Millions of miles from the Earth, on the planet of the Priests of the Pama and their intelligent plant allies, the Cotati, the ship carrying Marvel Boy and Thomas "the Angel" Halloway had arrived. Using worm holes, hyperspace, and trans-warp drive, the long voyage was completed in a mere ten days.
Thomas looked around at the tropical planet. Marvel Boy smiled proudly. "This is where I live. I was born on Earth but this is my real home. I grew up here. Beautiful, isn't it?"
"It looks very peaceful," Thomas said. "Which is just what I need."
"We'll teach you all about feeling peaceful," Marvel Boy said. "Come on. I'll take you to the experts."
Marvel Boy led Thomas Halloway to the elders of the Priests of Pama. Thomas immediately got a good feeling from the serene priests. He was a bit taken aback when he met the plant-men known as the Cotati, but he quickly adjusted. He had seen enough strange things since he became associated with the JSA. He also became a strange thing on occasion, which is why he was there.
A Cotati communicated with him telepathically. {If this metamorphosis you speak of is instigated by fear and anger, then we can assist you. We will teach you the ways of inner peace and serenity of spirit.}
A priest agreed. "To cut down on the time you will spend away from your home, you will do your lessons in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
Marvel Boy saw Thomas's confused look. "It's a device in the old Thanagarian City. It's a chamber where time moves much faster than the universe outside it. By Earth reckoning, a day in the chamber is approximately only a minute out here. One day will pass on Earth but three years will pass in the chamber."
Thomas was amazed. "You mean, when I come out of there tomorrow, I'll feel like three years have passed?"
"Three years will have passed for you," Marvel Boy said. "You'll be three years older, but your friends on Earth will only age a single day."
The Angel was willing to sacrifice three years off his life to prevent himself from ever becoming the Hulk again. "Okay. When can I start?"
Back on Earth . . .
Dinah Drake, a.k.a. the Black Canary, sat in the rear yard of her floral shop. She looked up at the night sky, musing on the vastness of the universe and wondering how far away her beloved Thomas was. Marvel Boy had taken him across the universe hoping to cure the curse of the Hulk. Would he succeed? When would he return?
"Don't stay away to long, sweetie," she said to the starry sky.
New York City
Sentinel flew over Manhattan Island. He was searching for the strange woman known as the Harlequin. She had been sabotaging big corporate headquarters, and when the Sentinel tried to stop her, he fell victim to her Hypno-glasses. She escaped and he had been obsessed with finding her since.
Why was he so fascinated by her? He kept visualizing her legs, her red hair and lips. Her beauty made him burn with passion. Why? What made her shine in his thoughts constantly?
I need a psychiatrist, Sentinel thought. The idea was amusing at first, but on second thought, it seemed to have merit. Not only could a good shrink answer some questions about his own strange obsessions, but he could also possibly give a few clues to the reasons behind the Harlequin's behavior. She was obviously a few quarts short of a gallon. Maybe a psychiatrist could be of great help here.
Dr. Mid-Nite! That was the answer. He had recently revealed his identity to the other JSA members. And he was the top of his field. Who better to consult than Dr. Mid-Nite?
Keystone county, Pennsylvania; The home of Jay Garrick, the Flash.
Jay had taken some time off from the JSA after his time-traveling adventures. He wanted to make up to his wife Joan for putting her through so much misery when he was missing and presumed dead. His super-hero identity was hard on her. He had hardly worn his Flash outfit at all in the last three months. Occasionally, he had gone out on a quick solo job, but he always managed to get back in short order. Between Joan and his job as a research scientist, Jay kept busy, even with his limited Flash time.
Jay had just gotten home from work. Joan had left him a note saying that she'd be out for a little while but she'd be back soon. Jay smiled. It was great to have someone to come home to. When she got back, he was going to talk to her about having another Thanksgiving party for the Justice Society. It was a lot for work for Joan, but she admitted that she had a good time last year, and at the Christmas party, too. She especially enjoyed talking to Wonder Woman. She'd probably agree to another party. Joan was a good woman. His inspiration! God, it's great to be married!
In his identity of Alan Scott, the Sentinel paid a visit to Dr. Charles McNider in his office at the DC Hospital where he worked. "Thanks for taking the time to see me, Charles."
"No need to thank me, Alan," McNider said. "A friend is never a burden. So, what can I do for you?"
"I have a . . . situation!" Alan explained all about the Harlequin, her hatred of corporate America, her Hypno-goggles and his strange obsession with her. McNider listened with keen interest, although it didn't show on his always-aloof face.
"Can you describe this girl?" McNider asked.
Alan nodded and described her in extreme detail. McNider nodded, noting that Alan was not exaggerating about his obsession. When Alan was done, McNider said. "I think I know who your mystery woman is."
The HQ of the mysterious villain called the Answer . . .
The Answer was working in his hidden lab. Using technology stolen from Dr. Phineas Horton, creator of the Human Torch, combined with his own genius, the Answer was building an android. He wanted to make one far superior to anything built thus far, even the Torch. He planned to use it as the latest salvo in his continuing war against his "friends" and partners in the JSA.
He was a traitor. He knew it. And at one time, this would have been unthinkable to him. But that was before he met her! That was before the Enchantress. He would do anything for his beautiful, desirable Enchantress. The JSA had dared to insult her, and even strike her. They had to pay. He didn't really want to do it and he bore them no personal malice. He even liked one or two of them. But that didn't matter. Those were petty little feelings. Friendship and camaraderie were insignificant. Only love, only lust, only the embrace of his lover Amora . . . That was all that mattered. She wanted them dead and so they had to die!
As he worked, his battle-hardened instincts told him that he was not alone. He turned and saw an elderly man who he had never met before. He first thought was to kill the intruder. But the man had the same imperious bearing as his Enchantress did, and he was able to easily pass all the Answers defenses. This was not an ordinary man. The Answer decided to tread carefully with the stranger.
"Who, may I ask, are you, old man?" the Answer demanded to know.
The old man smiled. "I am called the Grandmaster. I am one of the Elders of the Universe. I believe you've met my brother. You know him as the collector."
The Answer smiled. "Ah, yes. He kidnapped me and the other JSA members."
"And while you were on his ship, he studied all of you," the Grandmaster said. "His devices studied every little thing about you. Your powers, your brain waves, your energy signatures, your biorhythms, your cellular structures, your auras . . . everything! He is very angry with the Justice Society for escaping. They ruined his collection. And in return, he has asked me to bring you a gift."
The Grandmaster handed a sealed vial to the Answer. "What is it?" the traitor asked.
"In here is a single cell," the Grandmaster said. "A cell that contains everything about the Justice Society. I can direct you in installing it into your robot. It will give him the ability to mimic the powers of every JSA member who was present on the Collector's ship. You wanted to make the ultimate android? Well, I've come to grant your wish."
Dr. McNider led Alan Scott to a locked room, where confidential medical files were kept. He searched for one particular medical record and showed it to Alan, who read the name on the file. "Molly Maynne," he muttered, then he looked at the photo stapled to the file. His eyes widened. "That's her! Even with out the weird outfit, I recognize her!"
"I thought as much," McNider said. "From everything you described, I figured it must be."
"Who is she?"
"She was a very unusual patient," McNider said. "I was consulted by the doctor on the case. Myself and several other noted psychoanalysts. She was the daughter of an inventor. He sold his inventions to a big corporation and they made millions off of his work. But they cheated him. He went broke and finally killed himself. The girl, Molly, had a psychotic breakdown and murdered the president of Indigo Corporation, along with the board-of-directors."
"Oh yes, I remember reading about the Indigo massacre," Alan said. "That was her?"
McNider nodded. "She developed a pathological hatred of big business. She hated any large corporation and wanted to see them all fail. She used to ramble quite a bit. One of her tirades included the suggestion of using some hidden inventions of her fathers to get her revenge. One of those inventions was . . . "
"Was hypnotic goggles!" Alan interjected.
"Correct!" McNider said. "And then one day, she escaped. That was over a year ago. No one found a trace of her. It was like she disappeared off the face of the Earth. I always meant to look for her, but I've been so busy with the JSA, that I never got the chance. To be honest, I'd forgotten about her."
"Well, she's back now, Charles," Alan said. "And those goggles aren't just the ramblings of a deranged mind. They're real, and they did quite a number on me."
"Possibly more than you know," McNider said. "I believe this obsession you have with her could be a result of her hypnotic powers. Be careful, Alan. Her mesmerism ability is obviously formidable, and if you are already partially under her spell, she has an advantage over you. I suggest you leave her to me."
"No way, Chuck," Alan said. "This little lady and I have a score to settle. This one's personal!"
The teenage heroine known as the Fury was out looking for trouble. Since Wonder Woman took her in and began training her, the Fury - or Helena Kosmatos, which was her real name - was trying to make a good impression. The slim blonde disciple of Hippolyta had agreed join the Star-Spangled Kid and Toro on a patrol around the DC area. She liked Bucky. She'd never been close to a boy her won age before. He was funny, and as a more experienced sidekick, he could possibly teach her a few things she didn't know. Besides, he was cute. The Fury found herself attracted to him. Toro was okay, too, but the Fury could tell that he preferred the company of Wonder Woman to Helena herself. His infatuation with the Amazon Queen was quite obvious to her. She wondered if Bucky noticed.
Bucky had been floating the suggestion of the teen trio forming their own, junior version of the JSA. Since the adult JSA members had a tendency to overprotect their young charges, the three youths thought it an appealing idea to form their own team, to prove their worth without their mentors. They invited Johnny Thunder to join, too. He sent word that he accepted the invitation, but needed to talk to his sometime-partners in the part-time super-team called the Four Swell Guys. When he arrived, Johnny would be the fourth member. Bucky wanted a fifth, but so far, they hadn't decided on one yet.
After an hour or two of unproductive patrolling, Toro was itching to get back to the HQ and see Wonder Woman again. He came up with an excuse.
"I promised the Human Torch I'd monitor the W.E.B. today while he's away," Toro said.
"I thought Wonder Woman was doing that," the Fury said.
"Well, y'know, a queen shouldn't be doing that stuff," Toro said. "I thought I'd spell her for a while."
The Fury grinned at his transparent lies. A momentary smirk seemed to pass over Bucky's face as well, but vanished quickly. If he knew about Toro's crush, he didn't want to embarrass his best friend.
"Sure, buddy, go ahead," Bucky said. "We'll see you later."
Toro nodded and headed back to the mansion, eager to see the magnificent Amazon queen.
Bucky and the Fury continued their patrol. Not long after Toro left them, they found the trouble they'd been looking for. The sound of a siren drew them to a local bank, where three second rate super villains were in the midst of a hold-up. The Gambler, the Sportsmaster, and the Yellow Wasp were fleeing the bank carrying bags of money.
They ran toward the alley where they had hidden their getaway car. The guards were neutralized and the police hadn't arrived yet. The trio thought they had made a clean escape. But there was something they didn't expect. The Fury and the Star-Spangled Kid cut them off.
The Sportsmaster sighed. "More of those damn super do-gooders! The boy I recognize. Who's the girl?"
"Fury!" she said.
"Such a formidable name, for such a young lady," the Gambler said. "I can't say I've ever heard of you, but I like it. Let's see if you can live up to it."
The trio of criminals launched a combine attack on the Fury and the Kid. The Gambler threw one of his razor-sharp playing cards. The Sportsmaster threw a boomerang. The Yellow Wasp fired some drugged stinger pellets. The Star-Spangled Kid, with his new shield, and the Fury with her 'Bullets and Bracelets' technique, taught to her by Wonder Woman, deflected the attacks. They locked up in combat and the two young heroes did very well, until the Sportsmaster released the gaseous mists of one of his exploding gas-bomb baseballs. The Fury lost track of the SS Kid in the gas cloud.
Fury started to get dizzy. The Yellow Wasp used his flying momentum to slam into her with a powerful kick. The Sportsmaster slammed her over the head with a cricket bat. Fury couldn't retain her balance. She tripped. The villains continued to charge her. She hated to admit that she wasn't ready for this, especially not while she was still weak from the gas.
"Kid, where are you?" she yelled.
There was no answer. She assumed that Bucky had fallen to the sleep gas. And she felt that she was going to be next. The situation was out of control. She needed help. She had to get Wonder Woman.
Much to her distaste, she was forced to go for help. She barreled passed the villains with the last of her strength and made a break for it. She hated leaving Bucky. She hoped he'd be okay.
Soon after . . .
Wonder Woman, having heard of the incident on the radio, ran with the speed of Mercury, sailing across rooftops, a blur of speed. According to the report, the Star-Spangled Kid and an unnamed 'blonde, teenage heroine' were battling three villains in an alley. After the smoke cleared, all three were gone. It was logical to believe that Bucky and the Fury had been taken.
Hippolyta was focused on one thought . . . To rescue the Fury and Bucky. Helena was her responsibility. If the girl was in danger, it was Hippolyta's duty to get her out of it. After all, Helena was only acting the hero because Wonder Woman wanted her to. This is all my fault! Hippolyta thought. I pray to Hera that she's all right!
Wonder Woman kept running at her top speed. In less than a minute, she'd be at the site of the attack, and hopefully, something there would provide her with a clue to the Fury's location. She was determined to save her young charge, and Bucky, no matter what!
Fury was getting her second wind and was racing back to the mansion to get Wonder Woman. She decided to make her way across the rooftops, figuring she'd be able to spot the enemy better if they were following. Wonder Woman had taught her that. Ironically, she reached the rooftops just after Wonder Woman had passed her by. They missed each other by less than thirty seconds.
As she passed a particular building rooftop, something caught her eye. It was a red-haired woman in a strange costume, sort of clownish, and reveling lots of skin. While the Fury ran, she noticed that the woman was setting some sort of explosive on the roof. Fury didn't want to stop. Bucky was in danger, and needed help. Any delay could be the death of her friend. She told herself that any distraction was foolish and a danger to Bucky. She told herself to just pass by and ignore it.
But she couldn't. She was taught by Wonder Woman. She couldn't just go off and let this crazed vandal blow up a building, and possibly kill some people. She had to do something about it!
This should only take a minute, Fury thought, She'll give me no trouble, and then I can go to rescue Bucky.
Fury set down on the roof. The Harlequin heard the footfall, and spun around in surprise. She stood up and looked at the teen heroine. "Come to join me or trying to stop me?"
"Stop what you're doing and surrender!" Fury said. "I have no time to deal with you now! You are keeping me from important matters! Come with me now!"
"Beg to differ, sweetie!" Harlequin said. "But I ain't going nowhere till I feel like going? Got it?"
"I have no time for this!" Fury said, and marched forward, planning to grab the Harlequin in her powerful hands, drag her away, and drop her off with the police. Then she could rescue Bucky. But Fury made a fundamental error! Harlequin made eye contact with the girl, and the Hypno-goggles worked their magic. A kaleidoscope of colors met the Fury's gaze, and the world spun into a surreal dream. The Harlequin stunned Helena Kosmatos into a walking sleep.
Fury's arms dropped to her sides and she stood unmoving, her eyes wide and staring. The Harlequin smiled, knowing that her opponent was helpless. The Harlequin paced slowly in circles around the young, blonde heroine, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Disappointing. Kids today, I tell ya."
The Harlequin sat on the edge of the roof, and produced a nail file. She sat, filing her nails, as she silently debated on what she should do with her captive.
In his lair, the Answer finished his Android. Having followed the Grandmaster's direction, the 'Super-Cell' was installed in the battle android. It all went as planned. The mechanoid should be able to mimic the abilities of the JSA. At the Answer's command, the robot stood up. It was a big, blue, hulking thing, basically human shaped with undefined facial features. It looked ready, but was it?
The Enchantress appeared. The Answer burned with desire at the sight of her. She was magnificent beyond words. She was the reason he had done all this. No task was too great to please his Goddess.
"Tis done?" She asked, rapping him around her finger with her sexy voice and smile.
"I believe so," the Answer said. "I received some unexpected help from one of the Elders of the Universe. Things should go even better than I planned."
She touched his hand, making him forget everything except how much he wanted her. "Impress me," she said, as she posed seductively on a workbench.
"We'll start immediately," the Answer said. "You've waited long enough. Its time for the JSA to face . . . the Carbon Copy Man!"
Continued next issue: The JSA’s Thanksgiving plans are spoiled when the Answer unleashes the Carbon Copy Man on the team. And will Bucky and Fury be rescued?