Name: Justice League of America
Universe: Earth-1
First Appearance: Brave and the Bold #28

History:
Years ago, the ruler of the distant planet Appellax perished, and a competition was declared to determine his successor. The seven foremost claimants to the throne were sent to do battle on the planet Earth, with the winner of this conflict to be crowned the new ruler. The seven combatants, each representing one of Appellax’s dominant life-forms, arrived on Earth in meteor-shaped spacecraft composed of pure Kryptonite, and the battle began.

In his hometown, J’onn J’onzz, the Manhunter from Mars, confronted and defeated the first of the combatants – a granite-like creature who had been turning the city’s inhabitants to stone.

Beneath the ocean, the Undersea Ace called Aquaman overcame the second combatant – an aquatic monster who was turning all sea life to glass.

On Paradise Island, the Amazon Princess known as Wonder Woman thwarted a Mercury-like monster who was transforming her sister Amazons into Mercury as well.

Over the verdant plains of Africa, Green Lantern battled a giant bird-like beast.

On the Lombardy plains of Italy, the Flash was forced to destroy an alien being who seemed composed entirely of fire.

Then, individually, these five super-heroes headed for the Carolina coast, where they all fell victim to radiation from a sixth meteor. This radiation transformed them all to living wood and placed them under the mental domination of a sixth invader from Appellax, a creature of wood.

Working together, the five heroes managed to free themselves from the wood-being’s power and destroyed it. Then, together, they raced to Greenland to prevent the seventh and final meteor from opening. The five heroes reached Greenland just in time to witness Superman and Batman using teamwork to defeat and dispose of the final, crystalline claimant for the Appellaxean throne.

At the suggestion of Batman and the Flash, the seven heroes decided to form a league to combat evil and uphold justice against whatever danger might threaten it. Thus was born the most famous super-team in history – The Justice League of America!

Over the years, the membership roster of the JLA grew continuously, with the admission of Green Arrow, the Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, the Elongated Man, the Red Tornado, Hawkwoman, Zatanna the Magician, and Firestorm, the Nuclear Man.

For a time, a young man called "Snapper" Carr served as the Justice League’s official mascot, accompanying them on their adventures and frequently providing aid. When "Snapper" was tricked into betraying the JLA by the villainous Joker, "Snapper" resigned and has maintained only occasional acquaintance with his former friends.

The Phantom Stranger was also offered membership in the League, but never officially accepted, though he has appeared on occasion to aid the JLA when necessary.

As time passed, the membership would vary, with certain members resigning or taking leaves of absence, while new heroes came in to replace them. For the most part, though, the core of the JLA seemed stable.

Over the years, the JLA granted honorary membership to several fellow heroes, including Adam Strange, Metamorpho, and Sargon the Sorcerer.

When Earth was threatened by an invasion from New Mars and the core of the JLA did not appear to confront this menace, a furious Aquaman exercised his right as acting chairman to formally disband the League, reorganizing it only with heroes who were willing to make a full-time commitment to the JLA. At first, these heroes included the Martian Manhunter, the Elongated Man, Zatanna, and Aquaman himself, but they quickly admitted a quartet of new young heroes: Gypsy, Steel, Vibe, and Vixen. Whether or not this new Justice League will ever attain the legendary status of the original remains to be seen as of this writing.