It was the first Christmas away from home for the troops in Europe. It was a sad holiday.
Sergeant Nick Fury and his platoon, known as the Howling Commandos, were going into occupied territory to look for a missing unit - one led by a friend of Fury's, Sergeant Rock. The missing unit was called Easy Company. They had come to this spot looking for a downed pilot known as Blackhawk. They hadn't been heard from since. Fury and his men came to an area where a battle had clearly occurred, and some weapons were found on the ground.
"American guns," Fury said. "I'm bettin' Easy Company was here."
"Maybe," his second in command, Corporal "Dum Dum" Dugan said. "If it is, something real bad happened to 'em."
"Hate to say it, Dum Dum," Fury responded, "but I think you're right. Rock and his boys wouldn't leave their guns if they had a choice. Ya can bet they wouldn't give up to nobody, unless it was somebody real tough."
"Then we could be facing something pretty dangerous," Dum Dum said. "A large platoon, or maybe one of the Nazis' super-agents. Whatta we do if we run into 'em?"
"I'll just let you handle 'em, Dum Dum." Fury said.
"Thanks Nick. You're all heart."
The advanced scout, Gabriel Jones, came through the bushes. "Sarge! I found them!"
Private Jones led Fury and the others to a clearing. They looked through some bushes and what they saw shocked them. Blackhawk, Sgt. Rock and Easy Company were all prisoners, held by a thicket of thorny vines. Standing before them were two bizarre looking beings.
One was a creature made of wood. He was called Blackbriar Thorn. He was a demon who had long ago been summoned up and worshipped by the ancient druids. He created a reign of terror until he was defeated and trapped by the hero of the Roman Empire, the Golden Gladiator. Months ago, the wooden demon was dug up by some of Mussolini's soldiers. He was then contacted by the dark council who asked him to serve the fascist forces. Thorn agreed.
The other creature was once a man named Von Bach, but who was now known as Manotaur. He was a German soldier charged by Hitler with obtaining rare mystic and historical relics. He came across the bones of the original Minotaur. He fell victim to the curse that made him into the new Minotaur. He had nearly the strength of an Olympian God. He was seven feet tall, with the head of a bull.
Thorn had control over various growths, like the thorny vines he now used to hold the American Soldiers. The man called Blackhawk was hurt. His clothes were ripped and his skin was cut and torn. He had seemingly been tortured. He dangled in a semi-conscious state. Now, the creatures were focusing their attention on Rock. He was being hung upside down and menacing looking thorny growths moved closer, threatening to rip his flesh.
"Stupid American," Von Bach said. "You cannot win. You will talk eventually. Make it easy on yourselves and tell us troops positions. Eventually, we will force it from you."
"You didn't break Blackhawk," Rock said. "You won't break American soldiers either."
"We will," Von Bach said. "I promise you."
Von Bach nodded to Blackbriar Thorn, who proceeded to make his thorny growths slice into Rock.
Nearby, Fury was watching from the bushes. He couldn't take any more. "Jones! Listen to me. Get back to camp, and use that radio thing that Captain America gave us. It's supposed to be able to call the JSA, and we sure need 'em now. And as for the rest of ya, nobody promised ya that youse was gonna live forever! Come one, Howlers . . . let's show those freaky Nazi monster-heads how we do things downtown!"
The Howling Commandos rushed to the rescue . . . or to their deaths.
Washington, DC . . . The Mansion of Miss Venus; HQ of the JSA
Captain America had just finished training with young Bucky and came upstairs to get prepared for today's JSA meeting. Flash was there already. "Morning, Cap. Bucky," he said.
"Hi, Flash," Cap said. "You're early."
"Yeah, there's a couple of matters I wanted to run by you," Flash said. "First of all, since my Thanksgiving party went so well, I spoke to Miss Venus. She said we could use the mansion for a Christmas party. After all, it's been a year since the JSA first formed, so I suggest a double celebration. I'll make the arrangements. I just wanted your approval."
"No objections here. It's a good idea. What else did you want to discuss?"
"Since the Blue Diamond doesn't feel comfortable joining full time, I convinced him to join the Society of Substitute Heroes. He could serve as the science advisor for our reserves, as I do for the main JSA team."
"I'm all for it," Cap said. "I've often considered that we should expand our ranks. Bring in more power and diversity. Tell the Blue Diamond that it's fine with me." He noticed that his trusted advisor, Dr. Mid-Nite had just slipped quietly in. "What do you think, Doc?"
"His record seems to indicate his devotion to the cause of justice," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "We know as much about him as we did about some of our own members when we started. I see no problems giving him a try."
"Great!" Flash said. "Now let's talk Christmas tree!"
Just then, the W.E.B.* sounded. Cap checked the coded message on the W.E.B., and called the others together, including the Human Torch and Wonder Woman, who lived in the mansion. They came up from their rooms to hear what Cap had to say. He explained the message.
*(War Emergency Beacon)
"So we have to go and help them immediately." Cap said, "Obviously, none of our super-powered members can go, because of the curse of the Spear of Destiny. But Dr. Mid-Nite, Bucky, and I are safe. And so is the Torch. As an android, he's immune."
"I shall accompany you," Wonder Woman said. "I have no 'super-powers' as you know them. What I do is natural for Amazons. Also, I am under the protection of Aphrodite. The spear will have no effect on me."
"Great," Cap said. "We can use your power. Now, how do we get there quickly?"
"I shall inquire of Miss Venus. She can send us magically," Wonder Woman replied.
"Excellent," Cap said. "Flash, let the others know what's happened. Tell the Sentinel he's in charge until I get back."
"Right," Flash agreed. "Good luck, everyone."
Somewhere, under the sea, the Sub-Mariner stood on the deck of a sunken ship. The great vessel had once been known as the Titanic. Namor didn't know that. Nor did he know that it was nearly Christmas on the surface. That meant nothing to him. The Atlantean calendar was very different. The movement of the tides regulated time and dates for those who live on the ocean floor, not the sunlight.
Namor paced the deck of the wrecked ship. He was troubled. He had left his home and abandon his partners from the JSA in order to go on this quest. A quest for vindication. He needed to prove himself. To his Atlantean subjects, to his royal mother, to his beloved Wonder Woman and lastly, to himself. Somewhere in the vast oceans he would find the challenge he desired. A battle that would rock the seven seas. He would regain his honor. He noticed something swimming in his direction. At first he thought it a fish but soon its movements demonstrated that it was not. It had limbs. It was humanoid.
It was his brother Arthur, the Aquaman.
Aquaman touched down on the deck. "Hello, brother."
"Arthur!" Namor said angrily. "What are you doing here? You knew I wanted to be alone. This quest is my own!"
"Our mother sent me to look for you, Namor. She is concerned by your sudden disappearance. It was very unlike you to abandon your responsibilities."
"I no longer deserve the responsibilities which I once so gladly performed," Namor said. "I am a man dishonored. Tell mother that I will return when that is no longer the case. When I come back, it will be as the warrior I once was."
"Hippolyta is worried about you, as well."
Namor looked sad. Aquaman knew he'd struck a nerve.
"I sympathize, Namor. She's a magnificent woman, this 'Wonder Woman' you are in love with. I understand your need to win her to your worship through deeds. But I can't see how you will do that here. After all, if you want to impress her with your warrior skill and erase the memory of your recent defeat, I would say that the best place to do that is at her side. The Justice Society faces the toughest foes in the world. Let her see you defeating the greatest threats the world has to offer. Because when you think about it, no matter how many battles you have here, alone in the sea, she won't know. If you want to win her, the greatest act of courage you can perform is to face your demons. And to face her!"
Namor was wavering. Was Aquaman right? Had he made a mistake running off on this quest? "You've given me much to think about, Arthur. Please go. I need to think."
"Of course, Namor. I go. May Neptune watch over you."
Aquaman left. Namor stood in turmoil.
Captain America and his partners had arrived in Europe. Gabriel Jones led then to the spot where Manotaur and Blackbriar Thorn were holding their captives.
"This is it," Jones said, pointing to the clearing. Cap looked through the bushes. This time it was Nick Fury who was being tortured. Sgt. Rock and Blackhawk had already endured a session.
Cap sneered in rage. "Bastards!"
"I know the big one with the horns," Hippolyta said. "His name is Von Bach. He's called the Manotaur. He is very powerful."
"Can you handle him?"
"I'm not sure. I will try."
"All right, he's yours. Jim, you take the wooden guy. Doc, you and Bucky free Easy Company. Jones, you and I will free the Howling Commandos and Blackhawk. Everybody ready? OK. Let's go!"
The heroes charged, taking the villains by surprise. Wonder Woman leaped at Von Bach, giving him a drop kick. He staggered back, stunned. "I know who you are, Von Bach," Wonder Woman said. "I will not allow you to abuse the power of the Gods I worship!"
Nearby, the Torch flew toward Thorn. The wooden creature shot thorns at the Torch but they burned up before they hit the android. The Torch hit Thorn with a fireball and the demon burst into flame. Thorn ran for the closest lake, with the Torch's fireballs exploding around him, hurrying him on his way.
As Bucky and Dr. Mid-Nite freed Easy Company, Cap was releasing Nick Fury. "I let you out of my sight for a little while and you get yourself into a mess like this," Cap said to Fury.
"What can I say, winghead?" Fury answered. "I love trouble."
"If you're okay, help Jones free your men. I'm going to help Wonder Woman. She seems to be having some trouble with the Manotaur."
Cap rushed once again into battle.
Baron Zemo was thinking about Captain America, hating him. He sat on a cot in the back room of Wilhelm Hall, which was the headquarters of the American Nazi party. Zemo had been hiding there for months as he recuperated from injuries received at the hands of Captain America.
Earlier that year, Zemo had invented Adhesive X and was planning to use it as a weapon against the Americans, but he ran into opposition from the JSA. He ended up in combat with Captain America. He was defeated and then caught in an explosion, which almost killed him. If he hadn't been found by members of the American Nazi party and brought to this hall for safety, he would certainly have died. The scars and burn marks that covered his body would never go away. But that was not the worst part. The thing that really made Zemo insane with hate was the mask that he couldn't remove. During his fight with Captain America, Adhesive X spilled on him. His mask got glued to his face. There was no known way to remove it. He would never again feel the wind on his face. Never be normal again. And it was all the fault of Captain America. He had thought about nothing else for months except revenge.
Recently, a bit of hope reached Zemo's black heart. Hope in the form of a traitor. An American traitor who was passing him information on the activities of the JSA . . . detailed, private information. Zemo was making plans. Creating a dossier with the information he received. Information he hoped would lead to his ultimate revenge against Captain America and the Justice Society.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and mist spread across the room. He saw a woman standing there. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"Greetings, mortal," the stunning woman said. "I am the goddess Amora of Asgard. I am known as the Enchantress. I seek thy assistance."
Baron Zemo considered what she had said. He had heard before that otherworldly beings were manipulating the war. She clearly had special powers. And the effect this woman was having on him was more than any normal woman would have on one so controlled as he. It was entirely possible that she was some sort of goddess.
"What is it that you need form me, oh goddess?" he asked.
"We doth seek the same thing," she said. "Vengeance against the society that didst wrong us both. Vengeance against those cursed mortals known as the Justice Society. Working together, we two shall succeed where alone we didst fail."
Zemo smiled under his mask. This could be the answer he had sought so long. "I agree. And I have a plan."
"Tell me of thy plan, mortal," she said.
"We need an army. An army equal to the power of the Justice Society. I have been putting together a dossier of their greatest enemies and where they are likely to be found. Some of them I would have trouble finding and others are impossible for me to reach. But not for you. You can find them. With your beauty, you'd easily be able to convince them to join us."
"An excellent scheme, Baron. I approve. Tell me then, who are these beings and where might I find them?"
Warlord Krang was swimming in the depths of the ocean. He was on the run from his enemies, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Aquaman. They had foiled his attempt to conquer New Atlantis and made him a fugitive. Someday, he would have his revenge.
To his amazement, a beautiful woman appeared before him. "Who are you, woman?"
"I come to give you what you desire . . . Revenge!"
The Enchantress transported Warlord Krang back to the lair of Baron Zemo. Others were there as well. Already, at Zemo's suggestion, she had brought the criminals Master Man, Sumo, the Fiddler, and the Huntress who she had freed from their jail cells and pressed into the service of Zemo's army. Krang looked around suspiciously.
The Enchantress smiled. "Who is next, Baron?"
Dr. Joar Makent - also known as the Icicle - sat in a small hut in the North Pole, where his job was to monitor the Russians. This was not an honor duty. It was punishment. After he invented Project Cold Atoms, and made himself into the Icicle, he promised the Fuhrer that he would capture the Human Torch. He failed. On top of that, some of his other scientific projects went awry. Dr. Makent fell out of favor with the Fuehrer and was sent to this remote post. His icy physiology made him perfectly suited for the climate. He longed for a chance to do something to vindicate himself. To get back to Berlin.
The Enchantress appeared in the hut. "Mortal. I come to give thee thy hearts desire."
The dwarf known as Culp was trapped in a void between the Shadow realm and our dimension. He had been dragged there by his old rival, the Shade, but something about the vibrational abilities of the JSA member Flash caused him to be trapped in this void. Culp wanted revenge. First, Flash had humiliated and defeated him in a fight, and then caused him to be trapped here. He wished for a way to escape and get his revenge.
The Enchantress appeared in the void. "Mortal, I have come to free you."
Culp smiled. "Who says wishes don't come true, eh?"
Somewhere between the realm of imagination and the physical world was an empty void, the void of the forgotten. An intelligence lived there, trapped there. This powerful, malevolent mind was once human. He had been known by many names including Bard Figment. Once he was ruler of the Land of Fiction. Less than a year ago, he trapped the JSA inside Fiction itself, in order to avenge himself against his hated enemy the Flash. But the JSA defeated him and he lost his hold on the Land of Fiction. Without a body he couldn't return home so he has languished here. Helpless. Forgotten. Waiting for the day he could get even with the man who ruined his life several times. Jay Garrick. Flash.
The Enchantress appeared in the land of the forgotten. "Bard Figment. I have come to help you."
"Who are you?" the disembodied voice asked.
"I am once who can grant thy most fervent wish. I can bring thee back to the world of mortal men and help thee get thy vengeance."
"It's impossible," the hateful voice said. "I have no body. I can't return to the Earth."
"I have found a way for thee to return," she answered.
In Zemo's lair, the Baron had ordered one of the American Nazi members to stand in the room with the super villains. He was a little nervous, but also honored. That changed when he felt the pain.
He collapsed to the ground as a force invaded his body. His mind and soul faded and died. His body became a vessel for another. The former Nazi stood up and looked at his new body in the mirror. "I am whole again," Bard Figment said. "But how does this help me get revenge on the Flash?"
The Enchantress had reappeared. She smiled. "Be patient, mortal. I have more to do for thee." She gave him a ring. "Put it on," she said. "That is the ring of Hermod, Asgardian god of speed."
Figment put on the ring. It shrunk to the proper size on his finger. "Interesting," he said.
"And now," the Enchantress said. "Think about the man you hate. Think about the Flash. Focus all your thoughts, all your hate. Let it fill you. Become your hate. Become your enemy."
Bard Figment focused his mind completely on his hate for the Flash. The Enchantress fired a bolt of eldritch energy at him. Bard Figment suddenly transformed. Everyone stared at him.
He now looked just like Flash. An almost perfect duplicate, right down to the costume and helmet. He looked at himself in the mirror. "You've made me look like him?!" he screamed, appalled.
"Thou now hath his powers. Thou canst fight him with his own abilities. Equal in every way."
The man once known as Bard Figment smiled, taking in the news. He tested his new speed. He ran across the room faster than anyone could see. "Yes!!" he cheered, and ran outside to test his new body and new powers.
"He's like a kid with a new toy," the Fiddler said.
"Leave him for now," Zemo said. "Let him have his fun. We have other things to deal with just now. The next thing to do is find that Demon who fought Wonder Woman and Flash months ago."
"Etrigan," The Enchantress said, "I know how to locate him."
She started to chant. "Rise, rise, oh foul villain. Rise the Demon Etrigan!"
In a burst of fire and brimstone, the demonic yellow beast Etrigan appeared.
"A motley crew of villains evil,
Have accomplished foul Etrigan's retrieval.
If you seek to fight a war
Be prepared for lots and lots of gore!
If you would be Etrigan's ally,
Tell me who we shall cause to die!"
"Be at peace, hellspawn," the Enchantress said. "We seek not thine animosity. We seek only an alliance that shalt serve our mutual goals. The destruction of the Justice Society."
"Ah, it is a most worthy goal,
I would eat their flesh and drink their souls.
I would see the JSA die.
Their families will weep and cry."
"We art in agreement," she said. "And now there is one more whom I shall summon. One who I have hidden for months, awaiting the right time to unleash this beast 'gainst the mortal world. And now I summon . . . Solomon Grundy!"
In a puff of smoke, the gigantic, ghostly white beast called Solomon Grundy appeared. He looked at the Enchantress. The simple-minded Grundy had a child-like crush on the beautiful goddess.
"I doth need thy help, Grundy," the Enchantress said. "Thou must serve Amora now!"
"Solomon Grundy do anything for Amora," the creature said.
"Of course thou wilt, my willing servant."
"And now," Zemo said, "we have a sufficient army. Next, we need strategy. We need to wait until the JSA is separated. If we hit the splintered JSA teams quickly, before they know what is happening, we can kill them all! Our army - our Injustice Society - will succeed where so many others have failed. The JSA will soon be very dead!"
Dr. Fate was flying to a small New England town where his mystic sources had told him that a dark bird of prey was feasting on children. Fate flew over the area and used his magical senses to locate the creature. He sensed it nearby. He sped to the location, and saw a large bird-like beast made of only shadow and evil. Fate assumed it was the work of the Lords of Chaos.
It had just grabbed a child out of a window and was swooping away from the vicinity. Dr. Fate struck it with a bolt of magical energy. It dropped the baby. Fate dived, caught the baby and placed the child gently back in it's room. But he left himself open to the bird beast, which grabbed him with its talons. Fate screamed. Before he could break loose, the bird transformed into a mass of black shadow energy. It became a portal into the Shadow realm. Still stunned, Fate was pulled in before he could react. The portal closed behind him and Fate was trapped in the Shadow Realm.
Somewhere, The Enchantress and Culp smiled. Their combined powers had just eliminated a powerful enemy. Dr. Fate was out of the picture.
Sentinel and Black Canary arrived at the mansion. Flash explained to them where the others had gone. "So you're in charge," he told Sentinel. "If you're okay here, I'm going to go. I told Joan that I'd go Christmas shopping with her."
"Sure," Sentinel said. "Go ahead. I'll see you soon."
Flash said goodbye, patted Sentinel on the shoulder, and raced off.
Sentinel looked at Black Canary, who was doing some stretching exercises. "Say, Canary. I'm going to go upstairs to Miss Venus' library. I want to take advantage of some of here mystic reference books. You hold down the fort, okay?"
"Will do, chief," she answered.
The Angel stood outside the JSA HQ. He saw Flash leave. It seemed that Black Canary was one of the few people left in the mansion. This would be a good time to talk to her. Maybe he could get the courage to tell her about his secret curse. Or maybe not. Maybe it was better she didn't know. He headed inside.
Flash hadn't been home with Joan for more than five minutes when he heard on the radio that someone with super speed was terrorizing the mid-west. The man was moving too fast to get a clear look at but it appeared to be Flash.
Jay Garrick put his costume back on and raced to the mid-west. He zigzagged across the country until he got a sense of something. He could always sense when another speedster was around. Flash homed in on the other man. The other man was indeed moving at speeds that the Flash thought only he could reach. He raced up to the other speedster and tried to cut him off, but the other man dodged him with more skill than Flash expected. Both men came to a stop. Flash got a good look. The other man was almost his twin. The eyes and hair were a bit darker and the face a bit more angular, but he was almost identical. He stared at the Flash with hate in his eyes.
"You've been causing a lot of trouble," Flash said, "Who are you anyway?"
"You wouldn't recognize me, Garrick. But I'm the man who's life you ruined. In this world and in the world of fiction! But now I finally have the power to destroy you! Your own power!"
The Flash figured out who his enemy was. "Bard Figment?"
"Not any more," the evil speedster said. "I'm no longer Bard Figment. Now I am your antithesis. Your equal but opposite. I exist to fight you as long as I live. Now and forever, to you, I am Rival!"
In the library, Sentinel heard loud noises. The familiar sound of a fight. Using the power of his ring, he flew through the floor and into the main sitting room. Black Canary was lying in the middle of the room unconscious. She was surrounded by eleven deadly foes. Baron Zemo, the Enchantress, Master Man, Sumo, the Fiddler, the Huntress, Culp, Warlord Krang, Solomon Grundy, the Icicle, and Etrigan the Demon.
"Leave her alone!" Sentinel cried.
"Very brave and noble," Zemo said. "But you are not in a position to make demands. All you can do is surrender, and we will kill you quickly and painlessly. Or you can fight and die a painful death. Your choice, American."
"Then prepare for a fight, because I intend to take some of you with me!" Sentinel boldly announced. He tensed himself for the most difficult battle of his life . . . one he would most likely lose!
Next issue: The JSA battles the Injustice Society. Also, the rampaging Hulk arrives on the scene, but who's side will he be on? Find out what happens in Justice Society of America # 18. Merry Christmas!