Forgotten Justice League - Day 11

Day 11 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

Black Canary

 

Forgotten Justice League members:

 

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 11 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

 

Black Canary first appeared in Flash Comics issue 86 in August of 1947 after being created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino.  One of DC Comics earliest heroines, she has appeared in many of the company's team-up titles and since the 1960s has most often been paired with Green Arrow.  She joined the Justice League in Justice League of America, volume 1, issue 74.

 

At her Golden Age debut, Black Canary was the alter ego of Dinah Drake and participated in crime-fighting adventures with her love interest (and eventual husband), Gotham City detective Larry Lance. Initially, the character was a hand-to-hand fighter without superpowers who often posed as a criminal to infiltrate criminal gangs. Later stories depicted her as a world-class martial artist with a superpower: the "Canary Cry", a high-powered sonic scream which could shatter objects and incapacitate enemies (even ones powerful enough to kill Kryptonians such as Superman). When DC Comics adjusted its continuity, Black Canary was established as two separate entities: mother and daughter, Dinah Drake and Dinah Laurel Lance. Stories since the Silver Age have focused on the younger Black Canary, ascribing her superhuman abilities to a genetic mutation.

 

Black Canary's first live-action appearance was Danulta Wesley's 1979 portrayal in NBC's two Legends of the Superheroes specials. The character appeared in the short-lived 2002 television series Birds of Prey, an adaptation of the comic book. Dinah Lance became Dinah Redmond played by Rachel Skarsten, a teenage runaway with psychic powers. Her mother Carolyn Lance played by Lori Loughlin was Black Canary with a supersonic Canary Cry.

 

In 2008, Smallville introduced Black Canary played by Alaina Huffman as an assassin who is recruited for Green Arrow's team of superheroes. She appears in a number of episodes, including several season premieres and finales.

 

In the TV show Arrow, and other shows in its fictional universe, Dinah Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) is an attorney who commonly goes by the name Laurel. Her sister, Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) returns in Season Two after a six-year absence as a trained assassin for the League of Assassins who works alongside the Arrow (Stephen Amell) to protect Starling City as the Canary. When she dies, Laurel trains to honor her, operating as the Black Canary until her own murder in Season Four. In the spin-off show Legends of Tomorrow a resurrected Sara Lance resumes heroism under the moniker White Canary as prompted by Laurel. Cassidy also portrays Laurel's villainous Earth-Two metahuman doppelgänger, Black Siren, on The Flash, and also in the fifth season of Arrow. Cassidy will reprise her role as Black Siren on Season Six of Arrow as a series regular.  In Season Five, Arrow introduced a new Black Canary in Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy), a former Central City undercover cop with the alias of Tina Boland and possessing a metahuman Canary Cry, who continues the Canary legacy.  Harkavy was promoted to series regular for Season Six.

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Forgotten Justice League - Day 12

Day 12 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

 

Forgotten Justice League members:

Guardian

 

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 12 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

 

The Guardian was created by Jack Kirby and writer Joe Simon and first appeared in April 1942 just 13 months after another non-superpowered character with a shield that Kirby and Simon created that became more well-known, Captain America for Marvel Comics.  

 

The original Guardian was James "Jim" Harper, a police officer for Metropolis whose beat was Suicide Slum that adopted the vigilante persona to catch crooks that the law could not touch.  Harper would later be revealed to be the great-uncle of Roy Harper who would be Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy.

 

Mal Duncan, a member of the Teen Titans, later adopts the original costume combined with an exo-skeleton to become the next Guardian for a time, however it was the orginal Jim Harper Guardian that was asked to join the Justice League in Justice League of America, volume 2 issue 41.  This original character later retires from crime fighting and has yet to be seen in either the New 52 or Rebirth series.

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Forgotten Justice League - Day 13

Day 13 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

Captain Marvel (Shazam)

 

Forgotten Justice League members:

 

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 13 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

 

Artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker created the character in 1939. Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated Feb. 1940), published by Fawcett Comics. He is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a boy who, by speaking the magic word "SHAZAM" (acronym of six "immortal elders": Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury), can transform himself into a costumed adult with the powers of superhuman strength, speed, flight, and other abilities.

 

Billy Batson, a homeless 12- (later 14-) year-old newsboy who sleeps in the subway station of his home city (later referred to in DC publications as Fawcett City). A mysterious man in a green cloak asks Billy to follow him into the subway station, where a magic subway car painted in unusual shapes and colors escorts them to an underground throne room, which is inhabited by a very old man with a long beard and a white robe. As the man in green disappears, the old man on the throne explains to Billy that he is the Wizard Shazam, and has used the powers of "the gods" - Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, hence the name "Shazam" - to fight evil for over 3,000 years. However, he has now grown too old to continue and is in need of a successor. The wizard explains that Billy was chosen due to his misfortune: he had been thrown out by a greedy uncle who stole his inheritance following the deaths of his parents (later retellings of the origin would also note that Billy was chosen for being "pure of heart").  Ordered by the wizard to speak the name "Shazam," Billy is struck by a sudden bolt of lightning and transformed into a superpowered adult in a red costume with gold trim.

The Wizard Shazam declares the new hero "Captain Marvel" and orders him to carry on his work, as a stone block suspended above his throne falls upon him, killing him as prophesied.  The wizard would return - in later retellings of the origin story, immediately - as a spirit to serve as a mentor to Billy and Captain Marvel, summoned by lighting a torch on the wall of his lair.  As a spirit, the Wizard Shazam lives at the Rock of Eternity, a bicone-shaped rock formation situated at the nexus of time and space.  Later retellings of the Captain Marvel origin place Shazam's underground lair within the Rock.  Saying the word "Shazam" allows Billy to summon the magic lightning and become Captain Marvel, while Captain Marvel can say the magic word himself to become Billy again.

 

The first filmed adaptation of Captain Marvel was produced in 1941. Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler in the title role and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as Billy Batson, was a 12-part film serial produced by Republic Pictures.

 

Captain Marvel first came to television in 1974. Filmation produced Shazam!, a live-action television show, which ran from 1974 to 1977 on CBS. From 1975 until the end of its run, it aired as one-half of The Shazam!/Isis Hour, featuring Filmation's own The Secrets of Isis as a companion program.

 

Instead of directly following the lead of the comic, the Shazam! TV show took a more indirect approach to the character: Billy Batson/Captain Marvel, accompanied by an older man known simply as Mentor (Les Tremayne), traveled in a motor home across the US, interacting with people in different towns in which they stopped to save the citizens from some form of danger or to help them combat some form of evil. With the wizard Shazam absent from this series, Billy received his powers and counsel directly from the six "immortal elders" represented in the "Shazam" name, who were depicted via animation: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. Shazam! starred Michael Gray as Billy Batson, with both Jackson Bostwick (season 1) and John Davey (seasons 2 and 3) as Captain Marvel.

"Christmas Night In Harlem"-Louis Armstrong

Forgotten Justice League - Day 14

Day 14 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

Power Ring (Green Lantern (VII))

 

Forgotten Justice League members:

 

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 14 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

 

Power Ring was the name of a member of the Crime Syndicate that was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky and first appeared in Justice League of America, volume 1, issue 29 in August of 1964 along with his fellow Crime Syndicate members who were all inhabitants of Earth-3, an alternate world where the super-powered beings were not heroes but villains.  

 

Little is known of Power Ring's history. From what little he has said on the matter, he had been given his magical power ring and power battery by a monk named Volthoom. With these weapons, he equaled the power of a Green Lantern.

 

When they first arrived on Earth-One, they attempted to destroy first the Justice League and later the Justice Society of America of Earth-Two. Though beaten on the native Earths, they were able to transport both teams to Earth-Three, where they defeated them. The JLA and CSA battled on Earth-Two after the JSA were imprisoned. The Syndicate was defeated and imprisoned in an interdimensional limbo by Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

 

In The New 52 (a reboot of the DC Comics universe), Power Ring is one of the members of the Crime Syndicate to arrive from Earth-3 at the conclusion of the "Trinity War" event.  Harold works as a janitor at Ferris Air, where he spies on Carol Ferris' operations to sell them out. When being confronted by Carl Ferris, Abin Sur's ring of Volthoom chooses Harold, bringing him to Abin's crashed ship. Abin begs Harold to take the ring, which he does, freeing Abin Sur. Harold quickly realizes his mistake, as the ring opens a pocket dimensional portal to charge itself, unleashing a creature that attacks Harold.  Harold dubs himself Power Ring going on to form the Crime Syndicate along with Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, and Johnny Quick.  

 

He is first seen at the end of Trinity War emerging with the rest of the Crime Syndicate from the portal from Earth-Three. He immediately attacks the Justice League upon arrival knocking them all down with an energy blast and nervously questioning whether the area is safe.  During the "Forever Evil" storyline, Power Ring accompanies Deathstorm in his raid on Belle Reve and destroys the roof to free its inmates.  Later, again accompanying Deathstorm, Power Ring attacks the Rogues, who have refused to cause mass deaths in their own city, against the Crime Syndicate's orders.  When Deathstorm leaves to head back to the Syndicate's lab, Power Ring, with Secret Society members, attack Batman, Catwoman, and Lex Luthor's Injustice Society at Wayne Enterprises. Batman attempts to stop Power Ring with a Sinestro Corps ring, but Power Ring's constructs are able to remove the ring and destroy it. However, Batman's use of the ring summons Sinestro.  Power Ring battles Sinestro, but Sinestro cuts off his right arm, releasing him from the ring's control. Power Ring thanks Sinestro for freeing him from his curse. Sinestro welcomes his thanks and incinerates him. The ownerless ring then flies off to find a new host.

 

Jessica Cruz and her friends are on a hunting trip when they accidentally stumble across two men burying a body. The men brutally murder her friends. Jessica manages to escape but is left traumatized. The Ring of Volthoom, which feeds off fear and had abandoned Power Ring after his death, is able to locate her due to her trauma. Unlike the previous ring bearers, she does not willingly accept the ring, but is forced to accept it. The Ring tortures Jessica with physical and psychological pain. The Ring explains that it is using Jessica to attract the being that destroyed Earth-Three to Prime Earth because he is now dying (for reasons not explained) and wants to take the planet with him.

 

Batman is able to de-power the ring after convincing Jessica to face her fears. Jessica later succumbs to effects of the AMAZO virus, but is soon cured. Hal Jordan returns to Earth to teach Jessica how to control her ring.

 

When Darkseid's daughter Grail arrives on Prime Earth, she attacks Jessica and uses her ring to open a portal to Earth-Three, allowing the Anti-Monitor to cross over to the Prime Earth. Jessica and the rest of the Justice League are then transported away by Metron. After this the Justice League decides to free the Crime Syndicate to help in the fight against the Anti-Monitor and Grail. Jessica, Cyborg and Mister Miracle head to the prison and the close proximity to the Syndicate allows the Ring to possess Jessica's mind and body. During the Justice League's confrontation against Grail and Darkseid, Grail manages to separate the Flash from the Black Racer, which immediately begins to pursue the Flash. Realizing the Racer will not leave the physical plane of existence until it reaps a soul, Jessica convinces Cyborg to tap into the ring's technology and override Volthoom's control over Jessica's body for a few seconds. This allows Jessica to jump between Flash and the Black Racer, allowing the incarnation of death to apparently kill her. Jessica survives, and it is revealed that the Black Racer killed Volthoom instead, causing the ring to crumble into dust. Immediately afterwards, a Green Lantern ring descends at the battlefield and transforms Jessica into a new Green Lantern.

 

Jessica joins the Justice League of America in issue 1 of volume 3 in September of 2016 and is a current member of the team along with fellow Green Lantern Simon Baz.

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Forgotten Justice League - Day 15

Day 15 - Forgotten #JusticeLeague

Mera (Aquawoman)

 

Forgotten Justice League members:

 

The cinematic debut of The Justice League is in 15 days, and to countdown let's take a look at members of the Justice League most have forgotten or never knew about.

 

Mera was created by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.  The character first appeared in Aquaman issue 11 In September 1963 as a queen of the sea.  

 

Mera's Silver Age debut in Aquaman #11 set her place of origin as the mysterious "Dimension Aqua".  However, during the Brightest Day crossover, Dimension Aqua was revealed to be the extradimensional penal colony known formally as Xebel, a place of exile for an ancient faction of Atlantean people, banished along with their descendants after one of the many civil wars of the submerged Atlantis.

 

Mera is the former Queen of Dimension Aqua (Xebel), Queen of Atlantis, and wife of DC Comics superheroAquaman. Mera also has a twin sister named Hila.  Mera abdicates the throne of Xebel to Queen V'lana, and returns to Atlantis to marry Aquaman.  Soon after, they had a son named Arthur Curry, Jr.  

 

In Brightest Day, Mera's origin is revisited with new revelations, expanding upon some elements and writing off others as deceptions and lies fed to Aquaman by Mera herself. Instead of being the Queen of Dimension Aqua, Mera is now the older princess of Xebel, a forgotten extradimensional penal colony for an ancient group of separatist Atlanteans, banished behind a sealed portal in theBermuda Triangle.

 

Trained since birth, along with her younger sister Siren, Mera was sent by the King of Xebel, who was unable to send more than one soldier at a time through a small fissure in spacetime to the main universe. They were to confront the current King of Atlantis and kill him in retaliation for the exile of their common people. However, the plan backfired when Mera fell truly in love with Arthur, deliberately choosing to keep claiming her cover story as her real past to avoid frictions with him.

 

In The New 52, the 2011 relaunch and retcon of DC Comics' entire superhero line, a greatly disillusioned Aquaman, distressed by the rejection faced from his fellow Atlanteans and his poor standing as a superhero, often ridiculed because of his shortcomings and less than glamorous superpowers, decides to return to Amnesty Bay. Mera follows him, helping her husband try to find a new place in the world, despite being saddled from the same ill reputation as the almost useless "Aquawoman".

 

Mera joined the Justice League in issue 24 of volume 3 of the title and actress Amber Heard will portray Mera in the upcoming live-action film Justice League, directed by Zack Snyder, and will return in Aquaman, directed by James Wan.

 

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