Ultra-Humanite's Reality Probability Equation

An unanswered mystery left unanswered for decades relates to the enigmatic "Reality Probability Equation". This equation was conceived by the Ultra-Humanite, who led the last known incarnation of the Secret Society of Super-Villians on Earths One and Two. He postulated that by removing ten key members of the Justice League and Justice Society from both realities, consigning them to interdimensional limbo between universes, all superheroes would be retroactively erased from one of those two parallel planets. And this occurred, but why these particular ten heroes?

Recruiting ten supervillains to battle their heroic arch-enemies, five of which were Justice League members and five of which were Justice Society teammate, Ultra successfully captured these ten key champions. Critical to his calculation was the presence of the League's Black Canary and the Society's Johnny Thunder? How so?

As we see from the discharge of pink electricity emanating from the Humanite's Dimensional Vortex Machine, this was the power source that fueled the Equation. This would have originated from Johnny Thunder, or more specifically his pink Thunderbolt which he had a symbiotic relationship with since the 1940s. Years prior to this, the Johnny Thunder of Earth-One briefly took control of the Thunderbolt, commanding that being to remove all superheroes from his world. Thunderbolt went back in time, changing the origins of the various Justice Leaguers, causing them to cease to exist. This caused a new branching timeline labeled as Earth-A.

The other members of each team were picked for critical functions that made them keystones among the superhero pantheon (at least in Johnny Thunder’s mind, as he controlled his Thunderbolt). Superman of Earth-Two was the first of all superheroes, inspiring those that came after him. Wonder Woman of Earth-One was the pinnacle of fighting females. Hawkman of Earth-Two was the natural leader among the costumed crusader community. Batman of Earth-One was the indomitable driving force towards meting out justice. Atom of Earth-One bridged barriers between cosmos with his white dwarf star belt. Hourman of Earth-Two was the model of a self-made masked manhunter. Flash of Earth-Two was the living embodiment of hard water, the opposing element to Thunderbolt's lightning on Earth-One capable of warping reality.*

As for Black Canary, she was necessary as she was a native Earth-Two heroine who now resided on Earth-One, thus tipping the balance of Ultra's Reality Probability Equation in Earth-Two's favor (while additionally, Johnny Thunder considered she and her mother… the Black Canaries… as his family). Although both Earths temporarily felt the aftereffects of this wave being unleashed, when the ten heroes were exiled to Limbo, only Ultra's Earth-Two experienced a heroless world mirroring the earlier Earth-One. That is, until the Earth-One Secret Society members freed both the Justice League and Justice Society as revenge for Ultra's betrayal of them. Once returning to Earth-Two, these ten superheroes' presence restored reality to what it was… a world filled with heroes. 

* As seen by hard water’s usage with such undersea dwellers as Aquaman's wife Mera… and the Water Sprites, who were doppelgängers to the Thunderbolts in Earth-One's reality who used lightning instead.

Tyrannical Teams' Terrifying Titans

While the strongest superhumans on their respective Earths would be the Solomon Grundys, which were Marshland Monster who possessed power rivaling even the Supermen and their Green Lanterns whom they faced in battle, there were others who rivaled their might. Among these were Mark "Blockbuster" Desmond and James "Doctor Weerd" Stanton, two scientists who discovered a chemical formula which was the catalyst to unleash their potential bestial nature.

Teenage amateur scientist Mark Desmond sought to imbue himself with superstrength, and exposed to himself to an untested serum effecting his endocrine glands. While achieving his goal physically, an unexpected side-effect was him diminished intelligence, now reduced to a child. Manipulated by his brother Roland into hating the Batman of Earth-One, Mark as the Blockbuster repeated battled the Caped Crusader and his partner Robin. Eventually, other villains also saw an advantage in manipulating this man-mountain.

Elderly professional scientist James Stanton sought to imbue himself with superstrength, and exposed himself to a formula similar to Desmonds. Unlike Mark's unproved formula which had permanent effects, James' concoction had only temporary effects without reducing his intellect. In his man-mountain persona of Doctor Weerd, Stanton developed a wide-range of technologies including a gigantic robot and tornado machine... similar to those later employed by T.O. Morrow... which he used against his recurring foes. These adversaries, Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy of Earth-Two, repeatedly defeated Weerd although they were never successful in capturing him. Eventually, the Doctor realized he needed other villains as allies against his enemies.

Initially, Blockbuster was recruited by King Kull of Earth-S and sent to the Atlantis of Earth-Two* with the goal of destroying the recently reemerged continent. When defeated by assembled heroes of three Earths, Blockbuster was dispatched to Earth-One, later to be recruited by the Wizard into the Secret Society of Super-Villains to journey with him back to his home world of Earth-Two in hopes of conquering the Justice Society. When they failed at this, the Villains returned to Earth-One and matched wits with the Justice League instead. Again, Blockbuster's teammates failed him in their planning, although Mark's gentler side helped to find contentment in a mining community in West Viriginia.

Eventually, Doctor Weerd was recruited by Moonglow into a terrible trio including both of them and the Needle, three foes of the Star-Spangled Kid. Despite their superior numbers, they were once more trounced by the Kid and Stripesy, with this last defeat finally securing Stanton's resignation to retire from his rogue profession.

* On a previous occasion, a cosmic crisis transferred various random individuals from Earths One and Two to the opposite Earth. Among these was Blockbuster and Solomon Grundy of Earth-Two. Just as Desmond would once more travel to Grundy's Earth under King Kull and Wizard's direction, so too Solomon once more ventured to Earth-One seeking another Grundy there that hadn't existed.

Mirror Masters Meet Malicious Malefactors

Initially, Samuel Scudder and Jonathan Cheval used their reflecting technology towards solo sinister schemes. While Schudder as the Mirror Master faced other superheroes, his recurring adversary was the Flash, as both operated out of Earth-One's Central City. Although Cheval as the Monocle first matched wits with the Hawkman, he eventually moved to Earth-Two's Keystone City where he battled the Flash.

Monocle retired from villainy following his second loss. Mirror Master refused to quit, and soon helped to form Flash's Rogues Gallery, made up of Flash's other opponents working together to defeat their mutual enemy. When even this failed to work, Mirror Master next joined the Injustice Gang, a rival organization created to vanquish the Flash and his Justice League.

After three attempts at succeeding versus the League, the Gang finally dissolved, although the thought of working with a criminal organization would still linger in Scudder's mind. Eventually, Mirror Master led to his recruiting reserve members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, hired by the Silver Ghost to defeat the visiting Freedom Fighters of Earth-X . The Society failed in this mission, as the Freedom Fighters returned to Earth-X following this adventure.

Shortly following this, Cheval was motivated to resume his antagonistic alias of the Monocle when he became a member of Ultra-Humanite's Secret Society of Super-Villains. On this occasion, after capturing Hawkman, Monocle* aided his fellow Flash foe Rag Doll in likewise ensnaring that hero as well. After nearly succeeding in removing all heroes from their Earth, the Society tried once more to overcome their enemies in the Justice Society by traveling back in time. Despite the element of surprise, the Secret Society were once more handed a loss by the Flash, along with his allies in the All-Star Squadron.

Despite these reversals, both Scudder and Cheval held onto their hope that their gadgetry genius and tenacious temperaments would lead to a victory one day versus the Flash of two worlds.

* Danton Graeme on Earth-One assumed the alter ego of the Monocle during one encounter versus the Super Friends, using his illusion casting eyewear. However, his counterpart was another Monocle on Earth-Two named Monocle who crossed paths with Flash's fellow speedster, Johnny Quick, on on occasion.

Twice-Told-Tales Untold of Sinister Societies

During the relatively brief yet memorial history of the original Secret Society of Super-Villians, there came a point where this group fragmented into at least three parts. One section, led by Gorilla Grodd, pursued a vendetta against his arch-foe the Flash and other members of the Justice League of America. Another faction accompanied the Wizard back to his home world of Earth-Two to battle the Justice Society of America. 

Meanwhile, back on Earth-One, Mirror Master and Copperhead recruited four previously unaffiliated members to assist them and their employer Silver Ghost. Their goal, to eliminate the Freedom Fighters, whom the Ghost has quarreled with for several months since their arrival from Earth-X. Originally from Earth-Two, the seven Fighters fought the Axis Powers on their adopted world for decades, before deciding to journey to a third Earth to start their careers anew.

Regrettably, their reputations were marred by Silver Ghost, who secretly was Raphael Van Zandt, a Nazi corroborator on Earth-X. When Van Zandt decided to create a criminal empire on Earth-One, he was pursued by his enemy Firebrand to this new planet. There, he would soon after encounter his old adversaries in the Freedom Fighters whom he also believed were following him. Wishing to rid himself of these pest, he sought the aid of the Secret Society.

While not much is known of how this battle between the two teams developed, we do know the outcome as Silver Ghost ended up transforming both himself and Firebrand into silver statues when exposed to his transmutation abilities (this process was reversed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths). Meanwhile, the remaining Freedom Fighters returned to Earth-X, while some of the members of the Secret Society such as Mirror Master and Chronos returned with their original group, the Injustice Gang a couple months later.

A similar untold tale of the Injustice Society on Earth-Two took place in the late 1940s, when future marriage mates Brain Wave and Merry the Gimmick Girl first met as opponents. During this case, the counterpart to Secret Society arch-foe Captain Comet battled the Injustice Society alongside Merry and other former allies of the All-Star Squadron. This man, Captain Triumph, had also traveled to Earth-X to assist the Freedom Fighters briefly before coming home, where he joined the Squadron. Among those present on this occasion was Doll Man, who had returned from the future to reunite with his fiancée Martha Roberts after several years with the Fighters.

This assemblage of evil was apparently led by the Wizard, and shortly after this while dueling with Superman, he conceived of reinventing this gang into a Secret Society. With this in mind, the Wizard was drawn to an actual realization of his concept while exiled on Earth-One in the late 1970s. Although most of the villains portrayed in this battle of 1949, such as Shade and Icicle, were the originals… the Solomon Grundy here present was evidently the imposter whom Johnny Thunder met a couple years earlier, when the Justice Society tracked down the real version who was terrorizing across the United States. At this point. Grundy was exiled on the moon (first by Green Lantern, later by Per Degaton) until the mid 1960s.

Super Simians Traverse Time: Untold Tale of Grodd

When Captain Comet returned to Earth-One in 1976, after decades traveling through space, the hero immediately encountered a familiar face. While strolling through the streets of San Francisco, the plain clothed Adam Blake witnessed a battle between Green Lantern and two strange beings. One was the costumed criminal known as Hi-Jack, and the other was the sinister simian known as Grodd.

Sizing up the confrontation, observing that Lantern was the aggressor and has the superior advantage with his power ring, Blake assumed his Comet persona to mediate this conflict. Grabbing Hi-Jack and Grodd, he ferried them to safety, where the pair introduced him to the comrades in the Secret Citadel. There, they invited the seemingly unwitting Captain to join their Secret Society, without their revealing they were Super-Villians!

However, when the Society's leader Manhunter tracked Blake down and revealed the truth to him, Adam explained he was already aware of Grodd's rouse and knew their true nature. Seeing this as an opportunity to bring down this powerful crime syndicate from within, Captain Comet agreed to join them. He stated that while Grodd erected telepathic shields around he and his confederates, Comet's mental abilities were able to circumvent this allowing him to learn the truth. It seems that something more tipped him off to Grodd's true nature, a faint memory from his distant past.

In fact, in May 1953, Professor Sacron summoned Blake to Africa where he revealed a secret tribe of intelligent gorillas. One such simian attacked Adam from behind, then had the professor use a machine to transfer the Super-Ape's brain into Comet's body, and visa versa. Despite this advantage, the Captain outwits the Super-Ape and has him imprisoned. He would free himself, this time leading a gang using his telepathic powers, although once more Captain Comet defeated the gorilla.

Who was Super-Ape? Why did he appear in the early 1950s, with the intent of capturing and trading places with Captain Comet? It seems this was the Gorilla Grodd from the late 1970's, after he experienced a series of defeats at Comet's hands. Seizing an opportunity to control his foe's powerful body, which he could later use against his arch-enemy the Flash years later, was to tempting an opportunity to pass up. Still, even knowing his adversary Comet who at the time in the 50's did not know him, Grodd was still unable to capitalize on this to gain victory.

We know that Grodd's super-science would conceivably included time travel, which no doubt was utilized by a few of his Sinister Citadel allies such as Lex Luthor. He was shown with the ability to project his mind into another’s body. And this was a technique his counterpart the Ultra-Humanite had himself used, both in the 1980s and the 1940s, to further his own schemes.

In Ultra's case, this was implemented when he mentally controlled the young members of Infinity, Inc., ensnaring them within his time capsule. Activated by his own alpha-waves, as his brain was connected to his earlier Delores Winters version of the Humanite. Under false pretenses, indicating to Winters that these pawns would help her succeed when Ultra-Ape knew they would fail, he like Grodd proved time was not on his side despite his mastery of it.

And so, while not the earliest tales in Grodd's personal chronology, his two battles with Captain Comet in 1953 in a different gorilla’s body were the first appearance  of the Super-Ape... and the revelation of his secret civilization known as Gorilla City. Due to his different appearance, the Captain didn’t suspect his old and new ape adversaries were one in the same.

The February 1977 Invasion of Earth-One by the Injustice Society

February 1977 was a cold winter, and not just in the northern hemisphere of Earth-One. At the same time, an epic battle of the bands was occuring in a New York Colosseum, and an equally epic battle between Darkseid with the team of villains he sponsored!

These events stem from what had previously transpired on Earth-Two, a few months earlier (despite publishing dates of these tales on Earth-Prime). There, the Injustice Society reunited in order to finally defeat their old foes. Instead, their enemies in the Justice Society of America handed them a decisive defeat. Fiddler was captured in Tokyo Japan, followed by his allies Icicle and Thinker in Abu Dhabi, then Wizard and Brain Wave in Alaska. These villains allied with a race of subterranean being led by Underlord, seeking control of Earth's oil resources.

Yet despite being subdued, four of the members escaped prison to collaborate on  a new scheme involving the parallel planet most of them first visited back in the 1960's. That world, Earth-One had supervillains they could recruit to assist them against the superheroes of Earth-Two. They previously had success doing this as members of the Crime Champions.

The Shade unleashed shadow creatures from his Dark Dimension upon the Central City of Earth-One (including fellow fiend the Dark, in pursuit of the Ray), foiled by the Flash of Two Worlds. Vandal Savage attempted to revive his immortality and his physical form after having been thrust into Earth-One briefly, where he hatched a scheme to lure that world's Flash and Green Lantern into using their energies to restore his form for a return to Earth-Two.

From 1965 through 1967, Hal “Green Lantern” Jordan of Earth-One and Alan “Green Lantern” of Earth-Two each encounter villains from their counterparts world, invading their own. This began with Krona coming to Earth-Two to siphon Scott’s emerald energy to free him from his celestrial prison. Then Prince Peril pursued Princess Ramia and her future husband Doiby Dickles to Earth-One where he faced Hal in battle. 

In 1966, three felons in Crazy Quilt, Captain Challenge and Gentleman Ghost were pulled over to Earth-One from Earth-Two during the invasion of the Anti-Matter Man on both worlds… while Blockbuster of Earth-One and Solomon Grundy of their world temporarily traded places.

A year later in 1967, three criminals recruited by Sinestro ventured from Earth-One to Earth-Two, where they were transformed into his clones. Two other cunning crooks from Earth-One who attacked Earth-Two’s Atlantis were the Penguin and Blockbuster… the second of three times the latter visited that planet. Around the time, Grundy visited Earth-One’s Metropolis, while months earlier Shade invaded Earth-One’s Central City. 

Of course, there were earlier examples of crisscrossing criminals between the two Earths. Other Injustice Society members had sought a reversal of fortune on a new world, unhindered by their former foes, yet still found further frustrations. This included the Thinker, who with his new improved helmet and costume briefly plundered Ivy Town on Earth-One, before that world's Atom along with his counterpart cornered him on Earth-Two’s Calvin City. Then there was the occasion when King Kull recruited Penguin and Blockbuster of Earth-One to invade Earth-Two’s Atlantis, while Earth-Two’s Solomon Grundy sought out his counterpart in  Earth-One’s Metropolis!

The first of the Injustice Society's 1970's incarnation to travel to Earth-One was the Wizard (although technically, Thinker preceded them during his encounter with the Atoms). There, he joined the newly formed Secret Society of Super-Villains. However, he needed time to obtain both weapons and supervillains from their midst to aid him back in his native universe.

While this was transpiring, Icicle and Fiddler also journeyed to Earth-One. There, Icicle teamed up with his counterpart Captain Cold and that world's version of Minister Blizzard while working for the Shadow-Thief, trying to start a new Ice Age starting in Equador. The Justice League of America defeated this frightful four, and saved the planet.

Simultaneously, the Fiddler began a crime spree involving a series of concerts, which drew the attention of the Teen Titans. This seemed to include kidnapping Peter McCarthy (an Earth-One Beatle?). The Teen Titans overcame the Fiddler. Around this time, Psycho Pirate hid out on Earth-One until the Justice Society tracked him down, returning him to Earth-Two!

Months later, the Wizard* finally amassed enough power and pawns to travel back to Earth-Two, and battle individual members of the Justice Society. However, despite a few victories, his Secret Society of Super-Villians (consisting of the Wizard, Star Sapphire, Floronic Man, Professor Zoom, and Blockbuster) were chased off world back to Earth-One.

As for the Brain Wave, he departed for Earth-One several months after his former teammates. Building a secret base outside Metropolis, Brain Wave brought Killer Frost, Floronic Man, Signalman and Cheetah back with him through a portal to Earth-Two, where they met the latest Secret Society of Super-Villians. Their teammate Psycho-Pirate had earlier retreated to his temporary Earth-One headquarters followed by the Justice Society.

Contemporaneous with these events, independent villains traversed the dimension divide, where these entire encounter individual heroes. These characters included the Earth-One rogues such as Angle Man, Bat-Mite and Mister Mxyzptlk, and Jroyy and the Earth-Two rogues such as Red Panzer, Captain Hawkins and Muchacho, and Atoman. These malcontents menaced the Wonder Woman, Supermen, Batmen and Flashes.

Prior to this, individual megalomaniacs each had separate yet consecutive incursions into the others universe, with Spirit King invading Earth-One while Darkseid invaded Earth-Two. While Darkseid pulled Shade, Fiddler and Icicle to his reality temporarily… these three remained on Earth-One for later capers (invading the Crime Champions, except for the Shade whose place was taken by the Wizard)… which mirrored when the Earth-One Crime Champions had a second engagement on Earth-Two years earlier. 

This last scheme of the Ultra-Humanite’s was the closest that the Injustice Society members came to triumph, however despite beating and capturing members of the Justice Society and Justice League, it was the Earth-One Super-Villians who attacked the Earth-Two Secret Society for their betrayal. And so, because these evildoers had no loyalty between themselves, they never had a lasting victory.

* The Wizard's reappearance back on Earth-One for a further Secret Society caper was offset by his counterpart Abra Kadabra's accidental journey to Earth-Two, where he battled both Flashes.

Fauna Versus Flora: Robin Versus Plants - Rounds One and Two

Agilely adept acrobats, the twin Dick Graysons were able to handle a variety of foes in their alter egos as Robin. Despite their main adverseraries using a variety of gimmicks in their capers, there was one type of snare that caught each of them unaware. Flora... which ironically makes sense given that the Robins styled themselves after prominent flying fauna, and so earthbound foliage would was their area of weakness.

While the Robin of Earth-One had alongside his mentor Batman fought Poison Ivy on a couple of occasions, her initial gadgets were less plant-based than what she would later develop. However, when facing the Floronic Man aka Jason Woodrue, Robin found himself  overcome by mutated plant tendrills. This distracted Robin long enough for Woodrue's Secret Society of Super-Villains teammate Blockbuster, whom their leader Wizard sent him to free, to knock the lad unconscious.

The Robin of Earth-Two never faced a plant-themed foe until his adult career, as Ivy's counterpart of his world Jolly Roger was more sea-based than land-based. On this later occasion, Robin along with fellow members of the Justice Society of America, were captured by an army of mutated plants, including tendrils spawned by the visiting supervillain from Earth-Prime, Cary Bates! His plant-themed powers were given him by the Wizard, who recruited him into the Injustice Society, and Bates would use a knockout fume to render Robin and his allies unconscious.

Undoubtedly, these experiences helped both Graysons into developing strategies to deal with such future threats.

Whatever Happened to the Secret Society of Super-Villains?

Undoubtedly the most successful team of supervillains had to have been the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three, due to a few key factors. First, they were a tight-knit band of felons bound by a common interest, that dealt decisively with any competition... be it criminals or other costumed characters. Second, there world only had one actual superhero... Alex Luthor. Third, the only other individuals that dared to oppose them were bounty hunters such as Johnny Quick's adversaries in the Rogues Hunters. As such, they were the longest lasting team of caped and cowled crooks, that proved unbeatable for years. However, the Crime Syndicate's dominance came to an end following a battle with the Justice League and Justice Society, leading to their banishment into interdimensional Limbo for an untold period of time, encaged in a globe created by their enemies. This green globe prevented the Syndicators from using their specific powers and skills to break free.

Yet perhaps none had as wide-spread a tyrannical grasp on villainy across various universes as had the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Originally created from behind the scenes by Darkseid of the extra-dimensional world known as Apokolips, several villains led this team on Earths One and Two throughout the decades, from Manhunter to Gorilla Grodd to Lex Luthor to the Wizard. After the Villains broke apart into two teams, one on each Earth, they disbanded. 

However, the last leader, Ultra-Humanite, assembled a new Society which nearly won before internal scabbles once more fractured the villains' once more. Ten members of the Society, from Earths One and Two, were then left in interdimensional Limbo. Prior to this, five former Society members under Wizard’s leadership also were trapped there when journeying from Earth-Two to Earth-One.

The Earth-One villains later led by Ultra returned to their world, to be sent to various prisons, while Society pulled the Earth-Two villains from the early 1980s into the 1940s for a battle with the All-Star Squadron, which they ultimately lost.

Those six remaining members were then sent back to Limbo... according to Johnny Quick... save for Ultra. Although later, only Brain Wave was shown as still there! Where were fellow members Mist, Monocle, Rag Doll, Psycho-Pirate and Vulcan when Ultra-Humanite and Brain Wave had a final battle in that realm? Well, recall that the Crime Syndicate was likewise trapped in Limbo. Logically, it seems that those five Secret Society cronies helped the Crime Syndicate escape their globe-prison, and the Syndicate returned the favor by returning all of them to their respective Earths. At least for a few years, until the Crisis on Infinite Earths pulled them all into a Multiversal conflict.

* For those who might say, “But the Crime Syndicate were still shown in their green bubble within Limbo in 1984, remember that time is meaningless there. And Luthor mentions having several battles with the Syndicate since 1982. Plus all points in the timestream of Earths One and Two were accessible to the "present" in Limbo as the Secret Society of the 80's traveled to the 40's, as one such example.

Seven Deadly Enemies of Mankind

The Monster Society of Evil were the preeminent assemblage of costumed criminals on Earth-S, and the Sivana Family was the most successful group of arch-foes of the Marvel Family. Other villainous teams included Bulletman's foes in the Revenge Syndicate and Mister Scarlet's foes in the Death Batallion.  Another sinister syndicate had a more far reaching impact of humanity, the so-called Seven Deadly Enemies of Mankind!

Although ancient alien entities which have battled the forces of good since the days of the Champion in ancient times down to when King Kull reassembled them in the modern day to battle with Captain Marvel, these seven has human sides that caused trouble. And they would appear on occasion to trouble mankind with their adverse influence. They first appeared in November 1944, and reappeared in October 1952.

Led by a mysterious monocled man named Mr. Hogg, this gang of seven crooked confederates consisted of men identified by their devious defining characteristics of Pride, Envy, Greed, Anger, Sloth, Gluttony and Lust. Doctor Sivana personified Pride and served as a secretary and host for his colleagues, and he like Henry "Brain Wave" King of Earth-Two were the most persistent adversaries of their worlds' greatest heroes.

Other members of the Seven Deadly Enemies likewise were the Earth-S versions of King's Injustice Society allies Wizard, Thinker, Gambler, Per Degaton, Sportsmaster, and the Icicle. The Earth-One counterpart of this amoral alliance, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, likewise bedeviled the heroes of their world. A version of this Secret Society also formed later on Earth-Two, while a less successful Injustice Gang also operated around the same time on Earth-One... each of these, like the Sivana Family, used similar methods and had the same goals. And were tangentially connected to their larger sister syndicate.

Secret Society of Super-Villains: The Final Act... or Was It?

After the Wizard's incarnation of the Secret Society had folded after subsequent defeats at the hands of the Mightiest Heroes of Two Worlds, it seemed it would never be revived. However, another ape like Gorilla Grodd did revive it, seeking to recruit villains of both Earths to capture select heroes of the Justice League and Justice Society. Why? In order to rid one of the two worlds of all superheroes, which Ultra-Humanite in his simian form stated would happen. After successfully capturing said costumed crusaders, Earth-Two was reformatted so that somehow all superheroes mysteriously vanished due to the cosmic balance.

How he came upon this calculation was a mystery, and yet due to the capture of Black Canary as one of the Leaguers, who herself originated from his own world, Ultra assured himself of victory unimpeded by the mystery men that had stymied him for decades in all his various forms.

However, what Ultra had underestimated was the tenacity of the four Secret Socialites of Earth-One, who found the means to enter interdimensional limbo where the ten heroes were imprisoned, and freed them. Those ten left Killer Frost, Signalman, Floronic Man and Cheetah in Limbo while they returned to Earth-Two to invade Ultra's headquarters. Once the ten overwhelmed the remaining six members... i.e. Brainwave, Monocle, Psycho-Pirate, Rag Doll the Mist and Ultra himself.... they were sent to Limbo as well.

Remember, this is the same plane of existence where the Wizard and his four allies found themselves for several months, and where Ultra's Earth-Two force would remain until he extradited them and sent them back to 1942 to aid his earlier self in that era while he schemed in the present day to revenge himself upon the Justice Society's prodigy, Infinity, Inc.

And so, the cycle was renewed as the last version of the Secret Society of Super-Villains was the first to show itself in history, and the template for which years later Lex Luthor and Brainiac would form their own massive army of superpowered criminals they would enlist in their "Villain War" which occurred at the zenith of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, where the plan of conquest extended to five parallel planets. This may have finally led to triumph were it not for the intervention of the Spectre, calling both sides to save the Multiverse, which both heroes and villains did at cost to some among their number.

Secret Society of Supervillains: Versus the Justice League/Society Part 1

After the main run of the Secret Society of Supervillains had concluded, they had an impressive if ultimately unsatisfactory resume in their initial history. Consider:

• The first appearances of each Earth's Secret Society had a similar number of crooks that beat imitations of their foes: a robotic Justice League and the children of the Justice Society.
• Darkseid had been instrumental in the Earth-One Secret Society's formation, and later assuming control of their then doppleganger on Earth-Two, the Injustice Society.
• Both Society's manipulated hero versus hero, while engaging the attention of telepathic mutants Captain Comet and Brainwave Junior who followed them doggedly.
• Each team had decisive battles within the key headquarters involving telepaths, star-powered beings, cold-generating felons, gifted gliders, a Flash or Flash foe, and two Power players
• On separate occasions the Hawkmen and the Atoms both drew the attention of the Societies.
• Gorilla Grodd and the Wizard each hatched schemes using their Socialites to take out individual members of the Justice League and Society, though this proved unsuccessful.
• Strike forces from within both organizations were sent to battle the Freedom Fighters and the All-Star Squadron, both teams including Phantom Lady.

And now perhaps the most stunning parallel case, with the same five members attacking first the heroes of Earth-Two then their counterparts on Earth-One! After the Wizard's campaign to capture individual Justice Socialites had failed, he and his comrades Star Sapphire, Professor Zoom, Blockbuster and the Floronic Man battled the Justice Society. Just as Green Lantern, the Flash, Doctor Fate, Star-Spangled Kid and the Huntress had them cornered, the Secret Society journeyed into the Limbo between universes. Eventually freeing themselves, they arrived on the Leaguers' world, where they captured and traded bodies with Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman, Zatanna and Batman. This proved only temporary, as other Justice Leaguers discovered the villains' rouse and helped reverse the process... imprisoning the last remnant of the Secret Society.

 

Thus ended this long and infamous group, seemingly forever. However, all it took was another simian to rebuild that which Gorilla Grodd had walked away from, and in turn from the last incarnation of the Secret Society... would be spawned the chronologically first version decades earlier!!!

Secret Society of Supervillains: Secret Side-Missions

While the main Secret Society teams of each world had primary agendas, such as working for Darkseid, pitting heroes versus one another, forming secret alliances, singling out superheroes... sometimes its just an all-out grudge match. Such was the case when the Silver Ghost recruited several Supervillains that weren't main members... aside from Mirror Master and Copperhead... to once-and-for-all defeat his mortal enemies.

These adversaries, the Freedom Fighters, were originally from Earth-Two but later migrated to Earth-X for several decades before moving once more to Earth-One. This would be their last adventure there, as the Fighters ultimately defeated the Society, although the Ghost used his power against himself and his arch-foe Firebrand who was a recent addition to the Freedom team. Although during the Crisis, Silver Ghost and then Firebrand would both be revived from their silver-encased state, this was the last blow for the heroes who returned to Earth-X after several months on the run from the law for crimes they didn't commit.

On their homeworld, a time displaced Infinity Inc. was sent back to 1942 by the Ultra-Humanite along with his Secret Society to defeat the All-Star Squadron of that era. A Squadron which included Phantom Lady, who was also one of the Fighters in the 1970's battling the same team on a another world but different members. This scheme of the Society also failed as these criminal were outmaneuvered individuals or in pairs. However, the main team under the Wizard would after these occasions orchestrate coups versus the World's Greatest Heroes of parallel planets...



Secret Society of Supervillains: The Piecemeal Approach to Villany

Despite the fact that there was evidently a high level of animosity between Gorilla Grodd and the Wizard while they were teammates, the two one-time leaders of the Secret Society each had similar thought-processes where victory was concerned.  For just as Grodd recruited four villains to aid him in taking out five Justice Leaguers, so had the Wizard brought four other villains to Earth-Two to handle the Justice Society. Both started with the weaker members, Batman and Atom, with at times two or more of the Secret Socialites ganging up on each costumed crusader. During Grodd's campaign, he was joined by Bizarro, Poison Ivy, Sinestro and Angle Man... while Star Sapphire rejected his offer and was left temporarily comatose She was then swept up in the schemes of the Wizard when he led her along with Blockbuster, Floronic Man, and the Reverse-Flash to his native world. Captain Comet had been trailing both sets of Secret Supervillains, although the rogues continued to be one step ahead of him. 

Grodd's team captured Leaguers Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and the Flash... keeping their prey in a pocket-dimension intersecting with reality created by the Angler device of Angle Man.. Captain Comet succeeded in catching up with his Grodd's team in Superman's Fortress of Solitude while helping the Man of Steel versus the evil quintet. In fact it was Grodd who conceded the battle, and his allies, when the Captain's own life had been threatened as his enemy was a key to the ape's mysterious master plan. A plan that was never revealed nor came to fruition.

However, Grodd would soon escape and once more enlist the aid of Star Sapphire along with the Floronic Man leading to a battle with the Atom and Wonder Woman once more in Gorilla City. Although this scheme was unsuccessful, his allies would be utilized by the Wizard in his own universe-spanning scheme.

The Villains met some initial successes, as Wizard and Blockbuster overwhelmed the Atom, the Floronic Man and Reverse-Flash tagged teamed in defeating Doctor Mid-Nite, and Blockbuster was sent to tackle retired JSA member Mister Terrific. The Wizard's team incarcerated the captured members of the Justice Society of America in stasis capsules within the now defunct Injustice Society's headquarters. In addition, the Wizard laid out an inter-dimensional trap for the Flash outside Keystone City, although this ended up temporarily ensnaring Flash’s Earth-One counterpart 

One additional undocumented encounter involved Star Sapphire recruiting her Earth-Two counterpart in order to ensnare Starman as part of this same Secret Society caper of picking off individual JSA members. Captain Comet caught up with Sapphire, and joined forces with Starman in repulsing the malevolent maidens’ attack. Now tipped off the the Villains’ plans, the current roster of the Justice Society began looking for their missing allies, and after freeing them chasing after Wizard and his corrupt cronies. Inexplicably, Comet wasn’t present for the final battle, having been shunted back to Earth-One perhaps during this battle.

This misadventure forced the Wizard and his minions to flee back to Earth-One, and thus freed the captured heroes. There the Supervillians would immediately face the League in another caper, which caused the rogues to capture their opposite numbers, in a most unique manner by swapping bodies with them. This scheme ultimately failed, finally finishing this incarnation of the Secret Society. 

Secret Society of Supervillains: Japanese Excursions

One destination that both Societies, the Secret one of Earth-One and the Injustice one of Earth-Two, shared was Japan. Specifically the major cities of Sapporo and Tokyo, respectively, where three evil entities converged on the island nation bent on defeating the Men of Steel, while the Hawkgirls and others looked on. Lex Luthor had sent the Wizard, Felix Faust and Matter-Master to Sapporo where Superman was reported to be. Turns out, it wasn't the actual hero himself but an actor filming a movie about him. However, with the aid of Hawkgirl and Captain Comet (while Hawkman was up in their spaceship cooking a meal!) the good trio took out the bad one.

Similarly in Tokyo a universe away, it was the original Superman alongside his cousin Power Girl and Justice Society teammates Wildcat and Hawkman (Hawkgirl was in stasis) who vanquished the Fiddler and Solomon Grundy. Meanwhile, a third villain unaffiliated named Zanadu with the other two was holding Hawkman's wife as a hostage (still in stasis) until Doctor Fate arrived on the scene to defeated the ancient Lemurian. The Societies themselves would not yet be done with their malevolent masterworks....

Secret Society of Supervillains: Cold Receptions for Darkseid

After their first meeting, the Secret Society of Earth-One quickly found themselves in conflict against their mysterious founder, Darkseid, thanks to the provocation of their leader the Manhunter. Seeing the insurrection and wishing to quell it quickly, Darkseid sent his henchman Mantis the Power Parasite to tame this terrible team in their headquarters. Facing off versus heroes Manhunter and Captain Comet as well as their erstwhile allies Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang and Hi-Jack... the Society finally overwhelms Mantis who retreats to recharge. Similarly on Earth-Two, the fourth incarnation of the Injustice Society had secretly maneuvered themselves into the headquarters of the Justice Society. This led to a pitched battled led by Hawkman with the Flash, Star-Spangled Kid versus the Injustice leader the Icicle and his allies Brain Wave, Thinker, and the Wizard. Yes, the same Wizard who sat out in the Secret Society's battle versus Mantis. So on both occasions on parallel planets, there were the following similar sets of players involved in these battles: two telepaths, a star-powered being, a cold-generating felon, two gifted gliders, a Flash and a Flash foe, and two Power players. Twice-told-tale, perhaps? 

 

Himself a clone of the original and secretly a superhero, Manhunter felt that luring the leader of Apokolips to his world and having its villains combat him would kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. In fact, Darkseid beat a hasty retreat due to the Society's superior numbers, although their leader charged in try defeating the dark master and instead found his life extinguished. Darkseid would abandon his plan to utilized villains from this Earth, but would reserve the right to seek ones from its twin a universe away!

 

In fact, not long thereafter, it was Darkseid himself who seemingly was no more... when in fact he created a duplicate body on Earth-Two and recruited the Injustice Society to further his sinister schemes. While the Secret Society had more conviction and courage, due to their leader and fellow hero Captain Comet in their midst, the Injustice Society were willing dupes for Darkseid. And yet, his plan to transport Apokolips into Earth-Two's space in its universe was thwarted by the Justice League, Justice Society and New Genesisians who assembled to combat him.

 

Following the death of their leader and the severance from their creator, the Secret Society was left in a power vaccum from which several of its members would attempt to usurp its authority. First Lex Luthor and then the mysterious benefactor behind the Society's business manager Funky Flashman would send the group off into strange and uncharted courses for a supervillain organization. Comet and Hawkman quickly trounce a vengeful Sinestro who is attempting to destroy the Society's Sinister Citadel building. Captains Boomerang, Cold and Stingaree would go on a tangential crime spree whereby they kidnapped professional captains in space, in sports, on the sea... although they are defeated by Comet and the Black Canary. Luthor's own plan to recruit specific members to defeat Superman fails when its found out that their target isn't the real Man of Steel but an actor.

 

As for their counterparts at that time, the Injustice Society, the first of that incarnation's members to appear were the Fiddler and Solomon Grundy. These rogues attempted to sway Wildcat into eliminating his teammate Hawkmen in the streets of Toyko, however they themselves were defeated by the combined Justice Society that appeared on the scene. The other four members had formed an alliance with Ayrn the Underlord and his subterranean race to destroy critical oil pipelines while setting forth traps laid by their captured prey, Hourman and Wildcat (he didn't have much success going up against these guys!). This scheme would itself fail, although all four seemed to have backup plans in the works, with these cunning quartet committing one among them be sent to Earth-One to recruit members for a later conquest of Earth-Two. This is how the Wizard ended up amongst the Secret Society when it first founded. And he would make good on his promise, soon...
 

Secret Society of Supervillains: Masters of Manipulation

After their inauspicious debut versus the robotic replicas of the Justice League, the Secret Society found themselves embroiled in conflict with a few of the individual Leaguers. First among those was Green Lantern, who while attempting to subdue Gorilla Grodd and Hi-Jack caught the attention of returning galaxy-traveler Captain Comet. Comet, who hadn't met fellow superheroes thus far, felt that Lantern was the villain and thus defended the two criminals from being subdued by him. This quickly led to his membership into their ranks, those ranks led by the uncover hero Manhunter, whose goal for assembling the Society was yet to be revealed. Immediately, Comet would be informed by his new leader that the team they both joined were the Supervillains.

A universe away from Earth-One, the Injustice Society reassembled for a fourth incarnation (its counterpart had only three of their own during their history) with the Fiddler and Solomon Grundy being the first members to appear while the Justice Society were trying to protect Tokyo, and were quickly by the heroic team. Shortly thereafter, the Icicle and presumably the Thinker subdued Hourman within the Justice Society's brownstone headquarter while he was on monitor duty, and then coerced him by mind-control into attacking Wildcat as well.  This would setup a pitched battle between those two Societies, as what was brewing with their dopplegangers and the League in a universe only a few slight vibrational frequencies away!

Secret Society of Super-Villains: The Dawn of Evil Assembled!

Throughout the years, teams of supervillains have appeared on the scene to combat their opposing heroic numbers. From the Injustice Gang to the Injustice Society, the Fatal Five to the Five Fingers of the Hand. The first team of two Earths was the Crime Champions, but they would not be the last. The largest, grandest, and most infamous of these groups was the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Their origins are paradoxical and perplexing, considering that they involve time and space being bent in ways unnatural, as is how such an assemblage of adversaries could exist considering the egos and evil involved. Nevertheless, the Society has long and remarkably enduring histories on both Earths One and Two that spans decades, with dozens of members throughout its tumultuous history. So which Society came first? That depends on if you are referring to chronologically or historically.

The first Society dawned on Earth-One in the Sinister Citadel, centered in the Loman Building in San Francisco, when a call was sent forth to several costumed criminals from across the world and even throughout the galaxy. Their first case involved battling Justice Leaguers Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman... although these are robotic duplicate that they costumed criminals quickly destroy. However, their counterparts who actually appeared long before them a universe away dealt with real heroes in their first appearance, and defeat each of the All-Stars Batman, Atom, Green Lantern, Tarantula, Steel and Liberty Belle.

This first Society to appear historically was actually the last incarnation of it, as that team from Earth-Two had traveled four decades into the 1940s, sent by two Ultra-Humanites to support a scheme hatched by the Delores Winters incarnation of the Humanite. This group consisted of both Ultras and six other villains, just as the first team on Earth-One had eight members... not including the Manhunter who had a parallel in Cyclotron of the 40's. Both were heroes in villains' clothing, so to speak, and there were others like Shadow-Thief and Angle Man, Deathbolt and Amazing Man. This team came to the attention of Brainwave Junior and some members of the All-Star Squadron, and when after several battles Delores was defeated, the Society vanished back to their interdimensional prison.

After their devious debut, what next would transpire for the sinister Society's of two Earths?



Titanic Teams: Secret Societies

In the beginning,  there were Injustice Gangs and Societies that terrorized their native worlds, each time put down by their opposite numbers in the heroic community. So a new type of organization was developed by these ferocious felons, more a collaborative than a syndicate. A Secret Society of Super-Villians, if you will. And right from the start, the men who made their fellow superpowered champions know of their evil existence were the resident telepaths... Captain Comet and Brainwave Junior. Traveling through space and time, they were bound and determined to bring down the Society... or perish in the attempt!

Early on in the lifespan of these lethal leagues, two hyper-intelligence simians assumed the power vacuum left behind by their predecessors who first assembled these Societies. Though strategists par none, aligning superior numbers of costumed criminals to their cause, these individuals... Gorilla Grodd and Ultra-Humanite... found a formidable challenge in the presence of Captain Comet and Brainwave Junior, who matched their mental energies in mind matches between them. Even when the simians thought the foes in the Justice League and Society were defeated, their plans were overturned.

Even avalanches caused by their adversaries did little to stem the tide of victory in the path of Comet and Junior. One other candiate for leadership tied to the Secret Society was the Wizard, who manipulated rogues on both Earths One and Two to vanquish his persistent foes. Ultimately, things came full circle to the beginning, as it was Ultra-Humanite who... as he had in the 1940's, regained authority over his Super-Villains in a desperate attempt to wipe his world of all heroes. Failing in that, his sending his erstwhile allies back to the 40's renewed the legacy that was a Secret.

Titanic Teams: Injustice For All!

Undoubtedly the arch-adversaries to the World's Greatest Superhero Teams of parallel planets are these guys. And the tip-off might be their names... the Injustice Gang of the World and the Injustice Society of the World... who bedeviled the Justice League and Justice Society. And they did so under similar circumstances throughout their long and infamous histories as outlaw organizations. How did the shape the face of infamy and illegality?

The original incarnation of these teams was founded by masterminds Libra and Wizard, wherein the former merely manipulated his minions in order to steal the League's powers... whereas the latter wanted a profitable criminal venture which he tried to recruit the Society to evil ends. During the second incarnation, the same five core members Libra enlisted: Mirror Master, Poison Ivy, Tatotted Man , Scarecrow, and Shadow Thief regrouped on board their satallite headquarters... only to be demolished by the League. The Wizard, however, scrapped former allies Brain Wave, Per Degaton, Thinker, Vandal Savage and the Gambler for newer members Icicle, Huntress, Sportsmaster, the Fiddler and Harlequin... each competing for leadership of the team. Turns out, Harlequin betrayed her allies to save her foe whom she loved, Green Lantern.

The third incarnation which we previously considered hatched a scheme that brought two Earth-Prime protagonists, Ultraa and writer Cary Bates, into the tale. While Ultraa unwittingly stole the League's powers while redistributing them to the Gang, Bates utilizing the power given him by the Wizard seemingly dealt a fatal blow towards six Justice Socialites whom the writer disguised as their Injustice foes in a battle with the visiting League. One additional member in these third teamups was Abra Kadabra (who led the Gang from behind the scenes, mirroring Wizard's capacity on his own gang), while the Shade joined the evil Society of his world during this occasion. While Kadabra's plan was to acquire ancient artifacts though his poisonous proxies in order to control Earth-One's natural resources, once more Wizard's plans was simply to plunder Earth-Two's fudiciary resources instead! 

A fourth incarnation of the Injustice Society appeared sometime after this, with the Fiddler recruiting Solomon Grundy, followed by four of their allies who avenged the duo's previous defeat. During this case, the four members of Wizard, Icicle, Brain Wave and Thinker were working in concert with Ayrn the Underlord in his attempt to conquer the surface world. Prior to this, the four remaining cohorts pledged that should this venture not succeed, one of them would travel to Earth-One to recruit more felons to aid in their cause to extinguish the JSA.

While there was no fourth incarnation of the Injustice Gang, another organization assumed its place as Earth-One's dominant criminal organization, the Secret Society of Super-Villains! With Wizard slyly working his way into this corrupt confederation, the villains were originally brought together by Darkseid of Apokolips through his henchman Manhunter, although that affiliation deteriorated quickly. The Society would repeatedly battle Captain Comet and others, including during a period led by Gorilla Grodd versus the League.  

However, one faction led by the Wizard would achieve his earlier goal! After a sidetrip to Earth-Three, he led erstwhile allies Star Sapphire, Blockbuster, Floronic Man and Reverse Flash to Earth-Two to battle the Justice Society individually. Simaltaneously, on Earth-One Mirror Master and Copperhead are hired by the Silver Ghost to recruit Chronos, Killer Moth, and the Sizematic wins to battle the Freedom Fighters, visiting from Earth-X. In this untold tale, the Fighters defeat their adversaries and return to their homeworld. And a planet away, Wizard's month long campaign leads to defeat.

Back on Earth-One after six months in interdimensional limbo, the Wizard and his lackies are the sole remaining members of the original Secret Society, and hatch a scheme whereby they assume six Leaguers' identities, while the heroes are trapped in the villains bodies This too fails. Shortly thereafter on Earth-Two, three Injustice Socialites (the Shade, Fiddler and Icicle) assemble on Earth-Two to pillage again. Darkseid turns his attention to these rogues confident they would be more obedient than the felons of Earth-One. That tale told previously ended in defeat as had Darkseid's Secret Society.

At this point, there are no further incarnations of either the Injustice Gang nor Society of their Worlds, and the initial core Secret Society of Earth-One and its satellite team on Earth-Two were now defunct. However, they were not finished, for Ultra-Humanite along with his sub-commanders Brain Wave and Killer Frost brought together ten criminals (here pictured) from both Earths to abscond five Leaguers and five Socialites in order to remove heroes from his world (for the reason why this worked,consider this reference). Although succeeding, the Earth-Two Secret Society betrayed their Earth-One colleagues, who returned the favor by releasing their heroic adversaries. This led to one final occurence wherein the Secret Society operated on Earth-Two, which was incidentally the first time they ever appeared on either world. However this and a more detailed history of that similar yet distinct organization, alluded to in this posting, will be considered at another time. Suffice it to say, Injustice never seems to go away but he never lasts long when champions of good stand in the way of such rogues.

Darkseid and the Societies of Super-Villains

Darkseid was master of his domain on the planet of Apokolips, in a dimension adjacent to but not confined within the Earth-One universe. His counterpart Surtur had been manipulated by Earth-Two's Hitler into attempting to bring about the end of the dictator's world in a fit of vengeance.

Darkseid initially schemed of forming a coalition of costumed criminals in Earth-One, with the goal of allowing him to conquer that world and eventually his entire universe in his mad quest to obtain the mind-controlling Anti-Life Equation. However, the organization known as the Secret Society of Super-Villains soon after rebelled against their founder and his minions, severing his ties with them. He would not, however, give up on having superpowered human agents doing his bidding.

A few years later, Darkseid himself visited Earth-Two in order to restore himself after his alleged death, when he was turned into energy by a cosmic cannon.  Remarkably, he once more recruited a Society of supervillains like he had on Earth-One, only unlike the Secret Society which had greater numbers and a more rebellious streak, the Injustice Society of Earth-Two yielded in submission to the power mad being.  This team, the Injustice Society, assisted Darkseid in manufacturing a new body back on Apokolips. 

The warlord then planned to transport Apokolips in place of Earth-Two within that alternate universe, which would have led to that Earth’s destruction. Had he have succeeded, Darkseid would be reality away from his mortal foes of planet New Genesis, leaving himself unchallenged where he could reign supreme in a new universe. 

Thankfully, the combined forces of the Justice League and Justice Society along with the New Gods defeated Darkseid. Indeed, in each instance, his human servants failed fulfilling his schemes. 

As for Surtur, after his minions were vanquished in Asgard by a Justice Society originating from a post-Crisis composite Earth, he himself was soon after defeated by their own combined might. However, due to the circular nature of time in that realm, this battle continued to play out repetitively for a seeming eternity between the monolithic menace and the mighty meta-humans. In fact, at a certain point, an alien race bravely assumed the place of the Society in this never ending battle that left Earth-Two and... by extension all reality... protected. The closest Surtur ever came to victory on that planet was the hazy clouds he projected from Asgard onto the Society’s world for a brief period in 1945.