JLA: Year One #4 (April, 1998)

Even though Snapper Carr had been retconned into being a constant presence within the Secret Sanctuary as resident tech wizard and maintenance man, Green Lantern still manhandled the "handykid" as a suspected intruder, and couldn't be bothered to remember his name. Admittedly, the League had been out all night fighting Starro the Conqueror (with a key assist from the already forgotten Carr,) so they were all likely punchy as they raced off to tend to their day jobs. This left Aquaman indignant, as Locus continued to be a threat, and were less likely to be taking the day off.

Hal Jordan flirted with FAA investigator Lora Denton, but a slip-up inspired by the distraction of the League forced Carol Ferris to ground him. Barry Allen got held up by chatterbox new detective Paris Jackson and was almost too late to prepare dinner for his fiancé Iris West. Here was a second instance of a hero being caught flat-footed by their significant other when asked about their unaccounted-for activities, and I do wonder if artists ever get tired of redrawing the cover to The Brave and the Bold #28. Aquaman went swimming at Ocean World to check on his "imprisoned brothers," and ended up with hysterical guards screaming and pointing guns at him. The angle continued to be Aquaman as "freak" who doesn't understand social norms, but his concern for sea life tracked with his environmentalist streak since the '70s. Officer Perez of the Coast Guard showed up to defuse the situation, and we learned that in off-hours, he'd exposed Aquaman to Planet of the Apes. There's actually several comedic beats like that in this issue that reminded me how funny the writers can be when allowed, and it's also a nice nod to the JLI. There's a moment when one of the Ocean World trainers sincerely took advantage of the Sea King's abilities to check on the marine life's well-being, and lets just say this fictional amusement park got higher marks than real world documentaries would lead one to believe.

I've never been as into Black Canary as I wanted to be, but seeing Dinah Lance dressed for The Matrix with a raven bob certainly helped bridge the distance in that moment. I wasn't well-versed enough in the DCU to fully appreciate Dinah at a birthday party with the retired JSA in 1998, so it hits harder on rereading today. Still weird to have a female character referred to as "Junior," but maybe that was more of a thing with the "Greatest Generation?" Then-recent Starman material had turned a series of '60s team-up stories with Canary into an extra-marital affair, perhaps too on the nose, but still an intriguing development. Seeing the awkwardness between Ted Knight and the widowed former Dinah Drake, especially once deduced by "Dinah Junior" (weeird) was a highlight of the series.

Not going to lie, I did a little fist pump when I saw the sign reading "Middletown Police Headquarters." John Jones helped Diane Meade read her date (Detective Vince Logan) for filth. Meanwhile, Locus had indeed kept busy, securing a Starro tentacle for its regenerative abilities and working with T.O. Morrow & Professor Ivo on promising, under budget projects. They were also plotting mad science to be perpetrated against Blue Beetle as an unwilling "graft donor" captured by the Brotherhood of Evil. They played it coy for most of the issue, but I can all but guarantee you that a stretchy woman and a gorilla in shadow were not cluing me in at this point in my DC fandom.

"While You Were Out..." was by storytellers Mark Waid / Brian Augustyn / Barry Kitson, joined by "guest inker" Michael Bair... for the rest of the maxi-series. I'd noticed the richer, crisper ink line from the second page, and Aquaman's face in the second panel of that page was a dead giveaway. That collaboration would continue for a while, and Bair would rightly (see: Infinity Inc.) help define the look of spin-off/begetter JSA with Stephen Sadowski. I'm a fan of Bair's, and only just realized one of my most treasured pieces has a younger sibling. I'd obviously be curious to know what it went for. Anyway, Bair added that touch of post-modern darkness that compliments the writers' efforts, as the creative team textually and visibly references a Silver Age milieu. It parallels James Robinson's work on their Golden Age progenitors, reflecting a period that was always kinkier, weirder, and more violent than the Justice League's time. Bair lends that little bit of edge, but not so much as to tip it outside of somewhat genteel Boomer nostalgia. Still can't believe how talky and decompressed this series was, but I'm grown, so I can dig it.

1990s, Aquaman, Black Canary, Diane Meade, Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League International, Justice League of America, Justice Society of America, Martian Manhunter, Middletown, Retcons,

Podcast- Dial H For Hero: Silver Age Part Two (1967-2000)

Episode #33

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

This episode wraps our belated coverage of JLMay2018 with the second halves of both the Silver Age event and Robby Reed's adventures in House of Mystery, as well as following the H-Dial across several additional decades of wielders. Writer Mark Waid makes a couple of cameo appearances, as well...

JLMay 2018-- Silver Age (2000) Podcast Crossover Event
Agamemno reaches Earth as the incredible event begins! Gathering some of the JLA's greatest foes --- Lex Luthor, Sinestro, the Penguin, Catwoman, Mr. Element, Dr. Light, Chronos, Black Manta, and Felix Faust --- to help him in his plan to conquer the Earth, Agamemno switches the minds of the villains with those of their nemeses! Can the heroes foil the plot before the would-be conqueror prevails? You asked for it-- and you got it! A STAGGERING SUPER STRUGGLE stretching across this month's DC COMICS! Dig what's Coming!

From here follow JLMay 2018 to these fantastic podcasts! Each will cover a different issue of SILVER AGE and each will come out in May! And don’t forget to use the hashtag #JLMay2018 when discussing on social media!

JLMay 2018

1. Silver Age #1 [Justice’s First Dawn]
2. Silver Age: Justice League of America [Coffee & Comics Podcast]
3. Silver Age: Challengers of the Unknown [Relatively Geeky Presents]
4. Silver Age: Teen Titans [Super Mates]
5. Silver Age: Dial "H" for Hero [Idol Head of Diabolu]
6. Silver Age: The Flash [The Longbox Crusade]
7. Silver Age: Doom Patrol [Waiting for Doom]
8. Silver Age: The Brave & The Bold [Comic Reflections]
9. Silver Age: Green Lantern [The Lanterncast]
10. Silver Age: Showcase [Batgirl to Oracle]
11. Silver Age: Silver Age 80 Page Giant [Chris & Reggie’s Cosmic Treadmill]
12. Silver Age: Silver Age Secret Files and Origins [Fire and Water]

Martian Manhunter in...

• Silver Age #1 (July, 2000)
• Silver Age: Justice League of America #1
• Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1
• Silver Age Secret Files & Origins #1
• Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

Podcast- JLMay 2018: Silver Age Part One (2000)

Episode #32

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

JLMay 2018-- Silver Age (2000) Podcast Crossover Event
Agamemno reaches Earth as the incredible event begins! Gathering some of the JLA's greatest foes --- Lex Luthor, Sinestro, the Penguin, Catwoman, Mr. Element, Dr. Light, Chronos, Black Manta, and Felix Faust --- to help him in his plan to conquer the Earth, Agamemno switches the minds of the villains with those of their nemeses! Can the heroes foil the plot before the would-be conqueror prevails? You asked for it-- and you got it! A STAGGERING SUPER STRUGGLE stretching across this month's DC COMICS! Dig what's Coming!

From here follow JLMay 2017 to these fantastic podcasts! Each will cover a different issue of SILVER AGE and each will come out in May! And don’t forget to use the hashtag #JLMay2018 when discussing on social media!

JLMay 2018

1. Silver Age #1 [Justice’s First Dawn]
2. Silver Age: Justice League of America [Coffee & Comics Podcast]
3. Silver Age: Challengers of the Unknown [Relatively Geeky Presents]
4. Silver Age: Teen Titans [Super Mates]
5. Silver Age: Dial "H" for Hero [Idol Head of Diabolu]
6. Silver Age: The Flash [The Longbox Crusade]
7. Silver Age: Doom Patrol [Waiting for Doom]
8. Silver Age: The Brave & The Bold [Comic Reflections]
9. Silver Age: Green Lantern [The Lanterncast]
10. Silver Age: Showcase [Batgirl to Oracle]
11. Silver Age: Silver Age 80 Page Giant [Chris & Reggie’s Cosmic Treadmill]
12. Silver Age: Silver Age Secret Files and Origins [Fire and Water]

Martian Manhunter in...

• Silver Age #1 (July, 2000)
• Silver Age: Justice League of America #1 (July, 2000)
• Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1 (July, 2000)

JLMay 2017

• Justice (2005)

JLMay 2016

• JLA: Day Minus-One (1977)
• JLA: Day Zero (1994)
• JLA: Day One (1961)
• Secret Origins Podcast: Justice League of America
• JLA: Year One #10

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1957

Episode #22

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

After nearly a year, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were covering our retrospective of John Jones' publication history in real time. Blame our coverage of the current but increasingly finite ongoing Martian Manhunter maxi-series? 1957 offers a lot of repeats with slight variations on John Jones stories, but also the debuts of pretty probationary policewoman Diane Meade and TOR, Robot Criminal from Mars! Also, we look at the Sleuth from Outer Space's international publication history, which started quite early in Mexico and Australia, the latter proving the Martian Detective his first ever cover appearance (a phenomena well known to Aquaman, who turned up on lots of foreign editions in original illustrations before fronting a book in his native country.) Also, ads for our friend podcasts, Pulp 2 Pixel's Secret Sagas of the Multiverse and Count Drunkula's The Power of Fishnets. Please stick around to rank the Detective Comics stories from 1955-1957...

• Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1955
• Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1956
• Patrolwoman Diane Meade Commission by Marcio Takara
• TOR, the Robot Criminal of Mars Commission by Sam Lotfi

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We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

The Robot Brain and the Observatory-Lab

The Observatory-Lab was the workplace of Professor Mark Erdel and his lab assistant, Fred Schneider. It appeared to be developed from out of a lighthouse, based on its unusual shape and location near a cliff. Within the lab, Erdel constructed "The Robot Brain," a "strange, humming contraption, dotted with twinkling lights," which "crackles and buzzes" when in full operation. The bulky equipment filled much of a room, with its purpose being to explore "the cosmos... other dimensions... reach into space-- time-- or the fourth dimension..." How close it came to fulfilling its directives is unknown, but it most famously plucked out a scientist from just one planet over, teleporting J'onn J'onzz from Mars to Earth over long moments in a vivid flash. Erdel suffered a fatal heart attack soon after, and J'onzz struggled for years to decipher the Robot Brain's workings.

While the Observatory-Lab's location was long kept vague, it eventually became clear that it was near Middletown, U.S.A., serving as the home of J'onn J'onzz for several years during his stint in the identity of local police detective John Jones. The lab suffered a terrific fire in 1959 during an altercation between J'onzz and the forces of his archenemy, Commander Blanx. The Robot Brain appeared to be rendered slag, although J'onzz later made use of a similar device, so it was presumably rebuilt for his 1960s adventures.

The Observatory-Lab was also restored at some point, but had been long abandoned before being revisited by Hawkman and Hawkgirl in 1981. The former Thanagarian policeman Katar Hol had decided to investigate discrepancies in the death of Mark Erdel. He eventually learned that Erdel had in fact been murdered by the Robot Brain, which had gained some semblance of sentience. Desiring to teleport its intelligence "to roam the universe at will," the Robot Brain sent an electrical shock to trigger Erdel's heart attack to allow itself unfettered access to travel. It is unknown how J'onn J'onzz's work on the brain had impacted its designs, or why it proved more inhibited in addressing the Martian.

Regardless, the Robot Brain teleported a wyrdbeast from Alpha Centauri to kill the Hawks, but the intelligence was instead seemingly destroyed by Hawkman's mace, which caused the wyrdbeast to disappear.

Powers & Weapons:
According to Erdel, the Robot Brain required a "thinking plot" to be directed toward a specific location. After blindly teleporting J'onn J'onzz to Earth, Erdel feared it would take "weeks-- months-- even years" to change the thinking plot and return J'onzz home.

Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1956

Episode #8

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

After a hiatus of four episodes and three months, we finally return to our year-by-year overview of the Sleuth from Outer Space's early adventures, 1956 being his first full year of publication with a dozen cases to cover. Co-creator and initial writer Joe Samachson is replaced first by Dick Wood before the arrival of the longest consistent scripter of the strip, Jack Miller. Joe Certa carries on with his own lengthy run on art, here mostly on Detective John Jones as a plainclothes policeman with extraordinary powers who only occasionally runs across challenges of a truly supernormal nature.

1956 Cover Dated Story Synopses

• #227: "The Man With 20 Lives"
• #228: "Escape To The Stars"
• #229: "The Phantom Bodyguard"
• #230: "The Sleuth Without A Clue"
• #231: "The Thief Who Had Super Powers!"
• #232: "The Dog With A Martian Master"
• #233: "The Ghost From Outer Space"
• #234: "The Martian Convict"
• #235: "The World's Greatest Magician"
• #236: "The Great Earth-Mars Mystery"
• #237: "The Sleuth Who Went to Jail"
• #238: "Earth Detective For A Day"

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1955

Episode #3

Look for us on iTunes, or elsewhere

  Three episodes in, we finally cover the debut comics of J'Onn J'Onzz, the Manhunter from Mars. The Batman and Roy Raymond TV Detective stories from Detective Comics #225 are given brief nods before diving into a synopsis of "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" (01:46). A rather overwrought analysis of this first story of Detective John Jones (05:54) precedes coverage of the second "half" of the origin, the run-of-the-mill mostly standalone tale "The Case of the Magic Baseball" (18:46). Finally, "Martian Morphing Mail" (21:10) has already morphed away from the previous episode's audio, and is a bit livelier this round. Coming in at a stout 31:24, look for the show to lean back up again now that the heavy lifting of our subject's introduction is out of the way (and hopefully less painful voice "acting.")

• Lieutenant Saunders (Profile Page)
• Trigger Tom Taylor (Profile Page)
• Big Bob Michaels (Profile Page)
• Brad Devon (Profile Page)
• The Vast Stadium

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

Killer Fisk

Alter Ego: Monte Fisk
Occupation: Criminal
Group Affiliation: Boss of a pair of unnamed murderous goons
Base of Operations: Middletown, U.S.A.
First Appearance: Detective Comics #227 (January, 1956)
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Black

History:
Lieutenant Saunders and the Office of the Chief of Detectives were stymied by the dangerous criminal Monte Fisk, believed beyond any reasonable doubt to be responsible for a dozen murders, but too cunning for it to be proven in a court of law. "He covers his tracks like a fox!" On June 4th at noon, Killer Fisk had an alibi of being asleep during a shooting that Middletown Police couldn't crack, but was swiftly revealed to Detective John Jones. Secretly an extra-terrestrial, Jones used a technique unknown on Earth of retracing "thought processes" to draw out Fisk's criminal memory, but still lacked for evidence. Jones confronted Fisk with the knowledge that he'd used a clock's chime to cover his gunshot, which rattled the hoodlum enough to decide Jones needed to perish in an engineered accident.

Killer Fisk dispatched a pair of goons to run down Jones with their car, but the Martian Detective turned immaterial before impact. They next tossed Jones over the railing at High Gate Bridge to no greater effect. The hoods were spooked, but Killer Fisk presumed Jones was just too clever for them, and set about erasing the detective himself. Fisk dropped a safe on Jones, but when no body was found underneath, Killer decided Jones was too much for even him to tangle with. Planning to flee town, Fisk was visited by a spectral Jones who passed through a wall and soon hung from the hood of his speeding car. Killer Fisk was so disquieted that even after shaking the "ghost" of Jones loose, he decided to turn himself in to police.

Quote: "Say listen, Mr. Cop... I've got rights as a citizen! Either prove I killed somebody and arrest me or... beat it!"

Created by Joe Samachson and Joe Certa

Trigger Tom Taylor

Trigger Tom Taylor was the first apprehension of a named criminal suspect by Middletown Police Detective John Jones in the "Manhunter from Mars" comic strip. He was preceded by a gang of three unnamed hoods in the panels immediately before those that made up Taylor's first and only appearance in Detective Comics #226 (December, 1955). Taylor was shown firing a revolver down a rooftop staircase at Jones, who was pressed against a wall around a corner. Jones turned invisible, walked up the stairs, and reappeared with his service pistol planted into the small of Taylor's back.

Quote: "Come and get me-- if you think you can!"

Created by Joe Samachson and Joe Certa

Brad Devon

Devon, pictured at center, flanked by two members of his gang.

Brad Devon and his gang attempted to extort a poor performance from Big Bob Michaels as he pitched for the Flamingos baseball club against the Wonders, but was thwarted and arrested by Detective John Jones in one of his earliest cases. Appeared in Detective Comics #226 (December, 1955).

Quote: "It's not the weather! He's got another kind of heat on him! If he tries to win this one, it's the end of his career!"

Created by Joe Samachson and Joe Certa

High Gate Bridge

The High Gate suspension bridge in Middletown U.S.A. was the site of the attempted murder of Detective John Jones but hirelings of Killer Fisk during one of his first recorded cases. After falling a perilous distance, Jones discretely transformed into the Manhunter from Mars and carried himself over the water to safety.

First Appearance: Detective Comics #227 (January, 1956)

The Vast Stadium

A baseball stadium in Middletown which has hosted games featuring the Flamingos and Wonders big league teams. Presumably, the Flamingos were the local team, although it was never explicitly stated. Pictured are a Wonders batter amidst the Flamingos, including rookie pitcher Big Bob Michaels. Appeared in Detective Comics #226 (December, 1955).

Big Bob Michaels

While serving a little publicized term for an unrevealed crime, Big Bob Michaels developed into a remarkable pitcher on the prison baseball team. Following his release, Michaels joined a minor league ball club, until the majors came calling. Michaels signed with the Flamingos, but they weren't the only ones with Michaels' number, as criminals attempted to extort a sour performance out of him during a match against the Wonders. "Lose the game, and you'll get a lot of dough," or win and have his dark past revealed to the fans. Michaels refused to play along, but the stress adversely affected his performance, which was compensated for through the mind-over-matter powers of guardian angel Middletown Police Detective John Jones. The blackmailers were arrested by same, after an "assisted" home run for Michaels won the previously 0-0 game. Appeared in Detective Comics #226 (December, 1955).

The Saturnian Lawmen

History:
When a Saturnian Criminal escaped custody and fled to Earth, peace officers from his planet gave chase. Two Saturnian Lawmen tracked their prey to Middletown, U.S.A., where they contacted local authorities for assistance. As it happened, the criminal had attempted to murder Detective John Jones, then stole his identification and shape-shifted into his form. The false John Jones was located by Patrolwoman Diane Meade and taken to headquarters, where Captain Harding "introduced" him to the lawmen, who were unaware of the charade. The false Detective Jones was asked to take the lead on the manhunt for the Saturnian criminal, but instead set a trap for the lawmen in the Pascack area. The Lawmen, believing they were being guided to a hideout, instead fell into a concealed pit filled with oil from a ruptured underground pipeline. Incapacitated and facing gradual death, the Saturnian Lawmen lay trapped in the pit, waiting for Middletown police and the heroic Manhunter from Mars to subdue the criminal and rescue them. The Lawmen thanked the Manhunter profusely, then blasted off in their alien ship with prisoner in tow.

Powers & Weapons:
It is unknown if the Saturnian Lawmen possessed any superhuman powers of the sort displayed by the criminal they pursued or other representatives of Saturn, though the criminal alluded to their having some. They appeared to carry some form of handgun, but they never left their holster. The Lawmen carried bracelets impregnated with oil to wrap around the wrists of Saturnian prisoners to keep them docile.

Weaknesses:
A singular weakness "of all Saturnians" is oil, which causes them to lose their powers if exposed to even a tiny amount, and will cause them to perish under extended contact.

First Appearance: Detective Comics #314 (April, 1963)

Quote: "The Earth Detective is beckoning to us to follow-- that must be where the hideout is!"

Created by Jack Miller & Joe Certa

Detective Comics #225 (November, 1955)

"You've seen all sorts of detectives in action-- F.B.I. agents, private eyes, treasury men. But here-- for the first time anywhere-- is the most unusual of them all... a sleuth 'from out of this world!' Yes-- straight from Mars comes a man who patrols the streets of Earth on a quest to wage war against crime..."

One night in his observatory-lab, the world-famous scientist Professor Mark Erdel completed his greatest invention. "I've built the robot brain of the century! With this invention, I can explore the cosmos-- probe other dimensions! Now-- to test it!" Erdel wasn't sure into what depths of space, time or reality his probe would reach, so it was a stroke of luck that it merely plucked an alien being from the next planet over in the solar system, rather than call Cthulu or some such. The scantily clad towering green male who had been teleported to the lab declared "I read your mind well, Earthman-- and I understand your every thought and word!" While happy that the doctor's invention worked, being a scientist himself on his own world, J'onn J'onzz was in a bit of a rush to return home.


"I am sorry! To do that, I must change the thinking plot of the brain!" Since accurately recalibrating the machine could take some time, weeks or even years, J'onzz decided to shapeshift through his "chameleon-like powers" into a human form. “You meant no harm, I realize that! But I must adapt myself to this planet until I can return to mine-- so that my appearance won’t frighten others! This is easily done!” It was all too much for Dr. Erdel's weak heart. On his deathbed, J'onzz was still promising a curative Xymo serum in exchange for a return trip, but it was no use. “I am really sorry, J’onn J’onzz! I am dying... and I am the only man on Earth who can operate the robot brain! I--I have made a prisoner of you here on Earth... Farewell... Forgive me...”

“The Earth scientist is dead! Truly, as he said, I am a prisoner here on Earth... Millions of miles away--my people are working on project 'Star-Ride'...a rocket ship that will carry them to other worlds! Until that day-- the day they reach Earth-- I am bound to stay here, disguised as an Earthman. How many years will it take-- How many centuries? Until that day-- the day of my release from Earth-- I am doomed to be just another Earthman! But meanwhile, I shall explore my new planet home...” The first stop was a visit to the seashore, to deal with the curse of humanity. “GOLD-- the greatest bartering material on Earth! By my concentration of mind over matter, I am able to extract the gold particles from Earthian seas, thus! This should suffice for now!”


J'Onzz decided to make the best of his stranded status by taking in the sights in a literal globe-trotting exploratory trip on foot. In France, he commented at the Arch of Triumph, “Mars saw it's last war a thousand years ago!") His observations continued on skyscrapers (“Unlike on Mars, so many of the denizens here live in a small area that they build their structures into the skies;”) cars ("...ancient-wheeled vehicles! Hundreds of them, crawling along the same streets where people walk! In another century or two, this will all be changed;”); and most importantly, crime: "Earth is far behind Mars in many ways--but that is natural, since it's a younger planet! But this evil they have--called crime... Mars once had crime--centuries ago! Until the Great Evolution, we had wicked men who preyed on the good. But our enlightened science made all crime obsolete! There seems to be much crime here-- so perhaps, while I am stranded on Earth, I can help the Earthians by fighting this crime! Yes--I think I shall do that!"



J'onn J'onzz became John Jones: Police Detective by just walking into a precinct house, and as an afterthought, the lighting of a desk attendant’s cigarette introduced the final key element that defined the Silver Age Manhunter. “FIRE! The enemy of all Martians! I can do many things that Earthmen can’t do--- but I am vulnerable to FLAME! It is my one weakness!” Much later, John Jones was introduced to his superior officer, Lt. Saunders, at the office of the Chief of Detectives. Lighting another cigarette, Saunders affirmed, " All right, Mr. John Jones--- you’re qualified to become a detective! You’ll be on the force tomorrow!” In his private thoughts, Saunders considered, "I've got a very interesting case for him to go on right away! I'm wondering just how this rookie will make out?" Fairly well, I'd say.

"The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" was written by Joe Samachson and drawn by Joe Certa. This first story established J'onzz's telepathy, invisibility and intangibility powers, as well as his aversion to fire. His annoying bristling at cigarette smoke was present, but at least he became a cop through semi-proper channels. Post-Crisis, he just used telepathy to cash in on the popular "memory implant” meme. It's worth noting that the costumed alien J'onn J'onzz only appeared in six panels, while the rest of the book was filled with a scientist and an introspective rookie policeman. This was clearly no super-hero story, but the start of a series of science fiction tales that were married to crime stories beginning with the next installment...

Patrolman Slade

Alter Ego: Slade
Occupation: Police Officer
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Middletown Police Department
Base of Operations: Middletown, U.S.A.
First Appearance: Detective Comics #260 (October, 1958)
Height: Approx. 6'0"
Weight: Approx. 180 lbs.
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Black

History:
Officer Slade blamed himself for the near escape of the Joss Gang, and with his confidence shaken, tendered his resignation to the Middletown police department. Captain Harding confided to ace detective John Jones that he hated to lose Slade, who he believed had the makings of a fine police officer. Jones decided to help Slade sort out his issues during the period after serving notice by secretly helping him uncover crime through the use of his secret Martian powers. Jones guided Slade to the scene of a robbery, where Slade apprehended several hoods in the act. Still, Slade chalked it up to luck.

Jones decided Slade needed a bit more convincing, and heavily manipulated a car full of counterfeiters into Slade's path and through the chase that followed. Unfortunately, Jones had inadvertently led Slade to a nearly deadly confrontation at the gang's wooded hideout, and barely managed to avert tragedy. Officer Slade contributed fisticuffs after the Martian Manhunter had already invisibly disarmed the gang, and asked no hard questions afterward that might have shaken hos resolve to continue his career with the Middletown police.

Powers & Weapons:
Patrolman Slade carried a standard issue police revolver.

Quote: "Th-the force would be better off without me, sir!"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

Willy

Alter Ego: Willy
Occupation: Student
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Captain Harding (Uncle)
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Unknown
First Appearance: Detective Comics #256 (June, 1958)
Height: Approx. 4'0"
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Ginger

History:
While staying with Captain Harding in Middletown for a week, Willy was invited to the Wonderland carnival by Detective John Jones to take some of the burden of the "handful" off his supervisor. At the carnival, a trio of thieves were planning a heist. Alerted to Detective Jones' presence on the grounds, the hoods decided to try to kill both Jones and Willy by sabotaging various rides. Willy was too excited while riding an iron horse to notice Jones using his secret Martian powers to detect and repair the first act of sabotage. A second involved Willy falling from some height in a mock airplane, which was landed safely by a gust of Martian super-breath. Aware of only the second instance of peril, Willy remained enthusiastic about a third ride, the Tunnel of Thrills, where he was nearly crushed and drowned by a large statue. Willy displayed resilience and substantial denial in the face of these dangers, and saw the ride through to the end. The Manhunter from Mars, not yet a publicly known figure, was spotted by Willy as he goaded the thieves into turning themselves in to police. Willy insisted that he had seen evidence of the same "strange creatures," but was dismissed by Detective Jones.

Powers & Weapons:
Willy wore a cowboy outfit and carried a toy pistol.

Quote: "Missed us by inches! You think that was done just to give us a thrill, Detective Jones?"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

Lieutenant Saunders

Lieutenant Saunders was the officer on the Middletown Police Department responsible for hiring John Jones as a detective, and acted as Jones' superior during his earliest cases. Saunders was usually shown to be mostly bald with his remaining hair dark. Saunders was a smoker who often wore orange suits. Lieutenant Saunders has been confused with Captain Harding, as the characters initially bore a strong resemblance to one another, and acted in similar capacities.

When John Jones walked into a Middletown police precinct to inquire about becoming a detective, he was directed by the desk sergeant to Lieutenant Saunders, who was "in charge of detectives!" Saunders was working out of "the Office of the Chief of Detectives," and as a lieutenant, he would technically outrank a detective/inspector/investigator on a standard metropolitan police force in the United States. However, a lieutenant would generally be too low of a rank to be considered any kind of "chief," so this was likely a temporary position of authority. This would also explain Lt. Saunders' being replaced by Captain Harding early in the series.



Lieutenant Saunders verified John Jones' qualifications, hired him, and assigned him to his first case: protecting the prospective Middletown Flamingos baseball pitcher Bob Michaels from an extortion scam. Saunders was pleased when Jones managed to arrest the entire Devon Mob as a result. Next, Saunders assigned Jones to uncover the whereabouts of Monte Fisk on the night of a murder, following Saunders' failed interrogation of the professional killer. Detective Jones was able to extract a confession for the incredulous Saunders.

Beginning with the Alex Dunster case, Captain Harding was shown to be in charge of detectives at Jones' precinct. Harding was clearly a taller, stockier, and more hirsute man than Saunders. A balding plainclothes officer who seems likely to have been Lieutenant Saunders was shown standing with Detective Jones while Harding addressed his investigators. During the case of "the Phantom Bodyguard," millionaire Drexel Mansfield held a meeting in an office with Detective Jones and a balding officer. This again appeared to be Lieutenant Saunders, but he was referred to as a captain by Drexel, perhaps in error. Given that Saunders had been supervising precinct detectives in Harding's absence, and that Harding only returned for a major case requiring a team of investigators, perhaps Harding returned to his leave and temporarily handed the reins back to Saunders?



The burly, graying, non-balding Captain Harding headed up a case with enormous political pressure behind it the following month. None of Detective Jones' superior officers were shown in the next three cases, while an unnamed desk sergeant served as Jones' foil on two of them. On a fourth case involving infiltrating a prison disguised as a convict, Jones answers to an unnamed "chief" who looked most like Lieutenant Saunders. Again, it is difficult to tell, because while the hair definitely seems like Saunders', both men were known to wear purple suits at the time and smoke cigars. In the next two cases, another unnamed "chief" with a manner and hairline more like Harding's was in charge. A third case involving a similar looking individual was positively identified as the Captain.

In his final confirmed appearance, uniformed officers ordered by Lieutenant Saunders never to pursue "Booby Trap" Bagley into a questionable locale surrounded the crook from outside a circus tent. Lt. Saunders then led a team of plainclothes officers, including Detective Jones, in pursuit. Saunders ordered an unmanned police car be used to set off mines laid down by Bagley around the perimeter. When tear gas saturation failed to flush out "Booby Trap," Saunders felt it was too dangerous to storm the circus en masse. Instead, he drew lots with his men for a one-man stealth assault, which Detective Jones rigged to assume the role. Jones succeeded in capturing Bagley, and was congratulated by Saunders, who by this point bore a curious resemblance to Lyndon Baines Johnson (at least with his bald pate covered by a hat.)

First Appearance: Detective Comics #225 (November, 1955)

See Also: Detective Comics #226, #227, #228, #229, #234, & #238

Detective Comics #229 (3/56)

Millionaire Drexel Mansfield was pushed from the cliffside of his shore estate saved only by a fortuitously located fishing net. He continued to explain to Lt. Saunders and Det. Jones that while his attacker was masked, the only person with motive to murder him was his business partner, Laurence Cowan. In the event either man dies, the property and cash reserves of Mansfield-Cowan Real Estate Company are left to the surviving partner. Saunders assigned “the earthbound master sleuth from Mars” to protect Manfield, firstly on a fishing trip. Being the Joe Friday of comics, Jones wore his full suit and fedora aboard the boat, his only complaint being the awful smell, presumably of the bait. Sadly, the whole get-up hit the drink when another vessel rammed the Super-Sleuth and his charge in shark-infested waters. While Mansfield went unnoticed, J’onzz shifted to Martian form to scare the predators of the deep away with his sheer ugliness. Mansfield shouted that he couldn’t swim, necessitating a quick change for Jones to rescue the millionaire.

Drexel Mansfield kept insisting Jones go after Laurence Cowan, but the evidence just wasn’t there. Back at Mansfield’s mansion, Jones used lungpower “1,000 times greater” than human for the first of a great many times to slow the descent of a falling chandelier above his charge. The “Martian Miracle Man” then decided it was time to have a long conversation with Laurence Cowan, before a swank affair Mansfield planned to host at his place that night. Shaken and less than confident in Jones, Mansfield was packing a pistol, which Master Earthbound Detective had to allow due to his permit. At the party, Cowan caught his partner alone with a revolver of his own in hand. “You won’t get away with this, Cowan! I’ve been rigging FAKE murder attempts on myself, so I’d have an excuse to kill you!” John Jones had heard enough, and having conspired with Cowan and sneakily removed the bullets from Mansfield’s automatic, knew there was no longer any threat present. The Secret Visitor from Mars explained that after he learned the awful smell from the boat was shark repellant with which Mansfield had treated his clothes, Jones knew who the mastermind behind the scenario really was. “We’re going to pick up your accomplice, the butler, and go down to headquarters!

"The Phantom Bodyguard" was written by Jack Miller and drawn by Joe Certa. Garish “pop art” coloring by Frank Lee Delano, without any reference. Original colored art can be found here.

Detective Comics #227 (January, 1956)

The third and final John Jones script by co-creator Joe Samachson begins with his again referring to "J'ONN J'ONZ," his second story dropping the second "z," and his second use of the formula "1 half-splash cover proxy, 2 panels of origin recap" on the first page. Where last time the Martian seemed to still reside in Erdel's observatory-lab, here he's just gazing from a hilltop outside town. Also, for the first time, both the name "Martian Manhunter" and its Spanish translation, "Martian Detective," are used in print. The "reluctant visitor from space" looked to his home world in the night sky, contemplated his circumstances on "this island Earth," and then resumed human guise to head back to work. "Memories of my home planet must not dull my senses! I must continue to help make crime obsolete here on Earth as we on Mars did during the Great Evolution."



Police had once again dragged the elusive hood Monte Fisk in for questioning, this time on a murder charge that he seemed set on slithering out of. "The Earthmen have not yet learned how to retrace thought processes... I can be of help here..." The Martian Detective employed his "deep, penetrating concentration" to read Fisk's mind, determining his alibi for a murder was secured by firing a killing shot in time to the ringing of a clock chime. As he couldn't prove this fact, Jones set about trying to rattle Fisk into a confession. After confronting Fisk with his unverifiable knowledge of the truth of his killing, Fisk decided it might be best to rub the copper out. In pursuit of this goal, an intangible Jones easily evaded a potential hit-and-run, never quite landed in the bay after being tossed off a bridge, and somehow wasn't flattened by a falling safe. Fisk finally decided "Enough of this! Whoever or whatever that guy is, I don't want to tangle with him! I'm leaving town... fast!" By golly, I do believe Samachson loves ellipses as much as I do...



The Detective from Outer Space considered, "His thought waves... he's leaving town... I must act now as my Law Officials on Mars do when evidence is needed... Fisk must break down!" Taking his cue from Jacob Marley, John Jones' "ghost" walked through a wall to frighten Killer Fisk, then appeared on the hood of his speeding car... at least until it passed the most unlawful leaf burning occurrence in history. As Jack Miller wasn't on board yet, that just made Jones roll off the hood, before fully recovering by the next panel, where Fisk had turned himself in for a full confession. "Imagine that, Jones! The city's worst criminal suddenly cracking up and confessing!"

"Yes, Lieutenant Saunders... a man's conscience can do strange tricks indeed!"

"The Man With 20 Lives" was written by Joe Samachson and drawn by Joe Certa.