Justice League of America #1
The JLA graduates to its own comic book title, in time to play a deadly game of chess with the three-eyed Kalanorian tyrant Despero. The Leaguers lose and are teleported to strange planets.
After 3 Brave and Bold try - out issues, the results are in and the Justice League of America now have their own magazine to star in. As with the B&B issues,the cover of JLA #1 features the 5 "lesser known" heroes of the team. Editor JUlius Schwartz had said in one of the Brave and Bold letter columns that Batman and Superman had enough exposure elsewhere, and certainly up to this point, the World's Finest Duo had been used sparingly in cameo roles.
The splash page (a kind of interior cover, showing a scene from the story) depicts the 7 superheroes sitting around the table in their secret headquartes. Their glazed eyes listening to Despero, who as chair of the meeting is declaring the JLA adjourn forever.
As the story begins in earnest, we find Barry (Flash) Allen driving along a country lane when suddenly his car engine conks out. Realising the cause of this is a strange blue radiation beam coming from a nearby barn, the Scarlet Speedster races to investigate. Coming across two green - haired aliens, the Flash is about to attack, when the female of the pair cries out in panic. Telling her father that she thinks the Flash is one of Despero's minions sent to capture them and return them as prisoners to their homeworld of Kalanor, the girl - Saranna is relieved to hear from her father - Jasonar - that the Flash is from Earth and friendly. The two aliens tell the Flash how they have escaped to earth from their other - dimensional world to flee from the evil tyrant Despero, who has made their people his slaves. They are now trying to perfect weapons of their own that will counter his and make them unworkable - just as Barry Allen's car would not work.
In a "Flash" the Scarlet Speedster suggests the JLA can help and he sends out his emergency signal. All of the Leaguers are involved in cases of thier own as they receive the signal. First of all, we find Wonder Woman, whose robot plane is moving at the speed of light, enabling her to use her magic lasso to save the Statue of Liberty from being struck by lightning. The Martian Manhunter, in his identity of detective John Jones is arresting a couple of gangsters, while Green Lantern is lending a hand with a natural flooding disaster as he helps people and property to safety. Reporter Clark Kent needs to find somewhere to change into Superman, honorary member "Snapper" Carr is mowing the lawn, and Batman and Aquaman are working together to bring some smugglers to justice.
Meanwhile, back in the farmhouse, Jasonar is explaining to the Flash how his interdimensional spaceship works. At that moment a teleportation beam sent by Despero returns Saranna to captivity on her native planet. The teleportation beam is then directed at Jasonar and the Flash, but it has no effect on them. The Flash realises it must be to do with the Blue Radiation that is given off by Jasonar's spaceship. For the sake of his safety, the Flash takes Jasonar, his spaceship and his weapons to a hidden nearby cave, and thenheads for the secret headquarters of the JLA. Once he arrives, however, he finds Despero waiting for him, and his fellow JLAers mesmerised and under the aliens' power.
Despero explains that once he had captured Saranna, he used his powers to read her mind and discover all about the Justice League. This information allowed him to lay in waiting for the heroes and capture them by surprise. Realsing that he cannot directly harm the Flash because of the blue glow that still surrounds him (and at the same time Flash cannot make any sudden moves for the sake of his teammates) Despero produces a chess board and some numbered cards. All the Flash has to do in order to release his fellow JLA members is move a statue of each one in turn to a square on the chess board. Providing that square is not the one numbered on the playing card, the hero will go free. However, one by one, the Flash places the statues and looks at the numbered cards to find that they match. In each case Despero wins - and a hero is despatched to another dimensional world. The reader is informed that the third eye of Despero is making the number on the card appear to be the square where the Flash places the statue. The Flash knows Despero is rigging the game but isn't sure how. With all his teammates despatched to other worlds, the Flash has to enter a dimensional traveller himself. As Despero celebrates his victory however, he is unaware that the latecomer "Snapper" Carr has overheard all that has gone on and has decided to stowaway on Despero's own dimensional traveller.
Chapter two of our story begins as we find Wonder Woman trapped on a world filled with pre-historic monsters. As several try to attck her at once, the Amazon Princess sees a Pterodactyl as her means of escape. Tossing her magic lasso around the neck of the flying creature, she is momentarily lifted to safety. However, the Pterodactyl then turns on her, and Wonder Woman has to tie the other end of her lasso around a nearby tree and scramble to safety. Dropping to the ground, however, she suddenly finds herself in thick liquid tar. Author Gardner Fox always liked to include education with his entertainment, and here is some for this issue. The substance Wonder Woman finds herself sinking into is described as being like "the Lebrea Tar Pits of LA which have yielded up valuable scientific fossils". As Wonder Woman begins to sink deeper into the tar, she is suddenly given hope by the arrival of Superman. In no time the Man of Stee has freed her, and as they get their bearings, Superman uses his telescopic vision to see Batman and Jonn Jonzz on a nearby planet. However, before he can fly off, Superman is suddenly weakened by a huge Kryptonite boulder. Seems it gets into other dimensions as well! Wonder Woman climbs to where the boulder is and tosses it far away with her magic lasso. Superman then flies her into space, where in moments they will cross the gulf between planets to aid thier fellow JLAers.
In Chapter 3 we find Aquaman and Green Lantern have been transported to the water world of Thanakon. Sounds ideal for Aquaman? Not really - the water is getting hotter all of the time and the reason is a huge burning glass in the sky is causing the water to boil and evapourate. Not surprisingly the lens of this glass is coloured yellow and so Green Lantern's power ring has no effect upon it. Aquaman realises that there is sea life on this world and it will be destroyed if the temperature reaches 212 degrees farenheit and already it is 150. GL encases himself and Aquaman in power ring bubbles in an attempt to get them off the planet. However, they find that the planet itself is surrounded by a yellow belt of radiation - similar to the Van Allen Radiation belt on earth (There he goes with the educational bit again). GL uses his power ring to create some icebergs to buy some time, but is aware that after 24 hours his power will run out. Racking their brains the heroes realise GL cant destroy the lens, nor can he move the sun, nor can he move the water world out of its current orbit. Suddenly he has an idea - Aquaman commands the Octopi - type creatures of the sea world to the surface of the water. Green Lantern then transports them to the top of the giant lens. Aquaman commands the creatures to shoot out the black ink they use to hide themselves if they are under attack. The lens is now covered in thick black ink. GL returns the creatures to the water and then places heavy weights upon the lens to force it down from the sky and into the depths. With the water cooling down, GL and Aquaman come across thankful intelligent life. The thankful Thanakonians give the JLAers transport in order to get them to the world where Jonn Jonzz and Batman re having their own adventure.
As the Martian Manhunter and Batman emerge onto the planet Narx, they hear a strange voice counting down from 3600. Suddenly they are confronted by a native of Narx who informs the heroes that they are listening to a countdown to doom. A missile of Flammerite is heading towards the planet's sun and will destroy it in less than 3600 seconds. The alien explains that the world has no missiles as it disarmed itself years ago and that they only spaceships they could use to deflect the missile are under the guard of Despero's henchmen. Jonn Jonzz decides to tackle Despero's henchmen, while Batman flies the Narx spaceship. Swiftly avoiding the ray blasts of the gunman, the Manhunter from Mars attacks the tower with his Martian breath and super strength. Frustrated at a lack of progress, he then burrows underground, causing the foundations of the building to collapse and giving Batman a clear platform for take off. The Caped Crusader is in hot pursuit of the missile while Jonn Jonzz is breaking up the tower of Despero's henchman. However, he is suddenly confronted by a flame being, who realises he has the better of the Martian. Out of nowhere comes a great wind and paralyses the flame being. Turns out to be none other than the Flash who has arrived in his dimensional traveller. Meanwhile, Batman has sucessfully nudged the missile off target and the JLA re-assemble to head back to earth in the same dimensional traveller Despero used to try and rid himself of the Flash.
Meanwhile Snapper Carr has been hiding in Despero's spaceship and as chapter 5 begins, we find the 3 eyed monster honing in on his adversary, Jasonar. The man from Kalonor has perfected the weapon he needa to use in order to nullify the weapons of Despero. However, Despero strikes with sudden efficeincy and is about to take Jasonar's invention and use it for his own evil purposes. Realising what is going on, Snapper makes his move, but Despero puts him under his spell just as he had earlier captured the other JLA members. Turning his attention to Jasonar, Despero fails to realise that his spell has not had any effect upon Snapper, and the youngster picks up Jasonar's weapon and renders Despero totally useless with it. At that instant the JLA arrive and Flash explains that Snapper was immune to Despero's gaze because of the blue rays he absorbed while he was inside Despero's traveller. Jasonar takes Despero into captivity back in his own dimension.
As a footnote to this issue - if anyone thinks letter pages were made up at this time, the letter column of Justice League of America #1 features a letter from Roy Thomas - who, I think, went on to have a fairly successful writing career himself?
After 3 Brave and Bold try - out issues, the results are in and the Justice League of America now have their own magazine to star in. As with the B&B issues,the cover of JLA #1 features the 5 "lesser known" heroes of the team. Editor JUlius Schwartz had said in one of the Brave and Bold letter columns that Batman and Superman had enough exposure elsewhere, and certainly up to this point, the World's Finest Duo had been used sparingly in cameo roles.
The splash page (a kind of interior cover, showing a scene from the story) depicts the 7 superheroes sitting around the table in their secret headquartes. Their glazed eyes listening to Despero, who as chair of the meeting is declaring the JLA adjourn forever.
As the story begins in earnest, we find Barry (Flash) Allen driving along a country lane when suddenly his car engine conks out. Realising the cause of this is a strange blue radiation beam coming from a nearby barn, the Scarlet Speedster races to investigate. Coming across two green - haired aliens, the Flash is about to attack, when the female of the pair cries out in panic. Telling her father that she thinks the Flash is one of Despero's minions sent to capture them and return them as prisoners to their homeworld of Kalanor, the girl - Saranna is relieved to hear from her father - Jasonar - that the Flash is from Earth and friendly. The two aliens tell the Flash how they have escaped to earth from their other - dimensional world to flee from the evil tyrant Despero, who has made their people his slaves. They are now trying to perfect weapons of their own that will counter his and make them unworkable - just as Barry Allen's car would not work.
In a "Flash" the Scarlet Speedster suggests the JLA can help and he sends out his emergency signal. All of the Leaguers are involved in cases of thier own as they receive the signal. First of all, we find Wonder Woman, whose robot plane is moving at the speed of light, enabling her to use her magic lasso to save the Statue of Liberty from being struck by lightning. The Martian Manhunter, in his identity of detective John Jones is arresting a couple of gangsters, while Green Lantern is lending a hand with a natural flooding disaster as he helps people and property to safety. Reporter Clark Kent needs to find somewhere to change into Superman, honorary member "Snapper" Carr is mowing the lawn, and Batman and Aquaman are working together to bring some smugglers to justice.
Meanwhile, back in the farmhouse, Jasonar is explaining to the Flash how his interdimensional spaceship works. At that moment a teleportation beam sent by Despero returns Saranna to captivity on her native planet. The teleportation beam is then directed at Jasonar and the Flash, but it has no effect on them. The Flash realises it must be to do with the Blue Radiation that is given off by Jasonar's spaceship. For the sake of his safety, the Flash takes Jasonar, his spaceship and his weapons to a hidden nearby cave, and thenheads for the secret headquarters of the JLA. Once he arrives, however, he finds Despero waiting for him, and his fellow JLAers mesmerised and under the aliens' power.
Despero explains that once he had captured Saranna, he used his powers to read her mind and discover all about the Justice League. This information allowed him to lay in waiting for the heroes and capture them by surprise. Realsing that he cannot directly harm the Flash because of the blue glow that still surrounds him (and at the same time Flash cannot make any sudden moves for the sake of his teammates) Despero produces a chess board and some numbered cards. All the Flash has to do in order to release his fellow JLA members is move a statue of each one in turn to a square on the chess board. Providing that square is not the one numbered on the playing card, the hero will go free. However, one by one, the Flash places the statues and looks at the numbered cards to find that they match. In each case Despero wins - and a hero is despatched to another dimensional world. The reader is informed that the third eye of Despero is making the number on the card appear to be the square where the Flash places the statue. The Flash knows Despero is rigging the game but isn't sure how. With all his teammates despatched to other worlds, the Flash has to enter a dimensional traveller himself. As Despero celebrates his victory however, he is unaware that the latecomer "Snapper" Carr has overheard all that has gone on and has decided to stowaway on Despero's own dimensional traveller.
Chapter two of our story begins as we find Wonder Woman trapped on a world filled with pre-historic monsters. As several try to attck her at once, the Amazon Princess sees a Pterodactyl as her means of escape. Tossing her magic lasso around the neck of the flying creature, she is momentarily lifted to safety. However, the Pterodactyl then turns on her, and Wonder Woman has to tie the other end of her lasso around a nearby tree and scramble to safety. Dropping to the ground, however, she suddenly finds herself in thick liquid tar. Author Gardner Fox always liked to include education with his entertainment, and here is some for this issue. The substance Wonder Woman finds herself sinking into is described as being like "the Lebrea Tar Pits of LA which have yielded up valuable scientific fossils". As Wonder Woman begins to sink deeper into the tar, she is suddenly given hope by the arrival of Superman. In no time the Man of Stee has freed her, and as they get their bearings, Superman uses his telescopic vision to see Batman and Jonn Jonzz on a nearby planet. However, before he can fly off, Superman is suddenly weakened by a huge Kryptonite boulder. Seems it gets into other dimensions as well! Wonder Woman climbs to where the boulder is and tosses it far away with her magic lasso. Superman then flies her into space, where in moments they will cross the gulf between planets to aid thier fellow JLAers.
In Chapter 3 we find Aquaman and Green Lantern have been transported to the water world of Thanakon. Sounds ideal for Aquaman? Not really - the water is getting hotter all of the time and the reason is a huge burning glass in the sky is causing the water to boil and evapourate. Not surprisingly the lens of this glass is coloured yellow and so Green Lantern's power ring has no effect upon it. Aquaman realises that there is sea life on this world and it will be destroyed if the temperature reaches 212 degrees farenheit and already it is 150. GL encases himself and Aquaman in power ring bubbles in an attempt to get them off the planet. However, they find that the planet itself is surrounded by a yellow belt of radiation - similar to the Van Allen Radiation belt on earth (There he goes with the educational bit again). GL uses his power ring to create some icebergs to buy some time, but is aware that after 24 hours his power will run out. Racking their brains the heroes realise GL cant destroy the lens, nor can he move the sun, nor can he move the water world out of its current orbit. Suddenly he has an idea - Aquaman commands the Octopi - type creatures of the sea world to the surface of the water. Green Lantern then transports them to the top of the giant lens. Aquaman commands the creatures to shoot out the black ink they use to hide themselves if they are under attack. The lens is now covered in thick black ink. GL returns the creatures to the water and then places heavy weights upon the lens to force it down from the sky and into the depths. With the water cooling down, GL and Aquaman come across thankful intelligent life. The thankful Thanakonians give the JLAers transport in order to get them to the world where Jonn Jonzz and Batman re having their own adventure.
As the Martian Manhunter and Batman emerge onto the planet Narx, they hear a strange voice counting down from 3600. Suddenly they are confronted by a native of Narx who informs the heroes that they are listening to a countdown to doom. A missile of Flammerite is heading towards the planet's sun and will destroy it in less than 3600 seconds. The alien explains that the world has no missiles as it disarmed itself years ago and that they only spaceships they could use to deflect the missile are under the guard of Despero's henchmen. Jonn Jonzz decides to tackle Despero's henchmen, while Batman flies the Narx spaceship. Swiftly avoiding the ray blasts of the gunman, the Manhunter from Mars attacks the tower with his Martian breath and super strength. Frustrated at a lack of progress, he then burrows underground, causing the foundations of the building to collapse and giving Batman a clear platform for take off. The Caped Crusader is in hot pursuit of the missile while Jonn Jonzz is breaking up the tower of Despero's henchman. However, he is suddenly confronted by a flame being, who realises he has the better of the Martian. Out of nowhere comes a great wind and paralyses the flame being. Turns out to be none other than the Flash who has arrived in his dimensional traveller. Meanwhile, Batman has sucessfully nudged the missile off target and the JLA re-assemble to head back to earth in the same dimensional traveller Despero used to try and rid himself of the Flash.
Meanwhile Snapper Carr has been hiding in Despero's spaceship and as chapter 5 begins, we find the 3 eyed monster honing in on his adversary, Jasonar. The man from Kalonor has perfected the weapon he needa to use in order to nullify the weapons of Despero. However, Despero strikes with sudden efficeincy and is about to take Jasonar's invention and use it for his own evil purposes. Realising what is going on, Snapper makes his move, but Despero puts him under his spell just as he had earlier captured the other JLA members. Turning his attention to Jasonar, Despero fails to realise that his spell has not had any effect upon Snapper, and the youngster picks up Jasonar's weapon and renders Despero totally useless with it. At that instant the JLA arrive and Flash explains that Snapper was immune to Despero's gaze because of the blue rays he absorbed while he was inside Despero's traveller. Jasonar takes Despero into captivity back in his own dimension.
As a footnote to this issue - if anyone thinks letter pages were made up at this time, the letter column of Justice League of America #1 features a letter from Roy Thomas - who, I think, went on to have a fairly successful writing career himself?
Advertising