I'll subscribe to that theory.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #138

On sale October 4, 1976

Written by Cary Bates
Penciled by Dick Dillin
Inked by Frank McLaughlin
Edited by Julius Schwartz
Cover by Neal Adams

ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman
SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Adam Strange

our Hostess ad is Green Lantern again in "Fruit Pie Scene" located inside the comic

and now...."ADAM STRANGE--PUPPET OF TIME!"

Alanna Strange recites this tale into a recorder back on Rann...


On board the JLA Satellite Flash challenges Batman to a game of 3 dimensional chess when a hologram of Alanna Strange appears in the teleporter tube. Alanna tells then that Adam Strange has once again been Zeta beamed for the first time since they were married. The second time it happens, Adam tells her that he has been going through time as well. He travels to the Earth of the far future where he witnesses all sorts of disasters. The next time he beams back he's caught in a green glow. He reveals to Alanna that he is the real menace to the future Earth and then he beams out again. He hasn't returned in five days and the last zeta beam was empty. She asks the JLA to travel to the 73rd Century to find Adam Strange. Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman respond to the summons and we're off to the 73rd Century!

In a future city the JLA spots a fireball headed for some buildings. Batman finds it odd that this future city has no defense for it as Superman, Flash and Wonder Woman charge after it. Before they get there, Superman is struck by a green beam and he pulls the other two away from the fireball. The beam has explained to Superman that the fireball is a futuristic cleaning device that only burns away dirt leaving everything clean as it passes. Adam Strange then flies in and hits the fireball with his raygun, turning into a real out of control fireball. Our three heroes quickly snuff out the flames. Then Adam flies to them and fires his raygun at Superman. To the surprise of everyone it knocks him back and Flash has to vibrate out of the way and Wonder Woman deflects him with her magic bracelets.

While they try to figure out what's going on, the other two arrive with the Green Lantern of the 73rd Century. He explains that it was his beam that explained things to Superman and that Adam's been causing trouble for weeks. He took out a tornado that was used to clean the air. Green Lantern was able to stop him once, but the next time he returned his raygun was able to even stop and redirect Green Lantern's energy. Superman asks this Green Lantern to use his ring to come up with answers just like Hal does. It reveals that the zeta beam energy is making Adam act on instinct against anything he thinks is a threat. It is also charging his raygun with a huge amount of power to make him capable of taking on anything.

Suddenly, a skyscraper starts spewing tons of liquid onto the ground below. Green Lantern explains that the liquid stops earthquakes. Adams shows up and uses his raygun to turn the liquid to steam. The city will be destroyed by earthquakes if the JLA doesn't act. Batman tells everyone they need a plan, but the rest of them just charge off. Green Lantern provides a tower of water that Aquaman swims up to strike Adam Strange. He flips around a hits Aquaman with his raygun, then he takes down Green Lantern. Meanwhile, the earthquakes have started and Batman has fallen into a fissure. While he works his way up, Adam fires a beam at Wonder Woman who deflects it right at Superman. Flash tries to run at Adam, but his raygun makes a chute out of its energy and Flash is flung back into the air and hits Wonder Woman. With the rest of the team down, it's up to Batman. He has noticed that the energy from Adam's raygun is getting weaker and dodges one beam after another. The last faint one does strike him in the arm, but the energy is gone and Adam can think normally once again. Batman's plan was to get him to use up the zeta energy to be freed form its mind warping effects. The JLA returns Adam home, but Alanna reveals to the reader that by the time the team reaches Earth they will wish they were dead!


To be continued!

JLA Mailroom: Mostly positive reaction to issue #134 and Supergirl. There's also an announcement that next issue JLA will become a Giant and have twice as many pages, yet will still be monthly.

STORY: B
Solid story and Batman using his smarts was well done.

ART: A-

COVER: A
Now THAT is a cover! He may look evil, but that may be the best single Adam Strange drawing of all time.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C
Adam Strange drops by.

Up next:

The conclusion of this story.

AND

The greatest comic book writer of the 1970s arrives to try his hand at the JLA.

I have a copy of that book and I say it is the coolest JLA Logo of all time. Why? ... The word "LEAGUE" is red, white, and blue and that's makes this issue one of the most far-out cover of all time. I just dig this Silver Age Story of Adam Strange. And, one of my favorite adventure of all time. 

Thank you for reading.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #139

On sale November 1, 1976

Now a double sized Giant for 50 cents!

First story written by Cary Bates
Second story written by Steve Englehart
Penciled by Dick Dillin
Inked by Frank McLaughlin
Edited by Julius Schwartz
Cover by Neal Adams

our Hostess ad this month is the Joker in "Cornered Clown" near the front of the comic. There is a JLA Mailroom after the first story and a Mailroom Extra after the second. Both stories are 17 pages long.

and now "THE COSMIC CONSPIRACY AGAINST ADAM STRANGE!"

ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Black Canary

Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Hawkman have gathered at the JLA Satellite as our five heroes from last issue are missing. Green Lantern uses his ring to search the entire solar system, but can't find them anywhere. The five heroes are there, but they are like phantoms and can't contact the rest of the team. Adam Strange arrives and, since he has zeta energy in his body, he can see the phantom heroes. Adam explains the events from last issue to the other four and then tells everyone that this is all the work of his old arch nemesis, Kanjar Ro! As he talks to the heroes, a transductor unit behind Green Lantern explodes. He is moved out of the way by the Flash, who has now returned to his solid form. Adam has a theory that seeing his teammate in danger caused him to revert to normal. Kanjar Ro then appears on a monitor and it appears he is back in the 73rd Century. Green Lantern transports the entire Satellite and the phantoms to that time.

The team transports down to the only hundred mile square area on Earth where humans live. The streets are empty, but not for long as this eras military attacks our heroes. The weapons grafted on their arms allow them to instantly counter any attack. The turn yellow, fly, get super speed, learn judo and form bows instantly. The phantom heroes appear nearby ready to help once they turn solid. It never happens though and the solid five members of the JLA are defeated. While the phantom JLA members lament their fate, Adam Strange returns to the JLA Satellite. He discovers that a wave of beta rays appeared during the explosion. He guesses that Kanjar Ro set off the transductor unit to throw the team of the trail. From space he hits the four phantoms with beta rays and they become solid again. Superman melts the circuits in the soldiers weapons and the JLA trounces the soldiers of the future.

The Green Lantern of the 73rd Century shows up and explains that the soldiers had to be acting under the control of Kanjar Ro. A suspicious Adam Strange throws a yellow rock at him and his power ring protects him. He can't be a real Green Lantern and Superman punches him out. He reverts to his Kanjar Ro form and the day is saved again.

STORY: B-
Another enjoyable plot heavy tale. I give Cary Bates a thumbs up as a JLA writer.

ART: B+

COVER: B+
Not a great one from Neal, but ordinary Neal Adams beats just about anyone else.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+
Adam Strange returns for a cameo in #144, but sadly this is his last Pre-Crisis JLA guest appearance.

JLA Mailroom: The readers liked JLA #135 with the return of the Fawcett heroes. One letter is from Joe Kelly, but I don't know if that is the future JLA writer or not.

JLA Mailroom Extra!: One reader tells everyone to write more controversial letters and another reader casts a possible 1970s JLA movie. Bob Rozakis responds with a list someone came up with in JLA #17 for a 1960s JLA movie. There is a picture of Wonder Woman and Black Canary calling for more female members of the JLA and suggest Batgirl, Supergirl, Zatanna, Hawkgirl, Lana Lang Insect Queen (!) and Mera. The last missive is from Julie Schwartz stating they should run a feature showing the young folks what was in JLA 100 issues ago.


and now... "THE ICE AGE COMETH!"

ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Elongated Man and...?

The JLA arrives in an ice and snow covered Ecuador. The President of Ecuador arrives to meet them and he tells them that it took only hours. He can't believe it, but until today he thought of the JLA as a myth as well. The heroes come up with ideas on how to stop the ice and Green Arrow suggests the ladies tend to the wounded. Wonder Woman vows to bring him the wounded and Hawkman laughingly observes, "I've always said Green Arrow's vaunted social conscience ends where his mouth begins!" As the heroes help people, Englehart tells the reader his thoughts on what a league is. Unfortunately, the ice reforms as quickly as the JLA gets rid of it. El Presidente comes over with a radio that reports of a crime spree back in America with a note taunting police from Captain Cold, The Icicle and Minister Blizzard. Wonder Woman hasn't even thought of Minister Blizzard is years and Black Canary is excited about fighting someone she knows from Earth-Two. Flash will come along since Captain Cold is involved. Wonder Woman snaps at Flash that it's obvious the two menaces are related and Green Arrow decides to go with them. Superman whispers to Batman that the way Wonder Woman is acting he picked the hard job and Batman agrees.

If Batman knew the three criminals were meeting in Gotham City he'd turn on the gravely voice and tell the rest of the team to stay behind while he took care of "his city." Minister Blizzard holds the Minerva Diamond and thinks of an ice covered world. Unlike the other two, Captain Cold isn't too keen on being in an ice covered world and is worried their crimes are causing the problems in Ecuador. Mr. Freeze is vacationing on Hoth as far as I know. Another large diamond, the Star of Calcutta, is also being exhibited in Gotham City and they will strike at that one too. The heroes arrive at the museum to see the security measures when the villains strike. Flash runs into an ice wall from Captain Cold and Minister Blizzard ducks away from Wonder Woman's magic lasso. Black Canary gets in a shot on Icicle, but he uses his freeze gun on her. She breaks the ice with her canary cry. Before she can capture him, Green Arrow puts an arrow in his ice gun and it backfires on him. While Black Canary gets angry at Green Arrow, Wonder Woman uses her magic lasso on Captain Cold and forces him to shoot at Minister Blizzard, who fires back. They are both frozen and Flash praises Wonder Woman for great teamwork. Her response, "Speedster, I didn't see you doing much of any work." Flash is about to retort, when a guard discovers that the Star of Calcutta is gone! Who took it?

Back in Ecuador, the Atom is coming up with ideas to stop the ice, but none are working. He's worried that he isn't contributing much to the team. Aquaman sympathizes and tells him that sometimes specialized powers like theirs can't help much, but other times they are the only powers that can save the day and that it evens out. The team from America returns and it turns out that the ice criminals aren't causing the ice in Ecuador. Hawkman then discovers the true culprit. He claims that the Shadow Thief is behind the heist and that his dimensiometer wrecks the planet's magnetic field. He was warned that the continued use of it could cause an ice age and it seems to have occurred. An ice blast in the previous fight put the Star of Calcutta in a shadow and they believe that's when he took it.  Hawkman, Green Lantern and Atom volunteer to go with the previous four back to Gotham City.

They arrive at the jail and find the guards knocked out and the power is cut leaving shadows everywhere. They find the three cold criminals inside. Black Canary finally gets the Icicle and Hawkman throws the Atom who knocks out Captain Cold. The Flash runs through a shadow and recognizes the feeling from before, it is the Shadow Thief! He is there to free his flunkies, only Minister Blizzard knew that he was behind the new ice age. His real body is in another dimension, so he vows to leave his dimensiometer on until the entire Earth freezes over. He disappears into the shadows but is quickly caught by the Phantom Stranger. He grabs him in shadow form and switches off the dimensiometer, returning the Shadow Thief to his human form. Green Arrow tells the Phantom Stranger that the JLA would have caught him eventually without his help. Wonder Woman asks him if he's upset because his arrows weren't needed and even Black Canary thinks she's gone a little too far. Captain Cold observes that these people are just as weird as they are and Shadow Thief wants to get away from the bickering. The Phantom Stranger vanishes like always and the day is saved in nice and warm Ecuador.

STORY: B
A little old characterization is mixed in with new ones, especially for Wonder Woman. We'll see where this new attitude leads.

ART: A-

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A-
Steve Englehart's first JLA story.


up next....Part one of a classic that was remade into an episode of Justice League a quarter century later.