The Star Section: Lifestyle Ad Value: RM 47,105 1-Jun-2021 Size : 936cm2 PR Value: RM 141,315 Written in the stars WORLDS OF WONDER Written in the stars By KALEON RAHAN li festyl e@thesta r. com. my This year marks the 40th anniversary of the All-Star Squadron. WHEN it comes to super teams today, the usual talk is about the Avengers, Justice League, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or even the Suicide Squad, mainly due to their cinematic presence, and not comic book origins. For nostalgia's sake, pioneer teams like the Justice Society of America (JSA), the first super team in mainstream comics, and the Fantastic Four (Marvel's First Family and Silver Age protagonist) would also be part of the conversa­ tion. The need to evolve with times is crucial in a world where many super teams have bitten the dust or drifted into limbo and are in dire need of a (cinematic) resurrection, I grew up reading super team­ theme titles -1 felt they were **value for money" since they fea­ Characters who have benefited tured more than one character/vil- lain in every issue. from the Squadron's recruitment Mind you that the opportunity approach include Hawkman, for heroes to meet were very limit­ Starman, Liberty Belle, the Shining ed in the Silver and Bronze Ages Knight and more. (despite many of them living in New York City). Crossovers were scarce and even Wolverine had to wait 14 years (!) for a rematch with the Hulk. Through the decades, one super team that I found quite unorthodox was the All-Star Squadron, a gath­ ering of members from the JSA, Freedam Fighters and the Seven Soldiers of Victory. To describe them in a positive light, they were The All-Star Squadron is a super team that deserves its own cinematic resurrection. the US* home defence against the —Photos: DC Comics Nazis. Crudely said, they are a rip off of Marvel's Invaders. Love or loathe them, the Squadron was a middle ground nexus (or excuse) to unify DC's Golden, Silver and Bronze Age, while operating in a World War II setting. This year marks the 40th anni­ versary of the Squadron and recent mentions in DC TV-flicks such as Stargirl and the Arrowverse's Crisis On Infinite Earths event offers a glimmer of hope of a possible revival. Hence, for this week, let's You sure Batman won't mind you find out why the Squadron is sim­ joining the Squadron, Robin? ply such an all-star team. from this recruitment approach include Hawkman, Starman, insert preview debut The All-Star Liberty Belle, the Shining Knight, Unlike Marvel's "Point One" Squadron Johnny Quick, etc. approach, the DC 19ROs method Additionally the beauty of being made its 'unof­ was to insert a 16-pages preview in "retconned“ is the ability to tap ficial' debut as selected comic books, which was into a larger recruitment pool, with adopted by the likes of the New a preview the Squadron members being Teen Titans (via DC Comics insert in sourced from the JSA, Freedom Presents #26), Blue Devil (Fury of Justice League Fighters, Seven Soldiers of Victory Firestorm #24), Batman & The Of America and even Golden Age characters Outsiders (Brave and Bold #200) #793. that were acquired by DC, like and the Squadron (Justice League Quality Comics characters. ofA merica #193),亦 e best thing adventurers to join a special The name "All Star" itself was While the term retcon (retroac­ about this approach is that the purpose war time organisation, Thomas' nostalgic reference to All tive continuity) is widely used Crisis breeds Crisis insert's addition did not result in which is the Squadron. Star Comics - the very series that today, it actually originated from an increase in the price of the The urgency for the Squadron's introduced the JSA. Through the the letter's column of Squadron # While DC's 1985 mega event comic book. formation stems from FDR's intel Squadron, Thomas was able to do a 20 and by Thomas himself. By way Crisis On Infinite Earths enabled The Squadron's '■unofficial" learning that Adolf Hitler/Axis ,JSA Version 2.0" but with a twist- of this, Thomas introduced new major restructuring exercises debut focused on President Powers are using the mystical instead of using the Earth 2 plat­ story lines to iron out continuity post-multiverse, that didn't benefit Roosevelt's desperate attempts Spear of Destiny to generate a form, the team's exploits took place errors, revived characters' origins, the Squadron (who foughl the contact the J SA, whose memb>eeirs "sphere of influence" over their during World War II. explained inconsistencies in char­ same battle differently) as it made were respectively tied up with occupied territories and surround­ Coincidentally Thomas was one acter development, and resolved their retcon exercises questionable. events ranging from crime fighting ing areas during World War II. of the co-creators of Marvel's lingering questions and plot For instance, under a (then) sin­ to a charity foot race. At the end of This sphere places superhumans, invaders, which gave him the nec­ threads. Don't be surprised if you gle universe's unified timeline, the the preview, the President con­ mystics and magic practitioners essary "Heroes in WWII" experi­ see this "Multiverse-resolution origins of many DC characters cludes that the JSA's reliability is under Der Fuhrer's influence and ence, and also sometimes made the blueprint" being applied to Sony's (who used to co-exist in different doubtful and decides on the forma­ as a defensive move, the Squadron Squadron more of an "Invaders Spider-Man cinematic universe in universes) were rewritten or tion of a new team instead. is tasked to keep American soil free Version 2.0". Despite that, the the future. removed. This contradicted the from being infiltrated by the Nazis Squadron's exploits lasted 70 issues Squadron(s canon efforts. and their agents. (inclusive of three annuals) from Inevitably, the Squadron was Invoke Article X The squad in Squadron 1981 to 1987. shelved and replaced by a new To put in down in history that Behind the scenes While the “DC Trinity" group - Young All-Stars. Since then, the Squadron's formation was due The origin of "Retcon" (Superman, Batman and Wonder the concept of the Squadron has to FDR's frustrations in contacting The Squadron is the brainchild Woman) would be default mem­ been sporadically mentioned/used the JSA is indeed harsh, instead the of Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and In some ways, the Squadron was bers of most DC teams, the but nothing concrete has material­ official word is the establishment Jerry Ordway, who collectively a Pre-Cris is experiment, where Roy Squadron's recruitment is differ­ ised. The closest it got to a mention of Article X-a superhero draft have a lot of experience working tried to deliver good old fashion ent, as it prefers under-the-ra- was the use of "Article X” (during requiring all American masked on super teams (in the DC and story telling while "ignoring" the dar-characters instead. the Final Crisis event) to unite crime fighters and superhuman Marvel universes). (then) Multiverse conundrum. Characters who have beneflted Earth's heroes against Darkseid..