DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6

DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6 (On Sale: July 15, 1971), has a beautiful wrap-around "World's Greatest Super-Heroes" cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. This is the first issue with a wrap-around cover that would become standard on this title.

We begin with the Justice League of America in "Crisis on Earth-One" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Justice League of America #21 (1963). While the Justice League battles Felix Faust, Chronos, and Dr. Alchemy, who have united as the Crime Champions, they are unaware of a similar struggle taking place on the parallel world of Earth-2 between their counterparts, the Justice Society, and another team of Crime Champions composed of the Wizard, the Icicle, and the Fiddler. Having discovered the existence of the dual Earths, the two teams of villains have schemed to hide out on each other’s worlds after committing crimes. To safeguard their secret, they capture and imprison the two Flashes, who alone know of the alternate worlds and the method of traveling between them.

Disguising themselves as the Earth-1 villains, the Earth-2 Crime Champions battle and defeat the Justice League, magically trapping them in their Secret Sanctuary. The super-heroes use a crystal ball to contact the missing Flash, who tells them of his adventures on Earth-2, after which they summon the Justice Society to Earth-1.

The JLA then journey to Earth-2 while the two Green Lanterns race to free the captive Flashes, who are trapped in the transition zone between the Earths. This is the first of the yearly team-ups between the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America. This story continued in the next JLA issue, which follows.

As promised, we next have the Justice League of America in "Crisis on Earth-Two" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Justice League of America #22 (1963). The combined efforts of the Justice League of America of Earth-One and the Justice Society of America of Earth-Two continue to fail to stop the combined forces of the Crime Champions, a collation of villains from both Earths. The Earth-Two Atom and Hourman go after the Fiddler, robbing a museum; Hawkman and Black Canary go after Wizard; Doctor Fate goes after the Icicle. Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, and the Earth-One Atom go after Felix Faust, Batman and Wonder Woman go after Doctor Alchemy, and Superman and Aquaman go after Chronos who is stealing a clock from a lighthouse.

While both Green Lanterns seek to save the captured Flashes, the pairs and trios of heroes succeed in capturing the various villains. The heroes soon find themselves trapped in cages in space just like the Flashes, due to a trap that is set off by the release of the Flashes, whose energies provide the power needed to spring the trap.

However, their imprisonment is short-lived when the two Green Lanterns are able to shrink themselves down to sub-atomic size to get out of their prison at the Earth-One Atom's suggestion, and then use their combined power rings and the super speed of both Flashes to free the others. The Crime Champions realize what has happened, and the Fiddler thinks there must be an Earth-Three, to which they can escape, but they fail to find one, before the Justice League and the Justice Society defeat the Crime Champions. With their opponents defeated, both groups part company for their own worlds, taking their respective criminals back with them.

That brings us to The Spectre in (Zor) by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily and reprinted from More Fun Comics #55 (1940). Jim Corrigan is called to a bank where the bookkeeper accuses a teller of stealing from the bank, but Corrigan realizes the bookkeeper himself is the thief and becomes the Spectre to frighten a confession from him. Having made the arrest, Corrigan is then hit by a runaway car, but because he's already been killed, is unharmed. He becomes the Spectre again and chases down the drivers, but soon finds himself confronted by a much graver threat: Zor, an evil apparition.

The two ghosts battle and soon enlarge themselves to cosmic size, but Zor's greater experience as a ghost gives him greater power than the Spectre. To torment the avenging spirit Zor changes himself into Jim Corrigan and convinces Clarice Winston to elope with him. Going to see Clarice himself and realizing what happened, the real Corrigan becomes the Spectre once again to chase Zor down, only for the evil spirit to escape with Clarice into another dimension. 

The Voice gives the Spectre the power to track Zor across dimensions to his fortress. The Spectre enters but is paralyzed by a powerful ray projected by Zor, but the Spectre bargains with him for the secret to creating life for his freedom. Once free they scuffle and the Spectre manages to trap Zor in the same ray that held him, then leaves the evil spirit trapped there for eternity.

Next is Johnny Quick in "Stand-In for 100 Convicts" drawn by Ralph Mayo and reprinted from Adventure Comics #190 (1953). In an experimental prison program, 100 men are released from prison without supervision for a few hours. One prisoner, Mauler Murphy, steals some diamonds but is caught by the other prisoners. Johnny Quick allows several prisoners to locate Murphy’s accomplice while he takes their places at the prison. Johnny’s scheme is uncovered by the warden, but the convicts return with the diamonds and Murphy’s partner, proving the experiment a success.

That takes us to the Vigilante in "The Galleon in the Desert" by Joe Samachson and Dan Barry and reprinted from Action Comics #146 (1950). The Vigilante and Stuff stop three criminals from looting the Great Western Exposition.

Our next tale features Wildcat in "Crime Wore a Costume" by Robert Kanigher and Jon Chester Kozlak and is a previously unpublished golden-age story. Wildcat thwarts the Huntress's attempts to kidnap two boxers to prevent the heavyweight title match, whose proceeds were to go to charity.

We end with Hawkman in "Strange Spells of the Sorcerer" by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #36 (1961). At the Midway City Museum, Mavis Trent and her colleague Konrad Koslak are studying artifacts from the Chaldean empire when they are attacked by a mystical winged buffalo.

In his secret room inside the museum, Hawkman hears the commotion and goes to the rescue. When he attacks the winged creature, it disappears in a puff of smoke. In the aftermath of the battle, Hawkman and Hawkgirl decide to go to Hawk Valley and learn what they can from their birds to see if they know what may have caused things.

Arriving in the valley, they are attacked by the Phoenix bird of myth, it too disappears when they attack it. They also find during the attack that one of the birds that live in the valley had its eggs stolen. Deducing that someone could possibly be getting items for a spell, they check in with Konrad Koslak to see what he can tell them. He informs them of an ancient Chaldean spell that would require a yellow egg, a gold sword (Which they find was stolen in the previous attack in the museum) a Chrysoberyl gem.

When they learn that Mavis, who had a Cat's Eye gem on her ring, they realize that Konrad Koslak is the one responsible for stealing these items and is intending to cast the spell. Rushing to his home, they find that he's already used the spells to create real mythical creatures. However, Hawkman and Hawkgirl easily defeat them all, and capture Konrad Koslak and turn him over to the police. Hawkman then personally returns Mavis her ring.

Entire book reprinted in DC 100-Page Super Spectacular Replica Edition #6 (2004).

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.