The Justice League Vs. Cary Bates, the Arch Fiend Who's Been Terrorizing the Earth

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your favorite fantasy world actually existed?

That the Doctor really does exist, travelling in space and time in the TARDIS?

Or a future where the Federation of Planets is real and there really is a starship Enterprise exploring new worlds and new civilizations?

What if there was a world where super heroes really exist? 

Back in the 1970s when I was a wee Dave-El, there were two issues of Justice League of America that brought that latter concept to life. In a most bizarre set of circumstances.

JLA#123 opens up at DC Comics where editor Julius Schwartz is complaining to Cary Bates and Elliot S. Maggin about their dearth of original ideas. 

“B.O. Schwartz, they called me! Be Original!”

While brainstorming for ideas, Maggin suggests doing something with the Cosmic Treadmill from the Flash. Bates tells Maggin that Schwartz actually has a Cosmic Treadmill. 

Whaaaatttt?!?!?!

The Cosmic Treadmill was a thingamabob the Flash used to travel through time and to other dimensions. 

Seems a few years back, the Flash got stuck on Earth Prime and with some help from Julius Schwartz, he was able to build  a treadmill to get back to Earth 1. Schwartz still has that treadmill. 

Cool!

OK, while I was young when I first read this, I was not so innocent to believe this is real. But there's that part of my imagination back then (and still today) that sparked to the idea, "What if Julius Schwartz really did have a Cosmic Treadmill in his office?" Squeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Bates reassembles the Cosmic Treadmill  which Maggin accidentally activates. Bates is zapped into the void between Earths where he is zapped by some kind of energy and materializes on Earth 2. Bates finds he has powerful psychic powers.

Also a propensity for evil. I think the "evil" is new.

He becomes a costumed super vilIain as he aids criminals to escape from the Justice Society.  And then do some criminal stuff himself because he has powers now.

Also he's evil. Now.  

With help from Julius Schwartz, Maggin uses the treadmill to zap himself to Earth 1. Maggin’s arrival on Earth 1 is inauspicious as he goes ker-plop into a large body of water.

Well, where there is a large body of water, there’s Aquaman who saves Maggin and agrees to take the hapless dimension hopping writer to meet the Justice League. The JLA naturally thinks Elliot S. Maggin is a goof ball and wonder why the hell Aquaman brought him along. Until the Flash vouches for Maggin and Earth Prime.

Really? They all look at each other and like, "This is a thing? A world where we're comic book characters? And Flash is OK with that? Really?" 

Over on Earth 2, Cary Bates attacks the Justice Society with evil plant monsters.

Yeah, evil plant monsters. Just deal, OK?

The Justice Society defeats the evil plant monsters but overwhelmed by a noxious odor. 

Yes, the Justice Society is defeated by a bad smell.

Perhaps Bates was thinking back to Julius Schwartz when he described himself as “B.O. Schwartz”.  

Back on Earth 1 where Cary Bates cannot be found, Batman concludes Bates is on Earth 2.

Of course Batman worked that out. He's Batman!

So the Justice League (with Maggin along for the ride) hop over to Earth 2 where the JLA encounter the Injustice Society of America. But when the villains are defeated and  unmasked, they are revealed to be the Justice Society! Oh no! 

And DEAD! Double OH NO!! 

The Justice League feel guilty for the deaths of the Justice Society and seek to take their place Earth 2.

Look, the JLA just punched them, OK? I'm not sure how that makes 'em dead. But they are dead.

Well, this has taken a dark turn. 

Meanwhile, Elliot Maggin finds out Cary Bates now has super powers. And is evil. (Again, we’re assuming Cary Bates was not evil before all this started.) 

Bates causes Maggin to be encased in a sphere formed from Maggin’s own words. In short, Elliot Maggin is trapped in a word balloon. 

It should be noted that whenever Bates and Maggin collaborated on a story, Bates focused on the plot and Maggin handled the script. So Maggin being done in by dialogue is pretty damn funny. 

By the way, how did Cary Bates come to have super powers? (Oh and I presume also become evil?  Assuming that part is new.)  It seems Bates’s status as a super powered villain is the result of a spell cast by the Wizard, an archmage and archnemesis of the Justice Society. 

Meanwhile, the Wizard and the assembled Injustice Society are attacking the Justice League who are a bit rattled because the last time the JLA fought the Injustice Society, it turned out to be the Justice Society and they’re dead. 

Because they killed them.

With punches. 

To make matters worse, Cary Bates is projecting ghosts of the Justice Society to further throw the JLA off their game.

Wow, there is a crap ton of stuff going on. Oh, how will we resolve this mess?

The Spectre shows up, appeals to God to bring the  Justice Society back to life.

God says, “Hey, why not?”

The Justice Society is back, they team up with the Justice League to kick the collective butts of the Injustice Society.

Meanwhile, Maggin will not shut the hell up!

So Maggin keeps talking and talking, growing the sphere to the point where Maggin can shove the sphere into Bates, knocking him unconscious.  

The Spectre (and his sidekick, God, the Omnipotent Wonder!) depart; their work here is done.

Johnny Thunder’s magical Thunderbolt counters the Wizard’s spell so Cary Bates is no longer super powered.

And, I’m guessing, no longer evil. 

Then T-bolt zaps Bates and Maggin back to Earth Prime with a kick ass story for the next issue of Justice League of America. Except they have a bit of a plot hole to deal with:   the Justice Society of America has no explanation for how they died and then were resurrected.

Maggin and Bates toss a variety of ideas to explain this ranging from silly to stupid while Julius Schwartz rolls his eyes in frustration. I mean, really. These guys! 

“B.O. Schwartz, they called me! Be Original!”

Coming up, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I'm afraid I may be in a bit of a snit about it. Batman and Robin will join in the fun. 

And on Saturday, the Seven Soldiers of Victory bring their strange adventures in the Land of Magic to an epic confrontation with the mystic imp behind it all.