Return to Earth-2: 1988 chronology

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Metropolis

by Thea von Harbou
published 1927

In the great future city of Metropolis, the ruling class and the working class are sharply divided. The privileged live in towering skyscrapers and fill their lives with play, while the workers toil in the machines below for ten-hour shifts each day. Freder, the privileged son of the Master of Metropolis, lives a carefree but meaningless existence until Maria appears, and he learns the meaning of injustice and vows to do something about it by becoming a mediator between the rulers and the workers. But his father, Joh Fredersen, sees Maria’s dangerous ideas as a threat and enlists his old rival, the brilliant and eccentric scientist Rotwang, to devise a solution. He will build a female robot and give it Maria’s appearance and voice, then use it to influence the workmen to riot, allowing the Master of Metropolis to destroy Maria’s reputation and establish even more control over the working class. But even the Master of Metropolis has not reckoned with the power of love. Can Freder save Maria and stop these plots in time, or is Metropolis doomed?

Showcase: The Second Death of Mekanique

by Dan Swanson
published March 24, 2007

Following Vandal Savage’s defeat by the Suicide Squad, Mekanique reengineers her own timeline, ensuring that she continues to exist in her present form even as the future timeline of Metropolis where she was created is erased from existence! And as she counts on her former master, the future Vandal Savage from that timeline, to be erased along with it, she soon finds that Savage has a few twists and turns of his own!

Showcase: The Legion of Justice

by Dan Swanson, based on a concept by Tynnechris
published April 14, 2007

The Legion of Justice, the greatest heroes of the 23rd century and heirs to the legacy of the JSA, is a new super-team for a new future! But while the Legionnaires do their best to protect and serve, are they serving the wrong side? Can the Utopian States of America be in reality a totalitarian state whose citizens — and Legionnaires — are kept under tight control and surveillance at all times? And is escape even possible? Meanwhile, a captive Mekanique watches as Vandal Savage and the android Futura make plans, and she plans an escape of her own.

The Legion of Justice: On Our Own

by Dan Swanson, based on a concept by Tynnechris
published May 13, 2007

Now that the Legion of Justice has escaped from Amgov, what do they do next? That question is solved for them when they encounter a new foe — Mekanique! The evil robot reveals to them that she plans to manipulate the past to erase all traces of the Justice Society of America’s heroic legacy. But as the team scrambles to find a way to travel back in time, is their knowledge of the past accurate enough to ensure their success?

The Legion of Justice: Saving the Past

by Dan Swanson, Tynnechris, CSyphrett and Doc Quantum of the Time Trust
published July 12, 2007

The Legion of Justice, greatest heroes of the 23rd century, are on their most important mission yet — to save the past from the manipulations of Mekanique and Vandal Savage, who wish to destroy the legacy of the Justice Society of America! But as they travel back to the years 1985, 1988, and 2039, can the Legion of Justice save the past — any past — when time travel is so tricky? And can they save themselves as well? Meanwhile, what is Mekanique’s true goal, and is she the Legion’s enemy or their ally? Guest starring Wonder Woman, Kiku, Jemi Olsen, the Monitor, and Ape-Face!