Friday, April 25, 2008

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Justice League of America #63

Justice League of America #63 (On Sale: April 25, 1968) has a cover by Mike Sekowsky and George Roussos. There is just something about this cover that I have always loved and it must be the Superman figure that so dominates it.

"Time Signs a Death-Warrant for the Justice League" is by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and George Roussos. In a gambit set in motion during his initial encounter with the Justice League, the Key gives the super-heroes an irresistible command not to leave their headquarters for one hour, and at the end of that time to kill each other. They find themselves unable to leave the Secret Sanctuary, until Superman finds a way out, by time-traveling three years into the past, thus catapulting his past self into the future to take his place. The Superman-of-three-years-past is unaffected by the Key's command, and so is able to extricate his fellow members from their predicament by overpowering them all and forcing them out of the meeting room.

The entire team then battles the Key and his men, but as the one-hour deadline draws near, Superman is again forced to battle and defeat the other members, knocking them unconscious before they can carry out the Key's deadly orders and kill each other. Reprinted in Justice League of America Archives Vol. 8 HC.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

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