Arm Fall Off Boy called. He wants a team-up
Just who I was thinking of.
Thoth: are you open to bribery?
In unrelated news, the going rate in almond slices has rocketed just recently.
Run out the clock, thoth! Leave it a two-way tie between Dr. Fate and the Huntress! All our hopes and dreams lie with you! No pressure...
I toyed with it. But then you gave me the opportunity to crush hopes *and* dreams, which is too good to pass up.
Oh, much pressure, thothy. Much pressure
I'm like Blok in #3 of the TMK run. Collapsed into rubble.
I did think about voting for Ma Hunkel to make it a 3 way tie. But my experience with the character is limited to a Who's Who entry and All Star #3. I don't think I really appreciated Shelly Moldoff's humour the way I should have. How could they let this character almost join the JSA, li'l thoth probably thought as the laughs shot past in a clown car on it's way to funsville.
So, I don't think I'd be fair on the other two if my vote went to someone I'd not supported in the previous rounds.
Some thoughts on the remaining two...
Doctor Fate“Who is Doctor Fate?
Student of ancient mysteries that were partially destroyed when Caesar burned Alexandria’s library; delver into the unknown science of the occult and the weird; alchemist and physicist extraordinary – Doctor Fate has learned the ultimate secret of the universe – the true conversion of energy into matter and matter into energy!”
There’s not an ankh in sight in Fate’s first appearance. We’re thrown right into the action (take that modern comics!) as Wotan, and the cult he’s part of, attempts to kill Inza to get at his rival. His power over energy and matter make him overly powerful, but it’s an even match against Wotan. In the end Fate throws his nemesis off a building.
“See what new experience death will bring you Wotan! Good-Bye!”
To check if Wotan is dead, Fate goes off to the underworld in the next issue, rather than just checking for a smudge on the pavement from the window.
But that’s all part of the Golden Age fun. It’s grim and silly in equal measures as he fights gorillas, zombies and aliens in the space of a few issues. His origin toys with atomic power, as it shifts regularly between science and mysticism. He moves from the adolescent I-Can-Only-Save-The-World-By-Being-At-Least-10-Feet-Away-From-All-Women-Even-Though-They-Adore-Me approach that most of the heroes had, to at least revealing his origin to Inza. He’s very much a mix between Superman and More Fun’s own Spectre.
In later years, Doctor Fate would appear in so many JLA crossovers, that he ended up with more appearances than some of the actual members of the team.
When Crisis saw to the end of the JSA’s tenure, Doctor Fate, along with Power Girl and the Star Spangled Kid were kept. DC saw publishing opportunities with them, as they hadn’t really been replaced to the degree that a lot of the originals had.
It was fitting that Andy Helfer’s JLA team of Legends (Maguire’s rendition of Fate is particularly good) would have him in there, and he’s had a number of ongoings and minis since. So, for a guy who’s power can unbalance a story, he’s been around reasonably consistently over the years.
HuntressHuntress, on the other hand, didn’t get nearly as many comic appearances as she should have done.
I just reread her first appearance (alongside the All-Stars issue) recently, as DC Super Stars 17 has the first case of the Legion, and was part of the rereads thread. In the text page, the idea seems to have started with Bob Layton and then Joe Staton, both of whom wanted another female member of the JSA team. Staton created the visual, and Paul Levitz (yay!) the story with input from Joe Orlando.
Blackmailed by what turns out to be false information, Catwoman performs a last crime having reformed and married Bruce Wayne. She, and the gang, are foiled by Batman who comes out of retirement only to see his wife killed by a stray shot (a shot caused by him kicking the gunman’s arm). Helena Wayne hunts down the gang’s leader and brings him to justice. Hopefully, she made sure that the information that the blackmail was based on false information made it back to her dad.
It’s a much more focused origin than a lot of the JSAers and with striking visuals from Staton that give her a very distinctive look. Beyond that, the All-Stars and a very occasional Wonder Woman comic, I’ve not read too many of the Huntress’ stories. She fitted in seamlessly in the JLA/JSA crossovers she appeared in following her debut, even if they were up against the likes of the New Gods.
The implosion took away opportunities for a lot of characters to expand. Then, like Superman & Batman in both the JSA & JLA, she and Power Girl were on the side lines of the large Infinity Inc cast.
That coincided with the planning for Crisis. We saw her story in the reformed Earth and her fate wasn’t far away (don’t look Ibby!)
Although she had the lineage of Batman and the name of a Golden Age villain, Helena always seemed a lot stronger than her origins. She was a capable, smart crime fighter with a career and the self-assurance to stand in a team of Golden Age legends.
I think I read that Levitz and Staton took advantage of the Crisis, as they wanted to rework the character themselves. I can’t recall if it was perhaps due to DC’s changing creator rights/ royalties. But, it was clear that they saw the Huntress as being a character more than capable of standing on her own.
I didn’t read to many of the revamped Huntress issues, but I don’t think it’s any coincidence that it’s Helena who’s been back with us more recently.
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Who should I vote for? 
