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in: Dick Sprang/Cover Artist, Jack Kirby/Cover Artist, Gil Kane/Cover Artist,
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Secret Origins Special Giant Issue Vol 1 1

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"Superman-Batman: "The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team!"": This story is reprinted from World's Finest #94.

Secret Origins Special Giant Issue #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of June, 1961. It was published on June 15, 1961.

Synopsis for Superman-Batman: "The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team!"

This story is reprinted from World's Finest #94.

When Luthor escapes from prison again, Batman and Robin are reminded of their earliest case together with Superman. They rush to Metropolis in the event that Luthor intends to use kryptonite against Superman again.

When Batman and Robin summon Superman to work out their collaborative attack to stop Luthor, they are surprised to see Superman arrive with Powerman. Superman unexpectedly claims that Powerman is his new partner and that Batman and Robin are no longer needed.

Powerman 001

Powerman

The surprise move does not deter Batman and Robin from continuing their investigation against Luthor, though not directly with Superman. Batman and Robin devise an effective defence against Luthor's latest invention - a destructive ray that cannot penetrate silicon. With their shields the subdue Luthor and confiscate the kryptonite he intended to use in a ploy against Superman. With the threat of Luthor removed, Superman revealed to his friends that Powerman was a remote-controlled robot he designed to safeguard them from harm, and deal with Luthor is he attempted to use kryptonite to eliminate Superman.

Appearing in Superman-Batman: "The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team!"

Featured Characters:

  • Superman (Flashback and main story)
  • Batman (Flashback and main story)
  • Robin (Flashback and main story)

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Vehicles:


Synopsis for Adam Strange: "Secret of the Eternal City!"

This story is reprinted from Showcase #17.

Adam Strange is an archaeologist working in the country of Caramanga in South America. A tribe of hostile Incan villagers begin chasing Adam, but he manages to elude them when his body is struck by a strange beam of energy.

This energy ray, known as a Zeta-Beam instantly teleports Adam Strange twenty-five trillion miles through space to the planet of Rann. There, he meets the scientist Sardath. Sardath explains that the Zeta-Beam was initially a communication ray, but radiation altered it, transforming it into a teleportation beam. Adam learns that once the Zeta-Beam radiation wears off, he will be instantly teleported back to his point of origin. Adam spends a great deal of time with Sardath, and meets his daughter, Alanna. He learns the Rannian language, as well as a portion of Rann's violent history.

Some time later, a race of alien invaders known as the Eternals arrives on Rann in search of a rare mineral known as Vitatron. Adam Strange and Alanna journey to the city-state of Kamorak where they encounter the Eternals. Alanna believes that Vitatron can only be found in the mythical city of Samakand - a place that only appears once every twenty-five Rannian years.

Adam and Alanna go to Samakand and consult with some of the scientists within the city. They manage to bait the Eternals into following them, and the scientists use their advanced technology to trap the invaders inside of a fourth-dimensional prison.

A short time later, the Zeta-Beam radiation infecting Adam's body wears off, and he instantly teleports back to Earth. However, he has already developed a fondness for the alien world and it's denizens and wishes to return. Adam knows that the Zeta-Beam will strike the Earth again, so he begins calculating the exact location at which the beam will strike.

Appearing in Adam Strange: "Secret of the Eternal City!"

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Antagonists:

  • The Eternals (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for Green Lantern: "The Planet of the Doomed Men!"

This story is reprinted from Green Lantern (Volume 2) #1.

While out testing a new aircraft, Hal's astral form is transported to the world of the Guardians, who seek to know who took over the role of Green Lantern in that sector of space from Abin Sur. Hal recounts the events that led to him becoming the Green Lantern. Convinced that Hal is worthy of the title, they erase his memory and return his astral form to his physical body, deciding that now is not the time for Hal to know of their existence.

Returning to his dressing room at the Ferris Aircraft Company, Hal gets a message from his Power Battery asking him to defend the beings on the planet Calor. Traveling out that way, Hal finds a race of primitive humanoids being terrorized by a monstrous creature that can fire mental bolts of energy. As he battles the creature, it's a race against time as the 24 hour deadline for his power ring's charge looms. Hal uses his power ring to freeze the creature in ice and places it in a glacier where it will not thaw out. Hal returns to Earth with just enough time before his power ring loses its charge.

Appearing in Green Lantern: "The Planet of the Doomed Men!"

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Antagonists:

  • The Dryg (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for Challengers of the Unknown: "The Secret of the Sorcerer's Box!" (partial reprint)

This story is reprinted from Showcase #6.

Appearing in Challengers of the Unknown: "The Secret of the Sorcerer's Box!" (partial reprint)

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Members of a ship's crew (Single appearance)
    • Skipper (Single appearance)

Antagonists:

  • Morelian (Single appearance; dies)
  • Giant Reptilian Golem (Single appearance) (Destroyed)
  • Sun-Being (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Radio show host (Single appearance)
  • Residents of Sydney, Australia

Locations:

Items:

  • Morelian's Box (Single appearance) (Destroyed)
  • Red's Vacuum Tank (Single appearance)
  • Control Canister (Single appearance)
  • Remote-Controlled Weaving Device (Single appearance)
  • Ring of Immortality (Single appearance)

Vehicles:

  • Ace's Plane (First appearance)
  • Challengers' Plane (First appearance)
  • Cargo Plane
  • Morelian's Plane (Single appearance) (Destroyed)

Synopsis for Wonder Woman: "The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman!"

This story is reprinted from Wonder Woman #105.

Shortly after the birth of Diana, daughter of Queen Hippolyta, Paradise Island is visited by Aphrodite the Goddess of Love, who comes to wish the young Diana well, and tells the infant girl that she will grow to be the fairest maid in all the land. The baby would be visited also by Athena, who would give her wisdom, Mercury who would be amazed at the tot's speed, as well as Hercules who is impressed by the girl's strength.

Time passes, and eventually conflict would claim the lives of all the men of Amazonia and the women would be in utter woe. Seeking to escape the conflict of the mainland, Queen Hippolyta would rally the rest of the Amazons and announce that they would be leaving, to escape the wars and find peace on an island far, far away. That night, the queen would be startled to find that Diana had gone missing in the night, and when they would go out to search for her they would be surprised to see the teenaged girl building a ship for them at super speed. Impressed by this display, her fellow Amazonians would begin calling her Wonder Girl.

As they set sail into the vast oceans, Wonder Girl would use her superior strength to help the ship make it past a whirlpool. as well as save the ship from burning. Eventually they would pass through a strange fog of sleeping gas. While most of the Amazonians would be knocked out by the gas, Wonder Girl would resist its caustic vapors and push onward, sailing them to safety. They would soon pilot out of the gasses and Wonder Girl would spot an island.

As the others revive, they would go to shore where they would be visited by Athena. Athena would tell the women gathered that this island, dubbed Paradise Island, would be their new home, and that as long as they stayed there they would retain eternal youth under the condition that nobody leave the island.

Over the years, young Diana would help her fellow Amazons build a new home, and spend her time exercising, having fun, and riding the Rocs, which were giant birds, native to the island, and also mastering all forms of science and languages. One day while out swimming with her fellow Amazons, Wonder Girl and the others would be terrorized by a giant whale. Wonder Girl would use her superior strength to send the whale packing, saving her friends. The entire exploit would be photographed and be the first record of the illustrious career of the girl who would eventually grow up to be Wonder Woman.

Appearing in Wonder Woman: "The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman!"

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Synopsis for Manhunter from Mars: "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #225.

Jonn Jonnz First App

J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter

When Professor Mark Erdel uses a "robot brain" and teleportation system of his creation to capture and retrieve something from space, it brings a green-skinned Martian named J'onn J'onzz to Earth. After both introduce themselves to each other, J'onzz asks Erdel to return him to Mars. Erdel replies that he cannot do that, since it might take years to reverse his computer's program. The Martian, knowing he must adapt his appearance to that of humans, uses his chameleon-like powers to make himself look like a brown-haired Caucasian human male. Seconds afterward, the shock of the preceding events takes its toll on Erdel's weak heart. With his last breaths, Erdel asks J'onzz to forgive him for making him a prisoner of Earth. Then he dies.

J'onzz muses that the Martians are working on a "Project Star-Ride" for interplanetary travel. But until that project is completed--however long that may take--he is bound to Earth. He Americanizes his name to John Jones. Then, going to the seaside, he uses his Martian mind-over-matter power to extract gold from seawater to give him working capital. John Jones then takes a tour of the Earth, sometimes using his powers of invisibility and immateriality to conceal his presence.

One aspect of Terran life disturbs J'onn J'onzz: crime. Since Earth is a younger planet than Mars, and since Mars underwent the "Great Evolution" centuries ago that virtually wiped out crime, its rate of wrongdoing is much less than that of Earth. J'onzz decides to help the Earthmen by fighting crime. In his John Jones identity, he takes and passes a detective exam at the Midtown police department. But he realizes he must avoid a Martian's one weakness--fire, which can sap his powers and take his life.

Appearing in Manhunter from Mars: "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel!"

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Other Characters:

  • Middleton Police Department (First appearance)
    • Lt. Saunders (First appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for The Flash: "Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!"

This story is reprinted from Showcase #4.

Barry Allen is a police scientist who is doused with chemicals that are struck by lightning. Barry soon finds that he has been endowed with super-speed and creates a costume which contracts and hides in his ring). He takes on the name of his favorite comic book character: The Flash.

In his first mission as the Flash, Barry goes after the criminal known as the Turtle Man, dubbed the world's slowest man. The Turtle Man tries to rob a bank. However, he is ultimately thwarted by the Flash, despite the fact that his super-speed often worked against him going after the plodding Turtle Man. Ultimately, the Flash captures his opponent and turns him over to the police.

Appearing in The Flash: "Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!"

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Notes

Trivia

  • In the Pre-Crisis continuity, Superman and Batman were the best of friends who held each other in extreme high regard. In the modern continuity, the characters possess great respect for one another, but do not share the comaraderie that was common in the earlier stories. Their respect is mixed with equal levels of disdain for one another.
  • In the Pre-Crisis continuity, Wonder Woman was active in her teenage years operating under the name Wonder Girl. This younger version of Princess Diana is not to be confused with Donna Troy or Cassie Sandsmark, both of whom would adopt the name in later years.


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