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"The Creature in the Velvet Cage!": While visiting the Justice Society on Earth-Two, the Justice League heroes learn the untold story of why the Sandman years ago returned to his

Quote1 God... Oh, god, what have I done? All the years... So many years of Sandy's life... Wasted... Because I jumped to conclusions... Because I was too proud... Too ashamed... To admit what I had caused! Sandy, please... I beg of you... Forgive me! Quote2
Sandman

Justice League of America #113 is an issue of the series Justice League of America (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1974. It was published on June 4, 1974.

Synopsis for "The Creature in the Velvet Cage!"

While visiting the Justice Society on Earth-Two, the Justice League heroes learn the untold story of why the Sandman years ago returned to his original crimefighting costume. An experimental weapon in his arsenal had accidentally exploded, transforming his boy partner, Sandy, into a gigantic monster. Overcome with guilt, Sandman had destroyed his purple and gold costume, which had constantly reminded him of Sandy's plight. Imprisoning the monstrous boy in a chamber which held him unconscious, he had returned to action in his old gas-mask and double-breasted suit. Now, however, the Sandy-creature has escaped his cage, and the two teams combine to recapture him. He evades Superman, Hourman, and Elongated Man at an outdoor wedding, tangles with Batman, the Flash, and the Earth-Two Wonder Woman at a ball game, and finally battles Green Lantern and Sandman himself at a beach. The eight heroes unite to subdue him at last, only to learn that he had been acting to prevent a series of earth tremors at the sites of their battles. Having only now regained his lost power of speech, "Sandy" reveals that the menacing attitude he had evinced when first changed to monstrous form had only been a temporary side-effect, and a chagrined Sandman realizes that he had kept his partner imprisoned for years for no reason.

Appearing in "The Creature in the Velvet Cage!"

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  • The Sand-Car


Synopsis for "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes"

This story is reprinted from All-Star Comics #41.

The Wizard, after escaping from jail, steals the Liberty Train without a trace. He dreams of making crime triumphant on earth, and has formed a new Injustice Society, recruiting the Fiddler, the Huntress, the Icicle, the Sportsmaster, and the Harlequin. Worse yet, using the Wizard's "Mind Eraser" machine, they have six of the JSA members in their underground lair, brainwashed, working as their servants!

In Gotham, the Black Canary, investigating the Liberty Train theft, tries to call an emergency meeting of the Justice Society, but finds their headquarters empty. She discovers the knocked out Harlequin under a table. Harlequin reveals that the JSA has been abducted (mostly by the Sportsmaster, using a lacrosse ball/concussion grenade), and she wants to doublecross the ISW and team up with Black Canary to stop the Wizard's gang. However unknown to her, the Injustice Society has already learned of her duplicity, and sent the Icicle back to JSA HQ, where he ambushes, freezes, and abducts them both. Icicle brings the girl outlaws back to the ISW's underground Gotham lair, in an abandoned coal mine. Now the ISW members plan to hold a contest to determine which of them will be the leader, with the one who commits the greatest robbery to be the winner. They plan the thefts of some famous American patriotic objects: the Freedom Bell, Plymouth Rock, Old Ironsides, and the Washington Monument. Most of the villains depart to get started on those crimes, while the Wizard, observing from a secret control room, remains behind.

Left unhypnotized and seemingly unobserved, the girls get free, and the Harlequin uses her special spectacles to hypnotize the brainwashed Justice Society members, and orders them to remember who they are. The revived JSA heroes set off in to prevent the robberies of the American treasures. Unfortunately, the Harlequin's hypnosis is only temporary, good for only an unknown length of time, and the heroes can be returned to a mindless state at any time, with the snap of anyone's fingers. Knowing this fact, the Wizard sets off to warn the other members of the Injustice Society.

Appearing in "The Case of the Patriotic Crimes"

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  • Bill, escort pilot
  • Steve, escort pilot
  • Wally, train engineer

Locations:

  • Gotham City
    • Gotham Central Station
    • Gotham FBI office
    • JSA HQ
    • ISW underground base

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Synopsis for "The Cavern of Deadly Spheres!"

This story is reprinted from Justice League of America #16.

A new criminal named the Maestro has been pulling off crimes by arming his hired thugs with musical instruments that compel all in ear-shot to uncontrollably dance. After each member of the Justice League successfully stop each heist, they decide to take their fight directly to the Maestro himself.

Tracking the Maestro to his hidden cave headquarters, all of the JLA members are trapped in indestructible bubbles (ex. Superman's is made out of Green Kryptonite). However, it is revealed that this tale came from a fan of the Justice League that challenged himself with imagining how the Justice League might be defeated.

The Justice League answers the challenge and imagines how they might counter their fan's scenario. In the end the Atom finds the weakness in the imaginary villain, and they anticipate that Maestro might have access to Superman's weakness. So, in the imaginary tale, the team coats Superman in lead in advance allowing him limited protection to the Kryptonite bubble. While the Maestro is busy gloating over his victory, Superman is able to break free and save the others, and they all easily defeat the Maestro and turn him over to the police.

Once the solution is reached Snapper Carr is tasked with logging the story and sending the Justice League's fan word of how his favorite heroes could even foil his perfect "plan."

Appearing in "The Cavern of Deadly Spheres!"

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  • The Maestro (Single appearance) (Appears in Imaginary Story)

Other Characters:

  • Jerry Thomas (Mentioned only)

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See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

JLA v.1 21
Multiversal Crossover
The events from this issue or series involve a Multiversal Crossover between Pre-Crisis worlds and characters. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Pre-Crisis Multiverse Crossover category.
See also Post-Crisis Multiverse Crossovers.
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