Justice League of America #116
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeJustice League of America #116 marks the debut of Golden Eagle (Charley Parker), an orphaned Hawkman superfan whose powers were inadvertently created by the villain Matter Master's sentient wand — making his origin one of the stranger accidental-hero stories of the Bronze Age. The character went on to become a founding member of Titans West and a recurring figure in the DC Universe across multiple decades, giving this issue lasting significance in the Hawkman family of titles. The issue also holds a secondary distinction as the retroactive first appearance of Johnny Peril in his 'Mr. Nobody' guise, established by the cover's character identification. Finally, #116 is the last issue of Justice League of America published in the 100-Page Super Spectacular format, closing a two-year experiment with oversized, reprint-heavy packaging before the title returned to its standard single-story format.
In "The Kid Who Won Hawkman's Wings!", Green Arrow follows a mysterious letter to the JLA and encounters Charley Parker, a young hero now known as Golden Eagle, who's taken up Hawkman's mantle. When the Matter Master mistakes Golden Eagle for the real Hawkman and launches an attack, the Justice League intervenes to protect the city — only to be surprised by the sudden arrival of the actual Hawkman. Written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Dick Dillin with inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Carl Gafford, and letters by Ben Oda, this 1975 issue features a dynamic cover by Nick Cardy.
In "The Kid Who Won Hawkman's Wings!", Green Arrow follows a mysterious letter to the JLA and encounters Charley Parker, a young hero now known as Golden Eagle, who’s trying to carry on Hawkman’s legacy. When the Matter Master mistakes Charley for the real Hawkman and attacks, the Justice League intervenes—only for the true Hawkman to arrive in a surprising twist.
In "Mastermind of Menaces!", the enigmatic villain Mist resurfaces, turning Dinah Drake’s floral shop into a garden of manipulation as he uses enchanted blooms to hypnotize the wealthy into surrendering their fortunes. When Starman steps in, his Gravity Rod fails without warning, leaving him vulnerable as the mystery deepens.
In "The Challenge of the Untouchable Aliens!" from Justice League of America #116 (1975), Superman and Wonder Woman race to protect the Satellite Sky Fortress from a deadly threat, only to discover a cannon trained on Central City. When The Flash spots the danger, the duo acts—destroying the weapon and rallying the Justice League. As they search the globe, they encounter mysterious stone giants immune to touch, leaving the team facing a challenge unlike any they’ve known.
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The lead new story was written by Cary Bates and drawn by the long-running JLA art team of penciller Dick Dillin and inker Dick Giordano, under editor Julius Schwartz — whose meticulous editorial records were later used to confirm the creative credits. The 100-Page Super Spectacular format, which JLA had adopted with issue #110 in 1974, paired each new lead story with a substantial block of reprints drawn from DC's back catalog; this issue pulled backup material from Justice League of America #15, The Brave and the Bold #61, and Comic Cavalcade #19. The cover was provided by veteran DC artist Nick Cardy, whose association with the title was part of a broader freelance relationship with DC during the early 1970s as he began transitioning toward commercial illustration work.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Golden Eagle (Charley Parker), an orphaned Midway City teenager who idolized Hawkman and whose homemade costume was magically transformed into functional Thanagarian battle armor by the Matter Master's Mentachem wand — story titled 'The Kid Who Won Hawkman's Wings!'
- Golden Eagle's origin is directly tied to Hawkman's absence from the JLA: Hawkman had resigned from the team and returned to Thanagar in issue #109, and the Matter Master's wand acted on the villain's subconscious desire to battle a Hawkman stand-in.
- At the story's end, Charley Parker loses his powers and returns to normal, but is made an honorary JLA member; he later resurfaced as a founding member of Titans West in Teen Titans #50–52 (1977).
- The issue also contains the retroactive first appearance of Johnny Peril in his 'Mr. Nobody' alias — a reprinted story from Comic Cavalcade #19 in which the character's real name is not given, but the cover's character listing established the connection.
- Cover art by Nick Cardy; new lead story scripted by Cary Bates, pencilled by Dick Dillin, and inked by Dick Giordano; creative credits confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records.
- The issue is a 100-page Super Spectacular, the last in the run of JLA issues published in that format (issues #110–116); it includes reprints from Justice League of America #15 ('The Challenge of the Untouchable Aliens!') and The Brave and the Bold #61 ('Mastermind of Menaces!', starring Starman and Black Canary, with art by Murphy Anderson).
- The lead story has been reprinted in Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 6 (April 2013) and Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 2 (May 2018).
- Golden Eagle's Pre-Crisis Earth-One continuity was erased following Crisis on Infinite Earths, but the character was later reinstated Post-Crisis with a revised Thanagarian heritage and eventually killed during the 'Titans Hunt' storyline in New Titans #72, before being revived again in Hawkman Vol. 4 (2005).
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Comic Cavalcade #19 (1947), Strange Adventures #89 (1958), Tales of the Unexpected #73 (1962), Justice League of America #15 (1962), The Brave and the Bold #61 (1965)
Reprinted in Comic Reader #113 (1974), Green Lantern Album #1 (1976), Gigant #3/1977 (1977), Gigant #3/1977 (1977), Showcase Presents: Justice League of America #6 (2013), Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus #2 (2018)
Key issues in Justice League of America
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