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Posts tagged Steel
Detroit Time
0In the Detroit JLA, our new heroes are confronted with a villainous judge known as The Overmaster who gives assorted individuals super powers in order to see exactly how the native species will react. Needless to say Overmaster has frequently destroyed less than satisfactorily performing species.
Giving a chance to give the Detroit JLA to stretch its legs and really break from the previous pattern of Justice League of America stories in which the formula was rather simple.. follow it with me.
- Trouble occurs.
- A Justice Leaguer is a witness or is called in by the local authorities.
- The assessment of the threat is such that the JLA member realizes that he/she/they cannot possibly defeat the menace themselves.
- They reach for the JLA Signal Device.
- The gathered heroes assemble at the location of the incident or their headquarters for a briefing.
- The heroes either then in mass or in teams take on the investigation.
- The heroes are either altogether or individually defeated.
- A key piece of information is discovered and/or backup is called.
- The JLA goes and kicks some ass.
- End scene.
Simple right?
The problem with this plot structure is not only monotony, but it left very little room for characterization or the advancement of the heroes. The main stumbling block to this issue was the fact that life changing events were not the territory of the JLA writer, instead, those decisions rested with the Superman Editorial team, the Batman Editorial team, the Wonder Woman Editorial team, and so on and so forth.
Of all the Justice Leaguers that were fairly popular at the time, Aquaman was the natural choice to lead the team. He has recognition factor and has been around almost as long as The Trinity has been. Martian Manhunter was another great choice taking the Superman role as he had done earlier in the Justice League’s run. There was no doubt that the JLA needs a strongman character and J’onn J’onzz brings that in spades.
The JLA also needed some comedy relief and a detective, both readily available in the Nick and Nora Charles pair of Elongated Man and Sue Dibny. The JLA also was in need of some more firepower, so add Zatanna to the mix for that magical punch and some more sex appeal.
For even more sex appeal we add in new JLA member Vixen, an African American fashion model, making her the first ethnic Justice Leaguer.
Steel was added for that All-American appeal, his costume sort of looks like Wonder Woman and maybe folks will pick the book up thinking its an All-Star Squadron tie-in, which it is in essence.
Vibe follows up our ethnic round up adding the first Latino voice to the JLA and then we have Gypsy the girl of mysterious origins.
Most of this line up fit the standard super-hero tropes at the time and put it in line with other really well selling books at the time regarding a diverse cast of characters like New Teen Titans and X-Men.
So, why is it that this run of the Justice League is practically universally panned?
Now, do not get me wrong, I personally have a fondness for the JLA Detroit era, but it was a pretty severe break from the past. Gone were the stiffs of the old times (Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman) and now we had the new kids who were ready to go out there and kick some ass.
Some times however, just because a formula works in another book, does not mean it is going to work on another book and I think this break was too radical from what DC fans had known before. When you pick up a Justice League book you WANT Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman… not Vibe, Steel, or Gypsy.. at least not back then.
P.S. The Overmaster and his villainous Cadre (Crowbar, Fastball, Nightfall, Black Mass, Shrike, and Shatterfist were defeated).
Next Up: Here’s Looking at You Batman!
The Martians Are Coming
0
From the cover you can tell things are ugly when heroes are battling a hero. The Martian Manhunter makes his first appearance since JLA #200 only to be able to barely warn the Justice League that the entire Martian fleet is coming to invade Earth in a territory grab set up by one of J’onn’s military bretheren.
The Justice League fights back, but again the big guns are missing. No one can contact Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, or Flash. The remaining Leaguers are horribly outmatched for an army of telepaths who have the same strength levels of Superman and Wonder Woman.
Yes, its a bad day for the JLA.
Martian Manhunter comes through in the end and the JLA defeat the menace, with Martian Manhunter exiled to Earth by his own people to keep the truce.
It is at the end of this story that the only active and present active member of the Justice League of America decides the JLA must change.
Aquaman announces this in the Justice League of America Annual #2
Citing the lack of strength of the current JLA, the League is disbanded and reformed immediately after by those heroes who can make a full time commitment to the Justice League.
Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, and Zatanna.
However four Justice Leaguers? Hardly a “League” is it?
That’s resolved when the Justice League is joined by Vixen, Mari McCabe with her animal mimicry abilities, Steel, Hank Heywood, a man with a steel skeleton; Vibe, Paco Ramone, a street tough breakdancer with vibration powers, and Gypsy, a mysterious girl with stealth powers.
The Detroit League: Zatanna, Aquaman, Elongated Man, Vixen, Martian Manhunter, Gypsy, Steel, and Vibe
The League’s Satellite era was over and a new era was beginning. The Justice League received a few new supporting cast members. Sue Dibny, Elongated Man’s wife joined the team in their bunker headquarters and Dale Gunn became their tech expert. Dale reported to Hank’s grandfather, the Earth-1 analogue of Commander Steel. Also, the locals of the Detroit neighborhood became important to the story, most notably, Mother Windom (a take on Wisdom), an elderly African American woman always willing to give sage advice to those in need.
Not only had the JLA been taken out of orbit, they had been grounded in one of the toughest neighborhoods in America. Living among people the League’s mission was to reconnect to help everyone on their level.
Next Up: Back to the Future and the Legion of Super-Heroes!