Post by redsycorax on Apr 24, 2022 3:09:07 GMT
On many alternate Earths, the early sixties were a time when new entrant metahumans emerged, for good or otherwise. Earth-109 was no exception to this general pattern- although many other Earths did not experience the tragic outbreak of nuclear war in late October 1962 when the Cuban missile crisis on this world went awry and ignited into a full-scale conflict between the Soviet Union, United States and many of their respective allies in Wastern and Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia. Millions died, including the valiant Justice Guild of America, most of the Young Justice Guild (their proteges), opponents within the erstwhile villainous Injustice Guild and the JGA's other allies in Western Europe and the United States alike.
There were new entrant metahumans on that Earth as well, however. One of them was "Johnny Panic"
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As his alarm clock went off, John Panieczki blinked awake, witnessing the arrival of twilight and the advent of his evening patrol period. He then showered, had his evening meal and changed into his crimefighting uniform. One particular aspect of that ensemble was his discovery of apocryphal papers from deceased classicist Dr Charles Halstead about golden isotopes possessing the ability to radiate specific emotional configurations if their wearer had potential psionic abilities that could be activated. On a university archaeological expedition to Greece, John Panieczki unearthed the golden plates and fashioned them into what had subsequently been nicknamed the "Medusa Mask."
The newspapers called his heroic persona "Johnny Panic" for his ability to inspire fear and dread in the criminal element of his native Boston and looked forward to his subsequent heroic career. As he mounted and kickstarted his motorbike. Within his head, his oneiropsionic abilities activated and focused on the night's neccessities. Johnny Panic had the ability to sort through, analyse and identify realist dreams despite their free association within the human unconscious. It came in particularly useful when it came to various levels of either recent past or envisaged near future criminal activity. Once his oneiropsionic sense identified criminal residue or near future intentions, the dreamer was located, identified, combat was undertaken and the vanquished offender was delivered to the police.
And therein lies the tragedy inherent in this story. Johnny Panic would have been an asset to the Justice Guild of America, particularly given the recent killing of Cassandra Astriides by Black Siren's criminal ex-husband Lance Lawrence and the incompatibility of Grey Ghost's more stringent and 'old school' crime-fighting techniques. Indeed, a preliminary report on the young hero's activity was in the JGA's 'in tray' on the desk within its Seaboard City brownstone. However, they never had a chance to meet one another.
For this would be no ordinary night. It was October 28, 1962 and hours earlier, a Soviet submarine had attacked a US naval vessel and even as Johnny Panic powered toward South Boston and his planned night's crimefighting and apprehension of three newly identified criminals in the area, an intercontinental ballistic missile had evaded countermeasures and was hurtlng toward the eastern coastal city. Thus it was that suddenly, high overhead, a prodigious and blinding eruption of heat and light erupted over the Massachusetts city. A hellwind blew Johnny Panic and his motorcycle into the brick, mortar, steel and concrete of a collapsing skyscraper and he was crushed to death within a minute. Had his thwarted targets known about the aborted night's activities, they would not have had time to celebrate as destructive energies pulsed out from ground zero and hit South Boston's tenements. Those who were not vaporised, blinded or buried beneath collapsing buildings would only survive a matter or minutes and hours, screaming for help that never came.
And thus, Johnny Panic's crimefighting career abruptly ended, only a month or so after it had started, before it had really had a chance to begin. Within another second, a roiling engorged mushroom cloud arose high above the burning, shattered debris that had once been the City of Boston. And with them was snuffed out the brief but inspiring heroic career of a brilliant, heroic young crimefighter.
THE END
There were new entrant metahumans on that Earth as well, however. One of them was "Johnny Panic"
++
As his alarm clock went off, John Panieczki blinked awake, witnessing the arrival of twilight and the advent of his evening patrol period. He then showered, had his evening meal and changed into his crimefighting uniform. One particular aspect of that ensemble was his discovery of apocryphal papers from deceased classicist Dr Charles Halstead about golden isotopes possessing the ability to radiate specific emotional configurations if their wearer had potential psionic abilities that could be activated. On a university archaeological expedition to Greece, John Panieczki unearthed the golden plates and fashioned them into what had subsequently been nicknamed the "Medusa Mask."
The newspapers called his heroic persona "Johnny Panic" for his ability to inspire fear and dread in the criminal element of his native Boston and looked forward to his subsequent heroic career. As he mounted and kickstarted his motorbike. Within his head, his oneiropsionic abilities activated and focused on the night's neccessities. Johnny Panic had the ability to sort through, analyse and identify realist dreams despite their free association within the human unconscious. It came in particularly useful when it came to various levels of either recent past or envisaged near future criminal activity. Once his oneiropsionic sense identified criminal residue or near future intentions, the dreamer was located, identified, combat was undertaken and the vanquished offender was delivered to the police.
And therein lies the tragedy inherent in this story. Johnny Panic would have been an asset to the Justice Guild of America, particularly given the recent killing of Cassandra Astriides by Black Siren's criminal ex-husband Lance Lawrence and the incompatibility of Grey Ghost's more stringent and 'old school' crime-fighting techniques. Indeed, a preliminary report on the young hero's activity was in the JGA's 'in tray' on the desk within its Seaboard City brownstone. However, they never had a chance to meet one another.
For this would be no ordinary night. It was October 28, 1962 and hours earlier, a Soviet submarine had attacked a US naval vessel and even as Johnny Panic powered toward South Boston and his planned night's crimefighting and apprehension of three newly identified criminals in the area, an intercontinental ballistic missile had evaded countermeasures and was hurtlng toward the eastern coastal city. Thus it was that suddenly, high overhead, a prodigious and blinding eruption of heat and light erupted over the Massachusetts city. A hellwind blew Johnny Panic and his motorcycle into the brick, mortar, steel and concrete of a collapsing skyscraper and he was crushed to death within a minute. Had his thwarted targets known about the aborted night's activities, they would not have had time to celebrate as destructive energies pulsed out from ground zero and hit South Boston's tenements. Those who were not vaporised, blinded or buried beneath collapsing buildings would only survive a matter or minutes and hours, screaming for help that never came.
And thus, Johnny Panic's crimefighting career abruptly ended, only a month or so after it had started, before it had really had a chance to begin. Within another second, a roiling engorged mushroom cloud arose high above the burning, shattered debris that had once been the City of Boston. And with them was snuffed out the brief but inspiring heroic career of a brilliant, heroic young crimefighter.
THE END
