10 Things Everyone Forgets About The Justice Society Of America
The DC Universe's first super team have gone through many trials in their lengthy career.
The Justice Society of America, alternately known as the JSA, was created by Sheldon Meyer and Gardner Fox for the Winter issue of All-Star Comics # 3 in 1941. The team ran through All-Star throughout the Golden Age, through The Flash, through Adventure Comics, and as backup stories in other books across the Silver and Bronze Age, and in its own abbreviated JSA title in the Modern Age.
The first issue of the Golden Age comic consisted of a team staffed by The Atom, Doctor Fate, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hour-Man (his name at the beginning), Sandman, and the Spectre. Superman and Batman had been stated to be honorary founding members of the Justice Society but retcons have whipped those facts out of continuity.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths removed a number of fates from the continuity of the Justice Society. One is that there had never been an Earth-2, which is where all their Golden Age adventures were supposed to have taken place. Everything took place on a single Earth. Also, their younger members like the Star-Spangled Kid, Power Girl, and children like Nuklon, Jade, Obsidian, and others never went off and created a team called Infinity inc. Instead, the Kid and Karen briefly created a group called the Super Squad.
10. Manipulated By Manhattan
In Doomsday Clock # 10, the Watchmen’s god-like Dr. Manhattan manipulated events in the main DC Universe to remove the Justice Society from existence. He moved the Green Lantern out of Alan Scott’s reach during the fateful train accident and Scott died. Thus the Justice Society never formed. Inspired by Superman to choose the path of the hero, Manhattan returned the lantern to its proper place and the JSA and the Legion of Superheroes were able to aid Superman in the Metahuman War.
The restored timeline had the creation of the Justice Society coincide with Wonder Women’s introduction to Man’s World. All the heroes came together to save President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the 1939 World’s Fair. Diana was the inspirational force that brought other heroes forward to join the cause. The heroes were still unable to attack Nazi Germany directly as they not only had the Spear of Destiny but a Nazi superhuman named Parsifal, who could negate superpowers.
They are removed again when they join the Justice League of America against Perpetua and the Legion of Doom. The villain was slowly regaining her time and reality-manipulating abilities despite multiple teams of heroes opposing her. By Justice League of America # 39, she vanished them back into their own timeline - and they were finally restored by Wally West when he gained control of the Mobius Chair and the powers of Dr. Manhattan.