Prologue #1

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS ONLY A VOID: Cold, dark and empty. No light, no heat, no matter, no life. Nothing! Just an endless infinite of nothing.

Until fifteen billion years ago. Then, for the first time, something happened. Life, tiny atomic life, appeared. Where it came from, no one can say. Perhaps it was the design of a higher being. Whatever the reason, it was there . . . Atoms of gaseous hydrogen. These would gradually condense into dense clouds of virgin matter. The existing matter of the universe was packed together in one dense mass, under enormous pressure, with temperatures of trillions of degrees. The dazzling brilliance of this dense, hot universe was beyond description. Inevitably, this led to the greatest explosion of all time. A cosmic hydrogen bomb exploded, marking the birth of the future. Formed of vapor and forged in fire, our universe began. Substance came from nothingness, and life came from un-life. The universe cooled. Planets and suns formed. Galaxies were born. The infant universe was growing and developing.

Its seeds were scattered on the solar winds. On some worlds, life grew out of plasma. On several planets, intelligent life grew from Algae. On others, waves of shimmering heat took on a strange intelligence. On fewer that thirty worlds, life developed out of sound. On one million more, silicon became life's base. A small handful of worlds had light as their source, while the vast majority embraced carbon.

One of the great anomalies of the universe was the object that became known as the Cosmic Cube. No one can say where it came from. Some believe it was the direct result of the cosmic fireball that created the universe. Some believe it is the egg-like embryo of a divine being, waiting to be born. Some believe it came from the far future, a product of unfathomable technology. Whichever, no one can say. The Cosmic Cube exists, and its power is awesome. It can bend matter, time and reality. It can create and it can certainly destroy! It seems to possess no intellect of it's own. However, once it is in the hands of a corruptible mortal, it inevitably leads to destruction.

Many have held the Cosmic Cube in their hand, and none have come to a happy end. Neither do the people and worlds nearby. Entire planets have been destroyed by the abusing of the Cosmic Cube's terrible power. In one instance, a whole solar system died! The Cube itself was generally the only survivor of these catastrophes. Eventually, it would fall into the hands of another, and the horrible cycle would begin again.

It was Uatu, the Watcher, who finally ended the cycle. Although his omnipotent and nearly all-powerful race had vowed never to interfere in the affairs of the younger, more primitive races, his conscience wouldn't allow him to stand idly by as this harbinger of doom continued to deliver death and destruction. The Watcher encased the Cosmic Cube in a shell of dwarf star matter, hid the shell inside a dense gas cloud and hid the gas cloud in a nebula of dark matter. He hoped that no one would ever find it again. And no one did. But people still tried.

The Cosmic Cube had become a legend, a Holy Grail for the power mad. It was sought by many. Even the notorious Green Lantern Corps hunted the Cube, to use for their own secret agenda. And their power rings had the ability to find it. Uatu the Watcher knew that he had to find a protector, someone who could guard the Cosmic Cube. This protector had to be someone incorruptible, someone who could resist the temptation to abuse the power of the Cube and start the cycle of destruction over again.

---

Prologue #2

Many thousands of years ago, the vicious Kree were at war with the cruel Thanagarians. This war was short but savage. On one world, the Thanagarians had built an advanced city, a colony far from the front lines of the war, where youngsters trained to be warriors one day and scientists developed weapons that could wipe out the enemy. This world was the beginning of a second-wave in the war against the Kree.

But the Kree discovered the far-off colony and launched an attack that wiped out the population and ravaged the architecture. A hidden AI brain-which was meant to activate in case the city was destroyed-began to record everything on the planet from the moment of devastation, and onward. Many, many years later, a Thanagarian would come to this world and the AI would merge with his mind, filling him in on the happenings of this world over the past centuries. But that is far in the future and irrelevant to these events.

The Kree decided to search the planet, to see if anyone else was present. That was when they discovered the Cotati! The Cotati was a race of plant people who climbed the revolutionary ladder from simple algae, to a near-humanoid state. They were true plants, requiring light, water and contact with the soil. But they had two attributes that most plants lack. Their branches have become elementary limbs, which allow them to walk, and they have highly developed minds that allow them to communicate telepathically.

When the Kree came upon the Cotati, they saw the creatures as nothing but unnatural freaks of nature, unholy deviants. The Kree attacked the Cotati race violently, slashing and burning. They left no Cotati standing. The Kree warriors would frequently brag of this genocide. It would become a popular folk tale on the Kree homeworld of Hala.

Eventually, the Thanagarians returned, and found their devastated city and dead comrades. The ancient city became a memorial. It was left in its ruined state. The Thanagarians frequently bring young warriors to the destroyed colony as a motivating field trip, a warning of what happens when you are not prepared.

Unbeknownst to either Kree or Thanagarian, the Cotati race was not entirely extinct. Though their ancestors were annihilated, plant life differs greatly from animal life. The dying plant men dropped their seedpods, which soon took root and burst forth an entirely new generation. In time, they reached maturity and stepped from the soil to propel themselves toward more complete concealment from others. They remained in hiding for a long time.

Far away, on Hala, a new movement had begun. These were pacifists Kree, followers of the martyr Pama, greatest of the Kree holy men. After Pama was killed, his movement grew. Pacifist priests were appearing all over Hala, threatening the status quo. The Kree warriors looked down on these peaceful people with a superior contempt. They beat and humiliated the followers of Pama. The priests were driven underground by their militaristic brothers. There, like so many other oppressed people, they began to develop self-defense skills. Their martial arts abilities were an offshoot of the more aggressive style of the Kree warrior class. Their mystical abilities were taken from the books of Pama. They became quite formidable, although they preferred not to fight.

The Kree powers-that-be feared the growing influence and power of the Priests of Pama, and sought their total destruction. The Priests were able to fight off the first few attempts to murder them, but they knew that they couldn't fight a whole world indefinitely. They decided to flee, along with their families. Stealing a ship, they became intergalactic pilgrims, seeking a better world.

They decided to land on the planet of the Cotati for two reasons. One, to honor the supposedly extinct race, and secondly, because no Kree would follow them to this world so frequently visited by the Thanagarians. They set down roots, and built a home. They had children and their numbers grew.

One day, their meditations were shattered by an insistent telepathic contact. The pacifists feel themselves summoned. They followed the mental signal and were led to a green valley, hidden by mountains and fog. There, they found the descendants of the Cotati. At first, the Priests were shocked. Legends told that the Cotati were extinct. Yet, here they were.

The Cotati and the Priests of Pama formed a strong and mutually beneficial alliance. Since the new generation of Cotati had set down permanent roots in the valley, they no longer walked. They needed the care and protection that the mobile priests could provide. The Priests, on the other hand, wanted to learn the mental disciplines of their plant friends. Together, they became a formidable yet benign force.

This did not escape the notice of the omnipotent Watcher. He appeared on the planet, and told the peaceful allies of a powerful weapon, a weapon sought by many easily corruptible forces, including the military government of Hala. The Priests of Pama and the Cotati agreed to become the watchmen of the Cosmic Cube. The Cube, still in its shell of dwarf-star matter, was buried deep in the valley, guarded continually by the Priests of Pama.

Eventually, the Thanagarians found that the Priests had set up their homestead on the planet, which housed the sacred memorial city. They gave the Priests the ultimatum to leave. Rather than fighting, the Priests made a pact with the Thanagarians. They would serve the Thanagarians in two ways.

Firstly, they would act as caretakers and protectors of the sacred city. Secondly, they would act as sentries, sending a man to every inhabited planet that the Thanagarians felt was a possible threat and acted as their eyes and ears. In return for all this, they would be allowed to retain their valley colony.

The Thanagarians agreed to all this. And so, many of the Priests were sent out to a number of worlds, where they act as spies. One such planet was Earth, which was developing quickly. Although still fairly primitive, many races considered their advancement far too rapid. The Priest named Son-Darr arrived on Earth in 1925, and lived in a monastery in Vietnam, but frequently went out among the people, to see and learn. One day, he rescued a young child, an orphan of an American missionary. Son-Darr brought the boy to the monastery and nursed him back to health. His empathic abilities felt a powerful spirit in this child. The boy was something special. He predicted a great destiny for young Bob Greyson.

Periodically, the sentry Priests were allowed to return to the world of the Cotati, to visit their relatives. On one such visit, Son-Darr brought the Greyson boy with him. He convinced his peers to train the boy in the ways of the Priests of Pama. Bob Greyson was the first human to join their movement.

---

On a spaceship nearing Earth, the Appalaxian captain was taking his crew to task. He wanted more speed. He wanted to get where he was going quickly. And so did his guest-The Red Skull! The Skull wore a protective suit to shield him from the hazardous environment in the alien ship. The Skull watched with satisfaction as the Captain pushed his crew beyond their limits. He would have made a good Nazi, the Skull thought. He had been the Appalaxians guest for nearly a year.

The Appalaxians, like so many others, were scouring the galaxy for the Cosmic Cube. While passing near the Earth, they had sensed a mysterious energy, which was similar to that which 'He' had said was the type of energy they would sense from the Cosmic Cube. They beamed up the object in question. It turned out to be the Red Skull. The residual energy from the Nemesis Statue was still clinging to the Skull. The scout craft brought the Skull back to their masters on Appalaxia. Soon, the Red Skull met 'Him', the mighty God of the Appalaxians. 'He' demanded to know if there were any connection between the Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube. The Skull convinced 'Him' that he knew nothing of the Cube, but still insisted that he could help. He persuaded the mighty God of Appalaxia that the Nemesis Statue could find this Cosmic Cube, but they had to bring him back to Earth to get it. So, the Skull was being brought back to his home planet, escorted by a small army of aliens.

"What did you say the Earthman who knows the location of the Statue is called?" the Captain asked.

"The person who can find it is called Dr. Fate," the Skull said. "But we won't be able to locate him. However, I know how to compel him to appear. We capture the human named Captain America and use him as hostage. Fate will be forced to bring us the statue, which will tell us where the Cosmic Cube is!"

The Skull smiled. The Captain was buying this whole phony story. The Red Skull had no idea whether or not the Nemesis Statue could find the Cosmic Cube and he didn't care. But he had tricked the Appalaxians into returning him to Earth. And these fools will help him capture Captain America. With the American as hostage, Dr. Fate will retrieve the statue. Then, the Red Skull will use the Statue to kill Dr. Fate, Captain America and the Appalaxians. And if their mysterious God shows up to claim the Statue, the Skull will use it to destroy him to. This is just too perfect!

---

Earth, the same day . . . Washington, DC. The HQ of the JSA

In the yard of the mansion, Captain America was getting impatient. He was overseeing the training of Bucky and Toro, and it was not going well today. He was having them run through an obstacle course, but they weren't meeting his expectations.

"Let's get the lead out!" Cap yelled. "You're far behind your best times! Move it!"

Wonder Woman came out of the mansion. "Is there a problem, Captain?"

"It's them," he said. "They're still sulking because of the test I gave them. They didn't like it that I let Plastic Man loose on them."

"I sympathize with them," Hippolyta said. "Plastic Man is still lurking around. He keeps asking me out."

"Sorry about that, Polly," Cap said. "Unforeseen side effect."

Just then, Plastic Man popped into view. His lower body was shaped like a kangaroo and he hopped around Hippolyta. "Hiya, baby. Once you go Kangaroo, nuthin else'll do!"

"Go away, Plastic Man!" she said, annoyed.

Captain America intervened. "I don't have time to deal with your clowning around, Plas. I'm trying to motivate Bucky and Toro. You left them a little peeved."

"Hey, no worries, Mr. America!" Plas said. "I always know the right thing to say."

Plas stretched over and whispered to the two boys. The boy's eyes widened, in excitement. They suddenly flew through the obstacle course. Cap couldn't believe how fast they were moving. The two young trainees both beat their best times by several seconds.

"You see," Plas said. "Sometimes little boys just need the right inspiration."

"What did you say to them? Cap asked.

Plas grinned. "I told 'em that if either of 'em beats their best time, they'll get a big smooch from Polly."

Hippolyta's stared sternly at Plastic Man. "You have no right to make promises for me! I am the monarch of Amazons, not a prize in a race. These are my lips, and I decide who I will kiss!"

She saw the two young heroes standing near the obstacle course, practically panting for their kiss. Hippolyta sighed. "I guess I can't disappoint them, now that you got their hopes up. I'll do it this once! But this is beneath the dignity of a Queen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and reward their efforts."

Toro practically fainted when the beautiful Amazon kissed him. He was totally infatuated with her. She suspected as much, and didn't want to encourage the feeling, but she was backed into a corner this time. After she finished rewarding the boys, she stormed toward Plastic Man with unkind intentions. "We need to talk, little man!" she said.

"Uh, sorry. Gotta run. I hear my mommy calling," Plas said.

Wonder Woman chased Plastic Man around the yard, while Toro and Bucky laughed hysterically. Cap shook his head. "Now I know why Doc Savage works alone!"

At that moment, the Appalaxian ship de-cloaked above the JSA mansion. Its shadow covered the yard. All five of the heroes present stared up at it, confused.

"What on Earth is that?" Cap asked.

"I may be wrong, Captain," Wonder Woman said, "but I don't believe that it is from Earth at all."

"I think Wonder Babe is right, Cappy," Plas said. "Its got Ming of Mongo written all over it!"

---

Meanwhile above, inside the Appalaxian craft . . .

The Appalaxian Captain and the hazmat-suited Red Skull observed the quintet of heroes on a monitor screen.

"Are you going to send your men down now?" the Skull asked.

"In a moment," the Captain said. "They're slipping into their new bodies. The Earth's atmosphere and climate is hazardous to us. When we set foot on such a world, our warriors place themselves in genetically created bodies. Powerful bodies!"

---

Below, in the JSA courtyard . . .

"I wonder what it's waiting for?" the Star-Spangled Kid asked.

"Why don't we send Plastic Man up to see what's cooking?" Toro suggested.

"Swell idea!" the SS Kid said.

"Wait, look! Something's happening!" Cap said.

An airlock opened on the side of the craft and out came four strange looking creatures, being lowered down by a tractor beam. They consisted of . . . a golden hawk-like bird; a twenty foot tall fire giant; a man made of diamond; and an amorphous water creature.

The artificial bodies of the aliens protected them and also made them extremely dangerous soldiers. And they were intent on accomplishing their task, determined to let nothing stop them!

"Incoming!" Cap yelled. "Toro, you take the fire giant! Plas, go for the bird! Polly, Diamond man is yours! You come with me, Kid! The water-thing is ours!"

The JSA members and Plas obeyed Caps orders. Toro made a beeline for the Fire creature. He tried to encircle it with his fire trail, but the creature walked through it harmlessly. It retaliated by spitting fire from its mouth, which engulfed Toro. He was shaken for a moment but quickly recovered. Changing tactics, Toro used his power to control fire, and started to siphon the flames away from the giant, diminishing it.

Plastic Man turned into a spring and popped up to meet the Golden Bird. It swooped at him, razor-like claws ready to rend him to pieces. The flexible Plas was able to evade the attack.

"Wow!" Plas said. "Changing into a bird. I wish I could do that. Hey, wait-a-sec! I can do that!"

Plas changed into a giant red bird and engaged in an aerial dogfight with the alien aviary. Plastic Man had the advantage of flexibility and so could avoid the claws of the Appalaxian, who could not do the same.

Wonder Woman punched the Diamond Man. She was surprised at how hard and resilient the creature was. It struck back, knocking her to the ground. It swung at her again, but she rolled out of the way. Springing back to her feet, she realized that muscle alone wasn't enough to defeat this strange enemy. It would take skill! She switched to hit-and-run tactics, striking the alien with her Amazon bracelets, which were made of a unique substance, as hard as diamond. Slowly, she began to chip away at the Appalaxian.

Cap and the SS Kid charged the water beast. ""Let's try and force it into the pool!" Cap said. "Perhaps it will disperse once submerged in the greater amount of liquid!"

They tried to herd the alien to the pool, but it wasn't cooperating. Cap threw his shield, hoping to startle the creature, but it didn't work. The shield passed through harmlessly. While the beast was distracted, the Star-Spangled Kid grabbed the garden hose and sprayed the water beast at full force. It was barely stunned. It returned by shooting out a powerful geyser of water that knocked Cap and the Kid across the lawn.

Wonder Woman shattered the diamond form of her foe. She looked around and saw that Cap was in danger. She rushed to his assistance. The water monster saw the Amazon coming. It sprayed itself at her, and formed into an orb of water that surrounded Hippolyta's head like diving helmet. She looked like a figurine inside a glass orb. Her air supply was cut off, and there seemed to be no way for her to counter the attack. She struggled, drowning on dry land.

After the fire giant dissipated, Toro looked around to see how his dream girl Wonder Woman was doing.

"Polly!" he cried, when he saw that she was in danger, and darted to her assistance. "Hang on!"

Toro tossed a fireball at the water orb. His first instinct was that he could turn the water to steam. He wondered what the fireball would do to her beautiful face if he missed. He prayed and threw it.

His aim was perfect. The fireball graced the outside of the water orb, away from the Amazon Queen's face. Part of the orb turned to steam. A cry of pain was heard. Toro couldn't tell where it came from, but he assumed that it was the alien. The creature pulled itself off of Hippolyta and splashed out at Toro, hoping to smother his flame. The angry young man fired a massive flame barrage at his foe, and reduced it to steam.

Toro rushed to Hippolyta who was sitting on the ground, getting her breath back. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She smiled at him and gently caressed his cheek. "Thank you," she said.

Normally, Toro would be doing cartwheels at a moment like this, when Wonder Woman was looking at him so affectionately. But at the moment, there was still one more alien to deal with.

Plastic Man had assumed a bewildering variety of shapes and overwhelmed the alien with his unpredictable attacks. The aviary held out as long as it could, until it finally fell to the ground, injured. A tractor beam from the ship yanked the bird creature back to the safety of the vessel. "Don't forget to write," Plas said.

Cap and the SS Kid had recovered, and Hippolyta had gotten her second wind. The five heroes stood ready for the next wave of assault.

---

Back aboard the ship . . .

The Red Skull was enraged. "This is how you handle matters?" he shouted. "You told me that you could defeat any Earth man! Now I see that that was a pathetic lie!"

"Watch your tone, human!" the alien Captain said. "Or I'll send you down to deal with your JSA friends on your own! Now, if you'll be quiet, I can still salvage the situation. I don't like to call 'Him', but I know that 'He' desperately wants to find the Cosmic Cube and if this is the only way to get it, than I must do it!"

The alien Captain produced a small crystal, and held it in the air. He chanted for a minute, and then the whole ship began to shake. There was a thundering echo and a cloud of smoke and fire. Suddenly, there stood a very tall, muscular humanoid-looking man. He had long blonde hair and a square-jawed, well chiseled face. Imperious in his tight-black costume, he had the bearing and haughtiness of a god.

"Who disturbs Nebulon?" he bellowed, in an echoing voice. "Who summons the Celestial Man from the place beyond the sky?"

The Captain spoke nervously. "G . . . Great one. We have run into some . . . difficulties in obtaining the Nemesis Statue."

"Difficulties?" Nebulon repeated, annoyed.

---

Below, in the JSA yard . . .

"Be ready for anything!" Cap said.

Suddenly, in another burst of thunder, fire and smoke, the Celestial Man appeared before the JSA. "So, you are the Earthlings who have inconvenienced me," Nebulon said. "You will do so no longer! So speaks Nebulon!"

"Must be the honcho," Plas said.

Captain America stepped forward. "Well, Nebulon, we are the Justice Society, and if you don't wish to be annoyed any further, I suggest to leave this planet, at once!"

"Silence!" Nebulon said, and unleashed a powerful energy blast.

The blast struck Cap's shield, yet the concussion wave created by the impact was so strong that Captain America, Toro and the Star-Spangled Kid were all knocked unconscious. Plastic Man's pliable powers protected him from serious harm due to the concussion's force, but he was still temporarily stunned. Only Wonder Woman was able to withstand the blast. She was shaken, but she hid the fact from Nebulon.

"You are strong, woman," the Celestial Man said. "I am impressed."

"Let me impress you some more!" She said, as she charged the space deity.

Nebulon tossed a few balls of energy at her, but she deflected them away with her bracelets. She threw a punch at the Celestial Man, staggering him. He moved back a few steps. She pressed her attack, striking with all her Amazon skill, power and fury. She was surprised that Nebulon wouldn't fall, despite her ferocious assault.

She attempted to increase her attack, but she was caught by surprise as a light ray that Nebulon emitted from his eyes shined into Hippolyta's eyes. Hippolyta paused, stunned. Then, to her shock, she realized . . .

"I'm blinded!" she said. "Hera help me, I can't see!"

"Your vision will return when I allow it to return," Nebulon said. "Perhaps when you do as I ask."

She tried to strike him again, but she missed completely. She had to admit to herself that there was no way she could defeat Nebulon now. Frustrated, she tried to distract him by beginning a dialogue. "What do you want with us, Nebulon?"

He explained about the Cosmic Cube, the Nemesis statue and his plan to hold Cap hostage for Dr. Fate. But he added a new element. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever beheld. And in action, you are magnificent. I perceive by your aura that you are an immortal, like myself! By all standards, you are the perfect queen that I have searched for these many centuries. I would take you as my own!"

"Merciful Minerva!" she exclaimed. "You cannot seriously expect me to agree to that!"

"I do!" he said. "And if I must force you to consent, then I shall do so. I will allow you to do noble about this. Submit to my demand, or I will kill your four friends!"

"No, don't hurt them!" she cried, unable to defend them. "Very well, I will go with you!"

"Of course," he said, in a superior tone. "No one defies the Celestial Man."

Scooping up the unconscious Captain America in one hand, and grabbing the blinded Wonder Woman by the arm, Nebulon and his two captives vanished. He left two unconscious Earthmen on the battlefield: Bucky and Toro. As he vanished, a passing thought said to him, "Weren't there three others?"

---

Soon, Captain America woke up in a cell, restrained by some sort of force field. Sitting in a chair across the room from him was the Red Skull!

"You!" Cap shouted, disdainfully. "You despicable son of a -- "

"Be polite, star-spangled fool," the Skull said. "I am - how do you Americans say it - calling the shots!"

"Let me out of this, and I'll give you a few shots!" Captain America snapped.

"The only violence here will be done by me, you weak, American fool!" the Red Skull said, and bashed Cap in the face with a good right cross. Cap's head jerked back but he didn't cry out. With his lip bleeding, he sneered defiantly at the Nazi. The Skull smiled. "You will live as long as you are useful, and then I will enjoy killing you, American dog!"

"Care to tell me what this is all about, Skull?" Cap said. "Who's this Nebulon?"

The Skull sat down, grinning a smug grin. "You thought you were rid of me when I vanished last year, did you not, Captain? Never dismiss the Red Skull! I always come back," he explained the scenario to the Captain. "And so, essentially, you are mere bait. As for Nebulon, he is a member of an ancient, Immortal race, who is worshiped by the Appalaxians. From what I deduce, his once omnipotent power is fading and he wants this 'Cosmic Cube' to preserve his immortality and status as God of Appalaxia."

"If you planned it right, Skull, you and your alien master will be in a cell just like this by tomorrow!" Cap said. "Dr. Fate is not one to trifle with. And as long as I'm alive, I'll keep trying to escape!"

"If you escape this cell, you'll find yourself in a most inhospitable environment," the Skull said, and held up his protective suit. "Unless you have one of these! There's no escape from here, Captain! As for your precious Dr. Fate, Nebulon is more than a match for him! And after he dies . . . You die!"

---

Back at the JSA manor . . .

Bucky and Toro were woken up by the Black Canary and the Angel. "What happened?" she asked.

The youngsters did their best to explain about Nebulon and the alien attack. Then, someone else appeared.

"Dr. Fate!" the Black Canary said. "Am I glad to see you! We've got trouble!"

"We have no time for friendly greetings, Black Canary," the mystic said. "I have come in response to a mystic summons from an evil immortal name Nebulon!"

"That's the scum who grabbed Cap and Polly!" Toro said.

"And we will bring them back!" Fate said. "We will not fail them!"

The Angel gritted his teeth. He had the horrible feeling that he would soon have to become the Hulk!

---

On the alien ship, Hippolyta was in another one of the oxygen filled chambers. Still blind and unable to leave the room - since she didn't have a protective suit, and since she promised to go with Nebulon - Hippolyta sat infuriated. She didn't like feeling so powerless!

In another burst of sound and fire, Nebulon returned. "Do not look so sad, my bold Amazon beauty. Life as my bride will be most pleasant. You will be worshiped on Appalaxia, almost as a goddess yourself. And once I have the Cosmic Cube, I will grant your every wish."

"You can grant my wish now by letting Captain America and myself go," she said.

"I'm afraid that is impossible, fair one," he said. "I gave my word to the Red Skull that he could have the Captain after I get what I want. And as for you, I shall never release you. I have searched for a bride as fitting as yourself for time without end, and worlds without end. You are the completion of my search."

"Shall I be a blind goddess?" she asked, trying to manipulate him. "Can I not have my sight back?"

"Not yet, my comely queen," he said. "Once we are back on Appalaxia, you will be allowed to see again."

---

Far away, on another, smaller ship . . .

Bob Greyson was heading to Earth. His friends, the Priests of Pama and the Cotati, had a certain cordial, if strained relationship with the Thanagarians. Word had reached the Thanagarian government that the Appalaxians were heading to Earth as part of their ongoing search for the long, lost Cosmic Cube. Since the Priests of Pama were obliged to be the eyes of Thanagar on Earth, they tried to contact Son-Darr, but sunspots interfered with the signal. Greyson volunteered to go to Earth to check things out.

Donning a costume based partly on an old Hala ceremonial honor guard, he left for the Earth. He wore a red shirt with blue sleeves and a yellow flaming emblem on the chest. He had red trunks, a blue cape, yellow boots, wristbands, and a belt with yellow studs. He was armed with a light-jewel, which was able to neutralize energy. It was designed as a defense against any Green Lantern who came looking for the Cosmic Cube. In his silver ship, he got closer to Earth, scanning for Appalaxian vessels.

The Red Skull had produced an energy whip, which he was going to use on Captain America. "I can't kill you just yet," the Skull said. "But I can have some pleasurable recreation."

Lying discarded in the corner of the cell was Cap's shield. Unnoticed, Plastic Man peeled himself off the inside of the shield, where he had stowed away. "Hey, Jolly Roger!" he yelled to the Nazi.

The Skull turned and got a big, extendible fist in the face. He fell, stunned! Plas used the energy whip to destroy the device holding Cap prisoner. "Step out, Cappy."

"Thanks, Plas," Cap said, freed from the field. "Now excuse me while I deal with our Nazi friend here."

Cap tore into the Red Skull with a fury unusual for him. He hammered the Nazi brutally. Plas clapped.

---

Elsewhere on the ship . . .

Dr. Fate appeared in the chamber of Nebulon and Hippolyta. She sensed his arrival. Nebulon studied him.

"Ah, so you would be the sorcerer that I've been waiting for!" Nebulon said.

"Dr. Fate, is that you?" Hippolyta asked.

Fate realized that she couldn't see. "Yes, Queen Hippolyta. It is I. I trailed the mystic summons to your captor. Nebulon, I insist that you now tell me where Captain America is or . . . "

Nebulon fired an energy blast at him. Fate barely managed to get his mystical defenses up in time. He retaliated with supernatural attacks. They seemed to have very little effect on Nebulon. The Alien pressed hard his attack on the Earth wizard. Fate had a difficult time fending off the mighty Appalaxian deity.

---

Meanwhile . . .

The Black Canary had been transported secretly by Dr. Fate to another point in the ship, and given a magical protection that allowed her to breathe in the strange environment. Covertly, she searched the ship, managing to avoid any Appalaxians. Finally, she found the cell where Cap was beating the stuffing out of the Red Skull. She entered the cell just as the Red Skull fell.

"Canary?" Cap said, surprised. "How did you get here? And how are you breathing?"

"Thank Dr. Fate," she said, and held out two little crystalline objects. "Take these, and you'll be able to breathe out there, too."

"Great!" Cap said, grabbing his shield. "Let's get out of here! We have work to do!"

---

Meanwhile . . .

Bob Greyson's ship reached the Earth. It homed in on the Appalaxian craft, which was currently hovering over the East Coast of the USA. He linked his little ship up with the enemy ship and entered through the airlock. Appalaxian soldiers rushed to repel the boarder. Greyson - who was able to breathe in multiple environments due to an implant - neutralized their weapons with his light-jewel. Using his martial arts training, he fought the guards bravely. They started to overwhelm him with their numbers, but just in time, Cap, Plas and the Black Canary came on the scene. They sized up the situation and decided to help Greyson. Their combined force easily beat the warriors of Appalaxia.

"Thanks for the help, friends," Greyson said.

"Our pleasure," Cap said. "If the Appalaxians are your enemies too, we can help each other."

Greyson nodded. "Want to help me sabotage the engines?"

---

Meanwhile . . .

Dr. Fate was not doing well against Nebulon. Hippolyta wished she could get her sight back. As it was, she didn't dare join in the fight, because she could end up striking Dr. Fate instead of Nebulon. Nebulon himself was feeling confident, close to defeating Dr. Fate. "Get me the Nemesis Statue!" he yelled.

Just then, the ship lurched. They could feel that they were losing altitude. "The ship is going down!"

Around the ship, the aliens tried frantically to stop the ship from crashing, but the damage done to the engines was too severe and they went down. It crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. A hole was punctured in the hull and the atmosphere in the ship started to leak out. The aliens began to choke.

Meanwhile, Fate and Nebulon were still going at it! Fate used his powers to pass through the ship's hull and step out into the field, where Cap, Plas, Greyson and the Black Canary were waiting. Nebulon looked at Hippolyta. "You will remain here, as you promised, while I finish off this cur!" He vanished in another burst of fire. Hippolyta stamped her foot in rage. Blinded, she couldn't find her way out of the ship, and she was still held by her promise. All she could do now was wait.

---

Outside the ship, in the field . . .

Nebulon faced the five Earthmen. "I still have the power to defeat you!"

Unbeknownst to Nebulon, Dr. Fate had magically summoned another ally of the JSA. He transported the gray goliath known as the Hulk to the field.

The monster made his presence known with a mighty roar. Nebulon was startled. He blasted the Hulk with energy. The Hulk was knocked down, but got back up, growling like a beast. While Nebulon was distracted, Dr. Fate hit him with another mystic assault. The Black Canary struck next with a sonic cry. Greyson used his energy neutralizing crystal to weaken Nebulon's powers. Cap and Plas added to the mass attack. Nebulon found himself unable to deal with the combine attack. His powers began to fade and he was racked with pain.

"This cannot happen!" he yelled. "I am the Celestial Man! I cannot be defeated!"

"You are defeated!" Dr. Fate said. "And you are exiled!"

Fate opened a mystic door and trapped the weakened wizard in another dimension. Nebulon was gone!

"Nice work," Greyson said. "I'm glad he's gone. I didn't like him."

Soon after, the Black Canary had gone inside the ship to find Wonder Woman. Greyson promised that his light-Jewel could neutralize Nebulon's energy and restore her sight. Dr. Fate exiled the Appalaxian warriors as well as the Red Skull himself to another realm. The Skull shouted threats of revenge!

Cap called the government to come and pick up the wreckage of the alien ship. Fate turned the Hulk back into Thomas "Angel" Halloway. Curious, Bob Greyson asked about this strange metamorphosis.

"So, it happens when you're angry, and lose control?" Greyson asked the Angel, who nodded. Greyson added. "You should come with me. Study with the Priests of Pama. They can teach you the methods of inner peace. You'll learn to control your heart rate and breathing. You'll never lose control again."

The Angel was excited. "Really? Can it work! I'll do anything if it can cure me!"

"We'll do our best," Greyson said. "First I'm going to visit someone in Vietnam, then we're off for home."

"I don't know how I'll tell the Black Canary that I'm leaving," Angel said. "But I have to do this. Thanks for this, Greyson. You're a marvel, boy. You should be a superhero."

"Maybe I will," he said. "I'm planning to spend more time on Earth. I think I'll call myself - Marvel Boy!"

---

Next: It's Thanksgiving time, and Flash is holding a party, but the Answer has other plans for his teammates! Also, the Sentinel finds out some things about the mysterious Harlequin. And will the Priests of Pama be able to help Angel? This story is so big, it couldn't be contained in one annual, so it's starting in All-Star Comics #5!

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