Quality Universe is the parallel reality on which most of the stories published by Quality Comics took place.
History
- The Second World War went very differently on this Earth than was the case on Earth-Two, Earth-X, or our own Earth.
- The Doll Man never left this dimension; he was active during the 1940's and 1950's sharing adventures with Doll Girl. He has never joined any team.
- In this parallel world the super-heroes were more individualistic, and never formed a super-team, at contrary of their counterparts on Earth-Two.
WWII, Preliminary Bouts
In the Quality Universe, the Second World War, itself, was preceded by several large-scale international wars.
- In the late 1930s, the dictator Vlamir Koran conquered first Argentina then the entirety of South America, and then went to war against the USA, sending a fleet of bombers to destroy the locks of the Panama Canal, successfully. His agents also set off some destructive bombs in several east coast shipyards, but his naval forces were driven back by the U.S. Navy. Eventually a South American patriot leader emerged, Emanuel Hasana, and his pro-democracy rebels drove Koran's forces back into Buenos Aires. By August of 1939 the Koranians were completely defeated.[1]
- In 1938, the Soviet Union reacted to Japan's invasion of China by also invading China. Several large-scale battles were fought.[2] This conflict may have continued throughout the remainder of WWII or it may have been resolved sooner; the chronicles are unclear.
- In 1940 a world-wide conspiracy among corrupt munitions makers, Morgan Crookes, et. al., spawned a multinational coalition of tribal peoples, including Aboriginal natives of Australia, Jivaros from Brazil, M'bangis from Africa, and other headhunters and cannibals from elsewhere, and forged them into a mercenary army of conquest. An unknown superhero and a company of French Foreign Legionnaires captured some of the unnamed coalition's extremely-advanced long-range multi-purpose warplanes, and fought back on three widely-separated fronts, engaging them in North Africa, in Brazil, and over the Pacific Ocean near Australia. By July of 1940 the entire conspiracy was smashed.[3]
- In late 1940, a gang of saboteurs, backed by an unnamed foreign power, blew up a bridge and a power plant in the New York City area, plus Fort Johnson, plus earlier took down a 20-story skyscraper, plus at least two other big buildings, plus a number of other military strongholds.[4]
WWII, Alliances and Alignments
In the 1920s and 1930s, in the Quality Universe, the post-WWI hellscape of Europe spawned a significant number of Central European Dictatorships, including: Aryania, Barbaria, Bothnia, Darmania, Dunland, Govania, Jarmania, Kampfland, Latavia, Nordicha, North Germany, Teutonia, Tuvania, Wurtberg and others. These countries were very similar in their national cultures, and the some of the leadership cadres of their ruling parties bore strong resemblances to their foreign counterparts. When the Second World War got well and truly rolling, all of these countries, except Teutonia, were not only admitted to the Axis Powers, but politically annexed and absorbed into Hitler's Nazi Germany. After WWII, none of these nations existed again.
In the Quality Universe, the United Nations included: Anglia, Anglica, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, British India, Canada, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, (Free) France, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, (Nygaardsvold) Norway, Parador, Poland, Solvonia, South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom, United States, Vastavia, Yugoslavia, and others. After the end of WWII, several of these nations, including Anglia and Anglica, no longer independently existed.
In the Quality Universe, the Axis Powers included: Aryania, Austria, Warak's Barbaria, Bothnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Darmania, Denmark, Radolf's Dunland, Finland, Petain's France, Hitler's Germany, Thalga's Govania, Hungary, Mussolini's Italy, Tojo's Japan, Holtz's Jarmania, Kampfland, Kioland, Latavia, (Japanese-controlled) Mailand, Nordicha, Quisling's Norway, Motler's North Germany, Romania, Teutonia, Tokoya, Tuvania, Rudolf's Wurtberg, and others. Not all of these countries were voluntarily part of this alliance.
In the Quality Universe, neutral countries included Andorra, Argentina, Cerania, Herma, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Moravia, Portugal, Quanalla, Ruina, San Marino, San Miguel, Slovia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Yadovnia.
In North Africa and the Middle East, as well as on some Pacific islands, in the Quality Universe, several historically hereditary monarchies managed to survive both world wars, remaining independent and retaining their original form of government. Among these were Badarstan, Chichiku, Kimrouk, Ramastan, and Ughastan. No reliable records exist of any alliances between these autocracies, with either side, in either of the World Wars.
In the Quality Universe, in 1939, the war-torn nation of Lithonia was adjacent to England, to the northeast.[5]
In Quality Comics' comic books of 1940 and 1941, the Mongolians were a military threat rivaling that of Japan.
- In Crack Comics (#12), and in (#18), the Red Torpedo fought "Mongolese" submariners, aviators, and soldiers, in the western Pacific Ocean.
- In National Comics (#1, etc.), Wonder Boy fought a vast army of invading Mongolians on the eastern frontier of Europe.
After 1941-42, plus a time lag for publishing and distribution, only the non-fictional European countries appeared, and the Mongolians had been replaced by the Japanese.
WWII, Multiple Beginnings and Endings
In the Quality Universe, the Second World War was marked by several false starts and false finishes:
- In Smash Comics #5 (Dec 1939), the USA became so well-armed and powerful that all the nations in Europe decided to make peace rather than risk war with America. "The United States could wipe Europe off the map in a year. We must sign the peace pacts offered by their president, and disarm at once."
- In Smash Comics #7 (Feb 1940), after several Axis armadas had failed to fight their way past the Pan-American Caldwell Line, from Europe to the Western Atlantic, "the dictators capitulate and an armistice is signed in Geneva. World peace is now a reality."
- In Smash Comics #9 (April 1940), upon Motler's death, world peace was declared, and Poland was restored.
- In National Comics #1 (July 1940), Merlin the Magician wrestled the god Mars until he cried for mercy, at which time: "The peace is signed. ... In every city, great joy fills the streets as mothers, wives, and sweethearts greet their loved ones."
- In Hit Comics #2 (Aug 1940), the European part of the war, and the career of Dictator Radolf, were brought to an end with a written declaration. "The world rejoices as the tyrant's signature ends the war, and news of his retirement from public affairs reaches the people."
- In Hit Comics #4 (Oct 1940), the Kampflandic invasion of North America was brought to an end with a non-aggression pact and a peaceful trade agreement, negotiated between the U.S.President and the surviving leaders of the Kampflandic army. "The soldiers and tourists join hands in a firm understanding of peace and brotherhood. Instead of the roar of guns, the lilting strains of dance music mingle with the chatter all along the ramp."
- In National Comics #8 (Feb 1941), the three Axis dictators were magically transported to a battlefield, and compelled by Merlin the Magician to command their troops to lay down their arms, and return to their fields and factories. While the soldiers were cheering, Merlin then transported the tyrants to the Temple of Delphi, from whence the Oracle of Delphi dispatched each of them to a gruesome fate at the hands of some ancient mythological monsters. When Merlin returned to 1941, WWII had been peacefully resolved.
The historical sequence of these events is not known with certainty, and it is possible that some, but not all, of them occurred simultaneously. It is however also possible that none of them took place, due to time paradoxes or other disruptions in historic continuity.
WWII, American Entry
In the Quality Universe the Second World War began for the United States, in late 1941, when the Germans and Japanese coordinated their initial attacks on the U.S., as seen in National Comics #18 (Dec 1941).
Pre-War and Wartime Catastrophic Events:
In this parallel world, the Axis and its agents inflicted many more severe setbacks, to the United States and its allies, than was the case in "nearby" universes. Domestic criminals and terrorists were also an extremely grave problem during the run-up to WWII, and during the war itself. These events had no close parallels on Earth-Two, Earth-One, or Earth-S. Most or all of these events were never mentioned again in any subsequent story. These included:
- In early 1940 a pirate zeppelin bombed and destroyed the Great Tennessee Valley Dam.[6]
- In 1940 an unidentified foreign power aerially attacked New York City, with a dusting of madness-inducing microscopic insanity spores, causing the deaths of several hundred citizens, and madness of thousands, along with untold amounts of property damage, over several days.[7]
- Also in 1940, a different unidentified foreign power sent many squadrons of bombers to demolish several cities and military bases on the U.S. West Coast.[8]
- In mid-1940, thousands were killed when Wonder Boy's flaming spacecraft crashed in Chicago.[9]
- In late 1940, several skyscrapers were knocked down, in two densely populated "American Military Zones," inflicting an unknown number of casualties.[10] In New York City, that same year, several very large buildings were knocked over by a madman's "Televo-Ray," then set back upright by The Ray.[11]
- Over the course of four days in 1940, a famous urban hotel, a top-tier passenger train, an advanced passenger plane, and an American battleship were flung into outer space by a domestic criminal using an ancient Egyptian anti-gravity device.[12] Also Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City were invaded and partially looted by a fifth-columnist organization sponsored by an unidentified European power.[13]
- In early 1941, a gang of domestic terrorists built an advanced electronic device, set in a large tower in the northern woods, that could and did drain the power from every dynamo in North America. This went on for several weeks, during which time the U.S. Army sent planes and troops to attack the tower. These were repulsed, with heavy casualties inflicted. Some time later, a citizen's committee came to the tower, to plead for a deal; the conspirators not only didn't relent, they lowered their ray guns and fried the gathered throng.[14]
- In 1941 the Capitol Building was set on fire by a raging mob of misled citizens, under the influence of a traitorous demogogue.[15]
- In late 1941 New York City was invaded a very large army of very large manlike giants, who paralyzed the entire population of the city with a gas attack. One vigilante with a bow and arrow was able to kill the leader of this Green Horde, and because their brains were all directly linked to their leader's brain, the entire army (claimed by their leader to be one hundred million strong) all died.[16]
- For a brief period in early 1942, the Luftwaffe was able to execute several small-scale bombing raids on New York City.[17] They also made one large scale bombing raid, that summer.[18]
- In 1942, Detroit, Michigan, was bombed by wave after wave of fake-Canadian bombers.[19]
World War II Ends
- The Second World War ended in September 1945, with the defeat of Imperial Japan, as announced by Hideki Tojo.[20]
Cold War, Alliances and Alignments
In the Quality Universe, in the last year of the Second World War, large American and British armies operated in close cooperation with Chinese forces, aiding greatly in driving out the Japanese occupiers.[21]
After the end of the Second World War, in the Quality Universe, the famous and popular Blackhawk Squadron enjoyed an incredible latitude of operational freedom, and functioned almost as a law unto themselves. This arrangement was formalized in 1948, in a secret meeting in Washington, D.C., in which a high-ranking official told Blackhawk: "We will invest you with complete power and authority to take immediate action! We'll back you to the hilt with all the concentrated power of the International Security Force."[22] In 1949 Blackhawk's authorizers were called the League of Democracy,[23] or League of Democracies,[24] which might have been a different part of the same organization. In 1950 Blackhawk attended at least one secret meeting, in an undisclosed location, of the Committee for Justice of the Allied Democracies.[25]
Starting in 1951 it was called the "United Governments". The logo on the U.G.'s flag looks exactly like that of the real-world U.N.[26] In other reports, it's also been called "United Democracies"[citation needed], and is mainly known as the United World (UW). Led by its World Council, in London,[27] the UW acted in the combined roles of the early (real world) UN and NATO and SEATO. Seemingly no dictatorships were members of UW. UW had its own armed forces. UW had, or seemed to have, at times, direct authority over the Blackhawks.[28]
Some time prior to 1952, in the Quality Universe, H-bombs were outlawed.[29]
In the Quality Universe, the United World included, or at least defended: Badarstan, Balvania, Bargovia, Belgium, Bolania, Borovar, Brez, Brosnia, Bulgania, Bulvania, Carabas, (Nationalist) China, Costa Marca, Delanza, Denmark, Drosnia, Drozh, France, Galvia, Grelhara, Gregonia, Italy, (Post-1951) Jinnestan, Kahara, Karlovna, Khartoor, Kimrouk, Kondida, Lashore, Liberra, Lorphah, Luonia, Luxembourg, Malkaria, Malvania, Marlanx, Monclova, Netherlands, Nurvania, Ontavia*, Otero, Pangoy, Porvay, Ramastan, Ramonia, Ranagia, Samanthia, South Korea, South Vietnam, Tacna, Ulma, West Germany, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Valnadia, Voldania, Yugovia and others.
- It must be noted that the only known instance of the Blackhawk Squadron ignoring a call for help from a beleaguered government was Ontavia in 1951, at a time when the team's leader was preoccupied on a case in Ramastan and the team itself was on the verge of breaking up.[30]
In the Quality Universe, the Communist Bloc included: Albania, Bulgaria, (Red) China, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, (Pre-1951) Jinnestan, North Korea, North Vietnam, Poland, Romania, Rugaria, Transvania, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and others.
In the Quality Universe, as elsewhere, the post-World War II "Cold War" kept Europe divided for decades, between the (mostly) democracies in the west and the (mostly) communist dictatorships in the east. During that time, several nations were able to remain independent and unaligned with either of the two world superpowers. Among these unaligned nations, a few were Fascist dictatorships, such as Azaria, Portugal, Russlo, Spain, Valga, and Viglandt. Others were principalities or sultanates or other traditional monarchies, such as Andorra, Badarstan, Chichiku, Ghanpat Kimrouk, Ramastan, and Ughastan. Parliamentary and other republics included Austria, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and others.
Cold War, Catastrophic Events
- Azaria, 1951: At the World Council's direction, the Blackhawks dropped a nuclear weapon on the populated capital of Azaria, and destroyed it.[28]
- Rugaria, 1952: An armaments factory and its surrounding region were destroyed with a "horror bomb".[31]
- 1952: An asteroid got within a thousand miles of Earth and remained there for several days. An atomic bomb was shot from this asteroid, into the Atlantic Ocean, by Soviet cosmonauts, and it detonated. The tidal and seismic consequences of this, all across the globe, are not recorded in the chronicles.[32]
- Brosnia, 1953: The largest and second-largest cities in Brosnia were set on fire with an orbiting solar weapon.[33]
- unnamed European democracy, 1953: a secret city, concealed in a vast cavern, was destroyed with a hydrogen bomb.[33]
- London, the Headquarters city of the United World organization, 1953: A Red scientist impersonating an extraterrestrial alien used a tidal-wave-generating weapon to smash a tsunami into the downtown area of the city, destroying many buildings and killing thousands.[34]
- Switzerland, 1954: An isolated tribe of Asian swordsmen, living in the Alps, atop Mt. Merciless, was destroyed in a volcanic eruption.[35]
- Central Europe, 1955: a capital city, and a second important city, were destroyed with hydrogen bombs.[36] Later that year, Munnster, Stutsburg, Essan, Darran, and a fifth city, were destroyed with artificial winds.[37]
- France, 1955: The town of Vichye was destroyed by a renegade Russian scientist's atomic explosive formula.[38] The town was evacuated shortly beforehand.
- Russia, 1956: A missile base in the Ural Mountains was destroyed by five Russian ICBMs.[39]
Other Forgotten Catastrophes
In the Quality Universe, in addition to the Second World War and the Cold War, there were a number of Other Catastrophic Events, including successful terrorist attacks and large-scale criminality, perpetrated by renegade scientists, criminal masterminds, international terrorists, and other non-governmental entities. These events also had no close parallels in "nearby" universes, and most or all of them were never mentioned again in any subsequent story. These included:
- In 1940, four coastal fortresses, a U.S.Naval task force, a squadron of U.S. bombers, and a regiment of U.S. troops were destroyed by an American mad scientist's explosives-detonating "invisible ray."[40]
- In 1941, ten tall buildings in Washington, D.C. were knocked down by an American renegade general's remote-control bombs, presumably killing and injuring hundreds or thousands of local people.[41]
- In 1948 an international terrorist calling himself "Nitro" waged a campaign of bombing against the United States, blowing up the Grand Canyon Dam, the "Silver Rocket" crack express train, a steel mill, a suspension bridge, a shipping wharf, a factory, and several office buildings.[42]
- In 1949, a large government office building in a large city was destroyed with a metal-disintegrating ray, and almost all of its inhabitants were killed. An atomic energy powerplant was then destroyed. Later still, the capital city of an Eastern Bloc nation was laid waste with the same weapon.[43]
- Later in 1949, the entire national populations of both Patria Island and the Isle of Torte were annihilated by germ warfare.[44]
- In 1951, the West German Autobahn, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, London Bridge, the Pyramid at Giza, Hawaii's Diamondhead, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Canadian Parliament Building all caught fire on the same day. Hundreds of lives were lost. Stone and steel burned like timber, for hours, and extensive rebuilding and repair was required afterward for each of these structures.[26]
- World-Wide, 1952: Earth was wracked with destructive tides and winds, ocean volcanoes, a tsunami, more eruptions, floods, earthquakes, and heat waves, as the result of an approaching comet.[45]
- One week in 1954, the Pacific Island of Katung, and a remote stretch of the Chilean Andes, were both destroyed in the testing phase of a renegade scientist's advanced atomic explosive.[46]
- In 1954 an unidentified international criminal used a space-station to launch a flying battering ram at the cities of Brandenburg, Germany, Cherval, France, and Devonshire, England, from orbit, smashing large swathes of all three cities, and killing thousands.[47]
- In 1954 a renegade Nazi scientist with a "Monster Dynamo" shot enough artificial lightning to destroy several large buildings, in one of Europe's largest cities. Then deflected antiaircraft cannon shells ricocheted into the same city, shattering more buildings. And finally "the Shocker" leveled many entire blocks of buildings, across the city, in the shape of a giant swastika, etched in bare smoldering dirt. Thousands or maybe tens of thousands of civilians were killed.
Future History
- Late in the 21st century, Vrak the Invincible will lead a vast array of Eurasian armed forces against the nations of the Western Hemisphere, single-handedly causing a world-wide war.[48]
- In the 31st century,[49] the Earth's orbit will decay, causing the planet to approach the sun. This planetwide catastrophe compels all surviving Earth humans to retreat to the specially-built Solis City. It also results in cracking and quaking in the Earth's crust, and an invasion from a heretofore-unknown, extremely aggressive, race of "Core Men".[50]
Unusual Geography:
A significant number of alien outposts, secret kingdoms, lost civilizations, and populations of extinct species existed uniquely in the Quality Universe, and many of these had no direct counterparts on "nearby" parallel worlds such as Earth-Two or Earth-S. Examples include:
Africa:
- Under Madagascar's Pyramid Mountains lay Lemuria, in the catacombs of a volcanic island, home to the "super race" of Deros. These people had Atomic De-Gravitators that could bore underground to every nation in the world. They were wiped out in a chain reaction of natural gas explosions, in 1956.[51]
- In M'Bangi country, in Northern Africa, a phosphorescent oasis, where tigers live. Its waters had unique properties, and transformed one dying Foreign Legionnaire into an extremely powerful superhero.[52]
- In Ethiopia, on the side of the volcano Ras Dashin, was the impregnable fortress city of the M'Bujies, a race of superbeings. The city was destroyed in a volcanic event.[53]
Arctic Circle
The evidence suggests that the Quality Universe version of Earth has no Arctic Ocean, or at most a greatly reduced Arctic Ocean, and that the magnetic and true North Poles are situated on a land mass, and that this region has hot springs, gold ore, silver ore, uranium ore, and a small-scale tropical ecosystem, all north of the Arctic Circle.
- Until at least 1940, a Lost Tropical Valley existed within a few miles of the magnetic north pole, under tons of ice, with primitive humans and non-dinosaur giant animals.[54]
- Polar City lay in a valley under tons of ice, and warmed by hot spring geysers, with mine shafts for gold, silver, and pitchblende. Polar City was destroyed when its insane ruler uncapped the hot geysers and allowed them to soften the overhead ice.[30]
- Another Tropical Forest, in another volcanically-heated valley, was populated by elephants and tigers and cavemen, in the Alaskan part of the Arctic Circle, open to the atmosphere.[55]
Asia
In 1940, in the Himalayas, there was an uprising by Morro cannibal tribesmen, in which the village of Madeira was massacred. This uprising was quashed, almost single-handedly, by roving American newsreel photographer Flash Fulton.[56]
A tribe of Ape-Men, ten feet tall, capable of speech, lived in the Himalayas, as verified in 1940 by Professor Daniels' expedition.[57]
In 1941, deep in the hills of Tibet, at the secret citadel of the Four Lamas, another world-takeover plot was foiled, by Neon the Unknown.[58]
In 1941, in the Himalayas, the Forbidden Temple of the Man-Eating Spider was found by the British magician Merlin, who killed everyone inside, including the spider-god Agor, and stole an extremely valuable diamond, before destroying the structure by magical means.[59]
Atlantic Ocean
- In 1940 a Transatlantic Bridge was completed, from Europe to America. Later that year the bridge was severed by an unknown superhero, and shortly later was repaired.[60]
- In 1952, the legendary Sargasso Sea, and its mysterious Port of Missing Ships, were discovered. This area has seemingly supernatural properties, and its multinational transhistoric settlement of stranded seafaring inhabitants all seem to be immortal. The location of this settlement is known only to the members of the Blackhawk Squadron.[61]
- In 1953, a mountainous Lost Island emerged in the North Atlantic Ocean, inhabited by primitive natives of Welsh descent, who had lived underground for a thousand years. These people had learned how to control the island's depth, by volcanic action. After watching a violent modern battle, they submerged their island again, to below the ocean's floor.[62]
Europe:
- In the Pyrenees, a deceptively small cave was the entrance to a modern-style underground Atomic City, hidden under Andorra until 1953, when it was evacuated and destroyed with a nuclear weapon.[33]
- Castle Galwain: a lost settlement of medieval fake-Crusaders, in a blockaded narrow valley in a steep mountain range, undisturbed for 800 years, between Bulgania and (President Valga's country). Castle Galwain was destroyed in 1951, in an avalanche resulting from the blasting involved in a road-building project.[28]
- Karlovna's Underworld was, for many generations, literally a subterranean settlement of dwarfish primitive "Dragon People".[63]
- Somewhere in Europe is Mount Demon, with its caverns, lit from within by volcanic fires. For many years, this hellish freak of geology was the secret lair of Paknar, and his winged, fanged, talon-handed Death-Demons. These flying fiends terrorized the human villagers in the region, who appeased them with human sacrifices.[64]
- In Greece, the lost city of Vespis, the five ancient cities buried beneath Vespis, and the futuristic city buried beneath those, rediscovered in 1951.[28]
Latin America:
- South America's otherwise-unnamed Fire Mountain Country, inhabited by giant cave men, site of a ruined Inca step-pyramid, containing an intact set of geothermal power-extraction equipment..[65]
- South America's unnamed isolated Inca city, with a helium mine nearby.[66]
- According to a Native Legend, South America's Matto Largo is believed to be the land beneath which lies the Inferno of medieval legend. It lays between Brazos and Perotia, and is overrun with tropical-looking vegetation. In 1951, this legend didn't turn out to be true.[67]
- A population of great apes lives in a coastal jungle region in South America, and they can swim.[citation needed]
Mediterranean Sea
- The Roman City of Publius is accessible via an enormous automated opening in the side of a mountain, thru which multiple aircraft can fly. This hidden Roman colony's technology and science were superior to that of the outside world, because due to its isolation, Publius missed out on the Dark Ages. Advanced Publian technology has been entrusted to the Blackhawk Squadron by Emperor Tiberius, and they in return have kept secret the location of the hidden city.[68]
North America:
- In an unexplored corner of a tropical jungle in Florida is concealed the dangerous Fountain of Age.[69]
- Near New York City, but distant from the regular air routes, and sheltered behind steep cliffs, is a hidden city which, in 1946, was populated exclusively by criminals.[70]
Pacific Ocean
- Until 1953, a population of extraterrestrial giants, with cosmic-ray-powered flying saucers, lived atop a steep plateau in the Pacific Ocean, having been stranded there by an earthquake, eons ago. According to the few men who saw it,[71] it was a "Lost Horizon of Terror."[72]
- Elsewhere in the Pacific Ocean is the Plateau of Oblivion, an island harboring several Mesozoic species that are extinct everywhere else on Earth.[73]
- Under Papua, New Guinea, is Volcania, at the bottom of an extinct volcanic crater.[74]
Undisclosed Locations:
- Undersea City, under a glassoid dome, on the bottom of the Southern Seas.[75]
- Lost Island of Atlantis, under a glassoid dome, on the bottom of one of the oceans.[76]
- Cluster of three golden step pyramids, on an island, in a lake, under a hollow mountain range, lit via secret openings in the valleys of the mountain range above it, between the nations of Huanec and Galardo.[24]
Unusual Astronomy:
- In 1948 a force of hostile aliens, long-stranded on a runaway Asteroid, attempted to invade the Earth. They were wiped out by the Blackhawk Squadron, who captured their spaceship and their weapons technology.[77]
- Late in the 21st century,[78] Earth will have established a human colony on Mars, called "Hispan". Gangs of spaceship-equipped pirates will be a problem, and the Space Legion will be hard-pressed to protect merchant space-shipping.[79]
- In 1951, genocidal invaders from the planet Ur were captured alive and turned over to the World Authorities.[80]
- Late in the 21st century,[81] Earth will have problems with its rebellious human colony on Venus, and the Space Legion will be hard-pressed to keep the peace. The capital city of Venus will be Vultite.[82]
- In the year 3000,[83] the Human population of Earth will form an alliance with the Bat Men of Venus, against the Core-Men from inside the Earth.
- In the distant future of the Quality Universe, there will be a war between Venus and Mars.[84]
Residents
- 711
- Ace of Space
- Atomictot
- The Black Condor
- The Black X
- Blackhawk
- Bozo the Iron Man
- Captain Fortune
- Captain Triumph
- The Clock
- Death Patrol
- Destiny
- The Destroying Demon
- Doll Girl
- Doll Man
- The Dragon
- Firebrand
- The Ghost of Flanders
- The Great Defender
- The Hawk
- Hugh Hazzard
- The Human Bomb
- The Invisible Hood
- The Jester
- Joe Hercules
- Madame Fatal
- Magno
- Manhunter
- The Marksman
- Merlin the Magician
- Midnight
- Miss America
- The Mouthpiece
- Neon the Unknown
- Phantom Lady
- Plastic Man
- Quicksilver
- The Raven
- The Ray
- The Red Bee
- The Red Torpedo
- Robin Hood
- Shot and Shell
- Scarlet Seal
- The Spider
- The Spider Widow
- Spitfire
- The Sword
- Tor, the Magic Master
- Two-Gun Lil
- Uncle Sam
- USA
- The Voice
- The Whip
- The Whistler
- Wildfire
- Wizard Wells
- Wonder Boy
- X of the Underground
- X-5
- Zero, Ghost Detective
Counterparts
- Many Quality Comics characters had counterparts on Earth-Two, who migrated, in three groups, from that world to Earth-X. Their adventures diverged, (in Summer 1941, on 23 February 1942, and on 1 April 1942), from those of the Quality Universe versions of these characters.
Science & Technology:
The properties of matter, laws of physics, and principles of chemistry were very different in the Quality Universe from those of our own world, or of "nearby" parallel universes such as Earth-Two or Earth-S. For example, the element Zonium is only known to exist in the Quality Universe. Not only are different sets of elements and materials available, but different sets of physical laws prevail.
Mad Astrophysics
- 1952, Moorhead's Gravity Multiplier Beam drew Smalley's Comet out of its normal orbit and sent it on a collision course with Earth.
Mad Chemistry
- 1940, Van Dorn's phosphorescent-chemical Invisibility Formula,[2]
- 1951, Merit's "Adamas" Formula, for Synthetic Diamonds.[85]
- 1951, Vulcanar's Flame Crystals, look like ordinary salt, but could make stone or steel burn like lumber, and are activated with radio waves.[26]
- 1954, Baroc's new element, "Zonium".[46]
Mad Medicine
- 1939, Professor Dwyer transplants the human brain of a mail-plane pilot into an enormous ape. This is the first recorded interspecies brain transplant in the Quality Universe.[86]
- 1941, Doc Wackey invents Youth Capsules and uses them to rob banks.[87]
- 1951, Dane's therapeutic ray treatment imbued health, size, strength, and intelligence, in an ordinary dog.[88]
Mad Pharmacology
- 1939, Dane's "Doll Man" Formula, enabled user to shrink and imbued him with super strength.[89] It was soon improved into injectable form,[90] then into pill form.[91]
- 1942, Wacky's Super Speed Formula, wears off after a few hours.[92]
- 1951, Robdeau's Werewolf Formula,[85]
Mad Psychiatry
- 1951, Dubois' Hypnotic Goggles,[93]
Mad Metallurgy
- 1939, Livingston's "Livstong Steel",[86]
Monster Biology
- 1939, Prof. Dwyer's ape, with transplanted human brain,[86]
Monster Botany
- 1951, Kornlee's Atomically-mutated Burdock Weed Spores,[94]
Improbable Physics
- 1956, Curtis' Space Rocket was atomically powered, and used the Perpetual Motion Principle, thus could theoretically never run out of fuel.[51]
Unorthodox Engineering
Climate Changing Technology
- 1949, Cloud's Cloud-Positioning Equipment,[95]
- 1950, Pluvius' Rain-Making Equipment,[96]
- 1951, King of Winds' magnetic repulsion Tornado-Generating device,[97]
Robots
- 1939, Von Thorp's Iron Monster,[1]
Sensors, Computers, Communications
Vehicles
- 1940, Lockhart's Red Torpedo,[79]
- 1940, Rodent's harbor-bottom-crawling armored tank, with windows,[90]
- 1941, Dunn's Blue Tracer,[98]
- 1950, Mr. Revenge's Jet Suit,[88]
Weapons
- 1939, Cravin's aircraft-engine-disabling X-Beam,[2]
- 1939, Dwyer's Incandescent Death Ray,[2]
- 1939, His Excellency's aircraft-engine-disabling ultra-sonic weapon,[99] This may be the same weapon that the late Ellis Cravin developed, earlier that same year.
- 1949, Thrawn's electricity-amplifying, meteor weapon
- 1951, Elquist's Paralyzing Ray
- 1951, Palfe's Knockout Ray.
- 1954, Eric C. Barok was able to fuse Zonium together with plutonium and krypton, to create a nuclear explosive that was vastly more powerful than a hydrogen bomb.[46]
Notes
- Earth-Quality is the formal name given to this reality by The Official Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Index.
- Earth-Quality is DC's oldest officially recognized alternate reality.
- Although Kid Eternity was originally published by Quality, his stories also take place on the parallel Earth-S (as revealed in Shazam! #27). The same is true for Her Highness and Silk, who first appeared in Kid Eternity stories before getting their own feature.
- Although reprints of Will Eisner's The Spirit newspaper strips were published by Quality, those stories take place in their own reality.
- Quality's "funny animal" stories take place in the Quality Funny Animal Universe.
Trivia
- Many elements and characters of this universe would later be re-used for Earth-X, Earth-10, Earth 10, etc.
See Also
- Characters from Quality Universe
- Other things related to Quality Universe
- Quality Universe's Comic Appearances
- Reality Gallery: Quality Universe
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smash Comics #1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Smash Comics #2
- ↑ Hit Comics #1
- ↑ Smash Comics #15
- ↑ Smash Comics #5, Captain Cook, page 2, panel 1
- ↑ Smash Comics #8, Wings Wendall
- ↑ Hit Comics #5, Neon
- ↑ National Comics #4 Uncle Sam
- ↑ National Comics #1, Wonder Boy
- ↑ National Comics #6, Uncle Sam
- ↑ Smash Comics #15, The Ray
- ↑ Smash Comics #16, Invisible Justice
- ↑ Smash Comics #16, Wings Wendall
- ↑ Hit Comics #8, Hercules
- ↑ Uncle Sam Quarterly #1
- ↑ Crack Comics #17, Alias the Spider
- ↑ Feature Comics #55, Doll Man
- ↑ Feature Comics #55, Doll Man
- ↑ National Comics #23, Uncle Sam
- ↑ Modern Comics #46
- ↑ Military Comics #36 thru #39
- ↑ Modern Comics #71, Blackhawk
- ↑ Modern Comics #92
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Modern Comics #98
- ↑ Blackhawk #29
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Blackhawk #38
- ↑ Blackhawk #58
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Blackhawk #44
- ↑ Blackhawk #48, 5th panel of the 10th page of the 1st story
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Blackhawk #37
- ↑ Blackhawk #55
- ↑ Blackhawk #59
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Blackhawk #65
- ↑ Blackhawk #63
- ↑ Blackhawk #72, 1st story
- ↑ Blackhawk #89
- ↑ Blackhawk #90
- ↑ Blackhawk #92, 3rd story
- ↑ G.I. Combat #32, 4th story
- ↑ Hit Comics #6, Neon
- ↑ Crack Comics #13, Black Condor
- ↑ Modern Comics #73
- ↑ Modern Comics #91
- ↑ Blackhawk #28
- ↑ Blackhawk #53
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 Blackhawk #75
- ↑ Blackhawk #77
- ↑ Crack Comics #4, Space Legion
- ↑ Hit Comics #2, Blaze Barton
- ↑ Hit Comics #1, Blaze Barton
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 Blackhawk #103
- ↑ Hit Comics #1, Neon
- ↑ Military Comics #1, Blue Tracer
- ↑ Hit Comics #3, Neon
- ↑ Smash Comics 19, Invisible Hood
- ↑ Smash Comics #12, Flash Fulton
- ↑ National Comics #7, Paul Bunyan
- ↑ Hit Comics #7, Neon
- ↑ National Comics #13, Merlin
- ↑ Hit Comics #4, Neon story
- ↑ Blackhawk #48
- ↑ Blackhawk #101
- ↑ Blackhawk #14
- ↑ Blackhawk #27
- ↑ Modern Comics #77
- ↑ Blackhawk #35
- ↑ Blackhawk #47
- ↑ Blackhawk #42
- ↑ Plastic Man #23
- ↑ Feature Comics #100
- ↑ Blackhawk Squadron (Quality Universe)
- ↑ Blackhawk #71
- ↑ Modern Comics #67
- ↑ Feature Comics #41, Dusty Dane story
- ↑ Modern Comics #57
- ↑ Blackhawk #64
- ↑ Blackhawk #22
- ↑ Crack Comics #3
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Crack Comics #1
- ↑ Blackhawk #43
- ↑ Crack Comics #3, Space Legion
- ↑ Crack Comics #2, Space Legion
- ↑ Hit Comics #2, Blaze Barton
- ↑ Hit Comics #6
- ↑ 85.0 85.1 Doll Man #34
- ↑ 86.0 86.1 86.2 86.3 86.4 Smash Comics #3
- ↑ Smash Comics #23
- ↑ 88.0 88.1 Doll Man #31
- ↑ Feature Comics #27
- ↑ 90.0 90.1 Feature Comics #28
- ↑ Feature Comics #29
- ↑ Smash Comics #37
- ↑ Doll Man #47
- ↑ Blackhawk #39
- ↑ Modern Comics #81
- ↑ Doll Man #28
- ↑ Blackhawk #44
- ↑ Military Comics #1
- ↑ Smash Comics #4