The large, alien ship dropped out of light-speed and settled into orbit around the Earth. The unsophisticated Earthly tracking devices of the time couldn't detect it. Its ominous presence was unseen and unheralded. The danger it presented was grave!
Inside the ship, a withered looking old man looked out of the ship's window at the green globe called Earth. This man was known as the Collector. "We're here."
An eight foot tall, humanoid male, with long hair and an incredibly muscular physique, joined him at the window. This limitlessly powerful mass of muscle was called the Champion of the Universe.
"So, that is the Earth," Champion said. "It's smaller than I thought. It's hard to believe the fate of the Universe depends on that tiny mud-ball."
They continued to look at the Earth for a long time. Time, however, meant little to these beings. They were Immortals, some of the oldest sentient beings in existence. They were part of the celestial group called the Elders of the Universe.
"I hope this . . . 'Justice Society' does not disappoint," Champion said. "I crave a challenge."
"They have hindered the plans of the Dark Council," the Collector said. "They are surprisingly formidable for natives of such a weak planet. Of course, the council could destroy them, but that would bring us into conflict with the White Council. If that happened, the wrath of the Living Tribunal would fall upon us."
"And this plan of yours will circumvent that eventuality?" the Champion asked.
The Collector smiled. "In wording our truce with the White Council, I managed to have it implied that the Elders of the Universe were allowed to go about their usual habits and activities. My usual activities consist of Collecting. Yours consists of fighting. The White Council can't stop us from doing those things, or they will answer to the Living Tribunal. And nowhere in the truce does it specifically state that we are prohibited from carrying out those activities on the planet Earth."
"I see," the Champion said. "So we will do what we do. And the White Council has no grounds to interfere."
"Exactly!" the Collector agreed. "And together, we will see the end of the Justice Society of America!"
Washington, DC - The mansion of Miss Venus, headquarters of the JSA . . .
Captain America was in the gym, training with his young partner, Bucky, a.k.a. the Star-Spangled Kid.
In a flash of light . . . they vanished!
In the back yard of the mansion, the Human Torch and Toro were also training.
The two of them suddenly vanished.
In a valley in South America, Thomas Halloway - the man alternately known as the Angel and as the Hulk - lay on a bed in the makeshift lab of Dr. Clark Savage, the man of bronze. Doc Savage wasn't present at the moment. Black Canary sat next to the bed, holding Thomas' hand and offering a reassuring and loving smile. Thomas smiled back. Nearby, Dr. Mid-Nite stood watching. He nodded in satisfaction. Black Canary was good for Thomas. She could help him remain peaceful. It was important that Thomas Halloway remain peaceful. No surprises.
And in the wink of an eye . . . the three of them vanished.
Queen Hippolyta, also known as Wonder Woman, was on her home island of Themescria. She had recently left her lover Prince Namor, who was seeing to his ailing mother, Queen Fen. The signing of the Amazon/Atlantis treaty had been disrupted by Attuma. While the Amazons awaited Fen's recovery, Wonder Woman saw to some matters concerning her Amazons.
And then she vanished.
Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner was standing outside the royal bedchamber of his mother, Queen Fen. He cursed Attuma, who had - along with the mutant amphibian scientist Dr. Dorcas - transformed her into the She-Beast. Fen had been returned to normal since, but she was still not well. Namor was reluctant to leave her side. His brother Arthur, the Aquaman, prince of New Atlantis, remained also. He approached Namor.
"How is mother?" Aquaman asked.
"No better," Namor answered. "I will kill Attuma for this!"
"She will recover," Aquaman said. "Mother is strong."
Before Namor could reply . . . both princes vanished.
Alan Scott was in his office at the WXYZ building. He had a pile of paperwork to do. He would not get to finish it today. His ring began to throb, as if it were warning him of danger. Alan stood up. With the slightest bit of concentration, the magic ring transformed him into the Sentinel. He was ready for battle!
He vanished.
Jay Garrick and Prof. Elton Morrow - Better known as The Flash and the Blue Diamond - were together, working in Morrow's lab. They concluded an experiment. Jay stretched.
"I don't know about you, Elton," Jay said, "but I'm feeling a little claustrophobic. It's a beautiful day outside and we're spending it in the lab. Let's go outside for a while."
"If you insist," Elton replied. "But you know how I hate to waste time. I'm a compulsive worker."
"So, let's patrol," Jay said. "Maybe the Flash and Blue Diamond will accomplish something. Maybe we'll stop a crime or save a life. At the very least, it'll make people feel better to see us patrolling."
"All right. You win," Elton said.
The two scientists changed into their costumed identities . . . and then vanished.
Kent Nelson was meditating in his home in Salem, Massachusetts. He suddenly sensed danger. Kent Nelson jumped to his feet and grabbed the helmet of Nabu. He put the Helmet on. He was immediately transformed into Dr. Fate, the Avatar of Order.
And then he vanished.
There were several other disappearances across the country . . . the JSA reserves.
Carter and Shiera Hall, alias Hawkman and Hawkwoman.
Rex "Tick Tock" Tyler, a.k.a. Hourman.
Ted Knight, also called Starman.
Ted Grant, alias Wildcat, and his sometime partner, the Atom.
The Alien craft of the Elders of the Universe . . .
Twenty super-beings materialized inside the ship in a large chamber. Captain America, the Star-Spangled Kid, Sentinel, Flash, Human Torch, Toro, Wonder Woman, Prince Namor, Dr. Mid-Nite, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, Angel, Aquaman, Blue Diamond, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Wildcat, Atom, Hourman, and Starman. The entire force of the Justice Society together!
They all looked around the chamber. It was bigger than a Vaudeville theater, with a high roof. Through a window they saw the Earth, and knew they were in space. "What the holy hell is going on?" Wildcat asked.
"Stay sharp, people!" Cap ordered. "Expect anything! Fate, do you sense anything?"
"Yes, Captain," Dr. Fate said. "Someone is coming. Someone powerful. He . . . "
In another burst of light, Dr. Fate vanished.
Dr. Fate found himself in a smaller chamber. No one was present except an elderly man.
"Ah! Dr. Fate!" the Collector said. "Face-to-face at last."
"I know you!" Dr. Fate said, "You are one of the Dark Council. The Collector. An Elder of the Universe!"
"Very good," the Collector said. "You know about me. Then you must also know of my cosmic power!"
The Collector unleashed the powerful force of his cosmic energy. Dr. Fate barely got up his mystical defenses. Fate knew that he was in for a difficult fight!
"Where'd Fate go?" Star-Spangled Kid asked.
"My ring doesn't detect him," Sentinel said, "but I am sensing that powerful being he mentioned."
A door slid open. In walked a huge, powerfully built being. He smiled confidently.
"Be careful, group!" Sentinel shouted. "My ring is detecting massive power!"
"No one move until I give the signal," Cap ordered.
The towering muscleman spoke. "I am the Champion of the Universe."
"That's quite an impressive title," Cap said, "but I'd like to know where Dr. Fate is!"
"Do not interrupt!" the Champion ordered. "I am the greatest warrior in the Universe. I have never been defeated. I travel the many galaxies seeking a challenge worthy of me. Thus far, I have found none. You have been brought here to enter a tournament. You will fight me."
"We have no desire to fight anyone," Cap said. "We have work to do on Earth, and we do not want to participate in your tournament. So if you don't mind, return our friend and send us back to Earth."
"You will participate," the Champion said. "You have no choice."
"Don't we?" Namor shouted. "No one orders Namor the Sub-Mariner!"
"Stay calm, brother," Aquaman warned.
"If you do not enter my tournament, your planet will suffer!" the Champion said. "Look out the window. Do you see that asteroid in the distance?"
Passing through space was an asteroid. The Champion pressed a button on his wristband and suddenly a powerful laser blast shot out from the Elder's ship, incinerating the asteroid. The assembled JSA members were stunned. They had never seen anything like that.
"If I unleash such power on your country - your 'America' - just think of the carnage. I'd ravage your homeland. And how would America survive this war it is currently waging if it is decimated from space. Your country would certainly fall!"
The JSA members were enraged. Angel felt both anger and fear. His heart started to race. "Oh, no!" he muttered. He closed his eyes and utilized the mediation and breathing techniques that Dr. Mid-Nite had taught him. He couldn't afford to change now. There was no telling what the Hulk would do in a situation like this! He could make things worse. Angel fought the change. He told himself that the JSA could handle this. There is no need to get excited! he thought.
The other JSA members were fuming with rage, especially Captain America! "All right, Mr. Champion-of-the-Universe!" Cap shouted, angrily. "You want a fight, you've got one! And you're going to regret it!"
"Excellent!" Champion said. "Such spirit! I can only hope that your power equals your passion. But you must obey my rules! Any infraction and I will fire upon the Earth!"
"Go on!" Cap said, warily.
"You will each fight me one-by-one," the Champion said. "I don't care in which order you battle me. You will all get your chance. If any of you can defeat me, you will be all freed and I vow never to return to your Earth again. However, any of you whom I defeat will be sent to the antechamber."
"What's the antechamber?" Flash asked.
"A place of dishonor for the defeated," the Champion said. "Think of it as a living trophy room."
"Very well," Cap said. "We'll go along. The Justice Society stands against you! And we'll defeat you!"
"HA!" the Champion laughed. "Such stupidly arrogant confidence! Let us see if you can back up your words. For no one in the universe has ever defeated the Champion! Come ahead, Earthmen! Send in your first warrior!"
The Champion moved to the center of the room and patiently waited for the first challenger.
Cap looked around at his team. He wondered whom he should send into battle first. He feared for the safety of whomever he sent. Cap considered stepping into battle himself, but if he were the first one defeated, it could be a blow to the whole team. Not only would the loss of their leader demoralize them, but there would be no one left to do the tactical planning that may be necessary to defeat the Champion.
The question remained . . . Who should he send first to fight this powerful enemy?
Prince Namor stepped forward. "Allow me the honor of thrashing this cretin!"
Cap considered. "No. Not yet," Cap said. "You'll go next, if a second fighter is necessary."
Namor sneered but accepted the decision. "So who is to be first?"
"The most powerful of us all," Cap said. "Sentinel! If he can defeat the Champion, this will be over quickly. If not, he will hopefully weaken the Champion enough for Namor to finish him off."
Sentinel nodded, took a deep breath, and walked into the center of the arena.
"The blessings of Neptune go with you, my friend," Namor said to the Sentinel.
"Thank you, Namor," Sentinel said, as he marched to do battle with the Champion.
Sentinel and the Champion of the Universe faced off in the center of the arena.
"The first foolish victim," Champion said. "What is that expression you have on you world? The lamb to the slaughter!"
"If you want to fight, then fight! Don't talk!" Sentinel snapped.
The Champion moved in on Sentinel, who took to the air, keeping his distance. The Sentinel lashed out at the Champion with a blast of Starheart energy so powerful that the Champion was engulfed by the green flames. The other JSA members were knocked off their feet by the shock wave. When the smoke and flames faded, the Champion was still standing.
"Well struck, little Earthman," he said.
Sentinel created a giant vice and tried to squeeze the Champion into submission. The Champion held out his arms and pushed back against the vice. "We can do this as long as you like," Champion said. "I never get tired. How about you?"
Sentinel got worried. He hadn't recharged his Power Ring in hours. Eventually it would run out of power. He couldn't afford to play a waiting game. He had to stop his foe as soon as possible. He attacked again, using as much power as he dared use, without frying everyone in the arena, including his friends.
The fight went on for an hour. Sentinel hit the Champion with everything he had, but the Champion wouldn't stay down. He was a juggernaut of power, never tiring, never weakening. And he was having fun.
"This is the greatest challenge I have faced in many an eon!" Champion said. "Fight on, Earthman!"
But then, what Sentinel had feared would happen . . . happened! The green flame of his ring began to weaken and fade. The ring was running out of power! Sentinel grimaced. His ring usually lasted about twenty-four hours. But the more he used it, the faster it ran down. And he had been using it non-stop for the last hour. And since he hadn't recharged it all day, it was inevitable that it would run down.
The Champion charged Sentinel while he was distracted with these thoughts. His large fist swung at the ring-wielding hero. The power of the ring sputtered out a bit of pale, green flame. It was just enough to create a force field around him. A weak one. The Champion struck with incredible power and shattered the fading force field. Fortunately, the force field slowed the Champions fist down so that he struck with minimum force. But even minimal force from a powerhouse like the Champion was enough. Sentinel fell!
The other JSA members watched in horror. Their heavy hitter had failed. And the Champion didn't even seem winded. How could the rest them beat him?
The Collector stood over the fallen Dr. Fate. The Lord of Order had given him a difficult fight. But despite Fate's power and determination, the Collector had eons of experience to call on. He had outmaneuvered the Avatar of Order. After taking a deep breath to compose himself, he touched a button that caused Dr. Fate to be swallowed up by a transporter beam. Fate re-materialized inside a transparent tube. The tube held him in suspended animation.
The Collector activated the monitor screen to see how the Champion was doing. He saw Sentinel go down.
"Ahh! The second trophy for my collection!" the Collector said. He pressed a button to claim his prize.
The unconscious form of the Sentinel was transported away. The other JSA members didn't know that he had been sent to a tube which would hold him in suspended animation. Meanwhile, the Champion was still reveling in his victory.
"Ha!" Champion laughed. "A fine battle! I hope the rest of you are equally entertaining! I . . . "
The Champion didn't finish his sentence. Namor rammed into him like a freight train, and proceeded to pound the Champion in the face with all his Atlantean strength. The Champion, taken by surprise, staggered back a few steps. But then he braced himself for the blows. He stood his ground, absorbing the blows with hardly a shutter. He backhand slapped the sea Prince away. Namor was knocked off his feet.
"I hope that isn't your best attack," Champion said. "If so, you had best surrender now!"
Namor sneered in fury, and launched himself at the Champion. His face was met with the Champion's fist. Namor's head snapped back. He let out a yelp of pain. He fell to the ground, semi-conscious. Another quick blow from the Champion finished him off. Namor was transported away.
"Disappointing," Champion said.
Aquaman and Wonder Woman were enraged at seeing Namor defeated. Aquaman was about to attack, but Wonder Woman beat his to the charge. She locked up with the Champion.
Cap watched, worried. It didn't matter to him that Hippolyta charged into the fray without orders. He was going to send her in next anyway. What worried him was that the Champion seemed unbeatable.
"I go into battle next!" Aquaman said sternly, leaving no room for disagreement. Cap nodded his approval.
Wonder Woman was getting nowhere with the Champion. She had been fast enough to avoid getting hit, but her own attacks were doing no damage. She knew that she would tire before she wore him down. She quickly unhooked her magic lasso and circled around the Champion. She tied him up in the lasso of truth.
"I command you to surrender!" she ordered.
Champion just laughed. "I am an Elder of the Universe, woman! Your little toy will not work on me!"
He yanked on the lasso, pulling Wonder Woman with it. Wonder Woman tripped toward him. She struck hard, knocking her senseless. He stuck again, and she fell, defeated. The Collector transporter her to a tube.
"Next!" the Champion said.
Aquaman leaped into battle. He ducked under the Champion's first blow and stabbed his harpoon hand into the Champion's stomach. He was shocked when the harpoon couldn't pierce the Champion's dense muscle mass. The Champion struck two quick blows and Aquaman was out of the fight. The Collector took him.
"Next."
Cap turned to the Flash. "You . . . "
"I wouldn't send him in." Dr. Mid-Nite said, "Not yet. The Flash is powerful. More so than most people realize. He has untapped potential. If all else fails, we'll need an ace-in-the-hole. Hopefully, if everyone else wears him down, the Flash can be our anchorman and finish him off."
Cap nodded. "I'll send in someone else." He looked around. "Starman! You're up!"
Starman flew into combat. He unleashed the gravitational power of his Cosmic Rod. The attack actually seemed to shake up the Champion a bit.
"Did you see that?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked. "Starman hurt him."
"I wonder why?" Cap said. "What's his weakness?"
"I'd suggest that the Champion comes from a place of much heavier gravity," Flash said. "That's the source of his power. His molecular density."
"I agree," Blue Diamond said.
"Starman!" Cap yelled. "The Champion's dense mass is his strength!"
Starman, also a scientist, had already made the same assumption. He used his power to lighten and decrease the Champion's mass. The Champion experienced a wave of nervousness as he felt his power begin to slowly ebb. He had to do something quickly.
The Champion used a power he had rarely needed to utilize. He could increase his density even further. As Starman decreased him, he increased himself. This gravitational tug-of-war went on for almost ten minutes. And then Starman's rod sparked and fizzled. He had pushed its power too far. It shorted out. A backlash of energy knocked Starman unconscious. The Champion was visibly shaken.
"Torch . . . Go!" Cap ordered.
The Human Torch ignited his flame and hurled vast amounts of fire and heat at the Champion. The Champion shrugged it off as he regained his confident demeanor.
"I have walked on flaming worlds, far hotter than your meager efforts can produce," Champion said.
The Champion clapped his hands. Shock waves and a rush of air all collided with the flaming android. His flame went out. He fell. The Champion slapped him, disdainfully. The Torch's systems were badly damaged. His AI program automatically deactivated.
Toro launched himself angrily at the Champion.
"Toro, stop!" Cap ordered.
Toro didn't listen. He regretted it. He fell even faster than the Torch did.
Cap nodded to Hawkman. He flew into action. He evaded a blow and clubbed the Champion with his warclub. The Champion didn't react to it. Hawkman took advantage of his maneuverability. He hit-and-run on his enemy. He ended up with a dented club and an unharmed opponent.
Hawkman made one pass too many on his foe. The Champion grabbed his foot and slammed him to the ground. Hard! And like the others, he was transported to a stasis tube by the Collector.
Hawkwoman started to move forward. Cap grabbed her, stopping her. "Not yet!" he said. "Blue Diamond! See what you can do."
The Blue Diamond approached the Champion slowly. He knew he was out powered. He tried to find a logical strategy to use against a seemingly indestructible opponent. He couldn't think of one.
Nearby, Angel was trying to stay calm. His heart was racing. It looked like the Champion would defeat the whole Justice Society. And then, what would happen to the world? He fought the panic that was welling up in him. He did his breathing exercises. Dr. Mid-Nite noticed.
"Stay calm," Mid-Nite said. "Remember, meditation and breathing."
Angel nodded, fighting to keep his cool.
And while he was doing that, the Blue Diamond was falling at the hands of the Champion. The Collector claimed him.
Cap looked at Hawkwoman. "Now!"
Hawkwoman tried a similar attack as the one Hawkman had tried, but she was more careless, due to her anger at seeing her husband beaten and then vanishing. She fell quickly, another prize for the Collector.
Hourman was sent in next. He hoped his Miraglow formula would give him the edge he needed. It didn't. He became another prize for the Collector.
Wildcat and the Atom both failed dismally.
"Flash," Cap said. "If I fail, don't wait until last. You go next."
Cap started to walk forward. Dr. Mid-Nite grabbed him. "You can't!" Mid-Nite said, "You're the leader."
"No more!" Cap said. "I'm tired of seeing my people fall. I won't be a spectator any more. If I fall in battle, I'm counting on you to take over here. Let the Flash go next."
Mid-Nite nodded reluctantly. Captain America stepped up to the plate.
"So!" the Champion said. "The leader himself enters the games. This will be an honor!"
Cap said nothing. Words were useless at this point. He realized that logic dictated that he didn't have a chance in the Universe. But this was Captain America, and he did not give up!
Cap avoided the Champion's early attacks. The Champion got frustrated and charged Cap. Cap sidestepped. The Champion was thrown off-balance. Cap hit the Champion in the foot with his shield. The Champion tripped and fell.
The Champion sneered with embarrassment as the remaining JSA members cheered their leader on.
The Champion tried again and again to strike Cap, but the red, white and blue hero was too agile. He smashed his shield into the Champion again and again. He didn't seem to be hurting the Elder, but he was getting the Champion angry.
Meanwhile, the Flash got an idea. He whispered to Dr. Mid-Nite. "I need to search the ship. Hopefully, I can find Dr. Fate. He may be able to turn the tide. Also, if I can find the controls that operate the laser weapon, there won't be any need for us to follow the Champion's rules. We can gang up on him, or call for reinforcements. Maybe Thor!"
"Good plan," Mid-Nite said. "But what if he notices that you're gone?"
Flash smiled. "He won't."
Flash ran. But he also stayed. Moving at speeds faster than the eye could follow, the Flash appeared to be in two places at once. He seemed to be standing in the arena watching the fight, but he was really searching the ship.
Collector was watching the fight with a smile. The Champion was doing splendidly. And the Collector's collection was growing. He lived to collect rare objects. He had been doing it for many millennia. Now, he would have a complete collection of the greatest heroes of Earth, possibly in the galaxy . . . the Justice Society!
The Collector never knew what hit him as the Flash rammed him. The Collector teetered, stunned. The Flash battered him with thousands of blows per second. The Collector fell, stunned. The Flash kicked him with a lightning-fast kick. The aged Elder had great cosmic power but physically he has not nearly as formidable. Had he been forewarned, he could have shut off his pain receptors but he was taken by surprise and so, despite his durable immortal status, he passed out.
Flash looked at his teammates in the transparent tubes. They had to be freed!
Captain America had gotten tired. He slowed down. The Champion managed to connect with Cap's shield. Cap was sent sailing through the air. He hit the wall. The air was knocked out of him. He fell to the floor. He was still conscious, but he played dead, hoping that he could find out where his defeated companions had been transported to.
The Champion turned his attention to Dr. Mid-Nite, Black Canary, Angel, and Star-Spangled Kid. He didn't notice that Cap was not transported away.
Dr. Mid-Nite noticed that the Flash's speed image was gone. "We can't let him notice that the Flash is gone," he said.
Black Canary nodded and ran toward the Elder. She unleashed her sonic scream. The Champion winced, but he didn't seem overly impressed. He clapped his hands again, and the concussion stunned the Black Canary. He moved in on her, ready to finish her off.
"No!" Angel shouted. "Enough!" He was filled with anger and fear . . . And he surrendered to it. Why stop himself from becoming the monster? Maybe a monster was what was needed now to save the Earth. Nothing else was working. It certainly couldn't hurt at this point.
Angel's voice turned to a guttural growl. His skin turned gray. And his grew! His muscles bulged.
"Everybody get back!" Dr. Mid-Nite ordered. Everyone obeyed.
Angel transformed into the rampaging Hulk!
Hulk looked around, unsure of where he was, or what was happening. But then he saw the Champion attempting to crush the Black Canary. The part of Hulk that was Thomas Halloway mentally rebelled against this possibility. The Hulk was compelled to save the Canary, although he didn't understand why.
The Hulk leaped forward. The Champion was lowering his fist when he saw the large form coming at him.
"Who . . . ?"
The Hulk delivered a devastating fist to the face of the Champion. The Champion was - to the amazement of Mid-Nite and the SS Kid - knocked off his feet. The Champion rubbed his sore jaw.
"I don't know who you are, creature," the Champion said. "You are clearly not a human. But you have power. Never before have I been sent off of my feet by a single blow! You may be the challenge I have long sought!"
"Challenge?" Hulk asked, trying to comprehend the conversation. "You want to fight Hulk? Come! Fight with Hulk! No one can beat! Hulk is strongest one there is!"
"Ha!" the Elder replied. "You will learn that there is none in the universe stronger than the Champion!"
The two titans locked. The strongest being on Earth and the undefeated champion of the entire Universe. Their blows shook the ship and hurt the eardrums of Dr. Mid-Nite and the SS Kid. The two gigantic beings battered each other with ferocity and an unrelenting lust for battle. The Champion was the larger and stronger of the two, and it seemed - for a few minutes - that he had the upper hand. But he underestimated the Hulk. The gray beast fought with a wild animalistic savagery that took the Champion off guard. Even more amazingly, the Hulk seemed to get stronger as the fight went on. The gap in their strength was closing. The Champion was in his glory!
At least, until he saw the other JSA members. Free and ready to fight.
"What . . . ?"
Distracted, the Hulk smashed him with a tremendous blow. The Champion was knocked off his feet again. The JSA members surrounded him.
"How did you get free?" the Champion asked.
His only answer was a smug smile from some of the JSA members.
"Well, you'll regret it!" the Champion said. He pressed the button that activated the laser. "Your Earth will pay!"
The Champion was at a loss when his laser didn't fire. "What happened to my destructor beam?"
The JSA members ginned. Only they knew what happened. They knew that Flash had freed them after he defeated the Collector. And then, they decided to find and deactivate the weapons system before they went after the Champion. The alien ship was very advanced and hard for humans to understand. Flash, Blue Diamond, and Starman were all scientists, and Hawkman had some familiarity with alien technology. They pooled their intelligence and succeeded in eliminating the weapons.
The JSA members closed in on the Champion. Dr. Mid-Nite noticed something troubling. "Umm . . . Cap. Look," he said, pointing.
He pointed at the Hulk, who was looking around at the JSA with hostility and suspicion. He clearly recalled his battle with them. The Hulk growled menacingly at the human heroes.
"Uh oh!" Wildcat muttered. "Not good!"
Black Canary stepped forward. "Thomas. It's me! Dinah."
Hulk stared curiously at her, but then he snarled. "Why do you call Hulk Thomas? Hulk is Hulk!"
"No, you're not," she said, gently. "You're Thomas. My Thomas."
Hulk was confused by the feelings he was having. He hesitated. Suddenly, the Champion came up behind her and lifted her by the hair. "You like this human, do you monster? Then watch me kill her!"
Hulk roared with primal fury. Wonder Woman leaped forward with amazing speed and grabbed the Champion's hand, making his grip slack. Flash raced forward and yanked the Canary from the Champion's grasp. The Hulk leaped and tackled the Champion. They wrestled each other. The other JSA members attacked also. The determined and powerful team of heroes struck at the Champion, holding nothing back. The Champion was, for the first time in his long memory, getting slapped around. Even he couldn't compete with the combined force of the JSA and the Hulk.
The Collector awoke. Looking at the monitor, he saw that the Champion was getting pummeled by the JSA members. The Collector decided that this venture was a failure. It was time to end it. He activated the transporter beam.
The JSA was still beating on the Champion, when suddenly they were transported away. The Champion pulled himself up from the floor. He smiled. "Quite a fight. Glorious."
The JSA members reappeared in the yard of Miss Venus' Mansion. Some of them cheered. Cap just smiled and said, "Home."
Hulk looked around at the assembled group. They stared at him, waiting to see what he'd do. The Black Canary gently took his hand. Dr. Mid-Nite softly put a hand on the Hulk's shoulder.
"Friends?" Hulk asked hopefully.
"Yes," Black Canary said. "We're your friends."
For the first time in his existence, the Hulk smiled.
Next: First, celebrate Independence Day with the Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Fourth of July Spectacular, and then come back here for the 25th issue special as the JSA face a surprise villain and meet some unexpected allies in their strangest adventure yet!