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This Month in DC History

In about 18 hours (Central Time) those of you without jobs (and those of you with jobs but the ability to go in late/work without much sleep/get odd bouts of the 24-hour bug) will be sitting in theaters watching Man of Steel. Some of you will like it. Some of you will hate it. Some of you will hope that the next DC movie that comes out doesn’t involve a bat or a shield but maybe an amazon or a lightening bolt. But whatever happens, nothing would have happened if Superman wasn’t introduced in Action Comics #1 back in 1939.

What else was happening in Superman in 1939?

Superman wasn’t able to fly or have heat vision or freeze breath in the early days. All that would come later. His introductory powers included leap 1/8th of a mile, hurdle a 20 story building, raise tremendous weights, and run faster than a express train.
Along with Superman, Lois Lane was introduced. She obviously was covering the story on Superman but she rejected Clark because he was a “spineless, unbearable coward”. Get a room you two. Also these two worked for the Daily Star. The Daily Planet wouldn’t appear until the next year.
Jimmy Olsen was introduced in Action Comics #6 but he looked nothing like he does today. Aside from the bowtie, Jimmy was blond and when by the odd nickname “inquisitive office-boy”. Thankfully that didn’t stick. Can you imagine collecting issues of Superman’s Pal Inquisitive Office-Boy?

This Month in DC History

Ted Kord was introduced as the new Blue Beetle in 1986! But since Booster Gold and Amanda Waller were also introduced in 1986 (both who have had their time in the History seat) let’s talk about 2005! Why 2005? Well Ted Kord was unfortunately killed in 2005 when Max Lord showed his true colors. Ted was unlike the other Blue Beetles as he wasn’t in anyway powered by the Blue Scarab. He was pretty much Batman with a sense of humor. His buddy, Booster Gold, would try several times to bring Ted back from the dead (through time travel) but Ted’s death would always need to be a fixed point in time.

What else happened in 2005?

Ted’s death was just the beginning of the Infinite Crisis. A follow-up to Crisis on Infinite Earths. In this tale the whole “let’s not have multiple Earths” thing that CoIE cause came undone as 52 Earths sprung into existence. The villains of the piece were Superboy-Prime and Alexander Luthor (of Earth-3) who just wanted their earths back. Who could blame them?
Being reintroduced into the DCU the previous year, Supergirl gets her own title. This was the 4th series for Supergirl and lasted up until it was wiped out by the New 52.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan had also been brought back from the dead thanks to Geoff Johns and given his own title in 2005. Johns epic tale survived the New 52 transition (I mean nothing would have been different with the Lantern saga if the New 52 hadn’t happens) only to wrap up last month.

(Approx,) This Month in DC History:

To heat things up with The Flash, the villain, Captain Cold was introduced in 1957. Leonard Snart sat in prison sweltering in rage against the man who put him there. So when he got out, he made it his mission to make The Flash toast.

What else happened in 1957?

Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane got an audition for her own title in Showcase #9 and #10. The stories were what you’d expect for the 1950’s. Lois dreaming about Superman marrying her, Lois vs. Lana in a competition over Superman’s love, Lois being noisy and getting superpowers. You know someone should check Lois for radiation poisoning for all the powers she inadvertently receives.
DC Comic continued to adapt TV shows into comic books with Sgt. Bilko, The TV show and the comic were both about a lazy military man who would concoct schemes to try and get out of working and to relieve his fellow soldier of their money. The comic even got it’s own spill off the next year with another one of their characters taking the title spot.
Jor-El acted as a hero in a 3-part story that filled an entire book (which was rare since comics usually had several stories in them in the 1950’s). In the story Superman found a helmet that showed the past where a woman named Queen Latora tired to take Krypton’s core to help her own world. This would destroy Krypton but we all knew where Krypton was headed, even the Queen. Jor-El put a stop to it but Superman was able to help her and her world from ending.

(I’m going on vacation so you get to learn a little early this week because I don’t trust scheduling posts)

This month in DC History

For the first time Batman met Talia al Ghul in 1971. She was in a cell being held hostage by a man named Dr. Ebenezer Darrk and his League of Assassins. Talia proved how lethal she was when she shot Darrk and sent him reeling into the path of a train. In the following June issue of Batman, she and Robin would be kidnapped and Batman would meet her father, Ra’s, as they would go looking for the two. In the end Batman would reveal that he knew it was Ra’s(’s?) doing all along and he would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for the meddling kids.

What else happened in 1971?

The Fourth World abound as three comics where introduced including Mister Miracle. Mister Miracle could escape from anything except the wrath of Big Barda (who joined him in issue 4) when she told him to put his dishes in the dishwasher instead of in the sink.
Aquaman’s title ended as the story “The Creature that Devoured Detroit!” concluded. In the story the “creature” was made up of algae that grew rapidly because of a satellite that emitted artificial sunlight so criminal couldn’t take solace in the cover of night. Both the story and the title ended abruptly, but Aquaman would be back to fight another day.
Green Lantern and Green Arrow attacked drugs when Speedy was discovered to be doing heroin. Green Arrow tossed him out and it was Dinah Lance who helped him quit cold turkey. This was a big issue as drug use in comics was seen as taboo even if they were condemning them.

This Month in DC History

Arisia was introduced into the Green Lantern Corps. in 1981. Not only did this issue introduce Hal’s neighboring sector’s Green Lantern but also contained the first appearance of Nekron and a battle with the classic foe Krona.

What else happened in 1981?

Detective Comics celebrated it’s 500th issue. The issue was filled to the brim with Batman stories, including a story where Batman travels to an alternate Earth to save his alternate parents so that the alternate Bruce Wayne would grow up with them. There were also stories that included Elongated Man and Hawkman.
Vixen was introduced in Action Comics #521. She went toe to toe with Superman and proved her heroic intentions as she went up against fur traders in New Delhi. The comic also featured an odd pairing of Aquaman and the Atom.
The 1940s were alive when Earth-2 went to war. The Justice Society wasn’t enough against the Axis powers so President Roosevelt formed an even bigger team called the All Star Squadron. The book was unfortunately snuffed out by the Crisis on Infinite Earths some time later.

This month in DC History

One of the best characters in DC History, Police Commissioner Gordon was introduced in Detective Comics 27 in 1939. This savvy officer of the law was a hit from the get go. It was only a matter of time that he would get a family consisting of one kick ass superheroine and one psychopath, cause everyone needs that black sheep, am I right? Some guy named Batman also was introduced but really Commissioner Gordon was the real star of the issue.

What else happened in 1939?

The first Superman title was released in June. It was a mixture of original material and reprints from earlier issues of Action Comics. Since his origin was told in Action Comics, it only took a few panels to recap it in Superman 1, hopefully something the movies can learn something from. (I’m looking at you Man of Steel. Keep it short.)
The Sandman was introduced in a comic handed out at the New York World’s Fair and then moved into Adventure Comics #40. He wore is gas mask and trench coat and settled in for his long run in the superhero biz.
All-American Comics started it’s run in April. it contained mostly newspaper reprints and puzzle pages but also had original material like “Scribbly” who was a boy cartoonist.

This month in DC History

Kal found out he wasn’t the only full size survivor of Krypton when his cousin Kara showed up in 1959. As Kara’s rocket descended to Earth, Superman remembered the time when he as Superbaby arrived on his new planet… I’m not making that up. That’s what the book says. Anyway Supergirl appeared across several titles until she sacrificed herself in 1985 during that Crisis I wrote about last time I did a History lesson. She’s return, of course. Can’t keep a good girl down.

What else happened in 1959?

The first Suicide Squad was formed but it wasn’t made up of a group of lovable miscreants from Belle Reve. No the first Suicide Squad was a band of World War II-era military misfits lead by Rick Flag and they appeared in the pages of The Brave and The Bold.
Hal Jordan was introduced in October of this year. His first issue told the story of Abin Sur’s death, introduced Carol Ferris, and also showed the tension between’s Hal’s new duties and his personal life. There was no Hector Hammond and no Parallax but there was a 2nd issue… hmmm.
Everyone’s favorite Batman villain Mr. Zero was introduced. You know Mr. Zero right? Likes ice puns, was the governor of California, wether you want him to or not he will be back. Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Zero was renamed Mr. Freeze in the 1960’s Batman show. I bet if they didn’t change his name a third of the puns from Batman and Robin would have had to be dropped.

Some people didn’t see that I was doing this for 2 weeks and were asking where some heroes/cities were. Well here they are. We’ll return to DC History next week. Once again the source for these locations is Atlas of the DC Universe.

Colorado- Middleton (Martian Manhunter)
California- Gateway City (Wonder Woman), Star City (Green Arrow), Coast City (Green Lantern, Hal)
Illinois- Hub City (Blue Beetle, Garrett & possibly the Question but I don’t really know)
Louisiana- St. Roch (Hawkman & Hawkgirl)

For this week and next week, I’ll be doing some DC Geography instead of the weekly DC History. Don’t worry the History lesson will continue in May. Source for the Geography Lessons is Atlas of the DC Universe. Check it out because I’m only covering about 9 states.

Kansas- Smallville (Superman), Keystone City (The Flash, Jay & Wally)
Delaware- Metropolis (Superman)
New Jersey- Gotham City (Batman)
Indiana- Fawcett City (Captain Marvel)
Missouri- Central City (The Flash, Barry)

This Month in DC History:

DC Comics went through a Crisis in 1985. The thought of parallel worlds had grown convoluted over the years with so many different worlds it was hard to think straight. So Crisis on Infinite Earths came to spring clean DC Comics and create one Earth. The series also ushered in one of the most annoying things (in my opinion but is probably also a fact) about comics today, the Crossover. Good thing DC learned it’s lesson and stuck with just one Earth… right?

What else happened in 1985?

Donna Troy got married to Terry Long. The marriage took place in the 50th issue of Tales of the Teen Titans. Unlike most comic book weddings, this wedding went smoothly without a problem and the book became a reunion as Titans from the past shows up as wedding guests.
The Outsiders traded the gloom and doom of Gotham for the sun and surf of California. The series only lasted 28 issues but had the team facing the Nuclear Family, the Force of July, the People’s Heroes, and the Duke of Oil.
Superboy-Prime was introduced… well sort of. DC Comics Presents #87 told us the origin story of Superboy (which we needed because it’s so hard to keep Superboy’s/man’s origin story straight) as well as his meet up with Superman. This issue set in motion the major role Superboy played in Crisis on Infinite Earths and the role he played in Infinite Crisis.

This Month (Season) in DC History

The Joker and Catwoman were both introduced in 1940 in the first Batman title. The Joker was in two of the books stories. The first one included a killing spree with knives, guns, and, of course, Joker gas. In the 2nd one, Joker was stabbed in the heart and apparently dead but made a recovery in the ambulance. Catwoman, who was just known as “The Cat”, was aboard a yacht disguised as an old woman so that she could steal some jewels. Although Batman did see through her disguise, he didn’t keep her from escaping, sparking the romance between the Bat and the Cat.

What else happened in 1940?

Captain Marvel was introduced but not by DC Comics. Fawcett Publications introduced him to rival Superman. The alter-ego of Billy Batson attracted many readers but also attracted DC Lawyers…
Red Tornado was introduced but not the android you’re probably familiar with. Inspired by the Green Lantern, Ma Hunkel dressed up in red long underwear and used a cooking pot for a helmet. This working mother fought crime in New York and became very popular.
Robin was also introduced in this year, in this month even. We all know the story, a circus boy, who’s parents killed and was taken in by a millionaire. All that happened 73 years ago. You have to admit that Dick looks really good for his age.

This Month in DC History

Solomon Grundy got his own book during the month long Faces of Evil take over in 2009. Although this wasn’t when he was introduced (breaking from my normal set up) which was in November 1944. 2009 was a year where the dead came back to life and who’s the king of the undead? Well I would argue that it’s Solomon because his whole thing is being a zombie.

What else happened in 2009?

The Night got very Black when the dead rose in Blackest Night. Now you may be like my roommate and think this was stupid (but let’s be honest, his inner child is dead), but this was my entry into the DCU and I read every comic that came out under this heading. It was a nice smorgasbord that allowed me to get a taste of heroes I’d never heard before, like the Outsiders, but also see what it’s like to read about heroes I’d known for years, Superman. So good on ya, Blackest Night. Without you I wouldn’t be writing this up every week.
Batman and Robin began a new with Dick Grayson under the cowl and Damien Wayne as his boy wonder. The two would fight the likes of Professor Pyg and even went toe to toe with Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Scarlet, the dark and twisted dynamic duo.
Coming back into the DCU during the events of Final Crisis was Barry Allen. Time came to reintroduce him to the DCU which was done through The Flash: Rebirth. It had been 23 years since Barry died during Crisis on Infinite Earths and so much had changed. In the story Barry couldn’t stop wondering why he had come back to life but then gained a mystery when his touch killed a villain named Savitar. This would be the lynch pin that would eventually cause Flashpoint.

This month in DC History

Superboy gets a villain in shape of the fiery red head known as Knockout in 1994. She was trained on Apokolips to be one of the Female Furies, but was inspired by Big Barda’s escape to become her own person and escape to Earth herself. When she got there, she flirted and fought with Superboy just for the fun of it until she landed in jail for killing a cop.

What else happened in 1994?

In the Emerald Twilight saga, Hal Jordan went crazy trying to resurrect Coast City (which was decimated from the “Reign of the Supermen”) this ultimately turned him into Parallax and introduced the new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner.
Aquaman got a third ongoing series. His hair became long accompanied by a beard to give him a Arthurian look. In the 2nd issue his hand got chewed off by piranhas and was replaced by a harpoon in 3rd issue. This Aquaman series lasted for 75 issues ending in 2001.
After the “Knightfall” crossover, Bruce took back the mantle of Batman from Jean-Paul Valley and gave it to Dick Grayson became Batman in the 12 part crossover called Prodigal. This story ran Dick through the gauntlet of old Batman foes. Bruce would be back the following year.

This month in DC History

The Manhunters were introduced in 1977. These robot space cops where the first police force created by the Guardians of the Universe. However like all machines do they rebelled against their creators and any wars were fought between them and the universe. One war between the Manhunters and the GLC that was fought above Earth triggers a record breaking blizzard and gave the Kents enough time to pass Kal-El off as their own. True story.

What else happened in 1977?

The first chronological meeting of Wonder Woman of Earth-1 (who lived in the modern day) and the Wonder Woman of Earth-2 (who fought in World War II) was published. This meeting was a result of the Wonder Woman TV show being set in WWII. The comic remained set during that time for 15 issues, even though the 2nd season of Wonder Woman, titled The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, was reset in the 1970’s.
Both the Justice League of America and the Justice Society got their origins told. While the JLA was rallied to fight off White Martians, the JS(A) was rallied by FDR to go after Hitler. Everyone won but as the JLA’s victory resulted in J’onn J’onzz joining the JLA, the JS(A)’s victory didn’t allow them to destroy Hitler’s Sphere of Destiny which kept them out of Nazi-occupyed areas.
After three years, Mister Miracle’s own title returned to publication. It may have started wit him and Big Barda on their honeymoon but ended with them separated from one another. When they finally reunited, they ended up stranded on the moon with Big Barda having been brainwashed.

This month in DC History:
I bought these four comics in 2013. Today got all kinds of messed up. As I was looking for characters who were introduced for the upcoming articles, I was looking for several months at one time. The character I had for today was actually introduced in June (although the book says May) and not March. Since I’m still not all booked up, I decided to move him to May 30 and you can read about him then.

What else happened in 2013? (Some facts, mostly opinions, no jokes)

There were some pretty good crossovers (and I’m not a fan of those) like Death of the Family and Throne of Atlantis. And let’s just face it, Green Lantern has be just one big crossover since before Blackest Night.
The Young Justice comic ended. That was sad. It been the best thing I’ve read every month since the first issue. I’m sad Wendy and Marvin never showed up in it, though.
Vibe got his own title. And I liked it. I think DC needs to branch out a little more from the trinity and the Bat family. Not that those are bad but they have so many characters that even if you didn’t know anything about Vibe’s previous life, he feels like a fresh new character. Also I hope Gypsy becomes a bigger character in this book.

Posts tagged DC History