Captain America had dispatched his team. Flash, Dr. Fate, Namor, Wonder Woman, and Sentinel were searching for this 'Hulk' beast who had taken apart the Creature Commandos and the Human Torch. Black Canary had been hurt too. She was in the hospital with minor injuries, while Dr. Phineas Horton was seeing to the Torch and the Commandos. No one had seen the Angel since the attack. Bucky was in the middle of one of the training sessions that Cap had assigned him to do. Cap paced, waiting to hear some news. Dr. Mid-Nite tried to convince Cap to take a break and get some air.
"What if something comes up while I'm gone?" Cap asked.
"I'll summon you with the emergency signal. Trust me, Captain. I'll handle things for an hour or so while you're out."
Cap nodded. "I know you will. I don't know what I'd do without you, Doc. Thanks. You're right. I need a break. I'll be back in an hour."
Cap had changed to Steve Rogers and was walking along the street, deep in thought. He was concerned about this Hulk, and even more concerned about these strange, erotic dreams he'd been having every night. Just then, he heard a sultry voice.
"Excuse me, sir," the female voice said, "but could you possibly direct me? I seem to be lost."
Steve turned and his jaw dropped. It was her! It was the woman he had been dreaming about. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She rivaled Aphrodite, a goddess. She was magnificent.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"I . . . I think I know you," Cap said meekly.
"Do you, sir? Where from?"
"From . . . a dream."
"If this is a line, at least it's a new one," she said smiling.
"A line?" he asked and then realized what she was talking about. "Oh, no! Nothing like that. I really have seen you before."
She smiled a skeptical smile. "You may be crazy," she said, "but you're cute. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vyctorya. I'm from Norway."
"Pleased to meet you Vyctorya. I'm Steven."
"It's a great pleasure, Steven," the stunning blonde said. "More than you know."
One Month Later . . . October 1942
Captain America arrived for a meeting with his second-in-command, Sentinel, and his chief advisor/confidant Dr. Mid-Nite. Cap was in a great mood. For the last month, Steve Rogers had been dating the lovely Vyctorya. He was having a great time. He had never felt so alive, so giddy. Dr. Mid-Nite had noticed the change in him, and suspected that a woman was behind this transformation, but Steve was very close-mouthed about his personal life. Dr. Mid-Nite hadn't been able to get to the bottom of this change, but he was confident that he soon would. In the meantime, it was a fascinating case study.
Cap sat down, with a cheerful grin. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I got caught up in . . . something. So anyway, down to business. The first thing I want to discuss is the Hulk!"
"Yeah, we definitely need to deal with this!" Sentinel agreed. "He's dangerous, powerful. He can't keep running free."
Cap looked over the notes he had brought with him. "Let's see here. The Hulk first appeared in Michael Jupiter's Abode of Life one month ago, when he badly beat the Creature Commandos, along with the Torch, Canary, and the Angel. Then, he appeared a few days later, when he ripped apart a small Maryland town, particularly the supermarket."
"I believe he was hunting for food," Dr. Mid-Nite said.
"Logical," Cap replied. "The Hulk reappeared a third time, when he battled the Whizzer and Miss America."
"How are those two, anyway?" Sentinel asked.
"Miss America has been released from the hospital," Dr. Mid-Nite answered, "but the Whizzer will still be there for another week or two."
"That just shows how dangerous he is," Sentinel said. "And we know he's got incredible power. When he was in Maryland, he picked up a truck and threw it a half mile. And let's not forget what he did to the Creature Commandos."
"Agreed. It has to be stopped." Cap said. "But why can't we find it?"
"That's the strange part," Sentinel said. "Even my magic ring and Dr. Fate's spells haven't been able to locate it. I don't understand this."
"Well, somehow he had to be found!" Cap insisted.
In the next room, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner had arrived, and with his keen hearing he heard what Cap had said. Namor had been in a very bad mood since Hippolyta had turned down his marriage proposal. She hadn't categorically stated that she would never marry him but she was having doubts. And that was a huge blow to Namor's ego. He had to find a way to impress Hippolyta, to show her that he was a one-of-a-kind warrior and that she could find no better a mate than he.
When he overheard the Hulk discussion, he realized that he had found a quest worthy of this purpose. If he could find and defeat this powerful enemy single handed, than he would certainly win back the favor of the Amazon queen. Namor left on his quest.
Bucky sat in a booth in a diner, eating a cheeseburger and fries. This wasn't exactly training food, but since Steve had been so busy with this mystery woman Vyctorya, who Bucky had never even seen, he had given Bucky little of his time. So Bucky was left to train on his own. He was supposed to follow the diet Steve had laid down for him. Sometimes Bucky broke the rules. Bucky started thinking about the strange erotic dreams he'd been having. The beautiful woman with the blonde hair and the sultry voice.
A shadow fell over Bucky. He looked up and gasped in shock. It was Her! It was his dream girl.
"Hello, Bucky," she said. "I've been wanting to meet you for a long time."
"You . . . You have?"
"Yes," she said, sitting down in the booth across from him. "I need your help. I'm the princess Anja, from Noatum in Norway. My country is in danger, and a certain mystic sent me here, to you. You are prophesied as the only one who can save my people."
Bucky was shocked and delighted. Not only was his dream girl real, she was a princess and she needed his help. "Hey, anything you need, lovely lady. I'll get the JSA and . . . "
"No, you mustn't!" she exclaimed. "You can't tell anyone. At least not yet."
"Why not?"
She stroked his cheek with her hand. "Please, just trust me. I need you to be my hero."
Bucky was flushed with excitement. Here was a magnificent woman, asking him to be her hero. If he could save this kingdom alone, it would prove to Cap and the others that he was ready to be the new Star-Spangled Kid.
"Anything you want," he squeaked.
"Thank you, Bucky. I have the feeling that you and I are going to be great friends."
Angel was on the run. Several weeks ago, he'd been exposed as the spy who had leaked to the allies information on Project: Cold Atoms, and Adhesive X. Now, Axis spies in the U.S. and members of the American Nazi party were stalking him, trying to kill him.
Normally, Thomas Halloway, the man known as the Angel, would take this in his stride. It was all part of the job. But it couldn't have happened at a worse time. It was only a month ago that the horrible transformations began to come upon him. A month since the first time he turned into the Hulk.
Anytime he got scared or angry, he transformed into the powerful, gray, rampaging beast. And twice in the last month, in defending himself from Nazi assassins, he had become the Hulk. He desperately did not want to change any more, but there seemed to be little hope of it not happening again. Fate seemed to be forcing him to become a monster. The Spectre said that it was part of fate's plan. But why him? Why did this horror have to happen to him?
At the moment, the Angel was creeping though some dark alleys, trying to avoid being seen. He was trying to get back to the headquarters of intelligence in Annapolis. He considered going to the JSA mansion but the Justice Society was always being attacked, and the Angel didn't want to transform in front of his beloved Black Canary. How could she love a monster?
The Angel was stating to feel confident that he'd make it, when the assassins found him.
"Damn it!" he hissed.
He defended himself against the attackers. His fear and anger level rose. His heart rate increased. His blood pounded. His adrenaline rushed.
He began to change!
Namor was flying over Maryland. He had done some research and realized the Hulk's appearances had all been in a nearly straight line between Annapolis and the Capital. Namor knew that sharks usually hunted the same stretch of water over and over again. So this beast, this Hulk, was mostly likely hunting the same stretch. Namor just had to wait him out. Sooner or later, the Hulk would appear again along this stretch. And when he did, Namor would be there!
Captain America and Bucky were working out. Neither one was really concentrating on the session. Each was counting the moments until he could see his beautiful, blonde, Nordic dreamgirl again.
"Let's end the session a little early today, Bucky," Cap said. "I've got a date."
"Great idea!" Bucky agreed. He was planning to go back to the diner and hope that the gorgeous Anja would appear again.
Amora the Enchantress - a.k.a. Vyctorya, a.k.a. Anja - sat in her palace in Asgard. She was satisfied with her progress. Captain America was falling under her spell, and the boy Bucky would be easy to manipulate. The boy would be the true test of whether or not Captain America was completely in her power. She would get the child to turn on his mentor and then get the Captain to kill the boy in a fight over her. When the Captain slew the boy, she would know that he was hers. And with him in her power, she would control the Justice Society, and lead them to their destruction.
Steve Rogers sat on a park bench with Vyctorya. It was an unseasonably warm fall day, and they sat and watched the colorful leaves on the ground and the birds migrating. Steve was so happy.
As the Enchantress touched his cheek, she subtly used her power to increase his desire for her. He lusted for her, burned for her. She drove him wild. He could barely control himself.
"Steve," she whispered in his ear, "I have to do something for an hour or so. Could we meet at my apartment at four o'clock?"
"Sure. Fine. Anything you want."
Bucky had been waiting for over an hour in the diner when his patience was rewarded. Anja came. His heart raced at the sight of her. She sat down next to him and he was flushed with excitement.
"It's time, Bucky," she said. "I need you to help me now."
"Anything!" Bucky answered eagerly. "Name it!"
She slipped him a card with an address on it. "Meet me at this place at exactly 4:15."
"Sure, no problem!"
He was so flustered, he didn't notice the Enchantress putting a potion in his drink. A potion that would increase his jealousy. A potion that would make him mad enough to kill if he became jealous. "A drink first," she said. "And soon, I get to see you be a hero!"
The rampaging Hulk was stomping through the heart of the town. He had killed the assassins and stalked off looking for some food. The towns people ran screaming from the monster. The sheriff and his deputy made a vain attempt to stop the Hulk, shooting at the gray beast. The Hulk just roared and chased them. He caught the deputy and threw him through a wall, breaking his bones. The sheriff managed to hide and then get to a phone to call for help. While the Hulk was distracted by a fruit stand, which supplied the food he was looking for, help was on the way. The national guard was mobilized and en route, as were the state police.
Namor was still hunting the stretch where he suspected he would find the Hulk. He looked down at the road and saw the national guard trucks heading swiftly along the highway. Namor's intuition told him to follow the trucks.
/p>Steve was preparing to meet with Vyctorya within the hour. He was at the JSA mansion fixing himself up. Miss Venus noticed him. She knew enough about love to know a man who has in it, or at least in lust. She walked nearer to him to talk to him . . . When she felt something. Something mystic, something godlike.
"Steve? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
The Hulk finished his meal of fruit, leaving very little for the dismayed owner of the stand to sell. The Hulk crouched, tensed his powerful leg muscles and lunched himself into the air.
Namor, who was flying in the opposite direction, saw the large gray object leaping towards him. His keen eyes focused on the fast moving thing. It matched the descriptions he'd gotten of the Hulk.
"That's it!" Namor said triumphantly. "At last!"
Namor swooped down at the Hulk. The Hulk saw him coming, but since he was in mid-leap, there was no way to avoid the incoming attacker. Namor rammed into the Hulk. The Hulk dropped down into the woods with a crash. Namor landed and looked down at the ditch where the Hulk had hit ground. There was no sign of movement.
"Is it over so quickly?" Namor wondered. "I am disappointed."
Suddenly the ground under his feet was torn asunder. Namor was thrown, but the wings on his feet helped him land safely. He saw the powerful Hulk force his way up through the dirt.
"Hulk Smash!!" the monster roared.
"Come and try, monster!" Namor answered.
The Atlantean and the mutated monster rammed head-to-head!
Queen Hippolyta was in her room meditating, thinking over the Namor situation. Miss Venus entered. Hippolyta rose quickly.
"Goddess," the Amazon queen said respectfully.
"Hippolyta, I need you to do something for me."
Steve Rogers was in Vyctorya's apartment. She sat down next to him but he was surprisingly stiff.
"What's wrong, Steve?"
"Nothing."
"Something's bothering you. Please tell me what's wrong."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Vyctorya got up to answer it. "I won't be a minute."
She opened the door and Steve saw . . .
"Bucky!" he cried.
Bucky saw Steve and was surprised for a moment, then disappointed, then suddenly angry. "What are you doing here, Steve?"
"Bucky . . . " Steve began.
"He's here with me," the beautiful woman interrupted. "You won't be needed. I've got a real man here."
"Bucky, don't listen to her!" Steve ordered.
But Bucky was partly under the spell of the Enchantress' beauty and partly being affected by the potion that increased his jealousy into a killing frenzy.
Steve stole my girl! Steve stole my chance for glory. She thinks I'm not a real man! I'll show her! Even if I have to kill Steve to do it!
Bucky charged forward, screaming, "Kill ya! Kill ya!"
"Bucky, stop!" Steve yelled, but to no avail. Bucky lunged at him. Steve easily sidestepped the attack. "Don't do this, Bucky! I don't want to hurt you!"
Bucky continued his attack, as the Enchantress watched, smiling.
Namor was getting the worst of his battle with the Hulk. Namor had tried to go toe-to-toe with the powerful monster, but found, to his embarrassment and frustration, that the Hulk was stronger. Also, the gray monster never seemed to get tired. He just kept pounding on Namor, forcing him back. Namor started to feel weak, and unsteady on his feet. The Hulk caught him with a powerful blow to the face. Namor was sent hurtling backwards, one hundred yards, through a mass of trees and into a stone. Namor lay stunned. He looked up and saw the Hulk charging him like a tank. Namor tried to get up and defend himself but the Hulk was upon him quicker than he thought. The Hulk landed a devastating blow that sent Namor sailing through the sky.
As luck would have it, he landed in a lake. The Hulk stomped up to the edge of the lake and looked in curiously, unsure what to do next. He was surprised when the Sub-Mariner came popping out of the lake like a geyser. An angry geyser.
"And now, monster, we shall begin again! So speaks Namor, the avenging son of Atlantis!"
Namor dived at the Hulk and tackled him. The Hulk threw Namor off but Namor was back to his attack with amazing speed. Namor pounded on the Hulk relentlessly. Namor was in his glory. He may actually win this one!
"Stop it, Bucky!" Steve yelled, but Bucky wasn't listening. He was intent on killing his mentor.
"Defend yourself!" the Enchantress commanded. "And defend my honor! Smite the whelp!"
Steve felt hot and excited at the sound of her voice. Part of him actually want to obey her and defend her honor. Part of him wanted to do anything she desired. But he fought the urge. He had been warned by Aphrodite. He hadn't believed it at first but she was right. Vyctorya was a sorceress. An evil one.
Steve got Bucky in a wrestling hold and immobilized him. "Damn it, Bucky! Calm down! She's using you!" Steve kept trying to reach Bucky but he couldn't. "I'm sorry to have to do this, son," he said. He delivered two quick nerve jabs which rendered Bucky unconscious without harming him seriously. He turned to the Enchantress.
"Damn you!" he growled. "You used us both. I thought I was falling in love with you. How could anyone be so cold, so deceitful?"
"That's what I do," she said, smiling. She raised her arms and her clothing transformed into traditional Asgardian attire. "Thou art not the first to fall under the spell of my charms, mortal. I - Amora - am, above all else, an Enchantress of men. And though thou doth now know mine identity, still shalt thou be my slave. Come to me, handsome mortal. The Enchantress doth command thee. Come and kneel before her."
Steve felt himself start to move forward. He wanted to serve her, to kneel before her. Her beauty was overwhelming. But I can't! he thought. I must resist!
"Do not attempt to resist me, mortal. Not even the Gods can say me nay. A mere human shalt not be the first to shun the Enchantress."
Suddenly, Wonder Woman crashed though the window. Before the Enchantress could recover from her surprise and react, Hippolyta drove a fist into her face. The Enchantress was staggered. The strength of the Queen of the Amazons was nearly equal to that of a god. Hippolyta gave another punch, and then a kick, which floored the Enchantress. The Enchantress pointed a finger and unleashed some Asgardian fire, but the Amazon evaded the attack. She lifted her golden lasso and tossed the looped end at the evil Goddess. She lassoed the Enchantress' hand, then yanked. She dragged the Enchantress around the room.
The Enchantress finally got her footing and began to pull back. A tug of war commenced. Hippolyta did the unexpected by suddenly allowing herself to be pulled forward. She drop-kicked the Enchantress. The Enchantress toppled backwards. Then Amora let loose a mystic blast that stunned which stunned Wonder Woman. She tried to finish off the Amazon with a lethal burst of mystic energy, but Steve yanked her out of the way. She threw a fireball at Steve, who barely dodged it. This gave Hippolyta time to recover. She grabbed the Enchantress by the ankle and tripped the Goddess. Then she spun the Enchantress around like a baseball bat. She let go and the Enchantress crashed into a wall. Furious, the Enchantress rose to her feet, looking hateful at Wonder Woman.
The Enchantress hesitated before attacking. Amora knew full well her limitations. She was a lover, not a fighter. Whereas Hippolyta had trained in the arts of war for centuries. Although the enchantress was more powerful than the Amazon, she couldn't match Hippolyta's skill and speed. This could be a long battle. Was it worth it? The plan was ruined. Captain America was on to her now. Someone had warned her. But who?
At that moment, Miss Venus appeared, the Enchantress' eternal rival.
"Aphrodite!" Enchantress hissed. "So, 'twas thee who didst warn yon mortal of the Enchantress' machinations. And then thou didst send this Amazon wench to annoy me."
"You're not so stupid as you look," Aphrodite answered.
The Enchantress sneered. She couldn't fight both Wonder Woman and Aphrodite, and there was really no point any longer. The plan had failed. "Remember well this day, for thou shalt all live to regret it!"
The Enchantress disappeared. Steve was amazed to find that he was sorry to see her go. "I think part of me is still under her spell."
"It shall pass," Aphrodite answered. "It may take Bucky longer, since he is younger and more susceptible to her charms. But you are both strong me. You'll survive. You must be strong to survive in the Justice Society."
Namor was raining powerful blows on the Hulk, but the Hulk would not fall. Namor was getting angrier, and not just a bit nervous. Was there any way to stop this monster? Namor had been out of the water for nearly a half an hour and had been exerting himself at full strength. His punches were getting weaker. The Hulk, on the other hand, seemed as fresh as ever. In fact, he seemed to be getting stronger. What kind of a nightmare creation was this Hulk?
The Hulk began his counter attack. He delivered blow after mighty to Namor's face and body. Namor was rocked by the incredible power of those massive fists.
The Hulk was winning. Namor had to admit it. He just could not go blow-for-blow with his gigantic gray beast. The Hulk was too strong. Namor pulled back, and gave himself some fighting room. He tried to use his speed to hit-and-run, to out maneuver the rampaging monster. Namor knew he had the skill and intelligence. He should use them. And the strategy seemed to work for a time. Namor scored many blows, and the Hulk roared in pain. "Hulk smash!"
But the Hulk still would not fall. And Namor's strength was waning. Hulk managed to catch Namor with a back handed slap. Namor was stunned and drifted upward to give himself a few moments to recover. But the Hulk wouldn't let him have those moments. The Hulk shot upward with a rocket and rammed Namor. Namor fell and the Hulk's formidable weight came down on top of the Atlantean. Then the Hulk grabbed the Sub-Mariner in a vice-like bear hug. The mighty Hulk squeezed and squeezed, crushing the sea prince. Namor couldn't breath, nor could he break free. He struggled for all he was worth, but in the end, it was all in vain. Namor passed out. The Hulk kept squeezing.
Fortunately for Namor, the Hulk wasn't very smart. He thought Namor was dead. The Atlantean was close to death but not quite deceased yet. But the Hulk didn't realize that. He dropped the seemingly lifeless Sub-Mariner onto the dirt. Spitefully, he stomped on Namor a few times, driving him into the dirt. Then he got bored of this sport. The fight had made him hungry. It was time to find some food.
The rampaging Hulk leaped away, once again victorious, leaving Namor the Sub-Mariner, injured and dying, half buried in the dirt. Namor's hope for a moment of glory had turned to tragedy.
Next: A special Thanksgiving issue . . . What will happen to Namor? Plus . . . While Flash plans a holiday party for the JSA, the Red Skull and the Shade return. Flash battles the man called Culp, and there is a meeting of queens when Wonder Woman meets Namor's mother Fen in Justice Society of America #16.