Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Justice League of America #83

Justice League of America #83 (On Sale: July 28, 1970) has cover by Murphy Anderson and featuring some of the spookier Justice Society of America characters, the Spectre and Dr. Fate. in the second half of the yearly JLA/JSA crossover.

Continuing from last issue, "Where Valor Fails... Will Magic Triumph?" is a 23-page yarn by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella. An alien being known as Creator2 is attempting to merge Earth-One and Earth-Two into a single universe using the Red Tornado as a pawn to do so. As the Justice Society of Earth-Two tries to figure out what happened to their comrades, the Justice League of Earth-One have learned of the crisis prompting their teammate Black Canary to believe that she is the cause since she crossed over from Earth-Two.
The alien attackers seeking to incapacitate the entire Justice Society send more devices to trip up the heroes. While on Earth-One, the JLA decide to investigate things further sending Green Lantern back out into the void between universes to learn the truth. Back on Earth-One, Hawkman is dispatched to maintain order when suddenly everyone's Earth-Two counterparts begin materializing on Earth-One once more. After saving an old lady, Hawkman is also struck down because his Earth-Two counterpart is incapacitated by the alien devices.

Just as Green Lantern of Earth-One finds the source of the disruption, the Red Tornado, he is also immobilized because his Earth-Two counterpart is trapped in a wooden cage by his attackers. Back on Earth-One, the Atom, Green Arrow and Black Canary await to hear back from Green Lantern.

The Black Canary continues to believe that she is the cause and contemplates committing suicide by the JLA Satellite's teleporter, hoping that would save the universe. While on Earth-Two, Johnny Thunder, the Thunderbolt, and Dr. Fate manage to fight off the alien devices. Fate decides it's time to call in the Spectre for assistance and the trio teleport to the graveyard where the Spectre dwells. The apparition agrees to help the remaining JSA members and the foursome travel to the dimensional void to see what the source of the problem is. There they find Earth-One's Green Lantern and the Red Tornado.

While the Spectre stretches his body and acts as a barrier between the two realities, Dr. Fate, Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbolt are teleported to Creator2's ship where they fight the insane alien. During the fight, the Thunderbolt destroys Creator2's devices, stopping the process and freeing the Red Tornado. With Creator2's ship also destroyed, the two Earth's return to their original position however the Spectre is seemingly slain in the process.

Back on Earth-One the JLA realize the crisis is over which brings both Green Arrow and the Black Canary great joy. With the danger passed they also find that Batman, Superman, Flash and Hawkman have revived. When Green Lantern returns to Earth-One to brief the heroes on what happened, they all mourn the passing of the Spectre, however Green Arrow doesn't think it is the last they've seen of him.

This story was reprinted in Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 2 TPB, Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 4 TPB and Justice League of America Archives Vol. 10 HC.   

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