The Spectre stood over the unmoving form of Doc Savage, looking down at him with a preternatural intensity. "This is no way for a great hero to end his days. You have a greater purpose."
The Spectre touched the comatose Doc Savage and the aged hero's body began to undergo a strange metamorphosis.
Back in Japan . . .
The pod opened, and out stepped a tall, broad, humanoid being with reptilian skin and pointed ears. The green alien looked around and spotted Ronan the Accuser. "Kree vermin!" he hissed.
The alien burst into flames, looking like the Human Torch. He flew toward the Kree Accuser. Everyone involved in the battle noticed him coming, and paused in their combat, wondering what to expect.
The new alien activated his universal translator. "I am the Super Skrull! I've come for you, Kree slime!"
Ronan sneered at the sight of a Skrull. He was surprised at the Skrull's flaming power. This was no ordinary Skrull. He was big and he was powerful. "Keep your distance, Skrull worm! I am the Royal Accuser of the Star-spanning . . . "
"I know who you are, cursed Kree!" Super-Skrull shouted. "You are the reason I have come to this backward rock in space. I am your executioner!"
The Skrull hit the Accuser with a burst of flame. Ronan cried out in pain. The Super-Skrull stretched out his arm, transforming his fist to stone. He hit Ronan with incredible power, knocking the Accuser thirty feet across the clearing.
"Who is this guy?" Larry asked.
"And what's a Skrull?" Robotman asked.
"I don't have any answers," Elasti-Girl. "But he seems to be on our side. So let's give him a hand!"
The Doom Patrol members rushed to assist the Super Skrull. Elasti-Girl, growing to maximum size, kicked the injured Ronan.
"Stay back, primitives!" the Super-Skrull yelled. "I need no help from the likes of you!"
"Well excuse the hell outta us!" Robotman said.
The Super-Skrull continued his attack on the Kree. Ronan was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. He was outnumbered 7-to-1, and this Skrull was incredibly powerful. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't win this one. Not alone, anyway. Soon, he'd return with reinforcements, but for the moment, the best strategy was to withdraw and plan anew.
"The game is not over, Skrull cretin!" Ronan yelled. "This is just a strategic pause. You'll regret your impertinence, Skrull, I so vow! And the Accuser never makes a promise in vain!"
With a signal from his gavel, the transporter beam de-materialized Ronan, and he was teleported off the planet.
Nearby, Mr. Terrific's scanners were starting to work again, and they detected the transport beam. But there was another mysterious energy beam reaching Earth, one that Terrific couldn't account for. It was being received close by. What was it?
Across the clearing, the other members of the Doom Patrol were looking suspiciously at the Super-Skrull.
"Well, thanks for your help, Mr. Skrull," Elasti-Girl said.
"Still your tongue, primitive!" the Super-Skrull snapped. "How dare you speak to your betters!"
"Our betters?" Larry repeated, incensed. "Get over your self, big-ears!"
"We don't like aliens with attitude 'round here, greeny!" Robotman said.
"I am royalty!" Namorita announced. "I will not be spoken to that way!"
"You need a lesson in manners, primitives!" the Super-Skrull hissed.
He attacked.
Back in the hospital room . . .
Doc Savage opened his eyes for the first time in a long time. He sat up. He wasn't sure where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in his lab, after having spoken to FBI Special Agent Wanda Mason. And then, something happened. He couldn't remember what.
Whatever had occurred, he was feeling none the worse for wear. In fact, he hadn't felt this good in years. Before he could further analyze his condition, he noticed the ghostly-white woman in the cloak. His rapid mind sized her up instantly.
"You'd be the new Spectre," he said.
"I am," she said. "At least, for the moment. But the power of justice was meant for a soul far purer than my own. I have used my power . . . unwisely. I have not served my lofty position well. I have disappointed the Great Presence. I am to be replaced."
Doc Savage was a step ahead of her. "By me?"
"You are the greatest of heroes, Clark Savage," she said. "You were an easy choice to make. Only Captain America and Superman have such pure souls, but they still have their own paths to follow. Your path has come to an end. Your time on Earth has concluded. But your destiny is just beginning. You are to become the Spectre."
"And you?" Savage asked.
"I will live the life of a normal mortal, as I should have done from the beginning. I was never meant for this power. I got it be default, as did my predecessor. Neither of us deserved it. It takes a special spirit to possess the power of the Spectre. You are such a man. You must become the Spectre!"
"Aren't I a bit old for such a responsibility?" Savage asked.
"No longer," the Specter said. "Behold!"
A tray with a shiny, reflective surface floated across the room. Savage looked at his face. Now, he knew why he felt so good. Somehow, he was young again!
Savage smiled. He looked as he did when he was in his prime. "Young and beautiful again," he said.
"Fit for duty," the Spectre added.
"This is a big decision," Savage said. "I image that being the Spectre is quite a responsibility."
"It is indeed," she said. "But it is your destiny. And it is a chance for you to continue helping people forever. And aside from that, it beats the alternative."
"True," Savage said. "It's a tempting offer."
"Well, Clark Savage, what is your answer?"
Back in Japan . . .
The Super-Skrull struck the ground with Martian-strength, causing a tremor that threw the Doom Patrol off balance. The Skrull followed this up with a volley of fireballs. The flames and smoke separated the heroes, and disoriented them.
Namorita was the most affected by the heat. She retreated to safer ground. Larry needed a little more time before he could release Negative-Man. Robotman was the first to recover and charged the Skrull. He briefly locked up with the alien, but the Super-Skrull's strength was too much for him. He was floored by powerful blow from stone hands. His metal body was dented and cracked.
Elasti-Girl grew to giant size. The Skrull expanded himself into a living straitjacket, restraining the Elasti-Girl's arms. The Skrull contracted, squeezing the life out of the giant woman.
"Let her go!" Halo shouted, flying towards the Skrull, firing a laser blast. The Skrull turned intangible and the laser passed through him, hitting Elasti-Girl, who screamed in agony. The Skrull resumed his usual form. Bursting into flames again, the Skrull launched himself at Halo. She had a moment of panic and fled. The Skrull chased her. Halo finally remembered that she could turn to light. Assuming her light-form, she thought she was safe. But the Skrull used his heat power to turn the air around her into black carbon, trapping her. The carbon prison fell, but was caught by the Skrull. He threw it, and Halo, out into Tokyo Bay.
Larry had recovered and released the Negative-Man. The dark figure flew to duel with the Skrull. The Negative-Man fired a microwave blast at the Skrull, but the intangible Skrull was unharmed. Then, the Skrull turned invisible. Negative-Man looked around, baffled. The Skrull materialized behind him, and struck the dark figure. Although the Negative-Man was in his unsolid form, the equally ethereal alien was able to make physical contact. The Negative-Man screamed. If this dark silhouette had been human, the blow might have been fatal. As it was, the Negative-Man was hurt, and returned to Larry's body. Dazed, Larry passed out.
Elasti-Girl had recuperated from the squeezing, and rushed into battle. The Skrull smiled at the challenge. Using his combined Skrull/Martian shape-shifting ability, he turned his head into a Ram, with big battering horns. Expanding himself upward like a jack-in-the-box, he head-butted Elasti-Girl with his horns and Martian strength. The blow knocked her to the ground, stunned senseless.
Robotman dragged himself from the ground. His mechanical body was damaged. He staggered toward the Skrull. The Skrull laughed. With a casual swat, the Skrull knocked the cyborg hero away.
Namorita had watched. She was tired of being a spectator. Despite his flaming powers, the Skrull had to be stopped. Holding her trident menacingly, she charged the alien. The Skrull laughed again, and tossed some fireballs at her. She leaped and dodged, evading the attacks. The Skrull reached out with his expandable arms and tried to grab her, but again, she was too quick.
"I'm impressed, girl," the Skrull said. "Well done."
"Not as impressed as you soon will be," she said.
She leaped at the alien, trying to impale him with the Trident. But the Skrull again became intangible, and she passed right through him.
"Coward!" she yelled. "Face me like a man!"
"Very well, girl," the Skrull said, solidifying. "I stand ready to do battle. Come ahead, wench!"
Namorita focused her concentration and unleashed her eel-like power to create electrical charges. The electricity hit the Skrull and he screamed in pain. While he was stunned, Namorita threw her Trident. It wounded the Skrull. She closed in and grappled with him. He was still stronger than she, but had no desire to risk further injury against this woman. Using his hypnotic powers, he locked eyes with Namorita.
"I . . . I can't move!" She gasped, entranced by the Skrulls mesmerism.
The Skrull removed the Trident from his body. The power of the energy ray, that super-charged him, caused the wound to heal instantly. He held up the trident, prepared to stab the immobilized Atlantean Princess with it. "Goodbye, my sweet," he said.
Suddenly, the Skrull felt a wave of agony in his body. His morphing power went out of control and his form started to distort uncontrollably. Similarly, his flame power ignited and faded intermittently. Parts of him turned to stone and then back to flesh. He turned invisible and then reappeared. His power was completely out of control!
"Someone help me!" the Skrull cried.
"I can help you," a male voice said.
Mr. Terrific arrived on the scene. He looked at the Skrull with a confidence which told anyone watching that he knew more than he was saying.
"What have you done to me?" the Skrull asked, panicking.
Terrific was confident and in control. "While scanning the heavens for the Zeta-Beam, I detected an unusual manifestation, an ultra-sonic energy beam, from the fifth quadrant. I have deduced that your home planet in that quadrant is beaming power to you. Unable to cut the beam off, I added to it. I've linked you into the power of the city of Tokyo, thereby doubling your power. As I suspected, you can't control it. Soon, your own power will eat away at you, consuming you. You'll burn out, fade away in a blaze of energy."
"Please, stop, I beg you!" the Skrull pleaded.
"If I do, will you give your word as a warrior, that you will leave our planet and not return?" Mister Terrific asked.
The Skrull hated to admit defeat, but he would do anything to end this agony. Besides, it wasn't his mission to battle these primitive fools. That was only a bit of fun. He was charged with stopping the Accuser and assessing the situation on Earth. That he had done successfully. There was no need to waste all of the Empires efforts to improve him. An untimely, useless death would not be honorable. There was no reason to disgrace the empire with the death of their greatest warrior at the hands of primitives. Dying would not serve the king.
"Very well," the Skrull said. "You have my vow."
Terrific gave a command to one of his T-spheres, which transmitted a message to the device that was increasing the Skrull's power. The energy increase stopped. The Skrull jerked spasmodically, and collapsed to the ground, badly hurt.
"Remember your promise, Skrull!" Mr. Terrific said. "Or do I re-activate my device?"
"I . . . I shall keep my word," the Skrull said, weakly. "But I shall not forget . . . Or forgive!"
The Skrull got unsteadily to his feet and stumbled slowly to his pod ship. He climbed inside and lifted off.
Mister Terrific shook Namorita from her trance. "Are you all right?"
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm all right, Michael," she said.
Elasti-Girl arrived. "I caught the end of your act," she said. "Nice work, honey-bun."
"No time to celebrate," Terrific said. "I have to get back to the machines. They're not ready yet."
Just then, a giant haze appeared in the clearing, along with a sound like a bee buzzing. The ground shook.
"Dear Heaven! No!" Terrific cried.
The haze materialized into a creature. It was a 330-foot reptile, with a nuclear reactor for a heart. It roared a fierce roar, which echoed across the city.
Godzilla had returned!
In New York . . .
The woman named Natasha Romanoff walked along the streets of the city. For the first time in a long time, she was one of them. She smiled a being mortal again. She wasn't cut out for life as the embodiment of justice.
The new Spectre would certainly do a much better job.
Godzilla roared. People ran screaming, terrified at the realization of their worst fears. The unstoppable monster was back, and it would take a miracle to stop it a second time.
"What do we do?" Elasti-Girl asked.
Mister Terrific was scared, and uncharacteristically uncertain of what steps to take next. "I don't know, Rita. Let me think. There must be a way . . . "
Suddenly, that miracle happened.
Another giant appeared. A giant man, even taller than Godzilla. He was a being with ghostly white skin, a green cloak, hood, trunks, gloves and boots. Visible in his chest, as if it were transparent, was the flame of justice.
"Who the heck . . . " Robotman asked.
"I think it's the Spectre," Terrific said.
The gigantic Spectre grabbed Godzilla in headlock. The massive reptile struggled savagely. It spit out a blast of radioactive flame, but the fiery attack flew harmlessly out to sea. The creature couldn't seem to break free of the grip, which the mystic had it in.
And then they both vanished.
Everyone stood, befuddled. What had just happened?
Halo returned, having freed herself from the carbon rock she had been trapped in. "What's happened?" She asked. "Where's the Super-Skrull?"
"You missed a lot," Negative-Man said.
Just then, the Spectre reappeared. He was back at his normal height of 6-foot 7. "Fear not, my friends. The creature will threaten this world no longer. I have deposited it in a nether realm. It will not return!"
Mr. Terrific studied the face of the new Spectre. His jaw dropped. "Its you!"
"It's who?" Robotman asked.
"Clark!"
"The Doc?" Elasti-Girl said, amazed.
"Yes, it is I," the ghostly white figure said. "The man who was formerly known as Doc Savage, man of Bronze. But now, you can call me the Spectre."
"I can't wait to hear the explanation for this one," Robotman said.
Next: One chapter ends and another begins. The greatest hero of all time says farewell. And the stage is set for a new direction for the Doom Patrol, with the double-sized prelude to the Doom Patrol’s next great adventure, the Negative Zone epic. All this, plus the menace of the Molecule Man.