theme/idea that runs through Wonder Woman's entire history?

JW: Redemption. From Paula Von Gunther right through to Tohlifar and company in Gail Simone's recent run, Wonder Woman's compassion and empathy and willingness to forgive constantly returns to the surface. I thought that element was particularly strong in William Messner-Loebs' run (in ALL of his DC series, actually), particularly the long, fascinating Donna Milton subplot.

DM: Thanks to your answers, I've learned a lot about Wonder Woman.  What do you feel you have learned about Wonder Woman that you didn't know before you started work on this?

JW: I have a new appreciation for Dr. Marston's characterization and continuity in the original series. People who dismissed Steve Trevor as a "male Lois Lane" obviously never saw much of the character as depicted from 1942 to 1948. He was much more of an equal to Diana in these stories and actually saved HER a surprising number of times.



I'm also impressed that Marston was on top of the series' internal continuity, referencing developments from previous stories even when his editor messed things up by running those stories out of order. The famous 1948 Villainy, Inc. story where multiple old adversaries teamed up for the first time is typically attributed to Marston but it has several continuity gaffes that leave me convinced that he wasn't the author.

I also discovered that Marston devices like the Magic Sphere and Mental Radio were dropped from the series by the early 1950s, replaced by more modern but less colorful scientific instruments. It wasn't until the Schwartz era that they were folded back into the series.

DM: Julie Schwartz helped mold the entire tapestry of the DC Universe.  More recently, comics have started to crossover, so which of SOMEONE ELSE'S rogue's gallery did you most enjoy seeing Wonder Woman face?


JW: My favorite issue of the Diana Prince run is Wonder Woman V1 #202, which is an utter delight in every respect, including the detail that Diana was able to turn Catwoman from an enemy into an ally. The chauvinistic Cavalier was a nice choice in the Len Wein launch of the mid-1970s Trials saga. And both John Byrne and Phil Jimenez did great stuff with Darkseid. But Brian K. Vaughn's more recent use of Clayface in Wonder Woman V2 #160-161 was simply inspired! Who better to fight a heroine created from a clay statue?

DM: A great idea, which was strange that no one thought of it before.  Seems someone at DC was looking through their old reference materials for both Batman and Wonder Woman.  Speaking of reference, when did you become aware of Mike Fleisher's Wonder Woman Encyclopedia and what did you think of it?

JW: I was first aware of it and the Batman book from the 1976 house ads. I discovered the Batman and Superman volumes at a local library in the late 1970s and LOVED them. The library didn't have Wonder Woman, though, so I was thrilled when I ran across it at a flea market in the early 1980s. Consequently, it was the last of the three Fleisher books that I read but the first I owned. Like the other books in the series, I loved the level of information on all these old stories and still consider the books to be some of the most invaluable resources on DC's Big Three.

The only real disappointment in the Wonder Woman volume was its failure to cover many stories, particularly the continuity-defying Wonder Family run from the 1960s. I fully understand why they were left out but was still disappointed in the gaps left in my knowledge of the Wonder Woman series. Throwing caution to the wind, Phil Jimenez fearlessly decided to include characters from that crazy era in our book and I happily followed in his footsteps.

DM: Great to know that you improved on the work already done, as well as upgrading it!  I know more encyclopedia volumes covering Flash and Green Lantern were planned back in the 1970s, but they never happened, and Mike Fleisher went on to have great writer runs on comics like Jonah Hex and Warlord.  I hope to see more than DC's current trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman covered in encyclopedia form this time around, hopefully spreading the knowledge with at least a Justice League of America volume.  Wonder Woman has recently become known for her "treatment" of former Justice League coordinator-turned-traitor, Maxwell Lord, but why was this not so shocking?

JW: Weird thing about Maxwell Lord's death.  Wonder Woman killed Triton in EXACTLY the same way in Wonder Woman V2 #163 and no one batted an eye.

DM: Would J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5 creator and a regular writer for Wonder Woman, sharing the book with Gail Simone for issue #600, with covers by George Perez, Adam Hughes and Don Kramer - an issue that is almost a history lesson in Wonder Woman itself!) find YOUR Wonder Woman Encyclopedia useful?

JW: Well, I'd like to think that he--or anyone reading the book--would find this an excellent resource on Wonder Woman and her world. Certainly, I think many of the entries Phil and I wrote are more thorough and accurate than anything found on the web.

DM: I know it they are.  Covering from Wonder Woman's first meeting with Steve Trevor and first day in Man's World up back in 1941 through her battle with Genocide (Wonder Woman's version of Superman's Doomsday with a twist) and other recent events as well, not to mention all the comic related items we've mentioned here and plenty more!   A delight for any fan of Wonder Woman and for anyone interested in the character and wants to find out what Diana is all about.  Even Wonder Woman herself needs to check this book for her own history!    What is are a few of your  projects you'd care to discuss?

JW: I have an article of Claw the Unconquered in the current ALTER EGO #92 and a Silver/Bronze Age history of Wildcat in this month's BACK ISSUE #40. A few months down the road, my coverage of DC's weird westerns of the 1970s will be in BACK ISSUE #42.

DM: John, thank you for your time and your incredible research on Wonder Woman.  We all look forward to your upcoming projects! 

John Wells has been an encyclopedia on all things comics for a long time.   I first became aware of his work back in the 1980s and 1990s in the letter pages (I miss those!!) for books like Hawk & Dove, the Outsiders and Hawkworld, and followed him when he was Mikishawm on the DC message boards and Kurt Busiek's researcher on Power Company (I miss that series as well!!), and now many articles for BACK ISSUE and ALTER EGO.  A true gentleman, and one of the people I go to when I don't know something about comics; thanks for all the answers over the years, and, with this new Wonder Woman Encyclopedia, that is one less character's history I'll have to ask about, as I can look it up myself!  Treat yourself and do the same.

And, after purchasing your Wonder Woman Encyclopedia, many of the stories covered here in part 2 are reprinted in tradepaperbacks, original 1940s Wonder Woman materials are covered in the new Wonder Woman Chronicles, the wacky 1960s are covered in Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, the Diana Prince era was also reprinted in its entirety, and even more books are available in the back issue bins! 

Justice Society of America Charter Members Part 2

Back to history, and more on the original Justice Society of America.  "the first conglomerate super-hero team in comics" (as stated in the sadly one and only issue of The All-Star Index from February, 1987 written by Lou Mougin and edited by Murray R. Ward, whose indexing work is the basis for all of fandom to help track these characters). 

The beginnings of the JSA were already discussed before, so let's jump right in to the other charter members of the team!

Winged Wonder

Hawkman is probably the best place to start...after all, he had perfect attendance with All-Star Comics, appearing in all 57 Golden Age issues (even the two before the Justice Society was invented!).  Hawkman got his start in Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940, by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville), and even alternated with the Flash as cover feature for the 104 issues of that series (but, other than the Big All-American Comic Book) never got out All-Star Comics or Flash Comics in the Golden Age. 

Hawkman the hero had been around for a long time...ancient Egypt, no less, as Prince Khufu (beloved of Shiera, and enemy of Hath-Set).  Khufu and Shiera were stabbed to death by Hath-Set, but Khufu promised to return...and did, as archeologist Carter Hall touched Hath-Set's dagger and became aware of his past life, and meets Shiera Sanders (the reincarnated love of his life), saving her from Anton Hastor (the reincarnated Hath-Set).  Carter made wings and a belt of "Nth" metal (which was an anti-gravity material allowing him to fly), and a hawk mask, and took off after Hastor, stopping him.  Carter continued as Hawkman, using ancient weapons to stop modern crime, and Shiera even joined him in adventures (first donning an extra set of wings in All-Star Comics #5, and becoming Hawkgirl officially in Flash Comics #24, though in that issue only, she referred to herself as Hawkwoman!).  Over the years the Hawks faced many menaces, like the Thought Terror, Trygg, Nyola, Satana, the Monocle and the Gentleman Ghost, as well as traveling to many lands (and having a variety of cowls as well!).  But, the one thing that kept them going was their love for each other...a love for the ages that even went beyond (and survived the end of the Golden Age as well, being in all 104 issues of Flash Comics, and all 57 of All-Star Comics!). 

Hawkman was part of the team that Vandal Savage kidnapped when the JSA was revived in the 1960s in Flash #137, but he was the only one to not have a team-up with his more scientific Silver Age counterpart during the Silver Age!  Still, you can read more of an overview Hawkman's career in the Hawkman Companion by Doug Zawisa (under an incredible cover by Cliff Chiang).

Mighty Mite

Atom was just a little guy, college student Al Pratt, who got tired of being picked on, and trained with fighter Joe Morgan to beat the bullies (and impress his friend, Mary).  This all happened in All-American Comics #19 (October, 1940, by Bill O'Connor and Ben Flinton), and it wasn't until his second appearance that the Atom even got a costume!  Sadly, other than All-Star Comics and that one and only Big All-American Comic Book, Atom just didn't make many covers in the Golden Age!  Guess Green Lantern didn't want to share.  No respect for the little guy....

...and he couldn't even keep a home!  Atom ran from All-American Comics #19 to All-American Comics #72, and then most of Flash Comics from #80 to #104, a few of Comics Cavalcade (#22, #23 and #28) and even an issue of Wonder Woman's Sensation Comics (#86), while being a JSAer for most issues of All-Star Comics.  Along the way, Atom gained new "atomic" strength and a new costume in 1948 with Flash Comics #98 (partially explained in All-Star Squadron #21-25 with Roy Thomas' "retroactive continuity), but even that wasn't enough to save the little guy...at least until the JSA returned with Flash #137!  The Golden Age Atom even had two separate team-ups with the Silver Age Atom in his title...though it was odd since, in the Silver Age, the Atom had shrinking powers (and that had Bob Rozakis and Alex Saviuk pull a switcheroo for those two in Action Comics #515 and DC Comics Presents #30).

Man of Dreams

Ever have bad dreams?  Wesley Dodds did, but this wealthy man did something about it, becoming the Sandman...who gave criminals nightmares, leaving behind a message: "There is no land beyond the law, where tyrants rule with unshakable power! It’s but a dream from which the evil wake to face their fate … their terrifying hour!"  Premiering in New York World's Fair Comics #1 (1939), though his first adventure was in Adventure Comics #40 (July, 1939, both stories by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman), Sandman used his gas gun and a sharp mind to put criminals to sleep, with solo adventures in both New York World's Fair Comics, All-Star Comics #1 and #2, World's Finest Comics #3 through #7, Boy Commandos #1, Detective Comics #76 (meeting the Boy Commandos and the Guardian and the Newsboy Legion in an early meeting of kid heroes) and Adventure Comics #40-102.

Sandman even had major changes during his Adventure Comics run, ditching the gas mask and suit for a purple and yellow outfit in Adventure Comics #69 (where he gained a sidekick, young Sandy the Golden Boy), and they both also lost capes with Adventure Comics #72 (when Jack Kirby and Joe Simon took over their series...where they stayed until that last Golden Age story in Adventure Comics #102 in February/March 1946). 

Sandman had left the JSA earlier, with All-Star Comics #21 (the same issue Dr. Fate did), but, like the Doctor, he came back...though it took him a little longer, not popping up in a JLA/JSA team up until August 1966's Justice League of America #46 (and then, in his original costume and without Sandy).  All that was explained in Justice League of America #113 (September/October 1974 by Len Wein and Dick Dillin), with the problem there being resolved in DC Comics Presents #42 and #47 by Mike W. Barr and Jose Delbo.  The Sandman title even moved on to a few others, scientists, lords of the endless and former sidekicks, and the 1940s noir version even had a seventy issue run in the 1990s at Vertigo (an offshoot of DC Comics) in Sandman Mystery Theatre...but all that seems like a dream article in itself!

Ghostly Guardian

Spectre's tale started where most end, with the death of his other identity, Jim Corrigan in More Fun Comics #52 (February, 1940, by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily).  Detective Corrigan was tracking down mobster Gat Benson...but was killed by the mobster instead.  Corrigan's battle wasn't over, as a voice came to him, turning him into the wrath of God, the Spectre. allowing him to stop Gat from killing Jim's fiancé, Clarice Winston.  Jim Corrigan enjoyed quite a life after death, running in issues of More Fun Comics from #52 to #101, as well as All-Star Comics from #1 to #23.  Along the way, he battled mystical menaces like Zor and Kulak, and even gaining a comical partner in Percival Popp ("the Super-Cop"), who was with him in his last published Golden Age case in More Fun Comics #101 (January/February 1945).

But, how do you stop a man already dead?  Spectre returned on his own in Showcase #60 (January/February 1966, by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson), joined up with the Justice Society again starting with Justice League of America #46 (August, 1966), and, after two more Showcase issues, ended up with his own 10 issue series in the 1960s lasting from November/December 1967 to May/June 1969, with stories by Gardner Fox, Mike Friedrich, Neal Adams, Steve Skeates, Denny O'Neil, Mark Hanerfield and Jack Miller,  and art by Murphy Anderson, Neal Adams, Jerry Grandenetti, Bernie Wrightson, Jose Delbo and Jack Sparling. 

These were more of a super-hero type story, with the Spectre dealing with a villain one-on-one, as well as being a separate but dependent entity from Jim Corrigan, then changed towards the end where the Spectre became more of a host of horror stories in his own book, not unlike House of Mystery.

Spectre returned again for a run in the 1970s in Adventure Comics from #431 (January/February 1974) to #440 (July, 1975) with stories by Michael Fleisher and art by Jim Aparo (assisted by Frank Thorne and Ernie Chan for a few issues).  This had the Spectre as a true spirit of vengeance, wreaking havoc on criminals with ironic supernatural punishments.  The story was not quite finished at the time...but in 1988, Jim Aparo was able to draw the last of Michael Fleisher's scripts and it was published in the 4th issue of the Wrath of the Spectre (the first three containing reprints of the earlier parts of this saga).

Spectre came back again in the 1980s, with Doug Moench as the writer, exploring a Spectre who had failed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths...and had his powers weakened to deal with it.  Starting in April, 1987 and running for 31 issues and 1 Annual (through November, 1989), this version of the Spectre also had the Spectre and Jim Corrigan at odds, and added a supporting cast to Spectre's arsenal...including Madame Xanadu (who had been the star of 5 issues of Doorway to Nightmare in the later 1970s).  Spectre dealt more with the mystics of the DC Universe like Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Deadman, the Phantom Stranger and the Enchantress (of the Suicide Squad), and even participated in smaller crossovers like Millennium and Invasion!.  Good stories, with art by Gene Colan, Cam Kennedy, Gray Morrow, Chris Wozniak, Mark Badger, Vince Giarrano, Bart Sears, Tom Artis, Fred Butler and Gonzalo Mayo, it wasn't quite the Spectre as we knew him....

...but all these variants of the same character came together in the 1990s series by writer John Ostrander and art mostly by Tom Mandrake.  For 63 issues and one annual, this was the true wrath of God dealing with the weakness that we all have...that of being human.  Jim Corrigan's soul was explored, using issues from his past (and those above), as well as events happening around him (such as Zero Hour, Underworld Unleashed, the Final Night and Genesis) and even other characters like Eclipso, Mr. Terrific, Count Vertigo, Uncle Sam and more.  Never a boring read, a series of stories about what drives a man to do what he does, and where vengeance comes from.  A series well worth reading, and showcasing how the Spectre was one character from More Fun Comics to the end of this series, where Jim Corrigan gives up the ghost. 

Spectre continued on after this (based on ideas introduced in this series), and continued to encounter the Justice Society over the decades during all his runs. 

All these stories were great when they came out, and well worth tracking down (and will likely be explored more in depth as time and space permit...).

Man of Steel

The last of the original JSAers was one of DC's earliest...Superman.  Starting with Action Comics #1 (June, 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) wherein Kal-L was rocketed from his doomed planet to a small Midwestern farm, where he grew up possessing powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, such as being more powerful than a locomotive and being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and, disguised as Clark Kent, worked for a great Metropolitan newspaper...and the attentions of female reporter Lois Lane.  Superman's incredible popularity let him to getting his own title in the Summer of 1939, as well as being a main feature of both issues  New York World's Fair Comics as well as World's Best Comics #2, and World's Finest Comics.

Superman's Golden Age got better defined with Action Comics #484, when he married Lois Lane.  The running adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Superman also had a few visits from members of the Justice Society, like Batman, Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder during their run in Superman Family, as well as helping to define early Superman traits, like Clark working for the Daily Star and facing a Luthor with red hair, which also happened during the 1970s run of All-Star Comics and the 1980s retro comic, All-Star Squadron!  Sadly, during the Golden Age, Superman didn't interact much with his fellow DC stars...only making two appearances in All-Star Comics as an honorary JSA (All-Star Comics #7 and #36), and the Golden Age Superman's adventures until Action Comics #208, Superman #114 and World's Finest Comics #70 (more or less, with some adventures being those of the Earth-1 Superman, such as his first team-up with Batman in Superman #76).

The Golden Age Superman interacted in quite a few JLA/JSA team-ups, and even was a major player in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and its sequel, Infinite Crisis, proving that even DC's original hero still has more to say today! 

There are still more heroes to come, as the Justice Society added to its ranks over the years as well, with heroes like Johnny Thunder, Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, Wonder Woman, Wildcat, Mr. Terrific and more!

Flash Vs. Arrow In The Comics

Flash and Green Arrow were never really the best of friends in the comic books, but thanks to the CW having a series based on Flash and the Arrow, which is having a two night crossover, the two heroes are now linked...


...and it's not like they didn't cross each other's paths in the comic books as well!

Flash vs. Arrow

Probably the clearest representation of the battle between these two heroes comes from issue 4 (January, 2000) of a 6 issue mini-series, Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold.

The series (overall written by Mark Waid and drawn by Barry Kitson) dealt with the friendship of Flash (Barry Allen) and Green LANTERN (Hal Jordan) over the years, and issue 4 (co-written by Tom Peyer and art by Tom Grindberg), dealt with the time that Green Lantern and Green Arrow became Hard Traveling Heroes...

...and how that left Flash behind (and some of the animosity that caused between the archer and the speedster!) as the emerald heroes ran into trouble in Central City.

The Brave and The Bold

Though Flash and Green Arrow never crossed paths in DC's longest running team-up book, the Brave and the Bold, they both were well represented there!  Green Arrow had the most team-ups with Batman, with Flash not far behind....and Green Arrow was in the first B&B team-up (with Martian Manhunter) in Brave and the Bold #50 (October-November, 1963, by Bob Haney and George Roussos), and Flash, along with the Atom, (who is now a supporting character on Arrow, and also a frequent B&B partner for Batman) had a team-up in Brave and the Bold #53 (April-May, 1964, by Bob Haney and Alex Toth)!  Close but not quite there....

In A League Together

Green Arrow and Flash worked together as members of the Justice League of America after Ollie joined the team with Justice League of America #4 (April-May, 1961), but it took until Justice League of America #57 (November, 1967) for Green Arrow and Flash (and fellow Leaguer, Hawkman) to be alone together...working with kids across the nation and the world who needed a little helping hand in a story by Gardner Fox, with interior art by Mike Sekowsky and cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, proving that Flash and Green Arrow could get along with each other and work together!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even heroes want to spend time with each other (and turkey), as show in this cover to JSA #54 (January, 2004) by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino!

Cowboys and Aliens, Kryptonian style

A bit of a cheat with this article…but not really.  You’ve might already have been told that Cowboys & Aliens was a comic, but the idea of cowboys fighting aliens started even before the 2006 Platinum Studios graphic novel, created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, written by Fred Van Lente & Andrew Foley, with art by Luciano Lima (or before Jon Favreau’s 2011 Cowboys and Aliens movie).

But, in a bit of twist, what will be covered here is how the alien was the good guy, and it was the cowboy who was evil.  The time was 1972, and Superman (that alien son of Krypton) was fighting his most devastating foe….lagging sales.  In an effort to spice up sales, Superman was to fight new villains, very loosely based on popular movie series, and in this case it was Clint Eastwood’s the “Man with No Name” (from movies “A Fist Full of Dollars”, “For A Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”).

Dirty Days

Thus came Terra-Man in Superman #249 in March 1972 in “The Challenge of Terra-Man”, by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (as you can see from the cover by Neal Adams; Terra-Man’s appearance on the inside is a little different).

Now, Terra-Man’s story really started in the Old West (and in the back up tale, “The Origin of Terra-Man”, written by Cary Bates, with art by Dick Dillin and Neal Adams) of the 1880s, with a ten-year old Tobias Manning stealing gold from a stagecoach.  As his father, Jess, praises his thievery, an alien ship steals the Manning’s ill-gotten golden booty.  This blue skinned alien currency collector is shot by Russ Manning, and returns fire, killing the man in front of his boy.  Not having planned to kill the man, and thanks to a telepathic link formed with Jess at this death, the spaceman decides to adopt the boy, wiping Toby’s mind of how he killed his father and instead telling the lad “The law what done it, boy!”.

The alien plans to make a great thief out of young Toby, who, due to his planet of origin, is dubbed “Terra-Man”.  The collector outfits young Terra-Man with an oxygenator-thermostat, which will allow Tobias to breathe and be comfortable in any environment and in space, and Toby gets an energy lasso, with which Toby catches an Arguvian space-steed (a winged horse, who he’ll call Nova).  Using his own type of “chewin’ tobacco” to induce hallucinations, the mounted marauder steals coins from a planet and brings his haul to the collector.  Terra-Man then kills his alien mentor, as Toby figured out a message from his pa that the alien was really Jess’ killer.  With that, Terra-Man returned to Earth to take on Superman (as seen the first story of the issue).  In that story, Terra-Man faced Superman with enlarging bullets, a cheroot (cigar) with ultra-toxic vapors, atomic bullets, and a spur made of zanoite – the hardest substance in the galaxy – which he fires at the action ace as a bullet.  Superman beats and captures Terra-Man, but Nova remains free.

Harry Situation

Terra-Man returns in the very next issue, Superman #250 (April 1972, by Cary Bates and Curt Swan) in a story called “Have Horse, Will Fly!”, where Terra-Man whistles for Nova to free him from prison solitary.  Superman shows up to stop the western wizard, but Tobias incapacitates the Kryptonian with his tooth of gravita-gold, which sticks to Superman and allows Terra-Man to escape.  Terra-Man attracts Superman by attacking out of western movie in a theatre, and the sagebrush satan uses a special branding iron on the Man of Steel.  This brand makes Superman hyper-age whenever he uses one of his super powers.  The man from Krypton tries his super-vision on Terra-Man, but it was mostly reflected by Terra-Man’s poncho.  Still, Superman got some information from his gamble, and after facing down Terra-Man’s power glove (which magnified Tobias’ strength), was able to capture the outlaw again.

Sudden Impact

Terra-Man returned again in Superman #259 (December 1972, also by Cary Bates and Curt Swan) with “The Kid Who Knocked Out Superman!”.  The cosmic cowboy uses a “T-M” brand on his arm to teleport his prison away from him, and thus escape by standing still.  A quick battle with Superman (and wrestling Terra-Man’s lasso, fighting Nova’s hoof-blasters, and watching Terra-Man disappear using his stardust).  Terra-Man figures out something was wrong with Superman and with using his own limited telepathic abilities, fixes on an image of a lynx.  Tobias has Nova track (yes, the winged steed seems to also have “space-tracking abilities”) track the lynx belonging to Clark Kent’s neighbor, a kid named Billy Anders (the lynx is a focusing image which allows Superman to recall his strength from Billy, as Superman has lost the ability to control his super-strength – long story).  Well, Terra-Man figures this out, and traps Superman where only his strength can save him and wipes all memory of the lynx from Earth.  Billy eventually remembers the critter due to scratches he has, and Superman frees himself, tricks Terra-Man (and Nova) into an exile dimension by turning Tobias’ teleporting bullets on Terra-Man himself, and gets his strength back from Billy Anders (it was the Silver Age, just let it go….a lot happened in comics those days!).

Magnum Force

In the “Master Of The Moon Rocks!” from Action Comics #426 (August 1973, by Cary Bates/Curt Swan), Terra-Man returns secretly to lead a cult to rid Earth of “evil moon rocks”.

The wizard of the west attacks Superman with a strangling scarf, which Superman easily defeats.  But Terra-Man has a special six-gun to absorb the lunar particles…which Superman easily takes from the outlaw.

Turns out Superman was to trigger an explosion by holding Terra-Man’s gun…and figures it out in time, disposing of the gun-bomb.

Good for Superman!

The Dead Pool

Terra-Man gets his first cover appearance in his usual look with Superman #278 (August 1974, by Cary Bates/Curt Swan) in a “Super-Showdown At Buzzard Gulch!”.  Terra-Man teleports Superman and his friends (which includes Clark Kent, allowing Superman to be there really quick) to Buzzard Gulch, a town Tobias created with his super-science.  Terra-Man makes them all think they belong in the Old West, and plans to kill them all with a special bullet for each.  But first, Terra-Man tries to take down Superman with a six-gun attack – from SIX GUNS that remotely fire, a giant bull, and a constricting lasso.  Still, Superman uses Terra-Man’s lack of knowledge of his identity as Clark Kent to beat Terra-Man (and revive his friends).

The Enforcer

Then, Terra-Man returns along with eight other Superman foes in Superman #299 (May 1976, by Cary Bates with Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan on the art) in “The Double-Or-Nothing Life Of Superman!”.


Terra-Man teams with the Prankster and the Toyman, and was the first villain team to be defeated in a plan by a master manipulator that involved using Superman’s own abilities to trigger the end of the Earth (strangely similar to Tobias’ own plan from not so long ago...and about as successful here!).

Still, at least Tobias was a part of a bigger group for a time!

Every Which Way But Loose

These little appearances were too little for Terra-Man, who returned in force (and with Nova for the first time since Superman #259) in Action Comics #468-470 (February-April 1977, all by Cary Bates/Curt Swan), during which Terra-Man planned a television show to face Superman in (and this stunning Neal Adams cover)!  During this run, each issue ends with a cliffhanger, so this seems to be a great place to hang a cliff, to have more Terra-Man coming soon!

Words With Wells on Wonder Woman Part 1

For all the fans of Wonder Woman, a rare treat.  An interview with noted comic historian, John Wells, one of the authors of the Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia, who was kind enough to share a few of his thoughts on Wonder Woman!

DM: Where did you first become aware of Wonder Woman? What was the first Wonder Woman comic you read?

JOHN WELLS: The first time I saw Wonder Woman was, believe it or not, on an episode of the Brady Kids cartoon in 1972. 

And afterwards on the Super Friends cartoon that started a year later. The first issue of the Wonder Woman comic that I ever bought was issue #212 in 1974.  


DM:  I came in towards the end of the trials (#220), so they are a favorite of mine as well, as are the Super Friends, who were my first exposure!  What is your favorite era/run of Wonder Woman?

JW: The Julie Schwartz-edited two years (#212-227). Issue #212, as I mentioned, was the first issue I ever bought and was coincidentally ground zero for a re-launch of the character after several years as the plainclothed Diana Prince and a stodgy return to costume under Robert Kanigher. With Len Wein on script, that one issue told me everything I needed to know about Wonder Woman, introduced a new career for Diana Prince, began a series of trials monitored by the Justice League, and even had room for a fight with the Cavalier. In twenty pages. I look back on this issue now with shock at how badly Curt Swan was inked on this story but it’s to his credit as a storyteller that his greatness shines through.

I liked the fact that this run dispensed with the notion that Diana Prince was a meek female Clark Kent and I really loved the forward momentum that Marty Pasko brought to the table once the trials were over. It killed me when the series abruptly shifted back to the 1940s with #228 to reflect the TV show. I wound up enjoying that run, too, but I often wonder how different the present-day Wonder Woman might have been had Pasko been allowed to continue in the direction he was headed.

DM: Speaking of the Wonder Woman TV show, do you have a favorite episode, and what did you think of Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman?

JW: I loved Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman! One of the greatest bits of superhero casting EVER! As campy as it is in retrospect, the pilot movie is still wonderful in the way it brings scenes from the first two Golden Age stories to life. The whole World War 2 season was great fun but the Wonder Girl two-parter is my absolute favorite.

DM: What was your favorite Wonder Woman appearance outside of a regular Wonder Woman comic?

JW: I’m fond of the scene in Steve Englehart’s first JLA-Manhunters battle where Diana located an alien “menace” called the Dharlu and demonstrated compassion towards an entity that was simply a pregnant female trying to protect its offspring.

And I loved the scene in Len Wein’s GREEN LANTERN where an evil Congressman named Jason Bloch was mortally wounded and tried to spill the beans on GL’s true identity to a passerby in the Pentagon. Who, the last panel revealed, was Diana Prince. Oops!

DM: Now that the DC Universe has a philosophy of "it's all good", what character from Wonder Woman's long past would you like to see revived now?

JW: Maybe Paula Von Gunther or Diana’s best friend Mala or the Duke of Deception, all of whom have been seen fleetingly in the past fifteen years.

DM: When Roy Thomas took over Wonder Woman, he made a MAJOR change to Wonder Woman (involving her costume) that survived even a few Crises and brought back some of Diana's history, including Steve Trevor.   What did Roy and those who followed him add to the Wonder Woman mythos? 

JW: Actually, it was Gerry Conway who revived Steve and Roy was strictly a hired gun when it came to the new costume.  

In the case of the latter, DC wanted a logo they could merchandise like Superman and Batman’s and it would’ve happened regardless. Still, Roy did effectively revive Doctor Psycho for the 1980s and created a good new villainess in the form of Silver Swan.

All the old villains who were rebooted in Perez’s series were characters who received entries in Who’s Who.  

Had Roy not dusted off Psycho, it’s debatable whether he’d even have received an entry.  And Circe--who fought Wonder Woman only once in the 1940s--would NEVER have been in Who’s Who if Dan Mishkin hadn’t revived her in 1983.

How different would the post-Crisis Wonder Woman’s history have been without its own version of Circe?

DM: Extremely!  It did seem that every time a new person took over Wonder Woman, they had to do their own variation of Wonder Woman, and sadly, this had distorted the character of Wonder Woman over the years.


Soon after this, Diana Prince and the entire DC Universe underwent a metamorphosis and, this seems like a great place to break, but don’t worry, I’ll have part two of my interview with comic historian, John Wells, which will deal with the changes that happened to Wonder Woman’s history post-Crisis on Infinite Earths coming in December.

If any of this history of Wonder Woman interested you...

...and you’d like to learn more, feel free to look for the Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia...

...not to mention John's Back Issue Wonder Woman article in issue #37 (on Wonder Woman's return to World War II in the 1970s ), and Jim Ford's article in #41 for the trials of Wonder Woman!.