The Justice Society holds a special place in comic history, as it’s the world’s first super team. In its eighty years of existence, the JSA has fielded some of the most powerful heroes ever, whether it be fighting the Nazis during WWII or the most powerful villains of the present. Over the years, they’ve set the bar pretty high for their successors like the Justice League and have taken an active hand in training young heroes.
The Justice Society has been in some pretty brutal battles over the years, proving their worth as heroes and showing that sometimes even the oldest dogs can bite hard.
10 The Justice Society Helped In The Battle Against The Anti-Monitor
Crisis On Infinite Earths is one of the greatest event books of all time and at the center of it was the battle against the Anti-Monitor. Right from the beginning, a member of the JSA was on the frontlines, as Earth-2 Superman was one of the first heroes that the Monitor chose to help out in the fight. When the Anti-Monitor began his invasion in earnest, the JSA stepped up, defending Earth-2.
The battle against the Anti-Monitor was one of the DC Multiverse’s toughest battles, with many heroes losing their lives in the fight. While the Justice Society came out of the fight relatively well, the Crisis was still one of the team’s most brutal battles.
9 The Justice Society Helped Out In The First Battle Against Superboy-Prime And During The Battle Of Metropolis
Infinite Crisis was full of massive battles but two come immediately to mind. The first was Superboy-Prime’s battle against Superboy, where he hit his Titans alert and the Teen Titans and Justice Society came in to help out. While several Titans lost their lives in the fight, the Society was luckier, as their members were able to escape terrible harm.
Later, the Justice Society would participate in the Battle of Metropolis, the battle between the heroes and the Society of Supervillains. The assembled heroes and villains battled it out and members of the Justice Society were in the thick of things.
8 In Zero Hour, The Justice Society Faced Off Against Extant With Disastrous Results
Post-Crisis, DC would have a hard time knowing what to do with the Justice Society, so in Zero Hour the team went up against the time manipulating villain Extant. The Flash, Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, the Sandman, Wildcat, the Atom, Hourman, and Doctor Mid-Nite went to fight Extant and the time-altering villain took them to the cleaners, killing the Atom, Doctor Mid-Nite, and Hourman.
Flash and Green Lantern would get aged to their correct age and the whole thing was a disaster for the team. Later, the team would save Hourman and bring him to the present because of a gift from 853rd-century Hourman.
7 The Team Would Lead The Charge Against Black Adam During World War III
Throughout 52, Black Adam got closer and closer to becoming an actual hero, gaining his own Black Marvel Family and making Kahndaq into a world power. However, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse would strike, killing his family and driving him crazy. Adam would go on a murderous rampage, one that the heroes of the Earth would dub World War III.
Superhumans from around the globe joined in the battle against Black Adam, helping to curb his rampage and defeat him. Eventually, Shazam (still called Captain Marvel) was able to change Adam’s magic word and deprive him of his power, something that wouldn’t have been possible without the power of the JSA.
6 They Fought The Battle Of Ragnarok Over And Over Again
The Last Days Of The Justice Society was the first attempt for DC to get rid of the team post-Crisis and it was a doozy. The Norse battle of Ragnarok would begin, with the demon Surtur coming to Earth. The JSA would stand in its way, eventually pulling Surtur into an alternate dimension, one where they would fight the battle over and over, keeping the demon at bay.
The team fought the battle over and over again, their injuries regenerating, just an endless cycle of battle, death, and rebirth. Eventually, the team would escape this fate, having finally defeated the fire demon.
5 The Team Battled Against Gog, The Last Of The Old Gods
The New Gods exist on the split Fourth World of New Genesis and Apokolips. Before the Fourth World, there was a Third World which ended in a titanic battle between the Old Gods. Only one survived- Gog, who would be buried on Earth. Eventually, Gog would be re-awakened and at first, did good for the world.
However, eventually, his true colors would show and the Justice Society would be trapped in a terrible battle against the Old God. Only with the help of the Earth-23 Superman, from the world of Kingdom Come, were they able to defeat this Old God.
4 The Ultra-Humanite Was Able To Get His Hands On The Thunderbolt And Changed The World
The Ultra-Humanite has long been one of the team’s greatest enemies and one of his worst attacks involved turning a member of the team against them. Having his brain put into the body of the elderly Johnny Thunder, the Ultra-Humanite would pose as the old hero and force Jakeem Thunder to give him back the pen that held the Thunderbolt, a powerful genie that had been fighting with the team for decades.
Using the power of the Thunderbolt, the Ultra-Humanite changed the world, with only members of the Justice Society standing against him. Eventually, Jakeem was able to get the Thunderbolt back and wish away the Ultra-Humanite’s world, while also bonding the Thunderbolt and Johnny together.
3 The Justice Society Helped Defend Black Adam Against The Spectre
The Spectre was corrupted by an Eclipso possessed Jean Loring and used his amazing powers to destroy all the sources of magic in the world as part of Alexander Luthor’s plan. Black Adam’s abilities came from magic and so the Spectre attacked Kahndaq. Former member Atom-Smasher called his old friends in and they helped in the battle against the out-of-control Angel of Vengeance.
The battle against the Spectre was a desperate one but they were able to hold him back long enough for him to lose interest and move on to another, more powerful target.
2 The Justice Society Battled Black Adam To Stop His Takeover Of Kahndaq
Black Adam and the Justice Society went through a lot of ups and downs, as the anti-hero took the law into his hands many times. Joining with Atom-Smasher, Brainwave, Nemesis, and Alexander Montez with the Eclipso diamond, Black Adam violently freed his homeland of Kahndaq from a violent dictator.
Hawkman would take control of the team and set them against Black Adam’s team. The battle was especially brutal for the team as they were fighting their own former friends and because Black Adam is just a brutal kind of guy. However, Black Adam was able to drive the team out of the country, as the citizens were happier with him in charge.
1 The Golden Age Pitted The Team Against A Superpowered Hitler
The Golden Age is not only one of the best Elseworlds stories of all time but also one of the greatest Justice Society stories. Taking place after WWII, the Ultra-Humanite, having taken over hero Mr. America, became a Senator and the boss of a new superhero initiative. He put the brain of Hitler into young hero Dan the Dyna-Mite but the heroes would learn the truth.
The battle against the superpowered Hitler was a bloody battle, with many heroes losing their lives before Liberty Belle, with the help of Green Lantern, was able to kill him using the broken Cosmic Rod. The team had rarely faced this kind of threat and, despite the body count, stepped up and won.
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