JSA / Justice Society of America Appreciation Thread 2022 version

[bat39]

Shame about Stargirl. Hadn't actually watched it yet, but look forward to soon.

Its interesting how the JSA has popped up quiet a bit in adaptations over the last 10-15 years, albeit as supporting/guest characters. They've been in Smallville, in DC's Legends of Tomorrow, in Stargirl and now in the Black Adam film.

Way past time they get to headline a TV show or movie. Hopefully the DCEU has solo plans for them!

[Robotman]

Black Adam laid some great groundwork for a JSA movie. Hawkman and Dr. Fate were fantastic.

Aldis Hodge‘s Hawkman leading the next generation of heroes would make a great movie. I think they would need to find a way to bring in some more old school JSA members as mentors.

[Mantis-Ray]

I like how Cyclone was handled, the effects of her powers were really cool and it was a great introduction to the character since I was completely unfamiliar to her before the movie unlike with Hawkman, Fate, and Atom-Smasher.

I'd like for another film to further expand on Cyclone and Smasher, Smasher looked great in the movie.

[achilles]

Shame though that in all those JSA adaptations, Power Girl has never made an appearance or even been referenced. DC and WB have written her out of any live action media, and show no signs of ever including her. Yes, compared to the newer, and in most cases lesser members who have been repeatedly featured she's a bit of a deus ex machina, but then so are Dr. Fate and GL.

[Johnrevenge]

I like how Cyclone was handled, the effects of her powers were really cool and it was a great introduction to the character since I was completely unfamiliar to her before the movie unlike with Hawkman, Fate, and Atom-Smasher.

I'd like for another film to further expand on Cyclone and Smasher, Smasher looked great in the movie.

Yeah, I also loved how they handled Cyclone and the actor did a good job portraying her. I hope to see more of her and the JSA in future adaptations.

[Dataweaver]

Shame though that in all those JSA adaptations, Power Girl has never made an appearance or even been referenced. DC and WB have written her out of any live action media, and show no signs of ever including her. Yes, compared to the newer, and in most cases lesser members who have been repeatedly featured she's a bit of a deus ex machina, but then so are Dr. Fate and GL.

Stargirl included a “Powerman” in the racks of its original Justice Society, clearly as setup for eventually bringing Power Girl into the new team's lineup. (Apparently, they were forbidden from using Superman.)

[CaptCleghorn]

Stargirl included a “Powerman” in the racks of its original Justice Society, clearly as setup for eventually bringing Power Girl into the new team's lineup. (Apparently, they were forbidden from using Superman.)

I'd think that anything Krypton related might have some sort of different contract detailing.

[achilles]

Stargirl included a “Powerman” in the racks of its original Justice Society, clearly as setup for eventually bringing Power Girl into the new team's lineup. (Apparently, they were forbidden from using Superman.)

That's the thing though, she has all the positives of being Kryptonian, but with no baggage in the popular mind. Just note her relationship with Superman, and you can go many different directions with her. Try anything new with either Superman or Supergirl, and quite a few fans will be disappointed. And she remains the most important JSAer not to ever have been used in any real way in live action. Even very minor JSAers have been done in live action.

[CaptCleghorn]

That's the thing though, she has all the positives of being Kryptonian, but with no baggage in the popular mind. Just note her relationship with Superman, and you can go many different directions with her. Try anything new with either Superman or Supergirl, and quite a few fans will be disappointed. And she remains the most important JSAer not to ever have been used in any real way in live action. Even very minor JSAers have been done in live action.

Live action Power Girl. Obviously the casting ideas need a place to be stated. I'm gonna throw Chloë Grace Moretz's name out there.

[MajorHoy]

His last Golden Age appearance with the JSA was in All-Star Comics #7 (October-November 1941).
Adventure Comics #83 was cover-dated February 1943, and by then the feature was labeled "Hourman with Thorndyke".

So Johns’ idea of there being a whole generation of forgotten (time displaced) sidekicks really isn’t that far off. I keep learning about new Golden Age sidekicks and teen heroes all the time.

I take it you're not familiar with "Old Justice" from Peter David's Young Justice run?

[CaptCleghorn]

I take it you're not familiar with "Old Justice" from Peter David's Young Justice run?

I've heard of it, but it was a concept I chose not to support.

Although I might drop some money if Alan Scott's Streak was to be brought back.

[bat39]

Black Adam laid some great groundwork for a JSA movie. Hawkman and Dr. Fate were fantastic.

Aldis Hodge‘s Hawkman leading the next generation of heroes would make a great movie. I think they would need to find a way to bring in some more old school JSA members as mentors.

I feel any JSA movie, even if its focused on a present-day narrative, also needs to explore the team's past in order to truly make a mark. Without their history and legacy, the JSA are sadly little more than a B-list JLA.

Shame though that in all those JSA adaptations, Power Girl has never made an appearance or even been referenced. DC and WB have written her out of any live action media, and show no signs of ever including her. Yes, compared to the newer, and in most cases lesser members who have been repeatedly featured she's a bit of a deus ex machina, but then so are Dr. Fate and GL.

I suppose Power Girl is considered to be too 'complicated' to include in an adaptation?

On some level, its actually pretty simple - she's an alternate universe take on Supergirl. But I suppose, when you really start to drill down on the specifics it can get a bit complicated. Take the DCEU for instance...if a Power Girl shows up now is she Kryptonian? What's her relationship to Henry Cavill's Superman? What's her connection to Sasha Calle's Supergirl (whenever the latter makes her cinematic debut)? And if Power Girl existed in the JSA's past, then how does that make sense with established DCEU Superman history? Or do we just say she's from an alternate universe and be done with it?

[Digifiend]

Stargirl included a “Powerman” in the racks of its original Justice Society, clearly as setup for eventually bringing Power Girl into the new team's lineup. (Apparently, they were forbidden from using Superman.)

Uh, what? They had Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Wildcat, Hourman, Starman, Stripesy, Sandman and Johnny Thunder. No Power Man (which is a name they CAN'T use, as it's a name used by three Marvel characters, the most famous being Luke Cage).

[achilles]

I feel any JSA movie, even if its focused on a present-day narrative, also needs to explore the team's past in order to truly make a mark. Without their history and legacy, the JSA are sadly little more than a B-list JLA.



I suppose Power Girl is considered to be too 'complicated' to include in an adaptation?

On some level, its actually pretty simple - she's an alternate universe take on Supergirl. But I suppose, when you really start to drill down on the specifics it can get a bit complicated. Take the DCEU for instance...if a Power Girl shows up now is she Kryptonian? What's her relationship to Henry Cavill's Superman? What's her connection to Sasha Calle's Supergirl (whenever the latter makes her cinematic debut)? And if Power Girl existed in the JSA's past, then how does that make sense with established DCEU Superman history? Or do we just say she's from an alternate universe and be done with it?

Just go with alternate universe Supergirl, general audiences are now quite comfortable with that sort of thing. Or, you could make her an El or L if you prefer, from another universe who isn't the exact counterpart of SG. Or Superman's older sister instead of cousin, from the Cavill-verse. Easy. Lots of options to go with that still maintain the spirit of the character.

[M L A]

Peeg has the misfortune of a three big things:

1) Supergirl being more well known for longer so if writers/execs want another kryptonian or a little diversity, the role of female kryptonian will be given to her instead.

2) Her backstory was/is a little complicated for the GP and the attempts to retcon it to be more original were awful. This ends up tying with #1. If the writers/execs don't want another earth, then what could her backstory be? Because if it's just female relative of Superman.. that's also Supergirl who is more famous thus they would rather use her instead. I'd say with MCU and DCEU veering into multiverse territory it might be more possible she shows up at some point, but I don't see that happening with Zaslav happening.

3) Her boobs and boob window ends up being 90% of the discourse about the character. People whining when it's covered up, people complaining when she has it, people laughing at the writer attempting to justify the boob window, etc. For every fan of hers who mostly likes her for her boobs I see a person who doesn't really want to read the character due to thinking her character is mostly boobs because that's all the majority of her fans talk about. I'd feel bad for any woman who gets cast as her, because she will probably get harassed to death, especially if her chest isn't enormous or she doesn't have a boob window.

Also Johns seemed pretty in charge/influential in who shows up in other media... I know he selected characters for the JSA on Legends of Tomorrow. And Johns for the most part was never too fond of Peeg. I see people say he hates her but that seems hyperbole.. at most he didn't particularly care about her to compared to other JSA members.