Monarchs of Motion vs Doctors of Darkness

Flash encountered a variety of colorful crooks. However, among the most deadly was the Duke of Darkness, the master villain known as Eclipso. Secretly the split personality of Doctor Bruce Gordon, a renowned solar scientist, Eclipso used his ebony gem to case shadows wherever he gazed through its prism. For several years, Eclipso wages a relentless war against his arch-enemy Gordon, very nearly defeating him scores of times. Instead, the duo kept tormenting one another, with neither finding lasting victory nor peace of mind knowing the other was ever present. Eventually, the villain's notoriety captured the attention of Flash's Justice League teammate, the Batman. During one battle between the two Dark Knights, Eclipso's fabricated body dematerialized and phased through Batman's physical form. This led to Batman capturing some of the essence of Eclipso himself, which would later link him across the Multiverse with Doctor Gordon's counterpart, Doctor Charles McNider

Doctor Mid-Nite, the heroic alter ego of Doctor McNider, did not have a fractured mind like his doppelgänger. Rather, he was a mentally well-adjusted individual, who aspired to help the helpless despite having a heinous handicap. Having been blinded in the prime of his career as a physician, McNider learned that his eyes were attuned to the darkness, allowing him to see in shadows while developing infrared goggles to see during daylight. He ended up a teammate of his Justice Society allies, the Flash and Batman. However, on one occasion, one his crimefighting partners turned him against the other in the heat of battle!

While Eclipso sought world dominating, leading his foes in pitched battle against the Justice League, Doctor Mid-Nite was manipulated with some of his teammates into attempting to subdue active members of the Justice Society. While Earth-One Batman tipped off his fellow Leaguers to their foe's modus operandi, the Earth-Two Batman in his Commissioner Bruce Wayne identity spurred his colleagues on into a conflict that sought to fracture the Society from within.

In each situation, a Scarlet Speedster opposed a Dark Doctor with varied results. Earth-One Flash was able to circumvent the darkness cast by Eclipso and contained him within a super-fast vortex. Earth-Two Flash was caught flat-footed when Doctor Mid-Nite caused him to make a tactical mistake, and slammed into the Batmobile. Eventually. Eclipso was captured and Bruce Gordon was freed of worry for one more day... while Doctor Mid-Nite, the Flash and their fellow heroes made peace with one another at the end of the day.

Flying Fox and Googled Good Guys

The name "Flying Fox" was used on three worlds, all tied to living legends. There was the Flying Fox of Earth-One, a young Bruce Wayne who would later become that world's Batman. The Flying Fox of Earth-Two was a frequent foe of sky criminal Air Pirate A-X. The Flying Fox of the Post Crisis Earth seems to have originated on Earth-8.

While training as a detective, a teenage Bruce Wayne of Earth-One assumed the alter ego of Flying Fox. On one occasion in her masked alias, Wayne teamed up with Clark "Superboy" Kent in Smallville, Years later as the Batman, Wayne regularly teamed up with his "World's Finest" partner, fellow Justice League founding member and best friend, a now grown-up Superboy now known as Superman.

Radiologist/pilot Lou Rex Darrell of Earth-Two was a flying detective in the image of his world's Batman, who also was an aviator sleuth.After a few notable tales as a good guy during the early days of World War II, a debilitating head injury during the war left Darrell with a greedy rather than good mental attitude.

Back on Earth-One, gangster "Matches" Malone had built up a reputation with the Riverfront Mob. Like his counterpart Darnell, Malone had a greedy disposition which led to Batman seeking him out to aid him on a dangerous mission. Before the hero could convince the criminal to agree to assist him, a bullet meant for Batman ricocheted towards Malone. After being fatally shot, it seemed this was Matches Malone’s swan song.

However, Batman decided to assume a third alter ego as Matches Malone, disguised as the gangster during various crimefighting missings throughout the years when he needed Malone's underworld credentials to provide Wayne the connections needed to ensnare his prey. This became an effective means of exposing criminals involved in a variety of cases, and even motivated Bruce's young ward and sidekick Dick "Robin" Grayson into assuming the Matches Malone identity one time.

Under the cover of his career as a radiologist, the former Flying Fox attempted to steal valuable radium, which led Darnell into a confrontation with Batman and Robin (Batman #37). Of note is his preference for green and brown clothes from his Flying Fox days  Following his failed scheme, exposed by x-ray which revealed his identity, Darrell’s criminal career was finished before it even began.

Whether Lou Rex Darrell reformed and once more sided with the cause of justice, as he had years before, is unknown. What is known is that he, like the man who continued the "life" of his doppelgänger Matches Malone, carved out a brief yet notable career as the Flying Fox... scourge to criminals everywhere!

Twice-Told-Tales: Medical Miracles of the Caped Crusaders

These strikingly similar twice-told-tales involved shrinking superheroes... performing delicate procedures from within their patients... victims of criminals seeking to conceal their crimes from those who could expose them.

In 1943 on Earth-Two, Doctor Charles McNider was made the executor to a man named Jamison's estate. Among the items in his possession was a shrinking ray projector developed by Jamison, which McNider replicated. Soon after, McNider was called to a hospital to recommend treatment for a gunshot victim, a detective ambushed by crooks. While unable to perform an operation himself, as he was legally blind, McNider secretly had the superhuman ability to see in complete darkness as well as infra-red googles allowing him to say in daylight was well. Requesting his "friend" Doctor Mid-Nite to perform the surgery on his behalf, Charles as Mid-Nite shrunk down to microscopic size, bringing with him his homemade portable projector. Navigating through the near-death police man's body, the Doctor finally arrived at the man's heart where he used the shrinking ray to reduce the size of the bullet lodged within it. 

In 1974 on Earth-One, social activist Debbie Manton is kidnapped by criminals in the employ of gang-leader Bugsy Cathart, as she had witnessed his slaying of a competitor. Tracking down Cathart's goons to a building, Batman unwittingly was stunned by an electric current as he swung onto its rooftop ledge. Left for dead, the Caped Crusader was retrieved and brought to a Gotham City hospital, where he was pronounced near-brain dead. Called to consult on his case, visiting physicist Ray Palmer hypothesized that by using his white dwarf shrinking belt, he could stimulate Batman's brain from within as the Tiny Titan known as the Atom.  

Reviving the detective, a now full-sized Mid-Nite learned from his patient that critical evidence was discovered that would expose gang-leader Clipper Jackson. Cornering Jackson and his henchmen, the Doctor was able to bring the crook to justice.

Piloting Batman's body from within his brain, the Atom was able to reactive the Gotham Guardian's  subconscious reflexes, and together they were able to rescue Debbie. With her testimony, the crook was brought to justice.

Interestingly, Doctor McNider still possessed this shrinking technology which was remarkably similar Ray Palmer's, yet unlike the Atom of Earth-One, Mid-Nite neither used it himself nor did he bequeath it to his Justice Society colleague Al "Atom" Pratt. Instead, Al-Atom wore a dimensional-vibrator device in his belt, something Ray-Atom also developed but used only once.

Regardless, the fact that such a technique was successful and such science was available highlights the amazing accomplishments within the DC Multiverse!

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Continuing thru April 2025 - #JSApril! Celebrating 85 years of #DCComics JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, the world's first greatest superheroi team! Join over 40 podcasters bloggers as we honor our favorite heroes! Info participants:

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Utility Belts Accessorize Every Darknight's Wardrope!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonar: Used in his mask to locate criminals.

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

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

Lock Picks: Batman uses these to open locked doors.

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

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

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

Sonic Grenades: These disrupt electronics and disorient enemy hearing. 

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

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

Thermite Explosives: Capable of burning through most materials.

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

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

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

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

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

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Continuing thru April 2025 - #JSApril! Celebrating 85 years of #DCComics JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, the world's first greatest superhero team! Join over 40 podcasters bloggers as we honor our favorite heroes! Info participants:

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Avenging Auras Adversely Affect Antagonist Anomalies

When Batman first encountered the young amnesiac woman Violet Harper, he saw her manifest the ability project various colored auras around her body. Each of these manifested as a unique ability, which she used in her costumed career as the superheroine known as Halo.

However, this wasn't the first time he saw such auras projected from a human, granting a person mighty powers. In fact, Batman himself had similiar aura-based energies on one occasion, years earlier when confronting his old foe... Doctor Double-X. And then several months later, after encountering the alien entity known as Aquarius. However, each time there was a different manifestation of this process.

In order to defeat Doctor Double X, Batman used the same device which the doctor developed to created his aura-clone, Double X, and spawned Double Batman. This energy duplicate had superstrength, the power of flight and could emit electrical charges from its hands. Once victorious, this Bat-aura destroyed itself, which would later be replaced by an evil entity. 

Later, while Batman and his allies in the Justice League traveled to Earth-Two to assist the Justice Society in defeating the aggressive alien Aquarius, a residual effect when returning to Earth-One led to the Leaguers inadvertently birthing negative aura-clones of themselves. These had powers similar to the originals, which the heroes quickly vanquished.

While the laws of physics in the Earth-One realm naturally included the ability to split one's aura from oneself with the proper mechanism, the physical laws of Earth-Two were the reverse, with such auras being absorbed within a person through devices such as Doctor Mid-Nite's cryotuber and Aquarius’ cosmic radiation. 

Years later, the counterpart of the Aurakle alien which Violet merged with to become Halo was able to create its own body, separate from that of Harper's Earth-Two counterpart Marcie Cooper. This being, Chroma, was a physically separate manifestation from Cooper... much as the Double X clones were to Doctor Double X and Batman. Unlike Chroma, Aurakle wasn’t capable of accomplishing this feat.

With his prior experience with related powers, Batman was able to successfully train Halo in harnessing her own aura-abilities.

Battling Bewildering Boxers: Two Titanic Teds

A rugged and incredulous boxer encountered another Earth’s golfer during his prize fight match, during an inter-dimensional crisis on Earths One and Two involving the incursion of the Anti-Matter Man into their universes. Random individuals on each Earth were being shifted over to the other Earth, but this including this golfer. 

Simultaneous to this event, the Batman of Earth-One was sent to Earth-Two, where he immediately came into conflict with the Ted “Wildcat” Grant of that world. The heroes were able to return most individuals back to their home worlds following repelling the threat from the Anti-Matter Universe.

Evidence suggests this boxer was heavy weight champion Ted Grant. Interestingly, Batman of the Justice League never met the Wildcat of the Justice Society before this, and so may have thought this was the older crimefighter of his world. Meanwhile, that Ted had been a teammate and friend of the Society’s Batman aka Bruce Wayne for years. 

Three years later, that Batman would finally team up with his world’s Wildcat, who retired from boxing soon after his match which the golfer crashed. Undoubtedly, he saw the potential in this man from meeting his doppelgänger a universe away.

Wonderfully Wacky Worlds Weave Wicked Woes

Replication equipment akin to cloning, only with inorganic base materials, was achieved with in both Earths One and Two. On the former world, this resulted in the creation of the Bizarro parodies … and on the latter world, this culminated in the Funny Face facsimiles. Synthetic Supermen were created along with Bizarro Superman Number One and Funny Face’s Flying Tiger which tormented the original Man of Steel multiple times. But their colleagues in the Justice League and Justice Society met other demented duplicates.

For the Batman of Earth-One, this occurred when he and his League teammate Wonder Woman were drawn to the Dazzleland amusement park in the Catskills. Its founder Wade Dazzle has succumbed to a life ending medical condition, which he prepared for by developing a duplicating mechanism that spawned robotic replicas of real persons. Those individuals were sapped of their life, with their bio-energy transferred into Wade’s refrigeration unit, which kept his body in living stasis while the robots assumed the lives of their formerly living templates.

For the Batman of Earth-Two, this occurred when he and sidekick (later fellow Justice Society member) Robin were drawn to the laboratory of Professor Anderson, who’s bio-ray brings to life two-dimensional creations within published books, while drawing three-dimensional individuals to that synthetic fairyland. Anderson’s daughter Enid was captured within that land’s confines by its inhabitants, which the Dynamic Duo were dispatched to help retrieve from her crazed captors within an enlarged publication.

Dazzle’s robotic-animal minions included Jerry Gerbil and Harriett Hamster, among others who operated within the Dazzleland Park. The Professor’s fictional beings included the elementals Burn and Freeze, among others… although whether they were recreated in the Fairy Land amusement park north of Los Angeles, )which Infinity, Inc. later visited) is unknown. 

While a synthetic Amazonian analogue of Wonder Woman faced off with the original, the evil madam Gruel tormented Batman and Robin. Still, the Leaguers and Socialites were able to defeat these creatures and rescue these virtual worlds’ captives.

Both Dazzleland and Fairyland were analogies on Earths One and Two for Disneyland and Disney World on our own.

Alternate Earths: Earth-1A and Earth-2A

While most tales involving the Justice League and Justice Society prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths have been relegated to Earths One and Two, respectively, there have been notable exceptions as to their members. Specifically, the "Big Five" plus two whose tales were continuously published on Earth-Prime (our world) since their inception in the late 1930s/early 1940s and through the decades between the Society's last Golden Age tale and the League's first Silver Age tale. 

The so-called Big Five, these were Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman and Robin. And it was this quintet who became the core group known as the Super Friends*, as four Justice Leaguers and one Teen Titan were selected to training aspiring heroes Marvin White and Wendy Harris. Shortly after, they would turn their attention to the extra-terrestrial shapechangers Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins. While reference within the Super Friends and Justice League tales assert that these two groups existed concurrently on the same Earth-One, some oddities in the Super Friends tales do not quite line up with the League's mainstream continuity. As such, their stories may have occured on Earth-One, but not quite as they were written within the comicbook published on Earth-Prime**. 

As mentioned after the Crisis by author Roy Thomas, the dispersed energy of the seven superheroes who departed the 1940's All-Star Squadron had to be compensated by newer heroes taking their place. While Neptune Perkins assumed the place of his fellow former Earth-Two All-Star colleague Aquaman and Dan the Dyna-Mite substituted for Robin, three new heroes from a third pre-Crisis Earth... quite probably Earth-Eight... in Iron Munro, Flying Fox and Fury took the place of Superman***, Batman and Wonder Woman****. While their tales as the Young All-Stars would not be exactly what would've been the All-Star Squadron's tales, were the "Big Seven" still active, many elements would be similar making the young heroes' adventures homages to untold Earth-Two Squadron tales*****.

Of course, the remaining duo of those seven characters included the Battling Bowmen known as Green Arrow and Speedy. While they were pulled from their native time period in the late 1940's due to their battle alongside the Seven Soldiers of Victory versus the Nebula Man, there were still stories told specially about the Earth-Two version through the late 1950s. We will consider this in the future.

* The Super Friend's actual Earth-Two counterpart team would the Super Squad, consisting of a core group with the Justice Society who... like the Justice League... were tasked with training a second generation of younger heroes.

** One such example of this is when Red Tornado mentioned his used of time travel referenced Super Friends issue# 8, while engaging in this feat a second time in Justice League of America #155.

*** E. Nelson Bridwell among others postulated that the golden age Superman's stories referencing Daily Planet instead of Daily Star, and a bald Luthor instead of a red-haired Luthor, transpired on Earth-2A. If so, then these same stories were also told on Earth-Two, as referenced by the tale of the Powerstone... where both a bald and red-haired Luthor claimed the object for himself.

**** Other members of the Young All-Stars including Tsunami, Sandy, Tigress would be reflections of Jayna, Zan, Wendy and Marvin with the Super Friends.

*****As shown by the accompanying picture, at least briefly before the inception of the Young All-Stars, members of the Freedom Fighters took the places of the missing "Big Five" in the Squadron. Although curiously, in the retroactively altered picture, golden age Green Arrow and Speedy remained until later wiped from existence!

Gaggles of Garbed Guardians Guarding Gothams

Gotham City is known for many things. First and foremost, for their Caped Crusaders. As these cities on parallel planets have been afflicted in modern times by their supervillians, Dynamic Duos have protected them from their sinister schemes. 

On Earths One and Two, these masked manhunters are Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, the amazing alter egos of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. But on Earth-S, they are radically different yet still strangely similiar. Brian Butler and his adopted son Pinky swing through the skylines of their city as Mister Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid. And that city's name is... Gotham! 

Indeed, this is the very first locale where District Attorney Butler first donned his colorful costume, and later inspired his orphaned son to join him in his crusade. Strangely though, the Gotham City of Earth-S was not as well-known nor as reputable. This is evidenced by Captain Marvel's uncertainty as to if his world has its own Gotham. 

And in fact, when he along with his Marvel Family and fellow superheroes returned from decades of suspended animation in the 1970s, it seems that Mister Scarlet and Pinky had moved from Gotham to Cap's hometown of Fawcett City... the Earth-S version of Metropolis. Perhaps due to their world's Gotham City being smaller, it wasn't quite the financial center of their United States as it was on the Batmen's worlds.

As to what the names of the other distinct correlating cities on Earth-S were for those on Earths One and Two (Central City/Keystone City, Ivy Town/Calvin City, Coast City/Gateway City, Midway City/Civic City, among others), this has not as yet been revealed since most of the mystery men on that world either operated in Fawcett, Gotham, New York or Washington D.C.

Strange Stories of the Swamp: Caped Crusaders vs Bayou Behemoths

Soon after Swamp Thing formed around the consciousness of scientist Alec Holland, he grew attached to a pair of humans named Matt Cable and Abigail Arcane. Cable was a government agent in pursuit of the creature, while Abigail was the niece of the bayou being's arch-enemy, Anton Arcane. Both were captured by Nathan Ellery, the founder and financier of the evil Conclave, the organization which sought to steal Holland's bio-regenerative formula. Tracking them to Gotham City, Swamp Thing tried unsuccessfully to disguise himself in a hat and overcoat, leading the Gotham City Police to enlist Batman's aid in tracking him down. Swamp Thing reluctantly overpowered Batman, then freed Matt and Abigail while confronting Ellery. After Nathan seemingly fell to his death, Swamp Thing left Gotham.

Decades earlier, Solomon Grundy was on a cross-country criminal rampage, seeking his arch-enemy Green Lantern for revenge. Lantern's fellow Justice Society members each tracked Grundy to various towns, with Doctor Mid-Nite encountering Solomon in the burg of Carver. The Doctor was unable to subdue Grundy, who overpowered him and escaped. However, Mid-Nite and his fellow teammates eventually joined forces to overwhelm Grundy, with their fallen friend Green Lantern returning the favor for saving his life by exiling Solomon in an emerald globe on the surface of the Moon.

Swamp Thing and the Batman of Earth-One would encounter one another a couple more times, the first of which was when Swampy was captured by a carnival promoter. Soon after freed, Swamp Thing assists Batman in uprooting dangerous experimental spores while evading capture by the government. Still later, Swamp Thing and Batman teamed up on a case to track down the killers of Catwoman's sister Felicia, a woman who resembled Alec's late wife Linda.

Solomon Grundy and Doctor Mid-Nite battled one another once more, when Grundy's green-globe was eventually pulled from the moon back down to Earth-Two. However, this encounter was overshadowed by the appearance of the Anti-Matter Man, a malevolent explorer from the Anti-Matter Universe. Mid-Nite's Justice Society teammate Batman finally met Grundy years later, when he and Superman confronted the creature along with his new master, the Ultra-Humanite.

Masked Manhunters Meet Mighty Mites' Miniature Metropolises

The Dynamic Duo had numerous adventures with the Metropolis Marvel, Superman, and his pal Jimmy Olsen... in both of their cities and across Earth-One... even in space! However, the first time that Superman brought Batman and Robin to his homeworld's last city, Kandor... was a memorable occasion.

During a case together, a bullet ricochetted off the chest of Superman and into his best friend. After an emergency surgery extracting the bullet, Batman physically recovered from his ordeal yet psychologically was traumatized. Thinking he wasn't a worthy partner to Superman, the Dark Knight announced his retirement. In order to help Batman regain his senses and his courage, Superman hatched a scheme with his friend, the Kandorian administrator Than-Ar. 

While bringing Batman, Robin and Jimmy to his Fortress of Solitude on a false pretense, Superman asked for their assistance in tracking down a menace that had reappeared, the Metalloids. An ancient science that transformed men into invulnerable metal while its human host wears a force-radiating instrument, it now terrorized the Kryptonian city which had been shrunken by the alien android known as Brainiac.

After encountering an exceptionally violent Metalloid which threatened the now-powerless* Superman's life, Batman learned this was a ploy by his friend to help him regain his confidence since they were both normal within Kandor's controlled bottle environment.  Although a brief rift formed between the two heroes, they batched up their differences when they combined their efforts to bring the Metalloid Kandorians and their leader, Than-Ar's brother, Jhan-Ar, to justice. 

There was no surviving city of Kandor on Earth-Two, aside from the virtual version contained within the artificial conscience of Kara "Power Girl" Zor-L's Symbioship which brought her to her new home world. However, just as there were a generation of Kandorians born and raised all their lives in a shrunken state within the Bottled City of Kandor a universe away, so to there was a generation of humans likewise miniaturized within the small city known as Midget Town. 

While a chemical formula was used by Darrell Dane to transform into the 6 foot tall Doll Man, in the early 1940s the malevolent mastermind known as Brain Wave developed a purple ray which accomplished this feat. A variation of these treatments was later used on a village by another criminal scientist named Doctor Vargo. Doll Man became aware of these tiny folk, causing them to turn on their creator Thinking this town was destroyed, Dane never revisited it, as it developed into the more civilized Midget Town within a few short years.

When full-sized criminals led by Moose Miller raid the defenseless town, one of its inhabitants named Johnny Wister sought to bring those crooks to justice. This led him into a meeting with Batman and Robin, who along with Johnny and other residents of Midget Town (including Mayor Hawkins and his daughter Carol) accompany the Dynamic Duo back to Gotham City. Together, they track down the hoodlums and capture them.

Greedy Green Gordanians Goad Global Guardians

The rogue reptilian Gordanian of planet Karna were known throughout the Vega star system as slavers of various worlds, at times working alongside the Citadel empire. Eventually, their conflict spilled over into the Terran  system, where their forces met Earth's heroes.

On Earth-One, the  invading Gordanians were in pursuit of Tamaran Princess Koriand'r, aka Starfire. This brought them into conflict with the recently assembled New Teen Titans, of whom Starfire joined. A later encounter was led her sister Blackfire aka Komand'r, which likewise led to their defeat. Their other foes were the Omega Men, led by Primus of planet Euophiox.

Residents of Euophiox's cosmic twin planet Tora* were oppressed by their reality's version of the Gordanians. Seeking assistance, the leader of Tora known as Beran lured several humans of Earth-Two** including Batman and Robin to his world via a rocket ship disguised as a tourist attraction. On Tora, the Dynamic Duo and their Terran and Toran allies allied with the former jailers of the Gordanians, capturing their forces and liberating the planet. 

* We know that this tale, in 1958, took place on Earth-Two and not on Earth-One, as Robin's counterpart did not recognize nor acknowledge the Gordanians when they first battled his Titans.

** A divergent strand of Gordanians journeyed to Earth-Two, led by Ayrn the Underlord, where they built a vast subterranean city underneath the surface. They briefly had an alliance with the Injustice Society, and afterwards battled the Justice Society of America.

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcat - Part 7

Now comes the key question, who in a fight between Ted "Wildcat" Grant and Bruce "Batman" Wayne, would ultimately win?

In the tale of the pair versus Joker on Earth-One, the Crown Prince of Crime forced the Brave and Bold pair to fight one another... or else his henchman would kill a dog with life saving antibodies in its furry hide. Batman and Wildcat in a pure boxing match nearly knocked one another out, In the tale of this pair battling one other due to the malevolent machinations of the Joker, it was Wildcat who came out on top over Bruce, who had long since retired as Batman.

However, if using all their skills and with both in their prime, the question becomes more difficult to answer. As the Earth-Two Robin tells his Justice Society teammate Wildcat, Ted knows karate in addition to  his boxing skills. Would the Earth-One Wildcat likewise have such martial arts training? Yet despite this, as for a the broad spectrum of physical training and abilities, it would seem logical that ultimately Batman would come out on top. Or would he?

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcat - Part 6

Throughout their history together, the Bruce Wayne and Ted Grant of Earth-One formed a deep friendship. When they first met, Ted had long retired his costumed career as Wildcat, and his business Grant's Gym had been a financial failure. Still, thanks to Bruce... and his alter ego Batman... believing in Ted, Grant resumed his career as a youth boxing coach and superhero. Later, Ted became a treasure hunter in Mexico... then still later an oil company executive. He used his Wildcat alias for charity events, and after once more entering the boxing ring to regain his title, Ted found one last obstacle to face. 

During a boxing match, Grant unintentionally killed boxer Kid O'Hair. Yet now, on his own private island turned luxury spa resort, Ted had to become Wildcat one last time in order to help Batman track down a criminal smuggler for foreign residents into America... El Zapatero. The Brave and Bold pair of Wildcat and Batman uncovered the truth, that a famed writer was the criminal mastermind, and thwarted him.

On Earth-Two, around this same timeframe, the Justice Society was resuming regular activity, battling a wide-range of threats with Wildcat present for numerous adventures. Eventually, the supervillian Psycho-Pirate used his powers to cause dissention between members of the Society, leading to now Commissioner Bruce Wayne with other retired Society members battling the active members. During this encounter, Bruce battled Wildcat, although now out of practice, Ted bested the former Batman until Robin came to assist.

The Earth-One Ted Grant was content with keeping his Key Allegro island luxury spa open... despite it losing some money... and hanging up his cowled costumed once and for all. Following his fifth and final teamup with Batman, this Wildcat was never to be seen again. What became of Grant following this is unknown, although whatever he may have faced, he would always inevitably bounce back.

The Earth-Two Ted Grant found that his role as a mentor to younger members of the Justice Society such as Power Girl and Star-Spangled Kid had motivated him into reopening Grant's Gym once more, to train a new generation of youths such as future lawyer Charlie "Blackwing" Bullock. He would come out of retirement when some of his teammates were under the influence of Koehaha.. the Stream of Ruthelessness... but during the Crisis on Infinite Earths he passed on the title of Wildcat to his old friend's granddaughter Yolanda Montez.

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcats - Part 4

The year is 1975, and twice Batman has to battle his good friend Wildcat. Actually two of them! In each instance, this was due to the methodical maniacal schemes of master supervillian.

In the spring of that year, the Joker's henchman Dubcek is kept in Gotham City's Sparta Prison. There, he is kept in solitary confinement, with the hopes of his reveal the location and plan of his bad boss. During a boxing match within the prison between Ted Grant and his former boxing Dubcek, that convict and hundreds of other Sparta prisoners are exposed to a deadly tropical fever. Only a lone pooch with antibodies within it can combat this disease, which is dog-napped by the Joker! Forced to fight one another in order to save the dog, which then will save the prisoners, Wildcat and Batman nearly knock one another out. However, the puppy bites Joker, freeing itself and thus saving hundreds.

In the fall of that year, writer Cary Bates of Earth-Prime is accidentally propelled into Earth-Two, where the evil Wizard gives Bates superpowers. With these abilities as a now corrupted agent of Wizard's Injustice Society, Bates leads Wildcat and his Justice Society allies into a trap, and then mentally manipulates the heroes into impersonating the Injustice Society. These mind-controlled heroes battle Batman and his Justice League allies of Earth-One, the result of which is the seeming death of Wildcat and his teammates. However, they are soon after revived, and aid the League in defeating the Wizard's gang while freeing Cary of his control. During this tale, while the Earth-Two Wildcat and Earth-One Batman are opponents until the end of the tale, Wildcat and his world's Robin worked side-by-side from beginning to end. And it would be Earth-Two's Robin who dressed like his mentor, the now retired Batman.

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcats - Part 3

The fall of 1972 and 1973 were pivitol years in the lives of each Ted Grant. It was at this time that they were tasked with Batman into tracking down long lost individuals missing for decades, so as to save their respective worlds with energy harnessing discoveries, as their planets' futures were at stake.

On Earth-Two in 1972, it began with a giant mysterious hand encircling the globe, with its creator threatening to use it to crush that world. Twice the Justice Society of America, including Wildcat, attempted to remove this threat without success. Enlisting the aid of the Justice League of America, including their Batman, from Earth-One... the JSA and the JLA traveled through time with the goal of retrieving the long missing Seven Soldiers of Victory. Decades previous, this team created a nebula rod that destroyed an alien adverary of theirs named the Nebula Man, but as a result they were seemingly erased from history as they were sent to seven distinct eras in the past. Wildcat and two others traveled to prehistoric times while Batman and his two partners journeyed to ancient Egypt. Retrieving these seven, also known as Law's Legionnaires, the teams were able to reconstruct the nebula rod that was used to destroy the nebula hand.

On Earth-One in 1973, it began when Ted Grant was embroiled in a controversy as his employer Tryton Oil was charges with theft of a break-through Miracle-2000 fuel additive that would avert the world's energy crisis. Together, Ted as Wildcat along with Batman (the same one who helped his counterpart the year previous) tracked down that additive's inventor, a chemist who had experienced amnesia for decades. Reunited with his son, this scientist's sculpture revealed that he was the rightful owner of this discovery, while the Tryton executives were brought to justice.

Interestingly, during this timeframe, Ted Grant of Earth-Two was still living off his wealth acquired from his time as a world heavyweight boxing champion. Grant's Gym, which he opened a few years before in order to train the next generation of young fighters, ended up closing down due to his returning to active membership in the Justice Society starting with this adventure. Although he had previously attended a team meeting due to the threat of Creator2, he did not participate. From this point forward, Wildcat would be heavily involved with his World's Greatest Superheroes.

As for the Ted Grant of Earth-One, his wealth as a world heavyweigh champion was lost when his version of Grant's Gym lost money due to lawsuits, gets in debt and was abandoned by friends due to his getting involved in trying to help underprivileged kids in his community. Without a Justice League of America to fall back on, Grant accepted the offer to become a vice president of public relations for Tryton Oil, a decision he now regretted.

Transitioning into the mid-1970s, the lives of each Ted Grant would take further dramatic twists and turns...

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcats - Part 2

The next appearance of the Wildcat from Earth-One was in Mexico. Batman had been tasked with tracking down a smuggling racket, when he found just outside of Acapulco a young cliffdiver named Luis Mercado performing before a crowd. There, Bruce Wayne saw a would-be assassin aiming a rifle at the lad, and so Wayne as Batman dove into the crook... disarming him. Curiously, Wayne noticed a poster for boxing legend "El Tigre", which looked like his old friend Ted "Wildcat" Grant.

Attending a boxing match that evening, Wayne witnessed El Tigre felled by a combination by drugged water before his opponent El Machette could connect his fist with him. However, Batman swooped into the boxing ring, saving his friend from men trying to abduct him. With Luis beside him, Batman learned from the lad that Ted Grant and Mercado's father were close friends from their fighting days... with Ted joining his Mexican pal in retrieving the valuable ancient treasure of Choclotan. Before they could do so, the racketeer leader El Grande (Mister Big) and his henchmen killed Luis' father and left an amnesiac Grant for dead in the mountains, which Luis soon after found.

With Ted leading the way, Batman and Luis were accompanied by "Macho" Mercado's old boxing manager El Sordo into the mountains to retrieve the treasure. In the course of events, they learned that Sordo was El Grande, with Wildcat force to fight Grande's prize boxer El Buey. Overpowered, Grant (with his memory now recovered) was coerced into revealing the location of Choclotan, although he sent the thugs into a trap. Honoring his late friend's dying wish, Ted secured the treasure for a Mexican museum.

Around this same period of time, the Wildcat of Earth-Two was facing his own perilous trial, with Batman also present during that adventure. The alien invader known as Creator2 along with his minions sought to destroy Earth-Two, in order to build a new planet to the specficiations of his mysterious clients (a year later revealed to be the Buddak, evil counterparts to the Guardians of the Universe, that desired to make this area of space the center of their universe as was Oa in Earth-One's realm).

Those minions attacked Superman, Doctor Mid-Nite and the Flash... disabling each of them temporarily. The remainer of the Justice Society were called into an emergency meeting which included honorary members Batman and Wildcat, although neither actively participated in this case which was quickly resolved thanks to their fellow members.

Around this period of time, this world's Ted Grant met the counterpart to Macho Mercado in the Mexican boxer Montez. He would likewise befriend that man and his family, and end up being the godfather to Mister Montez's granddaughter Yolanda. Yolanda later used her mutant feline abilities under the alias of the second Wildcat, after Ted became disabled during the Crisis on Infinite Universes.

The Brave and the Bold: Wildcats - Part 1

The Undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Ted Grant, faced just as many obstacles as successes in his life. After training under former professional boxer Joe Morgan, Grant rose up the ranks of boxing until he fought the current champion and his sparring partner, Soccer Smith. When framed for Smith's dead during a fight, Grant sought to clear his name, and was inspired by a young boy regaling about the masked hero known as Green Lantern. Inspired by this example, Ted adopted the alter ego of Wildcat, and brought Soccer's killers to justice. Shortly thereafter, Wildcat joined the All-Star Squadron, and later Earth-Two's Justice Society of America. 

Decades later, Grant had retired from boxing and only recently came out of retirement as a costumed crimefighter. After a few teamups with his fellow members of the Justice Society, Wildcat found he was overwhelmed by a lowly crook named Sad Jack Dold, who had gained cosmic power. With the help of Jim Corrigan and his caped alias of the Spectre, Ted was able to shake off this lost and instead started Grant's Gym. This Gym was dedicated to training young men in the art of self-defense.

A couple years later, on the parallel planet of Earth-One, that world's Ted Grant had closed down his version of Grant's Gym due to various financial problems. Bruce Wayne sought him out in order to recruit Grant into becoming the coach of America's boxing team for the World Youth Games. however, Grant had lost his confidence in himself, which force Wayne to orchestrate a fake mugging that Ted was able to rescue him from... and still later in Vienna Austria where the games were being held, as Batman he fought Grant to a draw.

This inspired Ted to once more put on his Wildcat costume, and in both identities he assisted Batman in battling foreign spies. After a decisive victory versus the enemy country's boxing coach Koslov, himself an agent of this adversarial spy network, Ted used this experience to reignite his love of teaching young men the art of self-defense.

Would Ted-Two succeed with his gym where Ted-One failed? Will Ted-One resume his costumed career full time as had Ted-Two? Find out next time…

Guardians of the Bat-Signal: Sergeant Harvey Hainer times 2

Although Gotham City Police Department is well known for its celebrated Commissioner, James Gordon, there are other notable officers who've made their mark... both in the department and in the anals of the legend that is the Batman. A prime example of this is Sergeant Harvey Hainer... actually, both Harvey Hainers, of Earths One and Two.

On each world, Hainer was a trusty member of the police force, until criminals' bullets shot at them... impacting the vision of Harvey. However, due to their years of valued service, both Harveys were made the guardian of the Bat-Signal. Tasked with lighting up the signal whenever directed by Commissioner Gordon, his responsibility was instrumental in alerting the Dark Knight Detective in times of emergency. The Batmen helped the Harveys to compensate for their diminished vision, as they were legally but not completely blind.

On Earth-One, Gordon and Gotham Police were duped into thinking that Batman killed Talia by gunfire. However, it was a rigged gun as well as special gas which duped the police into believing this to be true, when in reality it was Talia' father Ra's Al Ghul who tried to force a hunted Batman in joining him. Only Hainer wouldn't be duped, to his needing to trust other senses besides vision.

On Earth-Two, when a similiar hallucination gas was released from a package which Gordon was holding, it was Hainer who stopped him from reacting to believing that Batman was killed in a spray of gunfire. This package originated from the Scarecrow, and again Hainer was the one officer immune to such effects.

Die Flaudermaus - Grandson of the Enemy Ace

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.