Justice Society of America Annual (Volume 3) #1 is an issue of the series Justice Society of America Annual (Volume 3) with a cover date of August, 2008.
Synopsis for "Earth-2"
Helena Wayne, daughter of the Earth-2 Batman and better known as the Huntress, is having a crisis of faith in herself and her role as a costumed heroine. She has decided that it would be in the best interest of innocents to cross the line that her father wouldn't and kill the Joker after his latest attack on her friend Gotham City District Attorney Harry Simms, in his plan to keep the Joker/Batman war continuing after his impending death of failing health. It is suggested that the Joker killed Wayne himself some time prior which allowed him to learn Helena and Robin's true identities. As Helena heads off to murder him, she is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Kara Zor-L. Thinking that Kara is the long missing Power Girl native to Earth-2, Helena takes her back to Justice Society Infinity headquarters rather than continue on to murder of the Joker.
Grayson returns to Helena's side after hearing of the return of Power Girl. Confronting Helena, he realizes that she is more withdrawn and repressed than before but Helena refuses to reveal anything and rebuffs him harshly.
Kara-L awakes in a confused state in the hospital bay under the care of **Beth Chapel, the current Dr. Midnight. Confused, Kara refuses to accept that she is back in her original reality of Earth-Two as she has been deceived before. She smashes out of the hospital bay only to arrive at the main hall where the people she knows as the Justice Society and Infinity Inc members are assembled. She is stunned to see a new name on the table (Justice Society Infinity) as well as people she knows to be dead, such as Al Pratt, alive.
Accepting that Kara is the missing Power Girl, the Justice Society Infinity members listen as Kara relates her history to the assembled members, including how her cousin Kal-L died at the hands of Superboy-Prime at the end of Infinite Crisis. Having been informed of exploits since Power Girl went missing, she decides to retire for the night. As she enters into the Power Girl of Earth-2's room, she notices differences from what she knows but ignores them, including her own cat who hisses at her and runs away.
Deciding she can't sleep she seeks out Helena who resumes her plan to kill the Joker. Kara decides to accompany Helena on her plan, but Kara is not told that Helena plans to kill him instead of merely arresting him.
When Kara encounters the Joker of Earth-2, she is surprised to see the Joker so old and infirm. He addresses Helena by her real name and taunts her drawing close to him. Despite his failing health, Helena steps forward with her knife to kill him.
Kara grabs Helena stating that she can't kill him as he is an old man and dying. Helena counters that does not absolve him and he has ruined too many lives including her own. Determined, Helena rushes in for the kill as Kara notices the Joker's high electric buzzer starting up. Kara-L jumps between Helena and Joker, stopping both attacks.
The electricity arcs through the Joker's metal wheelchair, electrocuting him. Having stopped Helena from making a fateful decision, the two talk about what drove Helena to want to kill. Helena reveals it is the fact that she is in love with Grayson but now has to remain with Simms because of the Joker's continual attacks on her family and friends.
As Helena reveals this fact to Kara, the long missing Power Girl of Earth-2 returns. Seeing Kara only as an impostor, the Earth-2 Power Girl attacks. The Earth-2 Power Girl's attack is so intense it stuns Kara into accidentally saying her name as "Kara- Zor-EL" instead of "Kara Zor-L" which further enrages the stronger Power Girl who continues to attack Kara. The Earth-2 Power Girl confirms her identity as the Power Girl native to Earth-2 by recounting the last conversation she had with Helena before she left years earlier in her failed mission to find the missing Superman native to Earth-2. Proving herself to Helena, Helena turns on Kara thinking that she is an impostor in some scheme.
Deciding to flee for safety, Kara is now being pursued by the entire Justice Society Infinity members in the assumption that she is a villain who may have killed the missing Earth-2 Superman.
Appearing in "Earth-2"
Featured Characters:
- Power Girl
- Justice Society Infinity (Earth-2) (First appearance)
- Star Spangled Kid (Earth-2)
- Robin (Earth-2)
- Huntress (Earth-2)
- Karen Starr/Power Girl (Earth-2)
- Atom (Earth-2)
- Nuklon (Earth-2) (First appearance)
- Doctor Midnight (Earth-2)
- Jade (Earth-2)
- Obsidian (Earth-2)
- Silver Scarab (Earth-2)
- Fury (Earth-2)
- Wildcat (Earth-2)
- Northwind (Earth-2)
- Reserve members
- Hawkman (Earth-2)
- Hawkgirl (Earth-2)
- Johnny Thunder (Earth-2)
- Yz, the Thunderbolt (Earth-2)
- Starman (Earth-2)
- Former Members
- Doctor Fate (Earth-2)
- Spectre (Earth-2)
- Jay Garrick (Earth-2) (Mentioned only)
- Green Lantern (Earth-2) (Mentioned only)
Supporting Characters:
- Superman (New Earth) (Flashback only)
- Superman (Earth-Two) (Flashback only)
- Superboy-Prime (Flashback only)
- Gog I (Behind the scenes)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Power Girl's Cat
- Superman of Earth-2 (reference picture only)
- Batman of Earth-2 (reference picture only)
- Wonder Woman of Earth-2 (reference picture only)
- Two-Face of Earth-2 (mentioned only)
- Riddler of Earth-2 (mentioned only)
- Doctor Death of Earth-2 (mentioned only)
- Harry Simms of Earth-2
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Notes
- This issue shipped on July 30, 2008.
- This issue is the first full appearance of the Earth-2 Justice Society and its successor group Justice Society Infinity.
- This story directly continues from Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #17 and continues in Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #18.
- The issue provides contradictory information as this being Pre-Crisis Earth-Two reborn. Its Justice Society Infinity remembers there being a multiverse and mades a reference to the skies turning red (a common reference to Crisis on Infinite Earths). Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #20 only compounds the confusion as its Kryptonite effects New Earth Power Girl.
- The death of the Superman of Earth-Two at the hands of Superboy-Prime is recounted.
Trivia
- Norman Rockwell is suggested to be the artist who is painting the New Earth Justice Society and its affiliates, in a manner similar to his famous self-portrait for the Sunday Post, as the artist signs the painting "Norm". None of the affiliate members (The Earth-22 Superman, Judomaster or Starman) are shown in the in-story painting though they are shown in the panels. Kara is also shown to be missing from the in-story painting, possibly blocked by "Rockwell".
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Justice Society of America Annual series
- Images from Justice Society of America Annual Vol 3 1
Recommended Reading
- Justice Society Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- All-Star Comics (Volume 1)
- All-Star Squadron (Volume 1)
- America vs. the Justice Society (Volume 1)
- Infinity Inc. (Volume 1)
- JSA (Volume 1)
- JSA: All Stars (Volume 1)
- JSA Classified (Volume 1)
- JSA: Strange Adventures (Volume 1)
- JSA vs. Kobra (Volume 1)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 1)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 2)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 3)
- Justice Society of America (Volume 4)
- Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1
- Kingdom Come Recommended Reading
- Kingdom Come (Volume 1) - collected in Kingdom Come
- The Kingdom (Volume 1) - storyline The Kingdom collected in The Kingdom
- Thy Kingdom Come - collected in Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come, Part One and Part Two and Part Three
- Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #9 - JSA #17
- Justice Society of America Annual (Volume 3) #1
- Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #18 - JSA #20
- Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special Superman #1
- Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special Magog #1
- Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom #1
- Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #21 - JSA #22
- Titans: Who is Troia?
- Justice League: Generation Lost (Volume 1) - storyline Justice League: Generation Lost collected in Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Strange Visitor: Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7 - Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11
- Heir to the Kingdom: Batman/Superman: World's Finest #20 - Present
