The JSA had been doing mostly solo work over the last few weeks. Since the return of Flash and the Hulk's battle with Hercules, the team hadn't been called together for any emergencies. Captain America had been so busy going on missions with Uncle Sam and the Star-Spangled Kid, that he didn't call any general meetings. Flash was on a leave of absence, making up for lost time with his wife, Joan. Black Canary had been spending most of her time on Vulcan Island with Angel. Sentinel had become somewhat obsessed with the mysterious Harlequin, who had been vandalizing his company. Wonder Woman was training her new sidekick, the Fury. Human Torch was visiting Doc Savage, hoping to learn more about his own android body, which he learned recently was based on future technology. Blue Diamond spent the past weeks taking care of private matters. Namor was dealing with some problems in Atlantis. Dr. Fate was serving his masters, the Lords of Order. Dr. Mid-Nite had taken on the responsibility for overseeing Toro's training. They'd solved a few cases together. But as a group, the JSA hadn't been together in weeks.
Elsewhere . . .
The Answer was in his hidden lab. He was studying the JSA via news reports. Since the team had been separated, it was impossible to keep tabs on his JSA partners. He needed a better means to monitor them, if he was to destroy them. He was contemplating possibilities, when he received a visitor.
She materialized out of nowhere. Her goddess powers made it a simple matter to find anyone and pop into their home or headquarters. And once there, her beauty made it easy for her to wrap any man around her finger. She was, after all, an Enchantress of men.
"Greetings, my handsome mortal ally," the Enchantress said.
"Hello, my Immortal beloved," he replied, moving closer to the beautiful goddess.
After a passionate moment, the Enchantress pulled away from the Answer. She smiled at the way her beauty had cast a spell over this fallen hero and turned him to the dark side. He was a member of the JSA but he had cast aside his belief in justice, all for the love of his goddess. He would do anything for her. He had vowed to destroy the JSA for her, and had committed himself to the task with great energy and dedication.
"How go thy plans, dear heart?" she asked, with mock affection.
"I'm moving closer to the day when I can spring my plans," the Answer said. "My research is almost complete. I know most of their strengths and weaknesses. It's all in my secret files. I'm compiling a list of possible soldiers to recruit in our army against them. My traps are being built. Very soon, everything will be ready. Be patient, my love. I believe that I can move forward with the operation starting in January. By February, the Justice Society will be no more."
"Four more months?" she said, disappointed. "Why so long?"
"Monitoring them is a problem, especially when they're split up, as they are now."
"Ah, then thou wilt be pleased with the news I bring thee," she said. "As we discussed, I have a far superior way to watch thy foolish partners."
She presented him with a crystal ball. He looked amused. "Are you serious?" he asked.
"Most assuredly so," she said. "I have altered it to respond to thy will. Merely concentrate on who thou wishes to see, and the orb shall show thee."
"All right, I'll give it a try," he said. "If this works, it'll be a much better way to complete my JSA Secret Files!"
The Answer concentrated, focusing on his first targets. An image began to appear.
"It's working!" he said.
"Of course."
A vision of two people on an island became clear. There was even sound.
Vulcan Island:
Black Canary and the Angel lay on the beach together, enjoying their private island paradise. It was idyllic. The autumn sun shone down on the young lovers. For the moment, it was as if they were the only two people in the world.
"I wish it could be like this forever," Black Canary said. "This is so perfect"
Thomas Halloway, a.k.a. the Angel nodded. "Yeah, it is. Moments like this make me forget . . . Other things!"
"Let's not talk about things like that now, darling," she said. "Let's just be content that here and now, we're happy."
Thomas smiled and tried to believe what she was saying, to believe that being in the moment is all that really matters. But he couldn't forget the curse that hung over him, like the sword of Damocles. He couldn't forget the rampaging monster that lived within him.
She cuddled closer to him, and did her best to make him forget his terrible lot in life. And for the moment, he was content. He wished it could last forever. But he knew that to be a vain hope.
The Answer grinned with the glee of new discovery. "I want to see more!" he said.
"And the crystal will obey," said the Enchantress.
The Answer concentrated and another sight replaced the vision of Vulcan Island.
The laboratory of Doc Savage, New York
Human Torch looked out the window of the Empire State building office of the legendary Man of Bronze. Doc Savage was studying some schematic diagrams he'd made of the Torch's inner workings. As the Torch waited for the results, he looked out at this great city, teeming with life. So many families, so many people in love. He envied them, because hearth and home and wife and child weren't in his future. He was just a machine. He was destined for something other than the warmth of human love. But what was it? What was his fate? Ever since he found out that he was the product of technology from the future, that he was the Adam of a new race, he wondered if he was meant for something greater. Perhaps there was even an Eve somewhere out there for him. Someone who could make him forget Dinah, forget the beautiful Black Canary. There had to be a way to purge him of this obsession with her. Maybe finding out his true reason for being would help him find a measure of peace.
The image in the crystal ball changed again . . .
The War Department, Washington, DC:
Captain America was in General Blankenship's office, where it was just being confirmed that Uncle Sam would be the JSA's new government liaison. Ever since their former liaison, the Angel, took a leave of absence for undisclosed health reasons, Cap had been acting in the duel role of leader and government representative, much as he did back when the JSA first formed. But he was too busy a man for that now. And so, the man who trained him became the liaison for his team.
"Glad to have you aboard, Uncle Sam," Cap said.
"It's an honor, Steve," Sam said. "Working with you and Bucky over these last few weeks has been grand. Say, where is the kid, anyway?"
"Learning," Cap said. "Always learning."
The Answer focused his crystal upon the JSA manor . . .
Bucky, a.k.a. the Star-Spangled Kid, waited in the mansion of Miss Venus. Cap had ordered him to wait there, rather than attending Uncle Sam's official signing-in. Bucky didn't understand why. He wanted to be there. Or at the very least, Cap could have allowed him to go off on his own and kicked some Nazi butt. He was itching for some action.
Similarly, Toro was straining at the leash to go into action. He had been training with Dr. Mid-Nite while the Torch was away. Mid-Nite had also ordered his protégée to remain in the mansion, while he attended to some business. He and Bucky both paced the mansion, waiting for their trainers to arrive.
Toro saw Queen Hippolyta passing through the mansion. She had just returned from a training session with her own protégée, the Fury. Toro watched her pass. He was awed by her. Ever since she came to take him away from Vulcan Island and comforted him through the death of Johnny Mann, Toro had felt a strong affection for her. And her beauty was hypnotic. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she passed. She was magnificent. He envied Namor. He also resented Namor.
Nearby, Bucky was sulking on the sofa when he saw someone pass down a hallway. It was a thin man in a red and yellow costume.
"Who the heck . . . ?" Bucky wondered, and followed the man.
Bucky was on his guard. There had been intruders in the mansion before and they rarely brought good tidings. In fact, it was the intrusion of Master Man that led him to enter the JSA mansion for the first time. Bucky slipped around the corner, and found that he had lost sight of the intruder. He checked in every room, but there was no sign of the mysterious man. Where had he gone?
Bucky quickly slipped into his Star-Spangled Kid outfit and then rounded up Toro. "We've got troubles, buddy," he said to the flaming youth.
Toro joined the SS Kid in combing the mansion. "Maybe we should get Wonder Woman," Toro said. "I'd feel a little better with some muscle behind us."
"We can handle this," the Kid said. "Are we going to go running to the big boys every time there's a tiny problem? What are we training for?"
Toro had to agree with the sentiment. And besides that, capturing an intruder may be a good way to impress Wonder Woman. They continued their search. Then they heard whistling. "This Old Man" was the tune. The two young heroes followed the sound into the kitchen.
"He's close," Bucky said.
"Look!" Toro said, pointing at a red snake-like object slithering quickly across the floor. "I thought you said it was a man we were looking for."
"Well, he brought his snake with him," Bucky said.
Toro threw some fireballs at the snake to corner it. The snake moved with amazing speed and maneuverability, avoiding all the balls of fire.
"Cut that out!" Bucky yelled. "You want to set the place on fire?"
"Sorry," Toro said, and using his power to control flame, he extinguished the blaze he started.
"Look what you did to the kitchen!" Bucky chided.
"Let's deal with that later, all right," Toro said. "We've got a guy and his snake to catch."
They chased the snake down the hall. They couldn't believe how fast it moved. To their surprise, the snake tuned into something resembling a red and yellow bird and took to the air. It flew up the stairs. "Follow the leader!" the bird yelled.
"A shape-shifter!" the Star-Spangled Kid observed.
Toro risked starting a fire, and burst into flames. He flew up the stairs in close pursuit behind the bird. The bird changed into a red worm and dived into the drain of the sink in the second floor bathroom. "Going down," he yelled, as he vanished down the pipe.
"Damn!" Toro snapped.
Bucky got to the top of the stairs. "Where is it?"
"Basement!"
Ten seconds later, the duo charged into the basement. Cautiously, they crept through. The light was broken. Toro's flame lit the basement up. Then, they saw the thin man in silhouette.
"Don't move!" Toro warned, threatening to throw the fireball he had in his hand.
The mystery man began to dance a silly dance. "Nah, nah nah!" he yelled.
Toro threw the fireball. The intruder twisted his body like rubber and easily avoided the attack. Turning his hand into a wrench, the man in red loosened a water pipe. Suddenly, water sprayed out all over the basement, dousing the two young heroes. Toro's flame went out.
"This isn't good!" Toro said.
The Star-Spangled Kid whispered into Toro's ear. "Okay, you were right. Get Wonder Woman. I'll keep him busy."
The Kid charged the intruder, who changed his hands into big boxing gloves. Stretching his arms out, he punched Bucky repeatedly, not hard enough to seriously hurt him, but more than enough to anger and humiliate him. As Toro raced up the basement stairs, the intruder snaked out his malleable arm and grabbed Toro's foot. Still wet, Toro couldn't ignite his flame. The intruder dragged Toro down the steps. Toro bounced painfully over each step, until he hit the floor. "Oww!"
Turning himself into a giant octopus, the red-garbed intruder tied the two youngsters up with eight tentacles. They couldn't get free. The shape-shifter began to sing "The Octopus Garden."
"I'd give real money if he'd shut up," the Star-Spangled Kid said.
"You have no appreciation of music!" the intruder said.
"All right, that's enough," a familiar, authoritative voice said.
Toro and the SS Kid smiled when they saw Captain America and Dr. Mid-Nite coming down the steps.
"You're in trouble now!" Bucky said.
The two young heroes were surprised when the shape-shifter released them. The intruder reverted to his human form and stood face-to-face with Captain America. They finally got a good look at the man they had fought. He was a thin man, with black hair. He wore a red body suit that was sleeveless and legless. It had an open, mesh neck. The belt was yellow with black stripes. He wore goggles. The man had a goofy grin on his face. "So, how'd I do?" he asked.
"Good job," Cap said. "Worth every penny. Pay the man, Doctor."
Dr. Mid-Nite produced a wad of bills and handed them to the thin shape-shifter, who proceeded to count it. "Ah, money, money, money. I love the smell of good old American currency. Pleasure doing business with ya, Cappo. You too, Doctor Dark."
The Star-Spangled Kid was shocked and outraged. "What the heck is going on around here, anyway?" he cried, frustrated.
Cap looked at the two youths. "Bucky, Toro, meet Plastic Man."
"Top o' the morning, kiddies," Plastic Man said. "Call me 'Eel'. Sorry to be so rough with ya,"
"This is Plastic Man?" Bucky said, surprised.
"In the malleable flesh," Plastic Man replied.
"We've heard of him, but -- " Toro began.
"And now you've met me!" Plastic Man stated. "You lucky kids. Want an autograph?"
"What was this all about?" Bucky asked.
"Training never stops," Cap said.
"You mean, this was all a test?" Bucky asked, a bit insulted.
"That was my idea," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "To see how you respond to the unexpected. You need to always be ready, even when you're home and relaxed."
"Tough love, and all that jazz," Plastic Man added.
"So, how did we do?" Toro asked, hopefully.
Cap's expression left no doubt that they had failed the test.
"You still have a lot to learn," Dr. Mid-Nite said.
Bucky and Toro looked like two school kids called before the principal.
"Let's go!" Cap said.
"Where to?" The SS Kid asked.
"To the FBI facility where I originally trained you," Cap said. "You too, Toro."
The two boys followed Cap and Dr. Mid-Nite out.
"Mind if I hang around here for a bit?" Plastic Man asked. "I'd like to see Wonder Woman again. What a honey!"
"Suit yourself," Cap said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't annoy her."
"Yeah, she's a pistol," Plastic Man said. "She hit me with a car once. Ya gotta love a chick like that!"
Cap sighed, and led this team out. Plastic Man turned into a spring and bounced upstairs. Looking for Hippolyta, he inadvertently found himself in the kitchen. He stopped, and checked out the pantry.
"Mmmmm, the cupboard is full. Yum!" Plastic Man said, and proceeded to raid the kitchen, eating everything in sight.
Back at the Answer's lair . . .
"This is a wonderful little toy you've given me. Thank you," the Answer said. "I won't check on Dr. Fate or Sentinel because their mystic powers might sense it. So, all that's left is to look in on Wonder Woman and Prince Namor. However, if my information is correct, they should be together soon. I believe that the Sub-Mariner is due to pay his sweetheart a visit this afternoon,"
"Wonder Woman!" Enchantress hissed. "I owe that harridan for the dishonor she did show me! How dare she strike me! The Amazon must pay! And I will wait no longer! She will die this day! And thou may watch on yon crystal orb as I make the witch beg!"
"What are your plans for her?" the Answer asked.
"She's strong. Therefore, I shall use a lackey to make her powerless and then I shall make her beg before me!" the Enchantress said. "And I doth know just the one to do it!"
Asgard, home of the Norse Gods:
The Enchantress returned to her homeland of fabled Asgard. Sticking to the more remote areas of the Eternal realm, she sought out a small cottage in the woods. Here dwells the one who shall defeat the Amazon for me. Here I will find . . . The Executioner!
Entering, one can immediately tell that this is the dwelling of a hunter, as well as an executioner of Gods. This fierce warrior was once charged with carrying out the executions for Odin, Lord of Asgard. But he enjoyed his work too much, and fell out of favor. His mighty battle-ax can kill even a God. Or an Amazon!
The God Skurge, better known as the Executioner, was 6'8", and dense with muscle. His head was shaved bald and he wore battle armor at all times. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his eyes were intense with a unique lust for violence.
"Enchantress!" he said, thrilled to see her. "You have come to me at last, fair one! Does this mean that you will be mine?"
"Not yet, my powerful friend," she said, in a seductive voice. "But perhaps if thou were to accomplish a simple task for me, I should look upon thee with greater favor."
"Anything, beautiful one," the Executioner said. "I am yours to command! I would battle all of Asgard to win thy heart!"
The Enchantress smiled. "That will not be necessary, fierce one. I merely wish thee to go to Midgard and capture the queen of the Amazons for me."
"Hippolyta is the prey, eh?"
"Indeed. I cannot reach her in the protected location where she now dwells. But thou can. I wish you to remove the fight from her and then bring her to me, bound and helpless. I will do the rest. Succeed in this task, and I shall be most . . . grateful!"
"It shall be done without delay!" the Executioner said, eagerly.
Grabbing his mighty ax, he immediately set off for Earth. With the heart of a savage beast, the strength of a behemoth and the eyes of a serpent, the feared Executioner hunted his prey.
Swinging his ax, he cut through the very fabric of time and space itself. It was as if he was chopping off part of the Universe and making a hole in it. He stepped into the void he had created.
Back at the Mansion of Miss Venus:
One of the things Hippolyta enjoyed about man's world was the invention known as the Hot Shower. She wished that she had something like it on Paradise Island. After a nice shower, she returned to her room. The Fury had gone out for an evening constitutional, and Cap had taken Bucky, Toro and Dr. Mid-Nite out for a training session. The Torch was still in New York. Miss Venus was away, probably in Olympus. As far as the Amazon Queen knew, she was alone in the house. Things were nice and quiet. It was a good time to meditate. She sat on a rug in her room, closed her eyes and sought inner peace and strength.
Just outside her room, a portal appeared, and out stepped the powerful Executioner. Although the combined spells of Aphrodite and Dr. Fate prevented the Enchantress from materializing inside the mansion without sending out a mystic alert, the same didn't hold true for the Executioner. Bypassing normal space, he actually stepped around the mystical defense. He cut a path through regular space and reappeared inside the Mansion of Miss Venus.
Slowly and quietly, the Executioner opened the door to Hippolyta's room. Normally, her warrior instincts would have roused her from her meditative state when someone entered, but not this time. Despite his immense size, the Executioner moved with a hunter's covert stealth. He managed to get into the room without disturbing the Amazon queen.
He didn't want to risk getting any closer, lest she sense him. Pulling out a bolo, he threw it at her. It struck its target and wrapped around her, tightly. The impact snapped the Amazon out of her meditation. She hopped to her feet and saw the Executioner. She wasn't sure who he was, but he had the size and bearing of a god. She tried to snap the bolo that was holding her, but she couldn't. At first she was surprised, but then she realized what was wrong.
Great Hera! she thought. I've been bound by a man! When that happens, I lose my Amazon strength and speed!
Quickly, she tried to wriggle out of her bonds, but the Executioner was upon her too fast. He grabbed her with the strength of a god. Without her Amazon powers, she was helpless in his grip. She struggled momentarily but soon gave up. Token resistance was of no consequence to a god.
He shackled her hands behind her back. Despite the fact that her power was gone, she showed no fear.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am called the Executioner."
"I've heard of you," she said. "What do you want with me?"
"I want nothing of thee, queen of Amazons," he said. "But the Enchantress . . . "
"The Enchantress!" she repeated, realizing what was really going on. "You're her lackey, are you?"
"The Executioner is no one's lackey," he insisted. "But there is little I would not do for by beloved Amora. Now, no more talk, woman. Let us step out of this chamber, where I have room to swing mine ax."
The Executioner dragged the powerless Amazon out of the room and into the hall. He was about to use his ax to cut through dimensions again and return to the Enchantress, but he was distracted by someone coming in the front door. Namor the Sub-Mariner entered.
"Namor, help me!" Wonder Woman cried.
Namor turned and saw the Executioner holding his beloved Hippolyta by the arm. He sneered with anger. "I don't know who you are, villain, but if you do not release the beloved of the Sub-Mariner, you will pay most dearly!"
"So this is your lover, eh Amazon?" the Executioner said. "You are an undemanding female!"
The Executioner shoved Wonder Woman to the ground and headed into battle with Namor. Hippolyta decided against joining in the tussle. In her present state - with no powers and her hands tied behind her back - she'd be more of a handicap than a help. Namor would have to protect her, and that would leave him vulnerable. It was best to let him fight on his own.
"Be careful!" Hippolyta cried. "He's a god! A powerful one!"
"God or mortal, Namor fears no man!" the Atlantean prince shouted.
The Executioner swung his ax at the Sub-Mariner, but the sea prince ducked under it. Namor responded with an uppercut to the jaw. The Executioner was barely stunned. Namor landed a few more blows, forcing the Executioner back. However, the Executioner had many weapons. He used his ax to slash an opening in dimensions, and brought frost from the Earth's arctic regions. Hippolyta gasped as Namor was encased in a block of ice.
"Fool, you dared underestimate the Executioner!" the Asgardian said. "You forgot about my ax. No mortal, not even an Atlantean, can defeat a god!"
He turned to Wonder Woman. She backed away. Her powers were gone and her protector was trapped in ice. There was only one recourse now, as distasteful as she found it. She had to escape and find a way to break these bonds. Only by freeing herself from the shackles could she regain her powers.
She sprinted for the door. The Executioner pursued her. His speed belied his size. Normally, she would be much faster than he was, but without her natural Amazon speed, he was able to catch up to her. He grabbed her roughly. "Now, we go to see the Enchantress."
Just then, Namor broke out of the chunk of ice. "Foolish god! I am the Prince of the seven seas. I swim through arctic waters. Cold cannot destroy me!"
"Then come and pit thy pitiful Atlantean strength against an Immortal born!" the Executioner answered.
The two locked up. For a few moments, Namor held his own, but slowly, the Executioner's superior size and strength forced Namor back.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Plastic Man was still devouring every bit of food in sight. He heard the sounds of battle. "Wow. When they train around here, they don't fool around, do they?"
Back in the main sitting room, the Executioner was overpowering the Sub-Mariner. Hippolyta winced as Namor took a particularly vicious hit. She wished she could help, but she couldn't free herself from the shackles, and therefore couldn't regain her powers.
Namor got knocked down. While he was stunned, the Executioner used his ax to cause volcanic molten ore to spit out at the Atlantean. Namor screamed in pain. Before he could recover from that, the Executioner struck him a mighty blow that staggered him. Namor teetered on his feet, senseless. The Executioner finished him off with a final blow!
Hippolyta saw Namor fall. Her heart went out to him and she wished she could tend to him but the best thing to do was to escape and get help. She couldn't use the phone with her hands chained behind her back, so she headed to the front door.
The Executioner was about to chop off Namor's head, but Wonder Woman distracted him.
"I'm the one you want, Executioner!" she yelled. "Come and get me!"
The Executioner saw her escape out the front door and chased after her. He followed her out into the street.
Meanwhile, from the kitchen, Plastic Man glanced out the window. He saw the huge man with the Ax chasing Wonder Woman down the street. "Now that's peculiar," he said, and went outside to check it out.
Mt. Olympus:
Aphrodite sensed the commotion that was taking place in her Earthly home. Using her magic reflecting pool, she observed the events occurring there. She recognized the Executioner. She knew that she needed to send help immediately. And she could find the man she needed on Vulcan Island. Or rather . . . the monster!
The Executioner caught up with Wonder Woman out in the street. He grabbed her again. "This time, thou will not escape me, girl!"
Wonder Woman believed that all hope was lost at this point. He's got me and he'll do what he wants with me! But I won't give him the satisfaction of showing fear!
But just then, there was a bright flash of light. The Executioner turned and saw the large, gray brute standing behind him. The beast was even larger than the Executioner himself. It growled menacingly.
"By Odin! What . . . " the Asgardian said.
The rampaging Hulk struck the Executioner, knocking him across the street. The Asgardian crashed into a mailbox. He looked at the Hulk, shocked. He had never seen such a creature, or been struck by such a blow.
Wonder Woman was glad to see the Hulk. Hope had returned. But then, the Enchantress appeared. Now that Wonder Woman was out of the safety of the mansion, she was fair game for Amora.
"Enchantress!" Wonder Woman cried.
"Well met, Hippolyta," the Enchantress said.
Wonder Woman was wary of the Goddess. Still bound and powerless, she was no match for the Enchantress. The Asgardian smiled.
"And now, what should I do with thee?" the Enchantress said.
Before the Enchantress could torture the Amazon, the pliable form of Plastic Man sprang in between the two women. "Yowsa, yowsa. Two sexy babes! How much eye candy can one guy take?"
"Stand aside, mortal!" the Enchantress ordered. "Lest I deal with thee most unpleasantly."
Plastic Man shaped himself into a big, red heart. "I love it when chicks talk tough!"
Across the street, the Executioner fired more lava at the Hulk. The Hulk roared but wasn't badly hurt. Next, the Executioner tried the ice attack again, encasing the Hulk in ice. Instantly, the Hulk broke out of the frozen trap. The rampaging monster charged the Asgardian, furiously.
"Hulk smash!"
The Executioner swung his ax. The Hulk reached out and grabbed the handle, stopping the swing before the blade hit him. The Executioner was shocked. No one had ever done that before. Hulk yanked on the ax, pulling the Executioner off balance. The Hulk picked the Asgardian up and slammed him into the street. The Executioner had lost his ax. He rose, intimidated by the idea of battling this powerful creature without his battle-ax.
Close by, Plastic Man was evading an eldritch blast from the Enchantress.
"I know you're a goddess," he said, smiling and bouncing around. "I know you posses the power to turn men into beasts. I know you're immortal and I'll be piloting a wheelchair when you're dancing at strip clubs. But hey, I've had weirder girlfriends!"
He bounced close to her and pinched her rear. "How dare you!" she cried, irate.
"I'm such a rascal," he said.
"Enough!" She yelled, and used her power to turn Plastic Man into a little pig. "It suits you well, mortal."
She turned her attention to the still powerless Wonder Woman. But unexpectedly, the pig rammed into the Enchantress' leg. She looked down at the red hog.
"Are you my mommy?" the little pig said. Abruptly, Plastic Man used his shape-shifting powers to revert to his normal form. Then, turning himself into a snake, he wrapped himself around the Enchantress. "Any other shapes you'd like me to take?" he asked.
Across the street . . .
The Executioner was battling the Hulk and getting the worst of it. As hard as it was for the Asgardian to believe, the Hulk was stronger than he, and getting stronger by the moment. He tried to out-skill the brute, but the Hulk's savagery took him by surprise. The Asgardian hunter got pounded!
Meanwhile, the Enchantress turned Plastic Man into a mule. "Now you look like the braying jackass you truly are!"
To her frustration, he shape-shifted back to human form. "I love it when a woman manipulates my body!" he said.
She threw balls of mystic energy at him, but he turned himself into a rubber ball and bounced quickly, evading the attack. Stretching his hand out, he poked her in the eyes, momentarily blinding her.
"Quickly, get me out of these shackles!" Wonder Woman yelled.
Plastic Man appeared before the Amazon queen as a little floating Cupid. "I'll do it for a kiss."
"You're joking, are you not?" Hippolyta asked.
"Nope. You want freedom, I want a little smooth," Plastic Man answered.
Hippolyta sighed. "Men!" She kissed Plastic Man.
"Yippee!" he yelled, melting into a puddle.
"Keep your promise, Plastic Man," Hippolyta said.
"Oh yeah. I forgot. Your kisses just send me," Plastic Man said. Then, turning to a pair of chain clippers, he snapped Wonder Woman's bonds.
"At last!" she said. "Thank you, Plastic Man. Now, step aside and let me finish this!"
Wonder Woman charged the Enchantress. The Asgardian threw balls of sorceress energy at her. Hippolyta knocked them away with her amazon bracelets, then connected with a formidable blow against the Enchantress' face. The Asgardian fell. She looked up at Wonder Woman who was just itching for more payback. The Enchantress rubbed her sore jaw.
"How dare you strike my beautiful face!" she said, furious.
"I intend to strike it again!" Hippolyta said, with confidence.
It was a confidence that unnerved the Enchantress. She wasn't sure if she could escape the wrath of the Amazon queen without having damage done to her flawless face. She hoped that her ally could assist her. Looking across the street, she could see that the Executioner was not doing well against the Hulk. She knew it was time to withdraw until another day.
"There will be another time, Amazon!" the Enchantress said, then she and the Executioner both vanished.
"That was fun!" Plastic Man said. "What do we do next?"
Back at the lair of the Answer . . .
The Enchantress was raging, vexed over her failure. The Answer tried to calm her.
"Please, my love. Relax. This is only a temporary set back. We'll get them soon. My Secret Files are almost complete, and when they are, we will strike, and the JSA will all die!"
Next: The aliens are coming! The Appalaxians, the Cotati, the Priests of Pama, and Nebulon the Celestial Man! Plus Red Skull and Marvel Boy! Be here next time for Justice Society of America #30.