Freedom Fighters Pt. 1: Justice League of America #107

Presenting a milestone in the already amazing adventures of the Justice League of America… featuring the dynamic return of six of the Golden Age’s most exciting heroes -- Uncle Sam... The Ray... Doll Man... The Black Condor... The Human Bomb… and The Phantom Lady! Plus, the annual visit of the Justice Society of America!

Come and be witness as a baker’s dozen of Earth’s greatest heroes battle to save the soul of a nation -- and the future of a world…

Crisis on Earth-X!

On two different Earths, as the Justice Society of America (Earth-2) and the Justice League of America (Earth-1) prepare to transport for their annual meeting…

Then, something goes “haywire.” Earth-1’s Batman, Elongated Man, and Green Arrow, and Earth-2’s Dr. Fate, Sandman, and Superman, find themselves on what will soon be known as “Earth-X.” It seems that Red Tornado “stowed away in the transmitter cube by whirling at invisible speed” and his “unseen presence upset the mechanism’s delicate balance.”

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After nearly unsuccessfully fighting what seem to be Nazis in strange-looking tanks, Elongated Man cries, “No -- look! Can it be?”

The team that will soon be known as the Freedom Fighters dispatches the bad guys; then, in the calm after the fight…

The Freedom Fighters then tell their origins to the heroes that we already know and love (see below.) Green Arrow says that this all makes sense except for “one little item…”

If those mind-control machines are the only way the Nazis retain their supremacy -- why haven’t you attempted to destroy them?

Uncle Sam easily replies, “We would have, son -- but we don’t know where the machines are!”

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With the help of Dr. Fate, they are able to determine three locations: Mount Rushmore, the Eiffel Tower, and Mt. Fujiyama. In classic team-up tradition, the teams divide into small groups…

The mission is accomplished for at least one of the groups.

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Meanwhile, Earth-1’s Green Lantern and Earth-2’s Flash grow concerned about their missing teammates:

What if the transmitters didn’t send them anywhere? What if those we’re searching for are already dead?

Notes

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What a great story to bring back five of Quality Comics’ greatest heroes, giving them a new home and a new backstory! You can see just a few changes in the characters as we got to know them the last few weeks, based on DC’s attempts to incorporate them into their multiverse:

Note in Uncle Sam's explanation of Earth-X on page 10, there are "cameo" appearances of Plastic Man and the Blackhawks, indicating they are also from the same Earth. You'll have to fact-check me on this, but I believe DC's version of Plastic Man originated on Earth-2 and later migrated to Earth-X to join the Freedom Fighters.

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As for the Blackhawk Squadron, I believe the opposite is true. I believe they originated on Earth-X, then the story was later changed to say they were from Earth-2. I'm not sure how Crisis on Infinite Earths contributes to the timelines of either Plastic Man or the Blackhawks. Maybe these are things we'll learn along the way! (We'll also have to consider how All-Star Squadron affects their histories.)

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And what a cliffhanger… well, not so much for us, but for the other members of the JLA and JSA. This is a classic tale all the way around. There’s nothing about it I don’t like; that is, except for the fact that we have to wait one more week to see what happens! Return next Wednesday for more Freedom Fighters in Justice League of America #108...

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Title: Justice League of America

Issue #: 107

Cover Date: Sept./Oct. 1973

On Sale Date: June 5, 1973

Cover Artists: Nick Cardy

Writer: Len Wein

Penciller: Dick Dillin

Inker: Dick Giordano

Colorist: Anthony Tollin

Editor: Julius Schwartz