As a new decade began to unfold, the start of their second decade of existence, the Justice Society of America were suddently confronted with a strange mystery. An unidentified man, his face appearing within a floating orb, directed the Society to a grand gift... a new headquarters in the form of a massive satellite!
Innocently entering the orbiting vessel, the Society soon learned that this was in fact a trap, devised by an unknown enemy to entomb them in space indefinitely. This wasn't a new idea, Adolph Hitler enlisted his chief engineer Gootsden to ensnare individual members of the Justice Society in missles, rocketing them to various planets in the solar system. Why he choose this means of disposing of his masked foes is unknown... and ultimately this proved ineffective as each member returned to their home world.
Nevertheless, a brilliant mastermind enlisted the financial aid of a consortium of gang leaders from across the country to back his plan, sealing the Society in specialized cages. Yet despite meticulous planning, this scheme proved unsuccessful, as the Society found a way together to free themselves, returning the satellite to Earth-Two.
However, they soon learned that there were multiple layers to this scheme, as the man behind their faux-headquarter in space was in fact a "foreign agent". When the heroes were subpoened into appearing before a congressional hearing, they learned that their tenuous association with their former jailer caused their government to be suspcious of their own true alliances. When confronted with a demand to reveal their secret identities, the Justice Society refused and instead retired from their costumed careers. They returned to active duty years later, after political pressure died down.
Yet still the mystery remained... who supplied their mustached foes with the advanced technology to create a satellite base of operations? In the early part of 1942, some of the Society members... including Hawkman and Atom... had encountered a group of international scientists with both the genius and financial means to construct a massive flying Eye vessel, which they intended to use as a psuedo-alien threat to the entire world, uniting them together and pulling them out of their internal conflict in World War II. However, one of their number, Anton Hastor, took control of this Eye craft, seeking to use it to conquer the world himself. Hawkman and the All-Star Squadron were able to stop Hastor's evil efforts, and when last seen the eye craft was in possession of the American government. What became of it, and of its inventors?
Well, the chief architect behind both the vessel and the scheme behind it was millionaire inventor Elwood Napier - who later used his intellect to create another advanced vessel. Under the influence of aliens, he briefly become the Conqueror and battled the Justice Society. Most likely, one of his former confederates refabricated a large object that could be used as the JSA satellite, incorporating parts of the Eye to aid it on orbital flight. This was done in concert with politicians and gangsters alike... each opposed to the Justice Society's existence. As to where they procured the massive spherical object that became the Society’s temporary abode in space, this will be revealed another time!
As to what became of the Satellite headquarters after its brief appearance in the early 1950s, it was apparently scrapped. with some of its design repurposed into the JSA Sky-Rocket. This portable vessel/base was used briefly by the Justice Society in the 1970s, during their “mission in space” (concurrent with the Cary Bates/Injustice Society incident), and shortly after when they battled Brain Wave and Per Degaton along with the Super-Squad. The JLA satellite, destroyed by 1985, would be rebuilt centuries later into an orbiting prison for an ancient enemy of the team.
And, unlike other satellite bases such as the Earth-712 Squadron Supreme's "Rocket Central" and Earth-One's Justice League satellite, this brief base was barely a footnote in the otherwise illustrious history of the World's First Super-Team. Or was it? Did the Society previously use this structure as a meeting location? Evidence suggests that indeed the JSA's orbiting locale had a much more storied existence with this super-team supreme, as well will see another time!
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