Johnny Thunder - Johnny Thunder of Earth-One

Johnny Thunder of Earth-One

Prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths retcons, an alternate version of Johnny Thunder existed on Earth-One. This version was a simple petty criminal with no Thunderbolt. Upon meeting the Earth-Two Thunder (who had traveled to Earth-One out of curiosity), the criminal Johnny Thunder knocked his counterpart out and seized control of the Thunderbolt. He uses it to temporarily reshape Earth-One such that several heroes, such as Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, retroactively cease to exist. The criminal exploits the fact that Thunderbolt is 'keyed' to simply obey Johnny Thunder, without any distinction made between alternate versions, leaving Thunderbolt obligated to obey whichever Johnny is conscious despite his own morality; however, Thunderbolt often tries to work in loopholes to give the heroes an advantage, such as informing the criminal that the Justice Society- who had come to Earth-1 to find out what had happened to their friends in the Justice League- had disappeared when they had in fact disguised themselves as the Justice League to try and provoke Johnny into revealing what had happened to their version, or making a barrier which keeps cops out, but not superheroes. The Earth-2 Johnny is apparently placed in a coma by the Thunderbolt's magic, though this is not actually shown.

The alternate version of Earth-One that Johnny creates is sometimes referred to as Earth-A (Earth Alternate), which Johnny thinks up himself. Thunder's 'Lawless League' of evil Justice League heroes, which are made up of Johnny's fellow criminals who were given powers of Justice League members, are defeated by the visiting Justice Society of Earth-Two, who had originally disguised themselves as the JLA, after learning of Johnny's disappearance, the Society's greater experience allowing them to easily defeat their criminal counterparts. They subsequently face off against Johnny Thunder on the moon, and the three creatures the Thunderbolt creates, Medusa-man (Who turns people into wood), Absorbo-man (Who can absorb the powers of others), and Repello-man (Who throws attacks back at their origins). All the members are defeated except for Doctor Fate. He creates a golden mask over Medusa-Man's face, and sends the wooden Mr. Terrific and Atom at Absorbo-Man, who had absorbed Green Lantern's power, meaning he is vulnerable to wood and is destroyed. He uses repello-magic on Repello-man, which is repelled and destroys him. When the fight comes down to a struggle between Doctor Fate and the Thunderbolt, Johnny Thunder is so battered about by the combatting magic wielders- whose powers fail to do any actual damage to each other- that he finally gives up his attempts to use the Thunderbolt and wishes that none of these events had taken place. The two Earths and their respective heroes are restored, with the Justice League mentioning their world's Johnny Thunder as a small-time criminal at their meeting. The Johnny Thunder of Earth-One would return as a threat in Justice League of America #219 and #220. It is implied at the end that the Thunderbolt remembers the events though.