It's official: Black Adam is coming to the big screen, and he isn't coming alone. He'll be joined, in some capacity, by the Justice Society of America, which will include Atom Smasher, Doctor Fate, Hawkman, and Cyclone. But just how does the first superhero team factor into Black Adam's history?
Black Adam first appeared in The Marvel Family #1 in 1945 as the fallen predecessor to Shazam (who, back then, was known as Captain Marvel). Black Adam would be a frequent enemy of Captain Marvel and his allies, and eventually do battle with the modern-day JSA after joining their villainous counterparts, the Injustice Society. However, it was ultimately revealed that much of Black Adam's vilest acts were committed at the behest of Theo Adams, a mortal who wielded the power of Black Adam similar to the way Billy Batson did with Captain Marvel. Freed from the influence of Theo Adam, Black Adam would reform and join the ranks of a clearly hesitant Justice Society in JSA #21 in 2002. Black Adam's out-dated views on violence made him an outspoken teammate to say the least, but he slowly became an accepted stable of the team, building a friendship with the once-skeptical Atom Smasher in the process. Unfortunately, his tenure at the Justice Society would come to a sudden halt in JSA #45 when he and Atom Smasher left the team to form a more aggressive team of heroes doling out justice as they saw fit.
During the Black Reign storyline, Black Adam and his team of heroes attack Kahndaq, his one-time homeland, now ruled by a brutal dictatorship. The attempted coup, however, was a disaster as the JSA intervened and several of Black Adam's team perished in the process. Though Black Adam took control of the country, it was a hollow victory at best, leaving Black Adam isolated. After Infinite Crisis, Black Adam would take the stage yet again in the 52 series, where he would find family in the form of Adrianna Tomaz, his lover, as well as her brother Amon, who would become his protege Osiris. Both would perish tragically, however, leading Black Adam down a path of vengeance. This would in turn lead to the World War III storyline, which would see the increasingly unstable Black Adam to battle many of the world's heroes - including his former allies on the Justice Society. Black Adam was eventually stopped, escaping capture thanks to Atom Smasher, but the conflict marked the definitive end of any goodwill between him and the Justice Society.
It's important to note that Black Adam's time on the JSA shaped the character into the anti-hero he is today. The series, written by Geoff Johns and David S. Goyer, took Black Adam from a one-dimensional supervillain to a nuanced and complex character capable of both being both incredibly noble and inherently destructive. Hopefully, these character traits will be front and center and the upcoming Dwayne Johnson movie. It seems likely the movie will adapt at least some of the JSA storylines. Released from his imprisonment, Black Adam might join the JSA since two of its membership - Hawkman and Doctor Fate - have considerable ties to his ancient world. This could in turn lead to Black Adam's bond with Atom Smasher coming front and center as Black Adam's violent methods put him in conflict with the rest of the team. All of this, however, is speculation at this point, with the movie slated to start production soon.
Whatever form of Black Adam's solo movie takes, it's clear the JSA will play a major role in assisting or attacking the ancient anti-hero - and it will probably end up being a bit of both. Just like Black Adam, however, the Justice Society of America has a long and storied legacy, and hopefully, this won't be the last time they appear on the big screen either.
