Justice League of America #21 (August 1963)

Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths consolidated the original DC Multiverse into one single DC Universe in 1986, there used to be a regular tradition in the Justice League's book. That tradition? The yearly JLA/JSA team-up!

Yes, every year, fans were treated to adventures featuring members of Earth-One's Justice League of America and Earth-Two's Justice Society of America. As the years would go by, these adventures would grow to sometimes include superheroes of other Earths beyond One and Two, like Earth-S (the home of the Billy Batson Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family). I looked at one such story in the past, from 1980: Justice League of America #183 and #184 (October-November 1980).

But every tradition has a beginning. So, let's take a look at the very first JLA/JSA team-up: Justice League of America #21!

The cover is a Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson piece. It's really awesome. It depicts the Justice League performing a seance. From the mists of the crystal ball, rise the Justice Society of America. It's become a bit of an iconic cover, being homaged in other comics by other companies.

"Crisis on Earth-One!"
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciler: Mike Sekowsky
Inker: Bernard Sachs
Colorist: Unknown
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Editor: Julius Schwartz

The story begins with the Justice League meeting at their Happy Harbor sanctuary.

"Okay, who is doing the minutes this week?"

Their meeting is about dealing with a new trio of supervillains...well, a new trio comprised of old villains. The Crime Champions (comprised of Felix Faust, Atom villain Chronos, and Flash villain Doctor Alchemy) have claimed that they will rob a bank, a sunken ship, and an armored car. Yup, rather basic crimes for supervillains. The League splits up into three teams:

- Atom, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter will take on Felix Faust
- Wonder Woman, Batman, and Green Lantern will take on Chronos.
- Superman, Green Arrow, and Flash will take on Doctor Alchemy.

...huh. You'd think they'd have Atom on the team that takes care of Chronos. After all, Chronos was one of his rogues. 

With the teams made, the League splits up like the Scooby-Doo gang tackling a mystery. Meanwhile, at the same time on Earth-Two, the Justice Society of America is having a meeting of its own.

"Okay, who is doing the minutes this week?"

Like the League, they've been challenged by a trio of their old enemies: The Fiddler, The Wizard, and the Icicle. The JSA are eager to go into battle with their old nemeses. After all, they haven't fought crime in costume for about a decade at that point, so they're eager to rid themselves of some villain-busting rust.

Back on Earth-One, Felix Faust is hard at work on the sunken ship robbery. 

"Diving gear is for weak muggles!"

He's spotted by Aquaman, who commands some whales to attack the evil sorcerer. Faust is able to handle that problem, no sweat. The Martian Manhunter takes a shot, but Faust casts a Fireball spell, easily dispatching the Martian (Fire to Martians is like Kryptonite to Superman). The Atom is also with them and tries to kick the fireballs away. I bet Ray Palmer's feet are hating him right now.

It seems to help, as the Manhunter uses his super-breath to send the shrinking scientist towards the sorcerer. But ol' Felix has a spell for him, too. He turns himself into mist, allowing the Atom to pass through him harmlessly. 

Having outsmarted the League, he vanishes with his ill-gotten gains. Crime Champions 1, Justice League 0. We then next go to Route 55, in...well, take your pick. The story doesn't say. Doctor Alchemy is waiting for an armored truck.

"About time! I've been waiting here for THREE HOURS!"

Alchemy easily stops the truck with his Philosopher's Stone and its ability to change one substance into another. He also uses the stone to convert the armored truck into a plane so he can fly the coop. Superman, Green Arrow, and Flash intercept him. Well, the Man of Steel and the Emerald Archer manage to. The Flash starts vibrating...and then vanishes. Alchemy manages to stop Superman by changing a nearby telephone pole and fire hydrant into Kryptonite. He also stops Green Arrow by trapping him in the road-turned glue river. As he takes off, Dr. Alchemy taunts that the Flash has been taken care of...in a special way.

Superman is weakening fast. Green Arrow saves him by firing an arrow filled with paint at the hydrant. The lead in the paint blocks the Kryptonite, allowing Superman to recover. Yeah, you can tell this is from the 1960s. Superman then grabs the archer, and takes to the air, freeing him from the glue. Despite their efforts, Dr. Alchemy gets away.

Crime Champions 2, Justice League 0. In a place called Powers City, Chronos is at work robbing a bank.

"Actually, I used acid, but I'm not telling the League that!"

He spots Green Lantern, Batman, and Wonder Woman heading towards him. The time-obsessed supervillain heads out on his sundial-themed craft. Yeah, say what you will about Silver Age villains, they understood the concept of theme and sticking to it. The three Leaguers try to capture him, but he has countermeasures for them. He uses a pair of watch hand darts to keep Wonder Woman from lassoing him. He uses a razor-sharp watch crystal to keep Batman from rappelling down to him. And he drives away Green Lantern with some yellow gas (At that time, Green Lantern Corps rings were useless against anything yellow). Can't say he wasn't prepared.

This forces the League members to save each other, allowing Chronos to get away by vanishing into the Mist. And with that, the JLA loses, three to big fat goose egg.  The three Leaguers wonder where he went off to. Luckily, the comic tells us readers.

"The rent here is ridiculously cheap! It's a steal, ha ha!"

Evidently the six villains have been in collusion. The Wizard recounts how he defeated the Alan Scott Green Lantern and Black Canary with his magical powers. The Fiddler was able to defeat Hawkman (Carter Hall), Flash (Jay Garrick), and Atom (Al Pratt) with the powerful decibels from his fiddle. And Icicle was able to take down Hourman (Rex Tyler) and Dr. Fate (Kent Nelson) with his own ice powers. 

It's revealed here that the reason the Earth-One villains were able to evade capture was thanks to a special portable device provided by the Fiddler. The device allowed the three blackguards to alter their vibrational frequency so that they can fade away from Earth-One. The Fiddler came up with the device after accidentally playing a note on his fiddle that caused him and his two compatriots to end up on Earth-One.

In one of those bizarre coincidences that can only happen in a Silver Age comic, Dr. Alchemy, Felix Faust, and Chronos were planning to help themselves to the proceeds from that stage show. In an unusual act of kindness, the three Earth-One villains helped the Earth-Two villains out...after making off with the stage proceeds, of course.

The six discuss how on their Earths, any time that they commit a crime, the JLA or JSA always end up catching them. So, they have a solution to the problem: Switch Earths. You see, at this point, neither the JLA or JSA are truly aware of the other groups' rogues gallery. Faust, Alchemy and Chronos can spend their ill-gotten gains on Earth-Two without the JSA bothering them. The reverse will be true for Fiddler, Wizard, and Icicle on Earth-One. There's just one hiccup to the plan.

"Who would have thought bubblegum would have made an effective trap?"

Yes, the Flashes. You see, Barry Allen and Jay Garrick can use their superspeed to traverse between the two Earths, and they know of each other's Rogues. Evidently, the Flashes feel up to sharing that information with the rest of the JLA and JSA.

The villains proceed to hide out on their opposing Earths. On Earth-One, the Earth-Two villains are hiding out in a life of luxury. But they're growing bored. It can be implied here that being super-villains is a bit addicting for these three men. They love the rush of breaking the law and trying to get away with it. As such, they decide to challenge the Justice League and try to get rid of them at the same time. And if they succeed, they'd be doing their Earth-Two compatriots a favor, too. 

The three Earth-Two villains contact the Justice League using a crystal ball. They tell the League they robbed some casinos dry, and to come and get them. The League is all like, "Challenge Accepted", and head into action. The three blackguards prepare some traps, disguising themselves as the Earth-One villains.

"We're working with what we got here."

In the casino known as the Golden Egg (which has a spectacular buffet), Wonder Woman, Batman, and Green Lantern engage "Chronos". The disguised Icicle easily takes them to dreamland. However, the fight makes me scratch my head. Keep in mind, the Icicle is disguised as Chronos here. He uses Chronos's time-gimmick weaponry. Where did he get it? Also, Wonder Woman manages to catch him in her lasso, a lasso that (at this time) was able to make people obey the commands of the holder. Wonder Woman managed to lasso him and commands him to obey her. But he was able to defy her.

Icicle claimed that since Wonder Woman ordered Chronos to obey her, and he's not Chronos, it didn't work. I don't know, it sounds cheap to me. Anyway, the Wizard engages Superman in the guise of Dr. Alchemy. He somehow defeats the Man of Steel with hard rubber chips. Well, considering it's the Wizard, we can assume he magically gimmicked them. Superman is no more immune to magic than anyone else, after all.

He also somehow takes down Green Arrow with an enchanted roulette wheel. The Fiddler, in the guise of Felix Faust, manages to take down Aquaman, Atom, and Martian Manhunter. The JLA regroup and try to charge the three villains, but the Wizard transports them back to their headquarters, trapping them in it with a powerful magical barrier. Batman then has an idea.

He suggests that magic got them into this mess, magic can get them out. Since Zatanna isn't around yet, Batman picks up one of the League's souvenirs: A crystal ball, the same one the Earth-Two villains used to contact them. 

And then Batman dropped it.

This ball was given to the League by Merlin in Justice League of America #2. The League do a seance with the ball, and it starts emitting a mist. It allows them to contact Barry Allen, who tells them to summon the JSA, as they might not be bound by the magic trapping them in the sanctuary. The League do so...and the team-up formally begins.

Much to the JSA's delight, the JLA's HQ has an open bar.

It's kind of funny that Earth-2 seemingly did not have a Green Arrow or an Aquaman here, as they are Golden Age characters, too. But then again, their Golden Age counterparts weren't JSA members, so...there you go. Dr. Fate uses his magic to send the JLA to Earth-Two. As Barry had hoped, the magic barrier can't hold the JSA, so they're able to just breeze on out of the Secret Sanctuary. And as for the Alan Scott and Hal Jordan Green Lanterns head out to rescue the Flashes.

This was indeed a significant issue when it comes to DC history. However, I do think it's a bit of a flawed story. Well, from a modern perspective. From a modern perspective, it does feel much like a first draft. The villains' plan is actually a very interesting one, though. I like the villains hiding out on opposing Earths. It would have actually worked...if they didn't get bored. That's actually kind of hilarious. It is a classic story, and I think it should be read for historical purposes. However, there would be better inter-Earth crossovers in the future. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2002 trade paperback Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 1. 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 your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

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!

The Last Days of the Justice Society (July 1986)

In the DC Universe, the Justice Society of America were the first generation of costumed superheroes. At a time when unfathomable evil encircled the Earth, this group of costumed champions stood up against it, and continued to fight crime and villainy in the years afterward. But even the World's First Super-Team's adventures have to come to an end one day. In 1986, it seemed like we'd see the last of the JSA forever. 

When the Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, the remains of the original DC Multiverse were consolidated into one unified Earth. This included the JSA's original home in the Multiverse: Earth-Two. With that, DC Comics had felt that there was no more need for any more adventures of the World's First Super-Team. Roy Thomas (who had essentially been the main chronicler of the JSA's adventures during the 1980s) came up with the story that would "retire" the JSA. It was a story he was very sad to write. 

So, was the Justice Society's final adventure allow the team to end their time together with a bang or a whimper? Let's find out in my look at The Last Days of the Justice Society!

The cover is a Dave Ross and Mike Gustovich piece, and I think it's pretty neat. It depicts the heads of Hawkman, Power Girl, Spectre, Star-Spangled Kid, and Dr. Fate looking down at a destroyed city and the presumably dead bodies of their comrades. Hawkman looks really furious as he is seemingly staring at his own dead body. No idea what Fate is thinking. And it's pretty funny to see the Earth-Two versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman among the bodies as this came out not long after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, which removed them from DC canon.

"Last Days of the Justice Society"
Writers: Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas
Penciler: Dave Ross
Inker: Mike Gustovich
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: David Cody Weiss
Editor: Roy Thomas
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins in Berlin on Thursday, April 12, 1945. The Second World War is winding down in the European theater. The German capital city is burning from the bombs. A Reichminister Speer has come to the bunker of Adolf Hitler, on the orders of the Fuhrer himself. 

Hitler has heard about the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt over the BBC, and he sees it as a miracle. Twelve years earlier, Heinrich Himmler had drawn up Hitler's horoscope on the day he became chancellor. Hitler sees the death of Roosevelt as a repeat of the Miracle of the House of Brandenberg. Basically, with Roosevelt dead, Hitler believes the Allies will fall apart and the Nazis will win the war. But even if that doesn't happen, well...the madman has a way to ensure that the world will burn.

We next jump forward about 40 years into the future, in the United States. We join the JSA as they are holding a funeral. 

They're mourning those they have lost over the years. The Earth-2 Batman, dying in 1977. They also honor his wife, the Earth-2 Catwoman. She wasn't a JSA member, but she had given up her life of crime and changed her ways. They honor Terry Sloane, the original Mr. Terrific. They also say goodbye to the Earth-2 Superman and Wonder Woman. As Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 showed, Superman went off to a "paradise dimension" with his wife Lois Lane-Kent and Superboy-Prime, and Wonder Woman went to Olympus with her Earth's Steve Trevor. The funeral is for the most recent losses the JSA suffered: The Earth-2 Robin and Huntress (Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman). They died in Crisis #12. 

The JSA have come to a decision. They now live on a merged Earth full of heroes. Their children are active as the superteam Infinity Inc. They also still have other legacies in the Beth Chapel Dr. Midnight, the Yolanda Montez Wildcat, and the Rick Tyler Hourman.

If you ever watched the Stargirl TV series, you may be familiar with them. And I can understand why the show just gave Beth and Rick Charles and Rex's costumes. As such, the JSA feel that well...their time is over. There's no need for them as active superheroes anymore. So, they're going to disband and retire. Hawkman, the group's chairman, asks if there are any objections. And it just so happens one JSAer does object.

Who is this lone standout? 

It's the Spectre, last seen during the Crisis. And he looks like he'd been through six Hell in a Cell matches back to back. The ghostly hero claims he is dying, and collapses into his arms. The original Dr. Midnite, Charles McNider, looks him over. Thing is, McNider is a really good doctor, but the Spectre is the ghost of a decades-dead man. He's also the literal Wrath of God. He wasn't trained for THAT in medical school. Spectre grabs Dr. Fate, and gives him a message.

Man, that message must've blown a mind or two.

With his delivery complete, the Spectre seemingly dissipates, becoming mist in the wind. The sorcerer got the message in the form of a series of images. The JSA gather around Fate, and he shows them the events of April 15, 1945...the day the entire JSA attended the funeral of Franklin Roosevelt. As they leave the funeral, they notice that the sky...has seemingly gone mad.

"Oh God, Heimdall got drunk again."

The Earth is shaking, and it's got everyone quaking. All of the JSA members that can fly go up to take a look, but get repelled back. Hawkman points out that this...never happened that day. Fate explains that...it did. Back to the flashback! The JSA is visited by the new President, Harry S. Truman. Truman alerts the JSA that the weirdness with the sky...it's far from local. It's happening all over the world. The Spectre has used his higher powers to determine that whatever this is, it came from Berlin. 

The JSA head out to Germany, despite one big issue. You see, at the time, the comics established that Hitler had gotten his grubby paws on the Spear of Destiny. The Spear, aka the Holy Lance or the Lance of Longinus, was used to pierce Jesus's side when he was crucified. It gave the Lance immense magical power, and Hitler used it to make sure the JSA couldn't attack Germany directly. If they tried, the Spear would make some of their most powerful members (like the Spectre and Superman) into Hitler's thralls. 

As a result, due to their vulnerability to magic, Wonder Woman, Dr. Fate, Superman, and the Spectre have to stay back. The rest of the JSA fly deeper into Berlin. Starman's Gravity Rod detects a massive energy source...and it's coming from a bunker. He flies to scout the area...

Yeah, superhero costumes at the time tended to not be bulletproof. Flash tries to zip him to a hospital, but ends up getting a bullet to the back. The rest of the JSA rush in. Dr. Midnite uses a pair of his "blackout bombs" to make the soldiers retreat, but not before Atom and Mr. Terrific get some lead. Sandman gets grazed. Batman tries to use an explosive to break down the door, but it doesn't help much.

Hourman uses his strength to wrench the door open, but there's a machine gun nest waiting for him. The Man of the Hour gives the Nazi soldiers the door, but also gets a fatal dose of lead for his trouble. The injured Sandman stays behind to man the machine gun. The sky starts raining fireballs all over the world. The JSA go deeper into the bunker...and another member bites the dust as Dr. Mid-Nite gets shot. The surviving JSAers make their way to a heavily-guarded chamber.

Hawkman, Batman, and Wildcat charge in, but they're too late. Hitler completes his spell, and the Spear of Destiny unleashes a wave of destruction that destroys the Earth. "But wait!" You may ask. "If the world was destroyed in 1945, why are the JSA still alive in 1986? Heck, why does the world still exist in 1986?!" Well the energy wave Hitler unleashed is kind of like the anti-matter wall from Crisis on Infinite Earths. It's been making its way to the 1980s, destroying everything in its wake. The present-day JSA see cracks in the sky, and Dr. Fate transports them back in time. Back to 1945! Cue the Huey Lewis!

The present-day JSA find themselves back in the bombed-out Berlin, a few minutes before Hitler unleashed the full power of the Spear of Destiny. The heroes witness Hitler completing the ritual. Now again, if Hitler did destroy the world in 1945, the Earth should have no longer existed since then. So how did this whole temporal mess end up happening? Well, it obviously should not have. This was the fault of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. In issue #10 (January 1986), the Spectre struggled with the Anti-Monitor, and he ended up out like a light from it.

With the Spectre KO'd, his magical energies went wild, going all over space and time. Some of that magical power went into the Spear, and basically hypercharged it. They can't stop the Spear's destruction on Earth. The JSA has to go to the realm of the Gods. They have to go to Asgard. It's kind of funny that the Spear of Destiny, an artifact of Judeo-Christian mythology, is connected to the Norse pantheon.

It's here our heroes spot a ship.

It's Naglfar, a ship made of the fingernails of the dead. Hey, Justice Society! Just call in Skurge the Executioner! He'll wreck it for ya! He's done it before! Accompanying the ship is the wolf Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent. And the ship is followed by Surtur, the fire-giant. Ragnarok is here, and it can't be stopped. But the JSA are determined to fight to stop it.

However, they can't directly step in, as this is not their realm, but the realm of Asgard. So how can they help? Well, Green Lantern and Dr. Fate have that covered. They combine their mystical powers (Alan Scott's ring is magical in nature), and the JSA merge with the gods. Starman merges with Heimdall, Flash with Frey, Green Lantern with Thor, and so on. The World's First Super-Team naturally races into battle. Fash takes on Surtur, but the fire monster easily disaptches him. Permanently.

Went out in a hot Flash. Get it? Yeah, I'll shut up...

As a certain video game series would say: "Surtur Wins. Fatality."

The battle on the plain of Vigrid begins. Back on Midgard/Earth, Hitler tries to activate the Spear's power, but finds he can't get the magic to work. The JSA continue battling the hordes of Ragnarok, their fates tying into the Eddas. Wildcat dies facing Gorm the watchdog, like Tyr (Norse God of War) does in the myths.

Starman and the Star-Spangled Kid engage Loki. Ted blasts his head off, but Loki's sharp-haired head is able to fatally stab him. Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder engage the Midgard Serpent. The Serpent is able to easily kill Johnny thanks to a venom blast. The original Lantern is able to beat down the Serpent with a giant Thor construct. With its dying breath, the Midgard Serpent blasts Green Lantern with venom...and Alan Scott dies after staggering nine steps, like Thor in the Eddas. Hawkman and Hawkgirl engage Fenrir and get consumed. It seems you can't fight fate.

The battle ends, with most of the JSA dead, and still there's Surtur left. However, Dr. Fate has another surprise. Here in Asgard, death doesn't quite stick. As such, he's able to revive the JSA to engage the monstrous fire being.

Out on Earth, WWII comes to an end as normal. The Allies win, and Hitler takes his own life, his last plan to scorch the Earth with the Spear of Destiny utterly failing. The Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl try to leap in to help, but Dr. Fate sends them away, saying that they're still young. Yeah, ol' Sylvester Pemberton isn't exactly a spring chicken. Fate prepares to join in the battle himself, but gets a visit from...the Spectre?!

But isn't he dead? Well, not really. The Spectre is the Wrath of God. And as such, he can't "die" in the way people think of dying. But the Spectre's day, like the JSA's, is done. He will stay and help vanquish Surtur. This sacrifice will help ensure that the Earth isn't destroyed. As such, he sends Fate back to Earth. Star-Spangled Kid, Power Girl, and Dr. Fate find themselves back at the funeral site from earlier, in front of a confused Infinity Inc. 

Infinity Inc. is comprised of the JSA's children and legacies. As such, they're naturally hit hard when they learn of the heroes' fate. But Fate assures them that they will overcome this loss, as they sacrificed themselves to ensure that the universe still continues on. The story ends with Dr. Fate looking down at a group of chess pieces that resemble the JSA. Who knows where they came from.

This comic was...kind of alright. The whole story does come off as a bit convoluted to me to be honest with you. The big final battle is the best part of the entire comic. It was rare to see a team of superheroes be slaughtered like this in comics at the time. 

When you think about it, what the JSA go through here is pretty horrific. They get killed, revived to fight Surtur...and they have to repeat it. Over and over again. All to make sure the universe doesn't get wrecked. And it's likely that the other superheroes (including their own children) are completely unaware of it. It's very tragic, in the vein of an opera. 

It's also neat seeing the Earth-Two Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in one last story before the changes to the DCU's history in Crisis on Infinite Earths removed them in favor of their younger former Earth-One counterparts...even though they don't really do much. Yeah, their presence felt superfluous.

As for the art, well...the word "rushed" is the word I'd best use to describe it myself. It does feel like it was churned out rather quickly in places, like the artist had no time to really make some spectacular art. It does have a good sense of storytelling to it at times, so that's something going for it.

Naturally, you couldn't keep a group of old heroes like this away for long. In the 1992 miniseries Armageddon: Inferno (Part of the Armageddon 2001 event), the JSA are brought back from the never-ending Ragnarok they were trapped in. In The Sandman #26 (May 1991), it was revealed that the JSA were actually trapped in a simulation of Ragnarok created by Odin to prevent the real thing from going down. Their return led to a short-lived early-90s series that was cancelled due to editor Mike Carlin's dislike of the idea of DC publishing a comic about old superheroes. 

However, it would still not be the end for them. They would get another series in 1999, which lasted to 2006. This series dealt heavily with the theme of legacy. They would get another series from 2006-2011. And then the New 52 hit, and well...I have no idea anymore.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback The Last Days of the Justice of America. 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, get vaccinated, and wear a mask! Join me next time when we take a look at the birth of a brand-new X-Men team...