Berlin:
The war in Europe was over! Fascist Italy had long since fallen, and now Nazi Germany had been defeated. Hitler was dead and his officers had surrendered. Berlin was in the hands of American General George Patton and Russian General Chukoff. All over the world, people were celebrating the downfall of the ruthless Third Reich.
It had been a full day since the fighting concluded and the soldiers were still celebrating. Some of the Communist forces had run berserk for the first day, raping and pillaging, but they finally ceased their wild behavior and returned to the duty of overseeing the surrender of Germany. They started to work side-by-side with the American troops, keeping order and rounding up Nazi soldiers.
The victory was in no small way due to the army of American and British superheroes who had defeated the Nazi Uber-Soldiers, as well as the evil gods Loki, the Enchantress and the Executioner, along with Loki's powerful servant, the Destroyer. Their efforts had been costly and there were significant casualties. Heroes had fallen. But in the end, victory was theirs.
Captain American and General Patton had spoken to General Eisenhower and President Truman, as well as British Prime Minister Churchill. All three offered hardy congratulations and words of praise. Higher ranking generals like Omar Bradley and Beetle Smith were on their way to take command of Berlin personally.
Captain America decided that he would leave once General Bradley arrived. It was the proper protocol to remain and shake hands with the head of the American Armed Forces in Europe. Still, he'd been here for over a day since the fighting had stopped and there wasn't much left for him to do, except to show himself, and let the troops cheer him. But he wasn't in the mood for celebrating. There had been too much death and destruction for him to feel happy or celebratory. For some, it was time to celebrate. For him, it was time to mourn.
Also, the war in the Pacific hadn't ended yet. True, Japan was on the retreat and they were short on every possible resource, including manpower, but they were still fighting. They had a sense of honor that wouldn't allow them to give up. They would fight until they couldn't fight any more. Captain America decided that the costumed adventurers of the world should do the same thing in Japan as they had done here. Now that the Spear of Destiny was gone, it was time to end the fighting and suffering once and for all. Tojo and his militaristic Japanese Empire had to fall!
Cap gathered his masked super troopers and told them his plan. " . . . And I intend to go to Japan as soon as possible. I need to meet with General Bradley and possibly with Eisenhower, and then I want us all to march into Tokyo the way we did here in Berlin! I hope I can count on you all to be with me in this."
No one said 'No'. Who could refuse Captain America and the cause of liberty?
"Good!" Cap said. "One more battle and we can finally end this damn war!"
The next day, General Bradley arrived and surveyed the situation. He was glad to see that everything was under control and that the German population was offering no resistance. They seemed to be glad to be rid of Hitler and his oppressive Secret Police. The powerful Uber-Force was still contained by a mystic force field created by the Sentinel, Zatara, Aphrodite, and the Thunderbolt. They had also been threatened by the Spectre to behave or else!
After flattering Captain America for an hour or so, Bradley told Cap that he was needed back in the USA. The President and General Eisenhower wanted to congratulate him personally. Also, they wanted to trot him out in front of the public as a shining example of the perfect patriot. They hoped this would get people's minds off the tragic death toll. After that, they would allow him to go to Japan, but the President and Winston Churchill wanted to be part of it this time. They wanted to discuss the plan first and share in the credit. Cap reluctantly agreed.
Cap gathered his flock of heroes. "Okay, this is how it is. I have to go back to America for a few days. They want as many of you as possible to come with me. But I'd like some of you to stay here, just to make sure that the transition of power goes well. I'm not sure if we've seen the last of Loki and I'd like some of us to be here for at least a week to make sure he has nothing further up his devious sleeve."
"That's all fine," the Judo-Master said. "But I don't think we should wait any longer to deal with Japan. I've been fighting their imperialist forces for years and I've seen what they do to the people under their thumb."
"It'll only be a few more days," Cap said. "A week at most. Presidential orders."
"We don't all have to go," the Judo-Master responded. "And a week under the brutal thumb of Tojo's army is a few days too many!"
"So what are you suggesting?" Sentinel asked.
"That some of you come with me back to Japan," the martial arts hero stated. "We may not be able to bring down the Empire of the Rising Sun, but we can help some people and give them hope. And we can provide intel from the scene for when you and the rest of the group is ready to follow."
Cap considered this, and then nodded. "All right. I understand your feelings. If some of the team is willing to go with you as an advanced force, you can lead a preliminary covert action against Japan and we'll join you as soon as possible."
"It looks like we break up into teams," Uncle Sam said. "I think me and my boys from the Seven Soldiers of Victory should go with you back to the states."
"And I want to see Joan," Flash added.
"I'd like to go to Japan," Wonder Woman said. "I need to do something now to distract me."
Everyone knew she was talking about the death of her beloved Steve Trevor. Black Canary had a similar feeling. She had recently lost the Human Torch.
"I'll go to Japan, too," the Canary said.
"I'm with you two!" Fury piped up.
"I think the rest of us young Commandos should go with Fury," the Star-Spangled Kid said.
Hercules and Prince Namor decided that they should keep their distance from Wonder Woman while she was in mourning. Aquaman decided to stick with his brother. Starman had a personal reason to want to go back to the USA. Doc Savage and Dr. Mid-Nite decided to stay and look after the casualties. The Sandman wanted to stay with the wounded Sandy. Sergeants Fury and Rock, along with the few surviving members of their units, joined Patton's army, as did Jeb Stewart and his Haunted Tank. The Blackhawks patrolled the skies over Berlin. Doctor Fate had mysteriously vanished once again, as he frequently did when the fighting was over. Churchill ordered the British heroes to return to England. Finally, the teams were chosen.
Captain America returned to the states, along with the Flash, Uncle Sam, the Patriot, the Guardian, the Fighting American, the Spirit of '76, the Whizzer, Miss America, the Liberty Belle, Starman, Zatara the Magician, Amazing Man, and Plastic Man.
William Churchill expected Union Jack, Sir Justin, Spitfire, and the Destroyer all back in London immediately.
Sentinel commanded the team that remained in Berlin. It consisted of Logan, Hercules, the Sub-Mariner, Hawkman, Aquaman, Robotman, Johnny Quick, the Fin, Wildcat, Doc Savage, Dr. Mid-Nite, the Red Torpedo, Sandman, and Sandy.
The Judo-Master would lead the covert squad into Japan. His team consisted of Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Star-Spangled Kid, Toro, Fury, Marvel Boy, Johnny Thunder, the Atom, and Hourman.
The goddess Aphrodite and the demigod Hurricane indicated that they couldn't participate. Wonder Woman used the Mother Box she had come into possession of to transport the Judo-Master's team to Japan. The army arranged transport for Cap and his men back to the US. Flash, however, decided to run home. Joan was waiting for him.
The following day, Captain America sat at a table across from General Eisenhower and a few of his aides in the Pentagon. Also in attendance was former President Herbert Hoover, who was now head of the new intelligence division.
"This is insanity!" Captain America said. "This bomb you've built! It's monstrous!"
"No more monstrous than what the German's have been doing to the Jews in the concentration camps", Hoover said. "Is it more monstrous than the Warsaw Ghetto?"
"We're not talking about Germany now," Cap said. "We've beaten the Nazis."
"And of course, the Japs are such wonderful people," Hoover said, sarcastically.
"Remember Pearl Harbor," Eisenhower added.
"I'm not excusing what's been done by the Japanese military in the past, sir," Cap said. "But we're talking about bombing thousands and thousands of innocent civilians with this-this atomic bomb!"
"We've been killing thousands of Japanese civilians per month for a year now," Eisenhower said. "Our fire bombings have ravaged Tokyo. You never complained. Why so squeamish now?"
"Because if we do this, we become worse than they are!" Cap insisted. "That's not why I fought!"
"You fought for your country!" Eisenhower said. "I expect you to remain loyal to it, and to the President. At least, until the war is over!"
"Just give me and my men a week, General!" Cap asked. "One week to march into Japan and take down Tojo and his imperialist regime! Then you won't have to use your bomb! I'll clear my invasion plan with General Macarthur and I'll be ready to go within a week. What have you got to lose?"
Eisenhower and Hoover looked at each other. Hoover shrugged. Eisenhower considered for a moment. "Very well, Captain. Our mission isn't scheduled for another month at least. Doctor Oppenheimer wants to run a test on the prototype at Yuka Flats. You have until then, or we drop the bomb!"
"Fair enough!" Cap said. "That's all I ask. Thank you, sir."
Los Alamos:
While Dr. Oppenheimer prepared for the imminent test, one of his staff of scientists was not happy with the prospect. Doctor Theodore Knight - a.k.a. Starman - had just returned from his mission in Germany with the JSA and the other heroes. He'd been having second thoughts about his involvement in this Fat Man/Little Boy/Old Friend atomic project. Now he'd learned that the bombs were ready to go and that a test of the prototype was being scheduled. After that, the three atomic weapons would be unleashed on the population of Japan. Doctor Knight was highly agitated and guilt ridden over this news.
"What have I done?" he muttered, with desperate despair. "What in God's name have I done?"
Oto Island, just off the coast of Japan;
Tiny Oto Island was a primitive place, seemingly forgotten by the march of time. Although it was just off the coast of the Japanese Islands, it was untouched by the progress of the last few decades. The diminutive island was of little use to the Empire and the indigenous population saw little of the soldiers. The people there lived simple lives. They watched the war from across the Sea of Japan and wondered about the explosions they heard and smoke they saw. They wanted no part of it.
The Judo-Master and his nine companions stepped out of the Boom Tube onto Oto Island. It was the Judo-Master's idea to do some recon work before walking into the heart of Japan. He'd hid on Oto Island before. He knew it was a safe place. The Military didn't even bother keeping a garrison here any longer because they were so short of men at this point. Oto Island was the perfect place to start.
"The village looks peaceful," Wonder Woman said. "Almost serene. Nothing here to indicate a country at war."
"This is a different world," Judo-Master said. "These people know nothing of war and I hope they never do. Follow me. I know these people."
Judo-Master led the group into the village. The rest of the team was surprised when that their arrival aroused so little interest. "You'd think they had teams of superheroes stopping by every day," Star-Spangled Kid said.
The Judo-Master spoke to a few of the villagers who seemed basically friendly but strangely distant. Their philosophy was, if you ignore the world, it might go away. Judo-Master wondered why he didn't see any children around. They were usually running around, so lively.
A small elderly man approached them and bowed politely. "Excuse me," he said in English. "I came to greet my old friend, the Judo-Master."
"Elder Shigeta!" Judo-Master said, bowing. "A pleasure to see you again, my good friend. Wonder Woman. Everyone. This is Shigeta, the village Elder."
"I greet you all," Shigeta said. "Your arrival is most timely. May I speak to you alone?"
"Of course," Black Canary said.
"Please wait for me in my hut," Shigeta said. "Judo-Master knows where it is."
A few minutes later, they were sitting barefoot on the floor of Shigeta's little hut, waiting for the village elder to arrive. They wondered what was so urgent.
"I've know Shigeta many years," Judo-Master said. "I'm sure he has a good reason for -- "
"He does!" A booming voice interrupted.
They all turned to the door and saw the massive figure standing there. It was fifteen feet tall and its head touched the ceiling. It was covered in white fur. It seemed to have no features on its face except for two piercing red eyes. "It was kind of Shigeta to bring you all into one small space."
Wonder Woman leaped to her feet, alarmed. "Who are you, creature?"
"I'm afraid I know who it is," Marvel Boy said. "And we're in trouble!"
The white furry creature laughed. "Out of the mouths of babes! But for those of you who do not know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Xemnu the Titan! And you will soon call me Master!"
From out of Xemnu's forehead came a shimmering, transparent beam of light. It enveloped the small group of heroes who were clustered close together in a circle. "Sleep!" he commanded.
Wonder Woman tried to leap at him, but she was the first to fall. The Black Canary opened her mouth to shout her sonic scream, but the words never came out. She too fell into a deep sleep. Johnny Thunder tried to call his Thunderbolt but like the Canary, no sound came out and he fell to the ground, along with the rest of the team.
Xemnu laughed. "All too easy."
Xemnu was unaware that the Mother Box which Hippolyta carried had automatically sent out a distress signal in response to the danger to its current owner. The Mother Box sought out a mind which would fit its need.
Somewhere in the Pacific:
Princess Diana, champion and most powerful of the Amazons, had been exploring the world outside Paradise Island for years now. She'd been to Asgard, Olympus, even the planet Mars. She's explored the seven continents and had been secretly helping innocent victims of the war. At the moment, she was sailing alone across the Pacific in a wooden sailboat she had constructed. She enjoyed the sea; the feel of the wind; the sound of the waves and gulls; the privacy!
Then she felt something in her head. It seemed like a strange, alien mind trying to tell her something. Whatever it was, it was warning her that her mother was in grave danger! Diana didn't know why, but her instincts told her to believe the voice. She slipped on the sandals of Mercury and with a leap, she was running through the air, directed by the mysterious voice. She was heading toward Japan!
Oto Island:
Wonder Woman found herself inside a strange structure. She didn't know how she got there, but it was large and metal. The technology seemed to be very advanced. She noticed her ten companions lying on tables, covered by glass domes. They seemed to be still in the trance-induced sleep Xemnu had put them into. She also noticed that there were other tables with Asian children sleeping atop them.
Currently, Wonder Woman realized that she was standing on a small raised platform. She was eye-to-eye with the mysterious Xemnu. He was staring at her, and the beams from his forehead were washing over the Amazon Queen. She felt strange. Very weak. She wanted to attack him but she couldn't. There were no restraints and yet she couldn't do anything.
"W . . . what are you doing to me?" she asked. "I . . . can't move!"
"I've sapped your free will, Amazon," Xemnu said. "You may want to escape, but you lack the will to do so."
"I . . . must . . . escape!" she whispered.
"You cannot," Xemnu said. "I will not permit it. I need you. You will help me. And after we escape this dismal world, you shall come with me . . . as my bride!"
"Bride?" she repeated stunned. "No!"
Philadelphia, PA:
Captain America was making a personal appearance, for public relations reasons. He was to address a crowd in front of Constitution Hall. He was accompanied by the Flash, Zatara, Amazing Man, and Plastic Man. Uncle Sam and the 7 Soldiers of Victory were making a similar appearance on the West Coast, and most of the other heroes were still in either Germany, Britain, or Japan. Starman was supposed to have been there as well, but he hadn't shown up yet. A young Lieutenant was there as an assistant.
Cap and his four friends waited inside Constitution Hall. They talked among themselves, waiting to be introduced. Suddenly, a Boom Tube opened next to them. To their surprise, Wonder Woman stepped out of the portal. She looked upset.
"Captain America, I need your help!" she cried. "All of you! Come with me! The team in Japan needs your help! You must come now!"
"Polly?" Cap asked. "What's happened?"
"I'll explain later," Hippolyta said. "The portal will soon close. You must step through quickly!"
Cap had the feeling something was wrong, but he knew this was the real Wonder Woman. Who else had a Mother Box? And her body language and speech patterns were just right. It was really her and she needed help. His team needed him. How could he hesitate?
"All right!" Cap said. "Flash, come with me. You too, Plas. You're still an auxiliary JSA member. Amazing Man, I'd like you to come, too, if you would. Lieutenant, tell the military what's happened and see if you can get in touch with Sentinel in Germany. We may need back-up!"
Without further delay, Cap, Flash, Plastic Man, and Amazing Man followed her into the Boom tube.
Oto Island:
Wonder Woman, Cap and the others appeared in the abandoned village on the small island.
"This is Oto Island," Wonder Woman said. "The people in the village and my fellow heroes were captured by aliens."
"Aliens?" Plastic Man said, surprised. "Whoa! Time out! When did aliens come into this?"
"They've been here for some considerable time," she said. "And they've enslaved the villagers. Our friends are in their ship. We have no time to waste."
"Let's take a look at this ship," Cap said.
Wonder Woman led the others over a hill. The huge saucer ship sat like a shiny, metal giant amidst the greenery. Amazing Man. Who'd never seen a UFO before, was speechless.
"Its size has increased since I left," she said. "It seems to be growing."
"Well. Let's go borrow a cup of space sugar from the space neighbors," Plas said, stretching forward. But then he hit a force field. Shocked, he was bounced back.
"You okay, Plas?" Amazing Man asked.
"I smell something cooking," Plastic Man said. "Oh, wait. It's me!"
"Circle around it, Flash," Cap ordered. "Maybe there's a gap somewhere."
Flash blinked out of sight and instantly reappeared. "No luck. Solid all around."
Cap smashed his shield against it. "I might as well be slapping it with a wet noodle."
"Perhaps my magic will be able to pierce it," Zatara said.
"Wait!" Wonder Woman said. "I noticed a cave earlier. It may run under the force field."
"Let's have a look!" Cap said.
Soon the five heroes were walking through the underground cave. Zatara provided light with his magic wand.
"Looks like we're in Luck," Cap said. "By my reckoning, we should have already passed the point where the force field begins. Still, we don't know if there's another opening. We might have to dig up."
"Maybe not," Flash said. "If the ship is growing upwards and outwards, then it's possible that it's growing downwards, too."
"How the heck can a flying saucer grow?" Amazing Man asked.
"I can't explain it, "Wonder Woman said. "I just . . . Wait! Look! I see a light up ahead!"
The cave led to the wall of the ship which was imbedded in the ground. The light came from an open airlock which led inside the ship. Inside it was very bright and it took their eyes a moment to adjust to the light. Then they gazed upon the huge, magnificent deck of the alien ship. It was a miracle of technology and science. It was not of this Earth.
"You could put Ebbets Field in here and still have room for the parking lot," Plas said.
"What a maze of gadgets!" the Flash said. "It's all beyond me! I wonder where our host is."
"I bet he's watching us right now," Zatara said. "I can sense his evil from here!"
"I think the others are this way," wonder Woman said. "Stick close together."
The group started to move forward, but Cap held up a hand. "Hold it!"
"What are you waiting for?" Wonder Woman asked. "They need us!"
"The game is over," Cap said. "We're not playing anymore. I don't know what's happened to you, Polly. I assume this alien being is influencing you somehow."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been too obvious," Cap said. "You never told us how you escaped, but the Hippolyta I know never runs from a fight. And your knowing about those tunnels was a bit too convenient. And then there was that very handy open air lock. How dumb do you think I am?"
"Very clever, human!" a voice echoed from a loud speaker. "But cleverness will not save you! Hippolyta! You know what to do."
"Yes master!" she said, and leaped forward.
Wonder Woman moved with amazing speed and knocked out Zatara before he knew what hit him. She tried to hit the Flash next, but he was far too fast for her. He easily dodged. He was reluctant to counter-attack, both because she was a friend and also because she was a woman. He backed off.
"Don't make me fight you, Polly!"
"The mighty Xemnu must prevail!" she responded, chasing him.
Plastic Man stretched to help out, but a laser beam fired from an unseen port and shocked him into unconsciousness.
And then Xemnu made his appearance. Cap and Amazing Man were surprised at his intimidating size. Having no face, Cap couldn't read his expression.
"Xemnu, I presume," Cap said.
"Such a clever little human," Xemnu said. "Wonder Woman was right about you. I'm glad you came. Such a mind will be useful to me."
"See if you like my shield as much as my mind!" Cap snapped.
He threw his shield at the Titan, but Xemnu fired his telekinetic beams. He took control of the shield and sent it hurtling back at the Captain with tremendous speed. The shield hit the star-spangled hero and knocked him against the wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs. He lay there, stunned.
"Sleep!" Xemnu said, enveloping Cap in his mental power.
Being already stunned, Cap fell victim to Xemnu's power and slipped into sleep. Amazing Man found himself alone against Xemnu. He touched the hull and absorbed its texture. He became as hard as the material the ship was made of. He felt a little more confident.
"Let's see what you got, Mr. Fleabag!" Amazing Man said.
The annoyed Xemnu blasted the Amazing Man with a full power blast of mental energy. Despite his physical solidity, Amazing Man had no defense against the psychic attack. He screamed and fell.
Flash was alone now, trying to avoid Wonder Woman's attack, as well as the laser beams. He didn't like the way this was going. Should he try to tackle Xemnu alone? How durable was the giant? Could the Flash take the alien before Xemnu and Wonder Woman double teamed him? And what other weapons were hidden in the ship?
He saw the airlock starting to close. He only had seconds to act. Once that door was closed, he might never escape. He hated to leave his friends but he decided that he needed back-up. Regretfully, he zipped toward the airlock and escaped the ship just before the hatch slammed shut.
"A pity he escaped," Xemnu said. "Still, it may not be a total lose. He may bring friends back."
Later in another section of the ship:
Cap woke up to find himself strapped to a strange machine. He saw his three colleagues, along with the Judo-Master, the Black Canary, the Atom, Hourman, and the Young Commandos. Each was held asleep or immobile in a glass tube. Wonder Woman stood guard over them.
There were a lot of children, also held in stasis. On a huge monitor screen, he saw the villagers of Oto Island working like zombies, carrying strange tools, repairing some damage on the outside hull of Xemnu's ship.
"Awake, are you, human?" Xemnu said. "You have considerable recuperative powers."
"What's going on here, Xemnu?" Cap asked. "Doesn't the condemned have a right to know?"
"I see no reason not to tell you," Xemnu replied. "You are an interesting specimen. You see, my race was destroyed in a war. As far as I know, I am the last of the Titans. I fled my devastated planet and searched for a way to save my race."
"If you're the last, there can't be that many left to save," Cap observed.
"I will not be the last for much longer," Xemnu said. "I intend to repopulate my race. I crashed here after receiving damage in an asteroid field. I landed on this island several of your years ago. I've been using my mental powers to control the villagers and make them do the work for me. The ship is almost ready and soon I'll be able to leave. I am drawing geo-thermal power from the Earth, which is causing the living metal of the ship to expand and grow exponentially."
"That's only part of the story," Cap replied. "I'm missing a few pieces."
"Indeed so," Xemnu said. "You see, I need Titan children to repopulate my race. But I had no Titan woman. So I've been doing genetic studies on these children. Soon, I will have enough knowledge to alter their DNA and turn them into Titans, like myself. They will come with me to find a new world and repopulate the species."
"Barbaric!" Cap yelled. "Taking children away from their parents."
"Their parents are under my control, so they don't feel any regret," Xemnu said. "And when I leave, I intend to kill them all anyway. No one comes with me but the children and Wonder Woman."
"Why her?"
"I may need more children later," Xemnu said. "I decided that I would implant my seed in a fertile woman. I needed to find a woman powerful enough to survive the rigors of giving birth to many, many Titan women. This 'Wonder Woman' of yours is powerful enough to survive the process. I will inseminate her with my seed and she will give birth to the next generation of Titans. She will be the mother of a new race . . . My queen!"
"Why am I still alive?" Cap asked. "And the others? Why not kill us?"
"I'm using my machine to analyze your super powers," Xemnu said. "I hope to duplicate them. These powers will then be added to my Titan children, making them virtually invincible. Your friend, the Flash, escaped. If he comes back with others, I will defeat them and add their powers to my children!"
Xemnu was distracted by a machine bleeping an alert signal. Xemnu rushed to the controls. He was surprised. "It seems something has breached my force field. You must have powerful friends. I will -- "
Suddenly, something struck the ship. The whole vessel rocked with the impact. Xemnu was startled by the impact. "Incredible! Who could have such power?"
Xemnu left the chamber to investigate. Cap wondered if it was the Sentinel. Or perhaps Hercules. Whoever it was, Cap hoped he could handle Xemnu and Wonder Woman.
Xemnu reached the outer section of the ship, just in time to see the main hatchway buckling under the power of whoever was pounding on it. "Astounding!" Xemnu said. He decided to open the hatch. Better to do that than allow it to be broken. It would take months to fix if it were damaged and he was in a hurry to leave.
The hatch door opened and in came a beautiful, dark haired woman. She resembled Hippolyta.
"You!" she said, pointing. "Where is my mother? Where is Queen Hippolyta?"
"Ah!" Xemnu said. "Another one. A daughter. Perhaps I will have two brides to inseminate."
"I am officially nauseated!" Diana said, "And if you don't produce my mother in the next five seconds, there is going to be white fur all over these walls!"
"Spirit!" Xemnu said. "I like that!"
Xemnu pressed a button. Laser beams fired once again. Diana was alerted by seeing Xemnu press the button and her warrior instincts took over. Using her Amazonium bracelets and the speed of Mercury, she deflected the laser blasts. The reflected beams damaged part of the ship and almost hit Xemnu.
Xemnu turned off the lasers, since they were doing more harm than good. "You are an astonishing specimen, female! You will bear many strong sons."
"You will bare many broken bones!" Diana yelled. "Where is my mother?"
Xemnu used his mental powers to try to take hypnotic control of Diana. "You will obey me!"
"No . . . I . . . will . . . not!!" She sneered.
"You cannot resist -- " he began.
"Get out of my head!!" she screamed, unyielding.
There was a psychic backlash that almost knocked Xemnu off his feet. "This is inconceivable! No one has ever resisted my powers before! Your mother was so easily controlled!"
"I am not my mother or anyone else you have ever met!" Diana cried. "I am princess of the Amazons! I will not yield!"
Diana started to move forward, slowly. She got closer and closer to Xemnu. As hard as he tried, Xemnu couldn't overcome her with his powers. He was frightened. This had never happened before.
"Stay back!" Xemnu yelled, panicky.
"Come here and try to inseminate me, monster!" she said, furiously.
When Diana got close enough, Xemnu resorted to primitive tactics. He swung his large, three-fingered fist at her. He hoped she was disoriented enough for the blow to get passed her guard. He was wrong!
Diana grabbed his long arm and flipped him across the room. He crashed into a wall. He roared in pain. "I'll destroy you for this, human!"
"You're not doing a very good job so far!" she said. "Where is my mother?"
"Your mother?" Xemnu said. "Of course! I'll be glad to reunite you."
At Xemnu's mental command, Hippolyta came into the room.
"Mother!" Diana said, happily. But then, to her surprise, her mother struck her, knocking her across the room."
"Very good, Wonder Woman," Xemnu said. "I give you the honor of killing her for me!"
"Thank you, master!" Hippolyta replied. "It is an honor to serve you."
Diana realized what was happening. "You're in her head, the way you tried to control me!"
"Indeed!" Xemnu said. "And you must kill her or she will kill you! I don't think you will kill your own mother. But even if you do, you'll be tired and weak afterwards, and then I will be able to capture you easily! You will then be the mother of my new race! Either way, I win!"
Xemnu watched, amused and confident as the two Amazons fought. Diana was clearly the more powerful but she was holding back, unwilling to seriously harm her mother. The fight dragged on.
Suddenly, a red streak flashed in through the open hatch. The Flash had returned. Moving at phenomenal speed, he pummeled Xemnu with thousands of blows. Xemnu roared in pain, and tried to use his mental powers to home-in on the Flash. The speedster started to get disoriented.
Abruptly, Xemnu was encased in a green bubble of energy. Sentinel flew in through the hatch. He was followed by Hercules, Namor, Logan and all the other heroes who'd stayed in Germany.
Hercules and Namor closed in on Wonder Woman - having been warned by the Flash that she was under Xemnu's control - and then, together with Diana, they held her immobile. She screamed angrily.
"Release me!" Hippolyta cried. "I must help Xemnu!"
Diana tied Hippolyta up with her own golden lasso. "Mother! Listen to me! You must obey! You are not Xemnu's slave any longer! You are free! You must listen to me! You are free of his power!"
Hippolyta swooned, and Diana caught her. She scooped up her mother, cradling the Queen in her arms. "I must take her to the healer Paula. The Purple Ray will heal any damage done to her."
"Go on," Sentinel said. "We'll wrap up here!"
Opening a Boom Tube, Diana took Hippolyta back to Paradise Island.
"We'll find Cap and the others," the Flash and Johnny Quick both said, running off.
While this distraction was going on, Xemnu telepathically activated his ship. He knew the repairs were almost done and he took a gamble that the ship was flight-worthy. The hatch closed, the engines fired, vessel rocked, and Xemnu's ship rose up from the ground.
"Ha!" Xemnu said. "You are trapped aboard my ship! Now you must negotiate with me!"
Marvel Boy looked at the monitor. "We've jumped to light speed, but I can turn us around."
Captain America, Judo-Master, and the others came into the room. "Situation!" Cap said.
Sentinel quickly filled him in on their predicament. Cap checked with Marvel Boy.
"We're heading back to Earth," Marvel Boy said, "I've slowed our descent. We're out of light-speed, but I don't know how to land this thing. We're going to crash!"
"Madmen!" Xemnu yelled. "You'll kill us all!"
The ship headed for the ocean. It dropped quickly, like a meteor. It was going to crash.
"Johnny!" Cap yelled. "Get everyone out of here! The kids, too! Now!"
"Right!" Johnny Thunder said. "Cei U!"
Immediately, Johnny Thunder's mystic Thunder genie appeared. "Yes, master Johnny?"
"Get everyone out of here, bolt!" Johnny ordered. "Us, the kids in the other room! Every living thing, except that ugly, furry Xemnu guy! Get us out now!"
"As you command, Master John," the Thunderbolt said.
With a wave of his hand, the Thunderbolt magically transported everyone aboard - except Xemnu - off the falling ship. Xemnu found himself alone, with no time to take control his vessel.
"Noooooo!" Xemnu screamed.
The ship crashed into the ocean. Already damaged, it exploded. The debris and shrapnel sunk.
Oto Island:
The heroes and the kids were back on the tiny island. The villagers had been freed from Xemnu's control and were reunited with their kids. Everyone was safe and Xemnu was gone. Judo Master was surprised when one of them commented on how long he was gone.
"But we've only been gone for a few minutes." Judo-Master replied.
"Oh no!" Flash said. "The time distortion!" Moving for three minutes at light speed could be two or three months down here on Earth! We may have been gone for months!"
Captain America looked over at the main Japanese Island. The sky was full of black smoke and there was the smell of death on the wind. "The deadline had passed!" Cap said. "They used the bomb! Dear lord, they used the atomic bomb on Japan!"
After a special interlude in Sensation Comics #10, the war concludes in Justice Society of America #49!