Christmas with the Super-Heroes #1 is an issue of the series Christmas with the Super-Heroes (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1988.
Synopsis for Batman: "Wanted: Santa Claus--Dead or Alive!"
This story is reprinted from DC Special Series #21.
Batman crashes a Christmas party in a gangland hideout and forces gang-boss Matty Lasko to tell him that he has a boat waiting in Gotham Harbor for his old cellmate, Boomer Katz. After learning from a derelict that Boomer has taken a job as a Santa Claus at Lee's Department Store, Batman realizes Boomer has got the job to help somebody knock over the store. But Boomer Katz has succumbed to the Christmas spirit, especially after receiving the accolades of store manager Jackson on his role as Santa. Thus, he cannot bring himself to disable the store's alarm system, and tells gangster Fats Morgan so. Fats forces Katz to get them admitted, and, when Boomer runs for it, has him shot in the arm. Batman is drawn by the gunfire and captures Morgan and most of his men in the store. Unknown to him and to two policemen who arrive, Boomer Katz is being held prisoner by one of Morgan's men under a Nativity display. But a brilliant star's light pours through the hole where a stolen Star of Bethlehem had been, and clearly outlines Boomer and his captor. Batman takes out the crook. By the time he and Boomer can look up again, the brilliant star is gone.
Appearing in Batman: "Wanted: Santa Claus--Dead or Alive!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Boomer Katz
Antagonists:
- Gotham Organized Crime
- Fats Morgan
Other Characters:
- Matty Lasko
Locations:
Synopsis for Justice League of America: "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!"
This story is reprinted from Justice League of America #110.
The Key returns and engineers the murder of the Santa Claus scheduled to appear at an orphans' Christmas party with Superman and Batman, thus issuing a challenge to the Justice League. John Stewart, Hal Jordan's official substitute, stands in for a temporarily incapacitated Green Lantern, as the JLA heroes enter a death-trap, a dilapidated building in a St. Louis ghetto. One by one, the members sacrifice themselves in a gauntlet of traps, so that the others can go on to defeat their foe, first Superman, then Black Canary, Batman, and Green Arrow. Red Tornado and John Stewart also seem to perish, but actually all the members are saved by the intervention of the Phantom Stranger. The Key, having learned that he has only a short time to live, and having vowed to destroy the JLA before he dies, now escapes, and the heroes must evacuate an entire city block, which the villain's devices are set to destroy. The substitute Green Lantern immediately recreates the old ghetto buildings, repairing them in the process.
Later, Red Tornado is presented with his Christmas gift -- a new and more colorful costume.
Appearing in Justice League of America: "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- Phantom Stranger
- Santa Simpson (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Aquaman
- The Atom
- Barry Allen
- Eric Russell
- Fran Russell
- Hal Jordan
- Iris West
- Kathy Sutton
- Mera
- Ralph Dibny
- Sue Dibny
- Jesus Christ (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Teen Titans: "The TT's Swingin' Christmas Carol!"
This story is reprinted from Teen Titans #13.
It's a few days before Christmas and the Teen Titans are relaxing in their headquarters. While the other members of the group are satisfied reading comic book adventures of their older counterparts, Robin is reading Charles Dickens classic book "A Christmas Carol" completely unaware that their next adventure would have similar parallels to the story itself.
Elsewhere in the city is Junkorama owned by the miserly Ebenezer Scrounge, who employs Bob Ratchet as his accountant (Bob is also saving money for his sick son Tom) Ebenezer is forcing Tom to work on Christmas Eve. Left alone, Scrounge goes off to sell some scrap metal to thugs who work for a man named Mr. Big. Tom Ratchet goes to visit his father and snoops on Scrounge's transaction and finds the whole exchange strange. When Scrounge leaves the scene, Tom secretly witnesses the men use a device that turns the scrap into "new" items for them to sell for even more. Tom decides to go and tell his father. When Bob confronts his boss about it later, Ebenezer threatens to fire him if he tells the authorities about the illegal operation.
Tom meanwhile gets in touch with the Teen Titans who agree to investigate the matter and sneak onto the property. After knocking out Mr. Big's goons, the Titans disguise themselves as the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future causing Ebenezer to break down and repent his miserly ways and tell the Teen Titans where they can find Mr. Big.
Finding the location of Mr. Big's hideout the Titans try to stop him and make short work of his men until Big uses a giant magnet to magnetize a pile of junk to trap his foes. They are saved at the last minute due to the timely intervention of Tom and Ebenezer who turn off the magnet, allowing the Titans to easily defeat their foes. After the battle, Ebenezer uses Mr. Big's device to transform a pile of junk into a new electric wheelchair for Tom.
With the caper over, the group all decide to celebrate their victory, and Christmas as well.
Appearing in Teen Titans: "The TT's Swingin' Christmas Carol!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Big
Other Characters:
- Ebenezer Scrounge
- Bob Ratchet
- Tom Ratchet
- Aquaman (In a photograph only)
- Batman (In a photograph only)
- Superman (In a photograph only)
- Wonder Woman (In a photograph only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Legion of Super-Heroes: "Star Light, Star Bright...Farthest Star I See Tonight"
This story is reprinted from DC Special Series #21.
Superboy attends the Legion's Christmas celebration and conceives the idea of having the Legion track down the Christmas star.
Appearing in Legion of Super-Heroes: "Star Light, Star Bright...Farthest Star I See Tonight"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Superman and Santa Claus: "'Twas the Fright Before Christmas!"
This story is reprinted from DC Comics Presents #67.
The Toyman plans to make heists and destroy Superman on Christmas Eve with the help of gimmicked toys, but Santa Claus lends the Man of Steel a hand against his old enemy, and gets a hand in return in delivering toys to Metropolis children.
Appearing in Superman and Santa Claus: "'Twas the Fright Before Christmas!"
Featured Characters:
- Superman (Flashback and main story)
- Santa Claus
Supporting Characters:
- Krypto (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Timmy Dickens (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Elves
- Santa's reindeer
- Metropolis Police Department
Locations:
- Metropolis
- 344 Clinton Street
- The Big Schott Toy Store
- Arctic Circle
- Krypton (Flashback only)
Items:
- Green Kryptonite
- White dwarf-star energy
Vehicles:
- Santa's sleigh
Synopsis for Batman: "The Silent Night of the Batman"
This story is reprinted from Batman #219.
Despite Batman's conviction that crime doesn't take a night off, not even for Christmas, the Batman joins Commissioner Gordon and his men for a night of Christmas Eve caroling. The night goes by and miraculously, not a single crime is reported during the entire evening, although many chances of likely situations took place. All the crimes of the night had been stopped undirectly by the figure of Batman and at the break of dawn, Batman retrieves to the shadows.
Appearing in Batman: "The Silent Night of the Batman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Other Characters:
- Patty (Single appearance)
- Ted (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Notes
The Batman story is recolored.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Justice League Recommended Reading
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 2)
- Justice League of America (Volume 3)
- Justice League of America (Volume 4)
- Justice League of America (Volume 5)
- JLA (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 2)
- Justice League (Volume 3)
- Justice League (Volume 4)
- Justice League International (Volume 1)
- Justice League International (Volume 2)
- Justice League International (Volume 3)
- Justice League Europe (Volume 1)
- Justice League America (Volume 1)
- Justice League Task Force (Volume 1)
- Justice League Quarterly (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 2)
- Extreme Justice (Volume 1)
- Justice League Elite (Volume 1)
- Justice League Odyssey (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans Recommended Reading
- Teen Titans (Volume 1)
- New Teen Titans (Volume 1)
- Tales of the Teen Titans (Volume 1): #41-58
- New Teen Titans (Volume 2)/New Titans (Volume 1)
- Team Titans (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans (Volume 2)
- JLA/Titans (Volume 1)
- Titans (Volume 1)
- Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans (Volume 3)
- Titans (Volume 2)
- Blackest Night: Titans (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans (Volume 4)
- Teen Titans (Volume 5)
- Convergence: New Teen Titans (Volume 1)
- Convergence: Titans (Volume 1)
- Titans (Volume 3)
- Teen Titans (Volume 6)
- Teen Titans Academy (Volume 1)
- Titans (Volume 4)
- World's Finest: Teen Titans (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans: Year One (Volume 1)
- Teen Titans Go! (Volume 1)
- The New Teen Titans: Games (Volume )
- Legion of Super-Heroes Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 2)
- The Legion (Volume 1)
- Legion Lost (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 3)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 4)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 5)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 6)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 7)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 8)
- Legionnaires (Volume 1)
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
