Black Canary was having a strange, emotionally charged day. For weeks, she had been depressed over the departure of her beloved Thomas, who left for space, in order to find a cure for his mutations into the Hulk. Suddenly, while she was visiting the Flash, the Hulk returned. But he was no longer the grunting, child-like brute who yelled "Hulk smash!" A big change had come over him since she last saw him.
The Hulk had carried the Black Canary to the Appalachian Mountains where they could talk in private. He wore a gray suit over his massive frame. He also wore a tie and held a hat in his hand. He moved with the gait of a normal man, not the seven-foot monster he appeared to be. He looked down on the nearest city. He hadn't seen much of Earth cities lately, having spent time on an alien world.
"I wish you'd explain this," Black Canary said. "You left Earth to find a way to stop becoming the Hulk, Now you come back, still looking like the Hulk, but not acting like the Hulk. Maybe I'm very dumb, but I'm very confused by all this."
"Don't feel bad, babe," the Hulk said. "I was there and it still sounds like the bunk, to me. Let me try and fill you in."
Hulk explained about the Hyperbolic time chamber, which speeded up time, so that he had the equivalent of three years - compressed into one day - to learn to control the Hulk. It turns out that the "cure" which the Priests of Pama had promised was not what he had expected. It was a long psychological, spiritual, and meditative process that allowed the two disparate personalities to slowly merge into one. There was no longer a Thomas Halloway, nor was there any longer the bestial man-brute who had wrecked so much chaos. Now, there was only one being. He was both, and he was neither.
Black Canary had noticed the personality changes. This was not the polite and charming Thomas she fell in love with, or the angst-ridden soul who she had bonded with over the past year. This was someone different, and she didn't know what to make of him.
"What about your body?" she asked. "Can you change back to Thomas Halloway again?"
The Hulk shook his head. "I better not try. All this is kind of a balancing act between my mind, body, and spirit. I had to sacrifice some things in order to get some other things. If I became Thomas again, I'd become too used to the absence of my ferocious nature and forget how to control it. But the mutation would still be threatening to come over me when I get mad, and I could regress back to the old, dumb 'Hulk Smash' guy. By retaining the Hulk's body, I always have the wild side lurking just under the surface, and I'm forced to deal with it constantly. Controlling it becomes a part of my day-to-day life. Keeping the beast in check becomes second nature. It'll be a habit I don't want to break."
"So this is it?" she asked. "My Thomas is gone?"
"I'm your Thomas!" he snapped, with an impatience that was atypical for Thomas Halloway. "I worked my gray butt off for three years to come back to you as a whole man, with a whole personality, not schizo-boy. Well, I succeeded! Here I am. No more Hulk rampages. I've got the strength that you and the JSA have repeated relied on, and the heart of the guy who loves you! So what's the prob, babe?"
"It . . . it'll take a little getting used to," she said, trying not to sound too nervous about these changes.
The Hulk calmed down a bit. "Yeah, well, I gotta say, I'm with ya. I'm still getting a handle on this. The Priests of Pama tested me thoroughly before they let me go. They were satisfied with my progress, and I am too. I owe those guys, big time. And I'm gonna pay up."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I'm gonna help them guard the Cosmic Cube," Hulk answered.
Black Canary had heard about the Cube during the Nebulon situation, and wondered how the Hulk would be involved with it.
"I might have to spend some time in Vietnam," the Hulk said. "Me and Marvel Boy got some business there, concerning the Cube. Things are getting a little hot on the Priest's planet, so we're hiding it on Earth. I promised to donate my muscle to the cause whenever they need it!"
Black Canary couldn't deal with the issue of the Cosmic Cube just now. Let Captain America deal with all that. She was wondering about personal issues. She looked down at the city. Night had fallen and the city was lit up. Like Christmas. She wondered what the coming holiday would bring for her and this new Hulk/Thomas. She didn't know how to take him and she wasn't even sure if she really liked him.
Three weeks later . . . The Mansion of Miss Venus, HQ of the JSA.
Marvel Boy arrived at the Mansion in response to an invitation from the Star-Spangled Kid. The Kid had some idea about forming a junior version of the JSA. Marvel Boy accepted because he was curious about the idea. He was stationed on Earth by the Priests of Pama to protect the Cosmic Cube, with some help from the Hulk. Although the Cube would be placed in the Vietnamese temple where Marvel Boy's alien mentor Son-Darr had dwelled, Marvel-Boy wanted to spend time in America. He was an American by birth and he wanted to learn the super-hero business from the experts . . . The JSA. He was determined to be a great defender of Earth during his sojourn home. Perhaps joining a JSA farm team would be a good idea.
Bucky, Toro and the Fury were waiting as he arrived. Bucky led him into the room where the meeting was to take place. Toro didn't follow. He was busy watching his dream-girl, Wonder Woman, arguing with Namor, who Toro saw as his main rival.
Wonder Woman was lambasting Namor for his overprotective actions during the battle with the Carbon Copy Man. He had tied her with her own lasso to keep her safe, but the rash action led to her defeat.
"I am the Queen of the Amazons!" she shouted. "I have many more centuries of experience than you do and I am every bit as strong, if not more so! Do not ever presume to 'protect' me again, or I shall be forced to show you how formidable I can be!"
"You are magnificent when you are angry," the Sub-Mariner said. "Like a storm at sea. I love your tempestuous spirit, fair one. You'll make a beautiful queen for Atlantis."
"Stop changing the subject and stop condescending to me!" she snapped. "I am very fond of you, Namor, but I have told you that I will not marry you and no macho posturing on your part will win me over. Treat me with the respect I deserve, Namor, or I shall never speak to you again!"
Toro watched this exchange, and wanted to lash out at Namor, to champion Hippolyta. But considering what she was saying, she probably wouldn't appreciate a man fighting her battles just now. Wonder Woman continued to give Namor a tongue lashing for several more minutes, and then turned her back on him, marching back to her chamber for solitude.
As she passed the door, the bell rang. She answered it, an act that made her think of how far she was from her royal station on Themescria. Queens didn't answer the door!
She opened the door to see young Johnny Thunder, who had also arrived in response to Bucky's invitation. The bow-tied teen stared at Wonder Woman with adolescent adoration. Wonder Woman knew from her adventure with the Four Swell Guys that Johnny was infatuated with her. Her very presence during that case had reduced Johnny to stammering helplessness.
Johnny tried to say 'Hi' but his tongue couldn't manage to form a comprehensible word. He was too awed by the beautiful Amazon Queen.
Not another one! Hippolyta thought, annoyed. She already had Namor, Toro, and Plastic Man competing for her attention. Now a fourth element had been adding to this growing soap opera. "Hello, Johnny," she said politely. "Come in."
Johnny entered, still staring, love-struck at the Amazon. Toro noticed this and immediately became threatened. Was this another rival? He rushed to the door, intending to get Johnny away from her.
"This way, Johnny," Toro said. "The meeting is back here."
He dragged Johnny away. Johnny continued to stare as he was pulled out of the room. Wonder Woman sighed. "I can't take much more of this," she muttered. She turned around, and saw Plastic Man, who had tuned himself into a bouquet of red roses.
"Hey, hey, Wonder hottie," Plastic Man said. "Like roses? I can be anything your little heart desires. Say you'll be truly mine, or truly yours, or yours truly. Who but you and me could be us better than we can?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Plastic Man," she stated, cranky.
"That's okay, toots," Plas said. "I don't understand me all the time either."
Hippolyta tried to control her temper. "Just . . . leave . . . me . . . alone!" she said, as calmly as possible and walked away from the pliable super hero, hoping he wouldn't follow.
"Should I have brought chocolates instead?" he shouted after her.
Zeus give me strength! she thought, wishing she were back on Themescria, where there were no men.Meanwhile, Captain America arrived for the meeting. Dr. Mid-Nite, who had gotten there earlier, and who was characteristically hiding in the shadows to observe the interactions of the others, greeted him. "Cap."
"Hi Doc," Cap said. "Everyone here?"
Dr. Mid-Nite shook his head. "The Sentinel left a message to say that he won't be here, due to business. Dr. Fate, as usual, hasn't come. Black Canary's in New York. And I don't know where the Flash . . . "
Before he could finish the sentence, the Flash popped into view, carrying a big box. "Hi team. Am I late?"
"No, you're right on time," Cap said. "What's in the box?"
"Christmas decorations," Flash said. "I thought I'd decorate the place today. Get that Christmas spirit."
"Maybe later, after the meeting," Cap said. "There's no time now. I have a time table . . . "
"Nonsense, there's plenty of time," the Flash said.
He blurred out of sight. For the next few seconds, Cap and the others saw a vague red streak whizzing around the mansion. When the Flash came to a stop, the place was all decked out in Christmas splendor.
"Nice work," Cap said, smiling at the Flash's indestructible good nature. "Very festive."
"I didn't put a tree up," the Flash said. "I thought we could do that as a group thing, some other time. I know you're on a schedule."
Cap and Dr. Mid-Nite chuckled. It was impossible to dislike the Flash. "Let's start the meeting," Cap said.
Alan Scott returned from a business trip. On the whole, it had been a success. But you couldn't tell from the look on Alan's face. His mind hadn't been focused on business at all the last few weeks. All he could think about was the Harlequin. Whether his obsession with her was hypnosis as Dr. Mid-Nite suspected, or just the lust of a lonely, overworked man, Alan didn't know and ultimately he didn't care. All he knew was that he wanted to see the felonious femme fatale again.
When he got back to his office, his VP's and various corporate officers gave him an update on anything he hadn't been informed of over the phone. His secretary read him some messages. He didn't care about any of it. All he wanted was Her! He decided to go on a patrol that evening. Hopefully, he'd find her.
Back at the Mansion . . .
As the JSA was having a meeting in the sitting room, Bucky was convening his own meeting in the library. In attendance were Toro, Marvel Boy, Johnny Thunder, and the Fury. "Welcome, to the first meeting of . . . Whatever we decide to call ourselves!" the Star-Spangled Kid proudly announced.
The other four teen heroes applauded vociferously. Teen spirit, Bucky thought.
"Thanks for coming," the SS Kid continued. "I think this team could be a good thing for all of us. Some of us have been relegated to the role of sidekick, and need to prove to our respective teachers that we don't need to be babied or protected. Some of us just need more experience in the super-hero business, and I believe that we can all learn from each other. Whatever our particular reasons for fighting crime, I think this unit will be a boon to us all."
"Here, here!" the Fury shouted, supporting their chosen leader. "I agree."
"Me too!" Toro added.
"Great!" the SS Kid said. "The first thing we need to do is get organized. We need to run things that way Cap runs the JSA. We need a charter, a meeting schedule, a training regimen and all that other stuff. Also, we need a deputy leader. So, uh . . . Who wants to be deputy leader?"
No one raised a hand. The Star-Spangled Kid shrugged. "Okay, we'll deal with that some other time. Now, what about a name?"
"How about the JSA Jr.?" Johnny Thunder suggested.
"Nah," Toro interrupted. "What about the Kid Commandos."
"I prefer the Young Allies," the Fury offered.
"How about the Super Friends?" Marvel Boy said. Everyone frowned at him. "Okay, maybe not."
Meanwhile, in the sitting room . . .
Cap was chairing a meeting of the senior JSA. Former member Wildcat, who currently served as part of the JSA reserve force, sat in on the meeting. With the Sentinel away, and the Black Canary spending so much time with the new, improved Hulk lately, Cap asked both Plastic Man and Wildcat to hang around for a while. Although Wildcat was in pursuit of the Heavyweight title in his real identity of Ted Grant, he agreed to stay. He could use the JSA facilities to train with. Also, he had another reason to stick around which he hadn't told anyone.
" . . . And that brings us up to date on the war front," Cap said. "Before I get to the second order of business, the Flash wanted me to remind you that everyone is invited to his Christmas party again this year. I think we all owe Jay our heartfelt thanks for his morale-boosting efforts."
Everyone gave the Flash an appreciative ovation. "Oh, stop," the Flash said.
The Blue Diamond applauded loudest and longest. This was particularly ironic, seeing as how the Blue Diamond was secretly the Answer, a criminal mastermind who had long been planning the downfall of the JSA. The Blue Diamond truly hated the idea of killing his best friend, the Flash. But he would do anything and kill anyone if the Enchantress asked him to. She wanted the JSA dead and he intended to deliver.
"Our next order of business is the Hulk," Cap asked. "As you all know, he returned to us in dramatic fashion last month, sporting a new attitude and possessing apparent control of his savage nature. He has petitioned for membership. The question is . . . Can we be totally sure that he has control? Can we give him our trust when we have doubts about his stability? And what would the government, let alone the public, think if the rampaging Hulk was suddenly seen accompanying the Justice Society to charity benefits and war bond rallies?"
"Where's the Hulk now?" the Flash asked.
"Doc Savage is looking him over," Cap said. "If anyone can give us a thumbs-up, its Savage. The Black Canary is there with him. She'll call us if anything happens."
Dr. Mid-Nite noticed that the Human Torch shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the Black Canary. He still wasn't over her. The idea of her being with the Hulk, who was essentially a monster, after she rejected him due to the fact that he was an android, was still a hurtful memory for the Torch.
"I suggest that we refrain from making any decisions regarding the Hulk until after we hear from Dr. savage," Dr. Mid-Nite said.
"Agreed," Cap said. "Now, on to the third order of business . . . "
New York Harbor . . .
The ship sailed passed the Statue of Liberty. Rip Jagger looked up at the impressive statue. Liberty, he thought. That's what this war is all about. That's what the world was fighting over. Life and liberty.
That was why he had to find Captain America. And he needed to find the Sentinel of Liberty quickly. If not, the repercussions could be devastating.
New York; the Empire State Building laboratory of Dr. Clark Savage.
The Hulk sat in a re-enforced metal chair that Doc Savage had prepared for the Hulk. He was running a number of tests on the gray behemoth. The tests were both physical and psychological. Captain America needed to be absolutely sure that the Hulk was under control and the Man of Bronze was bound and determined to find an indisputable answer. He was also personally motivated in this matter. He felt partially responsible for the creation of the Hulk and so wanted to ease his own guilty conscience by ensuring that the Hulk was no longer a danger to anyone.
Black Canary waited to see the results. The Hulk asked her to be there for support. She couldn't say no, after all the effort he went through to cure himself, for her sake. Still, she didn't feel the same affection for this new manifestation as she had for her beloved Thomas. She supposed that the real reason she came was to hear Doc Savage say something hopeful. She hoped he'd tell her that the old Thomas would be back.
Doc Savage was interrupted by a phone call. He was gone for a few minutes, leaving the Black Canary and the Hulk in an uncomfortable silence. When Savage returned, he was in the most agitated state that the Black Canary had ever seen him in.
"I have a situation in South America," he said. "It's a matter of personal importance I can't delay even for an hour, so I will not be able to finish your examination. I hope to be back in a few days, but I can't guarantee anything. This problem is a major one!"
"Anything we can do?" the Black Canary asked.
He looked at the Hulk. "Not you, but him. Hulk, you can be of immense assistance to me in this matter, if I can impose on you to accompany me to South America."
"Hey, no hassle, Doc," the Hulk said. "You've been a swell Joe to me ever since all this stuff started. The least I can do is help you out in a tight corner. Sure, South America sounds like a blast!"
Back at the JSA manor . . .
The junior team was still debating its name, but the senior team finished their business. Wonder Woman, Namor, Wildcat, and Plastic Man stayed in the manor while the rest of them dispersed. The Flash zipped off to find a Christmas tree. Cap and Dr. Mid-Nite had places to go.
Cap got into an army car that was waiting for him. As the car drove off, another vehicle, parked up the street, pulled out and pursued. The driver was Rip Jagger. He followed Cap. Next to him on the passenger seat was a costume. He would put it on soon. Surely, the need would come soon.
Sentinel flew over New York, hoping to find the Harlequin. He had passed over his corporate HQ several times because that was where he had met the Harlequin before. He had a secret hope that she was looking for him as well and would be waiting for him at the place they met.
On his third pass, his fervent wish came true. It was her! The Harlequin. He descended to the roof, where she was sitting with her bare legs crossed, on a neon sign. She smiled as he set down. "Hiya, handsome."
He tried to reign in his excitement. He didn't want to give up control, but in reality, she knew that she had him wrapped around her finger. Despite the fact that he had a ring that gave him unimaginable power, she was the one with the real power.
"Nothing to say, stud?" she asked. "That's good, cause words are over rated. You promised to help me, next time you saw me. Well, I got some needs now that you can help me with. It's cold tonight, isn't it? I could do with some warming up? Couldn't you?"
Sentinel tried his best to resist but he couldn't stand it any longer. He rushed to the Harlequin, took her in his arms and kissed her with unbridled passion.
Sundown . . .
After Cap finished his business at the War department, he was driven back to the JSA Manor. He noticed the car that had followed him earlier. It was still behind him. He ordered the driver to stop. "I'll walk from here," he said.
Getting out of the car, he cut through a park. He lost track of the car, but his instincts told him that the driver would not give up so easily. He was right. Rip Jagger was a persistent and determined man.
Nearby, unbeknownst to Cap, someone else was after him. They had arrived on a ship, only a day before Rip Jagger. Now, they were riding in a stolen truck. They were single-mindedly determined to find Captain America. With them, they had a "sniffer" mutant. These were a group of genetic mutations, born with heightened senses, who were trained by their country's military to track down anyone, anywhere. The "sniffer" was on the trail of Captain America and he could find anyone, anywhere.
Morning . . .
Sentinel woke up happy, after having spent the night with Harlequin in her little, pink lair. The Sentinel returned home feeling wonderful, after the night of wild passion he had shared with the Harlequin. It was the most glorious night of his life. What a Christmas present! He called work to say that he would be late, and then took a shower, fantasizing about his lady lust.
Part of him wondered if he was crossing a line that he would never be able to step back across again. What would Captain America say if he knew that the deputy leader of the Justice Society was sleeping with a criminal? What would the public say?
But the truth was, he didn't care. He had never wanted anyone so much. For the first time in his life, the controlled, dispassionate, imperturbable Alan Scott didn't know what he was doing. His life was spiraling out of control. And strangely enough, he liked it.
Hulk arrived in South America with Doc Savage and the Black Canary. En route, he had been filled in on the nature of Doc Savage's emergency. The Man of Bronze had friends in the secret valley of Hidalgo. The Hulk had been there before, when Doc Savage first began studying him. Now, a meteor had landed near the valley. It was releasing a strange type of radiation that was slowly expanding. It was creating what Savage called a "Shimmering Zone", an area of distortion. The Shimmering Zone was expanding and soon would threaten all life in the Hidalgo Valley of Gold. The meteor had to be destroyed or removed. The problem was that the radiation in the Shimmering Zone was so strong that no living being could survive in there for more than a few minutes. No living being except the Hulk!
After some period of consultation with Doc Savage, the Hulk agreed to be airdropped into the Zone. Savage piloted his special plane that could go higher than any normal air vehicle of the day. He stayed well above the radiation.
"Wish me luck, Doc," the Hulk said, as he jumped from the plane.
As the ground grew larger to the Hulk's eyes, Savage kept in contact with him via a miniature walkie-talkie strapped his the Hulk's wrist.
"Open your chute now, Hulk," Savage said. "You're getting too low."
"Can't," the Hulk said. "This weird place is kickin' up lotsa wind. I open my chute and I'll go sailing bye-bye. Who knows where I'll end up? I'm going in like the meteor did."
"What?" Savage cried. "Open your chute before it's too late."
"What'd ya say, Doc?" Hulk quipped. "Didn't catch that."
"Your latest metamorphosis may have impaired your judgment, Hulk! Don't be stupid! Open your chute!"
"I do things my way, doc! Live with it! Over and out!"
Like the meteor that crashed there days before, the Hulk crashed down, creating an immense crater. Smoke rose from the gaping hole. After a few moments, the Hulk climbed out of the crater.
Savage watched from the air. "Are you all right, Hulk?"
"Fit as a fiddle and receiving you loud and clear, Doc. Don't worry about me. Anyway, I don't see any signs of life. Guess I'm the only thing that can survive here. Proceeding towards ground Zero. Over."
Captain America walked outside and waited for his pursuer from the previous night to find him. He walked randomly until he saw the silhouette watching from the bushes. Cap turned and walked into a playground, which was unoccupied so late in the day. No one was around. Not one would be hurt. And there was nowhere for anyone to hide. Everything would be out in the open. This was the showdown!
Not far away . . .
The sniffer had located Cap, and led his fellow assassins out of the truck and into the bushes. The other men were all in black, covered from head-to-toe. This had been the traditional garb of their kind for centuries. This was the garb of the Ninja!
They moved like shadows in the darkness. They closed in on Cap, who was very obvious standing in the wide-open playground, in his red, white and blue costume.
Cap's attention was focused somewhere else. Someone else was coming towards him. It was a man in a costume. He was a slim, fit man, in a red bodysuit, with a yellow queue on the cowl, yellow sleeves, and a yellow rising sun with rays on his chest. He moved with a rare grace of motion.
"I assume you're not just an autograph hound," Cap said.
The man in red shook his head. "I'm the Judo-Master."
"I see," Cap said. "And what do you want, Judo-Master?"
"I came to warn you."
"About what?"
Judo-Master pointed. "Them!"
All at once, a swarm of ninjas popped out of the darkness. Cap was surprised that they were able to get so close without his detecting them. Them closed in on him. One of them noticed Judo-Master.
<"It's him again! That Judo-Master, scum!">
Half the ninjas attacked their target, Captain America, and the other half went after their old enemy, the Judo-Master. The star-spangled hero and the martial arts mystery man battled a squad of a full dozen of the best-trained assassins in the world.
Hulk neared ground zero of the Shimmering Zone. The heat was intense and even the gravity was getting heavier as he neared the meteor. It was like walking through a sea of tar. Finally, he saw the object he'd been looking for. "Hulk to Doc. I see it and I'm about to rid you of your little problem."
"Good, but be careful. I have a feeling that there still may be surprises in store," Savage said.
His words proved prophetic as a large creature appeared from the withering woodlands. It had a large head, big eyes and vampire-like fangs. Its three limbs were each a combination of hand and foot. "What the hell . . . ?" the Hulk whispered, surprised.
If Doc Savage could see the creature, he would have recognized it as the legendary El Monstro. It was a local legend, like the Mexican "Goat Sucker" a.k.a. the Chupakabra. El Monstro was a similar creature, but had now been mutated by the radiation. El Monstro was now eight feet tall and over a thousand pounds. It was larger than even the Hulk.
El Monstro saw the Hulk and attacked, as if sensing the presence of a natural enemy.
The ninjas were tough opponents, and their considerable numerical advantage gave them the edge. Cap and the Judo-Master were sorely put upon. It seemed for a time that the ninjas would be successful in their mission to assassinate the sentinel of liberty.
They reckoned without Cap's unmatched determination and his incredible skill with his unbreakable shield. The Judo-Master had their number as well, as he could anticipate their attacks. Therefore, the battle raged on, with the advantage seesawing from one side to the other. It could have gone ether way.
Until the Star-Spangled Kid and his new team arrived. The Kid had taken the team out on training maneuvers, looking for trouble. They patrolled the area and coincidentally came across the playground where the fight was going on. The SS Kid gritted his teeth with anger when he saw Cap so outnumbered.
"This isn't a test, team," he shouted to the others teen heroes. "Cap needs our help! Let's do some good!"
The five young heroes joined the fray. They're various powers and unexpected arrival turned the tide. The Ninja were put on the defensive. Johnny Thunder summoned his magic Thunderbolt.
"Cei U," he yelled. The pink, magical Thunderbolt appeared.
"What can I do for you, Master Johnny?" the Thunderbolt asked.
"Help us capture those creeps in black!" Johnny ordered.
The Thunderbolt nodded and complied with the order. He turned the Ninja outfits into stone. The assassins found themselves trapped, immobile in suits of stone.
"Nice work, Johnny," Cap said. "Nice work, all of you. I can see that you're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
The youngsters smiled, happy to get a compliment from the greatest of heroes. It was the greatest Christmas present they could have asked for.
The Hulk battled El Monstro in the Shimmering Zone. As the heat and gravity increased, El Monstro seemed to get stronger, but the cumulative effect of the environment and the battle was starting to weaken the Hulk. The Hulk only now was realizing that he had lost his 'The-Madder-I-get-The-Stronger-I-Get' advantage. Normally, he would get stronger as the fight dragged on. Instead, he was wearing down.
Still, he had more skill and intelligence than he ever had before. That was more important than mere brute strength, he convinced himself. I can win this!
The Hulk grabbed one of El Monstro's arms in a tight grip, and flipped him to the ground. The path was now clear to the meteor. The Hulk went toward it. El Monstro popped back to his feet and leaped at the Hulk from behind. He landed on the Hulk's back. The Hulk tried to buck him off. Failing that, he changed tactics.
He leaped up into the air, hundreds of feet, and came down on his back, with another large crash. The Hulk's ton of muscle came down on El Monstro, almost squishing the three-limbed creature. El Monstro was stunned, and the Hulk took advantage by pounding El Monstro into the ground. For a moment, he felt his savage nature resurface, and he was reminded of the time he stomped the Sub-Mariner into the dirt, almost killing the Atlantean prince. Similarly, he stomped El Monstro into the ground. The beast stopped moving. The Hulk wasn't sure if it was dead, and he couldn't waste time dealing with that now.
He went to the meteor. Trying to lift it, he found that it weighed several hundred tons. "Jeez, it weighs more than Pennsylvania!" he muttered.
With all his determination and unequaled muscle, the Hulk threw the meteor into the air. Despite its weight, it went up, up and away, sailing into the stratosphere and out into space.
"Yes!" the Hulk shouted. "Out of the park!" the gray giant activated his wrist walkie-talkie. He was glad it was still working. "Hulk to Doc. The bird has flown. Everything is okay now. Oh, by the way, I've got something else for you to check out. What do you know about three-armed monsters?"
Back at the JSA mansion, the SS Kid's young team was celebrating their first victory with a pizza. Captain America talked to the Judo-Master.
"So, tell me about yourself," Cap said. "Why have I never heard of you?"
"I'm not too well known around here," Judo-Master said. "I work mostly in Japan. My real name is Rip Jagger. I was a Sergeant. in the US army rangers. After Pearl Harbor, my unit and I were sent to a Pacific Island. A sadistic Japanese lord named Yoku has contacts on the Island. He found out we were there and came along with a whole bunch of Japanese soldiers. He wiped everyone out except me. Some anti-Japanese natives found me laying there, dying. They nursed me back to health. I joined them in their guerrilla war against the Japanese occupation of their Island. A few months later, I found a buried treasure. It didn't mean much to me and I was going to give it to the locals. But there was on medallion in there that seemed to call to me. When I put it on, suddenly I was filled with the knowledge of centuries worth of martial arts warriors. I know everything about Judo.
"I used my new skill to help free the island. Yoku escaped back to Japan. I've been living there ever since, as part of a fifth column resistance against Tojo and his military empire. I've also waged a private war against Lord Yoku and his squad of Ninja assassins. I've been a thorn in their side ever since. I've stopped several of important assassinations they've attempted. You were to be their greatest triumph. If they killed you, the embodiment of Liberty, they could make up for the morale and momentum they lost after Midway. Things haven't gone as well for them since, and they're looking for a psychological boost. That was supposed to be your death. It would have been particularly awful now, coming just before Christmas."
"Well, thanks to you, that didn't happen," Cap said. "I owe you."
"The Sentinel of Liberty doesn't have to owe anyone," the Judo-Master said. "Liberty. That's what it's all about."
Cap nodded. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That's what every man, woman and child in this country deserves and I will do everything in my power to see that they get it."
Wonder Woman was listening to this from afar. She was avoiding Toro and Johnny Thunder, so they didn't start that schoolboy mooning again. Namor and Plastic Man were gone and she wanted to spend a few hours in peace. A little quiet was the only Christmas present she wanted.
"Hey!" Bucky said. "Let's surprise the Flash by decorating the tree."
"Yeah, he does enough to keep us happy," Toro said. "Let's make it nice for him when he comes tomorrow."
They started to decorate the tree.
"Wanna join us, Cap?"
"Sure," Cap said. "Its about I time I got into the Christmas spirit."
Captain America supervised the decorating of the JSA Christmas tree.
"Dang, but I love Christmas!" Bucky said.
Hippolyta didn't share their zeal for the Christmas ritual, but she couldn't deny its power to make people feel better somehow. The doorbell rang again. She decided again to answer it. She had adjusted to these demeaning acts. She opened the door and things would never be the same for her again.
"Hi," the newly arrived soldier said. "My name is Steve Trevor."
Next: Mr. Mxyzptlk