Justice League of America #208 (November 1982)

In a superhero world, some crises can get pretty big. So big, that it takes multiple teams to take care of it. In the days of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Multiverse, such crises seem to happen literally once per year. These stories can arguably be seen as pre-cursors to modern-day event stories like King in Black or Endless Winter. This week, I thought it would be neat to look at a part of one of those stories. This JLA/JSA crossover story was so big that it required the addition of a third team: The All-Star Squadron.

Created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway, and Rich Buckler, the All-Star Squadron debuted in Justice League of America #193 (August 1981). Much like the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Squadron were a large group, consisting of many of DC's Golden Age-era heroes, set in the days of World War II. The group would get their own book, which lasted from 1981 to 1987. The group's name was a reference to All Star Comics, the title that introduced the Justice Society. 

So, what kind of adventure would require the JLA, the JSA, and the All-Star Squadron? Let's find out in Justice League of America #208 (November 1982)!

The cover is a George Perez piece. Naturally, it is awesome. The center depicts the heroes of this story, members of the Earth-1 Justice League and the Earth-2 All-Star Squadron and Justice Society, heading towards what looks like a living atomic explosion. The explosion seems to cackle madly at the heroes, confident they cannot stop it. 

"Crisis on Earth-Prime Book Three: The Bomb-Blast Heard 'Round the World!"
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Don Heck
Inker: Sal Trapani
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: Phil Felix
Editor: Len Wein
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with members of the All-Star Squadron being all like "Who are you and what're you doing here in our house?!"

Meet, from left to right, Dannette "Firebrand" Reilly, John "Johnny Quick" Chambers, Hank "Commander Steel" Heywood, Robert "Robotman" Crane, and Libby "Liberty Belle" Lawrence. Johnny Quick charges in and attacks the Earth-1 Hawkman. This results in the traditional "heroes brawl with each other over a misunderstanding" moment.

The All-Stars and Justice League face off, and Superman has had enough of this.

Everyone in that building is now deaf.

Robotman agrees with the Man of Steel on this. Johnny Quick points out that Superman doesn't quite look like the Superman "they" know. Mainly because the Earth-2 Superman's costume had a shorter cape and a slightly different "S" logo. 

Yeah, I'm beginning to wonder if the JSA ever told these guys about the JLA. But really, it's not a plot hole. The JSA didn't start having the annual teamups with the JLA until the 1960s, both in real time and in-universe. Anyway, the teams talk a bit, and Superman provides some historical spoilers, because the JSA are from 1942, and the JLA are from the then-present day 1982 Earth-1. Blast it, Supes! 

Anyway, we get a bit of a recap of how we got here. The JLA and JSA were going to have their annual meeting/team-up adventure. However, the Crime Syndicate (an evil version of the JLA from Earth-3), ambushed the JLA and escaped to Earth-1 in a shuttlecraft. The JLA transported themselves to Earth-2 and not only found the All-Star Squadron's headquarters in shambles...and a world under the tyranny of the time-traveling villain Per Degaton. 

Per Degaton's drunken rampages are...disturbing.

Yeah, I'm beginning to see why DC was seeing the Multiverse as getting a bit too confusing for new readers at the time. Anyway, the heroes realized that the headquarters had been left in that state since 1942. Hence, they're here. The All-Stars get a call from the White House. Harry Hopkins escorts them to meet his boss, the man he was the personal adviser of, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The President summoned our heroes because they got a strange little gift.

Yeah, it looks like a VCR. The JLA recognize it as a projector from their era. The projector starts playing footage of Per Degaton. The heroes realize it's a two-way communication system, as he tells them to shut up after Firestorm insults him. The signal is being relayed by a satellite, something that would not be seen for about fifteen years. He also has another thing from the future, something from much closer in time: Nuclear Bombs. And he's willing to demonstrate them tomorrow. 

We then next switch scenes to Earth-Prime in the then-present 1982. Members of the Justice Society are looking around the devastated world looking for life: Starman (Ted Knight), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Dr. Fate (Kent Nelson), Power Girl (Kara Zor-L), and Huntress (Helena Wayne). They ended up here thanks to...switching places with the Crime Syndicate in Limbo. I have no idea how that works. 

Anyway, they're trying to find their way back home...and find out how Earth-Prime ended up in this state. Green Lantern's ring detects life. The ring leads the JSAers to a tunnel...and to an ambush.

The JSA members are able to fight off the...rat...men...things. I don't know. Anyway, the...rat...men...things mention a "Mad One" who claimed to have warned them of others coming. The group discover who this "Mad One" is.

"...are you the pizza guy? I've been waiting THIRTY YEARS!"

An old, blind man surrounded by TVs. Using his magic, Dr. Fate reads the man's memories and reveals on Earth-Prime, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 escalated into nuclear war...and it was because Per Degaton stole the Russian nukes from Cuba. Let's jump back to Earth-2, 1942!

The JLA and ASQ members are on a boat.

Why are they on a boat? Well, boats are awesome. But also, they're there to witness Per Degaton's demonstration. Degaton drops his bomb. 

Zatanna summons a giant wave of water to protect the heroes from the nuke. There's gonna be a ton of radiation there, Zee. You may want to...I dunno, maybe magically clear that up?

Superman and Commander Steel spot a Time Bubble, a time-traveling gizmo often used by the Legion of Superheroes. The heroes find the JSAers that were traveling around in Earth-Prime's 1980s, and they need a doctor. Or six.

Per Degaton observes this from a jetliner. His bomb didn't kill the heroes, but he's fine with it. After all, his demonstration should convince the Axis and Allies alike to surrender to him, and then he can kill the JLA, JSA, and the All-Stars at his own convenience. 

I enjoyed this issue, but I admit, I did feel a bit confused about some things, but the story itself was not that hard to follow. I do feel this is one of those comics that is better read as part of a reading of the whole story at once. Don Heck's art is fine. I like his rendition of the post-apocalyptic mutants, although his rendition of Superman screaming "STOP IT" is wonky. It amused me, though.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the trade paperback Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 6. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!