Known primarily for being the adopted home of the Freedom Fighters, a band of mystery men from Earth-Two ventured to the hero-less Earth-X during the inception of World War II. On that planet, evidentially there was a version of the Justice Society of America... known as the JLAxis.
We learn of this from a passing remark made by some German officers who are occupying the Eiffel Tower, when they see Batman climbing up the side and exclaiming “Die Fledermaus” - “The Bat”. Note: given his human shape, they wouldn’t have mistaken him for an actual bat, and they refer to him by a proper name or title that is seemingly well known to inhabitants of this world. Given the suppression of American comics, it would not be referring to fictional retellings of the golden age Batman’s tales.
So this seemed to refer to the European version of that world, known alternatively as Leatherwing. Unlike his counterparts on other Earths, this Masked Manhunter is both ruthless and amoral, although he shares their strategic and tactical prowess.
In fact, he admits to being the grandson to the “Enemy Ace” Von Hammer, who on Earth-Two had a counterpart in Captain Desmo, a World War I pilot for the Allied Forces from the United States. As an older man, Desmo would have a series of adventures across the globe in the early days of Batman’s career.
The “Hammer of Hell” along with four other Heroes of Yesterday were summonses from their past eras by the Lord of Time, to use as pawns against both the Justice League and Justice Society when the two teams gathered for a dinner party in the Gotham City of Earth-One. Among those whom the Enemy Ace and his allies attacked was the League’s Batman, who has earlier faced an alleged descendant of Von Hammer. Hans’ counterpart Captain Desmo aka Thomas Cole never had occasion to meet the Batman of his world, although in his Bombardier persona he was also used as a pawn by another villain. Both the Hammer of Hell and the Bombardier battled Wonder Woman, before recovering their senses and helping the heroines to defeat the pilots’ bad benefactors.
What became of him by the early 1970s, when the Justice Society and Justice League journeyed to Earth-X and helped liberate that world, is unknown. Perhaps they were defeated by the Freedom Fighters and left imprisoned by their adversaries and the rebel cells. If so, this was not common knowledge of the soldiers in France, at least.
What became of him by the early 1970s, when the Justice Society and Justice League journeyed to Earth-X and helped liberate that world, is unknown. Perhaps they were defeated by the Freedom Fighters and left imprisoned by their adversaries and the rebel cells. If so, this was not common knowledge of the soldiers in France, at least.
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