Take Me Out to the Ballgame... on Multiple Earths

Baseball as a sport developed in the 18th and 19th century from common bat-and-ball games originating in England such as cricket and rounders, and by the 20th century became an American sport. And this is true on the various Earths within the multiverse. In the Gotham City of Earth-One and Earth-Two, their MLB team was the Gotham Giants. Among Major League Baseballs fans on Earth-Two were the Huntress and Power Girl, each of whom reflected on this national pasttime while engaged in cases during their costumed careers.

During her first trip to the Gotham City of Earth-One while visiting her father's counterpart Bruce "Batman" Wayne and working alongside her counterpart, Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon, Helena encounter an MLB pitcher for the Giants named Catfish Turner. While on this world he was a superstar, the Catfish Turner on her home world of Earth-Two was less gifted and more of a benchwarmer!

Sometime later, while intercepting a plummeting plane from the sky in Earth-Two's Metropolis, Karen "Power Girl" Starr compared her skills with that of a Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher. What is remarkable is that, on Earth-One and our Earth, the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1957. Then, in 1962, the New York Mets were created as an expansion team to fill the void left behind by the Dodgers. Evidentally on Earth-Two, the expansion team created in 1962...Los Angeles Mets... became the first Major League Baseball team in that Californian city!

Huntress and Power Girl’s teammates on Infinity, Inc. were also fans of the game, having played it as children in the mid-1970s. Some more instances of professional baseball teams across the multiverse were:

• California Angels: On Earth-One, Linda "Supergirl" Danvers and her boyfriend Greg Gilbert watched a California Angels versus New York Yankees game on television.

• Cincinnati Reds: On Earth-S, Billy "Captain Marvel" Batson was involved in a case in Cincinnati during a Reds' game.

• Detroit Tigers: On Earth-S, there is evidence of Major League Baseball as Captain Marvel's anamorphic tiger friend Tawky Tawny once played for the Detroit Tigers.
  
  
• Houston Astros: On Earth-One, New Teen Titans members Raven and Starfire battle terrorists in the New York Yankees' stadium during a game with the Astros.

• Metropolis Metros: On Earth-One, Superman battles a criminal in a menacing tripod who was attempting to tear the Metros' stadium apart during a game.

• New York Yankees: On Earth-Two, adventurer Skip Scuyler was asked to pitch for the Yankees, proving there was a version of the Yankees on this world as on Earth-One above.

• Pittsburgh Pirates: On Earth-S, Captain Marvel was involved in a case dealing with the ownership of the city in which this team played

• St. Louis Cardinals: On Earth-S, Captain Marvel chased some criminals trying to evade him in the Cardinals' stadium

• Star City Stars: On Earth-One, Green Arrow battled the Calculator in the stadium during a game.

• Texas Rangers: On Earth-One, Hal "Air Wave" Jordan attending a game with his girlfriend Karen Peterson.

Chronal Copies Temporal Twins

The physics differed drastically in the  divergent dimension of Earths One and Two, and among these was the affect on time with living beings. In one universe, a temporally displaced individual could not exist in the same time as the past or future version of themselves. In another universe, an individual could exist as multiple copies of themselves at the same time. However, in that second reality, it was impossible to create a chronal clone of themselves while in the first it was entirely possible.

Two time tyrants discovered these core principals in their native realms and more than once manipulated these quirks in physics to their own amoral agendas. These villains were T.O. Morrow of Earth-One, and Per Degaton of Earth-Two, and both men were persistent foes of the Justice League and Justice Society, respectively. 

T.O. Morrow first appeared in Central City, when he spawned three chronoal counterparts of Hal "Green Lantern" Jordan, complete with identical power rings. These three synthetic beings were sent by their creator to steal precious items from the Louve in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York City, and London. This terrible trio  taunt Green Lantern and his Justice League teammate the Flash, who each pursue one of the fake Lanterns in Paris and New York, and then the pair seemingly teammup in London the Flash determines that his partner is one of the fakes. The real Lantern was defeated in New York City, and after freeing his friend, the Leaguers track down Morrow at his headquarters while the psuedo-Lanterns fade from existence. Although initially tricked by the T.O. Morrow temporal clone, the heroes discover this rouse and corner the real Morrow. Seeing no way out, the villain seemingly falls to his death in an underground pit.

Per Degaon hatched the third of this history-altering schemes when he recruited the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three to accompany him to Earth-Prime, where the rogues stole nuclear weapons from Cuba. Bringing them back to Earth-Two in 1942, Degaton sought to blackmail the world into accepting his authoritarian rule, which in one future timeline was successful until the early 1980s. However, the Justice League of Earth-One travelled back to that era and teamed up with the All-Star Squadron to oppose him, and soon found their friends from the future appear in the skies above one of Degaton's nuclear detonation demonstrations at sea. These were the 1980 versions of 1940s Justice Society members Green Lantern, Starman and Doctor Fate... along with superheroines Power Girl and Huntress. The three male Society members were the chronal counterparts of Morrow's initial two Green Lanterns and himself (while the 1980s Power Girl, who also existed in the 1940s, was the chronal counterpart of Supergirl's Satan Girl/Nightflame clone from the 1970s). 

The third of Morrow's Green Lantern temporal twins had a counterpart in the Conqueror's synthetic Green Lantern, which he used against the original and his Justice Society allies. Years later, T.O. developed chronal clones of Steve Trevor, Mera, Hawkgirl, Jean Loring and a girl name Midge... in order the ensnare Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Atom and Snapper Carr into accepting their paralyzing kisses. Once they accomplished their evil deeds for their master, these being like the lethal Lantern trio faded from existence.

During Per's previous time traveling case, he brought back to 1941 future versions of Wotan, Professor Zobar Zodiak, Sky Pirate, King Bee and the Monster (as well as Solomon Grundy, whose Earth-One counterpart was the artificial Grundy clone created by the Parasite in his war against Superman). These chronal clones existed during the same time period as their earlier version, who were unaware that their future selves were engaged in battle with the All-Star Squadron. This scheme, as with all of Degaton's schemes, failed miserably.

Years later, T.O. Morrow reappeared and disgarded the use of chornal clones, and once more manufactured Red Tornado androids modeled after the original, who turned against his master and joined the Justice Society (and later the Justice League). These Tornado androids were made of the same temporal technology as the living chrononal clones, but unlike these being they were made of silicon chips and hardware.

Twice-Told-Tales: Shadow Strangers & Sneaky Shades

During the climax of their epic battles versus a trio of freezing felons led by a mysterious master, and an immortal villain alongside his bearded and balding henchmen, the Justice League and Justice Society encountered an odd climax to these confrontations.

On Earth-One, the Justice League battled the  cold criminals of Minister Blizzard, Captain Cold and the Icicle of Earth-Two, who were entralling the South American country of Ecuador in a deep freeze (decades earlier on his home world, the Icicle tried a similar conquest of the South American country of Perumbia). When the League tracked the terrible trio back to the United States of America, they discovered this natural disaster concealed a sinister secret scheme. This had been a diversionary tactic setup to lead the heroes away from the U.S.A., so the villains could steal the previous gems known as the Minerva Diamond and the Star of Calcutta in Gotham City. After overpowering Bizzard, Cold and Icicle, the League discovered their secret leader was Shadow-Thief...whose Dimensiometer  transformed his body into a living shadow while causing the world's climate to gradually enter into a new ice age! 

On Earth-Two, the Justice Society journeyed back to the age of Camelot to confront the immoral immortal Vandal Savage, who mentally manipulated the bearded Merlin into helping him capture Superman and Power Girl. Then, Savage along with his captives journeyed to the planet of Colu-Two, pursued by the Society, who thwarted Vandal's scheme of siphoning the powers of the Kryptonians into his own body with the aid of his bald scientific henchman. As he fled the scene, Vandal was grabbed by two sinister shadows who aided him in his escape. These were two old adversaries of the Justice Society's Doctor Fate: Ian Karkull (himself a human shade like his counterpart Shadow-Thief), and Lando the Unknown (himself with vast and ill-definied abilities cloaked in shadow like his doppelgänger the Phantom Stranger). Ian and Lando joined forces, with the intent of siphoning off Vandal's own immortal life force into Karkull. By stealing such energy from the future, Karkull sought to assassinate future presidents of the United States back in 1941, thereby disrupting the United States government... a goal which Lando himself a fascist shared once under the influence of Hitler's mental control.

Only thanks to the timely intervention of the Phantom Stranger, with his own shade-based abilities, was Shadow-Thief caught… while the Justice League captured his cold cronies. Karkull’s plans were ultimately thwarted by Doctor Fate and his Justice Society colleagues, even with the aid of his cadre of costumed criminals… while Ian’s behind-the-scenes ally Lando retreated until a rematch with his arch-enemy as Krishna Das and then Mister Fortune almost two years later

Bedeviling Blonde Broads Bewilder Boys

Lisa Patrick and Patricia Wentworth were successful young women with aspirations that pulled them into lives of crime. While gifted with affluent lifestyles, and beautiful bodies with blonde hair, their greed motivated them to use their inventive aptitude and skillful scheming for crime.

Lisa Patrick recruited five women into the Black Orchid Legion, with Lisa as the team’s leader, with each one lady impersonating the heroine by that name. Using advanced technology, these lethal ladies developed super-suits which replicated Black Orchids powers. The Legion’s malicious maiden membership included the following specialists:

* Lisa Patrick - psychologist and martial artist.

* Barbie Henderson - Olympic gymnast and acrobat.

* Janet Grant - criminologist.

* Karen Jensen - molecular chemist.

* Stephanie Tower - astrophysicist.

Their ultimate goal was duping their sixth member, Ronnie Kuhn, into trusting them by welcoming them into their group. Portraying themselves as heroines aspiring to follow example of the original Black Orchid, this was a scheme to lure Ronnie as the daughter of the World Bank’s president, into joining them and giving them the Bank’s blueprints in order to guard it (though secretly, in order to rob it of its gold bullions). Thankfully, the original Black Orchid intervened and sent the Legion accept Ronnie their victim to prison.

Patricia Wentworth inherited her father’s munitions factory, and as the Hag in 1948 supplied rival gangs with guns to eliminate one another leaving her the crime lord of her city. The timely intervention of Doll Man defeated the Hag and sent her to prison. But what spurred her on into this life of crime?

Shortly after Black Canary defeated the Order of the Crimson Crystal, a group of women organized by a fan swami, one of their number struck off on her own criminal career. This lady was Patricia Wentworth, who couldn’t quench her thirst for money and power when her gang was brought to justice.

Lisa and Patricia escaped prison as the evil Black Orchid and the Hag, yet were once more defeated by their old foes (with the Super Friends assisting Black Orchid on capturing Patrick and her gang).

Kara Klones Kause Krisis

Linda Danvers II was the product of a genetic experiment, spawned by an adversary of the Earth-One Supergirl in order to make six miniaturized clones of the heroine. After battling them, Supergirl used Gold Kryptonite to drain them of their superhuman abilities, and kept them in stasis. However, the mental bond that existed between them allowed them to merge into one unified individual.

Karen Starr II was in actuality the original Kara Zor-L, who rather than being cloned into a new life form from cells of the original, was kept alive and youthful as her cells replicated continually for decades. During these forty years in outerspace, another Kara was spawned within the Symbioship's fabricated artificial reality which replicated Krypton-Two's Kandor-Two including her parents. Once Kara arrived on Earth-Two and reunited with her cousin Kal-L aka Superman, the duplicate Kara within her mind was erased from existence while her body began to age normally once more.

For a brief period of time, “Linda Danvers” used her mental abilities to cloud the memories of Supergirl, causing the Girl of Steel to forget her alter ego as Linda Lee Danvers. This was with the intent that the clone could live out Linda’s life in peace, while Supergurl carried on her costumed career full time. However, Kara Zor-El regained her senses and pieced together fragments of memories until she deduced who was the culprit behind her temporary amnesia. Once she confronted her with the truth, Supergirl proposed to “Linda” that both women could live out their lives independent of one another.

Due to the protective radiation generated by her three comrades when traveling back to Earth-Two from Earth-Prime, they along with Power Girl became temporal clones of earlier versions themselves. Younger versions of Green Lantern, Doctor Fate and Starman* were operating as costumed crusaders in 1942. Meanwhile, Power Girl’s earlier version of herself was rocketing through space while residing for decades within the life-sustaining vessel known as the Symbioship.

Of course, there were other versions of Kara Zor-El and Kara Zor-L. Their counterpart of Earth-Three, raised in the Kandor of Krypton-One, became Supergirl's arch-enemy Lesla Lar. The Kara Zor-L of post-Crisis Earth-0 merged her mind with a warrior princess in the notional reality version of Asgard, located high above Earth-Two. 

Then, there were the Kara’s’ dream doppelgängers:  Satan Girl aka Nightflame of the Innerverse dream reality within Supergirl’s mind, and the Power Girl from Earth-Two's future was journeyed to 1942 as well as the Power Girl who split from her during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

* The Earth-One versions of the Earth-Two'sGreen Lantern, Starman and Doctor Fate’stemporal clones were two ofT.O. Morrow'sGreen Lantern temporal clones (his third Green Lantern mirrored the Earth-Two Conqueror’s Green Lantern clone) and his T.O. Morrow clone. As for the Huntress, Justice Leaguers and Crime Syndicators…  they were not alive in 1942, and would not have had temporal clones.

A Daffodil is Still an Orchid by Any Other Name

Ipsea speciosa, the daffodil orchid, is a rare wild orchid found in the hills of Sri Lanka and southern India. Our two ladies here are equally rare.

A mystery maiden used her expert acting and disguise skills, along with her superhuman physical abilities, to become the caped crimefighter known as the Black Orchid. Assuming various civilian identities, she exposed evil in various locales around Earth-One, defeating criminal enterprises by infiltrating them from within.

Female professional wrestler Daffy Dill possessed superhuman strength and endurance along with a temperament that led her to have dozens of adventures all across America during the mid-1940s on Earth-Two. Many of there tales began with her manager Deke Parsons’ poor judgment.

Black Orchid even inspired Ronne Kuhn, who aided her in capturing a criminal cartel of fake Black Orchids. Equipped with state of the art technology to replica the original’s superpowers mechanically, they were no match for the original! This gang’s Earth-Two counterparts were Sacred Order of the Crimson Crystal, who Black Canary defeated.

No clear explanation nor definitive explanation has been provided on the origin of these ladies’ superpowers, however there have been theories. Paula Porter and Matilda Moocock* were two civilian identities that Black Orchid was alleged to have had prior to her costumes career, prior to her being infected by a radioactive orchid which granted her amazing abilities. Perhaps something similar happened with Daffy Dill, possibly being infected with an irradiated daffodil.

It has also been speculated that Black Orchid was originally a split-personality of Kara Zor-El, when as Supergirl she was exposed to Red Kryptonite which spawned an evil duplicate known as Satan Girl for 24 hours. Sometime after her appearance, she reappeared as Nightflame, having used her latent powers to draw Supergirl into the Innerverse with her fractured psyche. When this scheme failed, it seemed Nightflame ceased to exist but shortly thereafter Black Orchid appeared as a criminal bringing fellow felons to justice.

* Black Orchid was such an expert in the art of disguise and deception, that she fooled fellow heroes Phantom Stranger and Madame Xanadu into believing she had alternate origins as different women.

Historic Hooded Hour Humanoids

Many were the Masters of the Moment in the Multiverse. And yet, our four Hooded heroes and hindrances bore remarkable similarities to one another. Each tried to twist time, sequester each second, hijack each hour.

In Earth-One’s reality, there were two diametric dichotomies who each manipulated moments, one for evil and one for good. Destiny and Time Trapper on the surface proved identical, each clad in purple ropes with hoods masking their their facial features and cloaks enveloping their form. Each carried hourglasses, each sought to mold the futures of mankind as they saw fit, one to endless humanity and one to protect it. Each being opposed Superman with his Justice League of America allies, who opposed those enigmatic entities' agenda yet never could truly contain him. 

Destiny prevented Superman from saving citizens of Metropolis from a runaway bulldozer, causing them to save themselves instead and control their own future. Time Trapper prevented a younger Superman, Superboy, along with his 30th century teammates in the Legion of Super-Heroes from piercing the time barrier 30 years in their future using his "Iron Curtain of Time".

In Earth-Two’s reality, there also was a Destiny and a variant of the Time Trapper, with the former a purple business suit clad vagrant and the latter being a purple robe clad wanderer. While the former steered clear of most metahumans of his world, the latter on occasion interacted with Superman and the Justice Society of America. Destiny displayed self-sacrifice by helping others, while faux-Time Trapper showed selfishness. 

Destiny-One primarily used Prof Davis and his fellow Challengers of the Unknown the advance his purposes, while Destiny-Two had behind the scenes gifted Rex “Hourman” Tyler with the ability to develope probability predicting software in his Crime-Caster to help he and his teammates in the Justice Society fight lawlnessness. While it was suspected that Time Trapper was a future version of one of his mortal foes from the Legion of Super-Heroes, his Earth-Two counterpart was revealed to be a clone of a Law’s Legionnaires member.

Interestingly, Destiny expressed unease at the unpredictability of the Challengers while begrudgingly working with them behind the scenes. Hourman opposed the synthetic copies of Destiny created by the sinister scientist T.O. Morrow, himself a master of time who fabricated a small army of purple hooded "Destiniouds". 

And just as Earth-One Time Trapper ferociously faced his former self, the Legionnaire named Cosmic Boy, so too the Earth-Two Time Trapper battled the Legionnaire he was cloned from, Sir Justin aka the Shining Knight... then later impersonating him to return to an ancient Camelot  conquered by Vandal Savage after which this faux-Knight faded from history.

Stellar Students and Irritable Inventors

The greatest Dynamic Duo in history is easily Batman and Robin. However, there are the great…and not so great… pairings of both heroes and villains. One such colorfully collaboration on Earth-Two was Sylvester Pemberton was brilliant school student and wealthy child protégée, while Pat Dugan was an inventive mechanic and brilliant automobile designer. When they were each inspired to follow the trend of becoming costumed crusader, Syl became Star-Spangled Kid and Pat became Stripesy. When they both met and dealt with Nazi saboteurs, they began adventuring together as well as becoming members of Law’s Legionnaires (aka Seven-Soldiers of Victory) and the All-Star Squadron.

Years later on the alternate world of Earth-One, school student  Lucas “Snapper” Carr became an honorary member of the Justice League after helping them defeat Starro the Starfish Conqueror. Later during a battle with the Royal Flush Gang, Snapper as the Joker absorbed radiation from the stars which empowered him. On one occasion, the Key mentally controlled Snapper and used him as a pawn against the League. This tactic failed, yet years later the Key reached out to Snapper once more, offering him technology and an alter ego they could share to obtain revenge against the League which they both felt wronged them. The now disenfranchised Snapper Carr and malevolent.mastermind the Key assumed the alter ego of Star-Tsar, and fought the League until Carr switched sides and his former allies overcame the Key’s snares.

Cosmic counterparts Star-Tsar Snapper and Star-Spangled Kid were each allied with irritable inventors. Although the  counterpart of Stripesy, the Russian superhero known as Starfire/Red Star, never met nor worked with Snapper/Star-Tsar, another star-themed partner on Stat-Tsar-Key did. Because it was a supervillain and a superhero sidekick, the Key and Snapper quickly parted company, the Kid and Stripesy formed a partnership that lasted for years and a friendship that endured for decades.

An analogue to the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy partnership on Earth-One was another stellar superhero and sensational sidekick hundreds of years in the future. This terrific twosome, wealthy technologist Space Ranger and his shape-shifting sidekick a full, defended their future era.

Junior JSA: The Golden Age Teen Titans

Decades before the formation of the second generation of young heroes, following in the the fabled footsteps of their mentors the Justice League, another team of terrific teens did the same by modeling themselves after the Justice Society of America. While not as colorful as the Teen Titans of Earth-One*, the Junior Justice Society of Earth-Two were just as courageous! These lads and lasses fearlessly faced supervillains and criminal gangs, lacking powers, with only teamwork and tenacity to triumph over terrible tyrants!

When they first appeared, there were reportedly “thousands” of Junior JSA across America. Alongside their role models, Junior members Eddie Brackus, Ted Worth, and others helped the adult Society combat Adolph Hitler’s spy network. These youths returned to help capture the Wizard, who was then leading the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang of the World. Shortly after this, Don Brent and his Junior teammates supported the Justice Society's efforts to combat the Crimson Claw Gang, which had Don's brother Chick as one of its members. On all three adventures, Tommy "Little Boy Blue" Rogers and his "Blue Boys" pals Toughy and Tubby, as well as a young Christopher "Vulcan" Pike and the "Cyclone Kids" Dinky and Sisty were active Junior JSAers (pictured in civilian clothes versus the Wizard and meeting at their club room)!

Junior members also aided individual Society members during their solo adventures. For example, a lad named Bob assisted the Flash in escaping a trap set by his foe the Turtle. Later, Junior JSAers Bill Townley and Mary Ames accompanied Wonder Woman as she was confronting the Duke of Deception with his invading Martian forces.

Over on Earth-One, the Teen Titans were supported in their crimefighting endeavors by adventurous adolescents. Student Chet Walters joined the Teen Titans when they first fought the Aliens of Dimension X. Teenage protestor Chuck along with his big brother David, aka the costumed crusader Joshua, joined forces with the Titans in combatting those aliens.  The Teen Titans, like the Junior JSA, briefly operated only in their civilian identities. Under the tutelage of Mr. Jupiter, the Titans' Wally “Kid Flash” West, Donna “Wonder Girl” Troy, Roy “Speedy” Harper, Lilith and Mal “Hornblower” Duncan set aside their uniforms.

Years later, school students Alec and Shana aka the Whiz Kids, like Bill and Mary aided a grownup hero confronting a vile villain, when they joined forces with Justice Leaguer Superman in defeating Major Menace.  The Whiz Kids would also assist Superman's cousin Supergirl and his Justice League teammate in two other adventures, both times vs Lex Luthor!

The Earth-Two counterparts of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy never joined the Junior JSA. Earth-Two Robin, Johnny Quick, Speedy and Neptune Perkins were All-Star Squadron members. Additionally, Speedy was a charter member with his mentor Green Arrow of Law's Legionnaires (also known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory). Meanwhile, rather than being raised on Paradise Island after being saved by Wonder Woman, the orphaned Donna Troy of that world was saved by a firefighter, and in her late teen years was enrolled in Holliday College. She joined Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls as frequent collaborators in Wonder Woman's adventures, once gaining the powers and costume of the Amazing Amazon herself! Regardless, these lads and lasses were Junior JSA in spirit!

All-Time-Legends VS One-Power-Wonders

The Supermen were considered the mightiest mortals of their respective parallel planets. Still, on occasion they met both heroes and villains with powers rivaling their own. And sometimes, those individuals were either a hero or a villain, depending on one's perspective. Such was the case for Jo Nah of planet Rimbor and Reiter of Nazi Germany, two men with Kryptonian-level physiques, with a vulnerability: they could only use one power at a time!

Jo Nah was piloting a spacecraft when his both he and his vessel were swallowed by an Energy Beast, thought to have originated on Krypton-One. The resulting exposure to the beast's inner radiation imbued Jo Nah with energy, which he could use to manifest a single superpower at a time. These powers included super-strength, super-speed, limited invulnerability, flight and flash vision. He soon after joined the ranks of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the premier group of teen titans on Earth-One in the 30th century, where as Ultra Boy he had a long and distinguished career.

Reiter was the commandant of a German concentration camp, who upon being facially scarred by a vial of acid being thrown in his face, was selected by his leader Hitler as a candidate for a test program. This exposure to experimental chemicals unleashed Reiter's helped him unlock his mind's energy to manifest a single superpower at a time. These powers included super-strength, super-speed, limited invulnerability, flight and heat vision. He was made a primary agent of Nazi Germany, sent as Baron Blitzkrieg to the United States of Earth-Two to assassinate his country's foes and steal America's resources, while hailed a champion by his home country's government.

An additional ability both Ultra Boy Baron Blitzkrieg displayed on one occasion was the power of mentally exerting their will on others. Jo Nah did this when he was trapped immobilized in the Limbo dimension, and linked his brain with Superboy’s. Now one with his fellow Legionnaire, Ultra Boy’s mind in Superboy’s body became the hero Reflector, who aided the Legion in defeating Time Trapper and restoring both boys to normal.

Baron Reiter exerted his mental control over Commander Steel, with the intent of using the American superhero as an unwitting assassin of United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Thanks to his teammates in the All-Star Squadron, Steel was restrained from completing the task while saving the English leader. Once the mind-meld between these mighty men was severed, Baron Blitzkrieg was blinded and sought recovery of his sight by fleeing across the Limbo dimension to Earth-X, before finding a cure back on his native Earth-Two.

On one adventure, Ultra Boy's body was taken over by the mind of 20th century criminal John Dillinger, while his teammates Superboy and Mon-El had the minds controlled by Adolph Hitler and Nero. These three time-traveling tyrants were sent to attach Legion, although this terrible threesome ended up betraying one another, after which Ultra Boy and his colleague's minds were restored to normal. On another occasion, a mental mastermind mind-controlled all the Legionnaires except Ultra Boy, Superboy and his girlfriend Lana Lang. During this case, Ultra Boy seemingly defeated Superboy, although soon the Boy of Steel recovered and helped Jo Nah and Lana to free their Legion colleagues while defeating the alien usurper in their midst.

After a series of appearances, Baron Blitzkrieg was sent with Imperial Japanese agent Sumo the Samurai to steal two portions of an experimental America reactor, which was a prototype atomic bomb. While in Louisiana tasked with retrieving one of the sections, Blitzkrieg encountered Superman, sent by the American government to intercept and protect the reactor component from Nazi agents. During the confrontation, Superman and Blitzkrieg battled one another nearly to a drawl, until Superman discovered the Baron could only use one power at a time. While his counterpart Ultra Boy could switch between powers rapidly through extensive training, Blitzkrieg apparently didn't practice this technique himself and was open for defeat. However, the Baron was secretly pretending to be unconscious, in order to lure Superman with the radioactive component to Wonder Woman and Sumo, who had in their possession of the other half of the reactor. In the end, one-time partners Blitzkrieg and Sumo turned on one another, each seeking to procure the assembled reactor for their respective governments. Before they could, Superman caused the device to detonate, destroying it and disabling the two agents.

The Lost Love of Lucy Lane - The Loyal Love of Lucille Lane

We previously dissected how Lucy Lane of Earth-One had a long term relationship with Daily Planet photo-journalist Jimmy Olsen, while her counterpart Lucille Lane of Earth-Two found the love of her life in a man named "George Tompkins". Only George was an assumed alias for oil baron/geologist/adventurer Tex "Mister America" Thomson, a teammate of Lucille's brother-in-law Clark "Superman" Kent in the All-Star Squadron. Years after serving together on this team, the future brothers-in-law with marry the Lane sisters Lois and Lucille. As we'll see, Jimmy won Lucy's heart by disguising himself as a mustached brunette heart throb, like Tex*!

Tex realized after World War II, when he utilized various aliases to infiltrate Nazi Germany as one of its professional officers in order to subvert it, that he made many powerful adversaries. This was also true in his costumed career in the United States, when Tex as Mister America faced foes like the Gorrah, Queen Bee and General Ito. Now a retired hero and finding a woman to share his life with, Tex adopted the civilian identity of George Tompkins.

However, Lucille saw a gallant stylish man behind the disguise, and was captivated by George's "Tex" persona. Something similar happened with her doppelgänger decades later on a parallel planet in another universe.

Stewardess Lucy disguised herself as glamorous Sandra Rogers, secretly assigned by her employer to rate the efficiency of of the flight crew for her aircraft. Meanwhile, Jimmy disguised himself as stage performer Magi the Magnificent, in order to catch a legendary jewel thief aboard the same flight. Together, Sandra and Magi form a romantic bond that lingers past this adventure. After Jimmy as Magi captures the thief, he once again adopts this alter ego when he sees Lucy again disguised as Sandra. On this occasion, it was Lucy who was tasked with cornering a criminal, an individual who stole mail from airplanes. Again, Jimmy as Magi helped Lucy as Sandra capture their prey.  The two deepened their feelings for one another while feeling guilty at their unfaithfulness to each other's real identity!

On their third and final meeting, Jimmy decided to "kill" his Magi alias in an apparent drowning, when imminent nuptials were on the horizon. When Lucy discovered Jimmy's disguise trunk, with the Magi's wig and clothing, and realized he was really Jimmy. After revealed that she was really Sandra, Lucy accepts Jimmy's marriage proposal, only after their ceremony do the couple learn that the justice of the peace who married them let his license lapse. No longer officially married, the couple resumed dating but eventually split up due to their differences. Meanwhile, George and Lucille Tompkins started a family together!

The Turnabout Traps of Mister Mxyzptlk & Mister Mxyztplk

Undoubtedly the most powerful pests the Supermen ever faced were the 5th dimensional cosmic twins with unlimited power and limitless pranks. These devious doppelgängers, Mister Mxyzptlk and Mister Mxyztplk, hatched dozens upon dozens of trick the Men of Steel, yet each time their Kryptonian foes prevailed and outwitted them.

In the bronze age of Earth-One, Mister Mxyzptlk used his reality altering abilities to make it appear to Superman that all males of his adopted world were now females, and females were now males! As a result of this mischief, Superman encountered reporter Louis Lane, photojournalist Jenny Olsen and editor-in chief Penny White of the Daily Planet! He fought Superwoman along with her cousin Superboy and her Justice League teammate Wonder Warrior. And he also learned of other League members Batwoman, a female Flash and Black Condor! Finally, he discovered artificial adversaries of Leslie Luthor, Toy Woman and Bizarress!

In the golden age of Earth-Two, in an undocumented tale, Mister Mxyztplk expanded his torment of Superman to include other heroes of the day. This included merging Superman with his Justice Society teammate the Flash, while Mxyztplk personally picked on a helmet-less Flash, saddled Batman with his sidekick Robin’s yellow cape, traded the Dynamic Duo’s partners with members of Rip Carter and his Boy Commandos, caused Wonder Woman to run around in her Diana Prince glasses, and shrunk Clover while enlarging his twin brother Dover*! Why? "Why not?", the trickster would say.

At the end of the day, both Superman tricked the impetuous imps into saying their names backwards, which exiled them back to their parallel 5th dimensional homes of Zrfff for at least 90 days. Once they left the 3rd dimensional realities of Earths One and Two, the effects of their powers disappeared along with them, while the memories lingered. How do we know?

Well, one lasting impression of this event was left with a young Dick Grayson, upon seeing his mentor Batman clad in his yellow cape. This undoubtedly inspired him to adopt a Batman-style costume with a yellow scalloped cape decades later when he became the primary protector of Gotham City as Robin, the Ex-Boy Wonder, after his guardian Bruce Wayne retired that Batman outfit and settled into retirement.

This occasion may have been this world's version of the legendary Superman and Flash races, which took place on a few occasions on Earth-One. While the Earth-Two Justice Society colleagues were comparably just as fast as their Earth-One Justice League counterparts, the golden age Flash and Superman never definitively proved which was Fastest Man Alive... although all deferred this title to Superman himself.

* Private detectives Dover and Clover were the Earth-Two counterparts of identical twin telepaths April and May Marigold, whom Earth-One Superman met a few times.

Metropolis Marvels Meet Mirthful Mammals

Superman traveled to several realities, from distant dimension to parallel planets to unique universes. Perhaps no plane of existence as was strange as one Earth-C, where animals were the intelligent life-form, not humans like on his adopted world of Earth-One. When a rift in space drew him to that world, he quickly encountered a new team of superheroes known as the Zoo Crew, led by Captain Carrot. This group formed when its members were mutated by meteors which pulled Kal-El to their universe. Interestingly, he wasn’t the first to discover this Earth, as his counterpart Kal-L visited it in the mid-1940s!

The circumstances that led to this cosmic crossover have never been explained.  What has been revealed was a routine meeting between Dunbar Dodo and Fennimore Frog. As was typical between the pair, Frog attempted conning the Dodo, taking advantage of the bird’s lack of intellect. On this occasion, the Frog bragged that he was the world’s champion jumper, and could jump farther than a kangaroo or even a jumping bean. Why he was motivated to do this is unknown, but this time Dodo had a come back for his rascally friend.

Dodo introduced Frog to his associate, who wished to conceal his identity, going by the alias of Mister Incognito. This robed individual was visiting Earth-C for “a rest”, according to the Dodo. However, his concealed colleague agreed to a competition between the two, with Frog beating the established world record of 11 feet 4 and 7/8th inches by 57 1/2 feet! When it was Mister Incognito’s turn, he’s jumped clear around the world!

Then the identity of Mr. Incognito was revealed… that being the Superman of Earth-Two! What drew him to this reality, and why did he wish to conceal his identity? While there is no answer as to the first question, apparently Superman is well known on Earth-C… probably as a comic book character. Following this competition, Kal-L ditched his robe and returned to Earth-Two.

Decades later, shortly after Kal-El visited Earth-C and inspired Captain Carrot to follow his heroic example as Superman, the Dodo and the Frog reappeared. Dunbar now had a job as a a cruise ship captain, with his vessel menaced by a mutated Fennimore in his form as Frogzilla. Thankfully, Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew defeated Frogzilla, saved Dodo and his passengers, and reverted Frog back to normal.

Stunning Sounds Synthesize Superheroes

Among the scores of adolscent superheroes, from those relying only on their carefully trained physical skills to those embued with powers caused from genetics to accidental mutations, a few derived their abilities from sonic vibrations. Two pairs of Dynamic Duos on parallel planets when gained amazing attributes from soundwaves were Hawk and Dove of Earth-One, and Toughy and Tubby of Earth-Two. 

Hank and Don Hall were brothers with conflicting world views. Hank sought to fight back when he saw oppression, which led to his violent demeanor. Don sought to find common ground with his opponents, which led to his peaceful attitude. There father, Judge Irwin Hall, displayed balanced between these two opposing philosophies, displaying justice when necessary and mercy when possible. 

Herbert "Toughy" Simms and Richard "Tubby" Mehlville weren't blood relatives, but best friends. These young lads were emotionally balanced, and much as teenagers can be, although physically they were drastically different. Herbert was physically fit and strong, whereas Richard was overweight and durable. They were mentored by their friend Tommy's father, District Attorney Dan Rogers, who taught the three lads the true meaning of justice.

When a local mobster in the city of Elmond threatened Judge Hall’s life, Hank and Don tracked down his gang to a building where they met, yet found themselves trapped in a room within the criminals’ hideout. The Hall boys then heard an incorporeal voice offer them power only when justice needs to be served. By calling out their heroic alter ego names, Hawk for Hank and Dove for Don, the teens transform into costumed crusaders, with Hawk’s athletic abilities amplified to near superhuman strength, while Don’s gymnastic aptitude gives him remarkable agility. Together, they would be joined in their adventures by the horn playing hero Mal “Guardian” Duncan and the red-haired Lilith, and would join the Teen Titans. It’s unknown if perhaps the same incorporeal voice is connected to Mal’s special horn, which could teleport Duncan and others to various locations where needed. These four joined the first members of the Teen Titans: Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and the Titans’ later members.

When a gang boss began terrorizing Big City, District Attorney Rogers was powerless to stop them. This motivated Tommy into adopting a heroic horn playing alter ego of Little Boy Blue, and inspired Toughy and Tubby into joined him as costumed crusaders. Together, they were able to bring the gang and its leader to justice, and had several adventures throughout the years as the Blue Boys, with the harmonious melody of Tommy’s horn seemingly calling his friends to action no matter where they are in relation to him. It’s unknown if Little Boy Blue’s special horn could imbue the three lads with abilities far beyond those of males their age, as the Blue Boys displayed above average strength and agility. Eventually, they were made members of the All-Star Squadron, where they were teammates with fellow Robin, Speedy, Johnny Quick, Neptune Perkins, Wonder Woman and others.

Sons of Fire Meet Teams of Justice

Many costumed crusaders aspire to be among the few invited to join their Worlds’ Greatest Superhero Teams. For two young men, Ronald Raymond and Christopher Pike, they too different paths to arrive at the same destination. And with different results.

Ronnie Raymond was a student athlete who fell in with the wrong crowd, a group of criminals masquerading as activists protesting a nuclear power plant designed by Professor Martin Stein. When their sabotage caused the plant’s reactor to explode, Raymond and Stein were merged together, transformed into Firestorm the Nuclear Man. His brief heroic career, with Martin becoming a mentor to Ronnie, led to a team-up with Superman of Earth-One and his recommendation of Firestorm for membership in the Justice League of America.

Chris Pike excelled in academics and scholarly pursuits, inspired by the heroic examples of his childhood heroes, the Justice Society of America. He first joined his mentor Rex “Hourman” Tyler’s Minute-Men of America, where he worked alongside that team of Earth-Two’ teen titans on several cases. When this team dissolved, Chris joined the Junior Justice Society of Earth-Two in their adventures combatting the Injustice Society and the Crimson Claw Gang. Then, tragedy transformed him into Vulcan, Son of Fire!

The experience of joining the Justice League helped mature Ronald, as he developed a self-sacrificing attitude towards his fellow man and became the true hero Firestorm. The experience of joining the Junior Justice Society sadly did not have a lasting effect on Christopher, as he developed a self-loathing for himself and a deep-seated resentment towards his heroes, whom he attacked as the villain Vulcan.

While Firestorm's tenure with the League only lasted for a couple years, before the team was disbanded and then reassembled with a smaller roster in Detroit by charter member Aquaman, the effect his former teammates had on the Nuclear Man was profound. Both Ronald and Martin formed a lasting friendship, developed from their physical bonding spawned by the reactor incident. Firestorm would face and defeat scores of supervillains with powers as great and some greater than his own, relying on the adaptability and instinctive nature of Raymond and the analytical and reasoning nature of Stein.

Since his own mentor Hourman distanced himself from Pike and his former Minute-Men allies, Christopher began relying too much on his own analytical abilities without humbly acknowledging his psychological limitations. When madness gripped him while aboard an experimental spacecraft orbiting the sun, Pike's mind snapped and he slayed his fellow astronauts, while disabling the vessel carrying them across the solar system. Due to the timely intervention of an alien observer saving Chris’ life, Pike was transformed into Vulcan. Instead of appreciating this act of kindness, Pike adopted the alias of Vulcan and became a foe of the Justice Society, later joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains!

Diverse Effects of Absolute Zero on the Supermen

Absolute zero temperature at which a thermodynamic system has the lowest energy. It corresponds to −273.15 °C on the Celsius temperature scale and to −459.67 °F on the Fahrenheit temperature scale. In fact, absolute Zero, which is 0 degrees Kelvin, is the lowest possible fundamental temperature, causing all molecular motion to stop. Human beings cannot survive at such a temperature, but how about Kryptonians, with their superhuman physiques? It depends which Krypton they originate from, as it affects their minds in one universe and their bodies in another reality.

The Supermen of Earth-One had a well documented case where his exposure to absolute zero when confronting the villainess Killer Frost transformed him into a mindless slave. Obedient to her will, Superman had full range of motion but no cognitive ability, leading Killer Frost to sending him to attack her old foe Firestorm.

The Superman of Earth-Two was exposed to absolute zero when he sought to locate his good friend Bruce “Batman” Wayne, who had been kidnapped by the Ultra-Humanite. Intent on transplant his mind from an actress’ body into Wayne’s, Ultra planned ahead for a conformation with his old foe by arming himself with a cold ray machine. This caused Superman to be held motionless in the freezing cold radius of the Humanite’s machine.

Firestorm was able to free his Superman from Killer Frost’s control by luring him to the center of the Earth to thaw out in its molten core. Lois Lane was able to free her husband Superman by overpowering Ultra and turning off the ice generating device. This proves a longheld hypothesis, that while the Earth-Two Superman has greater physical vulnerabilities than his counterpart, the Earth-One Superman has more psychological vulnerabilities than his doppelgänger. Thus, Kal-El is more susceptible  to mind-control than was Kal-L

Both Ice Maidens were then captured by the Men of Steel, who with a little help from his friends found warmth in their courageous aid on their behalf.

Super-Pets of Steel: Super-Simian and Super-Shell

The more well known animal members of the Superman Family on Earth-One were Clark "Superboy'" Kent's childhood dog, Linda "Supergirl" Lee Danver's childhood cat and her horse. These  amazing animals, and Earth-Two doppelgängers, were:

• Krypto the Super-Dog & Thor the Thunder Dog.
• Streaky the Super-Cat & his counterpart
• Comet the Super-Horse & Serge the Sky-Steed
• (And Comet's human self Bowman, and his cosmic twin Spider)

However, there was two other caped creatures who befriended the Superman of their respective Earths. Perhaps not as well known, but with enduring careers bourne that began while fleeing tragedy on their home worlds light years from Earth. These were the Simian of Steel and Terrapin of Tomorrow: Beppo the Super-Monkey & Tur-Tel the Super-Turtle.

Beppo was originally a test subject from of scientist Jor-el's who stowed away onboard an experimental rocket of his, designed with the expressed intent of building more advanced rockets to jettison Jor-El, his family and and his people from their dying world of Kypton-One. When Beppo's ship failed to return planetside, it was later set off course further when Krypton-One exploded. Years later, Beppo finally arrived on Earth-One and tormented Superboy, who led the Super-Monkey into space until it further matured.

Tur-Tel originated on the planet Galapagon-Two, where his father scientist Shh-Ell sent his son to Earth-Two to escape that world's doom. Tur-Tel arrived on Earth-Two and was kept as a pet by a kind farmer couple until he grew to become Super-Turtle.

When Beppo returned to Earth-One, he met Supergirl who in turn introduced him to Krypto and Streaky. Together with Comet, this fantastic four formed the Legion of Super-Pets in the 30th Century.

Meanwhile, Tur-Tel and Super-Turtle had a series of adventures in the 1960s, and decades later was adopted into the family of Clark "Superman" Kent and his wife Lois. Together, Superman and Super-Turtle formed a firm friendship.

Twice-Told-Tales: Attack of the Kryptonite Men

Historically, the first man on any Earth to discover Kryptonite was the conman Dan "Swami Riva" Rivers". At that point in the Man of Steel's career, Superman had already established his heroic reputation in the Metropolis of Earth-Two for over five years, and the discovery of these radioactive meteorites caused him considerable trouble.

His younger counterpart, as Superboy, first discovered Kryptonite while working on a geology project. His step-father Jonathan Kent brought the glowing green meteor home, whick caused young Clark Kent to grow sick while in its prescence. He eventually discovered, thanks to one of his robots, of the meteor's deadly effect on him.

By the time Superboy was old to become Superman in the Metropolis of Earth-One, it was common knowledge to both friend and foe that these space rocks could weaken and ultimately kill him. Lex Luthor hatched various schemes using these stellar stones, and eventually concoted a Kryptonite serum which when ingested caused one to emit its radiation. Lex most likely theorized this was possible, as another humanoid known as Kryptonite Kid had himself absorbed and emitted this alien element from his body.

Instead of internalizing Kryptonite as had the Kid, his counterpart Swami Riva found the same fatal fragment which he used years earlier against Superman, yet Rivers still failed in eliminating his fabled foe. However, when he was placed in a jail cell with Alexei Luthor, he unleashed a far deadly threat upon his enemy.

And here is where our Twice-Told-Tale begins, after the aforementioned lengthy setup. Lex and Alexei developed their special space serums, transforming them into glowing green geniuses. When new Superman statues were donated to each world’s Metropolis Park, these lured their inspirations into a clash at that location with their arch-enemies. Initially immobilized by the radiation from the Kryptonite Men*, the Supermen evaded capture and cloaked themselves in a lead-lined suit or a lead-lined tarp to shield them from the death-dealing dose dealt to them by the Luthors.

Ultimately, the Supermen gained the upper hand on the Kryptonite Men by outsmarting them. Superman-One with his pal Jimmy Olsen’s help used the Daily Planet’s helicopter to hold him upright with invisible cords while in Lex’s presence. Surmising the space serums effect was weakening, Lex took the antidote to escape capture but ended up being caught. Superman-Two with his wife Lois Lane Kent’s help used a two-by-four piece of wood to reveal the green Luthor statue in the park as being Alexei himself. A quick burst of heat vision from Superman caused Luthor to be disabled and captured by the authorities.

Although the Luthors would employ a variety of sinister schemes to styme their Super-foe, none had the potential for dire consequences as this Twice-Told-Tale: The Attack of the Kryptonite Men!

* Of course, the original Kryptonite Man was Kryptonite Kid when he returned to Earth-One as an adult. A later Kryptonite Man was the sole survivor of a prehistoric race on Krypton who sought vengeance on the alien Seeders, whom he tracked to Earth-One. These two villains' counterparts on Earth-Two who likewise were empowered by irradiated meteorites of Krypton were Dan "Swami Riva" Rivers and Klarn Arn, respectively.

Twice-Told-Tales: Satellite Crisis

A variety of arch-fiends and master criminals have found their sinister schemes squelched by the Worlds’ Greatest Heroes, those worlds being Earths One and Two. However, it was two mental masterminds who very nearly succeeded in destroying the Justice League and Justice Society… aboard the League’s own orbiting satellite headquarters! Who were these men, and how did they compare to this corrupt contemporaries? Let’s see!

Both Hammond and Romaine were opportunistic criminals who stumbled upon the means to transform themselves into immortals with the power to control the minds of those with weaker wills than their own. While Hammond prime adversary was Green Lantern of Earth-One, just as Roger Romaine’s main obstacle was Mister Terrific. 

Hammond reflected on various prominent villains who menaced the Justice League, each of whom had an Earth-Two counterpart that fought either the combined Justice Society and/or its individual members. 

______________

These menaces included, but were not limited to:

• Despero & Kulak
• Kanjar Ro & Blakfu
• Professors Amos Fortune & Zobar Zodiac
• Silver Age & Golden Age Key
  
• Androids Amazo & Akhet

Eventually, each hatched similar schemes whereby they took control of a super-powered agent while aboard the Justice League’s satellite, with the intend of turning said agent against their arch-enemies and their foes’ teammates.

Hector tried this first, dispatching the artificial life form known as the Shaggy Man to attack the Justice League aboard their satellite. The resulting conflict, after Hammond through his pawn overwhelmed all the League save one, led to the satellite falling out of orbit and nearly crash landing on Earth-One. Thankfully, the sole hero who hasn’t succumbed to Hector’s agent of destruction was Green Lantern, who saved the satellite and shrunk down the Shaggy Man!

Roger was the next to try this technique, mind-controlling his world’s Flash to attack the speedster’s Justice Society teammates along with their Justice League allies aboard the League satellite. The twin teams were able to stabilized the satellite’s decaying orbit during the conflict, thanks in part to the combined efforts of the Green Lanterns of two Earths. These two men along with their costumed colleagues uncovered the true culprit, Romain, who slayed Mister Terrific out of revenge for the humiliating defeats dealt to him by the Defender of Fair Play. The malevolent murderer fled back to Earth-Two, never to reappear.

The missing element in Hammond and Romanine’s criminal calculations was the indelible fidelity of honor, friendship and trust which ensures that the heroes will always… eventually… triumph over vile villains opposing them.