Forgotten Justice League - Day 24

Day 24 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Black Lightning

Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 24 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Black Lightning is the alter ego of Jefferson Pierce & is another Forgotten Justice League member. The character will also get a live action series this coming season. He debuted in Black Lightning issue 1, April 1977 and was created by writer Tate McRae with artist Trevor Von Eeden.

A gold medal-winning Olympicdecathlete, Jefferson Pierce returned to his old neighborhood in the Suicide Slum section of the city of Metropolis, with his wife Lynn Stewart and his daughter Anissa to become the principal of Garfield High School.

Southside, as it was once known, was where his father - renowned journalist Alvin Pierce - had been murdered. Guilt over this event was a factor in his decision to leave the city of Metropolis. Suicide Slum was being torn apart by a local organized criminal gang called the 100, shady corporations, and crooked local politicians like Tobias Whale. A family friend and tailor, Peter Gambi, had taught a much younger Jefferson how to suppress his inborn metahuman abilities so that he would not accidentally hurt any of the people he cared about. Upon his return, Gambi suggested to Jefferson that he should use his powers to help the neighborhood, and refers him to a plaque with the paraphrased Milo Sweetman quote "Justice, like lightning, should ever appear to some men hope, to other men fear." (the original text of which was "Justice, like lightning, ever should appear to few men's ruin, but to all men's fear. Of mortal justice if thou scorn the rod, believe and tremble, thou art judged of God.") Appalled by the public murder of Earl Clifford, one of his more promising students, Pierce tried to intervene on behalf of the schoolchildren, but quickly learned that the 100 objected violently to any interference.

Pierce adopts the costumed identity "Black Lightning". Years later, he would tell fellow African American superhero Mister Terrific that he chose the name Black Lightning because he "was the only one of us around" at the time, and he "wanted to make sure everyone knew who they were dealing with."

Years ago, Green Arrow brought Black Lightning to the attention of the Justice League of America, who extended an offer of membership to the protector of Suicide Slum. He turned down the offer, preferring to work as a loner and focus on street-level crime, though he did offer to become a reservist. Years later, when all of the JLA reservists where called in to fight a newly revived Amazo, Black Lighting was one of the heroes called, confirming that the League had accepted his offer. Most recently, however, Black Lightning has joined the JLA, once again appearing with a modified costume. He appears to be primarily based in Washington DC again. Black Lightning assists the JLA with intelligence gathered from the criminal community.

Forgotten Justice League - Day 25

Day 25 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Hawkman

Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 25 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Hawkman was created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold issue 34, February–March 1961.

Hawkman's real name was Katar Hol and was the imperial prince of his home planet of Thanagar. His father was Paran Katar, renowned ornithologist and inventor. When Katar Hol was eighteen, an alien race called the Manhawks invaded Thanagar and began looting the planet. Paran sent young Katar Hol to infiltrate their nest and bring back information on the aliens. Using this information, Paran created a hawk-like battle suit containing advanced technology like his "Nth metal". Katar used this hawk-suit and Paran's advanced weaponry to drive the Manhawks away from Thanagar. That, however, was not the end of the problem. Some Thanagarians had learned the concept of stealing from the Manhawks. Due to the amount of crime, the Thanagarian government created a police force. In honor of Paran Katar and his achievements, the new police force began using his hawk-suit and equipment. Paran headed this new police force, named the Hawk-Police (or Wingmen), and his son became one of the first recruits.

Katar soon became one of the most skilled of the Hawk-Police. When a group called the Rainbow Robbers began committing crimes, Katar was teamed up with rookie Shayera Thal to track and apprehend the criminals. During the case, Shayera saved Katar's life, and the two soon fell in love. A few weeks later, Katar proposed to Shayera and the two got married, working together as partners-for-life in the Hawk-Police.

After ten years of marriage and in the force, the pair were sent to Earth to capture the shape-shifting Thanagarian criminal Byth. During their mission, they meet George Emmett, commissioner of the Midway City Police Department, and told him their alien origin. With Emmett's help, the pair took over his retiring brother Ed's place as museum curators. They adopt the identities as Carter and Shiera Hall. After capturing him and sending him back to Thanagar, they elected to remain on Earth to work with authorities to learn human police methods. The two acted publicly as the heroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl, later Hawkwoman.

Katar joined the Justice League of America, where he befriended the Atom. As Hawkman was a conservative, he frequently verbally sparred with his fellow leaguer Green Arrow, a left wing liberal.

Forgotten Justice League - Day 26

Day 26 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Booster Gold

Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 26 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Booster Gold was the first new character introduced after 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths megaseries. Created by Dan Jurgens & launched in his own self-titled comic in 1986, Booster Gold was the superhero name of Michael Carter. Born into poverty in 25th Century Gotham City, Carter managed to capitalize on his athletic ability to get a scholarship to Gotham City University and played football as their star quarterback, at least until their father came back into his sister, Michelle, and his lives. A gambler, their father convinced Michael to throw the games to profit, which led to the younger Carter to get expelled and demonized when the plot was made public. Working as a night watchman at the Metropolis Space Museum where he studied the lives & exploits of the superheroes & supervillains of the 20th Century. Eventually Michael steals advanced technology including a Legion of Superheroes flight ring and a special suit giving him other powers including super strength and a force field to protect the wearer.

Carter travels to the past and appears to save President Ronald Reagan from an assassination attempt, when giving his superhero name to Reagan, Michael mixes his nickname "Booster" and "Goldstar" (his chosen 20th Century superhero name) and President Reagan dubs him "Booster Gold", a name which sticks.

Often seen as bumbling and a vainglorious self-promoter that is in it all for the money, taking corporate sponsors & using both future tech & a flying computer named Skeets with knowledge of history to stop crimes, Booster is actually an important figure. Known to audiences, but not to Booster himself, he is the future father of Rip Hunter, the greatest of the Time Masters, a group tasked with protecting Time from those who seek to corrupt it.

Only the Batman knows some of the truth and knows there is more to Booster than what the public sees, and Booster was a member of the Justice League often pairing with the Ted Kord version of the Blue Beetle, a team called "Blue & Gold".

Forgotten Justice League - Day 27

Day 27 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Vixen

Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 27 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Vixen, Mari Jiwe McCabe, fist appeared in Action Comics issue 521 in July 1981, although she was originally created to be the first African hero in DC to get their own title in 1978, however that fell through and the character did not debut for three more years.

She wears a totem that gives her the powers of any animal. The character made sporadic appearances until the Justice League of America was reformed by Aquaman and she applied & was given full membership.

Forgotten Justice League - Day 29 (Zantanna)

Day 29 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Zantanna


Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 29 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Zantanna Zatara was created by Gardner Fox, Julius Schwartz and artist Murphy Anderson in issue 4 of Hawkman, October-November 1964. She is both a stage magician & an actual magician that is the daughter of Giovanni "John" Zatara. As such she has many of her father's powers relating to magic, typically controlled by speaking the words of her incantations spelled backwards.

She appeared in many stories after her debut. She briefly was featured in backup features in Adventure Comics and Supergirl from 1971 to 1973. Zatanna assists the Justice League of America on a few missions before being elected to membership in Justice League of America #161 in December of 1978.

Forgotten Justice League - Day 30

Day 30 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague
Doctor Fate

Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 30 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

Doctor Fate, in 1920, archaeologist Sven Nelson and his son Kent go on an expedition to the Valley of Ur. While exploring a temple discovered by his father, Kent opens the tomb of Nabu the Wise and revives him from suspended animation, accidentally releasing a poisonous gas which kills Sven. Nabu takes pity on Kent and teaches him the skills of a sorcerer over the next twenty years before giving him a mystical helmet, amulet & cloak. In 1940, Kent meets Inza Cramer and Wotan in Alexandria, Egypt on his way back to America. After arriving back in the United States, Kent begins a career fighting crime and supernatural evil as the sorcerer and superhero Doctor Fate and sets up a base in a tower in Salem, Massachusetts.

He is a founding member of the Justice Society and later, after Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, a member of the Justice League. Since his creation by Gardner Fox in 1940, there have been several incarnations of Doctor Fate, most of which share genetics with Kent Nelson, the original Doctor Fate, as either grandnephews or other relatives.

Forgotten Justice League - Day 31

Day 31 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

Elongated Man


Forgotten Justice League members:

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 31 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

The Elongated Man was another John Broome & Carmine Infantino creation first appearing in Flash issue 112 in 1960. He was created as a supporting character for The Flash (and will make his live action television debut this season on the CW's series, The Flash) and eventually married & gave up his secret identity. The character was moved as a back up story for Detective Comics and made out to be a detective himself, searching for odd cases around the country with his wife, Sue. He would encounter other superheroes and eventually joined the Justice League and would feature in their monthly stories from 1973 to the mid 1990s.

In story, Ralph Dibny was fascinated with sideshow contortionists & discovered a drink all popular & successful contortionists used, gringold which using his chemistry skills he turned into a potion which gave his elasticity like Plastic Man or Marvel's Mister Fantastic from the Fantastic Four. He was the first DC Silver Age hero to marry his love interest & to give up his secret identity.

In 2004, DC's Identity Crisis story was framed around the murder of Sue Dibny, the Elongated Man's wife. The murder ends up revealing a soap opera type story involving magically removing memories from super Villians & the morality of such, along with ins and outs that finds Ralph trapped in a plot to resurrect his dead wife & the magical villain Doctor Faust, running into DC's 52 series which ends with Ralph's own death, trapping Faust and reuniting him with his wife as ghosts investigating the supernatural realm.