June, 1942 . . . Washington, DC, USA.
The crisis was over. The weather had been returned to normal. The being known as Thunderstorm had been caged and the plans of Loki and Ares had been thwarted. The JSA and their allies returned to their mansion in Washington, DC hoping to relax, at least for a little while. However, there was no rest for the weary.
The sound of fighting came from inside. "Be on your guard, troops!" Captain America ordered. "Sentinel, Hippolyta, you take point. And Thor, if you wouldn't mind joining them . . . "
"'Twill be Thor's honor," the thunder god said, and joined Sentinel and Wonder Woman in leading the group inside. What they saw, they did not expect.
Inside was Master Man, who had escaped from prison during the recent chaos. That was not the surprise. What was surprising was that he was fighting a boy. An agile fourteen year old boy was bouncing around the room with impressive speed. Master Man was having trouble catching him. Nearby lay a strange device. Cap didn't know what the device was, but he knew the boy.
"Bucky!" Cap yelled.
"Steve!" Bucky yelled, happily. Steve frowned.
Steve! Cap thought. Bucky knows who I am!
Master Man saw the collective force of the super being army that had arrived. He cursed in German and then held his hands up. "I surrender!"
Cap walked over to Master Man. They stared at each other nose-to-nose. The Captain swung his fist and flattened Master Man. "Get this skunk out of here!" Cap ordered.
"I'll take him," Doc Savage said. Savage was standing in the back of the room with the man called Logan. "I should be going anyway."
"Yeah," Logan agreed. "We ain't in your little society and I gotta be gettin' back to Canada. We'll drop Nazi boy here off at the Bureau."
Sentinel created handcuffs for Master Man. After some quick goodbyes, Doc Savage and Logan left. Cap then pointed to the device on the floor which the Flash was studying. "What is it?" Cap asked.
"It's a bomb," Flash replied. "He was going to blow up the mansion. That would've been a nice public relations victory for the Nazis."
"This boy stopped him," Black Canary said.
Bucky smiled proudly. Cap grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to another room. "Come here!"
Cap slammed the door closed and faced Bucky angrily. "All right . . . let's hear your explanation for this!"
"That's a swell thank you, Steve-O," Bucky said. "I figured out who you were and I've been spying on the mansion, watching you. When you guys were all gone I saw this crumb sneaking into the house through the hole in the wall. I followed him in and he was setting up that little machine. He muttered something about a countdown so I kinda figured it was a bomb. So I grabbed one of those antique weapons off the wall and attacked him. He got it away from me, so I grabbed another. I lost that one too. He chased me around the room and that was when you guys came in. And that's the story!"
Cap was impressed. Master Man was one of the most dangerous assassins the Germans had but the kid held his own for a while. "Where'd you learn to do all that?"
"I've lived on the streets, traveled with a circus and been a mascot for the military," Bucky said. "You gotta learn a few things on the way."
Cap was torn. He liked Bucky and was impressed with his abilities but now that the kid knew his identity, what should he do with him?
"We've got a problem, Bucky," Cap said. "My identity is a highly guarded military secret. Now that you know, you've got to promise to keep it mum."
"Sure thing, no problem, Steverino," Bucky said. "If you make me your partner!"
"What?!"
"I wanna be like you, Steve," Bucky said earnestly. "I want to be a hero. I want you to teach me!"
"Out of the question!" Cap snapped back.
"Why not?" Bucky asked. "You've seen that I can handle myself. And if you teach me . . . "
"No!" Cap said. "You're just a boy! This is no life for you! It's too dangerous!"
"I'm used to danger," Bucky said. "I've survived in some of the roughest neighborhoods. I've fought street gangs and now I fought Master Man! I can handle myself!"
"You have no idea what my life is like!" Cap said. "It's constant danger far beyond anything you've seen. Even Master Man pales in comparison to some of the things I've faced recently! You're not equipped to handle it!"
"Neither were you before you started doing it, I bet!" Bucky said. "But you learned and you became great. I wanna learn too so I can be great! And you'd be the best teacher!"
"I'm sorry Bucky, I can't . . . "
"Steve. Cap. Listen," Bucky interrupted. "I'm gonna keep hanging around here. You can't get rid of me. And don't forget, I know who you are!"
"Are you trying to blackmail me?!"
"Hey, blackmail is an ugly word," Bucky answered. "I prefer extortion."
Cap paced. What was he to do? If he told Bucky to go away, the kid would just lurk around the place, and knowing how the JSA's fights tended to spill outside, he'd probably end up getting involved, and if he wasn't trained he would get hurt. Also, if he gets mad enough, he might blab about Cap's identity. But there was something else on Cap's mind. The reason that Cap got a job and met Bucky was that Cap wanted friends, a connection to the world. Bucky had become a friend. Cap would like having Bucky's company even when he was in costume. A partner, that would be nice. And Bucky had a point. Cap knew nothing about any of this combat or survival stuff until the army trained him. He'd mastered it in record time. So why not pass on his knowledge, begin the next generation of hero. Bucky had the potential to be a great one. So why not?
He looked at Bucky. "Let me think about it, okay?"
"You've got it, chief!" Bucky answered.
Cap returned to the other room with Bucky close behind. They were talking to Stripesy who had arrived. "And I haven't been able to find the Star-Spangled Kid anywhere. I'm getting worried."
"We'll help you look," Flash answered. "All of us. Right guys?"
Everyone answered yes, except for one dissenting voice.
"Sorry guys," Wildcat said. "You're gonna have to search without me. I'm out. I quit!"
"Quit?" Cap asked. "What on Earth for?"
"Cause I don't belong here," Wildcat said. "I ain't no good against gods, aliens and monsters. I'm just an ex-boxer who wears a mask. All I've got is a good right hook."
"I've got no powers either," Cap said. "But I contribute in my own way."
"You sure as hell do," Wildcat said. "You're Captain America. You just have to show your shield and people get all gooey with adoration. You inspire people. I don't!"
"What about Dr. Mid-Nite and Black Canary?" Cap asked.
"That's their problem," Wildcat asked. "And if I was them I'd reconsider my career options, but that's for them to decide. As for me, my mind's made up. I'm through being the guy who gets beat up or captured. I'm through with all this! I'm out!"
"There's nothing I can say that can change your mind?" Cap asked.
"Not a thing!" Wildcat said. "No hard feelings, Cappo. I enjoyed working with you people. It was an honor. But I gotta do this. Believe me, you won't even miss me."
"I doubt that," Cap said. "Your absence will be felt. Goodbye, pal. You're a good man."
Wildcat shook Cap's hand. He said his goodbyes. Black Canary gave him a big hug and a kiss. "Goodbye you big galoot. Don't be a stranger!"
"So long, sweetie," he said. "I'm gonna miss you most of all."
Wildcat turned and saw Namor facing him. Wildcat and the Sub-Mariner had had many fights during their months in the Justice Society. They'd almost become violent on two occasions. Wildcat waited to see what Namor had to say.
Namor crossed his arms in an Atlantean salute and nodded respectfully. "Farewell, warrior. May Great Neptune bless you."
Wildcat returned the gesture. "You too, buddy. You're okay."
And with that, Wildcat departed. The team watched the door close behind him, half expecting him to say 'I was just kidding' and turn back. But he didn't. And he was gone.
"All right," Cap said. "We've still got to find the Star-Spangled Kid, so let's make a search party. Whizzer, Miss America, are you in on this?"
"We're with you," Whizzer said.
"Good. You two go with the Flash and Stripesy. Follow up any leads that Stripesy has. You speedsters can cover a lot of ground. If you don't come up with anything, we'll try a different approach."
"Wait," Miss Venus--Aphrodite--said. "Do you have anything that belonged to him?"
"I can get something," Stripesy said.
"Bring it to me and I should be able to sense his whereabouts," she said.
"Swell!" Stripesy said and raced away to find something that belonged to the Star-Spangled Kid.
"So I guess we can all relax until then," Flash said. "Good. I can use a rest. I'm just going to pop over to Keystone county and see how Joan's doing after those storms. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Flash zipped away. Miss Venus looked at the whole group. "He's right," she said. "You all need a rest."
Cap nodded. "Yes, that would be nice. I'm tempted to order a mandatory hiatus right now, but there's still a war on."
Miss Venus touched him on the shoulder, stirring lust in him, as with any mortal man she touched. "Yes, it's true the war is far from over, but you've had a rough first year. That last mission was a hard one. I think you all have earned a rest. Some . . . How do you humans say it . . . Some 'downtime.'"
"You're suggesting we take the day off?" Black Canary said.
"No," Miss Venus said. "I'm giving you the whole summer off."
"Are you kidding?" Black Canary asked.
Venus shook her head. The Canary cheered with excitement.
"I must object," Dr. Fate said. "The war will not pause for the summer and we cannot be absent for so long."
"Well, obviously this is all contingent on whether we can find someone to replace you."
"Replace us?" Namor asked, offended. "We cannot easily be replaced. Who could stand in for the likes of us!"
The mighty Thor stepped forward. "Thor doth volunteer for this noble purpose. I wouldst most greatly enjoy a chance to spend some time upon Midgard."
"Midgard?" Sentinel asked.
"In Norse mythology that was the name for Earth," Dr. Mid-Nite said.
"Yea," Thor said. "Thor doth have a fondness for this lush green world, yet little time am I able to spend here. I wouldst welcome an excuse to remain here for a time."
"Excellent," Miss Venus said. "That's one."
"We'll volunteer, it'd help our reputation a lot," The Whizzer said. "Right honey?"
"Sure thing," Miss America said. "It'd be and honor and a pleasure to fill in for the likes of Wonder Woman. And like the Whizzer said, it'll put us on the map."
"I owe my brother a service," Aquaman said. "And would gladly fill in for him for a time. I am half human, after all and should probably learn more about the surface."
"Opal's been quiet lately," Starman said. "I suppose I could be spared for a time."
"The team will need a leader," Hawkwoman said, looking at Hawkman. "You're a born leader, my dear, and you've done a good job leading the Society of Substitute Heroes. How about if we step in? You can run the team for the summer."
"Very well," Hawkman said. "But only for the summer. Then I go back to part-time."
"Well that should do it," Miss Venus said. "Seven should be enough. Especially since we have Thor's strength to fall back on. And I can summon the rest of you if there is a serious incident requiring more power. All right then, you all have the blessings of the gods to go on vacation."
Cap grinned. This was perfect. It gave him a chance to start training Bucky in a non-hostile environment, to see if he could handle the major leagues. "Thank you, Miss Venus. We'll take--Let's say ten weeks off. We'll reconvene on the second week of September."
"Before you go, we need to decide what to do with the Creature Commandos," Sentinel said.
"Oh right," Cap said. "I forgot about them. Where are they?"
"In the basement," Sentinel replied. "Miss Venus and I created a field of suspended animation for them."
"Let's go have a look," Cap said.
They went down to the basement. Flash suddenly returned. "Did I miss anything?"
Dr. Mid-Nite smiled. "One or two little things."
Namor went over to Hippolyta. "Can I see you in private for a few minutes, good Queen?" Hippolyta nodded and they went into another room.
The Black Canary was looking thoughtful. She strolled out onto the back yard. The Human Torch saw her go and followed. She sat on one of Miss Venus' marble benches. The Torch sat next to her.
"Hello, Canary. Are you all right?"
"I'm okay, Jim. I just have a lot of thinking to do. With Wildcat leaving, it brings home a point I've been worried about. That I don't measure up. That I don't belong in the JSA."
"Of course you do!" the Torch snapped back.
"I'm not so sure. It's okay for you, Jim. You've got super-powers. All I do is martial arts. Maybe I should just leave too."
"No!" The Torch shouted. "You can't!"
"I can't?" she said. "Why can't I?"
"Well, uh, b . . . because," he began nervously. "Because I need you here. Because . . . I love you!"
The Canary looked at the Torch confused. "What did you just say?"
"I said that I . . . I love you."
"You love me?" she repeated, surprised. "But . . . you're a--I mean, I didn't know you were able to . . . "
The Torch was staring at her adoringly and she was amazed that she never saw the look in his eye before. The look of a young boy on his first crush. And that was kind of what the Torch was . . . A child, less than a year old.
"Jim, listen. I like you. You're a nice guy. But I'm not sure that this would work out. I mean, I feel like a sister to you. And anyway, I'm not sure if a human and an android can . . . can . . . Well, you know!"
The Torch didn't know. But he was started to get the gist of the message. "Are you saying--That I'm not good enough because I'm an android?"
"I never said you weren't good enough!" she countered. "Just that we're . . . different."
"I see," the Torch repeated, standing up. His face was a mask of sorrow.
"Don't be hurt," she said. "I'm sorry."
"I can't be hurt," The Torch answered. "I'm only an android." The Torch walked away.
"Don't be like that," Black Canary called, but he didn't answer. She felt terrible about it. This was not turning out to be a good day. She'd need that time off.
Back inside the Mansion, Namor was talking to Hippolyta. "We must discuss our plans, my lovely Wonder Woman," Namor said.
"Namor, I told you that marriage is not a simple thing for me."
"Nor for me," Namor responded. "I am royalty as well."
"But I rule the Amazons," Hippolyta said. "They are guided by me. Marrying a male is against our usual ways. I must talk to my advisors, my people. I have a daughter who is traveling the world somewhere. I must speak to her too. I must return to Themescria."
"So be it," Namor agreed. "Do as you must. I shall return to Atlantis to tell my mother Queen Fen of my plans. I leave our future in your hands, Hippolyta. I am yours, If you'll have me."
Loki, the Asgardian God of Evil, was in a dark and secluded section of ancient Asgard. He looked inside a cave. Near him sat a mortal, unmoving and silent.
"It didst take me quite a long time to break the spell of protection that Lord Odin didst put on this cave. Months of work. At times, even Loki did nearly despair. Yet finally, mine efforts didst come to fruition. The spell of protection is gone, and Loki's way is clear to his objective. To this mightiest of weapons, made ages ago to be indestructible, unstoppable and unbeatable. All it doth need is a soul to inhabit it. It needs life energy to light the fires of it's destructive potential. That is where thou doth come in, mortal. I didst originally plan to use the mortal know as Wildcat for this purpose. I didst instruct stupid Ares to capture him and bring him here. As the weakest of thy mortal society, he seemed a most logical choice. However, I was interrupted too soon. Yet Loki doth always have a contingency plan. Loki is wise, Loki is cunning. Therefore, I didst capture thee, mortal. It is appropriate that a member of the mortal society called the JSA is the harbinger of their destruction. Does thou not agree, mortal? Ahh, but I forget. Thou canst not speak for they soul hath been stolen. A soul that I now use to awaken my instrument of vengeance. This Justice Society will pay for daring to oppose Loki. They and Thor as well shall suffer at the hands of . . . The Destroyer!"
Nearby, the soulless mortal sat, unhearing and unthinking. A mortal who was better known as the Star-Spangled Kid. Were he sentient, he would be terrified at the huge, lumbering creature that now stepped out of the cave.
Dr. Mid-Nite saw the Torch coming in from the yard. His expression told Mid-Nite everything he needed to know about what had happened outside. He approached the Torch with the intention of consoling him.
Cap and the Sentinel came up from the basement. "So how long will that suspended animation field last?" Cap asked.
"Normally one of my green flame energy cages lasts for as long as I will it too, providing my ring doesn't run out of power," Sentinel answered. "But as for Miss Venus' power, you'll have to ask her. Her part of the cage may last forever for all I know."
"Let's ask her," Cap said. "We can't leave the Creature Commandos down there forever. It's like having a ticking time bomb in our basement."
Dr. Mid-Nite heard this and got an idea how to kill two birds with one stone. "Maybe the Torch can help us with them."
The Torch was surprised. Dr. Mid-Nite continued. "He and Dr. Horton can help us to communicate with and rehabilitate these androids."
The Torch was glad for this idea. He needed something to get his intelligence circuits off of the subject of the Black Canary. And he'd been wanting to spend more time with Dr. Horton. This would give him a project to work on with his "father" for a whole summer.
But just then, all hell broke loose! Another hole was broken in the wall that had earlier magically been fixed. In came a twelve foot metal creature. It looked like a giant suit of armor and it headed straight for the JSA members. It slapped Hawkman to the floor.
"The Destroyer!" Thor shouted, alarmed. "Get thou back, mortals. This creature is beyond thy power to battle. Leave it to Thor!"
Thor launched himself at the Destroyer. He struck with his hammer, Mjolnir, and the echo was deafening. The assembled heroes were shocked when the Destroyer barely reacted to the blow. They'd seen how powerful Thor was. If this creature could stand up to his strongest blows, then it was a dangerous threat. They were even more shocked when the Destroyer swatted Thor away with an almost casual gesture.
"We've got trouble, team!" Captain America shouted. "Sentinel, Fate, Wonder Woman, Namor--You three hit it first! Flash, Whizzer, Miss America, Torch, StarMan, you back them up! The rest of you spread out and wait for an opening! Bucky, you stay clear!"
Dr. Fate cast a spell meant to immobilize the Destroyer but had no effect. The Sentinel blasted the creature with the green flame of the starheart but the Destroyer still kept coming. Wonder Woman tried to use her lasso to slow it down but it just dragged her along. Namor rammed into it but bounced off like a rubber ball against a brick wall. Thor got back to his feet and resumed his attack. "For Odin! For Asgard!"
"What is that thing?" Cap asked Miss Venus.
"It's the Destroyer," Miss Venus said. "It's an ancient weapon, said to be invulnerable to all physical harm."
"Does it have any weaknesses?" Cap asked.
"No," Miss Venus said. "It . . . Wait! There is one thing! It needs a soul to bring it too life. Probably a captured soul."
"Fate!" Cap called. "Can you cast a spell to draw the captured soul out of this creature?"
"I can but try," Fate said. He drifted back, clear of the Destroyer's reach. But the Destroyer Faceplate glowed and it unleashed a powerful ray of flaming energy. The Sentinel managed to create a force field around Fate. The power of the blast was so strong that the Sentinel was stunned by the backlash. But it gave Fate time to cast his spell. Then suddenly, Fate stopped. "I cannot!" Fate said. "The soul who inhabits this monster is that of the Star-Spangled Kid. If I draw out his soul, I'll need a vessel to put it in or the soul will fade from this dimension. The Star-Spangled Kid will be essentially dead."
"So we have to find his body!" Dr. Mid-Nite yelled.
"I can trace the body, via the soul," Fate said. "There is always a connection."
"Do it!" Cap ordered. "Flash, Wonder Woman and the Hawks will go with you. Everyone else, continue the attack. We have to contain this thing until they return."
Dr. Fate transported himself and his four allies away. Thor slammed into the Destroyer again. Namor joined him. Starman and the Human Torch fired bursts of energy at it.
Dr. Fate and the others appeared out of a portal and saw Loki with the Star-Spangled Kid.
"Come for thy friend, have thee mortals?" Loki said. "How touching. Thou shalt die for friendship."
Dr. Fate unleashed his full power on Loki, but quickly realized that Loki was stronger. Wonder Woman used her lasso to no avail. The Hawks did what they could but Loki was too powerful. He cast them all away like ragdolls in a hurricane. The Flash, however, took a different strategy. They came for the SSK and that was all the Flash wanted. Before Fate's portal totally closed, the Flash grabbed the SSK at super-speed and whisked him back into the portal which closed behind him.
"Hela curse him!" Loki yelled. While Loki was distracted, Fate cast another spell which transported the rest of the JSA away. Loki screamed with rage. He didn't want to pursue them. Not with Thor and so many others present. He'd have to let them go! For now!
The Flash reappeared with the body of the SSK in his arms. He saw the mighty Destroyer tossing the whole team around, even Thor. Dr. Mid-Nite was stunned and about to be squashed by the Destroyer but Bucky yanked him out of the way. The beast was destroying the mansion and it was just getting warmed up. Dr. Fate reappeared.
"Do it now!" Cap ordered. Fate cast his spell and drew the Kid's soul out of the creature and back into his own body. The Destroyer suddenly stopped. Without a soul, it was just a big, metal statue. Harmless. Everyone sighed with relief.
Later, Thor came back from returning the inert Destroyer to Asgard. The Star-Spangled Kid was so traumatized by the event that he decided to take a leave from the superhero business. He turned in his costume to Cap and asked him to find a suitable replacement for the SSK's reputation. Cap then promised Bucky that if he showed promise during this summer of training, he'd get the identity of the Star-Spangled Kid as a reward. And so, the greatest heroes of the world went on a much deserved hiatus, leaving seven substitutes to mind the store. But the adventures they would find on their own would keep the JSA members busy.
Next: The JSA is taking a break for the summer, folks, and will return in September. In the meantime, you can read about how the JSA spent their summer vacation in JSA Unmasked #1, coming next month!