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Elseworlds JLI Annual 5

See Also: The Barry Allen Story, Facets

It is a world that fears and hates those with super-powers. Even those who try to do good are shunned. Finally, ten metahumans band together and ask the world to trust them and give them a chance to prove that they can be a force for good: those who in another world would be known as the Shark, Poison Ivy, Fire, the Flash, Dr. Light, Polaris, Power Girl, the Tasmanian Devil, Metamorpho, and Changeling. However, when they attempt to contain a meltdown at a nuclear reactor, their efforts only worsen the situation. Only intervention from some unknown being prevents the disaster.

The Flash’s first costume from JLI Annual 5

After that fiasco, the metahumans vanish from sight—but Changeling, Polaris, Ivy, Flash and Metamorpho begin staging raids on the military installations that had attacked them previously. The other five tried to stop them, but battles with the “Control Squad”—a team of high-tech operatives created with Wayne Foundation funds to combat the metahuman “menace”—led to a further split, with Ivy, Changeling and Metamorpho the most militant about striking back.

Tasmanian Devil approached author Ralph Dibny for help, and the two of them traveled to Antarctica in search of a rumored “superman,” a being with powers far beyond those of mortal men, but living in isolation, trying to keep his existence a secret. They found him, and convinced him to show himself and stop the hostage crisis brewing in New York.

Superman’s appearance led to the possibility of trust, and Wayne decided to fund a new group—made up of the original ten, minus those three who had sought revenge, whose places were taken by Control Squad members Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, and Superman himself. The new group, dedicated to upholding justice and tolerance for human and metahuman, became known as... the Justice League.

Text by Kelson Vibber. Do not copy without permission.

Top of Page Primary Sources

  • “No Rules to Follow” - Justice League International (second series) Annual 5 (1994), Gerard Jones

Art

  • Justice League International (second series) Annual 5 (1994) - Kiki Chansamone and Rich Rankin(?)

Notes

During the 1990s, DC released an extra-sized annual issue for its more successful series every year. Each year from 1991 through 2000 had a theme, sometimes a continuing story. For 1994, the theme was Elseworlds, and each annual featured an alternate reality version of the title character or team. The Flash featured in three: Flash, New Titans and Justice League International.