The Justice Society of America.

An Alex Ross JLA

The Golden Age: All-Star Comics #3-57

Back in the 1940's DC Comics was a divided company. The over reaching DC Universe that we now take for granted did not exist and would not exist for another 45 years until the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS maxi-series in 1985. The division that would dominate the editorial structures of the company (which would last well past the Silver Age) consisted of the National line of the company (ACTION COMICS and DETECTIVE COMICS plus their quarterly spin offs of SUPERMAN and BATMAN) and All-American Comics (which covered everything else). At the time All-American were producing four main anthologies. Each was home to its own stable of heroes. None of these characters were seen as popular enough to carry their own quarterly spin off title. Instead was decided to launch another anthology to be a showcase for the various characters that were then holding sway in the individual books. The result was ALL-STAR COMICS.
Dated Summer 1940, the first issue featured stories from the Sandman, Ultra-Man, Spectre, Flash, Hourman, Biff Bronson, Hawkman and Red, White and Blue. For the second issue Johnny Thunder and Green Lantern replaced Biff and Ultra. However from issue three things got really interesting. The cover of that issue featured the eight founding members of the Justice Society sat around a table in a hotel in New York. The legend declared:
Featuring THE FLASH- THE GREEN LANTERN - THE SPECTRE - THE HAWKMAN - DR. FATE - THE HOUR-MAN - THE SANDMAN - THE ATOM, AND JOHNNY THUNDER in brand new episodes as personally related at the first meeting of the Justice Society of America.
And that was basically what happened. The actual origin of the Justice Society (JSA) would not be told for another thirty seven years until DC SPECIAL #29 in 1977. The meeting in ALL STAR COMICS #3 is alluded to at the end of the reworking of the origin post-crisis in SECRET ORIGINS. Why those eight characters? Most of them were already in place in the previous two issues and continued over with their own stories embedded within the JSA framing sequence, but more than that there were two from each of the All American anthologies. Within the story itself we were told that Superman and Batman were honorary members.
The keen eyed and mathematically astute among you will notice that there are in fact nine names listed on the cover of ALL STAR COMICS #3, the ninth name belonging to Johnny Thunder. It was Thunder gate-crashing the meeting (he is not part of the post-crisis origin) that started off the "roundtable" story telling. The humour character "Ma" Hunkle - the Red Tornado, also gatecrashed the meeting. At the time Thunder was not a member, but after an initiation test in issue six he was brought aboard as a full member to replace the Flash who was leaving.
The manner in which the Flash left started a tradition that would hold for much of the JSA's run in the title. You must remember that each character had their own stories as part of one of the four main anthologies and when they became popular enough they copied Superman/Batman by being awarded their own title. Which strangely meant that the character was pulled from the Justice Society. The reason for them being pulled from the roster can be traced back to the fact that back then the editors were loathed to over-expose their product. This seems strange to those of us brought up in the Bronze Age with two Legion titles, four Superman titles and over eight X-related titles each month.
The writer of that first issue was the legendary Gardner Fox who kept the format of each character having their own story which dealt with an individual aspect of the case, only changing to a full group story with his last story (issue thirty-eight). The title was then taken over by John Broome who stayed with the JSA until the book became ALL STAR WESTERN with issue fifty-eight. With ALL-STAR COMICS #57 the JSA disappeared from the world of comics for twelve years until they reappeared in the Silver Age titles written - unsurprisingly - by Gardner Fox.
The Silver and Bronze Ages: JLA Team ups.

The reappearance of the Justice Society had to wait until after the start of the Silver Age. The general superhero genera had been more or less dead for a decade until the revival of the Flash in SHOWCASE #4. In quick succession a new Green Lantern was launched with new characters making a name for themselves like the Martian Manhunter and Captain Comet. The spate of new characters tended to be based around science fictions rather than the pulp mysticism that dominated the Golden Age. The real turning point for the Golden Age fans came in the story "The Flash of Two-Worlds" (THE FLASH #123) which teamed up the Silver Age Barry Allen and his Golden Age counterpart Jay Garrick. It was explained that the older Golden Age heroes existed on a parallel Earth called Earth-Two while the more modern Silver Age heroes existed on the world called Earth-One. Odd considering that it was the Earth-Two reality that had existed first.
At almost the same time as the return of the original Flash a new series was launched featuring the Earth-One counter-parts to the JSA called the Justice League of America (JLA). The JLA was comprised of five Earth-One versions of JSAers, the Earth-One Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter (one of the new science fictions characters). Meanwhile the JSA finally made their first Silver Age appearance (a cameo) in THE FLASH #129, fans were treated to cameo's of Black Canary I, Green Lantern I, Hawkman I, Atom I and Dr Mid-Nite, but they would have to wait almost a year until the team returned properly. It occurred in JLA (first series) #21 "Crisis on Earth-One" and continued over into JLA (first series) #22 "Crisis on Earth-Two".
A tradition had been established and for the next decade the Justice Society would appear once a year in the JLA for a team-up with their Earth-One counterparts. Many other Golden Age characters were reintroduced in the encounters including the Seven Soldiers and the Freedom Fighters (a team made up of the Quality characters).

JLA-JSA TEAM-UPS
JLA #21-22
The first Justice League / Justice Society team up. The first Silver Age appearance of Hourman and Doctor Fate.
JLA #29-30
The first appearance of Earth-Three and the Crime Syndicate.
JLA #37-38
The first appearance of the Johnny Thunder of Earth-One and the first Silver Age appearance of Mister Terrific I.
JLA #46-47
The first silver age appearance of the Sandman I.
JLA #55-56
JLA vs. the JSA. First silver age appearances of the Golden Age Wonder Woman and Robin (now grown up).
JLA #64-65
As part of a scheme to destroy the Justice Society T.O. Morrow creates the android Red Tornado II.
JLA #73-74
In a battle against the being Aquarius the husband of the Earth-Two Black Canary I is killed, she then moves to Earth-One and joins the JLA. The first appearance of the Earth-Two Superman.
JLA #82-83
The Spectre must hold both Earths apart. The first appearance in a cameo of the Earth-Two Batman.
JLA #91-92
The JLA and JSA try and reunited a party of lost dimensional travellers.
JLA #100-102
The JLA and JSA team-up to recover the Seven Soldiers of Victory who have been lost through space and time. The first meeting of the Earth-Two and Earth-One Wonder Women.
JLA #107-108
The first Silver Age appearance of the Quality characters that comprise the Freedom Fighters. A team of heroes who recruit the help of the JLA and JSA in battling the Nazi's on Earth-X where WWII is still going on.
JLA #113
The groups battle a Silicon Monster.
JLA #123-124
Earth Prime is show as the place where we the real fans live, including appearances from Julie Schwartz, Cary Bates and Elliot S. Maggin.
JLA #135-137
Superman battles Captain Marvel of Earth-S. The first Silver Age appearance of a number of Fawcett characters.
JLA #147-148
The JLA and the JSA team up with the Legion of Superheroes.
JLA #159-160
The Lord of Time pits the JSA & JLA against The Black Pirate, the Viking Prince, Jonah Hex, the Enemy Ace and Miss Liberty.
JLA #171-172
The Spirit murders Mr Terrific.
JLA #183-185
The New Gods seeks the aid of he JLA and JSA in battling the forces of Apokolips.
JLA #195-197
The Ultra-Humanite recruits a Secret Society of Super Villains in a plan to remove all heroes from one of the parallel Earths.
JLA #207-210, ALL-STAR SQUADRON #14-15
Per Degaton tries to influence the Cuban Missile crisis dragging in the Justice Society, the Justice League, the All-Star Squadron and the Crime Syndicate along the way.
JLA #219-220
The truth about Black Canary is revealed. The Canary in the League is the daughter of the Earth-Two Black Canary who died shortly after her husband.
JLA #231-232
The JSA and JLA team up against the Time Commander, a ruler of another universe who sought to conquer Earth-One.
JLA #244, INFINITY INC #19
Amid the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Commander Steel tries to convince Infinity, Inc that the Detroit JLA are actually impostors.

With the success of the JLA/JSA team ups it was decided to relaunch the Society in their own title, ALL-STAR COMICS #58 (Jan-Feb 1976) continuing with the numbering of the original series. The Star-Spangled Kid I displaced in time with the Seven Soldiers became part of the team and other younger members were added in the form of the Huntress (the daughter of the Earth-Two Batman and Catwoman) and Power Girl (the Earth-Two equivalent of Supergirl). The JSA would appear in numerous places across the DC title range including a slot in the ADVENTURE COMICS anthology starting with issue 461. The next issue contained the shocking death of the Earth-Two Batman.
The Golden Age stories of the Justice Society remained almost untouched except from the odd reprint in annuals or giants. Roy Thomas would forever change the entire scene of WWII Earth-Two. Thomas was one of the first new writers that came into comics during the Silver Age (most of the other writers were holdovers from the Golden Age) and before he was one of the principal voices of comics fandom. After fifteen years at Marvel he had moved over to DC Comics where he was given almost total control over the companies huge back stock of Golden Age characters including the WWII incarnations of the JSA. He created a series called the ALL-STAR SQUADRON where he wove together many of the war time ALL-STAR COMICS stories into a workable continuity and story. The JSA members who did not currently have Earth-One incarnations with their own books (DC didn't want to confuse readers with two high profile versions of the same character) also became members of the Squadron. The series would generate two spin off series INFINITY, INC profiling the next generation of Earth-Two heroes in the present day and THE YOUNG ALL-STARS following the adventures of the younger member of the All-Star Squadron. The JSA members individually and occasionally together (especially in INFINITY, INC) would appear in all three titles until the coming of the CRISIS ON INFINTE EARTHS.
The Crisis combined all parallel worlds into a single unified DC Earth, Earth-Two and Earth-One were gone, the JSA were now the forerunners of the JLA rather than their counterparts. To reduce the redundancy of multiple characters it was decided to put the JSA literally into Limbo. The LAST DAYS OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY found the JSA battling the hoards of Ragnerock in another dimension seemingly repeating the battle over and over again to keep the new unified Earth safe. Only the Spectre, Dr Fate, Power Girl and the Star Spangled Kid escaped the eternal exile. Infinity, Inc continued for a number of years and JSA references were included in a number of comics, but it really did look like the world had seen the last of the Justice Society.
The Iron Age

The changes in continuity and history that occurred in the wake of the Crisis continued for a number of years. Superman and Batman were retroactively removed from JSA continuity, as was Wonder Woman. It was Wonder Woman's removal that created the biggest problem as she had a daughter in the current Infinity Inc team. Roy Thomas handled this by introducing us to the aforementioned YOUNG-ALL STARS series. The Young-All Stars started shortly after the ALL-STAR SQUADRON finished in 1987. The team was a Golden Age version of the Teen Titans and introduced us to a group of heroes including Iron Munro, the Flying Fox and Fury I. They were seen as pseudo-replacements for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. While they never fully took up those rolls Fury did replace Wonder Woman as mother of the Infinity Inc Fury II. The Quality character Miss America replaced the position of Wonder Woman in the JSA. The final issue of the YOUNG ALL-STARS marked the end of Roy Thomas' run on the Golden Age characters.
The JSA did not however slip from people's minds as the consequences of their disappearance continued. Wally West (Flash III) searched for the location of the JSA in one of his annuals while John Ostander retconned the Golden Age Hawkman in to the JLA as a replacement for the now non-existent Silver Age Hawkman. Yet was the world ready for the return of the JSA after so much had been made over their final appearance? To test this out an eight issue mini-series was published in 1991. It was set in the early 1950's sometime prior to the HUAC hearings that disbanded the JSA.
The mini-series (the first series of any kind to be actually named after the team) was free from the Thomas war years continuity and spot lighted four team members individually, then in pairs before drawing them all together in the final issue. In tone it was light with fantastic artwork in keeping with the structure and nature of the JSA's original appearances. Sales must had been enough as the next year Ostander and a legion of artists brought the JSA back from limbo in ARMAGEDDON: INFERNO. INFERNO was a case of too many artists spoil the broth and is far from the best that DC has ever put out. It didn't matter to the fans because the next month the JSA gained their own ongoing series.
The JUSTICE SOCIETY ran ten issues and was cancelled in May 1993. In tone it was similar to the previous mini-series and was heavy on the nostalgia. A hit with long time fans it has been argued that it was not a hit with the general comics buying public. Much debate has been made about the cancellation of the series. Some hold it was cancelled because of DC hostility to the treatment of the characters, others believe it was only meant to run ten issues. Some cynics hold the fact of the cancellation near to ZERO-HOUR mini-series was a deliberate attempt to screw the JSA once and for all. I think this is a little strong, but the cancellation did mark a change in DC's approach to their Golden Age characters and the JSA in general.
For the last twelve years Roy Thomas's plots and retroactive implants had ruled the roost. All that was about to change with the publication of the GOLDEN AGE mini-series by James Robinson. It was a story set in a 1950's Elseworlds (imaginary story worlds) environment and presented a much darker version of the older characters. The sea change had been made. The new interpretation of the Golden Age characters was as individuals based on their own original stories rather than the reinterpretation by Thomas or the JLA team ups.
Unfortunately there was no room in the new order for the constraints that the JSA (looking increasing like a by-product of the Silver Age JLA) forced on characters. The team was disbanded and several members killed (Atom I, Doctor Mid-Nite and Hourman) in the Zero Hour mini-series. Of those left Dr Fate and Hawkman were given radical reinterpretations, Sandman and Staman retired, Johnny Thunder suffered increasing senility and Green Lantern was transformed into Sentinel. Of the fifteen or so Golden Age members of the Justice Society only Wildcat and the original Flash continued relatively unchanged since the 1940's.
In the years since Zero-Hour the surviving JSA members had grown into the elder statesmen of the DCU. Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Ted Knight were supporting cast members in books that they might have once called their own. Still more was added to the JSA mythos as part of James Robinson's STARMAN series and by John Byrne's creation of a new Golden Age Wonder Woman. There were petitions for the return of the JSA or the creation of a new team. JLA scribe Grant Morrison dropped iceberg sized hints that he is trying to do a JLA/JSA team up of some sort. And DC's official line? Dan Raspler had been quoted as saying on Usenet "We know. Trust us!", when asked about the JSA.
The New Team

Writers James Robinson, David S. Goyer and Geoff Jones handled the relaunch of a new Justice Society team. In a three stage process the JSA was introduced by a JLA team-up with the surviving members, then a "Fifth-week event" where two ALL-STAR COMICS (second series) book ends told a tale set during the Golden Age. Finally a JSA SECRET FILES paved the way for a new ongoing series set during the present day.
The development of a new team featured a number of problems. The team had to be current, but many of the original characters were dead, retired or radically different. The decision was made to create a core team of characters as closely related to the original heroes as possible and then to expand with new characters as necessary. The opening roster consisted of Flash I, Wildcat I, Sentinel (the original Green Lantern), Wonder Woman III (Hippolyta - mother of the modern Wonder Woman), Sand (Sandy the Wonder Boy - former side kick of the original Sandman), Star Spangled Kid II (a new high-kicking female Kid), Atom Smasher II (formerly Nukleon - godson of the original Atom), Starman VII (Jack Knight - son of the original Starman) and Black Canary II (daughter of the original).
The opening storyline also introduced two new characters Hawkgirl III (grandniece of the original) and a new Doctor Fate. The new team has become one of DC best selling books and the roster still seems to be increasing with the new Doctor Midnite joining the team.

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