Secret Origins #32
In *Secret Origins* #32 (1988), five heroes—Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Black Canary, the Flash, and Green Lantern—face off against a series of alien battle forms sent to Earth by contenders for the leadership of Appellax. Though they defeat the first five individually, it’s only by uniting that they stand a chance against the sixth, setting the stage for a pivotal moment in Greenland. As they prepare for the seventh, they witness Superman already vanquishing it and flying away—prompting the realization that together, they could be more than the sum of their parts. Written by Keith Giffen, Peter David, and Gardner Fox, with art by Eric Shanower and colors by Gene D'Angelo, this issue features a cover by Eric Shanower.
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Contenders for the leadership of Appellax stage their combat on Earth through "battle form" surrogates, the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Black Canary, the Flash, and Green Lantern first encounter and defeat the first 5 individual battle forms separately, but have to work together to defeat the sixth one. As they are about to face the seventh one in Greenland, they arrive to see Superman finishing up defeating it and flying off. This experience gives them the idea to join together as the Justice League of America.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).