Miracle Medicines Manufacture Meta-Human Marvels

Many catalysts imbued various humans throughout the Multiverse with a wide range of superhuman abilities. From intense solar radiation to divergent gravitational forces, from lightning bolts to hard water, from white dwarf stars to atomic radiation, from genetic mutation to biological adaptation. Such were the catalysts that spawned the Supermen, the Flashs, the Atoms and the Aquamen of Earths One and Two.

But there were other means, developed by scientists, to unlock metahuman potential in themselves and others. Among these were miracle medicines or divergent drugs, such as those considered below. These examples are both a small sampling of the many possible chemical combinations potentially available in each universe.

Zoologist Kirk Langstron of Earth-One sought to harness traits found in the unique flying mammals which inspired his personal hero, the Batman, Through his Bat-Gland serum, Langstrom was able to transform his body into Man-Bat, a hybrid hero blending but human and bat into a new life form. Initially, his transformations affected his mind, until Batman was able to help him regain his sanity. Man-Bat would oscillate between hero and villain, using his wings to glide, his sonar sense to navigate and his superior strength to subdue his foes.

Chemist Rex Tyler of Earth-Two developed the Miraclo pill, enabling him to obtain superhuman strength, speed, durability and agility for one hour at a time. As the Hourman, he successfully carved out a costumed career for himself, soon after becoming a founding member of both the Justice Society of America and the Freedom Fighters. However, addiction to Miraclo caused Rex to experience adverse affects, leading him to partially retire until he could reformulate his miracle drug into a safer compound.

Research assistance Duncan Pramble of Earth-Two worked alongside an archaeologist when he discovered an ancient elixir known as Liquid Light, which when ingested caused Pramble to mutate into various bodies. Each body had its own superhuman abilities, which he used unsuccessfully as the supervillain Multi-Man, as the Challengers of the Unknown defeated him time and again, as its leader and resident scientist Prof Riley developed an anecdote that neutralized Liquid Light's effects.

Rex Tyler eventually developed a variation on his Miraclo treatment, creating a Black-Ray device which helped him unlock the pills powers by bathing in its radiation. Eventually, Tyler developed a safer version of Miraclo, perhaps derived from investigating the foe of his Justice Society ally Doctor Fate. That foe, Mister Who, had himself developed the Z-Solution which allowed him to transform into various forms similar to that displayed by both Multi-Man and Garfield "Changeling" Logan of Earth-One, who's father treated him with to save his life. Having observed how Mister Who displayed no detrimental physical defects to his solution when both Doctor Fate and Hourman battled him, Tyler may have adopted part of Who's formula and integrated into his reinvented Miraclo pill.

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Utility Belts Accessorize Every Darknight's Wardrope!

The belt is relatively simple: a Kevlar strap with a metal buckle. The belt houses ten cylinders which vertically clip to the outside of the belt. There are pockets between the cylinders, as well as hidden pockets on the inside of the belt used for housing one of various batarangs. The cylinders house different tools for crime fighting.

Batarangs: Shuriken or boomerang based throwing blades made to resemble the symbol of a bat. Some Alternate versions of his Batarangs explode, emit electrical blasts, and sometimes come with detonators.

Grappling Hook: Also known as the Bat-Claw. Batman can use this to grapple onto high locations or can grab hold of a criminal by directing it at him, he sometimes uses it to catch run-away street thugs that cannot put up a fight against him.

Gas Mask: This is used to protect Batman from dangerous fumes and other airborne chemicals. This fits over the bottom half of the mask.

Re-breather: allows Batman to breathe underwater or in a vacuum    

Night Vision Goggles: This allows for Batman to see in dark or dim-lit areas. It also grants him the ability to view the infrared spectrum. Now built into his mask

Sonar: Used in his mask to locate criminals.

Tracers: Bat-shaped signal tracers that can adhere to most if not all surfaces.

Communicators: Batman communicates with different members of his team and also with other superhero allies using closed-circuited signals.

Lock Picks: Batman uses these to open locked doors.

Cuffs: Special cuffs that only few enemies and heroes can break out of. Batman can quickly lock a enemy to a pole or deliver him to the police.

Bolas: Batman swings these Bat-Bolas over his head to wrap up an enemy.

Smoke Grenades and Pellets: Batman can throw these grenades in order to use a stealth technique, distract an enemy, escape a situation, or plan his next course of action.

Sonic Grenades: These disrupt electronics and disorient enemy hearing. 

Flash Grenades: This gadget is used to temporarily blind enemies.

Mini-Mines: Mines that can fit in any small area or used as low-grade explosives during combat.

Thermite Explosives: Capable of burning through most materials.

Plastique: Small exploding devices that have a timer or detonator switch to activate.

Brass Knuckles: Used to engage an enemy with more force behind his blows. 

Tactical Knife: Batman does not use this in combat, but he has used this to cut through many durable materials.

First Aid Kit: Used to aid in treating wounds. Alfred normally uses this to tend to His Master's wounds. 

Forensics Kit: Batman keeps two of these, one in his utility belt and the other in his vehicles.

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Crimefighters' Calculating Computers of the JLA and JSA

After their initial years working in a pre-automatic climate, with the advant of increased technology, both the Justice League and Justice Society developed their own unique computers to aid them in their costumed crimefighter careers. In the years that followed, these instruments would be essential, indeed instrumental, in these twin teams' successful missions, and would on occasion even be used in conjunction with one another across the dimensional barrier when needed.

The first of these groups to develop their own computer was the Justice Society, spurred on by their resident chemist and amateur hardware engineer, Hourman. Known primarily for his work in the field of chemical conconctions while with his former employer Bannermain Chemical, which he would later acquire and renamed Tyler Chemical, Rex Tyler produced his revolutionary "Crime-Caster" which could calculate different probabilities as to crime that he... as Hourman... would have to combat alongside his fellow JSA members. This device was first used simultaneous to the appearance within their brownstone base of an alien entity, the Tornado Champion, that had merged together with the android Red Tornado which joined the Society. As to the Crime-Caster, it would become the basis for T.O. Morrow's future computer.

Soon afterward, following the exposure of their initial secret headquarters by the Joker, the Justice League created a new Satellite headquarters orbiting Earth-One. And to operate this mobile base, League members Superman and Hawkman pooled their Kyrptonian and Thanagarian technology, creating the Justice League Computer. However, as with it's Earth-Two doppleganger, this computer was introduced simultaneous with base of an alien entity, a Dharlu, which had been encased in moon-rocks that were experimemented upon by S.T.A.R. Labs. Traveling with Leaguers Flash and Hawkman to the Satellite, it attempted to retrofit the Satellite into a space vessel that would take it to its extra-terrestrial place of origin. 

The Justice League were able to overpower the Dharlu, and while doing so realized that its prescence within their computer helped it to function correctly. It seemed that the sensitive circuity within the computer were destabilized, however creature was able to correct this flaw. And so, for years thereafter, the Dharlu stayed in frozen suspended animation imprisoned within the Satellite, although on one occasion it was temporarily freed before being captured by Wonder Woman.

As previously mentioned, the two groups on occasion used their computers in conjuction, such as when they were attempting to track down the killer of JSA member Mister Terrific onboard the Satellite. Given that both devices networked seemlessly, it seems that the Society's Computer with 100% Earth-based technology was superior to the melding of the Leaguer's hybrid system that was their Computer. 

It is unknown if the Dharlu survived during this case, as the evil Roger Romaine sabotaged it... causing it to explode in order to cover up his complicity in the hero's death. If the being did survive, undoubtedly it perished following the destruction of the Satellite during a Martian invasion of Earth-One.

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Cool Gadgets of the Flash's for Running/Reducing/Reminding

Ironically during the silver age, the various heroes that gained superpowers through accidents often used their own natural intellect to develop superior gadgets to aid them in their adventures. Beyond the mere web-shooters and gamma-gadgets of the day, perhaps the most prolific of these inventors was Barry Allen, the Flash of Earth-One. He invented the Cosmic Threadmill, a device that absorbs cosmic energy (ever abundant, ask Ted Knight) and allowed the operator to travel through time guided by a radioactive pulses from a cosmic ray clock. Beside this time (and dimensional) travel device, Barry also devised a costume ring that housed a specialized chemical compound which compressed the fabric of his Flash outfit, allowing it to fit within its housing. When needed, he could then eject this specialized fabric, which expands into a full-sized Flash costume.

His counterpart on Earth-Two, Jay Garrick aka the Flash, had himself improved upon Barry's designs and created the Time Vortex. Like the Treadmill, this device sent individuals through the time and space, teleporting them to a desired temporal destination. In addition, it generated a force field that projected a fabric generator, which through intricate programming specifically designed era-appropriated clothing for its travelers during their journey! As such, it was a clothing-materialize / Rosetta Stone translator / time-travel devise! Although only used during one Justice Society adventure, it also had been used on other occasions. Take that, Allen!

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Brilliant Belts Bend Bearers’ Being

The men known as the Atom. Ray Palmer and Al Pratt, were themselves prominent physicists based in the parallel college metropolises of Ivy Town and Calvin City. Besides their roles as professors teaching the next generation in their university classes, they spent their idle time inventing amazing devices they used in their costumed crime fighting. Among these were belts that channeled cosmic forms of energy to bend matter in revolutionary ways.

Ray developed his bio-belt made from a fragment of a white dwarf star, which allowed its wearer to change his size. Al devised his vibratory belt which could shift his molecules from his native universe of Earth-Two into that of his counterpart’s on Earth-One. This became  personal teleporter which Al-Atom no doubt used in his own world during future adventures.

These belts had controls within their belt buckles that activated when their wearers pressed their interfaces. Whether Al-Atom used his vibratory belt on additional cases to teleport to different locations is undocumented, alright the fact that he appeared during some contemporaneous cases with the Justice Society at various locations seems to indicate that he has used it for this purpose, in much the same manner as Ray-Atom uses his shrinking belt to allow him to travel through telephone lines across the globe when needed.

On one occasion, Ray-Atom's arch-enemy Chronos captured his foe and stole his belt, pretending to be Atom to confuse the local police. Unknowingly, Chronos left Atom in his costume, not realizing that his enemy had palm controls that also allowed the Tiny Titan to change his size... thus escaping his trap and defeating the Time Tyrant.

On a later occasion, Al-Atom used his vibrating belt to journey to Earth-One and enlist the aid of his counterpart, not realizing that Ray-Atom was affected by a cosmic phenomenon that made him an immature and combative version of himself. During the battle, Ray-Atom disabled Al-Atom's belt, allow eventually was restored to his senses by his cosmic twin.

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Elementary My Dear Sandman: Desmond and Dodds’ Devices

Master chemists Albert Desmond and Wesley Dodds developed elemental guns* which could alter the molecular composition of objects, even organic life forms, which caused the Fastest Men Alive some headaches. While Desmond was granted transmutation powers like his Earth-Two counterpart, John "Sargon" Sargent", he needed to harness these abilities through a special handheld weapon of his own design. Unlike Wesley's Earth-One counterpart, Doctor Garrett Sanford who like Dodds developed sleep-inducing technology and likewise became the Sandman, Wesley also developed his experimental silicoid gun with transmutation capabilities.

Constantly in conflict with his duality of nature, both a good and evil personality, Albert adopted the alter ego of Mister Element... and later Doctor Alchemy... becoming an early arch-enemy of the Flash. Desmond was eventually able to completely reject his sinister disposition, with help from both the Flash and the hero's secret identity, police scientist Barry Allen. Despite this. Albert would eventually use his element gun years later to combat his distant cousin, Alvin Desmond. Alvin had like his relative succumbed to a criminal career, adopting the Doctor Alchemy alias. Albert combated him as Mister Element, with Albert's elemental gun counteracting Alvin's Philospher's Stone, (which the former used ar times in place of his gun).

Tragically, Wesley's first attempt to activate his revolutionary silicon gun left his adopted ward and sidekick Sandy Hawkins transformed into a Silicoid monster possessing a sinister disposition. Kept in a slumbered state for decades until a cure was found to reverse his state, Sandy developed mastery over his shape-changing abilities. Meanwhile, Dodds used a refined form of his silicoid gun in his crime fighting in the mid 1960s, and later used it during a time travel adventure during the reign of Genghis Khan in the Gobi Desert. 

While initially coming into conflict with his world's Flash, and the rest of the Justice Society of whom Sandman was a charter member, Sandy revealed his heroic nature. During his years-long semi comatose state, Hawkins was able to expunge his barbaric personality, manifested when he was initially transformed.

Although Hawkins was eventually transformed back to his natural carbon-based physical state, other actual "Sandmen" in the form of Khan's ancient minions whom Sandman battled still resided in the Gobi Desert up until the mid 20th century, when they battled the Flash. A similar process on Earth-One spawned the Quarrmer "Sand Superman”, before it returned to its “opposite charged” realm… which would’ve been in the Anti-Matter universe of Qward.

The silicon creatures in the glass and sand forms were Earth-Two's version of the Metamorphs, such as Rex Mason, and of the Dust Devils from planet Rhynthar-One. Mason and others like him were transformed using processed including radiation from the meteorite "Orb of Ra" which seemed to operate on principles similar to Desmond's elemental gun and Dodd's silicoid gun.

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Sinister Sovereigns of Sound Master Malevolent Melodies

Bito Wladon and Roger Romaine, also known as Sonar of Earth-One and Gadgeteer of Earth-Two, were sovereigns of sound, mastering malevolent melodies which they used on those whom they opposed. Both were fierely anti-American, seeking to undermine the United States of their respective Earths from within using sophisticated sonic technology. On occasion, they even used other aliases to further their agendas, although these were exposed by the Green Lanterns of parallel planets.

Bito assumed the identity of Professor Dunkirk, a resident scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs, who developed the Ultima-Card which would replace normal monetary currency that was carrying a deadly plague across Earth-One. This plague caused animals to obtain human intelligence and rebel against humanity, however the nucleo-sonic science imbued the Ultima-Cards with a mind-dampening field which allowed Sonar the mentally manipulate all Americans to uplift his own country.

Roger assumed the identity of Handy Mann, a resident broadcast engineer of WXYZ radio, who developed a specialized frequency to coordinate a crime wave across Gotham City. In addition, Romaine exposed the Green Lantern Alan Scott along with his best friend Doiby Dickles and sound-effects specialist Dinah Mite* to hallucinagenic gas which overwhelmed the trio with nightmarish images. Besides the fabricated civilian identity of Handy Mann, Romaine also used the public alias of Lord Haw-Haw, a British propagandist who work with Nazi Germany during World War II.

The Green Lantern of Earth-One, Hal Jordan, along with his Justice League teammates opposed Sonar’s brainpower link which dominated man and beast. During the course of battle, the League determined that Sonar was himself being manipulated by the malevolent maiden known as Queen Bee using her own alien technology which she assembled  through her proxy agent in Waldon.

Similarly, the Green Lantern of Earth-Two, Alan Scott, along with his two friends were able to overwhelm Mann's henchmen and corner their boss himself. Together they exposed his sinister scheme, despite being almost left brain dead by Romaine’s gadgetry.

This was the last known appearance of the master criminal formerly known as the Gadgeteer, who years earlier employed various sonic weapons against Lantern's All-Star Squadron teammate Commander Steel. However, Gadgeteer’s similarly named cousin Roger “Spirit King” Romaine would likewise persist in his own attempts at world conquest using his own mental-manipulating methods. Initially opposed by Mister Terrific, this cousin eventually opposed his foes’ teammates of the Justice Society including Green Lantern. Whether Gadgeteer assisted his kinfolk Spirit King behind the scenes during this caper is unknown.

As for Sonar, he would return yet again in his persistent attempts to glorify his native country of Modora, which he would eventually rule over as its beloved dictator. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Sonar was reunited with Hector Hammond… counterpart to Spirit King… as both were recruited my rogue Green Lantern Guy Gardner into an incursion of the Antimatter Universe of Qward to thwart its leader the Anti-Monitor. Years prior to this, Sonar was an unwitting pawn of Hammond’s versus their mutual foe, Green Lantern, and if he became aware of the later on it would have led to animosity between the two.

While Wladon/Sonar/Dunkirk found a permanent home overseas in his home country within Europe, it is uncertain if Romaine/Gadgeteer/Mann changed his citizenship to another nation. However, his adopting the “Lord Haw-Haw” cover in his later years seems to indicate his allegiance has shifted to Germany or a neighboring country within that region. Oddly, the origin of the name Romaine is from France, so Gadgeteer may have aligned himself with Vichy French, the puppet government of Nazi Germany during the early 1940s.

* While Sonar/Professor Dunkirk found an opposing octave in the sonic siren named Black Canary, Justice League teammate of his arch-foe Green Lantern, Gadgeteer/Handy Mann found a harmonious honey in the sonic technician Dinah Mite whom he loved.

Twice-Told-Tales: Wonder Woman vs Flying Fighters

Princess Diana of Paradise Island, also known to the world at large as Wonder Woman, faced several foes throughout the years. Both women with that name, the Wonder Women of Earths One and Two, at times fought side-by-side together, either with team ups just between the two of them or larger Crisis-level events alongside their teammates of the Justice League and Justice Society. 

On one occasion, the legendary ladies were confronted with five “Heroes of History” of Earth-One, empowered by the temporal megalomaniac known as the Lord of Time who sent them against the League and Society to render the majority of those teams comatose. These five champions of the past consisted of three individuals with identical doppelgänger’s of Earth-Two, those being Viking Prince, Black Pirate and Miss Liberty. A fourth member of this informal group, cowboy bounty hunter Jonah Hex, had a counterpart known as Jeff Graham aka the Roving Ranger of Earth-Two. The final person in their midst was known as an Enemy Ace to the American’s flying over Europe during the mid to late 1910’s.

Enemy Ace was Rittsmeister (Captain) Hans Von Hammer of the German Air Force during World War I, a reluctant warrior and expert fighter pilot also known as the Hammer of Hell. His doppelgänger of Earth-Two was the American World War I fighter pilot Captain Thomas Cole aka Captain Desmo, later known as the Bombardier during the early days of World War II. Just as Von Hammer was employed as a pawn by the Lord of Time, Cole was likewise manipulated into service by the Lord of Mars. 

While the Hammer of Hell was empowered by his benefactor granting him superhuman abilities, Bombardier was likewise empowered with identical abilities. Both men could fly while projecting devastation energy bolts, which disabled the Wonder Woman of their respective Earths. Von Hammer’s four allies were also similarly empowered, while their counterparts experiencing something similar when they were drawn to 1985 of Earth-Two by Harbinger to battle Ultra-Humanite.

Interestingly, it was the Wonder Woman of Earth-Two who shortly thereafter stuck back at both men, first Captain Cole in 1942 on Earth-Two, then decades later against Captain Von Hammer in 1978. Despite this initial animosity, the pilots worked with the Wonder Women to defeat Lords of Time and Mars, along with their reality shattering schemes unleashed upon both Earths known as the Eternity Brain and the Disc of Mars. Following this, Von Hammer* as the Enemy Ace resumed his duties in Germany, while Cole officially retired following this and his lengthy career as Captain Desmo. 

* Along with the Earth-One Viking Prince, Black Pirate, Miss Liberty and Jonah Hex each of whom returned to their native time periods, just as had the Earth-Two Viking Prince, Black Pirate, MissAmerica and Roving Ranger following the Crisis event.

Costumed Catapulting Crusader Con-Artists

Ryan Chase fee up in a circus, and decided to capitalize on physical training and inventive genius to become the next big superhero of Metropolis on Earth-One. Designed a specialized rocket-pack allowing him to fly for short distances and a crash helmet allowing him to collide into objects or opponents head first, he adopted the alias of the Human Cannonball.

Trick Tate was a con artist seeking to slyly steal the secret to superspeed from the so-called “Monarch of Motion”, Johnny Quick of Earth-Two. Employing specialist motors on his head gear, mercury-lined boots and a mobile projectile that could launch him as a Human Cannonball, Tate as Mercury tricked Johnny into revealing his secret mathematic speed formula  of 3x2(9yz)4a.

Human Cannonball sought out Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane to be his press agent and advertise his heroics. Together the pair dealt with a series of threats, from capturing an energized Tina Ames to battling the Cougar Gang and later the corrupt Project DNA. Ryan Chase left Metropolis to seek greener pastures outside the shadow of Superman.

Mercury then possessed the speed abilities of reporter Johnny Chambers, and started a high-velocity crime wave that Chambers’ heroic alter ego had to end on two occasions. During their second meeting, Johnny Quick confused Trick Tate with several bogus math formulas, causing the crook to forget how to reenergize himself when the speed formula ran out.

Twice-Told-Tales: Tyrants Thaal & Tarquin Terrorize

Thaal Sinestro and his clone Sinestros were tenacious in their goals to conquer their respective universes’ Earths. These men possessed potent power rings projecting awesome emerald energies, until the Green Lanterns of Earths One and Two confronted the Sinestro Corps. While the original Sinestro departed Earth-Two after the defeat of his Corps, the other Sinestro clones were incarcerated there. And yet, a man named Tarquin resembling Sinestro appeared centuries earlier in England!

The original Sinestro would routinely devise various methods of revenge against his arch-enemy Hal “Green Lantern” Jordan, including recruiting Jordan’s ex-girlfriend Carol Ferris to resume her evil alter ego of Star Sapphire and later Weather Wizard in his war with his foe. Despite these schemes, Sinestro continued to meet with failure, until he ensnared Hal’s best friend Oliver “Green Arrow” Queen into a trap. When this ploy also failed, Sinestro fled Earth-One into outer space, and led Green Lantern and Green Arrow into the “Silver Twist” anomaly.

Red-skinned Sinestro lookalike Tarquin suddenly appeared one day in the medieval era of King Arthur and Camelot. This was the era when Sir Justin the Shining Knight first lived. Simultaneous to Tarquin being pulled into events of this time, Alan "Green Lantern" Scott and Doiby Dickles were also drawn to this era. Tarquin fiercely fought Green Lantern, further cementing the circumstantial evidence that this was likely a Sinestro clone, seeking to steal his foe’s ancient green lamp. But for whom?

Back in the reality of Earth-One, Thaal Sinestro along with Green Lantern and  Green Arrow were forced to team up on a medieval alien world modeled after the age of Camelot, complete with knights whom the trio battled. Combining their forces, Thaal, Hal and Oliver defeated the tyrannical ruler of that world and returned to Earth-One’s solar system. Sinestro would frequently return, seeking the destruction of his arch-enemy and securing the power of his former masters, the Guardians of the Universe!

The age of Earth-Two’s Camelot was one of five key eras when the Monitor installed Cosmic Tuning Forks to save the remaining Multiverse. Vandal Savage traveled back to this time*, masquerading as King Arthur while using Merlin to lure the JSA into a trap there. Prior to the Justice Society of America’s arrival in Camelot, Savage evidently lured their teammate and his old foe Green Lantern along with Doiby Dickles and a Sinestro clone named Tarquin to a time just prior to the JSA’s arrival. Vandal as Arthur attempted to manipulate Lantern and Tarquin into helping him locate the emerald power battery lamp in the possession of the Chinese lama delegation (hypothesizing that, just as an irradiated meteorite first gave Savage immortality, another meteorite which Green Lantern's lamp was made would do the same, as it had for the lamp's maker Chang). Savage manipulated Scott and Tarquin into conflict.

Tarquin kidnapped the visiting representatives of the Chinese Embassy from that era. These men were the keepers of the Green Flame of Life emerald lamp, which eventually Alan would inherit in the 20th century. After repeatedly clashing with faux-Sinestro Tarquin and his knights, Alan and Doiby triumphed then discovered that Tarquin’s prisoners the Chinese lamas had concealed the green lamp in a place their jailer could not locate. Recharging his power ring with the lamp, Green Lantern and Doiby returned to their future time, leaving behind Tarquin in the 13th century.

When Savage’s scheme to secure the emerald lamp in the 13th century failed, he imitated his backup plan, entrapping Kryptonian cousins Superman and Power Girl in order to draw energies from them, regaining his immortality. While Vandal returned to the modern day in subsequent tales after he lost to the JSA, there is no record of his pawn Tarquin having also returned to the 20th century. Given Tarquin’s appearance and demeanor, he was a Sinestro. What happened to the other Sinestros is unknown.

As to Thaal Sinestro, he would be a key player behind the scenes during the Crisis in Infinite Earths. During this period, he would traverse time and space, even visiting other universes such as Earth-Four during the Villain War and shortly thereafter accompanying his old adversary Hal Jordan into the Anti-Matter Universe of Qward to confront the Anti-Monitor and his forces.

* Vandal Savage had been made aware of this period in Camelot’s history as being a key junction point in history, having been present during that time period as an eyewitness to events outside his domain’s castle at that time. Witnessing the arrival of his era’s Shining Knight as well as future superhumans Firestorm and Killer Frost of Earth-One, and their battle with a mammoth Shadow Demon from the Antimatter Universe of Qward, Savage knew that this would be a time period he could draw his 20th century foes the Justice Society into when the time was right.

Twice-Told-Tales: Daring Damsels Destroy Destructive Dreams

Dinah "Black Canary" Lance and Helena "Huntress" Wayne were two women with remarkable parallels in their lives. Both ladies were born on Earth-Two, second generation superheroines, living up to the legacies of their parents. Each lass lost both her mother and father to tragic events, motivating them to adopt their heroic alter egos. While the Earth-One counterparts of Dinah and Helena, Helen "Silver Swan" Alexandros and Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon, were their own women with different backgrounds and motivations from this cosmic twins... Dinah and Helena were tied in crucial ways. And in one other key aspect: their destructive dreams!

Dinah was the first who became susceptible to dreams, when she fantasized while sleeping that Larry Lance was still alive. Seeking the assistance of her Justice League teammate Superman to help her access this "Dream Dimension" to find Larry, the two Leaguers journeyed through the barrier between realities where they indeed found a version of Lance. But was this the Larry Lance who perished while protecting his Earth-Two from a cosmic threat in Aquarius... or something else?

Helena would months after this also be consumed by dreams, as she dreamt of her father Batman and mother Catwoman. Each parent appeared in the form of a bat and cat avatar, seeking to consume Helena into their individual legacies. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to call upon her teammates of the Justice Society to assist her, only police detective Gary Minelli was able to support her from the outside world.

The villains behind our marvelous maidens' dream dilemmas were individuals resding in the Arkham Asylums outside of both Earth's Gotham Cities. The first was a skeletal cloaked criminal Doctor Destiny... a long-time Justice League adversary... who manufactured his Dream Dimension, which Black Canary found herself within, through his Materioptikon devise.

Another skeletal cloaked individual* was a manifestation of the former foe of Batman and the Justice Society Doctor Elba, who used Solution K to cause his victims to go insane and which Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether used on the Huntress. Thankfully, through their sheer force of willpower, Black Canary and Huntress were able to destroy these Dream Dimensions from within and vanquish their foes.

* This skeletal nightmare might have been a subconscious manifestation of Helena’s recollection of an experience, related to her by her father of the “Painter of Death”, who ended up being a skull-masked Doctor Elba… inventor of the Solution K that was now injected in her body.

Terrible Toymen Terrorize Twin Terras

The two men born Winslow Schott on Earths One and Two were prolific inventors, incorporating advanced mechanical and theorectical principals into their designs of his state-of-the-art toys. The Earth-One Winslow and ewas a lad with long brown hair, traumatized at a young age when his neighborhood friend stole to first toy he ever assembled, a toy plane, which led him into a life of crime. The Earth-Two Winslow simply was an adult with curly blonde hair who simply decided to pursue a life of crime to quell his insatiable greed. Both men pursued similar paths towards infamy, each renaming himself Toyman, devising various schemes with various childrens playthings incorporating deadly devices. Yet time and time again, the Toymen were opposed and ultimately defeated by the Supermen of their respective worlds. Even when each allied the Luthor and Prankster of his Earth, both Toymen found only further failure.

At a certain point on Earth-One, Winslow grew older, now with whiten hair, and decided to retire as he set up a toy shop of his own. During this period of time, a younger usurper to his title stole the Toymen identity, and began plunder Metropolis with more advanced weaponry than his predecessor. This Toyman, Jack Nimble, incurred the attention of both Superman and Schott-One, who teamed up to capture this copy-cat crook. Nimble would reappear twice more, working on his own employing a separate sinister scheme, and later allied with fellow foes of Superman led by the alien Mr. Xavier.

Meanwhile on Earth-Two, Winslow retired for decades before returning to terrorize Metropolis once more. This time, Toyman was opposed both by Superman, and his old adversary's Kryptonian cousin Power Girl. Given Schott’s appearance, this encounter took place in the mid-1970s. When an older grizzled Schott returned years later, he faced a different Dynamic Duo defending Metropolis, Robin and Huntress!

The original Toyman of Earth-One was motivated to resume his criminal career once more, when his prized display at a toy exhibition was destroyed by an individual appearing to look like Superman. In fact, this was the Man of Steel's imperfect duplicate Bizarro, who returned to Earth-One in a crazed mental state. Reverting to his negative impulses, Schott sought out the two men he felt destroyed his life, Nimble and Superman! Schott slayed Nimble while the younger Toyman laid sleeping in his apartment. However, Superman was harder to kill, and turned the tides on Schott when it was revealed that Bizarro was the true culprit behind the destruction of Winslow's collection.

Contemporaries of each Winslow Schott were the Pranksters of each Earth, each born as Oswald Loomis. These two Pranksters had remarkably similar careers, with each at times teaming up with the Toymen, the Luthors, and the 5th Dimensional pests who plagued the Superman (Mr. Mxyzptlk on Earth-One and Mr. Mxyztplk on Earth-Two). As for the  Earth-Two counterpart to Jack Nimble’s Toyman, this was a crook named Al Fresco, former protégé turned rival of Schott's fellow fiend the Prankster who adopted the alter ego of the Trickster*. Fresco wore a disguise at times making himself appear to look like the Prankster, and used similar gadgetry used by his insidious inspiration and the Toyman.

* Evidence suggests that on a few occasions after his introduction, Trickster disguised as Prankster who clashed with the Earth-Two Superman, given the frequently of a "Prankster's" appearances in the late 1940s and early 1950s. 

Ultra-Humanite's Reality Probability Equation

An unanswered mystery left unanswered for decades relates to the enigmatic "Reality Probability Equation". This equation was conceived by the Ultra-Humanite, who led the last known incarnation of the Secret Society of Super-Villians on Earths One and Two. He postulated that by removing ten key members of the Justice League and Justice Society from both realities, consigning them to interdimensional limbo between universes, all superheroes would be retroactively erased from one of those two parallel planets. And this occurred, but why these particular ten heroes?

Recruiting ten supervillains to battle their heroic arch-enemies, five of which were Justice League members and five of which were Justice Society teammate, Ultra successfully captured these ten key champions. Critical to his calculation was the presence of the League's Black Canary and the Society's Johnny Thunder? How so?

As we see from the discharge of pink electricity emanating from the Humanite's Dimensional Vortex Machine, this was the power source that fueled the Equation. This would have originated from Johnny Thunder, or more specifically his pink Thunderbolt which he had a symbiotic relationship with since the 1940s. Years prior to this, the Johnny Thunder of Earth-One briefly took control of the Thunderbolt, commanding that being to remove all superheroes from his world. Thunderbolt went back in time, changing the origins of the various Justice Leaguers, causing them to cease to exist. This caused a new branching timeline labeled as Earth-A.

The other members of each team were picked for critical functions that made them keystones among the superhero pantheon (at least in Johnny Thunder’s mind, as he controlled his Thunderbolt). Superman of Earth-Two was the first of all superheroes, inspiring those that came after him. Wonder Woman of Earth-One was the pinnacle of fighting females. Hawkman of Earth-Two was the natural leader among the costumed crusader community. Batman of Earth-One was the indomitable driving force towards meting out justice. Atom of Earth-One bridged barriers between cosmos with his white dwarf star belt. Hourman of Earth-Two was the model of a self-made masked manhunter. Flash of Earth-Two was the living embodiment of hard water, the opposing element to Thunderbolt's lightning on Earth-One capable of warping reality.*

As for Black Canary, she was necessary as she was a native Earth-Two heroine who now resided on Earth-One, thus tipping the balance of Ultra's Reality Probability Equation in Earth-Two's favor (while additionally, Johnny Thunder considered she and her mother… the Black Canaries… as his family). Although both Earths temporarily felt the aftereffects of this wave being unleashed, when the ten heroes were exiled to Limbo, only Ultra's Earth-Two experienced a heroless world mirroring the earlier Earth-One. That is, until the Earth-One Secret Society members freed both the Justice League and Justice Society as revenge for Ultra's betrayal of them. Once returning to Earth-Two, these ten superheroes' presence restored reality to what it was… a world filled with heroes. 

* As seen by hard water’s usage with such undersea dwellers as Aquaman's wife Mera… and the Water Sprites, who were doppelgängers to the Thunderbolts in Earth-One's reality who used lightning instead.

Untold Teamup Tales of the Justice League & Justice Society

As evidenced by the existence of an unaffected future for the Legion of Super-Heroes, Brane "Batman" Taylor, Bilbat"Captain Marv", and a Kamandi... there were multiple 30th century timelines set apart from one another. These heroes' realities remained separate and distinct from one another. Their realities... Earth-One, Earth-Two, Earth-S and Earth-A.D... where each their own unique location within the Mulitverse. As previously ascerted, this proves that a future timeline existed and was thus spared from the cross-contamination of a merged post Crisis on Infinite Earths singular universe, which itself would repeatedly reboot and readjust itself.

With this in mind, we can hypothesize additional untold tales of those 20th century heroes, including several annual teamups between the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America. These involved additional teams, on both their own worlds and alternate Earths. This harmonizes with the pattern they set for decades, when the JLA and JSA encountered the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three, the Lawless League of Earth-A, the Seven Soldiers of Victory of Earth-Two, the Freedom Fighters of Earth-X (and formerly of Earth-Two), the Squadron of Justice of Earth-S, the Legion of Super-Heroes of Earth-One, the New Gods of an adjacent Earth-One reality, and the All-Star Squadron of Earth-Two.

What were some of these teamups? Thanks to the inventive mind of Multiverse historian David Stepp, we get a glimpse into some of these amazing adventures:

• The League and Society teamup with Sentinels of Justice of Earth-Four to defend that world against an incursion by the Crime Champions, a gang of villains originally consisting of Earth-One's Chronos, Felix Faust and Doctor Alchemy and Earth-Two's Icicle, Wizard and Gambler. Evidentally, this sinister six expanded their roster to include Sentinal adversaries the Ghost, Doctor Spectro, Punch and Jewelee. To combat this, JLAers Batman, Green Arrow, and Red Tornado as well as JSAers Atom, Hourman and Starman are joined in the fight by Sentinal members Captain Atom, Nightshade and Blue Beetle as well as their ally the Son of Vulcan. The result of this confrontation undoubtedly proved better for Earth-Four than had the Crisis' "Villain War", which left portions of that world in environmental chaos unleashed by the costumed criminals and their mammoth sentient toxic weapon of war, Chemo.

• The Justice Society journeyed to Earth-One to assist the Justice League and the League's next generation protégées, the New Teen Titans, versus the malevolent Brother Blood and his Church of Blood from the nation of Zandia. Sebastian Blood possibly snatched the Powerstone, prompting the intervention of the JSA. Thanks to the intervention of these three titanic teams, led by New Teen Titans' leader Dick "Robin" Grayson and Justice Society member Dick "Nightwing" Grayson (although why the younger Dick reverted to his Robin alias rather than remain as Nightwing is unknown).

• Sinestro uses his ability to mentally manipulate others (which he has formerly used in a Brave and Bold tale when he controlled the Oan Guardians of Earth-One’s Universe while disguised as one of their own... and later when he exerted mind-control over his fellow Korugarians) to coerce select members of the Green Lantern Corps into becoming his second Sinestro Corps. Apparently, he sought to succeed where he had years earlier failed, when cloning himself a dozen time into the first incarnation of the Sinestro Corp when he and his minions invaded Earth-Two. The Justice Society's involvment in this tale indicates that Sinestro brought over these Corps men and women to Earth-Two for a repeat incursion into that world, one thwarted by the JLA and JSA led by Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Alan Scott of those respective teams.

• In a two-part crossover, the Time Trapper recruits fellow temporal thieves the Lord of Time of Earth-One and Per Degaton of Earth-Two to ensnare the majority of the Justice League and Justice Society in a time trap in the 30th century of Earth-Two. In part two, the remaining Leaguers and Socialites journey to the 30th century of Earth-One to recruit the aid of the Legion of Super-Heroes from that era in helping them battle their old foe Trapper and his cronies, but end up settling for the Legion of Substitute Heroes who help them after defeating the Legion of Super-Villains sent by the Time Trio to thwart them.

• Finally, the Justice Society individually face off against the Crime Society, a version of the Crime Syndicate but from a different world than that of Earth-Three. This Crime Society is modeled off the Justice Lords, a team of renegade superheroes who took the law into their own hand, administering their perverted form of authoritarian justice upon President Lex Luthor and his criminal minions on their world. This Crime Society would undoubtedly have invaded Earth-Two, just as the Crime Syndicate had invaded that world and Earth-One several years earlier. Perhaps the Justice League later became involved, aiding the Society as they had versus the Syndicate.

• These are just a few examples of potential probable plotlines involving the Greatest Heroes of Earths One and Two in a future unobstructed by the calamity that fell upon the Multiverse during the Crisis on Infinite Earths!

Robins’ Relationships with Winged Wonders

On twin Earths, two lads named Dick Grayson became sidekicks to their worlds’ Batmen, as Robin the Boy Wonder. Interestingly, relationships later formed between the Robins and two young men who the Batmen's next partners, Jason Todd and Jan Haasan.  

On Earth-One, Jason accidentally discovered the Bat Cave underneath Wayne Manor, and pieced together a uniform from fragments of Robin's older costume. Aiding the Dynamic Duo who were rounding up several criminals recruited by Joker to use against new Gotham City crime boss Killer Croc, Jason soon discovered that Croc had slain his parents whom Dick tasked them with spying on. The vengeful masked man-child Jason pummeled Croc until restrained by the heroes. 

On Earth-Two, Jan Haasan was an orphan of Holland, displaced after his parents were slain in the early days of World War II. Encountering the American masked man the Atom of the Justice Society, who was visiting his country to render aid to the Dutch people, Jan was motivated by the young hero's example to make a difference in the world. Soon after, Jan was recruited by Rick Carter into joining the Boy Commandos, combating evil in Europe and around the world.

Shortly after Bruce adopted Jason, Dick retired his costumes career as Robin and created a new alter ego as Nightwing, the alter originally created by Superman and his Kryptonian cousin in the Bottled City of Kandor. Following this, Dick passed along the mantle and alias of Robin to Jason, becoming a secondary mentor and role model to the new Boy Wonder. At least on Earth-One future timeline, Jason continued the legacy of Robin for years to come.

Decades earlier on a parallel planet, a now older Jan Haasen returned to America after reuniting with his family and having left the Boy Commandos. Now adopting the alter ego of Wingman, Jan sought training from Batman so that Haasen could become Holland’s first superhero. Initially, this caused a rivalry between Wingman and Robin, as Dick was a few years younger than Jan (whereas the other Dick was a few years older than Jason). This subsided after the men initially training together, when Dick discovered that Batman and Wingman had exchanged identities, with the “European” hero becoming more proficient than before. Robin came to the realization that  in the end, he was irreplaceable.

Interestingly, this experience seemed to solidify the Earth-Two Dick’s Robin as an alter ego he would keep as an adult, as there was another “wing” hero in Wingman. While the Earth-Two Dick felt liberated from his Robin also as now that another adopted that identity, motivating him into becoming a “wing” hero in Nightwing. Likewise, Grayson-One founded his own team of superheroes in the New Teen Titans to step outside Batman’s shadow, while Grayson-Two filled the vacancy in the Justice Society of America left vacant when Batman retired from crimefighting. And while Nightwing left behind his home town to become a protector of New York City, the adult Grayson-Robin assumed the role of guardian of Gotham City. Although the Grayson’s lady partners Batgirl and Huntress also helped.

Courageous Cybernetic Creators: Will Magnus & Chuck Grayson

Their worlds’ preeminent masters of robotics, Will Magnus of Earth-One and Chuck Grayson of Earth-Two were the programming progenitors of their cybernetic creations, the Metal Men and G.I. Robots. While these cosmic twins were equally intelligent and adept in cybernetics, they had different radically differing psychological profiles that made each one unique from his doppelgänger.

While both men sought to use their scientific knowledge for the betterment of mankind, they each went about it in differing ways. The older Chuck was far meeker, a life-long bachelor married to his work. He first began his career working as an assistant to his friend Robert Crane and later as a resident roboticist for the government agency Project M. The younger Will was more self-assured, a true ladies' man. He started building his own company Magnus Labs, becoming reputable enough that its main client was the United States government!

Will invented the Responsometer which could both animate non-living objects, giving them sentience approaching synthetic life. From this technology, Magnus designed the Metal Men, six robots based on specific elements pliable enough to become powerful protectors of humanity. These Metal Men were Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Tin and a Metal Woman named Platinum. Also known as Tina for short, Platinum nurtured a deep abiding love for her human creator, which Will often repulsed given their differing natures. During the course of their adventures together throughout the years, these Metal Men would combat a variety of automated, artificial and alien adversaries around the world

Chuck used his knowledge to assist Doctor Robert Crane in constructing a Robotman, which he soon after transplanted Crane’s brain into following the scientist’s murder caused by gangsters. Robotman and Chuck Grayson would be valuable allies of the All-Star Squadron, while having several independent adventures. After leaving Crane's employ, Chuck was recruited in the United States’ secret department known as Project M during the early days of World War II. There, Grayson would build the G.I. Robot series based on his and Crane’s prototype Robotman. Around this period of time, Chuck became acquainted with his long-lost cousin, Dick "Robin" Grayson.

Will's mind was eventually brainwashed when he was kidnapped by a foreign dictator named Karnak, until that warlord's rule was overturned and Magnus was freed. However, a now mentally-unhinged Magnus was tasked by a representative of Karnak's country into infilitating a government agency. At this point, Will transformed himself into the insidious Plutonium Man, taking on his former creations until the Metal Men's self-sacrifice in battle with him helped Will regain his sanity once more. However, Magnus would continue to have psychological problems for quite some time, until he regained a semblance of normancy after once more returning to mentor the Metal Men.

Chuck’s brain was exposed to the rays emitted from Ultra’s Powerstone, which would have dire ramifications for Grayson years later. Grayson assisted Robotman in reviving the future robot known as Mekanique, opposed by the entire assemblage of the All-Star Squadron. Years after this, when Robotman temporarily migrated to Earth-One at the invitation of fellow former All-Star teammate Commander Steel, Chuck succumbed to a fatal condition. The potent Powerstone radiation resulted in Grayson's passing away from brain cancer. However,  his body was kept alive and youthful, prolonged in cryogenic stasis for decades awaiting the time when it could be used to house the brain of Chuck's old friend Robert.  Which eventually happened, with the former Robotman by 1980 assuming the Chuk Grayson identity his best friend left behind at death.

Caped Crusaders' Crusading Careers : Batgirl & Huntress

Barbara Gordon and Helena Wayne were not only crimefighters as Batgirl and the Huntress, they were also practitioners of the law in their civilian identities. Each were practicing attorneys, only their career trajectories took them in opposite yet similar directions. One started her crusading law career in Washington D.C. before returning to her home in Gotham City, and the other built her law career in Gotham City before graduating to Washington D.C.! But how was this to be?

For Barbara, this is when she ran for and was elected to congress, where she represented her home state's district as Congresswoman Gordon. Now residing in Washington D.C. as one of her home state's representatives, Barbara continued her costumed career as Batgirl for a time in this new setting. After her term was up and she wasn't reelected, Babs returned to Gotham City where she was hired a one of the departmental directors of Humanities Research and Development Center. This organization's mission statements was investigating viable solutions to urban and cultural development for underserved communities, when her supervisor was James Stein and her amiable coworker was Richard Bender.

For Helena, this is when she became a name partner at the law firm of Cranston, Grayson and Wayne in Gotham City as Helena Wayne, Esq. Starting both her civilian and costumed careers in Gotham City as attorney by day and vigilante by night, Helena balanced her schedules as both herself and the Huntress. This public interest research firm worked on cases such as urban development, under the direction of her boss Arthur Cranston and her adversarial coworker Roger Demarest. A few years later after establishing herself in the legal community, Helena was called upon to be the legal representation of her Justice Society allies during a Congressional case against them in Washington D.C., which she successfully won against her law partner turned legal adversary during that case, fellow lawyer Richard "Robin" Grayson... himself forced into this position due to circumstances related to his guardian and her father Bruce "Batman" Wayne's diary which seemingly incriminated the Society.

Chemically Created Corporate Crimefighters

Distinct corporate entities developed on Earths One and Two from those existing on Earth-Prime, and some birthed metahumans from their research. The notable and largest of these was Earth-One's S.T.A.R. Laboratories and Earth-Two's Garrick Research Laboratories, with branches across the United States.

Competitors to these included Dayton Industries and Stagg International of Earth-One, as well as Dodds-Bessing Steel and Tyler Chemical Laboratories of Earth-Two.

Similar to other revolutionary corporate think tanks such as that owned by the Metal Men’s Will Magus and Rex Tyler’s former employer Bannermain Chemical, these organizations fostered cultures of innovation, adapting to radically changing worlds with the advent of superheroes and their supervillain opponents. Regrettably, they didn’t always count the cost.

These legal entities spawned synthetic superheroes Mento, Metamorpho, Sandman, Sandy and Hourman… each of whom gained amazing abilities derived from the innovative research of these companies. Although each had debilitating side effects for those gifted with their synthetic science, as time would tell.

Steve Dayton's company developed the ultra-durable metal known as Promethium and cybernetic weaponry which he incorporated into his Mento suit. With this uniform and its helmet, Dayton aided the Doom Patrol and his wife Rita “Elasti-Girl” Farr.

Wesley Dodd's company refined steel as well as developed weaponry such as ray guns and silicoid guns. While granting users tremendous abilities, the adverse effects of these industry titan's creations led to Steve Dayton's declining mental health and Sandy Hawkins mutated silicon body.

Then there were the dual chemical-based technologies introduced to their respective worlds by Simon Stagg and Rex Tyler. While Stagg built his business from the ground up, Tyler acquired Bannermain Chemical, both growing these companies into successes.

Stagg International uncovered the ancient process of transforming humans into elementals, including Simon’s employee and future son-in-law Rex "Metamorpho" Mason. His science unleashed both good and evil.

Meanwhile, Tyler Chemical Laboratories through its founder's research developed the strength-enhancing drug known as Miraclo, graning its user Rex "Hourman" Tyler with a superhuman  physique for one hour at a time. However, these processes led Rex Mason to losing his humanity, and causing Rex Tyler to become addicted to Miraclo for a time.

Atomic Antagonists Agonize Adventurers

An interesting historic fork in the road occurred when intentional incidents were insidiously instigated at a pair of nuclear power plants. While on one world, these was initiated by the TNT Trio terrorists of Ted Grand, Nat Tryon and Tim Moore under the employ of Lex Luthor which was thwarted by the superstrong caped crusader Superman... the trio's counterparts on a parallel planet these same three were scientists seeking to stabilized their facility from the superstrong caped crusader the Atom.

On Earth-One, the TNT Trio sought to damage a nuclear reactor in the Metropolis of Earth-One, they were opposed by Superman. However, while the hero captured Ted and Tim, Nat was trapped under some lead shielded equipment, hiding his presence from Superman who carried away his crony colleagues. Succumbing to severe radiation poisoning, once Tryon freed himself and made his way to one of his boss' Luther Lairs, he pleaded for Lex's help. Placing his henchman in a specialized suit while bathing him in rays to stabilize his condition, Luthor promised to return once the process was complete within a week. However, Luthor was captured by arch-enemy, resulting in Tryon remaining in this state for over a year until freed during a conflict between Superman and the villain named the Mole. Awakening now as sentient radiation, the metahuman menace known as Neutron was born!

On Earth-Two, following being submerged in the evil-inducing waters of the Koehaha River along with four other Justice Society allies by the golden age Superman of his world, the Atom later awoke craving to gain more power. Arriving at a nuclear power plant in Nevada, the Atom made his way into the reactor room, seeking to bathe in that facility's tholium rays. While Ted and Tim's counterparts were overwhelmed by Atom's indominable strength as he knocked both men out, the Atom was prevented from irradiating himself by the timely intervention of his superhuman godson Albert "Nuklon" Rothstein who pursued him across country.

Seeking revenge upon the men who turned him into a monster, Neutron hunted Ted and Tim before Superman intervened. After a brief battled, Tryon was subdued and imprisoned in a facility that could keep him locked away. However, the immortal villain Vandal Savage of Earth-Two employed a lawyer to legally overturn the case against Tryon, freeing Neutron to frame Superman for a crime he didn't commit. Once all was revealed including Savage's sinister schemes, Neutron was this time kept immobilized in S.T.A.R. Labs. That is, until the Fearsome Five felons freed him to enhance their ranks as they engaged in a rematch with their foes, the New Teen Titans. Once more, Neutron ultimately failed.

As for the conflict between Nuklon and his temporarily insane godfather Al "Atom" Pratt, the lad was able to overpower his elder and shield him from the Tholium radiation. However, Nuklon's own body was irradiated, further mutating him. When an incensed Atom approached the third scientist at that facility, Neutron's Earth-Two counterpart, he was told by the man that the radiation device he activated couldn't re reengaged for six months. Leaving the three men and Nuklon behind, the Atom left to reunite with his fellow Justice Society allies, who ultimately regained their sanity when opposed by Nuklon and his Infinity, Inc. pals

The Mystery of Rubberman: Plentiful Plastic

Among the rogues gallery of adversaries which the golden age Robotman faced throughout his lengthy career on Earth-Two, one undoubtedly bore him a striking resemblance to a long-lost All-Star ally of his years earlier. In fact, the resemblance wasn't just uncanny, but his true origins were even more so, as we unwind this mystery.

This foe known as Rubberman led a gang in a payroll heist, witnessed by scientist Paul Dennis and his intelligent cybernetic canine Robbie. In fact, Dennis and his pet were Robotman and Robotdog, and shortly after witnessing this crime in action, they purused the criminals and were rebelled by their pliable leader.

This led the robotic duo to visit a local circus, where the attraction's owner refers them to the local fire eater who knew the recently departed Indian rubber man personnally. However, when approached by the metal man and his dog, the fire eater breathes intense flames that nearly melt the pair's metallic frames. Dousing their fiery-tempered foe, Robotman and Robbie track down Rubberman himself, who ensnared them in liquid rubber hardened around them. Despite this, the heroes escaped and subdued Rubberman and his gang.

But some questions can be asked: Who was this Rubberman? Why did he resemble a former teammate of Robotman who disappeared years earlier? In fact, this artificial being was a replica of the original Plastic Man, himself a member of the All-Star Squadron who joined the Freedom Fighters and left their native world of Earth-Two to protect the parallel planet of Earth-X.

Prior to Plastic Man's departure from Earth-Two, a gangster allied with a criminal mastermind created synthetic Plastic Men, with the same abilities and appearance of the original, which he used to initiate a crime wave. During this caper, Woozy Winks had himself transformed through this process into a version of his partner Plastic Man. After the pair defeated the crooks behind the elastic clones, apparently all the Plastic Men were eliminated, although conceivably at least one seemingly remained behind. This being reverted to the criminal mindset of Plastic Man's former identity as criminal Eel O'Brien.

And on another parallel planet, Earth-One. the young hero known as Robbie Reed. the possessor of the H-Dial. This lad could "Dial 'H' for Hero" , allowing him to become various superheroes. Twice, Robby become a clone of Plastic Man, first as a hero and years later as a misguided villain for a brief period. During his second adventure in this identity, Robby was defeated by the Plastic Man native to his world, who helped Reed recover his sanity once their battled had concluded.