([March] 1990)

DC, 1990 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
4.95 USD; 6.50 CAD
Pages
148
On-sale Date
1990-01-18
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics Inc.
Brand
DC [bullet]
ISBN
0-930289-50-1 Search at WorldCat
Editing
Mark Waid (editor)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Modern Age US
Paper Stock
cardstock cover; newsprint interiors
Binding
softcover
Publishing Format
collected edition

Issue Notes

Title on cover, spine, and title page: Secret Origins.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman; The Flash; Green Lantern; Martian Manhunter; Superman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland (signed)
Inks
Brian Bolland (signed)
Colors
Brian Bolland (signed)

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Flash [Barry Allen]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Martian Manhunter [John Jones]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]

Secret Origins (Table of Contents: 1)

Batman / credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Dick Giordano
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
Bruce Wayne [Batman]; Thomas Wayne; Martha Wayne; Joe Chill

Indexer Notes

Title page. Image taken from story in this volume.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 2)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Publication data page.

Table of Contents (Table of Contents: 3)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Eric Shanower (illustration)
Inks
Eric Shanower (illustration)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Characters
Justice League of America [Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Flash [Barry Allen]; Aquaman; Black Canary [Dinah Lance]; Martian Manhunter]

Indexer Notes

Illustrated with a detail from the story from Secret Origins (DC, 1986 series) #32.

Legends (Table of Contents: 4)

text article / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Mark Waid
Pencils
Joe Shuster; Carmine Infantino; Bob Kane; Sheldon Moldoff; Gil Kane; Mike Sekowsky; Joe Certa
Inks
Joe Shuster; Joe Kubert; Bob Kane; Sheldon Moldoff; Joe Giella; Bernard Sachs; Joe Certa
Letters
typeset

Characters
Clark Kent [Superman]; Barry Allen [Flash]; Bruce Wayne [Batman]; Martha Wayne; Thomas Wayne; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Justice League of America [Aquaman; Wonder Woman [Diana Prince]]; Martian Manhunter; Dr. Erdel

Indexer Notes

This text piece covers the origins (and the evolution of the origins) of the characters in the book, with illustrations from their first origin stories: Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #1 (Superman illustration), Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #33 (Batman illustration), Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #225 (Martian Manhunter illustration), Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #4 (Flash illustration), Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #22 (Green Lantern illustration), and Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #9 (JLA illustration).

The Man Who Falls (Table of Contents: 5)

Batman / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

Script
Denny O'Neil
Pencils
Dick Giordano
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
Tom McCraw
Letters
John Costanza

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Thomas Wayne; Martha Wayne; Master Kirigi; Henri Ducard; Willie Doggett (cameo); Tom Woodley (cameo); Alfred Pennyworth
Synopsis
As Batman waits to fall upon his prey, the narrator relates how falling has been a theme throughout his early life, the death of his parents, his training, and his creation of the Batman.
Reprints

The Haunting (Table of Contents: 6)

Superman / comic story / 22 pages (report information)

Script
John Byrne
Pencils
John Byrne
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
Tom Ziuko
Letters
John Costanza
Editing
Andy Helfer (Original Editor)

Job Number
G-2730
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent; Kal-El]; Jonathan Kent; Martha Kent; Jor-El; Lara; Lana Lang; Lois Lane (cameo)
Synopsis
On a trip home to Smallville, Superman discovers the spaceship that brought him to Earth is missing. But at the same time he triggers a computer program that reveals to him his Kryptonian heritage and places all of Krypton's knowledge in his mind. He also discovers what revealing his powers to Lana years ago did to her and decides he wants to actively pursue a life with Lois.
Reprints

The Secret Origin of Green Lantern (Table of Contents: 7)

Green Lantern / comic story / 18 pages (report information)

Script
Christopher Priest (plot & script); M. D. Bright (plot); Robert Greenberger (plot assist); Denny O'Neil (1st page)
Pencils
M. D. Bright; Neal Adams (1st page)
Inks
José Marzán Jr.; Neal Adams (1st page)
Colors
Anthony Tollin
Letters
Tim Harkins

Genre
superhero
Characters
Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Chip; Abin Sur; Hawk; Alyce; Dex
Synopsis
Years ago, a young man named Chip observed a critical moment in Green Lantern's life. Today, when Hal Jordan comes looking to apply for a job with him, Chip realizes that Hal is Green Lantern, though he doesn't yet know his name. While GL, lonely and needing a friend, considers taking Chip into his confidence, he takes Chip on an intersteller trip and tells him how he got the ring.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Martian Manhunter / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Mark Verheiden
Pencils
Ken Steacy
Inks
Ken Steacy
Colors
Ken Steacy
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I just couldn't sleep...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Martian Manhunter [John Jones; J'Onn J'Onzz]; Dr. Erdel
Synopsis
A former associate of John Jones' suddenly wakes up and realizes that he once knew his friend was the Martian Manhunter.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Coloring credit confirmed with Ken Steacy.

Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt (Table of Contents: 9)

The Flash / comic story / 31 pages (report information)

Script
Robert Loren Fleming
Pencils
Carmine Infantino
Inks
Murphy Anderson
Colors
Tom Ziuko
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

Genre
superhero
Characters
Flash [Barry Allen]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Iris West Allen; Top; Captain Boomerang [Digger Harkness]; Pied Piper; Heat Wave; Captain Cold; Mirror Master [Sam Scudder]; Weather Wizard; Trickster [James Jesse]; Abra Kadabra; Gorilla Grodd; Professor Zoom; Anti-Monitor; Prof. Ira West (cameo); Kid Flash [Wally West] (cameo); Elongated Man (cameo); Dexter Myles (cameo); Superman (cameo); Green Lantern [Hal Jordan] (cameo); Batman [Bruce Wayne] (cameo); Henry Allen (cameo); Nora Allen (cameo)
Synopsis
Before a lightning bolt strikes a cabinet of chemicals in Barry Allen's lab, it offers him the chance to become the man he has always wanted to become or live a normal life. Barry chooses to become the fastest man alive and immediately saves the life of his girlfriend Iris and takes on the mantel of the Flash. As the Flash, he takes on a rogues gallery of villains, ending only when he runs faster than the speed of light to destroy the Anti-Monitor's cannon, travels back through time, and becomes the lightning bolt that first gave him his own powers.
Reprints

The Secret Origin of the Justice League of America: All Together Now (Table of Contents: 10)

Justice League of America / comic story / 38 pages (report information)

Script
Keith Giffen (plot); Peter David (script)
Pencils
Eric Shanower
Inks
Eric Shanower
Colors
Gene D'Angelo
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

Genre
superhero
Characters
Justice League of America [Martian Manhunter [J'Onn J'Onzz, Manhunter from Mars]; Aquaman; Black Canary [Dinah Lance]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Flash [Barry Allen]; Batman [Bruce Wayne] (cameo); Green Arrow [Oliver Queen] (cameo); Atom [Ray Palmer] (cameo); Hawkman [Katar Hol] (cameo); Elongated Man (cameo); Phantom Stranger (cameo); Red Tornado [John Smith] (cameo); Hawkgirl [Shayera Thal] (cameo); Zatanna (cameo); Firestorm [Ronnie Raymond; Martin Stein] (cameo); Steel [Hank Heywood] (cameo); Vixen (cameo); Gypsy (cameo)); Vibe (cameo)]; Superman
Synopsis
When contenders for the leadership of Appellax stage their combat on Earth through "battle form" surrogates, the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Black Canary, the Flash, and Green Lantern first encounter and defeat the individual battle forms separately, but have to work together to defeat the final one. This experience gives them the idea to join together as the Justice League of America.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

A retelling and updating of the story from Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #9, with Black Canary replacing Wonder Woman. Superman and Wonder Woman are not pictured as members of the JLA as they were considered to never have been members of the JLA at the time the story was written.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Batman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman; The Flash; Green Lantern; Martian Manhunter; Superman
  2. 1. Secret Origins
    Batman
  3. 2. [no title indexed]
  4. 3. Table of Contents
  5. 4. Legends
  6. 5. The Man Who Falls
    Batman
  7. 6. The Haunting
    Superman
  8. 7. The Secret Origin of Green Lantern
    Green Lantern
  9. 8. ["I just couldn't sleep..."]
    Martian Manhunter
  10. 9. Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt
    The Flash
  11. 10. The Secret Origin of the Justice League of America: All Together Now
    Justice League of America
  12. 11. [no title indexed]
    Batman
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Ralf Haring
  • Denys Howard
  • Pat Lang
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Richard Thomson
  • Jim Van Dore