Fawcett's Finest: A New Blog

While touching on the various heroes and heroines of Fawcett Comics at times throughout our examination of the DC Multiverse, two dynamic duos deserve some long overdue attention.

Bulletman and Bulletgirl, aka Jim and Susan Kent, were known as the Flying Detectives and were their own world's version of the classic Winged Wonders of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Similarly, attorney Brian Butler and his ward also had the distinction of being Gotham Guardians, as they both lived and protected a Gotham City of another Earth as Mister Scarlet and Pinky. Within the context of their reality, what became known as Earth-S, these four fearless fighters were as important as were their more famous caped and cowled contemporaries.

In fact, the Bullet pair were more successful than the Hawks as their popularity meant an ever growing family of characters, second only to the Marvel Family whom they teamed up with on occasion. As for Scarlet and Pinky, they were itinerant masked men drifting from job to job, yet maintained a wonderfully glib interaction with each other that made the best of the dwindling returns from them costumed crusades.

Largely, their vast array of adventures, adversaries, and abilities have been left untold in a modern context... until now. Join the review at Fawcett's Finest: Scarlet and Gold.

Annoying Antagonist Assemblages of Earth-S

While the two preeminent teams of super villains on Earth-S were the Sivana Family and the Monster Society of Evil, they were by far not the only ones in existence to bedevil that world's superheroes. For instance, there were the following felonious foils:

The Revenge Syndicate were a trio of tormentors for their mutual adversaries, Bulletman and Bulletgirl. They consisted of the Weeper, the Murder Prophet, and the Black Rat. Each of them has previously faced that gliding guardians in individual schemes, before realizing the benefits of joining forces. However, although each of its members attempted to lead this group on three separate capers, each time they met defeat.

Then there was six opponents of Mister Scarlet and Pinky, who joined forces under their former warden, who himself was secretly a Nazi fifth columnist seeking to use them against the country he now lived in. This man, the so-called Brain, picked Black Clown, Horned Hood, Black Thorn, Laughing Skull, the Ghost and Doctor Death. Although none of them has special powers, relying on gimmicks and duplicity, they learned that together they still were no match to the Dynamic Duo.

Similar to Flash's Rogues Gallery and the Fearsome Five/Five Fingers of Earths One and Two that faced the Fastest Men Alive and the Teen Titans/Law's Legionnaires respectively, their notoriety was less known than their contemporaries given the brief one-and-done nature of their amoral alliance.

Amazing Attractive Aquagirls

Lisa Morel was born in the Atlantis of Earth-One, but due to a genetic mutation was unable to live underwater indefinitely, and so was exiled to the surface world where the Morel family adopted her. As an adult, her powers awoke when Aquaman's life was in danger, although soon realized that her aquatic abilities were limited. After meeting her hero, Lisa returned to the surface.

Jane Sloan, an expert swimmer, was employed by bookkeeper Phil Johnson to play a mermaid and mentally torment banker Mark Windham. However, the Aquaman of Earth-Two discovered the deception and with Jane's help brought Johnson to justice. After this, she married Windham!

Of course, the most famous version of Aquagirl was the honorary Earth-One Teen Titan born Tula, of the royal family from Poseidonis, Atlantis. Aiding her boyfriend Garth aka Aqualad, this Aquagirl met her tragic end during the Crisis on Infinite Earths defending Earth-Four.

This was an identity which her Earth-Two counterpart, Lanya of Aurania never had time to adopt herself, despite meeting the teen wonder known as Robin, who saved her kingdom from a Nazi invasion and her brother's misguided decision-making as well.

Enigmatic Earth-Eight Evades Elaborate Explanations

During the Infinite Crisis, when the last surviving resident of Earth-Three... Alex Luthor... attempted to restore the original Multiverse, a hidden truth was revealed. After researching the myriad of universes that existed prior to the catastrophic chaos unleashed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Luthor kidnapped prime representatives of each reality which his Cosmic Tuning Fork would to tie into their various frequencies which would thereby recreate each reality as it was.

One heretofore unrevealed universe was that of Earth-Eight, where Timothy Zanetti, Helen Bertinelli, Kyle Raynor and Jason Rusch among others originated. It was later revealed that all characters on the prime Earth that hadn't previously appeared on Earths One, Two, S, Four or X were from Earth-Eight. This would have also included members of the 1940's Young All-Stars and their arch-enemies in Axis Amerika, each member of which correlated with several members of the Justice League and Justice Society.

It can be presumed that tales chronicling these heroes and villains on the merged post-Crisis Earth mirrored those on their original world, had it have been allowed to exist.

Dark Angels Dopplegangers

Dark Angel was an agent of the German Nazi regime who was enlisted to initiate attacks on the American government. This led to her confrontation with Soy Smasher. After this initial encounter in why she was defeated, she declared she would seek revenge against her adversary although if she reappeared she used a different alias. 

Dark Angel filled in a niche that was occupied by Nazi mastermind maidens Paula Von Gunther and Von Gunta, who had opposed the Wonder Women of other Earths. In fact, the alter ego of Dark Angel was Donna Troy, who was connected with the Amazing Amazons.

On Earth-One, Donna Troy was adopted by Queen Hypolyta of Paradise Island, raising the young orphans after the Queen's daughter Princess Diana aka Wonder Woman, who had saved the girl from a raging fire that had decimated the building her parents had resided within. This Donna would become Wonder Girl, a member of the Teen Titans.

On Earth-Two, that version of Donna Troy was rescued from a similar raging inferno by firefighters, and as an older teenage enrollled as a student in Holliday College. She would become a friend and ally of Wonder Woman and her sidekick Etta Candy, as one of the Holliday Girls that shared adventure with them. On one occasion, this Donna adopted a costumed alter ego of Wondee Womam in the fourth dimension.

However, the core Donna Troy of Earth-Seven adopted the alias of Dark Angel, who like her Earth-S was a villain through and through. She would be the basis for a multiverse myriad of malicious maidens. The ultimate fate of the Earth-S Donna aka Dark Angel was to die in a fire, similar to what her counterparts had faced as infants, but instead as an adult.

Incredible Insects Irritate Irrational Illegal Irritants

Like author Jonathan Law aka Tarantula of Earth-Two... another hero cut from the same mold of a costumed bug boy was Vince Harley, as crime fiction writer that needed inspiration for his latest masterpiece. 

Thankfully, it arrived right on his doorstep when he soon learned that from adversity comes opportunity, particularly when you have a rare immunity and mastery over something which most men dread. 

This would create an opportunity to become something more, a costumed avengers known as the Yellowjacket. This caped crusader would be among the first chronicled costumed crime fighters who would appear on Earth-Four during the 1940's. Another bug-themed mystery man named Blue Beetle would also operate during this time period, although no mention was ever made of the two men ever meeting nor interacting.

After discovering that he had a mutant ability to mentally control the insects he named himself after, Yellowjacket began a brief career during the period of 1944 to 1946 utilizing this ability. While creating a yellow and black spandex uniform for alter ego, Harley decided there was no need to wear a mask to conceal his identity.

Perhaps this is why he forsook his mystery man alias after less than a dozen adventures as Yellowjacket, reverting to his civilian lifestyle once more. Similarly, Jonathan Law retired from superheroics around this same time on his world, while Law and Harley's Earth-One doppleganger Tommy Tomorrow would remain a Planeteer for a lengthier career, albeit centuries in the future when his activities were sanctioned by interstellar government. Yellowjacket and Tarantula, as vigilantes, didn't have quite the same sanction with the authorities of their time.

Courageous Captains Cause Cosmic Chaos

Earth-276 was a world never visited by residents of the prime universes that survived through the final days of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and yet it was the mirror image of one of these parallel planets known as Earth-S, which had been home to the Marvel Family. It's prime protector also once visited another prime universe in Earth-One.

Captain Thunder aka Willie Fawcett was the counterpart of Billy "Captain Marvel" Batson from Earth-S. Willie had been born on Earth-276 and came upon the acquaintance of Merokee, who like his own counterpart Shazam had imbued a lad with superhuman abilities. The Monster League of Evil had a long running enmity towards Thunder as had the Monster Society of Evil with Marvel, although in the former's case this pitched battled spilled out through some 1,953 dimension. Eventually, the Captain captured the League, leaving them in inter-dimensional Limbo existing between universes, however the League's leader used his mental abilities to warp the mind of Thunder. This led the caped crusader to erroneously venture to Earth-One instead of his home world, whereupon as young Willie happens upon both criminals and the costumed crimefighter, Superman.

However, when Fawcett transformed to Thunder, the Captain's suddenly evil disposition turned him into an adversary of Superman, and the two battled on a couple occasions, In between these encounters, Willie reverted to his childhood self and sought out reporter Clark Kent in hopes of the journalist helping to lead the teen to Superman. Together, they ascertained that Captain Thunder was acting against his true benevolent nature, and so Superman tricked his rival into utilizing his inherent wisdom to revert the Captain to his once righteous demeanor once more.

At that point, Captain Thunder calculated the means to travel back to his native Earth-276, at which point he disappeared from Earth-One's reality nevermore to return. Similar confrontations occurred between a mentally controlled Captain Marvel, who temporarily resided upon Earth-Two and battled that world's Superman, and decades later a similar occasion when he battled this same Superman who previously dueled with Thunder years previous. As to whether Captains Marvel and Thunder, Shazam and Merokee, or the Society and League of Monsters ever encountered one another is unknown, although given that Marvel and his Family where in suspended animation during the period when Thunder was traversing various dimensions before irrevocably returning to his Earth, it is unlikely. 

As for Thunder's cosmic twin Captain Marvel, and later tale wherein Mister Mxyzptlk swapped the powers and costumes of Marvel and Superman, in a scheme wherein the imp was working alongside Mister Mind and King Kull to defeat the pair. This encounter solidified that Captain Marval, and by extension Captain Thunder their worlds' respective Supermen, even though neither originated on Krypton as has Kal-El and Kal-L. At the end of this crooked caper, wherein Mxyzptlk became disenchanted with the bloodthirsty demeanor of Mind and Kull, he returned to his 5th dimensional home after reversing the condition of Earth-One and Earth-S' mightiest men that restored them to normal.

Lost Cities of Atlantis Resurfaces on twin EarthS

Although Poseidonis and Tritonis were the most famous of the submerged cities of the fabled and submerged continent of Atlantis on Earth-One, on other Earths both their versions of these metropolises and their inhabitants had different outcomes from the initial catastrophic events which had befallen them untold eons previous.

On Earth-Two, Aurania and Venturia... which were their world's version of Poseidonis and Tritonis respectively... had likewise been buried deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. During the 1940's, both of these lands were raised to the surface from within the volcanic crevices they had resided throughout most of their histories. When Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor traveled to both locales, aiding Queen Eeras while opposed her rival Queen Clea, they were only the first of many who had encountered them. Other heroes, such as Superman, Batman and Robin, had likewise met with royalty from these cities including the offshoot merman and mermaid people of a satellite city.

Likewise, on Earth-S, Freddy Freeman aka Captain Marvel Jr. and his absent minded friend Professor Edgewise had likewise ventured to the domed city of one of these two Atlantis civilizations which had been conquered by the brutal Ruhk people who had been exiled to the doomed metropolis. After battling some of these brutes, the outcome of this encounter left the island city once more submerged beneath the wave of the city, nevermore to return.

It's counterpart on Earth-Two would be plundered during the 1960's by T.O. Morrow, who battled the Justice Society there. Then in the 1970's, Queen Clea would attempt to reconquer her former throne while battling Wonder Woman and her heroic allies. At the conclusion of this tale, thanks in part to devices she and King Kull of Earth-S had devised and utilized, Clea's Atlantis once more was submerged back into its' former home within the crust of the earth.

Twice-Told Tales: Envy Exacerbates Evil Empresses

Jealously is a bitter root and the heart of many a foul deed. And this often brings out the worst in a person, in their disposition, in their decisions, in their actions. Such an insidious emotion was that which consumed two women in twin universes, which caused two Batmen trouble.

Poison Ivy was Pamela Isley, a former university student with an expertise in botany who turned to crime when she was jilted in  love by her duplicitous course instructor. She first made the scene in Earth-One's Gotham City by calling out three women for their meager criminal endeavors compared to her own. These women, Dragon Fly, Silken Spider and Tiger Moth, were led into a trap which also ensnared both Batman and Robin, until the Dynamic Duo turned the tables on her scheme. She would return.

Catwoman was Selina Kyle, a divorcee who was jilted out of her spousal support when her abusive husband cast her out for protesting. Seeking to steal from those who like her husband were both wealthy in money yet poor in heart, she began a long running adversarial relationship with the Dynamic Duo of Earth-Two. When author Neil Weston pens a book detailing the criminal careers of various female rogues, Kyle feels slighted when she herself is left off the list. Seeking to sabotage the production of a film based on this book, Catwoman continues to perplex actress Gala Kazon in her portrayals of the Delilah, the Wicked Witch and Circe. However, Batman and Robin eventually captured her. She ultimately married the object of her affection, former foe Bruce "Batman" Wayne.

While such tales never occurred with the Selina Kyle of Earth-One or Ivy's Earth-Two counterpart Flora Styles, time and circumstance could get the best of any... man or woman, young or old, good or evil... if they allowed jealously to get a foothold into their hearts.

Machavelian Masterminds versus Men of Metal: Vandal Savage versus Shining Knight

Perhaps the most persistent pest to the family El of Krypton-One was the second cousin, once removed, of Kal-El/Superman known as Kru-El. Seeking to develop a stockpile of banned weaponry for his own sinister purposes, this black sheep of the El's was captured and incarcerated by Kal's father Jor-El. Banished to the Phantom Zone, Kru-El would routinely throughout the years work alongside fellow prisoners of the Zone such as General Zod and Jax-Ur to attempt to exact revenged against the son of their jailer. On one occasion, Kru-El was instrumental in designing creatures known as Anachronids who disrupted space time continuum, which directly involved his cousin and fellow Justice Leaguer the Flash. This parallels what occurred with his cosmic twin as to bending history to his will.

The several encounters between Man of Steel and Man of Malice on Earth-One were mirrored on Earth-Two by Kru-El's counterpart Vandal Savage... and another metallic man alongside Kal-L! We now consider the long running enmity between Vandal Savage as Genghis Khan vs the Shining Knight, Sir Justin!

When Vandar Adg had been exposed to radiation from a blazing meteorite, he was imbued with immortality. As such, he lived for centuries while adopting various aliases as conquerors such as an ancient king of Sumner, Egyptian Pharaoh Cheops, Roman leader Julius Caesar, and other individuals who on Earth-One were individual men throughout the years. His last foray into direct conquest before becoming a power behind the scenes was as the Mongul ruler known as Genghis Khan. A young Khan aka Temujin of Earth-One had inadvertently been aided in his claim to power by a mistaken time lost Superboy, who saved his life twice!

As Superman, he would later redeem himself somewhat by leading a crushing defeat against Earth-Two's adult Genghis during an adventure with his fellow Justice League members, as well as that world's Justice Society and Law's Legionnaires. More on that later.

Several centuries prior to his appearance as Khan, as Vandal Savage this immortal was a feudal lord in England during the age of Camelot when he first encountered one of his most enduring adversaries, the Shining Knight. The Knight and his flying steed Winged Victory were investigating a massive dimensional tuning fork installed in the countryside next to Savage's castle by the ageless Monitor, placed there as well as four other key points in history on two earths to prevent them from being destroyed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. While the Knight along with Earth-One's Firestorm and Ice Maiden defended this fork from threats originating in the Anti-Matter Universe, it was the marvelously metallic armored Knight who aroused Vandal's interest that would develop over the years.

As Khan, Savage was plucked from the thirteen century do the twentieth century by the renegade scientist known as Doctor Doome. The Doctor had developed the means to traverse time, and employed various notorious conquerors from history including Attila the Hung, Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte as well as Khan to lead Doome's minions in modern conquest. The members of Law's Legionnaires (or Seven Soldiers of Victory) were dispatched to deal with these individual threats, with Knight choosing Khan. No doubt, this battle helped Genghis to recall when as Savage he had first encountered the Knight. Once defeated, Khan returned to his native time. Perhaps during his foray into the future, Savage recalled his earlier meeting with another Legionnaire, Vigilante, when that hero was sent to Ancient Rome when Vandal was Julius Caesar.

Years later, the Legionnaires were thrust into the time stream after a battle with the Nebula Man, with each member arriving in a different historical era. Tied through the chronal device given to him by Doome, Khan was able to extract Shining Knight and bring him to the thirteen century in order to aid him in his conquest of China. It was during this occasion that the entity known as the Oracle dispatched teams of three heroes each to various eras in order to extract the Legionnaires and bring them back to their native era. Thus, it was Earth-Two's Sandman and Earth-One's Metamorpho and Superman who did this, with Superman's aforementioned victory versus Khan.

Vandal had as Gaius Julius Caesar in ancient Rome Vandal had as Gaius Julius Caesar in ancient Rome encountered a time-lost Vigilante of Law's Legionnaires as well as Rocky, a henchman of the Dummy. Then, centuries later as Count Lucovico, Savage met another of Law's Legionnaire in the Shining Knight, who sought the aid of Leonardo Da Vinci due to his invention of a time machine identical to that later used by the Dummy. It was that machine which the Dummy used in the 20th century to send all of the Legionnaires and his henchmen back to earlier eras.

Stealing this time machine and using it to pilfer from the Dummy in the 20th century, Savage would later utilize both technologies in Camelot and Colu-Two versus the Justice Society. encountered a time-lost Vigilante of Law's Legionnaires as well as Rocky, a henchman of the Dummy. Then, centuries later as Count Lucovico, Savage met another of Law's Legionnaire in the Shining Knight, who sought the aid of Leonardo Da Vinci due to his invention of a time machine identical to that later used by the Dummy. It was that machine which the Dummy used in the 20th century to send the Legionnaires and his henchmen back to earlier eras.

But this was not the end of Khan, as he would be pulled forward in time on one more occasion as a temporal phantom alongside other historical villains in order to battle the Patrol consisting of Fred, Pedro and Slim. Once returned to his earlier time period following defeat, Savage forsook being a direct ruler and instead assist others behind the scenes. As such, his first modern day appearance as Vandal Savage was versus first Green Lantern and then as a member of the Injustice Society versus the Lantern's Justice Society. He would return over the decades to battle the Society three more as well as the Flash of both earths.

Eventually, Savage met his own world's Superman in ancient Camelot which he returned to in order to lead the Society into a trap and draw them to a planet of his own design in order to siphon the Man of Steel's power into himself. And the person who led Superman and the Society to Camelot to pursue Vandal? The Shining Knight who had a link to the villain throughout the centuries. Eventually, Savage moved to Earth-One for a few months, first attempting to change that world's history to make him a conqueror and later an insidious business man. After decisive defeats versus the Man of Steel and his old foe Immortal Man with the Forgotten Heroes assisting them, Vandal Savage disappeared from Earth-One. 

Blonde Bombshells Bravely Battle Badness

Lena Thorul and Liandly Tyic were girls who encountered the wonders of space which literally opened their minds to new realities

Lena was the younger sister of future master criminal Lex Luthor of Earth-One, whose "space-brain" device accidentally bequeathed telepathic and telekinetic abilities upon her. When her brother turned criminal, her parents changed their family name to Thorul, and soon after died in a car crash. In her late teens, Lena's powers manifested and she soon became best friends with fellow orphan Linda Lee aka Supergirl. In fact, Lena impersonated the Girl of Steel more than once, and was even used as a pawn by a third lass who looked like Lena and Linda, Lesla-Lar of Kandor. Eventually, Lena joined the FBI and married fellow agent Jeff Colby. She would later be a widow and single mom, eventually learning of her brother's alias.

Liandly accidentally activate her father's teleportation device which sent her from her native planet Rolez to Earth-Two. There she met that world's Clark Kent and his wife Lois, who briefly assumed guardianship of her, and conceived of a normal name for her in the form of Linda Lee... the same name that Earth-One's Supergirl and Lena's best friend used. On her new world, she gained telepathic and telekinetic abilities which she used alongside Superman to defeat the criminal Colonel Future. As such, the hero gave her the nickname of Super-Girl. Shortly thereafter, her powers returned her to Rolez.. And that world found a parallel with the adopted world of Earth-One's Lex in Lexor!

Supergirls throughout the Ages and Earths

Several supergirls appeared on Earths One and Two to aid the men:

• Kara Zor-El and Kara Zor-L as Supergirl and Power Girl, cousins of the Supermen and standard bearers for the name.
• Lesla-Lar of Kandor and Kara-Lar of Symbioship, mental maidens fighting each Kara in her own mind.for control.
• Lois Lane and her counterpart, each donned the role of the first Superwomen, their greatest power was stealing Superman's heart.
• Luma Lynai and Tharka, each powerless on Earth, tried to capture the attention of the Supermen during visits to their worlds.
• Lena Thorul and Liandly Tyic were the other Super-Girls, lookalikes for the Girls of Steel with telepathic and telekinetic powers.
• Lea Lindy the Marvel Maid of planet Terra and Jannie of planet Karma were lookalikes with superhuman physiques visiting Earth once.
• Louise-L and Kara the Valkyrie came from 500,000 AD Earth-One and the Asgardian dimension of Earth-Two, subbing for the supergirls.

Of course, another Superwoman... a renegade Amazon of Earth-Three... was her world's Wonder Woman. And several more allies of the Men of Steel would also be classified as stellar supergirls.

Winged Warriors in Gotham City: Both Good and Bad

While most notable for having the Caped Crusaders known as Batman and Robin gliding above the streets of Gotham City, this metropolis had its fair share of other individuals who made short but notable impressions on this town.

In June of 1951, the first of these individuals whom we'll considered today debuted. An unnamed man from a Scandinavian country known publicly as the caped crusader Wingman appeared. Inspired by the successful career of Earth-Two's Batman, Wingman joined him on a month's worth of cases in Gotham in order to train under the more experience mystery man. Since Robin would be laid up in a cast for six weeks while recovering from an injury, this provided the Dark Knight with capable help.

Wingman took advantage of this opportunity to acquire the needed edge to become an experienced superhero under the tutelage of Batman.  This caused a rivalry between Wingman and Robin, until the Boy Wonder finally discovered that Wingman would be returning to his native home in northern Europe to engage in a solo career.

On Earth-One, his counterpart was a soldier and demolitions expert named Joe Rigger, who experienced repeated tragedy when members of his family perished during accidents at three separate buildings. His sanity lost, Rigger adopted the alter ego of Firebug and used his extensive athletic abilities and training to become a misguided vigilante. Able to emit flames from his gloves thanks to napalm tanks he incorporated into his costume, Firebug came into conflict with Batman. During their final recorded clash, Rigger seemingly perished atop the Gotham State Building, although he actually survived and would return another day to torment Gothamites while incurring the wrath of the city's Dark Knight protector.

Another pair of caped crusaders in Gotham were the Wrath and Brickbat, each embodying qualities of their worlds' Batmen. The Wrath was orphaned at a young age when his parents, a pair of burglars, were mistakenly shot by a young policeman who was to become Commissioner James Gordon while they were sneaking out a window. Traveling the world, training himself as a master assassin, Wrath eventually returned to the city of his birth to seek vengeance against Gordon. However, he found opposition when facing James' friend Earth-One's Batman, who was also the Wrath's opposite number. After a few confrontations, the villain perished after attempting to avoid his own explosive capsule's detonation and falling to his death.

Brickbat was like Wrath an underworld take on the Dark Knight, even adopting his cowl although wearing a lime green business suit over his spandex. Utilizing bricks that when they hit objects releases deadly gas, Brickbat was seemingly unstoppable until he faced over with the former district attorney turned criminal turned costumed crusader, 711, who quickly vanquished this copycat crook before Earth-Two's Batman had a chance to even meet him as his counterpart had his foe.

Our final set of fearsome foes glided through the air seemingly effortless, while plundering the fair metropolis below. First, there was Charles Brown of Earth-One, an inventor who was obsessed with kites since young, and designed several to use in his crusader of crime as the Kite-Man. However, he too had to face Batman and Robin, then later Hawkman and Hawkgirl as well as Zatanna. On none of these occasions did he prove victorious even when employing a gang. Another gang of Kite-Men on Earth-Two tormented America in behalf of the Imperial Japanese in the early days of World War II, until the Black Condor upset their schemes and those of their leader Karlo Klug.

Many others would swing from the skyscrappers of both Gothams throughout the decades. However, these winged and webbed wonders were among the most lively... next to the Dynamic Duo themselves, of course.

Sensational Successors of Sandmen Sufficiently Skilled

Jed Paulsen was a lad with a strange history who would became a legend a century after his birth. As a yong orphan with a propensity to dream, he was drawn into the world of the Sandman who was a self appointed protector of the dimension where nocturnal realities are conceptualized. As a mentor for Jed, Sandman soon learned that this lad was displaced in their me and belonged in a future era, as more than a mere student. He would become the Planeteer known as Tommy Tomorrow. Armed with a special pistol and futuristic equipment, it was his physical prowess and keen problem solving aptitude that made him such a fine example of a protector amongst his peers... much like his counterpart a universe away and decades distant from that cosmic twin.

On a parallel world of Earth-Two, Jed's doppleganger was John.... Jonathan Law. While he had previously been a police detective having several 'more fun' adventures, Law made a career change later and became a novelist. Seeking source material for his next great story, Law interviewed the girlfriend of the mystery man known as Sandman. Following the interview, the woman... Dian Belmont... handed Jonathan a drawing of a new costume she has designed for her boyfriend, believing that Law would appreciate it more. Indeed he wore a fabricated replica of her handiwork and as Tarantula encountered Dian once more as she was substituting for Sandman on a case. Sadly, her duel with some crooks led to her perishing in a car crash, with Tarantula and Sandman himself having witnessed this tragedy. Armed with his web-shooting pistol and equipped with suction cup boots, his acrobatic agility and mental ingenuity made him a capable, fighting in memory of Dian.

Back on Earth-One, through some interaction with Supergirl, Jed ended up in the future and would in one timeline be the warrior lad known as Kamandi yet in the actual future would become them aforementioned Tommy Tomorrow. As an ace graduate, Tommy was the premier membr of the Planeteers which protected the Solar System from various threats. He would return to the 20th century on a few weeks occasions such as combatting time lost dinosaurs, assisting fellow heroes who weee "showcasing" their abilities versus and alien treat, and during the Crisis on Infinite Eartha.

Tarantula had himself a prestigious career as a costumed crusader, both as a solo adventurer and alongside his felllow members of the All-Star Squadron. In fact, his various experiences side by side with this superheroes allowed him to thoroughly research his literary masterpiece, Alter Ego, at which point he had retired from his own alter ego.

Batmen of Other Times and Other Places

Batman inspired several imitators over the years and centuries after their debut. Such as Bron Wayn the Batman of 30th century Earth-One, and Brane Taylor the Batman of 30th century Earth-Two who with their future Gotham Cities safe as had their ancestors a thousand years previous. And they had legacies that went back even early, with Batman the sixth and the fifteenth paving the way for Bron as had the original Brane and Ricky in decades before Taylor arrived on the scene.

Then there was the costumed crusader of the planet Zur-En-Arrh. Known by his civilian identity of Tiano, his one adventure with the Dark Knight revealed that inhabitants of Earth-One have Kryptonian-level powers on his world. As for Tiano and his cosmic twin, the third future Batman of Earth-Two, not much was revealed about him save that he preserved alive his predecessors. Both Batmen had advanced technology that enabled them to get a notch up on the criminal element, although it was left to the heroic dispositions of the original Dark Knights to set the standard by which they and still other undocumented Gotham Gladiators would follow.

Tiano and his doppleganger appeared but once, yet manifested the self-same conviction as had Bruce Wayne from the 20th century.

Superwomen of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

While the greatest superhero on any world is Superman, the woman... or rather women... behind him goes by the name of Lois Lane. And, on rare occasions, as Superwoman!

We've already earlier considered a couple notable Superwomen in Kirsten Wells and Susan Semple, who were Girls of Tomorrow that aided their respective worlds' Supermen on occasion. And of course, there are the preeminent superwomen in the Supermen's Kryptonian cousins of Kara Zor-El and Kara Zor-L aka Supergirl and Power Girl.

Then there was the nasty Amazon of Earth-Three known as Superwoman, Wonder Woman's counterpart, who was the sole female member of the Crime Syndicate and found herself exiled in interdimensional limbo with her cronies for years after facing the Justice League and Society on two occasions.  She perished along with her world during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, while trying to save it.

Of course, the most famous Superwomen that went by that name in their costumed identities were the Lois Lanes of Earths One and Two, although they're careers were extremely short. For Lois-One, this was when her boyfriend made a device that transferred his Kryptonian powers for a limited period of time to her. For Lois-Two, this occurred when her husband's Kryptonian abilities transferred to her temporarily due to an exotic extraterrestrial plant he had bought her.

In the 30th century, the apparent descendants of both Supermen and Lanes followed in their ancestors' footsteps. Laurel Kent was a student of the Legion of Super-Heroes' Academy due to her young age and that the sole superhuman power was invulnerability. Her mother was apparently the Lois 4XR whom Superman met after being sent to the year 2961 by Lex Luthor using technology provided by the Legion of Super-Villains member Cosmic King. The Earth-One Lois 4XR had a counterpart in Lois 4XR of 2949 on Earth-Two. Both of these Lois's seemed to have all the powers of their ancesfoea at the peak of their prowess, however with none of the good judgement or discipline. As such, a grown Superman had to rescue Lois 4XR several times before he returned to the 20th century. Laurel met the teenage Superboy while he was meeting up with his Legion allies. The Boy of Steel initially fell for her before learning her identity, and then returning to his native time knowing that this girl would resemble the woman he would one day marry.

However, later stories seem to indicate that Laurel, and perhaps Lois 4XR, were in actuality android agents of the Manhunters, sent to infiltrate superhuman societies in the 30th century.

The Aztec Adversary and Mayan Malcontent versus the Winged Wonders

These two Native American villains plagued the Hawkmen and Hawkwomen in their respective universes, each harnessing powers over nature to devastating effect.

On Earth-One, it was Chac the immortal Mayan who gained his long life and fantastic weaponry due to an alien ship that crashed. On Earth-Two, it was Nyola, the Aztek ruler who used mysterious methods to control weather through similar means to her cosmic twin. Both had a monopoly on power.

And then, each encountered the Winged Wonders, and on two occasions they were defeated... once by themselves and once with fellow fiends. Then they disappeared.

Quigley's Quirky Quandry: The Hangman and the Archer

Thomas Quigley was a piece of work, on both worlds where he existed. Using various ancient techniques to assassinate his adversaries, both Quigleys nearly got away with their criminal conduct. Until the faced the World's Finest Heroes, and their red-haired allies.

The Earth-One Quigley was a master of various robes and nooses which he used to execute various members of Gotham City's Hangman's Club as the Hangman. While it was at first thought this was so he could have access to the treasuries of the Club, in actuality he was trying to cover for his own secret identity as his prime prey was his wife whose wealth he would stand to inherit after her death. Thankfully, the Batman and his Justice League colleague Elongated Man finally roped him in.

The Earth-Two Quigley was the son of a wealthy member of society, who had a falling out with his father leading to him being disinherited. Thirsting for money which he now lacked, as the Archer Quigley preyed upon rich individuals in Metropolis. This brought him to the attention of Superman, who after a few encounters thanks to the help of young cub reporter Jimmy Olsen was able to corner Quigley. Years later, the Archer would return with specialized arrows that seemingly removed powers from Superman. Thanks to the hero's wife Lois and, once more, Jimmy the Avenging Archer was again defeated, never to return.

Twice-Told-Tales: Eight Tales in One

When the malevolent mastermind known as Iron Hand enslaved Earth-Two with a gigantic energized hand, itself a replica of a long vanquished alien entity known as Nebula Man, it then became necessary for the greatest heroes of two worlds to retrieve from the lost pages of time Seven Soldiers of Victory... who had themselves the key to destroy the nebula hand as they had man it was modeled from decades earlier.

And so, the Oracle sent members of the Justice Society and Justice League to seven historic eras to bring back to the 20th century the seven surviving members of the Law's Legionnaires. This tale in some way parallels a later team up of the League and Society in assisting the Legion of Super-Heroes versus their arch-enemy and Oracle's Earth-One doppleganger, Mordru.

Similarly, when Doctor Fate, Atom and Elongated Man first battled a nebula empowered Crimson Avenger, this mirrored when Atom and Hawkman faced off against a Mayan warlord.

When Superman along with Sandman and Metamorpho rescued a mind manipulated Shining Knight while fighting Genghis Khan, this paralleled a time when Superman met a young Khan.

Then there was the occasion in mideaval England when Doctor Mid-Nite, Wonder Woman and Hawkman located a time-displaced Green Arrow of Earth-Two, while the Green Arrow of Earth-One along with his world's Batman went to the same era to face the evil winged Gargoyle during his twisted scheme.

The Outsiders' Batman, Geo-Force, Katana and Black Lightning journeyed to ancient Egypt as had the same Batman along with Starman and Hourman... each time trying to rescue Metamopho and Stripesy, respectively.

An evil Lord of Time sent Justice Leaguers Flash, Green Lantern, Zatanna and Elongated Man to the old west of America, while Oracle did the same for Green Arrow, Black Canary, Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt, but for very different reasons.

Kid Flash and Mal Duncan had been sent to prehistoric times by a device created by their mentor Mister Jupiter, wherein they encountered a behemoth brute later known as Gnaark whom Mal fought. Something similar happened with the Gnaark of Earth-Two who faced Wildcat along with his allies Aquaman and Green Lantern... as they were locating Star-Spangled Kid.

Finally, the Earth-One Circe had transformed an archer named Biron into the winged horse known as Comet... while the Earth-Two Circe had done the something similar with Speedy the archer... although he didn't have wings like his teammate Shining Knight's flying steed, Winged Victory.

Covert Crusaders Connected to Costumed Crusaders

Prior to the infant Kal-El's adoption into the Kent family, Jonathan and Martha Kent had adopted another boy, Cory Renwald. Although a troubled youth, Cory eventually turned his life around thanks to his foster parents' positive example and tutelage. Joining the federal government as a secret agent, Renwald was secretly aided by his foster brother Clark in that lad's Superboy alter ego. Years later, Cory would finally meet Clark who was now an adult and reporter for the Daily Planet, also assisting Superman on a couple of occasions. This occurred on Earth-One.

Decades prior to this, there was government agent Steve Carson, who was given the moniker Federal Man, had many chronicle adventures contemporaneous with the career of his world's Superman. Both Steve and Kal-L has similar "parents" in the creative team of Siegel and Schuster, as well as both Carson and Superman being connected to a Jor-L and to the 30th century. Whether this pair ever met is unknown, although they each protected the innocent of Earth-Two.

Radioactive Rogues' Revenge

Nate Tyron was a third of the criminal team known as the TNT Trio, who during a scheme at a nuclear power plant was cornered by a security guard. During a nuclear meltdown at the plant, Tyron's body mutated into becoming sentient energy, which he later had Lex Luthor stabilize wi in a containment suit for a year. Becoming the super powerful Nuetron, Tyron began a criminal career that led him into conflict with the Superman of Earth-One, who along with Luthor and his former partners he blamed for his condition.

Brett Bryson was employed at Chalmers Laboratory, when an accident gave him superhuman abilities that made him a match for the Superman of Earth-Two, with a side effect of being terminally ill. Frank Chalmers convinced his former employee to begin a crime spree with his ill gotten gains going to support his soon to be widow, As the Ghost, Bryson had several confrontations with the Man of Steel, until he learned that it was Chalmers who had manipulated the accident to make him his pawn, at which point he took the businessman's life while his own was also extinguished.

Sinister Strategists of the Stars

This Twice-Told-Tale may seem a bit recycled, as we previously considered Vandal Savage's final battle versus the Justice Society of America as paralleling his battle with Earth-One's Superman. Both had Savage confront the Supermen of two worlds, however since that second tale was erased from Earth-One's history when Superman went back in time and changed events back to the way events originally occurred... a new tale took its place.

On Earth-One, Superman had a fierce foe on his criminal cousin in Kru-El, who had been banished into the penal Phantom Zone prior to the destruction of Krypton-One. Several times over the years, he and his fellow Zoners bedeviled his cousins Kal-El and Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. Incarcerated for procuring weaponry, this would be the means by which Kru-El would torment Kal's Superman.

Possessing similar powers to his kin, Kru-El nevertheless proved less adept at fighting with these abilities. Just like his counterpart Savage, who had for a period of time been transformed into a phantom caught between dimensional planes of existence, was a master strategist.

On Earth-Two, Savage sought to regain his own immortality through an infusion of Kryptonian energies. Concocting an elaborate plot whereby Savage lured the Justice Society along with the Shining Knight back to the age of Camelot, assuming the alias of the sovereign known as King Arthur,  After subterfuge, Vandal was able to achieve what he felt was the means to restore his long last vitality which had not failed him for untold eons before this.

Vandal drew Superman and Power Girl to an artificial world, Colu-Two. There, under the influence of a Kryptonite sun of his own creation, while channeling the cosmic energies of Star-Spangled Kid's cosmic converter belt and Power Girl's own super powers, Savage battled with Superman in order to steal the Man of Steel's power. This, he theorized, would restore his immortality... however he was instead defeated.

However, a couple of mystery men pulled Vandal through a worm hole in space and kept him from being captured. This would be result in his journeying to Earth-One, in order to change history as mentioned above. Perhaps they were fellow phantoms who had faced the Spectre, such as the counterparts of the Phantom Zoners General Zod and Ak-Var in Zor and Kalthoon.

Determined Dynamite Dynamic Duo: Doctor Double X and Deathbolt

Doctor Simon Eckes was the scientist who through his own devices gained the ability to manipulate ambient electricity... in the form of an energy discharging duplicate that was separate and distinct in significant ways yet shared a conscience with his creator. When Eckes fed his body with sufficient electrical energy, Double X would emerge with superstrength and energy emissions which he'd used to aid the criminal maneuvers of his "brother" on Earth-One. 

Jake Simmons was a villain whose life was saved by the intervention of the Ultra-Humanite. Powered by an ultra-dynamo, as Deathbolt he was given the ability to generate tremendous amount of electricity for his body, and continued to aid Ultra in his search for a new body to replace his original which passed away.

Doctor X and Double X came into conflict with Batman and Robin, then later Superman and the Flash alongside the Dark Knight... on the latter occasion teaming up with fellow felon Rainbow Raider. Deathbolt was an enemy of the All-Star Squadron which included Superman, Batman, Robin and the Flash whom he had all faced at one point or another.

Rose and Thorn: How Many Were There?

Rose Forrest of Earth-One and Rose Canton of Earth-Two were counterparts who themselves had twins... evil twins to be precise. 

While Forrest experienced a psychological split when her father, a police officer, was murdered by the criminal gang known as the 100... for Canton it was a childhood affliction that manifested when she became infected by a toxic thorn which imbued her with superpowers.

While the former became a heroine of Metropolis, even garnering the respect and admiration of Superman, the latter was a villain in Keystone City, bringing her into repeated conflict with the Flash.

We've previously considered the history of these two women, and a twice-told-tale of the Thorns, as well as the romance that one had with the golden age Green Lantern, now we consider another dynamic of these femme fatales.

On Earth-Two, Rose and Thorn were actually separate women as Thorn's physical form manifested when Rose was unconscious, and visa versa. She had oscillated from Rose's blonde self into a red-haired and brunette version at different times. Eventually, she was captured and taken by the Flash's friend Wonder Woman to Reformation Island, where over a period of two decades Rose regained mastery over herself, with Thorn purged.

At least, for awhile. Eventually returning to America, she sought out the man who had brought her to that Island, Flash's other ally Green Lantern, whom she fell in love with. Assuming a new alter ego of Alyx Florin, she gained the trust and love of Lantern's alter ego Alan Scott, whom she surmised was his secret identity. However, on their wedding night, her intense feelings for him awoke the Thorn, who nearly killed him. Deciding to "kill" Florin, Canton retreated until one day the Thorn grew dominant in both Rose's body and her own. After a defeat at the hands of Flash, Green Lantern and the Justice Society... Thorn was captured although Rose somehow escaped and retreat to the island where her sister was born. 

There was another women slated to be the Thorn on Earth-One, years earlier. Outfitted by a costume maker by the name of Albert Talbot, who had been working for the 100, he initially wanted the lady to rob from them as his cut from his bosses wasn't big enough. However, he soon became more prominent in their organization, and withdrew his offer to her. 

Years later, captured by Rose's Thorn, Talbot summoned his former ally to visit him in prison to tell her his story. Apparently, Forrest obtained his weaponry and one of the Thorn costumes. Seeking retribution, the woman enlisted her daughter Pythona, a local dancer, to steal from Thorn as the newer and wickeder Thorn,

However, a hit man sought out Pythona while wearing the Thorn costume, thinking she was the 100's arch-enemy. Saved by her opposite number, Pythona parted from her "twin" seemingly abandoning her claim on the Thorn identity. This mysterious woman, with no other name, is the doppleganger to Alyx Florin who had been born on Reformation Island, the civilized version of the villainous Thorn. And as for Canton/Florin, this amalgamation of conflicted women perished saving her family from the Thorn's attack on Alan and their two children, Jade and Obsidian.