Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Justice League Apocrypha: fanfics, fanfics discussion, and more

As promised, here is the full plot summary for JLA: Just Like Paradise.

Wonder Woman II (Donna Troy) has felt unsettled since nearly killing the Ultra-Humanite in a warrior's rage during the last JLA/JSA team-up. It has also caused the rest of the team to start walking on eggshells around her. So she decides the best thing to do is to give everybody a vacation, and to take the female Leaguers (Gypsy, Vixen, Dr. Light II, Dolphin) with her to Paradise Island, where she hopes to get her head back together. But shortly after arriving, Hippolyta drops a bombshell: four enemies of Donna's predecessor, Diana, are on Paradise Island, claiming to have reformed (Queen Clea, Cheetah, Silver Swan, and Giganta.) Queen Clea claims that her father, Poseidon, plans to flood the entire world under orders from Zeus, who wants humankind to return to a primitive state so that they will worship the Olympian Gods again. Then Hippolyta drops a second bombshell: she has ceded leadership of the Amazons to a woman claiming to be a telepathic alien from Titan named Eve. The Amazons and their allies declare war on the Olympian Gods, fighting on two fronts: Mount Olympus and Atlantis. Soon, but not soon enough to prevent the battles, Donna and Gypsy discover that Eve is using her telepathy to control Hippolyta, and she has also sunk her psionic claws into the mind of Dr. Light II, taking advantage of Kimiyo's superiority complex and lack of faith in Donna. Eventually, Eve's plan to establish absolute rule over humanity and crush the Olympian Gods is foiled, and Donna shakes Kimiyo out of the hold Eve has on her. The Leaguers leave Paradise Island feeling like something positive has been achieved.

I know I'm on hiatus from fan fiction, but someday, I will write a Justice League story where Coagula IS accepted into the team:

Do it!


Who drew and/or inked this, FL? It's got a kind of Grell-goes-to-Europe feel that I really like.

Thank you, Cleome. It will happen, if not sooner then definitely later.

The artists are Scot Eaton on pencils and Tom Sutton on inks. I've always been a fan of both of them, and I wish they'd been the regular artistic team on Rachel Pollack's "Doom Patrol" instead of just filling in that one issue.

Oh, yeah. I think Sutton did lots of work for Pacific's anthologies back in the day, and maybe some First stuff, too? No wonder I was getting deja vu.

Coagula's comment about the League reminds me of the huge dust-up around the Defenders when Cloud was on the team. That is: these people see extraordinary things all day long and don't blink, but gender variations knock them for a loop. It does seem kind of weird.

It's definitely weird, I agree. Which begs the question, which Leaguers would be most comfortable with Kate, and which would be most uncomfortable? If we go strictly by continuity, she would have applied for the League around the time of the "International League", which I wouldn't be entirely comfortable writing. On one hand, I can see Beatriz/Fire becoming Kate's friend right away and I always love writing Bea; on the other, I can see Guy being even more of a jackass than usual, to the point where I wouldn't be able to write any scenes with the two of them in the same room.

The more I think about it, I picture Bea suggesting Kate join the European branch of the League instead. Ralph & Sue would welcome her for sure.

As far as the classic League roster goes, I picture J'onn being the most comfortable with her, and Ollie taking the attitude of "I'm OK with whatever makes you happy." Somehow, I think the female Leaguers -- Diana, Dinah, and especially Zee -- would have the hardest time accepting her.

Re: Sutton, he did quite a bit of work for First, including taking over the art for John Ostrander's Grimjack after Tim Truman left due to burnout and conflicts with First editorial. Sutton had actually been around since the early 1970s, and Truman considered him one of his influences and was pleased that Sutton would be his replacement on Grimjack.

Since Ann Hebistand told me about this thread as an anniversary present, it would seem rude not to do something with it as a gift in return. The Justice League Apocrypha: JLA 1953 spin off thread can be found here.. With thanks to Anfie.

Re: Coagula joining the JLI...I think it'd kinda subvert expectations in a nice way if douchebro Booster Gold not only had no issue with her but couldn't even see why there WAS an issue; when he fought the Royal Flush Gang in his intro to the team he said there was gender equality in the 25th century so it'd be a nice followup on that. Ted I could see being a bit weirded out but quickly coming around to acceptance.

I think the ones who'd be 100% accepting and supportive would be J'onn, Fire and Ice, Ralph and Sue, Wonder Woman (after all, Coagula's just living her truth), Oberon, Captain Marvel, Dr Fate and let's face it, Maxwell Lord of that era would probably milk Coagula being the first transgender Leaguer for all the publicity he could get whether it was good or bad

On the other side of the fence: Hawkman, Guy, Captain Atom, Rocket Red, Dr Light, Power Girl of that era would DEFINITELY be a terf...I think Black Canary could go either way given how little depth she was being written with back then...Wally West was pretty obnoxious in his JLI days too so he'd probably be in this grouping.

The ones I'm not sure about: Scott and Barda, Metamorpho (I kinda feel like if Rex did accept Coagula it'd be in a "you're a freak like me" way which...isn't really helpful), Animal Man, Crimson Fox/es, Batman

It's an interesting characterisation experiment anyway!

In memory of Denny O'Neil. If you were a fan of his, and of the way he wrote Ollie Queen, please read (or re-read) "...Than to Curse the Darkness" and "Truly Super."

Thank you.

Coming Soon:

The JLA/JSA team-up from an alternate 1983:

"CRISIS 1,000 YEARS IN THE FUTURE"

(In this universe, the 1970s JLA/JSA/LSH team-up never happened.)

Hey, everybody,

How does this sound to you: an alternate 1996 where, instead of the full Big Guns lineup, we have Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Kyle,) Flash (Wally,) Darkstar (Donna,) Starfire (Kory,) Hawkman (his true identity will be the focus of an early storyline,) Obsidian, and Nuklon?

If there's enough interest, I might do this.

Go for it Fickles. Was that the period where Wonder WOman was Artemis and Batman was Azrael as well, or is that a different year?

Thanks, Thoth.

1996 was after Azbats and Wonder Artemis. It was right before the Big Guns relaunch (although, technically, JLA 1 came out at the end of 1996, with a cover date of January 1997.)

Thanks for clearing that up. I do have that run of JLA, with Obsidian and Nuklon in it. I must have read it at some point, but I'm pretty sure I got them out of a bargain comics warehouse years after the event.

Yeah. The art by Chuck Wojtkevich was nice, and the lineup had potential, but the stories were just not good. The writer couldn't settle on a consistent tone or find any real kind of direction. Much as I dislike the Big Guns Era, I do understand why that kind of stunt is necessary sometimes.

"EXTREME CRISIS"

(An untold alternate-timeline tale of the Big Guns JLA)

The surface of Earth's Moon was ominously still, as the stately Watchtower belonging to the Justice League practically vibrated from the tensions within its conference room.

Inside the room, the current lineup was gathered around the large table at its center: Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern (John Stewart,) Plastic Man, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. The ultimate fate of the team was about to be decided by these seven heroes -- whether or not to alter their Lucky Seven into an Extreme Eight, by officially bringing in ancillary member Green Arrow (Oliver Queen.) Finally, Batman spoke up.

"As chairman as the Justice League, it gives me great...*ahem*...pleasure to have the...*cough*...honor of inducting Green Arrow into full-time membership."

Muted, polite applause followed, while the enormous Cheshire Cat grin on Queen's face expressed his feelings better than any of the loud-mouthed gloating which his new teammates had been expecting.

"Before I declare this meeting adjourned, I must add that the decision was by a 4-to-3 vote," Batman's eyes then narrowed, until finally he hissed, "so watch your step, Queen! That is all."

Queen, now having shifted to a smug closed-mouthed smile, gave the most immodest shrug imaginable before standing up and heading for the door.

As he walked down the corridors to his intended destination of the transport device, Queen heard footsteps behind him. He already knew who it was, even before he heard Stewart's commanding baritone.

"Queen! Hey, Queen, wait up, will you?"

"For you, Stewart, I'll do anything." Queen replied with sarcasm.

"Glad to hear you say that!" Stewart barked back, "You owe me big time!"

"How's that?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Queen! Who's vote do you think was the tiebreaker?"

"Stewart, we both know that you just wanted to stop being the only old guy on the team. So, thanks heaps, and now if you'll excuse me..."

"I voted against you!"

"WHAT?"

Now it was Stewart's turn to sport a self-satisfied grin. "That's right, buddy. Which means you don't know jack about who wants you and who doesn't want you on the team!"

Queen grumbled incoherently as Stewart pressed on, "Therefore, I am appointing myself your official Justice League guardian, because I'm the only one who's not afraid to be upfront with you! Maybe then you won't blunder your way out of the team before the week is up. Got it?"

"Yeah, man. Put 'er there!" said an inexpressive-faced Queen as he offered his right hand to shake.

As the two men pumped each other's fists, Stewart was the first to notice a strange sight in the otherwise empty corridor. "Hey, what's this green haze that's all over us? Did you leave a lit joint in your pocket?"

"Very funny," growled Queen, "I have no idea what this weird smoke is, either!"

Without warning, the two heroes got their answer, and it was rude one indeed. Out of the thick, neon-green smoke emerged an unlikely duo: a surprisingly buff and confident Blue Beetle -- and right by his side, a tall, shapely woman wearing the Ace of Spades costume!

TO BE CONTINUED