Syndicate Superheroes: Criminals No More

The Crime Syndicate were the prominent team of super-humans on Earth-Three, there world's version of the Justice League, Justice Society, Squadron of Justice and Sentinels of Justice. However, unlike those mightiest heroes of Earths One, Two, S and Four... the Syndicate weren't heroes. At least, that's not how they began, nor how they portrayed themselves throughout most of their existence on Earth-Three. They were a highly successful quintet of supervillains who plundered their planet, successfully defeating every threat who opposed them from their world. The Rogue Hunters, and perhaps other similarly stylized high-tech bounty hunters, provided them a challenge throughout the years. Still, only the League and Society were able to vanquish these felons, exiling them for years within interdimensional limbo.

When they eventually escaped their prison and returned home, they each met Earth-Three's first native born superhero, Alex Luthor. The genius inventor, armed with his technologically advanced suit of armor, was able to temporarily stave off the plans of the individual Syndicators. Nevertheless, the five villains were able to repeatedly build upon their ill-gotten gains. Yet something had seemingly changed.

Perhaps it was years of reflection, as to the admiration the League and Society earned by their Earth's inhabitants for their heroic exploits. Perhaps it was due to Alex Luthor's timeless persistent had opposing them. Or perhaps, it was the threat of their world ending during during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Regardless, by the time the anti-matter waves of destructive energy threated Earth-Three during the Crisis, it was the Syndicate who attempted to save as many lives as possible. As the Monitor mentioned, these five were now heroes which he planned to recruit in his strategy to defeat his arch-enemy, the Anti-Monitor... and save the Multiverse.

However, as each Syndicators as well as Alex and Lois Luthor perished with their universe, Monitor recruited replacements to take their place in his mission. Instead of Ultraman, it was his counterpart Superman of Earth-Two. In place of Power Ring, it was another emerald gladiator in the Green Lantern named John Stewart of Earth-One. Rather than the dark knight mental manipulator Owlman, it was the the emotional shadowcast Obsidan of Earth-Three. And substituting for Amazonian Super Woman and super-speedster Johnny Quick was Outsider Geo-Force and Teen Titan Cyborg.

Mentally Manipulating Mathematics Maliciously Mold Minds

Mathematic formulas have unique powers within the Multiverse, manifesting in differing ways depending of the universe they exist within, and that realm’s specific physics. Within Earth-One’s reality this includes the formulas generated by dialing H-Dials, while Earth-Two’s reality operates under a different principle where one can simply utter such a math formula. 

Then there is the unique Anti-Life Formula, which can take away a society’s collective willpower, allowing the person possessing this formula to dominate the minds of a people. Darkseid of the extra-dimensional planet Apokolips sought this formula on Earth-One, attempting to capture select individuals each possessing a portion of it. 

One of Grodd’s intelligent minions from Gorilla City journeyed from that world to Earth-Two, utilizing a weapon upon Johnny Chambers allowing the gorilla to mentally manipulate the reporter’s mind*. This caused him to utter an altered version of his speed formula, “3x2(9yz)4ax”. This “X” factor unleashed an evil attitude within Chambers, as he transformed into the super speedster known as Johnny Quick. Thankfully, the effects were temporary.

The sinister simian’s gun may have channeled the Force of Mind which Grodd and his arch-enemy, Gorilla City leader Solovar, each possess. This mind-control may itself be a version of the Anti-Life Formula, one also possessed by Grodd’s Earth-Two counterpart Ultra-Humanite.

One other variation of a power-inducing formula was that conceived by the evil Doctor Thaddeus Sivana. He found the key combination of number and letters to access the fourth dimension, becoming intangible!

* This also caused Johnny to forget he had previously met, and worked with, the Flash... when they were members of the All-Star Squadron!

Fantastic Fleet-Footed Formula Folks

Johnny Quick and Bill the Magnificent, two super speedsters distinct fro their fellow fleet footed peers on that their powers were derived by what they said. For newsreel journalist Johnny Chambers, the mathematical formula he uttered was “3x2(9yz)4a”. For copyboy Bill Hanson, the grammatical phrase he uttered was “jeepers  creepers”. While Chambers’ formula granted him superhuman speed, a protective aura and the power of flight… Hanson’s phrase bequeathed him with superhuman speed, invulnerability and unbelievable strength.

As Johnny Quick, Chambers (like his Earth-One counterpart Wally “Kid Flash” West) would use his speed both for solo adventures and working alongside the Flash and other superheroes. Quick had teammates in the All-Star Squadron of Earth-Two (as has Kid Flash with the New Teen Titans). Meanwhile, Bill the Magnificent worked alone, although contemporaneous with another speedster in Kid Eternity and his friends in the Marvel Family of Earth-S.

Johnny Quick’s Hidden Power to Dial “H” for Hero

Photojournalist John Chambers had been raised by genius mathematician Professor Gill, who discovered an ancient scroll with a special formula “3X2(9YZ)4A“. Uttering this series of number and letters grants one the ability to travel at superhuman speeds. As he was nearing death, Gill entrusted this formula to his protégée, who used it as the superheroic speedster Johnny Quick. 

With these powers, Quick rivaled the Flash as one of the fastest men alive, and joined the All-Star Squadron. There he met his future wife Libby “Liberty Belle” Lawrence, whom he a whirlwind romance culminating in marriage. Sadly, their relationship wouldn’t last, although his career as Quick did or several years to come.

On one adventure, while protecting his home of Earth-Two, Johnny was captured by aliens and taken aboard their spacecraft to their native world. On that planet, his powers didn’t work correctly, although Chamber’s superfast mind allowed him to conceive of other power enhancing skills derived from various mathematical formulas.

This was reminiscent of the H-Dial found and used by young Robby Reed, granting him a wide array of meta-human powers. Among these abilities, he became the projectile persona Human Bullet, the dynamic digger the Mole, the zooming zipster Human Comet, the ginormous  grower Giant Boy, the shape shifting Plastic Man, the phenomenal physique Muscle Man. These were just a few examples of Robby’s various tremendous talents during his short yet notable career as several costumed crusaders. Reed's H-Dial turned him evil as the Master, battling Vicki Grant and Chris King, two children granted similar dials.

Chambers likewise had similar diverse powers, from the following formulas:

• 7X7(3XY)-(4XY)-(5KY) turned him into a projectile persona.

• (5XY)2C-3C-4C-5C turned him into a dynamic digger.

• (7QZ)4Z-(8QZ)52-(9QZ)62 turned him into a zooming zipster.

• (4QY)6Y…(5QY)7Y…(6QY)8Y turned him into ginormous giant.

• D(19X)…L20…L22…L22 turned him into a shape shifting shrinker.

• X4(19B)-1X5(19C) turned him into a phenomenal physique.

However, as Johnny states, it might be the unique atmosphere of this alien world granting him different powers. When his counterpart Wally “Kid Flash” West travelled to the alien realm of Dimension X with the Teen Titans, he maintained his superspeed and didn’t gain any new powers. 

It seems Robby’s heroic alter egos’ doppelgänger Burp the Twerp gained his various powers through mechanical means. Although conjecture has led to the possibility that Burp was a cartoon brought to life by cartoonist Scribbly Jibbet, using technology similar to that developed by the criminal known as Funny Face. This felon was himself a failed cartoonist unable to “bring to life” his creations in the printed page yet invented the bio-ray projector which could transform 2-dimension drawing into 3-dimensional automatons. These entities could think and operator based on their creators’ designs, and employed the various attributes and abilities attributed to them in their published adventures.

There is a possible mathematical correlation between Johnny’s speed formula and the other power-additive formulas he stumbled upon, and that which spawned Scribbly and Funny Face’s cartoon characters.

Flying Photo-Journalists: The Other Relentless Redhead Reporters

Jimmy Olsen, a name synonymous with relentless redheaded reporters. While multiple versions of the "Action Ace", Jimmy's predominant nickname, existed... the two most notable were the Daily Planet's Jimmy of Earth-One and the Daily Star's Jimmy of Earth-Two. Each young lad grew into manhood, fullfilling a lifelong goal of being a renowned reporter. Each focus, at least at first, on photojournalism. As the go-to photographer of their respective newspapers, the Olsens over time earned the trust of their editors-in-chief, Perry White and George Taylor, to transition into well-regarded writers as well.

A key factor towards the success of each Jimmy was his friendship with coworkers Lois Lane and Clark Kent, who were seasoned journalists that groomed them over time. In addition, both Olsens became well known as becoming the best friends of their worlds' Supermen, whom they assisted in various adventures... becoming something of sidekicks to the Men of Steel. While the Earth-Two Jimmy had only his wits and his natural skills to aid him, the Earth-One Jimmy also had several temporary superhuman powers gifted to him by his friend Professor Potter from time-to-time.

The Earth-One Jimmy had one other secret to his success, a miniaturized lookalike of himself from the bottled city of Kandor. Kandor had been shrunked by the amoral android Brainiac from the doomed planet Krypton-One, and later retrieved by Superman where he placed it in his Fortress of Solititude. In gratitude for all his help, the Kandorians created a couple specialized Squads of select citizens from among them. Although each member was tiny, these individuals of the Superman Emergency and Lookalike Squad proved invaluable at times to both Kal-El in both his Superman and Clark Kent identities, and those of his friends in Metropolis.

Among these, Zol-Lar proved especially adept at being an apt superpowered substitute for Jimmy, whom he looked like. When temporarily enlarged, Zol-Lar would impersonate Jimmy while flying at superspeed. On Earth-Two, in place of Zol-Lar, there was another redhaired photojournalist named Tubby Watts who also on possessed superhuman speed and flight. Using the speed formula 3X2(9YZ)4A which his pal Johnny Chambers used, Tubby was able to pinch hit for Chamber's alter ego Johnny Quick on occasion. 

While not as physically fit as his world's Jimmy, Tubby's appearance matched the temporarily overweight Jimmy of Earth-One. And more importantly, Tubby was just as faithful and tenacious, both in reporting the truth and helping his heroic best friend to expose evildoers.

Hateful Helmets Hindering Heroes

While some superhuman abilities are caused by internalizing exposure to environmental conditions, that cause these metahuman gifts to be inherent in the hero or villain, sometimes the catalyst for such power originates from an outside source. Think the heroic Green Lantern's power ring... or the villianous Power Ring's power ring! In fact, it is that villain's teammates in the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three who heavily relied on devices that harnessed energies that gave their owners amazing abilities.

Two such teammates developed helmets granted them such skills. Johnny Quick had two speed-helmets that embued him with a superspeed physique comparable with Barry Allen of Earth-One and Jay Garrick of Earth-Two, the Flash of Two Worlds. This helmet gave the speed of thought to its wearer, and was similar in principle to the helmets worn by Barry's foe Brain Storm and Jay's foe the Thinker.

Owlman's vast mental skills to manipulate the minds of others presumably originated from his own Owl-Cowl, and was similar to that worn by his counterpart Batman's foe Mister Esper and the foe of Earth-Two's Sandman and Sandy... as well as the versions word by Axel "Brain Storm" Storm of Earth-One and Clifford "Thinker" Devoe of Earth-Two. In each instances, Owlman's helmet and those of Earths One and Two were used to terrorize the Gotham City of three universes!

The Second Fastest Men of Two Earths: Or Maybe Quicker?

While Barry Allen and Jay Garrick have gained the notoriety as the Fastest Men of their respective worlds, there has never been an actual race wherein this pair competed head-to-head... or rather... foot-to-foot, with this pair. 

For Wally West, nephew of Barry's wife Iris, his speed came from another freak bolt of lightning shattering a cabinet of chemicals like has happened with Allen earlier. Adopting an alias in honor of Barry's Flash alter ego, as Kid Flash Wally eventually joined the Teen Titans before learning that his abilities were slowly killing his maturing body. Also, the origin of his abilities was suspicious given that Barry gained his from his future energized body from the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

For Johnny Quick, it was through the speed formula 3x2(9yz)4a which gave him temporary bursts of superhuman abilities. Although this was only one of several alphanumeric formulas that gave residents of his universe superpowers, photojournalist Johnny Chambers harnessed this gift into a long career both solo and alongside the All-Star Squadron. His body never deteriorated from the speed force as had Wally since it had been fully developed, and since this energy wasn't a permanent facet of his physique as with West.

Would the adult Kid Flash, after having been given a boost of immunization from Uncle Barry's lightning form, been as fast as his mentor... or even faster? Would Johnny Quick, had his super speeding momentum not lent itself towards causing him to fly at a slower pace, enabled him to perhaps beat Jay in a footrace? Perhaps we will never know.

Dial "Q" for Quick: Spelling + Math Equals Adventure!

Robby Reed came upon an alien dial which, when he learned to transcribe it, allowed him to "Dial 'H' for Hero", or so the saying goes. Johnny Chambers acquired from his guardian Professor Gill the means to access a formula making him a superhero. These various formulas in Earth-Two's universe provided a wide range of superhuman abilities, similar to the dial's letter combinations would on Earth-One. However, it was another individual who mirrored Reed in all his strange forms, just as another crimefighter had mirrored Quick's speed superheroics. 

Robby's counterpart on Earth-Two, was young artist SScribbly Jibbet and his wondrously wacky and weird fictional creation known as "Burp the Twerp" aka the Super Son-of-a-Gun. While not relying on a formula like Johnny Quick or Mister Reed, the variety of superhuman abilities manifested by Burp was matched only by Robby. The origin of Burp's powers has never been revealed, although it was later shown that he and his world's Plastic Man had met on at least two occasions while comparing their powers. Although Burp could shapechange into elastic forms as well as displaying powers of other superheroes, his lack on intellect drew his attention away from serious use of his gifts to protect others. As for Johnny's cosmic twin, that would've been the equally quick speedster known as Kid Flash, nephew of Earth-One's Flash.

Robby once transformed into the Earth-One version of Plastic Man. On a later occasion, Reed’s evil persona manifested as a faux Plastic Man who battled the original pliable protector of his world. Robby later split into a hero and villain persona, before regaining his sanity after giving H-dials to two other teens... Chris King and Vicki Grant. 

Various alphabetic and alphanumeric combinations allowed these Robby and Johnny to become something more. Among these were the following awesome abilities:

H.E.R.O. and 3X2(9YZ)4A  unleashed superhuman power for good. 

O.R.E.H. and Z25Y(2AB)6 returned an individual to normal again, 

V.I.L.L.I.A.N. and 3X2(9YZ)4AX turned one into an evil superhuman.

H.O.R.R.O.R. and 4G-7E(3X3W)6X gave one a monstrous physique.

H.E.R.O.I.N.E. and ZYM04N13/1 always granted temporary powers.

S.P.L.I.T. and 5x3(99ZY)444AB provides extra abilities.

H-I-D-E-Y-O-U-R-S-S-E-L-F and 6x4(18yz)8A - helps to conceal these formulas’ powers.

Several undocumented combinations yielded similar effects.

After a series of adventures, Reed gained amnesia after he had saved Earth-One from destruction by dialing S.P.L.I.T. in order to become two individuals, the Wizard who flew off to defeat the villain behind the death trap, and the Master who ingeniously deactivated the global bomb. It was then realized by both individuals that the Wizard possessed all of Reed's inherent good, and the Master all his inherent evil. While the Wizard developed two more power dials like Robby's original dial, the Master slayed his good-nature clone. An evil seed then took root.

These two power dials ended up in the hands of Vicki Grant and Chris King, a pair of high school students in Fairfax who had a more substantial career in their various H-Dial alter egos than had Reed himself. Later, they discovered that they were heirs to a legacy, the locket that she wore and the watch that he wore originated from Robby Reed himself. As the Master, Reed attempted to reclaim both H-Dials using artifically created supervillains, before finally coming to his senses and forsaking evil. Any further career Vicky and Chris had as superheroes would be shortlived.

On Earth-Two, the power couple was the infants known as Sugar and Spike. Born Sugar Plumm and Cecil "Spike" Wilson, the blonde haired girl and red haired boy were instant friends since their first meeting in 1956. Dozens of their adventures, or rather mis-adventures*, were chronicled until 1971, and on a few occasions the pair briefly gained superhuman powers. For instance, on one occasion they were subjected to a size-altering ray that could shrink or enlarge them, another time to a volume X which gave Spike abilities comparable to those of Superman. On yet another occasion, a young brilliant frenemy of theirs developed a Tornado Tot costume for himself, which the kids borrowed while pretending to be the new superhero.

Tornado Tot was no doubt inspired by a previous superhero, Ma Hunkle aka the Red Tornado, who had operated in their neighborhood back in the early 1940s. In fact, Sugar and Spike eventually met the lad who told her tales through his artwork, Scribby Jibbett, who was now himself a father to Scribby Junior whom they met one fine day on the beach. While the devices they stumbled upon were seemingly unrelated, they were perhaps based on the same premise as Johnny Quick's mathematical formula. As for these kids, they later grew up to become professional investigators of strange phenomenon, perhaps inspired by their own past.

* As far-fetched as some of Sugar and Spike’s toddler tales were, this was matched by those of the younger versions of the Earth-One Superman and Wonder Woman, when they were Superbaby and Wonder Tot in Smallville and Paradise Island.

Superfoes Week: Lightning Does Strike Twice!

Emilio Storme was a scientist with a dangerous obsession towards Superman of Earth-One. He was a robotics scientist, while having a hobby finding methods to manipulate the weather. Storme first adopted the alter ego of Whirlicane using tornado styled equipment to allow him to spin at intense velocities, creating various chaotic climatic events which he used in his criminal career as a masked malcontent. Despite the tremendous power at his command, Whirlicane was swiftly defeated and captured by Superman.

Robot Master was a cybernetic criminal scientist who developed a robotic version the the King of Speed, Johnny Quick. When he sent his creation on a crime wave, he attracted the attention of the real Quick himself. Jet propelled and radio controlled, the robot replica was slower than the original, yet because it could emit electricity from its inner circuitry it was capable of stunning Johnny during their first conflict.

Storme was later paroled and released into the custody of S.T.A.R. Laboratories, although this time you used the Labs’ resources to developed an android with two physical and psychological settings, as Lightning and Thunder. During this second encounter with Superman, Storme's android self destructed when it was revealed the true nature of being, which seemingly also destroying his master Emilio himself.

During their match, Johnny Quick used water to short out Robot Quick, then disguised himself as his cybernetic twin. This led to Quick bringing Robot Master and his henchmen to justice, and putting an end to all mechanized Monarchs of Motion. However, another Cybernetic Cyclone would appear decades later to menace humanity.

This occured when the Earth-One inventor turned criminal Thomas Oscar Morrow fled capture by migrating to Earth-Two. There, using a future version of Hourman's Crime Caster when the villain reconstructed and twisted to his sinister schemes, T.O. Morrow was gifted with the technology necessary to created a new type of android. This mechanized man, whom he labeled the Red Tornado, possessed cyclonic capabilities. This creature was used by Morrow as a weapon against the Justice Society...and later... Justice League, until Red Tornado turned upon his creator and joined the Society.

Ironically, when Whirlicane and his Lightning/Thunder android encountered Superman, the hero didn't enlist the aid Red Tornado. That android had migrated to Earth-One and joined the League, and no doubt would have been informed by his teammate of Storme's artificial life form!

Fawcett's Finest: Fastest Men Alive

The Fastest Man Alive. On at least three of the parallel planets in adjacent universes, three men were labeled by this term: Barry Allen, Jay Garrick and the man who would be Johnny Quick. However, as revealed upon reviewing data obtained from the Multiverse, the heroine Donna Troy aka Wonder Girl learned of the existence of a Flash on each Earth.

Some more famous than others, some noble while others infamous, each with different strengths and weaknesses both in ability as well as character. Nevertheless, every incarnation of the Flash was a necessary component in the fabric of his own distinct dimension's diorama.

On Earth-One, Barry Allen was charged with superspeed force when a bolt of lightning shattered chemicals that splashed upon him, becoming the Flash.

On Earth-Two, Jay Garrick had succumbed to the powerfully potent fumes of hard water which mutated his body to react as superspeed as the Flash.

On Earth-Three, a malcontent criminal obtained a powerful helmet that while wearing it provided him superfast powers as the evil Johnny Quick. 

On Earth-S, Kit Freeman as Kid Eternity accessed his world's speed force...Eternity... allowing him to call upon heroic Mercury and Thjalfi often. 

On Earth-D, Tanaka Rei gained superhuman speed through undisclosed means whereby he adopted an alias of that of his comicbook idol the Flash.

On Earth-X, an individual under the employee of Nazi Germany was provided abilities comparable to the speedsters then quickly disappeared. 

On Earth-Four, the Crisis on Infinite Earths prevented the appearance of its own potential fleet fighter who would've debuted at some point thereafter. 

On Earth-Six, on a world that had as its premier protectors as their Monarchy it was only natural that their scarlet speedster himself would be a knight. 

On Earth-Twelve, Mister Cramer attained the flying and superspeed abilities of the Freedom Brigade's Captain Swift, father of Inferior Five's Blimp.

During a Crisis on three worlds, Kid Etnerity called upon Mercury to assemble heroes from his Earth-S as well as Earths One and Two. Among these were Barry Allen and Jay Garrick, who as the Flash sped alongside Kid's swift alter ego. And it would be Mercury who founded the second incarnation of the Squadron of Justice, mirroring the Justice League and Justice Society.

Super Speedsters: 2nd Fastest Men Alive

Okay, we know whom the Fastest Men Alive are... Barry Allen the Flash and Jay Garrick the Flash from Earths One and Two, respectively. And the second fastest would have to be Wally West and Johnny Chambers, better known as Kid Flash and Johnny Quick.

Each clad in red and yellow... interestingly their color schemes are almost inverted from one another.

These twin lads had scores of tales on their own and alongside fellow costumed crusaders. Alongside each Flash, this pair were able to strut their stuff at superspeed giving their more famous contemporaries a run for their money.

Each young man had a fiery temperament at times and each loved dating blonde gals that emitted energy (Magenta and Liberty Belle).

Both joined heroic teams known as the Teen Titans and All-Star Squadron, and while Kid Flash was the Barry's sidekick Johnny was a sometime partner of Jay in mutual cases. Quick would establish himself as more of an independent superhero, since he was nearly the same age as Garrick, while Kid Flash would become the Flash once he became an adult and Barry perished during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Both Kid and Quick later aided the respective Flashs on the same case, as each were influenced by that machinations of the dimensionally trapped Gorilla Grodd. However, unlike the Flash's, neither Wally nor Johnny pierced the dimensional barrier to encounter one another... perhaps due to the fact that they may have been unaware with the other's existence. Regardless, had they have ran side-by-side in some undocumented adventure, no doubt their similarities would've been made manifest very quickly.

As far as is known, however, the two never directly met until the Crisis on Infinite Earths brought heroes from both worlds together to battle assembled villains such as Grodd and even greater dangers that threatened the Multiverse!