Seven Soldiers of Victory (Earth-Two)
From DC Database
Contents |
History
The Seven Soldiers of Victory (also known as the Law's Legionnaires) was DC Comics' second super-hero team, following the Justice Society of America. It's members were the Vigilante (Greg Sanders), the Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis), the Green Arrow and Speedy, the Shining Knight (Justin Arthur), and the Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton) and Stripesy (Pat Dugan). They were assisted by Wing How (the Crimson Avenger's sidekick) and Winged Victory (Shining Knight's flying horse).
The Seven Soldiers of Victory debuted in the Winter of 1941, and were active for a solid year and a half. were active for at least a year. Notable villains included the Black Star, the Iron Hand, the Dummy (enemy of the Vigilante), and Dr. Doome, one of several villains the team faced who had a time machine. The team's members were active after this point, though mostly with the All-Star Squadron.
The team was next mentioned in the seventies. During the celebration of the 100th meeting of the JLA, the team was summoned to Earth-Two by the Justice Society of America, where a giant ethereal hand controlled by the Iron Hand threatened to destroy their world. The only way to stop the hand was to find the legendary Seven Soldiers of Victory, who defeated a similar menace in the form of the Nebula Man many years previously, though at the seeming cost of their existences, since no one could remember who they were. An unearthly Oracle revealed to the JLA and the JSA that the Seven Soldiers had been scattered through time, and the multitude of heroes were sent back to find them.
Doctor Fate, the Atom and the Elongated Man found the Crimson Avenger in Mexico, where he had amnesia and believed he was the Aztec Sun God. Superman, The Sandman and Metamorpho rescued the Shining Knight from the hordes of Genghis Khan. Hawkman, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Golden Age Wonder Woman found the Golden Age Green Arrow in medieval England, where he had been mistaken for Robin Hood. Batman, Hourman and Starman retrieved Stripesy from ancient Egypt. The Silver Age Green Arrow, Black Canary and Johnny Thunder and Thunderbolt saved the Vigilante from a tribe of Indians in the Old West. Aquaman, Wildcat and the Silver Age Green Lantern rescued the Star-Spangled Kid, who was 50,000 years in the past. Zatanna, the Silver Age Flash and the Red Tornado freed Speedy (and themselves) from the clutches of Circe (comics) in ancient Greece. The Golden Age Green Lantern, Mister Terrific and the Golden Age Robin went on a quest to discover the identity of the Unknown Soldier of Victory, whose tomb lay in the mountains of Tibet, where the Seven Soldiers had fallen after defeating the Nebula Man.
The Seven Soldiers were reunited and created a new Nebula Rod to deal with the giant hand that the Iron Hand devised. Unfortunately, whoever used the Nebula Rod to destroy the Hand was certain to perish (as did the Crimson Avenger's partner Wing, revealed to be the Unknown Soldier of Victory, when the Nebula Man was stopped). While the heroes argued over who would sacrifice themselves, the android Red Tornado took the Nebula Rod and destroyed the Hand, apparently destroying himself in the process.
After this, the Seven Soldiers of Victory apparently disbanded. The only other modern meeting of the team took place in January 1985, when the Vigilante, the Shining Knight, Green Arrow, Speedy and the Star-Spangled Kid gathered at the grave of Lee Travis, the man known as the Crimson Avenger. It had taken two years for the team to confirm his death (having died saving Gotham City from a boatload of explosives). Shortly afterwards, Earth-Two ceased to exist in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the team is no longer considered canon(However, elements of their story may be used in the current Earth-2 setting).
Paraphernalia
Equipment: None known.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- The Justice League Unlimited episode "Patriot Act" features a homage version of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory team, with the DC Animated Universe's versions of Green Arrow, Speedy, Vigilante, Shining Knight, and Crimson Avenger teamed up with Stargirl in the place of Star-Spangled Kid and S.T.R.I.P.E. in the place of Stripesy. The only team member not accounted for in that version is Wing.
See Also
- Appearances of Seven Soldiers of Victory (Earth-Two)
- Team Gallery: Seven Soldiers of Victory (Earth-Two)
- Catalogued images featuring Seven Soldiers of Victory (Earth-Two)
Links and References
- None.
