DC Teams: Earth-8

The Justifiers

aka the Assemblers, Champions

The Heroes of Angor

The planet Angor was once much like Earth. A group of metahuman heroes protected the planet and managed to trounce their villainous counterparts time after time. Their sole appearance was awkward and brief. The adventure began when Batman and Hawkman were attacked and controlled by a giant alien robot. When this robot made contact with its home base, the Atom rode the signal back to that world—across the galaxy. Green Lantern and others followed him and discovered a world devastated by nuclear war.

This world was called Cam-Nam-Lao, and had been populated by highly competitive corporations who subsequently destroyed everything. The Justice League were soon intercepted by four heroes from the planet Angor:

• Blue Jay (Ant-Man/Yellowjacket), can grow organic wings and shrink to seven inches tall.
• Jack B. Quick (Quicksilver). Jack's top speed rivaled that of the Flash.
• The Silver Sorceress (Scarlet Witch). The Sorceress was a gifted magician, whose spells could induce flying, teleporting, interdimensional travel, manipulating matter, and telepathy.
• Wandjina (Thor). He was a self-proclaimed thunder-god with super-strength, flight and natural storm and thunder powers.

Both the super-teams had fought off robots from Cam-Nam-Lao's forgotten computer-masters. Each team mistook the other for its enemy, and after a brief scuffle, they realized their error and called a truce. Afterwards, the Angors departed for their home planet. (Justice League of America #87)

NOTES: In the original story, the "Angors" did not have a team name. In Justice League Europe #19 (1990), they were called the "Assemblers" and in Justice League Quarterly #3 called the "Justifiers."

Post-Crisis

The heroes of Angor were forgotten until just after the Crisis on Infinite Earths. The obscure heroes were rebooted and reintroduced in Justice League #2 (June 1987), appearing on Earth after their world had been destroyed by nuclear holocaust. Their back story was revealed over time, and there are some continuity blips concerning the membership of their group. There were three flashback appearances of the heroes of Angor, each of which contradicts the other somewhat. The heroes' names and appearance changed each time. They had no team name until Justice League Europe #19 (Oct. 1990), when the Silver Sorceress called them the "Assemblers," but later that same year, they were called the "Justifiers" (Justice League Quarterly #3). Further, the Justice League Sourcebook (1990, by Ray Winninger, Mayfair Games) called them the "Champions" (which was never used in a comic book). This profile uses "Justifiers" because the name was canonized in the official Who's Who entry for Blue Jay and the Silver Sorceress (Who's Who #12, Sept. 1991). That book also revealed their real names, and listed the speedster as Captain Speed. Who's Who #5 (Dec. 1990) profiled the Extremists.

On Angor, the super-heroes banded together to form the Justifiers. They faced few serious villainous threats and enjoyed a peaceful world order. This left them ill-prepared for the birth of a band of super-terrorists called the Extremists. The Extremists were a civilian gang who attempted to steal an experimental mega-bomb. When the bomb detonated, they were disfigured and transformed into powerful beings. This group quickly rolled through the planet's nations and seized control of its nuclear arsenal. World leaders did not believe their threats to use the bombs, but the Extremists' threat was serious enough for three of the Assemblers to seek help on Earth. The journey was unproductive; Wandjina, Blue Jay and the Silver Sorceress clashed with the Justice League and returned home. In their absence, their world was completely destroyed. Captain Speed was the last survivor but, he also soon died of the radiation. (Justice League Europe #16) NOTE: The heroes first meeting with the JLA is a retcon to the group's 1971 appearance.

There were many heroes on Angor, but only a handful were shown:

• Blue Jay (Jay Abrams, Ant-Man/Yellowjacket), can grow organic wings and shrink to seven inches tall. He came to Earth and eventually joined the Justice League (Justice League Europe #20). He had increased speed, agility, and stamina.
• Bowman (Hawkeye). Nothing is known about this archer. He is depicted and named in all the Justifier's flashback appearances. First appearance: Justice League Europe #16. His appearance changed markedly between Justice League Europe #16 and Justice League Quarterly #3, which moved some to conclude that these were two different characters, but there is no textual basis for that assumption.
• Captain Speed (Harry Christos, Quicksilver). Captain Speed was the last of the Justifiers to fall on Angor. In his first appearance, Justice League #2, he was named "Johnny Quick," which changed to "Captain Speed" in Justice League Quarterly #3, and remained so in Who's Who #12. His appearance changed markedly between Justice League Europe #16 and Justice League Quarterly #3 (he appeared to be transgendered in J.L.Q. #3), which moved some to conclude that these were two different characters, but there is no textual basis for that assumption.
• ["Giant-Man"] (Giant-Man/Goliath). Nothing is known about this man, who appeared in-panel in Justice League Quarterly #3.
• The Silver Sorceress (Laura Cynthia Nielsen, Scarlet Witch). The Sorceress was one of the members who came to Earth and eventually joined the Justice League (Justice League Europe #20). She was a gifted magician, whose spells could induce flying, teleporting, interdimensional travel, manipulating matter, and telepathy.
• "T.A." (the Wasp) was referred to by her teammates only as "T.A." Nothing is known about this otherwise unnamed woman with wings, who appeared in-panel in Justice League Quarterly #3.
• Tin Man (Iron Man, deceased). Tin Man had a highly technological armor that possibly endowed him with super-strength, the ability to fly, and more. Nothing else is known about him. First appearance: Justice League Quarterly #3.
• Wandjina, the Thunderer (Thor). One of three who came to Earth, the team's strongman died sacrificing himself to stop a nuclear meltdown. He was resurrected and became the undead pawn of the Queen Bee. Wandjina was a self-proclaimed god with super-strength, flight and natural storm and storm powers.

The three survivors believed that the Extremists died in their own holocaust as well, but Dreamslayer had survived. The nuclear explosion sent him into another dimension. He remained there for five years before accruing the power necessary to return to Angor. And there was one more unknown survivor. Angor's legendary theme park creator, Uncle Mitch Wacky survived inside a suspended animation chamber. Before retiring to the chamber, he programmed his theme park, Wackyworld, to monitor events and continue on in his absence. He did his job too well, though. Indeed, his robots servants continued to rebuild Angor after the nuclear holocaust. In their zeal, they also rebuilt the Justifiers and Extremists, whom they programmed to think independently. These androids soon shared the same fate as their human predecessors. They destroyed each other, and the android Extremists again ruled the planet. (Justice League Europe #18-19)

At this time, the real Dreamslayer returned to Angor and dispatched his duplicate. The Silver Sorceress, Blue Jay, and Wandjina decided to return to Earth and
"enlighten" the population by dismantling the world's nuclear stockpiles. (Justice League #2) They allied with Bialya's evil dictator Colonel Rumaan Harjavti, who duped them into attacking a Russian nuclear installation. This brought out the Rocket Red Brigade and the Justice League. When the reactor began to melt down, Wandjina rushed in and stopped it—at the cost of his life. The three Angorians were taken into Russian custody. (#3) NOTE: Neither the heroes' team name nor home planet's name were mentioned in this story.

Wandjina was resurrected and controlled by the Queen Bee of Bialya. He had become a monster, and disappeared in an explosion. (Justice League #17) Blue Jay and Silver Sorceress remained captive in a Soviet metahuman research facility until the the Silver Sorceress escaped and returned to Angor. (Justice League Europe #11-12) Her homecoming drew Dreamslayer's attention, and from her mind, he extracted the way to Earth. The Extremists landed in Russia, where Blue Jay sought help from the Justice League's Moscow embassy. Metamorpho responded to Blue Jay's entreaty just as the Extremists attacked. They sent a battered Metamorpho back to Paris as a calling card, and the Justice League's European branch was mobilized. (#15-16)

Dreamslayer then transported the Leaguers away to Angor, where they found the Silver Sorceress at Wackyworld. This amusement park was the creation of Mitch Wacky, who was awakened from his suspended animation by the fighting. They all returned to Earth just as the U.N. had surrendered to the Extremists. Dr. Light cured Wacky of his influenza, and the old man saved the day by deactivating the Extremist androids. It was then that they discovered that Dreamslayer was not an android, and the Silver Sorceress cast a spell which destroyed his body. (#17-19)

After this battle, the Sorceress and Blue Jay joined the European branch of the League. (#20) Mitch Wacky tagged along and soon met fellow tinkerer, Kilowog. He realized that with Kilowog's technology, he might finally be able to build a time machine. The pair succeeded, and they traveled ten years into the past, intent on changing Angor's fate. To his horror, Wacky discovered that it was he who accidentally detonated the megabomb that created the original Extremists. (Justice League Quarterly #3)

After the destruction of his body, Dreamslayer's essence returned to the dimension that was the source of his power. In time, he was able to regain his power and take over the island nation KooeyKooeyKooey. The Sorceress was critically injured in the ensuing confrontation. With her dying breath, she was able to draw Dreamslayer into her mind and banished him once again to his "land of terrors." She was buried there, on Kooey. Wacky was killed by Dreamslayer after reviving Lord Havok. Blue Jay departed soon thereafter. (Justice League America #57-59, Justice League Europe #32-35)

After the Silver Sorceress' death, Dreamslayer was released from her mind and drifted in the astral plane.

Blue Jay's Journey

Now the sole survivor of Angor, Blue Jay went into seclusion for many years. He next appeared when an alien called the Auctioneer teleported metahumans away from Earth. Superman was trapped along with Blue Jay and led them to escape. (Action Comics #842-843, 2006)

The next time Blue Jay surfaced, he attempted to warn the Justice League about some threat, but was felled by an unseen attacker in the JLA's trophy room. (Justice League of America v.2 #38) A group of villains used Blue Jay as a key element in powering a device that would open a window to the multiverse. (#43)

His captors (the Crime Syndicate of Amerika and evil doppelgängers of the New Gods) eventually unleashed an unpredictable being called the Omega Man and Blue Jay escaped. (#50-51) He was then instrumental in defeating the Omega Man. In the process, a portal to other Earths was created, and Blue Jay embarked on a new mission, entering the portal with the hope of helping other ravaged worlds. (#52-53)

» FIRST APPEARANCE: Justice League #2 (June 1987). Named "Assemblers": Justice League Europe #19 (Oct. 1990). Named "Justifiers": Justice League Quarterly #3 (Summer 1991).

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:

• Armageddon 2001 #2
• The Flash v.2 #51
• JLA Secret Files #1 (1997)
• JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1 (2000)
• Justice League America #2-3, 16-17, 53, 55-60, 78-79, 86, 88,
• Justice League Europe #11-13, 15-21, 23–36, 47-48, 50, Annual #2
• Justice League Quarterly #2-4
• The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1, February 1999 (Tin-Man as ghost image)
• Who's Who #12

The Extremists

Created by Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and Bart Sears

Like the Justifiers, these villains were based on Marvel characters. The Extremists hailed from a planet called Angor. After the Infinite Crisis, a new multiverse of 52 Earths was created and a second incarnation of the Extremists was now native to Earth-8 (this incarnation is not yet covered here).

The Extremists of Angor (post-Crisis)

The planet Angor was once much like Earth. A group of metahuman heroes called the Justifiers protected the planet and managed to trounce their villainous counterparts time after time. Until one day...

An ambitious group of five terrorists attempted to steal an experimental megabomb. When the bomb detonated accidentally, these men did not die. (Justice League Quarterly #3) They were mutated into the most powerful beings the planet had ever known: the Extremists:

• Dreamslayer (Dormammu) is an extremely powerful telepath, seemingly made of pure energy. He can manipulate matter and minds and teleport between dimensions. By his own description, he is lord of the "dimension of terrors."
• Dr. Diehard (Magneto) had vast magnetic powers. He could simultaneously manipulate the entire world's nuclear weapons arsenal.
• Gorgon II (Dr. Octopus) grew super-strong tentacles from his head.
• Lord Havok (their leader, Doctor Doom) wore a large, powerful metal exoskeleton to contain his mutating body's changing needs. He was armored with a metal exo-skeletons that gave them great strength and the ability to absorb energy and release it in powerful blasts.
• Tracer (Sabretooth) was a feral beast with sharp claws and teeth. He had super-human strength, speed, agility, and super-senses.
• Carny (Arcade) was the Extremists' ally, an amusement park robot gone rogue.
  (First appearance: Justice League Europe #18)

The Extremists seized control of the planet's nuclear arsenal. Their governments did not believe their threats to use the bombs. The Extremists' threat was serious enough for three of the Justifiers to seek help on Earth. This journey was unproductive; the Justifiers clashed with the Justice League and returned home. They found their world had since been completely decimated. The Justifier Johnny Quick was the last survivor but he too soon died of the radiation. (Justice League Europe #16)

Only Dreamslayer survived the nuclear explosion, but he was sent into another dimension. He remained there for five years before accruing the power necessary to return to Angor. And there was one more unknown survivor. Angor's legendary theme park creator, Mitch Wacky survived inside a suspended animation chamber. Wacky had contracted influenza, for which his world had no cure. Before retiring to the chamber, he programmed his theme park, Wackyworld, to monitor events and continue on in his absence. He did his job too well, though. Indeed, his robots servants continued to rebuild Angor after the nuclear holocaust. In their zeal, they also rebuilt the Justifiers and Extremists, whom they programmed to think independently. Soon, these androids shared the same fate as their human predecessors. They destroyed each other, and the android Extremists again ruled the planet. (#19)

At this time, the real Dreamslayer returned to Angor and dispatched his duplicate. When the Silver Sorceress' returned to Angor, she drew the villain's attention. From her mind, he extracted the path to Earth. Blue Jay ran for help but not before the Extremists killed a Justice League embassy employee. (#15-16)

The Extremists decimated the Rocket Red Brigade, then Dr. Diehard gathered up Earth's nuclear missiles and placed them in orbit. They built a palace in Israel, intent on establishing themselves as Earth's new gods. When the JLE finally attacked, Diehard nearly lost control of the bombs and Dreamslayer banished the Leaguers to Angor. (#17)

On Angor, the JLE found the Silver Sorceress and awakened an ally, Mitch Wacky, who was the creator of the Extremist androids. Back on Earth, Wacky saved the day by deactivating the Extremists. It was then that they discovered that Dreamslayer was the real deal. The Silver Sorceress cast a spell which destroyed his body. The androids were placed in Madame Clouseau's Wax Museum. (#18-19)

After this battle, the Sorceress and Blue Jay, and Wacky joined on with the Justice League. (#20) Mitch met fellow tinkerer, Kilowog and built a time machine to travel ten years into the past, hoping on changing Angor's fate. To his horror, Wacky instead discovered that it was he who accidentally detonated the bomb that created the original Extremists. (Justice League Quarterly #3)

After the destruction of his body, Dreamslayer's essence returned to the dimension that was the source of his power. In time, he was able to take possession of Maxwell Lord. He used Lord's mental abilities to reacquire the Extremist androids and deliver them to the island nation KooeyKooeyKooey. He also coerced Mitch Wacky into trying to reactivate the Extremists. Wacky succeeded only in reviving Lord Havok (by using parts from the other androids). Dreamslayer killed Mitch upon Havok's completion and took control of the entire island. This drew the Silver Sorceress' attention; she was injured in their confrontation, and the JLA were also possessed. Lord Havok was sent to kill the Justice League but it was destroyed again by the Blue Beetle. With her dying breath, the Silver Sorceress was able to draw Dreamslayer into her mind and banished him once again to his "land of terrors." She was buried there, on Kooey. (Justice League America #57-59, Justice League Europe #32-35)

The New Extremists

After the Silver Sorceress' death, Dreamslayer was released from her mind and drifted in the astral plane. In time he was contacted and granted power by the Overmaster. Dreamslayer used this power to assemble a new team of villains as the Extremists:

• Brute, an inhuman hulk
• Cloudburst, who could control the weather
• Death Angel could cast illusions
• Gunshot, a man in a battlesuit
• Meanstreak, wielding projectiles of fiery energy

On the island nation of Seylone, Dreamslayer tried to persuade the Justice Leaguer Bloodwynd to join him and heralded the Overmaster's approach to Earth. The Justice League defeated him more easily this time, but the Extremists were teleported away, presumably by the Overmaster. (Justice League America #78-79) NOTES: One might argue that the new Extremists were also modeled on Marvel characters—the X-Men's Colossus, Storm, Psylocke, Bishop and Gambit.

In Colorado, the Overmaster tended a longtime cult who believed he was a god. This "Flock of the Machine" built a great machine to channel his energies. Their machine unwittingly transformed the Overmaster's power into global chaos. The machine also happened to pierce the hell-dimension containing Dreamslayer. Dreamslayer took full control of the machine (and the Overmaster's power therein). He summoned his new Extremists but was halted when the cult's leader destroyed the machine. Instead, the Overmaster claimed the Extremists for members of his Cadre, and returned Dreamslayer to his other-dimensional prison. (Justice League America #86-88)

Maxwell Lord took over the mechanical body of Lord Havok after stealing the power of the Kilg%re. (JLA #94-95, 98) As Lord Havok II, Lord destroyed the Arcana and disappeared. (JLA #100)

The Extremists robots returned one more time, re-activated by the being known as Twilight to battle Supergirl. Once defeated, they were shut off and returned to Madame Clouseau's Wax Museum. (Supergirl v.4 #15-16)

Angor's Tin Man made a cameo appearance in Booster Gold's theme restaurant, Planet Krypton, which was haunted by ghosts from other timelines. (The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1)

» FIRST APPEARANCE:

• Team 1: Justice League Europe #15 (June 1990)
• Team 2: Justice League America #78 (Aug. 1993)

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:

• Team 1: JLA #16 (Gorgon as statue) • Justice League America #57-59, 64 • Justice League Europe #15-19, 32-35 • Justice League Quarterly #3 • Supergirl v.4 #15-16, 47
• Team 2: Justice League Task Force #13-14 • Justice League America #78-79, 89-90 • Justice League International, v.2 #63, 65

Earth-8 (post-52)

The Extremists and Meta Militia

After the 52 and Infinite Crisis, the DC multiverse was created to contain 52 universes. Earth-8 was modeled on Angor—the home of all Marvel-based characters. Writer Frank Tieri crafted this world for Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists. Earth-8 was home to not only the Extremists and Justifiers, but the Crusaders as well! Obscure characters such as Americommando and Barracuda were prominent cast members, in addition to Angorians already familiar to fans. The result was a rich cast of characters and unexpected plot turns.

Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists

On Earth-8, America was known as Angor. In that country, the costumed Tin Man was the first metahuman to be elected President (and Americommando was his running mate). Once in office, his Metahuman Act created the Meta Militia, a peacekeeping force made up of super-heroes. But those who failed to register under the Act and join the Militia were imprisoned. The freedom fighter called Lord Havok murdered President Tin Man while he was delivering a television address. (Lord Havok and the Extremists #1) Lord Havok's Extremists were:

• Carny, an early dissenter who was killed by Lord Havok. He dressed like a clown and might have been an analogue to Marvel's villain, Arcade. (#1)
• Dr. Diehard (Dr. Hans Leckter) was a pacifist and metahuman leader who opened the a school called the Academy for Advanced Children. His children were the Silver Sorceress (Anna), and Jack (B. Quick). When the Meta Milita forced his followers to register, Leckter surrendered to a concentration camp instead. There, Anna and Jack were murdered by guards, and Leckter went mad. (#5)
• Gorgon (Dr. Mortimer) was a scientist who worked for the government. His girlfriend began having an affair with Dr. Leonard Grant (aka the god Wandjina). Mortimer transformed himself into Gorgon using one of his own tissue experiments. He later found Susan dead, and discovered that he had killed her while in the psychological space of a multiple personality. (#2)
• Dreamslayer (Louise Marino) was a nun who visited her brother, Louie, at the "Church of Dreamology." At a service, the Dreamslayer attempted to take over the church leader's body, but a backwards-speaking magician intervened and Louie offered up his sister as a host. She and Tracer are lovers. (#4)
• Lord Havok (Prince Alexi) was born the disfigured son of Czar Nikolai III of Russia. His mother saved him from death at the hands of the czar and raised him into a prodigy who created his own prosthetics. Alexi was sent to Angor (America) for school where he developed a powerful metal that synced with his thoughts. He returned to Russia after his mother's death, killed his father and everyone else in Russia. (#6)
• Tracer (Pvt. Vincent Cade), lost his arms in the Iranian war. He became part of an experiment whereby he was fitted with metallic claws, enhanced senses, regeneration, increased musculature, strength, speed, reflexes. (#3)

After Tin Man's assassination, the Americommando (James) became the new president and Blue Jay (Adam) became Vice President. The Americommando was arrogant and cocksure. Blue Jay detested these qualities in him, and worse—the president began sleeping with Blue Jay's wife, Diane, who was also a member of the Meta Militia. (#1)

Six years later, the Extremists took over the nation of Slovekia and murdered the ruling family. (#1) Dr. Diehard was a dissenter to Havok's actions. He maintained much of his pacifist leanings and began sowing the seeds of dissent. One of their undercover allies was Barracuda, the head of Angor's Meta Militia. At this time, people from across the multiverse began converging on Earth-8. From Earth-0, the Challengers of the Unknown—Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner and Jason Todd—arrived, and Todd killed Barracuda. The conqueror Monarch also spied this world, and hoped to add its metahumans to his multiversal army. Monarch offered to make Havok his Lieutenant, but Havok declined. (#2)

Dr. Diehard also disagreed about joining Monarch. When Tracer was sent on a bogus mission, he was intercepted by Monarch's weird Justice League: Green Sinestro, Linda Park the Flash, Bat-Soldier, Herr Superman, Bizarra, Robin Olsen, Zombie Gordon. They captured Tracer and proclaimed him dead. (#3)

The Americommando led the Meta Militia's attack on the Extremists in Slovekia, and he also allied with Monarch, who agreed to eliminate the Extremists. When Monarch killed everyone Dr. Diehard's Academy for Advanced Children (including his wife and the Zen Men), Diehard rallied the other Extremists to his side, criticizing Lord Havok. (#4) Havok easily squashed the Extremists' mutiny and killed Dr. Diehard. Monarch helped the Meta Militia break through the force field surrounding Slovekia. (#5)

Blue Jay joined the fight on the side of the Extremists, but the terrorists were rounded up by the Meta Militia and Monarch's forces. But when they confronted Lord Havok in his specially-constructed room, all their powers were negated and Lord Havok stood victorious. Blue Jay was installed as the President of Angor, and the Americommando was set to stand trial. Lord Havok then led the Extremists off to join Monarch, but with the intent of finding a way to conquer more Earths in the multiverse. The Meta Militia were left alive in order to give the people of Earth-8 a false sense of security. During their time with Monarch, Lord Havok siphoned power from Monarch. Then after Monarch was killed, Havok used the power to access Monarch's headquarters. (#6)

Characters seen in this series included those based on Hawkeye (Bowman), Spider-Man, Nick Fury, the Thing, Hulk, Mr. Fantastic, Wolverine, and Cyclops (One-Eye).

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:

• Countdown #29-26
• Countdown Presents: Lord Havok & the Extremists, 6-issue limited series (Dec. 2007–May 2008)

• Newsarama: Liam Sharp & Mike Marts Talk Lord Havok
• Newsarama: Frank Tieri Talks Lord Havok (31 January 2008)

Earth-8 (New 52)

» FEATURED APPEARANCES: The Multiversity #1