# Who are the superhero's on this T-shirt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977 "2004-04-25T23:15:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/1 "2004-04-25T23:15:38Z")
I was given a new T-shirt as a gift, but it isn’t the right size so I’ve never worn it and have decided to put it on eBay. It’s a super heavy weight cotton, extra large black Hefty brand, short sleeve T shirt with a group of assorted comic book characters and a “DC Comics 1998” trademark at the bottom. Before I can list it I would like to identify the characters pictured in the listing. Some are well known like The Spectre, Hawkman and Wonder Woman, but others I’m not familar with. Also, is this just a random group or were these characters involved in a group or league of some sort? Any help appreciated! [The T shirt](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cpeek001/sDCP_1846.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/2 "2004-04-25T23:21:20Z")
The shirt depicts the Golden Age (I believe) Justice Society (of America). Take a look [here](http://my.execpc.com/~icicle/main.html) for more info. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/3 "2004-04-25T23:21:37Z")
It looks like members of [The Justice Society of America](http://my.execpc.com/~icicle/MEMLIST.html). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/4 "2004-04-25T23:22:32Z")
The Justice Society of America. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/5 "2004-04-25T23:23:41Z")
Jay Garrick would be ashamed of me… ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/6 "2004-04-25T23:25:38Z")
That’s the [Justice Society of America](http://www.toonopedia.com/jsa.htm). At the top - Hawkman Next row down - Dr. Fate and Starman Then the Spectre in the middle Dr. Mid-Night, Johnny Thunder (without his magic Thunderbolt) Wonder Woman and the Sandman At the bottom the Atom ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/7 "2004-04-25T23:27:38Z")
_does the shameless “I was finally first!” dance_ (Though I wasn’t sure who one of the figures - Sandman - was when I first looked at the shirt; I knew all the others, tho’.) ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/8 "2004-04-25T23:30:29Z")
I wonder what the Flash and the Green Lantern were doing that they couldn’t make the picture… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/9 "2004-04-25T23:30:58Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I wonder what the Flash and the Green Lantern were doing that they couldn’t make the picture… Don’t ask. Don’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/10 "2004-04-25T23:32:56Z")
Whatever you do, DON’T look at the other side of the t-shirt! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/11 "2004-04-25T23:35:17Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I wonder what the Flash and the Green Lantern were doing that they couldn’t make the picture… Thanks to everyone for the help (esp Papermache Prince for the list). So this isn’t the entire Golden Age Justice League, just some select members? Also is this the group that Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” graphic novel was mainly (obviously not entirely) based on? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/12 "2004-04-25T23:39:38Z")
The Watchmen were originally the heroes published by Carlton comics. DC had just purchased the rights to Captain Atom, the Blue Beetle, the Question, etc. and Moore wanted to do something interesting with them. After seeing his ideas, they gave him the okay but realized that there was no way in Holy Hell that the characters could be used again after he was done. So Moore files off the serial numbers and made variations… ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/13 "2004-04-25T23:41:21Z")
OK, I recognise most - Hawkman, Dr Fate, Dr Mid-Nite, Starman, Spectre and Wonder Woman. I’m having a hard time with the other 3. The one in the bowtie, I’m guessing from the link Mr Blue Sky gave, is Johnny Thunder. (Who doesn’t look to be the brightest crayon in the box…) The other two costumed ones have me stumped. I guess the one to her left might be the Atom. The colours are right, anyway, but other details are wrong. The one at the bottom I can’t even guess at. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/14 "2004-04-25T23:42:47Z")
> [@astro](#): > > So this isn’t the entire Golden Age Justice League, just some select members? Nono, this is the Justice SOCIETY on the t-shirt. If you’re going to list this, the distinction matters. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/15 "2004-04-25T23:43:16Z")
Spelling correction: **Charlton**. [http://www.toonopedia.com/watchmen.htm](http://www.toonopedia.com/watchmen.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/16 "2004-04-25T23:43:17Z")
It seems to be this shirt by [Dave Gibbons](http://www.graphittidesigns.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/p-SHRTDC171.html?E+scstore). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/17 "2004-04-25T23:46:23Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > OK, I recognise most - Hawkman, Dr Fate, Dr Mid-Nite, Starman, Spectre and Wonder Woman. I’m having a hard time with the other 3. The one in the bowtie, I’m guessing from the link Mr Blue Sky gave, is Johnny Thunder. (Who doesn’t look to be the brightest crayon in the box…) The other two costumed ones have me stumped. I guess the one to her left might be the Atom. The colours are right, anyway, but other details are wrong. The one at the bottom I can’t even guess at. Atom is the gent on the bottom with the leather truss. The other Mystery man is the Sandman, in his WWII uniform, the one without a gas mask. I believe Simon and Kirby came up with that one. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/18 "2004-04-25T23:51:13Z")
Who’s the dork in the bowtie? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/19 "2004-04-25T23:54:05Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Who’s the dork in the bowtie? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977/20 "2004-04-25T23:54:47Z")
> [@Papermache Prince](#): > > It seems to be this shirt by [Dave Gibbons](http://www.graphittidesigns.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/p-SHRTDC171.html?E+scstore). Thanks for link! It gives me a price guideline. I’ll pop it on eBay for half that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-superheros-on-this-t-shirt/241977.md?page=2)