Crime Syndicate of America
The Crime Syndicate of America is a team that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Pre-Crisis
The Crime Syndicate of America were a powerful team of supervillains who ruled on the world of Earth-3 in the Multiverse. Events on this Earth were similar yet different from its mainstream counterpart where it led to the emergence of super-beings who all became criminals. They in turn banded together to become the Crime Syndicate with the five fearsome felons including Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick and Power Ring. Each managed to effortlessly steal items of value and money from around their world with the authorities unable to stop them. Eventually, the Crime Syndicate members began to grow bored and felt that their edge had been dulled as a result of their easy victories. It was then that Ultraman proposed a solution to alleviate their boredom and to find a challenge. Following a recent theft by him of Kryptonite, he developed temporary super-vision that allowed him to peer through the barrier between dimensions through the Multiverse and saw Earth-1. Power Ring then used his ring to peer at events on the world where the Crime Syndicate saw their counterpart the Justice League of America that consisted of superheroes similar to themselves. Such foes were seen as a challenge to their own abilities with the band of supervillains deciding to invade that world and fighting its heroes. (Justice League of America v1 #29)
Later on, Ultraman breaking free and joining with Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two and Lex Luthor of Earth-One who sought to overwhelm the residual controlling governments of Earth-Three and use it as the criminal Luthor's new base of operations. The open bloodthirsty Alexei sought to destroy his home Earth which allowed their Earth-Three counterpart Alexander Luthor, Sr. to bring the Earth-Two and Earth One Supermen to Earth-Three in order to stop them. The plan worked so well that Alexander decided to remain as the only superhero of Earth-Three to oppose Ultraman and the other members of the Crime Syndicate who would routinely escape from their prison. (DC Comics Presents Annual v1 #1)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. The Crime Syndicate
The first of the Crime Syndicate was believed to had been Ultraman who was a deep space astronaut who was thought lost after his ship imploded into hyperspace. However, some unknown force discovered him and made an attempt to repair him but had limited understanding of human physiology thus imparting on him a superhuman body. He would return to Earth where he began a life of crime after his mind became twisted in the process. Following him were other supervillains such as Superwoman and Owlman along with a number of others. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
During these early days, the greatest resistance to the Syndicate's rule was the Justice Underground that consisted of superpowered heroes that opposed them. Their number included; Lady Sonar, Star Sapphire, General Grodd, Q-Ranger, Sir Solomon Grundy and their leader Quizmaster. Those days saw the C.S.A. face a constant challenge from these heroes but the Justice Underground ultimately came to lose. Many of these superheroes fell thus leading to the demise of the superhero team. Similarly, other threats began to fall before the Syndicate such as the Hierarchy for International Virtuous Empowerment, Zazzala the Insect Queen, and even Dr. Eclipso. One of the last holdouts opposing them was the tiny eastern European country of Modora that was protected under an impenetrable barrier created by Lady Sonar who protected her people. The Syndicate broke through it and engaged the populace where Lady Sonar was defeated and placed in the Flying Fortress's cryogenic prison alongside the other heroes. During the incident, Johnny Quick was seemingly killed but had been catapulted into the future where he witnessed the destruction of existence before he returned back to Earth-3 to warn the rest of the Syndicate. (JLA Secret Files and Origins v1 #2004)
Over time, the members of the Syndicate began to grow restless at having nothing to challenge them. They then discovered the existence of the planet Qward and fought that this could be an appropriate challenge for them. Thus, they attacked the planet and fought against the native Qwardians. Their ransacking of the planet was interrupted when an event disrupted the entirety of reality that reset events to prior the Syndicate's attack on Qward. (JLA v1 #108)
The Antimatter Earth was attacked by the Weaponers of Qward whom they unleashed the Void Hound, a planet-wrecking battlecraft housing a vast and insane electronic mind. The Crime Syndicate of Amerika was able to manipulate the JLA into aiding them to destroy the battlecraft completely, but the Antimatter Earth suffered severe damages with millions of the populace killed and wide rifts in the planet surface crust revealing raw magma. The Crime Syndicate enforced open and complete control of their source Earth rather than the indirect control they allowed before. (JLA v1 #114)
An alternate version of Earth-3 was recreated with it being dominated by the Crime Society of America. They encountered Donna Troy, Jason Todd and Kyle Rayner of the mainstream Earth where they were accompanied by one of the Monitors. This saw them battle the supervillain team before they managed to escape whereupon they were visited by Monarch who recruited them to his cause in conquering the Multiverse. (52 v1 #31)
At some point, a time delayed matter bomb created by Alexander Luthor, Junior detonated creating a wave of energy that began to slowly consume the Syndicate's world. After a quarter of the planet was gone, the Crime Syndicate decided on a plan to open a doorway to another Earth in the Multiverse and send the infectious energy there. They arrived on Earth-97 and killed some of its heroes where they allowed the matter bomb's effects to consume that planet. However, the infectious energy only spread and did not transfer forcing the villains to think of a new plan to stop their home from being destroyed. As a result, they transported themselves to the main Earth where they secretly made a new attempt at stopping the matter bomb's effects. This plan involved the resurrection of Alexander Luthor, Junior with the aid of Doctor Impossible in order to coerce him to undo the damage he had created. As a result, they came into conflict with the Justice League that sought to stop them. This fight was only a distraction whilst the resurrection process happened though Doctor Impossible betrayed the Crime Syndicate as he attempted to resurrect Darkseid but inadvertently created the Omega Man. (Justice League of America v2 #50)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. The Crime Syndicate
Despite their death, it revealed that the Multiverse came to recreate Earth-3 and all its inhabitants which included the Crime Syndicate. The supervillain team resumed their operations in terrorising the planet and ensuring their control of it. Around this time, the Lex Luthor of New Earth arrived where he transported the Syndicate to meet his new master who was the cosmic being Perpetua. She had been released from her captivity behind the Source Wall and had unlocked all her lost power thus allowing her to take back control of the Multiverse. Those worlds that did not match her needs were destroyed but in Earth-3 she found its populace aligning to her principles of doom. Thus, she decided that they would be spared and allowed to become her followers where the inhabitants of Earth-3 were transformed into Apex Predators. These were human/Martian hybrids that were to serve as her army in conquering all of creation. The Syndicate themselves were not to face this fate and instead allowed to join her forces but Johnny Quick felt that this was a bad idea. In response, Perpetua aged him to dust whereupon the rest of the Crime Syndicate pledged their loyalty to the dark goddess. (Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen v1 #1)
Overview
In appearance, the Crime Syndicate of America was a powerless and lawless supervillain team who were the masters of their world. (JLA Secret Files and Origins v1 #2004)
Its motto was "Cui Bono?" that was Latin for "Who Profits?". During times of danger, they were able to trigger a Crime Syndicate Emergency that was a distress signal to call a meeting between its members (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
They had their own headquarters known as the Panopticon that was located on the Moon. Ultraman possessed his own base of operations that was known as the Flying Fortress that was a mobile command post for himself and had an Ultra-Laboratory. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
Members
- Ultraman :
- Owlman :
- Superwoman :
- Johnny Quick :
- Power Ring :
- Volthoom :
- Atomica :
- Deathstorm :
- Grid :
- Sea King :
- Sky Tyrant :
- White Martian :
- Doctor Noon :
- Spaceman :
- Brainiac :
Notes
- The Crime Syndicate of America were created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky where they made their first appearance in Justice League of America v1 #29 (August, 1964).
Alternate Versions
- In 52 v1 #52 (2007), a different version of the Syndicate was shown to occupy the Multiverse on Earth-3 where it was known as Crime Society.
In other media
Television
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, though not named as such there were a group of supervillains on an alternate Earth that were reverse counterparts of the superheroes that featured in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman". They referred to as being the Injustice Syndicate that consisted of Batman (Owlman), Green Arrow (Blue Bowman), Blue Beetle (Scarlet Scarab), Atom (Dyna-Mite), Red Tornado (Silver Cyclone), Plastic Man (Elastic Man) along with unnamed versions of Aquaman along with Fire.
Films
- In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the Crime Syndicate made an appearance as the primary villains in the animated film. They were inhabitants of a parallel Earth where crime and evil dominated the planet. It consisted of Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring and J'ed J'arkus who all operated as Bosses with set henchmen along with territory. Each Boss had numerous superpowered followers known as Made Men that were granted powers by their patron in exchange for joining the Syndicate. At some point, they had arisen where the managed to be the premier crime family that were engaged in various illegal operations that funded themselves and made them rich. They managed to get the government to fall under their influence with direct threats or subtle acts such as bribes. As a result, no police official sought to arrest them neither did any prosecutor seek to place charges against them. In fact, the President of the United States of America helped secure their release in fear of the Syndicate's retaliation. The only factor that prevented the Crime Syndicate from complete control over their Earth was the threat of a nuclear response. Their only opposition was a group of superheroes known as the Justice League that battled but the were slowly eliminate until only Jester and Lex Luthor were left.
Video games
- In DC Universe Online, the Crime Syndicate were introduced as antagonists in the episode content of Earth-3. They were shown as being the evil counterparts of the Justice League who ruled their Earth from their headquarters known as the Panopticon. Alexander Luthor from their Earth travelled to the mainstream Earth to recruit the Justice League to help him save his world. They arrive on the alternate Earth and battled the Crime Syndicate who intended to create a tear in the fabric of reality and send their headquarters in orbit around the prime Earth in order to use it to conquer that planet.
Appearances
- Justice League of America v1: (1964)
- JLA: Earth 2 v1:
- JLA v1:
- 52 v1:
- Justice League of America v2:
- Justice League v2:
- Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen v1:
- Crime Syndicate v1: (2021)
External Links
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