Crisis on Finitie Earths - One and Two - and their Cosmic Energies

Prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths, there were other incidents were Earths One and Two were very nearly eliminated. Two such occasions were in 1978 on Earth-One and 1972 on Earth-Two, involving temporal displacement.

An unknown alien entity sought to use Earth-One as a projectile aimed at the world of its race's enemies. With the combined efforts of the Justice League, Teen Titans, Metal Men and various other heroes including the visiting Inferior Five of Earth-Twelve, the heroes loosened the grip of the alien's massive ship, with assorted historical allies restored to their native eras.

A massive cosmic hand, consisting of nebulous energy, gripped Earth-Two while threatening its survival. Its creator, the Iron Hand, demanded absolute rulership of her world as payment for its salvation. With the combined efforts of the Justice Society, Seven Soldiers of Victory... also known as Law's Legionnaires, and the visiting Justice League of Earth-One... the heroes were able to destroy this hand after retrieving those Legionnaires scattered throughout history. 

The means of doing this was the construction of a Nebula Rod, a type of "lightning rod" device that could be used against entities or objects composed of Nebuloid energies. Decades earlier, the Seven Soldiers originally designed the Nebula Rod for use against the extraterrestrial threat named Nebula Man. Through some undisclosed means, the heroes were able to ascertain the creature's origins and nature of its being. However, due to the volitile nature of this energy, both Nebula Man and the Legionnaire equipped with the rod would be destroyed. While that person, Wing, gave his life to save Earth-Two, the spacial displacement of Nebuloid energy sent his teammates through time and space... until the Society and League retrieved them years later.

A comparable type of energy on the Justice League's Earth were Zeta-Beams, which could bend time and space. While the true nature of the stasis field used by the mystery alien in 1978 wasn't identified, interestingly this conflict pulled Adam Strange into the battle. Strange had been exposed multiple times throughout the years to Zeta-Beams, which teleported him to the planet Rann-One and back to Earth-One on several occasions. This Zeta energy was also known to allow those riding its waves to travel through time as well.

With no record of Zeta-Beams existing in Earth-Two's universe, and no Nebulous energy existing in Earth-One's universe, it seems likely due to varying physics of these parallel realities, these were divergent manifestations of the same teleportational effect.

And in fact Zeta-Beams and Nebuloid energy wasn’t the only fantastical forces unique to these two universes. The Emerald Energy discovered and harnessed by the Guardians of Earth-One’s Universe and the Q-Force harnessed by the residents of planet Myrg in Earth-Two’s universe were each distinct to their native dimensions. While the emerald energy originating from planet Oa could solidify light constructs while Q-Force manipulated mass and gravitational fields, they each were complimentary forces.

Early in the history of both universes, the Guardians extracted and expelled the chaotic elements of their Emerald Energy, unleashing it in Earth-Two’s dimension. This caused the Q-Force to lose its dominance in its own reality. Eons later, it would then be Q-Force’s turn to be unleashed upon Earth-One’s reality. What effect either of these forces had on the Zeta and Nebuloid forces in each universe is unknown, although both seemed immune to adverse affects when mingled together.

Fantastic Four Supports Seven Soldiers

Shortly after an their adventure alongside the Justice Society of America, wherein they assisted them in recovering their fellow All-Stars missing since the golden age of mystery men, the Justice League returned to Earth-One. That is, all save three Leaguers who remained on Earth-Two, who were tasked with what Hawkman said was: “helping the Seven Soldiers adjust to the world of the present”! Why?

In the early 1950’s, the Seven... also known as Law's Legionnaires, gathered together for one final case as a group. On that occasion, atop the Himalayas, they along with their unofficial eight member Wing, battled the Nebula Man monster. Assembling a Nebula Rod that destroyed the create, a side effect was Wing's death, while his teammates were sent to various past time periods. From these eras, various members of the JLA and JSA retrieves the Legionnaires, bringing them back to the 20th century although decades after they disappeared. Thanks to their reappearance, the Soldiers were able to save Earth-Two!

Undoubtedly, the Society also aided the Soldiers in their transition from the 50’s to the 70's. However, those three Leaguers: Aquaman, Atom and Black Canary; these three had special purpose that necessitated their temporary presence in that alternate universe.

At least one of the Soldiers was given one-on-one assistance by a Socialite, as Starman took an immediate interest in his fellow stellar superhero, Star-Spangled Kid. In fact, when he later broke his leg, Starman lent the Kid his Cosmic Rod to use. And it would be this device, along with his knowledge of the Nebula Rod, that helped the Kid create his Cosmic Converter Belt.

The Legionnaire known as Shining Knight would have little difficulty readjusting to a new decade, as he had previously experienced a frozen sleep that lasted over a thousand years removed from his native time in Camelot. He and his flying steed Winged Victory simply acclimated to yet another new time period.

Apparently, although sent to save Star-Spangled Kid from the prehistoric past, something drew Aquaman's attention toward the Legionnaire referred to as the Vigilante. Perhaps with his telepathic abilities, the marine marvel was able to perceive some melancholy in the cowboy crusader. One thing they both had in common were beloved sidekicks who were surrogate sons, that they had grown distant from. While the emotional rift between Aquaman and his young partner Aqualad eventually mended, at the time of this tale it was still a fresh wound.

And if history parallels on both Earths, then this Vigilante would soon discover the tragedy that befell his sidekick Stuff. On Earth-One, after that Vigilante returned from a mysterious years-long absence, he learned of the death of his world's Stiff., who had been murdered by his arch-enemy the Dummy.

Honorary League member Metamorpho would have had a positive influence on Stripesy, the senior partner of the Kid. The Element Man would no doubt encourage Stripesy into settling down into a normal life and get married, something Metamorpho longed to do if ever cured from his inhuman condition. Stripesy later mentioned that he retreated into a new life with a wife and son on the other side of the United States... retiring from heroics… something he wasn’t inclined to do before meeting his new League acquaintance.

The Atom had first encountered Legionnaire Crimson Avenger in ancient Mexico, when the hero was under the influence of a fragment of the Nebula Man. Radiating with power from the radioactive rock, Crimson Avenger had battled Atom as well as Elongated Man and Doctor Fate, until they defeated him and he regained his senses. However, there was undoubtedly a concern as to the physical effects of Avenger's close proximity to the alien substance, which Atom sought to investigate using his scientific knowledge and experience with dangerous white dwarf radiation.

And indeed, his concern was borne out, as the Crimson while traveling the world as Lee Travis, discovered he now had cancer. With time running out, he resumed his costumed career for one final adventure. Sadly, if Atom discovered the root cause, he was unable to prevent the resulting effect.

And finally, there was Black Canary, a native of Earth-Two. She would perhaps feel inclined to help Vigilante, whom she helped save from the old west. However, she would've instead sought out the Legionnaires' ace archers, Green Arrow and Speedy. And given her recent history with her adopted world's versions of the pair of bowmen, one can see why this is a logical choice for her.

Throughout the years, the romantic relationship between Canary and the Earth-One Arrow usually involved her being the voice of reason, given his stubborn and opinionate point of view on life. This made him a better man, and would carry over with his adopted ward.

That ward, Speedy, had succumbed to drug abuse and addiction, despite having a storied career alongside his mentor and as a member of the Teen Titans. Canary in her Dinah Lance identity helped the lad recover over time.

Now on her home world of Earth-Two, Dinah saw a more mild and reserved Green Arrow, and a very frightened Speedy given his experience in ancient Greece when he temporarily lost his grip on humanity. 

She seemed a stabilizing influence, as the pair retired to reclaim their lives as Oliver Queen and Roy Harper. While the Earth-One Oliver and Roy had lost the fortune that supported them, causing them to live more modest lives and persist in their masked escapades... this wasn't the case for the Earth-Two pair. Those two ex-Legionnaires never acclaim resumed their more famous alter egos, aside from the occasional reunion with their teammates and during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Although Roy felt torment later during the Crimson Avenger's funeral due to their displacement in time, he did not revert to substance abuse as had his cosmic twin. Instead, he dealt with the harsh realities life had presented him with. The Teen Titan Roy, also at a funeral, felt some indignation for the abandonment of his former guardian Oliver, and would once more become Speedy in order to prove that he had regained control of his life once more.

Titanic Teams: Outside the Law

Not every group could be the World's Greatest Superhero team. Nor a team of teens. Nor a monolithic membership in the dozens. However, these twin teams have something the others lacked, a gritty determination to prove themselves despite the odds being stacked against them, for which they succeeded.

The Outsiders was formed when Batman left for Markovia to free his friend Lucius Fox, held hostage by that nation's dictator Baron Bedlam. Recruiting Metamorpho and Black Lightning, two mem who rejected Justice League membership, the trio encountered another terrific triad: Katana, Geo-Force and young Halo. Seeing the need to have a team of Outsiders working outside the normal bounds of superheroics, the Dark Knight relocated his five teammates along with their ally scientist Helga Jace to his Gotham City headquarters beneath Wayne Foundation where this group battled many foes over a span of years. 

Law's Legionnaires were a band of brothers in a sense that they all had a common purpose, defeating the criminal hordes of their day. While not headliners like their peers of the Justice Society, they more than measured up with their tenacity and determination. Consisting of Vigilante, Green Arrow with sidekick Speedy, Crimson Avenger, Shining Knight, Stripesy and the Star-Spangled Kid... oh and the Avenger's partner Wing tagged along from time-to-time. This team also had several adventures versus a variety of villains for some years. Then they disappeared to reappear in modern times.

Each team had the crimefighter (Batman and Vigilante), the adaptable avenger (Metamorpho and Green Arrow), the colorful crusader (Black Lighting and Crimson Avenger), the sword-weilding savior (Katana and Shining Knight), the courageous carrot-top (Geo-Force and Stripesy) and the cosmic kid (Halo and Star-Spangled Kid). While not exact counterparts, they filled similar niches.

Lieutenants of Safety - the Safety Round Table - Triumphs over Danger

The preeminent team of superheroes during the golden age were undoubtedly the Justice Society of America, on their native Earth-Two as well as all other Earths in the Multiverse. Shortly after its founding, a second team of mystery men debuted with less fanfare, though their own contributions were as profound. This assemblage of avengers... Law's Legionnaires... were contemporaries of the Society, and both groups were themselves members of a larger organization known as the All-Star Squadron during the early days of World War II. Consisting of eight members, these costumed crusaders were also known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory... with one of their members an honorary associate to the Legionnaires.

On Earth-S, another team of heroes debuted almost ten years after the Legionnaires, led by Captain Marvel. This group, the Lieutenants of Safety. Also known as the Safety Round Table, they consisted of Captain Caution, Speedy Ade, and Sir Safety. Interestingly, Captain Caution had trained as a hero for years as the teenage Captain Kid, Speedy Ade was his trusted sidekick, and Sir Safety from the 5th Dimension was his other partner. Their Earth-Two twins were Al "Atom" Pratt, Roy "Speedy" Harper and the more malevolent imp Mr. Mxyztplk.

The Lieutenants were sent by Marvel on missions to thwart the schemes of the mannequin themed villain Demon Danger, a business suit clad crook who tornmented the Lieutenants like the Dummy had the Legionnaires repeatedly. Although only three tales were made public, this trio undoubtedly continued their activities even after Captain Marvel and other heroes disappeared for decades.

The remaining Legionnaires also had Earth-S twins: Green Arrow's was Golden Arrow, Shining Knight's was the Ghost of Flanders, Star-Spangled Kid's was Minute Man, Crimson Avenger's was Devil's Dagger, and Stripesy aka Pat Dugan's was Dagger's chaffeur Pat Gleason. Ironically, while the Legionnaires returned to the 1970s unaged due to a villain, the Lieutenants were nearly the only heroes that remained while other heroes returned in the 1970s unaged due to the machinations of Doctor Sivana!