So DC had a Justice Society Dark we all never knew about
Who's who in Justice Society Dark? The New Golden Age #1 only offers a few answers
In the final pages of Flashpoint Beyond #6, the Time Masters reveal that 13 superheroes whose time capsules failed have been reintegrated into main DC Universe continuity. In The New Golden Age #1, we learn that some of them were "lost" before they could be properly reintroduced to DC's Golden Age.
And in the biography pages at the back of the one-shot special, which explain the 13 superheroes and their histories, writer Geoff Johns introduces an entirely new team to the DCU: Justice Society Dark.
However, don't expect to learn too much about the JSD just yet - the team is only briefly mentioned in two of the 13 entries.
Spoilers ahead for The New Golden Age #1
Golden Age Mister Miracle, AKA Thaddeus Brown, apparently formed the Justice Society Dark with his assistant, Oberon, as well as unnamed enemies and allies he encountered during his days traveling the country with Hill's Circus as an escape artist.
According to his history as stated in The New Golden Age #1, "Justice Society Dark's membership and adventures remain relatively unknown, although there was an event in 1945 called 'the Storm of Sin' that a handful are aware of," which sounds like a Golden Age version of a modern event like Dark Nights: Metal or Dark Crisis.
Meanwhile, Salem the Witch Girl, AKA Salem Rula Nader, became the child sidekick to Doctor Fate after he rescued her from the streets of Boston in 1940 to protect her from the villain Wotan. Doctor Fate was immune to Salem's "bad fates" curse, which endangers anyone who grows close to a woman who's deserted the witch/warlock city Limbo Town.
However, Doctor Fate's girlfriend, Inza Cramer, was not immune to the Limbo Town Curse, and when she nearly died because of it, Salem disappeared. Doctor Fate apparently went to the Justice Society Dark for help finding the girl, but they were unsuccessful. Salem hasn't been seen since.
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Although Justice Society Dark is a new introduction to the DC Universe, it may hold some similarities to Justice League Dark, a team of magic users who operated under the Justice League umbrella and would handle supernatural threats beyond the JLA's scope. Several former members of the JLD make appearances in The New Golden Age #1, including Detective Chimp and Deadman, who appear on-panel together in the "Now" era of the one-shot special.
We don't know enough about Justice Society Dark to make any guesses about how the team will play into the upcoming Justice Society of America series or the New Golden Age 'era' (a continuity bubble era sort of like the recent Future State) helmed by writer Geoff Johns. That said, it seems safe to assume the team will at least be mentioned in the near future, and it may even occupy a large role in Helena Wayne's mission as Huntress to save the JSA.
The New Golden Age #1 is available now.
Justice League Dark is one of the best Justice League line-ups of all time.
Samantha Puc (she/they) is an editor at Newsarama and an avid comics fan. Their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., The Beat, The Mary Sue, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School.