Deep beneath the sea . . .
The ravaged remains of the robotic Sentry, servant of the Kree Empire, lay on the ocean floor. After a battle with the Doom Patrol, the Sentry had been lifted into orbit by a gravity disc. When the disc finally released its hold, the sentry burned up in re-entry and crashed into the sea. Even the powerful, alien built Sentry couldn't survive such a beating intact. Now, a shattered wreck, the Sentry used the last of its power to send out a message to its Kree masters.
Many millions of miles away, on the Kree homeworld . . .
The Sentry's message had been received. The rulers of the blue-skinned Kree were unhappy with what they were hearing. The Sentry had been destroyed by person or persons unknown. This could be part of an offensive by their enemies, the Skrull! And even if not, the destruction of a Sentry was a direct affront to the Kree and their grand plans. This situation had to be dealt with decisively.
Ronan the Kree Public Accuser volunteered to go to Earth. A Public Accuser was authorized to act as judge, jury and executioner for any being who had transgressed against the great empire. Ronan was powerful, dedicated and very good at this job. He had never failed to successfully punish any who had sinned against the Kree. Using an advanced teleportation beam and a series of connecting links on various satellites and outposts, Ronan the Accuser gradually made his way to the planet where the Sentry had been destroyed . . . the planet Earth!
Elsewhere in space, on the homeworld of the Skrull imperial regime . . .
The Skrulls were deadly enemies of the Kree. They had skin of reptilian green, with pointed ears and ridges on their chins. Like most enemies, the two races monitored each other via various intelligence sources and scanning devices. The Skrull realized that Ronan the Accuser had utilized the Kree transportation beam and was making his way to the third planet in the Sol system. The Skrull Supreme Majesty was in conference with his chief advisor Pardak in the throne room.
"If the Kree are sending their Public Accuser, it must be a serious matter," the Supreme Majesty said. "What could he be after on that primitive little planet?"
"This planet, which the inhabitants call 'Earth' is a blight on us!" Pardak said. "Twice before the beings of that world have inconvenienced us. First, when our troops attempted to take the Planet Rann, a group of unusual humans with special powers drove them off. We tried to take that planet a second time, but an Earthman named Adam Strange led the defensive that foiled our assault."
"It is long past time we paid a visit to that world," the Supreme Majesty said. "I'd like a report on this little mud-ball. How could such a backward little rock have thwarted my great Empire twice? Especially if Ronan the Public Accuser is there. I want to know what he is up to."
"Should we send one of our elite squads?" Pardak asked.
"No," His Majesty said. "I have the perfect man for this sort of work. In recent years, I have devoted a sizable amount of our budget, along with an entire collective of scientists, and assigned them to the task of creating a team of ultimate warriors to use in our war against the Kree. I understand that they have had their first success. He has been training for several weeks. I've been told that his progress is excellent and his power is extraordinary. Now, we shall meet him."
At the Supreme majesty's summons, a group of scientists entered, accompanied by an extremely tall and stocky Skrull.
"Hail your Majesty," one of the scientists said. "Allow us to present the mightiest warrior in the known universe . . . the Super-Skrull!"
"I offer homage to your Supreme Majesty, sire" the Super Skrull said. "I await your commands."
"We shall demonstrate to you why our efforts cannot fail, sire," another scientist said.
"His powers are unbeatable," a third scientist said. "We've genetically altered him to have the powers of many alien races combined."
Still another Skrull scientist nodded. "We've combined his cells with cells from a Martian, a Mercurian, and a Saturnian."
Soon, the Super-Skrull was demonstrating his powers in a series of tasks and battles against elite Skrull troops. The Super-Skrull's powers included the massive strength of a Martian, as well as their abilities to turn invisible and intangible. His power to burst into flame like a Mercurian-altered being allowed him to fly and throw balls of fire. He could turn parts of his body to stone like the Stone-Men from Saturn, a power he usually concentrated in his fists to increase punching power. The combined Skrull/Martian shape-shifting powers gave him almost limitless morphing abilities, allowing him to stretch his body for miles. And while the Martian telepathic powers didn't work for a Skrull brain, it did give him formidable hypnotic powers! On top of those internal powers, an ultra sonic power ray was transmitted to him constantly, increasing his power and re-energizing him after any injury.
After passing every test and impressing the Supreme Majesty with his power, the Super-Skrull was ordered to make his way to Earth. His light-speed pod was launched. Using a wormhole to cut down the distance, the Super-Skrull was able to cover the distance in a single day.
Back on Earth . . . Tokyo, Japan
Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mr. Terrific, was working at a frantic pace. He had to have his preparations in place on time. He had to be ready for Godzilla!
Having returned from Monster Island via a whale supplied by Namorita, after their encounter with the Mole Man, the Doom Patrol arrived in Japan to put Mister Terrific's plan into action. Borrowing equipment from a Japanese branch of Doc Savage's company, the Hidalgo trading company, Terrific was working as fast as possible to complete a complicated device.
Soon, the Zeta beam - which had transported Godzilla away from Earth - would wear off and the giant creature would return to Earth, to renew his rampage of destruction. He would reappear in Japan, near the nuclear reactor, exactly on the spot he vanished from. Mister Terrific couldn't allow that to happen. He worked outdoors, on a lot near the reactor. The local officials allowed Mr. Terrific to hook into the high-tension cables.
Rita Farr, a.k.a. the Elasti-Girl, watched as Terrific worked with desperate speed. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked.
"No, nothing," Terrific answered. "I'll work better alone. The molecular scrambler is a very complicated device."
"I won't ask you to explain that now," she said. "Later, maybe."
"It's all right, I can divide my concentration," Terrific said. "Basically, this device will intercept the Zeta-Beam and prevent Godzilla's molecules from reforming into a solid, corporeal being."
"And then?" she asked.
"And then comes the tricky part," Mister Terrific said. "I have to transmit all those millions of displaced atoms, via a radio beam, to Monster Island. I arranged a reception point on top of the ship that we flew to Monster Island. If all goes well, that's where Godzilla should reappear."
"And hopefully be trapped by the impenetrable force field around the island," she continued.
"And that, as they say, is the plan," Terrific replied.
Cliff Steele, a.k.a. the Robotman, carried a large piece of equipment into the mass of machines that Terrific had rigged up. "Where d'ya what this doohickey?" Cliff asked.
"Set it down right there, old friend," Terrific said. "That's the last part I need."
"Glad ta hear that," Cliff said. "I'm tired of playin' pack mule."
Terrific made a few more connections and studied his gauges. "Larry!" he called.
Larry Trainer, a.k.a. the Negative-Man, responded to the reply. "Yo."
"Stand by, Larry," Terrific said. "When Godzilla begins to reappear, his toxic nature may wreck havoc with my jury-rigged device. I'll need you to siphon off any ambient radiation, otherwise this may all be in vain."
"Got it," Larry said.
"What can I do to assist you?" Namorita asked, hopefully, willing to do anything to get in Michael's good graces.
"Nothing at the moment," Terrific said. "I'm almost done."
Halo, of the Inhumans, just watched, fascinated by the whole process. She enjoyed the constant adventure that life with the Doom Patrol provided.
Minutes later, Mister Terrific completed his final connections. "There! Not a moment too soon. And now, we wait! If my calculations are correct, Godzilla should re-appear within the hour. Heaven help us if everything doesn't go exactly as planned!"
Ronan the Accuser appeared on the Island where the Sentry had long stood, awaiting a duty if would never perform. There was nothing of note on the island. Ronan noticed another Island on the horizon. Using the power of his Gavel of Judgment, Ronan levitated across the waters of the blue ocean and reached the shores of Monster Island. There was a momentary power surge in the techno-gavel as Ronan passed through the natural energy shield that surrounded the island. Yet, due to the advanced Kree technology, the gavel quickly rebooted and Ronan continued levitating until he reached the shore.
He sensed some sort of inferior technology and went to investigate. He was accosted by several dinosaur-like creatures, but an energy beam from his gavel drove them off. He found the ship.
"Primitive piece of prehistoric flotsam," he muttered.
Using his techo-Gavel of Judgment, he traced a radio beam. He decided to follow it, hoping to find some intelligent, indigenous life that he could question. Via the power of his gavel, he used the radio beam as a transporter beam, and teleported to Japan.
The Doom Patrol were waiting nervously, the seconds counting down to Godzilla's return. The beast would begin to re-materialize at any moment. Everything had to go like clockwork, or else Hell would break loose.
Just then, Terrific's scanners started to activate, indicating a transporter beam. "This is it!" Terrific said, as he was about to utilize his complex mechanisms. But then he noticed something wrong.
"The mass is all wrong," Terrific said. "It's too small. Much too small! It isn't Godzilla!"
A hazy silhouette formed in the center of Terrific's circle of machines. And then, Ronan the Kree Accuser appeared. The Doom Patrol stared, surprised.
"Sumthin' tells me the plan just went kablooie!" Robotman said.
Ronan used his gavel to translate. "I am Ronan, the Public Accuser of the Star-Spanning Kree Empire. I am here in search of the ones who destroyed our Sentry."
"That would be me, I'm afraid," Terrific said, wondering about this 'Kree Empire' he kept hearing about.
"Then I accuse you of crimes against the Empire," Ronan said. "And I sentence you to death!"
"I told ya this guy was bad news!" Robotman said.
Half a world away, in the United States . . .
In the hospital where the legendary Dr. Clarke Savage lay in a coma, something strange was about to happen. The original Robotman - John Britton - had been standing watch over Doc Savage for more than a week. Despite the endurance of his Robot body, his mind needed rest. He had gone so long without sleep that he was becoming delirious and disoriented. He couldn't stay awake much longer.
He wouldn't have to. Something came over him. Something . . . magical! The WWII Robotman fell sleep. But it wasn't a natural sleep. It was induced. And then the architect of the spell appeared in the hospital room.
She had red hair and pasty, white skin. She wore a green hood and cloak. Her body was wrapped in a tight cat-suit of black and green. She carried the flame of justice. She was once known as Natasha Romanoff, and also as the Black Widow. But now, she was called the Spectre!
She had plans for Doc Savage!
Back in Japan . . .
Ronan the Accuser was intent on killing Mr. Terrific for destroying the Sentry.
"Now wait just a minute!" Terrific cried. "You're Sentry attacked us! We were merely defending . . . "
"Silence!" Ronan said, as he aimed his Gavel at Terrific. "The Sentence has been passed. There are no appeals! Die!"
Some instinct warned Terrific to move and move quickly. Ronan fired an energy beam at Mister Terrific, but the amazingly quick Terrific evaded it. The beam came within inches of hitting one of Terrific's machines. "Protect the device!" Terrific yelled.
Robotman rammed into Ronan, while Halo zapped him with a laser. Ronan was hurt but withstood the combine attack. He knocked Robotman away with a blow from his dense, metal gavel. Robotman was sent hurtling through the air, damaging one of the machines as he passed, unable to control his flight.
"Damn it!" Terrific snapped, angrily. "Just what I hoped wouldn't happen," he surveyed the damage to the machine, as Namorita and Negative-Man distracted Ronan.
"Can you fix it?" Elasti-Girl asked.
"I'm not certain," Terrific said. "It won't be easy, especially not with this Ronan lurking around. We need to get him away from the molecular scrambler!"
"Leave it to me!" Elasti-Girl said. "Halo, come with me!"
While Terrific tried to repair the vital device as quickly as possible, Ronan had knocked Namorita off her feet and was fending off the Negative-Man. The Negative form had to return to Larry's body. Weakened, Larry would need a few minutes before he could release the Negative-Man again.
Halo hovered in front of Mr. Terrific. "You are not a nice man," she said, and unleashed a flare of light.
While Ronan was momentarily disoriented, Elasti-Girl, who had sneaked up on him at minimum size, suddenly grew to her maximum height, and grabbed him. She lifted him off the ground and tossed him over a hundred yards away. He landed in the clearing near the reactor where Godzilla was expected to appear.
Robotman recovered and aided Elasti-Girl and Halo in holding him off while Mister Terrific worked. Namorita recovered and joined them. Soon, Larry added Negative-Man to the fray. Ronan was an even stronger and more skillful fighter than other formidable Kree warriors, and his techno-gavel was a powerful weapon. He managed to hold his own against the five heroes, but he wasn't confident about the odds. He hadn't expected this type of resistance from such an undeveloped race.
Mr. Terrific was working at an almost careless pace, hoping to get the scrambler fixed in time. As he worked, he noticed the pod descending from the sky and landing in the vicinity of the battle. "Now what?" He wondered, fearing the worst.
The pod landed and began to open.
Next issue: Ronan! Super Skrull! Doc Savage! Godzilla! The Spectre! This one's got it all!