Published in June 1972 (with a cover date of August) the above issue of Justice League of America (cover by Nick Cardy) was my first and the tenth JLA/JSA “crossover” which as luck would have it also coincided with the 100th anniversary issue of the JLA. The story “The Unknown Soldiers of Victory” written by Len Wein and drawn by Dick Dillin and Joe Giella was the first part of a 3 part story arc that would take place over issues 100-102. JLA issue 100 has remained one of my all time favourite US comics since the day I first purchased it in my local newsagents after school on a rainy afternoon in November 1972. After all these years I can still remember the excitement of seeing that cover on the spinner rack sporing the banner "33 heroes" many of them being characters I had never seen before. I was in fanboy heaven!
The story itself revolves around the 100th meeting of the JLA where the members are holding a special gathering. However no sooner does the meeting start than they are summoned to Earth 2 by the Justice Society of America to assist them in battling a giant hand that is about to crush their planet. Struggling to win the batttle Dr Fate contacts Oracle, a cosmic entity who informs them that the only way to defeat the giant hand is for them to find the Seven Soldiers of Victory as only they can defeat the menace. As the Seven Soldiers of Victory have been disbursed over various time periodsof Earth’s pasts the Oracle transports the JLA/JSA in teams of three to find the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.
This was a pretty special issue packed with golden age heroes many of whom I had never heard of before but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them illustrated by (then) modern artists.
The story would continue in issues 101 and 102 which to this day I have still not managed to read. One day I will track down those 2 issues and find out how it all ends. I do know that the Red Tornado plays a major role having read
JLA issue 106.
Covers from DC Wiki
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