John Marc DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis ( born December 15 , 1953 ) is a comic book writer , usually credited under the name J . M . DeMatteis . He wrote the story for " " under the pseudonym Wally Lombego due to changes made by Lucasfilm to his original plot . He wanted Lando Calrissian to accept Cody Sunn - Childe ' s pacifist views but Lucasfilm overruled him and had the ending changed . Biography . Early career . DeMatteis began as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at in the late 1970s , when he contributed to the company ' s line of horror comics . He began writing for Marvel Comics in 1980 on the tiles " " and " " , and had a lengthy run on " Captain America " , paired with penciler . 1980s . In 1987 , DeMatteis and Zeck re - teamed for the " " arc that ran throughout Marvel ' s then three titles . DeMatteis and illustrator created the graphic novel " " , the first fully - painted series in American comics for Marvel ' s Epic line . DeMatteis followed this with " " , a hallucinatory vampire story drawn by , and the 1986 Dr . Strange graphic novel " " . Moving back to DC , DeMatteis succeeded as writer of the superhero - team title " " . When that series was cancelled in the wake of the company - wide crossover " " , DeMatteis stayed through its relaunch as " " , scripting over the plots of . " JLI " took such lesser - known DC characters as Martian Manhunter , Blue Beetle , Booster Gold , Mister Miracle , Captain Atom , and Power Girl and turned the then - current preoccupation with " grim ' n ' gritty " superheroes on its head . The lighthearted series emphasized the absurd aspects of people with strange powers , wearing colorful costumes , volunteering to fight evildoers . While the League had its serious side and often faced world - threatening villains , it also featured such characters as the lovably inept G ' Nort , the worst Green Lantern in the ; Mr . Nebula , the interplanetary decorator ; the Injustice League , a bunch of bumbling losers ; and a flock of homicidal penguins who had been hybridized with piranhas . 1990s . DeMatteis stayed with " JLI " for five years , often scripting its spin - offs , such as a Mister Miracle solo title , or a European branch of the Justice League . Back at Marvel , DeMatteis again succeeded Conway , this time as writer of " " in 1991 , taking the series in a grimmer , more psychologically oriented direction . In collaboration with regular artist Sal Buscema , DeMatteis ' story arc " The Child Within " featured the return of the Harry Osborn Green Goblin . Spider - Man ' s battle with the Goblin continued in " The Osborn Legacy " in # 189 and came to an end when Harry was killed in " The Best Of Enemies ! " . In the mid - 1990s , DeMatteis took over from David Michelinie as writer of " " for a run that included the apparent death of Aunt May and the beginnings of the " Clone Saga " arc . DeMatteis as well worked on such characters as Doctor Strange , , Man - Thing , and the Silver Surfer . DeMatteis helped launch DC ' s mature - audience imprint , writing the graphic novels " Mercy " and " Farewell , Moonshadow " , the miniseries " The Last One " , and the 15 - issue series " " , the story of a Hollywood screenwriter on a journey of self - discovery and the search for universal truths . DeMatteis contributed tales of , Batman , Wonder Woman , and Doctor Fate ; redefining the , through the character of Hal Jordan , as a spirit of redemption rather than of vengeance ; and in 2003 , with Giffen , revived the Justice League International for the miniseries " Formerly Known as the Justice League " . The series won Giffen , DeMatteis and artist Kevin Maguire an Eisner Award . The team followed this with " I Can ' t Believe It ' s Not The Justice League " arc in " JLA Classified " and , at Marvel , a five - issue run of " The Defenders " . In 2006 , DeMatteis and Giffen began work on two original superhero comedy series , " Hero Squared " and " Planetary Brigade " for Boom ! Studios . 21st century . DeMatteis later teamed with veteran artist Mike Ploog to create the CrossGen fantasy comic " Abadazad " ( May 2004 ) . The following year , Ploog and DeMatteis announced they were collaborating on a five - issue miniseries , " Stardust Kid " , from the Image Comics imprint Desperado Publishing . The series moved to Boom ! Studios in 2006 . Other media . DeMatteis has also written for television , having scripted episodes of the 1980s incarnation of " " , the syndicated series " " and " Earth : Final Conflict " , as well as for the animated series " The Real Ghostbusters " , " Justice League Unlimited " and " Legion of Super - Heroes . " He has written unproduced screenplays for Twentieth Century Fox , Disney Feature Animation and producer / directors and Dean Devlin .