Legends of the Avengers League #1

#1
Early February 2001

Spectre of Justice
by Bob Young

The Spectre was once one of the most powerful mystic beings in the universe. He was the Spirit of Justice. He struck in the name of a higher power, punishing the guilty. His verdict was swift and final!

But that was over a decade ago, when he had a corporeal body. The body of Jim Corrigan, a human who had been murdered and resurrected. Using Corrigan's body, the Spectre had walked the Earth for years. But after the events of the Twilight of the Gods, the Spectre separated from his human host. The Spectre was unwilling to take part in the conflict and took a hiatus from his duties. Jim Corrigan had been given a new lease on life and was living in New York City.

After so many years as a disembodied spirit, the Spectre felt it was time to resume his place as the Spirit of Justice. And to do that, he needed a host body to merge with. And without guidance from the Presence, he wasn't able to tell which body was suited to him. And so the only host he could possibly use was Jim Corrigan.

Unfortunately, Jim Corrigan was dead. And although he had once been resurrected by the Presence, the Spectre didn't have that power on his own. Therefore, the Spectre only had one option left...To merge with Corrigan's murderer.

Due to the physical nature of the murder, the killer had retained an aspect of Corrigan within himself. Only the murderer could now serve as the vessel for the Spectre!

Jeramiah Parrish had killed Jim Corrigan. He had killed many people. He had special abilities that made it easy. He was once considered a super-villain. He was called the Mist. He'd fought super-heroes, including the Spectre.

But something happened not too long ago that caused him to have a crisis of conscience. He could no longer rationalize what he'd done. Since then he'd gone into hiding. He has remained hidden here, in Grandenetti Cathedral. Cardinal Grandenetti started building it in 1860. He wanted to build the ultimate tribute to the almighty. He was never satisfied and so kept expanding it. Underground he created a maze of tunnels. He never finished his project, dying before it was completed. The Cathedral isn't used anymore but is a tourist attraction. Yet there are sections of the underground tunnels which are blocked off and never used. These tunnels are the secret lair of the Mist. He had recently been trying to go the super-hero route, to use his powers to protect the innocent, but he knew he was a long way from redemption.

Jeramiah Parrish kneeled, looking at a large cross on the wall and praying. He had grey hair & pale skin but he was still muscular and strong. He wore black robes, a black cloak and a white cross-emblem on his chest. He was praying for forgiveness.

"Jeramiah Parrish!" boomed an echoing voice.

Parrish turned. He saw the white, spectral figure floating in the air. He was surprised but didn't speak. Even in this disembodied form, he recognized the Spectre.

"You seek atonement, Jeramiah Parrish?" The Spectre asked. "I can supply you with the means. I can give you the power to punish the evil! You can be a powerful force for good. You can be the Spectre!"

"Why me?" Parrish asked. "I killed your last host."

"That is exactly why you must take up his mission," The Spectre answered.

"I...I cannot!" Parrish said. "You know about me . . . My past . . . The source of my power. I am not worthy to be the harbinger of Justice. I only desire forgiveness."

"This may be your only chance at forgiveness," The Spectre said. "Think it over. I shall return in time."

The ghostly vision vanished. Parrish was alone. He resumed his prayers.

Natasha Romanov sat in a dingy room. She had once been the USSR's top secret agent, the Black Widow. But circumstances had caused her to defect. She worked briefly for the United States government. But they asked her to do things that were disloyal to her homeland. Although she no longer wanted to live in the Soviet Union, she didn't want to destroy it either. Her loyalties were torn. So she ran out on her government sponsors. She went into hiding until she could decide what she wanted to do. She was going stir crazy in the apartment and decided to get some air.

Natasha walked the streets, lost in thought. She was so distracted, she didn't notice the men following her. She didn't hear them whisper in Russian. If she did she would have realized that 3 KGB men had tracked her down and were here to take her back to Russia!

The Mist moved along the rooftops, looking for innocents to protect. He found someone who was not exactly innocent but who needed protecting just the same. He saw a woman fighting off three men, armed with stun guns. She was putting up a good fight and was obviously well trained but her three opponents were good too. And one of them got lucky!

Natasha had nearly defeated two of her attackers when one of them got her from behind with a stun gun. She yelped with pain and collapsed to the ground, hitting her head and passing out. Then the Russian agents lifted her up and started to carry her off. They payed no attention to the grey mist which surrounded them . . . not until it took humanoid form.

Parrish took them all by surprise and fought with the enhanced strength of many men. One agent connected with the stun gun, but was startled when it had no effect. The Mist routed the agents. He lifted up the unconscious woman and took her to safety.

Out in space, somewhere between Saturn and the Earth, a spacecraft streaked through the stars. It was the spaceship of one of the most dangerous men in the universe. A mutant demi-god from an alien planet. A man who's power was surpassed only by his ambition: Thanos of Titan!

Thanos looked over at the silent hooded figure who stood with him. This figure occupied his every thought. He was deeply in love with her and would give her the ultimate tribute...The universe!

"Soon, my lady," he said with surprising tenderness from one so ruthless, "soon you shall have everything. Through the King of Tears, I will deliver it to you. I promise you, my love."

From another part of the craft came a bizarre figure. His torso and head were basically humanoid, but were made of wood. His legs were like tree roots and his arms like branches.

"What is it, WoodGod?" Thanos asked the creature.

"The automatic pilot says we will reach Earth in a few days," The WoodGod said.

"There will have to be a delay," Thanos said. "We must make a detour. I want to get a cloaking device. We don't want the Spectre to act prematurely, before we can kill his new host body. Only the Spectre can stop the King of Tears, so we must do nothing to alarm him until his host body is destroyed. Without a host, he is powerless."

"How do you know all this?" The WoodGod asked.

"My lady knows all," Thanos said. "There are no secrets from Death!"

Natasha woke up in a tunnel, lit by candles and decorated with crosses. She was on a small cot. She brushed aside her long red hair and looked around. There wasn't much to see. Next to her was a metal jug of water and a cup. She wasn't foolish enough to drink from it. She started to get up but got dizzy. She sat back down and rubbed her temples. She felt the bump on her forehead. There were no mirrors around. She shined up the jug with her sleeve and looked at her reflection.

"How are you?" a male voice asked.

Natasha dropped the jug and water spilled. She spun and saw the man in the black robes standing there. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed his reflection on the jug.

"I'm fine," she said. "Where am I?"

"In a church. Or rather, under one."

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Jeramiah. And you?"

"Natasha. What happened to the men who attacked me?"

"They're gone," Jeramiah replied. "You're safe."

"Are you . . . some kind of super-hero?" Natasha asked.

"I aspire to be," he answered. "I try to do good. I try to help."

"You helped me," she said. "Thank you. Do you live here?"

"Yes," Parrish said. "I need a place to be away from people. I don't think I should be around people just now. It's sounds strange, I know. I'm very confused about my life as well. But I'm trying to figure it out. In the meantime, I try to do good and protect the innocent."

Natasha couldn't help but be amazed by how familiar that sentiment was. She, too, was in hiding, trying to figure things out. "Maybe we should talk," she said.

The storm was a furious one. The fishing boat was being torn apart. If this kept up, the ship would sink. They had sent out an SOS, but by the time help arrived...

...The storm had stopped? The captain and crew couldn't understand it. How could such a powerful storm instantly stop? One of the crew pointed up at the flying figure with the red cape.

Thor, the God of Storms, had ordered that this storm cease, and nature obeyed. Thor was passing over the ocean, he saw the ship in distress and used his God-born power to save it.

Propelled by his magic hammer, Mjolnir, he headed back to New York, where the office of Dr. Donald Blake was. Not long ago, this prince of great Asgard was stranded on Earth and forced to merge with a human - A skinny doctor with a bad leg. Being Dr. Blake wasn't too bad, really, but he missed Asgard. He missed his people and like-minded companions. He missed other warriors. He needed somewhere to belong.

Detective John Jones had finished his day's work and headed home. "Home!" The word sounded so empty. Because despite his appearance, John Jones was not a human being. He was a shape-shifting alien from the planet Mars. He had been a warrior named J'onn J'Onzz, who was teleported accidently to Earth by a scientist and assumed the identity of a human. He often resumed his Martian form and fought crime as the Martian Manhunter. He was separated from his people, far from his home and feeling very lonely and alienated from those around him. He needed somewhere to belong.

*(for more background on Martain Manhunter, check out Detective Comics #5 and 6! - Chip)

Aquaman was the prince of one of the two twin cities of Atlantis. Born a hybrid of human and Atlantean--his mother, Queen Fen, had once had a dalliance with a surface man--he was one of the most powerful beings under the sea. His brother, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, had recently inherited the throne of original Atlantis when Queen Fen died. But Aquaman--who's birth name was Arthur--was the heir to New Atlantis, where his adopted father, King Vulko, was still the king. Aquaman had very little to do and was bored. He decided to go on a pilgrimage, a journey of self discovery. He traveled the seas, trying to find a purpose for his life, until it was his time to rule.

He made the decision to pay a visit to the surface. He was, after all, half human, and should know something about his heritage. Also, when he becomes king, he may have to deal with these beings.

He had dealt with them before, most notably during what humans called World War Two, when Namor was a member of a surface team of warriors called the Justice Society of America. On one such adventure, Aquaman lost his hand. It was replaced with a harpoon*. But despite that unpleasant experience, he would go to the surface. He was bored. And he was lonely. He missed his people. He needed somewhere to belong.

*(JSA #7)

Carol Danvers had finished her day's work at the magazine and was going home. She was finding the day to day routine of working there very dull. She was starting to feel that her whole life was getting dull. Ever since she left the Champions, her life had been lacking something. That sense of excitement and danger! Maybe it was the part of her that was of the Kree race, but she wanted that feeling again. She missed it.

She could still put on her costume and become Ms. Marvel, but after being a member of the Champions, the idea of a solo hero seemed so . . . sad. She sort of wished that the Champions were still together. She missed the camaraderie of the group. Being on a group of super-heroes was a total rush! She wished she could belong to something like that again.

It had only been a few weeks since they met, but the Mist and the Black Widow had become a formidable law enforcement team. They weren't household names. They struck quickly and then slipped away into the night. No one knew who the mysterious vigilantes were. And that was how they wanted it.

The Black Widow had redesigned her costume into a form-fitting black body-suit with yellow wrist bands which contained her ‘widow's bite' stun darts. The Mist wore his usual robes and added a black face mask.

Whenever they were in a fight, the Black Widow marveled at Parrish's uncanny strength and speed. And bullets didn't hurt him. His power wasn't limited to just turning into mist. There was more to him than he let on. What was his secret?

Thanos' ship arrived on Earth. The cloaking device worked. No one knew they were there. The ship came down in a wooded area.

"Shall I go after the target?" the WoodGod asked.

"Not yet," Thanos said. "You need an assistant."

Nearby, Crusher Creel had escaped from the chain gang. The police were right on his heels. He cursed them under his breath. He wouldn't go back! The ball and chain on his ankle slowed him down. He would be discovered soon. A large muscular bald man in a prison outfit, with a ball and chain, would be easy to spot in the woods. He had to find a place to hide!

At that moment, he was transported away in a flash of light!

Crusher Creel found himself aboard a space ship, face-to-face with Thanos.

"Wha . . . What the hell is going on?! Where am I?" Creel asked.

"You are aboard my ship," Thanos said, "And as for what is happening, I am about to grant your fondest wish...Power! Power beyond belief! And all you have to do in return, is what you've done so many times before...Kill a man!"

Alan Scott had just finished a board meeting at one of his radio stations. He sat alone in the room, feeling depressed. He once got a thrill out of being a mover-and-shaker in the business world, but no longer. After all there years, he was considering retirement. He missed the old days when he was a member of the Justice Society, as the Sentinel. He still became the Sentinel occasionally, but being a super-hero was a young man's game. And despite the fact that his ring made him age slower, he had seen 70 years pass.

He heard a commotion and went to the window...

Crusher Creel was having the time of his life. Thanos had given him incredible power--the power to absorb everything he touches. And he was using it to get even with the police he hated! He started small to get their attention. Once they came, he touched their car and became metal. He slapped them around. More cops came. They shot at him. He turned into lead! He battered them. They ran. He picked up a car and threw it at them. He laughed like a schoolboy. ‘This is great,' he thought.

"Creel," a voice in his head said, "I gave you this power for a reason! Kill Parrish!"

Creel sighed. Fun's over. "All right, all right!" He made his way toward the Cathedral, but was suddenly confronted by a super-hero . . . The Sentinel!

"I suggest you stop what you're doing," the ring-wielding hero said, "or I'll get mad!"

Creel laughed. "Oooooo! An old WW2 relic with a ring is gonna get mad. I'm so scared!"

The Sentinel didn't waste any words. He blasted Creel with the green fire of the Starheart. He realized that he'd done the wrong thing. Creel glowed with green energy.

"You just don't get it, do ya, old man?" Creel said. "I'm not just some punk any more. I'm the Absorbing Man! Nothing can hurt me! Whatever you do is just gonna make me stronger!"

Creel blasted Sentinel with his own power. The Sentinel was rocked with pain. 'This is not good,' he thought. He had a serious fight on his hands. Suddenly, he was hit with a wooden javelin. He screamed. His force field could keep out anything, except wood. He was powerless against wood. Below, he saw the wooden creature fire more javelin's. The Sentinel dodged. He knew he couldn't fight them both, especially since one was made of wood, and since he was now wounded. As a young man, he would never have retreated. But with age comes wisdom. He made himself scarce. Creel was disappointed. The WoodGod gestured for Creel to follow him to the target!

The disembodied Spectre was watching all this, alarmed. As the villains approached the Cathedral, he knew that they were after Parrish. If Parrish was killed, he may never find a host body. He had to do something!

He used his very limited power to cast a spell that would draw some heroes here. The spell was cast randomly. But the heroes who received the mystic SOS were ones who had a certain mindset, a special need . . . Thor, Ms. Marvel, Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter.

In the Cathedral, Parrish and Natasha were enjoying a quiet moment. Natasha decided this would be a good time to ask him all the questions that had been bugging her. Why did he always evade discussions about his past? She wanted to know what he was hiding. What was his secret?

But before she could say anything, they heard a crash coming from another part of the tunnel. They raced to investigate. What they found was the Absorbing Man and WoodGod standing over the wreckage of the barricade that sealed off their section of the tunnels from the tourist sections.

"That him?" The Absorbing Man asked.

"That's him!" WoodGod answered. They closed in on Parrish.

Creel was still glowing with energy and confident of his ability to kill Parrish. Parrish met his stare. Creed stopped dead, looking blank. He reverted to his human form. The Black Widow realized what was going on, but why didn't Parrish ever mention that he could hypnotize people?

WoodGod shot out a wooden javelin. Parrish turned into mist and the javelin passed through. Natasha wondered why he would avoid the javelin if bullets couldn't hurt him? His face re-formed for a moment. "Run!" he said to her. The Mist drifted away quickly. Natasha followed. Creel snapped out of his trance.

"What'd that scumbag do to me?!" Creel roared.

"Never mind!" WoodGod said. "I'll handle Parrish! You deal with the girl and anyone else who comes along."

"Who died and made you God?" Creel grumbled. WoodGod didn't answer. He pursued the Mist, followed by Creel.

Up in the main Cathedral, the Mist resumed human form and was joined by Natasha.

"We've got to get out of here!" she said.

"I . . . I can't!" he said, "I can't go outside yet!"

"Why?"

"Never mind!" he said. "You go! I have to stay here!"

"I won't leave . . . "

"Just go!" he ordered. "Trust me! Go!"

Creel and the WoodGod came up from the tunnel. Reluctantly, Natasha ran outside. WoodGod signalled for Creel to go after her. He sneered, but obeyed. Parrish was left alone in the Cathedral with WoodGod!

Creel was chasing Natasha through the streets. She shot a 'bite' at him. He touched a fire hydrant and became metal. The 'bite' bounced off him.

Suddenly, a large, green-skinned man blocked his way.

"Leave that woman alone!" Martian Manhunter said.

"You gonna stop me, greenie?" Creel challenged.

"Don't touch him!" Natasha yelled. "He'll absorb your power!"

The Martian Manhunter used his telepathy to look into Creel's mind. "I see," J'onn J'onzz said, "An alien named Thanos gave him these powers. He can adapt the properties of anything he touches."

"I dunno how you knew that," Creel said, "but it ain't gonna help ya!"

Creel lunged foward, trying to touch the Martian. But J'onn used his ability to become intangible, and Creel past right through him.

"You cannot absorb what you cannot touch," J'onn said.

"Maybe not, jolly green," Creel said, "But you still can't stop me!"

Creel began to touch everything around. Concrete, metal, stone, brick . . . He started to grow with each new substance he added. He was 20 feet tall when . . .

"Ho, villain!" the powerful voice of Thor called. "Thou has left much ruin in thy wake! But thy path of destruction doth endeth here! So speaketh Thor, God of the Storm!"

Thor let loose with a lightning bolt. Natasha watched in fear, "Oh no!"

But the Manhunter fired his rays of Martian Vision, and blocked the lightning bolt before it hit Creel.

"Art thou mad?" Thor bellowed, but the Manhunter floated up to meet him.

"There is something you should know," J'onn said.

Back on the ground, Creel was still causing destruction. The Black Widow was stunned by some flying debris. Creel was about to squash her, but she was suddenly wisked out of the way by Ms. Marvel. "You've got hostility issues to deal with," she said.

Thor and the Manhunter joined Ms. Marvel and the Black Widow. The Manhunter explained the situation.

"So how do we deal with this guy?" Ms. Marvel asked.

At that moment, the Sentinel returned, having bandaged his wounded arm. Fortunately, his ring hand was still fine. "Glad you guys are here," he said, "We'll need teamwork to tackle this guy!"

Inside the Cathedral, the Mist was fighting a losing battle against WoodGod. He spotted the ghostly form of the Spectre across the room. He heard a voice in his head. "They want to stop you from joining with me," The Spectre's voice said, "They know you are meant for great things. Are you ready to accept your fate?"

"I'm ready!"

The Spectre entered Parrish's body. There was a sudden burst of mystic enrgy that knocked WoodGod to the ground. WoodGod looked up and saw Parrish floating in the air, surrounded by a glow. "Now, WoodGod," Parrish said, "Face the wrath of the Spectre!" He lashed out, shattering his enemy!

Night had fallen and Creel was still rampaging. At the docks he touched a ship. He grew to immense size. "Nothing can stop the Absorbing Man!" He laughed.

He saw a man with a harpoon hand climbing up from out of the sea. Aquaman rescued a few people who were trapped under some debris. Creed watched in amusement. "Well, well. It's the guy who talks to fish. You think you're gonna be able to stop me?"

"Well . . . yes!" Aquaman said. "I can telepathically locate your brain's basil ganglia, the part inherited from your marine ancestors. I can give you seizures!"

Creel started having spasms and fell to the ground. At his giant size, even his convulsions were causing damage. Just then, the other heroes arrived.

"Good work, Aquaman!" Sentinel yelled. "I've got a plan to get rid of this guy. You've given us the opprtunity we need. Thor! Do it now!"

Thor used his hammer's power to open dimensional rifts. He made a larger portal than ever before - one big enough for a giant.

The Sentinel signalled to J'onn and Ms. Marvel. They lifted Creel up. In his curent state, he had trouble absorbing their power. They threw him into the vortex and Thor closed it. Creel was trapped in another dimension.

Suddenly, in a glow, the new Spectre appeared. "Excellent work, all of you. I knew I was right to summon you. You gave me time to become the new Spectre. Thank you. But before you leave, I request that we make this fellowship a permanent one. A new team, like a modern day JSA!"

The Sentinel liked the idea. He missed the JSA. And the other heroes had their own reasons for wanting to belong to a team. One-by-one, they all agreed.

"I suggest we make Sentinel the leader," Ms. Marvel said. "He has the most experience and it was his plan that got rid of the Absorbing Man."

Everyone seconded the motion. "Thanks everyone," The Sentinel said. "I guess there's a new super-team on the block. And I have the feeling it's gonna be a great one!"

Later, Natasha was sitting alone in the Cathedral. The new Spectre appeared.

"You seem distressed," he said. "Don't you want to join our fellowship?"

"First, tell me something honestly!" she said.

He nodded his agreement.

"You can turn into mist," she said. "You have super strength but have no reflection in a mirror. Bullets can't hurt you but you're afraid of a wooden stake. You have the power to hypnotize people, and you wouldn't go outside in the daylight. Are you . . . a vampire?"

He looked at her sadly, "Yes!"

He faded away, leaving Natasha alone with her thoughts and fears.

Next Issue: Thanos is still on Earth and still plans to release the King of Tears, but he must destroy the Spectre first. And the new team gets it's first new member...The GREEN ARROW! It comes your way next week in Legends of the Avengers League #2!