A Gauntlet Hurled
Infinity Inc #2
Cover Date: May 1984
Released: 16th February 1984
Even in the second edition, we’re still setting up the status quo. So our young heroes decide to get lunch at the not!McDonald’s McTavish’s (though weirdly Burger King gets a call out). I’m a little sad we’re quite a… while from Bat Burger but you can’t really blame a forty-year-old comic for missing that trick! As is natural a brawl breaks outs, after what I think are some unfortunate stereotypes try to start trouble with our heroes. It’s really a chance to show off what they can do whilst they have the advantage, compared to the fights they’ve had, and will have before Power Girl and Huntress turn up to offer them their help.
We then cut back to the JSA where the Brainwave goes from his classic Doctor Sivana look to the younger look he had when we first saw him in All-Stars. Turns out it’s actually his son who wants to help the JSA against a potential foe, they don’t agree and he proceeds to thrash them all in a fight. The only one who will listen is Star-Spangled Kid who takes Brainwave Junior to meet up with the others.
To bond with the young heroes Kara and Helena give us a brief version of their tragic background, the comic assuming that people are coming in new to this team. When Star-Spangled Kid turn’s up he also mentions being time-displaced from the ’40s (something I missed the first time around of All-Stars) before dropping the title of the team Infinity, Inc. Also he has a place out in Los Angles that they can work out of and even Gotham girl Helena decides to go out to LA for at least a little while.
To remind us that we also have a plot going on Ultra-Humanite, in his ape form, projects astrally to taunt the heroes before putting a psychic whammy on the lot of them and throwing down the gauntlet. This involves the young heroes going off to the 1940, and Star Squadrons book, for their first adventure.
I’m not sure if it was just the holidays but I struggled a little to get through this book, as mentioned above right up to the last few pages it’s setting everything up for the team to start going on adventures. And to add insult to injury it then goes and happens in a totally different comic series! But I guess that’s due to the sheer number of characters, new and old, that needs to be established. Still, Kara seems to be good in this mentor role, something we really don’t see again for a while, and there’s a lot of promise (I hope) for what’s to come.
⋅ Writers: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Pencilers: Jerry Ordway ⋅ Inkers: Mike Machlan ⋅
⋅ Colourists: Adrienne Roy ⋅ Letterers: John Costanza ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅
⋅ Writers: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Pencilers: Jerry Ordway ⋅ Inkers: Mike Machlan ⋅
⋅ Colourists: Adrienne Roy ⋅ Letterers: John Costanza ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅