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Shotgun Reviews presents:
Axis
Infinity? :
Is
Infinity Inc. the unacknowledged center of the DC Universe?
A
modest interrogative essay by:
Troy Brownfield
As
a fan of various DC comics for many years, I've recently begun
to wonder if maybe Infinity Inc. isn't the unacknowledged
center of the DC Comics Universe. For those unaware, Infinity
Inc. ran for 53 issues in the 1980s. The main characters were
the children and younger versions of heroes from DCs Golden
Age team, the Justice Society of America. Sold only in comic
shops, it never caught on in the way that it really should
have. Fairly worshipped by those who read it and mocked by
those that didn't, Inc. is one of those books whose characters
and themes seem to pop up a lot in current continuity. I figured
that I'd take a crack at seeing how things fit together.
The
Infinitors
The
Star-Spangled Kid: The original team leader, Sylvester
Pembleton was the Star-Spangled Kid of the JSA. His partner
was a mechanic named Stripsey. Pembleton employed a version
of JSA member Starman's gravity rod as his primary weapon
for a time before incorporating its technology into a new
suit and new identity as Skyman. He was killed fighting Injustice
Unlimited near the end of Infinity Inc.'s run.
Current
connections: There's a new Star-Spangled Kid. She's the
step-daughter of Stripsey, who guards her in his robotic suit
in the current title Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. The legacy of
Sylvester Pembleton is also a frequent conversation topic
in JSA and Starman.
Silver Scarab: Hector Hall was the son of the Golden Age
Hawkman and Hawkwoman. He went nuts, mutated, got back to
normal, became an '80s version of Jack Kirby's '70s Sandman,
married his teammate Fury, fathered her son Daniel, and died
(mainly to clear up confusion over the introduction of Neil
Gaiman's Sandman in the late '80s). Hector was recently resurrected
in the pages of JSA as the new Dr. Fate.
Current
connections: He's Dr. Fate in JSA. His son young Daniel
became the new Sandman at the close of Neil Gaiman's superlative
Sandman series of the late '80s/early-mid '90s. Daniel also
appeared in two issues of Grant Morrison's JLA.
Fury: Lyta Trevor was a Crisis continuity victim. Initially
the daughter of the Golden Age Wonder Woman, her origin was
changed post-Crisis to make her the daughter of the Golden
Age Fury.
Current
connections: Her mother was a core member of The Young
All-Stars (a late' 80s series spun-off from All-Star Squadron).
She appeared frequently in Neil Gaiman's Sandman near the
end of its run as her son became the new Sandman (see above).
Her name has come up in JSA a couple of times, pointing to
her eventual return there. Her mother's connection to the
current Wonder Woman is set to be explained soon in the Legends
of the DC Universe title.
Jade: The daughter of the Golden Age Green Lantern
and the Golden Age Thorn, her brother is fellow Infinitor
Obsidian.
Current
connections: Jade is a permanent supporting cast member
of the current Green Lantern series where she was Kyle Rayner's
most recent girlfriend. She's popped up in every major crossover
event (Final Night, etc.), and even sat in as replacement
GL while Kyle was in space. A special Green Lantern mini-series,
Hearts of Darkness, featuring her and her family.
Obsidian:
The son of the Golden Age Green Lantern and Golden Age
Thorn, his sister is Jade.
Current
connections: Obsidian joined the JLA after Zero Hour and
was a member until midway through Grant Morrison's JLA #1
four years ago. After that, he popped up in Green Lantern,
the Hearts of Darkness mini, and various crossovers. He recently
returned as a bad guy in JSA.
Nuklon: The son of the Golden Age villain Cyclotron and
the ward of the Golden Age Atom. He's now called Atom-Smasher.
Current
connections: Nuklon joined the JLA with Obsidian and left
at the same time. He was also a crossover guest at times and
is now a member of the JSA.
Northwind: A mutant with wings, he was the godson of the
Golden Age Hawkman.
Current
connections: He hasn't been seen in years, but there's
a new Hawkman debuting this year in a JLA/JSA crossover. Ya
think . . .?
Hourman: Rick Tyler was the son of the Golden Age Hourman.
Current
connections: Rick appeared in at least one crossover (The
Darkness Within) and struggled with leukemia in the early
'90s Justice Society book. He recently returned in the pages
of the new Hourman series where he still struggles with his
illness and fought the new android Hourman.
Power Girl: Another Crisis victim. Originally the cousin
of the Earth-2 Superman, her origin was changed to make her
the granddaughter of Arion, Lord of Atlantis.
Current
connections: She's been everywhere! After solving her
origin in Warlord toward the end of its run, she's been in
Justice League Europe as a long-standing member and helped
stopped alien invaders in a great Aquaman story. Recently,
she's hooked up with Oracle and Black Canary as a semi-regular
in Birds of Prey.
The Huntress: An actual casualty of Crisis, the original
Huntress was capped in issue 12 of that series.
Current
connections: There is now a new Huntress who was a member
of JLA until getting her ass fired by Batman during the massive
World War III story.
Wildcat and Dr. Midnight: Yolanda Montez took up the
mantle in honor of Ted Grant, the Golden Age Wildcat. The
female Dr. Midnight was a student of the Golden Age Dr. Midnight.
It was hinted that they were lesbian lovers. Both were killed
in the short-lived Eclipso series.
Current
connections: Ted Grant has returned to being Wildcat in
the pages of JSA. A new Dr. Mid-Nite, Piotor Cross, was introduced
in his own mini-series, then recently appeared in JSA to help
in the fight with Obsidian.
Mr. Bones: Initially an enemy of Infinity Inc., he
joined the team as part of a protective custody agreement.
Current
connections: Bones heads the DEO, which was the main organization
in the short-lived Chase series. He usually appears when the
DEO does, like in the pages of Martian Manhunter, Young Justice,
JSA and various Secret Files and Origins specials.
The near-Infinitors
Jesse
Quick: Though never a member of Infinity Inc., she is
the daughter of All-Star Squadron members Johnny Quick and
Liberty Belle.
Current
connections: Jesse is a supporting cast member in The
Flash and a member of The Titans.
Starman:
Jack Knight is the son of the Golden Age Starman.
Current
connections: He's the lead in Starman (duh). He's also
a member of the JSA. To date, Jade, Sylvester Pembleton, Hourman,
the Golden Age Green Lantern, and various enemies of Infinity
Inc. have figured into the Starman title quite heavily.
Check
that out. The kids from Infinity have put in quite a few appearances
and comprise the bulk of the roster of DC's current hit JSA.
Of course, the above doesn't count their varied crossovers
with the Teen Titans and the Outsiders, nor does it figure
in their various big crossover appearances. Sufficient to
say: while the series itself may not have lasted, its characters
have struck a chord with readers and continue to be remembered
and used in a growing variety of ways.
My advice?
It's possible to pick up most of the entire run of Infinity
Inc. fairly cheaply at most large comic shows. Instead of
forking out ten bucks for some crappy variant cheesecake cover,
pick up a dozen or more issues of Infinity Inc. and enjoy
yourself. Sure, they're not all great, but what is?
And as
for the art? Check out the middle issues. It has early stuff
by some ex-minor league baseball player named McFarlane. You
may have heard of him. Enjoy.
Troy
Brownfield is Editor-In-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He has great
fondness for the DC books of the late '80s, but don't ask
him to explain Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. That's
better left to mystics and guys who take a lot of drugs. Email
Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.
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