Bring on the Bad Guys: Pete Ricketts

 Real name: Pete Ricketts

First appearance: Justice League of America I#8 (Dec./Jan. 1962)

Abilities: Finding alien tech

Worst act: Brainwashing

Quote: "I'm here to claim the million dollar prize money for the capture of the Justice League! To convince you I can deliver the goods--I've brought Green Lantern along! As soon as you show me the million bucks--I'll bring the rest of the Justice League here!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Now, technically the JLA had two appearances before this issue. Superman I#149 is an imaginary yarn and therefore not in canon, while Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane#29 is more of a cameo.

Here a small time hood named Pete Ricketts ends up getting his grubby hands on the Cyberniary, a device that allows one to control a person's mind totally. Which is just laying outside in a garbage pile, as one does. Pete's first idea to test this out on the JLA and when it works, that's when the good ideas dry up. 

Yeah, Pete then decides, since he now as the world's greatest heroes at his total beck and call, why not hire them out to the highest bidder for a small fee? Snapper Carr ends up the saving the day with Dr. Destiny's old gear and Pete ends up in the slammer. 

Bring on the Bad Guys: Aliens from Angellax

Real names: Unrevealed 

First appearance: Justice League of America I#7 (Oct./Nov. 1961)

Abilities: Teleportation, shape shifting 

Worst act: Kidnapping

Quote: "I knew you were following me because, when my alien body was changed over into yours, I received all your knowledge! I was thus aware of you scheme to conceal yourself as you swung open the cosmidoor!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Bit of an odd duck these guys. The whole tale kicks with JLA mascot Snapper Carr and his girlfriend getting kidnapped from a circus. They get rescued, thankfully, but this prompts the team to investigate. The team gets captured, and two of the aliens change themselves into exact duplicates of Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, and from there they lure the rest of the team into the future on a while goose chase, all save for Aquaman.

Yeah, Aquaman is the one to save the day. Why were the aliens kidnapping people? Story is a bit vague on that, plus why would they change the JLA to make them mimic a funhouse mirror reflection? Not an awful tale by any means but certainly not a memorable one. 

Bring on the Bad Guys: Professor Amos Fortune

Real name: Amos "Pudge" Fortune

First appearance: Justice League of America I#6 (Aug./Sept. 1961)

Abilities: Luck manipulation 

Worst act: Attempted murder

Quote: "For many years luck has fascinated me! I've made a long study of it, first as a gambler, then as a scientist! I was convinced that if I could learn how and when luck functions, I'd be able to control it!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Ah, this guy. Almost made him my pick for the 22nd. Seriously, this guy starts out by discovering 'luck glands' in the human body. He removes his bad luck ones and pumps up his good luck...and thus decides to take down the Justice League. I'd figure on hitting Las Vegas myself but then again I lack the fashion sense of the professor. 

Of course, his surgery may not have been as successful as he hoped, as during his attempted crime spree he fails to make off with the loot. Still, he persists and manages to capture the team and put them in his Stimuluck device, which will destroy their good luck glands forever!

Thankfully the Martian Manhunter manages to escape. How? He doesn't have any luck glands.

So Martians have no luck?

He'd come back a few more times, usually with luck or card based schemes. He also is responsible for the creation of the Royal Flush Gang, so there's that. Silver Age through and through. 

Bring on the Bad Guys: Doctor Destiny

Real name: John Dee

First appearance: Justice League of America I#5 (Jun./July 1961)

Abilities: Entering and manipulating dreams, also gravity control

Worst act: Murder and lots of it

Quote: "No one knows me for a master-thief yet--because until now I've stolen nothing!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Wow, this guy. I know, the Sandman series left a heck of a change on the character and the way he's depicted but I'd rather focus on his Silver Age misadventures. 

When we first see him, well, we don't. The story proper starts with the JLA dealing with a massive jailbreak. All the foes of the JLA seemingly escaped and have banded together.

Monty Moran (Martian Manhunter), escape artist 

Captain Cold (Flash)

Professor Menace (Wonder Woman), builds Wonder Woman robots 

Clock King (Green Arrow), more of a straight up thief and called King Clock here

The Electric Man (Aquaman) super powered one of the group

Puppet-Master (Green Lantern)

Things look grim when it appears that Green Arrow helped the crooks escape. When they finally get around to getting Arrow's side of the story, it seems he was actually helping the JLA-because one of them is a traitor! Most of the story focuses on the escaped foes until we met the boss in the last chapter. 

It's Green Lantern. Yup, Destiny had the idea to knock Hal Jordon out and replace him. He manages to use his will-deadening machine on the team but he forgets about GL and thus is taken down.

Looking back, I'm amazed that someone would read this and think, "this guy needs to be a serial killer". He's just so goofy and goofy in a specific Silver Age way. William Atherton played him wonderfully though, so there's that. 

Bring on the Bad Guys: Xandor

Real name: Xandor

First appearance: Justice League of America I#4 (Apr./May 1961)

Abilities: Access to alien weapons 

Worst act: Kidnapping, being a despot

Quote: "Most people on Dryanna secretly call me a dictator! Your friends--certain scientists--hope to overthrow me and establish a government of the people--and want you to lead the revolt!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Major first for this yarn, in that is the issue where Green Arrow formerly joins the team, and what a debut.

Technically, Xandor is more of a background character while the action focuses on the character Carthan. He's a warlord of Dryanna and as characters oft do, he gets into an accident with electromagnetic waves and gains superpowers. 

He's a nice guy though, but Xandor, ruler of Dryanna, thinks he's too nice. So nice in fact he fears he might overthrow him and what with his new abilities he might be able to back that up. 

Thus he exiles him to Earth along with a series of monsters to keep him in check; Carthan would ask the League for help but his powers make that difficult, so he opts for the next best plan of action and kidnaps Green Arrow. He manipulates the League into the fighting the monsters and destroying their controls thus freeing him. 

Not a huge presence and a bit flat all things considered.  

Bring on the Bad Guys: Kanjar Ro

 Real name: Kanjar Ro

First appearance: Justice League of America I#3 (Feb./Mar. 1961)

Abilities: Access to alien weapons 

Worst act: Enslaving planets, kidnapping

Quote: "There! Now that none of you can move a muscle, I can speak to you without your indulging in any heroics...!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Another alien dictator, but this one is also combined with the 'paring the heroes up and sending them to different locations' trope. Ro wants his rivals taken care of, so he paralyses the entire Earth. The heroes are split up and easily take down the other rulers. 

Ro smugly tries to back out of the deal, pointing out that only his former rivals saying his name at the same time would free the Earth. 

Good thing the JLA made recordings of them saying just that, eh?

Kanjar Ro would return in a sequel to this yarn in Mystery in Space I#75, in which he tangles with Adam Strange but he never really reached those levels again.

Bring on the Bad Guys: The Sinister Sorcerers

Membership: Simon Magus, Saturna the Lord of Misrule, the Troll King

First appearance: Justice League of America I#2 (Dec./Jan. 1960)

Abilities: Magic 

Worst act: Breaking all scientific laws, attempted ruling of Earth

Quote: "Four weeks ago, on All-Hallows Eve we three did perform a magical incantation and by our spells put a golden doorway in the sky!"

Created by: Gardner F. Fox (script), Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks) 

Now this is a first; we have the first (unofficial) super villain team the League ever fought and the very first alternative Earth, even before Flash I#123.

The three miscreants all happen to live in Magic-Land, a sort of Earth where science doesn't exist and magic rules everything. The three wizards aren't happy with their respective stations, so they opt to swap both planets and thus muck up the laws governing both planes. 

Shame most of the League's powers are science based (although Wonder Woman really shouldn't be affected, but eh). Thankfully Merlin steps in and gives the League a hand. 

Yes, apparently THAT Merlin but it never comes up again. This group would never be seen again, but Simon Magus would return in a 1980's World's Finest comic. 

Which a pity, as the whole idea has merit. Admittedly, this is becoming a bit of a trend; i.e., villain pops up and the team gets paired off and each chapter focuses on the group fighting one particular foe. A hold over from the JSA days I guess.