Mars: Date Unknown.
Eight powerful warriors found themselves marooned on a strange world. The last thing they remembered was being trapped within the singularity that had once been Solaris the Tyrant Sun. Suddenly, inexplicably, they found themselves on this red, sandy landscape.
Diana, Princess of Themescira looked around, trying not to show her confusion. Her colleagues felt the same way. They were Thor, God of Thunder; Hercules, Prince of Power; Namor the Sub-Mariner; The Fury, protégé of the Queen of Amazons; Balder, the light of Asgard; Brunnhilde the Valkyrie; Doctor Fate, avatar of order.
"Where are we?" Fury asked.
"I can't say," Diana answered. "I wonder if this is a result of our entry into the singularity."
"I do not believe so," Dr. Fate. "I felt that we were being pulled. We were yanked out of the singularity."
"I felt thus as well," Thor said. "Twas most strange a feeling indeed. Mine instincts tell me we are not here by mere chance."
"I agree!" Namor said. "Someone brought us here for some nefarious purpose."
Hercules raised a mighty fist. "Whoever the culprit may be, he shall regret trifling with the son of Zeus!"
Just then, a hologram of Zarrko appeared above the group of warriors. The faux Tomorrow Man grinned.
"Hello, my muscle bound friends," Zarrko said. "So glad you could make it. I am Zarrko."
Thor raised his hammer. "So, thou art the lowly varlet who did capture Wonder Woman! Return her now!"
"This is an image of me, so do your worst," Zarrko said. "I'm not foolish enough to walk into the lions den."
"Where are we, Zarrko?" Diana asked. "And where is my mother?"
"You are on Mars," Zarrko said.
"Impossible," Diana said. "There is oxygen here."
"We are in another time," Zarrko said. "Mars still had an eco-system at this point. It is here that all matters will be settled. You will fight in a tournament. If you lose, you die!"
"We shall not fight for thine amusement," Balder shouted. "We are not jesters who perform on request."
"You will fight," Zarrko said. "And I have your inspiration right here."
Zarrko expanded the area of his holographic projection, displaying more of the area he was transmitting from. The warriors saw that he wasn't alone. Standing next to him, still restrained by the slave collar, was Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.
"Mother!" Diana shouted. "Are you hurt?"
"I am unharmed, my sweet daughter," Hippolyta said. "But I am unable to act as long as I wear this collar. I cannot escape Zarrko."
"I will come for you soon, mother," Diana stated firmly.
"If you do not fight, she will die!" Zarrko countered. "Prepare for your opponents and put on a good show. Do not try to locate the Amazon Queen or she will be destroyed. You have your orders. Carry them out!"
The image of Zarrko vanished. The eight warriors were furious.
"Commands!" Hercules shouted. "That vile, little mortal knave!"
"I'll slit him from his navel to his jaw!" the Valkyrie shouted.
"We can do nothing at the moment," Diana said. "Not as long as he holds my mothers life in his hands."
"Aye," Thor said. "Zarrko holds the advantage at the moment. We must play along if we are to save the Amazon."
Hercules sneered. "If he harms the fair Hippolyta, I shall crush him with mine own hands!"
"So say we all!" Namor added.
"Its agreed," Diana said. "We go along with Zarrko until we can find a way to save my mother. The first thing we need to do is to find a defensible shelter. We don't know who our foes will be, but I imagine we will not be attacked by bunny rabbits. Whatever is coming, it will be dangerous!"
Somewhere else on Mars, other beings sensed the arrival of the newcomers. One being in particular was wary of their presence. He was an all-seeing being with cosmic awareness. He sensed that their arrival would lead to no good!
Limbo:
Immortus watched the heroes on a monitor, accompanied by the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster was an elder of the Universe, master of gamesmanship. He loved a good contest and was drawn into this by a bet.
"Zarrko commands my team," Immortus said. "The Gambler commands yours. Let me reiterate the stakes to be sure we are clear. If a member of your team kills the heroes, I will use my control over time to help you destroy Captain America and the rest of the Justice Society on Earth. If one of my team members succeeds, you will use your expertise at gambling to help me win a bet."
"A bet you won't discuss," the Grandmaster said. "Suspicious, but I love a good risk. I am a gambler after all. And speaking of which, my friend the Gambler wants to keep the Amazon if his team wins."
"Fair enough."
"Good then, the stakes are set," the Grandmaster said. "We must clarify our own wager, however. Diana's team members may not all die at once. Some of your team may kill a few of her men, and some of my team may kill the others. I suggest we break the stalemate this way . . . Whoever kills the most members wins the bet. If it's a 4-to-4 draw, then we settle that matter with trophies. There are three significant prizes. The golden Lasso, Thor's hammer, and the helmet of Nabu. Whoever collects two of the three prizes gets the tie-breaking point and wins the bet."
"Done!" Immortus said. "Let us begin!"
"Yes, indeed," the Grandmaster said. "Summon our armies."
"With pleasure, Grandmaster," Immortus said, hitting a button on his control console. "With infinite pleasure!"
Immortus summoned warriors from all across time and space.
Earth: Washington DC, October 1944 . . . The mansion of Miss Venus:
In the JSA's official HQ, Captain America sat at the big fancy table, looking out the window. He had just finished a workout and was thinking about the war and, more specifically, the role his diminished version of the JSA will play in it.
Wonder Woman had vanished months ago with Hercules, on a quest to get her powers back. Namor, the Fury, and Doctor Fate went looking for her. The Sentinel had gone on a crusade to find Hammerhead, the man who killed his beloved Harlequin. Bucky and Toro were spending time with the Young Allies. This left Cap with a diminished team. He had Doctor Mid-Nite, the Flash, Hawkgirl, and Starman to work with.
This was not the mighty JSA he formed several years ago. He had to do something. He had to find his missing members. The Sentinel of Liberty could not just sit and wait. It was time to take action. And he knew just the man to help him.
Mars . . . Date unknown
A cave had been renovated into a small military base. Inside, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man and the Gambler prepared to begin their respective attacks. Their armies had been assembled.
Zarrko's team: Ultron-5; Lore the Daxamite assassin; Solomon Grundy; Utgard the Storm Giant; Imhotep the Living Mummy; the Juggernaut; Etrigan the Demon; Typhon the Titan; Strife, nephew of Ares; Titano the super ape; and a final mystery member.
Gambler's team: A few members of the Squadron Sinister . . . Ultra-Man; Super-Woman; Power Ring; the Blitz; Black Manta; the Wizard; the Shape; & Haywire. He also added Von Bach, AKA the Manotaur; El Monstro; and finally, Tyrak the Treacherous, from Atlantis.
Twenty-two powerful villains led by two nefarious criminals, in the service of two immortals. The odds were looking bad for Diana's team.
"Is that the best you could come up with?" Zarrko asked. "Your pathetic team doesn't stand a chance."
"Would you like to wager on that, Zarrko my friend?" the Gambler asked.
Wonder Woman, bound by the collar that made her helpless, looked over the two teams and their gloating leaders. She hated to admit it, but these maniacs had gathered powerful armies. As much as she trusted in the abilities of Diana and the others, things were not looking hopeful. She fought off the feelings of fear and tried to put on a brave face.
Zarrko approached her. "And you, my dear, are the prize in these games. If the JSA survive, they get you back. If the Gambler's team wins, he gets to have you. And if my team wins, you are mine!"
Wonder Woman narrowed her eyes in hateful resignation. She hated being used as a prize in this despicable game, but Zarrko's collar gave her no choice. "One day I'll kill you, Zarrko!"
"Not as long as you wear my slave collar," Zarrko answered. "Now excuse me, but I have a war to win!"
Zarrko rushed off to begin the contest, leaving Wonder Woman to stew in her rage and fear.
Back in Washington, DC, in '44;
At the Empire State Building HQ of Dr. Clark Savage, Jr. - a.k.a. Doc Savage - Captain America arrived. He had picked up Jay Garrick, better known as the Flash, en route to accompany him. He wanted the combine scientific brains of both Savage and the Flash to work on this problem.
Doc Savage listened to Captain America's description of the systematic disappearance of Wonder Woman, Hercules, Namor, Fury, and Dr. Fate. Savage nodded as his amazing mind raced with possible ideas on how to deal with the problem.
"And you've no clue as to where they may possibly be?" Savage asked.
"None," Cap said. "Except that Hippolyta and Hercules first set off to see Zeus in Mount Olympus, but Miss Venus says they left and went into the future. They could be any where, in any time."
"The amount of time that has elapsed since their disappearance will be an obstacle," Doc Savage said. "But it may not be an insurmountable one. There may be options."
Flash nodded. "We've both navigated through time before."
"Yes, we have," Savage said. "And I have a plan to do some time-tracking. I have a record of Wonder Woman's brain patterns from our last adventure together, and I may be able to track her through the temporal dimensions."
"I think this is a good time to utilize the invention we've worked on." the Flash said.
"What invention?" Cap asked.
"Follow me," Doc Savage said.
Savage led the Flash and Captain America to another room. Therein, they found a treadmill.
"What is it?" Cap asked.
"Dr. Savage and I worked hard on this since our last time-traveling adventure together," Flash said. "It's called the Cosmic Treadmill!"
Mars:
Diana and her team found a rock formation that was sufficiently defensible. Doctor Fate used his magical abilities to alter the formation further to make it more secure. They took turns on watch, awaiting the imminent attack of the opposing armies.
They didn't have to wait long.
A figure appeared on the horizon. It was a huge man in armor. His malicious eyes peered out through the slits in his helmet. He was from a date in the future beyond the time of the Justice Society. He was known as the Juggernaut! He promised immortality if he served in Zarrko's army and so he complied.
"Come out of there and let's see what ya got!" the Juggernaut yelled.
Thor stepped out of the protective rocks. "The God of Thunder shall have the honor of facing the first foe!"
Thor marched out of the cave and locked up with the Juggernaut. They were both beings of awesome power and their battle rocked the entire area. The Juggernaut was all but indestructible, while Thor was a warrior god with a millennium of combat experience. They clashed like two storms colliding.
Wonder Woman's team watched, silently rooting for Thor to be victorious. Just then, the blue-and-red clad form of Ultra-Man descended from the sky. He'd been promised freedom from his captivity in limbo.
"Hey, Hercules!" Ultra-Man yelled. "Come on out and let's finish some unfinished business!"
Hercules eagerly emerged from the cave. "At last . . . Combat! And with an old foe!"
Ultra-Man rammed into Hercules with super-speed. Hercules quickly recovered from the impact and retaliated. He, like Thor, had too much experience to be stunned for any length of time. Hercules grappled with Ultra-Man, flipping him. Ultra-Man floated gracefully to the ground and raced back into battle.
Elsewhere on Mars:
Others became aware of the presence of the tournament warriors. Their battle was having a major impact on the planet. A world of telepaths knew that they had been invaded. Mars had been invaded!
One being, in particular, was watching the battle from afar. His unrivaled cognitive abilities studied the situation and debated on the best course of action. And he would certainly have to act soon.
Thor was fighting the Juggernaut to a draw, but he was starting to feel the effects of the lingering battle, whereas the Juggernaut was as powerful as ever. He wouldn't win this way. He had to use his brain.
He soon got an idea! And the Juggernaut provided the inspiration.
"I can't be stopped!" the Juggernaut said. "Even in this time, as long as I can draw power from the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, I'm unbeatable! Nothing can stop the Juggernaut!"
Thor had his idea. He spun his hammer and threw it into the air. He was forced to fight off the Juggernaut without the benefit of Mjolnir the magic mallet. Juggernaut got the upper hand. But that was only temporary.
Thor's hammer circled in the air, swirling above the battle zone. It created a mystic barrier cutting the Juggernaut off from the power of the Crimson bands of Cytorrak. Juggernaut, amazed, found himself suddenly getting weaker and weaker. Thor threw himself into the battle with renewed vigor. He pounded on the Juggernaut, who no longer had the pure power to counter the Thunder God's attack.
Somewhere, Immortus knew that his man was going down and transported him back to his own time before Thor could have the satisfaction of a victory. Thor had won!
Thor assisted Hercules against Ultra-Man. Thor's magic hammer had a devastating effect on Ultra-Man, who was susceptible to magic. The pair of gods pounded him. Somewhere, Grandmaster was watching and had Ultra-Man transported away.
Diana nodded, satisfied. "Who's next?"
Strife, nephew of Ares, appeared. "Hercules! I come to avenge my honor!"
"And I will defeat you again as I did before!" Hercules shouted, locking up with Strife.
At that moment, Utgaard, the Storm Giant appeared. "Thor, my ancient enemy! I will avenge myself against the hated Odin by destroying his son!"
"Have at thee!" Thor yelled, charging the giant.
Super-Woman appeared on the horizon, accompanied by fellow Squadron Sinister member, the Wizard.
"Where is my Ultra-Man?" she shouted. "Bring him to me or I'll kill you all!"
Wonder Woman stepped out of the cave. "This one is mine!" she said.
Super-Woman recognized Wonder Woman and old grudges came to the surface. The two women clashed with violent abandon.
The Wizard tried to cast a spell on Wonder Woman, but he was blocked by the abrupt appearance of Dr. Fate. "Wizard! Prepare to meet your superior! In the name of Order, I will squash you!"
Earth, '44:
Doc Savage sat at the controls of an encephalogram. He hooked wires up to the Flash's helmet. The speedster stood upon the Cosmic Treadmill. Savage reviewed the makeshift set-up. "In theory, we should be able to trace Wonder Woman's trek through time via her brain waves."
"In theory," Cap said, thinking it was a little too far-fetched a notion. But then again, this was Doc Savage talking. Clark Savage was the finest scientific mind on Earth. If he believed it, could cap Nay-Say this?
The Cosmic Treadmill itself was a strange device. It utilized speed as a power source. In line with Einstein's theory-which Savage himself had expanded upon-the treadmill had the power to piece the temporal barriers and open time itself like a window.
Flash stood on the Treadmill. "Everything set?" he asked.
Savage nodded. "It seems so. You may begin when ready."
Flash began to run. His legs moved faster and faster until they were a blur and then they were practically invisible. His upper body seemed to be straining to run as fast as he had ever run. Since he was stationary on the treadmill, he didn't have to worry about being sucked into the speed force.
He vibrated while running. This allowed him to see into various vistas of alternate realities. The Cosmic Treadmill opened the realm of time to him. He could see almost everywhere and everywhen! The wires hooked to his helmet synchronized his Alpha Wave frequency to those of Wonder Woman. Wherever she was, he should be able to spot her.
That was the theory.
Mars:
Dr. Fate defeated the Wizard with relative ease. The Wizard's techno-tricks, which pass for magic, were no match for the real thing. About the same time, Hercules defeated Strife again, as he had done before. Also, Thor drove off the Storm Giant, the latest of many giants he had defeated in his time. Diana had a more difficult time with Super-Woman, who was practically a match for her.
But then Super-Woman found herself surrounded by Diana, Thor, Hercules, and Dr. Fate. The hidden masterminds of these games decided to eliminate her as well. Super-Woman vanished.
Before the heroes could get their breath back, Ultron appeared. Ultron was a robot made of indestructible, unbreakable Adamantium. He was rescued from the asteroid where he had been marooned. If he can destroy Zarrko's enemies, he will be sent home to Earth. If not, he will be sent back to the asteroid.
"Puny flesh creatures. Come and die at the hands of Ultron!"
Thor threw his hammer, which amazingly ricocheted off the metal man's adamantium hide. Thor was stunned at Ultron's casual reaction to the impact. "By Odin! He did seem to scarce feel it!"
"Stand you back!" Hercules yelled. "Let the Prince of Power handle this tin beast."
Hercules smashed his fists into Ultron, but the robot withstood the impact with nary a shutter. He clenched his metallic fist and knocked Hercules across a field of red sands. Thor retrieved his hammer and attacked Ultron but had little more success than Hercules had. Thor was knocked to the ground.
Diana took the magic lasso, which had been entrusted to the Fury, and lassoed Ultron. "I command you to surrender!" she yelled.
"What foolishness is this," Ultron yelled, yanking Diana off her feet. "Ultron does not surrender."
Being a robot, Ultron was not affected by the power of truth, which the lasso possessed. Diana fell forward and was dragged by the power of the robot.
"Diana!" the Fury yelled, and raced out of the rock barrier to aid Diana. She didn't get very far.
A whirl of motion surrounded her. A red streak of speed. It reminded her of the Flash. But it was the Blitz.
"Hey there, girlie." the Blitz said. "Wanna play?"
The Blitz battered the girl with super-speed blows. Diana witnessed this and rushed to her aid. Possessing the speed of Mercury, Diana was a better match for the lightning-fast Blitz. The Fury pulled herself from the ground. Diana was trying to land a blow on the Blitz, while Thor and Hercules were having a tough time against the robot monster. Who should she help? What should she do? She wished Wonder Woman were there to tell her what to do.
From out of a boggy, red pond came Tyrak the treacherous. He had been promised power and revenge if he participated in this. Tyrak sneaked up on the Fury, grabbed her from behind, and slammed her to the ground. The ocean born villain looked to the cave.
"Namor the Sub-Mariner! I challenge you!"
Namor came out of the cave. "I know you not, wretch. But I accept your challenge!"
Namor smashed into Tyrak, trying to out-power his fellow sea being. He found, to his dismay and anger, that he was sorely outmatched. Tyrak picked him up and tossed he away like a toy. The tiny wings on Namor's feet allowed him to veer back and ram Tyrak. Tyrak was barely fazed by the blow and slammed Namor with a mighty blow that floored the Prince of Atlantis. The Fury rushed to his aid but was knocked away with a casual slap. Tyrak was too strong for both of them.
Meanwhile, Diana finally managed to land a solid punch on the speedy Blitz. The Blitz was knocked unconscious. She turned her attention to the besieged young Fury, and flew to the girl's aid.
But the appearance of the Von Bach the Manotaur gave her pause. Not long ago, Von Bach had almost fought the JSA to a draw, and he was now motivated by the Grandmaster's promise to free him from the prison Zeus had exiled him too if he killed the team that had defeated him.
Diana recognized the Minotaur-like appearance of Von Bach and tried to tackle him. But he was too strong even for her. She was surprised by his power. Only her superior speed kept her from a quick defeat at the horned being's hands.
From out of the Red haze of the sand came the lumbering form of Imhotep, the Living Mummy. In the cave, the Valkyrie spotted the new arrival. "I'm am tired of waiting," she said. "This foe is mine!"
The Valkyrie attacked the Mummy. Her skill and her sharp sword allowed her to defeat the Living mummy in a short time. Immortus whisked him away. Valkyrie raised her sword in victory, until she was covered by a showdown. She turned and was taken aback by the sight that confronted her.
It was a giant ape. Titano! Balder, in the cave, rushed to her assistance. "Ho, fair Brunnhilde. We shall battle this monster together!"
The HQ of the Gambler and Zarrko;
The two generals, Zarrko and the Gambler, watched the battle on a monitor given to them by Immortus. A few of their soldiers remained in the cave, awaiting their turn at battle. Etrigan and El Monstro were sent into the fray. Lore, Grundy, Typhon, Black Manta, Shape, Haywire, and Power Ring remained in reserve.
Wonder Woman fumed at her inability to save herself, her daughter and her friends.
She noticed Solomon Grundy looking at her. Since Grundy had been abandon by the Enchantress, who Grundy had been in love with, the swamp man was lonely. He looked at the beautiful Hippolyta with longing. He approached her, gently.
"Girl pretty," Grundy said. "I like you."
Hippolyta saw her opportunity. True she couldn't fight, but there may still be a way she could act.
"Thank you, Grundy," she said, softly stroking his arm. "I like you, too."
Grundy was excited by her touch. He smiled. Hippolyta knew she had him where she wanted him.
Power Ring saw Grundy apparently being captivated by the Amazon. "Hey, you! Get away from her!"
Hippolyta looked as hurt as she could. "Are you going to let him talk to you like that? Are you going to let him talk to me like that?"
Grundy grunted and stormed across the cave intent on teaching Power Ring a lesson.
Back at the battle site, Dr. Fate was going to use his eldritch powers to disable the robotic Ultron. However, he had to deal with someone else first. A yellow demon had appeared . . . Etrigan!
"Ah! Again I meet the man called Fate,
in a place afar and an unknown date.
We fight in armies so grand and great,
To satisfy a battle lust we cannot abate.
But no more talk, let's not wait.
I wish to see your head on a plate!"
Etrigan spit fire. Fate blocked it with a mystic shield of magic. The supernatural pair fought it out.
Meanwhile, El Monstro appeared, and the three-legged Mexican beast stalked the heroic warriors. Having previously fought against the power of the Hulk himself, El Monstro knew no fear.
El Monstro moved to kill Fate, stealing Etrigan's possible Victory. However, Etrigan was in this for the love of battle and chaos. He had also been promised freedom from his alter ego Jason Blood. He was not going to let El Monstro steal this victory from him.
"Away, three-legged one, I command that you go!
Get you back to old Mexico.
Defeating my foe is necessary and fun.
Walk away, in fact you should run!
If anyone tries to steal my glory,
He will face my unbridled fury!"
Etrigan spit hellfire at El Monstro. The Mexican beast did not take kindly to this and soon the two were locked in battle. Von Bach, callous with confidence that he would defeat Diana, spotted the tussle.
"So!" Von Bach shouted. "The Demon reverts to his treacherous nature. He will not be the cause of our defeat! The Manotaur shall thrash him personally!"
The Manotaur rushed to El Monstro's aid. Ultron witnessed this.
"No one will interfere in my victory," Ultron said, knowing that his side must win if he is to get permanent freedom from the asteroid he was stuck on. If his side loses, he'll end up back there again. He had to help the Demon.
Ultron unleashed a powerful laser blast at the Manotaur. The horned creature wailed in pain and then turned his wrath against the indestructible Ultron. Soon, Tyrak joined in, helping Von Bach.
"What's going on?" the Fury asked, confused.
"I don't know, but let's hope it continues!" Diana said.
A three-way war continued between the three armies. It was total chaos.
The Gambler and Zarrko, monitoring the confusion, were not happy with what they were seeing. Who was winning? Then they heard loud noises coming from another part of their headquarters. They ran to check it out. To their shock, they saw a chaotic scene similar to the battle they had been watching.
Solomon Grundy, Lore, and Typhon were engaged in a wild brawl with Power Ring, Black Manta, Shape, and Haywire. Haywire's tangle of wiry tendrils filled the cave like strands of a spider's web.
The Gambler shouted, trying to get control of the situation, but no one paid him any mind. Zarrko noticed that Hippolyta was grinning. Zarrko sneered.
"You did this, witch!" Zarrko yelled, angrily.
Hippolyta looked as innocent as possible. "Who, me? I'm just a girl. What could I possibly do?"
"Harlot!" Zarrko yelled, furious. "You started it, so you stop it! I command you!"
Forced to obey Zarrko's commands, Hippolyta joined the fray, but as she expected, she only succeeded in making the commotion more chaotic than before. Zarrko was irate! The Gambler was at a loss.
Back at the other battle site, the three-way war was still going on. No one could tell who was winning, if anyone was at all. It was anarchy.
Suddenly, they were joined by other, surprise opponents . . . Martians! The green and white, telepathic, shape-shifting beings appeared to defend their world, to drive these aliens away from their home.
An endless flock of Martians arrived, and suddenly the three armies seemed small and likely to be overwhelmed. Not even these powerful people could withstand such a force.
But just then . . . everything and everyone froze. It seemed that time itself had stopped. Immortus and the Grandmaster appeared, looking at the unmoving battle.
"The game has become unseemly," the Grandmaster said. "All bets are off. This chaos is no fun."
"But I believe my purpose has already been served," Immortus said. "I am expecting someone."
Right on cue, another Martian appeared. He had the typical Martian appearance, pointed head and all. But unlike most others, this Martian had silvery skin. He was also much older than other Martians. He was, in fact, immortal! He was worshipped as a god on Mars. His power was awesome. His reputation had traveled across the stars and ever across time. Immortus knew much about him.
"You would be the legendary Silverfall?" Immortus asked.
The Martian's telepathic powers allowed him to translate the language. "That is one of the names I am known by," Silverfall said. "What is it you want on my world? Why do you bring chaos to my people?"
"I will leave your world, Silverfall," Immortus said. "But I want you to do something for me."
The Grandmaster was confused. "You knew we would meet this being? Is this connected to your bet?"
"Indeed!" Immortus said. "I told you that you would help me win a bet. The bet I have is with . . . myself! I bet myself that I could have you destroyed! Your presence here helps me do just that!"
The Grandmaster was surprised. But then again, he thought, it was not so surprising at all. The Grandmaster had once tricked Immortus into trying to kill the JSA. Immortus never got the prize he wanted, namely Aphrodite. Now, it seemed, Immortus wanted his revenge against the Grandmaster.
"Your powers are great, mighty Silverfall!" Immortus said. "Kill this fool and I will remove all these people and all this commotion from your planet. What do you say?"
The Grandmaster sensed the immense power in Silverfall. The Martian studied the Grandmaster, as if he were considering the offer. The Grandmaster was feeling an unaccustomed wave of nervousness. The Martian sensed something. He didn't explain, but whatever he sensed, sent him into a rage.
Both Immortus and the Grandmaster, despite their powerful minds, were overwhelmed and agonized by a telepathic attack from the Martian. The ancient Martian had mind-powers unlike anything ever known before. Even these two beings could not stand up to it.
Using his shape-shifting powers, the Silverfall stretched out his hands and wrapped the duo up like snakes and squeezed with strength greater than even the usual mighty Martian muscles. His Martian vision, a laser like beam of power, stunned his captives. He had them at his mercy!
"You will stop this now!" Silverfall transmitted into their minds. "I will not allow my world destroyed."
"I . . . I will!" Immortus said, desperate and afraid. He didn't want to die at the hands of the Martian. Silverfall read Immortus' mind and found that this was the truth. Silverfall released him. Immortus sneered at Silverfall for having ruined his plan. But he intended to keep his word.
"You'll both be hearing from me again," Immortus said.
Activating a time-retrieval device, he vanished, taking all his soldiers with him, including Zarrko and the Gambler. Only the Grandmaster remained. He saw no reason to stay, but he silently plotted his revenge against both Immortus and Silverfall. The Grandmaster vanished.
The eight heroes were freed from their time-stasis, as were the Martian soldiers. Silverfall called off his people. "Leave the Earth people alone, my loyal ones. They will be leaving. I see it in their minds. They were brought here and only want to go home."
"It is true," Diana said. "We only came to save my mother. If I can find her."
"Diana!" a familiar voice said, as Hippolyta appeared from over a hill. With Zarrko gone, she was free to leave the cave and go to her daughter and her friends.
"Mother!" Diana yelled, elated, rushing to meet her mother.
She and her mother embraced lovingly. The others were glad to see that Hippolyta was safe as well. Dr. Fate used his powers to remove the slave collar from Wonder Woman's neck. She was glad to be free.
"Go!" Silverfall said. "Leave my world now."
"How do we get home?" the Fury asked.
Silverfall, who could even see through time, detected the Flash trying to locate Wonder Woman and her friends. He used his mental powers to help the Flash locate them. The Flash appeared as a specter, transparent and ghostly.
"Wonder Woman, it's me!" he yelled. "I'm here to bring you home!"
"I shall use thee as a guide!" Thor said, using his hammer to open a time-portal. The Flash led them through a tunnel in time. Wonder Woman, Diana and the other seven left Mars and returned home.
But there was one thing that Silverfall had missed. Immortus had forgotten that the Grandmaster had recruited a "mystery soldier". The Grandmaster himself had managed to shield that single fact in his mind, even from the powerful probe of Silverfall. Immortus did not remove all of the soldiers from Zarrko's army. There was one left!
Silverfall and the Martians all looked up in horror as the huge beast descended upon them. It was a flaming giant, with a single peering eye. Fire was the bane of all Martians and this fiery beast arrived with an unsettled rage, looking for victims.
Solaris, the Tyrant sun had come! But this is a story for another time!
Back on Earth in 1944:
Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate, Hercules, Namor, and Fury appeared. Thor had deposited them home. He took himself, Balder, Diana and the Valkyrie back to Asgard. Wonder Woman was glad to see Earth again.
"Welcome home, Wonder Woman," Cap said.
Hippolyta gave Cap a hug. "Thank you, my noble friend. It is good to be home!"
Next: It’s annual time again. The Red Raven! The Bi-Beast! Sauron! Guest starring Hawkman and the Black Canary. And whatever happened to Steve Trevor? A deadly enemy returns! All this plus the return of the Human Torch! Don’t miss Justice Society of America Annual #4!