The History of Team-ups

[Air Wave]

For example, I know that Sandman, the Newsboy Legion and the Boy Commandos appeared in one another's comics--all by Simon and Kirby--at one time or another.

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. I didn't know about these.

[Jody Garland]

One interesting bit about DC's team-ups is that the JSA was one of, if not the, first inter company crossovers. The original eight JSA members (Green Lantern, the Flash, Sandman, Spectre, Atom, Hawkman, Dr. Midnight and Dr. Fate) were equally split between the two companies that would make up DC- All-American and National Comics.

[Jim Kelly]

Outside of the JSA and the Seven Soldiers of Victory, there weren't a lot of DC team-ups as such in the 1940s. More often it was a case of one hero making a cameo in another's feature--or tha name of another DC hero being mentioned--as with Ted Grant who is inspired by the example of Green Lantern to adopt his identity as Wildcat (Bill Finger co-created both characters). Likewise, Ma Hunkel was inspired by Green Lantern to adopt the identity of the Red Tornado.

The two NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR COMICS show all of their featured characters going to that fair, in their individual stories, which would suggest they exist in a shared universe.

I've always thought that the Crazy-Quilt who battles the Boy Commandos on several occasions is the same one who shows up in STAR-SPANGLED COMICS to challenge Robin the Boy Wonder. However, sources don't agree on that. Another Crazy-Quilt takes on the Blackhawks in the early '60s.

[Tupiaz]

Adventure comics shows a young Oliver Queen and Superboy in a team up story in 1959 in Adventure comics 258.

[Jim Kelly]

The number of crossovers increased as the 1950s wore on--despite the early retirement of the JSA.

Not only did SENSATION COMICS No. 1 (January '42) show Wildcat inspired by Green Lantern to adopt his costumed identity, but it had Little Boy Blue inspired by Wildcat inspired by Green Lantern to do the same.

Thusfar, these are the crossovers that I've been able to dig up for the 1940s at DC--

• ALL-STAR COMICS 3 (Winter ’40) - 57 (February-March ’51) -- the Justice Society of America
• LEADING COMICS 1 (Winter ’41) - 14 (Spring ’45) -- the Seven Soldiers of Victory
• BOY COMMANDOS 1 (Winter ’42) -- “Satan Wears a Swastika” -- the Boy Commandos; the Newsboy Legion; Sandman
• DETECTIVE COMICS 76 (June ’43) -- “The Invasion of America” -- the Boy Commandos; the Guardian; the Newsboy Legion; Sandman; Sandy; FDR
• SUPERMAN 20 (January-February ’43) -- “Superman’s Secret Revealed” -- Superman; Bruce Wayne; Dick Grayson (cameo appearance, p. 7, bottom panel)
• ALL-FLASH 14 (Spring ’44) -- “The Man Who Unleashed the Past” -- the Flash; Green Lantern; Doiby Dickles; villain: the Thinker
• FLASH COMICS 86 (August ’47) - 91 (January ’48) -- Johnny Thunder; the Black Canary (transitions from Johnny to BC as the star)
• STAR SPANGLED COMICS 81 (June ’48) - 84 (September ’48) -- Star-Spangled Kid; Merry the Gimmick Girl (transitions from SSK to Merry as the star)
• LEAVE IT TO BINKY 5 (October-November ’48) -- Binky; Superman

[Air Wave]

Adventure comics shows a young Oliver Queen and Superboy in a team up story in 1959 in Adventure comics 258.

That's a good one.

[Air Wave]

The number of crossovers increased as the 1950s wore on--despite the early retirement of the JSA.

Not only did SENSATION COMICS No. 1 (January '42) show Wildcat inspired by Green Lantern to adopt his costumed identity, but it had Little Boy Blue inspired by Wildcat inspired by Green Lantern to do the same.

Thusfar, these are the crossovers that I've been able to dig up for the 1940s at DC--

• ALL-STAR COMICS 3 (Winter ’40) - 57 (February-March ’51) -- the Justice Society of America
• LEADING COMICS 1 (Winter ’41) - 14 (Spring ’45) -- the Seven Soldiers of Victory
• BOY COMMANDOS 1 (Winter ’42) -- “Satan Wears a Swastika” -- the Boy Commandos; the Newsboy Legion; Sandman
• DETECTIVE COMICS 76 (June ’43) -- “The Invasion of America” -- the Boy Commandos; the Guardian; the Newsboy Legion; Sandman; Sandy; FDR
• SUPERMAN 20 (January-February ’43) -- “Superman’s Secret Revealed” -- Superman; Bruce Wayne; Dick Grayson (cameo appearance, p. 7, bottom panel)
• ALL-FLASH 14 (Spring ’44) -- “The Man Who Unleashed the Past” -- the Flash; Green Lantern; Doiby Dickles; villain: the Thinker
• FLASH COMICS 86 (August ’47) - 91 (January ’48) -- Johnny Thunder; the Black Canary (transitions from Johnny to BC as the star)
• STAR SPANGLED COMICS 81 (June ’48) - 84 (September ’48) -- Star-Spangled Kid; Merry the Gimmick Girl (transitions from SSK to Merry as the star)
• LEAVE IT TO BINKY 5 (October-November ’48) -- Binky; Superman

Thanks for all of this. So that All-Flash 14 is a full-on Flash/Green Lantern team-up?

[Jim Kelly]

I don't have a copy of ALL-FLASH 14, so I can't be sure, but the story synopsis on the Grand Comics Database would seem to indicate that Green Lantern and Doiby play an active role in chapter 2--

Green Lantern and Doiby enter the scene as Flash discovers the Thinker is behind the mayhem and is empowered by a court to bring him in.

Also, the GCD's list of characters for that issue does not indicate a cameo for GL and Doiby--wheere it does for Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard--so GL and Doiby are probably more prominent in the story--

The Flash [Jay Garrick]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Doiby Dickles; Winky Moylan; Blinky Boylan; Noddy Toylan; Everett E. Hibbard (cameo); Gardner F. Fox (cameo); The Thinker [Clifford Devoe](villain)

From what it says about this story on the GCD it sounds like a great adventure. There's also a public service ad in this issue featuring the JSA--for the Red Cross. Which is another way that DC heroes would team up. I think you might find more of DC's heroes getting together in the PSAs and other ads than in the stories themselves, during the '40s and '50s.

[Electricmastro]

Harvey Comics had the team-up of the Girl Commandos, Shock Gibson, Black Cat, and Captain Freedom in Speed Comics #23 (October, 1942), which perhaps may have encouraged DC to have their own heroes meet up more as opposed to the anthology approach. This team wasn’t given a name though.

[Electricmastro]

[Electricmastro]

[Restingvoice]

Joker and Penguin were the first Batman villain team up in Batman #25 in 1944. The title is Knights of Knavery.

Joker has met Catwoman long before that but it wasn't a team up and he ended up almost killing her and Dick.