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Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited is an animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, it is a direct sequel to the earlier Justice League series. It debuted on July 31, 2004 at 8:30 PM on Toonami. The series is a continuation of its predecessor, taking place soon after the previous series ended. It is sometimes considered to be the same series as the original; season 1 of Justice League Unlimited is referred to as season 3 of Justice League. It features a greatly-expanded Justice League, in which the characters from the original series are joined by a wide array of superheroes, as well as a number of DC heroes who had made guest appearances in the first two seasons of Justice League. Also unlike Justice League, the show also has an ongoing story arc involving the building conflict between the Justice League and a secret government agency known as Project Cadmus. This plot line was heavily built upon events that have occurred during the second season of Justice League and has affected the plotlines for most of its episodes. It was resolved in a four-part episode at the end of the second season of Unlimited. The third season story arc appears to focus on the Legion of Doom as the main villains. DCAU villians have formed a loose-knit organization to combat the increased superhero coordination of the previous two seasons.

Show

Besides the addition of dozens of new League members, the show has changed format somewhat, though keeping the same Bruce Timm style artwork. Justice League Unlimited stories are mostly half-hour episode in length, unlike stories for Justice League which routinely ran for two half-hour episodes. Justice League Unlimited, similar to the second season of Justice League, is broadcast in the United States in widescreen. The show also features a new theme song. It has been hailed by fans as one of the best parts of the DC animated universe and is currently the only Dini/Timm show still in production, the others having been replaced by manga-inspired cartoons like Teen Titans and The Batman. Because of The Batman, an embargo was issued over JLU preventing Bruce Timm and his writers from using any of their versions of Batman's supporting cast and/or villains while they are being used on the new series. There is still some dispute among fans over the depiction of Batman, many die hards defending Batman's role in the show as perfectly acceptable while others criticize him as still being too much a "Bat-God" and not a real man. Some fans have also taken issue with the apparent romantic interest Wonder Woman has taken in Batman, which some find forced and unconvincing, although it has had a presence in the comic continuity as well. In addition, there are strong feelings among some that the new Justice League Unlimited series is too diluted with little substance. The series' tendency to work so hard to be trendy and subtly utilize adult humor has left some fans deeply missing the previous Justice League series. In addition, some viewers of JLU are overwhelmed by the many characters that appear and disappear from one episode to the next.

Episodes

Characters in Justice League Unlimited

The seven founding members were the original regular lineup of the League the previous two seasons. It is evident that most of the founding members have higher rank and more responsibilities than the new members of the Justice League.
- Superman
- Batman
- Wonder Woman
- Flash (Wally West)
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- Martian Manhunter
- Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) - Initially absent because of events in "Starcrossed", the Justice League series finale; she rejoined in the episode "Wake the Dead". For the full roster of the Justice League beside the founding members, check:

Future Members: Batman Beyond and the JLU

The name "Justice League Unlimited" also refers to a team of superheroes roughly 40 or 50 years in the future that appeared in the Batman Beyond two-part episode "The Call" (which, incidentally, aired well before work began on the Justice League series). This team consisted of Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent), a new Green Lantern (Kai-ro), Big Barda (Barda Free), Warhawk (Rex Stewart), Aquagirl (Merina), and Micron. Like his predecessor, the new Batman (Terry McGinnis) becomes a part-time member of the League. A connection with this team featured in Batman Beyond and the present-day team featured in Justice League Unlimited was directly evident in the latter's two-part episode "The Once and Future Thing", were active members in an alternate future were: the new Batman(Terry McGinnis), Warhawk and Static (Virgil Hawkins), and were aided by an aged Bruce Wayne. Some of these members re-appeared, along with some of the rest of future ones, in yet another episode of Justice League Unlimited, called "Epilogue".

DVD releases


- Saving the World (released February 15, 2005) - Contains Season One episodes "Initiation", "Hawk and Dove", and "Kid Stuff".
- Joining Forces (released September 20, 2005) - Contains Season One episodes "For the Man Who Has Everything", "The Greatest Story Never Told", and "The Return". Fans of the series have been lobbying for the release of complete seasons (along with the original Justice League) rather than collected editions such as those above, and with the announced first season box set to be released March 26, 2006 for Justice League it seems likely JLU will recieve similar treatment. The current releases have been criticized by fans for having too little episodes, the full-screen format falsely identified as the "original aspect ratio", the use of out-of-date artwork for the covers, and the minimal extra features, all problems to be remidied once the likely season set is released.

Episode Trivia


- The character "Edgar Mandragora" from the episode "Double Date" (Steven Mandragora's son) shows up later (in the continuity timeline) as a telekinetic in the Batman Beyond episode "Mind Games". The Batman Beyond episode aired years before the Justice League episode. Mandragora himself is based on the character of Tobias Whale, a Black Lightning villain, whose name could not be used due to DC's troubles with Whale's (and Black Lightning's) creator, Tony Isabella.
- The final scene in "Epilogue" is an homage to "On Leather Wings", the opening scene in the very first episode of the first Batman animated series that the Timm/Dini team collaborated on. It is the same scene but reversed shot by shot, with the original Batman theme.
- It seems that Justice League Unlimited has progressed in real time. In the episode "To Another Shore", Wonder Woman comments that J'onn J'onzz has been cooped up in the Watchtower for over 2 years, which would correspond with the first two seasons for JLU. This is different than the original Justice League cartoon which seems to have taken place over several years, with a substantial gap in time between seasons 1 and 2 for the show, "Starcrossed" (Justice League series finale) and "Initiation".
- Hawk and Dove were voiced by Fred Savage and Jason Hervy, who played the bickering brothers Kevin and Wayne on the TV series Wonder Years. Ironically, Fred voiced the older, more aggressive brother Hawk/Hank Hall while Jason voiced the younger, more docile brother Dove/Don Hall, which was a complete reversal of their roles on Wonder Years. It was originally intended for Jason to voice Hawk and Fred to voice Dove, mirroring the Wonder Years relationship, but during the voice over readings they unexpectedly swapped parts and it was left that way for the episode.
- Dwayne McDuffie has gone on the record as saying that we will never see the golden shield on the back of Superman's cape and the issue of where Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker fits into continuity rarely comes up. Supergirl received a redesign because they said that the white-T design was "too 90s". The new design is described as being based on the new Supergirl from the Loeb/Churchill series with DCAU Supergirl's face and DCAU Black Canary's hair.
- All characters except for Superman and Batman received minor redesigns following the end of Justice League and start of Justice League Unlimited. Some like Green Lantern got new heads or (in the case of Hawkgirl and Supergirl) new bodies. Others like the Flash had some of their lines changed.
- The Justice League embassy in Metropolis at the start of season 5 is the former site of Lexor City and the future site of the Justice League Watchtower in Batman Beyond's time. Its current design is based a homage of the Hall of Justice from Superfriends, with its shape extrapolated as a tower and pavilion rather than a hall.
- In the original Justice League series, the Javelin was heavily damaged, but never destroyed until it was blown up during the Thangarian invasion. By contrast, the Javelin shuttles in Justice League Unlimited are destroyed with regular frequency, starting with an entire armada of them in "The Return".
- Bruce Timm has stated that the Batman Beyond episode "The Call" starring a future Justice League was a test bed for the pacing and large cast handling for the Justice League cartoon. The production staff was concerned that they would have difficulty giving screen time with such a large cast of icons while still telling good stories, and some of the more technical issues of producing a show that had such many varied designs that would need to be animated. The resounding success of that particular episode is credited by the producers as being instrumental in making Justice League happen.
- The fact that the DC Comics continuity, the DCAU JLU season 3 and Alex Ross' out-of-continuity "Ultimate Justice League" comic known as Justice are all exploring the theme of villians organizing to form an anti-Justice League of sorts (via the Secret Society and both Legions of Doom) turned out to be completely coincidental. The DC comics plans were the natural extension of Identity Crisis, the DCAU plans were the natural outgrowth of the mere existence of the 60 member Justice League Unlimited, and the Legion of Doom in Justice being Alex Ross' tribute to SuperFriends, a show he has much affinity towards. This has caused problems for several theories that the DCAU is going to have a counterpart to Infinite Crisis. The current 5th season of the animated Teen Titans series features a similar theme of villians uniting against DC heroes.

External links


- [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/jlu/index.html Official site]
- [http://www.jlresource.com Justice League Resource]
- [http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/jlu/ Justice League Unlimited @ The World's Finest]
-
- [http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-4093/forum/ Justice League Unlimited] at TVrage.com
- [http://www.tv.com/justice-league-unlimited/show/3914/summary.html TV.com: Justice League Unlimited]
- [http://jl.toonzone.net/ The Watchtower]
- [http://www.jlaunlimited.com/eFiction1.1/index.php Justice League FanFictions @ JLAUnlimited]
- [http://www.jlanimated.com/ JLanimated]
- [http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/phpBB2 Action Figure Insider's JLU Board] A place to interact with and ask questions to the people who make the great JLU action figure line.
- [http://www.tv.com/justice-league-unlimited/show/3914/summary.html?q=Justice+League+ Justice League Unlimited at TV.com]

See also


- Bat-Embargo Category:Animated television series Category:Programs broadcast by YTV Category:Television programs based on DC Comics Category:2000s TV shows in the United States Category:Shows on Toonami Category:Batman television series Category:Batman Category:Superman

Television series

A television program is the content of television broadcasting. The content of an individual broadcast may be referred to as a television program (U.S., Canada, and Australia), television programme (UK, NZ, Ireland and South Africa) or television show. A program may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a periodically returning television series. A television series that is intended to air a finite number of episodes is usually called a miniseries. Americans call a short run lasting less than a year a season; Europeans call this a series. This season or series usually consists of 10–24 installments of the series. A single instance of a program is called an episode, although this is sometimes also called a "show" or "program." A one-off broadcast may be called a "special." A television movie is a movie that is initially aired on television rather than being released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful television movies are later released on video.

What television programming is

The content of television programs may be factual, as in documentaries, news, and reality television, or fictional as in comedy and drama. It may be topical as in the case of news and some made-for-television movies or historical as in the case of such documentaries or fictional series. It may be primarily instructional as in the case of educational programming, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy, reality TV, and variety shows. A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. Many shows, especially before the 1980s, maintained a status quo where the main characters and the premise changed little. If some change happened to the characters lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. (Because of this, the episodes could usually be watched in any order.) Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both. Common TV program periods include regular broadcasts (like TV news), TV series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or TV miniseries which is an extended film, usually with a small pre-determined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline. Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length, though critics often complain when programs hit the short end of that range and are still marketed as "minis." In the UK, the term "miniseries" is only usually used in references to imported programmes, and such short-run series are usually called "serials" there. In the United States, most regular television series have 22 episodes per year. In general, dramas usually last 44 minutes (an hour with commercials), while comedies last 22 (30 with commercials). However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been changing. Cable networks usually feature series lasting thirteen episodes. Many British series have significantly shorter yearly runs. Old television shows begin with a title sequence, show opening credits at the bottom of the screen over the beginning of the show, and include closing credits at the end of the show. However, in the 1990s shows began cold opening with a "teaser" (a short beginning to the episode, designed to catch the viewer's attention), followed by a title sequence, and a commercial break. More plot-driven shows begin with a "previously" (a short introduction to past major plot events through excerpts), even before the teaser. And, to save time, some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the opening credits. While television series appearing in TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, the real revenue for the producers is typically when the product is sold into syndication. However, with the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run have become a significant revenue source as well.

How programs are made

:What follows is the standard procedure for shows on network television in the United States. Someone (called the show "creator") comes up with the idea for a new television series. This consists of the concept, the characters, usually some crew, and sometimes some big-name actors. They "pitch" it to the various television networks, hoping to find one that's interested. If a network is interested, they will "order" a pilot (a prototype first episode of the series). To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series needs to be put together. If the network likes the pilot, they will "pick up" the show for their next season (UK: series). Sometimes they'll save it for "midseason" or request re-writes and further review (know in the industry as "Development hell"). And other times they'll pass entirely, leaving the show's creator forced to "shop it around"' to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot stage. If the show is picked up, a "run" of episodes is ordered. Usually only 13 episodes are ordered at first, although a series will typically last for at least 22 episodes (the last nine episodes sometimes being known as the "back nine", borrowing a term from golf). The show hires a "stable" of writers, who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second episode, and so forth. When all of the writers have been used, the assignment of episodes continues starting with the first writer again. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they will develop story ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who then folds them together into a script and rewrites them. The executive producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick crew and cast (subject to approval by the network), approve and often write series plots, and sometimes write and direct major episodes. A whole host of other producers of various names work under him or her, to make sure the show is always running smoothly. Once the script for a show is written, a director is found for the episodes. The director's job is to turn the words of the script into film. They decide how scenes should be "staged" and where the cameras should be placed; they also often coach the actors, including any guest stars who may be in the particular episode. On television shows, directors are often interchangeable, mainly serving the dictates of the writer. A director of photography takes care of making the show look good, doing things with lighting and so on. Finally, an editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score, and assembles the completed show. The show is then turned over to the network, which sends it out to its affiliates, which air it in the specified timeslot. If the Nielsen Ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the show is usually cancelled. The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a series on their own like M
- A
- S
- H and end it with a concluding episode which sometimes is a big production called a series finale. If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100 episodes or more) are made, it goes into syndication where broadcast rights are then resold.

Common genres


- TV comedy (typically situation comedy or sketch comedy)
- TV documentary
- TV drama (including dramedy)
- TV talk shows
- TV news
- TV current affairs shows
- TV cartoons
- TV infomercials
- TV miniseries
- Game shows
- Soap operas
- Reality TV

See also


- Alphabetical list of television programs
- Continuity
- Dead air
- List of television program categories
- TV series (China) ja:テレビ番組

Superhero

, two of the most recognizable and influential superheroes. Art by Alex Ross.]] A superhero is a fictional character who is noted for feats of courage and nobility, who usually has a colorful name and costume and abilities beyond those of normal human beings. Since the definitive superhero, Superman, debuted in 1938, the stories of superheroes - ranging from episodic adventures to decades-long sagas - have become an entire genre of fiction that has dominated American comic books and crossed over into several other media.

Common traits

American comic books American comic books There is a range of attributes that are commonly part of a superhero's make up, although they are by no means definitive (see Divergent character examples). Most superheroes have a few of the following features:
- Extraordinary powers and abilities, mastery of relevant skills and/or advanced equipment. Although superhero powers vary widely, superhuman strength, the ability to fly, enhancements of the senses and the ability to project energy of some kind are all common. Some superheroes, such as Batman and Green Hornet, possess no superpowers but have mastered skills such as martial arts and forensic sciences. Others have special equipment, such as Iron Man’s powered armor and Green Lantern’s power ring.
- A strong moral code, including a willingness to risk one's own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward.
- A special motivation, such as a sense of responsibility (e.g. Spider-Man), a strong sense of justice (e.g. Captain America) a formal calling (e.g., Captain Marvel) or a personal vendetta against criminals (e.g., The Punisher)
- A secret identity that protects the superhero’s friends and family from becoming targets of his or her enemies. Most superheroes use a descriptive or metaphoric codename for their public deeds.
- A flamboyant and distinctive costume (see Common costume features).
- An underlining motif or theme that affects the hero’s name, costume, personal effects and other aspects of his character (e.g., Batman resembles a large bat, calls his headquarters the "Batcave" and his specialized automobile, which also looks bat-like, the "Batmobile")
- A trademark weapon (e.g., Wonder Woman’s "Lasso of Truth," Captain America’s shield)
- A supporting cast of recurring characters including the hero's friends, co-workers and/or love interests, who may or may not know of the superhero's secret identity. Often the hero's personal relationships are complicated by his/her dual life.
- An archenemy or a number of enemies that s/he fights repeatedly. Often a nemesis is a superhero’s opposite or foil (e.g., Sabretooth embraces his savage instincts while Wolverine battles his)
- Has either independent wealth (e.g., Batman or the X-Men's benefactor Professor X) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter).
- A secret headquarters or base of operations (e.g., Superman's Fortress of Solitude).
- An "origin story" that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his/her abilities as well as his/her motivation for fighting evil. Many back stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities. "origin story" Most superheroes work independently. However, there are also many superhero teams. Some, such as The Fantastic Four and X-Men, have common origins and usually operate as a group. Others, such as DC Comics’s Justice League and Marvel’s Avengers are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes of separate origins who also operate individually. Many superheroes, especially those introduced in the 1940s, work with a child or teenaged sidekick (e.g., Batman and Robin, Captain America and Bucky). This has become less common since more sophisticated writing and older audiences have lessened the need for characters that specifically appeal to young readers and made such obvious child endangerment seem implausible. Superheroes most often appear in comic books, and superhero stories are the dominant genre of American comic books, to the point that the terms "superhero" and "comic book character" are often used synonymously. Superheroes have also been featured in radio serials, prose novels, TV series, movies, and other media. Most of the superheroes that appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions. Marvel Comics Group and DC Comics, Inc., share ownership of the United States trademark for the phrase "Super Heroes" as it applies to comics, and these two companies own a majority of the world’s most famous superheroes. However, throughout comic book history, there have been significant heroes owned by others, such as Captain Marvel, owned by Fawcett Comics (but later acquired by DC) and Spawn, owned by creator Todd McFarlane. Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane Superheroes are largely an American creation but there have been successful superheroes in other countries, most of which share conventions of the American model. Japan is the only country whose entertainment industry nears that of the United States in output of superheroes. Ultraman and Kamen Rider have become popular in Japanese tokusatsu live-action shows and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese anime and manga. Examples from other countries include Cybersix from Argentina, Captain Canuck from Canada, Marvelman (known as Miracleman in North America) from the United Kingdom, Nagraj from India and the heroes of AK Comics from Egypt. Although superhero fiction is considered a subgenre of fantasy/science-fiction, it crosses into many other genres. Many superhero franchises resemble crime fiction (Batman, Daredevil), others horror fiction (Spawn, Hellboy), while others contain aspects of more standard science fiction (Green Lantern, X-Men). Many of the earliest superheroes, such as The Sandman and The Clock, were rooted in the pulp fiction of their predecessors. But because the fantastic nature of the superhero milieu allows almost anything to happen, some superhero series cross over into a variety of vastly different genres. In the 1980s series, The New Teen Titans, the Titans battled a supernatural satanic cult leader in one story, went off to another galaxy to participate in a space war in the following story, and then returned to Earth and became involved in a gritty urban drama involving young runaways. The content of each of these stories is quite different, yet the same principal characters are involved.

Common costume features

cult A superhero’s costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public (both in and outside of fiction). Costumes frequently incorporate the superhero's name and theme. For example Daredevil resembles a red devil, the design of Captain America's costume echoes that of the American flag and Spider-Man’s costume features a web pattern. Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including:
- Superheroes who maintain a secret identity often wear a mask, ranging from the small bands of Green Lantern and Ms. Marvel to the full facemasks of Spider-Man and Black Panther. Most common, however, are masks covering the upper face, leaving the more indistinguishable jaw and neck areas exposed which represents a compromise of a believable disguise while allowing for the character to still show facial expression. These include the masks of Captain America, Batman and The Flash.
- Form-fitting clothing, often referred to as tights or spandex, although the exact material is usually not identified. Such material displays a character’s muscular build.
- A symbol, such as a stylized letter or visual icon, usually on the chest. Examples include Superman’s "S" and Green Lantern's lantern symbol.
- While a vast majority of superheroes do not wear capes, the garment is still closely associated with them, likely due to the fact that two of the most widely-recognized superheroes, Batman and Superman, wear capes.
- When thematically appropriate, some superheroes dress like people from certain professions or subcultures. Zatanna, who possesses wizard-like powers, dresses like a magician and Ghost Rider, who rides a super powered motorcycle, dresses in the garb of a biker.
- While most superhero costumes merely hide the hero’s identity and/or present a recognizable image, parts of some costumes have functional uses. Batman’s utility belt and Spawn’s "necroplasmic armor" have both been of great assistance to the heroes. Iron Man, in particular, wears a variety of powered armor that protects him and provides technological advantages.
- Several heroes of the 1990s, including Cable and many Image Comics characters, rejected the traditional superhero outfit for costumes that appeared more practical and militaristic. Shoulder pads, kevlar-like vests, metal plated armor, knee and elbow pads, and heavy duty belts were all common features.

Character subtypes

Image Comics] In superhero role-playing games (particularly Champions), superheroes are informally organized into categories based on their skills and abilities. Since comic book and role-playing fandom overlap, these labels have carried over into discussions of superheroes outside the context of games:
- "Martial Artist": A hero whose physical abilities are mostly human rather than superhuman but whose combat skills are phenomenal. Some of these characters are actually superhuman (Daredevil, Iron Fist) while others are normal human beings who are extremely skilled and athletic (Batman and related characters, Black Widow, and Elektra)
- "Brick/Tanker": A character with a superhuman degree of strength and endurance and usually an oversized, muscular body, e.g., The Thing, The Hulk, Colossus, Savage Dragon
- "Blaster": A hero whose main power is a distance attack, e.g., Cyclops, Starfire, Static
  - "Archer": A subvariant of this type who uses bow and arrow-like weapons that have a variety of specialized functions like explosives, glue, nets, rotary drill, etc., e.g., Green Arrow, Hawkeye
  - "Mage": A subvariant of this type that is trained in the use of magic, which partially or wholly involves ranged attacks., e.g., Doctor Strange, Doctor Fate
- "Gadgeteer": A hero who invents special equipment that often imitates superpowers, e.g., Forge, Nite Owl
  - "Armored Hero": A gadgeteer whose powers are derived from a suit of powered armor, e.g., Iron Man, Steel
  - Dominus (Latin, "master"): A hero that uses a giant robot to combat villains, e.g., Big Guy, Roger Smith of Big O and members of the team Super Sentai; common in Japanese superhero series
- "Speedster": A hero possessing superhuman speed and reflexes, e.g., The Flash, Quicksilver.
- "Mentalist": A hero who possesses psionic abilities, such as telekinesis, telepathy and extra-sensory perception, e.g., Professor X, Jean Grey, Saturn Girl.
- "Shapeshifter": A hero who can manipulate his/her own body to suit his/her needs, such as stretching (Mister Fantastic, Plastic Man) or disguise (Changeling, Chameleon)
  - "Sizechanger": A shapeshifter who can alter his/her size, e.g., the Atom (shrinking only), Colossal Boy (growth only), Hank Pym (both). These categories often overlap. For instance, Batman is a martial artist and a gadgeteer, and Superman is extremely strong and damage resistant and also has ranged attacks (heat vision, superbreath) like an energy blaster and can move quickly like a speedster. The Martian Manhunter excels in every category except martial arts and gadgetry. the ninja X-Man Psylocke is both a Mentalist and a Martial Artist.

Divergent character examples

While the typical superhero is described above, many break the mold: Psylocke Psylocke
- Spider-Man has been portrayed as an everyman hero, showing poor judgment and being overwhelmed by the combined responsibilities of his personal life and mission as a superhero.
- The Incredible Hulk is usually defined as a superhero, but he has little self-control and his actions have often either inadvertently or deliberately caused great destruction. As a result, he has been hunted by the military and other superheroes.
- Wolverine of the X-Men has shown a willingness to kill and behave anti-socially. Wolverine belongs to an entire underclass of anti-heroes who are grittier and more violent than classic superheroes, often putting the two groups at odds. Others include Rorschach, Daredevil, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Punisher and, in some incarnations, Batman.
- Some superheroes have been created and employed by national governments to serve their interests and defend the nation. Examples include Captain America, who was outfitted by and worked for the United States Army during World War II, and Alpha Flight, a superhero team formed by the Canadian government.
- Many superheroes have never had a secret identity, such as Wonder Woman (in her current version) and the members of The Fantastic Four. Others that once had a secret identity, like Captain America and Steel, have later made their identities public.
- Some superhero identities have been used by more than one person. A character takes on another's name and mission after the original dies, retires or takes on a new identity. Several characters have taken-up the mantles of Green Lantern, The Flash, Captain Canuck and Robin.
- Superman, Silver Surfer, Martian Manhunter and Captain Marvel (the Marvel Comics character) are extraterrestrials who have, either permanently or provisionally, taken it upon themselves to protect the planet Earth.
- Alternatively, Adam Strange is a human being who protects the planet Rann.
- Thor and Hercules are mythological gods reinterpretted as superheroes. Wonder Woman, while not a goddess, is a member of the Amazon tribe of Greek mythology.
- Alternatively, Spawn, The Demon and Ghost Rider are actual demons, who find themselves manipulated by circumstance to be allies for the forces of good. Hellboy, on the other hand, is a demon who is heroic on his own accord.
- The Gargoyles are ancient, almost mythological creatures who, despite their monstrous appearance, are a benign, intelligent species dedicated to protecting their territories.
- Characters who have treaded the line between superhero and villain include Magneto, Juggernaut, Emma Frost, Catwoman, Elektra, and Venom.
- Because the superhero is such an outlandish and recognizable character type, several comedic heroes have been introduced, including Super Dupont, The Tick, The Flaming Carrot, The Ambiguously Gay Duo and The Simpsons’ Radioactive Man. Especially notable are the characters of Silent Comics, who, in the same universe, can be either comedic or serious superheroes.

History of superheroes in comic books

Predecessors

The origins of superheroes can be found in several prior forms of fiction. Many share traits with protagonists of later Victorian literature, such as The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock HolmesOne notable fore-runner of the modern superhero was Spring Heeled Jack, who first emerged as an urban legend in England during the 1830s. Reports of a mysterious figure, apparently capable of superhuman feats of agility and sometimes said to bear unusual weapons including a gas or flame projector and clawed gauntlets, continued for most of the next hundred years. However, it was is the penny dreadfuls, Victorian fore-runners of the comic book format, that Spring Heeled Jack underwent his transformation into a prototypical superhero, complete with a mask and elaborate costume, secret identity as an altruistic, wealthy bachelor, technology-based super powers, concealed base of operations (in a crypt), etc. In many respects Jack was a Victorian-era Batman, emerging decades before his time. Another early superhero was the Reverend Dr. Christopher Syn, the protagonist of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. Dr. Syn adopted the masked and costumed identity of the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh to defend his parishioners against the King's press-gangs and tax agents. Set during the 1700s, Thordike's first novel featuring Dr. Syn/the Scarecrow was published in 1915, pre-dating the dual-identity superheroics of Superman, Batman and others by more than twenty years. The dime novel stories of Zorro and Tarzan also influenced superheroes. Pulp magazine crime fighters, such as Doc Savage, The Shadow and The Spider, and comic strip characters, such as Dick Tracy and The Phantom, were probably the most direct influences. By modern standards, characters like Doc Savage and The Phantom — normal human beings at or near peak abilities — could be considered superheroes in their own right, but the first appearance of Superman is widely considered the point at which the superhero genre truly began. Philip Wylie's 1930 novel Gladiator has recently gained attention as a prototype not only of the "classic" superhero, but also of its deconstruction. [http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue372/classic.html] deconstruction.]]

Golden Age

In 1938, writer Jerry Siegel and illustrator Joe Shuster, who had previously worked in pulp science fiction magazines, introduced Superman. The character possessed many of the traits that have come to define the superhero, including a secret identity, superhuman powers and a colorful costume including a symbol and cape. His name is also the source of the term "superhero." secret identity.]] DC Comics (which published under the names National and All-American at the time) received an overwhelming response to Superman and, in the months that followed, introduced such superheroes as Batman and his sidekick Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman and Green Arrow. The first team of superheroes was DC's Justice Society of America, featuring most of the aforementioned characters. Although DC dominated the superhero market at this time, companies large and small created hundreds of superheroes. Marvel Comics’ Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, Quality Comics’ Plastic Man and Phantom Lady, and Will Eisner's The Spirit (featured in a newspaper insert) were also hits. The era's most popular superhero, however, was Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, who outsold Superman during the 1940s. 1940s.]] During World War II, superheroes grew in popularity, surviving paper rationing and the loss of many writers and illustrators to service in the armed forces. The need for simple tales of good triumphing over evil may explain the wartime popularity of superheroes. Publishers responded with stories in which superheroes battled the Axis Powers and the introduction of patriotically themed superheroes, most notably Marvel's Captain America. After the war, superheroes lost popularity. This led to the rise of other genres, especially horror and crime. The lurid nature of these genres sparked a moral crusade in which comics were blamed for juvenile delinquency. The movement was spearheaded by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, who argued, among other things, that "deviant" sexual undertones ran rampant in superhero comics. [http://art-bin.com/art/awertham.html] In response, the comic book industry adopted the stringent Comics Code. By the mid-1950s, only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman retained a sliver of their prior popularity, although an effort towards complete inoffensiveness that made their stories ridiculous by modern standards. This ended what historians have called the Golden Age of comic books. Golden Age of comic books

Silver Age

In the 1950s, DC Comics, under the editorship of Julius Schwartz, recreated many popular 1940s heroes, launching an era later deemed the Silver Age of comic books. The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and several others were revived with new origin stories. While past superheroes resembled mythological heroes in their origins and abilities, these heroes were inspired by contemporary science fiction. In 1960, DC banded its most popular heroes together in the Justice League of America, which became a sales phenomenon. Empowered by the return of the superhero at DC, Marvel Comics editor/writer Stan Lee and the artists/co-writers Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko launched a new line of superhero comic books, beginning with The Fantastic Four in 1961. These comics continued DC’s emphasis on science fiction concepts (radiation was a common source of superpowers) but placed greater emphasis on personal conflict and character development. This led to many superheroes that differed greatly from their predecessors with more dramatic potential. Some examples: radiation
- The Thing, a member of The Fantastic Four, was a super strong, but monstrous creature with rock-like skin, whose appearance filled him with self-pity.
- Spider-Man was a teenager who struggled to earn money and maintain his social life in addition to his costumed exploits.
- The Incredible Hulk shared a Jekyll/Hyde-like relationship with his alter ego and was driven by rage.
- The X-Men were "mutants" who gained their powers through genetic mutation and who were hated and feared by the society they sought to protect. By the early 1970s, the return of the superhero genre, the rise of television as the top medium for light entertainment and the Comics Code Authority’s effect on grittier genres obliterated genres such as westerns, romance, horror, war and crime while the superhero genre underwent a revival. In the coming decades, non-superhero comic book series would occasionally rise to popularity but superheroes and comic books would be forever intertwined in the eyes of the American public.

Deconstruction of the superhero

In the 1970, DC Comics paired Green Arrow and Green Lantern together in a ground-breaking socially-conscious series. Writer Dennis O'Neil portrayed Green Arrow as an angry, street-smart populist and Green Lantern as good-natured but short-sighted authority figure. This is the first instance in which superheroes were classified into two distinct groups, the "classic" superhero and the more brazen anti-hero and the first to suggest that the former had become outdated. anti-hero In the 1970s, DC returned Batman to his roots as a dubious vigilante and Marvel introduced several popular anti-heroes, including The Punisher, Wolverine and writer/artist Frank Miller's darker version of Daredevil. These characters were deeply troubled from within. Batman, The Punisher and Daredevil were driven by the crime-related deaths of family members and were continually exposed to slum life. The X-Men’s Wolverine, on the other hand, was a mysterious character who was at odds with his own savage nature. The trend was taken to a new extreme in the 1986 mini-series Watchmen by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, which was published by DC but took place outside the "DC Universe", with new characters. The superheroes of Watchmen were emotionally unsatisfied, psychologically withdrawn and even sociopathic. DC Universe Another story, The Dark Knight Returns (1985-1986) continued Batman’s renovation. This mini-series, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, featured a future Batman returning from retirement. The series portrayed the hero as a madman on a brutal quest to mold society to his will and concluded with a symbolic slugfest against Superman. Some critics believe that this trend is tied to the cynicism of the 1980s, when the idea of a person selflessly using his extraordinary abilities on a quest for good was no longer believable, but a person with a deep psychological impulse to destroy criminals was. Regardless, both Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns were acclaimed for their artistic ambitiousness and psychological depth and became watermark series, leading to numerous imitations. 1980s]

Struggles of the 1990s

By the early 1990s, anti-heroes had become the rule rather than the exception, as The Punisher, Wolverine and the grimmer Batman became very popular and marketable characters. Anti-heroes such as the X-Men’s Gambit and Bishop, X-Force's Cable and the Spider-Man adversary Venom became some of the most popular new characters of the early 1990s. This was financial boom time for the industry when a new character could become well-known quickly and, according to many fans, stylistic flair eclipsed character development. boom time] In 1992, Marvel illustrators Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld — all of whom helped popularize anti-heroes in the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises — left Marvel to found Image Comics. Image changed the comic book industry as a haven for creator-owned characters and the first challenger to Marvel and DC in 30 years. Image superhero teams, such as Lee’s WildC.A.Ts and Gen 13, Leifeld’s Youngblood, were instant hits but were criticized as over-muscled, over-sexualized, excessively violent and lacking in unique personality. McFarland’s occult hero Spawn faired somewhat better in critical respect and long-term sales and his vast popularity lead many young creators to gravitate towards the trend of gritty anti-heroes. To keep ahead of new competitors and continue to the financial boom, Marvel and DC launched headline-grabbing, large-scale storylines that made drastic changes to iconic characters. The "Death of Superman" found the hero killed and resurrected, Batman was physically crippled in the "KnightSaga" storyline, and a clone of Spider-Man vied with the original for the title. While these stories drummed up publicity, fans complained that the essential elements of the franchises had been diluted and they ultimately lost interest. clone of Spider-Man Throughout the 1990s, several creators deviated from the trends of violent anti-heroes and sensational, large-scale storylines. Painter Alex Ross, writer Kurt Busiek and Alan Moore himself tried to "reconstruct" the superhero genre with acclaimed titles such as Busiek's and Ross' Astro City and Moore's Tom Strong, which combined artistic sophistication and idealism into a superheroic version of retro-futurism. Ross also painted two widely acclaimed mini-series, Marvels (written by Busiek) for Marvel Comics and Kingdom Come for DC, which examined the classic superhero in a more literary context. Kingdom Come also satirized the anti-heroes; Magog, one of the series' antagonists, was a parody of Cable. By the beginning of the 2000s, most classic superheroes had returned to their roots. However, the comic book industry’s most acclaimed writers could make drastic changes and gain general fan approval, as was the case with Grant Morrison's New X-Men series and Brian Michael Bendis's "Avengers Disassembled" story arc. As of 2005, a decline in the comic book industry has cut the surplus of anti-heroes, but a revival of superhero films and a rise in the sale of trade paperbacks have kept the superhero genre healthy.

Growth in diversity

From their birth until the early 1960s, superheroes largely conformed to the model of lead characters in American popular fiction in the first half of the 20th century. Hence, the typical superhero was a white, middle to upper class, heterosexual, professional, young-to-middle-aged man. A majority of superheroes still fit this description but, in subsequent decades, many minority characters have broken the mold. 20th century

Female characters

The first significant female superhero was DC Comics’s Wonder Woman, created by psychologist William Moulton Marston in 1941 as a role model for young women. She was the only widely popular female superhero for two decades and is arguably still the most famous. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, DC debuted female versions of prominent male superheroes, such as Supergirl, Batgirl and Hawkgirl, as well as female supporting characters that were successful professionals, such as Superman’s love interest Lois Lane, who starred in a spin-off series aimed at young female readers. Meanwhile, Marvel Comics introduced The Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl and the X-Men's Marvel Girl, but these characters were physically weak and were portrayed primarily as romantic interests of their teammates. The 1970s saw these heroes become more confident and assertive and the launch of several series starring female superheroes, including Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel. Initially, some characters were preachy feminist stereotypes, like Ms. Marvel and DC's Power Girl, until writers grew more accustomed with society's changing attitudes. In subsequent decades, Elektra, Catwoman, Witchblade and Spider-Girl became stars of popular series and the X-Men, one of the few superhero teams to feature as many female characters as male, became the industry's most successful franchise. Storm (pictured below), Rogue and Psylocke were some of the most popular "X-Women." Psylocke

Non-Caucasian characters

In the late 1960s, superheroes of other racial groups began to appear in Marvel Comics. In 1966, the company introduced the Black Panther, the first serious black superhero. In 1972, Luke Cage, an African-American "hero-for-hire," became the first black superhero to star in his own series. In 1971, Marvel introduced Red Wolf, the first Native American hero [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/redwf2.htm]. Shortly after, he starred in a short-lived eponymous series. In 1974, Shang Chi, a martial arts hero, became the first Asian hero to star in an American comic book series (The last Asian title character, the 1950s’ Yellow Claw, was a villain, although his main opponent was also Asian. [http://www.toonopedia.com/yeloclaw.htm]). Comic book companies were in the early stages of cultural expansion and many of these characters played to specific stereotypes; Cage often employed lingo similar to that of blaxploitation films, Native Americans were often associated with wild animals and Asians were often portrayed as martial artists. Subsequent minority heroes, such as the X-Men’s Storm (the first black, female superhero) and The Teen Titans’ Cyborg would avoid the patronizing nature of the earlier characters as the comics industry became more mature and diverse. In 1993, Milestone Comics, an African-American-owned imprint of DC, introduced a line of series that included characters of many ethnic minorities, including several black headliners. The imprint lasted four years, during which it introduced Static, a character adapted into the WB Network series Static Shock. Static Shock

Gay characters

In 1992, Marvel revealed that Northstar, a member of Alpha Flight, was homosexual, after years of implication. Although some secondary characters in Watchmen were gay, Northstar was the first gay superhero to have a permanent presence in a continuing series. Since then, a few other semi-prominent gay superheroes have emerged, such as Gen13's Rainmaker, The New Mutants’ Karma and The Authority's gay couple Apollo and Midnighter. The Flash adversary Pied Piper came out of the closet after quitting his criminal activity and becoming a supporting hero.

Diversified teams

In 1975, Marvel revived the X-Men, introducing a new team with members culled from several different nations, including the German Nightcrawler, the Russian Colossus, the Canadian Wolverine and the Kenyan Storm. The X-Men, which became comic books’ most successful franchise in the coming decade, continued to have a radically diverse roster and an underlining message of tolerance and unity. Ethnic diversity would be an important part of subsequent X-Men-related groups, as well as series that attempted to mimic the X-Men’s success, such as DC’s Legion of Superheroes and Teen Titans.

Treatment in other media

Teen Titans

Film

: Superhero films began as Saturday movie serials aimed at children during the 1940s. The decline of these serials meant the death of superhero films until the release of 1978‘s Superman. Several sequels followed in the 1980s. A popular Batman series lasted from 1989 until 1997. These franchises were initially successful but later sequels in both series faired poorly stunting the growth of superhero films for a time. In the early 2000s, blockbusters such as 2000’s X-Men, 2002’s Spider-Man and 2005's Batman Begins have lead to dozens of superhero films. The improvements in special effects technology and more sophisticated writing that emulates the spirit of the comic books has drawn in mainstream audiences and caused critics to take superhero films more seriously.

Live-action television series

: Several popular but, by modern standards, campy live action superhero programs aired from the early 1950s until the late 1970s. These included The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, the psychedelic-colored Batman series of the 1960s starring Adam West and Burt Ward and CBS’s Wonder Woman series of the 1970s starring Lynda Carter. In the 1990s, networks attempted several unconventional uses of the superhero genre in live action shows, including the exceptionally popular Smallville, which reinvents Superman’s origins as teen drama. Other examples include Lois and Clark, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Alias. Since the 1960s, Japanese, “tokusatsu” action/science fiction/superhero shows, including Ultraman, Spectreman and Kamen Rider, have displayed another culture’s distinct take on the superhero genre. Kamen Rider

Animation

: In the 1940s, Fleischer/Famous Studios produced a number of groundbreaking Superman cartoons which became the first examples of superheroes in animation. Since the 1960s, superhero cartoons have been a staple of children’s television, particularly in the USA and Japan. However, by the early 1980s, US broadcasting restrictions on violence in children’s entertainment lead to series that were extremely tame, a trend exemplified by the series Super Friends. In the 1990s, Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men lead the way for series that displayed advanced animation, mature writing and respect for the comic books on which they were based. This trend continues with Cartoon Network’s successful adaptations of DC's Justice League and Teen Titans.

Radio

In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, Superman was one of the most

Justice League (animated series)

Justice League is an animated series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. It is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

History

Animator Bruce Timm, having successfully adapted both Batman and Superman into animated television programs in the 1990s, took on the challenge of faithfully adapting the Justice League comic book. Ignoring the sidekicks, pets and "silliness" of the earlier Super Friends show, the line-up of this new JLA adaptation was created with two things in mind: To pay tribute to the original line-up of the Justice League of America while also reflecting racial and cultural diversity. Significantly, the well-known (but much-deprecated) superhero Aquaman was left out of the lineup (although he would be used on the show) in favor of a second female on the team - Hawkgirl - and the African-American Green Lantern John Stewart, who has worked with the League in the comics before, was used rather than either of the better-known modern-era Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner, even though Rayner had appeared as Green Lantern in the Superman animated series. (In the second season, Rayner is described as a Lantern in training under Stewart's old mentor, explaining his absence. Both he and Jordan make appearances in Justice League Unlimited.) In February 2004 Cartoon Network announced a follow-up series, Justice League Unlimited, which premiered on July 31. Justice League Unlimited features a greatly expanded roster of heroes, usually with only a few appearing in any given episode, although there are a few featuring just about the entire roster fighting against one giant enemy. A "Bat-Embargo" was introduced at the start of the third season when the series became "Unlimited" due to the creation of The Batman (2004), which prevented Timm from using any of Batman's villains or supporting characters. Tim Daly, who voiced Superman in his previous animated series, did some early recordings, but ultimately he was unable to reprise the role due to his involvement with the short lived remake series of The Fugitive, resulting in his being replaced by George Newbern. Newbern was heavily criticized by fans during the first season, who felt that his Superman was too stiff and lacked both the everyman feel and heroic authority that Daly brought to the role, which Bruce Timm said was more his fault and the fault of his staff than Newbern's and has openly defended Newbern. Since then, many fans have agreed that Newbern improved significantly during the second season and now have no problem with his portrayal of Superman, and some have noted that his grunts sound very similar to Daly's. Superman was initially redesigned to have a bit of a squint to his eyes that was also meant to make him look older, in addition to having a noticeable shining streak to his hair; additionally, he was redesigned to appear larger in physical girth than in his previous series. Fans did not like the older appearance and in the second season the streak was toned down the point of almost disappearing and the squint was removed. Maria Canals was cast as Hawkgirl based on her Hispanic accent, which the producers felt would make Hawkgirl appear more foreign and alien against her team mates. In the comic books, the Martian Manhunter/J'onn J'onnzz has a power called 'Martian Vision' which is essentially the same as Superman's heat vision, but the power has never been shown in the series, dropped presumably in favor of his phasing out power and his telepathy. The Martian Manhunter was only refered to by that name in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Task Force X" by the Clock King. Otherwise, he is never referred to as 'Martian Manhunter', only as J'onn.

Controversy

Justice League proved very popular with fans of the comic book and the previous animated versions of Batman and Superman by Bruce Timm, but some fans were disappointed in the show's depiction of Batman, criticizing Timm and the other writers having a bias in favor of Batman against the other characters, most notably Superman. Citing many instances where Batman achieved feats that technically even he isn't capable of and of displaying far more intelligence than Superman, at times practically the only member of the League who actually does think while the others just listen and follow, with Superman in particular coming off as a mere "country bumpkin". Some fans have labeled the Justice League depiction of Batman as a "Bat-God". Some fans also feel that Timm in general dislikes Superman. Fans have also taken issue with the series depiction of the Flash/Wally West. While the [third] Flash has always been laid back and sardonic in the comic books, and many agree that he is well voiced by Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor of Smallville, ironically), but some feel that the Flash is all too often relegated to being merely a comic relief character or "the funny one". Later episodes would allow the Flash to display more power and talent when using his super speed, and practically saves the world in the penultimate episode of the second season of JLU. Additionally, some fans were genuinely upset that Aquaman was not included as a regular member of the Justice League.

Characters

The seven founding members of the Justice League in the animated series are:
- Superman - voiced by George Newbern
- Batman - voiced by Kevin Conroy
- Wonder Woman - voiced by Susan Eisenberg
- Flash (Wally West) - voiced by Michael Rosenbaum
- Green Lantern (John Stewart) - voiced by Phil LaMarr
- Martian Manhunter - voiced by Carl Lumbly
- Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) - voiced by Maria Canals

Episodes

See Episodes of Justice League

DVD releases

Justice League: Contains all three parts of "Secret Origins". A mini-DVD version of this disc has also been released. Justice on Trial: Contains "In Blackest Night" and "The Enemy Below". Paradise Lost: Contains "Paradise Lost" and "War World". The Brave and the Bold: Contains episodes "The Brave and the Bold" and "Injustice for All". Starcrossed The Movie: Contains "Starcrossed" in both widescreen and fullscreen. A mini-DVD version of this disc has also been released with only fullscreen. The Justice League Collection: Contains previous "Secret Origins," "Paradise Lost," and "Justice on Trial" DVDs in a three-pack with a slipcase. Challenge of the Super Friends to Justice League: Contains the previously released "Justice League" (Secret Origins) DVD along with two Super Friends discs in a slip-case. Justice League: Season One: Contains a set of 4 DVDs with all of the episodes from the first season as well as audio commentaries, interviews, and other special features. (Available on March 21st 2006)

External links


- [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/jlu/ Official site]
- [http://www.jlresource.com Justice League Resource]
- [http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/jl/ Justice League @ The World's Finest]
- [http://www.jlanimated.com/ JLanimated]
- [http://jl.toonzone.net/ The Watchtower]
- [http://www.jlaunlimited.com/eFiction1.1/index.php Justice League FanFictions @ JLAUnlimited]
-

See also


- Justice League Unlimited Category:Animated television series Category:Children's television series Category:Programs broadcast by YTV Category:Television programs based on DC Comics Category:2000s TV shows in the United States Category:Batman television series Category:Batman Category:Superman

July 31

July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July.

Events


- 781 - The oldest recorded eruption of Mt. Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: July 6, 781)
- 1009 - Pietro Boccapecora becomes Pope Sergius IV
- 1423 - Hundred Years War: Battle of Cravant - The French army is defeated at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.
- 1498 - On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.
- 1588 - The Spanish Armada is spotted off the coast of England.
- 1667 - The Treaty of Breda ends the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
- 1703 - Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.
- 1777 - The US Congress passed a resolution that services of Marquis de Lafayette "be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States."
- 1790 - First US patent issued; granted to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.
- 1856 - Christchurch, New Zealand chartered as a city.
- 1917 - The Third Battle of Ypres starts in Flanders.
- 1919 - German national assembly adopts the Weimar constitution (to enter into force August 14)
- 1930 - The radio mystery program The Shadow airs for the first time.
- 1936 - The International Olympic Committee announces that the 1940 Summer Olympics were to be held in Tokyo. However, the games were given back to the IOC after the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, and were eventually cancelled altogether because of World War II.
- 1941 - Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS general Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired final solution of the Jewish question."
- 1945 - Pierre Laval, fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
- 1948 - At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.
- 1951 - Japan Airlines is established.
- 1954 - First ascent of K2, by an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio.
- 1956 - Jim Laker sets extraordinary record at Old Trafford in the fourth Test of taking nineteen wickets in a first-class match (the previous best was seventeen.
- 1961 - At Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, the first All-Star Game tie in major league baseball history occurs when the game is stopped in the 9th inning due to rain.
- 1964 - Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes).
- 1971 - Apollo program: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
- 1973 - A Delta Air Lines jetliner crashes while landing in fog at Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts killing 89
- 1975 - In Detroit, Michigan, Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing.
- 1976 - NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo, taken by Viking 1
- 1987 - A rare, class F-4 tornado rips through Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people and causing $330 million in damage.
- 1992 - A Thai Airways Airbus A300-310 crashes into mountain south of Kathmandu, Nepal killing 113.
- 1996 - MIL-STD-1750A is declared inactive for use in new designs.
- 1999 - NASA intentionally crashes the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the moon's surface.

Births


- 1143 - Emperor Nijo of Japan (d. 1165)
- 1396 - Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1467)
- 1527 - Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, (d. 1576)
- 1598 - Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor and architect (d. 1654)
- 1702 - Jean Denis Attiret, French Jesuit missionary and painter (d. 1768)
- 1704 - Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician (d. 1752)
- 1718 - John Canton, English physicist (d. 1772)
- 1724 - Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer (d. 1801)
- 1803 - John Ericsson, Swedish inventor and engineer (d. 1889)
- 1816 - George Henry Thomas, American general (d. 1870)
- 1835 - Henri Brisson, French statesman (d. 1912)
- 1843 - Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet (d. 1918)
- 1860 - Mary Vaux Walcott, American artist and naturalist (d. 1940)
- 1887 - Hans Freyer, German sociologist (d. 1969)
- 1901 - Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (d. 1985)
- 1904 - Brett Halliday, American writer (d. 1977)
- 1911 - George Liberace, American musician (d. 1983)
- 1912 - Milton Friedman, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1912 - Irv Kupcinet, American newspaper columnist (d. 2003)
- 1914 - Louis de Funès, French actor and comedian (d. 1983)
- 1916 - Bill Todman, American game show producer (d. 1979)
- 1918 - Paul D. Boyer, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1918 - Hank Jones, American pianist
- 1919 - Curt Gowdy, American sports announcer
- 1919 - Primo Levi, Italian author and chemist (d. 1987)
- 1921 - Whitney Young, American civil rights activist (d. 1971)
- 1923 - Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-born record company executive
- 1929 - Don Murray, American actor
- 1929 - José Santamaria, Uruguayan footballer
- 1930 - Oleg Popov, Russian clown
- 1931 - Kenny Burrell, American guitarist
- 1933 - Cees Nooteboom, Dutch writer
- 1939 - France Nuyen, French actress
- 1941 - Amarsinh Chaudhary, Indian politician
- 1943 - William Bennett, U.S. Secretary of Education
- 1943 - Susan Flannery, American actress
- 1944 - Geraldine Chaplin, American actress
- 1944 - Robert Carhart Merton, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1946 - Bob Welch, American musician
- 1950 - Steve Miller, American writer
- 1951 - Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- 1951 - Barry Van Dyke, American actor
- 1952 - Alan Autry, American football player, actor, and Mayor of Fresno, California
- 1952 - Helmuts Balderis, Latvian hockey player
- 1952 - João Barreiros, Portuguese writer
- 1958 - Bill Berry, American musician (R.E.M.)
- 1958 - Mark Cuban, American businessman, producer, and basketball team owner
- 1959 - Stanley Jordan, American jazz guitarist
- 1962 - Wesley Snipes, American actor
- 1962 - Kevin Greene, professional American football player
- 1964 - Jim Corr, Irish singer and musician (The Corrs)
- 1965 - John Laurinaitis, American professional wrestler
- 1965 - J. K. Rowling, English novelist
- 1966 - Dean Cain, American actor
- 1967 - Minako Honda, Japanese singer and musical actress (d. 2005)
- 1969 - David Cash (Kid Kash), American professional wrestler
- 1971 - Gus Frerotte, American football player
- 1974 - Emilia Fox, English actress
- 1974 - Jonathan Ogden, American football player
- 1976 - Annie Parisse, American actress
- 1977 - Tim Couch, American football player
- 1978 - Justin Wilson, English race car driver
- 1979 - Jade Kwan, Hong Kong actress
- 1979 - Per Kroldrup, Danish footballer
- 1981 - Ira Losco, Maltese singer
- 1981 - M. Shadows, American Singer (Avenged Sevenfold)

Deaths


- 1099 - El Cid, Spanish warrior (b. 1044)
- 1108 - King Philip I of France (b. 1052)
- 1396 - William Courtenay, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1342)
- 1508 - Na'od, Emperor of Ethiopia (killed in battle) (b. 1494)
- 1547 - King