Twice-Told-Tales: Metamorphic Mayhem

Most superheroes offered membership into the illustrative Justice League of America have accepted their offer to join their ranks. However, there have been a few who declined this privilege. Adam Strange felt his obligations to his adoptive home on the world of Rann kept him from protecting his native home on Earth-One. Phantom Stranger never officially affirmed their offer, although he alluded to having tacitly accepting it from time to time. Black Lightning felt the League's global activity would keep him away from Metropolis' Suicide Slum, where he was needed most. The Justice Society of America likewise had a few honorary members declining full membership, such as Superman and Batman, due to their extensive commitments on Metropolis and Gotham City.

Rex “Metamorpho” Mason was the most notable example of an honorary member who declined full membership status in the League, as he was a reluctant superhero and only wanted to regain his humanity. However, at the same time the League extended their offer to Rex, and alien entity known as the Unimaginable* also wanted to join the team. Rejecting the being’s offer incurred its wrath, as it launched all manners of creatures against the World’s Greatest Superheroes and the Element Man. Using his elemental abilities, Mason is able to follow Leaguers Flash, Green Lantern, Atom, Batman and Superman into space where their foe has held them hostage, and aids yum in infiltrating Unimaginable’s body thereby defeating their adversary.

Joe Mason was a man who resented the opportunities that slipped through his hands over the years, when he trainee three young men to each become professional boxers. Instead, Ted “Wildcat” Grant then Al “Atom” Pratt and finally Jim “Guardian” Harper used Morgan’s training for heroics instead of athletics and adopted their alter egos. When an evil entity from outer space known as the Evil-Globe** sought out and merged with Morgan, the human/alien hybrid being captured and mentally manipulated Grant, Pratt and Harper… sending the trio after Justice Society members Green Lantern, Flash and Wondee Woman. The Globe’s ultimate goal was to defeat the Lantern and steal his power ring, in order to free itself from its indentured existence left upon it by his creators… the Guardians of the Universe. These powerful immortals of Earth-One’s universe cast out their evil impulses and stored into the evil-globe which they exiled into Earth-Two’s reality for all-time.

Shortly after its defeat, the Unimaginable returned to enact revenge against the Justice League which rejected it. Infecting the Leaguers he previously encountered with microorganisms which caused them to grow to a large stature, they sought  cure from alien physician Doctor Bendorion while their teammates including Woman Woman, fought criminals empowered by the energy entity that were running rampant. Metamorpho himself learned he wasn’t infected by their mutual foe, while the League discovered Bendorion and Unimaginable were one-and-the-same and permanently incarcerated the problematic pest.

The six All-Star Squadron members who initially fought one another under the Evil-Globe’s influence tracked down three colorful colors of Joe Morgan, and then faced the gigantic merged form of all three. Atom, Wildcat and Guardian each by their words awoke the goodness within Joe Morgan, who internally fought to separate himself from the globe entity. While Morgan, once more human, lay dying… Green Lantern used his power ring to exile the globe back to other space.

* The Unimaginable’s Earth-Two counterpart was the equally enigmatic Aquarius, which later plagued both the Justice Society and later the Justice League, and almost erased Earth-Two from existence.

** The Evil-Globe’s Earth-One counterpart was the Green Glob, both of which created by the Guardians of the Iniverse. However, while the Globe in its split forms caused chaos wherever it found a willing human to join with, the various Globs worked to provide order and imparted life lessons to all humans whom they encountered throughout the years.

Sons of Fire Meet Teams of Justice

Many costumed crusaders aspire to be among the few invited to join their Worlds’ Greatest Superhero Teams. For two young men, Ronald Raymond and Christopher Pike, they too different paths to arrive at the same destination. And with different results.

Ronnie Raymond was a student athlete who fell in with the wrong crowd, a group of criminals masquerading as activists protesting a nuclear power plant designed by Professor Martin Stein. When their sabotage caused the plant’s reactor to explode, Raymond and Stein were merged together, transformed into Firestorm the Nuclear Man. His brief heroic career, with Martin becoming a mentor to Ronnie, led to a team-up with Superman of Earth-One and his recommendation of Firestorm for membership in the Justice League of America.

Chris Pike excelled in academics and scholarly pursuits, inspired by the heroic examples of his childhood heroes, the Justice Society of America. He first joined his mentor Rex “Hourman” Tyler’s Minute-Men of America, where he worked alongside that team of Earth-Two’ teen titans on several cases. When this team dissolved, Chris joined the Junior Justice Society of Earth-Two in their adventures combatting the Injustice Society and the Crimson Claw Gang. Then, tragedy transformed him into Vulcan, Son of Fire!

The experience of joining the Justice League helped mature Ronald, as he developed a self-sacrificing attitude towards his fellow man and became the true hero Firestorm. The experience of joining the Junior Justice Society sadly did not have a lasting effect on Christopher, as he developed a self-loathing for himself and a deep-seated resentment towards his heroes, whom he attacked as the villain Vulcan.

While Firestorm's tenure with the League only lasted for a couple years, before the team was disbanded and then reassembled with a smaller roster in Detroit by charter member Aquaman, the effect his former teammates had on the Nuclear Man was profound. Both Ronald and Martin formed a lasting friendship, developed from their physical bonding spawned by the reactor incident. Firestorm would face and defeat scores of supervillains with powers as great and some greater than his own, relying on the adaptability and instinctive nature of Raymond and the analytical and reasoning nature of Stein.

Since his own mentor Hourman distanced himself from Pike and his former Minute-Men allies, Christopher began relying too much on his own analytical abilities without humbly acknowledging his psychological limitations. When madness gripped him while aboard an experimental spacecraft orbiting the sun, Pike's mind snapped and he slayed his fellow astronauts, while disabling the vessel carrying them across the solar system. Due to the timely intervention of an alien observer saving Chris’ life, Pike was transformed into Vulcan. Instead of appreciating this act of kindness, Pike adopted the alias of Vulcan and became a foe of the Justice Society, later joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains!

Batman Saves Bruce Wayne and... Earth-Five???

Throughout the career of the Batmen, they have always proved victorious versus the forces of evil. Well, almost always. That event which spawned both the golden and silver age versions of the Dark Knight has always haunted them, the night when they lost their parents Thomas and Martha Wayne at the hands of mugger Joe Chill. At this point in 1981, the Batman of Earth-Two had already died, having prevented another tragedy, the lost of his dear wife Selina "Catwoman" Wayne. In a twist, his counterpart on Earth-One would face a role reversal from his late twin, the chance to save his family... or at least the Waynes of Earth-Five.

When his occasional ally and fellow Justice Leaguer (debatable), the Phantom Stranger, appears with Robin alongside... Batman is offered the opportunity to save this new world's Thomas and Martha.

And so, the Dynamic Duo appear on Earth-Five, almost immediately getting in the crosshair of that Gotham's Police and Lt. James Gordon. After some research, they determine the location of the Wayne family, and track down criminal mastermind Lew Moxon and his hired gun Joe Chill. Neither are the individual who would ultimately confront the Wayne's in what would come to be known as Crime Alley. Yet once Batman and Robin deduced that this was the date and time when the tragic event was to occur, the Caped Crusader swooped down to vanquish the would-be mugger assassin. The Wayne family returned to their normal life, with young Bruce Wayne of this world inspired by the heroic example he had just witnessed.

Although living on an Earth with no heroic legends and in a universe where Krypton apparently didn't exist, it was this young man who would one day adopt the same caped cowl as Earth-Five's future hero. Whether there was a version of the Stranger on that world was not revealed, although another mystery man labeled "Unknown" was a contemporary of the original Batman, although his path led to less than honorable pursuits in the end. But to continue the tale of the young Wayne himself...

Since the narrative in this story stated what would occur once he was an adult, more than five years in the future when the Crisis on Infinite Earths had occurred, this would prove even further that in one timeline, the Multiverse still existed. As would the Batman of Earth-Five, over a decade later!

This event was earlier mirrored by the journey that the golden age Batman and Robin undertook from their native Earth-Two to that of Earth-S. Only they were brought over to that world by a resident of that realm, not their world's version of Stranger. And the person substituting for the suit clad Stranger was an equally powerful Justice Society member along for the ride in Johnny Thunder.

The golden age Caped Crusaders met their own counterparts on Earth-S in fellow Gothamites Mister Scarlet and Pinky, battling the Joker and Weeper...themselves pawns of immortal mastermind King Kull.

While the noble Stranger faced vile villians such as Tannarak and Tala, his foes' Earth-Two twins were immortal painter Henri Duvall (a swashbuckling hero before turning into a villainous foe of Doctor Occult) and the Queen of EvilLand (recurring foe of Uncle Sam) who never met the Stranger’s counterpart... Lando the Unknown... but did face Ted "Starman" Knight post-Crisis.

As the Earth-Two Phantom Stranger, Lando had vague powers and no origin. Both wore tuxedos draped as men of mystery with enigmatic abilities and curious insight. Lando never met the Dynamic Duo of his world, but had clashed twice with the Dark Knight's ally in the Justice Society, Doctor Fate. While Phantom Stranger was aware of the Earth-Two Batman, was he also aware of his own cosmic twin of that world? If so, undoubtedly a feeling of shame swept over him at the path this twin took… which perhaps motivated Stranger’s actions in this instance, guiding his Bruce Wayne into shaping the life of Wayne's younger twin a universe away… in a way that Lando has not been exposed to in the past.

Lando had a series of appearances from 1941 to 1942 concurrent with the World's Finest heroes Superman and Batman. His so-called heroic tales saw him influenced more by fascist doctrines and white supremacy. When finally returning to the United States from his adventures abroad, Lando adopted the alter ego of Krishna Das, pretending to predict the future for his own greedy goals. Doctor Fate had initially been bested by this turbaned tyrant, but turned the tables on his foe in March of 1943 (More Fun Comics #89).

However, Das escaped using his abilities, and in May of 1943 adopted another alias...as Mister Fortune! Lando's true allegiance was finally revealed as a Nazi collaborator seeking to undermine trust in democracy. In this role, Lando once more ran afoul of Doctor Fate during a case involving the Justice Society (All-Star Comics #16). Lando/Krishna/Fortune would nevermore return to menace mankind.

These confrontations with his arch-enemy reflected those between the Fate’s evil doppelgänger Felix Faust, the Earth-One version of Doctor Fate, and the Phantom Stranger. But with their roles reversed those of their doppelgängers, as to good and evil. Stranger and Faust first fought when Stranger was made an honorary member of the Justice League during a case (Justice League of Ameria #103). Later, the two opposing forces came to blows (Blue Devil Annual #1).

Other stellar themed criminal charlatans were Doctor Zodiac aka Cash Carrigan and his cosmic twin Aba Raja. Zodiac quarreled with the Caped Crusaders and their pal Superman of Earth-One on more than one occasion, while Raja had the same modus operandi when he confronted Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-Two.

Doctor Zodiac returned later to battle the World's Finest Team, almost defeating Superman and Batman, His Earth-Two doppelgänger Aba Raja apparently did not... using fraudulent aliases to conceal his later crooked capers, as had Lando. 

A couple years prior to his conflict with Superman, a man resembling Raja named “Meera Kell” partnered with the Joker in a scheme to trick greedy investors into buying a fake time machine. When the gullible men discovered they weren’t being sent to either the future nor the past but rather an elaborate movie set. The businessmen repented while Batman and Robin captured Meera and the Joker, although if this "Kell" is one and the same man with Raja, this was the genesis of Abu’s later path towards infamy.

Heirs to the Greatest Golden Gliders

Charlie Parker and Edmund Blake were lads who aspired to soar the heavens as heroes. Their dreams led them to become part of the legend that was the Hawkmen of their worlds.

For Parker, an orphan who idolized Earth-One's Hawkman who was at that time off-world, accidentally gained the ability to transform into the Golden Eagle when his hero's arch-foe Matter Master had subconsciously desired to face his enemy again. Using his powers, Matter Master made Charlie a proxy for his adversary, and as the Eagle the youth aided the Justice League in defeating the villain. Soon after, Charlie was made an honorary member of the League, even though he lose his transform of costume and wings once its creator was incarcerated.

For Blake, it was due to his having a life threatening illness which became well publicized, and linked his admiration for the Justice Society... of which Hawkman was its chairman... to a source of psychological treatment. After utilizing a device to see all the tales that Edmund shared with individual members of the Society in the years to come, Edmund was inspired to come to that team's rescue when their lives were threatened. For this, he was bequeathed with honorary membership.

It was later revealed that Hawkman had given Charlie an extra pair of Thanagarian wings with an anti-gravity belt. The Golden Eagle briefly resumed his costumed career in California, joining the short-lived Teen Titans West before they and the main Teen Titans on the East Coast of the United States joined forces against Mister Esper.

As for Edmund, he was called upon decades after his honorary induction to the Justice Society to be a character witness in a Congressional trial, investigating spurious charges launched against the team by its late founder Batman’s diary. He has married the love of his life and settled down, although kept his ties to his teammates alive throughout the years.

Son of Fire... storm? Are We Splitting Atoms?

While Ronald Raymond and Martin Stein had a long amiable relationship, after first inadvertently merging into the superhero known as Firestorm, their counterparts of Earth-Two never had opportunity to meet. This was due to their differences in age, and the circumstances of their lives taking them in vastly different directions. Nevertheless, there were similarities: two eager young men with dreams of heroism, and two older intellectual men who developed devices allowing others to access vast cosmic energies.

Ronald Raymond was a high school student and an aspiring athlete who sought the attention of Doreen Day, and to that end joined a protest of the Hudson Nuclear Plant. As this power plant was being discommissoned, there were no security staff on site, only the plant's designer Professor Martin Stein. While confronting these protestors, both he and Ronnie were left unconscious, to become victims of a stick of dynamite left behind to detonate the nuclear material. When this occured, both Ronald and Martin fused into the combined Nuclear Man, who after designing a uniform embarked upon a heroic career* as Firestorm. While Ronnie was the dominant persona of this new hero, Martin became his mentor guiding the lad's actions.

Christopher Pike was a young man who idolized the Justice Society, and like Ronald, he aspired to living up to the example of his World's Greatest Heroes. Achieving the rank of a Commander at NASA, Pike was assigned to the Vulcan Probe One, with a mission parameter whereby he and two colleagues would journey around the Sun for a hundred days. Going insane while onboard, Pike slayed the other two astronauts, yet was preserved alive when his vessel plunged into the Sun. This was thanks to the vessel becoming a protective shell for Pike, along with the intervention of a benevolent alien stabilizing Pike's physical condition. Granted the ability to irradiate tremendous heat, which he used to fly and to project blasts of heat, Pike also gained transmutational abilities. He used this latter power, as the supervillain Vulcan Son of Fire, to both transform his molten metal armor into a harder metallic substance... and to generate a flaming axe as a weapon... which he would recreate on a later occasion. 

Vulcan then attacked the Justice Society, seeking misguided vengeance upon them for his appearance, and later joined their foes in the Secret Society of Super-Villains, shortly after the time that Professor Styne had made a monumental discovery. 

Professor Styne (yes, the counterpart of Professor Stein) had developed an experimental "Strato-Balloon", he enlisted a few volunteers including reporter Happy Terrill in order to fly it. When it had been exposed to a strange electrical storm surge, Happy attempted to fix repairs on the outside of the vessel and was mutated by these enigmatic energies into becoming the Ray. Styne's research assistant Cliff was also imbued with power from the storm, becoming the Dark. Later, the Ray would join fellow members of the All-Star Squadron in migrating to Earth-X where there were no heroes, leaving his native Earth-Two behind as the Freedom Fighters. 

As for Ronnie and Martin, they eventually accepted their symbiotic nature following the nuclear incident that melded them together. This new young potent powerhouse even gained enough acclaim to join the Justice League of America for a period of time. Ronnie continued his studies in high school, eventually attending a university in order to further his studies. Martin bounced around between employers, given the erratic nature of his mysterious disappearences, caused when Ronnie summonded Stein to merge into their colorful costumed crimefighter alias. 

During this period, Firestorm battled a range of adversaries, including Killer Frost (one time work associate to Martin), Multiplex (a former assistant to Martin) and Hyena (sister to Raymond's girlfriend Doreen) Among Ronnie's most persistent adversaries was Cliff Carmichael, counterpart of the Dark. Carmichael in one alternate future had himself become a supervillain known as the Thinker.

Decades after first journeying to Earth-X, both Ray and his Freedom Fighter teammates migrated once more to a third Earth, Earth-One (following a brief reunion on their native Earth-Two). 

On Earth-One, Happy finally had a rematch with Cliff, as the latter's alias of the Dark confronted the Ray seeking vengeance. Apparently, this villain was pulled from Earth-Two to Earth-One by the Shade, who used his Ebony Cane to traverse universes and entered a Dark Dimension. Cliff aka the Dark was one of his minions, used versus the Flash of both Earths.

Meanwhile, Vulcan had been residing within interdimensional limbo between Earths following his first with the Justice Society. It was shortly thereafter that he had encountered six members of his world's Secret Society of Super-Villains, themselves also exiled in that limbo. Joining forces with them, Vulcan journeyed decades into the past (during the time period that Styne was alive), in order to once more battle members of the Justice Society as well as the All-Star Squadron, while under leadership of the Super-Villains' leader Ultra-Humanite. On this occasion, Vulcan briefly met Danette Reilly, aka the fiery Firebrand, although only in passing. Eventually, he and the other villains were defeated by the All-Stars, and returned to their limbo prison.

However, Vulcan would once more reappear during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, along with an assembled of both heroes and villains. All were summounded to the Monitor's transdimensional satellite, in order to recruit them to face a threat to the entire Multiverse. In an alternate future, Vulcan returned to villany, and was once more defeated by Power Girl... a woman for whom his cosmic twin Firestorm had a long and enduring romantic crush.

* Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein’s Firestorm adventures on Earth-One mirrored the adventures of Johnny Thunder and Archibald the Thunderbolt’s adventures on Earth-Two, both solo and as members of the Justice League and Justice Society respectively. Their counterparts on each others’ Earths were recurring foes of the League and Society during their few apprarances.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: The Wonder Women

The Amazing Amazon were the first and foremost female members of their parallel planets' protectors. On Earth-One, Wonder Woman was a founding member and continued working with the team until she lost her powers for a time, at which point she became an honary member of the Justice League of America.

On Earth-Two, Wonder Woman joined the Justice Society months after it was formed, and only then as its recording secretary. It would take years before her allies allowed her to participate in their cases actively, despite being among the Society's most powerful members! Still, both Amazons proved true assets for their teams up until, and even after, those groups had been dissolved.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: The Green Lanterns

Right from the founding of the Justice League and Justice Society of America, Hal Jordan and Alan Scott... aka the Green Lanterns of their respective worlds... were valued members of these teams.  Hal was always a fixture of the League up until its dissolution following the Martian invasion. For Alan, after his brief tenure as the Society's second chairman, he felt a need to take a leave of absence to become an  honorary member... due to his failure to save a boy's life at the hands of the evil Wotan. However, a few years later, Scott would reunite with the Society and through the years become one of its key members. Even though Hal was already affiliated with the Green Lantern Corps and Alan had joined the All-Star Squadron, both large organizations, it was with the League and Society where they truely felt at home.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: High-Flying Hawks

Although the Hawkmen were fixtures of their world's foremost fighters of felons, their histoies with these teams were different indeed. On Earth-One, Hawkman was the third member to be voted to the Justice League, after which he aided them until he and his wife left for their homeworld Thangar during a crisis there, though they returned shortly thereafter. After years of aiding the League on a few cases, Hawkgirl was finally elected as a member... of which her actual adventure were eratic at best. And on Earth-Two, its Hawkman was an actual founding member of the Justice Society of America, and soon thereafter became its third and then permanent chairman. His wife Hawkgirl aided the Society from time-to-time, although she was never considered for membership despite her occasional protests to her husband. When that team was revived years later, she at that point retired to raise their son Hector, although her husband continued to be the leader from then on.



Titan's Tenures on Terrific Teams: The Batmen

Although both Batmen were founding members of their parallel planets' prime protectors, their relationship with their allies was at times strained indeed. Months after the Justice League's founding, Earth-One's Batman found his niche on the team and was active throughout its various cases until an uprising in the nation of Monrovia threatened his old friend Lucius Fox. When the League wouldn't aid him in saving Fox, Batman left the team to form his own, the Outsiders.

His counterpart on Earth-Two had immediately chose to be an honorary member of the Justice Society of America, like his best friend Superman. After which, Batman only joined the team on cases involving Ian Karkull, the "Five Drowned Men" and the Society's attack on Nazi Germany which time erased. 

However, Batman, was more active alongside the All-Star Squadron, operating around the same time period. Although aiding the Society on one adventure to Earth-S, afterwards as Commissioner Bruce Wayne he allowed his vendetta (caused by the influence of Psycho-Pirate and the effects of his advance-stages cancer) versus the Justice Society to cause a war within itself. Later he wrote a disparaging diary which held clues to the reemgence of their old foe Per Degaton, and finally he gave his life to protect his allies against the machninations of Bill Jensen and Frederick Vaux... which showed that he like his twin had deep down cared for his fearless friends.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: Fastest Men Alive

As with their compatriots Superman, Batman and Green Lantern, each Flash was a founding member of his world's premier protectors. Barry Allen aka the Flash continued his association with the Justice League throughout its history, up until its dissolution following a Martian invasion. At one point, due to his inadverdent slaying of his foe Professor Zoom, the Flash was nearly evicted from the League, although they elected to keep him as a member. Still, he left shortly thereafter to be reunited with his wife in another century.

Jay Garrick aka the Flash participated during the first few cases of the Justice Society of America, being its first chairman, after which he takes of leave of absence to become the team's third honorary member. However, a few years later he returned and was hencforth an active member up until its dissolution in 1951, and rejoined it after it was revived a decade later. From then on, Jay was virtually inseperable from his Society comrades, even training a new generation of heroes.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: The Atoms

The smallest members of their respective rosters were sizable additions to their teams. Ray Palmer, known as the Atom, was the second new recruit of the Justice League of America after it formed... Al Prat, is world's Atom, was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. Nevertheless, once both Mighty Mites joined these teams, they were stalwarts, participating in several adventures with their allies throughout the years. When Ray's marriage dissolved and he found a new life in the Amazon jungle with a tribe of minature aliens, he left the League prior to its dissolution. Al was only beaten out of the most appearences with the Society by his best buddy Hawkman, though when his group reformed decades later Atom had himself retired to his own marital bliss.

Titans' Tenures on Terrific Teams: The Supermen

The Justice League and Justice Society of America were the template upon which all other superhero teams were based on their respective worlds. And the Supermen were the cornerstones of these titantic teams. Kal-El aka Earth-One's Superman was, like his counterpart Kal-L aka Earth-Two's Superman, a founding member of his Justice organization. In the beginning, Kal-El like his twin was an irregular particpant in the League's early adventures, although within a year he became more active and was an active member for several years until its dissolution after a Martian invasion. Kal-L, however, remained an honorary member after the Society's first adventure, only appearing alongside his allies in an official capacity twice more versus Ian Karkull and the "Five Drowned Men". Another case, lost in time, had Kal-L alongside his allies invading Nazi Germany, although this tale was wiped from history.

When the Society reemerged decades later, Kal-L participated in JSA cases involving Creator-2, Aquarius, the Freedom Fighters, the Injustice Society, Vandal Savage and the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Though not as visibile as his doppleganger Kal-El, it was evident that both men set the tone upon which their teammates followed...

Migrants of Multiple Earths: The Swan and the Canary

An interesting anomaly took place between Earths One and Two involving a set of blonde bombshells known for their vibrating vocal cords. In Wonder Woman #288 through 290, we're introduced to Helen Alexandros who is an aspring ballet dance limited by only one thing... her appearance. Though talented, her "ugly duckling" face fails to land her an roles on stage. Granted the ability to transform from the homely brunette into the beautiful blonde known as Silver Swan, she only needs destroy Wonder Woman of Earth-One. Gaining the power of flight, great strength and a destructive swan song, she sets out to remove the Amazing Amazon from the equation. Along the way she becomes anamored by the gorgeous Captain Wonder, himself a mere fabrication of the sinister Doctor Psycho, and is ultimately defeated.

Thereafter, in Wonder Woman #291-293, the second Black Canary... Dinah Laurel Lance daughter of the original... returns to her homeworld of Earth-Two to assist Power Girl and the Huntress deal with an alien horseman known as Plague sent by the cosmic Adjudicator. Herself granted with a canary cry just as destructive as her doppelgänger’s swan song*, she makes up for her lack of strength with her savy martial arts techniques. Once this case wraps up, Canary returns to Earth-One. But how can this be... with two counterparts existing on the same Earth simultaneously, leaving a void on its parallel planet?

Actually on Earth-One, the Steve Trevor that existed around this time wasn't that world's native Trevor, but a version from a parallel planet. The original Steve on that world died years before, so through cosmic happenstance he was replaced by another version. This compensated for the extremely long-lived Steve Trevor of Earth-Two. Similarly, while Earth-Two's Black Canary lived for years on Earth-One, assuming the place of Silver Swan, who perished shortly after her debut.

As for who took Canary’s place in the Earth-Two universe, this would’ve been the alien queen M’La, whose husband Zalaz saved through the use of the Starheart. This Starheart was concentrated chaotic energy contained and stored by the Guardians of the Universe within a star in Earth-Two’s cosmos. After awakening from a coma, M’La merged with the Starheart and returned it to the star.

* While Dinah Lance didn’t possess avian wings, the power of flight and superhuman strength like Helen Alexandros’ Silver Swan alter ego, her mother Dinah Drake displayed the ability on occasion to summon a flock of birds who in unison saved both herself and a man she was working with. She did so by uttering an oath which Black Canary may have learned from her Justice Society colleague Hawkman, an oath that sonically controlled the minds of these canaries, allowing her to “fly” under their combined might!

Boy Sidekicks for Teams of Justice

Lucas Carr was born and raised in the ocean side town of Happy Harbor, where the alien invader Starro launched his conquest of  Earth-One from. Thanks to the lad's accidental discovery of the alien's weakness, lime, the Justice League of America defeated the villain and made Carr an honorary member. He was given a flying hot rod designed by the League, and over the years Snapper proved valuable more than once in assisting his teammates.

Sylvester Pemberton was the child heir to his father's fortune when he became inspired to adopt a stellar uniform and alter ego. When he was joined by his future chauffeur Pat Dugan, the pair became the dynamic duo known as Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy. Dugan designed for them their flying car, the Star Rocket Racer. Soon after, they were both charter members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Snapper fell into some bad association, first duped by a disguised Joker into revealing the JLA's cave headquarters and later assisting the Key in developing the villain Star-Tsar, Using stellar based technology, Snapper as Star-Tsar was a recurring adversary of the League, although his ultimate intention was to supplant the schemes of Key and another rogue named Mark Shaw, which with the League he was able to accomplish. Snapper eventually reconciled with the team once more.

Star-Spangled Kid was eventually liberated with fellow Soldiers from ancient eras they had been exiled, returning to the 20th century where he was given Starman's Cosmic Rod to embark on a new career, joining the Justice Society of America. He created a Cosmic Converter Belt that gave him star-based powers similar to technology created by Earth-One's Evil Star. Syl eventually created a new persona as Skyman with his new team, Infinity Inc. which operated out of Stellar Studios, once owned by Guy Pompton aka Earth-Two's Evil-Star.

Star-Tsar would later be revived by a coworker of Snapper, who stole Carr’s super-suit to use for his own crimes, before this new Tsar was defeated by Green Arrow. Around the same time, Stripesy’s counterpart on Snapper’s Earth, Leonid Kosar, became the Soviet Union’s sole superhero Starfire and later Red Star, Kosar and Carr never had opportunity to meet as had Dugan and Pemberton, although another stellar sentinel on the second Star-Tsar/Key.

Animal Avengers Attack Antagonists Aggressively

Mari McCabe and Yolanda Montez were women granted cat-like abilities, allowing them to combat injustice within their own families. As Earth-One's Vixen and Earth-Two's Wildcat, these feline furies gained notoriety during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, fighting alongside their world's greatest superheroes.

Mari was a resident of the African nation of Zambesi until first her mother and then her father perished, with her uncle the wicked General Maksai pursuing her as he had her family to gain possession of her Tantu Totem, which would bequeath the powers of animals to its possessor. Immigrating to America, she had a career as a fashion model and an alter ego as the superheroine known as Vixen.

Yolanda's family originated in Mexico and she was the victim of treatments performed on her mother while she was pregnant with her by the evil Doctor Love. The daughter of "Mauler" Montez, a famed wrestler, Yolanda became the god-daughter of Ted "Wildcat" Grant. When she developed her abilities and saw Grant immobilized saving innocents, she was motivated to adopt his alter ego as the new Wildcat. Juggling her costumed career with her secular one as a fashion photo journalist.

In Mari's case, after two adventures alongside Earth-One's Superman, she became a member of the Justice League in Detroit.  In this incarnation of the League, she proved herself a stabilizing influence for the predominantly younger team, and earned the respect of its seasoned veterans.

In Yolanda's case, she was quickly invited into Infinity, Inc. which were the second generation proteges of the Justice Society, There she had a lengthy stint alongside her teammates, developing a romance with fellow Infinitor Nuklon and friendships with the rest.

While Vixen could access all types of animal powers, Wildcat was limited to those of a cat. Vixen would find a foe in General Maksai who transformed into a ox-man while Wildcat would face her mutated cousin Carcharo the shark-man. Both ladies would triumph over their kinfolk.

Cookie-Cutter Counterparts: Green Arrow and Speedy

From the outset, the Oliver Queens of Earths One and Two are near mirror images of one another. Each is a wealthy playboy who later becomes their world's most accomplished archer. And both have sidekicks known as Speedy.

That said, the golden age Arrow of Earth-Two had an interest in American Indian artifacts, which brought him to Lost Mesa where he met future ward Roy Harper and where both learned to love archery. The silver age Arrow of Earth-One found his footing as an archer while on a deserted island, later meeting Roy Harper.

Additionally, while the early Roy's first guardian was a native American named Quoag, the later Roy's was named Brave Bow. Neither were in the boys' lives for very long.

Another point of divergence was that at the point when Green Arrow and later Speedy were invited to join the Justice League and Teen Titans, respectively; their counterparts were already members of Law's Legionnaires when the Justice Society had been operating separately. Hence, the Earth-One battling bowmen were more part of the mainstream of superhero community, while the Earth-Two duo were not as highly acclaimed...although they joined the All-Star Squadron along with all mystery men of their day.

Then tragedy struck each yet in different ways. For the original pair, they along with their fellow Legionnaires were pulled through time after battling a cosmic entity to different centuries, with Arrow in the time of Robin Hood and Speedy in the days of ancient Greece. They were men out of time disconnected from the 1940's.

Meanwhile, the modern day Arrow found his fortune in essence stolen by a bitter rival, and found his beloved partner Speedy a heroin addict. Both men eventually recovered and picked up the pieces of their lives, although now together, deciding it best to live apart.

What is truly interesting is how, several months after Earth-One's Green Arrow and his girlfriend Black Canary faced Speedy's devastating decision to self-destruct, they encountered Earth-Two's Green Arrow and Speedy. No words seem to have been exchanged from the sole picture of blonde Oliver meeting his brunette haired twin and junior pal, perhaps this only reminded him of his own personal regrets at drifting away from his partner. Although it's telling how both Arrow is facing the young Speedy, with his back turned to the original Avenging Archer. And perhaps, seeing a lonely Arrow caused the Earth-Two pair to cling closer together and make a new life as civilians... retiring from the stress of their other lives. Although, years later after the passing of fellow Legionnaire Crimson Avenger, the tragedy of their time lost overwhelmed this Speedy.

During and after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was only Earth-Two's Green Arrow who participated as had his counterpart, with neither Speedy suited up for this conflict. And eventually, the golden age Ace Archer died during an attack by agents of the Anti-Matter Universe, while his young ward now no longer fitting into this new reality apparently ceased to exist. Or did he?

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An asides: Oliver Queen on Earth-One eventually became a commentator for Star City's Daily Star, while the Earth-Two Oliver's teammate Crimson Avenger was the publisher of the Daily Globe-Leader (its postulated these two organziations mirror each other similar to Metropolis' Daily Planet and Earth-Two Daily Star).

Migrants of Multiple Earths Thesis: Part 5

Several golden age characters first appeared in the context of the silver age world of Earth-One, wherein it was thought that Superboy was that world's first hero approximately twenty-some years prior to the presently published tales. For instance, the Guardian appeared with his Newsboy Legion aiding that world's Jimmy Olsen, Manhunter teamed up on one occasion with the modern Batman, and Air Wave was identified as the cousin of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. Both were Jordans, after all, so why not tie them together?

Then the decidedly different All-Star Squadron was published, and all these characters were members of that team back in the 1940's when their tales were published. Further, the series Who's Who which was published concurrent with the Crisis on Infinite Earths listed each character's history (as well as that of Zatara, Sargon, and Commander Steel) from their joining the All-Stars to their modern-day meetings of Earth-One's heroes. This was then explained in an All-Star letter column as individuals who migrated from Earths Two to One (and this was further solidified during a team-up of the Justice League and Justice Society by a comment Flash made to teammate Power Girl when she met Sargon)

Yet how could Air Wave be cousins with Mr. Jordan? Further, how could Jim Harper, the Guardian, be the uncle of Roy Harper aka Speedy? We can explain this quite simply. When he moved to Earth-One, Larry Jordan sought out familial connections. Instead, he met Helen Jordan and fell in love with her. She was the actual cousin of Hal, Larry was but an in-law. And the Guardian? Remember there were TWO Roy Harpers who would become Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy. While uncle to the Earth-Two version, Jim Harper himself sought out family when moving to Earth-One and was the "long lost" uncle of the orphaned lad. This is not unheard of, for Earth-Two's Huntress referred to her father's Earth-One counterpart Bruce Wayne as "Uncle Bruce". Earth-One's Superman and Earth-Two's Power Girl affectionately called one another cousins on occasion.

Interestingly, the five characters pictured in this entry, along with the four members of the Newsboy Legion, had counterparts that were their very spawn! Zatara' daughter Zatanna* , Larry Jordan's son Hal, Commander Steel's grandson Henry III... not to mention the clones of the Jim Harper... the Golden Guardian of Cadmus Project... and the younger Newsboy Legion clones, and the clone of Paul Kirk who as the next Manhunter assumed his "father's heroic legacy while attempting to undermine the Secret Society of Super-Villains.

In fact, Project Cadmus on Earth-One mirrored Project M of Earth-Two, which was a top secret government agency operating in America during the early days of  World War II. Project M (for Monster) was founded by Professor Mazursky, who like Cadmus founder Dabney Donovan, was a "mad scientist" type and thus very unethical in his approach towards science. Both Projects specialized in creating clones and synthetic monsters, with some being successful such as Dubbilex the DnAlien (whose Monster doppleganger never successfully awoke from its hatching chamber) as well as Miss America (whose Earth-One twin Element Girl may have been given her powers by an earlier incarnation of Cadmus). 

In fact, the latter would herself be another migrant to a third parallel planet known as Earth-X alongside the Freedom Fighters where she perished. Other creations of Mazursky and his colleague Chuck Grayson, who was the assistant to robotics scientist Robert "Robotman" Crane, were the Creature Commandos and G.I. Robot. The fact that both Grayson and Miss America were a part of Project M solidifies that it was the Earth-Two analogue to Project Cadmus. And Crane would also coincidentally be a migrant to Earth-One, establishing his alter ego of the Paul Dennis of that world before returning to his native world and universe with his mind now housed in Grayson's body! More migrants tied to these individuals will be revealed henceforth...

Mister Sandman... Bring Me a Dream

Dream research is among the most intriguing fields to pursue, as it taps into the hidden subconscious of humanity with its deepest desires revealed! For Garrett Sanford and Wesley Dodds, this curiousity led to their adopting colorful careers as costumed crimefighters. Sanford used his technology to enter the Dream Dimension and retrieve an important dignitary of Earth-One. The cost of this action was his being trapped therein except for a one hour per day, when he could return to home.

Wesley Dodds was an adventuring playboy who simply desired to combat evil in all its forms. Both men utilized sand that could put one to sleep, and each had terrific physiques and incredible zeal. While Wesley eventually joined Earth-Two's Justice Society of America, Garrett only assisted the Justice League of America on one occasion although it was implied they offered him an honorary membership given his unique circumstance. Both men helped lads, Jed and Sandy, to conquer their own personal nightmares and have peaceful lives in the end. Even if such wasn't the case for the Sandmen themselves.

Elongated Man and Stretch Skinner

Twin carrot top private detectives with a flair for the witty.  Faithful sidekicks to members of the Justice League/Society.  Although initially perceived as annoyances of their heroic associates, they quickly earned their trust over time.

Adopting heroic aliases of Elongated Man (aka Ralph Dibny) of Earth-One and Tomcat (aka Stretch Skinner) of Earth-Two, they proved loyal companions and endured for several years solving mysteries and helping the helpless. While Stretch had a gal back in his hometown he saw on occasion, Ralph's wife Sue continually tagged with him during his adventures as Flash's pal Elongated Man. Although Tomcat had no superhuman abilities except for his extraordinary thin frame, Ralph gained the ability to elasticize his body to extraordinary lengths thanks to an extract from Gingold

Stretch never made it to the big time, remaining in the back pages of Sensation Comics where Wildcat's series appeared through the 1940's.

Elongated Man graduated from frequent guest star in Flash to a semi-successful series of backups in Detective Comics before graduating into the Justice League of America where he gained his biggest acclaim.

Interestingly, on one occasion Ralph turned evil when the Gingold he had ingested had been corrupted with an infusion of the Flash's super-speed force. Gaining the ability to transform objects into rubbery substances, Dibny as the Molder fought his best friend until the Flash finally found a way to defeat him.

While Stretch didn't have a second alter ego, a red haired friend of his world's Flash named Blinky Boylan was able to grant himself temporary superhuman strength. However, a crook absconded with his alter ego of the Muscleman and battled Blinky, who with the help of Flash defeated the crook.

Ralph's own Molder costume was later adopted by the original Molder, a plastic creating villain who had previously battled Batman and Plastic Man, and reappeared as such during the Crisis on Infinite Earths during a Villain War.

While Ralph's love life with Sue Dearborn blossomed when they married, Stretch never seemed to garner any attraction from his office assistant Joan Fortune, who like Sue aided the private investigator in their lives, but her attention was focused on Ted Grant.

Kings of the Sea: Formed by Nature & Nurture: Meet the Aquamen

The original Aquaman of Earth-Two was just fine swimming with his finny friends and fighting both Nazis and pirate to bide his time under the tides. And he used the time to master his communication with the undersea life thanks, in part, due to the knowledge imparted to him as a youth by his scientific father... since he didn't have the natural telepathic abilities that his counterpart Arthur Curry of Earth-One possessed. That Aquaman gained his powers thanks to being born a hybrid of a human father and an Atlantean father. Each Aquaman had numerous adventures in the oceans around the world, with the silver age version joining the Justice League of America while his earlier twin remained a relative recluse aside from occasional appearances alongside the war time All-Star Squadron.

Aside from slightly different color schemes (yellow instead of green gloves and fins for the first  Aquaman) and origins, each were cookie-cutter counterparts of the other in most significant ways. They each faced arch-foes with "Black" dispositions... as in Black Jack the pirate and Black Manta the terrorist (and aforementioned arch-foe), with their legions of minions, as well as encountering their closest relation several times... on Earth-One this was the evil Ocean Master aka Arthur's brother Orm Curry, and on Earth-Two the good Sea Sleuth aka Phineas Pike a detective of the oceans and close friend to Aquaman.

And, of course, the Aquamen's greatest allies were the creature with whom the shared the seas throughout their careers and for whom they often gained the upper hand against their foes. Each endured for decades as their world's premier heroes of the oceans. And for the dozens of adventures that Earth-One's Aquaman had alongside his wife Mera as well as scores of tales as a charter member of the Justice League of America, this was balanced on Earth-Two by Doctor Fate's costumed crusades when he no longer had the helmet of Nabu and was simply a powerhouse like the King of Seas. Fate aka Kent Nelson had a partner in both fighting crime and in love in his wife Inza.

In addition to that, Fate was a charter member of the Justice Society of America, fighting alongside that team for several years while his actual counterpart Felix Faust was an arch-enemy of the Justice League when he wasn't pretending to be Earth-One's Doctor Fate himself. Both Arthur and Kent possessed super strength, tough physiques and mental abilities and an affinity towards Atlantis itself.