The Vixen in Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984)

The Justice League Satellite had been ripped apart by the Earth/Mars War, and so had the team itself. Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash, and the Atom had all quit or were seemingly derelict in their duties. Aquaman's son was dead, his wife had left him, and his kingdom was fine without him. The Sea King decided to commit to the Justice League with all the vigor his fellow founders lacked, and demanded the same of any who would serve with him. Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Firestorm, Hawkman and Hawkwoman had lives to live beyond the super-team, so that the JLA as it once stood was no more. Aquaman officially dissolved the group, then began rebuilding anew. Zatanna, Elongated Man, and his wife Sue Dibny agreed to live for the team, 24/7. Martian Manhunter, now a permanent expatriate from Mars II, agreed to do the same. While they would form the core of a new collective, additional members and new headquarters would be needed.

At a photography studio in Mid-Manhattan, Mari McCabe was in the midst of a photo shoot when she heard the news on a television. Danny the shutterbug had a deadline, but Mari quit right then and there. That same night, the Vixen donned her new costume and tracked the JLA to a temporary suite on the 23rd floor of the New York Hilton. She was spotted by Zee through a window climbing outside the building. The Lady Fox clawed her way up to the roof, reached just before Aquaman burst out from the stairwell. Vixen tackled the Sea King, but was blown away by magical winds. Elongated Man stretched to grab Vixen, but she leaped onto his head, then back, then over the ledge. While flying through the air, the She-Fox was caught in the Martian Manhunter's enlarged grasp.



J'Onn J'Onzz plopped Vixen down on the ground, where she was encircled by heroes, yet remained nonplussed. "'Female, explain yourself'-- I'm gonna choke, you guys are so funny. *Snort* HaHaHa!" J'Onzz took offense at her laughter. "Not at you, big, green and handsome. You're much too cute." Vixen introduced herself, thinking Superman might have mentioned her after the two adventures they had together from when she still wore her blue and gold outfit. She wanted to join up, and the recently separated Aquaman admitted "Well, we need more members... and she certainly has style. She's got my vote." No actual voting took place, but one wonders how that might have turned out.

Almost immediately, the new hero Steel talked the Justice League into inducting him, with the incentive of their own jetship and a new hi-tech headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. "I'm impressed, kid. Built this yourself with a tinkertoy set?" Vixen was more impressed by Steel's surrogate father, Dale Gunn. "Hey, handsome..." Curiously, Zatanna was also interested in the balding, middle-aged chocolate champion, so Mari smirked, "Careful. I saw him first."

The team settled in Detroit, and during a grocery run with Steel, or rather "Hank" while they were in plainclothes, the pair discovered the metahuman punk Vibe. They petitioned Aquaman to include him on the team, but were refused. Steel took it hard, confiding that of the group, he only liked Ralph, Sue, and the "terrific" Mari. Vibe showed up at the League's doorstep anyway, and while his attempts to pick up Mari were shrugged off, his final membership was not.



Later that night, the invisible Gypsy tried to break into the base, setting off alarms. Vixen had her own personalized kimono, and caught Zatanna leaving Dale's company in a translucent nightgown. She grinned, "Gunn and Zatanna, hm? Girl, I told you I saw him first." The juvenile Gypsy was the one prospective member refused initial admission, but she escaped before her delinquency could be discussed with local authorities.

The neighborhood threw a surprise party for their new heroes, and Vixen joined Vibe for a dance.

Gerry Conway, Chuck Patton & Dave Hunt present "--The End of the Justice League!" While there are a few nods to the old Vixen, lover Solomon Samuels was clearly out of the picture. The Lady Fox was clearly on the prowl, and in a vastly superior costume that actually evoked a freakin' fox. This fun-loving, kittenish Vixen is my favorite take on the character, and Patton my favorite artist.

The Bronze Age

• Wonder Woman #290 (April, 1982) @ Diana Prince
• Manhunter in Detective Comics #439 (February-March, 1974) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• The Atom in Brave and the Bold #152 (July, 1979) @ Power of the Atom
• The Huntress in "Gotham Town Is Burning Down!" (August/September, 1978) @ DC Bloodlines

Back Issue #40 (May, 2010): “Foxy Lady: The Vixen”

TwoMorrows Publishing’s Back Issue magazine features a section called “Greatest Stories Never Told,” which examines various comic book tales that either never made it into print, or did so in a form heavily altered from the original intention. For instance, interviewer John Schwirian discussed Gerry Conway’s initial plans for his co-creation (with artist Bob Oksner) of the first major black super-heroine at DC Comics, the Vixen. The Lady Fox’s debut comic book story missed its scheduled appearance in her own self-titled bimonthly series in 1978, instead ending up cataloged in the copyright-securing Xeroxed “print run” of Cancelled Comics Cavalcade given out to staffers and kept on file. The book was lettered up to the penultimate page, but never colored. No further work was done on the comic, besides a script by Bob Rozakis for a planned back-up feature in the second issue meant to star Harlequin.

Vixen’s first appearance in a title that was actually circulated came three years later in a team-up with Superman. After one more such guest spot three years later, Vixen finally made a minor splash as a member of the “new” Detroit-based Justice League of America, in an entirely different costume with a revised origin from the one held back from the public six years prior. It would be another quarter century before Vixen finally got a solo mini-series.

Getting back to the character’s origins, Gerry Conway was one of the premier writer/editors employed by DC to help glut the market, in a bid to pull market share away from Marvel Comics. This special talent required coming up with unexplored angles that might draw in new readers. The only black super-heroine most people knew of in 1978 was Storm, well before the X-Men were the industry juggernaut they would become in the ‘80s. Conway saw a need for more, and tried to come up with a unique power set for his developing creation. “Quite a few heroes had ‘animal’ powers… but I liked the idea of a hero who’d have many different abilities to draw on… I was aware of Animal Man, but that was a character who hadn’t been used in almost a decade, and I felt my take on the idea was different enough… I liked the idea of tying Vixen’s powers to her heritage, making her more than just another ‘lucky accident’ kind of hero.”

Conway flew by the seat of his pants, Stan Lee style, so he only had vague ideas of where the book would have gone beyond the first story. No further use of the African background was planned, as the Vixen was meant to be a pure urban vigilante from then on. “I hoped to write the series for a long time and develop the character... letting the stories themselves suggest future events as I wrote them.” However, the Vixen material lay fallow, even as other cancelled books from the “DC Implosion” were repurposed in surviving titles. Conway confided, “Honestly, I don’t think anyone was that wild about how the first issue turned out.” Still, “I loved the character, and wanted to see her in print anywhere it was possible.” The first opportunity was the aforementioned Action Comics, followed a few years later by a DC Comics Presents team-up.



Conway was part of the team hoping to revamp the Justice League of America as another young, hip, soapy super-team along the lines of The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. It instead fell a bit short of the low bar set by Batman and the Outsiders, mixing leftover C-listers with Conway creations both old (Vixen & Steel) and new (Vibe & Gypsy.) “I wasn’t happy with her original look, and saw this as an opportunity to start over. Mostly, I wanted to make her more interesting.”

The team book’s artist, Chuck Patton, was asked to redeem Vixen visually. “I do remember at the time, that I followed Oksner’s initial design for Vixen—but I did not like the overall color scheme. I believe she was dressed then in some kind of light bluish and yellow that I thought was just awful. The goal of the new Justice League was to bring a younger but harder-edged appearance to the team rather than the Old Guard's primary colors.” Of Vixen, Conway noted, "I wanted her to balance Gypsy's youth and inexperience with a more seasoned, mature approach. Making Vixen's character more ‘edgy’ was an attempt to bring a different kind of energy to the team.”

Patton continued, “Gerry's description of her stayed basically to how he created her— same as before—but he was open to however I wanted to visually interpret her. So first thing first—I needed her looking more earthy and sexy—so I changed her colors to an earthier color palette—to denote not only the fox aspect of her identity but also her African origins as well… I wanted her to be majestic, powerful, and roguish… However, a 'vixen' isn't exactly known as such a creature. So I turned to Marvel Comics for inspiration. I revised her hairdo to reflect a wild animal approach, again utilizing a fox-like image, but I didn't want her wearing a mask and becoming a black Catwoman... What I was going for was to literally make her a female Wolverine… Hey, I was young and fairly impressionable back then… I was also using Grace Jones as my real-life model for Vixen—and Grace wore many a wild wig in her day! …Of the new Justice Leaguers' outfits I created, I was and still am most proud of Vixen.”

I agree with Patton’s assessment, even though it may seem like damning with faint praise, given the company. I really do like the suit, and despite the similarities to Timber Wolf and Wolverine, I wish she had retained more of Patton’s contributions through successive reworking. Regardless, the fact that Vixen has managed to stay in print for most of the years since her reintroduction is certainly a credit to Conway and Patton. Also deserving of credit is John Schwirian for his excellent write-up, available in full here.

Detail: Justice League of America #239 (June, 1985)

After the Detroit-era Justice League rescued Superman, Wonder Woman and the Flash (Barry Allen) from the U.S.S.R., the representatives of two JLofA incarnations had a pow-wow at the Bunker. Aquaman was forced by Superman to justify his disbanding the original Justice League of America.

...You weren't here. Neither was Green Lantern. During the Earth-Mars War, the League fought at half strength... and it was only through the aid of J'Onn J'Onzz that the Martian attack was eventually turned back...

There was a time when the League stood as a symbol... 'the World's Greatest Heroes,' the press called us, gathered to stand in common cause against injustice. Do you remember how it was back then? The seven of us... the original League...

We faced each threat as a team, together, and the League was our highest priority. In those early days, none of us missed a crisis. We depended on each other, and we were always there.

As time passed, the League grew... adding more and more members to our roll call-- and yes, losing members as well. J'Onn J'Onzz was the first to resign; the Batman, the last. And somewhere along the way, that original sense of purpose and commitment was lost as well. For some of us, the League was no longer our first priority... sometimes, not even our second.

What happened during the Earth-Mars War was only the most recent, most obvious example of a continuing trend. Isn't it obvious? The League was already dead, at least in the original sense. I simply signed the death certificate.

Aquaman Shrine Interview with Chuck Patton - 2009

Back in February, I decided to do a creator profile for this blog on Chuck Patton, the criminally under-appreciated co-creator of the Detroit-era Justice League. Patton has since moved on from comics, but after stumbling upon my humble blog, we had a brief dialogue. I love Patton's work, and told him so, but between my anti-social tendencies and minor virtual presence, I wasn't inclined to do anything myself to take advantage of my good fortune. However, I know Rob Kelly's a swell guy with a heavily trafficked series of blogs. Further, Rob is also a Patton fan, as he's mentioned at his Aquaman Shrine and sadly discontinued JLA Satellite blogs. Most importantly, Rob's a great interviewer, and I knew he could get Patton the coverage he deserved, and me the article I wanted to read, without actually doing the work!

Presto! Interview Magic!

The short version is that Patton drew the most iconic Justice League of America this side of George Pérez or José Luis García-López, so of course the 1980s dictated he'd soon get stuck with breakdancers and cyborgs. Also, I suspect from what I read, someone in DC editorial must have blackballed Patton. This guy did fantastic work, and would have been a boon for any title that would have him, but he's losing jobs to Ed Barreto and Paris Cullins? Both of whom I like, but still... Barreto was a terrible fit for New Teen Titans, where Patton could have buoyed it after the mismanaged transition to Direct Market Only. Visions fill my head of Patton following Pérez on Wonder Woman instead of the awful Chris Marrinan... Detective Comics under Patton instead of Graham Nolan... maybe Green Lantern and Aquaman could have held down series in the 80s with Patton on board? Oh, how I weep for the possibilities...

Anyhow, Rob and Chuck Patton were a fine pair, though I was disappointed by the lack of Detroit coverage. Patton is on record as (understandably) hating Vibe, but no mention was made of Steel, Gypsy, Vixen or even Zatanna. Patton and Kelly shared love for Aquaman, and Elongated Man got name-checked as well. My favorite, Martian Manhunter-- not so much. But of all his creations, Patton spoke at length only of Dale Gunn. I always liked Dale, but where he was presented as a Steel supporting character, he was conceived in the Batman/Green Arrow mode. I blame the hairline.

DC Challenge #1-2 (11-12/1985)

Batman: The Riddler sent Bruce Wayne a Beta video cassette stating the he knew Batman's real identity. Clues led the Dark Knight Detective to the Gotham Museum of Knighthood, where he busted second-story man Lenny Horton stealing as ancient stone tablet. The Caped Crusader learned the real Riddler was still behind bars, unaware of the videotaped challenge. At the Gotham City Power Plant, which clues had led him to, Batman found a pointy-eared, pink-skinned Nosferatu type. Turns out the nuclear device was inside Bruce Wayne's Betamax, set to explode in eight seconds. Unable to contact anyone about the bomb from the plant, Batman used a batarang to shut down service to half the city. His taunting, turbaned, antagonist vanished in the confusion. Numbers were left written on a wall as a clue.

Aquaman: Superman flew to the JLA satellite, where the Sea King had abandoned monitor duty for parts unknown. In the Sahara Desert, a robed figure wandered the wasteland. At the sight of water, Aquaman cast off his protective garb, only to be crushed by the realization it was just a mirage. Delirious, the Sea King collapsed into the sand, vultures circling overhead.

Part 1 by Mark Evanier, Gene Colan and Bob Smith.
Part 2 by Len Wein, Chuck Patton and Mike DeCarlo.

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

DC Sampler #2 (9/84)

Presenting: the first ever appearance of Justice League Detroit! Click on the image below to see the full, high resolution glory...

Drawn by Chuck Patton with inks by future "Martian Manhunter" artist Tom Mandrake, this piece was part of a free comic DC used to circulate once a year to hype their entire line. I loved these things growing up, as they really did feel like a window into another universe; always featuring exclusive art, synopsis, and other information on comics I didn't or couldn't read.

As was the case for most of Patton's run, J'Onn J'Onzz and Zatanna are the furthest in the background, though it's strange Steel is also way out. Maybe Patton wasn't as enthusiastic about a carryover from a long-canceled series by writer Gerry Conway as he was the new characters they co-created? After all, Gypsy is surprisingly prominent... as is her green eyeshadow, making her look like a glamorous raccoon. The Disco Dazzler had even abandoned that look by then.

Poor Aquaman. Patton drew him so well, and he seems so hopeful about his newfound spotlight as team leader. A shame he was guiding the lot to infamy, and that he himself would bail out midway through their run as Justice League of America. It's also funny that he's directly below Batman, his successor in the role, who himself vanished after one story arc without explanation.

Vixen was another leftover of Conway's, but Patton got to design an entirely new costume for her, though the domino mask vanished before it appeared elsewhere.

I wonder if Patton misjudged how much space he needed, crowding five team members onto one page, while only three spread out in the next. I suspect that's why Elongated Man was given such attention, as his power allowed his to cover a lot of ground. It's also funny to see Vibe so dark complected, a real reminder of the multicultural aspect of the team. I don't think he ever wore those dish washing gloves again, thankfully.

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

Who's Who Vol.X: Gypsy (12/85)

Like most of the new Detroit League, my first reaction to Gypsy was "eh." Since I had dropped JLI before her appearances there, I first made her acquaintance in the first issue of "Justice League Task Force." Like I suspect a good many readers at the time, my thought was "who is this person?" She kept popping up though, and I started raiding back issues, filling in the gaps of my knowledge. I paid special attention to Gypsy in light of her connection to J'Onn J'Onzz though, and with time his affection toward Gypsy rubbed off on me.

I believe the character has a great deal to offer now, and in retrospect I find her very influential. She was like the anti-Kitty Pryde: Secretive... spiteful... sarcastic... as often the cause of problems as the solution... quite often the damsel in distress very much needing a save from teammates. No Wesley Crusher showboating for Gypsy!

I can see where that wouldn't play with fans of the Justice League in the mid-80's, but I can just as easily see the genesis of characters like DKR's Carrie Kelly, the X-Men's Jubilee, and every other Joss Whedon creation. While I can understand her Cyndi Lauper/Stevie Nicks/Madonna shtick rubbing people the wrong way, I find it interesting that she's one of the very few super-heroes dating back a quarter century for whom snarky dialogue is entirely appropriate, as opposed to forced. She was both behind and ahead of her time at once.

I don't know that I'd be as excited about a Gypsy mini-series as I was Vixen, but still, a character deserving of less animosity and even, dare I say it, TLC? I imagine Gypsy being a "Cloak & Dagger" type for the DC Universe-- a street-level heroine dealing with teen runaways, junkies, alternative lifestyles, and prostitutes alongside a helping of "teh wierd." You may laugh, but try to remember Gypsy counts Lady Shiva, Vandal Savage and Despero amongst her personal foes, and still carried a membership in the Birds of Prey last I heard. You've come a long way, baby...

Art by Chuck Patton & Bob Smith.

Justice League of America #221-223 (12/93-2/84)

To be honest, I'm more of a JLA fan in theory than practice. I was familiar with "Super Friends" and other sideways exposures, but I didn't start picking up the title regularly until the International period. I then skipped out, returned for "Breakdowns," and left again with Giffen & DeMatteis. I came back for Gerard Jones' largely execrable run, but again steered mostly clear until Morrison finally fulfilled the promise of the classic team. I did eventually go back to the early and quite painful Gardner Fox and Denny O'Neil runs, plus a smattering of Satellite issues before diving into the Detroit train wreck.

My point in telling you all this is that unless Showcase reveals the 70's to be a golden decade, the Justice League of America has trended toward the lousy for nearly its entire existence. In my experience, the "classic" membership sucks all the life out of the stories, leaving it up to the aberrant and inappropriate to produce anything worthwhile to read. The three issues I'm spotlighting here are no exception, as they deal mostly with a criminal cartel run by were-corporate executives given to grisly gladiator combat, and the League's stepping into their arena is as curious and exciting as it is plain wrong. Allow me to detail why:



The story opens with filthy, amorally rich spectators sent into orgiastic fits when splattered by blood ejaculated into their faces from the killing floor of a metropolitan coliseum. This was followed by Superman and Wonder Woman being battered unconscious by an anthropomorphic killer whale. A man-rhino then gores the Flash and leaves him for dead. Hawkman us at an archaeological dig where scientists are skewered and crushed by giant hybrid scorpions, one of whom's stingers penetrates the winged warrior's backside and leaves him deathly limp and the bloodletting continues. Elongated Man is savaged by attack birds and a steam press run by an old... Chinese... wait, that wasn't were-creature related. Ralph Dibney just sucked, and got his ass kicked by a geriatric Yellow Peril leftover. Oh, and writer Gerry Conway's pet character Firestorm avoids getting powned by taking a renegade cat woman into his care. As I hope I've illustrated, this story is gory as hell and uncompromisingly brutal in a manner that grabs your attention span by the collar and slaps it across the face.

Things slowed down considerably in the second chapter, as the catwoman revealed she was part of the board of an insolvent company that chose to mutate itself and turn to technology theft to buoy their fortunes. I know it seems ridiculous, and it is, but imagine the pleasure of seeing the League combat a Ken Lay jackal-man and you'll forgive the excess. Besides, there's an extended arena clash between evil leader lion Rex and a traitor that ends in barehanded disembowelment and decapitation, which is always distracting. Hawkman being gassed in his sickbed along with Hawkwoman while Wonder Woman is beaten into submission and taken hostage also works. I only wish it were the Amazing Amazon that got gored, as the subtext would add a sexual component to this great mound of wrongness.

By the final chapter, so many life fluids were flowing that they had to start coloring it purple to get past the Comics Code Authority, or else it was expelled in such haste as to have not yet taken on oxygen. The surviving Leaguers invaded the were-Republicans secret island base, where Superman was pelted with red sun radiation and crucified. Aquaman fared better, using his telepathy to lobotomize the whale man, never to be heard from again. The sea king also choked a snakeman, making him the big winner in backsliding to barbarism amongst our heroes. Zatanna even managed to be useful, though the were-men were devolving throughout the arc, and ended up regressed back to seemingly lifeless animal form. Somebody call PETA?

The full arc was pencilled by Chuck Patton, who by rights could have been the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez of the 80's if he'd just stayed the course. He even managed to overcome the inking of Romeo Tanghal, a feat George Perez struggled with. I don't know that anyone has ever drawn so iconic and dynamic a Justice League, which only furthered the contrast with the savagery of their foes. It was wonderful, and of course all to brief, and the rest of Patton's career would be defined by his guilt in co-creating Vibe, the breakdancing wonder. If only we could get the inter company crossovers up and running again, so that Patton and Steve Ditko could craft the perfect coda to their respective careers-- a team-up with Speedball.

In summary, do go find these three back issues and relish them. It was all pop locking and BWAHAHA for the next couple decades. If anyone can recommend a similar diversion from Satellite Era shittiness, do leave a comment. Stories like this I could make room for.

Vixen's Origin (1985)

A fine character gets a very solid origin. I'm just glad that she's getting used regularly since her "Justice League Unlimited" appearances. Gina Torres was perfectly cast and helped by affection for Mari grow.

Click To Expand

Who's Who Vol.V: The Cadre (7/85)

This is (if I recall correctly) the only super-team created specifically for the Detroit-Era Justice League. While most of the Cadre belong in that dark place where truly wretched characters go to die, I kind of like Overmaster, and even more, the walking cliche that is Shatterfist. The dude punched a crowbar-- in half! This guy would have Powned Chuck Norris' Karate Kommandos. Word.

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."

Justice League of America #235 (2/85)

Rebirth Part Three: Heavy Metal



Vixen: Now a wanted suspect, McCabe attacked her uncle at the M'changa Embassy. General Maksai proved a dominating force, and his niece was shot in the shoulder. Wasn't this a Steel spotlight issue?

Steel: Stood up for the fugitive Vixen before having his mind clouded. Saved himself and Gypsy from an attack by Fastball, the assassassin super-pitcher (not a typo.) Unloaded his emotionally twisted origin story on Zatanna, shedding a tear. Age is established as 19.

Gypsy: Loitered invisibly at JLA HQ, then flirted with Steel before they were attacked. Blew Vibe a raspberry and bailed.

Vibe: Helped cool down Steel, man.

Zatanna: Used magic to trace Vixen and in later battle.

Aquaman: Cursed Vixen's vigilantism and intended to bring her to justice. Used his telepathy to cloud the particularly susceptible mind of Steel when the lad voiced objection. Led the team against Maksai's security agents to rescue Vixen. Denied New York police demands that he turn the heroine over to them.



Martian Manhunter: Detected Aquaman's abuse of power against Steel, and silently displayed shock and disapproval over six panels, half of which being solely close-ups. During the assault on the M'changa Embassy, disguised himself as a green door with his creepy mannequin hand as the knob. I always thought it was just Marilyn Chambers behind that one. Cradled the ailing Vixen, who again teased, "For you... tall, green... and handsome... anything. Elongated Man noted, "Y'know, Zee, it's pretty hard to tell with a Martian... but I could swear Big Green's blushing.
"I wouldn't be surprised, Ralph. After all, Mari McCabe is a former fashion model, quite aware of her beauty... and how to use it."

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Stretching in work and play.

The Creators: Patton played to his art strengths this issue. Shame some of that gumption was wasted on Fastball.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: Besides using his full name repeatedly...
"Big Green" -Elongated Man

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: Paco was well-behaved this outing, expressing a functional command of the English language. Instead, we'll use an excerpt of Steel cursing..."BUNK!" Harsh word, b'gosh! No wonder Aquaman had to reign this wild card in! Alternately, there's Aquaman being written as a total, well, that actually would be an expletive. Try lines like "When I want your questions... I'll ask for them" directed at Sue Dibney, or calling Steel a "young idiot" whom he orders to "Sit down and shut up."

Justice League of America #234 (1/85)

Rebirth Part Two: Claws


Vixen: Saved a black church congregation led by the Reverend Richard Pryor (er--Andrew Sinclair--) from ebony & ivory hippy terrorist duo trying to run everyone over with a convertible. I can't make this kind of thing up. Turned out Oreo hoods were in cahoots with an evil visiting African dictator who also happened to be Vixen's uncle (and the murderer of her father.) Vixen tore out a jailhouse wall at a Detroit police department to go all Jack Bauer on the thugs for information on General Mustapha Maksai, ruining the new League's relationship with the local law.

Steel: Flexed muscles in speedo. Whined to self. Made out with Vibe's sister. Used cyborg vision to track Gypsy briefly. Humiliated by Aquaman. I thought this was supposed to be Vixen's issue?

Aquaman: Jacked with Steel for no good reason.

Zatanna: Pushed Aquaman in pool for jacking with Steel. Both chuckle over incident.

Gypsy: Stalked Steel on his date, then distracted him into giving chase. Age established as 14.

Vibe: Fully recovered from knife wound. Angry about Steel making time with sister. Pop-locks. Wears mid-drift bearing muscle shirt. Joined Steel in trailing enraged Vixen to and from jail.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Ate sandwiches while watching tv. No, seriously.



Martian Manhunter: When Vixen was researching the general, J'Onn eavesdropped on her thoughts, then questioned, "Who is his man, Maksai? Why do you hate him so?" Though Vixen reaffirmed her "thing for big green guys," she wasn't in the mood to share. J'Onn thought, "For your sake-- for the sake of our budding friendship-- I must know." J'Onn deduced(?) Vixen's hidden past as a survivor of Maksai's coup fifteen years prior (establishing her age as roughly 25) and unveiled much of it to an assembled League.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: None, unless you count the overly formal use of "J’Onn J’Onzz" in full.

Creators: Conway, Patton, and Bill Anderson, vastly improving on the previous entry. Plus, a "Crisis" teaser with the Monitor and Harbinger and the first appearance of Shatterfist.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Chu not bad--chu sad."

Justice League of America #233 (12/84)

Rebirth Part One: Gang War


Vibe: Breakdanced. Flaunted public identity. Threatened by black gangbanger with superhuman crowbar-weilding skills. Rescued by elderly African-American woman. The aforementioned Mother Windom was then harassed by pair of butch white chicks from one of those infamous multi-racial, transgendered street gangs you were always seeing in 80's Charles Bronson movies. They're beaten by Zatanna and Vixen, with a last minute save by a humiliated Vibe. Vibe tried to prove himself by harassing his gangleader brother, who ran a crew of "greasers," hopefully less anachronistic than just covering for an inability to use "beaners," itself bearing all the sting of "honkies." Vibe stabbed in back by butch chick from rival Rainbow Ruffs gang. Saved by League, while his brother continued to preach "el barrio" self-esteem through street brawling. Oh, and the black dude with a crowbar was given actual super-powers by an alien presence. Note how lame Vibe is in his own cover-featured spotlight story.

Vixen & Zatanna: Shop. Use incredible powers to brutalize the most silly-looking, non-threatening gangstas since the Sharks and the Jets.

Steel: Nearly killed himself trying to prove he could lift a whopping three tons to Aquaman. Rumbled in hood, ya'll.

Aquaman: Began consistent characterization in this run as first-rate jerk by imperiling Steel. Whomped hoodrats. Indulged in white guilt at denouement.

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: Painted a room chartreuse, to the chagrin of J'onn and Arthur.

Gypsy: Stole an apple. Knocked out Crowbar with his own tool while invisible.

Martian Manhunter: Appeared on about eight pages in not many more panels. J'Onn was present for Steel's testing, and argued with the overbearing Sea King.
"Aquaman, Steel is just a boy, after all-- not yet a man by human reckoning. He wants desperately to prove himself..."
Arthur countered, "Then let him. He's a Justice Leaguer, J'Onn. You were one of the first members of the original team-- you should know what that means--"
"I know what it does not mean, Aquaman-- it does not mean testing oneself to destruction--"

As Steel collapsed from the strain, an excellent text piece examined his saviors:
"J'Onn J'Onzz, one-time leader of Mars II, now an exile from his land and his people. Aquaman, born Arthur Curry-- former Lord of Atlantis and King of the Seven Seas, deposed by his former subjects, abandoned by his wife... despite his half-human heritage, an outcast among men. Two who share a similar past-- and possess very different attitudes for the present." While Arthur slipped into jerk mode, J'Onn played the cool-headed, supportive counterpoint. Here though, it was Dale Gun who butted heads with Arthur, leading him to waffle.
"Why is it so hard to admit my mistakes, J'Onn?"
"Habit. Old monarchs make poor drill sergeants."
"It's just this new League is so important to me-- I want us to succeed."
"You musn't let it distort your vision, Arthur..."

The Martian Manhunter joined in on the gang war, though he seemed to see humor in the deeply unfair odds. At one point, he grew into a hulking giant and batted thugs about like a boy manhandling G.I. Joes.



Dale Gunn: "Back off, Fish-Man. The kid did his best. I told you he was at his limit." Then, when Aquaman told him to mind his own business, "Maybe it slipped your mind, but I designed and built this place for the kid's grandpa. Your League is just borrowing it" Dale pressed further his devotion to Hank, and even jabbed Aquaman repeatedly in the chest with his finger. Dale later confided to Hank he thought Henshaw Sr. had made a mistake in opening the Bunker to the JLofA, and in allowing Steel to join the team. Dale was a wise man.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: Arthur remains the only Leaguer to refer to "J'Onn" by first name alone.

The Creators: Artist Chuck Patton was plainly giving this awful issue his all, painfully over-rending against his natural clean style to capture a Frank Miller grit the script undercut at every turn. Conway is the problem at this point, as he could put the Justice League in Detroit, but he couldn't get Detroit into his Leaguer's dialogue, yet. There was a two issue fill-in gap between the annual that introduced the new team and this first issue, which made for a terrible first foot forward with regards to anyone still undecided about the new take.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: Tough call, as Vibe started the issue doing some sort of doo-wop/human beat box hybrid, but I settled on, "See wha'chu made me do? I could'a handled this withou' chu, man, it wasn't your fight!"

Justice League Detroit

(Art by Tom Grummet and Bob Petrecca from JLA-Z #2, Dec. '03)


In the early 80's, like much of DC's line, Justice League of America's sales stunk. Marvel had slowly but surely overtaken DC as the comic book sales leader in the 70's, and DC was feeling the heat. This sales crunch would lead to the "Marvelization" of DC in 1986, but what good would that be to Gerry Conway in 1984?

Conway was a popular Spider-Man writer in the 1970's, who made the move to DC late in that decade. After a number of failed series, and the modest success of Firestorm, Gerry took on JLofA. At that time, royalties were just beginning to be given to comic creators, but up to that point JLofA was the last book anyone would want to work on. While a popular title, writers and artists were not compensated for the extra work involved in producing a series about a 1/2 dozen + heroes with diverse looks and powers, often fighting villains of equal numbers. The series was creatively stagnant, buoyed by name brand characters and the Super Friends cartoon show.

For several years, Conway plugged away at fun JLofA stories that didn't attract much attention in the rollicking 80's, and sales continued to falter. Eventually, something had to be done. I doubt anyone at DC would admit to this, but it looks like they attempted to give JLofA the same X-Men flavor that turned The New Teen Titans into DC's gangbuster sales juggernaut of the early 80's. Instead of an international cast, JLofA would be the first major multicultural super-team. The group would consist of an Hispanic, a woman of African descent, a runaway teen of vaguely ethnic origins, an alien, a disenfranchised youth, and a few mainstays. Instead of a satellite in orbit over earth, the JLofA would now work out of a warehouse in Detroit. Sporadic Denny O'Neil style "relevant" stories would be told. None of the team members would have series outside of JLofA, giving Conway creative control that outstripped even Claremont's. There would be more personal interaction, and character's lives would actually be at stake. Kind of like the X-Men.

It looked good on paper, anyway.

Back to that alien. Conway, and penciller Chuck Patton, had created their "streetwise" team. Too bad most were terrifically underpowered to face anything remotely resembling a significant threat. Super-strength, invisibility, elasticity, animal mimicry, under-water breathing, and vibratory powers are not especially impressive. While Conway still had the magical Zatanna, the team needed a powerhouse to carry them. Guess who Conway picked?

Justice League Detroit was not an official title at the time, but it stuck in fan circles, even though they spent only half their life in the city. Initially despised within comic circles, they were still featured in some pretty good stories, which may have made them cult favorites after the fact. Sells held up for a while, but it just wasn't the JLofA. Editor Alan Gold expected trouble from the change, and allowed himself a full page editorial in the annual to discuss his rational behind accepting writer Gerry Conway's proposal. Conway had wanted to reuse his short-lived Steel and Vixen characters from the 70's, while artist Chuck Patton had been looking for a place to put his ideas for Vibe and the Stevie Nicks/Cyndi Lauper/Madonna inspired Gypsy.

Detroit (featuring Aquaman)
Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984)
The New Teen Titans #4 (1/85)
Justice League of America #233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238,239
JL of A #240 was an inventory story featuring the previous team.
Justice League of America #241, #242, #243
JLA Classified #22 (Early July, 2006)
JLA Classified #23 (Late July, 2006)
JLA Classified #24 (8/06)
JLA Classified #25 (9/06)
Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer #1 (1986)

Crisis On Infinite Earths
JLA: Incarnations #5 (11/2001): First Story, Third Story
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Beyond the Silent Night (1985)
Infinity Inc. #19 (10/85)
Justice League of America # 244 (11/85)
Justice League of America Annual #3 (1985)
Crisis On Infinite Earths #8-12 (11/85-3/86)

New York
Justice League of America #246, 247, 248, 249

Gotham (featuring Batman)
Justice League of America #250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255

Legends
Justice League of America#256, #257
Legends #1, #2,
Justice League of America #258, #259, #260, #261
JLA: Incarnations #5 (Third Story, Nov. 2001)
Legends #3-6 (1-4/87)