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Injustice Society

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Injustice Society
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAll Star Comics #37 (October/November 1947)
Created bySheldon Mayer
Bob Kanigher
In-story information
Member(s)See below

The Injustice Society (also called the Injustice Society of the World) is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics Universe. They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.[1]

The Injustice Society first appears in All Star Comics #37 (Oct 1947) and was created by Sheldon Mayer and Bob Kanigher.[2] The original group brought together six popular villains from Flash Comics, Green Lantern and All Star Comics: Thinker, Gambler, Vandal Savage, Wizard, Per Degaton and Brain Wave.[3]

The Injustice Society appear on the DC Universe streaming service show Stargirl as the main antagonists of the first season. The show also appears on The CW Network. The current members include the leader Icicle and members Brainwave, Tigress, Wizard, Sportsmaster, Dragon King, Gambler, Solomon Grundy, and the wife of the Fiddler.

Fictional team history

Golden Age

Wizard's Injustice Society

It is unknown under what circumstances the Injustice Society was formed. The group first appeared in the second half of the 1940s, led by the Wizard and planning to take over America.[4] Fragmenting into individual efforts, the ISW launched strikes against government facilities around the nation, each with his own private army of convicts due to five jailbreaks engineered by the ISW. In addition to furthering their primary aims, the villains were each assigned to capture a member of the JSA in anticipated resistance. To ensure that the JSA showed up, the villains notified the heroes of their plans. In due course, Hawkman was captured by Vandal Savage at an airport which the criminal army had surrounded, and Doctor Mid-Nite was apprehended by Per Degaton who was attacking the Washington Monument. Flash fell victim to his long-time foe Thinker at the Governor's house where the Thinker was broadcasting fake demands by the Governor to make the armed forces stand down, due to invisible wires, and Atom was snared by Gambler. Green Lantern arrives in Uthorium Town just as the armed forces are closing in on the criminals that control the city. Suddenly, the town disappears in a flash of light. Green Lantern begins a search for the criminal army, when he discovers the town has re-appeared a few miles away, and the felons are looting uthorium from a lab. Green Lantern zooms in for the attack, when Brainwave appears on the scene, opening a canister of uthorium in his presence. Blinded, Green Lantern forms an energy bubble for protection while Brainwave and his men finish their job. Recovering later. Green Lantern discovers a radioactive trail left behind by the uthorium and follows it, discovering some of the thugs with an invention called the "Mirage-Thrower," which fools the Army tanks into crossing a frozen lake which really isn't frozen. Green Lantern saves the tanks and men, then follows the trail to discover Brainwave inside a weird glass box. Firing his power ring at it, the ray bounces back, knocking Green Lantern off a cliff, apparently to his death! Hearing of Per Degaton's capture of Doctor Mid-Nite in Capital City (evidently meant to be based on Washington), Wonder Woman and Johnny Thunder left the JSA HQ to intervene, only to be captured themselves. The JSA were held by a will-deadener beam, put on "trial" before Judge Thinker with the Wizard as Prosecutor, and sentenced to death, but it was then revealed Green Lantern had disguised himself as the Thinker. His ring saved him at the last moment and he captured the Thinker. He freed the others and they defeated the Injustice Society, with the Wizard being caught by the Junior Justice Society.[5]

Second Injustice Society

The second formation appeared in the late 1940s attempting "patriotic crimes" where it was formed by Wizard and consisted of Fiddler, Harlequin, Huntress, Icicle, and Sportsmaster. They stole national monuments, hoping the American people would vote for the best crime allowing that person to become the leader, and succeeding in erasing the Society's memories after capturing them by the Sportsmaster knocking them out with one of his bombs, but Harlequin turned against them and with Black Canary restored the Justice Society's memories, though a post-hypnotic impulse restores the JSA to their mindless states when they hear fingers snapping, causing them to be recaptured. But their memories are restored again after they are placed in a death chamber, leading to Black Canary becoming a proper member.[6]

Silver Age

The Injustice Society reforms during the 1970s to eliminate the reformed Justice Society. First, the Fiddler fetches Solomon Grundy and defeats Wildcat and Hawkman, but they are defeated by Kal-L and Power Girl.[7] Vandal Savage tricks the JSA into aiding a false Camelot while the Icicle, Thinker, Wizard, and Brainwave capture Wildcat and Hourman.[8] The Thinker and the Icicle are defeated by Doctor Fate, Hawkman, and Jay Garrick, while the Wizard and Brainwave are defeated by Power Girl and the Star-Spangled Kid. The Wizard then left the Injustice Society for Earth-One, where he joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains.[9] Brainwave captures Green Lantern, Jay Garrick, and Power Girl before being defeated in Power Girl's first solo adventure.[10]

Post-Crisis

Injustice Unlimited

During what some described as the "anti-costumed-hero mania" (as chronicled in the DC miniseries Legends) in the pages of Infinity, Inc., the Wizard gathered both old comrades (consisting of Brainwave, Fiddler, Gambler, Harlequin, Per Degaton, Shade, Solomon Grundy, Sportsmaster, Thinker, and Vandal Savage) and new super-criminals (consisting of Hazard, Icicle II, and Tigress III) into a new Injustice Society which he called "Injustice Unlimited".[11] Indeed, the criminal group seemed to be a mirror image of Infinity, Inc., which itself was an offshoot of the Justice Society. Later, this team returned to the original name.[12]

Johnny Sorrow's Injustice Society

Johnny Sorrow appears in late 1999 as the leader of the new Injustice Society (consisting of the Icicle, Blackbriar Thorn, Count Vertigo, Geomancer, Killer Wasp, and Tigress). Together they storm the headquarters of superhero team Justice Society of America, although JSA member Wildcat defeats them all (destroying Blackbriar Thorn) despite still recovering from a broken arm and the attack initially being launched while he was in the bath, with the exception of Sorrow, who uses the diversion to steal an unknown artifact.[13]

Sorrow returns with a larger version of the Injustice Society (having also recruited Black Adam after removing a brain tumour, Shiv, Rival, and the Thinker A.I.) to distract the JSA while he summoned the King of Tears, an other-dimensional entity. However, the JSA were able to fend off the Society, including killing the Rival and Black Adam defecting, with the fight culminating in the Flash drawing on Black Adam's speed to send the King of Tears to another dimension by striking him at near-lightspeed.[14]

Wizard's Second Injustice Society

The demon Legacy (actually Wizard in disguise) formed another version in the JSA All-Stars mini-series. The lineup consists of Icicle, Rival, Shiv, and Tigress. The new team again confronted the JSA. Unknown to the JSA, their job was just to stick teleportation disks to the old-timers.[15] Legacy then teleported his successful team away. Legacy is then later "killed" by the Spectre.[16]

Injustice Society

The Injustice Society resurfaced again in November 2005, in the pages of JSA Classified. The soul of Wizard joined forces with Johnny Sorrow where they gathered a new incarnation of the Injustice Society consisting of Gentleman Ghost, Icicle, Rag Doll, Solomon Grundy, the Thinker A.I., and Tigress III. They were tasked to steal Prometheus' Cosmic Key from the JSA Headquarters in order to free Wizard and Johnny Sorrow. While noting to himself that Rag Doll would betray the group, Wizard sets him up to take the fall.[17] The Injustice Society tried to enlist the Secret Society of Super Villains to help with the caper which drew the attention of Talia al Ghul.[18] Rag Doll took the Cosmic Key as Wizard predicted and was killed when he activated the Cosmic Key. Once Johnny Sorrow was brought back to Earth, he and the Injustice Society teleported to Prometheus' Crooked House. When it was discovered that Tigress III and Icicle started falling in love with each other, Johnny Sorrow strong-armed them into sticking around.[19]

Another plot was to kidnap Stargirl and to face off against the JSA All Stars.[20]

DC Universe

Hawkman and Hawkgirl recount their time with the Justice Society and the day that they fought the Injustice Society. In the flashback to the 1940s when the Justice Society stormed the Injustice Society's fortress in Austria, Hawkman fought Per Degaton, Hawkgirl fought Vandal Savage, Green Lantern fought Wizard, Sandman fought Gambler, Wildcat fought Tigress, and Flash fought Brain Wave. After Brain Wave unleashes a powerful psychic attack that knocks everyone down, Per Degaton and Vandal Savage prepare to finish off Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Hawkman and Hawkgirl throw their maces enough for them to collide. This enables the Justice Society to turn the tables against the Injustice Society. Green Lantern then makes an airplane construct so that the Justice Society can deliver the Injustice Society to the authorities.[21]

Membership

Original team

This formation included the following additional members:

  • Fiddler (Isaac Bowin) - A criminal who uses specially made violins.
  • Sportsmaster (Lawrence Crock) - A crook who uses sport-themed weapons.
  • Tigress (Paula Brooks) - Tiger-themed mercenary, married to Sportmaster.
  • Icicle (Joar Mahkent) - A scientist who invented a gun that drastically lowers temperature.
  • Harlequin (Molly Mayne) - A villainess with hypnotic goggles.

Later members

  • Shade (Richard Swift) - He was an additional member when a third formation formed during a team-up between the Justice Society and the Justice League, but later in the comic Starman he is shown in a flashback assisting a Golden Age incarnation of the Society. His actual time of joining is unknown, but he was a member during the Golden Age. He had a cane which enabled him to cast darkness.
  • Solomon Grundy - A superstrong undead foe of Green Lantern who joined a fourth formation led by the Icicle.

Injustice Unlimited

  • Wizard
  • Fiddler
  • Shade
  • Tigress (Artemis Crock) - Daughter of the original Tigress and Sportsmaster.
  • Hazard
  • Icicle (Cameron Mahkent) - Son of the first Icicle with freezing powers.

Later members

These members were recruited after the Wizard was believed dead and both the Fiddler and the Shade were imprisoned.

Johnny Sorrow's team

Johnny Sorrow's team. Art by Alan Davis.

Later recruits included:

  • Rival - A foe of the Golden Age Flash who developed a formula to endow himself with speed nearly matching that of the Flash.
  • Black Adam - A rogue Marvel Family member with powers from the Egyptian Gods. He was sent after Wildcat, but betrayed the team.
  • Shiv - Shiv is the daughter of the supervillain Dragon King. She had a grudge against Stargirl.
  • Thinker (A.I.) - An artificial intelligence version of the first Thinker which spied on the JSA.

Legacy's team

  • Legacy - This is an alias of Wizard.
  • Kestrel - A supervillain created by M’Shulla and Gorrum of the Lords of Chaos to either subvert Hawk (of Hawk and Dove) to the forces of evil or to kill him.
  • Rag Doll - A contorting supervillain.
  • Tigress (Artemis Crock)
  • Icicle (Cameron Mahkent)
  • Solomon Grundy
  • Shiv

Present formation

The fifth version of the Injustice Society. Art by Joe Bennett.

The Injustice Society resurfaced again in November 2005, in the pages of JSA Classified, composed of:

The Injustice Society resurfaced once more, this time in a plot to kidnap Stargirl and to face off against the JSA All Stars. The team was composed of the following members:[22]

  • Johnny Sorrow
  • Tigress (Artemis Crock)
  • Icicle (Cameron Mahkent)
  • Wizard
  • Killer Wasp
  • Geomancer - The unnamed successor of the original Geomancer with the same abilities.
  • Shiv

DC Universe version

  • Wizard
  • Brain Wave
  • Gambler (Steven Sharpe III)
  • Huntress (Paula Brooks)
  • Per Degaton
  • Vandal Savage

Other versions

JSA: The Golden Age

In the four-part Elseworlds story JSA: The Golden Age, the Injustice Society appears in a cameo. The lineup consists of Fiddler, Gambler, Harlequin, and Psycho-Pirate.[23]

Earth 3

On Earth 3, the Injustice Society is the name of a supervillain group that is led by Sky Tyrant (Earth 3's version of Hawkman) and other unseen members where it is the evil counterpart of the Justice Society of America. The group was defeated by the Justice Society All-Stars.[24]

In other media

  • A team based on the Injustice Society called the Injustice Guild of America appeared in the Justice League animated television series two-part episode "Legends". This team consisted of Music Master, Sportsman, Doctor Blizzard, and Sir Swami.
  • The Injustice Society appears in the live-action series Stargirl.[25] This version of the team consists of Icicle, Brainwave, Gambler, Sportsmaster, Tigress, Wizard, Dragon King, and Solomon Grundy. Former members include the Fiddler and Shade. In the pilot episode, Brainwave, Gambler, Icicle, Shade, Grundy, Sportsmaster, Tigress, and Wizard attacked the JSA in Blue Valley and killed most of its members; with Icicle fatally wounding its leader Starman. 10 years after their victory, the Injustice Society operate in Blue Valley under their civilian identities while Fiddler's wife Anaya Bowin fills in for him. After Courtney Whitmore finds Starman's Cosmic Staff and forms a new Justice Society however, the Injustice Society take up arms to stop her as well as enact Project: New America, which would have seen the Central United States' citizens falling under mind control. Their plan is thwarted by the new Justice Society, Shining Knight, Barbara Whitmore, and Mike Dugan, with most of the Injustice Society having either been killed, incapacitated, or escaped.

References

  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
  3. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2010). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
  4. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 395. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  5. ^ All-Star Comics #37. DC Comics.
  6. ^ All-Star Comics #41. DC Comics.
  7. ^ All-Star Comics #63 (1977). DC Comics.
  8. ^ All-Star Comics #64-65 (Mar.-April 1977). DC Comics.
  9. ^ All-Star Comics #66 (May–June 1977). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Showcase #97-99 (Feb-Apr. 1978). DC Comics.
  11. ^ Infinity, Inc. #32-37 (1987). DC Comics
  12. ^ Infinity Inc. #51-53 (1988). DC Comics.
  13. ^ JSA #9 - 10 (April - May 2000). DC Comics.
  14. ^ "Review: JSA All-Stars: Constellations trade paperback (DC Comics)". collectededitions.blogspot.co.uk. 29 December 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  15. ^ JSA All-Stars #1. DC Comics.
  16. ^ JSA All-Stars #8. DC Comics.
  17. ^ JSA Classified #5. DC Comics.
  18. ^ JSA Classified #6. DC Comics.
  19. ^ JSA Classified #7. DC Comics.
  20. ^ "JSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves". www.goodreads.com. 24 January 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  21. ^ Hawkman (vol. 5) #27. DC Comics.
  22. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2010-01-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ^ JSA: The Golden Age #4. DC Comics.
  24. ^ Hawkman (vol. 5) #18. DC Comics.
  25. ^ Boucher, Geoff (December 20, 2018). "'Stargirl' Casting: Meet Three Members Of Injustice Society". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
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