Justice League of America's Vibe #3 (June, 2013)

Vibe stood on the top of the Gimlin Building, twelve stories up, scanning the area for signs of trouble while talking to his brother on the phone. "You can't fly, genius! If you see any 'trouble' from up there, how are you supposed to get down in time to stop it?" Also, Dante was sick of lying to their father about Cisco's whereabouts while he was out on patrol. Not sick of lying about his own whereabouts, mind, just Cisco's.

At A.R.G.U.S., Director Amanda Waller asked, "Tell me, Agent Gunn--is this kid going to bend every order we give him? Or just the ones that are matters of interdimensional security?" Dale assured her that Cisco and Dante hadn't breached their confidentiality beyond confiding in one another. Waller still believed Vibe to be "one of the most powerful super-humans on the planet," so he needed to get up to speed with her needs fast, which included manipulating the Speed Force.



Vibe was on his way home when an A.R.G.U.S. airship showed up to carry him to New York in pursuit of the "thief and arsonist" known as Kid Flash ("though his relationship to the Flash is tenuous.") Dale Gunn had to reign in Cisco's enthusiasm at visiting the Big Apple as an A.R.G.U.S. squadron was guided by Vibe into the subway system. Cisco randomly decided to engage Gunn in small talk, learning he'd been recruited out of grad school by the C.I.A., served fifteen years, then transferred to A.R.G.U.S. as soon as it was up and running. Gunn also "had a daughter. Once."

In the tunnels, Kid Flash began disarming the A.R.G.U.S. troopers. Only Vibe was able to see him, and was able to defend himself against super-speed with his vibrational powers. Vibe managed to dampen Kid Flash's speed, and pursued him alone on foot, pretending that there was interference in his communication device to ignore orders to wait for back-up. Kid Flash reengaged Vibe, causing feedback that allowed Vibe to see parts of the Kid's history, and triggering explosive energy surges all the way back to A.R.G.U.S. equipment in Detroit. Both heroes were thrown for a loop, and Vibe was nearly struck by an oncoming train.



Kid Flash declared his innocence, his lack of the personal memories Vibe had uncovered, and his unwillingness to submit to further investigation by an A.R.G.U.S. stooge. Vibe had second thoughts about that back-up, but his communication equipment was really working poorly at that point. Kid Flash had been in the tunnels to visit his point of arrival after traveling from a future he couldn't remember, and though Vibe wanted to help him, Waller aborted the mission for fear that a negative feedback loop created by further interaction could unravel time itself. Kid Flash angrily refused Vibe anyway, then fled. Waller told Agent Gunn to chew Vibe out for his insubordination, but she was actually very happy with the mass of data collected during the encounter.

Unbeknownst to Waller, there was a major complication from the instances of feedback created by Vibe and Kid Flash. The power dampening generated in the Circus had faltered, allowing Subject 24 ("Gypsy") access to her abilities. Creating the illusion that she was a guard who had been trapped in her cell, Gypsy lured another guard into freeing her and escaping.



Back at the Ramon Family home, Cisco told Dante that for a supposed "violent criminal," Kid Flash passed up plentiful opportunities to kill him and his group. Cisco was finally asking questions about A.R.G.U.S., and Dante pointed out that this "super secret government agency" had already imperiled his brother repeatedly without his knowing much of anything about them. Francisco Ramon began working out a strategy to investigate A.R.G.U.S. when a figure in purple and gold armor teleported into his room to reinforce his suspicions. "...Time for you to start asking the right questions. And if you don't... you'll die just like all the others."

"Trial by (Flash) Fire" was by Sterling Gates, Pete Woods & Sean Parsons, and Fabiano Neves. Gates doesn't quite keep up the humor of the previous writers, but he does immediately move Vibe past being a well-intentioned patsy into a more thoughtful and challenging protagonist. I've never been fond of Woods' work, so I perked up on the pages Neves drew on his own, adding a dynamism and heroic sheen previously lacking.

New 52's Day

• The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires #1 @ DC Bloodlines
• Hawkman in Justice League of America #1 @ Power of the Atom
• Col. Steve Trevor in Justice League of America #2 @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Martian Manhunter in Justice League of America #3 @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu

Justice League of America's Vibe #2 (May, 2013)

"You are going to get eaten! Or stabbed. Or blown up. Or erased from time. Or, if you're really lucky, just plain old-fashioned gut shot... Why else would they have you in the Justice League of America other than cannon fodder? You're the red shirt, man. They can throw you at super-villains, and while they're distracted debating on how to kill you, the JLA can swoop in and save the day." Clearly, Dante Ramon wasn't supportive of his brother Cisco becoming a super-hero, especially on a JLA "b-team" whose other members had yet to be revealed to him. Vibe was showing off the costume he'd been given by A.R.G.U.S., including the glasses that were only supposed to record his activities while on duty, but through which Amanda Waller and Dale Gunn were viewing this breach of confidentiality.

Vibe heard a call for help and went out on patrol, and in a scene paralleled in another comic, caught a little boy who had merely stolen a candy bar. "Look... um... Promise you'll never do it again and it'll be our secret, okay?" Dante questioned whether the League had confused Cisco with another, more competent Vibe, and worried about losing "the only brother I've got left." Cisco paid the shopkeeper for the candy bar. Agent Gunn was dispatched to confront Vibe about his frivolous use of power when he was desperately needed to protect the Earth from invasion, and dressed him down for confiding in his brother, a designated "unreliable factor." Vibe put Dante's question to Dale, who explained "you have a power no one else does." Dante continued to mock the "Vibe" moniker and teased tattling on Cisco to their father.



On the streets of Detroit, an odd looking alien was roaming the streets menacingly. A television in a store window discussed a terrorist situation involving the terrorist Sons of Adam taking hostages at Stagg Industries, and the alien reacted badly when possible intervention by A.R.G.U.S. was mentioned. Vibe sensed the creature's presence, and A.R.G.U.S. asked him to track it. Dale referred to it as a "breacher," referring to "interdimensional beings that breach our world." The breacher had taken a cop hostage, turned invisible, and scaled a building. Vibe used his powers to knock over a light pole and scale it to the building's roof. Vibe zapped the breacher, who promptly surrender and tried to give Cisco a document written in an alien language. Agent Gunn shot the breacher with an energy weapon, claiming it was still a threat, and that his message was a declaration of war.

At the Circus, Amanda Waller had the document, and gave it to one of her prisoners to translate. "...It has your name on it, doesn't it? Written in your language. It's a letter. Someone went to a great deal of trouble getting this to you..." The prisoner asked after the fate of the courier, and explained that the letter was a request from her father to come home. "You seem to prefer a more nomadic existence. That makes you something of a trans-dimensional... Gypsy." Waller wanted the girl to tell her father that she was safe and well cared for, but if he decided to try to take his daughter back, he'd share her "accommodations." Gypsy felt that Waller had no right to keep her, and Amanda agreed, but also noted that some of her superiors would prefer that her holding facility become an abattoir. "I want out! I'll take my chances out there! Please..."



A day later, Cisco was the first member at the new Justice League of America headquarters in Washington, D.C. In a phone call, Cisco was debating quitting before proving himself "a sucky Justice Leaguer," but Dante finally supported him. At a press conference before the Capitol Building, President Barack Obama introduced the press to Katana, Vibe, Stargirl, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkman. Cisco whispered to Courtney that he wished his brother could have been there, then Colonel Steve Trevor told him to "Can the chatter." Steve confided to Waller that Vibe was wide-eyed in awe of the spectacle, and worried for his safety in times to come. To better vet the kid, Director Waller informed Agent Gunn that she wanted to see how well Vibe could establish a connection to the Speed Force...

"Why Me?" was by Geoff Johns & Andrew Kreisberg as writers; Pete Woods & Andres Guinaldo on pencils; Sean Parsons, Pete Woods & BIT on inks. The issue felt very much like a placeholder or series of deleted scenes, weaving in and out of sequences from Justice League of America #1 & 2, advancing subplots without a true core story of its own to tell. Woods' art improved, but since he was sharing chores with so many other hands, the overall quality of the book was inconsistent. I'm not at all keen on Gypsy's new backstory, Cisco remains a calculatingly inoffensive bore, and how many reminders do we need that Amanda Waller is in a shady business?

New 52's Day

• The Atom in Justice League #18 @ Power of the Atom
• Col. Steve Trevor in Justice League of America #1 @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Martian Manhunter in Justice League of America #2 @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• The Movement #1 @ DC Bloodlines

Justice League of America's Vibe #1 (April, 2013)

Elder sibling Armando Ramon was bound for college in California, set to be the first member of his family to attend. Younger brother Dante mocked him for abandoning Michigan, and figured his fortune was waiting somewhere other than academia. The junior Francisco just wanted his brother to stick around, but he was the one who literally became stuck inside the event horizon of an opening Boom Tube. Dante backed away in fear while Armando rushed to pull Cisco free from the disruption in space-time. Tragically, a Parademon emerging from the portal between dimensions killed Armando "For Darkseid!"

Five years later, Armando Ramon was remembered as the first known victim of Darkseid's failed invasion, routed in the debut mission of the Justice League. Cisco was working at an electronics store, where Dante tried to mooch off Cisco's paycheck. Cisco wasn't about to let his college money go to the casino again, and he and their dad were pretty upset that Dante had skipped the memorial ceremony that morning.



Agent Dale Gunn of A.R.G.U.S. was following Francisco Ramon on orders from Amanda Waller. Neither wanted "Subject 2" to end up like the first. Gunn talked Cisco into his car on the promise of justice for his brother's death. Ever since the incident, Cisco had developed certain abilities. He couldn't be photographed without blurring in the picture. He could generate waves of destructive vibrational force. He could detect the presence of intrusions from other dimensions by their different vibrational frequencies, even "seeing" their outlines through solid matter. A.R.G.U.S. had been formed as an offshoot of Homeland Security to defend against super-human threats after Darkseid's invasion, and now they had Francisco's number. "Your internal vibrational frequency is no longer in sync with the rest of the world." They knew he'd been using his powers as a vigilante in the neighborhood, and wanted to harness and direct his abilities for a greater good.

A parademon that had lost its Mother Box was trapped on Earth, hiding out and feeding off the homeless. Agent Gunn told Cisco it was the parademon that had killed his brother, and that he was needed to stop its rampage. "You can destroy it. The power inside you is from beyond this universe. You're tapped into the vibrational tendons that hold reality together." Tearfully, Cisco clashed with the Parademon, which was eventually caught between its own dimension and ours, tearing it apart.



Agent Gunn took Cisco to the Special Detroit Branch of A.R.G.U.S. Darkseid's incursion had thinned the walls between dimensions, leaving the city a nexus point where "creatures and debris" leaked from beyond. Someone had to police those breaches, and Cisco had the perfect power set for the job. "So basically you want me to be a... border cop?" Under the codename Vibe, Cisco would join a new heroic team to protect the world against the next Darkseid... the all-new Justice League of America. This was all hush-hush of course, but Cisco just had to tell Dante at least...

Amanda Waller didn't actually know if that was really the Parademon that killed Armando Ramon. "They all look alike to me." She just needed to motivate Cisco, and she wanted his powers under control, specifically hers. Should he refuse, he would be imprisoned in her underground laboratory dubbed "The Circus." There was already a containment cell that literally had his name on it, should he cause any problems. Subject Gypsy knew about that all too well, as she looked on from confinement as Waller continued to discuss Vibe with Agent Gunn. She wasn't the only such prisoner by a fair margin. "We need to do whatever we can to prepare ourselves for the inevitable, Agent Gunn. Because one day, it's all going to go to hell again. One day, Darkseid's going to come back... for his daughter."



"Not-So-Secret Origin" was by Geoff Johns & Andrew Kreisberg on story and Pete Woods & Sean Parsons on art. I don't recall the constitution of the Ramon family from the 1980s, other than there being sisters, but I do remember that Paco was Armando's older brother. That would be a minor point, except that there is nobody named Paco in this comic, and the only person with a personality remotely resembling the Bronze Age character is Dante. Francisco is a bland, whitewashed version of Paco Ramone, or in other words, the New 52 Vibe is actually a reboot of Reverb/Hardline. The now presumed deceased Ramone family matriarch used a different kind of douche in the New 52, so she never had any daughters, and her first son got a name previously reserved for this boring Cisco kid.

The In-Name-Only-itis doesn't stop there. I never claimed to be a fan of American Colossus Hank Heywood III, but I found that Gerry Conway had surrounded Steel II with solid trappings for a solo hero. His grandfather bestowed upon him a super-heroic legacy, but the twist of Hank Sr. inflicting the cybernetic parts on the kid was a significant twist. Heywood Industries provided all sorts of cool toys to play with, and once the kid inevitably rebelled against the original tyrannical Indestructible Man, it created a conflict of loyalties for his surrogate father, Dale Gunn. Like his new boss Amanda "Apple Bottom" Waller, Gunn has gone from an out of shape, balding and gray war vet to a young aerobicized spy with decidedly gray ethics. Gunn contributes to the homogenization of the New 52, where he was once a unique element that lent diversity to the universe. I'll save my Gypsy criticisms for next issue.



The point is that in trying to make Vibe an important representative of the Latin community, and to make up for the past sins of unintentionally comedic ethnic stereotyping, the creators have removed every bit of organic appeal from the character. They've decided that Vibe is going to be a big deal with a major role to play, then worked backwards from that intention to craft a bare bones perfunctory construct instead of a living character. Even the art seems calculatingly inoffensive, functional in a manner reminiscent of Alex Saviuk. It isn't terrible work by anyone, but it is bereft of passion or soul. I'm not sure how long I'll keep up with it, but I'm confident it'll get canceled before it tries my patience too much.

New 52's Day

• The Atom in Aquaman #16 (March, 2013) @ Power of the Atom
• Martian Manhunter in Justice League of America #1 (2013) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• National Comics: Eternity #1 @ DC Bloodlines
• Superman Annual #1 (2012) featuring the Manhunter from Mars @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Talon #0 @ DC Bloodlines
• Wonder Woman in Action Comics #14 @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman

DC Retroactive: JLA - The '80s #1 (October, 2011)

Steel: "Guess somebody forgot to tell them we're just the second string." A school bus had pulled up outside the Detroit League's headquarters, the Bunker.

Vibe: "So now we're giving tours to school kids?"

Aquaman: "For years the old JLA orbited the Earth in a satellite, Hank. We looked down on the world-- literally. One of the reasons I accepted your grandfather's offer of this factory was the opportunity it presented to ground our new League-- again, literally. Here in Detroit, the League is part of the community.

Sue Dibny: Back home visiting her mother.

Elongated Man: Loving the tour, and wishing his wife could do the same. "She loves kids. One of these days we're going to have a big family."

Martian Manhunter: "Children are precious among my people as well, Ralph. Still... for reasons I cannot articulate, I feel apprehensive."

Felix Faust: Taking advantage of the deep depression that choked the Motor City once the car manufacturers went elsewhere, the sorcerer used an ancient tablet to cast a spell that turned its citizens into monsters.

Lamont: A jerky kid on the tour who complained about the absence of real heroes from the League. "You guys are nobodies. Just a bunch'a losers."

Geoff: Another kid bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain future writer/executive who came to the Detroit League's defense.



Zatanna: Offered to break the tension by showing the kids some magic, but they were blown away by the real deal when Faust came calling. The League were tossed around like rag dolls by his beasts.

Dale Gunn: Suggested the medical lab as the best position to retreat to, since it could be hermetically sealed behind a vault door. Ten hours after the start of the tour, and everyone was trapped by monsters.

Vixen: One of the few members to maintain her positive outlook. She had cheered Geoff on, and even when her planned kicking of some ass ended with a dragon's tail sending her flying, she kept it together. While trapped, she checked on the unconscious Elongated Man, Dale Gunn, and Martian Manhunter. She also caught the wounded but defiant Aquaman as he collapsed toward the end of a speech intended to hearten the troops.

Zatanna: Still on her feet to look over the fallen Vibe and Gypsy.

Steel: Tried to hold the line against the monsters, but any effort on his part ended with him flying and the locking vault saving his armored tushie. Hank mocked Aquaman's speech, and once again branded his team "light-weight wannabess. Vibe, Gypsy, me-- even Vixen-- we're not good enough to be part of your precious League."

Aquaman: Argued otherwise, but still called Hank a spoiled brat whose granddaddy's bucks gave him a sense of entitlement. Steel rushed Aquaman, who rolled onto his back and kicked Hank across the room.

Geoff: Convinced the team that heroes helped people rather than fighting amongst themselves.

Aquaman: Ordered Dale, Elongated Man and Gypsy to guide the children out of the Bunker to safety while the rest of the team ran interference. Gypsy protested, but Aquaman explained, "forgive me, but you're just a child. You deserve the chance to grow up. Just like these kids. They need you to do this. I need you to do this."

Zatanna: Determined from something her father told her long ago that Faust must have used the Tablet of Tel El-Amarna, stolen from Iraq, to conjure the monsters out of men. Beyond helping the children, Zee wanted the tablet targeted.

Steel, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter: Caught the vault door when it was finally burst in, and tossed it back at the monsters. The rest of the team fought hard and followed orders... except for Gypsy.



Vibe: Flat on his back as Felix Faust gloated over how his massacre of the Detroit League would serve to bring the real heroes into his murderous clutches. Vibe was playing possum, and spit in Faust's face while telling him "...bite me."

Gypsy: Invisibly swiped the tablet and smashed it to pieces over Faust's noggin. "For a guy wearing a pointy hat, you sure do think a lot of yourself." The monsters vanished, saving everyone's life.

Aquaman: "Gypsy, I told you to go with Ralph and Dale. You disobeyed a direct order... Good job."

Creators: "Siege" was by Gerry Conway and Ron Randall.

Whether you enjoy the team for the kitsch factor of its instantly dated fad jumping or recognize that the team starred in several of the best story arcs ever featured in JLofA volume I, there seems to be enduring affection that keeps readers and creators coming back to revisit this team. A shame then that Conway doesn't seem to share it anymore. Part of the joy of his early issues with the team was its unrelenting, meta-defensive optimism in the face of scrutiny in both the stories and the letter columns. Later writers even used that unmerited self-esteem as a means of generating poetic irony, these poor doomed fools believing they would someday earn a place among titans when most would instead die violently or fade into obscurity. Conway, in an about face, starts this story with the team unanimously agreeing that they suck and their incompetence was going to cost a bunch of innocent lives. Not only is that a downer, but in giving in after all these years, Conway seems as clueless about his team's retroactive appeal today as he was their complete unsuitability while he was writing them the first time.

The characters aren't in character and their powers are downplayed to suit an unimpressive threat. I guess Zatanna is consistent at least, since Conway never wrote her worth a damn. I'll acknowledge Gypsy as well, since she had a few occasions of playing David-out-of-a-box to the Goliath of the month in the original series. The bland art by Ron Randall doesn't do any favors, especially when the only thing keeping his Dale Gunn from being 100% Caucasian is someone failing to tell the colorist that this book would be printed on cheap stock. It was obviously meant for glossy, because the colors are uniformly murky.

DC Retroactive

• Wonder Woman - The '80s #1 (DC, 2011) @ Diana Prince
• JLA - The '90s #1 (October, 2011) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• JLA - The '70s #1 (September, 2011) @ Power of the Atom
• The Huntress in "Trial by Fire" (October/November, 1978) @ DC Bloodlines

1990 Mayfair Games DC Heroes The Justice League Sourcebook: Dale Gunn

Dale Gunn is only a footnote in Justice League history, but he was a great supporting character who I enjoyed reading about more than several members of the Detroit team. I was pleased to find his role-playing stats in a 1990 League sourcebook, and thought I'd share them in the Mayfairstivus spirit...

DEX: 4
STR: 4
BODY: 4
INT: 5
WILL: 5
MIND: 4
INFL: 3
AURA: 4
SPIRIT: 4
INITIATIVE: 14
HERO POINTS: 15

•Skills:
Gadgetry: 6, Martial Artist: 4, Medicine: 3, Vehicles: 5, Weaponry: 4

•Advantages:
Connections: Justice League of America (High); Scholar (Architecture)

•Motivation:
Upholding the Good

•Height: 511"
•Weight: 1901bs.
•Eyes: Brown
•Hair: Black
•Wealth: 8
•Occupation: Architect
•Quote: "Hank reminds me of me. Cool outside, burning inside." (Justice League of America Annual #2)

• Background:
Dale Gunn, an old army buddy of Henry Heywood II (father of Justice Leaguer Steel), was sent to Detroit by Henry Heywood I (aka Commander Steel) to build a secret fortress known as "the Bunker" while Heywood I was busy subjecting his grandson to a series of painful operations which resulted in his becoming the heroic Steel. After Steel joined the Justice League and the League took over the Bunker as its headquarters, Gunn hung around for a while and helped the League with its cases, breaking into the super-powered arena by assisting the JLA in its battles against the Cadre¹ and a revivified Amazo.² During the Crisis On Infinite Earths, Commander Steel convinced Gunn that it would be best to allow young Steel to completely break from the people and places of his past, so Dale stopped aiding the Justice League shortly after the group vacated the Bunker.³

•Personality:
An experienced level-headed Viet Nam veteran, Dale Gunn was temporarily one of the League's most powerful assets. He was tough, fair, and sympathetic. Naturally, Dale had a soft spot for Steel, the son of his best friend (Steel's father died in Viet Nam).

ENDNOTES
1. Justice League of America #233-236
2. Justice League of America #241-243
3. Justice League of America #246

• 1989 Mayfair Games DC Heroes Character Card Blank & Checklist

Chuck Patton

Francis Chuck Patton is an African-American former comic book artist best known for a stint on Justice League of America. More specifically, he is closely associated with the period in which the team relocated to Detroit, MI and became staffed with new, multicultural super-heroes. With Gerry Conway, Patton created Gypsy and Vibe, as well as redesigning Vixen and Steel: The Indestructible Man.

Patton got his start at DC Comics in the April, 1983 cover-dated The Flash #320, beginning a brief run of Creeper back-up stories. This was followed by art for Green Lantern, The Brave and the Bold, and Green Arrow before landing his permanent assignment on JLofA. However, Patton left his creations within their first year, taking on sporadic jobs on The Vigilante, Who's Who, The Omega Men, Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes, Blue Beetle, Secret Origins, the Outsiders, Action Comics Weekly and DC Challenge. Patton also tried his fortunes at other companies with DNAgents, Daredevil, X-Men and The Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe. He was considered to replace Todd McFarlane on The Incredible Hulk, but turned the offer down when he was asking to emulate the outgoing artist's style.

As with his JLD partner Gerry Conway, Patton became disillusioned with comics and moved into children's television animation. His credits include Dinosaucers, G.I. Joe, Captain N & the Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas, and Teen Titans. More recently, he has turned to directing, on such projects as Dead Space: Downfall and Spawn, for which he won an Emmy award for Outstanding Animated Program.

Chuck Patton's legacy in comics seems to consist mostly of Justice League Detroit and well-regarded serial pairing Nightwing and Speedy. The image above is a self-portait of Patton, circa 1985, and heavily embellished by inker Mike DeCarlo. One imagines that had Patton inked himself, he might have more closely resembled another of his creations, Dale Gunn. Like Marv Wolfman's proxy Terry Long, who married a super-heroine, I suspect we now have the answer to why Gun had both Vixen and Zatanna vying for his attentions...



Further Reading: One-on-One with Spawn Director Chuck Patton

Justice League of America #261 (4/87)

Professor Ivo: Continued to be conflicted by his own murderous actions, seeing visions of himself in a padded room. The Ivo in a straight jacket thought Amazo was a silly name, was saddened "A Martian killed my son," but felt he couldn't himself have killed anyone. "Murder is a sin. Bad. Bad." The Ivo in a tux continued to argue with his android "psychiatrist," before deciding to trigger its self-destruct mechanism.

Dale Gunn: Drank a toast to Steel with the boy's grandfather and Martian Manhunter. Watched J'Onn J'Onzz toss his drink to the floor, cursing "Damn it!!" As the Martian slumped against a wall, Dale explained, "J'Onn? Listen to me. I knew Hank since he was just a kid. I've been working with his grandfather for more years than I'd care to count. We're all hurting, but there's nothing to be gained by throwing fits. Hell, what I know of you-- this just isn't your style."

Martian Manhunter: Answered, "My style? Dale-- you don't know what my style is. And neither does Ivo. I've never wanted blood so badly in my life."

Commander Steel: After analyzing the android that killed his grandson, devised means to track other androids with the same power source.

Martian Manhunter: "Before this day is out, Hank will be avenged."

Dale Gunn: Halted J'Onn J'Onzz's intended departure to deliver a speech. "I thought the name of your team was the Justice League... not the Revengers. Justice means you find the ones responsible for what's happened, and you let the law take care of it. Revenge isn't justice, J'Onn. You know that. Revenge goes against everything you and the Justice League stand for."

Martian Manhunter: "The League is dead, Dale-- or hadn't you noticed?"

Vixen: Continued to stalk New York's rooftops. "Dead. Can he really be dead? Steel? My friend? If he's dead, it's my fault. I knew what the situation was. G. Gordon Godfrey turned the whole country against us. Yet I let Steel go out there... No... It's not my fault. It's Ivo's fault. And I'm going to find that murdering scum-- and he's going to pay." Dropping to a subway entrance, a group of bums made their way toward her. "Predators. They think I'm a woman. They think I'm something that can be taken, used, and discarded. But I'm not a woman. I'm Vixen. I'm a panther. An elephant. A vulture. A snake. I'm whatever animal-spirits I need to be to hunt my prey. To hunt-- and kill."

Vixen continued to wrestle with her bestial drive and more reasoned humanity. "I'm not an animal. I'm Mari McCabe. I'm a fashion model. I'm a woman." This didn't stop her from roaming barefoot in a New York sewer, beating rats to death as an aggression vent. Finally, Vixen located the underground headquarters of Professor Ivo, who greeted her with a poisoned meal. While Ivo was terribly civil, Vixen offered him a variety of means by which she could kill him, and threw tainted coffee in his face. "I'll feast on your dead flesh... How stupid do you think I am! You think I'll just sit here like a good girl and drink my cup of hemlock?"

While Vixen battered the immortality-ravaged Ivo, a dozen of his pretty shirtless androids appeared to wrestle her to the ground. Vixen destroyed several of them, but their programming was altered to specifically target her weaknesses. She was drowned in numbers.

Martian Manhunter: "IVO!!" J'Onn J'Onzz smashed his way into the Professor's lair, who stammered, "No! Not you! You're one of the real ones! You always beat me!" J'Onzz emphasized, "To a pulp." Learning of Vixen's plight, the Manhunter barreled through all but two of the Ivos before the Professor came to a realization. "Oh, of course! He's a green man from Mars. And Martians can't abide fire." The Professor then lit up J'Onzz with a tricked-out lighter. "I knew I carried this with me for a reason. You can't hurt me now, Green Man... Now I would deeply appreciate it if you'd die."

Vixen: The two remaining Ivos could find no pulse, heartbeat or respiration, but just as they were prepared to certify she had expired, Vixen came alive. She smashed the pair.

Martian Manhunter: "You turned your back on me, Ivo. A very big mistake... You have the audacity to ask for mercy? You've got a lot to learn, Professor. And I'm going to teach you. Right now. I'm going to teach you about pain. About fear. And death... I can't. Dammit-- I can't."

Vixen: "I can!!" Vixen tore Professor Ivo's head off... not clean, as various wires and other mechanical bits left it dangling. "This 'droid was extremely sophisticated. It even mimicked the scent of a living man." She caught the real Ivo's scent behind a door, and found those visions of the Professor in a padded cell were factual.

Professor Ivo: "He escaped from Arkham Asylum, built an army of androids, even created a near-perfect duplicate of himself to fool the authorities with in case he was discovered. And yet, he was totally insane." The androids' minds modeled after Ivo's, they too were filled with madness and conflicting impulses, and locked away their own imperfect creator in a new cell. "Indeed. He pushed them to murder. While his soul burned in shame."

Martian Manhunter: "I find it impossible to hate someone so filled with remorse... so lost and anguished. And I feel such a need to hate. Such a deep need... Mourning. And forgiveness. And something more... I see it so clearly. Let the President and his orders go to hell. Let every man, woman and child in this nation come to loathe us. But, in order for Steel and Vibe's deaths to have any meaning-- the League must continue. Politics and opinion shift. Tomorrow we may be heroes in the eyes of the world again. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we are duty-bound to do our job, despite praise or blame. Fate took me from my homeworld... brought me to this earth for a reason: To help. To fight for what's right. For justice. And, for the sake of justice, the League must never dissolve. We've got to go on.

Vixen: "I looked inside myself these past few days. I saw a demon... a demon that had to be exorcised. And I did exorcise it. Vixen died... For the first time in my life... I'm truly, wholly-- Mari McCabe." Mari wasn't sure if G. Gordon Godfrey wasn't right, considering the violence that surrounds super-heroes, and the deaths of her friends. "We choose to live like this! We choose this bloody path! There are a million ways to help people, to make the world a better place... ways that don't have anything to do with fists and suns and corpses... I don't intend to beget any more violence in this lifetime, JJ. I want to be free of the animal, and embrace the human. Maybe the League should continue. But it won't continue with me... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so... judgmental."

Martian Manhunter: Tried to convince Vixen to remain, but acknowledged her path led elsewhere, and hugged her goodbye. J'Onn stared into a monitor bank at the Secret Sanctuary for a time... into the faces of the departed Gypsy, Vibe, Steel, and Vixen. An emergency signal sounded, and the Manhunter from Mars was off.

Gypsy: Retired from super-heroics to return to her family and school, for now.

Vibe: Family in mourning, including a younger brother who will develop similar powers.

Steel: Grandfather shut off life support, but for good?

Vixen: Her hiatus from the life will be short, but she will return in very different company.

The Creators: J.M. DeMatteis did wonderful work here, and his take on madness hints at what would become one of his most famous stories, the Death of Kraven the Hunter. It's no wonder editor Andrew Helfer asked him to stay on for the Justice League relaunch. Bob Lewis provided inks in a style reminiscent of Terry Austin, which set him apart from any of the others on this arc. This was some of Luke McDonnell's best work, but his style would soon change with his moving on to Suicide Squad. These were not the characters or situations one would expect to close out over two decades of JLA comics, but the story was well told regardless

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "JJ" -Vixen
"J'onn." -Dale Gunn, Commander Steel
"J'onn J'onzz." -Ivo
"Green Man" -Ivo

Who's Who Vol.XXII: Steel (12/86)

Steel II is a character I didn't care for on first reading. Then, on second try, I still didn't care for him. Third time was the charm, as it was then I began to realize the potential of the character.

Hank Heywood II, like his grandfather, was a sort of roughhewn, inexperienced, right wing Captain America. In Hank Sr.'s case, that made him a bit redundant in the midst of the WWII bravado typical of Golden Age-styled super-heroes. With Hank Jr. though, it made him an intriguing anomaly. Here's this Reagan Era neophyte in a minority-skewing, lefty super-hero team based out of bombed out Detroit, Michigan. He was the stiff, sure, but also the sensitive Colossus sort under his rigid exterior. He had his own secret headquarters in "The Bunker," access to Heywood Industries gadgets and fortunes, the L.O.S.T. aircraft, a mentor in Dale Gunn, and adversaries/legacy tied to Commander Steel. Of all the new Detroit members, he was the one most ready made to stand on his own as a viable soloist.

Steel was also ahead of his time: Among the first of many old school super-heroes to loosen up by shedding a skullcap... the first to have a cybernetic endoskeleton, ala Steve Austin or "the Terminator," allowing him to take horrific battle damage... among the rare heroes with a clear political ideology... and of course he served on the prototype for misbegotten new line-ups replacing beloved super-hero teams. Steel's career is like a blueprint for '90s comics. All he needed was a brown bomber jacket, useless pouches, and a big gun.

So let's all shed a tear for the lost opportunity that was Steel. He certainly would have.

Art by Chuck Patton & Larry Mahlstedt

Detroit League in JLA/Avengers (2003)

Featured on the cover of #3: Vibe (hanging off Machine Man's telescoping leg;) Vixen (skipping along the ground near She-Hulk, with Hellcat bounding off her shoulder;) Zatanna (on a GL-constructed platform alongside Mantis and Scarlet Witch;) Steel (in a GL bubble with Mockingbird, Maxima, Big Sir and General Glory;) Gypsy (held in a spell by two Dr. Fates along with other mystics and Yazz;) Elongated Man, Sue Dibney and Despero (in JLTF gear, among many others in a corner ghetto;) Aquaman (bearded version, with Namor;) and Martian Manhunter (up to three times, if you count both Bloodwynd appearances.) Sue and Ralph were part of a late 60's & Satellite-era grouping during a series of temporal anomalies. Martian Manhunter and Aquaman were both founders, with Aquaman reappearing in the Satellite era and Manhunter in the International period. As the timeline became more mangled, Zee, Gypsy and Vixen made speechless cameos.

• Shown among the downed heroes during the final battle with Krona in issue #4 were Vibe and Steel.



• Dale Gunn appeared on page 175 of the trade, or 5 of #4, being carried to safety by Starfire.



• The original Despero was part of a villain team (with the Construct and Amazo) that overwhelmed Thor. He was himself defeated by the L-Ron/Despero that stood with the Justice League Task Force.

Justice League of America #246 (1/86)

Steel: Returned from his adventure at the end of time to learn grandpa had evicted him and his teammates from the Bunker. Slapped an armored Dale Gunn around before reaching his still bedridden kin. Commander Steel apologized for his great many wrongs, and explained his tossed the League out to get a fresh start elsewhere. Hugs. Said goodbye to Vibe's sister. Moved to New York. Got a job as a gym instructor.

Dale Gunn: Threw "fight" with Steel, but still stayed behind in Detroit to look after Hank Sr.

Vibe: Goodbye to family. Beat up rival gangs with powers one more time. Moved. Spilled chocolate shake on self as non-comic anti-relief. Jobless and essentially homeless.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Stuck living in Westchester while housesitting for vacationing friends.

Zatanna: Flirted with Dale one last time. Chatted with J'Onn on the flight. Moved back into her sublet earlier, unaware of the ashen fate of her leasee.

Vixen: Explained on the flight to New York how her years of modeling were just a facade before realizing her true purpose through the Tantu Totem. Showed off her lavish apartment, and took in a roommate.

Gypsy: Talked Vixen into letting her move in.

Martian Manhunter: This being a Conway tale, even the heart & soul of the JLA questioned the League's future after leaving the Bunker and relocating to New York. Showed his sense of humor by boarding his team on a commercial flight in full costume. Chatted with Zee...
"I was not aware you gave credence to dreams, Zatanna."
"Mystics live part of their lives in dreams, J'Onn. The dreamworld is a pathway to past and future."
"On Mars we had few mystics. We put our faith in science... a faith that was our undoing, in the end."

Later explained to his charges that jobs were now in order. "When I first came to Earth years ago, I took a job as a police detective in Metropolis. With my Martian powers, I was quite successful. It is a small matter to recreate the credentials I used then..." Perhaps, but the elapsed time made "John Jones" retirement age, so that he was forced to take up with Burt Biloxi's Special Investigations, a low rent operation.

The Creators: The aforementioned Conway shot past character development into full-bore British soap opera tedium. Luke McDonnell sells the "realism" in a way Chuck Patton couldn't possibly. Bill Wray should have continued inking him for the rest of his career.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Hank... mi hermano... you feelin' all right? Your abuelo, he didn't jump on you?"

Justice League of America Annual #3 (1985)

Taking an even worse beating than the Justice League was their old satellite. Besides being ravaged by Martians in the previous year, it was supposedly destroyed again during the Crisis, then here it was blown up by an overloaded Red Tornado and fell out of orbit. Good thing the team had vacated the property after the very first attack. Satellite pieces began falling into Earth's atmosphere, which was especially strange since the intact ruins of the satellite would soon pop up in yet another JLofA story featuring Despero. But hey, let's not get sidetracked by too may writers taking out their aggression on a defenseless piece of orbiting architecture. In the annual, Firestorm, Black Canary, and Green Arrow teamed up to stop the debris from destroying property in Detroit. They were soon joined by Superman, Batman and the Outsiders without fanfare or introductions. Red Tornado's consciousness popped up in electric machinery, which he used to contact his girlfriend, Kathy Sutton. Various weather catastrophes engineered by Reddy, or more likely the Tornado Tyrant, afforded him the energy necessary to re manifest in non-robotic form. The new Tornado wanted to use his Crisis augmented power to restart life on Earth from a clean slate, its old inhabitants be damned. “Perhaps his madness stems from his mind’s separation from the android brain that housed it!” Manhunter’s notion failed to impress, and even Kathy's plea for peace failed, but betrayal on her part did cause the Red Tornado to discontinue his attacks. Feeling totally alone in the world, R.T. disappeared from the comics scene for several years...his place in the League taken by the Manhunter from Mars.

Martian Manhunter: “My Martian Vision confirms our worst fears! That is the JLA satellite... and it is heading this way! How could this have happened?” Manhunter swooped down to pick up Steel and Vibe to carry into the fray. “Come, my friends, there is work for us to do!” Reached maximum flight speed to deflect through personal impact the largest burning mass of debris before the flames wiped out his powers. “The Martian Manhunter! He was willing to sacrifice himself to deflect that huge chunk... but it wasn’t good enough!” He missed his aim by a shade, but Firestorm recovered the ball prior to rebound. When Green Arrow and Vibe began playing rough, J’Onn chastised, “Paco! Oliver!” I imagine he had the same tone a years later when he’d scold, “Guy! Booster!” Firestorm, the “original hothead,” spoiled his one chance to play peacemaker when he got in Steel’s face for calling the missing Red Tornado “the robot guy?” Manhunter physically came between the two, explaining, “Hold, Firestorm! I’m certain no offense was meant! Steel is simply uninformed!” Um, who was offending whom again? As for Reddy, a scan of the area with Martian Vision revealed tiny bits that, “my friends-- is all that remains of him!” Later flew Steel to a dam the Detroit Leaguers fought to save. Deduced that lightning was striking a bit too precisely, and followed the bolts to their orbiting satellite origin. Teamed with the arriving Superman to overwhelm the satellite’s force field with their combined might. The twin titans then departed to tackle more of these satellites solo. Later, when the Red Tornado Tyrant was briefly frozen, Manhunter managed to contain him with his malleable form.

Vibe: Began throwing shade toward Black Canary and Green Arrow on sight. Punched and generally manhandled by Ollie Queen. Freed workers trapped at a hydroelectric plant. Blasted Red Tornado repeatedly.

Steel: Punched random bits of flying debris, which y’know, doesn’t make it stop being random bits of flying debris or anything. Somehow caught a dead falling Manhunter after his collision with the fiery mass, using the same fantastic speed and accuracy that allowed him to punch random bits of flying debris. Held together a collapsing dam. Manhunter thought, “Hank possesses a strong spirit! It’s probably never occurred to him to doubt that he will succeed...”

Vixen: Used the power of eels to absorb rampant electric while helping shut down the power plant.

Zatanna: Paired off with Ralph to investigate rogue weather controlling satellites S.T.A.R. Labs had launched and lost mastery of. Was then set upon by same.

Elongated Man: Ralph shouldn’t have hit the red button, as his attempt to cause the weather satellites to auto destruct just alerted them to his location. Held Kathy Sutton as she shed tears over her betrayal.

Gypsy: Ran around the power plant barefoot. Caught in a blast by Red Tornado. Went incongruously Mr. Wizard on us with, “Stopped the airflow, Zatanna? The cycle of heat exchange from the equator to the poles? But that would cause all the high- and low-pressure systems to just deepen... to keep building up without an outlet!” Did she study really hard for a science test right before running away, or was there more to that “drabardi” business that Englehart was selling?

Dale Gunn: Brushed off his lab coat, but failed to put Red Tornado back together again. Guided Vixen in shutting down power plant. Studied spacial warps and red skies tied into the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Sue Dibney: Fretted over her husband while buying groceries for the Bunker, concerned for his safety after the death of Supergirl and the seeming demise of Red Tornado.

The Creators: Rick Hoberg always had a bit of early Starlin in his Bronze Age melange, while Mike Gustovich’s classicist style recalled elements of later Starlin, yet the end product was more of the Neal Adams school. Pretty nonetheless. The story by Dan Mishkin was somewhat shy of enthralling, but pleasant enough, and the mingling of Satellite and Detroit Leagues was intriguing, not to mention mildly meta.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: “JJ” – Firestorm
“Greenie.” – Vibe.
“Green Guy.” – Vibe.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: “Maybe if you old dudes took better care of your space junk... we wouldn’a had to mop up after you at all!”

Justice League of America # 244 (11/85)

Dale Gunn: Piloted a borrowed NASA space shuttle 22,300 miles above the Earth.

Sue Dibney: Called shotgun.

Vixen: Marginally more useful than Sue Dibney.

Elongated Man: Acted as a ladder in a telescoping spacesuit to allow the Detroit Leaguers access from their space shuttle to the remains the JLA Satellite. Tried to explain the Multiverse to a disbelieving Paco.

Vibe: Talked jive. Blinded. Tried to talk more smack to Infinity Inc., but told by Zatanna, “Choke it down, Vibe. Choke it down.”

Gypsy: Coddled Vibe, who’d beem inadvertently blinded. “Zatanna, what did you do? Haven’t you done enough?”

Zatanna: Channelled sunlight into the Satellite’s storage cells, providing power enough for a year, and presumably drawing the eventual attention of Red Tornado. Healed Vibe and defended Detroit against baseball-sized hail.

Steel: Abandoned by Manhunter when the Alien saved the rest of the team. Tortured by his grandfather and Mekanique to make him “strong, as I was strong.” That pair also turned on the Infinitors, who were themselves rescued. Steel Junior upon release beat his grandfather into a short coma, eyes filled with tears.

Martian Manhunter: As Gypsy chided the deluded Vibe, who was calling for a rematch with infinity Incorporated, J’Onzz stated, “Your opinion is noted, Vibe. However, as current leader of the League, I must trust my own judgement.” He later said of his birthplace, "Perhaps if we had "freaked" when there was a fight, my young friend, Mars might still be a living planet...instead of a barren wasteland. You must learn to choose your battles wisely--as have I, at great cost." Employed the reinvigorated satellite’s capabilities to travel to Earth-2. He then led the Justice Society of America against the rogue hero they’d believed dead and his mechanical assistant, a foe they’d anachronistically faced decades previously. Just as that matter was resolving, “The ears of my people evolved from the thin air of Mars. I... hear something, despite the layers of soundproofing that protect the Bunker... a storm... and human cries...”

The Creators: Gerry Conway sent Commander Steel well past the point of redemption, though there would be some equivocation to come. Joe Staton continued what was becoming a tradition of having entirely inappropriate artists stiffly render a team of supposedly cool young heroes.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: “You think jus’ ‘cause I’m a kid from el barrio, I don’t know spit?”

JLA Classified #22 (Early July, 2006)

Martian Manhunter:”This team has a long way to go before it achieves the coherence it needs. [The elder Leaguers] and I can provide guidance--but only if you hear us. To that end, I’ve brought you four here [Biskotasi Peak in Ontario,] to train together on unfamiliar tasks, far from the Detroit streets you usually inhabit. It’s my intent to improve your trust in each other, and in yourselves.” Well, not just that, “...as my telepathy allows me to listen secretly—to your innermost thoughts... It’s up to me to make sure you all get better.” Also, to fix burgers, though Vixen asserted that using a portable, flameless electric stove is neither camping nor cooking. Anyway, thank retroactive continuity for explaining the lack of Martian mental powers for most of Conway’s run and those ugly JLA signal rings.

Steel: Had a nightmare his now mustachioed grandfather and Dale Gunn held him down fully conscious before ripping into him for the operations that turned him into a cyborg. He awakened from his revere en route to a hike into the Canadian woods, presumably after the mission against Amazo. The peace and quiet made Steel inconsolable, as his body was in constant pain from its modifications. He smiled and put up a false front for his teammates, though for readers, the angst was endless. Like his grandfather, he secretly acknowledged to himself “Second-stringers, third-stringers, and rookies. The Justice League has gone to hell.” Also, he thought of J’Onn J’Onzz, “He learned English pretending to be a cop... but he was pretending. Who knows what a Martian feels inside?” Henshaw was raised to be a hero like his grandpa, so he ran maneuvers with his team, despite his loathing of their status and his own. Later in the evening, members of the Royal Flush Gang tracked the team down and used mood-altering playing cards to cause the Martian Manhunter to attack Hank. Though Henshaw never landed a single blow in his brief row with the Manhunter, he was clever enough to deduce the cause of the attack and rush the Gang with an uprooted tree trunk. In the melee, he accidentally crushed Queenie and Ten of Clubs with rolling boulders. Hank was only too happy to gloat to himself over his decisive move, showing no remorse other than being part of a League characterized as losers by, of all people, the Royal Flush Gang.

Dale Gunn: Only up for a dream sequence this time out.

Vixen: Hopped around tirelessly for most of the issue. Came on to Vibe due to a mood-altering card, only to be backhanded by a close-fisted Paco.

Gypsy: Joined Vixen and Vibe against Steel in maneuvers, but the only panty shot was hers. Nearly asphyxiated by a playing card.

Vibe: You already read it, except the part where he got decked by Queenie before her untimely smooshing.

Zatanna, Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Absent. They knew what was good for them.

Aquaman: The main continuity sticking point, as Vibe and Steel are in their second uniforms, both donned after Arthur quit the team. So let’s just pretend that after Aquaman and Mera returned with the League to Michigan, the couple decided to stick around a bit longer to see if they could settle in there. Arthur remained team leader after J’Onn’s disastrous first outing, but suggested the return trip to Canada to encourage team building, including much needed management experience for J’Onn. Oh, and Steel decided to test-drive his new suit, but it got all sweaty with grass stains here, so it was at the dry cleaners throughout Crisis on Infinite Earths. Did I mention a random walleye happened to overhear the Royal Flush Gang plotting to ambush the League, found the Scion of the Seven Seas swimming laps in Lake Erie, and warned him? Also, did I mention Jack Miller didn’t write that?

The Creators: ...It was actually Steve Englehart, clearly having a ball with the type of oddball super-heroes that made him famous. Tom Derenick supplied the gratuitous panty shot, though it’s really always been Gypsy’s fault for wearing a skirt to a knife fight. Derenick recalled Ron Lim and Chuck Patton in equal measure. Jerry Ordway's inks overwhelm a cover pencilled by Mike Zeck of the full camping party.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: Still using the full name at times, but Steel, Gypsy and Vixen all drop just "J'Onn" most of the time.

"Big Green" -Vibe.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: “C’mon, Jay-El-Lay! Le’s get ‘em!”

Justice League of America #243 (11/85)

Aquaman: Returned with his wife to an empty Bunker. Took another L.O.S.T. up north to find his team. “Believe me, Mari... I’m sorry. I’ve no excuse for what I did, leaving the League.” Joined Vixen and Martian Manhunter against Amazo. “I failed the League, J’Onn... but I found the woman I love. And in finding her I found myself. I weighed duty and love in the balance. Love won. Under the circumstances, when we return to Detroit... I think there’s nothing else I can do but resign from the Justice League. Maybe then I can rediscover my life... with Mera by my side.”

Vixen: Freed herself from bonds, then shattered the boulder and rescued her friends. Mistook the Aquaman-piloted L.O.S.T. for Dale and J’Onn, only to complain about the Sea King’s tardiness. Met Mera. “Arthur said you were the one who convinced him to seek me. We owe you a debt of thanks I can never repay.” Possibly because she would soon be driven insane by Earth’s polluted oceans, get impaled while trying to murder her husband, and kiss this world goodbye back to her own other-dimensional home. Sucks to be an Aquaman supporting character. Still, Mari was pleased. “Well, how do you like that? Old Arthur’s got a heart after all.” Less pleasing: getting beat on by Amazo some more. But as Vixen noted, “Back when I was a fashion model, I spent a week in Vancouver--lovely town. Let’s keep this creep from flattening it.”

Elongated Man: Limp body used as a rope by Vixen.

Zatanna, Vibe, & Gypsy: Got saved by Vixen.

Steel: Tore up enough that Mera freaked out over the exposed artificial musculature of his right hand. Woke up hot over Amazo and screamed at Mera, “Where is he?” Caught Vixen before she could be smooshed against the side of the L.O.S.T.

Dale Gunn: Mistook a giant key for “that old-fashioned airplane marker.”



Martian Manhunter: J'Onn entered Superman's Fortress of Solitude by using its giant key. Why an intangible wraith would need to do so, I don't know, but at least MM was one of the few characters who could actually lift the key and use it. “Long ago Superman programmed safe passage into the Fortress computers for all members of the original League--“ While J’Onzz was investigating, an innocent trucker (and his truck) was slain by Amazo. J'Onn redeemed himself slightly by using the information he uncovered at the Fortress to defeat the android. “He was created by Professor Ivo solely to obey commands. No sadder, lonelier creature has ever existed. When not driven by outside programming, Amazo has but one desire. Oblivion... Left to his own devices, Amazo would shut himself down instantly. Obviously, the fact that he has not done so indicates he is under the command of a human intelligence." A stray meteor had pierced the Fortress’ defenses, inadvertently reactivating the android and sending it to wander cluelessly until its program absorbed the malevolent consciousness of Slick Jake MacGregor. A constable had found a picture of MacGregor in the wreckage of St. Jude, which was all Manhunter needed to assume his form. This logic trap worked well against the artificial intelligence of Amazo/MacGregor, allowing Aquaman the chance to deliver a knockout blow.

The Creators: Especially under Manhunter’s “leadership,” the character Gerry Conway created to star in her own aborted series continued to prove herself one of, if not the, most effective current Leaguers. I like Vixen though, so I won’t hold that or her Storm-lite bout with claustrophobia in the pit against her. Steel also continued to perform well for his age and status, though maybe getting five issues of “Steel: The Indestructible Man” out before the implosion got some of the excess paternal love out of Conway’s system. George Tuska continued to be graced by Mike Machlan’s inks.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: “Big Green.” -Dale Gunn
“JJ” –Dale Gunn, who also just called him "J'Onzz," because he's cool like that.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: Not a word. Just blissful, accent-free silence.

Justice League of America #242 (9/85)

Aquaman: “For the past six weeks he’s lived for duty and honor. But now he knows duty and honor are not enough. A man must have love in his life... Six weeks ago, his wife left him. For six weeks he tried to bury her memory. He could not. He is determined to find her, or die in the trying.” Checks the sunken city of New Venice off the Florida coast where he used to live, but fishies redirect him to the Place of Dark Currents. There he’s reunited with Mera, and it feels so good. Reunited! Now--it’s understood! “After our son’s death... I thought, if I ever truly acknowledged that I was suffering... that it would destroy me... When I cut off the grief, I cut off the love.” Also, the “do not telepathically manipulate your charges” light.

Zatanna: Left under a rock. No, not figuratively, but I can see how you might take it that way. No, she was literally beaten by Amazo’s use of invisibility, heat vision and super-speed, tied up, dumped in a pit, and covered by a boulder. Oh, and foiled by her one weakness, a gag. You thought fire was lame...

Steel: Same as above, but with elasticity, super-strength, and especially the Canary Cry.

Vibe, Vixen: As above, but just plain beat.

Gypsy: Fended off attacking grizzly bear with her powers of illusion, seeing as it could still smell through her invisibility.

Elongated Man: The master detective failed to notice the above, but was on hand to help Gypsy fall to Amazo.

Dale Gunn: Woke up before J’Onn, complaining of a ringing in his ears and a feeling of helplessness that was worse than his time in ‘Nam. “J’Onzz... you don’t look too good, Big Green.” Dale helped J’Onn to a nearby watering hole, where the Martian uttered Golden Turkey dialogue, “Dale... Water... So much water...Water. Drink. So much water, so rich a land." I still can't figure whether Gerry was writing Hulk or Super Chief there, but I digress. While his team was buried alive in a big ol' hole, J'Onn flew off with Dale in search of the Fortress of Solitude. Dale questioned the move, but J’Onn brushed his concerns aside. “Have no fear for them, Dale Gunn. My orders were clear—they will not engage Amazo in combat, without first consulting me,” who was absentee and incommunicado. Ouch.

Martian Manhunter: Steel ignored Manhunter’s order not to engage Amazo, as the android was in the midst of clobbering Steel and Gypsy. Zatanna held back, followed orders, and tried to contact J’Onn, who was still sleeping off the effects of his attack. So who was in the right, Steel or Zee? There was a half-assed explanation in that J’Onn’s signal ring was busted, but Dale’s worked fine, and scouting the area (especially with night having fallen) should have been first priority. Let's just say J'Onn's not a natural leader, or else he was pulling his “tough love” shtick, and move on. If not, I’m bound to make a pun about J’Onn being green in his role. Oh, dag.

Introduced this issue: Martian Manhunter’s leadership ineptitude. No wait, that was last issue. It was introduced that the signal rings aren’t a good idea, but we knew that already, as well.

The Creators: Gerry Conway & George Tuska w/Mike Machlan.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: “J.J.” –Dale Gunn
“Big Green.” Dale & Vibe.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: While tripping and falling down a slope, “S-serious? AHH-KHEWW! I’ll tell you serious, señora! KHEWWWW! I jus’ figured out... I got... ahahaaa--ahhh----KHEEWWWW----hayfever!”

Justice League of America #241 (8/85)

Vixen: Goaded Aquaman into considering reconciliation with his estranged wife, despite his protesting her “asinine pop psychology.” Hung out with her fellow Leaguers as they cooked lunch. When Aquaman came up missing just as the team was alerted to the return of an old threat, she kept her knowledge of his likely whereabouts to herself.

Aquaman: Marriage to Mera established at seven years to this point. Aquaman was prideful, evasive, and passive-aggressive in Vixen’s presence, but equivocated in solitude. Arthur questioned the true motivation behind all his recent decisions, and owned up to his transferring his tumultuous emotional state onto the new team he brought into existence. Finally, he jumped off a pier in search of his lost love.

Steel: After dominating most of the previous issues with his presence, Steel backed off a bit here. Had a macho mini-brawl with Vibe over dating his sister; a conflict resolved with Vibe’s blessing the courtship. Beyond that, he coasted this issue.

Zatanna: Continued to be as much, and most likely more, of a non-entity on the team than Sue Dibney this outing. She paired-off on the mission with Steel, and spoke exactly one line of dialogue.

Vibe: Turned his powers against Steel until his old-school protectiveness was sated by Steel’s formally asking permission to date Paco’s sister. Vibe then debuted his new costume. This move advanced his people five years—up from the ten Vibe’s very existence set them back. Sure it was mostly black and red, but with studded belts, a plunging neckline, fingerless gloves, and chunky ankle boots. He might as well have thrown in a sombrero and fringe. He paired-off with Vixen on the mission.

Dale Gunn: Cooked up some Texas-style chili. Flew the L.O.S.T. to the mission site. Pulled a Bones McCoy with his “I’m just a glorified engineer doubling as a pilot... but...” riff. Got knocked out.

Gypsy: Helped Dale make the chili, but slipped and lost her grip on the bowl. Made pointed comments about Ralph and Sue’s sitcom couple marriage, then even less tactfully blew J’Onn J’Onzz off when he questioned her bitter stance. Thought Vibe’s new outfit was “cute,” prompting him to puff-up and rant. Threw Manhunter shade about it being Aquaman’s job to brief the team on missions, not his.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Ralph used his incredible powers to save a bowl of chili and quoted Emily Post. Sue had eighteen times as much dialogue as Zatanna, as she kidded her husband and helped make peace between Vibe and Steel. Ralph paired-off with Gypsy on the mission.

Martian Manhunter: Wearing an apron around his waist as he diced onions for the chili, Manhunter noted “After three decades on your world, I thought I was beyond the possibility of new experiences. It would appear I was mistaken.” When Gypsy almost nullified his culinary effort, J’Onn actually exclaimed “--Gods of Mars--!” Meanwhile Amazo, the android “one-man Justice League,” escaped confinement at the Fortress of Solitude and absorbed the life force/personality of drunken lout Slick Jake MacGregor. The repurposed Amazo then slaughtered the town of St. Jude in the Canadian Yukon, population 200, as revenge for its treatment of MacGregor. This tragedy prompted the Manhunter to call the League together, both to address Amazo and their being short one leader. J’Onzz called the shots, but not without question, and rightly so. When evidence suggested Amazo could have headed off in any of three directions, he splintered the group to follow each lead, quartering their effectiveness. J’Onzz one-upped Gunn’s Bones with his own take off Phil Hartman’s Caveman Lawyer. “I ask myself...Dale Gunn. What would Aquaman have done, I wonder? On Mars, I was thrust into a position of command, but I too am a scientist by nature. Command does not come naturally to...me...?” Up from under the ground sprang Amazo, who swiftly used his super-breath to blow Dale and the Martian Manhunter up against consciousness-depriving rocks.

Introduced this issue: Justice League signal rings-- gold bands with a gigantic red light/gem that beeped team members and acted as a verbal communicator. Conway was still ignoring J’Onn’s mental powers, and the Legion of Super-Heroes thought we weren’t just cavemen, but tacky cavemen.

The Creators: Gerry Conway, still struggling to balance the mundance with the fantastic, forced poor George Tuska to spend 2 ½ pages on the chili skit. Thanks largely to the rich inks of Mike Machlan, the grizzled old veteran managed to make the rampant inanities of the issue reasonably appealing to the eye. At times, he even invoked Alex Toth and Bob Oksner instead of the usual “Don Heck of DC.”

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: “The Big Green Guy.”-Gypsy.
“Big Green”-Vibe.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: “Cute? You call me cute? Do people call the Batman cute? Do people call Superman... cute? With this suit, I’m making a statement. I’m saying, ‘you’d better give me your respect, or I’m gonna bust your head.’”

Justice League of America #239 (6/85)

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Noted that the missing Leaguers had been gone to Earth-2 for three weeks, though to them it seemed mere hours.

Martian Manhunter: "May I suggest you were caught in a probability paradox while traveling between Earths? A ripple in the river of time?" J'Onn noted that his people on Mars II were detecting an increased frequency of temporal anomalies before he left them, which would later tie into the epic mini-series we all know and love, "Crisis-Earth." Make that "Universe." No, they settled on the unwieldy "Crisis On Infinite Earths," didn't they? Anyway, the missing Leaguers accepted the explanation, with Superman asserting that if the new League needed help, they knew who to call. J'Onn confirmed, "We can never forget." Later, Aquaman again abused his telepathy in a bid to bend the considerably more willful Vixen to his will. The Manhunter pulled "Arthur Curry" toward him by the shoulder, then seized him by the collar and demanded, "That is enough!"

"Get your hand off me, J'Onn. Who do you think you are?"
"The question, my friend, is who do you think you are? ...Your determination to dominate has done harm enough for one night, my friend. Let her go. We must allow her to handle this matter alone... for the sake of the League."

Aquaman: Played all sincere and nice around Superman, Flash, and Wonder Woman, while Sue tried to let go of his rude remarks from a previous issue. Watched his friends set off on a Cosmic Treadmill to make up for their missing time.



Steel: Antagonized then apologized to Flash. Recalled the mental whammy Aquaman laid on him.

Vixen: After a two page myth sequence referencing her powers, focus of the issue shifted toward Vixen. On page nine, when she tried to get her freak on, she was distracted by Vibe's sister alerting the team Mother Windom had been kidnapped by General Maksai. She swore to confront her uncle, who was trying to extort her Tantu Totem from her, but was assaulted by Aquaman. Released, the book became entirely a Vixen solo issue for it's second half, wherein she had a deadly final confrontation with the killer of her father, "the Gored Ox."

Vibe: Shook Wonder Woman's hand, who patted him on the head.

Zatanna: Hugged Wonder Woman. Caught Vixen making out with Dale Gunn. Questioned Aquaman's recent actions.

Dale Gunn: "Since when did you become irresistible?"

Gypsy: Stood around.

The Creators: Conway, Patton, and Machlan make me angry as an Aquaman fan, with their unfair characterization of a hero that would fit right in with today's adulterated vigilantes. As a Manhunter fan though, I'm proud to see J'Onn speak truth to power and stand up for the sanctity of a person's mind and will.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: One time, Arthur called him "J'Onn." The rest of the time, Aquaman and the rest of the League (including Barry Allen) use his full name.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Rosita, mi hermana, what are you doing here?"

Justice League of America #238 (5/85)

Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash: Beaten by wraiths conjured from a souped-up Casio synthesizer slung like a guitar. Held captive by stock evil Commie, only to be rescued by Justice League Detroit. Rumor has it Barry died not during the Crisis, but from the embarrassment.

Vixen: Provided early example of meta-commentary by directly addressing Detroit League hatas.

Steel: Enabled Vixen.

Zatanna: Hated on Vixen, possibly because she broke the 4th wall, or perhaps because she came off as kind of a tramp back then. Used magic to control a thunderstorm and down Soviet Migs.

Vibe: Rightly impressed that Zatanna finally used her powers right. Vibrated a rogue Soviet trooper. Fried by a "key-tar."

Aquaman: Probably forced Vixen to make lame speech with his telepathy or something. Trash talked Gypsy. Made no mention of the concept of "morale."

Elongated Man: Stretched by Steel like a rubber band in an elastic double-team with Martian Manhunter.



Martian Manhunter: As Zatanna observed, "J'Onn J'Onzz, we're the only two in the group who can fly, so..."
"Your point is well taken, Zatanna. Shall we see how backward-spell magic and Martian adaptive power fare against military hardware?" While invisible and not, J'Onn tore apart a Mig with his bare hands, and was mistaken for a demon. "Strange, the effect I seem to have on people. I'm not that frightening in appearance, am I, Zatanna?" Before she could reply, Vixen asserted, "Hey-- not in my book, Big Green. Matter of fact, I like my men tall and lean." J'Onn and Zee also fought a fire-breathing pterodactyl wraith.

Gypsy: Projected her illusion powers directly into the evil Commie's mind, sending him into shock as he imagined himself falling from a great height.

Dale Gunn: Still flying that personnel transport.

The Creators: Have to date faced the Detroit League with such impressive foes as street gangs, embassy security agents, a baseball-themed villain, weak poseur heralds of a lame Galactus wanna-be, Soviet military forces, and a dude with a keytar. Indulge in meta-commentary because, for some reason, fans think the new team stinks.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Big Green" - Vixen
J'Onn J'Onzz wants to know why everyone calls J'Onn J'Onzz "J'Onn J'Onzz." J'Onn J'Onzz doesn't stand for ceremony. J'Onn J'Onzz just likes the spicy chicken.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Hey, relax, amigo."

Justice League of America #237 (4/85)

Vixen: Listened to Aquaman moan. Not like that. Disparaged by Hank Heywood Sr.

Aquaman: Moaned about his busted-up marriage, kingdom, and team to Vixen. Anxious when he learned Superman, Wonder Woman, and to a lesser degree Flash were back from whatever hole they'd crawled into, necessitating the League to work at half-strength during the Earth/Mars War.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Alarm interrupted something that forced the pair up in their robes. Disparaged by Hank Heywood Sr.

Gypsy: Acknowledged as actual member of team living in the Bunker. Disparaged by Hank Heywood Sr.

Vibe: Disparaged by Hank Heywood Sr. Understandably.

Dale Gunn: Karate practice with Steel and pilot of L.O.S.T. for trip to visit Steel's powerful military-industrial-complex-proponent grandfather Hank Heywood Sr.

Steel: Cried some more. Tossed Hank Heywood Sr. out a window. He was sensitive like that.

Zatanna and Martian Manhunter: The only other heroes to show up in costume and ready for action after Aquaman's alert that the missing founding Leaguers were spotted flying into the U.S.S.R.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: None. He hardly appeared.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Amigo, if this was a test..."

Creators: Conway, Patton, and Mike Machlan let the old Leaguers get all the action, while the new tended to foreshadowing of upcoming issues.

Justice League of America #236 (3/85)

Rebirth Part Four: Gypsy Genius



Aquaman: Teleported involuntarily with team to mountain headquarters of the Overmaster, who claimed he's what killed the dinosaurs. Overmaster and his evil super-team the Cadre attacked Aquaman's rudderless collective. Caught and returned a super-charged crowbar. Whined to self about his miserable failure as a monarch and group leader. Proven right when even Ralph ignored his orders. Wrestled freakin' Crowbar, only after the guy had lost his only weapon. Tried to redeem self with Captain America-brand speechifying. Vied for embarrassing quote spot with "Neptune's Trident!"

Steel: Bragged about his cyborg eyes again. Saved Vixen from Fastball, whom he later pitched. Narrowly avoided a second "Embarrassing Quote" spotlight with that "Man alive!" line.

Zatanna: Failed attack on Overmaster. Glorified lamp.

Vibe: Pulled a stupid face when saved from an Overmaster energy blast by Aquaman. Nailed by Crowbar. Saved by Steel from being blown away by Shrike, who also had to explain to Vibe how to use his power.

Vixen: Repeatedly rescued. Kicked Shatterfist in face.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Light recon, fought Black Mass, caught a falling sorceress.



Martian Manhunter: Rescued Vixen from energy blast. Analyzed and explained Black Mass' powers. Ordered team to retreat into a crevasse. Bragged, "A Martian's eyes are sensitive to the shadows..." Deduced Overmaster was a phony "god" relying on stolen alien machinery. Along with Aquaman, detected the "telepathic presence" of the gigantic sleeping alien victim of this theft. Only member to follow a command of Aquaman, "J'Onn, we're both telepaths... but you have more experience communicating with alien minds. You know what to do. The others and I will buy you time. As you say, my friend, good fortune." Took on the big boss himself. "Have you in your godlike travels ever seen a Martian shigar? Allow me to broaden your education!" Felled Overmaster with Gypsy's help.

Gypsy: Alerted Dale Gunn of the team's peril, who flew the both of them in a L.O.S.T., which traced the League's location. Blasted Overmaster in his/its Achilles tendon with laser. At the command of Martian Manhunter, reached the hovering pyramid that awakened the sleeping alien, who caused the Cadre to vanish and left Earth in its massive spaceship. Threw her hat in the embarrassment ring by admitting to self "Vibe is sexy..."

Dale Gunn: Looking for a parking space?

Creators: Conway & Patton w/Rick Magyar. Part of the rational behind a less powerful and experienced League was to avoid making established heroes look foolish or weak in combating a common monthly foe. Seems that rather than fixing a storytelling trap, the writer just introduced foolish and weak characters so that they could be written the same or worse without protest. Steel and Martian Manhunter are portrayed as the only seemingly competent members here (though Vixen performed well while injured.) Zatanna especially has had nothing to do since the new team formed, despite being arguable its most powerful member.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "JJ" -Steel, repeatedly.
"Martian" -Overmaster
Often referred to as "J'onn J'onzz," in full, this issue. Only Aquaman uses just his first name, and just as often in conjunction with the surname.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Taste the air, amigos."