A post-Crisis world will see the return of Justice Society, but one with an altered history

For a group that has the honour of being the first superhero comics team in history, the Justice Society doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.That might be about to change, as The CW’s upcoming ‘Stargirl’ series may reintroduce the legacy team to the Arrowverse with the events of ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’, bringing them from the pages of history and firmly into the present.

The Justice Society were comics’ first ever superhero team-up, making their first appearance in ‘All-Star Comics’ #3 in 1940, bringing together Doctor Fate, Hour-Man, the Spectre, the Sandman, the Atom, the Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman. They’ve since been retired, then revealed to have existed in a separate universe, then brought into the main DC Comics cannon after the original ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ merged the many worlds in DC Comics canon. Once part of the DC universe proper, they served as inspirational World War II veterans who were a precursor to the Justice League. In 1999, the team was given a new title that featured older members of the Justice Society taking a new generation of superheroes beneath their wing — one of whom was Courtney Whitmore, Stargirl. 

In the spring of 2020, ‘Stargirl’ will air, starring Brec Bassinger as the titular superhero. She will, in fact, be the second version of the character to appear on The CW. Stargirl was first introduced to the Arrowverse on an episode of ‘Legends of Tomorrow,’ along with the rest of the Justice Society. That version of Stargirl was played by Sarah Grey, had a nearly identical costume to the one featured in the trailer for the 2020 show, but was part of a Justice Society that was formed and operated in World War II. 

This Justice Society operated in secret, which is why they weren’t a big part of the history books in the Arrowverse, but as ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ shows, they did exist. The trailer for ‘Stargirl’ also features the Justice Society or hints at their existence, at the very least. Only Starman (Joel McHale) is seen in the aftermath of a deadly attack, but the background features green flames that could very well have come from Green Lantern, and the cast list features several prominent members of the Justice Society as well, such as Wildcat (Brian Stapf) and Hour-Man (Lou Ferrigno, Jr). 

It is unclear what connection this team has to the one featured on ‘Legends of Tomorrow,’ but it might not matter. The world after the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ is set to be a very different place, and changes in the timeline are just one of the many things that can be expected once the Crisis is over. Whether they have a connection to the World War II team, or are something entirely new, the Justice Society is going to be a large part of the Arrowverse as soon as ‘Stargirl’ comes to air.

The next episode of ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ will happen on ‘Arrow,’ airing January 14 on The CW.