JSA Vol 1 2



 The Wheel of Life 


 * "Give me a razor-wielding midget dressed up as a kid, any day."
 * --Starman

Summary
Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Month: September Year: 1999

Credits
Head Writer: James Robinson Writers: David Goyer Cover Artists: Alan Davis Pencilers: Steve Sadowski Inkers: Michael Bair Colourists: John Kalisz and Heroic Age Editors: L.A. Williams and Peter Tomasi

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * JSA
 * Atom Smasher
 * Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance)
 * Flash (Jay Garrick)
 * Hourman (Matthew Tyler)
 * Sand
 * Sentinel
 * Starman (Jack Knight)
 * Star-Spangled Kid (Courtney Whitmore)
 * Wildcat (Ted Grant)
 * Wonder Woman (Hippolyta)


 * Fate-Child
 * Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)
 * Kent Nelson
 * Sons of Anubis

Locations:
 * Canada
 * British Columbia
 * Vancouver


 * Italy
 * Venice


 * New York City
 * JSA Headquarters


 * Tibet
 * Reting Monastery

Items:
 * Cosmic Rod
 * Nth Metal
 * Sandman's gas gun

First Appearances: Fate-Child Final Appearances: No final appearances

Synopsis: Scarab and the JSA members convene in the old Dodds estate, a mansion left behind by Wesley Dodds and Dian Belmont. Scarab tells them that an agent of Chaos known as the Dark Lord is seeking a baby who is destined to become the next incarnation of Doctor Fate. With the power of Doctor Fate, the Dark Lord will be unstoppable, which is why he needs the JSA's help. He has isolated the potential whereabouts of the prophecied Fate baby to either British Columbia, Tibet or Venice, Italy.

The JSA split into teams to investigate each location. Scarab meanwhile secretly confers with the ghost of Kent Nelson and walks through a spatial rift. Courtney, having been spying on them, follows them through the rift.

Sentinel, Sand and Wonder Woman go to Tibet where they run afoul of the Sons of Anubis again.

In Venice, Flash, Starman and Black Canary find an infant and fend off more mummy-zombies in the canals. But this child is not the Fate baby (plus it pees all over Jack's jacket).

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Atom Smasher, Hourman and Wildcat visit a hospital where a pregnant Jane Doe had been admitted. She had only recently given birth to a child bearing the birthmark of an Ankh on its right arm. But as they enter the room, they find that the new Hawkgirl has beaten them to the task. Hawkgirl grabs the baby and flies out the window.

She doesn't get very far however. The Dark Lord appears and zaps the JSA members with a bolt of mystic lightning. Picking up the child, he announces himself as the sorcerer, Mordru.

Trivia

 * The Ankh symbolizes Life in Egyptian mythology. Ironically, the symbol has also become synonymous with the character, Death, of the Endless.


 * Starman makes reference to the film Don't Look Now in this issue. Don't Look Now was released in 1973 and starred Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. Its significance to this issue is that it takes place in Venice, Italy.


 * Jack later says that the Flash "makes like Heston". This is a reference to the Flash using his super-speed to part the waters of the Venice canal, similar to what actor Charlton Heston did to the Red Sea when he played Moses in The Ten Commandments.


 * This issue shows a photograph of Sandy as the Silicon Monster, an event that was featured in Justice League of America (Volume 1) #113. This was originally a Pre-Crisis event, which is now considered as part of modern canon continuity. Superman and Batman both appear in flashback from this issue.


 * There is a color-tinted photograph in the Dodds' estate trophy room showing the original Justice Society. This photo is based on the cover to All-Star Comics (Volume 1) #3, the first appearance of the assembled Justice Society of America.

Recommended Readings

 * All-Star Comics
 * All-Star Squadron
 * Infinity Inc.
 * JSA
 * JSA: All-Stars
 * JSA: Strange Adventures

Related Articles

 * Helmet of Nabu
 * Mister Terrific (Terry Sloane)
 * Sandman (Wesley Dodds)
 * Speed Force
 * Speed Saunders
 * Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton)
 * Tower of Fate