All-Star Comics Annual #3, homage to Squadron Sinister #1

Third in my series imagining what might have happened if DC had opted to give the JSA their own yearly title when the company revived their Annuals in the early 198os, notwithstanding that the Justice Society weren't appearing (other than in the JLA/JSA team-ups) at that time, since All-Star Comics had been cancelled in the late 1970s.

This time, the 1984 Annual, art by Stephen Baskerville, adapted from Carlos Pacheco's cover to Squadron Sinister #1: when a disruption in the fabric of the multiverse frees the Crime Syndicate Of America from their inter-dimensional prison, the CSA decide - rather than returning to Earth 3 or attacking the JLA on Earth 1 - that invading Earth-2 will be a safer bet, reasoning that the aging heroes of the JSA will be a lesser threat.

Although one of the younger heroes of Earth 2 (Power Girl) is present in the JSA brownstone, her compatriots on the day the CSA attack are wartime members Hourman, Starman, Dr Mid-Nite and Johnny Thunder. Can this Justice Society line-up stand up to, and defeat, the combined forces of Ultra-Man, Owlman, Power Ring, Johnny Quick and Superwoman? Find out inside - available at a newsstand near you!*

Having used the Psycho-Pirate in the first Annual and the Injustice Society in the second, I wanted to have the JSA face off against another in their stable of super-villains, and the Crime Syndicate were an obvious choice. However, I also wanted to avoid the direct counterparts of the villains, as far as possible (no Jay Garrick Flash, Alan Scott Green Lantern or Earth 2 Wonder Woman, for example) - so I reasoned that Hourman, who gets his powers from Miraclo, might be an interesting opponent for Ultra-Man, who gains his powers from exposure to Kryptonite; Starman's cosmic rod matched up in my mind with Power Ring's magic ring; Dr Mid-Nite and Owlman were obvious foes; Power Girl seemed the best choice to battle Superwoman; and Johnny Thunder was picked to face Johnny Quick on the simple basis of sharing a first name.

The 1985 Annual should appear before the end of this year (fingers crossed).

* provided you live on, or have access to, Earth-JJ, that is.