Sirkus

Sirkus is a planet "some 400 light-years away" from Earth which orbited a vast blue star. While its inhabitants include Flamebirds and Eel-Creatures, the term "Sirkian" has been specifically applied to an all-female terran race. These Sirkians were fairly tall, very lean, had only one centered eye, and no mouth. They communicated through telepathy, and often invoked the hallowed name of Cormak. According to a Sirkian leader, "It's been so long since we've had a war on Sirkus, we have no skill in fighting!"

Superman was unwittingly drawn to Sirkus to defend these people from the diabolical Despero, alongside an ersatz Justice League. Despero sought the surrender of their Cosmic Cannon, and threatened to destroy the world if he had to take it by force. Located ten miles south of the capital, Mushroom City, the Cosmic Cannon rested inside a conical tower within a tropical swamp. Although Despero was kept from acquiring the Cosmic Cannon at first, after the defeat of Sirkus' borrowed champions it is assumed it came into his possession. Though Despero promised and Sirkus' people feared an ultimate sanction, the despot's last word on the world's fate was his intention to enslave them. However, Despero soon departed Sirkus in a ship also containing Superman and the Sirkian Justice League. Presumably, the Sirkians were returned to their home after Despero was defeated by the actual League.

Sirkus' only appearance to date was in Justice League of America #133 (8/76).

Director Ergon & Governor Kwim

Director Ergon was a scientist and strategist from the planet Sirkus. She employed a Travel-Beam consisting of ethereal energy that could draw a single being toward it at a speeds several multiples greater than light. When Sirkus found itself under siege by Despero, a Travel-Beam was sent to retrieve Superman. Since the Travel-Beam could only transport one being at a time, Ergon was unable to call the entire Justice League of America. Instead, she devised "The Scenario," in which she outfitted members of her single-gender race with gadgets and disguises to appear as though they were the JLA, complete with simulated powers. However, the plan failed, as "My women are actresses, not heroes. Most of them are confused-- playing the unfamiliar roles of men-- men with super-powers!"

Like Director Ergon, Governor Kwim operated out of the Mushroom City. Though possessed of official power over Ergon, Kwim was unaware of "The Scenario" until after it went into effect, and highly critical of it from that point onward. "Excuses! Don't you realize what will happen if Despero captures the Cosmic Cannon? He could use it to reduce our world to a cinder! I'm sorry, Ergon-- but since your plan failed, we must turn to mine! We must use the Cosmic Cannon-- and burn Despero out of the sky!" However, a blast intended for Despero's Super-Ship instead struck Superman, though the aggressor's craft was downed by an imitation Wonder Woman. Ultimately, Kwim came to the conclusion that the fault in "The Scenario" was not the "actress-heroes," whose courage overcame their lack of real powers, but in its misleading Superman...

"We created our substitute JLA because we feared Superman would be too upset about his missing friends to help us! But our impostors can't battle like the originals-- and so they're being smashed! --and it's thoroughly demoralizing the Man of Steel!" The Kryptonian was felled by Despero, who stated his intention to enslave Sirkus.

When last seen, a despondent Governor Kwim moaned, "We've failed... and now we're doomed!" Director Ergon was more hopeful. "Not yet, Governor! There's still a chance... a slim chance... if only we can reach the real Justice League...! Cormak help us-- to reach them-- in time!"

First and final appearance of both was in Justice League of America #133 (8/76)

Justice League of America #133 (8/76)

"The deadliest foe of the... Justice League of America... is back... and he's more dangerous than ever! His name's Despero, and on a world hundreds of light-years from our own, he's managed to defeat and destroy the JLA!"

22,300 miles above the Earth, in the JLA Satellite, were the concerned heroes Aquaman, Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Flash, Wonder Woman, Black Canary, the Atom and Hawkman. Joining them was Supergirl, who fretted over her missing cousin...

Superman was "some 400 light-years away, above the planet Sirkus," which he had been drawn to defend by Director Ergon & Governor Kwim. Before the Sirkians could revive the Man of Steel, they were attacked by Flamebirds at the order of Despero. However, Ergon had outfitted members of her species as imitation members of the Justice League of America, who turned back the Flamebirds at the cost of their Flash. An "understudy" stepped in as a new Scarlet Speedster almost immediately. The Man of Steel was then duped by Ergon and Kwim into believing these were his teammates, all of whom having been summoned to combat Despero's forces.

"Attention, Sirkians... This is your new master, mercifully providing you with one last ultimatum! Surrender your Cosmic Cannon to me at once-- or suffer total destruction when I take it by force! This demand is non-negotiable!"

"Despero-- possibly the most dangerous would-be conqueror in the universe-- who began his galaxy-spanning career on his home world of Kalanor!"

Launching an attack meant to seize the Cosmic Cannon, Despero piloted his Super-Ship and thought, "The fools have refused my command-- as I expected! Because of their impudence, they must die-- DIE!" Despero was surprised by "Superman-- and the Justice League!? What in the name of Kalanor's second sun!?" The Man of Tomorrow responded "It must be kismet, Despero-- but we always seem drawn together somehow! You try to take over a world-- and we always stop you!"

"Not this time, Kryptonian! This time-- I stop YOU!"

While his Super-Ship fended off Superman, Despero's mental powers grounded a faux Green Lantern Hal Jordan. "Hah! In the years since we last fought, I've developed the power of my Third Eye-- increasing it to undreamed of levels! You're doomed-- all of you!"

While Superman was taken out of the battle by a misfired Cosmic Cannon, Despero's paralyzing hypnotic blast rendered all the soldiers responsible for the cannon unconscious. The phony Wonder Woman and replacement Flash managed to breach the Super-Ship, but the latter soon veered out of control and through an open window. "Is there no end to your suicidal courage? Haven't you a single ounce of self-preservation? ...The mighty Flash--skidding like a sports-car out of control!"

The Sirkian actress playing Wonder Woman blamed Despero for Flash's plight, and swore he'd pay. "Such violent threats from a peace-loving woman? Your behavior is odd, Amazon! Come to think of it, so is the behavior of your fellow-Leaguers!" As he pinned the "princess" down, Despero continued, "Tell me-- when did the Flash gain the ability to fly? And why is the great Wonder Woman suddenly so--weak?"

While pondering this distraction, Despero's Super-Ship crash landed, and only the despot rose from the wreckage. "Something's wrong here... some kind of trickery...! It may be my Kalanorian intuition, but I've the strange notion I'm not fighting the real Justice League!" Just then, Flash recovered, only to belly-flop after a "shattering hypnotic blast!" The true Superman followed, disbelieving that he'd just seen the fastest man alive taken like a rookie. "You'd better believe it, Superman! He isn't the first Leaguer I've crushed-- and he won't be the last!" Despero then burrowed to freedom into the earth, thanks to an unseen "device."

An hour later, "Wonder Woman" was in the hospital, and the Last Son of Krypton was on to Director Ergon's ruse. "When Despero first attacked us, we probed his mind telepathically-- and learned how much he hated you... and how much he feared you! That's why we brought you here! The battle against our planet is merely practice for him-- before he tackles your world, the Earth!" Superman swore to hold the line at Sirkus, just as Despero launched an attack via jetboat while commanding Eel-Creatures! "It's Despero again-- and this time he means business!"

The ersatz Emerald Gladiator was first to engage Despero. "Arrogant whelp! Do you think to defeat me with an emerald laser beam? You'll pay for your stupidity-- with your life!" The Strange Visitor from Another World was aghast as he watched Despero kill "Green Lantern" with his mind. "That's how I deal with inferiors, Superman! And while you're catching your dear-departed-comrade-- I'll turn my attention to your other friend-- Aquaman!" The Sea King was next to die!

Filled with a "sudden white-hot rage," Kal-El charged in without thinking. "Superman forgets the nature of my mental power-- how I can hypnotize instantly, as well as destroy! I have to time this carefully-- and strike-- NOW!"

"Mind-stunning mental energy hits the raging Superman-- and in an instant, turns his rage against him-- with the force of a solar explosion!"

"Justice League-- or pathetic impostors-- I've destroyed you! And with your destruction-- I'm free to enslave this world!"

"Missing--One Man of Steel!" by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin & Frank McLaughlin.

Despero Custom Valentine Card

For those in search of that most elusive of Valentine's Day sentiments...




I'VE HAD MY EYES ON YOU!

For your love, I am DESPERO!

My bishop will take your queen, placing you in check!

Your people will succumb to my HYPNOTIC POWERS!

Your resistance will crumble at the sight of my THIRD EYE!

YOU WILL BE MINE!

Eel-Creatures

During his campaign against planet Sirkus, Despero enlisted Eel-Creatures for an assault against its capitol city. One was shown in combat with an Aquaman impostor whose strength was amplified by an exterior robotic skeleton.

Flamebirds

Flamebirds are beings from the planet Sirkus with large wings that can fly and fire jets of flame from their hands. They were employed by Despero to attack an area of Sirkus they had been exiled from for centuries during the despot's campaign against the world. The Flamebirds were rebuffed by an ersatz Justice League of America created by Director Ergon, mostly through direct attacks, but not before they killed a Flash impersonator. It is unknown if these beings have any connection to the Kryptonian Flamebird, as Superman was unconscious during their sole appearance in Justice League of America #133 (8/76.)

Justice League of America #1 (11/60)

“I’ve got this game rigged so that every time Flash makes a move, a member of the Justice League disappears from the face of the Earth!” Right there on the first cover of the first issue of “Justice League of America,” Despero announced his wicked ways. Not enough to just defeat a league devoted to a cause as unobjectionable as justice, but he was perfectly willing to lord it over them through underhanded means, to boot! What an awful creature!

So too thought Jasonar and his daughter Saranna, who came to Earth to develop means to counter the tyrant’s energy weapons, which he’d employed to conquer their home world Kalanor. “When my weapon is completed, it will absorb energy as a sponge does water!” Tests of the device caught Flash’s attention, who in turn alerted the Justice League.

“In the asphalt jungles of a metropolis,” Detective John Jones burst through the door of a slum, a pair of unkempt perps firing on the armed police officer with a desperation that didn’t phase their manhunter. “My Martian super-hearing is picking up a Justice League call. As soon as I snap the cuffs on these hoods, I’m off to answer it... as J’onn J’onzz, Manhunter from Mars!”

J’onzz answered a call all right, to become in thrall to Despero! Flash arrived at the Secret Sanctuary to find all his teammates set around their meeting table in a vegetative state, himself only immune thanks to radiation he was exposed to from Jasonar’s lab. Flash agreed to a game of chance against Despero, which was of course rigged, and led to the whole team being sent to different worlds of doom.

Could someone please explain why Flash didn’t scoop up each Leaguer, and expose them to Jasonar’s radiation to hopefully release them from Despero’s power? At least after he’d already lost a couple friends to unknown peril and knew Despero had to be cheating? It’s not like he had any way of knowing they wouldn’t remain defenseless zombies once off-world!

Thankfully, Despero only had three worlds handy, so the two Leaguers per planet were able to find one another and work together toward escape. Such was the case with Batman and J’onn J’onzz on Narx, whose inhabitants were counting down the seconds until Despero used a missile to detonate their sun. Narx had disarmed and given up on war, so their only defense were spaceships grounded by Despero’s super-energy gun turrets. J’onzz proclaimed, “We’ve got to save these innocent people--as well as ourselves!”

“I’ll tackle that metal tower and its ray-gun, Batman...” while the Caped Crusader would pilot a spaceship during the distraction. J’onzz first guided the weapon’s sights away through flight, before hurling hurricane force winds and makeshift cannonballs at the structure. The Manhunter then hollowed out the ground beneath the tower, causing it to sink. “As J’onn J’onzz’s signal comes, Batman hits the firing stud and rises spaceward!”

Manhunter continued on the tower, tearing through its metal plating as though it were paper. Unfortunately, Despero had a sentient flame being running the tower, which felled the Martian, who was rescued by winds created by the Flash. In a painful deus ex machina, the Scarlet Speedster had teleported to Narx once his protective radiation wore off. Uh-huh.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, “You’re a real ‘bad dad’, Despero! I’m gonna queer your game!” Snapper Carr, protected by Jasonar’s radiation and taking a more pro-active stance than Flash, defeated Despero with the anti-energy weapon. I hereby dub Despero's seminal outing ignominious.

In their first meeting, Manhunter and Despero didn’t so much as exchange words, much less blows. However, sooner rather than later, there would be a next time...

“The World of No Return!” by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs. Garish “pop art” coloring by Frank Lee Delano, without any reference, so grain of salt.