Wanted TPB: The Pre-Crisis Global Guardians

 

Writer:Various  
Artist: Various  
Publisher: DC Comics (1977 & 1985)  
Includes: The Super Friends #7-9, 12, 13, 25, 37, 40, 41-47, DC Comics Presents #46, and
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #9.

Dork Note: Let me start off by saying this is probably the worst idea for a TPB. It would barely have a coherent story, BUT to have all the snippets/appearances of the Global Guardians, from their first appearance in Super Friends to their pre-crisis conclusion in DC Presents would kind of rock! When I first read DC Presents #46; which featured the Global Guardians, I was fascinated by the idea of international heroes. Heroes from Greece, Japan, and Ireland that existed in the DC-verse seemed cooler then normal. Why these international heroes interested me? Maybe it was the fact there was little to their back stories; which left it wide open to the imagination. Or perhaps I read this story at a time where I started to realize that there was a bigger world outside my little corner. But whatever the reason it would be cool to have these bits and pieces in one place to read.

Global Guardians History: The characters that would form the Global Guardians first appeared in the Super Friends comic book series. The first were introduced in a story (in Super Friends #7-9) in which an alien villain called Grax (an old Superman foe) planted bombs on Earth's seven continents to destroy it. Thanks to a warning from the Wonder Twins (in their first comic book appearance) the Justice League discovered the plan in time and recruited the heroes of the countries affected to find the bombs before they exploded.

These international heroes would later appear in other issues of Super Friends. However, it wasn't until DC Comics Presents #46 (June 1982) that they were introduced as a team, in a story in which they helped Superman to stop an evil Atlantean sorcerer named Thaumar Dhai. This is also considered to be these characters' first canonical appearance in the DC Universe.
Global Guardians Founding Members (Post-Crisis Descriptions):
Doctor Mist (Nommo of Kor, Africa): An ancient African sorcerer who served as the leader of the Global Guardians. He lived for 11,000 years and formed an older incarnation of the team. A robotic clone was created when at one time in the past he disappeared. Later on, he was found by Jack O'Lantern and Owlwoman alive in a dungeon. With his help, the heroes reunited with the Global Guardians. An eternal, Mist's physical body was supposedly slain by an ancient occult force. Nonetheless, he did turn up alive and seemingly well after the Zero Hour crisis. At this time he formed a new team of heroes known as Primal Force. He was killed after being thrown into a pool of acid by the evil Mordru.

The Little Mermaid (Ulla Paske of Denmark): A teenage hero born from a Danish lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean woman. Her first mission was to help Aquaman dismantle a bomb in Atlantis. Later on, she helped Aquaman defeat Sinestro and Superman find an ancient ruin. She took part in helping the Atlantean heroes in the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over. Later on, she was one of many Global Guardians brainwashed by the Queen Bee of Bialya, she seemingly died in battle with the Justice League. She later resurfaced, claiming that the woman killed in combat had been an evil clone created by the Queen Bee after Ulla had escaped captivity. She, or perhaps a successor, was later seen as a member of the Ultramarine Corps.

Jack O'Lantern (Daniel Cormac of Ireland): A poor farmer who was granted a magic lantern by an Irish fairy. His first recorded mission was to help Green Lantern dismantle a bomb in Ireland. He also helped Superman find an ancient ruin in Ireland. He helped heroes from Ireland and England save the world in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. While the Justice League became the world's greatest heroes, Jack left the Global Guardians and joined Rumaan Harjavti's army in Bialya. After Harjavti was killed by the Queen Bee of Bialya, Jack voluntarily joined forces with the villainess in taking over the world. He was left dying in a sewer after a battle with the Justice League. However, he was found alive by his girlfriend Owlwoman and the two heroes found Doctor Mist. They took a major part in reuniting the Global Guardians. Afterwards, Jack died of natural causes. The second Jack O'Lantern was actually a man named Marvin Nirosa from Bialya. He was killed by Owlwoman after she learned the truth. The third Jack was Daniel Cormac's cousin Liam McHugh. McHugh became a member of the now disbanded Primal Force, and is currently a member of the Ultramarine Corps.

Owlwoman (Wenonah Littlebird of Oklahoma, United States): A full-blooded Native American from Oklahoma who represents the Cherokee tribe. She was first seen helping Hawkman and his wife Hawkwoman dismantle a bomb in the darkness of an Oklahoma field. She also took part in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. After her boyfriend Jack O'Lantern left the Global Guardians, Owlwoman went to Bialya and joined the Queen Bee's army. The two ex-Global Guardians helped the Queen Bee take over the world. Jack O'Lantern and Owlwoman helped the Queen Bee brainwash the other Global Guardians into serving her. In a battle with the Justice League, Owlwoman betrayed her teammates and killed an impostor Jack O'Lantern. She found the real Jack O'Lantern alive in a dungeon, as well as Doctor Mist. The three heroes later reunited the Global Guardians. After a battle with Doctor Mist's old foe, Fain Y'onia, Owlwoman was one of the few remaining Global Guardians to survive and reformed the Global Guardians.

Rising Sun (Izumi Yasunari of Japan): A Japanese solar physicist who is a founding member of Big Science Action, and a longtime member of the Global Guardians. His first known mission was to help Atom dismantle a bomb in Japan. He later helped Robin defeat a villain and Superman find a piece of ancient armor. He helped save Japan in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and helped Artemis save her parents Huntress and Sportsmaster with the help of Infinity Inc.. The Japanese hero volunteered to help the Queen Bee battle the Justice League in Germany. He fell into a coma for a while. As soon as he woke up, he returned to active duty with the Global Guardians. After a few battles with his teammates, Izumi secretly betrayed them and helped fellow Japanese hero Doctor Light battle a horde of Bialyan soldiers. Afterwards, he found Doctor Mist, Jack O'Lantern, and Owlwoman together and he helped the three heroes reform the Global Guardians. During the battle with Fain Y'onia, Rising Sun was one of the few Global Guardians to survive and he helped re-establish the Global Guardians.

Tasmanian Devil (Hugh Dawkins of Australia): A former engineer and drama coach who was cursed by a tasmanian devil. He helped Green Arrow dismantle a bomb in Australia and fought a mind-controlled Robin, who was protesting to Australian youths. After the disbanding of the Global Guardians, Tasmanian Devil helped found the Justice League International embassy in Australia. He learned his fellow Global Guardians were brainwashed by the Queen Bee and he wanted to help reform the group. He later joined Doctor Mist, Jack O'Lantern, Owlwoman, Rising Sun, and Seraph in retrieving the Global Guardians. Afterwards, Tasmanian Devil returned to the Justice League. Later, he had a brief stint as a member of the Ultramarine Corps. He has recently joined the newest incarnation of the Global Guardians. He was later skinned by the villain Prometheus, but was restored by a Lazarus Pit. One of the few openly gay superheroes, he is dating Starman Mikaal Tomas.

Seraph (Chaim Lavon of Israel): A Jewish school teacher who was granted biblical powers. He helped Superman dismantle a bomb in Israel and free the Wonder Twins after they were brainwashed. He had a few missions as a solo fighter. As a Global Guardian, he helped Superman retrieve an ancient artifact. He remained on the team for a few years, but declined an offering from the Queen Bee of Bialya, since he was Jewish and Bialya was a Muslim state. For a while, Seraph fought solo, trying to think of ways to revive the Global Guardians. Finally, Doctor Mist called him to Bialya to rescue the Global Guardians. The mission was successful. After a battle with Doctor Mist's enemy Fain Y'onia, Seraph helped Rising Sun, Owlwoman, and Olympian create the New Global Guardians, placing himself as leader.

Tuatara (Jeremy Wakefield of New Zealand): A youthful hero who can predict the future with the help of a third eye. His first mission was to help the Red Tornado dismantle a bomb into the Prehistoric Era. He also helped the Super Friends fight a time menace. A few years later, Tuatara was brainwashed, along with Rising Sun and Wild Huntsman, into serving the Queen Bee of Bialya. In a battle with the Justice League in England, Tuatara slipped into a coma. He was later restored and brought back to action. His last known mission was the battle of Fain Y'onia, where he suffered brain damage. He is now in a coma and is tended by his teammate, the Seraph.

Thunderlord (Liang Xih-k'ai of Taiwan): A Buddhist monk who uses his voice like a sound wave. He helped the Black Canary dismantle a bomb on the island of Taiwan. Later on, he assisted the brothers Thunder and Lightning in Vietnam during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Later on, Thunderlord joined the other Global Guardians as pawns of the Queen Bee. Like the other brainwashed Global Guardians, Thunderlord rejoined the Global Guardians, but he died at the hands of Fain Y'onia.

Olympian (Aristides Demetrios of Greece): A hefty Greek punk who wears the Golden Fleece, which grants him strength. He helped Wonder Woman battle Colonel Conquest in Greece, where a bomb was supposed to be hidden. Later on, he helped Superman twice. The Greek hero later met Fury of Infinity Inc.. When he heard his fellow members were to be supported by the Bialyan dictator Queen Bee, Olympian joined up. After the Queen Bee died, a successor arrested him for schizophrenia. He later reunited with the other Global Guardians and remained a member since, even after a battle with Fain Y'onia. He was romantically attracted to Godiva. He was seen amongst the Ultramarines alongside Jack O'Lantern and Kid Impala. His most recent appearance was in the Wonder Girl mini-series as the guardian of Cassandra Sandsmark and her mother Helena, a position appointed to him by Zeus.

Godiva (Dorcas Leigh of England): A beautiful English socialite whose power resided in the manipulation of her hair. She had a romantic relationship with Aristides Demetrios. Her first mission was to safeguard the people living and working near London from a bomb, a mission in which she assisted the Elongated Man. Her greatest foe proved to be the Queen Bee, then dictator of Bialya, who successfully brainwashed the heroine along with other heroes. It appeared that Godiva lost her powers after a battle with Fain Y'onia, and that she had since retired from action. After the Infinite Crisis she was seen in a S.T.A.R. Labs hospital, the victim of organ-napping - the body part in question being her hair.

Impala (M'Bulaze of South Africa): A Zulu warrior who was politically minded. He helped the Flash dismantle a bomb in South Africa, and joined forces with other African heroes in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. He, along with other Global Guardians, was brainwashed by the Queen Bee of Bialya. After coming to his senses and being rescued by other former Global Guardians, Impala lost his powers to Fain Y'onia, and he later died at Roulette's house of games. His successor, Kid Impala joined the Ultramarines.

Wild Huntsman (Albrecht von Mannheim of Germany): A re-incarnation of a German warrior, who is allied by a horse (Orkan) and a hound (Donnerschlag). His first known mission was helping the Wonder Twins find a villain. He was later brainwashed by the Queen Bee of Bialya and with his allies Rising Sun and Tuatara, he fought the Justice League and slipped into a coma, along with horse and canine. He later woke up and rejoined his teammates. A few years later, he disappeared in battle with Fain Y'onia. Whether the Huntsman was dead or alive was initially unknown. Years later his corpse turned up in Belle Reve in the pages of John Ostrander's Suicide Squad. His body mysteriously appeared within one of the prison cells, prompting the Bell Reve-based Suicide Squad to participate in the War of the Gods storyline. A second Wild Huntsman made an appearance in Red Robin #3.

Bushmaster (Bernal Rojas of Venezuela): A reptilologist who invented gadgets that mimic the abilities of reptiles, past and present. He helped Batman and Robin dismantle a bomb in Venezuela and capture a villain. Along with other Global Guardians, he was brainwashed by the Queen Bee of Bialya. Once he snapped out of it, he returned to the Global Guardians, but was killed by Fain Y'onia.

Fire (formerly Green Fury and Green Flame) (Beatriz da Costa of Brazil): As a Global Guardian, Green Fury fought Superman in her native Brazil. She later helped the Super Friends on several missions. When an old foe of Doctor Mist lost his armor, Green Fury helped Superman retrieve the armor. She later changed her name to Green Flame and worked on a case with Infinity Inc. before joining the Justice League. Fire is now a member of the UN sponsored organization Checkmate.

Icemaiden (Sigrid Nansen of Norway): As a Global Guardian, Icemaiden helped the whole Justice League of America dismantle a bomb in Antarctica. Before she joined the Justice League, she worked on a case with Infinity Inc. Icemaiden is also one of the few bisexual heroines in the DCU. She quit the Guardians shortly after a second Icemaiden (who had true magical ice powers) joined the team. She later joined the Justice League after the second Icemaiden (then renamed Ice) died in battle. Following the events of One Year Later Sigrid was seen in a forced hibernative state brought about by having had her skin flayed off by metahuman organ thieves. Her current status is unknown.