In 1950, with the loss of the Justice Society of America, public opinion had turned against costumed superheroes. Many teams broke up and dozens of solo heroes retired. Until the formation of the Justice League in 2003, the United States saw a marked decrease in super-hero activity. It would have been a mistake to assume that there were no heroes in operation.
The government attempted twice to replace the Society. The public group was known as the Watchmen. Founded by original Black Canary and Blue Beetle, they gathered operatives the Captain Atom, Peacemaker, The Question, and The Thunderbolt. They operated out of Washington D.C. and were intended to be an example of patriotic super-heroes until internal conflicts and external pressure forced them to disband.
Team One was intended to be a more covert means of dealing with super-villainy. Composed of Backlash, Battalion (Isaiah King), Saul Baxter, Captain America (William Burnside), Majestic, Spartan, Sarge Steel, Think Tank, and Zealot. Although much of their history and missions are still classified, they are known to have rooted out a Dire Wraith cell infiltrating the United States Air Force. Unfortunately Team One only lasted a couple of years before the program was ended.
Nazi Hunter Erik Lensherr would gather a strike team of metahumans to fight government attempts to forcibly recruit them into their Covert Action Teams. He would be joined in this effort by Victor Creed, James Howlett, Mystique, and Charles Xavier. Their crusade would be short but would lay the foundation for Lensherr's next project: The Brotherhood of Metahumans.
Not long after the disbanding of the JSA, aging 20s vigilante Crimson Avenger joined with Bulleteer, Frankenstein, Guardian, Master Magician Zatara, Mister Miracle, and The Shining Knight to form the Seven Soldiers of Victory. They operated as heroes in an openly hostile environment. Branded as lawless vigilantes, they eventually were forced to split up to avoid arrest.
In the 1970s, former side-kicks and the descendants of the Justice Society - Atom-Smasher, Fury, Silver Scarab, Skyman, Jade, The Huntress, and Obsidian joined together to form Infinity Inc. This team gained more success than most in the era, as the hatred of superheroes was waining and nostalgia for the Justice Society was on the rise. Infinity Inc. operated for several years before the members went their separate ways.
The Hero of Harlem, Luke Cage, launch a crusade against crime. Eventually, he was joined by Iron Fist, Jessica "Jewel" Jones, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight to create Heroes for Hire. Working as part detective agency and part street-level hero team, the Heroes for Hire were technically a for-profit organization. This didn't stop them from doing plenty of "pro bono" work, fighting gangs and
In the 1980s the United Nations attempted to develop a multi-national team of metahumans to fight villains from rogue states. American heroes Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Booster Gold were joined by international heroes Fire, Godiva, Ice, The Olympian, and Rocket Red. Over the years the Guardians added more people to their line up including the August General in Iron, Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Sabra, and Sunfire. They would eventually be folded into the Justice League when it formed in 2003.
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