Namor lay dying, half buried in the ground, having been badly beaten by the rampaging Hulk. If was bleeding, and if he didn't get water soon, he'd die. Fortunately for him, a group of campers came upon his battered body in the woods and called the local authorities. Word got back to the JSA and they came to Namor's assistance.
One month later . . . late November 1942
Namor lay in his bed in the palace of the royal family of Atlantis. Namor's body was almost completely healed, but his mind was in turmoil. He had been beaten. Humiliated. Dishonored. How could he face the woman he loved, Queen Hippolyta, his beautiful Wonder Woman? She would know by now that he had fallen in battle against a mindless animal, a savage brute. Despite the Hulk's vast strength, Namor should have found a way to overcome the dumb creature. But he failed and almost died. How could Namor expect such a spectacular woman as Hippolyta to love and marry a dishonored, defeated man?
He couldn't. He shouldn't. Not until he could somehow find a way to vindicate himself. Find a way to regain his honor. But he couldn't do that here in Atlantis where things were currently peaceful. And he couldn't go back to the surface to face Wonder Woman. But the sea was vast. Surely somewhere in the oceans of this planet, he could find a challenge worthy of a warrior born. A challenge that will prove his worth to Hippolyta.
Wonder Woman arrived at the seaside for a meeting. She had gotten a message from Queen Fen, Namor's mother, to be at this beach at this time.
A whale rose from the depths and on top of it stood Queen Fen, ruler of Atlantis. She had a water-filled bowl over her head. It was the Atlantean equivalent of scuba gear.
"Greetings, Queen Hippolyta of Themescria," the Atlantean said. "I am Queen Fen of Atlantis."
"I bid you greetings, Queen Fen. It is an honor."
"So you are the Amazon who has won the heart of my son," Fen said. "I see now what all the fuss is about. You are a fine specimen."
"I thank you, Queen Fen. And how is your son? Is he recovering well? Not being amphibian, I've been unable to visit and he has sent me no word. Is he well?"
"That is what I came to tell you. Namor is missing. He has run off."
"Run off?" Hippolyta repeated in surprise.
"He was humiliated by his defeat. He was worried that you would not love him any more," Fen said, and held out a scroll. "He left you this missive."
Wonder Woman took the scroll and read it.
My beautiful Hippolyta. I regret that I cannot see you before I go. I would love to see your lovely face again, to watch your skill as you battle. But it is not to be. I have proven myself unworthy of you. And until fate intervenes and allows me to prove that I am a warrior who deserves so magnificent a mate as yourself, I must travel on my quest for redemption. Until the sea and sky vanish, my heart is ever yours. Goodbye, my beloved queen.
"The fool!" Wonder Woman exclaimed, angry at his stupidity.
"I have asked my other son, who you call Aquaman, to look for him. I will let you know when we find him."
"Thank you, Queen Fen. That is all I can ask. I am grateful for your consideration. I hope you can find him soon."
Jay Garrick - known to the world as the Flash - was at a café, having lunch with his best friend and colleague, Professor Elton Morrow. They were both brilliant scientists. And just as Jay Garrick's research had turned him into the fastest man alive, Professor Morrow's experiments had turned him into a super-being also. He had made his skin as hard as diamond. He donned a costume and became known as the Blue Diamond.
"I'm thinking of having the JSA members over to my house for dinner on Thanksgiving," Jay said. "But I'm worried about asking Joan. She has never met most of them. And having Atlanteans and Amazons over for dinner might be uncomfortable for her. Besides, I hate to ask her to cook for an additional dozen guests at the last minute."
"Not being married, I wouldn't know how to advise you," Morrow said. "And I make it a practice never to interfere with married couples."
"You'll be coming for Thanksgiving, right?" Jay asked.
"There's no one I'd rather spend time with. Beside, I have the extra thrill of meeting the JSA to look forward to."
"That's if I get the nerve to ask her," Jay said.
Suddenly, they heard yelling outside. Jay and Elton went outside to look. They were giant tendrils of darkness arching over the city, leading to the observatory on the hill.
"The Shade!" Flash said. "It's got to be!"
"Then let's get our work clothes on!" Elton said.
In the observatory stood the creator of the shadow arcs. He was a white-haired dwarf in a frock coat, named Culp. He had the same shadow powers as the Shade, and indeed there was a connection between the two. But Culp had different ambitions than the Shade. He didn't merely want to steal. He wanted to rule!
Culp was using the lunar mirror in the observatory to increase his dark powers. He was now straining with all his might to open a portal to the shadow realm from where his power originated. The side effects of his efforts were spreading all over the city, out of the opening in the roof of the observatory and causing panic. But Culp didn't care about that. All he cared about was his goal.
And he succeeded. A hole of blackness appeared in the air. And out stepped a man. He collapsed to the ground. He wore a mask. A red skull mask!
<"Free!"> the Red Skull said in German. <"At last!"> He looked at the diminutive Culp. <"Who are you?">
"Sorry, mate," Culp said in a Cockney accent. "I don't speak bloody German."
"I see," The Red Skull said, "Well, I am -- "
"I know who you are, Squire," Culp interrupted. "I've been trying to find you, haven't I? It ain't bloody easy to find one blinking chap in the whole shadow realm. But you was supposed to bring something back with you. The Nemesis Statue. I heard you was trapped with it. So where is it?"
The Skull started to piece together what was happening. "I see. You want the statue. I'm afraid I don't have it. I was trapped inside it by Dr. Fate after being defeated by Captain America and the Flash. I drifted, trapped, for months. It was torture. And then I was freed by a powerful sorcerer woman named Umar. She and her brother Dormammu had plans for the statue. They kept me as their prisoner until you open this portal and let me out."
"So I bloody well wasted me time, didn't I?" Culp said, angrily. "I got bugger for my trouble."
The Red Skull didn't want the powerful Culp turning his wrath on the Skull himself. And also, he hoped to be able to use the power of Culp to get revenge against his enemies. It was time for some fast-talking.
"Perhaps not!" the Red Skull said. "There may be a way. Something I spotted while in the shadow realm. I may know a way to get the statue!"
"Start talking, matey!"
"Not so fast, my impetuous friend," the Skull said. "First, there is something you must do for me!"
Culp sneered. "And what's that, red boy?"
"Three people were responsible for my months of torment. One of them - Dr. Fate - will be dealt with by Dormammu. I happen to know that the lord of the Dark Dimension has grand plans to make Dr. Fate suffer. Fate is too powerful to trifle with so I am content to know that he will be dealt with. But there were two others who were guilty of trapping me: Captain America and the Flash. They must pay! If you help me kill those two fools, I will help you get the Nemesis statue!"
Culp shrugged. "It's a small enough price. And it might be fun to snuff out a few goody goods. Hell, killing the Flash will prove that I'm a tougher bloke than me old mate the Shade. He never could get the better of the Flash. I'll show 'em who's the better man! All right, skull face. You got a deal!"
Outside Flash and Blue Diamond had arrived. They were making plans.
"I peaked in through the window at super-speed. They didn't see me," Flash said. "There are two of them in there. I recognize one of them. He's called the Red Skull. I thought I was rid of him. I see I was wrong. The other guy is not who I thought he would be. But he has the same powers as the Shade. He'll be tough but I think I can take him. You tackle the Red Skull."
"Right!" Blue Diamond said. "How do we make our ingress?"
"Different sides. We hit the hard way!"
"Agreed!"
Captain America was in the JSA mansion, putting young Bucky through his daily training. Bucky couldn't wait until it was over and he could become the new Star-Spangled Kid, the new partner of Captain America. And he was determined to succeed.
"Keep concentrating," Cap said. "Never let your mind wander. Also maintain your focus."
Suddenly, a black shadow appeared in the room. The notorious criminal known as the Shade appeared. Cap and Bucky both poised for combat.
"Very dramatic poses," the Shade said in a polite, English accent, "but completely unnecessary. I am not here for a fight."
"Right," Bucky said. "A super-criminal invades our headquarters and we're supposed to believe you're here to listen to Amos 'n' Andy with us."
"Let me handle this, Bucky," Cap said. "However, Shade, he does have a point. You're a criminal. We should arrest you."
"Assuming you were capable of that," the Shade said. "You should remember that you owe me. Or didn't your reserve members tell you about the help I gave them during their encounter with the Red Skull and his magical toy, the Nemesis statue? It's such an interesting story. It would make a good book."
"Yes, they told me. All right, Shade. You have immunity. What do you want?"
"To give you a friendly warning. Your partner - Flash - is running headlong into danger. He is facing a powerful enemy named Culp. And an old foe of your acquaintance . . . The Red Skull. He has gained a new power since you last met him. One he will be discovering at any moment." The Shade held out a small orb. "In order to defeat him, you need to use this."
"Why should I trust you?"
"It's your choice, of course," the Shade said. "But when the Flash turns up very dead, don't say I didn't warn you. However, if you choose to save him, go to the Observatory in Keystone County, Pennsylvania. It's up to you. Have a good evening, gentlemen."
The Shade vanished. Cap looked at Bucky. "It may be a trap, but I say we check it out."
"Swell!" Bucky said, "Let's saddle up and kick some Nazi butt!"
Flash vibrated through the wall of the observatory. His passing caused the wall to explode. He rammed into Culp at super-speed. If the Culp had been human, he would have been down for the count. But like the Shade, Culp was immortal. He was only stunned.
Flash turned attention to the Red Skull. "Hi again, Nazi-boy!" he exclaimed. "Glad to beat you again."
The Flash raced forward to grab the Skull, but . . .
A black quagmire of shadow muck suddenly spit out of the Skull's body and surrounded Flash. Flash fell to the ground, trying to shake off the black ooze that was covering his body. The Red Skull smiled. He had no idea he had this power.
The Blue Diamond broke through the wall and raced toward Culp, but Culp had regained his senses. He tied the Blue Diamond up with tendrils of Shadow energy. The Blue Diamond had incredible strength but he couldn't shatter the dark energy bonds.
The Red Skull laughed. "That was easy. If I had known I had this power, I wouldn't have bothered to ask you for help, Culp. I have the power now."
"Shadow sludge, huh?" Culp said. "A little messy and crude but it did the job. Now let's kill Flash and get after that Captain America bloke."
Cap and Bucky were in a car racing down the road toward Pennsylvania. But then a black hole opened up in front of them. They couldn't swerve in time. The car went into the black hole . . .
. . . and came out in front of the observatory.
"What the heck just happened?!" Bucky asked.
"I think that the Shade just gave us a shortcut. Come on, kiddo! Let's move! I'll go in first. You find another way in and back me up."
"Yes sir, Cap!"
The Red Skull laughed as Flash struggled against the shadow quagmire. "He's suffocating," the Skull said merrily. "A painful death. I shall enjoy watching."
"This Flash ain't so tough," Culp said. "I don't see why old Shady thinks he's so big and bad. I guess the Shade's slipping."
But Flash still had some tricks up his sleeve. And he was a scientist. He managed to bounce up onto his feet. And then he spun. He spun and vibrated. The sludge that was covering him started to slip off and slashed all over the room.
"Here now," Culp yelled. "You're making a bloody mess!"
The Skull tried to use more shadow quagmire on him but the Flash splashed it away.
Flash was free! And angry!
"Well done," Blue Diamond yelled.
"All right," Flash said. "Who's first?!"
Suddenly, a shield came flying in through the hole in the wall and knocked the Red Skull over. Cap appeared. "You take the little guy, Flash. The Red Skull is mine!"
"He's got powers now, Cap," Flash warned.
"I know. But I can deal with it!" Cap said.
"Fine then!" Flash said. "It's you and me, Culp!"
"Come and get me, yank!"
Culp launched a volley of shadow daggers at the Flash but he easily avoided them. Zigzagging, the Flash reached Culp and started to batter him. He knocked Culp out of the building through the hole and chased him out.
"So, Captain," the Red Skull said. "It's you and I. Come and die!"
Cap rushed the Skull, but the Skull shot out a glob of quagmire at him. Cap used the shield to block it. The quagmire covered the shield and started to ooze around it. It reached his hands and started to spread. The Red Skull laughed.
But Bucky had crept in silently. He had the orb that the Shade gave them. He threw it and his aim was perfect. It hit the Red Skull and exploded in gray smoke. The Skull screamed and collapsed.
The black quagmire that was covering Cap vanished. He got up. "Good work, Bucky."
The Red Skull recovered and got up. He tried to spray out some more quagmire. But he couldn't. "My power is gone," he whispered, alarmed.
"Now it's man to man!" Cap said. He locked up with the Red Skull.
Bucky went over to the Blue Diamond. "How can I get you out of this?"
"Light!" Blue Diamond said. "Use light!"
Bucky used the remnants of the orb to focus light into a thin beam. It started to burn through the shadow matter.
Outside, Culp was starting to realize why the Flash had so often defeated the Shade. The Flash was running rings around Culp, battering him at will. He easily avoided all of Culp's attacks. Culp decided to cover himself in a shield of shadow matter so he'd have a chance to get his head together. An orb of darkness surrounded him. The Flash couldn't get through. But he had experience with this kind of thing. The Flash ran in a circle around the shadow shield. He created a vortex that shot the orb into the air.
Inside, Culp was rocked. He was getting thrown around. And he was getting mad. He didn't know how to beat the Flash. But then someone else appeared inside his Shadow shield - His old rival . . . the Shade!
"I mighta known you was involved in this, Dickie boy," Culp said. "I guess you knew I was after the statue all along."
"Indeed it did, old friend," the Shade said. "And I wasn't going to let you get it and use it against me."
The two shadow powered enemies wrestled. Their struggle, combined with the Flash's external attack, caused the black sphere to contract and implode. Both Culp and the Shade were gone.
Captain America was pummeling the Red Skull. The Flash returned and stood next to Bucky and the now-free Blue Diamond. They watched Cap manhandle the Skull.
"He's good," Blue Diamond said.
"Told you," Flash answered.
"He's the best," Bucky added proudly.
The Red Skull was knocked down. "Damn you!" he yelled. "American swine! Someday I will find a way to defeat you! Someday I -- "
Then something unexpected happened. A bright beam of light came down from the opening in the ceiling and hit the Red Skull. It momentarily blinded everyone. In a flash of light, the Red Skull vanished.
"What the . . . ?" Flash said.
The Red Skull found himself on some sort of advanced vessel. Strange creatures surrounded him. "Aliens!" he muttered.
"That is the one," an alien muttered. "We have what we need. Let us warp out of orbit."
The alien ship zoomed away from Earth.
Back at the observatory . . .
"What do you think just happened?" Bucky asked. "Was it Culp?"
"No. That was light," Blue Diamond said. "Culp is a creature of Darkness."
"Oh, I don't believe you've met," Flash said. "This is the Blue Diamond. Diamond, this is Captain America and Bucky."
"It's an honor," Blue Diamond said.
"I've heard a lot about you," Cap said. "You've been doing good work."
"Maybe there's room for him in the JSA . . . " Flash suggested.
"Maybe so," Cap said.
"No, not yet," Blue Diamond said. "I want to prove myself some more. Until I'm comfortable playing in the big leagues."
Flash smiled. "You're there all ready, my friend."
Thanksgiving Day 1942
Most of the JSA was there, except for the Sub-Mariner, and the two members who didn't want to share their identities, Dr. Mid-Nite and Dr. Fate. Everyone else was present, and in their civilian identities. The guests included the Blue Diamond (Elton Morrow) and the Angel. Black Canary sat next to Angel, trying to cheer up the depressed agent. She still didn't know why he was so glum, but she was determined to find out. Joan served the dinner, with help from Professor Morrow, who she had known for years.
Before the meal started, the Flash got up. "I think its appropriate if our leader, Steve Rogers - Captain America - says a few words."
Steve hesitated, but then stood up. "I just want to say how much I respect and admire everyone in this room. You're all amazing people. You've all become like family to me. You all mean a lot to me. As friends and as partners. I'm proud and I'm thankful that I've met you. And the world is certainly thankful that you are all heroes, and that you do what you do." Cap lifted his glass. "A toast. To heroes."
"To heroes!" everyone cheered. It ended up being the best night that any of them had spent in a long time.
Next issue: It's Christmas but that won't stop the Injustice Society from trying to destroy the JSA. Sergeants Fury and Rock, as well as Blackhawk guest star. Be here next month for Justice Society of America #17.