Hardwater’s Heroic Helping Hands

Hard water is said to be "high in dissolved minerals, largely calcium and magnesium" according to the USGG.gov website. When heated, hard water can form solid deposits of calcium carbonate in confined areas, such as within water heaters. However, moderate intake in this type of liquid can have healthy benefits on humans.

In the DC Multiverse, hard water has different physical properties in each universe it exists within. Two instances of this are in the parallel planes of existence known as Earths One and Two. And the individuals who manifested divergent abilities from this particular property as Mera and the golden age Flash.

On Earth-One, the queen of adjacent Dimension Aqua known as Queen Mera possessed the power to solidify water particulars into various objects. While other inhabitants of her native realm likewise possessed this skill, including her twin sister Hela, it was Mera who mastered it.

On Earth-Two, college student turned police scientist Jay Garrick accidentally inhaled hard water fumes overnight, causing his metabolism to become superhumanly fast. While his counterpart Barry Allen gained his similar powers from lighting striking a plethora of chemicals within his police lab, it was hard water that altered Jay. Both men became Flash, the Fastest Men of their worlds.

Jay's Garrick Research Laboratories experimented with hard water years later. The lab's scientists concealed this substance, which inadvertently unleashed their hyper-accelerated stored kinetic energy, which proved fast enough to even challenge Garrick as the Flash. Whether Mera's Earth-Two counterpart Queen Eeras ever employed hard water weaponry in Atlantis is also unknown.

Interestingly, the Water Sprites of Earth-One had hard water based powers similar to Mera, who were allies of she and her husband Aquaman. Qwsp and his Sprite brethren’s doppelgängers on Earth-Two were the Thunderbolts with lighnting-based powers derived from sparks of electricity similar to that which empowering a Barry-Flash. They were of the Thunderbolt Dimension, the Earth-Two version of Earth-One’s Dimension Aqua.*

* While on Earth-One, lightning energy translates into speed force and hard water translates into solidified constructs, on Earth-Two it is the reverse with hard water translating into speed force and lightning energy into solidified constructs.

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Feathered Furies’ Fabulous Food

The Hawkmen, Katar Hol of Earth-One and Carter Hall of Earth-Two, were similar in several ways. Both were winged warriors, courageous crimefighters, and heroic husbands to the Hawkwomen. And yet, there were stark differences, such as Katar being a brunette and officer while Carter being a blonde and a leader. One other variation between the two men… Katar could modify technology while Carter could invent technology.

One example of this is Nth metal, which Carter discovered and incorporated into a flight belt, with a winged harness allowing him to fly. Katar inherited his anti-gravity belt and harness which had been constructed by his father, Paran Hol of the planet Thanagar-One.

Another creation of Carter Hall was specialized food capsules, which when mixed with a secret solution process turkey dinners. With this invention, Hall charged his colleagues in the Justice Society of America with the task of distributing these capsules to starving citizen of European counties then occupied by Nazi Germany during the early days of World War II. Carter as Hawkman assigned himself the mission of distributing these capsules in France, where he met a blonde woman who was part of the French resistance forces.

As for Katar Hol, while he was able to modify a wide array of Thanagaian and Earth technology during his costumed career, during his many missions throughout the years. However, when facing the brunette villainess known as the Golden Raven, he resorted to using Hostess Fruit Pies on her! Fruit pies!!! Although Justice Society Hawkman used some unknown ingredients in his capsule and solution, it still produced a nutritious turkey dinner. Meanwhile, Justice League Hawkman relied on a chemical concoction of a sweet treat with no nutritional value.

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Cosmic Converter Creating Costumed Crusaders

Along with the emerald batteries and their respective power rings, another pair of items that harnesses vast energies was created that rivaled these. The first was a star-band devised and wielded by a scientist adopting the alter ego of Evil Star. The second was a cosmic-converter belt developed and worn by Sylvester Pemberton aka the Star-Spangled Kid. Both channeled cosmic energies, allowing their owners to create objects from solid energy along with various other effects.

While Evil Star of Earth-Two didn't have access to the technology of his Earth-One counterpart, he was connected to the man who was, as Pemberton was not only a scientist capable of making the belt but also a financier of Stellar Studios. The original Evil Star's civilian alter ego was Guy Pompton, owner of Ace Movie Rental Agency, which provided movie props for several Hollywood studios including Stellar Studios. A movie script outline the criminal activities of Evil Star and his underworld associates, which Pompton sought to surpress when Stellar Studios sought to make a movie based on it. This led to Evil Star battling with Green Lantern and his allies in the the Justice Society of America. Decades later, Pemberton exercised his ownership right over Stellar Studios.

The later Evil Star was a frequent foe of his universe's Green Lantern, from the planet of Aoran. He sought immortality from the stellar energy, harnessing the Star-Band device he invented. However, a side effect transformed the once benevolent scientist into a malevolent menace to his family and the people of his world, watching gleefully as he remained young while his wife and children advanced into old age. The effects of wearing the Star-Band for years resulted in only Evil Star and his artificial Starlings remaining as the sole inhabitants of the planet of his birth.

Despite Evil Star's star-band having greater functionality than Lantern's ring, he was defeated in each of their encounters. Star-Spangled Kid's Cosmic Converter Belt was based on the technology developed by astronomer Ted Knight from his alter ego Starman's Cosmic Rod. Whether the Kid's Costmic Concevter was likewise more versatile than his Justice Society teammate Green Lantern's power ring is unknown.

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Crimefighters' Calculating Computers of the JLA and JSA

After their initial years working in a pre-automatic climate, with the advant of increased technology, both the Justice League and Justice Society developed their own unique computers to aid them in their costumed crimefighter careers. In the years that followed, these instruments would be essential, indeed instrumental, in these twin teams' successful missions, and would on occasion even be used in conjunction with one another across the dimensional barrier when needed.

The first of these groups to develop their own computer was the Justice Society, spurred on by their resident chemist and amateur hardware engineer, Hourman. Known primarily for his work in the field of chemical conconctions while with his former employer Bannermain Chemical, which he would later acquire and renamed Tyler Chemical, Rex Tyler produced his revolutionary "Crime-Caster" which could calculate different probabilities as to crime that he... as Hourman... would have to combat alongside his fellow JSA members. This device was first used simultaneous to the appearance within their brownstone base of an alien entity, the Tornado Champion, that had merged together with the android Red Tornado which joined the Society. As to the Crime-Caster, it would become the basis for T.O. Morrow's future computer.

Soon afterward, following the exposure of their initial secret headquarters by the Joker, the Justice League created a new Satellite headquarters orbiting Earth-One. And to operate this mobile base, League members Superman and Hawkman pooled their Kyrptonian and Thanagarian technology, creating the Justice League Computer. However, as with it's Earth-Two doppleganger, this computer was introduced simultaneous with base of an alien entity, a Dharlu, which had been encased in moon-rocks that were experimemented upon by S.T.A.R. Labs. Traveling with Leaguers Flash and Hawkman to the Satellite, it attempted to retrofit the Satellite into a space vessel that would take it to its extra-terrestrial place of origin. 

The Justice League were able to overpower the Dharlu, and while doing so realized that its prescence within their computer helped it to function correctly. It seemed that the sensitive circuity within the computer were destabilized, however creature was able to correct this flaw. And so, for years thereafter, the Dharlu stayed in frozen suspended animation imprisoned within the Satellite, although on one occasion it was temporarily freed before being captured by Wonder Woman.

As previously mentioned, the two groups on occasion used their computers in conjuction, such as when they were attempting to track down the killer of JSA member Mister Terrific onboard the Satellite. Given that both devices networked seemlessly, it seems that the Society's Computer with 100% Earth-based technology was superior to the melding of the Leaguer's hybrid system that was their Computer. 

It is unknown if the Dharlu survived during this case, as the evil Roger Romaine sabotaged it... causing it to explode in order to cover up his complicity in the hero's death. If the being did survive, undoubtedly it perished following the destruction of the Satellite during a Martian invasion of Earth-One.

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Purple Rays: Mystery Energy that Heals and Harms

The purple ray, which manifested unique and opposing effects upon those exposed to it s mysterious form of energy. Understanding the nature of this radiation may uncover one of the fundamental forces with the DC Multiverse!

The first to discover this energy was the malevolent scientist known as the Ultra-Humanite. Unleashing its radiation upon citizens of the Earth-Two Metropolis, this led to multiple deaths labeled the "purple plague". Ultra's arch-enemy Superman tracked him down and, during a pivitol battle, between the two, was exposed its rays. Although this killed his body, the effects hadn't reached his brain as yet, which was preserved and implanted in the mind of his kidnap victim, actress Dolores Winters. In this form, Ultra tracked down the ancient Powerstone, last used by Alexie Luthor against their common foe until Superman defeated him and retrieved the stone. When Ultra soon after claimed the powerful object for himself, it manifested similar purple lights which the Humanite used to varying effect. This jewel seemed similar to another, that will be discussed later, from the 7th dimension.

On the Metropolis of Earth-One, a benevolent scientist named Frederic Fowe used his ultra-violet rays Steve Lombard to repair his knee, and unintentionally created a temporary energy duplicate of the football quarterback.

The second appearance of the purple ray was when Princess Diana developed it in order to revive airport Major Steve Trevor, who crashlanded on her homeland of the Earth-Two Paradise Island. Years later, Diana as Wonder Woman used this same purple ray on six of her male colleagues in the Justice Society, who like Trevor were thought dead... reviving them.

A version of the purple ray was also used on the Earth-One Paradise Island by that world's Wonder Woman, both to heal different individuals and to destroy a composite shadow creature attacking her homeland during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Who developed this purple ray, predating Fowe's, is unknown.

It seems that this purple ray, or ultra-violet ray, is connected to the radiation generated by the star sapphires. These gemstones, created by the immortal Zamorans (who were a type of alien Amazonians, like the Wonder Womens' people), were similar to the Green Lanterns' emerald power rings (created by the Guardians of the Universe, male who were once of the same planet of Maltus as were the Zamorans). This purple energy also had the power of life and death, could create energy constructs, and seemingly bend reality to their user's will. This energy was tied in to their owner's feelings of love, hence if there was ill-will towards another it could be deadly, if a sense of nurturing it could heal.

While it was stated that the purple rays could revive the dead, this evidentally is not the case. As with both Earths' Steve Trevors, and the Justice Society of America members, they were in near-death like comas. Were this energy to actually restore dead ones to the living, the Earth-One Wonder Woman would have used it on her Justice League teammate Barry "Flash" Allen's late wife Iris, and the Earth-Two Wonder Woman would have used it on her former teammate Batman.

Others experimented with these revitalizing and regressive rays, such as those who’s science spawned Bag-O-Bones and the Skull.

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Cosmic Crusaders’ Creative Constructs

The main Green Lantern’s of their home worlds, Hal Jordan of Earth-One and Alan Scott of Earth-Two, had dissimilar professional occupations. Hal was a test pilot while Alan was an engineer, with Jordan later dabbling in toy sales and trucking while Scott diversified as a broadcaster and radio executive. When bequeathed with their power rings and power batteries which energized them, it was their indomitable will power which allowed them to shape the emerald plasma they were charged with into various constructs.

And so, unlike Hal’s fellow Justice League colleagues and Alan’s fellow Justice Society associates, the Green Lanterns were not known for inventing anything. For example, the Flash’s developed their cosmic treadmill and time vortex to travel through time, the Atoms designed the shrinking bio-belt and vibrator belt allowing them to traverse the Microverse and Multiverse. And yet, they had something their teammates’ didn’t possess… limitless imagination and the means to form it into whatever they desired.

With this cosmic power coupled with their will power, they could form large emerald fists to knock out opponents and green hands to catch a falling pedestrian. They could create rudimentary shapes to lend support to crumbling structures or intricate framework to support tremendous weights. In fact, the only limit to this creative outlet is the Green Lanterns was their concentration, the duration of their power rings’ charge… which was typically 24 hours at a time, and their rings’ inherent weaknesses.

For Hal’s power ring, this was a specific color, or rather how any substance’s physical makeup absorbed and scattered light in the electromagnetic spectrum it was bathed in. The color which Jordan’s power ring constructs had no effect on was yellow. For Alan’s power ring, this was an organic structural tissue, found within the stems and roots of all plant life. On other words, the substance immune to his power ring constructs was wood.

Remarkably, each Green Lantern found methods to circumvent these vulnerabilities by effecting objects surrounding yellow and wooden objects, such as those projected by the Sinestro’s own yellow power rings and found within the flesh and tissue of the Solomon Grundy’s. Due to their synthetic technology materialized through their boundless mental reserves, Jordan and Scott proved victorious throughout the years against the attacks of their foes.

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Untold Tale of the Justice Society: Mission in Space!

In late summer of 1975, the Greatest Superheroes of Twin Earths were called away to other worlds, facing ancient adversaries that threatened parallel planets. In both instances, each team defeated these foes one by one, until the true malevolent mastermind was revealed behind-the scenes, powered by a stellar stick in a ploy to lure these champions to their doom using fin-head spacemen.

On Earth-One, members of the Justice League were transported to Rann-One by the scientist named Sardath using his Zeta Plus Beam, in order to assist his future son-in-law Adam Strange in battling old gigantic enemies in the form of: a ray-gun, the bird Kalulla, the metallic Borg, and the Cloud Creature. All of these creatures were manufactured by Kanjar Ro, a villain who battled both Strange and the League in the past. 

On Earth-Two, members of the Justice Society were teleported via celestrial energies at the Mount Pride Observatory* while tracking down missing member Starman. On another world in space, most likely Rann-Two, the Society members battled stellar beings designed by their immortal adversary Vandal Savage** to resemble constellations Andromeda and a giant winged horse, Orion and a giant dog, and Sagittarius and a giant eagle (and later, characters modeled after those on Earth’s broadcast television airwaves). Savage accomplished this by utilzing Starman's old Gravity Rod. With these stellar beings, Vandal built green Kryptonite suns for the planet Colu-Two to orbit.***

While the space mission of the Justice Society was accomplished without any serious threat to life, such was not the case with the Justice League. For a time, it seemed as if Leaguers Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary and Elongated Man had perished, until Adam Strange noticed that they had been transformed into black spheres. Using Kanjar Ro's Energi-Rod to reverse the process, the five heroes along with their fellow members and Strange were able to defeat Kanjar Ro, removing the threat he and his minions posed.

During to the Society's own mission in space, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Starman were likewise able to outmanuever Savage, when Starman used his prototype Cosmic Rod to overpower Vandal's stolen stick. Concurrent to this, six other members of the Society were dealing with a threat posed by the Injustice Society of the World and their minion, the empowered Cary Bates. Bates, a comicbook writer on Earth-Prime, accidentally ended up on Earth-Two when he used the Earth-One Flash's Cosmic Threadmill left behind on Cary's world. Seeing the potential to create sinister scenarios using his creative storytelling techniques, Bates was manipulated by the Wizard into leading the Justice Society into a trap while battling their Injustice adversaries. Mentally controlling Wonder Woman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Hourman, Johnny Thunder, Wildcat and Robin, Bates had each hero pose as a member of the Injustice Society. Then, when Bates' coworker and fellow writer Elliott S. Maggin journeyed to Earth-One with six members of the Justice League. he found his former friend now a vile villain. The League defeated those whom they thought were the Injustice Society, seemingly killing them.

The Leaguers remained on Earth-Two**** to protect it until the remaining Society members returned from space. As for those six seemingly deceased heroes, they were  in fact all comatose under the effects of Cary Bates, a process reversed by the Spectre, visiting his homeworld after having previously migrated to Earth-One. Together, the League and Society defeated the supervillains, and Bates with Maggin returned to Earth-Prime (a similar battle between the Justice League and Injustice Gang later took place on Earth-One).

* While this tale initially was told in a post-Crisis Earth, during the period of the early 1950s, it has been witnessed that tales on that composite world had a basis in adventures on Earths One and Two. As there were two fin-headed space heroes involved (Adam Strange and Starman), various energy beings used as pawns (Strange's old inhuman adversaries in the cloud etc. and the 3 constellation entities), spawned by evil enemies (Kanjar Ro and Vandal Savage) using stellar sticks (the Energi-Rod and Gravity Rod), with teleportation to and from Earth to other parts of the universe (via Zeta Plus Beams from Sardath's laboratory and cosmic rays from Starman's Mount Pride Observatory), involving remaining members of the Society (Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Starman) not present during the Injustice Society case... it seems logical that this is the untold tale of the Justice Society in space in 1975. 

**Soon after this tale, Vandal Savage attempted to restore his immortality while visiting Earth-One. He made this planet…. probably Rann-Two... as a staging ground to build Colu-Two and its two suns a year later. We know he was still in his phantom state as Earth-Two Flash mentioned to his counterpart that he just learned of Vandal’s condition (which was an untold tale… this tale!!!). Afterwards, Savage lured Superman and the Justice Society to Colu-Two via ancient Camelot!

***Undoubtedly, the stellar beings which Vandal enlisted into service on Rann-Two as constellations were the Sun-Thrivers, whom he forced to build for him Colu-Two’s twin green Kryptonite suns.

**** Of those remaining members of the Justice Society during these contemporaneous tales of Savage on Rann-Two and the Injustice Society, six heroes were present on Earth-Two though not active at this time. Atom was recovering from injuries in a previous crossover, Sandman had self-imposed amnesia of his dual identity (in order to deal with the trauma of his sidekick Sandy's current condition), Mister Terrific was focusing on his career as a Gateway City college professor, Superman and Batman were busy raising a cousin and daughter respectively. As for Doctor Fate, he was dealing with his old foe Khalis' return in the city of Boston.

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Medical Facilities and their Practioners of the Worlds' Greatest Heroes

Both the Justice League and Justice Society were prepared for all contingencies, and this included medical emergencies from cases that endangered their members. As such, each team had specially designed and equipped medical facilities within their headquarters.

While the Justice Society had the advantage of two physicians on staff, Doctor Mid-Nite aka Doctor Charles McNider and Doctor Fate aka Doctor Kent Nelson (the former of whom helped save the life of the latter, after a battle with Vulcan Son of Fire), the Justice League did not have a dedicated medical professional. However, both teams had a Wonder Woman, each equipped to perform life saving techniques (such as when the Earth-One Wonder Woman saved her teammate Aquaman). 

Besides standard Earth-based state-of-the-art medical devices, the teams' members also incorporate their own technology. The League used Thanagarian devices to revive the Flash. The Society relied on the stellar based technology of Ted Knight, aka Starman, to help sustain the life of Doctor Fate… who suffered severe injuries while battling a villain named Vulcan.

On an earlier occasion, the Earth-Two Wonder Woman revitalized six of her teammates in the Society with her purple healing ray, a scientific breakthrough she and her counterpart invented individually.

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Twice-Told-Tales: Medical Miracles of the Caped Crusaders

These strikingly similar twice-told-tales involved shrinking superheroes... performing delicate procedures from within their patients... victims of criminals seeking to conceal their crimes from those who could expose them.

In 1943 on Earth-Two, Doctor Charles McNider was made the executor to a man named Jamison's estate. Among the items in his possession was a shrinking ray projector developed by Jamison, which McNider replicated. Soon after, McNider was called to a hospital to recommend treatment for a gunshot victim, a detective ambushed by crooks. While unable to perform an operation himself, as he was legally blind, McNider secretly had the superhuman ability to see in complete darkness as well as infra-red googles allowing him to say in daylight was well. Requesting his "friend" Doctor Mid-Nite to perform the surgery on his behalf, Charles as Mid-Nite shrunk down to microscopic size, bringing with him his homemade portable projector. Navigating through the near-death police man's body, the Doctor finally arrived at the man's heart where he used the shrinking ray to reduce the size of the bullet lodged within it. 

In 1974 on Earth-One, social activist Debbie Manton is kidnapped by criminals in the employ of gang-leader Bugsy Cathart, as she had witnessed his slaying of a competitor. Tracking down Cathart's goons to a building, Batman unwittingly was stunned by an electric current as he swung onto its rooftop ledge. Left for dead, the Caped Crusader was retrieved and brought to a Gotham City hospital, where he was pronounced near-brain dead. Called to consult on his case, visiting physicist Ray Palmer hypothesized that by using his white dwarf shrinking belt, he could stimulate Batman's brain from within as the Tiny Titan known as the Atom.  

Reviving the detective, a now full-sized Mid-Nite learned from his patient that critical evidence was discovered that would expose gang-leader Clipper Jackson. Cornering Jackson and his henchmen, the Doctor was able to bring the crook to justice.

Piloting Batman's body from within his brain, the Atom was able to reactive the Gotham Guardian's  subconscious reflexes, and together they were able to rescue Debbie. With her testimony, the crook was brought to justice.

Interestingly, Doctor McNider still possessed this shrinking technology which was remarkably similar Ray Palmer's, yet unlike the Atom of Earth-One, Mid-Nite neither used it himself nor did he bequeath it to his Justice Society colleague Al "Atom" Pratt. Instead, Al-Atom wore a dimensional-vibrator device in his belt, something Ray-Atom also developed but used only once.

Regardless, the fact that such a technique was successful and such science was available highlights the amazing accomplishments within the DC Multiverse!

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Miracle Medicines Manufacture Meta-Human Marvels

Many catalysts imbued various humans throughout the Multiverse with a wide range of superhuman abilities. From intense solar radiation to divergent gravitational forces, from lightning bolts to hard water, from white dwarf stars to atomic radiation, from genetic mutation to biological adaptation. Such were the catalysts that spawned the Supermen, the Flashs, the Atoms and the Aquamen of Earths One and Two.

But there were other means, developed by scientists, to unlock metahuman potential in themselves and others. Among these were miracle medicines or divergent drugs, such as those considered below. These examples are both a small sampling of the many possible chemical combinations potentially available in each universe.

Zoologist Kirk Langstron of Earth-One sought to harness traits found in the unique flying mammals which inspired his personal hero, the Batman, Through his Bat-Gland serum, Langstrom was able to transform his body into Man-Bat, a hybrid hero blending but human and bat into a new life form. Initially, his transformations affected his mind, until Batman was able to help him regain his sanity. Man-Bat would oscillate between hero and villain, using his wings to glide, his sonar sense to navigate and his superior strength to subdue his foes.

Chemist Rex Tyler of Earth-Two developed the Miraclo pill, enabling him to obtain superhuman strength, speed, durability and agility for one hour at a time. As the Hourman, he successfully carved out a costumed career for himself, soon after becoming a founding member of both the Justice Society of America and the Freedom Fighters. However, addiction to Miraclo caused Rex to experience adverse affects, leading him to partially retire until he could reformulate his miracle drug into a safer compound.

Research assistance Duncan Pramble of Earth-Two worked alongside an archaeologist when he discovered an ancient elixir known as Liquid Light, which when ingested caused Pramble to mutate into various bodies. Each body had its own superhuman abilities, which he used unsuccessfully as the supervillain Multi-Man, as the Challengers of the Unknown defeated him time and again, as its leader and resident scientist Prof Riley developed an anecdote that neutralized Liquid Light's effects.

Rex Tyler eventually developed a variation on his Miraclo treatment, creating a Black-Ray device which helped him unlock the pills powers by bathing in its radiation. Eventually, Tyler developed a safer version of Miraclo, perhaps derived from investigating the foe of his Justice Society ally Doctor Fate. That foe, Mister Who, had himself developed the Z-Solution which allowed him to transform into various forms similar to that displayed by both Multi-Man and Garfield "Changeling" Logan of Earth-One, who's father treated him with to save his life. Having observed how Mister Who displayed no detrimental physical defects to his solution when both Doctor Fate and Hourman battled him, Tyler may have adopted part of Who's formula and integrated into his reinvented Miraclo pill.

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Utility Belts Accessorize Every Darknight's Wardrope!

The belt is relatively simple: a Kevlar strap with a metal buckle. The belt houses ten cylinders which vertically clip to the outside of the belt. There are pockets between the cylinders, as well as hidden pockets on the inside of the belt used for housing one of various batarangs. The cylinders house different tools for crime fighting.

Batarangs: Shuriken or boomerang based throwing blades made to resemble the symbol of a bat. Some Alternate versions of his Batarangs explode, emit electrical blasts, and sometimes come with detonators.

Grappling Hook: Also known as the Bat-Claw. Batman can use this to grapple onto high locations or can grab hold of a criminal by directing it at him, he sometimes uses it to catch run-away street thugs that cannot put up a fight against him.

Gas Mask: This is used to protect Batman from dangerous fumes and other airborne chemicals. This fits over the bottom half of the mask.

Re-breather: allows Batman to breathe underwater or in a vacuum    

Night Vision Goggles: This allows for Batman to see in dark or dim-lit areas. It also grants him the ability to view the infrared spectrum. Now built into his mask

Sonar: Used in his mask to locate criminals.

Tracers: Bat-shaped signal tracers that can adhere to most if not all surfaces.

Communicators: Batman communicates with different members of his team and also with other superhero allies using closed-circuited signals.

Lock Picks: Batman uses these to open locked doors.

Cuffs: Special cuffs that only few enemies and heroes can break out of. Batman can quickly lock a enemy to a pole or deliver him to the police.

Bolas: Batman swings these Bat-Bolas over his head to wrap up an enemy.

Smoke Grenades and Pellets: Batman can throw these grenades in order to use a stealth technique, distract an enemy, escape a situation, or plan his next course of action.

Sonic Grenades: These disrupt electronics and disorient enemy hearing. 

Flash Grenades: This gadget is used to temporarily blind enemies.

Mini-Mines: Mines that can fit in any small area or used as low-grade explosives during combat.

Thermite Explosives: Capable of burning through most materials.

Plastique: Small exploding devices that have a timer or detonator switch to activate.

Brass Knuckles: Used to engage an enemy with more force behind his blows. 

Tactical Knife: Batman does not use this in combat, but he has used this to cut through many durable materials.

First Aid Kit: Used to aid in treating wounds. Alfred normally uses this to tend to His Master's wounds. 

Forensics Kit: Batman keeps two of these, one in his utility belt and the other in his vehicles.

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Brilliant Belts Bend Bearers’ Being

The men known as the Atom. Ray Palmer and Al Pratt, were themselves prominent physicists based in the parallel college metropolises of Ivy Town and Calvin City. Besides their roles as professors teaching the next generation in their university classes, they spent their idle time inventing amazing devices they used in their costumed crime fighting. Among these were belts that channeled cosmic forms of energy to bend matter in revolutionary ways.

Ray developed his bio-belt made from a fragment of a white dwarf star, which allowed its wearer to change his size. Al devised his vibratory belt which could shift his molecules from his native universe of Earth-Two into that of his counterpart’s on Earth-One. This became  personal teleporter which Al-Atom no doubt used in his own world during future adventures.

These belts had controls within their belt buckles that activated when their wearers pressed their interfaces. Whether Al-Atom used his vibratory belt on additional cases to teleport to different locations is undocumented, alright the fact that he appeared during some contemporaneous cases with the Justice Society at various locations seems to indicate that he has used it for this purpose, in much the same manner as Ray-Atom uses his shrinking belt to allow him to travel through telephone lines across the globe when needed.

On one occasion, Ray-Atom's arch-enemy Chronos captured his foe and stole his belt, pretending to be Atom to confuse the local police. Unknowingly, Chronos left Atom in his costume, not realizing that his enemy had palm controls that also allowed the Tiny Titan to change his size... thus escaping his trap and defeating the Time Tyrant.

On a later occasion, Al-Atom used his vibrating belt to journey to Earth-One and enlist the aid of his counterpart, not realizing that Ray-Atom was affected by a cosmic phenomenon that made him an immature and combative version of himself. During the battle, Ray-Atom disabled Al-Atom's belt, allow eventually was restored to his senses by his cosmic twin.

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Continuing thru April 2025 - #JSApril! Celebrating 85 years of #DCComics JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, the world's first greatest superhero team! Join over 40 podcasters bloggers as we honor our favorite heroes! Info participants:

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Cool Gadgets of the Flash's for Running/Reducing/Revisiting

Ironically during the silver age, the various heroes that gained superpowers through accidents often used their own natural intellect to develop superior gadgets to aid them in their adventures. Beyond the mere web-shooters and gamma-gadgets of the day, perhaps the most prolific of these inventors was Barry Allen, the Flash of Earth-One. He invented the Cosmic Threadmill, a device that absorbs cosmic energy (ever abundant, ask Ted Knight) and allowed the operator to travel through time guided by a radioactive pulses from a cosmic ray clock. Beside this time (and dimensional) travel device, Barry also devised a costume ring that housed a specialized chemical compound which compressed the fabric of his Flash outfit, allowing it to fit within its housing. When needed, he could then eject this specialized fabric, which expands into a full-sized Flash costume.

His counterpart on Earth-Two, Jay Garrick aka the Flash, had himself improved upon Barry's designs and created the Time Vortex. Like the Treadmill, this device sent individuals through the time and space, teleporting them to a desired temporal destination. In addition, it generated a force field that projected a fabric generator, which through intricate programming specifically designed era-appropriated clothing for its travelers during their journey! As such, it was a clothing-materialize / Rosetta Stone translator / time-travel devise! Although only used during one Justice Society adventure, it also had been used on other occasions. Take that, Allen!

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Continuing thru April 2025 - #JSApril! Celebrating 85 years of #DCComics JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, the world's first greatest superhero team! Join over 40 podcasters bloggers as we honor our favorite heroes! Info participants:

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Elementary My Dear Sandman: Desmond and Dodds’ Devices

Master chemists Albert Desmond and Wesley Dodds developed elemental guns* which could alter the molecular composition of objects, even organic life forms, which caused the Fastest Men Alive some headaches. While Desmond was granted transmutation powers like his Earth-Two counterpart, John "Sargon" Sargent", he needed to harness these abilities through a special handheld weapon of his own design. Unlike Wesley's Earth-One counterpart, Doctor Garrett Sanford who like Dodds developed sleep-inducing technology and likewise became the Sandman, Wesley also developed his experimental silicoid gun with transmutation capabilities.

Constantly in conflict with his duality of nature, both a good and evil personality, Albert adopted the alter ego of Mister Element... and later Doctor Alchemy... becoming an early arch-enemy of the Flash. Desmond was eventually able to completely reject his sinister disposition, with help from both the Flash and the hero's secret identity, police scientist Barry Allen. Despite this. Albert would eventually use his element gun years later to combat his distant cousin, Alvin Desmond. Alvin had like his relative succumbed to a criminal career, adopting the Doctor Alchemy alias. Albert combated him as Mister Element, with Albert's elemental gun counteracting Alvin's Philospher's Stone, (which the former used ar times in place of his gun).

Tragically, Wesley's first attempt to activate his revolutionary silicon gun left his adopted ward and sidekick Sandy Hawkins transformed into a Silicoid monster possessing a sinister disposition. Kept in a slumbered state for decades until a cure was found to reverse his state, Sandy developed mastery over his shape-changing abilities. Meanwhile, Dodds used a refined form of his silicoid gun in his crime fighting in the mid 1960s, and later used it during a time travel adventure during the reign of Genghis Khan in the Gobi Desert. 

While initially coming into conflict with his world's Flash, and the rest of the Justice Society of whom Sandman was a charter member, Sandy revealed his heroic nature. During his years-long semi comatose state, Hawkins was able to expunge his barbaric personality, manifested when he was initially transformed.

Although Hawkins was eventually transformed back to his natural carbon-based physical state, other actual "Sandmen" in the form of Khan's ancient minions whom Sandman battled still resided in the Gobi Desert up until the mid 20th century, when they battled the Flash. A similar process on Earth-One spawned the Quarrmer "Sand Superman”, before it returned to its “opposite charged” realm… which would’ve been in the Anti-Matter universe of Qward.

The silicon creatures in the glass and sand forms were Earth-Two's version of the Metamorphs, such as Rex Mason, and of the Dust Devils from planet Rhynthar-One. Mason and others like him were transformed using processed including radiation from the meteorite "Orb of Ra" which seemed to operate on principles similar to Desmond's elemental gun and Dodd's silicoid gun.

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Continuing thru April 2025 - #JSApril! Celebrating 85 years of #DCComics JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, the world's first greatest superhero team! Join over 40 podcasters bloggers as we honor our favorite heroes! Info participants:

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Sturdy See-Through Shields of the 30th Century

Force-field belt and the Bomb Defense Formula were revolutionary pieces of technology developed in the 30th century. However, while these were effectively used in that era, they were also employed a thousand years earlier, impacting the lives of two Earth's greatest heroes when in the hands of their nefarioius foes.

Brainiac Five was born Querl Dox, descendent to the planet of Colu-One's freedom fighter, Vril Dox. The computer tyrants indentured a human youth in Vril to be tutored by his surrogate father, the android known as Brainiac. However, when Vril led an uprising among his people against the Tyrants and their chief android agent, Brainiac left this world behind to seek others to subdue across the universe. Among the technologies Brainiac employed was his "ultra-force shield" belt, when even kept his eventual arch-enemy Superman of Earth-One at bay.

Per Degaton was recruited into the Time Trust of Earth-Two, a group of scientists who collaborated to develop a working time ray. Once this was completed, they enlisted the aid of the Justice Society of America, sending them a thousand years into the future to obtain the necessary components to construct a "bomb-defense formula" that could protect America from foreign threats. The Society succeeded in retrieving the necessary piece to assemble this protective device.

Querl improved upon his android "ancestor's" technology, developing a superior version known as his "force field belt" which could protect both himself and others with whom he projected the field around. With this and his 12th level of intelligence, Brainiac Five  obtained membership into the Legion of Super-Heroes, who benefited from these force fields throughout the years.

Degaton saw the effectiveness of the Time Trust's "Bomb-Defense Formula", and secretly sabotaged it so that a second test seemingly exposed this force field as defective. While the Time Trust and the United States decided not to rely on the formula, Degaton himself memorized how this device was assembled and... years later... reassembled it above his ally Brain Wave's satellite during a battle with the Justice Society. While this force field was effective, the Society was still able to defeat the villains in the end.

Eventually, Brainiac Five used his force-field belt against Pulsar Stargrave, a powerful opponent who himself claimed to be the 30th century version of Brainiac himself. If this is true, it was quite ironic that Querl was able to ultimately sequester Stargrave within a force field, with the meglamanica seemingly destroying himself within its transparent energized surface.

Equally interestingly, Pulsar's counterpart on Colu-Two, a synthetic servant of Vandal Savage known as the "Chief" used a seemingly similar force field. This one kept Superman and Power Girl ensnared for a period of time, until the Kryptonian cousins eventually freed themselves and confronted Savage and his forces.

Teams Traveling Twin Transporting Teleporters

Thanagarian Relativity Beam Systems may have been standard on that world, but they were foreign on Earth-One. Nevertheless, when Katar Hol of Thanagar-One introduced his Justice League teammates to this device, the team began incorporating these transporter tubes not only aboard their orbiting space satellite headquarters, but also in several major cities atop skyscrappers. These devices allowed League members, and their guests, to teleport from the planet below to their headquarters above.

A similar yet far superior mechanism was created on Earth-Two. Developed by the former arch-enemy of Wonder Woman turned benevolent Amazonian scientist, Paula VonGunther developed her Space Transporter. This device not only could send those projected by its rays from Earth-Two to the hyperspace world of Venus, but also to a variety of other locations... both in space and time! This mechanism, originally located beneath Holliday College in Paula's secret laboratory, had a duplicate built on Paradise Island (and possibly other locales). However, Paula had help creating this teleporter, considerable help across space and time!

While she was briefly affiliated with Nazi Germany as one of its chief scientists, Baroness VonGunther worked alongside Helmut Streicher, also known as the Red Panzer. Streicher constructed a time-grappling device that could project and retrieve his Panzer Ship through time and space, no doubt based on technology used by his confederate Hans Gootsden. Queen Desira of Hyperspace Venus, whom Wonder Woman first met after being trapped aboard one of Gootsden’s spacecraft, provided additional guidance in assembling this device.

So it seems that the combined knowledge behind assembling the Justice League Transporter and Paula’s Space Transporter culminated in the collaboration behind the Transmatter Cubes, which the Justice League and Justice Society developed together. These devices allowed the teams to traverse their two universes as often as needed!

Merging of Doppelgängers: The Cosmic Treadmill's Strange Power

The Cosmic Treadmill was a device invented by Barry “Flash” Allen powered by cosmic energy. This device enabled Flash to travel through time, with positive radiation drawing him into the future and negative radiation drawing him back into the past, coordinated by pulsations emanating from its cosmic ray-powered clock. 

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry along with fellow Justice Leaguers and members of the Justice Alliance of Earth-D constructed a larger version of the Threadmill. The became an interdimensional transport for millions of inhabitants of that world, which were being destroyed by the anti-matter wave destroying the Multiverse. Working with his counterpart Tanaka Rei, Barry created another treadmill, with the ability to merge doppelgängers!

Barry shared this invention with his nephew Wally "Kid Flash" West and his counterpart Jay "Flash" Garrick of Earth-Two. Jay later created his own version of the Threadmill, the Time Vortex. This mechanism similarly allowed for guided time travel, as well as fabricating period-specific clothing for individuals using it. Star-Spangled Kid suspected it manipulated cosmic energy like his  cosmic converter belt and Starman's cosmic rod.

While on Earth-Prime, Barry created another treadmill allowing him to return to Earth-One. Now realizing it bend time and space, upon Tanaka's suggestion they modified the Earth-D version. Those individuals of Earth-D travelling through its portal merged with their "genetic doppelgängers" on Earth-One. Of course, some like Barry and Tanaka weren't genetic counterparts, and so would've remained separate.

A similar occurence happened years earlier, when the Aquaman of Earth-One encountered the city of Necrus, which shifted from its native universe to another from time-to-time. On this occasion, the beam that brought Necrus to his world also struck the King of the Seas, causing a doppelgänger of his appear to be splitting off from him. In fact, this was the long lost Aquaman of Earth-Two, whom Arthur Curry's mind was connected with during this process. Together they defeated Mecrus' leader Mongo and his evil forces attempting to invade Atlantis and attack the surface world, although at the cost of the second Aquaman's life.

The device causing Necrus and the golden age Aquaman to shift from universe to universe was a "dimensional time reflex" machine created by a scientist from a doomed world in space. While merged, the Aquaman pulled into Earth-One's universe was mentally tied to that planet's native Aquaman, as would the Earth-D citizens with the Earth-One twins.

Even the transmatter cubes, created by the Justice League and Justice Society to travel to one another's worlds annually, was used to this effect. When Earth-One was invaded by the creature known as Krogg, who had resided in the Limbo realm between universes for centuries. the Kal-El and Kal-L used the device to become a composite Superman. Just as they doubled their own power, the two felt each other's minds slowly become one.

Something similar probably occured with the Freedom Fighters of Earth-Two, recruited by Uncle Sam to protect Earth-X. Each member may have merged with their Earth-X doppelgänger, which had near identical lives to their own (aside from not being superheroes themselves) and allowing them to carry on their wartime adventures chronicled in Quality Comics.

Perhaps the most widespread effect of this occuring was when the alien Creator2 tried to merge Earth-Two and Earth-One together using the android Red Tornado's dimension-travelling ability. On this occasion, all of the worlds' citizens met their doppelgängers of he other world for a brief period.

What effect this merging had on the minds and bodies of those of Earth-One who now gained the lives and experiences of their Earth-D doppelgängers in unknown.

Transmatter Team Travelling Tales: The Final Two Times

Throughout their history, not only have the combined Justice League and Justice Society used the Transmatter Cubes for their annual gatherings, but individual members have as well. Sometimes, this has led to disasterous results, such as when the Supermen used a damaged Cube to save Earth-One from the alien Krogg and to save the Earth-Two Jimmy Olsen's life. And soon after, when Green Arrow and Black Canary used that same League Cube to travel to Earth-Two, and helped undo an alternate past created by Mark Ronsom the Ravager during World War II. Then there was the time Black Canary returned to Earth-Two to warn the Society about the Adjudicator. Each time, the Cube played a part.

Back in the present, once more the League hosted the Society for that year's gathering, only this time the event was interrupted by Earth-One's criminal Johnny Thunder who used his counterpart's Thunderbolt to immobilize all superheroes on that world. Thankfully, this provided the loophole necessary for the visiting Earth-Two heroes to avoid this same attack, and the Society along with former members Black Canary and Red Tornado aided them in defeating both Thunder and his Crime Champions. On this occasion, Canary learned that the person she thought she was... the Canary of the Justice Society, was actually her now dead mother. Shortly before passing, that Canary asked that her memories be transplanted into the mind of her decades-long comatose daughter, to give her the life denied her due to tragedy.

Following the invasion of Martian forces upon Earth-One, the remaining Justice League members ventured onboard the now destroyed Satellite in order to use the Transmatter Cube one last time to travel to Earth-Two. There, they recruited the Justice Society in helping them defeat Commander Steel and Mekanique, who had taken over their headquarters and held League member Steel hostage. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Satellite would finally be destroyed along with its Cube, although the Justice Society's Cube remained in good repair despite nearly being destroyed by Vulcan Son of Fire.

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In the history of the annual Justice League / Justice Society teamups, the first ten team-ups transpired during specific times each year when they could traverse to the others' Earth. During this period, at times they would visit one another such as versus the original Crime Champions, the Anti-Matter Man, and Solomon Grundy.

 

During their second meeting, the League visited Earth-Two to help the Society defeat Earth-Three's Crime Syndicate... in the third occasion, the Society returned the favor by travelling to an Earth-One transformed into Earth-A to battle the new Lawless League. Sometimes, such as versus T.O. Morrow* and Creator2, both teams worked on the same case without actually meeting.

Then there were three occasions when the Society enlisted the aid of the League on Earth-Two to assist them in defeating threats such as the Black Sphere villains, Aquarius and the Iron Hand.

Once they employed use of the Transmatter Cubes, the League and Society attempted trading members to the other's headquarters for two simultaneous gatherings on both Earths, only to have these interrupted by sidetrips to Earth-X and New Genesis.

On one occasion, the Society hosted the League at the mansion of Earth-Two's Sandman, during the case wherein they learned of the tragic tale involving Sandy the Golden Boy.  On another occasion, the League hosted the Society at a fancy restaurant in Earth-One's Gotham City, which was interrupted by the Lord of Time and his five time lost heroes-turned-minions.

The League took an unplanned trip to Earth-Two during a case involving Cary Bates and the Injustice Society, while the Society took an unplanned trip to Earth-One to track down Psycho-Pirate and help their friends defeat Mordru. Another tale, not involving the Cubes at all, resulted in both teams working alongside the Squadron of Justice from Earth-S to save all three Earths.

The remaining actual gatherings of the League and Society seemed to favor the two groups meeting onboard the Satellite orbiting Earth-One. Such as during the death of Mister Terrific, the attack of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the invasion of the Crime Syndicate (although in an alternate timeline, the League traveled to the Society's earlier headquarters to thwart Degaton's scheme), and the aforementioned battle with an evil Johnny Thunder. The final meeting prior to the Crisis, involving Commander Steel, had both groups travel to the other's world briefly.

So in the final estimation, both with and without the Cubes, their creators equally ventured to Earth-One and Earth-Two... for the League to aid their friends, for the Society to party with their pals.

* Morrow used his Futurenergy to create energy duplicates of five friends (Steve Trevor, Jean Loring, Shayera "Hawkgirl" Hol, Midge and Mera Curry) and one foe (Doctor Light) of the League, while Per Degaton's time machine created six temporal duplicates of the Society's old foes (Per Degaton, Wotan, Professor Zodiak, King Bee, Monster and Sky Pirate) from 1948 in 1941. The original friends and foes of these heroes existed separate and simultaneous to their "chronal-clones" on these occasions.