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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 Marvel, 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.

Team-Up Tuesdays: Finest Fawcett Friends Forever

Earth-S was very unique in the midst of the Multiverse. For one thing, there was no Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman or derivatives thereof. Indeed there were analogues to each of these, and other superheroes and heroines, both in the golden age starting in the 1940's like Earth-Two and the silver age 1970's such as on Earth-One. Nevertheless, there was also a lack of scientific principals, as this particular universe's particular laws of physics almost lent themselves as much to the whimsical as the wonderful. But that wasn't all that made it stand apart from the rest.

On this world, the greatest superhero team that ever existed wasn't the Justice League or the Justice Society... not the Justice Alliance nor Freedom Brigade. Not even a Crime Syndicate... well okay there was the Monster Society of Evil but... as it was, they were persistent if nor productive. However, on Earth-S, their premier team was a family! Yes, the Marvel Family, consisting of Captain Marvel along with his sister, his best friend, three namesakes, a lovable old fraud and the elder guardian who empowered them all. They mirrored the youthful Teen Titans and Blue Boys of parallel planets but more prominent.

That's not to say this world didn't have their share of costumed crusaders. Indeed, Bulletman and Bulletgirl were as prolific as protectors as were Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Mister Scarlet and Pinky were as gifted a dynamic duo as were Batman and Robin. Spy Smasher was evenly matched with Mister Terrific, as was Minute Man with the Star-Spangled Kid. That's just the tip of the iceburg.

And indeed, these various heroes teamed up informally throughout the years at social events, and they were all stuck together in Suspendium thanks to the machinations of Doctor Sivana after the Captain's long time friends showed up to support a ceremony in his and his Family's honor. Eventually, they would team up, well most of them, to form Shazam's Squadron of Justice. 

Still, this was a one-and-done scenario, as most of the members then proceeded to retire or at least semi-retire. Except for the Marvels. Regardless, this world was well protected, so much so that none of the various incarnations of the Monster Society were able to vanquish good from that planet. And so it would remain, until the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Or, in at least one timeline, into the uncharted future.

Marvel Mondays: The Captains of Energy

No two figures are as prominent on Earth-Four and Earth-Shazam as the Captains, Atom and Marvel. Each our dynamos of power, the pinnacle of human perfection, the guardians of the greater good. And also partial to the similar color scheme in their speedos.

Captain Marvel is really Billy Batson, a young lad transformed by lighting which he calls upon from ancient Shazam to grant him vast powers unmatched by his peers. Captain Atom is Captain Nathaniel Adams, a soldier who during a mishap in a launched rocket finds him body atomized and transformed into a human nuclear furnace. Each fly, have superhuman strength and durability, and can call upon tremendous energy to transform themselves from mere men to mighty mortals!

Both men are the recognized leaders of their worlds premier heroic teams, the Squadron of Justice and Sentinels of Justice! Alongside their skirt-clad gal pals, goggle-clad aviators and fellow red-and-yellow spandex studs, they champion the cause of justice. While Atom changed to a red, white and blue suit latter in his career, Marvel remained in his familiar duds.

In 1954, aspiring comic book publisher Charlton purchased the rights to several prominent characters from the expiring Fawcett Comics, such as Ibis, Golden Arrow and Lance O'Casey. In 1980 and 1985, DC Comics purchase Fawcett's Marvel Family then Charlton's Action Heroes, and the two were linked once more, now on parallel Earths, Four and Shazam.

Billy Batson the Student... Billy Batson the Newsboy... Billy Batson the Marvelous One

Not every individual on one Earth has a direct counterpart on the other. Such would be the case for Captain Marvel. Such would not be the case for the lads known as Billy Batson. Consider, the Billy Batson of three parallel planets. On Earth-S, he has an adult alter ego that is... essentially... a separate individual than that of the young lad himself. As Captain Marvel, he is his world's greatest hero. On Earth-One in the 1980's, that world's Billy is a school-aged lad raised by his Uncle Dudley. On Earth-Two in the 1940's, that world's Billy is simply a newsboy selling the Daily Star. While Earth-One's Superman met Billy while battling an unwelcome visitor from Cap's universe, Black Adam, Earth-Two's Superman as Clark Kent simply brushed past his own Billy... although the lad indirectly inspired Ken's decision to seek employment with the Star as a reporter!

So while the two powerless Billy's are the counterparts of the boy Batson from Earth-S, that's Billy's Captain Marvel alter ego is the counterpart to the Supermen of Earths One and Two... since no Kal-El/Kal-L arrived from Krypton-S (it apparently blew up with no survivors). On one occasion, the Earth-Two Man of Steel did encounter Captain Marvel and Billy Batson of Earth-S... side-by-side... after they arrived on his world thanks to a teleportation device created by Gootsden, the chief scientist for that Earth's Hitler and his Nazi regime. So while on Earth-One, the separate Billy and Captain Marvel* teamed up with Superman to defeat Black Adam, on Earth-Two the separate Billy and Superman teamed up with other heroes to defeat Captain Marvel!

* The duplicate Captain Marvel which Gootsden split off from Billy Bateson that existed for a few weeks in 1942 Earth-Two mirrored the evil similarly powered Zha-Vam which was created by ancient Roman beings to battle the Earth-One Superman early in his career.

Twice-Told-Tales: Superman Versus Shazam

In one of the most remarkable manifestations of the "Twice-Told-Tale" parallelism between worlds, we present for your consumption the battle of "Superman VS Shazam", golden and bronze age editions (although the latter tale, chronologically, was published years before the former). Since Captain Marvel debutted only a couple years after Superman had himself made history, on and off the pages of comics these two have waged an epic war. In the first decade of their concurrent existence, Marvel reigned supreme in sales, while at the start of their second full decade it was the Man of Steel who won the right to wear the mantle without a chellenger to his comics dominance.

These tales begin with the power mad ravings of to lunatics, whose insane lust for immortality led to pain and heartache for their peoples. While Karmang wished to collide the parallel planets of Earth-One and Earth-S into one another in order the restore his shattered race, Hitler wished to counquer the old and new world of Earth-Two to restore what he believe was his master race. In so doing, this destructive duo created agents to manipulate towards their cause. Karmang revived Quarrmer the Sand Superman and Black Adam the black sheep of the Marvel Family.

In the process, both madmen sent their psuedo-Captain Marvels to attack the Supermen, with the hopes that they could remove such obstacles from the equation and also to deliver a destructive device that would extinguish civilizations other than their own.  During their prolonged battles, it was quite evident that Earth-One's Superman was evenly matched with Captain Marvel, who was also evenly matched with Earth-Two's Superman. After Supes and Cap first fought each other's imitators, Quarrmer and Adam, disguised as their opposite numbers... and the original Supes battled the cloned Cap... a return battle versus the real deal proved a stalemate.

Thankfully for our pair of powerhouse protectors, they had more rationale thinkers of the fairer sex who help their male mates from behind the scenes. Supergirl enlisted Mary Marvel to take the battle to Karmang as they dynamic damsel duo attacked his fortress on Mars-One. This provided the critical distraction necessary for the ladies' remarkable relatives to save their respective worlds.

Decades prior, Wonder Woman saved her native Earth-Two from Mary Marvel's attack on Britain alongside her Justice Society allies as they tackled the Marvel Family. Eventually, the Amazing Amazon and World's Mightiest Girl along with Superman and Captain Marvel saved the day!

Fawcett's Finest: Whiz-Bang Gang #2

Throughout the golden age, it was evident that Captain Marvel pretty much got along with all the other courageous crusading chaps on his native Earth-S, must as the Supermen had on their own worlds. However, for Cap it was a bit more personal with a few as evident on this occasion when he met up with Ibis the Invincible and Golden Arrow in the offices of Whiz Comics. Apparently, the publishers were tipped off on an important adventure that would reveal prominent spies of the Axis Powers which would be revealed in the next issue. Joined by Spy Smasher, this foursome would protect Fawcett Comics of their dimension and insure the next issue was published. Also, Ibis and Arrow teaming up foreshadow the Green Lantern/Green Arrow pair.

Two more recorded occasions were chronicled when our Whiz-Bang Gang would bump into each other, once when Marvel played an advice columnist and another time when they support Cap's attempt to ascertain the age of his grown up version in order to help his boss out of a pinch.

Fawcett's Finest: Whiz-Bang Gang #1

Although the dominant team of superheroes during the 1940's... really during any era on Earth-S... were the Marvel Family, they weren't alone In fact, the Marvels themselves mixed company with their costumed compatriots from time to time. During a gala in Fawcett City, the Big Red Cheese drew a courageous quartet as featured guests, proving the Captain Marvel wasn't the only game in town  From the high seas to the high plains came Lance O'Casey and Golden Arrow.  And, drapped over their arrms by their lovely girlfrends Eve Corby and Princess Taia were Spy Smasher and Ibis the Invincble. Alas, there was to be a couple more guests, of the nefarious kind, to spoil this occasion.

The ever scheming Doctor Sivana, wishing to quell his daughter Beautia's heartbroken state from being rejected by his arch-foe Captain Marvel, transformed crackpot scientist Professor Edgewise into a younger version of himself. Unfortunately, an unintended side effect was turning the now chiseled charlatan into a stark raving lunatic. Nevertheless, Sivana used this to his advantage, strapping explosives to Edgewise and sending him into the auditorium where Fawcett's Finest were performing for their patrons. Hoping this would finally remove him of his good-two-shoes enemies, instead he found his potential son-in-law defeated and reverted back to his normal age after confronting this awesome assemblage of awesome avengers. While this would be a footnote on Earths One and Two, where massive amounts of metahumans like the Legion of Super-Heroes and All-Star Squadron met up at the drop of a hat, the Earth-S folks were a bit more modest.

Fawcett's Finest: World's Finest...Almost...

Speak of the World's Finest team on either Earths One or Two, and you are undoubtedly referring to Superman and Batman, who experienced several adventures side-by-side. Throw in Robin on some of those cases, and if you have a triumphant triad. Alas, Earth-S never had the same success with its Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel, and Dynamic Duo, Mister Scarlet and Pinky. Their first recorded meeting, in fact, was an accidental occurence that simply caused the pair to feel all the more deflated and dejected as the also-rans they ended up becoming in the golden age. Still, they at least had similar color schemes going for them which made them aesthetically pleasing in a pure fashion sense. Or maybe not!

If there were more meetings during the 1940s between these three crimson crusaders, these tales have been left unchronicled. Still, the fact that Mr. Scarlet at least started out in the relatively unknown burg of Gotham City (which Marvel hadn't heard of when asked if there was one on Earth-S by Earth-Two's Green Lantern) while Cap was the stalwart protector of Fawcett City, they rarely had occasion to bump into each other. And  its not like Scarlet and Pinky could hop into their Red Rocket and jet over to see the Big Red Chesse, they hadn't the money even for a mode of transport aside from their legs and some handy lines to swing on between rooftops.

At least Cap had the courtesy to invite the duo to a commemoration bestowed upon the Marvel Family by a grateful public... although all present were captured in Suspendium and kept unaged and unmoving for decades to reappear in a modern era were they could teamup officially in the Squadron of Justice. And it definitely seemed like Fawcett was "REDdy" to have a pair of dynamic duos teamup in the their second "W" book. However, being as how their first, Whiz Comics, was home of Cap and Wow Comics was home of Scarlet and Pinky as well Mary after her initial debut... well they didn't have enough space for a monthly feature. More is the pity, for had they have been a World's Finest team, perhaps Billy could've gotten the crimson crusaders employment at his television station? Maybe Mary and Pinky could've explored deeper feelings between the two of them? Who knows???

Fawcett's Finest: Mightiest Mortals

The greatest heroes of their respective worlds, there are numerous points of comparison between the Supermen and Captain Marvel. However, it should be noted that both Earths One and Two had their own Billy Batson, albeit each was powerless. On Earth-S, Billy's alter ego of the Captain was a separate entity, as each spoke to the other as individuals numerous times. While the first and foremost protector on their planets, these men manifested singular courage and conviction unmatched even among their noble peers of the day. As to their similarities:

• Their powers included superhuman strength, superspeed, flight, invulnerability, astute senses, vast intelligence.
• While the Supermen had heat vision as an outlet of energy, Marvel had his lightning bolts which he used on occasion in battles.
• Each wear costumes consisting of flowing capes, defining chest emblams, and red and yellow in their color scheme (Cap missing Supes' blue, however).
• As youths these heroes were orphans who were later adopted or overseen by kind elderly couples.
• In their civilian identities they were journalist, with Earth-One's Clark Kent joining Billy as a televised newsman.
• After becoming legends, they met their long lost females who were their closest living relatives and epic heroines.
• Their arch-foes were fiendish scientists, as well as having unliving duplicates made of all three of them.
• The cities that hosted this triumphant triad, the Metropolis of Earths One and Two and Fawcett City of Earth-S, were legendary.
• Each was a founding member of his world's leading team of superheroes, and inspired generations of other champions.

And this is just scratching the surface...

The Supermen of Two Worlds: Supermen Meet Sivana

On their next encounter, the Men of Steel unintentionally teamed up when a menace from a third Earth invaded their own. Initially, Doctor Thadeus Bogus Sivana forsook his native Earth-S for the seemingly green pastures of Earth-One to challenge its native Superman, no doubt informed of that world from fellow fiend Mister Mind who had recently encounter that world's Lex Luthor briefly.

After a quick defeat and retreat, Sivana's next plan was to siphon off powers from his arch-enemy Captain Marvel, thus becoming Captain-Major-General Sivana. Once he dealt with Cap and his colleagues Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior, Sivana decided to also vanquish Superman. However, instead of Kal-El he faced Kal-L, and swiftly dealt both Kals decisive blows. Only thanks to the timely intervention of Captain Marvel who saved Kal-El, and Kal-El who then saved Kal-L, were all parties retrieved from the deadly traps left them by the brilliant bald bad-guy.

It should be noted that, having witnesses Sivana's battles with both Supermen, Cap knew already off Earth-Two's Metropolis Marvel from their testy encounter on that planet during World War II when he was a minion of Hitler. Though the two heroes eventually joined forces once Cap's mind was cleared up, they never built a friendly relationship as had Earth-One's Man of Tomorrow and Earth-S Big Red Cheese. Mores the pity, for even though Kal-L and Billy Batson were products of the 1940's, it was Sivana's own Suspendium gas that preserved a youthful Marvel Family into the bronze age of heroes, when Earth-One's super-set first appeared. Hence, there was a significant age difference between the others and the elder Clark Kent.

And all three would be drawn together one final time for an epic battle that would cost one of them dearly in ways none of them could imagine....