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JSA
Times Past, 1982
Crisis on Earth-Four
Prologue: Times Present
On a quiet day at the JSA brownstone, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Wonder Woman sat around the wondrous device called the Magic Sphere.
"I appreciate your coming by like this, Diana. I know you have your time at a real premium, what with a new baby and all," said Carter Hall.
Princess Diana smiled warmly at her old friends. "Troy is a handful!" she laughed. "Still, Steve is so very delighted to have another baby. His career kept him on the go so much when Lyta was an infant that he never saw her as much as he wanted to."
"True -- as a war hero, he was always kept busy, even for purely publicity-related purposes," remarked Carter. "Steve Trevor is a walking recruitment poster -- his very name is associated with daring-do in the skies!"
Shiera said, "But it was nice of you to come here just so Carter could satisfy his curiosity about one of his toys."
Carter grimaced. "I admit my collection does absorb me a bit. Still, you have to agree that, when I can't identify a piece from my own collection of antiquities, then we do have a real mystery!"
Shiera laughed, "At our house the husband sure can't complain about my leaving wet panty-hose hanging in the bathroom!"
"Or about your room full of nothing but shoes!" said Diana.
"True -- my own antique collection does take up a whole wing of Hall Manor!" shrugged Hawkman.
Diana picked up the ornate mace. "I can tell you this much -- it appears to be Roman in origin, but if you can't recall how you acquired it, then you deduced correctly that my Magic Sphere is the best method," said the Amazing Amazon. She slid the handle of the ancient weapon inside a slot on the Sphere.
"Fascinating!" said Carter. "After all these years, the way that thing projects images associated with anything placed within it astounds me!"
"Yeah, but does it pick up Dynasty?" joked Shiera as she smoothed her auburn locks.
"The mace was just among some of my recently sorted items, and as I said, I had no memory of even adding it to the collection," said Hawkman.
"Well, I see you gained it just a few years ago at least!" added Shiera as they watched scenes in which Hawkman held up the mace for his elegantly clad wife to see. "See that dress I'm wearing? It was a designer gown made just for me in 1982. I haven't worn it since then as it was damaged that same year. I recall the dress well, but not the mace!"
"That isn't so odd, but I have no memory of showing it to you," Carter said. "Play back for me, Diana."
The scene shifted to the JLA satellite in the Earth-1 universe, where heroes of two worlds had assembled. "There we are, Diana. You and I, Helena, Kara, Al, Kent, and Charles!" said Carter Hall.
"Along with various JLAers," said Wonder Woman. "Odd -- last time I was with them, you were not. This is a memory I also cannot recall."
Shiera leaned forward. "This is getting interesting. Can you make it focus on how the whole thing started?"
Diana smiled. "I already have. Watch!"
***
The Sphere now showed a night scene in an old warehouse. Several thugs in purple hoods loaded electronic equipment into a van while nervously searching the street. "Hurry up! I don't want to tangle with Wildcat! As the second generation of the Purple Hood Gang, that's one tradition I could do without," said one of them.
"Ahh, he's a geezer!" sneered a second man. "I'd rattle his teeth for him. Put a bell around his neck!"
"Yeah!" said a third. "And that Hawkgirl dish -- I'd like to pluck her feathers, if ya get my drift!"
Shiera sniffed disdainfully as she watched the scene from the past play out.
"Really? What would you do to, say, Dr. Mid-Nite?" asked a mocking, if refined, voice from the shadows.
"What th'--?!" gasped one of them.
"How very articulate!" said Dr. Mid-Nite as he crashed into the gang. "You second-generation punks are so cultured! Why, your pop might have just started shooting at me without finding the right words!"
Hawkman chuckled as his old friend took down the mob. "Good old Doc! He always has had a way with words!" Wonder Woman smiled appreciatively.
On the screen, Dr. Mid-Nite punched a thug to the pavement and kicked another one down. He spun to dodge a few bullets and flipped over a crate to block his path. He then hurled a blackout bomb, and the warehouse was enveloped in blackest night. Mid-Nite, however, saw clearly and quickly moved toward the nearest remaining member of the Purple Hood Gang.
Just then, a beautiful woman literally jumped out of the darkness cloud around them and high-kicked the final goon to the floor.
"Nicely done! You can see as well as I can! Who are you, young lady?" asked Dr. Mid-Nite.
The pretty, dark-haired woman wore a sleeveless, pleated mini dress and boots. She smiled winningly and said, "You can call me Nightshade!"
Chapter 1
Earth-1:
Ronnie Raymond was late for his after-school job, and he knew he'd pay for it with a lecture from his tough talking manager. He decided to take a shortcut across town, so he concentrated and became the merged being called Firestorm!
He smiled and flew over the city. "Ronald! I hope this was necessary. I was on my way to a special engagement," said the voice in his head. Professor Martin Stein's tone was affectionate, if scolding.
"Sorry, Prof. I'll make it fast. I just needed to get across town faster than even a jock's legs could carry him!" said Ronnie. He smiled as they passed through a fence and emerged on the other side. The Burger Barn was just ahead. "But about this special engagement -- would it be with a babe, by any chance?" he said teasingly.
"Now, Ronald, she is a colleague -- attractive, yes -- but this is not a date!" stammered Stein.
Ronnie grinned. "Don't do anything I wouldn't!" He stopped and frowned as he spotted something on the horizon. "Looks like a fire over there! The factory is burning!"
Firestorm rushed forward to where fire trucks and brave crew men battled a blaze at the Esteban Chemical Plant. "Ronald, if the volatile chemicals stored there should become overheated--!" began Stein.
Firestorm nodded. "I know, I know -- boom!" He waved a hand, and an elongated scoop formed in mid-air. It connected the water tower nearby to the burning plant. "Now to dissolve the wall of the tower and instantly shower that fire!" he said.
"Be careful," warned Stein. "Some chemicals might react badly to a sudden infusion of water!" warned Stein.
Indeed, a cloud of energy exploded over the plant, and Firestorm was battered back by the force. "Stupid of me!" he muttered.
Then the explosive energy suddenly stopped and began to shrink until it resembled a humanoid form. "Amazing! After the initial concussive force, the blast has been muffled -- absorbed, even!" said Stein.
"Someone is in there unhurt!" said Firestorm as he drew nearer to the now smothered fire blast.
"Unhurt, but in need of your help," said a smiling, handsome man whose skin gleamed silver in the light.
"Sure, I'll help," Firestorm replied. "Who are you? If you can tame a blast like that, you can't need much help from anyone!"
"My name is Captain Atom, and a threat that escaped from my world to yours may be too much for both of us," said the earnest heroic figure.
Interlude: Times Present
"Firestorm is a hero from Earth-1's JLA. You may recall him from the Crisis," said Wonder Woman to Shiera Hall.
Shiera nodded. "I do, but it was easy to miss even a guy who has flaming hair among that mob of heroes and villains!"
"This proves the mace originated from a case involved both of our teams," said Carter Hall. "The scene in the satellite must have occurred after the events we're seeing. Still, I don't recall the events, or meeting Captain Atom or Nightshade from before the Crisis itself."
Shiera crossed her legs and frowned. "So they come from yet another other Earth? Earth what?"
Wonder Woman said, "I think the correct designation is 4 by our method of naming the alternate universes." Diana turned back to the Sphere and said, "Look -- more is happening. Back on Earth-2. On Paradise Isle, no less!"
Chapter 2
Earth-2:
The Sphere showed the lovely Paradise Island, home of the Amazons. Several were gathered in uneasy conclave. The raven-haired Queen Hippolyta, chief scientist Paula, and Mala, the demure warden of Transformation Isle, discussed ominous portents that had come to light.
"The dreams Cassandra spoke of concerned a dimensional doorway opening up betwixt this realm and that of Olympus -- precisely from the Areopagus, the Hill of Mars itself!" said the Queen.
"And yet we are not directly threatened -- the portal she saw in the night-vision was in Greece," replied Paula. "Still, anything that could come from the foul realm of dread Mars could spell disaster!"
"If an innocent is threatened, it matters not if she be an Amazon or not -- we are honor bound to help!" urged the blonde Mala.
"True. Thus have I summoned the Princess Diana to investigate what transpires in yon hill," said Hippolyta.
"Athena guides you as always, my Queen," said Mala.
Hippolyta nodded. "More to the point, my child, may she be with my daughter..."
***
On the Sphere, a slightly younger Wonder Woman reached her destination in her invisible plane.
"Trust sweet Mala to think about helping others!" said Wonder Woman as she approached the Hill of Mars in Greece. She climbed the steps to the shrine she knew all too well from past encounters with the war god and his minions. She sighed, "Will a world full of hope and new possibilities ever learn enough from the past to renounce the ways of Mars?"
"Doubtful," said a stentorian voice from within. "But at least some of the Olympians are willing to give mankind a champion to wage ceaseless war against Mars and his ilk."
Wonder Woman spun her golden lasso and caught an armored man who walked confidently forward. "An Amazon?" he said. "I've encounter your kind before on my world. They were not too friendly. Still, those patriotic colors you wear -- barely -- mark you as one loyal to American ideals!"
"Who are you to emerge from a shrine to Mars and preach to me of idealism?" demanded Diana.
"I am John Mann, Son of Vulcan in name and birthright of my powers," he said.
"You come from another world and claim to serve the craftsman of Olympus, yet you enter our world via the bloody roads of Mars. Do you doubt my reasons for being suspicious?" asked Wonder Woman as he freed himself.
"One who can channel the power of Virtus needs fear little from your girdle spun rope," he said with a smile.
"Virtus, the Roman goddess of manly honor and truth! I see you do appear to be sincere. How did you get here, and why choose such a perilous path?" she asked as they walked down the slope.
He said, "I sought to stop others from my world who have ill intent and serve a cause not unaligned with the war god. They used a pathway of Mars to get here. I followed."
She said, "I am Diana, Wonder Woman. How may I help you stop these invaders?"
The Son of Vulcan said, "Take me to your allies. I sense you have some. We will need their strength."
***
Earth-1:
Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of Earth, was pleased that his efforts at flood relief had proven so successful. He smiled as the Red Cross volunteers closed up their camp.
"Green Lantern, you made our work so much easier. How can we thank you?" asked a pretty nurse.
He smiled. "You don't need to than me. I should thank you, as should everyone in need, for all the good work your organization does worldwide."
He flew off and frowned as a plane rocketed directly across his flight path. That little beauty almost took my head off. I've never seen anything like it before, and that's saying something, considering my background!
He caught up with the sleek craft and waved to the helmeted pilot. "Hey, pal -- that reckless flying of yours could get somebody hurt. What's the rush, and where'd you get this plane?"
The pilot shook his head. "I'm called Peacemaker. The plane is one I designed. It, and I, are not of this world. I brought the U-X jet fighter here on a mission of mercy. I need the help of folks like you to keep any semblance of peace on more than one Earth!"
Green Lantern took this in and, after a moment, said, "Tell me more!"
Chapter 3
Earth-1:
And so, the Magic Sphere now showed the Justice League of America satellite headquarters where members of both the JLA and the Justice Society of America -- heroes of two worlds -- had assembled to solve this menace from a third!
A man in a simple suit amongst them appeared almost normal amongst the colorful costumes -- that is, until one took into account the jarring fact that he had no face! The Question shook his head as he scanned the high-tech base. "Must be cozy up in this ivory tower in space. A man could forget the pain and the injustice out of sight below unless he had a real conscience," he remarked.
"Listen, you refugee from Dick Tracy -- we don't forget about the man on the streets below," snapped Green Arrow. "We just don't let ourselves get so wrapped up in self-righteousness that we can't see outside our own blurred faces!"
"Easy, GA! He's on our side!" warned Black Canary.
I wish I was on my side next to her, thought a grinning Blue Beetle as he watched the fish-netted beauty try to calm the Battling Bowman.
The Earth-2 Atom said, "That Green Arrow kid sure loses his temper at the drop of a feathered hat!"
Dr. Mid-Nite grinned. "He lacks your cool, calculated demeanor, Atom!"
Power Girl elbowed Huntress, pointed at Son of Vulcan, and said, "That guy looks like he could chew lead. Pretty tough for a guy in a skirt!"
The Huntress said, "Hush, Kara. It's Roman battle gear. Honestly, I can't take you anywhere!"
"I'm just kidding. Loosen your Bat-girdle! He can't hear us," said Kara.
"One with the ears of Melampus and the discernment of Minerva can detect both your smug comments and your insecurity lurking beneath a facade of aggression!" said the Son of Vulcan. Power Girl pouted in silence.
Finally, Captain Atom cleared his throat as Firestorm eyed Power Girl uncertainly across the room. "Friends, I have brought my allies to your worlds because a band of the worst villains our world has to offer has journeyed ahead of us to your worlds, and we need your help to stop them," Captain Atom said. "We don't know their purpose or their plans. We just see them for what they are -- evil men and women from our world, loose on two alternate Earths in need of defending."
Superman of Earth-1 nodded. "Captain, we're yours to command."
"Inspiring fellow," said the Green Lantern of the JLA. "Must be military beneath that silvery shell."
Wonder Woman said, "The Son of Vulcan tells me that the goal of the villains is one that would please Mars. I need not tell you how sinister that makes it."
A quiet woman in a red and gold Oriental-influenced costume whispered to Nightshade, "Eve, how did we get here, anyway? I mean, one minute I was fighting a gang of drug runners, and the next, I was seeking the help of another world's hero called Zatanna. I only knew I had to find her to stop a great evil. I'm a martial artist, not a magic user. This spooks me."
Nightshade said, "I've seen dark realms of magic, and I know the stranger who gathered us meant well, Tyger."
Dr. Fate stepped forward. "I sense they speak the truth, and what is more, I can detect the villains they seek. We must divide and conquer this group of other-dimensional felons wherever they lurk."
"Of course the truth is obvious to you, good Fate," said a dark-clad man who apparently had not been present moments ago.
"You!" said Zatanna as she saw the newcomer. "Now that explains it!"
"He is the stranger who sent each of us here," said Peacemaker. "He enabled us to get here."
"Men call me the Phantom Stranger, and it has ever been my duty to bring those who have the power to help mankind to where they best may use those gifts!" said the Stranger.
"Stranger!" said Superman as he shook hands with the man in black. "I'd say good to see you, old friend -- yet, through no fault of your own, whenever we do see you, trouble follows!"
"Such are the myriad ways of destiny," said the Phantom Stranger.
"Cut to the chase," said Green Arrow. "Where do we go, and who do we pair up with? I've danced this dance before."
Black Canary said, "Excuse GA. He's well-intentioned, if a bit headstrong."
The Question nodded. "I was hasty as well. I'm a bit out of my element up here in space among goddesses and wizards and aliens!"
Black Canary crossed her legs and smiled. "You get used to it."
"Don't worry, 'No-Face'," the Blue Beetle said. "Stick with me. We make a good team."
"I agree -- I know evil is evil," The Question said. "It may take the form of a man in a suit. Joe Respectability has a dark under-side. Still, this cosmic stuff gives a man pause."
The Atom of the JLA said, "From the point of view of a man of science, I'd like to know who each of you are and what you do, if you get my point."
"Fair enough," said Captain Atom. "Let's get to the danger spots and explain ourselves as we go."
Chapter 4
Earth-1:
An oddly-shaped craft soared toward a government base. The nuclear research facility was looking especially sedate and clinical when compared to the colorful occupants of the Blue Beetle's Bug.
Ray Palmer, the Atom of the JLA, turned to his larger namesake Al Pratt, the Atom of the JSA, and said, "You know, it's great to have you here on Earth-1, but I just wish we could sit down and talk when there wasn't a multi-Earth crisis hanging over us!"
Al Pratt grinned. "Yes! I know it's rare that I can exchange opinions with someone who shares both my careers! Physics and costumed crime-busting! Hey, do you like boxing?"
Ray shook his head. "Not especially, but I could learn to be a good spectator with the right guide!"
Al mused that it was a nice change to be around a super-hero who was shorter than himself, even if Ray's six-inch height was subject to change.
The Blue Beetle wondered if his Bug had impressed the Black Canary -- she was very attractive. Still, he found himself also enjoying a sort of bond with the dark-tressed Huntress.
"So, you also were shaped in your heroic role by the loss of a costumed mentor?" she said.
He nodded. "I'm not the first man to call himself Blue Beetle. My mentor from college died wearing his own version of the costume as the second Blue Beetle. I try to honor his memory with all I do."
The Huntress nodded intently. "My late father was a mystery man, too. He was a legend which is hard to live up to!"
The Canary leaned over to Beetle and said, "I can admire that sentiment. I worked for years with the JSA legends and hope to embody their ideals with my current group, the JLA!"
The Blue Beetle said, "You certainly do embody them well!"
"Hey, pal," Green Arrow said sarcastically, "do you still appear on the Power Company kids show on PBS?"
Blue Beetle shrugged. "Yeah? And aren't you that Warlord guy from the cheesy film?"
The Question shook his faceless head. This is why I prefer to work alone. I can get the job done without dealing with other super egos, he thought.
Black Canary placed a hand on Green Arrow's shoulder. "Why are you riding these two so hard?" asked the lovely blonde. "It's not like you to kid to this extreme."
Green Arrow said, "Maybe I don't appreciate my woman flirting with that bug-brained bozo!"
Canary tossed her long blonde hair in anger. "Listen -- I am my own woman! There is no 'Green Arrow's Property' stamp on these fishnets!"
As they landed amidst the chaos of costumed figures and frightened, overwhelmed soldiers, the Huntress frowned. "I think I see the reason these heroes are bickering so, and his name is Hayden!"
Al Pratt jumped out of the craft. "Hayden? That's the Psycho-Pirate all right! I'd know his Medusa Mask anywhere. He controls other folks via emotional manipulation. Kind of a drastic version of the JSA's old enemy, the original Psycho-Pirate, who only based his crimes around emotions! I'll shut him down!" He charged forward, only to be attacked from all sides by leering, laughing, multi-colored thugs!
That madcap laughter reminds me of the Joker! mused the Huntress. Thank goodness he's still in his cell back on Earth-2! The Pirate stared at her vacantly, and she gasped as her keen intellect fought a feeling of stupor and confusion!
The Blue Beetle said, "Question! Those are the Madmen from our world!"
Green Arrow hastily drew a shaft and sent it toward the tumbling louts as they dodged Atom's punches. A net expanded to snag two of them even as three more darted away. "These creeps jump around like maniacs!" mused the Emerald Archer. "Like the Creeper on caffeine!"
Black Canary suddenly kissed the Beetle passionately as Hayden switched emotions and victims. "I love you!" said the Blonde Bombshell!
The Blue Beetle grinned as he gently pushed her back with some reluctance. "Oh, how I wish I knew that guy back in college!" he joked. He had started to attack Hayden, when the Huntress, the Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Question all were rocked into his path by a sudden explosion!
Ray Palmer rode out the shock wave at a small size and frowned. "That one-man human bomb is Neutron! He fought the Titans and Superman!"
Indeed, the yellow-suited Nathan Tryon was made entirely of atomic energy, and his so-called "nuclear punch" had sent the heroes reeling.
"You punks aren't worth my atomic fists!" he sneered behind the helmet.
Al Pratt shoved past the Madmen. "I just happen to have atomic fists of my own! This is your lucky day, buddy!" he said with a grin.
Black Canary leapfrogged over a tumbling Madman and kicked him in the head. She then spun around and kicked a second one as he leered at her. These guys are really annoying! she thought. She rolled across the pavement and rose into a tackle that brought down the nearest Madman. "You boys need a make-over -- starting with your faces!" she said as she decked one.
The Huntress fired a line up and over a high beam and swung directly into Psycho-Pirate even as he tried to make her cry. She slugged him without looking as she kept her eyes tightly shut. "No good! I have allies!" Hayden cackled as three more Madmen swamped her as she gasped her opened her eyes.
The Blue Beetle suddenly fired his strobe gun in Arrow's face. "Gah! What's the matter with you?" muttered a blinded Green Arrow. "Has that wacko got you under his spell?"
"You can't see him, he can't manipulate you. Fire at my directions -- 3 o'clock to your left!" instructed the Blue Beetle. Green Arrow whirled and obeyed. His shaft slammed into the Pirate and knocked him flat. "Good shot!" smiled the Beetle as Arrow rubbed his eyes.
"Not too bad a plan of your own!" admitted the bowman.
Neutron slammed into Al Pratt, the Earth-2 Atom, even as Huntress knocked a soldier to safety. "My punch is atomic power!" said the helmeted heel.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I've heard that three times since we met," said Al as he blocked the foe's swing and connected with one of his own. "Thing is, if you don't know how to fight, then that punch is useless. Now, me -- I can fight!" said Al as he drove home two more blows. Neutron reeled as one after another of the Atom's blows hit home.
Ray Palmer increased his mass and slammed into another Madman. "There are a dozen of these maniacs!" he guessed as he shrank beneath a punch and grew again to drop his shocked foe.
The Psycho-Pirate tried to catch the Blue Beetle's eye as a look of fear crossed his expressive face. The Question suddenly confronted him as he knocked down a Madman. "Let's see how your mask holds up next to mine!" the Question said. He grabbed for his foe and released a strange gas from his belt even as he slapped a pliable mask across the face of the Pirate.
"You've robbed me of my power!" whined the Pirate as he struggled to peel off the extra mask of the Question. "Without my features being visible, I can't use people!"
"You can't remove it until I release another chemical, and, pal, I'm not about to do that until I remove a few of your teeth!" said Vic Sage. He pummeled the Pirate to the ground and waved over his allies. "I just sank the Pirate!" he said.
Green Arrow sent a gas arrow into the midst of the scrambling Madmen as Black Canary, the Huntress, and the Blue Beetle kicked, punched, and shoved them together. They fell stunned, and the heroes congratulated each other.
"You know... about that kiss?" began the Beetle.
"Forget it! Don't push your luck," growled Green Arrow.
Ray Palmer frowned. "Look! The nuclear missile silo!" He indicated the silo above them as it flickered out of view.
"It just vanished!" said the Canary.
"It was teleported away! We were distracted by the goons from three Earths while their boss took what he wanted. I fear this bodes ill for us all," said Ray.
"This has the Ghost written all over it!" said the Question.
The Blue Beetle nodded. "The Ghost is a major baddie on our Earth. He uses teleportation."
"Atom just knocked out Neutron!" the Huntress said.
"Good," said the Black Canary, "but I think our work has just begun!"
Chapter 5
Earth-2:
On the other-dimensional Earth numbered 2, another band of heroes was battling for their lives at a nuclear base of their own.
"Doc Mid-Nite, can you and Hawkman ID these felons?" asked Superman as he carried a squad of fleeing soldiers to safety on a hastily-created platform of rubble. A powerful, bluish energy-blast then stuck him as he placed the troops gently down.
"I can introduce myself, being perhaps the most senior member of this little group," said a glowing man.
"Professor Radium!" interrupted Dr. Mid-Nite. "You battled Batman and others of us years ago!"
"Indeed I did. My radium-powered cells give me extra vitality, just as you and Hawkman seem to have aged so well!" said the lethal madman.
Hawkman grunted as he fought to lower other troops behind a lead fence. "The guy is radioactive. Use extreme care!" ordered the JSA Chairman.
"I believe I better handle him!" vowed a worried Captain Atom as he dropped his one-time girlfriend Nightshade.
Nightshade flipped through the air to land perfectly. Eve Eden was trained by the CIA and eastern martial arts experts to be a shapely human weapon. She also had unique powers and weapons all her own, one of which was the ability to project area of total darkness via what she called her ebony bombs.
Dr. Mid-Nite followed the beauty into the blackness, as he too could readily see. "You know, these ebony bombs your CIA developed for you resemble my own blackout bombs." He stopped then, paused for a moment, and whispered to her, "Careful. There's something not quite right about this particular darkness." His keen senses, years of experience, and quick reflex action enabled him to tackled Nightshade and shove her aside even as long, dark arms emerged from the blackness to grab for her throat.
"You know, it's rare that I encounter anyone able to see in my element, and I meet two of you in one day!" said Carl Sands, the Shadow-Thief.
As the Dark Night Duo faced their shadowy foe, Captain Atom tried to absorb the energy blasts of Dr. Radium. He had little trouble doing so, but he also regretted being forced to stay still while his friends fought for their lives and worlds.
The clever Radium spoke persuadingly, "You know, we are two of a kind -- good men altered by the forces of science gone mad. We have much in common!"
"Your accident didn't make you a menace. You chose to be one!" Captain Atom replied.
Superman landed next to the pretty Zatanna and the armored Son of Vulcan. "Odd!" the Man of Steel began to say. "Something seems to be speaking to my mind. Urging me to attack you!"
Zatanna whirled. "Fight it!" whispered the beautiful magic user. "I feel a magic in the air myself. You are vulnerable to magic-based attacks!"
Son of Vulcan frowned. "Aye. I also sense much amiss!" He whipped out an ornate mace.
Hawkman said, "That's quite a beauty. Roman origin?"
Son of Vulcan nodded. "You have an eye for ancient weapons. We have much in common!"
Suddenly, Superman swung at them. "I can't control myself!" he said as he gritted his teeth.
A girlish laugh echoed, and a blonde in a skating dress appeared along with an amorous couple dressed like clowns.
"See? Combining my hypno-gems with your own alien magic makes for a combination even Superman can't ignore!" said the Golden Glider.
Jewelee giggled and kissed her husband Punch. "True. Maybe later we could swap clothes!" said the insipid woman.
Punch eyed the sexy Glider grinned roguishly, saying, "Maybe we could swap--" Hawkman kicked him in the mouth, and the battle continued.
Zatanna gestured and shouted, "Namrepus, eb dedleihs morf rieht cigam!" in her special backwards magic diction. Before she could do more, she found herself trapped as a strong fabric snaked over her boots and wrapped itself ever tighter as it crawled up her legs, hips, chest and threatened to smother her!
"Silly string! Not so silly when you can't breathe!" yelled Punch.
Son of Vulcan turned to tear at the deadly string, but he was struck by a hurled blazing ax. "You call yourself Son of Vulcan?" sneered the red and gold armored figure who blazed into view. "Well, prepare to be flayed by one who could be called your sire! I am Vulcan!"
Hawkman slammed his own mace into Punch's grinning face as he heard this newcomer's words. Vulcan! He almost killed Kent when last we fought! I'd better free Superman, or we'll all be in deep trouble, mused the Winged Wonder. He risked much by flying away from Zatanna, who struggled beneath the crushing fabric.
Superman trembled as he fought the magical mind control of the Golden Glider and her new gal pal Jewelee. "If this can rob Superman of his will, imagine what it could do to less powerful types!" purred the Glider as she thought of one particular enemy back on Earth-1.
Jewelee giggled. "He's soooo cute when he's battling for his very soul!"
Superman struggled against the unseen forces that tried to dominate his mighty will. He still fought though he was vulnerable to them. He still struggled though he was losing. He did so because he was Superman, and in any situation, in any peril, one certainty remained -- he would triumph!
The Man of Steel blasted Zatanna with his super cold breath and smiled as a second, expertly-aimed blast of heat vision melted her prison. She gasped in relief and pushed against the pavement to try to rise.
Nightshade ducked the Shadow-Thief's clutching arms and kicked out. He groaned as her high heeled boot struck him. "But how? You can't touch me in shadow form!" he gasped.
She smiled winningly. "Oh, but I can! I can attain a semi-solid shadow form all my own!" she said as she dropped him with a right cross.
Dr. Mid-Nite smiled approvingly as he raced toward the others. That young lady needs no help from this medical man-turned author-turned hero! he thought.
Professor Radium glowed brightly and approached Captain Atom. "I can kill you, you know! I can burn through that protective silvery coat of yours!" he said.
Captain Atom frowned. "Don't try it. You see, it's not meant to protect me. It's to protect others from my power!" He passed suddenly through the very pavement and emerged below Radium, then carried him skyward and ignored the growing heat.
"I'll blow us both up if I have to!" cried Radium.
Captain Atom winced. "I'll sacrifice myself in need be!" He suddenly let go of his foe. Radium screamed and fell toward the ground miles below! Captain Atom waited just long enough for the fall and the shock to stun his foe before he blasted out of the sky to catch the villain and drag him to safety.
Hope Eve is okay. Hate to see her fall before some unknown enemy from this world or another. I know she can handle the foes we face, but anything goes when you add other Earths into the equation! he mused.
Hawkman faced the agile Golden Glider, who frowned. "My, my, my! What do we have here?" she mocked. "I regularly duel with a man who can move at super-speed, and a senior citizen in feathers thinks he can stop moi?"
"You, in turn, are nothing more than a psycho Roz Sumners!" said Hawkman. He dodged her lethal blades and sped off after her as she rode her own icy path through the sky. She frowned as Hawkman drew closer and closer.
"Enogeb setaks!" cried Zatanna in her backwards spell as she caught her breath. Instantly, the Glider's bare feet kicked desperately, as her icy trail was no more. She screamed as she tumbled toward earth.
Hawkman caught her and tied her up with a net he pulled from his harness. "Dorothy Hammil's all wrapped up!" he joked.
The streaking form of Captain Atom slammed into Vulcan even as he tried to cut off Son of Vulcan's head. The alter ego of Johnny Mann grunted, "Thank you, Atom!"
Captain Atom grinned. "No problem! Now teach this guy who really deserves the name!"
"Put out his lights!" ordered Punch as he and his mad spouse drew near to Superman. Punch then frowned as Dr. Mid-Nite tackled him and knocked him reeling.
"A guy with a name like Punch invites this kind of reaction!" smiled Dr. Mid-Nite as he stunned his blinded foe.
Jewelee turned shrieking as Superman broke free of her gem's spell. "Thanks, Doc," Superman said. "You and Hawk broke the hold they had on me. Jewelee's mind alone can't control me."
Nightshade smiled and crept closer to Jewelee. "Eeeek!" screamed the blonde as she whirled around from Superman to stare nose-to-nose with Nightshade.
"Good night, Jewels!" said Eve Eden. She flattened the blonde with one punch.
Son of Vulcan kicked back at Vulcan and said, "Truly, your blazing form would give pause to anyone -- anyone who lacks my control of fire!" He smiled and summoned his concentration. Vulcan's smoking metallic form began to cool down. As John Mann drew upon the Olympian-born powers that were his alone to command, he cooled the fires within Vulcan's altered body.
Superman stepped up and said, "May I?"
Mann nodded. "Be my guest." Superman's sudden attack left the de-powered Vulcan a beaten man. "Sadly, his fires will burn anew. I could dampen them but briefly!" explained the Son of Vulcan.
Hawkman said, "Look! The missile silo!" It flickered away as the one on Earth-1 had done!
"The Ghost!" cried Nightshade and Captain Atom in unison, suspecting the same culprit.
"Perhaps I can trace the energy pattern!" said Superman.
"If it's truly the Ghost, even when we find that madman we'll be in for quite a battle!" mused Captain Atom.
Interlude: Times Present
In the present at JSA Headquarters, Hawkman turned to Wonder Woman as they watched the scenes play across the Magic Sphere. "Obviously we triumphed, but what was the purpose behind the nuclear thefts?" he wondered. "This is quite interesting."
Wonder Woman said, "Indeed it is. I suppose the mace came from the Son of Vulcan. It is the same, right?"
Hawkman nodded. "Certainly appears to be. But the question remains -- why can't we recall this case?"
Shiera buffed her newly painted and dried nails. "Tune in and find out!" said his wife who knew him so well. Poor Carter's worried about a fight he had to have won! It's just the leader in the man, she mused with a smile on her face.
Chapter 6
Earth-4:
Firestorm was fighting a long, hard battle. He sat next to a pouting Power Girl and did his best to justify his lack of communication with her since the last JLA/JSA get-together. However, the blonde was not in a good mood to begin with.
"Save the lines, Romeo," she said. "I didn't exactly spend the time since we last met sitting around the phone."
Firestorm's mental companion Martin Stein said in a voice audible only to the hero, "Ronald, I fear this young lady is a bit more than we can handle -- either as individuals or collectively. She is... passionate, to say the least."
Firestorm replied inwardly, "I know. She is stubborn, hot tempered, but a total babe!"
Kara sniffed and said, "You know, the idea that we're a threesome all the time we're together is really freaky."
Firestorm said, "But he always says such nice things about you!"
Green Lantern scanned the nuclear base on Earth-4. "Peacemaker, can you tell us what to expect? With the Stranger pulling one of his vanishing acts, you're our best guide while we're on your Earth."
Peacemaker shook his head. "No. I can predict we'll see our foes any second now."
"Is that some power you possess?"
"No," Peacemaker said, grinning coldly as he pointed to a few approaching figures in the distance. "I just see them coming from over there! Benefit of the lens in my helmet -- built-in binoculars."
Power Girl jumped up. "At last, some action... of the fun kind!" She flew toward several figures.
A strong-looking man of reddish-purple hue challenged the Maid of Might. "Well, a real looker. Too bad I gotta flash fry you, legs!" said the villain, whose name was Major Force. His energy blasts rocked Power Girl to her knees.
She shook her hair out of her eyes and stood up. "Now it's my turn!" She belted him across the jaw and sent him crashing through the base's reinforced walls. "Pig!" she snorted.
He shoved the rubble aside. "I'm gonna enjoy this!"
Meanwhile, Peacemaker frowned as a white-haired man in a colorful cloak posed dramatically before him. He held out his own gun. "I'd take it slow, magic-man!"
The Fadeaway Man smirked and pulled a larger gun from his flowing cloak. "Good advice for you, soldier-man!" he said.
Wonder Woman kicked down a fence and several led lab men to safety. "Stay back! We'll handle this threat!" promised the Amazon Princess of Earth-2. She hated to see ordinary folks in danger and normal life disrupted. She felt the anger rise within her and she panted for air as emotions overwhelmed her. Her body also seemed to be bathed in a red light.
The smirking villain named Dr. Spectro grinned. "See? My lights make the underwear girl all hot and bothered!"
His ally the Rainbow Raider said, "Oh yeah? Watch me make her even madder!" He fired a red ray toward the raging Amazon. She screamed her fury to the sky.
Firestorm frowned. "Look at those weirdos climbing the walls!"
"Odd indeed! Like spiders, or -- based on their aquatic look -- I'd wager squids!" thought Stein in Raymond's head.
"Those 'weirdos' are the Squids. The villain battling Power Girl is called Major Force!" shouted Tyger as she spun to kick an approaching figure who wore a catcher's mask.
"I'm Sportsmaster," the newcomer said, "and this lady is my lovely wife Huntress. We'll be your killers tonight!"
Dr. Fate drew nearer. "Never while the light of Ra shines against your ilk!"
Green Lantern flew toward Power Girl, who had just kicked Major Force backward. Lantern slammed a huge green fist into him and said, "Dare I say... need a hand, PG?"
She smiled. "And I thought bad punning was a trait found only in senior-citizen super-heroes!" She braced herself as Force charged into her again.
Green Lantern knew better than to interfere before the fiery blonde from Krypton took her own shot at the atomic-powered brute. She was very serious about asserting herself. He saw similarities to his own lady-love, Carol Ferris.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fate recognized the Earth-2 villainous couple of the original Huntress and the Sportsmaster and felt no qualms about his ability to defeat them. Still, he wondered what vague magical aura he detected just slightly beyond the range of his senses. He reached into his golden cloak and produced a seldom-seen old tool from the early days of his career in the 1940s. The Ring of Fate may lead me toward this present prickling at the corners of my mind! he mused.
The relic did its job as well as it ever had, and the golden-helmed mage soon found himself at a particular spot on the Earth-4 globe. Odd. This mystical pattern is not unknown to me, though never before have I ventured upon this world! he mused.
Back at the battle, Firestorm gestured with his powers, and the pavement altered to form a massive fist around the struggling and snarling Huntress. "Got to love the leopard print outfit!" he grinned as the angry woman struggled helplessly. Her masked husband fired energy pellets out of what appeared to be an altered baseball bat. They dissolved the stony fist as his mate slipped free.
"Now to tame that hotheaded pup!" the Huntress said.
Tyger slipped silently forward. The martial arts mistress kicked the Huntress flat and gasped as the older woman pulled her down to the ground with her. They wrestled furiously.
Sportsmaster watched in vicarious pleasure until he spotted Green Lantern. Got to take down this punk. Any Green Lantern is fair game for me! he mused. He hurled a baseball toward Hal Jordan. It bounced off his green shield. "Wood doesn't hurt this GL!" cursed Sportsmaster with shocked realization.
Green Lantern smiled. "Don't worry, Sportsmaster. If my buddy, the GL from your world was here, he'd be just as quick to strike you out!" He fired dozens of green spheres toward the frantically dodging villain.
The Huntress snarled and fired a bolt toward Tyger who rolled out of its path. It struck Firestorm in the back. "Rule 1, never assume your enemy intends to hit you!" said the Huntress in the tone of a bored teacher.
Firestorm's world grew dim. "Some type of drug!" he gasped.
Wonder Woman erupted in anger. She charged the nearest figure: Doctor Spectro, backhanding him across the field. "She is enraged, but she still managed to attack!" the villain gasped.
"Amazons live under constant admonishment against losing control. Indeed, I've been in such battles before when I lost my bracelets. You merely gave me a welcome target upon which to vent the artificial rage you created!" she smiled. She stepped down hard with one high-heeled boot and crushed Spectro's brightly colored device. Without his weapons, he was helpless against her.
Major Force blasted away at Power Girl, only to gasp as the Maid of Steel suddenly flew away. "Haw! haw! The dame's yellow!" he bellowed. His expression quickly changed as she returned and encased him in a spherical tomb.
"This should shield us all from his energy emissions," she smirked. "Guess he didn't expect a mere woman to outthink him."
Green Lantern smiled as well as he saw a dizzy but still-conscious Firestorm gesture and turn all of Sportsmaster's gear to brightly colored artificial flowers. The naked and mortified villain gasped and surrendered. Hal Jordan knew Firestorm's altered metabolism would soon shake off any drug and the one Huntress used had been already identified by the ring user's gem. Now for the Rainbow Raider, he mused.
Peacemaker dived for cover as his weapon expended its ammo. The Fadeaway Man tossed his own gun down before pulling out a trident. He charged Peacemaker who activated a jet pack and soared above his foe. "From an aerial perspective, you're still a loser!" he declared.
He dodged the hurled trident and pushed a button. A stun blast surged out and dropped the former stage magician to his knees. He swooped down after his enemy and kicked him down. A quick slip with handcuffs rendered the Fadeaway Man completely helpless. "I guess my arsenal just beat yours!" smiled Peacemaker.
Green Lantern said as he watched all this, "Funny... Batman carries at least that much gear in a much smaller belt!"
The Huntress clawed at Tyger, only to receive three swift kicks to the head. A final flurry of blows left the villainess defeated. The sight of her cowering spouse distracted her just enough for for Power Girl to knock her cold with a tiny one finger tap.
The Rainbow Raider tried to make Wonder Woman fearful once more, but the steely-nerved Amazon Princess walked directly through the wide array of emotion-altering rays created by Roy G Bivolo and posed with hands on each hip. "Emotion denied!" she smiled and slammed both hands against his ears. He fell with a groan and remained still.
"Where's the silo?" said Firestorm.
"It teleported away! Like the Ghost would do!" said Peacemaker.
Power Girl frowned. "Great -- a nut case with a nuclear missile!"
Tyger said, "Where is your Dr. Fate? He appeared to flee."
Power Girl shook her head. "Nope. No way. Doc is older than history, but he is no coward."
Green Lantern chimed in, "True enough. I believe the good doctor is making a 'house call' of sorts to find the source of the problem!"
At that moment Dr. Fate returned. He dropped the stunned and battered Squid Mob before his friend's feet. "These felons tried to slip off in the chaos. Luckily, I always am aware of chaos! Indeed, I tracked the source of our problem to a certain spot on this troubled globe."
"Sunuria!" guessed Peacemaker. "That lost land of warrior women was the Ghost's old base."
"Not so. I detected the magic driving this Ghost -- for he is but a pawn -- and it emanates from another spot. One your ally Nightshade would call the Land of Nightshades!"
***
Earth-2:
At roughly the same moment, Zatanna shivered and said, "I can feel some magical force behind all this. The costumed crooks were just pawns. I can detect the source of the menace."
Son of Vulcan nodded. "As do I. By drawing upon the knowledge of Minerva, I see a land of magic and deadly danger. Someone there wants to nuclear weapon to rend the walls between our worlds!"
Hawkman turned to Dr. Mid-Nite. "Doc, does this sound like a place we've heard of before?"
Dr. Mid-Nite nodded. "From years ago, this threat comes from Darkworld or Grimmworld as we called it when we faced the Slicer and Lorelei!"
***
Earth-1:
The heroes on Earth-1 reached the same type of answer. The JLA satellite's equipment had traced the path of the teleportational energy.
"Okay, Hawk's technology tells us the nuke was taken via scientific teleportation to a certain spot. This spot is known to some of us from an early case. It is a portal to another realm. A realm we called Magic World," said Atom of the JLA.
The JSA's Atom said, "Sounds like the Grimmworld we once learned about."
Chapter 7
Earth-1:
The assembled heroes gathered once more at the JLA Satellite. After quickly sharing their experiences with one another, they formed a plan of action.
Dr. Fate said, "Our worlds -- and perhaps a multitude of other Earths -- share access to certain realms of magic. This realm is the source of our present peril. What we once labeled Fairyland is a sinister part of the 5th dimension ruled by the evil Lorelei. You Leaguers once dealt with the Troll King of Magic Land. Finally, Nightshade has painful knowledge of the Realm of Nightshades ruled by an evil being called Incubus!"
Nightshade said, "The Incubus claimed my brother, and I've trained in hopes of someday returning to save him. My own powers are derived from that realm."
Captain Atom said, "So you suggest the nuclear weapons stolen by my old foe the Ghost were actually taken at the request of these mystical beings? I can't see the Ghost as a mere puppet, though he has never before set out to destroy the world but merely to conquer it."
"I wonder if these weapons might be used to open the doorways between the realms," said Wonder Woman.
The Earth-1 Atom said, "I fear you are correct. Theoretically speaking, if all three exploded at the precise same spot on each Earth, then they could tear open the walls between the normal world and these dark magic realms."
Son of Vulcan said, "If magic ruled all, then Mars would indeed be pleased. Many of his warlike pawns reek of sorcery."
"Again, I say we split up and trash the mooks," said Green Arrow
The Black Canary nodded. "Brashly put, but correct in principal."
"Am I right in guessing some of us should attack the Ghost himself?" said Blue Beetle. "It was his technology that took the weapons to begin with."
Captain Atom said, "I'd wager that as one who has passed so freely from the material to the ethereal, he could have come into contact with the thoughts of these beings, the Troll King, Incubus, and Lorelei."
The Huntress said, "So, based on what I read in the JSA files, our scientific equipment will be of no use to us in proximity to these portals?"
"Exactly," said the JSA's Atom. "Nothing non-magical in nature can work in the Fairyland."
Superman said, "I'm vulnerable to magic, as is Power Girl."
Green Lantern said, "My ring also is a super scientific one, unlike that of our friend GL in the JSA."
"I need nothing more than my fists to do the job," said the Question. "This fancy mask won't make a difference to a bunch of spooks."
"Then let's split up and try to contain the realms even as their magic has begun to spill out into our worlds," said Superman.
"Meanwhile, some of us will attack the land of Sunuria where the Ghost has his base," agreed Captain Atom.
Chapter 8
Earth-4:
Captain Atom hated to leave Nightshade to face the magical realm threat without him. They had been romantically involved with each other at one time but had finally decided to remain friends. Still, he cared about her and was concerned for her safety. However, he knew that he could do more good against the Ghost than he could in a realm in which his powers would not work.
Superman flew alongside the most powerful defender of Earth-4. He also wished he could do something more direct, but the magical realms could affect him greatly. Thus, he also had to do his part, such as it was. This acceptance of his role, coupled with a desire to do even more, was part of what made him a hero.
Green Lantern and the Atoms of Earth-1 and Earth-2 all came next, the latter two standing with Peacemaker, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Power Girl upon an emerald platform designed by Jordan's will and ring. Power Girl rode along on the platform as she could not fly but could only make great leaps into the air. She knew this younger Superman was her cousin's other earthly counterpart, and for the most part she liked him. He seemed less rigid than her cousin and was more likely to treat her or any woman as an equal and not a person in need of defense. She also wanted to end things with this Ghost, since she had little use for magic.
"From the point of view of guys who have faced cosmic gods and alien warships, how bad can a guy who can phase in and out or teleport stuff be?" asked Firestorm, who flew up next to the power ring-created platform.
"Firestorm, imagine suddenly finding yourself teleported within a solid object. Painful, deadly, swift and certain," said Ray Palmer.
Firestorm nodded. "I see your point."
Al Pratt grinned. "Don't scare the kid. He's got heart!"
Ray nodded. "Let's hope he can keep it intact, too!"
Green Lantern said, "My ring says this is the place. Earth-4's Sunuria. I even detect the same telltale energy pattern as when the nuclear weapons were stolen."
Peacemaker glanced at Dr. Mid-Nite and asked, "Are you really a physician? Don't you find it hard to reconcile healing with beating up crooks?"
Dr. Mid-Nite frowned. "I never do this for any thrill. I seek to heal society as a whole by removing one cancer at a time. If that takes the form of therapy or counseling for those in need, then that's good. It if requires the immediate physical defeat of someone who is posing a danger to himself or to others, then I'll deal with it as best I can. My oath is to preserve lives, and that governs me in and out of this mask. If it didn't, then I'd just be substituting one kind of darkness for another."
Peacemaker nodded thoughtfully. "I respect that. If you can believe me, then let me tell you that what I do -- as a weapons maker and a weapons user I strive to bring peace to those safe innocents you would heal. I often wrestle with the issue of how a man of war can be a man of peace and vice versa."
Power Girl said to them, "Listen -- you do what it takes to stop the bad guys, and you don't worry about whether they came from broken homes while doing it. After you've shut them down, then you can offer them therapy or try to help them fit back into society, or otherwise just shoot them into space!"
Superman smiled at the girl's brashness which was so unlike his dear cousin's caring manner. "Look below!" he said as he used his amazing powers of vision. "I see an army of thugs and what appears to be the white-suited Ghost himself from the descriptions Captain Atom gave. Odd -- the entire army is composed of Amazon style women."
"Wildcat will kick himself for missing out on this one!" grinned Al Pratt.
***
Earth-1:
As she transported her allies to their destination, Zatanna thought of her father. "I wish you were here, Daddy. In your travels no doubt you encountered realms like this Magic Land." She frowned as she presently noticed the odd tear across the sky. "The nuclear weapons may shatter the barriers between realms, but it's clear that there already is a hole of sorts. Perhaps the three rulers acting in unison through the Ghost managed to open it." Twisted goblins then dropped down from the hole as darker figures followed. The Maid of Magic turned to her allies the Huntress, Green Arrow and the Question. "Can you three drive them back into the hole? If you buy me time, maybe I can shut it!" asked the beautiful woman.
Green Arrow nodded. "I can sent them back to Notre Dame if you want."
The Question said, "I'll do my part."
"As will I!" said the Huntress.
Green Arrow said, "Listen, pal, about what I said to you back in the headquarters. I speak before I think at times. Don't think all of us here are jerks."
The Question grinned behind his mask. "Don't worry. I know you're the only jerk!"
The Huntress knew the two men were true heroes. She contrasted Green Arrow's brashness and frustrated social awareness with the Question's passion and disgust at a corrupt system. She knew each cared deeply about others and expressed their concerns differently. Her late father the Batman had embraced society as a whole even while working ceaselessly in two roles to protect and improve it. All types could be heroes.
They resolutely faced the charging monsters. Green Arrow knew his trick arrows would not work in proximity to the hole, so he used ordinary, blunt-headed shafts and struck creature after creature with the expertly aimed weapons. The Question merely jumped amongst the creatures and used his heart and courage to pummel them back. The Huntress punched out at the creatures as they lumbered toward the heroes out of the hole.
Zatanna muttered to herself and spoke backward spells to heal the rift as her friends fought to drive the creatures back to Magic Land. The Troll King lurked within the realm and ordered his minions forward in savage fury. "Go! Go! Take this Earth for me and I'll give you rich pleasures from below!" he said.
***
Earth-2:
The Blue Beetle relied upon his strength and agility alone, since his Bug craft and his BB gun were not operational near the magic nexus. He kicked down a Kobald and said, "So, come here often?"
Hawkman grinned. "You love to joke as you fight. Healthy, if annoying."
The Blue Beetle said, "It's my coping mechanism. How about you? You fight like you really were the Egyptian hero you claimed to be when we all swapped tales in the JLA Headquarters!"
Hawkman nodded as he brought his mace down across a ridge-backed monster. "I was -- or maybe that should be -- I am. Reincarnation grammar is tricky. In fact, I wondered about the earlier Blue Beetle you spoke of? If he used an ancient scarab, then perhaps there is such a relic on my world, too?" he pondered.
The Blue Beetle helped him stop a charging, green-skinned beast and said, "Yeah! I wonder if the mentor I spoke of is even alive and well on this Earth? I mean, could he have a counterpart, too?" As they discussed the multiverse and the questions it raised, they calmly fought horrid creatures spawned by dark magic.
Tyger, the young woman who had been the latest heir to the famous Judomaster of World War II, was out of her depth, yet she treated each new monster as if it was merely another mugger or mobster to defeat. She retained her calm and fought well. Still, she wondered if her late sensei had ever faced such bizarre threats.
Dr. Fate was surrounded by a nimbus of golden power in the shape of the Ankh! He concentrated and reached out to probe at the dimensional rift like the surgeon he was beneath the helmet. He sought how best to close this raw wound upon the cosmos. Through will and magic, he vowed to succeed.
Within the hole, the deathly pale Lorelei hissed in rage. "Conquer this world for me, and I shall let you live through another night!" she screamed.
***
Earth-4:
The hole to the Realm of the Nightshades was gaping open as well. The evil Incubus ordered her own inhuman troops forward, just as her other-earthly counterparts did with their own.
Nightshade punched an Ogre in the chin and kicked him flat as she hoped that perhaps this fluke opening brought about by the united mind powers of the Troll King, Lorelei and Incubus might enable her to finally rescue her long-lost sibling. She prayed so as she fought the monsters.
Next to her, the Black Canary helped a frightened child find safety as she handed her to a policewoman. "Thanks! She'll be safe now!" said the officer.
Black Canary nodded as she thought of the career as a policewoman she had once desired as a young woman in the 1940s on Earth-2 and said, "Be careful out there!" She then spun to kick down a gnobe and eyed the raw opening between realms warily. If this Nightshade realm is anything like what we experienced in my JSA days at Fairyland, then we'll be in big trouble if all that magical power spills out anymore! she thought.
Wonder Woman lifted a hulking giant over her head and hurled him directly back into the portal where he blocked the path for his allies. "Great Hera! That beast was nearly as large as the Tree Men I once fought in the 1950s!" she sighed.
Son of Vulcan sliced through the thorns that entangled him and connected with a right hook that dropped the Dryad who had tried to trap him. "Aye! But Hera's help is exactly what we need! I'm using her servant Argo's many eyes to see past that rift. It is growing, and I fear that our allies in Sunuria are running out of time," he said.
Diana nodded. It amazed her that this man whom she had wrongly believed tainted by the touch of Mars was, in fact, so greatly in communion with her Olympian gods and goddesses. He surpassed even the Amazonian heritage in his personal and immediate link to all she valued.
Chapter 9
Earth-4:
In Sunuria, the Ghost swept by the controls for the three nuclear missiles. Each was locked in a pattern in which it would detonate at the portal point on one of the three Earths. The Ghost was a genius in the matter of teleportation, and he had the three weapons hanging in an ethereal limbo between worlds. He alone could activate them at will, and his mind was now in the hold of the three united magic kingdom rulers.
Green Lantern's huge vacuum swept the warrior women aside as Power Girl kicked down the wall and Superman erupted through the floor. Captain Atom dropped down from above as the two Atoms entered as well. Dr. Mid-Nite and the Peacemaker silently entered behind them.
"Warrior women of Sunuria! Obey your master and kill these invaders!" roared the Ghost.
Captain Atom approached his old foe. "This isn't like you. You want to rule, not to destroy! These women made you their master and their captive because they think you are the heir to their idol, the Faceless One. Let me free you from them and from the hold the Incubus and her allies have on you!" he pleaded.
The Ghost said, "If I could only see you die, then gladly would I see the world burn around you!"
Superman scanned the fortress. Interesting! The weapons are just beyond traditional reach, but if I vibrate at the precise frequency I may be able to touch them while Cap occupies the Ghost!
Meanwhile, the warrior women were badly outclassed by the two Atoms. Ray Palmer shrank to microscopic size then erupted to full size in their midst. He noticed their idols and heard Captain Atom's words. He came up with an idea!
Power Girl blew the squad of warrior women down the hallway as she strutted forward. "This is too easy!"
Firestorm gestured, and the weapons carried by the nearest squad of women turned to dust. "Like sands through the hourglass! You gals do like your soaps, right?" he joked.
Peacemaker whipped out a pellet, and a bright, blinding light caught three of the warriors and left them helpless. He hurried forward to assist Dr. Mid-Nite as the blind hero battled more of the Ghost's minions.
Captain Atom knew he was playing a fatal role. He could occupy his old enemy better than anyone else, yet even his atomic might was useless against a foe who held three world's fates in the palm of his glove. Still, the greatest hero of Earth-4 did whatever he could to save his home.
Captain Atom said, "Ghost, you know this is not what you want. These women think of you as their god, and you want nothing more than power in the world beyond their home. Come with us. I'll free you from them."
The Ghost hesitated. He was a pawn under the united mental sway of the three magical realm rulers, and he knew it. Still, what could he do? He was as much a victim as he was a ruler here.
Superman neared a missile and frowned as his slightest touch sent it vibrating at a different frequency. Great Krypton! This Ghost is a subtle fiend. He keeps the weapons just a fraction out of anyone's reach! mused the Man of Steel as he tried again and again to match the correct frequency that would allow him to touch the nuclear weapons.
Green Lantern listened as Ray Palmer whispered his latest scheme. Hal Jordan nodded, and his ring flashed! Instantly, all the heroes had blurred features like those of the masked Question back on Earth-1. Ray yelled, "Surrender or know the anger of your god! The Faceless One and his Pantheon has returned!"
The warrior maids saw these altered heroes and knew them to be even closer to the lore and legends of their fabled ruler than even the white-masked Ghost. As one they fell to their knees, and their collective hold upon the Ghost faded away. When he found himself no longer a prisoner of the women of Sunuria, he was able to fight the hold the three beings of magic had upon him too. "Atom, help me!" he urged.
Captain Atom yelled, "Turn over the nukes!"
The Ghost shuddered as his hands activated them against his will. "Too late, curse them! They used me!" he said.
Superman returned and said, "They're armed, but you can get rid of them via your teleportation device! Send them into deep space!" The Ghost nodded and obeyed. The nuclear weapons faded away, and if they exploded at all, it was in the cold void of uncharted space.
Smoke coiled from the Ghost's costume. "My internal teleportation system burned out, but I'm free!" he said. Captain Atom led him to freedom as the women remained behind in awe of the altered heroes they believed to be their Faceless Ones.
Power Girl said, "Okay! Now, can I have my face back? This is getting a bit old!"
Firestorm winked at Green Lantern, "Maybe your ring ran out of power, huh? She may have to stay that way for a while!"
"Very funny!" said Power Girl as all of their features returned to normal.
Superman said, "You proved yourself a hero and a man!"
The Ghost smiled. "I am free after years of slavery. They worshipped me but would not let me leave their cursed valley!"
Dr. Mid-Nite said, "So have the magical portals been shut?"
Superman spoke up, "The JLA satellite signal I'm receiving tells us that they have been shut. Dr. Fate, Vulcan, Zatanna and the rest did the job. Once we had rid Lorelei, Troll King and Incubus of the means by which the portals could be opened, they lost all hold on this world and the others too!"
"Not quite! I'd wager we have a little more work to do!" said Ray Palmer.
Chapter 10
Earth-1:
At the JLA satellite, Dr. Fate addressed the assembled heroes. "The villains used by the Ghost have all been returned to their proper worlds and imprisoned, the Sunurians are without any god again, abd the portals between worlds have been shut. There is but one final step to take to make our victory a sure one," he said.
A sad Nightshade was hugged by Captain Atom. "We'll save your brother yet," he whispered. "Just because this time wasn't the right one doesn't mean we won't get another, better chance. Plus, we've met and made so many more potential allies for when we do go!" She nodded bravely and hoped he was right.
Firestorm wondered if he still had any chance with Power Girl now that all had settled down. He started to approach her. "So, PG, how about a more personal get-together?"
She smiled and said, "Certainly. Call me... next time there's a cosmic crisis!" and turned her back to walk away. A cold smile played across her lovely features as he sputtered in dismay.
Wonder Woman smiled as Son of Vulcan handed an ornate mace to Hawkman. "You keep this -- it is something you'll value. I have access to many such weapons, so it will not be a great loss to me. You and yours have been valiant allies!" he said.
Hawkman admired the relic and said, "My thanks to you. This is a pleasure I won't soon forget!"
Peacemaker and Dr. Mid-Nite exchanged congratulations as each man had proven his worth to the other. Superman shook hands with Captain Atom. Blue Beetle, Tyger, the Question and Green Arrow, the Huntress, and the Black Canary also gave their farewells.
"You know, you're a lucky man," smiled the Blue Beetle. "That Canary sure can kiss!"
Green Arrow frowned at the thought. "Yeah. I know. Now, aren't you need back on Earth-4? I think the Bug Signal is flashing!"
Doctor Fate spoke again, "The only thing that allowed the three rulers to dominate the Ghost and breach our worlds was their united wills from within their separate realms. Thus, I must remove all memory of these events from all so that the spell of closure will not allow them to remember the existence of the others. Thus shall their powers never unite again!" he said as magical energy flashed.
All heroes thus returned to their own worlds, and none recalled the events of this odd case.
Epilogue: Times Present
In the present, the Magic Sphere flashed the Ankh-symbol of Dr. Fate's, and Hawkman turned to his wife and to Wonder Woman. "Thanks for showing me the origin of this mace. I see it came from an expedition that unearthed some lost relics of the Roman Empire. Nice of the leader of the group, John Mann, to send it to Carter Hall. I'm glad the Sphere allowed me to see Mann dig it up, since I could not be there."
Shiera yawned demurely. "Now, how about some lunch?"
Diana nodded. "Indeed, I too, am famished."
They walked away as Dr. Fate's magical forgetfulness spell once more preserved the true secret of what had been the origin of the mace.