Justice League of America (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1969.
Synopsis for "Versus the Creeper"
There is a new super-hero in town, a young man named Mind-Grabber Kid, who uses his amazing telepathic powers to stop a group of thugs. However, when the spectators pay more attention to a news report about the Justice League of America, Mind-Grabber Kid gets jealous of the popular heroes, thinking that they're nothing but glory hounds, and is unaware that their fates will be intertwined when aliens from outer space attempt to make telepathic contact with the planet Earth.
Meanwhile, at Justice League headquarters, the Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern and the Atom are having one of the group's regular meetings. Batman talks of his recent encounter with the new super-being called the Creeper and suggests that they investigate him and learn if he's a hero or a villain. At this time the aliens reach out with their telepathic probe and make contact with Mind-Grabber Kid. The boy tells the aliens that their planet is dominated by a group of "criminals" called the Justice League, prompting the aliens to come to Earth and stop this "threat."
While elsewhere, the Creeper is on the prowl and has run into a petty thief and attacks him, knocking him out and changing back to his civilian identity of reporter Jack Ryder before the police arrive to take the thief away. Resuming his identity of the Creeper, Ryder comes across a group of crooks trying to rob a nuclear power plant, there he is interrupted by the arrival of the Justice League of America, leaving him to be knocked out by one of the crooks. The aliens arrive and attack the League wearing helmets that allow them to mimic (and even surpass) the individual Justice League members' powers.
As news reports about this battle come in, the Mind-Grabber Kid once more dons his uniform so that he can watch the Justice League get defeated in person. With the other Justice League members defeated the aliens try to mimic Superman's powers and find that their devices overload when they attempt to do so. Learning that he is powered by Earth's yellow sun, they create an artificial red one to drain the Man of Steel of his powers. The Creeper revives and begins to battle the aliens himself and Mind-Grabber Kid realizes that to be a hero you don't have to be loved or adored, you just have to do what's right.
Mind-Grabber is soon horrified when one of the almost-forgotten crooks tries to take a shot at the powerless Superman, however the Man of Steel has inched his hand out of the range of the artificial red sun and the Earth's yellow sun restores his powers. Superman then easily defeats the crooks, and Mind-Grabber explains to the aliens that he lied to them because he was jealous. With the situation straightened out, the aliens leave the Earth. The Justice League notice that the Creeper has fled the scene and they decide not to pursue him any further.
Appearing in "Versus the Creeper"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jack Ryder (Creeper)
- Mind-Grabber Kid (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Justice League of America Archives Volume 8.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Justice League Recommended Reading
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 2)
- Justice League of America (Volume 3)
- Justice League of America (Volume 4)
- Justice League of America (Volume 5)
- JLA (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 2)
- Justice League (Volume 3)
- Justice League (Volume 4)
- Justice League International (Volume 1)
- Justice League International (Volume 2)
- Justice League International (Volume 3)
- Justice League Europe (Volume 1)
- Justice League America (Volume 1)
- Justice League Task Force (Volume 1)
- Justice League Quarterly (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 2)
- Extreme Justice (Volume 1)
- Justice League Elite (Volume 1)
- Justice League Odyssey (Volume 1)
- Justice League Unlimited (Volume 2)