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Justice League of America #21 (1st Series 1960) August 1963 DC Comics Grade Fine+



1st Silver Age appearances of Hourman and Dr. Fate. Cover pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Murphy Anderson, script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Bernard Sachs

"Crisis on Earth-One!": 3 villains each from Earth-1 and Earth-2 hatch a plot to commit crimes, then hide out on the other Earth; To ensure their success, the villains of Earth-1 mystically trap the JLA in their headquarters; But the JLA summons the JSA and switches places with them. Letter to the editor from Comics Buyer's Guide editor Don Thompson.

1st printing. This comic book is in used condition and is complete with cover and all pages attached it has flaws that warrant a grade of Fine+. Comic Book will be shipped bagged and boarded!


Synopsis:


Batman chairs a meeting of the Justice League of America. He tells the team that he just learned that Chronos, Doctor Alchemy and Felix Faust have banded together as the Crime Champions and intend to commit three crimes simultaneously. The group splits into three teams to take down each of the super-villains.


Meanwhile, on the parallel world of Earth-Two, the Justice Society of America have received a challenge from three of their most well-known adversaries: The Fiddler, the Icicle and the Wizard. Eager to begin adventuring as a team once again, the JSA officially come out of retirement.


Back on Earth-One, Felix Faust plunders a sunken battleship. Aquaman, the Atom and Martian Manhunter arrive to stop him, but Faust crushes Aquaman with a tidal wave and conjures fire to keep the Manhunter at bay. The Atom knocks the fire away, and Martian Manhunter uses his Martian-Breath to blow the Atom like a bullet towards Faust, but the villain suddenly disappears.

Elsewhere, Doctor Alchemy uses his Philosopher's Stone to rob an armored car, giving it wings. Superman and the Flash arrive to stop him, but the Flash mysteriously begins vibrating and disappears. Doctor Alchemy uses his power to turn a nearby fire hydrant and power line pole into Green Kryptonite, which slows Superman down. Green Arrow tries to stop the villain with his trick arrows but is caught in glue and his arrows are turned to weeds. Finally he uses arrows equipped with lead paint to cover the Kryptonite hydrant enabling Superman to free him and they go after Alchemy, but he manages to escape.


In Powers City, Chronos the Time-Thief robs a vault. Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman show up and Chronos clips Batman's Batrope with a crystal watch disc. He keeps Green Lantern at bay with a blast of yellow smoke from his Flying Sundial and he manages to elude Wonder Woman's golden lasso with hands fired from a watch. Wonder Woman saves Green Lantern by lassoing him from the smoke, he catches Batman. Like the other villains, Chronos mysteriously disappears.


The three Earth-One villains reappear at a secret lair between Earth-One and Earth-Two where they meet up with the Fiddler, the Icicle and the Wizard. The Earth-Two villains regale their Earth-One partners with stories of how they recently defeated the Justice Society. The villains decide to switch places with one another with Chronos, Doctor Alchemy and Felix Faust remaining on Earth-Two, and the Fiddler, Icicle and Wizard migrating to Earth-One.


When the Earth-Two villains arrive on Earth-One, they disguise themselves as their partners so as to confuse the members of the Justice League. The Wizard uses his magic to complete their disguises, he becomes Alchemy, Icicle becomes Chronos, and Fiddler becomes Faust, and they begin a crime spree at the gambling district known as Casino Town. The Justice League tries to fight them, but their unfamiliarity with these Earth-Two villains gives the criminals a distinctive edge in combat. Superman's vulnerability against magic enables the Wizard to spring a final trap against the group. The criminals manage to apprehend the League and imprison them inside their own Secret Sanctuary. None of their powers are strong enough for them to break free. Worse, the Flash still appears to be missing in action.


With little recourse, the League uses the Crystal Ball of Merlin to contact the Flash. The Flash tells them that he is trapped between dimensions and that they should use the Crystal Ball to contact their Earth-Two counterparts the Justice Society. The League conducts a séance over the Crystal Ball and the orb's magic succeeds in bringing the Justice Society to Earth-One. Both teams pledge to help the other in stopping the Crime Champions.

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