Justice Machine
Encyclopedia
The Justice Machine is a fictional team of superhero
es originally created by Michael Gustovich and appearing in comic books from many small publishers in the 1980s and 1990s.
by Gustovich. This initial series lasted five issues, cover-dated Winter 1981, April 1982, Fall 1982, and Winter 1983. The first three issues were published in magazine format. An annual publication
, Justice Machine Annual #1 (1983) was published by Texas Comics
, and featured a crossover with the then-defunct Tower Comics
' superhero
team T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
, by writer William Messner-Loebs
(as Bill Loeb) and penciler Bill Reinhold
. A second story, by writer-penciler Bill Willingham
, introduced the superhero team the Elementals.
This led to a miniseries
, Justice Machine featuring the Elementals #1-4 (May-Aug. 1986), by writer Willingham and artist Gustovich, published by Comico
. That company subsequently published an ongoing Justice Machine series (vol. 2) that lasted 29 issues (Jan. 1987 - May 1989), plus a 1989 annual. That series' initial creative team consisted of writer Tony Isabella
and artist Gustovich.
Innovation Comics published a three-issue miniseries, The New Justice Machine (Nov. 1989 - March 1990), by Mark Ellis
with pencils by Darryl Banks
and others, and inks by Gustovich. An accompanying annual, Justice Machine Summer Spectacular #1 (Summer 1990), by writer Messner-Loebs and penciler Reinhold, had originally been intended for publication by Texas Comics in 1983. This was followed by the one-shot Hero Alliance & Justice Machine: Identity Crisis #1 (April 1990), by writer Ellis, pencilers Banks and Rik Levins
, and inker Gustovich, as well as a new ongoing series, Justice Machine vol. 3, which ran seven issues (April 1990 - April 1991). Initially produced by Ellis and Banks, it acquired series creator Gustovich as both penciler and inker for issues #4-6, and Isabella as writer for the final three issues.
Finally, Ellis' Millennium Publications
produced two issues of a fourth volume (Oct. & Dec. 1992), by writer Ellis and penciler Banks. These feature updated versions of the characters. Ellis had purchased the Justice Machine rights from Gustovich in 1991.
The New Justice Machine: High Gear Edition, Volume One was released by Ellis' Millennial Concepts and Gary Reed's Transfuzion Publishing in March, 2009. The compilation volume collected the New Justice Machine mini-series and the first issue of the regular series published by Innovation.
According to the official Justice Machine website, Moonstone Comics will be publishing a Justice Machine Special, with art by Preston Asevedo. This will be followed by a three-issue mini-series with art by David Enebral. Both are written by Ellis.
from the planet Georwell, a parallel world
with advanced technology that the Machine members believe is a utopia
. Arriving on Earth
in pursuit of Maxinor, a criminal and accused terrorist from their world, the team members soon discover that Georwell is much more fascist and dystopian than they had previously believed. Meanwhile the Georwellian authorities have activated a second team, called 'the Guardians' in the Noble series, or the New Justice Machine in the Comico series.
Zarren, their superior, has the Machine indicted as traitors and they have no choice but to remain on Earth. Zarren recognizes that Georwell's government is corrupt, but he has no desire to change the system; he merely wants to advance to a position of more power. The Machine's idealism might interfere with his own personal goals. Later, Zarren falls victim to his own schemes and must flee to Earth, where he sets himself up as the president of small South American island, the Arriba Atoll.
"Georwell" is a play on George Orwell
, the author of 1984, and the society of Georwell is based on the society of 1984, though much more technically advanced.
In "The Chimera Conspiracy", scripted by Mark Ellis
and Darryl Banks
and published by Millennium Publications, it is revealed that Georwell is actually Earth in an alternate future, some 900 years hence. Rather than traveling from one dimension to another, the Justice Machine went sideways and backward in time, drawn to a temporal nexus point where the events which eventually create Georwell are in a state of flux.
Allies
Enemies
The Guardians
Department Z
Independent Operators
for the role-playing game
Heroes Unlimited
, published by Palladium Books
. This version was based solely on the Noble comics version, but includes details of storylines and characters stretching beyond the comic-published material.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es originally created by Michael Gustovich and appearing in comic books from many small publishers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Publication history
Justice Machine debuted in Noble Comics' Justice Machine #1 (June 1981), created by writer-penciler Michael Gustovich, with the first issue cover penciled by John Byrne and inkedInker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
by Gustovich. This initial series lasted five issues, cover-dated Winter 1981, April 1982, Fall 1982, and Winter 1983. The first three issues were published in magazine format. An annual publication
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
, Justice Machine Annual #1 (1983) was published by Texas Comics
Texas Comics
Texas Comics was an American short-lived independent comics company set up in 1983 by several Texas based comic book fans, who had worked together before on the Comics Informer fanzine...
, and featured a crossover with the then-defunct Tower Comics
Tower Comics
Tower Comics was an American comic book publishing company best known for Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, a strange combination of secret agents and superheroes; and Samm Schwartz's Tippy Teen, an Archie Andrews clone...
' superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday people whose heroic careers were merely their day jobs...
, by writer William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
(as Bill Loeb) and penciler Bill Reinhold
Bill Reinhold
Bill Reinhold was born March 18, 1955 and is a 1982 graduate of the American Academy of Art in downtown Chicago.-Biography:Reinhold has been drawing and inking comic books professionally since 1981. He's done work most notably for First Comics, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics. Reinhold is known...
. A second story, by writer-penciler Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
, introduced the superhero team the Elementals.
This led to a miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, Justice Machine featuring the Elementals #1-4 (May-Aug. 1986), by writer Willingham and artist Gustovich, published by Comico
Comicó
Comicó is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina....
. That company subsequently published an ongoing Justice Machine series (vol. 2) that lasted 29 issues (Jan. 1987 - May 1989), plus a 1989 annual. That series' initial creative team consisted of writer Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella is an American comic book writer, editor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath, DC Comics' first major African American superhero, Black Lightning, and as a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide.-Marvel Comics:Before he joined...
and artist Gustovich.
Innovation Comics published a three-issue miniseries, The New Justice Machine (Nov. 1989 - March 1990), by Mark Ellis
Mark Ellis (writer)
Mark Ellis is an American novelist and comic-book writer who under the pen name James Axler has written scores of books for the Outlanders paperback novel series and other books, as well as numerous independent comics series....
with pencils by Darryl Banks
Darryl Banks
Darryl Banks is a comic book artist. He worked on one of the first painted comic books, Cyberpunk, and teamed with the writer Mark Ellis to revamp the long-running The Justice Machine series for two publishers, Innovation and Millennium....
and others, and inks by Gustovich. An accompanying annual, Justice Machine Summer Spectacular #1 (Summer 1990), by writer Messner-Loebs and penciler Reinhold, had originally been intended for publication by Texas Comics in 1983. This was followed by the one-shot Hero Alliance & Justice Machine: Identity Crisis #1 (April 1990), by writer Ellis, pencilers Banks and Rik Levins
Rik Levins
Rik Levins was an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America, where he worked with writer Mark Gruenwald for over three years ....
, and inker Gustovich, as well as a new ongoing series, Justice Machine vol. 3, which ran seven issues (April 1990 - April 1991). Initially produced by Ellis and Banks, it acquired series creator Gustovich as both penciler and inker for issues #4-6, and Isabella as writer for the final three issues.
Finally, Ellis' Millennium Publications
Millennium Publications
Millennium Productions was an American independent comic book publishing company founded by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin and Paul Davis. Initially known as a publisher of licensed properties, Millennium adapted works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, Frank Frazetta, Robert E. Howard, Harlan...
produced two issues of a fourth volume (Oct. & Dec. 1992), by writer Ellis and penciler Banks. These feature updated versions of the characters. Ellis had purchased the Justice Machine rights from Gustovich in 1991.
The New Justice Machine: High Gear Edition, Volume One was released by Ellis' Millennial Concepts and Gary Reed's Transfuzion Publishing in March, 2009. The compilation volume collected the New Justice Machine mini-series and the first issue of the regular series published by Innovation.
According to the official Justice Machine website, Moonstone Comics will be publishing a Justice Machine Special, with art by Preston Asevedo. This will be followed by a three-issue mini-series with art by David Enebral. Both are written by Ellis.
Fictional team history
In the first two versions of the team, the Justice Machine is an elite law enforcement agencyLaw enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
from the planet Georwell, a parallel world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
with advanced technology that the Machine members believe is a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
. Arriving on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in pursuit of Maxinor, a criminal and accused terrorist from their world, the team members soon discover that Georwell is much more fascist and dystopian than they had previously believed. Meanwhile the Georwellian authorities have activated a second team, called 'the Guardians' in the Noble series, or the New Justice Machine in the Comico series.
Zarren, their superior, has the Machine indicted as traitors and they have no choice but to remain on Earth. Zarren recognizes that Georwell's government is corrupt, but he has no desire to change the system; he merely wants to advance to a position of more power. The Machine's idealism might interfere with his own personal goals. Later, Zarren falls victim to his own schemes and must flee to Earth, where he sets himself up as the president of small South American island, the Arriba Atoll.
"Georwell" is a play on George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
, the author of 1984, and the society of Georwell is based on the society of 1984, though much more technically advanced.
In "The Chimera Conspiracy", scripted by Mark Ellis
Mark Ellis (writer)
Mark Ellis is an American novelist and comic-book writer who under the pen name James Axler has written scores of books for the Outlanders paperback novel series and other books, as well as numerous independent comics series....
and Darryl Banks
Darryl Banks
Darryl Banks is a comic book artist. He worked on one of the first painted comic books, Cyberpunk, and teamed with the writer Mark Ellis to revamp the long-running The Justice Machine series for two publishers, Innovation and Millennium....
and published by Millennium Publications, it is revealed that Georwell is actually Earth in an alternate future, some 900 years hence. Rather than traveling from one dimension to another, the Justice Machine went sideways and backward in time, drawn to a temporal nexus point where the events which eventually create Georwell are in a state of flux.
Membership
The Justice Machine- Challenger (Jaiime Conrad) -- the leader, physically adept and a skilled strategist, effectively the Georwellian military version of BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
/Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. He is very conscious of his age and declining physical abilities, although Georwellians live considerably longer than Terrans. He makes extensive use of gadgets, most of which he invented himself, to augment his declining physical powers. - Blazer (Mitrian Fynn)--initially thought to be daughter of Light-Wave, the leader of an earlier version of the Justice Machine, and Masha Fynn, the Flame, a member of that earlier version of the Machine. Later it was revealed that she is actually Challenger's daughter. Experiments performed on her in the womb gave her greater powers than her mother, but she must wear a protective suit to prevent her thermal powers overloading and causing a fiery cataclysm. Later, a Terran scientist from New Atlantis implants devices in her nervous system that allow her to exert more control over her powers.
- Titan (Jemin Osk)-- Mutant male, able to increase his height and mass to a maximum of 30 feet.
- Demon (Gabel Nevin)-- highly trained (and egotistical) martial artist. Demon has an off-again, on-again addiction to the Georwellian drug Edge, which enhances a user's strength, speed, stamina, and ability to ignore pain. And leaves the user virtually helpless when it wears off.
- Diviner (Tessei Molleng A-Conrad)-- Challenger's (ex-)wife (but not Blazer's mother), at one time totally dependent on a body-suit for any of her senses, but consequently able to use those senses at paranormal levels. Able to interface with electronic and digital technology.
- Talisman -- mutant with the power of karma: good things happen to him (and by extension to his teammates), bad things happen to his foes, so long as his cause is righteous. Career criminal, fraudster and gambler. Due to some unrevealed trauma, he becomes a clergyman.
- Chain (Kristin "Krista" Clay) -- an african-american woman who gained psionic abilities which she channels through her light chainsawChainsawA chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
. Introduced in the Innovation mini-series, she is the team's first earth-born member.
Allies
- Maxinor -- A rebel against the oppressive regime of Georwell. Initially an enemy of the Justice Machine, he and the Justice Machine eventually become allies.
- Youthquake -- Maxinor's son. A mute youth with the power to control quakes. He falls in love with Blazer, and the two of them marry. Eventually, Blazer gives birth to their son.
- Free Force -- Super-powered members of the New Atlantis security force, consisting of Havoc, Night Owl and Controller.
- Ms. Liberty -- From Earth. A highly-skilled athlete, performer and escape artist.
- Jubal Woolcott --Founder of the Justice Institute, a private law university near Alexandria, Virginia. The Justice Machine takes up more or less permanent residence on the campus.
Enemies
The Guardians
- Id -- a bodiless intellect which led the remaining members of the group.
- Night Lightning -- mutant with the ability to generate and expel electrical energy.
- Phaser -- mutant able to phase his body out of solidity.
- Monolith -- Titan's jealous brother, able to grow slightly more but starting out with less intellect.
- Crusader -- a slightly-less effective Challenger.
- Malefactor -- a man-hating female Demon, armed with a ball-and-chain weapon.
- Fist -- large muscle-bound ex-criminal, used for wetwork (killing) operations.
Department Z
- An organization of super-powered operatives who work for Zarren. The core group consists of The Directress (also known as Ms. Liberty), Skrapiron, Aquinox, Heavyhand and Ornithon.
Independent Operators
- Zarren -- Former Chief Prosecutor of Georwell and the Justice Machine's most implacable foe. Stripped of his rank after the failure of the Georwellian invasion, he made his way to Earth and eventually set himself up as the dictator of the small island nation of the Arriba Atoll.
- Dark Force -- Dedicated to destruction of the Georwellian government, willing to work with the Machine to suit its needs. Revealed to be an armored suit used by a young girl in the villain's first incarnation. Upon the entity's return in "The Chimera Conspiracy", Darkforce is obviously an entity of energy.
Other media
The Justice Machine was the subject of a sourcebookSourcebook
The term sourcebook is used to describe many different kinds of books such as collections of core articles , bibliographies, biographies, printed archival sources, directories and so on...
for the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Heroes Unlimited
Heroes Unlimited
Heroes Unlimited is a superhero role-playing game written by Kevin Siembieda and first published by Palladium Books in 1984. The game is based upon the Palladium Books Megaversal system and is compatible with any other game on the Palladium system, including Aliens Unlimited and Villains...
, published by Palladium Books
Palladium Books
Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
. This version was based solely on the Noble comics version, but includes details of storylines and characters stretching beyond the comic-published material.