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Welcome to the official site for the legendary super-hero team,
The Justice Machine!
We’re happy to announce the triumphant return of the FIRST independently published super-team in comics! This site will continually be something of a “work in progress”, with new information, features and art added as it becomes available…so check back often.
The Justice Machine is fondly remembered as one of the most popular comic titles of the 1980s.
Created by Mike Gustovich, the original Justice Machine debuted from Noble Comics in 1981 at the very dawn of the independently-published comic era.
The Justice Machine series told of the adventures and various tragedies befalling the six super-powered members of a law enforcement agency from the planet Georwell, an alternate Earth.
The Noble comics Justice Machine title lasted for five issues and several notable creators contributed to it during its five-issue run—Terry Austin, John Byrne and Bill Reinhold among others.
In 1983, the even more short-lived Texas Comics published The Justice Machine Annual #1 which featured a crossover with the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. Bill Willingham’s Elementals made their first appearance as a back-up feature.
The Machine next reappeared in 1986 when Comico published The Justice Machine Featuring The Elementals four-issue series. After that, The Justice Machine became one of Comico’s flagship titles, lasting a respectable 29 issues and an annual.
Innovation picked up the Machine in 1989, reintroducing them as The New Justice Machine in a three-issue mini-series. The creative team of best-selling SF writer Mark (James Axler) Ellis and artist Darryl (Green Lantern) Banks set about streamlining the title and scaling away some of the barnacles that had accrued during its history.
With the approval of Mike Gustovich, Ellis and Banks gave the Machine a new setting, new characters, new costumes, new problems and even introduced a new member–Krista Klay AKA Chain. Ellis developed a new direction for the title, very different from the previous versions.
After producing the mini-series and most of the issues of the regular series, the Ellis/ Banks creative team moved to Millennium Publications and collaborated on such critically acclaimed series as The Wild, Wild West and the best-selling Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
When Innovation’s license on the Justice Machine expired, Mike Gustovich contacted Ellis and offered to sell him all rights to the characters and concepts.
After purchasing the Justice Machine property in 1991, Ellis planned a new series but only two issues were produced before the comics market crashed.
Despite many inquiries and entreaties from publishers and fans alike, the Justice Machine has not been seen since late 1992 except for a well-received TPB compilation published in 2009.
“I’d been looking for the right opportunity to revive the Machine,” Ellis says, “but I was a little picky. After all, I’ve owned the Justice Machine property even longer than Mike Gustovich and I felt it had an enduring cachet that should be respected. Dynamite Entertainment made an offer a couple of years ago, but it meant losing all creative control. I care too much about the characters and concepts to allow that to happen. When Joe Gentile proposed a new series with me writing and maintaining creative oversight, I accepted the offer…partly because I enjoy Moonstone’s eclectic product line and appreciate their high standards of quality.”
Ellis promises that despite the temptation, the Justice Machine won’t be rebooted: “The classic origin and backstory of the characters and concepts is still unique, but we’ll provide enough history in the special and the mini-series so new readers won’t be lost and veteran fans will be satisified. Even DC has reviving the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents title as a continuation rather than a reboot, which is a good sign.”
However, Ellis emphasizes there will be definitely be a new approach: “The Moonstone Justice Machine is unlike any past incarnation. The characters are the same, but the conflicts and even the costumes will be different. You might say this is a retooled Machine.”
Ellis adds, “This is the perfect time for The Justice Machine title to return, on the 30th anniversary of their first appearance…like I’ve been saying for years–The gears of the Machine will keep rolling.”
The Justice Machine TM, trademark and copyright 2010 by Mark Ellis. The Justice Machine, their distinctive likenesses, logos and all related characters are registered copyrights and trademarks of Mark Ellis.
Art on this page is by: Jeff Slemons, Eddy Newell, Bill Reinhold, Mike Gustovich and Bill Willingham
