The Golden Age of the JSA Trivia Quiz

Answer:

There were eight original members of the Justice Society of America - the first ever superhero team - all of whom had made their initial individual appearances in various DC comics titles within the year prior. Six more heroes became official members, and there were also a number of honorary members, that I have not included in this quiz. Most notable among these was Wonder Woman, who 'joined' the group only in the capacity of a secretary, beginning with "All Star Comics" #11 (June, 1942).

The 'mystery men' came together for a secret meeting in "All Star Comics" #3, and each founding member tells of their most exciting adventure... until the group learns of a situation developing in Washington, D.C. - and the team's story continues in future issues.

The founding members of the JSA from that first issue were:

Sandman (Wesley Dodds) - first appearance in "Adventure Comics" #40 (July, 1939). He had no superpowers, but uses a gas gun to compel villains to tell the truth and to induce sleep (and wears a gas mask as part of his ensemble).

The Flash (Jay Garrick) - first appearance in "Flash Comics" #1 (January, 1940). This well-known hero was able to run at supersonic speeds and vibrate through objects.

Hawkman (Carter Hall) - first appearance in "Flash Comics" #1 (January, 1940). Hawkman was a reincarnated Egyptian prince with wings made of Nth metal. His powers included flight, enhanced strength, and mastery of weapons.

The Spectre (Jim Corrigan) - first appearance in "More Fun Comics" #52 (February, 1940). He was a spirit of vengeance with godlike powers of intangibility, reality manipulation, and near-omnipotence.

Hourman (Rex Tyler) - first appearance in "Adventure Comics" #48 (March, 1940). The name 'Hourman' came from the drug 'Miraclo' that he created, which gave him an hour's worth of super strength, speed, and endurance.

Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson) - first appearance in "More Fun Comics" #55 (May, 1940). He was a master of sorcery and mysticism, wielding the 'Helmet of Nabu' that granted him powers of flight, invulnerability, telekinesis, and spellcasting.

Green Lantern (Alan Scott) - first appearance in "All-American Comics" #16 (July, 1940). He wore a magical power ring fueled by a mystical green flame, which gave him powers of flight, the ability to create energy constructs, and limited invulnerability.

The Atom (Al Pratt) - first appearance in "All-American Comics" #19 (October, 1940). At the beginning of his tenure with the team, he was simply a strong athlete and boxer, but he later developed super strength and atomic-powered punches.

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Six other members joined the group (while some others left) during the subsequent eleven years:

Starman (Ted Knight) - first appearance in "Adventure Comics" #61 (April, 1941). He joined the JSA in "All Star Comics" #6 (August, 1941) at the same time that Hourman left the group. Starman used a gravity rod (later cosmic rod) to manipulate energy, fly, and project force blasts.

Dr. Mid-Nite (Charles McNider) - first appearance in "All-American Comics" #25 (April, 1941). He joined the JSA in "All Star Comics #8 (December, 1941) at the same time that Spectre left the group. Although he was blind in daylight, Dr. Mid-Nite could see perfectly in the dark. His was also a skilled surgeon and tactician, and used blackout bombs to blind opponents (while he could still see).

Johnny Thunder - first appearance in "Flash Comics" #1 (January, 1940) - joined the JSA in "All Star Comics" #11 (June, 1942). Johnny Thunder was there when the group formed, but did not officially take membership until Sandman left the group. For his power, he commanded a magical thunderbolt genie, but often misused the power through his own bumbling nature.

Wildcat (Ted Grant) - first appearance in "Sensation Comics" #1 (January, 1942). Wildcat joined the JSA in "All Star Comics" #15 (February, 1943) at the same time the Green Lantern left the group. Another member without powers, he was nevertheless a champion boxer with peak human conditioning. Later in his life (after the Golden Age), he was known to have 'nine lives.'

Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane) - first appearance in "Sensation Comics" #1 (January, 1942). He joined the JSA in "All Star Comics #21 (June, 1944) as Johnny Thunder ended his short tenure on the team. Mr. Terrific was known for his genius intellect as a master of multiple disciplines, not to mention his Olympic-level athletic abilities.

Black Canary (Dinah Drake) - first appearance in "Flash Comics" #86 (August, 1947). She became the first official female member of the JSA in "All Star Comics #27 (December, 1945), joining as Dr. Fate left. While she became known for her 'canary cry' power in later years, she had not yet developed that skill in the Golden Age. Instead, she was merely an expert martial artist, skilled at hand-to-hand combat.