Ferris Aircraft has a long history with Josiah Power, who kept them "out
of bankruptcy" during his days as a business lawyer (Power Co. #1).
Ferris Aircraft has long been at the forefront of aviation technology and suffered
more than its share of setbacks. In recent times, Carol Ferris has regained
control of the company (GL Secret Files #1) and the company's recent
achievements include their contribution to the new Blackhawk squadron (Superman:
Our Worlds At War Secret Files #1) and the launch of FerrisAir, a commercial
airline service (Young Justice #33).
Once, their most well-known test pilot was none other than Hal Jordan (Green
Lantern II). He and Carol
shared a longtime romantic relationship, despite her predisposition for turning
into his enemy, Star Sapphire II.
Agents of the government espionage organization, the American Security Agency,
the Force of July operated under the personal supervision of the ASA's
director, B. Eric Blairman. The ASA's purpose — to eliminate
all subversive activities contrary to the best interests of the United States— brought
the Force into repeated conflict with the group known as The
Outsiders,
whom the Force wrongly believed were subversive agents. Each member of the
Force possessed not only a unique super-power, but top government clearance
and virtual carte blanche to use any means necessary to achieve their
goals. Their members included:
Major Victory
Lady Liberty, a woman of French or Canadian origin, who channeled
her energy-manipulating powers through a vessel shaped like a torch
Major Victory (Bill Vickers), the group's leader, a man who drew
enormous strength and endurance from his battle suit. NOTE: Real name revealed Suicide Squad #35
Mayflower, a young woman possibly of English origin, who controlled
and accelerated the growth of vegetable life
Silent Majority, a taciturn man capable of producing identical replicas
of himself
and Sparkler, a young boy whose powers made him a human fireworks
display
Not truly villains, the Force's members were simply fanatic in their patriotism.
They did not realize that Blairman's motives were none-too-pure. Blairman had
birthed Project Orwell, whose satellite would have enabled him to spy on people
via their televisions. This brought the Force into conflict with the Outsiders,
who destroyed a satellite. Afterward, the Force was left under a mountain of
debris. (Batman & the Outsiders Annual #1)
They resurfaced again after having been captured by the Soviets. The Outsiders
traveled under Markovian protection to Moscow, and secured the release of
the Force. The Soviets' secret objective was to collect information on the
metahumans for the creation of their own super team. The results of this data
later culminated in the creation of the People's Heroes. (Outsiders
v.1 #4)
When the Psycho Pirate (in the guise of Baron Bedlam) took over Markovia,
he installed a puppet prime minister and allied with Abraham Lincoln Carlyle
— the new financier of the Force of July. The Infinity, Inc. member, Skyman,
was captured while visiting Markovia to scout movie locations. This prompted
a team-up of the Outsiders and Infinity, and the inevitable clash with the
Force of July. (Outsiders & Infinity Inc. Specials)
The Force made their last stand against the Suicide
Squad.
Mayflower and Sparkler were pronounced dead. The others were critically injured.
(Suicide Squad #27) The three survivors served on one
mission with the Suicide Squad (#29); Silent Majority
and Lady Liberty were both killed by Valland, an agent of Kobra. (#30) After
that, Major Victory continued to serve on the Squad. (#31-39) He
perished as well, as part of another suicide mission to stop Eclipso. (Eclipso
#13) The true identities and
origins of most of the Force of July were never revealed and their existence
was unknown to the general American public.
Recently, a government agency engineered
second (and third generation) operatives named Major
Victory, Lady Liberty and Silent Majority. This band was called Freedom's
Ring before being
absorbed by S.H.A.D.E. (Crisis
Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #1)
»
FIRST APPEARANCE: Batman
& the Outsiders Annual #1 (1984)
»
FEATURED APPEARANCES: Checkmate #18 • Infinity, Inc. Special #1 • Outsiders
v.1 #4 & Special #1 • Suicide Squad v.1 #27, 29-30. Major
Victory: Eclipso #13 • Suicide Squad v.1 #31-39
The Forgotten Heroes + Forgotten Villains
Parts adapted from Who's Who #8
The Forgotten Heroes were all once-prominent heroes who had stumbled
across identical ancient golden pyramids at various points around the and
inside the Earth, only to find themselves censured when they reported their
finds to the U.S. Government. Their careers for the most part ruined, with
nowhere else to turn, they all responded to a summons by the mysterious figure
known only as the Immortal Man, who explained to them that the pyramids
were part of a plan by his ages-old foe, the equally immortal Vandal Savage.
Under Immortal Man's direction, and with Superman's eventual aid, these
heroes managed to destroy the pyramids and save the world. At Immortal Man's
suggestion, the group decided to band together formally to protect the world
against menaces only their unique skills could hope to defeat. (Action
#552)
They soon encountered an organization of Forgotten
Villains who were attempting
to form a supernatural coalition that would dominate the universe.
At the core of the group was a triad of sorcerers whose combined might was
the focus of their plan:
The Enchantress, former heroine and foe of Supergirl. (Strange
Adventures #187,191,200, Superman Family #204) She had a variety of
potent magicks available to her. Speaking the name "Enchantress" would
transform her between being the heroine/villainess and her alter-ego, June
Moone. She appeared as a blonde woman in a gown-like costume for her one
chronicled adventure with the Forgotten Villains.
Kraklow, foe of Rip Hunter. (Rip Hunter... Time master
#28). Kraklow was a Polish sorcerer that Rip Hunter encountered on
a visit to the 18th Century. He, like the Enchantress, had various powerful
spells that he could use for various effects. He also used a "magic
clay" to transform people and animals into other creatures and control
them.
Yggardis, was a sentient living being with a command of sorcery
and wizardry. (Mystery in Space #60)
They were abetted by:
The Atom-Master, foe of Superman and Batman. (World's
Finest Comics #101) Atom-Master had a helmet that could create pretty
much anything out of thin air, from animate creatures to a winged back-pack
allowing him to fly.
The Faceless Creature/Hunter from Saturn was a towering alien who
menaced the Earth on several occasions. (Strange Adventures #124,142,153) Chun
Yull was from the world of Kalamar, which existed in an atom in the rings
surrounded the planet Saturn. He had the power to 'absorb all he touched
and turn it into a weapon of destruction' (i.e., touching the side of a mountain
and causing rocks to fly out of his other hand). After his last defeat at
the hands of his mortal enemy Klee Pan, he was imprisoned within the inescapable
Spheres of Light until the Enchantress used her magic to grant his freedom
in return for his help in traversing the stars.
Mr. Poseidon, foe of the Sea Devils. (Sea Devils
#2) He has pointed ears and wore a special set of rings
that enabled him to shrink in size as well as to control the final member
of the organization ...
Ultivac, a giant, near-indestructible robot whose "mind" contained
an arsenal of the most powerful weaponry ever devised.
He had previously battled the Challengers of the Unknown. (Showcase
#7) Poseidon claimed that Ultivac had the greatest computer mind
ever devised; it was super-strong, armed with a variety
of powerful weapons, including a vibration beam, and could fly.
Mr. Poseidon gained access to the Fortress of Science outside
of Metropolis and reactivated the giant robot known as Ultivac. The two flew
over Metropolis, attracting the attention of the Forgotten
Heroes, who were
attending a luncheon ceremony. Ultivac's weapons made short work of the seven
heroes, and they flew off to meet the Enchantress, who was working with Kraklow
to consolidate their lust for power.
At the same time, Atom-Master was robbing the Midtown Bank, drawing Superman's
attention. When Ultivac's sensors noted the power of Atom-Master's helmet,
Mr. Poseidon ordered Ultivac to bring him to their cavern
headquarters. The robot grudgingly complied, teleporting the fleeing criminal
just as Superman was about to capture him. Unfortunately for the villains,
the Man of Steel's super-vision was able to track the unique radiation of Atom
Master's helmet.
The Enchantress was
not pleased with Mr. Poseidon's recruit.
Atom Master was about to demonstrate his abilities for her when Superman crashed
into the cave. Mr. Poseidon immediately called on Ultivac to
attack the Kryptonian, and used his vibration beam to momentarily disorient
the hero, allowing the villains to make their escape.
Superman had heard Kraklow talking to the Enchantress about Rip
Hunter,
so he contacted the Forgotten Heroes. Believing that the villains had gone
back in time to join Kraklow, Superman joined the Heroes in Hunter's time bubble
for a trip into the past (stopping briefly to pick up Cave
Carson's Mighty
Mole). Immediately upon arriving, Superman was transformed into a giant green
dragon, courtesy of Kraklow's magic clay. Animal Man went out to confront the
changed Man of Steel, while the others retreated into the future to find some
sort of weapon to help their situation. Animal Man duplicated the Dragon's
powers and was able to knock Superman out. The heroes returned (after Congo
Bill used his magic ring to swap minds with Congorilla) with Dane
Dorrance of the Sea Devils, and the team set out to find a way into Kraklow's castle.
Animal Man, Dolphin, and Dorrance entered the castle via a river, while the
others traveled through the ground itself in Cave Carson's Mighty Mole.
As the Forgotten Heroes confronted Kraklow, the Superman Dragon also attacked
them. Rick Flagg grabbed the magic clay from Kraklow and tossed it into a lit
brazier, causing Superman to return to his normal form. Kraklow used magic
that the Enchantress had given him to transport all the heroes outside to battle
the Faceless Hunter of Saturn. The Hunter shot a hail of boulders
at the heroes, and Immortal Man was apparently killed protecting Dolphin. The
others managed to knock over the giant, and the Faceless Hunter explained how
he had gotten involved with the Forgotten Villains. He told them where the
sorcerous triad was to be completed that day, and about the third
member, Yggardis, the Sorcerers' Planet.
Immortal Man was resurrected, this
time in the body of a young boy. He led the team into deep space where they
detoured onto a water planet called Quaria. When Superman saw that
the closest path to Yggardis was through
a red star system, they enlisted the help of the Space
Cabby. (Mystery in Space #21,24,26-47)
Meanwhile, Kraklow, the Enchantress and Yggardis had begun a spell to give
them ultimate power. They directed their combined might at Space Cabby's and
caused it to crash-land and explode. Everyone got out safely and Space
Cabby managed to send out a distress signal before they went down. It attracted
the attention of the Pioneer and it's captain, Chris
KL-99. (Strange
Adventures #1-3,5,7,9,11,15). Chris, with his assistants Halk and Jero,
beamed Superman and the Forgotten Heroes onboard. "The Columbus of Space" then
volunteered to fly them to their destination.
The Pioneer was entwined by Yggardis and Superman allowed
a tentacle directly to the sorcerors. Forgetting his weakness to magic, the
Forgotten Heroes again rushed to his rescue. Meanwhile, the Enchantress and
Kraklow were using their newfound supreme powers to inflict misery in their
own homes. The Atom-Master and Mr. Poseidon watched as the Enchantress
slipped into madness, and Atom-Master used his helmet to create a giant being
to attack her. Mr. Poseidon also commanded Ultivac to attack her, causing her
to lose her concentration at "the most important
moment."
Chris KL-99 freed his ship by using the Pioneer to heat up the surface of Yggardis. Their efforts broke up the
triad and returned everything to normal. The Enchantress teleported
away and the Forgotten Heroes used Rip Hunter's time bubble to discover that
Kraklow's laboratory was destroyed. (DC
Comics Presents #77-78)
While the other villains were taken into custody, the Enchantress made good
her escape. She must have been captured eventually, because she next turned
up as an unwilling agent of Task Force X. Her
alter ego, June
Moone, was still aligned with the good guys, and she became one of Amanda
Waller's first Suicide Squad members. (Legends)
Notes
The DCCP story can be
considered one of the few direct lead-ins to the Crisis
on Infinite Earths limited series.
Post-Crisis
The Forgotten Heroes remained together, agreeing that membership in the group
would be voluntary. After the Immortal Man's disappearance during the Crisis, Cave
Carson assumed
leadership and the team went underground. The Forgotten Heroes reemerged to
rescue the Resurrection Man (Mitch Shelley, whom they believed was the
reincarnation of Immortal Man) and fight Vandal Savage yet again. Along with
Animal Man were new members the Ray, Vigilante, Ballistic and Fetish. (R.M.
#24-27)
At this time it was revealed that the Forgotten Villains
had acted as agents of Vandal Savage. Savage was an ancient enemy of
the Forgotten Heroes' leader, the Immortal Man. Under Savage, the Villains
returned once more, squaring off against the new Forgotten Heroes in
the Pliocene era. There, Vandal Savage searched for another fragment of the
primordial meteor that powered both him and the Immortal Man. Animal Man occupied
the Faceless Hunter, with a stampeding herd of wooly mammoths, while Rip Hunter
used his time technology to give himself the upper hand against Kraklow. Congorilla
faced off against both Atom Master and Ultivac, diverting attention away from
a rearguard strike by Dorrance. Carson, Flagg, and Dolphin were inundated by
a blizzard from the Enchantress, but Dolphin's ability to hold her breath under
the snow allowed her to knock the villainess out.
Immortal Man proceeded to a cave by some hot springs where he caught Vandal
Savage off-guard before he had obtained the meteor fragment. Immortal Man was
attacked by a giant sabretooth tiger, and used the power of the fragment to
save himself. Unfortunately, this left Savage with an opportunity to attack,
and he knocked his ancient foe unconscious and took the fragment. (Resurrection
Man #25)
Carson kept the Heroes afloat until his bank account went dry. He then went
to work for Lexcorp but uncovered certain ecological transgressions. He took
the story to Clark Kent who, as Superman, dealt with the problem. (Superman:
Man of Steel #120)
Rip Hunter later became one of the Linear
Men.Rick Flag, who was originally a government plant in the group (Secret
Origins #14), became the field leader of the revived Suicide Squad. (S.S.
#26)
The Faceless Hunter returned with another of his race, Gorr
Num to attempt to collect a bounty on Earth's Green Lantern (Hal
Jordan). (Green
Lantern v.3 #14-17)
Notes
In the Resurrection
Man tale, the Enchantress also appeared in her original costume for
this adventure, rather than the gown and blonde hair she sported in DC
Comics Presents. Also, the flashback omitted
Mr. Poseidon.
