Justice League of America #1 is an issue of the series Justice League of America (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1960.
Synopsis for "The World of No Return!"
While out on a drive, Barry Allen investigates a strange blue glow coming from a house, and ends up encountering Jasonar and Saranna, beings from Kalanor a planet in another dimension. Changing into the Flash, Barry learns that these aliens have escaped Kalanor, which has been under the rule of Despero, a despotic ruler who has access to super weapons. Jasonar and Saranna came to Earth to build a device which would absorb Kalanor's weapons' power source. Offering to help, the Flash calls the Justice League together for a meeting in order to help Jasonar and Saranna in their mission to stop Despero.
When Saranna is kidnapped by Despero, Flash rushes to the JLA headquarters to find the rest of the team under Despero's power. Despero offers the Flash a chance to save his friends by planning a version of chess which involves using cards to move the pieces. Each chess piece represents a different JLA member, if they land on a free square each member is set free and Despero will leave Earth and give up his conquest. However, if the pieces were to land on a disaster square, the Flash would have to leave Despero alone to complete his conquest of Kalanor.
Flash eventually loses due to Despero's tampering and is forced to leave in Jasonar's dimensional traveler, while each JLA member was transported to a different world. As Despero gloats over his victory, he is totally unaware that the he has been observed by Snapper Carr.
While in the furthest reaches of the universe pairs of JLA members escape from their various perils: Wonder Woman and Superman escape from a world of primordial creatures resembling the dinosaurs of prehistoric Earth; Green Lantern and Aquaman save an aquatic planet from a super weapon before escaping in a glass submarine lent to them by the indigent population; J'onn J'onzz and Batman save another planet from being destroyed as a missile streaks towards the planet's nearby star. Afterwards, all the JLA members reunite and are determined to track down and stop Despero.
Meanwhile, Jasonar had completed his energy absorber weapon to use against Despero, but the villain shows up and uses his powers to immobilize Jasonar. When all seems lost, Snapper emerges from Despero's dimensional transporter (having stowed himself away on it) and uses the energy absorber on Despero, rendering him inert. The Justice League arrives shortly after to find that the villain had been defeated by their honorary member. Jasonar thanks the JLA for their help (who also congratulate Snapper) and Jasonar returns to his home dimension with the inert Despero.
Appearing in "The World of No Return!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Despero (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jasonar (Single appearance) (an alien from Kalanor)
- Saranna (Single appearance) (Jasonar's daughter)
Locations:
- Kalanor
- Metropolis
- New York City
- Rhode Island
- Thanakon (Single appearance)
- Narx (Single appearance)
Items:
- Green Lantern Ring
- Lasso of Truth
- Bracelets of Submission
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
- Justice League Signal Device
- Energy-Absorbing Machine (Single appearance)
Vehicles:
- Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet
- Thanakonian Underwater Vehicle (Single appearance)
- Narx Spaceship (Single appearance)
Notes
- The cover art is homaged in:
- Justice League America #61 (April 1992). - This issue is reprinted in Justice League of America (Volume 1) #58 and Justice League of America Archives, Volume 1.
- In the Post-Crisis version of this storyline, Batman and Superman are not full-time members of the Justice League. Black Canary replaced the role of Wonder Woman in Post-Crisis continuity, but Wonder Woman's status as a founding member of the League was retroactively reinserted into the canonical history following the events of Infinite Crisis.
- This issue went on sale August 25, 1960, according to an advertisement found in Green Lantern (Volume 2) #3.
Trivia
- The numbering for this issue is located on the interior insignia only and does not appear on the cover.
- Although this is the first issue of the series, this is not the first appearance of the Justice League. They appeared first in The Brave and the Bold #28 and last appeared in The Brave and the Bold #30. The origin of the team won't be revealed until Justice League of America #9.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Justice League Recommended Reading
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 2)
- Justice League of America (Volume 3)
- Justice League of America (Volume 4)
- Justice League of America (Volume 5)
- JLA (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 2)
- Justice League (Volume 3)
- Justice League (Volume 4)
- Justice League International (Volume 1)
- Justice League International (Volume 2)
- Justice League International (Volume 3)
- Justice League Europe (Volume 1)
- Justice League America (Volume 1)
- Justice League Task Force (Volume 1)
- Justice League Quarterly (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 2)
- Extreme Justice (Volume 1)
- Justice League Elite (Volume 1)
- Justice League Odyssey (Volume 1)