Infinity Inc. Appeciation (2019)

[MajorHoy]

Well, over the years we've had several threads asking about whether DC should / will bring them back, including:

* The Original Infinity Inc - Does anyone else miss them?
* Would Anyone Prefer For Infinity Inc To Return Rather Than JSA?
* Infinity, Inc. -- how to revive the 80s team
* INFINITY INC. any chance ?
* anyone want Infinity Inc brought back after convergence? and what members do you want?

So it seems like maybe they deserve a regular Appreciation Thread?


from
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XI
(January 1986)

First appearance:

All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983)


promotional ad from
All-Star Squadron #28 (December 1983)

[DrNewGod]

Well, over the years we've had several threads asking about whether DC should / will bring them back, including:

* The Original Infinity Inc - Does anyone else miss them?
* Would Anyone Prefer For Infinity Inc To Return Rather Than JSA?
* Infinity, Inc. -- how to revive the 80s team
* INFINITY INC. any chance ?
* anyone want Infinity Inc brought back after convergence? and what members do you want?

So it seems like maybe they deserve a regular Appreciation Thread?


from
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XI
(January 1986)

First appearance:

All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983)


promotional ad from
All-Star Squadron #28 (December 1983)

The house at the bottom always cracks me up. They've got Fury flying, and Power Girl running. Oops.

[EmeraldGladiator]

I am really enjoying the Freedom Fighters mini set on their own earth instead of crowded earth. It would be great if the JSA got their own earth back as well. Then I could see Infinity Inc's return, on an Roy Thomas inspired Earth Two incorporating the John's modern era history with Infinity Inc and JSA all star's taking the place of the JL in some of those past adventures and making others part of the crossover to other universe adventures. I want Jade back.

[kcekada]

Right. JSA on its own Earth with its own timeline would work best for both teams. Make it so WWII was always 25 years in the past -- so that the JSA would never age beyond their 50s. Still vital enough to fight crime when needed, but not bordering on expiration. Then they could be old enough to have adult children. Without JSA, Infinity Inc. makes no sense. But I would definitely like to see the JSA offspring return.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Make it so WWII was always 25 years in the past -- so that the JSA would never age beyond their 50s . . .

It would be one thing if they gave us an Earth-2 where it was always the mid-to-late-1960s, but turning World War II into a conflict that was on a sliding time scale would be . . . pointless. What the hell would be the point of having a "World War II" that happened in the 1990s?!? It wouldn't be the same. It's not just the name of any war; it was a war that occurred at a specific time in the Earth's history, right after what we here in the U.S. called "The Great Depression". Part of what led to the rise of Hitler and other particulars of the war was the economic conditions throughout the world prior to the start of the war.

You can't just call a thing "World War II" and expect everything that led to the Golden Age of comic books and the attitudes of the heroes from that time to be exactly the same! It really was a different period of time.

[DrNewGod]

It would be one thing if they gave us an Earth-2 where it was always the mid-to-late-1960s, but turning World War II into a conflict that was on a sliding time scale would be . . . pointless. What the hell would be the point of having a "World War II" that happened in the 1990s?!? It wouldn't be the same. It's not just the name of any war; it was a war that occurred at a specific time in the Earth's history, right after what we here in the U.S. called "The Great Depression". Part of what led to the rise of Hitler and other particulars of the war was the economic conditions throughout the world prior to the start of the war.

You can't just call a thing "World War II" and expect everything that led to the Golden Age of comic books and the attitudes of the heroes from that time to be exactly the same! It really was a different period of time.

In Justice League of America 123, Bates and Maggins proposed a notion that nobody else ever used (as far as I can tell): time passes more slowly on E2 than E1. That would be an easy way around the issue that still allows a 1938 launch date, ages the JSA characters enough for an IInc, but not enough to put them in coffins.

Image.jpg

[MajorHoy]

An expanded lineup for the group:

from Who's Who Update '87 Vol. 3 (October 1987)

[CaptCleghorn]

It would be one thing if they gave us an Earth-2 where it was always the mid-to-late-1960s, but turning World War II into a conflict that was on a sliding time scale would be . . . pointless. What the hell would be the point of having a "World War II" that happened in the 1990s?!? It wouldn't be the same. It's not just the name of any war; it was a war that occurred at a specific time in the Earth's history, right after what we here in the U.S. called "The Great Depression". Part of what led to the rise of Hitler and other particulars of the war was the economic conditions throughout the world prior to the start of the war.

You can't just call a thing "World War II" and expect everything that led to the Golden Age of comic books and the attitudes of the heroes from that time to be exactly the same! It really was a different period of time.

The attitudes and the philosophies of the JSA and their compatriots in the Golden Age were definitely formed and toned by WW2. Unlike the modern era characters who exist in a floating timescale, the JSA has a fixed start point. Any attempt to change that changes the team considerably as seen with the recent Earth 2 series.

The importance of Infinity, Inc. lies in their roles as the descendants of the JSA. They were the family of heroes and grew up in situations that are different than other teenage heroes and sidekicks. A separate Earth 2 where the JSA exists, starting in the early 40s is IMHO the best option. There is no need to worry about it being longer and longer since WW2, I've suggested many times (and probably will again) that having superheroes around for decades would actually affect the development of the planet and an Earth 2 dealing with years and years of super heroics and villainy would not be that close to what out planet looked like in the late 80s. And an Infinity, Inc. fits in well there.

[kcekada]

In Justice League of America 123, Bates and Maggins proposed a notion that nobody else ever used (as far as I can tell): time passes more slowly on E2 than E1. That would be an easy way around the issue that still allows a 1938 launch date, ages the JSA characters enough for an IInc, but not enough to put them in coffins.

Image.jpg

Yeah, that's more or less what I meant -- except that there would be no reference to the actual year. I'd hate to lose the WWII connection. Maybe a better option would be how DC handled the Marvel Family's reappearance in the 70s -- saying they were in stasis for 20 years. This would be similar to how Marvel handles Captain America. The JSA would have been trapped in stasis (or maybe use the Limbo story). So instead of sliding the war, just slide the time the JSA was released from limbo -- to always be 20 years in the past. So, they'd probably have been trapped around 1950 -- and then always released around 20 years ago. That would make most of the characters in their 50s.

I have a feeling that the JSA will probably be returned to present day much younger than that -- which makes a contemporary Infinity Inc. almost impossible. If that's the case, then Infinity Inc. could be from the near/alternative future -- and maybe have Exiles type of adventures -- way they travel to DC's various parallel Earths and times for adventures. That would certainly tie in with the name.

[warzon]

dc definitely need's more team book's i'm a lil burnt out on Just the Justice League Family of titles.

[MajorHoy]

From 2015: Convergence Infinity Inc.

[Sutekh]

An expanded lineup for the group:

from Who's Who Update '87 Vol. 3 (October 1987)

The new looks for Northwind and Skyman were a nice upgrade.

It was interesting that, of all of their foes, Mr. Bones, with his terrible super-villain-ish appearance and powerset (cyanide touch, IIRC), was the one to transition from the super-villain life to hanging out with the heroes. (I would have expected Tao Jones, if anyone from that group.) He kind of defied all sorts of expectations, and that's sort of cool.