The Justice Society of America was created by editor Sheldon Meyer, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Everett E. Hibbard. The team appeared in All-Star Comics #3 in 1940. They were the first superhero team in comics and one of the few to remain relevant through multiple decades.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths altered the origins and fortunes of many characters and, in turn, changed the origins of the Justice Society. It completely erased a number of members from the Society’s history. The Justice Society became a multi-generational team where younger legacy heroes learned from heroes from the Greatest Generation.
10 At Presidential Request
Adolf Hitler had come into possession of the Spear of Destiny, an item of vast mystical power, and planned to use it to conquer Europe. British intelligence agent Smythe informed American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt but Roosevelt was unable to lend America’s full support as many people, and most Congressmen, still believed this was “Europe’s War.” Roosevelt offered two of the country’s top “Mystery Men” to help: The Flash and Green Lantern.
They were sent to a Nazi stronghold in Scotland but were discovered and defeated by a giant robot. They were brought before Hitler, who displayed them before the people. Hitler summoned the Asgardian Valkyries to serve as escorts for a long-range bomber headed to Washington D.C. The heroes escaped and fought the Valkyries but failed to stop the plane.
9 Gathered By Fate
Doctor Fate discovered Hitler’s eldritch acquisition and knew an attack on England was imminent. Fate called together the Atom, Hawkman, Hourman and the Spectre and teleported them to the White Cliffs of Dover to assist the British soldiers. The Spectre alone defeated a fleet of Nazi warships. The Flash and Green Lantern arrived to inform their colleagues of the attack on America.
The heroes rushed to America where Green Lantern destroyed the bomber and his teammates defeated all the Valkyries except one. Valkyrie Gudra reached the Oval Office and thrust her spear toward Roosevelt. The Atom deflected the first blow but not the second and Gudra killed Roosevelt. The Spectre beseeched the Presence to revive Roosevelt. He did and removed the memory from everyone present. Roosevelt suggested that the team stay together to defend the home front.
8 All-Star Squadron
Initially, the Justice Society met in a secret hotel room and battled Nazi spies and 5th columnists. The seven-member team grew to eleven (or 12) when Johnny Thunder (and his Thunderbolt), Doctor Mid-Nite, Sandman and Starman joined the team.
With the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor Hawaii, America was thrust into World War II. President Roosevelt rechristened the Justice Society as the Justice Battalion within the All-Star Squadron. Nearly every costumed superhero or “Mystery Man” operating in America was a member and the subgroups included The Freedom Fighters and The Seven Soldiers of Victory, among others.
7 The Society At War and After
Many members of All-Star Squadron could not enter the European or Japanese theaters of the war. The Spear of Destiny would have immediately put them under Adolph Hitler’s control. Mystical heroes like Doctor Fate and Green Lantern and the near god-like Spectre were especially susceptible to this control.
The end of the war saw the disbanding of the All-Star Squadron as heroes returned to their own cities and lives. There was still plenty to do as Nazism gave way to the rise of Communism almost immediately. The Society gained several new members including Black Canary, Mr. Terrific, Wildcat, and a time-traveling Queen Hippolyta as Wonder Woman.
6 Unmask or Disband
By the 1950s, the fear of Communism had Americans looking for traitors in every corner and time-traveling villain Per Degaton took full advantage. Behind the scenes, Degaton controlled several high ranking government officials and fostered the belief that the masks of the superheroes made them possible Communist sympathizers.
The team was called before the House of Un-American Activities Commission and told to unmask to prove their loyalty. Despite an impassioned plea by the Spectre that their secret identities were necessary to protect their families and loved ones, the Committee was unmoved. The team refused to unmask and teleported away. Most of them retired but a few continued to operate in secret.
5 Meeting the Justice League
Following an adventure with Barry Allen and Jay Garrick, it was discovered that the adventures of the older Justice Society took place on Earth-2 while Barry Allen’s Flash and the newly formed Justice League were on Earth-1. After their first battle, the Justice League were unable to defeat the Crime Champions
The Crime Champions were made up of villains from Earth-2: The Fiddler, Icicle and the Wizard and villains from Earth-1: Chronos, Felix Faust, and Doctor Alchemy. The Crime Champions capture the respective Flashes and trap the JLA in their Secret Sanctuary but they contacted the JSA and the teams went to the opposite Earth and took on the villains that are unfamiliar with them, quickly defeating them.
4 Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths took innumerable Earths with their own unique histories and occupants and formed one single New Earth. The Justice Society was deeply affected as several characters were retconned out of existence. In the new reality, Earth-2’s Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Huntress, among others, never existed.
The Justice Society became the war-time inspiration for the heroes who came later. The Freedom Fighters never went to Earth X. The original Black Canary became the mother of the one in the Justice League. Jay Garrick’s Keystone City is right across the bridge from Barry Allen’s Central City and many more changes occurred. Immediately after the Crisis, the entire Justice Society was drawn into Limbo to hold off Ragnarok against the forces of Surtur, seemingly forever.
3 Extant
Extant was Hank Hall, the angrier half of the heroic duo Hawk and Dove and later, the despotic tyrant Monarch from a possible future timeline. After defeating Waverider and stealing his time-traveling powers, Monarch became Extant and worked with Hal Jordan’s Parallax to alter the timeline during Zero Hour.
Extant attacked the JSA and removed energies that were keeping many of them young. The Atom and Doctor Mid-Nite died. Johnny Thunder, Starman, and Sandman aged rapidly and retired. Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Hourman and Kent and Inza Nelson survived by other means. Only three members remained active: Flash, thanks to the Speed Force, Green Lantern, now Sentinel thanks to the Starheart, and Wildcat due to his nine lives. The JSA disbanded.
2 The New Society
The wizard Mordru began killing Lords of Order. Mordru killed Kid Eternity and Jared Stevens, AKA Fate. The elderly Wesley Dodds dreamed of the child that would be the next Doctor Fate but jumped to his own death before Mordru could steal the information from him.
The three remaining elder JSA members came together with the children, protégées, and inheritors of their former members to battle Mordru. The Fate Child, the reincarnated and mystically aged Hector Hall, finally trapped Mordru in Fate’s Amulet of Anubis. The senior members decided to reform the Justice Society to train this new generation of heroes.
1 A Team Divided
After the Infinite Crisis, the JSA disbanded but reformed after Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman reminded Flash, Green Lantern and Wildcat of the importance of training the upcoming generation of heroes. This JSA was larger than ever with returning heroes like Liberty Belle, Mister Terrific, Stargirl, a new Starman, Amazing Man, Judomaster and many more.
The Old God Gog landed on Earth and began to “fix” the world and some of the “broken” members of the JSA. The newly joined David Reid was killed and resurrected by Gog as his disciple Magog. Magog’s radical and extreme ideas about justice caused a division in the team. Magog’s “younger” side called themselves the All-Stars. Gog’s true intentions were revealed and the JSA attached him to the Source Wall. Internal struggles broke up the All-Stars.