Blue Jay (comics)

Superherobox


caption = Blue Jay by Bart Sears
character_name = Blue Jay
publisher = DC Comics
debut = "Justice League of America" #87 (February 1971)
creators = Mike Friedrich (writer) Dick Dillin (artist)
alter_ego = Jay Abrams
full_name =
species =
homeworld = Angor
alliances = Champions of Angor
Justice League
aliases = Massive Man (Earth-8 version only)
supports=
powers = Size manipulation
Flight with feathery wings
Enhanced eyesight

Blue Jay (real name Jay Abrams) is a DC Comics superhero and a former member of the Champions of Angor, also known as the Justifiers. He has the ability to shrink to seven inches tall and grow blue wings which allow him to fly. Blue Jay is an homage to the Marvel Comics character Yellowjacket. Blue Jay was created by Mike Friedrich and Dick Dillin. He first appeared in "Justice League of America" #87 (February 1971).

Fictional character biography

The three primary members of the Champions of Angor to survive the trip to Earth were Blue Jay, Silver Sorceress (an homage to the Scarlet Witch), and Wandjina (an homage to Thor). The creation of these characters is a corrollary to Roy Thomas' characters within the Squadron Supreme (a Marvel homage to DC's Justice League of America at the time).

After surviving the destruction of his home world of Angor, Blue Jay and his allies come to Earth, in an attempt to disarm its nuclear arsenal and save it from a similar fate. Wandjina seemingly sacrifices his life in a successful attempt to protect the country of Bilaya from a nuclear meltdown (he would return, briefly, a shell of his former self). Blue Jay and the Sorceress are imprisoned by Russian officials. Sorceress escapes back to her homeworld through magic. Blue Jay escapes into the Russian wildnerness. He evades multiple Russian patrols and ends up with the League.

The Extremist Vector

While with the League, they confront the Extremists, robotic duplicates of the entities who had destroyed their world. The robots almost do the same to Earth, but are stopped by a combined effort of both teams. It is revealed that Mitch Wacky, a revered member of Blue Jay's world, had created the robotic Extremists but they had gotten out of control. Mitch ran a highly advanced theme park, where the robot Extremists were attractions. Mitch's technological resources had allowed him to survive the nuclear holocaust and he soon makes his way to Earth and a new life. Mitch's subsequent time travel adventure with Kilowog would showcase Blue Jay's old friends and teammates, all analogues of Marvel Comics superheros.

It turns out that Dreamslayer, one of the Extremists, is not a robotic duplicate, but the real thing.

Leader For A Mission

Blue Jay becomes a member of the Justice League for a while. He is one of the many to fall victim to Starro, but Ice stops this current invasion. he is eventually made the leader of the European branch of the League. He is assigned such by Ambassador Rolf Heimlich, who had been placed in charge of the League by the people of the United Nations. Blue Jay's first mission is to bring back Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Ice and Elongated Man. They had all been fired by Heimlich and had teamed together to illegally invade Bialya to uncover the truth behind recent incidents. Inspector Camus discovers the truth behind Heimlich, that he is a mole sent by Queen Bee, the ruler of Biayla. On the flight over, Blue Jay is given valuable leadership advice by Martian Manhunter. The League uncovers the Queen Bee's brainwashing plots in an explosion set by Sumaan Harjavti, who then kills the Queen. The explosion itself also almost kills the League but Ice saves the lives of every superhero and the brainwashing victims by forming an ice shield. Unfortunately she is not able to save all of the local Bialyans, many of whom die. Blue Jay and the League stay long enough to participate in rescue and relief efforts.

Losing Friends

Dreamslayer eventually returns to take over the mind of the Justice League financier, Maxwell Lord. Dreamslayer enhances Max's persuasion power and takes over the populated, sentient, mobile island of Kooey Kooey Kooey. Mitch Wacky is kidnapped to recreate the Extremists, but dies shortly thereafter. During the Justice League raid on the island, the Sorceress takes an arrow in the stomach, fired by a brainwashed native. She dies, but not before neutralizing Dreamslayer. All the Justice League take this hard, but none more so then Blue Jay, for he is now truly the only survivor of his world.

Post-JLI activities

Later, Blue Jay, as a JLI Reserve, becomes involved in power struggles involving the Rocket Reds and the villain known as Sonar.

In "Action Comics" #842, he is kidnapped by acquisitive aliens, along with several other metahumans (including Superman, Livewire, and Aquaman II).

Alternate versions

Armageddon 2001

During his tenure in the Justice League International he spends most of his time wracked with self-doubt. This includes the "Armageddon 2001" annual which sees him (in a possible time-line) flung into the future and turned down for membership to the Legion of Super Heroes because he is "just Shrinking Violet with wings". Despite the knowledge of the wings, he is given a flight belt anyway. He is recruited by Polar Boy from the Legion of Substitute Heroes, where absolutely nothing is planned for their first meeting.

Earth-8 Blue Jay

The "Lord Havok and The Extremists" series (2007) features another universe's versions of the Extremists and Champions on Earth-8. The Champions are now part of a group called the Meta-Militia with Tin Man as president of Angor and Americommando as vice president. When Tin Man is killed by Lord Havok, Americommando becomes president with Blue Jay as his vice President. Disgusted by the president's corruption, Blue Jay assists the Extremists in defeating the Meta-Militia, and takes Americommando to stand trial for his crimes.

Powers and abilities

Through unspecified means Blue Jay is able to shrink himself down to seven inches high. He also grows a pair of birdlike wings while shrinking, allowing him to fly.

In his previous identity of Massive Man, the Earth-8 version of Blue Jay was able to increase his height to over 20 feet. It is not known whether this was also true for the main timeline/New Earth Blue Jay.

ee also

* Justice League Europe
* List of DC Comics characters