After last issue's fascist JLA, this month starts with the team's current roster, who are going to seem far less familiar. The Ray is being tested by the team, and they find him quite impressive; except they forget to tell him that, and he thinks he must be a big suck loser. Black Condor is wondering if he even belongs there, but doesn't feel like he can leave until he solves the mystery of mysterious team mystery man Bloodwynd. Wonder Woman was the current team leader, since this was not long after the death of Superman; although I suspect Guy Gardner still thought he was in charge, or should be. Rounding out the team was Agent Liberty and Maxima, with Oberon still in his support role; Booster Gold and Fire were currently powerless, and Blue Beetle still in a coma after Doomsday.
Their training is interrupted by a military communication, asking why the team brought back the JLA Satellite. In the current post-Crisis continuity, none of the heroes present would've been on the team when the satellite was in use...although Bloodwynd seems to know a lot about it. (At the time, Wonder Woman would've been on the European team for maybe twenty minutes at the start of Justice League Europe; post-Crisis Black Canary took her place.) Ray, Bloodwynd and Guy head for the satellite to investigate, with Ray pulling an Impulse on the way: taking off at top speed, then having to come back when he realizes he doesn't know where he's going. Firestorm defends the satellite, casting the heroes back to earth, but Bloodwynd notices a news sign announcing the nuclear explosion in China. Heading back to their headquarters to regroup, they instead find a New York City, protected by "the Lightning Squad," which I thought was the fascist JLA's support force, but could cover all of them.
Wonder Woman takes the rest of her team, to investigate readings like the satellite, coming from Nevada. Scouting ahead, Black Condor saves the escaping, and armless, Sinestro; only for Hawkman to finish him off with his own ring. Back in NYC, Guy and Ray are downed by an invisible foe, the Martian Manhunter. Bloodwynd is left to face the Manhunter, Firestorm, and Hal Jordan alone; while in Arkham Asylum, Dr. Destiny escapes. And elsewhere, an exhausted and emaciated looking Atom collapses...
This isn't as strong as the first part of the story, partially because we don't spend as much time with the bad guys. This version of the JLA had not been together long: this may be their first adventure! Agent Liberty and Black Condor would not stick around long, and I know the Ray would have a longer stint on J'onn J'onzz's Justice League Task Force. (When the Condor faces the bad Hawkman with a power ring, it feels like that should be where he takes some lumps, then comes back later to win and prove he belongs on the team. I don't think that happens...) Jurgens was almost done here as well, his run would end with #77, which I don't think I've read.
Well, this seems like a good week for a lighthearted tale of...power corrupting, dreams turning into nightmares, and a hefty helping of excessive force! From 1993, Justice League America #72, "Destiny's Hand, part 1" Story and art by Dan Jurgens, finished art by Rick Burchett.
Years before they were revisited in Identity Crisis, the Wizard's Secret Society of Super-Villains returns...working for the government? Against a fascist Justice League? They are taken care of in short order, with the Martian Manhunter even disintegrating Star Sapphire. Hal Jordan--much younger than he currently appeared in his own title--shrugs her death off. The Wizard is captured, but before Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD can take him into custody, he's taken by the League's Lightning Squad support task force, to their "incarceration complex" in Nevada. While Gordon calls them "bleeding fascists!" as soon as they're out of earshot; Hal says once the villains go through "the intensive psi-scrubbing process" they won't be a threat anymore.
Sinestro had managed to escape, but with a broken arm from the Manhunter, he wasn't at full strength. He manages to elude Green Arrow and Black Canary, but he would've been better off: he catches a mace in the face, courtesy of "world security chief" Hawkman! Who takes to fascism like a duck to water. After confiscating the yellow power ring for himself, Hawkman drops Sinestro off in Nevada, and tells his men Sin should have a little "accident." Like, maybe his arms should just fall off, or something. Meanwhile, Gordon lights the Bat-Signal, for the first time in over two years, to confront Batman about the JLA: Bats was no longer with the team, but may have felt they were still necessary. And in China, fear of the JLA may lead to nuclear war, as a missile strike is about to launch. A black-suited Flash and the Atom stop the launch, with the Atom closing the silos and letting the missiles blow: as they race away, Flash wonders if that was too far, but Atom admits they kind of pissed him off, and will serve as an example to anyone else thinking about going after the JLA.
In the JLA satellite, Green Arrow may not be as liberal as usual, but he's still a voice of dissent on the team. The President has harsh words for the team, before breaking down over his lack of control. Well, his VP can help him out--Hal Jordan? Ooh, the US is in trouble. And the issue closes with a visit to Arkham Asylum, and a skeletal patient: I don't know if I would've recognized him at the time, but it's Dr. Destiny.
Jurgens might not be the first name you'd think of for a 'dark' story, but his art looks better than his usual high standard here. This was the first of a four-parter, and such a good start I don't think the rest of it lives up to it. I also don't think I read all of it for years; and after reading all four this morning I can't recall if I ever read them all at once before, either! Even though like several books this week, I feel like I have multiple copies here and there. Maybe we'll check out the next chapter some other time.
Ahh memories. Destiny's Hand was and still is my all-time favorite Jurgens JLA story. I mean his whole run was pretty good. Not SUPER impressive or profoundly deep, but good enough to keep you buying. I think the major selling point for me, and probably for a lot of other fans at the time, was just being able to see the iconic JLA again, even if they were evil fascists.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why Jurgens left when he did. I know if people thought his run was a low point, then the creative team they got after that should've proved otherwise.
I also think his art was at it's best here, when it was being inked by Rick Buckler. Just made his work look better and darker, whereas his regular inkeer besides him self, Brett Breeding, always made his work look brighter.