| Sequence of Events |
Issue (Date) |
| 55 Years Ago |
| Jor-El and Lara of Krypton launch their son Kal-El towards Earth. NOTES: Date based on Action #600 (5 years ago), when a wave of kryptonite
radiation reached Earth. In other words, Krypton was 50 light years away. |
Superman Secret Files #1 (Jan. 1998) |
| 1946 |
| In the wake of World War Two,
the American Talisman is shattered and Uncle Sam disappears. NOTE: In post-Crisis continuity all postwar appearances
of Uncle Sam should be considered apocryphal. |
The Spectre vol. 3 #38 (Feb. 1996) |
| The Sandman and Sandy investigate "The Dreams of Peter Green." NOTE: Last Golden Age appearance of Sandman and Sandy,
still wearing their gold costumes. |
Adventure Comics #102 (Feb. 1946) |
| Retiring as Manhunter II,
Paul Kirk returns to his life as a big game hunter. Shortly afterward,
on safari in Africa, he is killed by a charging elephant. His body is
retrieved by agents of the Council, a conspiratorial organization headed
by Doctor Anatol Mykros, a scientist Kirk rescued from the Nazis in 1945.
Placed in cryogenic suspension, Kirk's body is repaired over the next
few decades. NOTES: Thrilling Comics vol. 2
#1 (1999) indicated that in 1945 Paul Kirk was working with the Tigress
to control her antisocial tendencies. It failed, though, as she became
the villainous Huntress in 1947. |
Detective Comics #439 (Feb./Mar. 1974) |
| Wesley Dodds suffers his first heart attack. |
America vs. the JSA #3 (Mar. 1985) |
| Starman defeats Shiver and the Meteor Mob. NOTE: Starman's last Golden Age solo appearance. |
Adventure Comics #102 (Feb. 1946) |
| "The Paintings That Walked the Earth": The JSA battles artist
Nels Farrow, who murders his rivals with magic paint that makes his paintings
come to life. |
All-Star Comics #28 (Apr./May 1946) |
| Hawkman befriends the winged inhabitants of the hidden city of Feithera. NOTES: Hawkman's godson Norda (Northwind of
Infinity, Inc.) is from Feithera. Reprinted in Infinity, Inc. #4
(1984). |
Flash Comics #71 (May 1946) |
| "The Man Who Knew Too Much": The JSA fights Landor, a thrill-seeker
from the year 2446. |
All-Star Comics #29 (June/July 1946) |
| Alan Scott becomes the manager of radio station WXYZ. NOTE: WXYZ was also the name of the famous Detroit station on which "The
Green Hornet" was originally broadcast. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #20 (June/July 1946) |
| "The Dreams of Madness": Brain Wave subjects the JSA to bizarre
dreams intended to drive them insane. NOTES: This
was, by most accounts, the single most bizarre of all JSA adventures. |
All-Star Comics #30 (Aug./Sept. 1946) |
| "The Workshop of Willie Wonder": The JSA battles Zor, an
alien creature who possesses the body of an old toy maker. NOTE: This Zor (Zor II)
should not be confuse with Zor I,
who fought the Spectre in More Fun Comics #55 (1940). |
All-Star Comics #31 (Oct./Nov. 1946) |
| "The Return of the Psycho-Pirate": The JSA fights the Psycho-Pirate. NOTES: A third Psycho-Pirate story, "The Will
of William Wilson," was partially completed but not published. One page
appeared in Last Days of the JSA (1986). |
All-Star Comics #32 (Dec. 1946–Jan. 1947) |
| 1947 |
| Early 1947: Jay Garrick (Flash I)
marries his longtime sweetheart, Joan Williams. During their honeymoon
in Las Vegas, the JSA pay an impromptu visit. The Flash helps the JSA
defeat the Fiddler, the Shade, and the Thinker and unknowingly provides
a windfall to his old friends, the Three Dimwits. NOTES: Before this story, Flash's wedding had been dated around 1948 (Flash v2 #134). Hourman and Wildcat appear with the JSA, although they
were not active with the team at this time. The JSA Sourcebook says Jay was the first JSAer to wed. |
Flash vol. 2 #161 (June 2000) |
| Kent Nelson marries Inza Cramer, who takes up residence in Doctor Fate's
tower in Salem, Massachusetts. He later gives up his career as a physician
to follow in his father's footsteps as an archaeologist. NOTE: The exact date of these events has not been established. |
Flash Comics #306 (Feb. 1982) |
| While experimenting with a "silicoid" gun, Wesley Dodds accidentally
turns Sandy Hawkins into a monster. He imprisons Sandy in his basement
and retires as the Sandman. NOTE: The date
of this event was established by JSA Secret Files #1 (1999). |
Justice League of America #113 (Sept./Oct. 1974) |
| "The Revenge of Solomon Grundy": Seeking revenge on Green
Lantern, Solomon Grundy takes on the entire JSA. NOTES: This
adventure was reprinted in Super-Team Family #4 and
retold in Infinity,
Inc. #39 (1987). |
All-Star Comics #33 (Feb./Mar. 1947) |
| Mister Terrific thwarts a gangster engaged in jury tampering. NOTE: This was the final Golden Age appearance of Mister Terrific. |
Sensation Comics #63 (Mar. 1947) |
| Hawkman and Neptune Perkins travel to the Venus of an alternate dimension. NOTE: This was the second and final Golden
Age appearance of Neptune Perkins. |
Flash Comics #81 (Mar. 1947) |
| March 1947: President Truman institutes the Federal
Employee Loyalty Program, requiring loyalty oaths and background checks
for U.S. government employees. |
| "The Wiles of the Wizard": The Wizard becomes convinced
that the JSA is a group of clever criminals — and wants to join them! NOTE: Johnny Thunder does not appear in this
story. |
All-Star Comics #34 (Apr./May 1947) |
Green Lantern clashes with Crusher Crock. NOTE: Crock later became the Sportsmaster. |
All-American Comics #85 (May 1947) |
| Wildcat battles the Yellow Wasp. NOTE: This
was the Yellow Wasp's final Golden Age appearance and the only Wildcat
story drawn by Joe Kubert. |
Sensation Comics #66 (June 1947) |
| "The Day That Dropped Out of Time": Per Degaton (first appereance
in print) shoots Professor Zee, steals his time machine, and changes
history by altering the outcome of the Battle of Arbela in 331 B.C. The
JSA saves Zee's life and travels back in time to undo Degaton's tampering. NOTES: Johnny Thunder does not appear in this
story. Reprinted in Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #21 (1982). |
All-Star Comics #35 (June/July 1947) |
| Per Degaton regains his memory. He kills Professor Zee (for the second time), steals his time machine, and attempts to conquer the world in 1941.
After his defeat, he is again returned to his own era and stripped of
his memory. |
All-Star Squadron #1-3 (9-11.81) |
| Degaton regains his memory and
shoots Professor Zee for the fourth time. Zee stumbles back into
his time machine, sending him forward in time to the day of his own
100th birthday. While
lunging for the time machine, Degaton is split into two chronal duplicates.
One version remains in 1947, while the other is transported with the
time machine to the future. NOTES: The pre-Crisis
account appeared in America vs. The JSA #4, the
post-Crisis account in Young All-Stars Annual #1 and Infinity,
Inc. Annual #2. |
America vs. the JSA #4 (Apr. 1985), YAS Annual #1 (1988), INF Annual #2 (1988) |
| Dinah Drake becomes Black Canary I and becomes the crimefighting partner of Johnny Thunder. NOTES: Black Canary I's
name was given as "Diana" in JLA: Year One (1998), Black Canary/Oracle #1 (1996) and Starman #37 (Dec. 1997). Though this was a deliberate
editorial change meant to differentiate her from her daughter, its use
is inconsistent. JSA Secret Files #1 (1999) once again gave her
name as Dinah, and the JSA Sourcebook lists her name as Dinah "Diana"
Drake. |
Flash Comics #86 (Aug. 1947), Secret Origins #50 (Aug. 1990) |
| Wildcat battles Huntress I (first appereance in print). NOTE: The JSA Sourcebook verifies
that she is Paula Brooks (the Tigress). |
Sensation Comics #68 (Aug. 1947) |
| Green Lantern takes on the Sky-Pirate. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #28 (Aug./Sept. 1947) |
| Ted Grant (Wildcat) and his girlfriend Irina have a son, Jake, who is
kidnapped shortly after birth by Wildcat's old enemy, the Yellow Wasp.
Neither the child nor the Yellow Wasp is ever seen again. NOTES: In a movable timeline, this date may be more like the late 1960s, to allow
for Jake and his step-brother (the Killer Wasp) to be younger. The Yellow
Wasp first appeared in Sensation Comics #20 (Aug. 1943). The date was
established by JSA Secret Files #1, which incorrectly refers to
the Yellow Wasp as the Golden Wasp. |
Secret Origins #50 (Aug. 1990), JSA Secret Files #1 (Aug. 1999) |
| The Yellow Wasp raises Jake Grant as his own. At some point, the Wasp's
other son becomes jealous of their closeness and kills them both. This
second son later becomes the Killer Wasp and joins Johnny Sorrow's Injustice
Society. |
JSA #21 (Apr. 2001), JSA Secret Files #2 |
| "Five Drowned Men": The JSA encounters the Koehaha, a.k.a. the Stream of Ruthlessness, which strips people of their conscience. NOTES: The
Stream of Ruthlessness reappears in Infinity, Inc. #3 (1984).
This story was the first time Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman appeared
together in print. Reprinted in Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #3
(1980). |
All-Star Comics #36 (Aug./Sept. 1947) |
| Green Lantern's foe Crusher Crock dubs himself the Sportsmaster. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #28 (Aug./Sept. 1947) |
| Molly Mayne becomes Alan Scott's secretary at WXYZ. In order to
attract the attention of the Green Lantern, she becomes the costumed criminal
called the Harlequin. |
All-American Comics #89 (Sept. 1947) |
| October 1947: A group of screenwriters and directors
known as the "Hollywood Ten" is forced to appear before the House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC) and answer questions about their connections
with the Communist Party. All are subsequently blacklisted in Hollywood,
virtually ending their careers. |
| Hawkman takes on the spirit of Gentleman Jim Craddock, the Gentleman
Ghost. |
Flash Comics #88 (Oct. 1947) |
| Green Lantern battles the Icicle (first appereance In print). |
All-American Comics #90 (Oct. 1947) |
| Green Lantern encounters Knodar, the so-called Last Criminal,
a time traveler from the 25th century. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #28 (Oct./Nov. 1947) |
| "The Injustice Society of the World": The Wizard enlists the Brain
Wave, the Gambler, Per Degaton, the Thinker, and Vandal Savage to join
the Injustice Society of the World. NOTES: Reprinted in DC Super Spectacular #17 (1973). |
All-Star Comics #37 (Oct./Nov. 1947) |
| The Flash first encounters Rose Canton and her psychotic alternate personality,
the Thorn, unaware that they are the same person. |
Flash Comics #89 (Nov. 1947) |
| "History's Crime Wave": The male members of the JSA are
apparently slain by a museum guard possessed by the personalities of history's
greatest villains. They are saved by Black Canary. NOTES: This
was Black Canary's first appearance with the JSA and was originally Wonder
Woman's first case as an active member rather than as secretary. Also
included an appearance by her Purple Healing Ray. |
All-Star Comics #38 (Dec. 1947-1.48) |
| Flash battles the Fiddler (first appereance In print). |
All-Flash #32 (Dec. 1947-1.48) |
| 1948 |
| Johnny Thunder and Black Canary investigate the mystery of "The Tumbling
Trees." Black Canary meets private detective Larry Lance, whom
she eventually marries. NOTES: The second story
was Black Canary's first solo adventure and she took over Johnny's
strip. |
Flash Comics #91 (Jan. 1948) |
| Merry, the adoptive sister of Sylvester Pemberton (the Star-Spangled
Kid) becomes Merry, Girl of a Thousand Gimmicks. NOTES: Merry took over Star-Spangled Kid's strip after Star-Spangled
Comics #84 (1948). |
Star-Spangled #81-82 (Jan./Feb. 1948) |
| In the "latter part of the JSA's first decade," they share an adventure
with several All-Stars including the Gay Ghost, Captain Triumph, Doll Man
and Merry. They battle the Shade, Grundy, Icicle, Brain Wave and the Wizard.
JSAers include Johnny Thunder, Starman, Wildcat and Flash. NOTE: First
modern appearance of the Gay Ghost, whose last Golden Age app. was Sensation Comics #38
(February 1945). |
Starman vol. 2 #62 (Feb. 2000) |
| "The Invasion From Fairyland": The JSA travels to Fairyland to
battle Lorelei and an army of mythical creatures. NOTES: Last Golden Age appearance of Johnny Thunder. Retold in Infinity, Inc.
#50 (1988) with Miss America replacing Wonder Woman. |
All-Star Comics #39 (Feb./Mar. 1948), Infinity Inc. #50 (May 1988) |
| Johnny Thunder retires from crimefighting, realizing that he is losing
control of his Thunderbolt. |
America vs. the JSA #3 (Mar. 1985) |
| March 1948: Villainy Inc. appear again at Ft.
Church Naval Base, this time sans the Snow Man and Eviless. NOTE: It is unclear if this story was meant to completely replace the original
tale from Wonder Woman #28. |
Wonder Woman: Our Worlds at War #1 (Oct. 2001) |
| "The Plight of a Nation": The JSA helps a group of juvenile delinquents
avoid a life of crime. NOTE: Reprinted in Justice
League of America #110 (1973). |
All-Star Comics #40 (Apr./May 1948) |
| "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes": The JSA are mentally enslaved
by a new Injustice Society: the Fiddler, Harlequin, Huntress, the Icicle,
Sportsmaster, and the Wizard. The Harlequin betrays her criminal comrades
to help Black Canary free the JSA. Black Canary becomes a full member
of the JSA. NOTE: This was historically the
first time the Atom demonstrated super-strength.
Reprinted in Justice League of America #113 (1974) and the JLA
100-Page Super Spectacular (1999). |
All-Star Comics #41 (June/July 1948) |
| The Atom and Hawkman adopt new costumes. NOTES: According to various issues of All-Star Squadron, the Atom's costume
was inspired by that of Cyclotron. Adventure Comics v2 #1 (1999)
indicated that the Atom designed this costume in 1945, but did not adopt
it until years later. |
Flash Comics #98 (Aug. 1948) |
| "The Man Who Hated Science": The JSA battles Professor Zabor
Zodiac, the Alchemist. NOTES: This
was the Atom and Hawkman's first JSA mission with their new costumes. |
All-Star Comics #42 (Aug./Sept. 1948) |
| Vandal Savage forms the corporation Symbolix, which uses cell samples
of the JSA and other heroes in an attempt to distill the superhuman potential
of the Golden Age heroes. |
Damage #12 (Apr. 1995) |
| Doctor Mid-Nite battles Revelk. NOTE: This was Doctor Mid-Nite's last Golden Age solo appearance. |
All-American Comics #102 (Oct. 1948) |
| "The Secret of the Golden Universe": The JSA stop Aurikon from conquering a parallel world called the Golden Universe. |
All-Star Comics #43 (Oct./Nov. 1948) |
| Green Lantern learns that the Harlequin is now an undercover agent for
the FBI. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #34 (Oct./Nov. 1948) |
| July 17, 1948: A humble shop owner becomes horrified and disillusioned
after seeing Green Lantern defeated in a public melee with the Sportsmaster
— the episode that destroyed his storefront. The man becomes unhinged
and uses the Sportsmaster's wooden baseball bat to kill a number of people,
including Gotham City's Mayor Thorndike. After a battle with Solomon Grundy,
Green Lantern finds the mayor's body of at the base of a new statue of
Green Lantern erected by the city only a week earlier. Though the man
is sent to Arkham Asylum, his involvement with the murders is not discovered.
Decades later, the man's grandson tries to follow in his footsteps, but
is defeated by Batman and Green Lantern. Afterwards, Alan gives the bat
to Batman as a trophy. |
Detective Comics #784-785 (Aug.–Sept. 2003) |
| J. Edgar Hoover attempts to convince the Flash to work with the FBI against
domestic Communism. The Flash discovers that the FBI considers his alter
ego Jay Garrick and his good friend Elliott Shapiro to be potential subversives. |
Flash Special #1 (1990) |
| Late October 1948: The Seven Soldiers of
Victory are betrayed by their comrade the
Spider. Following a battle with the Nebula
Man, they are scattered throughout time. Both the Crimson Avenger's
partner Wing and Vigilante's partner Billy Gunn perish. NOTES: The
date was established in Infinity, Inc. #3 (1984). |
Justice League of America #100-102 (Aug.–Oct. 1972), Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E.
#9 (Apr. 2000) |
| "Evil Star Over Hollywood": In Los Angeles, the JSA battles Evil
Star, a crime boss attempting to stop a movie about his nefarious
deeds. NOTES: The studio featured in this story,
Stellar Studios, was later purchased by Sylvester Pemberton, the Star-Spangled
Kid. This issue was reprinted in Justice League of America #115
(1975). |
All-Star Comics #44 (Dec. 1948–Jan. 1949) |
| 1949 |
| The Flash confronts The Rival, one of his teachers from Midwestern
University, who has created a formula to temporarily duplicate the Flash's
powers. Meanwhile, the Atom solves the mystery of "The Vanishing Lighthouse,"
the Black Canary defeats a murderous college professor, and Hawkman investigates
"The Flaming Darkness." NOTES: Final Golden
Age issue of Flash Comics and the last Golden Age solo appearances
of these characters. |
Flash Comics #104 (Feb. 1949) |
| In Berlin, Janos Prohaska (Blackhawk) and his men discover a duplicate
of Green Lantern's magical power battery. The battery is eventually taken,
along with other captured Nazi memorabilia, to a Metropolis museum. NOTES: The story implies that corpses of what are apparently doppelgangers of
the original JSA were also in the same bunker. No explanation was provided. |
Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame (2000) |
| The Flash discovers that Rose
Canton and the Thorn are one and the same. He and Green Lantern take her
for treatment. NOTES: This
story was written for Flash Comics #107, but the series was
canceled before the story was published. Two pages were later printed
in Lois Lane #113 and
two more pages appear in issue #6 of Alter Ego magazine. Also included
Wonder Woman. |
Lois Lane #113 (Sept./Oct. 1971) |
| "The Case of the Cosmic Criminals": The JSA is menaced by Doctor Egri, who uses cosmic energy to give a group of ordinary crooks super-powers. NOTE: The JSA moved its headquarters from Gotham
City to Civic City in this story, where it remained for the rest of the
Golden Age. |
All-Star Comics #45 (Feb./Mar. 1949) |
| "The Adventure of the Invisible Band": The JSA's efforts to catch
a group of criminals are complicated when amateur detective Elmer Doolittle
concludes that the JSAers are the real crooks. |
All-Star Comics #46 (Apr./May 1949) |
| Green Lantern fights Mister Paradox. NOTE: Final issue of Green Lantern's own series and his last Golden Age solo
appearance. |
Green Lantern vol. 1 #38 (May/June 1949) |
| Wildcat defeats a gang of counterfeiters. NOTE: This was the last Golden Age appearance of Wildcat. |
Sensation Comics #90 (June 1949) |
| "The Ghost of Billy the Kid": The JSA battles a rodeo star claiming
to be the reincarnation of the legendary outlaw. |
All-Star Comics #47 (June/July 1949) |
| "The Strange Lives of Edmund Blake": By showing him visions of
various possible futures, the JSA helps a dying boy named Edmund Blake
find the will to live. NOTE: The images of
the future seen in this issue show the JSA in action in the 1950s, although
it would be long disbanded by then. |
All-Star Comics #48 (Aug./Sept. 1949) |
| "The Invasion of the Fire People": The JSA stops an alien invasion
by flame beings from the Yellow Comet. |
All-Star Comics #49 (Oct./Nov. 1949) |
| "Prophecy of Peril": The JSA battles Mister Alpha, who ultimately
is revealed as Fred Kincaid, a former college classmate of Jay Garrick. |
All-Star Comics #50 (Dec. 1949–Jan. 1950) |
| Over 50 years ago: Hawkman, Black Canary, Wildcat, and Doctor Fate
fights Ravenna in the Kuaka territory of Rheelasia. She possessed
the amulet of Animha M'nhda which allowed her to control animals. |
Robin 80-Page Giant #1 (Sept. 2000) |
| 1950 |
| IMAGINARY STORY: March 25, 1950: Green
Lantern and the Sandman rescue the Atom from the Wizard. NOTE: This
was a tale from a comic book read by Vandal Savage. It's unclear whether
it "really" happened. Unlikely, as the Atom is depicted without
super-strength and Wes reitred in 1947 after Sandy's transformation. |
JSA: Classified #11 (June 2006) |
| "Invaders From the World Below": The JSA battles a race of diamond
creatures from inside the Earth. |
All-Star Comics #51 (Feb./Mar. 1950) |
| "The Secret Conquest of Earth": The JSA stops four prehistoric
kings, revived after many millennia, from starting World War 3. NOTE: The
JSA was put into a trance for an entire year in this story, which is not
accounted for in modern accounts of the JSA's history. |
All-Star Comics #52 (Apr./May 1950) |
| "The Gun That Dropped Through Time": After Doctor James Swanley of the Time Trust (first appereance In print), is murdered, the JSA uses his Time
Chute to retrieve the murder weapon from the distant past. |
All-Star Comics #53 (June/July 1950) |
| "The Circus of a Thousand Thrills": The JSA investigates a corrupt
traveling circus. |
All-Star Comics #54 (Aug./Sept. 1950) |
| "The Man Who Conquered the Solar System": Prof. Elwood Napier (first appereance In print), under the mental influence of a strange alien helmet,
attempts to conquer the planets of the solar system. NOTES: Napier's first chronological appearance was in All-Star Squadron #12 (1982). America vs. The Justice Society #4 established that
this adventure took place in an alternate dimension where all of the planets
were habitable. |
All-Star Comics #55 (Oct./Nov. 1950) |
| "The Day the World Ended": The JSA travels to the 31st century
to save humanity from Knelo and his race of shape-changing Chameleons. |
All-Star Comics #56 (Dec. 1950–Jan. 1951) |
| VENGEANCE FROM THE STARS, the first JSA mini-series |
| While working at the Mt. Pride Observatory, Ted Knight is captured by
Vandal Savage and Solomon Grundy. The Flash battles the living constellation
Orion. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #1 (Apr. 1991) |
| Black Canary fights Solomon Grundy and the living constellation Sagittarius. NOTE: This story reveals that Alan Scott is
now the vice president and general manager of Gotham Broadcasting Company. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #2 (May 1991) |
| Sagittarius captures Black Canary and Green Lantern. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #3 (June 1991) |
| Hawkman fights the living constellation Andromeda. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #4 (July 1991) |
| The Flash and Hawkman defeat Andromeda and Orion, but are beaten by
Vandal Savage — now wielding Starman's Gravity Rod. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #5 (Aug. 1991) |
| Green Lantern defeats Sagittarius. He and Black Canary join Flash and
Hawkman to confront Vandal Savage and Solomon Grundy. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #6 (Sept. 1991) |
| Vandal Savage uses the Gravity Rod to seize control of the living constellations. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #7 (Oct. 1991) |
| Ted Knight constructs an improved Cosmic Rod to defeat Vandal Savage
and the living constellations. He resumes his role as Starman and rejoins
the JSA. NOTES: The Flash mentions his fiancee
in this issue; however, according to the later Flash v2 #161, he
and Joan Williams were married in 1947. |
Justice Society of America vol. 1 #8 (Nov. 1991) |
| ELSEWORLDS: 1946-1950: After
successfully transferring his brain into the body of Mister America in
1945, the Ultra-Humanite rises in political power and develops a way
to create a "superman." He
transplants the brain of Adolf
Hitler into Dan Dunbar, creating a new American hero, Dyaman.
"Tex Thompson" is betrayed by his wife, Miss America, who finds
his journals and gives them to her old All-Star friends. The story references
January 1950, when Alan Scott is summoned to the HUAC hearings. NOTES: Although
this was an "Elseworlds" series, it's themes were powerful
enough to make it into mainstream comics as well. The most prominent
of these is James Robinson's Starman, which he continued to develop
in 1994's Starman series. Other things introduced include the
potential evil in Captain Triumph (1st modern app.) and the
fall of the Tigress. It features first-time DC appearances
of Joe Hercules, Stormy Foster, Wildfire and Madame Fatal and
other obscure heroes like Captain X. |
The Golden Age #1-4 (1993) |
| 1950: The Red Tornado testifies against the Yellow Mask Mob and
enters the witness protection program. The Feds help her fake her death,
and she is separated from her family. The members of the Justice Society
continue to visit her once yearly. NOTES: It
is unclear whether she was separated from her husband as well. The time
and circumstance of her husband's death have not been revealed. Her last
Golden Age appearance was All-American Comics #59 (1944). |
JSA #55 (Feb. 2004) |
| With the help of Johnny Thunder,
Hippolyta defeats the Dark Angel for the last time. |
Adventure 80-Page Giant #1 (Oct. 1998) |
| "Mystery of the Vanishing Detectives": The JSA rescues
four kidnapped detectives from the Key, who apparently jumps
to his death. NOTE: This was the final Golden
Age JSA story and the last Golden Age appearance of the Atom, Black
Canary, Doctor Mid-Nite, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman. DC only
continued publishing Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin, along
with Aquaman, Green Arrow and Speedy, Johnny Quick, Robotman and the
Vigilante. This Key may be the same villain who later menaces the Justice League of America . |
All-Star Comics #57 (Feb./Mar. 1951) |
| Ma Hunkel, the Red Tornado, testifies against the Yellow Mask Mob and enters the witness protection program. The Feds help her fake her death, and she is separated from her family. The members of the Justice Society keep her secret and visit her every year thereafter. |
JSA #55 (Feb. 2004) |
| 1951: The JSA Disbands |
| 1951: Ted Knight's girlfriend,
Doris Lee, is murdered. Wracked by guilt over her death and over his
involvement in the creation of the atomic bomb, Ted suffers a mental
breakdown. He leaves Opal City for a year, finally seeking
psychiatric treament. NOTE: The
pre-Crisis account was in America vs. the JSA, the post-Crisis
version in Starman Secret Files. Date of the murder confirmed
in Starman #77. |
America vs. the JSA #3 (Mar. 1985), Starman Secret
Files #1 (Apr. 1998), Starman vol. 2 #77 (May 2001) |
| Charles McNider (Doctor Mid-Nite), with the help of Paul
Dennis/Bob Crane (Robotman) and Jim Lockhart (the Red Torpedo) decides
to use Ted's technology to create a new champion for Opal City — Starman II.
When David Knight, Ted's future son, mysteriously appears in Opal, McNider
trains him to become Starman. NOTES: David
was transported here from the moment of his death in the future, courtesy
of the magic of Kent Nelson (Doctor Fate), as revealed in Starman #76
(Apr. 2001). Starman II may
be inspired by a pre-Crisis Batman story. In Detective Comics #247
(1957), "The
Man Who Ended Batman's Career," mad scientist Professor Milo causes
Batman to develop a phobia against bats. Unable to continue as Batman,
he adopts the identity of "Starman," armed with an array of star-gizmos,
including a star-shaped aircraft. |
Starman vol. 2 #77 (May 2001) |
| Starman (David Knight) pursues
but fails to capture Bobo Bennetti. |
Starman vol. 2 80-Page Giant #1 (Jan. 1999) |
| 1951: The Spectre emerges from Jim Corrigan for one night only,
to visit Alice Holland (the mother of Alec Holland/Swamp
Thing) on the night before Alec's birth. He warns her against the
Swamp Thing's future involvement with the Word. |
Swamp Thing #147 (Oct. 1994) |
| Perry Carter reveals to Carter
and Shiera Hall that he is secretly Paran Katar of Thanagar. He confesses
his role in developing Carter's Nth metal and gives him an experimental
teleportation device as a parting gift. Paran Katar returns to Thanagar,
where Carter Hall inspires him to found a flying police force, the Wingmen.
The Thanagarian teleportation technology later becomes the basis for
the JLA's teleportation system. NOTES: This story
revealed that Carter and Shiera were married sometime prior to the disbanding
of the JSA. The precise date has not been established. |
Hawkworld #21 (Mar. 1992) |
| Mister Terrific resigns from the JSA in order to search for his missing brother, Ned, in New Orleans. NOTE: This tale was mentioned by Hawkman, but never told in a story. |
JSA #68 (Feb. 2005) |
| Her powers waning, Joan Dale retires from adventuring as
Miss America and marries Admiral Derek Trevor. |
Infinity Inc. #48 (Mar. 1988) |
| Howard Lorenzen, saved in 1942 by the JSA, but disfigured,
goes to work for Senator McCarthy in the Department of Justice. He is asked
to deliver the summons to JSA headquarters to appear in front of HUAC but
arrives just as Brain Wave attacks. He distracts the villain, never delivered
the summons, and resigns. |
JSA 80-Page Giant 2011 #1 (Aug. 2011) |
| October 13, 1951, "The
Man Who Defeated the Justice Society":
After nearly being killed by Eliminations, Inc., the JSA is
called to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities
(HUAC) on charges of consorting with a foreign agent. Rather than
unmask themselves, Green Lantern dramatically whisks them away from
the hearing. All these events were orchestrated by Per Degaton. Also,
Argent (precursor to the Suicide Squad) is shown battling the Sportsmaster. NOTE: The version in Justice Society of America #50 has the team
walking away, and names Senator
Eagin as the chair of the Committee. That version has no Wonder Woman
or Hippolyta. |
Adventure Comics #466 (Nov./Dec. 1979), JSA #68 (Feb. 2005),
Justice Society of America vol. 3 #50 (June 2011) |
| JSA/JSA |
| Part 1: After the HUAC hearing, the JSA decides to disband. NOTE: Hawkman mentions that Sandman, Mister Terrific, Starman, Wildcan and Hourman had already resigned or retired from the JSA. |
JSA #68 (Feb. 2005) |
| Hippolyta returns to her rightful "home time," decades hence. NOTE: Hippolyta has appeared in a few flashbacks to some JLA/JSA team-ups, which may suggest that she made several time stops along the way back to the future; but there has been no explicit evidence of this. |
Wonder Woman vol. 2 #133 (May 1998) |
| Prelude, October 17, 1951: Having tried
operating covertly, the Atom vows to give up his masked adventures for
good. |
JSA #67 (Jan. 2005) |
| Part 2, October 28, 1951: Future members of the JSA arrive to try to convince their predecessors to join them and Rip Hunter against Per Degaton. Ted Knight is still in treatment, Terry Sloane is off to rescue his brother from a kidnapper named Roulette, Al Pratt and Mary James are engaged, and Charles McNider is dating Myra Mason. |
JSA #69 (Mar. 2005) |
| Part 3, October 28, 1951: Terry Sloane tracks his brother to New Orleans but discovers that Ned has left the city. Instead he meets Debra Sinclair (Roulette), who reveals that she has borne a daughter, Veronica, by Ned. Mobsters blackmail the Atom into doing their dirty work. Chronos attempts to help stop Degaton, but he is erased from the timeline. |
JSA #70 (Apr. 2005) |
| Part 4, October 29, 1951: The two JSAs
successfully unite and learn of Degaton's plot to assassinate President
Truman. |
JSA #71 (May 2005) |
| Part 5, October 30, 1951: Degaton starts
a nuclear reaction within the Atom. Hourman gives his tachyon-filled
hourglass to Atom-Smasher, who then punches Degaton and disrupts his
powers. Rip Hunter arrives to take the future team back home. Afterwards,
the 1951 JSA forget all these events. Stargirl's fully-grown sister appears,
calling herself Starwoman. NOTES: Presumably following this, Starman returns
to finish treatment for his mental problems. Starwoman mentions her brother
Mike and someone
named Tyler. |
JSA #72 (June 2005) |
| Al Pratt (the Atom) proposes to his college girlfriend,
Mary James. They marry a year later. |
JSA #72 (June 2005) |
| The Flash announces his retirement, leaving Keystone City in the hands of the Spider. The Shade discovers that the Spider is a criminal and kills him before he can murder Jay and Joan Garrick; the press attributes his actions to Doctor Mid-Nite. The Flash resumes his heroic career. |
The Shade #3 (June 1997) |
| Jack Knight appears from the future in Opal City and discovers that
his brother David is acting as Starman. They join forces against the
original Mist. NOTE: When
Jack Knight inquires why the JSA is active after HUAC, Hourman says:
"We disappeared. But crime... the bad guys, they didn't disappear too." |
Starman vol. 2 #76-77 (Apr.–May 2001) |
| Jack and David Knight, aided by Hourman, Charles McNider and Wesley
Dodds, attempt to stop the Mist from terrorizing Opal City with LSD.
The Mist is stopped but escapes. Thom Kallor (Star Boy/Starman VIII)
returns Jack to the future. |
Starman vol. 2 #78-79 (June–July 2001) |
| The Dawn of the
Silver Age |
| 1960s |
| After Green Lantern is badly wounded in a battle with the Reaper (first
chronological appearance), the JSA emerges from retirement to avenge him.
The Reaper flees Gotham for Europe in his civilian identity of Judson
Caspian. NOTES: The Reaper first appeared in Detective Comics #575 (1987). Some portions of that storyline are
no longer in continuity; the Reaper may never have existed in post-Zero
Hour continuity. |
Secret Origins #50 (Aug. 1990) |
| Arn Munro marries Sandra Knight (Phantom Lady). |
Damage #6 (Sept. 1994) |
| Arn Munro and Sandra Knight have a child, who is kidnapped by agents
of Vandal Savage shortly after his birth. Their child is never seen again. |
Damage #11 (Mar. 1995) |
| Doctor Fate and Hourman join forces to defeat Solomon Grundy, who has transformed
the original Green Lantern into a monster. NOTE: First Silver Age app. of Solomon Grundy. Solomon Grundy is said to have
been created by the "radioactive waters" of Slaughter Swamp, which transform
Green Lantern into a similar monster. This is contradicted by later accounts
that describe Grundy as a failed plant elemental similar to the Swamp
Thing. This story was reprinted in Brave & the Bold #115 (1974). |
Showcase #55 (Mar./Apr. 1965) |
| Doctor Fate and Hourman battle Psycho-Pirate II.
Hourman reveals his secret identity to his girlfriend, actress Wendi Harris.
Rex and Wendi are married sometime afterward. |
Showcase #56 (May/June 1965) |
| Jonathan Law publishes Altered Egos, an account of wartime mystery
men. |
?? |
| Phantom Lady disappears while on a mission for the covert government
Argent. Though Munro later discovers she is alive, they two are never
reunited. NOTE: Argent and its leader, Control,
first appeared in G.I. Combat #192 (July 1976). |
Damage #11 (Mar. 1995) |
| 35 Years Ago |
| J'onn J'onzz is transported to Earth by Doctor Erdel and becomes the Martian
Manhunter. NOTES: The date was established
by the Zero Hour timeline; in pre-Zero Hour history, he arrived
on Earth in 1955. The Martian Manhunter is often considered the first
Silver Age superhero. |
Detective Comics #225 (Nov. 1955) |
| While investigating an alien conspiracy, J'onn J'onzz encounters Charles
McNider (Doctor Mid-Nite), who reveals that he now works with the FBI in
identifying metahumans. NOTES: This story originally
took place in late 1959; it was placed here to be consistent with the Zero Hour timeline. According to issue #2, within the DC universe,
the JSA's adventures continued in All-Star Comics for several years
after their retirement. |
Martian Manhunter: American Secrets #2-3 (1992) |
| The birthing matrix containing Kal-El of
Krypton lands outside Smallville, Kansas. Kal-El is adopted by Jonathan
and Martha Kent, who name him Clark. NOTE: The date was established by Superman Secret
Files #1. |
Man of Steel #1 (June 1986) |
| Black Canary emerges from retirement and teams up with Starman to battle
the Mist (1st Silver Age app.). They soon begin an extramarital affair. NOTE: Black Canary and Starman's affair was
revealed in Starman Annual #2. |
Brave & Bold #61 (Aug./Sept. 1965), Starman vol. 2 Annual #2 (1997) |
| With the help of Wildcat, Black Canary and Starman defeat the Huntress
and Sportsmaster. NOTE: 1st Silver Age app. of these villains and Wildcat.
Reprinted in the JSA 100-Page Super Spectacular. |
Brave & Bold #62 (Oct./Nov. 1965) |
| Black Canary and Starman agree to stop working together after a criminal
nearly exposes their affair. Ted Knight learns that his wife is pregnant
with their first child. NOTE: This story says that Black Canary's daughter
was already a year old at this time, which is inconsistent with the more
recent JLA: Year One, which indicates that the younger Black Canary
was 19 when the JLA formed. |
Starman vol. 2 Annual #2 (1997) |
| Jim Corrigan recovers his memory and resumes his role as the Spectre. |
Showcase #60 (Jan./Feb. 1966) |
| 1967: Wildcat loses the first of his nine lives in battle with
Solomon Grundy. |
JSA #53 (Dec. 2003) |
| 34 Years Ago |
| Ted Knight's son David (Starman VI)
is born in Opal City. |
Starman Secret Files #1 (Apr. 1998) |
| 31 Years Ago |
| Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary II)
is born to Dinah Drake and Larry Lance. Dinah's "canary cry" does not
develop until late adolescence. NOTES: Date
based on JLA: Year One #1, which says she was 19 at
the JLA's formation (12 years ago). This contradicts Starman Annual #2, which says Dinah was born a year before David Knight (35 years
ago). Dinah's pre-Crisis origin was told in Justice League of America #220, the post-Crisis version in Secret Origins #50. |
Justice League of America #220 (Nov. 1983), Secret Origins #50 (Aug. 1990), JLA: Year One #1 (Jan. 1998);
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #36 (Mar. 1995) |
| Rex and Wendi Tyler's son Rick (Hourman II)
is born. NOTE: Hourman #23? notes that
Rick was a newborn in 1969. This suggests that the writers consider him
about 31-32 years old (older than the rest of Infinity, Inc.). |
Hourman #24 (Mar. 2001), Infinity Inc. #27 (June 1986) |
| 30 Years Ago |
| The Spectre's former partner, Percival Poplaski, dies alone and unmourned
in New York City. |
Spectre vol. 3 #24 (Dec. 1994) |
| Ted Knight's son Jack (Starman VII)
is born in Opal City. |
Starman Secret Files #1 (Apr. 1998) |
| Several groups of amateur heroes inspired by the JSA appear around the
country, including Gotham City's Justice Experience. |
Chase #6 (July 1998) |
| Ted Grant retires from boxing as the undefeated heavyweight champion
of the world. |
DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 (Feb. 1999) |
| The Spectre helps Wildcat defeat the mystically possessed "Happy" Jack
Dold. NOTE: This story was drawn by Neal Adams. |
Spectre vol. 1 #3 (Apr. 1968) |
| 27 Years Ago |
| Hector Hall (Silver Scarab/Doctor Fate IV)
is born to Carter and Shiera Hall in Cairo, Egypt. NOTE: Infinity Inc. #9 gave Hector's birth date as November 14, 1963,
which was translated into DC's "XX Years Ago" standard based on the date
of Infinity, Inc. #9, which was "Seven Years Ago" on the current
timeline. |
Infinity Inc. #9 (June 1986) |
| Birth of Albert Rothstein, the grandson of Terry Curtis (Cyclotron).
The Atom becomes his godfather. |
Infinity Inc. #27 (June 1986) |
| Helena Kosmatos (Fury I)
entrusts her newborn daughter, daughter, Hippolyta
"Lyta" Trevor (Fury II),
to Joan Dale (Miss America) and Derek Trevor, who agree to raise the
girl as their own daughter and never reveal that Helena is the baby's
real mother. NOTES: The
identity of Lyta Hall's biological father (perhaps Iron Munro or Alcmaeon)
have never been revealed. Lyta Trevor's pre-Crisis debut was in Wonder
Woman #300. Her post-Crisis history was revealed in Infinity,
Inc. #48. |
Wonder Woman vol. 1 #300 (Feb. 1983), Infinity Inc. #48 (Mar. 1988) |
| Merry Pemberton marries Henry King (Brain Wave). They have a son, Henry
King, Jr. (Brainwave Jr.). |
Infinity Inc. #3 (June 1984) |
| 25 Years Ago |
| Members of the Justice Experience, including the Acro-Bat (the
father of Cameron Chase), are murdered by Doctor Trap, who is apprehended
by the JSA. Another member, the Bronze Wraith, was in fact J'onn J'onzz. NOTES: The date was established by DCU Heroes
Secret Files #1 (1999). The Flash is erroneously depicted with the
JSA; he was trapped in Keystone City at this
time. |
Chase #6 (July 1998), Martian Manhunter vol. 3 #17 (Apr. 2000) |
| Gotham City socialites Thomas and Martha
Wayne are murdered by a mugger, leaving their young son Bruce an orphan. |
Batman Secret files #1 (Nov. 1997) |
| Hourman arrests James McIntyre, Sr., henchman of Doctor Cobalt and father
of the hero Triumph. |
Triumph #1 (June 1995) |
| Hourman counsels the young Billy McIntyre, Jr., who decides to one day
become a hero. |
Triumph #3 (Aug. 1995) |
| Rose Canton, her split personality now under control, returns to the
outside world and adopts the alias "Alyx Florin." She falls in love with
Alan Scott and the two are married. On their wedding night, she accidentally
starts a fire in their hotel suite and flees, leaving Alan to believe
that she was killed. Her Thorn personality reemerges. |
INF Annual #1 (1985) |
| 24 Years Ago |
| In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rose Canton/Alyx Florin gives birth to twins,
a boy and a girl. The children are both put up for adoption. The girl
is adopted by Julian and Myrna Hayden and raised as Jennifer-Lynn Hayden
(Jade); the boy is adopted by Jim and Shirley Rice and raised as Todd
James Rice (Obsidian). While growing up, neither knows the identity of
their real parents. NOTES: Infinity, Inc. #5 and #6 originally gave their birth date as July 20, 1966. JSA Secret
Files #1 incorrectly lists Obsidian's mother as Rose Forrest (the
modern Thorn), who has no relationship to the Golden Age Thorn or to Jade
and Obsidian. |
Infinity Inc. #5-6 (Aug.–Sept. 1984) |
| Jesse Chambers, the daughter of Johnny Chambers (Johnny Quick) and Libby
Lawrence (Liberty Belle), is born in Queens, New York. She inherits both
her mother's unusual strength and her father's super-speed and power of
flight, but not her mother's sonic powers. NOTE: Date
estimated based on Jesse's apparent age at the time of her debut. |
* |
| 22 Years Ago |
| Mikaal Tomas of Talok III becomes Starman III.
He prevents his race from invading the Earth, and later settles in Opal
City after his home planet is destroyed. He becomes a drug addict and
disappears for many years. |
First Issue Special #12 (Mar. 1976), Starman vol. 2 #28 (Mar. 1997) |
| 21 Years Ago |
Wildcat saves Marilyn Bronson from the Gambler
and they have a one night stand. He discovers that she is also a were-cat,
and she helps Ted fight the Huntress. Charles McNider gives Marilyn a
drug to help curb her transformations. Ted abandons her "for
her own good," never knowing she is pregnant. She gives birth to Tom
Bronson, who inherits her power. |
Justice Society of America vol. 3 #1-2 (Feb.–Mar. 2007), Justice Society of America 80-Page Giant #1 (Jan. 2010) |
| 19 Years Ago |
| Kendra Saunders, granddaughter of Cyril "Speed" Saunders and grandniece
of Shiera (Hawkgirl) Sanders, is born. |
JSA Secret Files #1 (Aug. 1999) |
| Doctor Anatol Mykros, head of the council, uses in vitro fertilization to
produce twin daughters, Soseh and Ellina, who are gifted with regeneration
abilities and the power of "eidetic kinesthesia," enabling them to mimic
any physical skill. The girls are trained to lead the Council's armies,
but Soseh eventually turns against her father's organization, dubbing
herself Nemesis (II). |
JSA Annual #1 (Oct. 2000) |
| 17 Years Ago |
| Vandal Savage's company Symbolix uses the newborn son of Al and Mary
Pratt to test a process for transferring the metagene from one human to
another. Mary Pratt dies and the boy is raised by two Symbolix employees,
who name him Grant Emerson. Al Pratt believes that his son died at birth. |
Damage #2 (May 1994) |
| Bruce Wayne begins a worldwide
odyssey to develop the skills he will need to fight crime. |
Batrman Secret Files #1 (Nov. 1997) |
| At different times, Ted Grant
trains Dinah Lance, Yolanda Montez (Wildcat II),
and Bruce Wayne in the pugilistic arts. |
Secret Origins #50 (Aug. 1990), JLA #31 (June 1999) |
| 16 Years Ago |
| 14-year-old Dinah Lance begins learning detective skills from her father.
She accompanies him on a case where they help a theif reform. The theif
names her son, LL Hibbs, after Larry Lance. NOTE: Age
based on clues in the story. LL Hibbs dies at age 14 in this story. |
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #36 (Mar. 1995) |
| 15 Years Ago |
| Al Pratt reveals to his 12 year-old godson Al Rothstein that he is secretly
the Atom. |
Infinity Inc. #48 (Mar. 1988) |
| JSA brats Hector Hall, Lyta Trevor, Al Rothstein, and Rick Tyler meet
for the first time (they're all about 12 years old). NOTE: The Star-Spangled Kid is erroneously depicted as a JSA member in this
story; he was trapped in the past at this time. |
Infinity Inc. #27 (June 1986) |
| 14 Years Ago |
| Al Rothstein and Hector Hall join Lyta Trevor and her parents for a vacation
on their private Pacific Ocean retreat, Trevor Island. Lyta's adoptive
father, Derek Trevor, teaches Al how to fly. |
Infinity Inc. #48 (Mar. 1988) |
