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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:24:54 GMT -5
PROLOGUE
Rex Tyler, once known as Hourman, dangled from a rope in the middle of his living room, his feet kicking and his hands pulling desperately at the noose around his neck. His son, Rick, rushed forward with a strangled cry, but the madman who capered atop the wreckage of the Tylers’ furniture lashed out with a vicious spinning kick that sent Rick crashing into an antique china cabinet. Porcelain shattered all around the young man and Ragdoll laughed, taunting “Tick-tock, tick-tock!”
Shaking his head to clear it, Rick Tyler scrambled to his feet and dashed forward again, not even looking at the murderous clown--- all his attention was focused on his father, dying before his eyes: he had to get him down!
As if it were a game of keep-away--- with Rex Tyler as the goal!--- Ragdoll moved to intercept Rick. With the grace of an acrobat, Ragdoll dropped and twirled, sweeping out Rick’s legs, then scampered away as the young man lay moaning.
“Rick…” Gasped Rex, his voice raw and hoarse.
Panic and frustration welled within the young man. He looked up at his father--- and saw that Rex was trying to tell him something! The older man was jerking his head, staring pointedly at his roll-top desk across the room.
Then Rick remembered.
But if Ragdoll realized what he wanted to do, the psycho would try to stop him. Rick had to fool him, and he had no time to be subtle. Leaping to his feet, he yelled inarticulately to his foe, stepping sideways as if looking for an opening to reach his father. Ragdoll watched him, giggling and matching his angle of attack. Rick screamed and charged. Ragdoll obliged and sent Rick hurtling backward with a double-legged handstand-kick. He laughed uproariously as Rick’s 200 lbs frame of muscle and sinew smashed into his father’s desk, reducing the roll-top to kindling and bursting open the contents of drawers. Papers and stationary items flew everywhere, and in the confusion, while Ragdoll continued to chortle, Rick Tyler found the small unmarked bottle from Tyler Chemical, uncapped it and swallowed one of the little round pills.
For the first time in his life, Rick Tyler felt the rush of Miraclo through his bloodstream. The effect was almost instant: every gland, nerve and synapse in his body seemed to come alive at the same time, exploding with vitality. He was as great a natural athlete as any of his coaches had ever seen, but now he could almost feel himself swell with compounding strength and endurance. This was like nothing he had ever felt before… And he loved it!
Was this how it had been for his father? How had he ever given it up?
He stood up, and in his head he began the countdown: 59:55, 59:54, 59:53…
Ragdoll gaped at him, no longer laughing. He could see something had changed, and he took an involuntary step backward at what he saw on Rick Tyler’s face.
“Get away from my Dad, you sadistic whack-job!”
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:25:14 GMT -5
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:26:15 GMT -5
Justice Society of America
Issue #2: “Injustice For All, Part Two”
Written by David Charlton
Cover by Jim Dufresne
Edited by David Charlton JSA Roll Call!Hawkman (Carter Hall): Reincarnated champion of justice, this Winged Avenger is master of Thanagarian Nth Metal and his own destiny! Captain Marvel (Billy Batson):With one magic word, the World’s Mightiest Mortal battles the enemies of man with the power of Shazam! Green Lantern (Alan Scott): Dark things cannot stand the light of the original Emerald Gladiator! Bulleteer (Deanna Barr): Daughter of Golden Age heroes Bulletman and Bulletgirl, thanks to her father’s experiments she can transform her body into an indestructible, gravity-defying Nth Metal alloy! Flash (Jay Garrick): The emotional core of the team, this original super-speedster is proud to mentor the next generation of heroes! Atomika (Jo Morgan): Daughter of the original Atom, this Mighty Maid packs a nuclear wallop! Wildcat (Ted Grant): The champ with nine lives, always ready to deliver the knockout punch to crime! Jade (Jennie-Lynn Scott): Daughter of Alan Scott, she has internalized the power of the Green Flame, and just may be one of the most powerful beings in the universe! Obsidian (Todd Scott): Son of Alan Scott, he controls the darkside of the Starheart, the Shadowlands, the quintessence of terror! Sandman (Wesley Dodds): Donning a gas mask and a fedora, this haunted dreamer delivers the sleep of the just to wrongdoers! Cyclone (Jesse Chambers): Daughter of Golden Age heroes Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick, when she speaks the formula 3X2(9YZ)4A, she becomes the fastest woman alive! Ray (Ray Terrill): Son of the Golden Age Ray, this brash young hero dazzles with the power of pure light and his razor-sharp wit! ********************************** Injustice Society Roll Call!Wizard (William I. Zard): Master of illusion and deception, this ruthless magician will do anything to fulfill his ambition to destroy the JSA! Black Adam (Teth-Adam): Renegade former champion of Shazam, he’ll do anything to claim all the power of wizard for himself! Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold): Undead and immortal, this hulking zombie crawled from Slaughter Swamp to plague the JSA from their earliest days! Gentleman Ghost (Jim Craddock): Menace from beyond the grave, and Golden Age foe of Hawkman! Icicle (Cameron Mahkent): Son of the original Golden Age villain, he needs no ice-gun to shoot freezing blasts or send the temperature plummeting! Tigress (Artemis Crock): Daughter of an illicit affair between Wildcat and the Golden Age villainess the Huntress, she is a master of exotic weaponry and a dozen fighting styles! Fiddler (Isaac Bowen): Bitter old villain who can hypnotize foes with his violin, or use it to shoot sonic blasts! Ragdoll (Simon Merkel): Like his father, the Golden Age villain of the same name, he is a master contortionist and a homicidal maniac! Shade (Richard Swift): Mysterious immortal who can control and manipulate shadows, he lives for his jousts with the JSA! |
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:29:03 GMT -5
“No one dies today, monster! Not as long as Starman has something to say about it!”
The heroes and heroines of the Justice Society of America stared in disbelief at the familiar figure in the red and green uniform standing between them and Solomon Grundy. The old foe of the JSA had only seconds before burst upon the ceremony honoring the team outside their Museum/Headquarters, and the only shock greater than his appearance was that of Starman--- whose death they had all witnessed some months ago!
But there he stood, larger than life, his cosmic rod blazing!
Solomon Grundy roared his disdain and charged, just as Starman poured a stream of energy at him. The brute absorbed it and kept coming, the light causing everyone nearby to shield their eyes or turn away. Starman adjusted his cosmic rod and gave everything he had to the attack. The increased intensity threw Grundy back, his piteous yelp drowned out only by the cheers of the watching crowd.
Beaming from ear to ear, Starman turned towards the Justice Society--- but before he could say anything, one of the band-members on the steps of the Museum threw off his cloak and leaped to the top step, sawing furiously on his violin, his eyes wide and maniacal. The cacophony that arose was awful. The very marble beneath the Fiddler’s feet cracked, and windows as far as three streets away shattered. Concentrated bursts of concussive force stabbed towards the JSA, but Green Lantern threw up an enormous emerald pillow to absorb the waves.
“Cap, Bulleteer, get him!” Hawkman snarled and pointed at the cackling villain.
From across the plaza came the bugle call of the U.S. Cavalry, and all eyes turned towards the sound: puffing and rattling straight down West 57th Street was a dilapidated black jalopy--- a Model-T Ford!--- it’s top down to reveal a grinning man in a black top-hat, steering with one hand, and with the other, pointing with an ornate walking stick, from which came beams of jet, weaving strands of shadow that fell upon the gathered throng, sending them fleeing in panic.
“Jay---.” But before the word finished leaving Hawkman’s lips, the Flash was streaking towards the Shade.
At the same time, Solomon Grundy got back to his feet, and the Icicle appeared, riding a wave of ice and shooting lethal darts into the crowd. In a matter of seconds, where once there was celebration, there was now only chaos.
The JSA went into action. Green Lantern and Starman took on Solomon Grundy, tackling him from two different directions. Bulleteer aimed herself like a missile at the Fiddler, only to be sent careening off-course by a screeching blast of sonic fury. Captain Marvel held his ground, pushing his way slowly but surely through air that was thick with pulsing waves of palpable force, determined to reach the villain. Hawkman put Atomika, Cyclone and Jade on crowd control, sent Obsidian after the Flash to help against the Shade, then called the Ray to his side and took to the air after the Icicle.
“You should have stayed dead, bird-brain!” Jeered the villain, aiming a stream of crackling ice at Hawkman. It was neatly thawed by a counter-blast from the Ray, much to the Icicle’s surprise--- and Hawkman was upon him in the next instant, his mace swinging.
“Who are these jokers?” Atomika grunted, heaving aside a car demolished by the Fiddler’s attack from the path of fleeing civilians. Cyclone ran sideways up a nearby building as it swayed--- dangerously undermined by a sonic blast--- pulling civilians from the open windows, and Jade constructed a wall of glowing green energy to keep innocent bystanders from the Shade’s wildly out of control jalopy, which the Flash was in the process of deconstructing at superspeed.
“Old enemies of the JSA,” Jade answered Atomika’s question, glancing over her shoulder at her father and Starman trading blows with Solomon Grundy. “When they team-up like this, I think they call themselves the Injustice Society of America.”
“Now, that is highly original.” Cyclone quipped, returning a pair of children to their waiting parents. “How’d you know that, anyway, Jennie-Lynn? What: are you studying old case files in your free time?”
“Yes.” Jade replied, completely serious.
Before Cyclone could come back, Atomika called out: “Incoming!”
Hawkman fell out of the sky, entirely encased in a block of ice. He hit the street like a meteor, tearing up a fire-hydrant and a parking meter. Above them, the Ray and Icicle dueled furiously.
“Get him out of there before he suffocates!” Jade yelled to her teammates as she took to the sky to help the Ray.
In a moment of panic, Cyclone and Atomika stared at each other, wondering just how they were supposed to do that.
On the steps on the JSA HQ, the Fiddler changed his tune, and laughed uproariously as Bulleteer slammed into Captain Marvel from behind. The World’s Mightiest Mortal was sent reeling, and Bulleteer swooped up and around for another pass, struggling against the compulsion the Fiddler’s music laid upon her.
His ring useless against the wood particles that made up a portion of Grundy’s rotting body, Green Lantern had summoned a green hand to wield a fallen iron girder like a club, battering relentlessly at the brute. Starman circled around behind Grundy, blasting with his cosmic rod, and causing the monster to howl piteously--- but he wouldn’t fall. His pain and rage gave him strength. On the next pass, he wrenched the girder from the disembodied green hand, and swatted wildly at Starman, knocking the hero out of the sky. Jeering triumphantly, he took aim, and hurled the girder at Green Lantern, who avoided it by simply taking to the air.
“Ladies and gentlemen, reporting live from the JSA Museum in downtown New York!” Andrew Vinson gamely faced the camera as the battle raged behind him. “On the day this country has chosen to honor its oldest, greatest heroes, some of their oldest and greatest foes have returned to destroy them: Solomon Grundy, the Fiddler, the Shade and Icicle! The fight is escalating out of control on the streets, despite the efforts of the JSAers to contain it! But it’s not over yet: the JSA is joined by a teammate returned from the grave: someone wearing the colors and bearing the cosmic rod of Starman has joined the fray…!”
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:33:38 GMT -5
It always hurt like hell when Ted Grant came back to life.
The jolt that started his heart pumping again sent blood like fire coursing through his body, and the spark that ignited brain functions gave him a blinding headache. Though he could not yet open his eyes for the pain lurking behind them, he could tell his wrists were bound, and he seemed to on a floor, slumped against a brick wall.
“So, it’s true,” the venom in her voice made his already sensitive head throb. “Nine lives.”
“If you wanted to test it, sweetheart, you could have just asked,” Ted forced his eyes open. He was in a dank chamber, like a concrete bunker, the only light coming from a single bulb on the wall behind his daughter. Tigress crouched before him, her fingertips balanced lightly on the floor before her, as if she were prepared to pounce. She was studying his face, as if searching for herself there.
“How many does that make, then?” She asked, her expression carefully neutral. Was she asking to find out if she had enough bolts and bolos to finish the job properly?
Through the pain of his resurrection, Ted managed a hapless grin. “Beats me. I don’t keep track. I prefer to live each life as if it were the only one. Though, for the record, your mother gets credit for knocking out number 3 or 4. You were conceived not long after that.”
She backhanded him, her eyes wide with outrage. The blow split his lip, and Ted licked the blood from his mouth, impressed. “That was usually your mother’s response when I cracked wise. And they called me Wildcat!”
Artemis lashed out with another blow, but this time, Ted was waiting and ready: his bound hands shot up, and he caught her arm between them, twisting and yanking to pull her off balance. As she fell, he rolled and came up on his feet, assuming a fighting stance. Though his wrists were bound, he proved he could not be discounted. He faced her as if they were on equal footing, and he was not a manacled prisoner in a cell.
“That’s enough of that, missy,” he said, patronizingly, though his eyes were sharp as he watched her spring to her feet. Her flashing expression almost matched his. “How about you let me go and tell me where we are, and what this is all about?”
“What this is about?” She laughed mirthlessly. “What, do you think I’m just acting out? That this is a phase? This is about revenge, daddy dearest, revenge for what you did to my parents!”
“Artemis, wait!” Ted called out before she could spring upon him, holding out his hands. “There are things you should know before you make mistakes that can’t be fixed!” His voice was genuine now, almost pleading. It caused her to hesitate, her chest heaving and her fingers flexing.
“Is there where you’re going to tell me I don’t have to follow in my parents’ footsteps? That there’s some good in me? Please, spare me the inanities!”
“I was going to tell you,” Ted spoke in calming tones. “That neither your mother nor your father--- Lawrence, I mean,” he clarified, “Would have wanted this for you. Sure, they were criminals, but they weren’t killers, and they took no pleasure in hurting people. They would not want to see the little girl they raised become a murderer.”
“What do you know about them?” Tigress scoffed, not relaxing her stance. “My father killed my mother! Because of what you made of her!”
“I loved her,” he admitted simply. “And so did Crusher. So happened that she loved him more. When he found out what we did… that you weren’t his daughter… He just snapped. Paula’s death was an accident, though. They fought, yes, and it got physical, but he took the worst of it. When she saw what she had done to him, your mother ran away. Blinded by tears, she never saw that car coming on that dark road. Larry blamed himself. And because he could never forgive himself, he gave up. He turned to a place he would never want you to see. He just missed her too much…”
The flame-haired girl in tiger-stripes glared at him, but now there was water in her eyes. “Why should I believe a word you say?” she said, her voice thick.
He gave a little shrug. “I’ve got no reason to lie to you. ‘Sides, I owe it to Paula and Larry. We were enemies, but we meant more than that to each other once. I loved your mother, and Crusher and I, we were friends long before either of us put on a mask. I went looking for you once, but Paula wanted me to stay away. And after they died, I heard you did a stint in prison, then with the Suicide Squad… You paid your debt, Artemis. Whatever’s going on here, you can still walk away. Don’t make me bring in my own daughter.”
She looked him up and down, almost amused. “You’re still half dead and your wrists are tied! You really think you can take me down?”
“Maybe not by myself, but the JSA is going to come looking for me soon.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” She snorted. “By this point, the Wizard and the others will have taken care of them---.”
“The Wizard?” Ted groaned, swearing explosively. “Is this an Injustice Society thing? Please tell me you aren’t mixed up with those losers.”
“They aren’t losers! We all have our reasons for hating you do-gooders, and Zard is going to lead us---.”
“Us? Who is this ‘us’?”
“Me and Cameron.”
“Cameron? Mahkent? The Icicle’s son? He’s involved in this too?”
“Well, what did you expect? No one from the high and mighty JSA came looking after us.”
“I told you, your mother wanted me to stay away…”
“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. I’ve chosen my side.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Artemis: it’s not too late! You haven’t broken any laws yet, I mean other than killing me, and that’s going to be hard to prove. The worst you’re guilty of is conspiring with these bozos, and if you help me, I promise you’ll get off light. We’ll work this out.”
She laughed bitterly.
“C’mon, darlin’, this is for Cameron, too. I knew you two were childhood sweethearts, help me help him, before he does something stupid. The two of you don’t have to follow the path of your parents. It can be different for you, I swear…!”
She wasn’t laughing anymore. In fact, she was having trouble fighting back the tears. “Damn you,” she said under her breath, “Damn you…”
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:34:37 GMT -5
The Flash veered away from the jets of inky light pouring from the Shade’s cane, and doubled back around for another go at his old foe. He had managed to dismantle at super-speed the Shade’s car, and the villain was standing in the middle of a pile of parts, nothing daunted. In fact, the Shade was looking like he was having fun!
“Jay Garrick, it has been far too long!” The villain smiled almost fondly at the Flash and twirled his walking stick in one hand.
Jay skidded to a halt before his foe. “Then let me refresh your memory on how this usually ends,” he shot back insouciantly. But before even the speedster could react, a deep shadow arose between him and the Shade. Obsidian emerged from his own shadow on the pavement, darkness fluttering around him like the wings of ravens.
The Shade watched with something like amusement and genuine interest.
“”I’ve got this one, Flash,” came the sepulchral voice of Obsidian. “Let’s see him fight someone who can meet him on the same playing field!”
Jay Garrick frowned. Obsidian was young and inexperienced, while the Shade was a treacherously clever scoundrel.
The Shade tipped his hat at Obsidian and raised his cane as if he was saluting with a fencer’s foil. “En garde, then, my new friend.”
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:36:09 GMT -5
Compelled by a will not her own, the Bulleteer slammed again into Captain Marvel--- but this time, the World’s Mightiest Mortal was ready for her! Braced for the impact of the Nth Metal missile that was his teammate, he caught her like a football and the momentum of her flight sent the both of them crashing down atop the marble steps of the JSA Museum.
Above them, on the landing, the Fiddler cackled maniacally and sawed on his instrument, reveling in the chaos he wreaked.
“Only one way out of this,” Cap gritted his teeth, holding Bulletter to him in a bear-hug. It was all he could do to contain her as she tried to wrench free, her metallic flesh friction-less and slippery. “You’re too dangerous in your Nth Metal form…!”
Bulleteer understood now what Captain Marvel had already seen. The Fiddler was forcing her to attack her teammate--- but he didn’t seem to care what else she did! Closing her eyes, she triggered her transformation. The Nth Metal evaporated from her body like liquid mercury, and in a moment, Captain Marvel was squeezing a flesh-and-blood Deanna Barr.
Squeezing her to death! The Fiddler was pulling his strings.
“Fight it, Cap!” she choked, helpless now to the strength of Hercules. The struggle was plain in Cap’s eyes, but in seconds she would be dead…
The Fiddler capered about, hardly daring to believe his luck: he was going to draw first blood! Now let them say he was too old…! So focused was he on the sight of Captain Marvel crushing his teammate to death, he hardly noticed the noxious green mist that enveloped him, or that his bow-hand had fallen limply away from his violin.
{This dance is over, Isaac Bowen,} came the muffled, outraged voice. {And your days of calling the tune are done with it. Sleep in the knowledge that you shall never again walk this earth a free man!}
Released from the musical compulsion, Captain Marvel and a gasping Deanna Barr glanced up as the Fiddler toppled senselessly down the steps, the cloaked figure of the Sandman looming above them, his gas gun still smoking.
“Holy Moley, that was close!”
{Come with me,} Sandman hissed urgently, the eyes of Wesley Dodds just visible behind the lenses of the gasmask. {This attack is not what it appears to be! We are in more danger than we realize…}
He raced back up the steps to the doors of the Museum; Bulleteer and Captain Marvel shared one concerned look, then raced after him.
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:37:54 GMT -5
Across the street, a duel was raging. To the naked eye, it seemed as if the Shade and Obsidian were throwing splotches of blackness at each other, the one absorbing, the other reflecting; scraps of fluttering dark matter swirled about them as if they were in the eye of a storm, and even Jay Garrick was forced to shield his eyes and look away. But to the combatants, their struggle took place on another plane entirely!
For a long time now, Todd Rice had found himself on the edges of a dark place, peering across the border to an undiscovered country that both tempted and terrified him. Now he followed the Shade headlong into the blind wilderness, grappling with him and clinging to him at the same time.
“My dear boy, you are a revelation!” Came the droll voice from out of the void.
“What is this place?” Todd felt adrift, lost in his own shadow. On some level, he knew, he still existed in the realms of the living and light, still fought with his enemy--- but here at least, he felt disembodied, uncreated…
“Welcome to the Shadowlands, son of Alan Scott! I had thought myself the sole occupant of this drear realm, both King and Fool. I never saw you lurking on the borders of my kingdom until now.”
“The Shadowlands…? Where is this? What does it mean?”
“Mean? It means whatever you wish it to. Here awaits a reality for you to shape and to command. Your fondest wishes and darkest desires--- but smoke and mirrors in the world of light!--- can be realized in the Shadowlands. For, like me, you are a master of Shadow. The darkness is within you, Todd Rice, waiting for you to grasp it. Own your own power, my boy! Do not be afraid, I shall guide you!”
“This isn’t real…”
“Oh, it is as real as anything else. Reality is subjective. Your will is ferociously strong--- must be your father in you. You have an intuitive connection with the powers of shadow; they gather around you like bees to a flower. You could be the messiah the Shadowlands have been waiting for… I could teach you so much…Together, we could shroud all the world in our shadow! Reality will be ours for the shaping!”
“You’re mad!”
“Why do your kind always say that? Is it madness to fulfill one’s destiny? To live up to the potential granted to you? You’ve glimpsed the realms, now; can you say this is so bad?”
Indeed, Todd realized that he had been filling up the void with his most secret desires and fiercest longings. His heart ached and broke at what he saw.
“Do not deny who you are, or what you may become.”
He felt the Shade as a presence at his side. He need only reach out to him, take his hand and allow him to lead him down that path.
“Master the darkness, dear boy, lest it master you.”
A war raged within Todd’s soul, between who he was, and who he wanted to be. But that battle would not be fought now. His team--- his family!--- needed him.
With a massive effort, Todd surfaced from the Shadowlands, and as Obsidian, he dispelled all the shadows on that New York street corner, absorbing them into himself. In front of him, the Shade staggered back one involuntary step, his eyebrows arched in surprise.
Nearby, his arms outstretched to contain the gawking onlookers, the Flash waited, ready to throw himself into the fray.
Obsidian and the Shade faced each other, measuring each other. But after only a moment, the Shade doffed his hat and sketched a bow. “We shall meet again, dear boy.” Then he shot a glance at the Flash. “Until next time, my old adversary.” And in a puff of black smoke, he was gone.
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:39:26 GMT -5
Once again in her impenetrable Nth Metal form, Bulleteer led the way into the foyer of the JSA Museum, Captain Marvel and Sandman not far behind her. The public areas of the building were not open yet, due to the ceremony interrupted by the Injustice Society, but a quick check at the security kiosk showed a perimeter alarm had already been tripped.
“The Hall of Magical Artifacts,” Captain Marvel announced, grimly.
{Magical---} Sandman’s voice trailed off, then he swore, his gloved fist pounding his thigh in consternation. {Of course! It’s Zard! And I know what he’s after! Cap, Bulleteer: go!}
They needed no further encouragement. They took to the air, and streaked down the corridors for the Hall of Magical Artifacts. Hoping he was wrong, Sandman took off after them. The Museum was not without its defenses--- especially that room!--- but the Wizard would know that and come prepared.
Bulleteer reached the Hall first. She had not spent a lot of time in this part of the HQ, but had always been fascinated by the artifacts on display. Nazi occult memorabilia sat in display cases side-by-side with the spellbooks of Ian Karkull, the mummy of the long-dead enchanter Kulak, Priest of Brztal, the Ring of Life once worn by the Spectre, the Red Moon Stone that imprisoned Oom the Mighty, and a vial of water from Koehaha, the Stream of Ruthlessness.
Nothing seemed to be out of place, but as she touched down, she saw him: a figure in a black coat and hat, with pointed moustaches and a Van Dyke, standing before an ornate display case and waving a wand. She moved forward, determined to take him out before the others even arrived.
It emerged out of the air next to the Wizard, a pale figure, bodiless but for the old-fashioned clothes. It turned towards her, its monocle floating in empty space beneath a white top-hat. A startled gasp escaped her.
The Wizard twisted in place, something flashing in the hollows of his deep-set eyes. “Did you think I came unprotected, girl?” He hissed.
As she cocked her arm to lay him out, its forward motion was arrested--- and then it was yanked roughly back, spinning Bulleteer around. Someone had her by the forearm, a dusky-skinned man with a wicked widow’s peak, pointed ears and a black costume, adorned only with a gold thunderbolt!
His eyes were haughty and heavy-lidded.
“Meet the newest recruit of the Injustice Society, Bulleteer,” sneered the Wizard from behind her. “You won’t have his acquaintance long. Black Adam, kill her.”
The villain endowed with the power of Shazam twisted the arm in his grasp, and Bulleteer screamed. Her Nth Metal form was impenetrable, but not immalleable. She was driven to her knees, her arm dangling at an impossible angle. Her face contorted into a mask of agony, and the ruthless Black Adam lowered over her like a storm cloud, his hands raised to deliver a crushing double-fisted death-blow…
Something alerted Adam to the danger because he whirled just as Captain Marvel flew into the room, and he aimed his blow instead at the oncoming hero. The impact sent Cap smashing backward through a wall, and skidding into a life-sized statue of The Whip. Leaving Bulleteer whimpering on the floor in pain, Black Adam took off after his nemesis just as Cap was pulling himself to his feet.
The two collided with the concussive force of a bomb exploding. Sandman, who only now reached the Hall of Magical Artifacts was forced to throw his arms up to cover himself, as wood, glass and even steel flew in all directions. He was thrown into an exhibit housing the Gun That Fell Through Time, and was stunned. When he could lift his head again, he saw Captain Marvel and Black Adam grappling in the wreckage of several flattened rooms, Bulleteer unconscious on the floor, and the Wizard using his wand to bathe a display case in a sickly pink glow. The Gentleman Ghost melted into thin air.
{Zard!} Sandman yelled over the sounds of the Shazamic struggle! Wesley Dodds pulled his body from the debris, shaken by the blow, but determined to reach the Wizard.
Whatever the cost, the villains must not get their hands on the artifact in that case…
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:43:19 GMT -5
The battle outside was drawing to a close. The Shade had vanished, the Fiddler was unconscious, and the Icicle fled, pursued by the Ray and Jade. Only Solomon Grundy still stood, though he swayed on his feet atop the grandstand, surrounded now by Green Lantern, Starman, Flash and Obsidian. The monster roared at them, his bestial face twisting in fury, then charged! The JSAers poured all they had at him! Alan’s green beam was brushed away ineffectually, and Starman’s cosmic rays barely slowed the rampaging Grundy. Flash rebounded from the monster’s thick hide and Obsidian’s powers seemed to faze Grundy not at all. Maddened by pain and frustration, he knocked them aside like tenpins, leaping off the grandstand and landing with pavement-cracking force; newly arrived policemen took aim and unleashed a barrage of gunfire, but the bullets ricocheted off the monster as he lumbered away with surprising speed, a wounded animal going to ground. But he had to get past Atomika first. Jo put herself directly in the monster’s path, planting her feet on the ground and rearing back with her fist, her knuckles crackling with barely contained power.  Grundy rolled into her like a runaway steam engine, not even slowing down. But she was ready for him, coming around with a punishing haymaker Wildcat would have been proud to see. She threw everything she had into that blow, lurching upward with her whole body. Solomon Grundy was sent rocketing off the ground, up, up and arcing over the plaza, the angle of his ascent never decreasing. His surprised yelp dwindled into the distance even as he faded from view. There was a moment of stunned silence, wherein even Atomika stared aghast at her still faintly throbbing fist--- then the crowds burst out into spontaneous cheers, and her teammates were around her with broad smiles and thumping her on the back. “I think you knocked him into orbit,” Jay Garrick squinted into the clear blue sky, whistling appreciatively. “I hope I didn’t kill him,” Jo said tentatively. “It,” The Flash reminded her. “Grundy’s dead already. I don’t think he can be re-killed.” At that moment, Hawkman limped towards them, his skin tinged blue and his teeth chattering. He was being supported by Cyclone, who had finally managed to free their Chairman from Icicle’s icy death-trap. “Grundy’ll be back. He always is,” he said, but grunted approvingly at Atomika. “But for now, it looks like we have a new member.” All eyes turned to Starman, who blushed under the attention. “I--- I hope so,” the young man stammered. “I mean if you’ll have me, that is. I’d be honored.” Green Lantern crossed his arms over his chest, and exchanged a look with Jay and Carter. “It’s David, right?” Said Alan. The family resemblance to Ted Knight, the original Starman, was unmistakable. “Yes, sir.” “Call me Alan,” Green Lantern said under his breath and extended a hand. There followed a round of hearty handshakes and beaming smiles, the broadest of which sat on David Knight’s face. “Your father would have been very proud of you today.” “We can save the induction formalities for later, this isn’t over yet.” Hawkman reminded them, glancing around. “Where’s Captain Marvel and Bulleteer?” “I thought I saw them with Sandman a few minutes ago, running into the Museum---” Cyclone’s voice was drowned out by a loud BOOM, like a detonation, coming from within their headquarters. All eyes turned to the stately building, and it seemed to quiver on its very foundations. “Let’s go!” Hawkman yelled, sweeping them forward with an expansive wave of his arm. Flash and Cyclone became twin blurs, Hawkman, Green Lantern and Starman took to the air, and Atomika and Obsidian brought up the rear as the crowd cleared a path for them to their headquarters. |
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:44:01 GMT -5
Black Adam heaved Captain Marvel over his head, clutching the hero by the lapels of his costume, and slammed him back down. The concussion rocked the HQ, cracking the floor in all directions. Cap lay dazed for a moment, his enemy looming over him.
“I have waited so long for this moment,” Adam exhaled a shaky breath, placing his foot on Cap’s throat. Cap clutched the yellow boot, pushing back with the strength of Hercules to keep his windpipe from being crushed. Black Adam bore down on him, curling his lip in disgust. “Give your father my regards, boy.”
The next instant, Flash and Cyclone were barreling into Black Adam, the force of their momentum carrying him back with them! They pounded on him, a hundred blows per second, never letting up. Barely fazed, Black Adam shrugged them off with an inarticulate grunt of rage, hurling them away from him. But the speedsters were not alone: Green Lantern and Starman were upon him next, power ring and Cosmic Rod blazing, and Hawkman flew in not far behind, his flail whipping out, lashing upside Adam’s head! The former champion of Shazam roared, swatting at the new arrivals, absorbing blasts and physical punishment alike. And Captain Marvel was regaining his feet, aching to rejoin the fray.
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:48:37 GMT -5
Sandman knew this was all a distraction. The real danger was the Wizard, and what he could do if he got his hands on what he was after…
Skirting the edge of the titanic struggle raging only feet away, Wesley Dodds scrambled forward, crawling over the wreckage of the exhibit hall. He could spare only a glance for Bulleteer, reverted now to her flesh and blood state, her arm not only broken but dislocated, as he pushed past her, towards the Wizard.
The display case was a long vertical glass cabinet, containing perhaps the JSA’s most powerful magical artifact. Zard stood before it, his wand raised; he was holding back the wards and spells that protected the display case, while inside it, his confederate did his work. The Gentleman Ghost was a nebulous ectoplasmic mass within the sarcophagus-like case, pushing forward as if through a dense, invisible gelatin. His gloved fingers were stretched out for the artifact, inches away from it now…
{NO!} screamed the Sandman, aiming his gas gun at the Wizard.
But it was too late. The Gentleman Ghost had it, and was emerging triumphant from the display case. With a casual flick of the Wizard's wand, Sandman went flying backward and the Wizard seized the object of his desire, his eyes glinting fiercely.
“At last, it is mine!” he cackled, his voice unnaturally amplified by the power of the object in his hands. At that moment all eyes turned towards him, and even the struggle with Black Adam paused.
The Gentleman Ghost hovering behind him, the Wizard laughed in glee, and held aloft in his hands the gleaming Helm of Nabu…!
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:49:03 GMT -5
TO BE CONCLUDED!
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Post by David on Mar 11, 2008 19:52:25 GMT -5
STARMAN (II)Secret File  Secret Identity: David Knight First DC2 Appearance: Justice Society of America #1 Status: Hero Base of Operations: JSA Museum, Manhattan; S.T.A.R. Labs, Opal City Occupation: Research scientist, adventurer HT: 5’11 WT: 170 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Powers and Abilities: A human with no superpowers, Starman (II), like his father before him, relies upon the technological marvel that is the Cosmic Rod. This device collects and harnesses the ambient energies of the universe, and has the power to nullify gravity, and propel the bearer through the skies. Also, it can be used to project heat and force beams, and can create containment and force-fields. History: David Knight is the eldest of two sons born relatively late in life to Theodore and Doris Knight, one of the wealthiest and most respected families of Opal City. From an early age, David had not only a love, but a special affinity for maths and sciences, and would spend hours sitting quietly in his father’s observatory lab, just watching him work, and dreaming of following in the elder Knight’s footsteps. Unlike his brother Jack, who preferred to read comic books and watch old movies all day, David studied hard and pushed himself to be exceptional, always seeking his parents’ approval. The day that changed his life was the day he realized his quiet, unassuming and scholarly father had been a superhero. David was an intelligent boy, and connected his father’s research to the famed Opal City mystery man of the 1940s known as Starman. Sharing his suspicions with his younger brother, David and Jack spent a summer digging up evidence and finally found their father’s old costume in mothballs in the attic of their home. From that day forward, David wanted to be a superhero, to continue the proud Knight family heritage. Of course, when he found out, Ted Knight forbid him to do any such thing. David was a brilliant and promising student, and his intellect could one day change and better the world, redeeming, in a small way, Ted’s own involvement in the invention of the atom bomb; David would be Ted’s greatest gift to science, and Ted would not see him spend his life in deadly battles against the likes of the Mist, the Shade and Solomon Grundy. If anyone were fit to carry on Ted’s heroic legacy, Ted always felt it should be his maverick youngest son, but Jack seemed to show no interest in such a destiny. But David would not be dissuaded. He obsessed over old film reels of Starman in action and tinkered with his father’s old gravity rods, making improvements on some that only convinced his father he was meant for bigger things than superheroics. In spite of his father’s constant urgings to the contrary, David nursed his dream of becoming Starman, and even spent the summer before his senior year in Gotham City, training under Ted Grant, using an assumed name. He was an average athlete at best, but he was a smart fighter. During his last year in high school, he went so far as to create a costume modeled on his father’s, and using an old gravity rod he tricked-out, he had a brief career fighting crime in Opal as “Star Boy”, before he was found out by his father and shut down. Ted Knight was proud of his son, but knew he was meant for bigger things. David attended the prestigious Ivy Town University on a full scholarship, devoting the next eight years to intensive study and research, and while he excelled in his field, winning a coveted position with S.T.A.R. Labs after earning his doctorate, he never forgot the thrill and pure sense of fulfillment it was being “Star Boy” those glorious few weeks he spent in the skies over Opal City. Then another day came along that changed his life again: his father for the last time donned the familiar red and green costume and took up the Cosmic Rod of Starman to join the JSA and the other heroes of Earth against the menace of Starro, giving his life to take down the intergalactic monster. David, who had always idolized his father, was devastated. Once more, he quarreled with his brother Jack at the funeral: if Jack had taken up the Starman legacy as their father had always wanted, perhaps Ted would have still been alive. Their relations strained, Jack and David parted ways. Little time would pass before David convinced himself that the Starman legacy must not be allowed to die, and as Jack showed no intention or inclination to step up, then David would have to do it himself! Operating out of his father’s Opal City, observatory, he constructed a new and improved Cosmic Rod, adding a few modifications he was sure would have impressed even his father, and trained relentlessly for months. All he needed was an opportunity, and he would do his father proud. That opportunity soon presented itself. Perhaps it was fate that the Justice Society of America had reassembled at that time. So it was that on the dawn of JSA Day in New York City, David Knight put on one of his father’s old costumes, and vowed to fight evil and injustice, and to forever and always do honor to the memory of Starman!
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Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2008 2:31:52 GMT -5
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