Justice League of America 161

Synopsis for ”The Reverse-Spells of Zatanna’s Magic”
Zatanna Zatara (New Earth) 042
New Outfit
During an important Justice League meeting at the JL Satellite, the team elects Zatanna the Magician as its newest member, but before they could even think about informing her, she appears at their meeting, wearing a new and different costume and calling herself Zatanna, the Sorcerer. With her new costume and attitude, Zatanna violently refuse the honor and talks negatively about Green Lantern before leaving.

The whole team is distraught about the new Zatanna, but without much else to do, they return to their activities. The Atom, however realizes a vital clue that Zatanna might have left deliberately for them. When he tries to warn Batman about his discovery, Atom is knocked unconscious by Green Lantern, who proceeds to search information about the Green Lantern Ring. Batman had listened Atom’s call and when the communication cut, he decides to investigate.

Batman seeks out Zatanna’s father, Zatara, and discovers that everything Zatanna had said at the meeting had been reversed, even to the words of her usually backwards mystic incantations. When he also discovers that the ”Green Lantern” who had attended the meeting was an impostor, Batman, together with Green Arrow, Atom, Red Tornado, and Black Canary, follows the trail of Zatanna to the other-dimensional world of Ys.

Meanwhile, Zatanna has traveled to this world to rescue the real Green Lantern, who was trapped by the Warlock of Ys. The Warlock had taken Green Lantern’s place in order to conquer Earth. While in the planet, she has to overcome a demon army with the aid of Ys’s human inhabitants and after defeating them, she rescues the real Green Lantern. Finally, the Justice League join Zatanna and Green Lantern and they defeat the Warlock for good. In the aftermath of the situation, Zatanna agrees to join the Justice League.
Justice League of America Vol 1 161

“ If we’ve offended you, Zatanna, we apologize... but we honestly believe you’d want election to the League! After all, we worked well together, during your search for your father, the Magician Zatara-- and as Wonder Woman indicated once, the League is in sore need of more women to balance our rolls! “
— Batman



Appearing in ”The Reverse-Spells of Zatanna’s Magic”
Justice League of America
Aquaman (Cameo)
The Atom
Batman
Black Canary
Elongated Man
Flash
Green Arrow
Green Lantern
Hawkgirl (Cameo)
Hawkman (Cameo)
Red Tornado
Superman (Cameo)
Wonder Woman (Cameo)
Zatanna (Joins team)
Supporting Characters:

John Zatara (Cameo)
Antagonists:

Druid (Flashback only)
Warlock of Ys
Demons
Trolls
Other Characters:


Locations:

Cambodia
Angkor Wat
France
Brittany
Other Side of the World
Ys
United States of America
Gotham City
Wayne Estate
Justice League Satellite
Items:

Gas-Grenade Arrow
Green Lantern Power Battery
Green Lantern Ring
Justice League Signal Device
Transporter Tube
Vehicles:

Batplane
Notes
According to Julius Schwartz’s editorial records (supplied by DC Comics), this story was originally 25 pages and was cut to 22 before publication.[1]
Trivia
This issue makes good use of the typo from Justice League of America #51 in which Green Lantern calls the Warlock of Ys the ”Warlock of Dis”, as part of the plot.

Dec 1978

DC Comics

070989305557

161

1978

Whitman

1

United States

$0.40

Bronze Age

English

Magazine

2018-07-02 22:17:29

Justice League of America #161 is an issue of the series Justice League of America (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1978. It was published on September 5, 1978.

The Reverse Spells Of Zantanna’s Magic-Jijam

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2025-03-15

2018-07-02 22:17:29