Issue #1 | Issue #2 | Issue #3 | Issue #4 | Issue #5 | Issue #6 | Issue #7 | Issue #8 | Issue #9 | Issue #10 | Issue #11 | Issue #12 | Issue #13 | Issue #14 |

#3

"Mindscape - The World's Greatest Heroes?"

Part 3

By Josh Krenz and Mike Hintze

 

His mind will keep rebooting unless we maintain constant control. The human parts can be dealt with, but we must keep the hard-drive in check.

"Maybe this isn't the right thing to be doing?"

Would you rather he returned to his old ways? You have seen the monster he can be. He is a danger to himself, to us, and to the entire world unless we do this. Remember Dr. Light? These are not people that can be trusted to always do the right thing.

"No, they don't always do the right thing-they never do the right thing."

Do you remember when Ra's broke into Batman's computer files and conquered the League? And still Batman continued his quest for knowledge and weakness, knowing the consequences of his actions. OMAC was simply an extension of Batman's previous failure. Unless we act, people will continue to do the wrong thing.

"Yes, Batman made the wrong choice, and he did it on his own. Imagine if we had been there to stop him? Imagine how the world would be different."

This is not only for his own good-it is for the safety of the world. We are doing the right thing.

"Of course we are."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere in space the Justice League Satellite orbits the planet. It looks down like a cautious observer, the world's greatest protector. It was once used for evil and greed, but strong hearts and good minds have turned it into a machine for helping the future. While it is invisible to the naked human eye gazing up towards the heavens, its presence can be felt. Everyone knows they are there, and what they stand for.

Everyone knows that the world needs a Justice League.

The inside of this monstrous machine holds some of the most powerful men and women in the world. The satellite's main purpose is observation and deployment, but research and training is also contained within the heat-treated walls. Nowadays most of the rooms are ignored, with most of the Justice League spending time huddled around Ray Palmer as he communicates with various contacts from the planet below.

Batman and Superman are more docile than normal, spending a majority of their time haunting corners or leering at each other. From time to time Superman gives the Dark Knight a poisonous glare, but nothing comes from it. Batman is far too busy watching the Atom to notice the Man of Steel. Black Canary and Ralph Dibny spend their time leaning over Ray's shoulder, trying to get a closer look at the gigantic screen. Canary seems more interested in simply being noticed than actually contributing, not that anyone would really listen to her banter.

From time to time a pouty scoff comes from a lone table. The Flash-the fastest man alive-spends his time giving condescending looks to his teammates. Since an incident in space a few days ago he has been remarkably silent, although some consider his raving insults from within the ship to be out of the ordinary. His mocking sneers seem preferable, in any case.

Green Lantern simply didn't speak. He would nod when approached, but his silence had become part of his personality.

The only remaining member was Firestorm, who was still unaccounted for. After the run in with Starro, Evil Star, and Monarch the group had been left in shambles. Firestorm had yet to be recovered. Ray had spent the past few days working with Batman and Superman while Ralph and Canary scanned the systems for the missing member, but the Nuclear Man was still absent.

"The man has a flaming fro-how can he hide in a crowd?" The Elongated Man asked as he stretched over Ray Palmer's head.

After losing his wife, Ralph Dibny had never fully recovered. One moment he would be completely normal, the next a babbling child. His instability seemed to make him more a mascot than an actual team member, however his friendship and presence was critical to Ray.

"He must still be under a Starro's control," grumbled Ray. "I don't know when he'll come back on our systems. I knew we should have implemented better tracking devices in these new suits."

A small alert message appeared on the screen, but Ray simply closed the window ignoring the message.

"Don't you think that could have been important?" Canary asked.

Ray simply shrugged. Pods filled with Starros had been dropping across the globe and triggering alarms all day. The superhero community throughout the planet had been alerted to the invasion, many had organized Starro assault parties of their own.

"We have more important things to deal with."

The window appeared again on the screen. Once again Ray closed it before giving it a glance.

"Wait!" yelled Canary, "that said ' Gotham '-something's happening in Gotham !"

For a third time the alert message jumped on the screen, a smile crept across Ray's face.

".Joker."

Everyone in the room glanced over to the large screen as Ray expanded the window. The Joker, the world's most nefarious madman appeared on the screen. A criminal report started to scroll along side the police image of the grinning white-faced lunatic. The report, had anyone bothered to read it, would only include events within the past three-years, since it seemed fruitless to recount anything older. Ray closed the information window and looked at the report streaming onto the screen.

For the first time in days Batman was finally drawn into the present, his attention drawn towards the hideous smile on the screen.

"Why didn't we kill him years ago?" Batman asked.

Superman shot him a look, his inner rage starting to boil through his skin.

"We don't operate that way, remember?" Atom calmly responded.

Still, Batman wasn't the only one interested in the picture projected on the screen. Black Canary stared intently at the Clown Prince, as though the rest of the world had suddenly disappeared around her. Her lips parted and she started to mumble.

"Mister." she said through her gaping mouth.

Ray quickly closed the window.

"Come on," he said. "Joker's taken a train of civilians hostage outside of Gotham . We need to get on this one before anyone gets hurt."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now remember" the Atom said through his headset, "Canary and Batman are going into the car. We have been able to identify the Joker's precise location and we need to take him down quickly before anyone gets hurt. I will operate communications from the satellite. Superman and Green Lantern will run back up. Remember, there are civilians present.so please behave."

A few moments later Batman was dangling Joker from the train's window, some sixty-feet above torrent black waters below. The Joker laughed and hollered hysterically, enjoying every moment of it-as though he caught on to something else entirely.

"Batman! What are you doing! This is not how we operate!"

No response.

"Batman! Are you listening to me! Canary! Stop him! We cannot let this happen-"

In a blink of an eye the world can change. With no hesitation Batman let go, letting the Joker fall through his fingertips like sand.

"Superman! Go!"

A blue streak broke through the night's sky, colliding with the heckling figure that screamed a gleeful cry as it fell.

"Superman, take Joker to Arkham-Lantern, Batman, and Canary-report back."

(*For a more detailed account of what just happened, check out DCI Showcase Presents #2 !)

Deep in orbit the Justice League Satellite orbits the earth. Inside this great piece of machinery Ray Palmer sits alone, watching the world pass by on a large monitor. He leans back in his chair and lets out a depressed sigh. His hands massage his stress-racked face. With one hand he removes his headset and lets it fall to the floor, letting his limp form stagnate in his chair.

"That was close," Atom said to himself. "He is becoming harder and harder to control. He barely listens to me anymore. How can he still be so strong?"

You must take something from him. Something dear and important. When he sees the power we have.then he will beg us for forgiveness. He will once again be your pawn.

"No. No, that's not right."

Right? If it were not for us he would be doing the wrong thing. He would be nothing more than a criminal. Now he does the right thing, he works for the greater good. Sacrifices always have to be made for the greater good. Remember, the future relies on what we do now.

"Yes, the future. The future will be better because of us."

The weight of time presses down on all of us-it is a force greater than gravity. Time is our greatest obstacle, we cannot let him get in the way.

"But.he'll be our pawn.he can't get in the way."

The pawn isn't the only threat on a chess board.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THEN

His mind was not his own.

After the Starro attack with the Justice League, Jason Rusch had himself been affixed with a Starro alien to his face. His powers had gone haywire, his control gone. The Nuclear Man was coming under the thrall of an alien conqueror. If he didn't do something soon, all hell was going to break loose.

On the mindscape where Jason was able to communicate with the others within the Firestorm gestalt, he could see the Starro threat spreading as a corruption. He had become Firestorm of late with the aid of someone other than Professor Martin Stein. His new partner was now in danger of becoming destroyed by the Starro infestation.

Dr. Bruce Gordon had been exposed to his fair share of evil and superhumanity in his lifetime. As the most prominent of recent hosts for the former Spirit of Vengeance known as Eclipso, Gordon was not new to the prospect of an alien influence taking him over. He may not have been able to resist the trappings of the evil Eclipso, but Starro was a far cry from an actual aspect of God himself.

On the minscape, Gordon summoned psychic armor to be formed around himself as the Starro corruption made its way to him. Jason was curled up in a ball, surrounded by the alien presence. The Starro presence lashed out at Gordon.

"YOUUUUU...CAAAAANOT...RESIST...THE POWEEERRRRRR..OF STARRRRRO..."

"Like hell I can't, " replied Gordon. He formed a lance out of the psychic ether and pierced the mental presence of the alien. It recoiled but then redoubled its actions a moment later. Gordon attacked again and again, trying to fend off the mental invasion. He knew that despite what he had learned about mental defense from his time as Eclipso, that the alien mind was far more powerful than what this simple starfish attached to Firestorm would show. The small starfish was a connection to a far more powerful entity. Starro-Prime was the real threat..and he was not something Gordon could resist alone.

He did, however, have something resembling a plan.

He focused his mental strength so that he became the main consciousness in control of Firestorm. Jason was down and out, making the changeover of control far easier. Now in control of Firestorm for a few brief seconds before the Starro also mainlined his own mind, Gordon/Firestorm willed himself to rocket down to the Earth below.

As he flew into the atmosphere, the re-entry began to burn away the starfish. Gordon felt his mind being consumed by the massive mental presence of Starro-Prime. One eye was free enough to see the ocean approaching fast. A second later, Firestorm landed in the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean .

As Firestorm began to rise to the surface, the starfish still barely alive but holding on, Gordon willed the Firestorm Matrix to separate. The resulting explosion vaporized the starfish as it reconstituted Firestorm into two separate people: Jason Rusch and Bruce Gordon.

Gordon got his bearings quickly and looked around for Jason. Seeing his bobbing form several yards away, Gordon swam over to Jason and held him from drowning. They floated there for several minutes, but Jason did not regain consciousness. Gordon tried to initiate the Firestorm Matrix himself, but found he could not. Jason was the key, and if Jason didn't wake up soon, their chances for survival were limited.

An hour later, near the limit of his exhaustion treading water and holding up Jason, Gordon saw salvation. It was Superman.

"Superman! We're here!" yelled Gordon.

Superman hovered over the two, his expression stoic. He said nothing.

"Well? Come on, you hunk of junk! Get us out of here!"

Superman reached down and picked up Jason. He then reached out with his other arm and picked up Gordon by the throat. "I don't like you, little man," said Superman. "Time for you to go."

"What?!" said Gordon through the steel grip. "But you're a rob-" He never got another word out. Superman flung him into the ocean.

Gordon coughed and sputtered as he regained the surface. He looked up at Superman in bewilderment.

"Goodbye, Dr. Gordon. You're as pompous as you were in college." Superman sped into the sky with Jason in tow.

Bruce Gordon was left in the ocean to die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neural Systems Check: Online.

Reactivate Protocol: Amazo

Protocol Activation: Denied

Re-route Amazo Activation Protocol to Subsidiary Neural Net

Re-Route Unsuccessful

Primary Protocol re-written

Activate Primary Palmer Protocol: Green Lantern

Protocol: Green Lantern: Active.

Connection to Oan Power Battery : Active

Running .....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Justice League's Green Lantern stood immobile as it maintained its standby mode. In a former capacity, it had once been called Amazo, an android capable of mimicking each of the powers of the various members of the Justice League of America . This particular version had been defeated over a year ago by Batman and Nightwing and again used by the Society in its siege of Metropolis. Battered and nearly destroyed, it had been found by Ray Palmer and Ralph Dibny and remade to serve as a Green Lantern, albeit not one sanctioned by the Guardians of the Universe.

Ray Palmer had been very thorough in re-programming Professor Ivo's creation into a force for good with this new Justice League. What he was not aware of, though, was that it was impossible to totally reprogram an Amazo android. Its internal systems were still fighting to return to its normal operating system mode. It hadn't yet succeeded, and so still responded to Palmer's commands..but that time was coming to a close. Soon, the reprogramming would be overridden..and then God help anyone in its way..

The android continued to stay on standby.

Batman was in conflict.

He remembered his parents being murdered.

He remembered killing people.

He remembered making history with one such murder.

But he also remembered a drive to fight for justice and right..to fight crime in all its forms.

He wasn't supposed to kill..was he?

Then why did he remember killing people? Why did he remember a time before he was the Batman? When he was..someone else?

He found it hard to think..to concentrate..when he had a criminal in his hands, it was easy to punish them..but now, he didn't just want to punish criminals alone..now he wanted to kill anyone who got in his way.

He could feel his mind fighting him, his subconscious responding to orders from Palmer..orders he had no choice to respond to..

There was a name at the outer edge of his memory..he was close to recalling it..so very close..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next Issue : The title says it all: "It All Falls Apart"..the secrets of the new Justice League fully revealed at last!