The Global Guardians

Created by E. Nelson Bridwell & Ramona Fradon

FIRST APPEARANCE:
Historical: Super Friends #7 (October 1977). Current: DC Comics Presents #46 (June 1982).

+ History

The Dome

In 1942, the Justice Society brought food to starving patriots in Nazi-occupied Europe. During the early 1950s, several of these recipients were inspired by the JSA's kindness and became some of the first costumed heroes outside of America. When the Western European nations signed the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957, it established the European Economic Community. They also signed a treaty creating the organization called the Dome, international police organization. A key figure in the creation of the Dome was the immortal named Doctor Mist. The costumed heroes working under the authority of the Dome were dubbed the Global Guardians.

Originally, it oversaw the operations of super-heroes of member nations. These heroes were inspired by the Justice Society and also included the Knight & Squire II, Percival & Cyril Sheldrake of England; Gaucho of Argentina; the Legionary of Italy; the Musketeer of France; and the Wingman from Sweden. NOTE: In original DC (pre-Crisis) continuity, the original Dome operatives of the 1950s were inspired by the Earth-2 Batman, not the JSA, and had no connection with the Global Guardians, who existed on Earth-1.

At least two original Dome operatives remained active. The Legionary took part in a Global Guardians investigation of a pharmaceutical company's role in the resurrection of Agent Axis. (Blue Beetle #20) And the second Squire inherited his father of Earl of Wordenshire. He also took his father's mantle of the Knight (II) and became a British spymaster. (New Teen Titans v.2 #44) Cyril later is sometimes called the "English Batman" — because he models his cowl upon that of his idol. He also took a new Squire (III), Beryl Hutchinson and they joined the short-lived Ultramarine Corps. Percy, the original Knight was killed by his arch-enemy, Springheeled Jack. (JLA: Classified #1)

As the original representatives retired, Dr. Mist formed the Global Guardians to serve as a task force for the Dome (Infinity, Inc. #34-36). The membership of the Guardians spanned the entire world (including the U.S.), but it was some time before the group had any contact with other American heroes.

The first recorded meeting was between a group of four Guardians (Green Flame, Icemaiden, Rising Sun, Tasmanian Devil) and the team Infinity, Inc. The Guardians met Infinity when both groups were assigned to protect the same Canadian trade conference. (Infinity, Inc. #32) In Calgary, the two teams worked through their initial rivalry in time to battle and defeat the Wizard's new Injustice, Unlimited. (#34-36)

Soon after this, the United Nations decided to fund the new Justice League International. As a result, the Dome lost its funding and the members of the Guardians were left without work. Two enterprising members — Green Flame and the second Icemaiden — set their sites on the JLI instead. They applied and were soon accepted to the JLI. (Justice League In'tl v.1 #12, 14)

+ Guardians vs. The Queen Bee

The elusive Fleur-de-lis
NAME: Noelle Avril. NATIVE COUNTRY: France.
APPEARANCES: Infinity Inc. #34, Teen Titans Spotlight #11, Blue Beetle #19, 20, Secret Origins v2 #27, Deathstroke #32.

Several Guardians disappeared after the breakup, including their leader, Dr. Mist, administrator Belphegor, Seraph, and Fleur de Lis (who has never appeared in any recorded adventure). The others accepted an offer by the so-called Queen Bee of Bialya. Unknown to the Guardians, however, the Queen Bee employed mind control tactics. As their first act under her control, former Guardian members Wild Huntsman, Rising Sun and Tuatara attacked Justice League Europe. (Justice League Europe #2)

Two members remained free of the mind-control and were in cahoots with the Queen Bee: the lovers, Jack O'Lantern and Owl Woman. (The Tasmanian Devil also remained free of the Queen Bee's control and eventually joined the Justice League. [Justice League America #54]) Jack destroyed the Dome's former Paris headquarters and framed the JLE for it. The Justice League was cleared and soon realized the connection between Bialya and the Guardians. (JLE #3) As a seemingly magnanimous gesture, the Queen Bee rebuilt the Dome in Bialya and brainwashed the remainder of the Global Guardians into her service. She even staged a battle where the two teams fought side-by-side, in order to make the Guardians look credible. To round out her control, she created an android Dr. Mist, and replaced the original Jack O'Lantern with a new lackey. (The original Jack is left to die in the Bialyan underground). (JLE Annual #1)

The Queen Bee's power grew quickly. She allied with Bialyan leader Sumaan Harjavti and ordered the capture of Captain Atom. (JLE #29) Harjavti and Jack orchestrated an assassination attempt on the JLI's administrator, Maxwell Lord, and replaced him with their operative, Rolf Heimlich. Their power also grew quickly and they planned to overthrow the Queen Bee. (JLA #54) Several Leaguers went undercover to Bialya and revealed Heimlich as a spy. In the resulting battle, Little Mermaid was accidentally killed by Jack O'Lantern. (JLE #30) Harjavti detonated a bomb which revealed the Queen Bee's secret complex, and killed Jack. Apparently, the Queen Bee also perished in the explosion. The Guardians regained their free wills and Owl Woman — who had been in on everything — escaped. (JLA #55)

After gaining their freedom, the Global Guardians regrouped in Bialya under Harjavti's leadership. He sets them against the Hero Group of Lower Pluxa. (Justice League Quarterly #5) Like his predecessor, Sumaan Harjavti plotted to control the Global Guardians; he imprisoned Olympian. But Dr. Mist obviously sensed that his former comrades in Bialya needed his help. He found Owl Woman and the original Jack O' Lantern and together they escaped from Bialya. (JLQ #6) Mist then recruited Rising Sun, Tasmanian Devil and Seraph to help liberate their friends. (JLQ #7) After all the Guardians were freed from Harjavti, Dr. Mist reformed the Global Guardians, and built a new headquarters in the Pacific. (JLQ #8) It seems their psychic defenses were down again when the team was controlled by Sonar (JLE #50).

For some unexplained reason, however, Dr. Mist was nowhere to be found during the Guardians' most tragic hour. Also at this time, the original was killed and succeeded by Jack O'Lantern III (Liam McHugh). (JLQ #14) Fain Y'onia, an old foe of Dr. Mist, attacked and killed Bushmaster and Thunderlord. Godiva, Impala and Tuatara were also critically injured. Y'onia was defeated only by the sacrifice of the Wild Huntsman, who disappeared alongside the villain. Owl Woman, Rising Sun, Seraph, Impala & Olympian emerge from the ashes to reform the Global Guardians with four new members: Centrix, Tundra, Chrysalis and Cascade. (JLQ #17)

There are no further recorded adventures of these heroes as a group, however, most of these remaining members did appear during Wonder Woman's grand battle against Circe. (Wonder Woman #174-175) It is unclear whether the team was still together, especially in light of the formation of the Ultramarines. The Ultramarines also professed to be protectors of the globe. The current Jack O'Lantern is among their members, and several others have joined as freelance operatives as well. (JLA: Classified #2-3)

+ Members

The Club Of Heroes checklist:

» SEE ALSO:

Dr. Mist NAME: Maltis, alias King Nommo, alias Ashos, alias Joab M'staki, alias Korathma, alias Samson, alias Mister Mystery, alias Doctor Mist. NATIVE COUNTRY: Originally the empire of Kor, in Eastern Africa. Status: Active for the last 11,000 years (some sources say 7,000 years), presumably deceased.	Fire, alias the Green Fury, Fria Verde/the Green Flame NAME: Beatriz da Costa. NATIVE COUNTRY: Brazil	Ice alias Icemaiden NAME: Sigrid Nansen. NATIVE COUNTRY: Norway	Tasmanian Devil NAME: Hugh Dawkins. NATIVE COUNTRY: Australia

NOTE: The following members have never been formally introduced but backgrounds for Cascade, Centrix and Chrysalis were revealed in the DC Comics Encyclopedia (2004). This book was written by writers with considerable DC experience.

Ice died fighting the Overmaster (JLTF #14) Little is known about the involvement of Belphegor (who only appeared twice), and Bwana Beast and Fleur-de-Lis (who appeared only in group shots). Other than that, only a little has ever been revealed about the personal history of most members.

+ Global Puppets

For such a formidable assembly of heroes, the Global Guardians seem unable to divorce themselves from malevolent control. A brand new band of Global Guardians, led by Jet (back from the dead) appeared in aftermath of the crisis wrought by Alexander Luthor. The new Global Guardians joined a trend of non-American metahuman coalitions like the Great Ten and Rocket Red Brigade. These groups proposed to mobilize themselves against foreign (mostly American) metahuman aggression.

But like the Queen Bee before, these new Guardians were pawns once again. This time they had been commandeered by the subatomic telepathic Saturnaians called the Klarmarians. On Earth, they are known as the Faceless Hunters. The Hunters came to Earth hoiping to cash in on the bounty on Hal Jordan. This band included the veteran Tasmanian Devil, Jet's New Guardian comrade Gloss, and new members Freedom Beast, Manticore IV and Sandstorm. (Green Lantern v.3 #10)

After their first encounter with Hal Jordan, they added the new Crimson Fox (III), who initially declined their invitation. Jet informed the heroine that she had no choice in the matter, and soon the Fox was under the Hunters' thrall as well. (#11) Their next attempt was more successful, when they found Hal in Russia. There they murdered a dozen terrorists and put the blame on the Green Lantern. (#14) The Guardians helped bring Hal down, but the JLA intervened and put an end to the bounty hunt. (#15)

After the presence of the Faceless Hunters was revealed, this team was freed from their mind control with the help of the Martian Manhunter. (#17) It is unclear whether this band of Global Guardians was formed prior to the Faceless Hunters' intervention.

Freedom Beast, Gloss, Sandstorm and Tasmanian Devil were all seemingly killed by Prometheus. (Justice League: Cry for Justice #1, 3) Tasmanian Devil was restored to life by the gorilla Malavar using a Lazarus Pit. (Starman/Congorilla #1)

+ Notes

The pre-Crisis Global Guardians had a different history. They began as co-stars in Super Friends #7-9. After that, they appeared in DC Comics Presents #46 (6.82). In that story, Dr. Mist assembled only five other heroes. The DCCP story resembles that of Super Friends #7. It is uncertain whether the latter story remains valid in post-Crisis continuity. Their first actual post-Crisis appearance was an overview page in the History of DC Universe #2. Also, Infinity, Inc. #34 showed a group shot including Bushmaster, Dr. Mist, Fleur-du-Lis, Godiva, Olympian and Seraph. Presumably, Green Fury's name was changed to Green Flame upon her introduction to avoid confusion with the Infinitor, Fury. See the table below for all pre- and post-Crisis first appearances.

+ List of Members

Appearances + References

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:

Blue Beetle #19–21

Captain Atom Annual #2

Crisis on Infinite Earths #12

DC Comics Presents #46

Deathstroke #32

History of the DC Universe #2

Infinity, Inc. #32, 34-37, 47

JLA: Classified #2-3

JLA: Year One #12

JSA #28

Justice League America #8-9, 12, 16, 17, 27, 54-55, 100, 102, Annual #3

Justice League Europe #3-4, 29, 30, 49, 50, Annual 1

Justice League Quarterly #5 (Winter 1991-92)

Justice League Quarterly #5-6, 8, 14, 17

Justice League Quarterly #6–8, 17

Secret Origins #27, 33

Super Friends #45, 46

Superman v.2 #13

Teen Titans Spotlight #11

Who's Who '85 #9

Who's Who '91 #7

Who's Who Update '87 #2

Who's Who Update '88 #1–2

Wonder Woman v2 #175

World's Finest Comics #89

» SERIES:

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» SEE ALSO:

Club of Heroes

Dr. Mist

Fire

Ice

Tasmanian Devil

Ultramarines

Global Guardian Biography Index

New Guardians

The Batmen of Many Nations

» SERIES:

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» SEE ALSO:

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