Justice League Task Force #8 (1/94)

Martian Manhunter: Unable to locate the briefcase containing the virus, the transgendered extraterrestrial opted to marry the queen of the Daals and be taken to the "holy place" where it was stored. "Your request to consummate our mating at the holy place is most unusual, Joan. But your happiness in my preeminent desire." J'Onzz argued that he/she had little choice in the matter, and resented not being consulted on much of anything. Her-Who-Must-Be-Served began to cry, thinking "Joan" hated her, and forced the Martian to sooth her wounded heart. At the holy place, J'Onzz again asked for the briefcase. "I shall tell you afterwards, Joan. Nothing shall distract me from this moment, which I have so long anticipated. Look upon me, Joan J'Onzz. Look at her who loves you, in all her glory." Her glory, it seemed, included a penis.

"Every generation, there is a Daal who is half male, half female. Thus is our species perpetuated... Relax, Joan J'Onzz, it is our time of joining." As this wasn't a hentai comic, our Martian transformed into his usual masculine self. "...all right, that's it! There's only so far I'm going with this!" In a moment of (perhaps understandable) homophobia, J'Onzz grabbed Her-Who-Must-Be-Served's swinging arm and forced it behind her back, then used his other fist to ball a handful of hair and position Her's privates in the opposite direction. The case was located, and everyone exited out of an active volcano... with much hesitation...

"My fear of fire... it's psychosomatic. I... I shouldn't... but it's just so.. so hot... I can do this! Just... don't look down!" While the otherworldly wuss waffled, Her-Who-Must-Be-Served snuck up behind him, and leapt on his back! "It was a lie! You were laughing at me! All the time, secretly laughing! I thought I loved you, but there was nothing there to love! You don't care about me! You never--!" In her scorned fit, Her-Who-Must-Be-Served failed to notice the trouble Martian Manhunter was having remaining aloft, though he dove to rescue Her from the lava after she took a tumble. "Her... I am... I am truly sorry. I am sorry to have deceived you. But I was never laughing at you. I..." Her-Who-Must-Be-Served wiped away her tears, and said, "I don't want your apologies. You've saved my life. The least I can do... is give you back yours." J'Onzz became "Joan" one more time, and kissed Her-Who-Must-Be-Served on the cheek. "If you ever change your mind, Joan J'Onzz... I shall be here."

J'Onn J'Onzz confided in Gypsy, "There is a tempting simplicity in the notion of shirking everything... living in a 'romantic' underground world. But I think our physical relationship would be... strained." Gypsy figured that was his call, as he could become "Joan" at will. "Perhaps, but not a decision I choose to make."

Dolphin: Perhaps anxious about her speaking streak, kept quiet for most of the issue. Cried at the wedding of J'Onzz to Her-Who-Must-Be-Served, then trailed the pair from a river. Found the briefcase containing the virus anchored to the river bottom. Both were carried to safety by the Manhunter.

Maxima: Found all this lesbianism disgusting and unnatural. Sneered at the Daals and hauled Vixen around. Used a psionic field to block the Daals pursuit of the group through the cavern of exit. Demanded of J'Onn J'Onzz as he struggled with his then-psychosomatic weakness to fire, "For God's sake, stop your simpering... and act like a woman!"

Wonder Woman: Asked "Who are you to say, Maxima, what means of satisfaction is appropriate for a woman?" As for how the Amazons of Themyscira dealt with the lack of men, "All I'll say is... We don't call it 'Paradise Island' for nothing." When a drunken Luta tried to take out her murderous rage at her queen's marrying someone other than her on the captive agent, Diana came to the rescue to free the male. Rejoined her team to fly those unable out of the underground city.

Vixen: Had girl talk with her teammates during the downtime. Joked of Wonder Woman's home "I always figured not having men around was enough reason for it to be paradise." Called on powers of the bird to follow J'Onzz and Her-Who-Must-Be-Served in the air. Upon the queen's big reveal, "Wow. Y'know, I guessed the secret of 'The Crying Game,' but this I never saw coming!" Fought the Daals again, and was stabbed in the leg while protecting Maxima. Carried by Maxima in return for the rest of the mission. Thought the theory of the Daals coming from outer space was dumb.

Gypsy: After "Joan" was bathed by courtesans, she ordered everyone out, then turned attention elsewhere. "Gypsy... your camouflage powers don't hide you from me. I was quite specific that I didn't want any of you in here during this... farce... If you ever...I mean ever...tell Blue Beetle...or Guy...or Booster..." Gypsy offered J'Onzz two Midol, then tailed Luta to the "Only Man" as directed. "And Batman! For God's sake, don't tell Batman!" Hit a guard on the head, then identified herself to the captive. "'Gypsy'? Like the stripper?" Our heroine responded, "In your dreams, pal." She noted that since he didn't know where his briefcase with the virus was taken, he'd have to stay in jail until after the wedding of "Joan" to Her-Who-Must-Be-Served. Invisibly tracked the newlyweds, then found a cave leading back to the surface world. When Gypsy agreed with Vixen's criticism of J'Onn's alien theory as far-fetched, one look at him made her reconsider. "Sorry. What was I thinking?" After J'Onzz shared his reflection on the opportunity Her-Who-Must-Be-Served offered, Gypsy surmised, "Hey, J'Onn... life sure is a vi--"
"That's enough Gypsy... Quite enough."

The Creators: Peter David really got away with some liberal naughty talk here, but made sure to repeatedly assert the Martian Manhunter was all man. Seeing how J'Onn started assuming female identities irregularly in the "JLA" years, sometimes in the presence of guys like Batman, one assumes he either became more comfortable, or even "comfortable," in heels. I do kind of hope his aversion to teh peener remained in place, if only because the "Manhunter" jokes would grow ever so tiresome. I seem to recall David mentioning in an interview that he wasn't allowed to show J'Onn kiss Her-Who-Must-Be-Served, as Sal never drew the lips making contact (though the breast rubbing that replaced it seems even more titillating.) What's funny is that it's a lesbian, gay, bi and transsexual kiss simultaneously, completing the LGBT BLT...

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Joan" -Gypsy
"J'Onn" -Gypsy, Maxima
"Joan J'Onzz, the Martian Womanhunter" -Narrator

Justice League Task Force #7 (12/93)

Hannibal Martin: In remote Africa, a government operative carrying a deadly canister filled with viral agents found himself trapped in a hidden underground city. Though captured by green-skinned amazons called The Daal, he was allowed to send word to the outside world. Only fellow females would be allowed to reclaim this male agent, so Wonder Woman, Vixen, Dolphin, Maxima, and Gypsy were gathered for the job. J'Onn's leadership was still required in Martin's eyes: "Besides, you saw... they're green... and don't think you can spend the whole time invisible. I want you at the forefront of this group!"

Martian Manhunter: "Considering that I am male, how do you propose I... I... oh, you can't be serious!" J'Onzz considered his pre-operative options in solitude, then refused to come out. Martin threatened to drag him out. "'Drag' is an... unfortunate choice of words... A leader cannot lead if he appears ludicrous to those who would follow him... You'll laugh... Very well. I'm trusting you to be mature about this." Out stepped Martian Manhunter in very female form, his chest straps converted to a bra, plus a thong to replace his usual banana hammock, plus thigh-high boots. Everyone did laugh at him, but Martin consoled, "For what it's worth... I think you look adorable!" J'Onzz rolled her eyes and pushed off with his team in a submarine.

Wonder Woman: Sobbed over Manhunter's selection of "An Affair To Remember" as a movie to entertain the ladies before the mission briefing. "What a noble woman she is. So proud and self-sacrificing..." Promised she wouldn't make fun of J'Onn's gender-bending, but stifled a smile. Paired off with J'Onzz when exiting the submersible. Caught an arrow in midair that nearly struck Maxima, then blocked a great many more with her lighting swift bracelets.

Gypsy: Went "Bwa-hah-ha" at J'Onzz's choice of a pre-briefing movie. "This is the dopiest thing I've ever seen... why did you think we'd like this film?" Wondered where J'Onn got the femmes who fell for the flick. Asked, "J'Onn, what's the deal? We know you're a shapeshifter. One shape should be like another to you. You're worried about nothing." Among the loudest to laugh at the Martian Womanhunter. While J'Onzz captained the underwater vessel, opined "We won't get lost. I mean, now that you're a woman, you'd stop and ask for directions, right?" Stuffed Dolphin in a torpedo tube. Repeatedly mocked Wonder Woman, and even threw Mari a bit of shade. Knocked out Daals while invisible.

Dolphin: Sniffled during the movie with Diana. Laughed at the gender change. Revealed, probably for the first time in her long but spotty existence, that she could speak. Drew piranha that could eat through metal away from the sub, then guided her teammates to safety ashore.

Maxima: When J'Onzz explained his rental with, "Blue Beetle said he'd heard women found it moving," replied quite irritably that only her stomach was moved. "I will never understand women... not that I'll ever understand humans as a whole, but women are especially perplexing!" Scolded J'Onzz at his apprehension over assuming "womanhood," but made sport of him all the same. Shocked when Dolphin spoke, then noted that once she got going, she wouldn't shut up. Couldn't keep the damaged sub together, but rescued Gypsy in an air bubble. Guided along with teammates by the High Priestess Luta to the queen of the Daals, Her-Who-Must-Be-Served.

Vixen: Said of the movie, "Maxima's right, J'Onn. This is really pathetic." Announced at the transformation, "Oh, God... it's JOAN J'ONZZ!" Continued through the mission, to which the subject pleaded, "don't call me Joan!" Helped Gypsy and Maxima get to shore with the abilities of a fish. Joined team in battling Daals, as they were having their mettle tested in preparation for meeting the queen. Saw her dubbing of "Joan" mimicked by Wonder Woman in introducing J'Onzz to Her-Who-Must-Be-Served, who declared the Martian the one she's waited her life for as a worthy mate.

The Creators: As soon as you hear "McGuffin Virus," you know pun-happy comics humorist Peter David can't be far. David had a ball with the Burroughs-inspired amazons and the female cast, especially Gypsy's sarcasm and the more transgressive elements. Sal Velluto and Jeff Albrecht fulfilled the cover promise, "The Martian Manhunter as you've never seen him!" Velluto was still in his transition between the coarseness of his Marvel work and his slicker Neal Adams look to come, so the quality varied by the panel. Still, "Joan" was stunning, and Sal seemed to relish the opportunity to present so many strong and lovely heroines.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Joan J'onzz" -Vixen
"Joan" -Vixen and Wonder Woman
"J'Onn" -Gypsy, Vixen & Wonder Woman
"J'Onzz"- Hannibal Martin

Swamp Thing #49-50 (June-July 1986)

John Constantine began gathering sorcerers to help deal with a primordial terror from beyond and feared by Hell itself. Among those visited were Zatanna and her father, John Zatara. "John? Can you slow down a little? This is difficult to follow... You say the Brujeria are destroyed, but their plan is still going on?" Zee father explained just how terrible this coming darkness would be, but also failed to see what use any of them could be against such a threat. "I've got it all planned out. There's a way we can channel our collective energies through to the higher territories, aiding the struggle. If you and Zatanna could help, I'd be obliged."

Zatara continued to be dismissive, but Zee agreed, to her father's chagrin. The pair had a row over her being an adult capable of her own decisions, though Zatara agreed to the soiree to watch over her. Zee then saw the Hellblazer out. "Ahhh, he's never trusted me, not since he found out we were attending that tantric studies group together." Zee had forgotten that romp in San Francisco, back when she wore a top hat and tails. "Yeah, well, I liked it," presumably meaning both the suit she'd abandoned and the sex. "Hahaha. Come on... get out before Dad changes you into something lower than you already are." The pair shared a kiss, and Zee said, "Good-bye John. You haven't changed. You've still got a hell of a nerve."

Later, Zatanna, her father, and John joined Mento, Baron Winter, Dr. Occult and Sargon the Sorcerer in lending their energies to the good fight. While the mages sat in Winter's home, their energies were bestowed upon heroes confronting the primordial darkness in Hell. The Demon Etrigan was defeated on one plane, causing Sargon to spontaneously combust on ours. The Sorcerer took his immenent demise poorly, until Zatara instilled some backbone in his final moments. "Sargon, you are upsetting my daughter. For the honor of our profession, be silent and die like a sorcerer." In the infernal, Dr. Fate was beaten, and Zee began to feel awfully warm. "No! No, I will not allow it! Not my daughter! Ssenkrad ekat em daetsni!" Zatanna demanded her father take his spell back as he began to burn. "Too late, my love. Too late. Constantine... If you do not deliver my daughter safely from this place, my shade shall hound you through eternity. Is that understood?" Zatanna cried to her father as his body erupted into flames, forcing her to hold the smoldering hand of his corpse to maintain their mystic circle.

Constantine tried to assure Zee he knew how she felt, but, "No, you don't! If you knew how I was feeling, you'd run as far as you could and crawl under a stone and hide! You involved us in this! My father's dead and it's on your hands!" Constantine agreed, "Yeah, they always are. I'm sorry Zatanna. Really I am." The Spectre was humbled next, before a meeting between the Darkness and Swamp Thing gave it perspective. The Darkness was met by some form of divinity, and the terror passed, but not before driving Mento mad. Various magical types claimed nothing would ever be quite the same again, but that's the DC status quo in a nutshell. Zatanna wept for her father, and his sacrifice didn't seem to amount to much.

Creators included Alan Moore, Stan Woch, Alfredo Alcala, Stephen Bissette, Rick Veitch and John Totleben.

Blue Devil #5 (10/84)

Previously, in Blue Devil #4 (9/84)

Elongated Man: Only a one page cameo for Ralph this time, as he interrupted Blue Devil and Zatanna's mutual self-incrimination to announce, "Let's save the postmortem till after the game is over, people! You goofed-- but you can still clean up your mess!" Satellite sensors detected Nebiros in the Sierra Madre range, so Ralph teleported the pair to investigate. "Good luck, heroes! I'll stay up here to monitor developments... just in case-- much as I wish I could tag along!" Sounds kind of bogus to me, but Yellow Devil obscured that bit of cowardice by offering to swap places with Elongated Man!

Zatanna: Her hand at the small of Blue Devil's back, Zee demanded of Dan when he tried to bow out of the mission, "Not a chance, sport! Beam us down, Ralph!" Desperate much since the Barry Allen hit & run?

The pair arrived in Mexico, where Nebiros had created two new volcanoes through power channeled into Blue Devil's trident. At Zee's urging, Dan tried to summon the staff, but was hit by an energy backlash for his trouble. Nebiros unearthed another of his ancient temples, which was fired upon to modest effect by the Mexican military. Nebiros retaliated by calling forth a legion of demons, while simultaneously disassembling the military machinery through magic. Blue Devil finally stepped-up: "You were right, Zatanna-- it's up to us!"

The heroic couple charged into the misbegotten mass, filmed by Dan's cameraman friend Norm Paxton (under orders from their producer boss, Marla Bloom, looking for movie footage.) Zatanna cast a spell to help protect Norm, who refused to flee the scene. "You're as stubborn as your friend! I won't waste time arguing!" Zatanna continued to focus her attention on the monstrous throng, while Blue Devil confronted Nebiros. Zee had to save Dan at one point, before the tide turned upon Blue Devil's regaining his trident. Dan used its partially-infernal power to destroy Nebiron's temple, and in turn his demons. Zatanna then created a vortex to drag Nebiron through his own portal, sealing it from our side.

Zatanna congratulated Blue Devil's heroic accomplishment: "You saved the world... I suspect there's more in your future than just filmmaking, Dan... you are going to make one terrific super-hero!" Zee then grabbed BD by his horns and kissed him firmly! "Time for me to get going now... Dliw sdniw wolb dna tfil em yawa! Call me sometime, handsome!"

The Creators: The team of Paris Cullins and Gary Martin were on fire here, rendering ornate temples and hordes of varied hellspawn that seemed to anticipate the glory of Art Adams. In my admittedly biased opinion, this was among the best depictions of Zee, both in art and writing, that I've ever read. People seem to have trouble making Zatana work in a super-hero universe, but tales like this reveal it isn't the character at fault, but her scripters. Gary Cohn and Dan Mishkin had no such issues, and rereading this tale has reminded me of how much I loved their work on Blue Devil. I owned quite a few of these back in the day, often available on the cheap at flea markets. Now I have a hankering to hunt a run down on eBay...

Blue Devil #4 (9/84)

Martian Manhunter: Had not yet returned to Earth, as this story took place prior to Justice League of America #228-230, which was being published at around the same time. This is basically the next-to-last Satellite Era story.

Elongated Man: Was hanging out on the Justice League Satellite in orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth. Superman brought Blue Devil up for a visit after the new but reluctant hero defeated Metallo, the man with the Kryptonite heart, while at S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis. Ralph Dibney shook hands with Dan Cassidy, then defended Superman when he proved less cavalier about his secret identity. "Buddy boy, you've got a lot to learn about this business! Most super-heroes never reveal their names!" Blue Devil thought Superman just sounded paranoid, then wanted to test his strength against the Man of Steel in an arm-wrestling match. Ralph had to convince him: "Oh, come on, don't be so serious all the time... it'll be lots of fun!" Dan couldn't budge an inch with both arms and legs leveraged against the table, then was taken way over the top with a wrist flick! "I like that guy! He's a barrel of laughs! ...That's lesson number one, pal o' mine: You don't want to mess with the Big Red S!" Trailed off with Superman after Cassidy moved on to investigate magical means of removing the Blue Devil costume he'd been bonded with.

Zatanna: The reason Blue Devil had been taken up to the Satellite in the first place, though he seemed to forget his problems while flirting with the receptive enchantress! "Y'know, there aren't many women who could get away with wearing a bug on their head... but on you it looks terrific." Zee tried to get Dan out of his suit (*ahem*) but he had been permanently merged with it, its circuits having become inextricable and organic.

Zee cast a spell to retrieve a book called "The Demonography" in order to reference the monster that cast the binding spell on Dan, Nebiros. Zee believed Dan should try to request Nebiros remove the spell, so the pair teleported to Île du Diable. Zee reconstituted a mystical key in order to access Nebiros' dimension through an Earthly temple. With a peck on the cheek, Zatanna sent Blue Devil through the portal, while she remained to prevent any demons from escaping to Earth.

Nebiros was too presumptuous and Blue Devil too intemperate to come to an agreement, as the elder demon seized Dan and carried him back to the portal. Zee mistook Dan's presence as her cue to open the portal, releasing both devils. Zatanna was anxious to make amends by thwarting Nebiros, but Blue Devil felt it was more than they could handle. He grabbed Zee under his arm and carried her out of the temple with his enhanced agility. Zee continued to argue, but was finally convinced to request help from the Justice League. Zatanna knew from the Demonography that Nebiros' weakness was water, and hoped to contain him on the island. However, the demon used a jet-propelled trident "given" to him by Dan to escape to the Mexican coast. Zee cast a teleportation spell to transport herself and Blue Devil ahead of Nebiros.

The Creators: Ralph called it earlier-- this book was a fun break from too much seriousness. Gary Cohn and Dan Mishkin were clearly having a ball with the characters and premise, which were dynamically depicted by Paris Cullins and Gary Martin. This was the first Zatanna story I ever read, and I was struck by how nice she was. To my mind, that's still her best feature. I like when she's shown to be powerful and capable, but if she doesn't have that girl-next-door sweetness that shone through the thigh high boots and Necronomicon, it just isn't Zee to me!

Continue to Blue Devil #5

Whatever Happened to the Negro League?

Click To Expand

New solicitation art in making George upset! I could have sworn just a few months ago I expressed my pleasant surprise at seeing not just a person of color on the League, but multiple blacks under the writing of a very talented African-American. Christopher Priest's career is spinning in its grave over the sheer audacity of Dwayne McDuffie to pull this shit off-- for all of five minutes. Look at that cover!

Now, picking apart the faults in Ed Benes' work is pretty much always like taking candy from a babe, but this is ridiculous! Here's the 25th issue of the new JLofA, in a story focused on the Nubian Princess Vixen, and she'd need Brother Eagle to lend her his eyes in order to see the DCU Trinity from where she's sitting. Green Lantern John Stewart looks like he's being gut punched by Hal Jordan for being uppity enough to serve in his stead of late. Not only is Firestorm at the furthest back of the JLA bus, but you just know he'll be wiped out completely by the logo come publication. The only black member that doesn't look like they're from a separate regiment bringing up the rear is Black Lightning, but he's almost entirely obscured by Batman and the extremely prominent Zatanna, who I wasn't aware was even a current teammate. Even from 22,300 miles up, you should be able to hear Sharpton going off about the Hall of No Justice!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #25
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes
Cover by Ed Benes
Vixen and Animal Man journey into the sacred Tantu Totem to solve the mystery of their altered powers. But Anansi, the African spider god responsible for these changes, has only begun reshaping the powers and histories of the Justice League, as eight-year-old Bruce Wayne shoots the burglar who killed his parents, Wonder Woman retires from the JLA after the tragic death of her husband, Superman, and The Green Lantern Corps quarantines Earth after one of their number destroys an American city. With the team’s history changing before Vixen’s eyes, is the JLA we now know gone forever?
On sale September 17 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Who's Who Vol.I: Amazo (3/85)

Sorry I've neglected the Detroit blog, but by this weekend, we'll see Elongated Man and Zatanna in action right here...

Steel, The Indestructible Man Vol.1, No.2 Review Link

Luke over at El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker has a synopsis of Steel #2 up... click anywhere in this message to check it out!

Baron Death

Click To Expand

I can't write a comprehensive history of Steel, The Indestructible Man's first villain, as I only own his first appearance. Still, good luck funding reference anywhere to Baron Death, absent from the web when not confused with Commander's Steel's other major foe, Baron Blitzkrieg. As I understand it, Steel supplied the acid the concentration camp prisoners of the sadistic Nazi commandant Reiter eventually used to blind and scar the future Blitzkrieg. That Baron in turn brainwashed Steel into an assassination attempt against FDR, and one wonders if perhaps there were after-effects, given Heywood's troubled later life. Regardless, that was another baron.

Baron Tödlich and his henchman Bruno attended the German medical conference in August of 1939 where Doctor Gilbert Giles and his student assistant Henry Heywood mounted a disasterous presentation. Heywood had developed a biological "retardent" that allowed damaged limbs and organs to be replaced surgically without rejection. No, the rejection instead came from the German scientific community. "How may you Americans accomplish what the Reich's finest surgeons cannot?" The men were declared frauds and were demanded to leave the country. Tödlich however was not so blinded by nationalism. "I believe Doctor Gilbert Giles... He may prove useful to us, someday-- when we make our-- visit-- to America!" Heywood noticed Tödlich as well, but didn't care for the sight.

A few months later, off the shore of Long Island, a black U-Boat fired a torpedo-shaped missile at the shoreline. A hulking figure rode atop it, then drug the device with him onto the beach, where he met with three Fifth Columnists. "We were told to expect a weapons drop from off-shore... but nothing was said about a new saboteur... Particularly one dressed as flamboyantly as you!"

"Ignorance excuses your insubordination this time, schwein. No warning was given of my arrival because my mission is an ultra-top secret... known only to Hitler and Göring themselves! As for my costume, it will prove necessary! And as for my name-- IT IS BARON DEATH! You will find the name most appropriate once you have used-- these! Experimental weapons to be tested here in America for their effectiveness against the U.S. military machine! Each machine gun may fire up to two hundred rounds a minute-- four times as fast as the fastest American gun! If these weapons work, Germany will use them to smash America-- and then the world! Heil Hitler!"

That same night, Hank Heywood uncovered saboteurs while in boot camp, and was caught in a near fatal explosion. Months later, he had transformed into the cyborg super-hero Steel, and his first tussel was with some of Baron Death's men. "We have a mission, to steal American weapons for comparison with our exprimental ones..." These men carried only conventional machine guns, whose bullets bounced right off Commander Steel. Essentially defenseless, Steel made short work of the trio, and left them for the MPs. Baron Death would have to be dealt with at a later date.

Justice League of America #255 (10/86)

Adam: "More than Adam. I was powerful before the blood of the Homo Magi coursed through me. I am more powerful now... I am not a god. I am The God... somehow, I've transcended both Homo Sapien and Homo Magi!" Used power to trace Zatanna's emergency distress signal and spy through sorcery on...

Sue Dibney: ...who tended to...

Steel: Bedridden with arm and leg in casts. Seethed with frustration and concern as he watched...

Vibe: Entered teleport tube in (comparatively) plain clothes, along with...

Elongated Man: ...who also never bothered to change into costume, as well as...

Vixen: ...who raced to the tubes partnered with Batman, both only partially costumed. What they were doing together to be in such a state is up for debate, though readers should be reminded they were previously interrupted during a romantic date by Despero.

Zatanna: Still bound in a hospital, a surly nurse guarding her. Was either psychically visited by the spirit of her magician father Zatara, or imagined a conversation with him to focus her abilities. "Years of practice and training. Years of mistakes and strained patience. That's all it takes to create an earthquake so precisely centered... that it only rocks one building. The nurse stabbed herself with a hypodermic needle filled with heavy sedative intended for Zee. Heroine burst bonds and reconstituted her costume before running into treacherous sub-letter Sheri Stanley in the hall. Recaptured by the insane Adam, but not before alerting the League electronically. Crestfallen when...

Batman: Arrived with three other Leaguers to hospital where Zee was being held. Greeted by Adam disguised as Zee, who used powers of seduction on Vibe and mystical manipulation on the rest to send them on their way, assuming a false alarm. The Dark Knight Detective actually waved bye-bye, a testament to Adam's extraordinary new power. Still no explanation as to whether Bruce Wayne got his swerve on, but his departing the team without explanation after this issue indicates that he did.

Gypsy: Spied on by Adam. Used illusion casting against a heavy-handed pimp near an adult theater. Located a girl attempting to turn a trick. Gypsy gave chase when she bolted. "She's not getting away from me. No way. In his civilian I.D. as a private eye, J'Onn J'Onzz was hired to find Pamela Cross... and ended up getting framed for murder. I want to know why." Corned an angry Pamela, recognizing, "I know that look. Tough as nails on the outside... Scared half to death on the inside." Treated Pamela to a diner meal and her secret origin. Despite Cross observing of Gypsy, "By the way-- that's an ugly dress," Pamela was in tears by the end of her tale. "I should feel guilty about putting her through an emotional wringer... but I don't. After all, I am gonna help her... and in return, she's gonna help John... Jones? Shoot! There goes the emergency signal again. What do I do now?" She chose to ignored the signal and stay with Pamela.

Martian Manhunter: "Why do I even bother? The man I appear to be, detective John Jones, is a pale-skinned lie. I am a Martian. I have the power to assume any shape I so please. Why, then, my attachment to this form? Ah, but it's not the form, is it? It's the mystery." Jones had staked out Burt Biloxi's agency, for despite clearing the proprietor through a telepathic probe, still detected wrongdoing. Norma Simons, Biloxi's secretary, had misdirected Jones to the murder scene of her lover's wife, turning Jones into a patsy to provide an alibi for the adulterer. "The signal. I am sorry my friends... but there are times when personal concerns outweigh the League's." So much for that "heart and soul of the League" business. Jones burst in on Simons and the murderous widower, learning that while Norma had provided the murder weapon and scapegoat, it was all at her lover's urging. Jones was shot repeatedly in the chest by a high caliber handgun, and caught unawares, staggered back into the fireplace. Jack Miller would have been proud. "A woman was cold-bloodedly murdered... my own life is almost certainly ending... all... so that two humans... could indulge their biological urges. Humans! I will never... understand them." Adam spied on the now white-haired Jones, his view panning into the signal light still flashing on John's wristwatch...

The Creators: All the usual suspects; Conway, Ellis, McDonnell, Wray, Helfer... waitaminute. Who the heck is scripter Michael Ellis? Per the comments of Assistant Editor Greg Weisman in #259's letter column, "As for Mr. Ellis, well, he'll just have to remain a mystery for a while longer. Many of our readers seem to like his work. We'd like to thank him for helping out on our scheduling bind." Anyone else smell a pseudonym? Both Helfer and Weisman went on to writing credits of their own, while longtime writer Conway just plain went on, without comment. Perhaps Hollywood animation beckoned ("Super Powers," "G.I. Joe," "Transformers," "Centurions,") but I suspect the immediate dismantling of Justice League Detroit was a big clue that the separation was not amicable. I'd also like to note the interplay between Zatanna and Zatara by "Ellis" was really poorly handled-- a series of rapid-fire quotations sharing the same caption boxes that made reading confusing.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "John Jones" -Gypsy
Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Say what? You get us all runnin' out here like a buncha headless chickens-- for a false alarm?!"

Steel, The Indestructible Man Vol.1, No.1 (March 1978)

The story was titled "From Hell Is Forged ...A Hero!" I was wondering "what the hell" myself, so at least that's one question sorta-kinda answered. I mean, not only did this nostalgic World War II patriotic throwback arrive too late to cash in on the Bicentennial celebration, but coming after Watergate, he just seemed naively trite. Heck, even "The Six Million Dollar Man" had been cancelled the same month as this first issue's cover-date. Maybe Conway's prior run on Captain America was too brief for his taste, or perhaps Commander Steel was intended to be the first dedicated super-hero of Earth-1? Regardless, he saw cancellation after a scant five issues, based as much on lack of creative merit as the general casualty of all "DC Explosion" titles that were snuffed by economic reality.

As depicted by Gerry Conway and Don Heck, remarkable Princeton biology student Henry "Hank" Heywood visited Munich, Germany, a city and nation he spends four panels venting against. Comparing Nazism to the Black Plague, and rightly disparaging Prime Minister Chamberlain's appeasement policy, Heywood moaned in his journal "God, I wish I'd never let Doctor Giles talk me into coming with him to this German medical conference... Why did we ever bother? The Germans won't even listen to the Doctor's discoveries..." As one, the German doctors decried Giles as a fraud... or actually, as five, their balloons somehow more hateful than Heywood's journal entries. Heywood and Giles exited the auditorium as German professionals pumped their fists and demanded their departure from Der Fatherland.

On their way to the airport, Heywood spied a pair of Brownshirts beating an elderly "Juden pig!" Hank let his own fists do the talking from there: "Forget the old man, Ludwig-- WHY DON'T YOU TRY STARTING WITH ME?" The Jew thanked Hank for his foolish bravery, then pulled a Yinsen, drawing Goosestepper fire while the hothead escaped.

The pair returned to the States in August of 1939, where Doctor Giles was met by his daughter, Hank's horse-faced girlfriend Gloria. The fiery mare presented Hank with a newspaper announcing Hitler's invasion of Poland. "Then that madman's going to spread his hate across Europe... maybe the world! There'll be more old men like that Jew in Munich... Perhaps... millions!" Dr. Giles didn't feel this needed to be America's war, but Heywood's vision of the future compelled him to enlist. "Why I chose the Marines, I'll never know. Maybe because they were the toughest... maybe because of old Victor McLaughlin* movies... or maybe because the young intellectual had something to prove to himself." Gloria Giles neighed heartily at this turn, "Play soldier if you want-- but don't expect me to be waiting when you're finished with your toys!" In her defense, Heywood was quoting scripture at her to validate his decision.

Heywood drowned his sorrows with his boot camp buddies at a local bar, but was gripped by self doubt on the lonely walk back to base. "Maybe Gloria's right. I have been playing this like Gary Cooper playing Sergeant York... Am I kidding myself? Grand-standing-- for my own ego? NO! This is something I believe in!" Just then, Heywood spied Ratzi saboteurs planting dynamite along the base perimeter, and introduced one's face to his knee. Another was dealt a hay maker right into an explosive plunger, blowing the lot of them to kingdom come. Oopsie-doodle.

Investigating troops scraped up what was left of Heywood, who miraculously survived. "Regaining consciousness was like slipping into a vat of boiling oil. Everything hurt so much, I could barely see straight... until I saw Gloria..." The poor thing was in tears over her hurtful parting words, while her father discussed with Hank the pseudo-science the pair specialized in that would make Heywood whole again. "Every day, there were operations... and more operations! Using the bio-retardent[sic] we'd developed together during my years as his student, Giles rebuilt my ravaged body from the skeleton up... First there was steel alloy tubing to replace pulped bone in my arms and legs and ribcage... Then a metal casing to protect my skull... and micro-motors in all my joints to help me move all that steel... Then more substitutions-- an artificial lung for the ruined one... and back-up devices to aid my damaged heart... and finally, most-- most painfully, the bio-retardant was used to induce skin-regrowth over the burned areas... covering the whole patchwork contraption with a flesh that made it my own..." By November on '39, Heywood had gone from invalid to superman. The new lung could sustain Heywood for a half hour underwater, he was super-strong, and nigh impervious. These breakthroughs remained a secret.

"I returned to duty, but with a hitch. Because of my recorded 'medical disability,'
I'd be a desk jockey..." Gloria continued to fume and threaten Heywood; "She hates war-- and so do I. But I'm still going to do my part somehow--" Heywood fashioned a uniform and dubbed himself Steel, The Indestructible Man! "This outfit may be colorful, but it's also far more-- flexible steel alloy, not strong enough to protect an ordinary man from gunfire-- but just tough enough to give me a crucial edge!" Steel then stole weaponry from the Westchester Federal Armory that he could later modify for his own purposes. First though, he happened upon yet another group of Fifth Columnists on his way out. "It's no movie, Nazi-- and I'm no Clark Gable!" Steel chuckled as he brutalized the baddies, going so far as to use the body of one to strike another. "Ever go bowling, friend?"

"Slipping away was easy-- a ten foot leap, and a 50MPH dash into some convenient foliage... Maybe this is why I survived the bomb-blast, to fight rats like the boss of those saboteurs... Baron Death! ...I'm going to use those powers and abilities in my own private war, until America wakes up to the menace of Hitler and Stalin and Tojo and Mussolini. It may be a lonely war, it may be unpopular just now-- but it's got to be done, and I'm the guy cut out to do it!"

Also of note, an interesting article on the anachronistic costumes of 40's retconned characters, including Steel, Baron Blitzkreig, and more.

* Presumably, he meant Victor McLaglen.

Justice League of America #254 (9/86)

Despero: "...you've underestimated the sheer hatred I feel for you and your companions in the Justice League. Allow me to make myself clear."

Batman: "He is the Batman, the Darknight Detective, legend among legends, leader of the new Justice League of America. Not for the first time in his life, but perhaps for the last, he wonders what it will feel like to die." Standing before Despero as he bathed in the Flame of Py'tar, the Caped Crusader thought, "He's growing. No doubt about it... that flame... feeding his alien metabolism at an astonishing rate. Must be at least nine feet tall-- and he's coming out. This is it. All the places I've been, all the things I've done... it all comes down to this moment. Face-to-face with an alien being... in a battle I can't hope to win. No problem. I've been facing the same lousy odds all my life." The Batman proved a minor distraction, and was easily recaptured. However, he still claimed a victory of sorts. "Destroying me isn't enough for you. You won't be satisfied till I beg. I won't give you that satisfaction. So no matter what you do to me now, Despero... I win. For all your power, you're a loser. A pathetic little lo--AAAHHH!" The Batman was eventually freed and rejoined the battle.

Vixen: Revived her teammates and explained the gameplan. "The Flame's a nuclear plasma. Whatever enters it is either destroyed... or reborn... Now he's got the power to manipulate matter... like Firestorm, I guess, but on a greater scale. He's even created a duplicate of the Py'tar Flame to recharge himself with... like Green Lantern's power battery. He calls himself a god." Well, he was a god laid low when Mari rammed into the back of his knee with the force of a buffalo. "Woman, your death will be long and painful." Freed the Batman and joined him in fighting hoards of stone demons.

Elongated Man: Caught Vixen and Batman before they could be injured in a fall. Encircled by stone monstrosities of Despero's creation, followed his leader's order to "Fight like hell!" Not so much the order to target the flame, as Vixen stated they needed a bigger distraction, and Ralph chided, "If we win this one, Bats, you can slap our wrists. And if we don't win-- it won't much matter, will it?" Carried out the wounded Steel in the aftermath.

Steel: Hit the hardest by Despero's earthquake, Hank had to be helped to his feet by J'Onn J'Onzz and Gypsy, and propped up from then on. However, when Vibe belittled himself and the team in the event of a renewed assault, Steel, through clenched teeth and in obvious pain, set him straight. "Hey Vibe... if that's what you think you are, then that's all you'll ever be. Maybe we're not the best League that ever was... but we're here... and we've got a job to do. So let's do it." Steel got in one good punch to the base of Despero's spine, but nearly fell over after and had to be rescued by Gypsy. Was struck by a jet of magma and had his back scalded. Carried out by J'Onn and Ralph.

Gypsy: Stuck by Steel, even when he asked her to save herself. Used her chameleon powers to conceal them from demons and Despero. Became enraged when Despero burnt Steel. "Hiding isn't the only trick I know, you scaly-skinned-son-of-a-- CHEW ON THIS!" Despero knows he isn't being flung into a solar corona, but he can't fend off the illusory sensation that "sears his skin, worse than the Flame of Py'tar, eating him alive... and he screams!"

Martian Manhunter: The first to rise at Vixen beckoning. Saw the wisdom in Batman's plan. "Now, while Despero is occupied fending off the others, we strike... Martians weaken in the presence of fire, but I do not intend to approach the Flame of Py'tar, Vibe. Despero will have set defences to protect the flame... I will deal with them, while you deal with the flame. Your shockwave power may be the one force we have strong enough to disrupt the flame. If anything can."

Vibe: Wanted his team to bug out of Gotham and let the Navy bomb the city flat. "Look around you, man... look at us! I know what people been saying... I've got ears. We're a joke... What've we got here? A Chicano from Detroit, a big green bald guy, a human rubber band, a no-name teenage girl who can make herself disappear-- some trick-- an ex-fashion model, and a redheaded tin woodsman. Where're the power players, man? We're strictly second string! We can't do it. Despero wiped the rug with us once already. Next time, he'll kill us. Losers, that's all we are." His team refused to quit though, and he damned himself for joining them. Under the Manhunter's direction, Vibe waited for the opportune moment to strike at the flame, but had his own demons to fend off until the Batman gave him the order. Like a candle being blown out, the flame was no more, and without the outside power source Despero's body "consumes himself" into seeming nothingness.

"Finally-- it is over."
"Thanks to Vibe."
"Guess I'm not such a loser after all, huh, Bats?"
"You never were, in my book."

Zatanna: Still no time for subplots...

Sue Dibney: ...nor supporting characters.

The Creators: Luke McDonnell clearly relished drawing the Batman, and everyone kept busy, even if the ending was slightly anticlimactic.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Big Green" -Vibe
"J'Onn" -Vixen
Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Aw-right. Does this mean we're buddies? Like, can we double date?"

Justice League of America #253 (8/86)

Martian Manhunter: "For him the nearby flames are more than a source of heat and smoky light; they are a threat as deadly to the Martian as hard radiation to an Earthman; but J'Onn J'Onzz forgets the fire, concerned instead with the threat to his comrades that looms before him."

Despero: "How gratifying to be remembered, J'Onn J'Onzz... especially by you. I hoped you'd come when you heard of my attack on Gotham City, and my capture of your leader, the Batman. As you see, I stand before you transformed. No longer am I the Despero you humiliated and imprisoned..." Origin told for the first time.

Elongated Man: Turned his body into a slingshot.

Steel: The most proactive member in the face of this horror. When Despero created a Winged Lorka of Kalanor (essentially a fire-breathing dragon) out of a skyscraper, Steel shoved a metal sign into its mouth. Next, he joined J'Onn J'Onzz and Ralph Dibney in launching a boulder through the dragon. The beast exploded into fragments, causing Despero tremendous pain through psychic feedback. In response, Despero ripped the Gotham street our heroes trod upon with a fiery explosion.

Vibe: Fretted and failed to make any lasting impact beyond briefly holding back the winged Loka.

Gypsy: Used her illusion powers to cause the Loka to believe it was underwater, buying her teammates the time to destroy it.

Batman: Taunted Despero to learn his origins and plans. "Despero needs the Flame of Py'tar to continuously re-create himself, Vixen. He told us as much himself. Without the flame, he no longer exists... If we can destroy the flame, here in this re-created temple... there's a... slim possibility... we might also destroy Despero." Freed himself and Mari.

Vixen: Spent most of the issue in bondage, but any negative karma was balanced out by having the Batman as her co-captive. In spite of herself, shivered as Despero rained havok on her team. Sent by Batman to explain the plan to their team while he remained to distract Despero. "New as I am to this, I probably wouldn't last ten seconds, and he knows it. Damn." Shocked to find her Detroit League lying deathly still in a roadside mound.

Zatanna: No time for subplots...

Sue Dibney: ...or supporting characters.

The Creators: Still bringing the game and career highs.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Big Green" -Steel

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "Gyp, you crazy? Haul your bottom outta here!"

Justice League of America #252 (7/86)

Zatanna: Finally given a nightgown and some privacy in a proper hospital bed, but now encumbered with a headband that makes thought painful. Heroically forced herself to remember her name and mission, but no spells. Made her way out of bed and into the hi-tech chamber where her captor Adam was being "infected" with a more potent form of the Homo Magi. Zee sublet and other yuppie cultists found and restrained the sorceress.

Vixen: Went on a date in Gotham in her civilian identity with Bruce Wayne, who surprisingly made no off-hand comments about wearing a latex mask to impersonate Wayne, or somesuch nonsense. A groundswell explosion shooting continuous flame hundreds of feet into the air broke up the intimacy. Investigating, Vixen was nearly killed by a flame directed by Despero, until she called on the Tantu Totem to fly to safety.

Batman: Dated Mari McCabe, to whom he revealed, "I've had lovers, but sooner or later, he always comes between us... The Batman." Despite his protests, Vixen detected the eagerness in him when trouble struck. "A wolf scenting its prey.. He was right. The Batman is real... Bruce Wayne... just a shadow." Evaded Despero's initial salvo with his usual skill, hoping things would go better for himself and Mari next time. Despero responded, "Ignorant fool, there will be no next time... not for you, or your world!

Elongated Man & Sue Dibney: At the mall when they got the signal, per Ralph, before he employed the teleporter J'Onzz installed in their basement.

Gypsy: "J'Onn was with me in New York. We're solving a mystery together..."

Steel: "So the Batman's finally calling us into action. About time. Let's go, Vibe."

Vibe: "Forget it, man. He's just tossin' us another test."

Martian Manhunter: Outside Metropolis, at the Secret Sanctuary, the Martian Marvel gathered alongside the other Leaguers, fearing this was no meer test. "The League teleport link to Gotham City is dead, and our computer reports all communication lines to the city have been cut." The League arrived via helicopter, hovering near the wall of flame now surrounding Gotham. Humans transformed by unknown power into the visage of demons ran the streets. "...indeed, Zatanna is sorely missed. Nonetheless... my Martian Vision reveals an intense vibratory field preventing passage." Had Vibe use his powers against the force, but deduced "...it was too easy. We are expected."

Despero: "How perceptive. As always, Martian, you are a keen observer of the obvious. I owe you special consideration, for your part in my imprisonment. I shall save your destruction for last." The Manhunter's features sank to reveal his dispair in the face of this horror. From atop a cathedral, Batman and Vixen chained to his left and right, a declaration was made:
"YES, DESPERO-- NOW MASTER OF TIME AND MATTER! DESPERO, YOUR FINAL NEMESIS! DESPERO, DESTROYER OF WORLDS!"

The Creators: Luke McDonnell and Bill Wray draw explosions and infernal things really well, and Gene D'Angelo colored the lava but good.

J’Onn J’Onzz’s Nicknames of the Issue: "Big Green" -Vibe.

Most Embarrassing Vibe Quote of the Issue: "That's my meat, Big Green. Let me at it..."

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.