Johnny Quick (Crime Syndicate, Earth-3/Qward) & Slipstream (original) (raw)

[](bigimages/jq-crime.jpg)

Occupation: Criminal
Base of Operations: Earth in the antimatter universe (or Earth-3, or the planet Qward)*
Group Membership: Crime Syndicate
First Appearance: Justice League of America #29** (August 1964)
Death: Killed in the Crisis (Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, April 1985)
Created by: Gardner Fox (writer) and Mike Sekowsky (artist)
See Also: Johnny Quick (Crime Syndicate #2), Johnny Quick (Crime Society),Johnny Quick (Crisis on Two Earths)

Either on the parallel world of Earth-3, an anti-matter Earth, or the world of Qward in the antimatter universe*, the only super-powered beings were five villains who banded together to form the Crime Syndicate. The membership was comprised of Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Power Ring, and Johnny Quick, and they used their powers for looting and extortion. At one point they came to our world and battled the combined might of the Justice League and Justice Society. All died during the Crisis in which the Anti-Monitor tried to destroy the positive matter universe(s).

Slipstream

Years later, seven villains who followed in their footsteps—including a super-speedster called Slipstream—were mistaken for heroes and brought to Earth to substitute in a JLI/Conglomeratecontest for charity. They played along briefly, then began fighting to destroy the Justice League until they were forced back to their own universe. (Justice League Quarterly #8, Autumn 1992).

Text by Kelson Vibber. Do not copy without permission.

Art

• Johnny Quick: Speed Force (November 1997) - Phil Jimenez
• Slipstream: Justice League Quarterly #8 (Autumn 1992) - Rod Whigham & Romeo Tanghal

Profiles

• Who’s Who in the DC Universe #5 under Crime Syndicate (July 1985)

Notes

* Originally, the Crime Syndicate hailed from Earth-3, a parallel world in many ways the opposite of Earth-1(Amerika colonized Europe, for instance). After Crisis on Infinite Earths, they were explained as having come from Qward in the antimatter universe, which is why the picture here shows him with giant eyes. Since then, the original story has been replaced with “JLA: Earth 2 (1999),” which restores the earlier backstory. Now, their homeworld is the Earth of the antimatter universe. However, _Earth 2_retells the original story as a first meeting, and probably negates the appearance of Slipstream and his fellows.

A new multiverse was created after Infinite Crisis, as revealed in 52 Week 52 (2007). The new Earth-3 is home to the Crime Society, sort of the Golden-Age Crime Syndicate.

** The original “Crisis on Earth-3” story is available in The Justice League of America Archives Volume 4 and Crisis on Multiple Earths Volume 1.