In Smallville, young Clark Kent recalled the many adventures he had been having. On top of those (as Superboy) and his school life (as Clark Kent), he had not had a chance to revisit any of the wondrous places that he had seen. He had been to other planets, even other solar systems, to the bottom of the ocean, into the past, into the future, and even to the earth's core. That particular journey to the earth's core had been one of his contributions to science, but he'd never followed it up, having been called upon to save people from some form of crystal creature which had emerged from inside the earth in search of its missing baby.
It would be nice to explore whatever territory lay beneath the earth's surface again, Clark considered. He waited until he had a Sunday morning to himself, while Lana Lang was busy with her archeologist father, and then stripped off his Clark Kent clothes and glasses, quickly pushed a wavy part of his hair down over his forehead in the shape of an S curl, and flew off the Kent property at super speed, so that nobody would see Superboy leaving Jonathan Kent's home.
In little time, he was joined by his playful Superdog Krypto. Superboy chose an isolated spot, where nobody would be likely to follow, and then began whirling his arms like a helicopter, while his body ploughed into the earth, carving a wide tunnel.
He was expecting to have to dig for a long time in order to get anywhere, but he was only fifty feet down, when he came out in a cavern which was lit by glowing underground rock formations. Superboy and Krypto followed the caverns for hours at super speed, sometimes running, sometimes flying. They came out in all sorts of underground lands, observed many hitherto undiscovered civilizations, storing everything they saw in their super memories in only moments.
Then, to their even greater surprise, they came upon the sight of two men in combat with a party of four other people on the edge of a cliff. The most brutish of the two men was holding a large rock above his head, about to throw it at their four victims, who were backing towards the edge of the cliff side.
"Those people need help, Krypto," said Superboy, "You stop that boulder, while I rescue the people."
Superboy and Krypto flew onto the scene. Krypto charged at the boulder and knocked it over the man's head, out of his grip and onto the ground behind him. Superboy came in from the open space in front of the cliff, and quickly wrapped his arms around the huddled frightened four people and lifted them out of harm's way and set them down a few meters behind the fallen rock.
"Thank you, whoever you are," said the man who seemed to be the leader of the group, "I'm Professor Lindenbrook. This is my guide Lars, his duck Gertrude, my niece Cindy, and Alec, a student. Those two are Count Sachnussem and Torg. They caused an explosion, which trapped us underground. We've been on our way to the center of the earth, to try to learn of another way to the surface. You're the most powerful beings we've met down here."
"You must have come down here before I first put on my costume," said Superboy, "I'm Superboy, and I'm from the surface too, although originally from another planet. This is my dog, Krypto."
They all turned to see that Krypto and Gertrude were flying around playfully together.
"So how did you find your way down here?" asked Cindy.
Superboy explained.
"And Krypto and I can fly all of you back, if you like," said Superboy, "The tunnel I carved is in a spot where nobody on the surface is likely to find it."
"Not me," growled the modern Count, "I'm not leaving until I find treasure."
"Suit yourself," said Professor Lindenbrook, "We're going with Superboy. When you're ready to return, you can always find your way back through all those lands and … can he get up the tunnel you made?"
"Sure he can," said Superboy, "I went in at a sloping angle. Those two can easily crawl up, once their greed has been worn out … or satisfied."
Alec and Cindy climbed onto Krypto's back, while Superboy carried Lars and Lindenbrook, one in each arm. They flew at normal speed, so that Gertrude could keep up with them, and eventually reached the surface.
"You'll have quite a story to write at your college, Professor," said Alec.
"And you'll be part of it," said the Professor.
"But please, leave me out," said Superboy, "I don't want a certain girl named Lana Lang or hundreds of other people asking me to take them on treasure hunting trips under the earth's surface."
"You have our word," said Lars.
"Then we'll be off then," said Superboy, bending his legs a little and then springing into a take-off, as his arms swung skyward, "Up, up, and away!"
Superboy grew into Superman. Although Krypto couldn't share his life in Metropolis, without giving away Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent's secret identity, the Man of Steel was soon a member and in fact the leader of the Justice League of America. Aquaman, the Atom, the Flash, Hawkman and Green Lantern were soon a team whose efforts were often concentrated on dealing with alien invaders. After they'd been active for a year or so, Batman became a part time member. It had taken a while to persuade Batman to join the team, as his (Bruce Wayne's) business administrator Lucius Fox had a brother with a very persuasive argument.
During a casual discussion over a Wayne Foundation dinner, Brother Fox had convinced Bruce (without even knowing that Bruce was Batman), that Gotham had exclusive rights to Batman and Robin. Bruce continued to believe that until the beginning of 1970, which resulting in Robin's joining of the Teen Titans being delayed too. In the meantime, that quartet of towering talent had been well staffed by the Flash's sidekick Kid Flash, a young archer named Speedy, Aquaman's young ally Aqualad, and a swift and powerful super lass named Wondergirl, who had absolutely no connection to Superman.
In 1970, Superman was visiting Sesame Street, to fly around and promote the letter S, while Batman and Robin were coincidentally there also, teaching people the meaning of the words "up", "around", and "through." They had just finished filming their demonstration, when they saw the Joker running through Sesame Street.
"Stop in the name of decent citizens everywhere!" called Batman.
Joker had come all this way to Sesame Street, in order to start a new crime career free of the Dynamic Duo's interference. He was so shocked to see them also in Sesame Street, that he laughed like the Penguin (instead of like himself), as he ran frantically towards the busy street and charged in front of approaching cars. Fortunately, Batman and Robin apprehended him without any injury to either the Joker, themselves or anyone else.
Just after that, Superman finished his aerial plug for the letter S, and noticed Batman and Robin. He flew down and greeted them.
"It looks like Gotham doesn't have exclusive rights to the Batman after all," said Superman, "Since here you are in Sesame Street. Are you sure you won't join the Justice League of America now?"
"You're right," said Batman.
"Wholly original ideas!" said Robin, "Does this mean I can finally join the Teen Titans too?"
"Sure, old chum, but don't get any ideas about Wondergirl. She and Speedy are quite an item, you know," said Batman.
"Don't I know it? I read that article in Who's Who, where the tabloid gossip explained how they got together. Speedy asked Wondergirl if he could test his archery skills playing arrows and bracelets. She thought it would be a good test of her speed and reflexes too. When they were finished, she said, 'I deflected every one.' Then Speedy said, 'Deflect this,' and planted a kiss right on her. He's been her beau with a bow ever since," said Robin.
"You shouldn't read those tabloids, Boy Wonder," said Batman, "As Bruce Wayne, I tire easily of having my private life documented in every magazine whose photographers can get my picture."
"Wholly entitled to privacy!" said Robin, "You're so right, Batman."
So Batman and Robin joined the respective teams. One day, Superman called an emergency meeting of the Justice League of America. In attendance were Aquaman, Flash, Hawkman, Green Lantern and Batman.
"What's the five star alarm for, Superman?" asked Flash.
"Six stars, if you count me," said Superman, "Someone contacted the Daily Planet with a tip off that the Joker and the Atom were seen at a circus which is visiting Metropolis. I once put an end to a series of manipulated mishaps at that supposedly jinxed circus, when I was Superboy. I'd hate to see them taken in by another super villain."
"But Atom told me he'd be exploring a sub microscopic world for weeks," said Flash.
"And the Joker's been locked up in Gotham Penitentiary ever since Robin and I caught him jaywalking his way off with some stolen loot from Sesame Street," said Batman.
"I know. I was there," said Superman, "But we have to check it out. I suggest we change to our secret identities, and buy tickets to the next performance of the circus."
"I can't stay on land that long," said Aquaman, "That's why I only appeared in the opening credits of Lou Scheimer's documentary about the Justice League of America in 1967. If Joker heads for the sea, send for me."
So Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Carter Hall, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan made their way to the circus, and sat together under the big top.
"And now, presenting two of the greatest stars of our show: Jester and his tiny marionette assistant Dick Digit!" said the ringmaster.
As the Justice League members looked on, a man came out into the ring and began an act involving an apparently stringless puppet.
"The costume does resemble the Joker's a lot," said Bruce Wayne, "But trust me, it's not him."
"I don't know where this would go as an act, Ann. That jester gives me the creeps," said a man several seats behind them, heard only by his wife and Clark Kent's super hearing.
"Be quiet and enjoy the show, Trevor," said the man's wife.
Clark did his best to tune out the surrounding comments and concentrate on their problem at hand. He projected his invisible telescopic and microscopic vision at Dick Digit and thoroughly examined the tiny man.
"It's not a puppet," he whispered, "He's a living breathing tiny man. He could well be the Atom, wearing a new costume."
"But why would Atom lie to us and pretend he's on a scientific exploration at sub-microscopic size, just so he could moonlight in the circus?" said Green Lantern.
"Maybe he wanted to be a little guy under the big top," said Hawkman, "… Okay, so I don't understand earth humour properly yet. I'll just have to wing it for a while."
"As soon as the show's over, we change to our other identities and visit Jester's caravan," said Clark.
So it was that they knocked on the caravan door, and were welcomed with open arms.
"Wow! The Justice League of America, and Batman too!" said Jester.
"Actually Batman's joined us a couple years after the Scheimer documentary went to air," said Hawkman, "He left my wife out of the show too, although Mera got a few brief mentions."
"You may have noticed that the Atom's not with us today," said Superman, "And we certainly noticed that you have a tiny assistant."
"I'm not the Atom," said Dick, "I'm not even the original Dick Digit, although I took over the role of Jester's puppet. I come from a distant planet, which had its entire population shrunken. I came to earth to warn people that it could happen here too. With Jester's help, we defeated some dangerous alien invaders, and I stayed here as his stage assistant and his crime fighting assistant."
"And you've never been able to restore your size," said Green Lantern, "My ring might be able to try."
"No Green Lantern!" said Superman, "When I examined him from the big top with my super vision, I noticed that his people have yellow blood. Your ring at best would enlarge his body, while his blood size didn't increase in proportion to supply it."
"It's ironic, but the only person who might be able to help is the Atom," said Batman.
"I'll let him know of your predicament when he returns," said Flash, "If you'll tell us the circus's upcoming schedule, I can super speed to your location with the Atom riding on my shoulder, as soon as he's back from the sub-microscopic world he's on now."
A few weeks later, Flash and Atom went to visit Jester and Dick Digit after their latest performance.
"It wouldn't work," said the Atom, "I wanted to do you the courtesy of explaining, but the white dwarf star assisted size control belt I wear only works on me. Anything else would become unstable and break up from the size changing process."
"It's alright," said Dick, "At least I get to be a circus star and crime fighter on your world."
"Hawkman and Superman probably know how you feel," said Flash, "They came from other worlds too. Superman's world exploded when he was a baby. To cap it off, the remains of his planet now give off a radiation which is uniquely deadly to his body and his dog's."
"Superman has a dog?" said Jester.
"Yes, but we don't see him anymore. Superboy and Krypto once flew 1000 years into the future to retrieve an enlarged molecule to save a scientist who was injured by the effects of an experiment with the molecule in Superboy's time. While in the future, they defeated some criminals of that time, and made a name for themselves. Later, some Legion of Super Pets from that time flew back to visit Krypto after Clark Kent moved to Metropolis. They invited Krypto to go into the future and join their Legion," said Flash.
"How did you learn all that?" asked Atom.
"Superman and I can both talk and hear and understand at super speed," said Flash, "We cover all sorts of ground."
So Dick Digit and Jester returned to their regular lives. Flash had hinted at them joining the JLA at one point during the conversation, but Dick felt that Atom's size, without the weight controls would not make him suitable for membership, more of a liability. Jester felt that, without Batman's gadgets and fighting skills, another non-super powered member in the JLA would be superfluous.