The CCF Guide to Earth-Two, Part Deux
Jan 3, 2015 15:31:16 GMT -5
shaxper, dbutler69, and 5 more like this
Post by Cei-U! on Jan 3, 2015 15:31:16 GMT -5
Welcome back to my comprehensive history of DC's Earth-Two. For coverage of the years 1961-75, see my earlier thread. And away we go...!
All-Star Comics #58
January-February 1976 (October 9, 1975) $.25
Cover Art: Mike Grell, signed
“All-Star Super Squad” 18 pages
Gerry Conway (Editor/Script); Ric Estrada (Layouts), Wally Wood (Finished Art); no lettering or coloring credits
FC: Doctor Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Robin (in third costume), Wildcat, teamed as the Justice Society of America
GS: The Star-Spangled Kid
Intro: Power Girl (Kara)
Reintro: The Brain Wave (Dr. Henry King; called Brainwave as of this story)
Cameos: Green Arrow, Green Lantern [of Earth-One for both], Hourman, Stripesy, in flashback to Justice League of America #100-02
Synopsis
An anonymous message predicts the Earth's destruction should the Justice Society fail to prevent a trio of natural disasters. They split into two-man teams to investigate. Encountering the Star-Spangled Kid during an earthquake in Seattle, Dr. Mid-Nite persuades Hawkman to let the Kid deal with the quake in order to bolster his confidence. Aboard his secret space station, Brainwave gloats. Unseen since the defeat of the Injustice Society of the World in 1948, the once-dwarfish mastermind inhabits a powerful new body. A natural gas explosion rocks Capetown, South Africa. Dick Grayson, on a fact-finding mission for the United Nations, tries to help as Robin but is overcome by fumes. A second explosion fells the newly-arrived Dr. Fate and Green Lantern. A volcano erupts in Peking. As the Flash and Wildcat focus on rescue work, a costumed girl with incredible super-strength appears and caps the volcano. This is Power Girl, Superman's teenage cousin, who proposes the formation of an “All-Star Super-Squad” consisting of the JSA, the Kid and herself.
Behind the Scenes
This is the first new episode of the ‘Justice Society of America’ series since All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951). For the first nine issues, the strip is officially called ‘All-Star Super Squad’ on the covers and title pages.
Cosmology
The US government on Earth-Two has banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons in aerosol propellants two years ahead of its real world counterpart.
Continuity
Because of their serial nature, the ‘Justice Society of America’ stories published between All-Star Comics #58 and Adventure Comics #466 do not necessarily occur in order of publication and rarely correspond to the passage of time as measured by release dates. There are breaks in the series' storyline in which days, weeks, months, even years may pass without a recorded JSA adventure. It is usually during these breaks that members' known solo adventures occur. Though the source material itself is often vague as to the specific order of what are, at times, loosely connected events, there are enough clues to suggest a plausible timeline for the 1970s JSA series (excluding retroactive continuity and apocrypha).
The following timeline is hypothetical and should not be considered definitive:
● All-Star Comics #58-59
● The Flash #247
● Justice League Of America #135-37
● DC Super-Stars #17
● All-Star Comics #60-68
● Justice League Of America #147-48
● All-Star Comics #69-70 (pages 1-2)
● All-Star Comics #70 (pages 3-17) -71, Showcase #97-98 (simultaneous storylines)
● Superman Family #186-87
● Batman Family #17, Showcase #99 (simultaneous storylines)
● All-Star Comics #72-74
● Adventure Comics #461 (pages 1-7)
● Secret Society Of Super-Villains #15
● Justice League Of America #166 (page 5, flashback sequence)
● Justice League Of America #159-60
● DC Special Series #11
● Green Lantern #108-10
● Batman Family #18-20
● Adventure Comics #461 (pages 8-16) -464
● Adventure Comics #460
● Green Lantern #111-12
● Adventure Comics #465
● Justice League Of America #171-72
● Adventure Comics #466
See An Earth-Two Chronology, as well as the Continuity notations for the individual issues, for more information.
Meeting Minutes
The JSA's headquarters is depicted here as a four-story brownstone sitting in the center of a vacant lot. The city in which it is located is not identified.
The JSA computer system introduced in this issue may be an updated version of Hourman's “Crime-Caster” introduced in Justice League Of America #64.
The Good Guys
According to this story, Dr. Mid-Nite's infra-red goggles let him see heat patterns rather than giving him normal vision.
Power Girl is the Earth-Two doppelgänger of Supergirl, the Earth-One heroine first seen in the ‘Superman’ story in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). She cannot fly as her Earth-One counterpart can, traveling instead in great leaps.
Power Girl says she promised Superman that “I’d wait a few more [emphasis mine] months before revealing myself,” suggesting she has been on Earth for several months.
The Star-Spangled Kid carries the cosmic rod, on loan from Starman while he is recovering from a broken leg. The circumstances leading to this injury are not chronicled.
The Star-Spangled Kid notes that Stripesy has retired from adventuring since the duo's last appearance in Justice League Of America #102.
The Bad Guys
The Brain Wave was last seen in the ‘Justice Society of America’ story in All-Star Comics #41 (June-July 1948). This is the first appearance of his illusory costumed ‘alter ego.’
Fashion Watch
The crescent moon-shaped buttons have been restored to Dr. Mid-Nite's tunic.
The lightning bolt emblem on the Flash’s costume changes in this issue from the small diagonal chest insignia he has been wearing since The Flash #123 to the large vertical ‘tucked in’ design he wore through most of the Golden Age. The smaller emblem is used in several panels of page 2.
The Flash is depicted wearing buccaneer-style boots instead of his usual winged ankle boots on the cover of this issue.
This is the first appearance of the Earth-Two Robin in this variation of the costume introduced in Justice League of America #92. The cowl has changed from blue to green, the belt from red to yellow. The cape has been redesigned from its glider configuration to a Batman-style scalloped-edge cape.
Wildcat begins wearing the costume worn by his Earth-One/B counterpart in his The Brave and the Bold appearances.
Points to Ponder
Asked how she uncovered Brainwave's plans, Power Girl says only that “a lady with powers like mine gets around!” No explanation beyond that is offered regarding this plot point.
All-Star Comics #58
January-February 1976 (October 9, 1975) $.25
Cover Art: Mike Grell, signed
“All-Star Super Squad” 18 pages
Gerry Conway (Editor/Script); Ric Estrada (Layouts), Wally Wood (Finished Art); no lettering or coloring credits
FC: Doctor Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Robin (in third costume), Wildcat, teamed as the Justice Society of America
GS: The Star-Spangled Kid
Intro: Power Girl (Kara)
Reintro: The Brain Wave (Dr. Henry King; called Brainwave as of this story)
Cameos: Green Arrow, Green Lantern [of Earth-One for both], Hourman, Stripesy, in flashback to Justice League of America #100-02
Synopsis
An anonymous message predicts the Earth's destruction should the Justice Society fail to prevent a trio of natural disasters. They split into two-man teams to investigate. Encountering the Star-Spangled Kid during an earthquake in Seattle, Dr. Mid-Nite persuades Hawkman to let the Kid deal with the quake in order to bolster his confidence. Aboard his secret space station, Brainwave gloats. Unseen since the defeat of the Injustice Society of the World in 1948, the once-dwarfish mastermind inhabits a powerful new body. A natural gas explosion rocks Capetown, South Africa. Dick Grayson, on a fact-finding mission for the United Nations, tries to help as Robin but is overcome by fumes. A second explosion fells the newly-arrived Dr. Fate and Green Lantern. A volcano erupts in Peking. As the Flash and Wildcat focus on rescue work, a costumed girl with incredible super-strength appears and caps the volcano. This is Power Girl, Superman's teenage cousin, who proposes the formation of an “All-Star Super-Squad” consisting of the JSA, the Kid and herself.
Behind the Scenes
This is the first new episode of the ‘Justice Society of America’ series since All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951). For the first nine issues, the strip is officially called ‘All-Star Super Squad’ on the covers and title pages.
Cosmology
The US government on Earth-Two has banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons in aerosol propellants two years ahead of its real world counterpart.
Continuity
Because of their serial nature, the ‘Justice Society of America’ stories published between All-Star Comics #58 and Adventure Comics #466 do not necessarily occur in order of publication and rarely correspond to the passage of time as measured by release dates. There are breaks in the series' storyline in which days, weeks, months, even years may pass without a recorded JSA adventure. It is usually during these breaks that members' known solo adventures occur. Though the source material itself is often vague as to the specific order of what are, at times, loosely connected events, there are enough clues to suggest a plausible timeline for the 1970s JSA series (excluding retroactive continuity and apocrypha).
The following timeline is hypothetical and should not be considered definitive:
● All-Star Comics #58-59
● The Flash #247
● Justice League Of America #135-37
● DC Super-Stars #17
● All-Star Comics #60-68
● Justice League Of America #147-48
● All-Star Comics #69-70 (pages 1-2)
● All-Star Comics #70 (pages 3-17) -71, Showcase #97-98 (simultaneous storylines)
● Superman Family #186-87
● Batman Family #17, Showcase #99 (simultaneous storylines)
● All-Star Comics #72-74
● Adventure Comics #461 (pages 1-7)
● Secret Society Of Super-Villains #15
● Justice League Of America #166 (page 5, flashback sequence)
● Justice League Of America #159-60
● DC Special Series #11
● Green Lantern #108-10
● Batman Family #18-20
● Adventure Comics #461 (pages 8-16) -464
● Adventure Comics #460
● Green Lantern #111-12
● Adventure Comics #465
● Justice League Of America #171-72
● Adventure Comics #466
See An Earth-Two Chronology, as well as the Continuity notations for the individual issues, for more information.
Meeting Minutes
The JSA's headquarters is depicted here as a four-story brownstone sitting in the center of a vacant lot. The city in which it is located is not identified.
The JSA computer system introduced in this issue may be an updated version of Hourman's “Crime-Caster” introduced in Justice League Of America #64.
The Good Guys
According to this story, Dr. Mid-Nite's infra-red goggles let him see heat patterns rather than giving him normal vision.
Power Girl is the Earth-Two doppelgänger of Supergirl, the Earth-One heroine first seen in the ‘Superman’ story in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). She cannot fly as her Earth-One counterpart can, traveling instead in great leaps.
Power Girl says she promised Superman that “I’d wait a few more [emphasis mine] months before revealing myself,” suggesting she has been on Earth for several months.
The Star-Spangled Kid carries the cosmic rod, on loan from Starman while he is recovering from a broken leg. The circumstances leading to this injury are not chronicled.
The Star-Spangled Kid notes that Stripesy has retired from adventuring since the duo's last appearance in Justice League Of America #102.
The Bad Guys
The Brain Wave was last seen in the ‘Justice Society of America’ story in All-Star Comics #41 (June-July 1948). This is the first appearance of his illusory costumed ‘alter ego.’
Fashion Watch
The crescent moon-shaped buttons have been restored to Dr. Mid-Nite's tunic.
The lightning bolt emblem on the Flash’s costume changes in this issue from the small diagonal chest insignia he has been wearing since The Flash #123 to the large vertical ‘tucked in’ design he wore through most of the Golden Age. The smaller emblem is used in several panels of page 2.
The Flash is depicted wearing buccaneer-style boots instead of his usual winged ankle boots on the cover of this issue.
This is the first appearance of the Earth-Two Robin in this variation of the costume introduced in Justice League of America #92. The cowl has changed from blue to green, the belt from red to yellow. The cape has been redesigned from its glider configuration to a Batman-style scalloped-edge cape.
Wildcat begins wearing the costume worn by his Earth-One/B counterpart in his The Brave and the Bold appearances.
Points to Ponder
Asked how she uncovered Brainwave's plans, Power Girl says only that “a lady with powers like mine gets around!” No explanation beyond that is offered regarding this plot point.
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