DC Teams: A

The Allies

Created by Roy Thomas

This band of young heroes first appeared on a morale boosting mission to the United States in 1942. They were inadvertently involved in one of the All-Stars' cases when Axis Amerika attempted to steal plutonium from Albert Einstein and his colleagues in St. Louis. (Young All-Stars #22-26)

Each member hailed from a country allied with the U.S. during World War II:

• Fireball (Sonya Chuikov) was from Russia. She was born to a pair of Soviet scientists in 1922. In 1908, they had investigated the mysterious Tunguska fireball that struck central Siberia, and apparently their exposure to its aftermath had a mutagenic effect on Sonya. Soon after she was born, her wrists burst into a cool, non-burning flame. the flame could heat up and cover her entire body at times when she became angry or upset. As she grew, she learned to control the fire, being able to hurl firebolts and fly for short distances. Josef Stalin made her a ward of the state, and she was drawn into the War when her village was attacked by Nazi planes. Her family was killed and she almost died herself, from wounds she received while destroying some of the planes.
• Kuei (real name unrevealed) was a Chinese hero born in 1922, in Shanghai. He learned English at university and then became a soldier. When his entire regiment was slaughtered by enemy troops, he was injured so severely that he threw himself into a nearby river to escape the pain by drowning himself. As he was dying, he saw a Japanese soldier peering down from the edge of the water, and he instinctively reached out to save himself. He grasped the soldier with the hand of a demon, and killed him. He had become a "kuei," which was, according to Chinese legend, the soul of someone who drowned or tried to commit suicide and cannot attain a further incarnation. Such a person would instead walk the Earth as a powerful and dangerous spirit.

     

• Phantasmo (Jean-Marc de Villars) was a Frenchman descended from an earth elemental and a human man. He could pass through solid objects and was immune to objects like common metals, which come from the earth. Though he has not appeared since 1942, his postwar activities have been hinted at (Teen Titans Spotlight #11). NOTE: This character was Thomas' homage to writers Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier. "De Villars" is the name of a Catholic priest, the author of Comte de Gabalis.
• The Squire (Percy Sheldrake) was the English apprentice of the Shining Knight. After the War, Sheldrake took the code name of The Knight, and his son Cyril became the second Squire. In the 1950s, he was among the founders of the Dome. (Infinity, Inc. #34) Percy was ultimately killed by his arch-enemy, Springheeled Jack. Cyril succeeded him afterward, as the Knight II, but it's been mentioned that he too spent some time in a coma, perhaps from the same attack. The Knight shares a camaraderie with Batman; he is referred to as the "English Batman" and his helmet is modeled after Batman's cowl. The new Squire (III) is Beryl Hutchinson, a young girl talented with all forms of communication. (JLA #26)

Kuei's monstrous appearance led American police to attack him as he deplaned at their first War Bond Rally. Luckily, the Young All-Stars were on hand to calm things down. The young heores were unable to stop Axis Amerika's Kamikaze and Sea Wolf from kidnapping three scientists (including Werner Heisenberg) from Le Conte University.

Meanwhile, Fireball accompanied Iron Munro to New York City's Columbia University, where they were attacked by Übermensch and Gudra. She was left for dead but returned to the All-Star Squadron's Perisphere for help. She and the Atom set out to rescue Munro and some scientists from a hidden laboratory in Kansas. There, the scientists had been put by Baron Blitzkrieg into a strange apparatus that would harness their intellects and detonate a plutonium device. With much effort, the Young All-Stars and Allies managed to drive off Axis Amerika, free the scientists, and avert disaster.

The War Bond Drive was cancelled after those events, and the Allies returned to her homelands.

The Squire was the only hero to be featured in any capacity after this story.

» FIRST APPEARANCE:

• Squire: Batman #62 (Jan. 1951)
• Others: Young All-Stars #22 (Jan. 1989).

» FEATURED APPEARANCES: Young All-Stars #22–27

All-Star Squadron

Created by Roy Thomas & Jerry Ordway

The All-Star Squadron was a group which included virtually every working super-hero and mystery man active during World War II.

» SEE: All-Star Squadron 

The Amazons

In the heyday of the ancient Greeks, circa 1200 BCE, the Greek goddesses Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Hestia, and Demeter created a new, all-female race of Amazons. This race was populated by women who'd died unjustly. Their souls were stored by these goddesses in the Well of Souls, awaiting a new home.

Led by Queen Hippolyta, they began wandering the ancient world, where they met with Zeus' son, Heracles. Heracles tricked and betrayed the Queen then humiliated her. After Hippolyta staged a revolt and free her sisters, the goddesses transported the Amazons to the island of Themyscira (also known as Paradise Island), where they would have no further contact with "Man's World" for more than 3,000 years. While on Themyscira, the Amazons were granted the gift of immortality. (Wonder Woman vol. 2 #1)

The Lost Tribe of Amazons — Bana-Mighdall

Bana-Mighdall history is borrowed from Wikipedia.

Three-thousand years ago, the two Amazon Queens (Hippolyta and Antiope) split the Amazon nation in two. Hippolyta's tribe traveled to the isolated island of Themyscira to live immortal lives and protect the doorway to the Underworld called Doom's Doorway. Antiope's tribe was never given immortality and was forced to mate with common men in order to guarantee their tribe's survival. They migrated from Greece to various European and Middle Eastern countries before finally settling in Egypt.

When they split from their sisters, Antiope's tribe renounced the Olympian gods and they began worshipping the goddesses of other religions from where they traveled. It was in Egypt that they finally built the city of Bana-Mighdall, which in their language translates to "The Temple of Women." Like their forebears, these new patron goddesses also hid their Amazon worshippers by creating a permanent sandstorm to surround and protect their city from outsiders.

In the 20th century the Amazon Princess, Diana of Themyscira (Wonder Woman), accidentally found the city of Bana-Mighdall while searching for the villain the Cheetah. A battle took place between her and the Bana-Mighdallian's chief warrior or Shim'Tar. The Olympian god Hermes was in love with Diana and was enraged by the battle. He took vengeance on the desert Amazons for attacking his beloved and the city of Bana-Mighdall was destroyed. It was decided by the remaining Amazons that since the Themyscirian princess was the initial cause of their city being destroyed, they would take over her Amazon city instead.

During the attack on Themyscira, the witch Circe attempted to destroy both tribes by teleporting the island into a dimension of demons. The two tribes ceased their war and worked together to return Paradise Island to Earth. Afterwards, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall helped rebuild Themyscira and also began building a city of their own, on the harshest part of the island. They christened the city Bana-Mighdall in honor of their former city in Egypt.

Peace was short-lived and a civil war broke out between the two tribes. The Egyptians newest Shim'Tar, Artemis, joined Wonder Woman in guiding both tribes to peaceful negotiations.

Some known Amazons of Bana-Mighdall include:

Queen Anahid, Nehebka, Faruka, Kadesha-Banu, Batiri, Artemis, Patrice, Nuscia, Mala, Trigona, Anaya, Falizia, Laris, Sashina, Ratira, Akila and Bitari.

Paradise No More

Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana eventually renounced their crowns, thus ending the war and leaving the island without a structured government. It was later decided that General Phillipus of the Themysciran Royal Guard and Artemis would be co-rulers of the island.

Ready to put the past behind them, Artemis and the Themyscirian General Philippus were voted to be co-rulers of the new island. Desiring an end to tribal separation, only one city was built on the remains of the islands in which both groups of Amazons lived together under two rulers. The term Bana-Mighdall now refers either to the past Amazon cities or to a particular type of Amazon.

During the war between Imperiex and Brainiac 13, the island of Themyscira was destroyed and Hippolyta sacrificed her life. This island was a newly-restored place, created with a combination of Diana's Wonderdome technology and the blessings of both Amazon nations' respective goddesses, under the title of Supreme Grand Chancellor. For a time, this collection of floating cities thrived and served as the world's cultural and intellectual meeting grounds. The heroine Harbinger was invited to serve as the Amazons' historian. But this new kind of Themyscira was never fated to succeed. It was toppled by Hera herself when the goddess was angered by Zues' affections for ??. The new city was largely destroyed; what remained floated once again in the waters of the Caribbean.

Diana herself unwittingly drove the final nail in Themyscria's coffin. When the princess killed Maxwell Lord (#219), Lord's deadly minions, the OMACs, turned their attentions to Themyscira. The Amazons mobilized for war with the OMACS, and with the United States Navy, which also stood off its shores. Phillipus ordered Io to build their ultimate weapon: the Purple Death Ray. (#222)

Diana was soon on her way to their aid. Though Artemis managed to construct a force field around the island, the OMACs continued to pummel Diana as Artemis readied the Amazons to deploy the Death Ray. (#223) Io finished the weapon with the help of Hephaestus. As the OMACs broke through the Amazons' shield, they unleashed the Ray, killing hundreds and halting the onslaught. When Diana brought her outrage to Io over employing the Ray, Io accused Diana of failing in her mission. When the OMACs geared up for another attack, Diana realized that the only solution was to remove the Amazons completely. She believed that in light of her own recent notoriety, the Amazons would never be left in peace by the rest of the world. Diana bade her sisters to leave Earth instead and live in peace. They agreed and the gods removed Themyscira from Earth completely. Diana was left alone. (#224)

Notes

In most pre-Crisis accounts, Paradise Island was created by Aphrodite alone. The queen's name was originally spelled "Hippolyte." Several other Amazons tribes were mentioned in Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story (1998) — one other tribe of Greek Amazons, one from Ireland, and one from Central Asia. Yet another tribe of Amazons existed before recorded history and worked with Harpies, and were banished from our dimension (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #82, 3.71).

» FIRST APPEARANCE: Wonder Woman vol. 2 #1 (Feb. 1987). Bana-Mighdall Amazons: Wonder Woman vol. 2 #29

» SEE ALSO: Wonder Woman • Olympian Gods

The Ancients

The group of Ancient Atlanteans led by Gamemnae who imprisoned the JLA.

» SEE: The League of Ancients

The Arcana

» SEE: Royal Flush Gang

Aryan Nation aka Aryan Brigade

Created by Jan Michael Friedman

The Aryan Nation was a white supremacist organization that created a designer virus which would attack and destroy "nonwhite" DNA in humans. They were secretly led by U.S. Senator Sanders Hotchkins. When several noted chemists began disappearing, they drew the FBI's attention. The FBI contacted Hannibal Martin, the Justice League's Task Force liaison, and the Martian Manhunter assembled a covert team to infiltrate the terrorists.

While undercover, Hourman (Rex Tyler) was forced to use his powers and drew the attention of the Nation's Aryan Brigade. This Brigade was composed of five metahumans:

• Backlash, whose arms were elastic tentacles
• Blind Faith, like her name, a blind telepath
• Golden Eagle II, equipped with mechanical wings
• Heatmonger, a woman who wielded intense heat
• Iron Cross (deceased), the towering powerhouse

Thanks to Blind Faith's mental powers, this Brigade was able to uncover and surprise the Task Force. They captured all but Hourman, who returned to free them. In the meantime, the Nation had readied its virus for delivery into the atmosphere. J'onn followed the rocket and forced it to detonate in space. All members of the organization were subsequently arrested. (Justice League Task Force #10)

Following this, the Brigade members were recruited by the Overmaster to be part of his new Cadre. They labored, if at all, in obscurity until Amanda Waller rounded Earth's villains up and shipped them off to a prison planet in space. There, Iron Cross was killed by his fellow villains. (Salvation Run #3) His death was sensed by Blind Faith back on Earth. (JLofA vol. 2 #17)

Backlash reformed the Brigade with Johnny Reb, Bonehead and Luftwaffe. They were quickly put down by the Freedom Fighters. (Freedom Fighters v.2 #1)

» FIRST APPEARANCE: Justice League Task Force #10 (March 1994).

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:

• Freedom Fighters vol. 2 #1
• Justice League America #89-90
• Justice League International vol. 2 #65 
• Justice League Task Force #10-14

» SEE ALSO: The Fourth Reich

The Atomic Knights

» SEE: Profile

The Atom Project

The Atom Project is not a team per se, but a front for the operations of U.S. General Wade Eiling. His projects included the Captain Atom Project, the Major Force Project and Project Silver Shield. The Atom Project was created to study the metal from the hull of a mysterious alien craft of unknown origin (which later turned out to be an extraterrestrial and called itself Silver Shield). After two failures in the late 60's, the project was shut down. In 1986, the project was reopened when one of the supposed failures, Captain Nathaniel Adam, reappeared from the "quantum field." Since then the project has been reopened. It is unclear what the final fate of the Atom Project has become.

It was last seen in Captain Atom #50, but may still exist under another name. Eiling himself became power-mad and transferred his brain into the body of the Shaggy Man. His operatives broke from him and formed the Ultramarines. (JLA #24-26) Later, he participated in Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang. (JLA #34)

Major Force, Captain Atom's primary rival, has been killed then resurrected several times. He was first killed in Green Lantern vol. 3 #60. The next Major Force was a clone created by the Quorum from a combination of Major Force's and Guy's Vuldarian DNA. Guy killed that clone. (Guy Gardner: Warrior #43-44) Later, another Major Force was brought back to life by the powers of Resurrection Man (Resurrection Man #??). He was again killed by Katana's blade. (Superman/Batman #4) Neither he nor Captain Atom actually has the power to resurrect themselves, but they are made of energy, which cannot be destroyed. He reappeared in the service of another government agency, S.H.A.D.E., (Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven #2) and this time was destroyed by Captain Atom himself. (#6)

Axis Amerika

» SEE: Axis Amerika and the Fourth Reich