In November of 1940, German Chancellor Adolph Hitler acquired a powerful mystic weapon known as the Spear of Destiny. With it, he intended on manipulating its power to dominate all of Europe. A British officer named Smythe learned of Hitler's plans and informed American president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt, pressured by Congress to maintain an isolationist stance, refused to openly involve the United States in England's war with Germany. Instead, he selected two "Mystery Men" from a top-secret dossier to use as civilian agents against Hitler's forces – the Flash and the Green Lantern.
Summoning both men to a special office in Gotham City, Agent Smythe outlined the nature of their mission and told them to fly to McMurdie Castle in Scotland. McMurdie was the site of a special Nazi operation led by an officer named Major Streicher. Streicher's scientists developed a giant robot, known as the Mordmaschine (the Murder Machine). Arriving at the Nazi keep, the Murder Machine proved more powerful than either of the heroes expected and it quickly incapacitated them. Streicher sent the Flash and Green Lantern's unconscious bodies to Berlin, Germany – a gift for the Führer. Prostrating before the ranks of the German Army, Hitler proudly displayed the captive heroes before the masses. He then used the Spear of Destiny to conjure an army of Norse Valkyrie. The Valkyries were to act as escorts for a prototype long-range bomber that targeted Washington D.C. Green Lantern and the Flash broke free of their bonds and fought the Valkyries, but were unable to prevent the bomber from taking off.
Meanwhile, the sorcerer known as Doctor Fate discovered that Hitler was in possession of the Spear of Destiny. He knew that such a weapon in the hands of a tyrant could only spell destruction for the entire world. Perceiving an imminent Nazi invasion of England, Doctor Fate enlisted the aid of other so-called Mystery Men including the Atom, Hawkman, Hourman and the Spectre. Fate's magic teleported the heroes to the White Cliffs of Dover where they assisted the British soldiers in fighting off the Nazi hordes. The Spectre single-handedly demolished a fleet of Nazi warships.
With England's shores temporarily safe from enemy attack, the heroes met up with the Flash and Green Lantern, who in turn warned them of the bomber attack on Washington. They followed the plane back towards the United States, and Green Lantern succeeded in destroying it with his ring before it could deploy its deadly payload. However, one of the Valkyries, a warrior named Gudra, managed to evade capture and snuck into the White House. She burst into the Oval Office with the intent of assassinating President Roosevelt. The Atom leapt to his defense, deflecting Gudra's spear, but his heroism proved futile, as Gudra struck again, plunging her weapon into Roosevelt's chest, killing him. Horrified at witnessing the death of such an important American statesman, the Spectre pleaded with the Voice of God to resurrect him. The Voice agreed, but gave warning that Roosevelt was fated to die once more, on the eve of his nation's victory over the Axis powers.
Roosevelt revived, and neither he nor the other assembled heroes possessed any knowledge of the President's passing brush with death. Recognizing that American involvement in Europe was inevitable, President Roosevelt suggested that the heroes should marshal their forces into a cohesive fighting unit aimed at protecting America's home front. Thus, they became known as the Justice Society of America.
By early 1941, the Justice Society of America had established themselves at a secret hotel room located in Capitol City. Initially, the team was not directly involved in the war against the Axis threat, but they continued to serve the cause by routing out Nazi agents at home, frequently collaborating with the F.B.I. In one of their first recorded missions, the JSA confounded the efforts of Fritz Klaver, a Nazi collaborator who had led a 5th column organization known as the Grey Shirts. They also fought up against various non-powered crime figures such as the racketeer Mister X, and the criminal scientist, Professor Alba.
By mid 1941, the JSA roster already began to change and evolve. The Flash stepped down as team chairman, preferring instead an honorary position with the team. Johnny Thunder was officially inducted into the ranks, followed shortly by Doctor Mid-Nite and Starman.
On December 7th, 1941, Imperial Japan launched a massive sneak attack against an American military base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This single incident galvanized America's commitment towards the war. As such, President Roosevelt, re-christened the Justice Society as the Justice Battalion for the duration of the conflict. The team functioned as an extended arm of the All-Star Squadron, a massive assemblage of super-heroes dedicated towards preserving the ideals of democracy.
Members:
Green Lantern
The Flash
Wildcat
Wonder Woman
Hourman
Mister Terrific
Hawkman
Hawkwoman
The Atom
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Fate
Starman
The Spectre
Sandman
Johnny Thunder
Black Canary I
