My mission: to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were on stands in the week of January 3, 1985.
Crisis on Infinite Earths #1: The build-up with hints and teases regarding the Monitor finally pays off as the title originally advertised as DC Universe arrives. Wolfman gives us an extensive intro explaining the rationale for the project (fix/modernize DC's convoluted multiverse) and how it came to be. The story he and Perez give us this issue is mostly setup, though. It starts at the beginning of time, telling us that what was intended to be one universe got fractured into many. We meet Pariah who watches an Earth consumed by nothingness, unable to interfere or to die with it, before he is transported to another imperiled Earth. This is Earth-Three, world of the Crime Syndicate. Those villains, despite their vast powers, are unable to stop the spread of antimatter, but they die as heroes, at least. The world's sole superhero, Alexander Luthor, rockets his infant son to another Earth before he and his wife are destroyed.
The Monitor says the time is here, and sends forth his assistant Harbinger to select the champions they need: Solovar from the present of Earth-One, and Dawnstar from its future; Psycho-Pirate from Earth-Two's present, and Firebrand from the 1940s there; and Charlton's Blue Beetle makes his DC debut as he's recruited from Earth-Four. A Harbinger duplicate returns to Earth-One and collects Firestorm and (with the aid of Psycho-Pirate) Killer Frost. In the past, a Harbinger recruits Arion but becomes corrupted by a Shadow Demon.
The group is united at the Monitor's satellite, where their host steps out of the shadows and reveals himself at last.
Atari Force #16: Hannigan is on pencils this issue. Babe's foray against the ant creatures is successful, and Scanner One is able to break free and take off, but not before a few of the bugs get into the ship and start causing trouble. Luckily, Taz has her babies and tazlings have an inherent technical aptitude. They effect repairs and the ant-things are dealt with. Meanwhile, Dart is psychically contacted by Chris and the crew discovers that New Earth (and its universe) hasn't been destroyed after all.
DC Comics Presents #80: Kupperberg and Swan/Hunt present a very much in-continuity team-up, as the Lost Legionnaires step through a stargate and wind up in a Metropolis inhabited by a bunch of Supermen who are out to attack them. It all turns out to be an overelaborate plot by Brainiac to escape the extra-universal realm he's been imprisoned in and get the Legionnaires to kill the real Superman once he shows up. Things don't go his way, though.
Fury of Firestorm #34: Conway and Kayanan/Kupperberg open where last issue left off. After the shock of setting off LeFlambeau's trap, Firestorm rallies and uses his powers to save New York. Meanwhile, the lab accident at the end of last issue has created a new Killer Frost. Ronnie is just about to finally have a take with Doreen about the state of their relationship, when he's whisked away to confront her as Firestorm. He winds up getting trapped under a mass of ice for his trouble.
Jonni Thunder #2: The Thomases and Giordano/Esposito continue their superhero-detective hybrid story. Jonni is still trying to get all the players straight. She gets another visit from "Slim" Chance who wants the statue. That statue is stolen from her home, but Jonni tracks it to bottom-feeder P.I named Harrison Trump and his employer, a strip club owner called Red Nails--a woman who seems to know something of the mysterious Thunderbolt. In fact, even invoking the Thunderbolt may not save Jonni from Red Nails as she threatens to kill the P.I.'s unconscious body if Thunderbolt doesn't surrender.
Justice League of America #237: Conway and Patton/Maygar have Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman return to the destroyed JLA satellite with no idea what has happened. In a continuity puzzle, they just got back from the adventure that began in issue 231 back in July of '84. Anyway, a self-destructing Soviet spy satellite leads them to the USSR where they are beaten by the keytar stylings of the Maestro, a super-villain in the service of General Gorki, who plans to stage a coup. Meanwhile, the new League sends Steel, Elongated Man, and Dale Gunn ask Hank Heywood to use his CIA contacts to find out why the three heroes have gone to the Soviet Union, but Heywood's bigoted and reactionary ways lead to Steel throwing him out a window, so the new League is without leads.
Tales of the Teen Titans #52: Wolfman and Buckler/DeCarlo continue what now seems like a "backdoor pilot" for a Searchers, Inc. (the organization founded by Jericho's mother) series. While Jericho and Amber, one of his mother's agents, go to Qurac to free Adeline Wilson, there confronting Cheshire and President Marlo, in the primary story of the issue. Over Changeling's protests, the Titans agree not to intervene in the matter, and so are sidelined. Alerted by Lilith's precognition, they instead go to STAR Labs, where an explosion frees the cryogenically preserved alien, a winged man who instantly falls for Lilith.
Robotech Defenders #2: The issue opens with an editorial revealing that the planned 3-issue series is only going to be two, but this issue is 32 pages and without ads. Our heroes and their giant robots are ambushed by the more numerous Grelon force, supplied with tech by a mysterious faction. The defenders are defeated, and Silky, pilot of Aqualos, is killed. Malek is captured but discovers that pushing the big red button in the cockpit brings the robot to life. She relays this to the others, and the non-sentient robots are able to fight their way free. Regrouping, the robots reveal to their pilots that they were beings from the planet Technor who uploaded their minds into the robot bodies. They are opposing the energy vampire S'Landrai who are using the Grelons to acquire worlds to drain.
With the help of a rebellious Grelon commander, the robots and pilots fight back and defeat the S'Landrai and their Grelon pawns. The ending suggests other adventures to come, but of course they never materialized.
Superman: The Secret Years #3: Rozakis and Swan/Schaffenberger reveal the full story of the death of Billy Cramer, Superboy's new friend and confidante. He dies trying to save a baby that it turns out isn't even in danger, sure that Superboy will save him, but Superboy is busy elsewhere with an emergency. Clark's guilt is worsened because he had been cold to Billy and Pete in the aftermath of his breakup with Lori Lemaris. Superboy is shaken in confidence and doubting his mission.
Vigilante 16: Kupperberg does a fill-in with Saviuk/Maygar on art. In the last days (or so he thinks now), before he gives up his crimefighter identity, Vigilante takes on a highly organized gang who is derailing subway trains and robbing the occupants after they beat up Marcia. It turns out the mugging have only been cover for a bigger job: robbing the collections train. Vigilante foils the plot and brings the gange to justice.
Wonder Woman #324: Thanks to the alien machinations related to Trevor's new gremlin pal, Glitch, the U.S. and the Soviet Union move closer to nuclear confrontation. Gardner Grayle (last seen in DC Comics Presents #57) is troubled by visions of this happening and sees Wonder Woman's and Steve Trevor's actions as a trigger. As the Atomic Knight, he first battles them, then teams up with them to attempt to stop nuclear war, only to have the situation further complicated by the arrival of the alien Ytirflirks who want Glitch back.
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