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"The Origin of the Justice League": This story is reprinted from Justice League of America #9.

80-Page Giant #8 is an issue of the series 80-Page Giant (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1965. It was published on January 14, 1965.

Synopsis for "The Origin of the Justice League"

This story is reprinted from Justice League of America #9.

Gathered together to celebrate the third anniversary of the formation of the Justice League, the founding members tell Snapper Carr and Green Arrow the story of how the team first got together.

Aliens from the planet Appellax came to Earth following the death of their ruler in order for a representatives of each race to vie for leadership over the planet by waging war on Earth. The last remaining after their war would become Appellax's leader. Each Appellaxian was encased in a meteor and rocketed to Earth. After each of the creatures emerged from their meteor pods, they began using their special abilities to transform Earth's inhabitants - humans and animals alike - into beings that resembled their individual makeups. Following their arrival the members of the Justice League, though not yet in league with one another, begin to respond and combat the creatures.

Martian Manhunter fought a stone being, and after his success travels to another meteor that has not yet birthed a creature. But, upon his arrival begins to transform to wood. The same happened to the others, they'd fight the nearest opponent and then travel to the one that transformed Martian Manhunter into wood, and become wood themselves. Eventually Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman all became trapped and slowly be transformed into trees. However, they worked together combining their powers and abilities to free themselves, stop the tree-like alien, and restore themselves to normal. Traveling to the north, they teamed up with Batman and Superman who were already facing the final invader, whose meteor's Kryptonite composition was weakening the Man of Steel.

Defeating this final foe and saving Superman, the assembled group of heroes then decide to work again in the future. And thus, the Justice League of America was born.

Appearing in "The Origin of the Justice League"

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  • Appellaxian Meteor Ships


Synopsis for "The Birth of the Atom"

This story is reprinted from Showcase #34.

When physics graduate student Ray Palmer finds a White Dwarf Star Fragment, he creates a lens out of it. When ultraviolet light is shone through the lens, it becomes a shrinking device. However, all of his tests find that every object he shrinks with the lens explode after several minutes.

One day while taking out his fiancée Jean Loring and a hiking club to a cave, they get trapped by an avalanche. Going on his own to find a way out, Ray decides to use his Dwarf Star lens to shrink himself down in size to climb up to an opening and make it larger, using an engagement ring he has for Jean.

After succeeding in making an opening, Ray returns to his original size, and believes that he survived the experience when drippings from the cave landed on the lens. However, after everyone is safe, Ray still finds that his lens still cause items to explode after an hour, leaving Ray to realize that perhaps something in his own body prevents him from being destroyed when staying at a small size for an extended period of time.

Appearing in "The Birth of the Atom"

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  • Ivy Town Nature Club

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  • 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Synopsis for "How Aquaman Got His Powers!"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #260.

One day a US Military submarine is testing a new type of atomic warhead, Aquaman summons various sea life to help him disarm the warheads. Boarding the ship, Aquaman meets the captain and asks him not to test the weapons. Asking for an explanation, Aquaman leads the captain away from the crew and tells him the story of how he got his powers.

Aquaman explains that some years ago an ex-sailor who now lived the life of a lighthouse keeper saw a woman on a raft caught in a raging hurricane. Coming to her rescue, he learned the woman's name was Atlanna. The two fell in love, and a year later Atlanna gave birth to a young boy. As the boy grew up, his father was shocked to find that the boy could swim, breathe under water and communicate with sea life. Sometime later, Atlanna became ill and on her death bed explained to her son and husband that she was really from the lost city of Atlantis, a city whose people could live under the sea, and that she was forced into exile by her people. In her dying breath, she tells her son that he would one day be ruler of the oceans.

Thus the widowed lighthouse keeper trained the boy to control his powers, and sent him to school on the surface to get an education. Eventually the lighthouse keeper died and was buried at sea and the boy became the hero known as Aquaman. With his story finished the submarine captain asks Aquaman why he shouldn't test his warheads in this location, and Aquaman tells him in secret that it is the location of the lost city of Atlantis. As the submarine relocates, Aquaman swims past Atlantis, hoping to someday introduce himself to the people that live there.

Appearing in "How Aquaman Got His Powers!"

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  • Atlanna (First appearance) (Dies in flashback)
  • Tom Curry (First appearance) (Dies in flashback)

Other Characters:

  • Commander Haskel (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Man from Robin's Past"

This story is reprinted from Batman #129.

Batman and Robin, passing by a circus on the outskirts of Gotham, notice two thieves wanted for a jewelry robbery in Midville duck into the tent of Sando, the Strongman. Robin recognizes Sando, as the kindly man who was his friend in Haly's Circus before Dick Grayson became Robin. They go after the thugs, but a glancing shot frees a tiger from its cage and forces them to break off battle. Sando himself lifts a cage and heaves it over the tiger. Soon, Batman finds a diamond from the store loot in Sando's tent, and the strongman, refusing to answer questions, is jailed on suspicion. Robin believes that he might talk to his old friend, Dick Grayson.

Dick is allowed to see Sando the next day, and is welcomed with open arms. The scene reminds Dick of his playful tugs of war with Sando when he was a child, and of the night that gangsters rigged a fatal accident for his trapeze-riding parents to force Haly, the owner of the circus, to pay protection money. On that night, Dick Grayson first met Batman, who trained him to become Robin, and fought alongside of him to bring his parents' murderers to justice. Back in the present, Dick asks Sando if he should be allowed to tell Andy, Sando's son, of his whereabouts; Sando emphatically refuses to let him do so. Batman and Robin, wondering if Sando is covering for his son, go to Midville, where Andy is attending college. There they discover that Andy Sando is hanging around the Green Anchor nightclub, owned by gangster Art Colby. They find Andy there, bitterly accusing Art Colby of pulling the robbery and going with Andy to meet his strongman father to hide the diamonds in Sando's tent, so they can recover the diamonds when the circus moves on to Gotham City.

Colby directs his men to grab Andy after Andy threatens to go to the police, but Batman and Robin, emerging from hiding, attack Colby's men. To aid in escape, Colby brings down the huge anchor trademark in the heroes' path, and flees behind a locked steel door with Andy as hostage. Sando, out on bail and suddenly appearing, hefts up the huge anchor and smashes in the door with it. Then he enters and nabs Colby and clobbers his goons in a single motion. Colby points out that without any physical evidence, Batman still has no case against him. But the masked hero discovers a letter obviously to a fence of stolen goods, with the date written day first, month second. Realizing that Englishmen put the day first in their dating, Batman goes after transplanted Britisher Limey Lou, and finds the diamonds and the rest of the gang in Limey's lair. Later on, Sando vigorously pumps Batman's hand, and tells him he doesn't know how to thank him. Batman suggests he stop crushing his hand, for starters.

Appearing in "The Man from Robin's Past"

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Supporting Characters:

  • Sando (Flashback and main story)

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  • Art Colby (Single appearance)
  • Boss Zucco (Flashback only)
  • Limey Lou (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Origin of Flash's Masked Identity"

This story is reprinted from The Flash #128.

Soon after receiving his amazing abilities, Barry Allen ponders whether or not he should wear a mask, since his predecessor, Jay Garrick, did not. He daydreams about addressing a conference of scientists, and telling them about his discovery of super-speed. In his daydream, his conference is interrupted by a massive tornado heading for Central City. With his super-speed, and not having a mask yet, he saves the city, and his face is all over the news.

As a result of all the media attention, a massive mob of people swarm around the police headquarters — all wanting to get a glimpse of the famous Barry Allen. When he hears of a burglary across town, he quickly changes into his "unmasked" costume, but is delayed by the mob outside when they recognize him. After struggling with the mass of people, he manages to catch the thieves, but realizes that if he had been kept another moment, the thieves would have gotten away.

As a result of this daydream, Barry decides to add a mask to his costume.

Appearing in "The Origin of Flash's Masked Identity"

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  • Gang of Thieves (In a vision)

Other Characters:

  • Dr. Bailey (In a vision)

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Synopsis for "The Story of Superman's Life"

This story is reprinted from Superman #146.

Recounting the origins of Superman's past and early life, the tale is re-represented for the reader:

Ambush Bug 07
DC Rebirth Logo

This is an in-universe article with out-of-universe material.

This article covers information about something that exists within the DC Universe, and should not contain out-of-universe material. Please remove all out-of-universe material, or include it in a separate section at the bottom of the article. And take off that silly costume.

The tale begins by explaining to the reader about the planet Krypton, how it was a highly advanced world that orbited around a red sun. Lead scientist Jor-El would soon learn of a catastrophic nuclear reaction happening in Krypton's core that would threaten to destroy the entire planet, however his warnings of doom would be ignored. Desperate, Jor-El would focus on building a rocket ship to save his family. His first test rocket, using Krypto the family dog, would end with the rocket being struck by a meteor and the ship being lost in space.

With Krypton's destruction imminent, Jor-El would send his own son, Kal-El out in his next rocket in the hopes that their boy would be come the last survivor of Krypton. The rocket would blast off into space just as Krypton explodes and land on the planet Earth. There the body of young Kal-El would be ejected from the rocket which would self destruct shortly thereafter. The boy would be found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who would decide to adopt the boy. So as not to attract undue attention, they would anonymously leave the boy at the Smallville Orphanage and adopt him later.

To their surprise, they learn that the boy has many super-powers, including super-strength, x-ray vision, invulnerability and more. Realizing that with the boy moving at super-speed he would burn up his clothing, they realize that the blankets that were in his ship are near indestructible and fashion an outfit for the young boy, whom they name Clark Kent. When the learn that the boy can also fly, Jonathan helps the boy learn how to control his flight and helps him perfect the use of his powers. When Clark grows up to be a teenager, the Kents fashion him a costume and he goes out and fights crime as Superboy. However to protect his secret identity, they have Clark wear a pair of glasses. However, when his x-ray vision melts the lenses, Clark fashions indestructible ones out of the glass dome of his ruined ship.

He would start a romance with Lana Lang, who would become suspicious of Clark's secret identity. So, in order to avoid his true nature being revealed Clark would fashion a Superboy robot to go out into public to eliminate and possible suspicion. He would also build a secret hideaway in his parents basement. Superboy would later be reunited with his family pet, Krypto, when the ship carrying the Kryptonian pooch crash lands on Earth. Eventually, as Superboy grows into a man, Martha and Jonathan pass away. Jonathan's last words to Clark were to keep doing good deeds. Afterward, Clark would leave Smallville and attend Metropolis University, where he would eventually graduate and get a job as a reporter from the Metropolis Daily Planet where he would make new friends.

As Superman, Clark would become known worldwide and be celebrated as the premiere super-hero of planet Earth.

Appearing in "The Story of Superman's Life"

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