1 week Ago By David Harth
The New Golden Age brought DC’s Golden Age heroes roaring back, with the heroes of the Justice Society of America reminding readers of why DC’s Golden Age line-up is superior to their marvelous competition. The newest chapter in the team’s history — JSA — is running along, splitting the team in two. At Doctor Fate’s Tower, the older members of the team — Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Wildcat I, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Khalid, the newest Doctor Fate — battled demons and supervillains, while the rest of the team — the younger members who were once part of Infinity, Inc.
— deal with their own traitorous troubles, with both series of events being manipulated by the Injustice Society. JSA #6, by Jeff Lemire and Diego Orlotegui, ends the book’s first major story arc in the bloodiest way possible, killing off one of the most beloved members of the team.There are several members of the JSA — Garrick, Scott, Wildcat I, and Hawkman — that have all been with the team since its Golden Age heyday, forming a tight core for the group.
Each of these heroes is beloved by the fans, especially those who read their exploits in the ’00 JSA/Justice Society of America. Fans have dreaded the day another one of them would die, and that day has come for Wildcat I. Ted Grant is dead.
Nine Lives Run Out EventuallyJSA # sort of telegraphs Wildcat I’s death a bit in the issue, kicking off with a flashback to when he tried to teach Khalid how to box. The young hero rebuffed Wildcat I, which leads to the events of this issue, when Wildcat I volunteered to fight several members of the Injustice Society — Red Lantern, Doctor Elemental, Wheeler Vanderlyle, and Kobra — so Khalid can work his magic instead of help fight. Wildcat I has always been the Justice Society bare-knuckled brawler, joining the team back in the old days of World War II after being a champion boxer.
Wildcat I was one of several characters who joined the Justice Society without powers and would eventually gain them. In Wildcat I’s case, he got a form of immortality, to a point. During a battle between King Inferno and Zatara, Wildcat I was given “nine lives” allowing him to resurrect from death, as well as the decelerated aging that has marked every member of the Justice Society who has survived since the Golden Age (and even their spouses).
RELATED: Superman: Space Age Is Perfect and You Need to Read ItNow, there has always been a question to how this power worked. Wildcat I didn’t seem to have only nine lives, because he’s died many times over the years. The most memorable in recent years came in JSA (Vol.
1) #52 and #53, when the new Crimson Avenger was fooled by the ghost of a criminal into going after him and she killed him multiple times in one night. Since then, he’s had more runs with death, so it seemed like his resurrection power was less limited than it seemed. That all changed in JSA #6.
Wildcat I was able to fight off the various members of the Injustice Society for a time, but the numbers game got to the legendary hero. Wildcat I was actually holding his own before Vanderlyle hit the hero with his gas gun, giving Kobra a chance to stab him from behind.They Don’t Make Them Like They Used ToWildcat I’s death comes at a much bigger shock than it should.
Of all the surviving Golden Age heroes, he was the one with the least cache. While there were two Wildcats that came after him — Yolanda Montez and Wildcat’s son Tommy — he wasn’t one of the big guns. He didn’t get his own miniseries during The New Golden Age.
He was instrumental in the training of multiple heroes, including Batman, Catwoman, Zatanna, Stargirl, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, Black Canary, and many more, but he didn’t have the same untouchable aura as the others. The surprise comes from the fact that by now, most fans figure that DC just wasn’t going to kill any more of the Golden Agers.Wildcat I’s death is a big shock to the system of JSA.
Wildcat I was a fixture of the team, his gruff manner hiding the toughest grandpa in comics. Widlcat I didn’t get nearly the spotlight that other members of the team got, from the old guard to the younger members, but he was always a welcome presence. It will be a very different Justice Society in the years ahead without him.
While there is still a good chance of resurrection, usually when Golden Age heroes die, it’s a bit more permanent.JSA #6 is on sale now.The post DC Just Killed a Longtime JSA Favorite appeared first on ComicBook.
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