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Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794571 11/12/13 04:58 AM
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X-Factor is one of the rare teams where I like the characters individually, and also as a team.

Here's my 7-member team:

1) Havok
2) Polaris
3) Siryn
4) M
5) Strong Guy
6) Rictor
7) Shatterstar

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794578 11/12/13 09:53 AM
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People who have been in X-Factor;

Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman

Caliban

Artie Maddicks, Boom Boom / Tabitha, Rusty Collins / Firefist, Leech, Skids, Rictor, Wiz Kid

Havok, Polaris, Quicksilver, Madrox, Wolfsbane, Valerie Cooper

Random, Forge, Fixx, Greystone, Archer

Mystique, Sabertooth, Shard, Wild Child

Siryn, Strong Guy, Monet, Butterfly / Layla Miller, Shatterstar, Darwin, Pip

I'd pick;

1) Madrox (my favorite from that list)
2) Mystique (as co-leader, with her own agenda, she'd be awesome)
3) Fixx (one of the best ideas from the XSE group) *or* Monet
4) Shard (living hologram version) *or* Skids
5) Rictor (I actually liked him without his powers, but I'll take either way)
6) Shatterstar (some muscle, for a team with less purely physical fighters)
7) Wolfsbane *or* Dani Moonstar *or* Wild Child



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Re: Create Your Own Team - "Legion of Super-Heroes" CHOOSE TEN!
Power Boy #794582 11/12/13 01:59 PM
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I Love this thread, probably because I have always been a team book guy!

Heres a list of Legion Teams that I have tried to tweak over the years using pen and pad.

1.Legion of Super-Heroes
2.Legion of Substitute-Heroes
3.Legion Reserve
4.Legion Academy
5.Earth 3 Legion
6.Heroes of Lallor
7.Wanderers
8.Workforce
9.Amazers
10.Rejects
11.Adventurers
12.Rebooters
13.Super-Companions
14.Lost Legion
15.Legion Outpost
16.Adult Legion
17.Khund Legion
18.Allegiance
19.Science Police: Special Forces
20.Terra Firma




I tried to rip their soul out.I tried to make them forget Superman.
But they won't.
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794590 11/12/13 03:34 PM
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You are all giving me ideas so ...

CROSS TIME CAPER X-FACTOR

Fitzroy is back (maybe a younger pre dead out of time Fitzroy) and in the employ of Nekron and/or James Braddock.


1. Pheonix (Rachel Grey)
2. Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler
3. Bishop
4. Cable
5. X-Man
6. Fixx
7. Shard (hologram!)
8. Blink
9. Archer
10. Greystone


Possibly an appearance by Nocturne and Darkstar.

You get where I'm going ... an inter dimensional time hoping and rotating team extravaganza!


Jean Grey guest stars! and the Beyonder!

Re: Create Your Own Team - "Legion of Super-Heroes" CHOOSE TEN!
Power Boy #794604 11/12/13 09:35 PM
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Heh. I left Madrox off from my list on purpose, Set! I kept Rictor and Shatterstar together on purpose too, did you?

LWL, please feel free to share YOUR own team lineups for all those Legion-related teams laugh

That's a pretty cool team lineup, Peebz.

How about...

"Exile" Legion?

1) Kinetix as the Emerald Empress - a good Emerald Empress who was her Legion's leader. Actually a version of Zoe Saugin. Has to deal with the reality that other Emerald Empresses encountered by her teammates were almost all bad!

2) Nightwind - she was the founder of HER universe's Legion, and has to deal with the reality that most of her teammates' Nightwinds were Academy students, dead...

3) Karate Kid - from a Legion set in the 18th/19th century

4) Brainiac 6 - son of Brainiac 5! Has the ability to access all "7" intelligences from the theory that there are multiple intelligences - interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc.

5) Gates - from a universe where the dominant species are insectoid and Vyrga is the seat of a massive interplanetary empire

6) Chameleon - from a universe where Durlans are hunted down and the UP is an autocratic, militaristic entity. Will be asexual!

7) Kid Quantum II - Jazmin Cullen from a timeline where the original Legion (of which her brother James was a membe) was wiped out. She is trying to start a new Legion. (Her time powers will be a critical component of all this.)

8) XS - granddaughter of the Flash, longtime member of her universe's Justice League

Of course, I'd have these Exiles visit their home universes somewhere along the way and "set things right" so to speak. They'd eventually disband and return home, and either reform or form their own Legions.

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794623 11/13/13 04:35 AM
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Xfactor always seemed like a home for second (and lower) string characters to me with a couple of almost alpha heroes stuck in to give it legitimacy. With that in mind here's my team:


Madrox

Shadow Cat

Nightcrawler

M

Monsoon (from the issue Jamie died - Haven's brother)

Karma

Wolfsbane



Legion Worlds NINE - wait, there's even more ongoing amazing adventures? Yup, and you'll only find them in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794689 11/13/13 07:08 PM
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If Jim Lee hadn't gotten his hands on Psylocke and turned her into an Asian ninja, I would *totally* loved to have seen Xian / Karma, after having spent some time working for her crime-lord uncle (in return for his help in finding her missing younger siblings), coming back with ninja-like skills from her time working for her uncle, in addition to a subtler manifestation of her original mind control abilities.

Unfortunately, with Psylocke having been race-changed and 'ninja-ed up,' that logical development of Karma (from where she was written out to work for her crime-lord uncle) would come off as derivative or a cheap knockoff of the path Psylocke has already followed.

An Exiles version of Karma would be an ideal place to introduce that sort of AU Karma, all grown up and evolved from her time working for Uncle Nguyen. She might even go in a different direction, shades of Mariko or even Daredevil or the Agents of Atlas, and have overthrown and replaced her crimelord uncle, taken over his organization, and be turning it towards more benevolent ends! Xian Coy Manh, with her own clan of former crooks, turned secret society!


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Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794731 11/14/13 08:40 AM
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Makes a bit more sense if Karma got hat kind of development - I think I read the two Psylockes/Kwannon topry though for the life of me can't remember if it made any sense really. Am I right in thinking her mind got swapped with that of a Hand assassin and she kept her own memories and basic personality though acquired her new body's muscle memories? It was something like that wasn't it?

And I like that Karma was seen as an uber telepath that was so powerful she couldn't held but dampen the minds she touched.


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Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #794794 11/14/13 08:01 PM
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Karma could also have "evolved" to the point where the people she took control of wouldn't REMEMBER or know they had been controlled. That would give her a major advantage!

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #804127 03/30/14 03:26 PM
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I had some new ideas for an UBER TEAM OF AVENGERS. Or an Avengers International ... with a powerful diverse group of characters. laugh

1. Rom Spaceknight
2. Hyperion
3. Phastos (an underused Eternal and character)
4. Darkstar
5. Snowbird
6. Sunfire (always loved Sunfire)
7. Sif
8. Xorn


some may be dead or something but that's no prob in the MU.

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810495 06/06/14 08:49 AM
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Re Imagine Justice League "Detroit"

Martian Manhunter develops a team to honor the League and partially out of guilt for the Martian War. (might be nice to see a different side of the martian, a spy or war lord, instead of the shapechanging superman). Aquaman of all people I think really needed to split due to upcoming personal problems.

This new league made up after everyone suddenly has better things to do after the Martian Invasion ... (even Red Tornado? hmmm) However, this time the previous members take their departure a bit more seriously and recommend some replacements. Great Heroes that were ready and were around at the time of the split and the team would look more like the old team with a GL and a Hawk (but weren't being used in other books either like the Titans or Outsiders).

1. Martian Manhunter
2. Zatanna (she grew up in the Detroit era. It's her turn to be a senior member.

3. John Stewart. Referred by Hal.
4. Vixen is still a go! Referred by Superman possibly.
5. Captain Comet. (maybe he and Martian Manhunter used to have adventures together???) He's got power and experience.

6. Golden Eagle, referred by the Hawks and the techie guy with his fancy Thangarian suit and weapons. Also IIRC he was a bit older than the other Titans.

7. Firehawk enters in issue 2 or 4 ... she hears the League is down a Firestorm and wants to try her hand. She is the new kid or young member of the team and is admitted probationarily. Might have some cute romance moments with Golden Eagle.

The team's first mission is a call from Japan by a hero named ...

8. Sunburst who is one of Japan's greatest heroes and is around at the time. He is a bit unimpressed to not get Superman, Wonder Woman etc. but fits right in when the battle starts.

The Japan mission might take two parts and introduce a mysterious new character SAMURAI.

I imagine the first few missions would take place in a few locations that would spot light a character inspired by the super friends cartoon. also popular before JL Detroit. so a Japan mission, a mid west mission, a Mexico City mission with cameos by heroes from each place. (but Sunburst stays on the team)

That should be good for like 6 issues at least!



Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810496 06/06/14 08:51 AM
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The team might still have some elements of the Detroit era, a people's league ... (more like downtown Manhattan though than Detroit) and a diverse team. This team would fair better against big bads like Amazo and Despero.

Complete with an Hall of Justice headquarters on embassy row!

Aquaman and Elongated Man might stick around for a maxi size reforming the league issue, a league of wholly committed heroes.

Last edited by Power Boy; 06/06/14 09:00 AM.
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810523 06/06/14 10:56 AM
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1. Martian Manhunter
2. Zatanna
3. Elongated Man (with Sue along, of course!)
4. Vixen
5. Steel (Hank), I have a newfound liking for him
6. Fire
7. Ice
8. Firehawk (I like the idea)


Bea and Tora I think would have been active by then. Problem is thinking up a motivation for them to leave the Global Guardians. Hmmm...


Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810531 06/06/14 11:44 AM
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Captain Comet, Golden Eagle and Firehawk are inspired choices! (Although Martian Manhunter and Captain Comet overlap, and either / or might be a cool choice, with Comet showing up as a Manhunter replacement later.)

Manhunter, Vixen and either Steel or Aquaman make nice call backs to the original JLDetroit.

Other than those, I'd also leave a slot for a new character.

Dr. Light (Kimiyo) might make an interesting fill in for a Green Lantern, in place of John Stewart, since her light manipulation is basically just light-based energy constructs anyway.




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Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Set #810566 06/06/14 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Set
(Although Martian Manhunter and Captain Comet overlap, and either / or might be a cool choice, with Comet showing up as a Manhunter replacement later.)





I think that's why it would be great! They would have to survive on their personalities, hopefully we'd get to see Martian Manhunter use all his powers of disguise or his knowledge of strategy .. while Captain Comet would be the poster boy ... and use his super speed and some of his more random powers, telekinesis etc.

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810620 06/07/14 08:58 AM
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There were a lot of reasons why there was a move away from using the big guns due including:-

- Editorial control and in fighting over characters. “You can’t use him because…”
- Writers having to dumb the big guns down
- Writers enjoying getting a bit more freedom to use and explore second stringers
- Readers enjoying seeing that freedom & this appearing more often in lettercols
- The popularity of X-Men and Titans and the desire to shake up the JLA to boost sales.
- Crisis was increasingly looming on the horizon, so more characters being taken out of the pool.
- Natural changes in the characters taking them out of commission – Atom, Batman, Hal Jordan.
- From the above two, a lot of characters were getting closely looked at, and the JLA was a lesser priority.
- Possibly people above not being terribly keen on Conway anymore. Conway has said he lost real control before Rebirth in one interview.

So, to promote the focus on the team and it’s characterisation, and no doubt to reduce editorial turf wars, the League became a book for full time members only. This basically meant characters with appearances elsewhere in the DCU weren’t going to be included.

All the reader enjoyment of the second stringers went out of the title based on series that had yet to be released. The Hawks, Green Arrow, Black Canary & Red Tornado left. Firestorm also couldn’t commit (as he had an ongoing series) and had to go, even though Conway was writing both titles. This move essentially isolated the League from the rest of the DCU, as any character with involvement in the wider world couldn’t be a member.

Back then, there weren’t that many JLA Members:-

Superman Ongoing
Batman Ongoing, had quit &Outsiders
Wonder Woman Ongoing
Flash Ongoing - On trial
Green Lantern Ongoing - Quit in 1984
Aquaman
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow Back Up in Detective. Mini plans
Atom Mini/Specials -in S America
Hawkman Mini - released in 1985
Black Canary Back Up in Detective. Mini plans
Phantom Stranger
Elongated Man
Red Tornado Mini planned 1983-1985
Hawkgirl Mini - released in 1985
Zatanna
Firestorm Ongoing

From the list above the League used by Conway in Rebirth were the only possible members who could stay under the new restrictions.

Adding new members was also difficult. So many characters were already tied into other franchises. The Titans were still going strong and the Outsiders had Metamorpho and Black Lightning, both previously involved with the JLA.

As this was before the Crisis, all of the Charlton, Fawcett and other parallel Earth heroes were out of bounds. This included the All-Star Squadron, Freedom Fighters and Infinity inc which tied up all golden age heroes and their legacies. There weren’t a lot of solo heroes left around.

I’d probably have gone for a more gradual restructuring of the team. It would still enforce the idea that characters with too much going on elsewhere would go, but would keep characters with series too far away in the future and build up to those series.

There was the option of using the Martian invasion to also include a prelude to J’Emm and possibly to also include Captain Comet.

There would also have to be a better explanation given to explain the absence of Superman, Wonder Woman & Flash + all the other DC heroes during the Martian invasion. It was used to reform the team, rather than making a lot of sense in the wider continuity. Since Superman transported them all back in time to prevent anyone noticing that the Flash was missing from his trial, they were technically there at the time of the invasion after all.

But at the end, we would have a league reduced in available numbers without a HQ and Aquaman calling the shots. He could have given practically the same speech but with the intent of reinforcing the league to meet the world’s threats, instead of disbanding and downgrading it.

Without using too much hindsight, the league night have been…

Aquaman – I’d have had the league involved in an Atlantean storyline, to help build up Arthur’s back story. All the members should have the potential to have min/ongoing series.

Martian Manhunter - Xenophobia and a look at how aliens are perceived in the DCU to capture that X-Men angst. Also gritty detective tales with an Invaders feel to it. Links to White and Red Martians too (link with J’Emm series in place of Superman).

Elongated Man – Instead of downsizing the league should be heralded as huge heroes for saving the world from disaster. More so for doing it without the big guns. So, we see Ralph and Sue as celebrities. Ralph has always liked the publicity and it goes well with Sue’s socialite background too. Ralph also involved in proper mysteries with Manhunter, removing the need for Batman.

Zatanna – Again, instead of the downsize, we see more of her life out with the league – Vegas magic show career for example, her place in the wider mystical DCU. Madame Xanadu guest stars.
Those four are all that was available to Conway at the time of the decisions. There’s really no reason why Green Arrow, Black Canary and Red Tornado couldn’t have stuck around with a bit of editorial communication. Their changes were often years away. It keeps the lesser lights in the league until it’s time for them to move on while also keeping the league connected to the richer cast of the DCU.

I’d have had more mention of the Hawks’ Shadow War. I think they were aware of it, and probably wouldn’t have stuck around for very long anyway. But an issue or two of ominous foreboding would have helped both books. Some Thanagarian tech could have stayed, especially teleporters. As painful as it is, Firestorm’s life was pretty messy so committing even more to the league would have been tough. Some guest appearances though.

The initial membership drives could have brought us :-

Steel – Could have appeared pretty much as he did, offering a HQ for membership and a legacy with an old hero from another world.

Vixen -(an alternative would have been Animal Man from the Forgotten Heroes), but would have appeared as shown.

Firehawk – I’ve always wanted her in the league & with Conway writing both titles she could have been added easily enough: Ronnie moaning about leaving JLA or simple curiosity +opportunity. Combines League with political work.

Mister Miracle – This was going to be Scott Free, but with Barda he would overshadow a few other members. So, it’s now celebrity escape artist Shilo Norman, brought in by Zatanna as the New Gods title is cancelled in Nov 1984. The JLA also gets some New Gods adventures.

Airwave – If Hal Jordan isn’t available then what about Hal Jordan? He has only slight Green Lantern links and a character with lots of potential. He has worked with both Green Arrow and Black Canary and they would have recommended him. Airwave has electromagnetic powers and can fly.

Perhaps Batgirl was also approached but she turned it down, not sure of her place in the DCU at the time. It’s tempting to give her a monitor duty role, pre-dating her Oracle persona. Others reviewed but not offered would be Golden Eagle and Mind Grabber Kid. Sargon could be visited by Zatanna for moral support.

Further members:-

Supergirl – after her series ends Sep 1984. She had been in the JLA adventure right before Rebirth too, so she would have joined fairly early on. This would have been around the time of her movie and would also have slowly built into Crisis. I’d have brought her in as the world comes to terms with the big guns having been missing and the retirement of some of the others – Atom, Hal etc.

Mera - Appearing so often as to practically be a member. Aquaman works out his marital and kingdom issues in the title, rather than leaving them to one side. It turns out that Mera’s powers act as a sort of TK in the air.

Shade – Instead of fighting gangs in Detroit, this league is still involved in alien invasions, mystical threats, new gods (through Shilo Norman)and in this case other dimensions. The JLA get involved through Commander Steel/ Element Girl connections. Rac Shade has great visuals (think plastic man) and an odd dislocated personality.

Element Girl – This is the Bob Haney character from the ‘60s. Identity/ place in the world would be a major theme through her, J’Onn J’Onzz, Arthur Curry and Hank Heywood. She has the powers of Metamorpho and is also a secret agent. Probably joins in some Hawkman related pulp Egyptian adventure. Part of the Hawk’s Shadow War seeing them guest star.

J’Emm – September ’85 once his maxi series ends. Possibly takes place of J’Onn in a follow up to the Martian invasion story.

With the Martian Manhunter and possibly J’Emm involved, it’s hard to find a place for Captain Comet. But I’d add him in if it was feasible. He was an honorary member after all.

Support
Sue Dibny, Dale Gunn

Guest Stars
Adam Strange, Scott Free, Barda & Orion, John Stewart, JSA/Infinity Inc., Barry Allen + other big guns.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Set #810665 06/07/14 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Set

Dr. Light (Kimiyo) might make an interesting fill in for a Green Lantern, in place of John Stewart, since her light manipulation is basically just light-based energy constructs anyway.




She also has a history of using bright light and intense lasers smile I did want to include her, but sadly she hadn't been created yet at the time the Detroit League was formed. She'd be a great later member though!

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810667 06/07/14 09:44 PM
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Re thothkins' list, very well thought out. I particularly like how you outlined the buildup and continuing writing of the book and that you considered how you would work within the editorial restrictions of that time. Having Dinah, Ollie and Reddy stay until the plans for their own minis actually materialized is a great idea.

I particularly like your new member ideas in Supergirl, Mera, Shade, Element Girl, Firehawk and Air Wave. And yes, Shilo Norman! And definitely Steel and Vixen.

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810673 06/07/14 10:20 PM
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Love thothkin's list as well.

Jemm, 'Son of Saturn,' replacing J'onn, would be a great concept.

Firehawk and Element Woman, also favorites.

And how could I forget Airwave? 'The other Hal Jordan!' Love that guy, as my affection for characters who can turn into energy (Black Vulcan, Monica Rambeau, Lazon) is well known!

(Just, not the version that had roller skates that allowed him to skate along power lines, 'cause that was pretty terrible...)

Shade, also an interesting character, that could use dusting off.



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Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810674 06/07/14 10:22 PM
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It would be cool to bring in some obscure one-shot characters from JLA history, like Saranna from JLA #1.

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810680 06/07/14 11:21 PM
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If this were set later in time, I'd also like to see Tomorrow Woman or Moon Maiden get second chances!

Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Set #810694 06/08/14 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Set
Love thothkin's list as well.

Jemm, 'Son of Saturn,' replacing J'onn, would be a great concept.

Firehawk and Element Woman, also favorites.

And how could I forget Airwave? 'The other Hal Jordan!' Love that guy, as my affection for characters who can turn into energy (Black Vulcan, Monica Rambeau, Lazon) is well known!

(Just, not the version that had roller skates that allowed him to skate along power lines, 'cause that was pretty terrible...)

Shade, also an interesting character, that could use dusting off.



thanks guys. Since J'Emm was essentially a reboot of the Martian Manhunter (before it's post Crisis time), I would have had closer ties with both books if Conway was bringing back the Manhunter. An option would be to have J'Emm replace the Manhunter entirely. it would allow Captain Comet to appear more easily.

There's also Sandman II (get in before the Endless) and Mark Shaw (although I think his Ostrander make over was a huge improvement).

I dusted off the 220-230 JLA issues and the following were in the lettercols:-

#220 The Comics Collector seems to have outed the arrival of Vixen as early as #220. Others: Batgirl & Red Star, Wonder Twins, Jack O'Lantern, Green Fury, Robotman, Dr Mist, Metal Men, The Olympian,
#221 - Batgirl
#222 - Captain Comet, Batgirl, Insect Queen, Guardian, Bumblebee
#223 - J'Onn J'Onzz x3, Captain Comet x2, Batgirl
#224 - J'Onn J'Onzz x2, Robotman (Cliff Steele), Wonder Twins, Snapper Carr x2, Captain Comet
#225 - Supergirl (alternating with Superman), Captain Comet, (no for Batgirl, Shazams, Mera or Global Guardians), Reena (could grow on the reader)
#226 - Vixen, J'Onn J'Onzzx2, Batgirl x4, Captain Cometx, Scott Free Mister Miracle, Starman (Mikaal?) + subs of Phantom Stranger, Sargon, Supergirl and Captain Comet
#227 - Black Orchid, Captain Comet, Martian Manhunter x3, Ambush Bug, Batgirl, Snapper Carr,
#228 - Firehawk, Supergirl x2, Mera, Batgirl
#229 - Batgirl, Catwoman

Other points of interest:-

Julie Schwartz said that although letters were often interesting, they wouldn't change the direction of a book because they consisted of such a small percentage of the overall readership.

The letters here may reflect the feeling from that minority or they may have been selected to support the changes that were going through from above. I get the feeling there's a bit of both going on here. There's definite support & praise for seeing more of the second stringers, particularly their ongoing characterisation. That support becomes a bit more focused towards what the book would look like just before it happens.

It's noticeable that it was the likes of Ollie, Dinah, The Hawks, Reddy & Zee that they were praising. Only Zee would remain, and that's where they dropped the ball.

The lettercol said that Conway was writing a Zatanna mini and Busiek a Red Tornado mini. But people with proposed minis weren;t getting to stay? Was the Zatanna plan then changed to be part of the JLA or was it because Conway would write it? But then why not keep Firestorm around for a while?

People really wanted Batgirl and Captain Comet in the JLA.

Chuck Patton was really good. Not from the lettercols but skipping through the pages.

I forgot about Black Orchid. She was a mysterious favourite - probably that Adventure Comics cover.

Thinking about Mark Shaw, I was reminded of Ultraa. He was Earth Prime's first Super hero, but ended up on Earth One with a Kryptonian Power set. Given my way, I'd have dropped the extra "a" and called him Ultra or even Ultra Man. Ultraa appeared in a few stories around the satellite era.





Last edited by thothkins; 06/08/14 06:30 AM.

"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810696 06/08/14 06:23 AM
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That Adventure Comics cover...

[Linked Image]


Last edited by thothkins; 06/08/14 06:23 AM.

"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Create Your Own Team - "X-FACTOR"!
Power Boy #810697 06/08/14 06:30 AM
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I've read up on the Black Orchid but I don't think I've ever actually read a story with the original in it. The whole "master of disguise" thing was always intriguing though.

Re: Create Your Own Team: JUSTICE LEAGUE "DETROIT" VERSION
Power Boy #810706 06/08/14 09:46 AM
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From the extremely well priced digital version of Twomorrow's Back Issue 58 some Conway quotes.

On the Satellite Era
““I think part of it is that this was the era where the Justice League really expanded big time. There had been through the ’60s, you know, sort of this drip-drip-drip of additional members coming in. During the satellite period … we had a real influx of almost all of the mainstream DC characters flowing through the book. And we also had the opportunity (because a number of them were secondary characters who weren’t featured in their own titles) to develop storylines that were specific to Justice League. Before that, before I came on the book, there wasn’t a real sense that continuity from issue to issue was really something that was possible or desired even.

It was sort of a glorified team-up book in one sense—and the characters in their own stories, if there was continuity, that’s where you were going to find it. But in the period when I was working on it, and subsequently, the concept was that the Justice League, as a team, had its own interpersonal relationships and character arcs that existed in that book.

So in that sense, that was sort of like the beginning of the modern era of the Justice League, for better or worse. Some people can argue, and I think justifiably, that the idea of a giant-sized team-up book where there is no continuity is kind of cool and fun because you’re able to get into it and out of it without any long-term commitment. But for me, as someone who’s always enjoyed writing serial storylines, finding a way to make that work in Justice League was one of my primary goals.”

On Justice League Detroit
“Yeah, we were experiencing weakening sales. There was a certain amount of competition between us and [The New] Teen Titans. Teen Titans was, at that point, DC’s most popular book and there was a general feeling that Justice League should be doing better than it was. There was also the fact that we were heading into the Crisis. We knew that we were going to be making major changes to the DC Universe and the question was, ‘What will the Justice League be?’

Everybody wanted to use the mainstream characters exclusively in their own stories and to develop continuity primarily with them. Batman had his continuity, Superman had his continuity, Green Lantern, and so on. So there was an increasing pressure to find a way to both reach a younger audience, to create stronger continuity, and to get the mainstream characters out of the book because they couldn’t be part of the stronger continuity.

So we were under a lot of pressure to come up with a creative solution to that and at that time, my feeling was maybe the Satellite Era had passed. You know, that maybe the high-tech, loftier, big-scale storylines that we had been operating in needed to be brought down to human scale in some way.

“I wanted to do something I hadn’t seen at DC, which was a ground-level superhero team that was rooted in a neighborhood…You never got a sense of what was going on with the guy
who ran the sandwich cart down on the street corner while these fights were going on, with the exception of Willie Lumpkin, who was the postman for the Fantastic Four. You never had any sense that there was anybody living anywhere near these people.”

“So I wanted to make these superheroes feel like they are part of the neighbourhood, and my thought was to plunk them down in the middle of a city that was in deep, deep crap, a city that needs heroes. That was the driving impetus for me to relocate them from the satellite down to Detroit.”

“What Titans had going for it was cohesion as a team where the characters in the Titans interacted pretty much exclusively with each other, so you could develop storylines that involved the characters’ personal lives and create drama and character development in that title.”

“The suggestion … was to find some way to make a core group of characters that would be exclusive to the JLA title so we could basically develop their personalities and their storylines and so on.”
Conway also cites the shift in power form the first Avengers team to the second, lesser powered but malleable second team as an influence.

What the above reinforces for me is that people will buy a Justice League with A-List heroes in it across the years and powerful B-Listers for a decent length of time. There should always be enough of those heroes around the shift the book. They will come and go as their own titles dictate. However, the edict should be “Why can’t they be in the JLA at the moment?” and not “We have something perhaps in the works in a year from now. Let’s remove them, even if it’s not that important a change.” This lack of communication & indecision between fiefdoms is what railroads the JLA.

Around those members, you can build in the rest of the team. Relationships can be built in at different levels. Even if Superman can’t get romantically involved with anyone, it would at least show how he interacts with his peers. Others can have more in depth life changes in the book.

The ideas behind setting up the team to work full time in a neighbourhood may make for a decent book, but it’s not a Justice League book. At least, not without that being only a small part of everything else. Having everyone forced to live in the base, without personal lives robs everyone of their supporting cast. Even stuck in the Detroit base, we never really saw the best of Vibe, Gypsy, the Dibny's or Zatanna.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
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