Post by DocQuantum on Jul 23, 2017 6:01:53 GMT
by JSAGL
Prologue
by JSAGL
Five minutes after midnight, the Gotham City Museum:
He walked silently through the dark corridors of the museum. On display were the works of Monet and Picasso. He ignored them and walked on. A flashlight shone up ahead. Quickly, he ducked behind a statue. His informant had said there were only two guards on duty overnight. They were now lying bloody and dead at the information desk. No matter. He could handle a third overweight guard.
A few moments later, only slightly winded, he wiped a drop of blood from his hands and moved on to the second floor and a very special part of the museum. Even with only the moonlight streaming in from the giant bay window, he could still see the majesty of this wing, the great care and reverence with which it was put together. Of course, how could it be otherwise? It was the wing that commemorated Gotham's greatest hero: Batman. Gotham City had many heroes over the years: Green Lantern, the Black Canary, Batwoman and Bat-Girl, Robin, and the Huntress. But none of them meant so much to the city of Gotham as Batman.
He strode past a dinosaur, giant coin, and a display of the Penguin's trick umbrellas. Carefully, he removed one from the display and brandished it for a moment. How quaint, he thought as he put it back. He walked past Two-Face and the Joker, and then he saw his prize: a wax statue of Batman, wearing one of Batman's actual costumes. He considered it for a moment, and finally a smile crossed his lips. He reached up and touched it: a simple golden utility belt with cylindrical tubes around it. They could contain anything from a bat-rope to a miniature torch to bat-shark repellent. With a swift tug, he pulled it off the statue.
"How I wish that you were still alive, mein freund, so that I might have the pleasure of killing you myself. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that with your utility belt, I will at last have my revenge on your friends in the JSA."
***
Keystone City:
Moving faster than he ever had before, Jay Garrick raced out of Keystone City. If only he could put enough distance between him and his opponent, he could alert the rest of the JSA. Moments before, the Flash had been attending a special benefit for the Keystone City Police Department. Without warning his foe attacked, damaging Jay's signal device in the process. Jay tried to take the man down, but somehow he was able to match every one of Jay's moves. He even moved with Flash-like speed.
At first, Jay thought this man might be the Rival, Jay's old college professor Edward Clariss, who had duplicated the Flash's powers to disastrous results, or even Barry Allen's old foe Professor Zoom. Jay finally got a good look at his foe, and the shock on the Flash's face made his opponent laugh in delight. The Flash realized in that instant that the only thing he could was run. So he did.
Coming back to the present moment, Jay looked over his shoulder to see his foe still running behind him. He then became aware of a pain in his abdomen. The Flash looked down his torso and saw a bright red spot on the front of his shirt. He had been injured during the original assault, but he put it out of his mind. There was no time to dwell on it.
Just then, the Flash felt a hand on his shoulder and suddenly went tumbling out of control. By the time he stopped, Jay had smacked into the side of a building. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground and tried to stand, but his leg was broken, so he fell again, his back to the wall. Jay saw his foe come to a stop in front of him, and suddenly everything turned red. Jay put his hand to his forehead. Wonderful, he thought. I've got a head wound now, too. The last thing the Flash saw was his opponent's fist coming toward his face.
"Joan..."
***
Metropolis:
Power Girl stood atop the Daily Star building and scanned the city with her telescopic vision. Ever since Kal-L retired and moved to Smallville, she felt a greater responsibility to safeguard the streets of Metropolis. Of course, that was her own feeling. It wasn't like Kal had asked her personally to watch his city. They'd barely even spoken since his return from the dead at the end of the Crisis. It made her so mad sometimes that she could feel the blood boil in her ears. And then there was Dick. He wanted her to move to Gotham, but she didn't know if she was ready to do that.
"Hello, liebchen."
"Who the hell?"
The next thing Power Girl knew, something hit her, and she went sailing through the air, only managing to stop her flight after a mile or two. Whoever just did that is going to regret it, she thought as she used her telescopic-vision to find her assailant. Sure enough, there he was standing where she had been seconds before, and he had a non-verbal message for her. Kara Zor-L was not amused. At top speed, she aimed straight for opponent. He stood there laughing as she connected with him, the resulting sonic boom shattering glass for miles. When the smoke cleared, he was still standing there, laughing at her.
"Is that the best you can do, stripling? I expected more from the cousin of the great Übermensch, but then I suppose no female could ever be the equal of Superman."
"What? I'll show you equal, pal."
Kara swung her fist at the grinning man, but in the blink of an eye he was behind her and had Power Girl's arm twisted behind her back. With the same Flash-like speed, he popped open a cylinder on his belt (which looked suspiciously like Batman's utility belt) and removed a small lead case. He flipped the case open to reveal a glowing green stone.
"Kryptonite!"
"Yes, child, and now our little game is over." Without warning, the villain flew Power Girl and himself at mach one into the mountains outside Metropolis. The Girl of Steel kicked her opponent away from her, catching him by surprise. She picked up a giant boulder and heaved it at him, but he effortlessly dodged it.
"I don't know who you are, but you've just made the biggest mistake of your life!"
Before she even finished those words, the villain was upon her, pelting Power Girl with multiple blows. Weakened by the kryptonite that he was holding, Kara Zor-L fell unconscious. The man stood above her and smiled.
***
Fate's Tower, Salem, Massachusetts:
BOOO-OOO-OOO-OOM! BOOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOM!
Doctor Fate's tower began to rock as the sound reverberated through Fate's sanctum. Inza Nelson awoke and shook her husband. "Kent, what in the name of all that's holy is that noise?"
"That's a good question, my love. Let's find out."
Kent gestured, and an opaque orb floated from their dresser and hovered over their bed. It sparked to life and revealed a speeding figure repeatedly hitting the outside of the tower. Where there had been two, now there was one -- the sorcerer supreme, Doctor Fate.
Fate floated effortlessly through the outside wall and sought out the source of the repeated assault on the tower. Weaving a spell of containment, Doctor Fate brought an energy bubble into being, trapping the speeding figure inside. When it finally settled down, Fate could make out the figure of a man wearing a black cloak with a hood. There was a gleaming metal belt with cylindrical tubes on it. The object tugged at Kent Nelson's memories.
"Who are you, and what business do you have with Doctor Fate?"
The figure remained silent as Fate floated to the ground and approached the bubble.
"I ask you again: Who are you?"
The man slowly removed his hood, revealing a shock of white hair and a face that Doctor Fate could never forget.
"You!"
"That's right, mein freund -- me!" With that, the villain leapt effortlessly through the bubble and struck Fate with super-strength, sending him careening toward the tower. Fate was able to cast a spell to stop himself, but he could feel his broken ribs. The joined being of Doctor Fate thought to himself.
He should not have that kind of strength, thought Kent.
Kent, is that who I think it is? asked Inza.
Yes, but he should be dead.
A spell of healing quickly undid the damage, and what followed would have surely given pause even to the Spectre. Doctor Fate and the villain traded powerful blows and magical spells, managing to avoid direct contact with each other, when a wicked grin crossed the white-haired man's face.
"Nabu is no longer with you!"
"What? How do you...?"
"Vunderbar! That means that you are not as skilled as I thought you would be. Incredible! You have merged with your schwarze woman. Clearly, der Führer was right. You are an inferior race!" The villain spoke some words faster than Fate could make out and suddenly launched himself with Flash-like speed, fists ablaze. Doctor Fate raised a shield, but it threatened to shatter with every blow.
Kent, he's got strength like Superman. We can't keep this up much longer.
I know, my love. I am trying to remember something Nabu taught me long ago.
Kent! Something's wrong... our link is weakening.
Kent and Inza Nelson could feel something tearing them apart.
Those words -- he cast a spell of opposites -- it's splitting us apart!
The villain watched as the spell took hold, and Kent and Inza split in a blinding flash of light. They lay on the ground with Fate's helmet between them. Inza desperately reached out for the helmet, but before she could, their foe snatched it away.
"The helmet of Nabu -- and no Nabu in the way. Sehr gut!"
"Go ahead, put it on..."
He smiled at Kent. "I know what you are thinking, Herr Doktor. He puts on the helmet and he becomes trapped inside it, yes? Nein. I will merge with you, and we shall become the new Doktor Fate. Even the mighty Spectre will fall to a being as powerful as us."
"Not bloody likely. Only my magic or Inza's can activate the merge."
"How soon they forget. It will be your magic, dummkopf!"
Without warning, the helmet vanished from the villain's hand, along with the Amulet of Anubis and Fate's cloak. "While you were gloating, we sent the helmet far away," Inza said with a grin, "somewhere you will never find it. Now you can't merge with Kent or me."
"Bah!"
Before Kent or Inza could react, their foe flicked them each on the head. They dropped to the ground once more in a sea of unconsciousness.
"Even your limited magicks will serve me well."
A wave of his hand, and all three were gone from Salem.
Chapter 1
Morning at the JSA Brownstone:
At the monitor board, the Huntress was sleeping, her feet propped up on the ledge. She had been on patrol for over twenty-four hours before she came into JSA Headquarters, having had to deal with the new Mad Hatter along the way. The door creaked open slightly, and the Huntress jumped, her crossbow at the ready.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa... it's me, Dick!"
Helena shook her head as recognition came. It was indeed her older brother, Dick Grayson, alias Red Robin. "Sorry. Instinct, I suppose."
"No harm, no foul. I've fallen asleep here on occasion. Umm, I don't suppose Kara is here anywhere?" Dick asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"No, I haven't seen her for a couple of days, but you know that's not unusual for her," Huntress replied, reclaiming her seat.
"I know," Red Robin said. "The odd thing is, I called StarrWare ###STAR Labs?###, and she hasn't checked in there, either. When I tried her JSA signal device, she never answered. I'm getting worried."
Without another word, the Huntress' fingers flew over the keyboard. A map appeared on the view-screen with a glowing red dot. "There. She's in the mountains just outside Metropolis. I told you she was brooding. Hmm, that's odd. According to the computer, it's been receiving her signal from the same location for almost two days."
"Okay, now I'm worried."
Helena pressed another button on the console. "I've got a call into Jay. He should be here in a few seconds." The words no response flashed across the screen.
"Damn. Jay's signal device isn't working."
Robin looked at the board. "This might not be a coincidence. I'm going to call Joan."
"You do that. I'll see if Alan is available."
Minutes later, Green Lantern arrived at JSA Headquarters to a worried Red Robin and Huntress. "What's going on, gang?"
"Well, it might be nothing, but Flash's signal device is inoperative, and according to the computer, Power Girl's signal device has been in the Metropolis mountains almost forty-eight hours now," the Huntress replied.
"I just got off the phone with Joan Garrick," said Red Robin. "Neither she nor John has seen Jay in almost three days."
Green Lantern walked over to the monitor board and programmed it to run through the other signallers. "It doesn't pick up Doctor Fate or the Spectre, but that's not unusual. Who knows if Spec even has his signal device anymore? We'd better go out and check to see if Kara is OK."
Red Robin looked at them both. "Clark?"
"No," Huntress replied. "Not yet."
Green Lantern enclosed Batman's progeny in his green bubble, and they were on their way.
2
Enroute to Metropolis:
"Were you able to turn anything up about the museum robbery?" the Huntress asked Red Robin.
Staring out through Green Lantern's bubble, Red Robin replied, "Nothing conclusive yet. Whoever this guy was, he was very thorough. He disabled the entire security system before he entered the museum. All three guards were dead when the GCPD arrived. No witnesses, no evidence, and the fingerprints we found show no match anywhere. The commissioner is working on it, but it's not looking good."
"And nothing was stolen but Dad's utility belt?"
"They inventoried the entire museum; that was it. The only other thing that was touched was one of the Penguin's umbrellas."
"What about your informants? There's a lot of Dad's old foes at large right now."
"I shook a few trees, but nothing's fallen out yet."
As the trio of JSAers approached the mountains, Green Lantern hollered back to Red Robin and the Huntress, "We're closing in on her signal now."
On their approach, they could see where something had impacted on the mountainside. There were definitely signs of a struggle. Green Lantern set Robin and the Huntress down. Using his ring, the emerald gladiator began scanning until he found something.
"There!"
The Huntress ran over to where Green Lantern's ring beam was pointing, but what she found did not realize her anguish. "It's Kara's belt, guys. She's not here." Helena handed the belt to Dick and said, "We'll find her. Don't worry."
Green Lantern landed next to the pair. "I'm sorry, Helena, Dick, there's no sign of her. Whoever took Power Girl covered their tracks pretty carefully."
Dick turned to Alan, a cascade of emotions playing across his face. "Can't you use the ring to search for Kara? Surely it can track her down."
"Normally, I'd say yes, but there's some kind of magic at work here. I'm not getting any trace of Kara anywhere."
Helena put her arm around Dick. "We'll find her."
"I know," Dick replied, "but what worries me is, if her disappearance is related to Jay's, who has the power to take out both the Flash and Power Girl?"
A voice from above interrupted them, "I think we can answer that."
Looking skyward, the three JSAers shielded their eyes from the sun to see two familiar figures.
"Starman! And the Shade?"
3
JSA Headquarters:
At the meeting table, Green Lantern, the Huntress, and Red Robin were sitting across from the new Starman, David Knight, and an old JSA foe, the Shade. Normally, the Shade was arrogant and aloof, but the man they saw before them today was none of those things. He appeared haggard and worn, as though someone had torn his very spirit from his flesh, such as it was.
"All right, Shade, what's going on here? Are you responsible for what's happened to the Flash and Power Girl?" Green Lantern said, his voice more than a little forceful.
"Back off, G.L.," Starman said. "I know what you think of the Shade. You fought him many times as a member of the Injustice Society, but he asked me to bring him to you today. When I found him, he was near death."
The Shade chuckled. "Ah, my dear David, you exaggerate somewhat. Death and I are but strangers and always shall be, but he is correct in one aspect. I had been hurt in a manner that I have never been hurt before -- by my own power."
"Quit speaking in riddles, Shade. Out with it," Red Robin said with some impatience.
The Shade sipped his tea and regarded the heroes for a moment. "Only because you asked so eloquently, Boy Wonder. Five days past, I was in Opal City. Some young ruffians were accosting a sweet old lady when I stepped in to assist. She had been--"
"Wait. You were helping an old lady?" the Huntress asked, not entirely believing him.
"Yes, my dear. Though you have reason to question me, especially in light of my most recent activities, one thing I do not tolerate is anyone who would act in a manner that brings disrepute to the fair city of Opal."
Alan looked at David questioningly. "David, is this true?"
David Knight shrugged his shoulders. "As hard as it is to believe, yes, in Opal, the Shade is held in almost as high a regard as my father."
"Amazing!" Green Lantern exclaimed, shaking his head. "Go on..."
"The young hooligans were dispatched carefully to the waiting embrace of my dear friend, Matt O'Dare, an Opal police officer. I did not know it at the time, but as I used my shadow powers to return to my sanctum, he had taken that opportunity to follow me."
"He?" the Huntress asked.
"Yes. I believe he is the same person who abducted Jay Garrick and Power Girl."
***
Flashback:
As the Shade entered his abode, he immediately detected the other's presence. "I am impressed," the Shade said as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Few have had the audacity to enter my private sanctum univited. None have lived to tell the tale."
"True, I'm sure, but I will be the exception to the rule," he said as he moved toward the Shade.
For the first time in many decades, the Shade was truly surprised as he recognized the intruder. The visitor took advantage of that surprise by attacking the Shade with his very own power, wrapping the master of shadows in a dense blanket of ebon darkness. The Shade battled back, but somehow the stranger managed to get the upper hand, and the Shade collapsed to the ground, weary and broken. Such things did not happen.
"This... is... impossible!" the Shade sputtered as his own shadows held him tight.
"Normally I would say yes, but I had an added advantage."
From out of the shadows appeared the unconscious form of the Wizard. "You see, mein freund, while I was battling you, I discovered your houseguest. It was a simple matter to dispatch him, and his powers added to yours allowed me to defeat you."
Dropping the Wizard to the ground, the man cast a spell, and the Shade screamed.
***
"When I awoke," the Shade said to the JSAers, "both my assailant and the Wizard were gone. I had been left for dead. I sought out David Knight and asked him to bring me to you."
"So how does this help us?" the Huntress asked.
"Even though I was unconscious, my familiars were not. They told me what the adversary had done. The Wizard, dear chap, had vanished while I was being assaulted. I shall have to thank him for that, the coward. He also stolen two... mementos that I had accumulated over the years -- a shrinking ray that Vandal Savage had once used against your colleagues and a chunk of kryptonite that I had acquired from Alexei Luthor years prior."
"Why would you have those things? Were you plotting against the JSA?" Red Robin asked.
The Shade laughed. "My dear boy, my collection includes more than you could ever imagine. If destroying the JSA was my intent, you would be dead now. Never doubt that."
"Well, if he is the one who attacked Power Girl, that explains a lot," Green Lantern added. "Kryptonite would definitely take her out."
"Tell the the rest, Shade," said Starman.
"He is also the one who stole the Batman's utility belt from the Gotham Museum, and I am reasonably sure that he has captured Jay Garrick, Power Girl, and Doctor Fate."
"Who is he, Shade?" the Huntress inquired.
The Shade stared directly into Green Lantern's eyes. "It's Parsifal. His next target is the Spectre."
Green Lantern's face turned white. "Helena. Send the signal now. Priority One, and pray it's not too late."
***
The home of Jim Corrigan:
Jim looked out his kitchen window and smiled. His children were playing with some friends like all children do. He had taken that simple pleasure for granted, but thanks to his new arrangement with the Spectre, Jim vowed to never take anything for granted again.
He turned back to the stove and slowly stirred the pot of stew. His wife would be back from the doctor's office soon. He wanted to surprise her with dinner.
Jim felt a burst of magic enter the room. "What's up, moon-face?"
There was no answer.
Turning around, Jim saw something on the dining room table, something familiar. It was Doctor Fate's helmet, amulet, and cape. This was not a good sign.
"No, Jim Corrigan, it is not."
The Spectre appeared in the room and gathered up the artifacts. "I have already gathered your family. We must leave now."
"What's going on, Spectre?"
"Doctor Fate sent us these items as a warning. Parsifal has returned."
Jim swallowed hard. "Oh, God..."
Without another word, the Spectre and Jim Corrigan vanished not a moment too soon. Two seconds later, Parsifal appeared in Corrigan's home.
"Ach du lieber! He has vanished from the mortal plane. I commend you, herr Doktor, but no matter. Even without the power of the Spectre, the JSA will still fall before me."
***
JSA Headquarters:
Green Lantern, the Huntress, Red Robin, and Starman stood before the assembled membership of the JSA. They could scarcely believe what they were being told. Parsifal had returned.
"So what's the scoop? Did he get to the Spectre, or what?" Wildcat asked, pacing the floor.
"We don't know, but we're guessing that he hasn't, otherwise we'd probably know it by now," Green Lantern replied. "Considering how the Spectre has grown in power since World War II, it would be a nightmare if Parsifal subdued him."
"I agree," Hawkman said to the membership. "The question is, what do we do next? I'm open for suggestions here."
Superman stood. "So far, Parsifal has attacked one on one. There's got to be a reason for that. We may need to stick together if we're going to defeat him."
Wonder Woman shifted in her seat, touching her stomach as the baby inside kicked softly. "That almost got us killed the first time we encountered him. Our strategy after that was to stay away from him or let the non-powered members confront him. That's how Terry defeated him in our second encounter. I barely escaped with my life during the first."
"I know, Diana. The way you defeated Parsifal was pure genius," the Man of Steel said. "But what about Kara and Jay and the Nelsons?"
"Clark, we know you're worried about Kara, but think of who we're talking about, here," said Hourman. "If we're all together, he could destroy us!"
"Don't you think I know that, Rex? He's got my cousin, for Rao's sake! For all I know, she's dead!"
Hawkman banged the gavel on the table. "That's enough. Obviously, things are different this time. Parsifal stole things from the Shade and stole Batman's utility belt. He's never done that before."
"Not to mention that fact that he died at our last encounter after the war," the Atom added.
"All right, here's what we're going to do," said Hawkman. "Wildcat, you and Doctor Mid-Nite go check on the Spectre. Shiera, you and Robin check in on Wes and make sure he's OK. I've already contacted Sylvester, and he's making sure that the Infinitors are safe. Keep your comm-lines open. Huntress, I want you to take Diana's invisible plane and fly her back to Paradise Island, picking up Fury along the way."
"Hawkman, I am an Amazon warrior, and I--"
"And you are also with child, Diana," Hawkman said. "I won't risk you losing your baby. There's no dishonor in protecting your unborn child." He took Wonder Woman's hand. The Amazon princess nodded in agreement.
"Atom, G.L., Hourman, Johnny, David, Superman, you need to head off into space or somewhere else for awhile. We can't risk Parsifal coming into contact with you."
"What? I won't run from him, Carter!" Superman said angrily. "He's going to pay for what he's done to Kara."
Hawkman put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "I know how you feel, old friend, but this is in everyone's best interest."
"Fine. Then, effective immediately, I resign from the JSA," Superman said as he flew out the front doors, blowing them off their hinges.
"Damn it all!" cried Hawkman. "I'll go after him. The rest of you get moving. Shiera, make sure you call Ma Hunkle and get the Junior JSA kids to safety. Parsifal likely doesn't know about them, but I'd rather not take a chance."
Carter and Shiera Hall exchanged a kiss, and then he took to the sky. Wildcat and Doctor Mid-Nite hopped on Cat's cycle and headed to the Corrigan residence. Hawkgirl and Robin started for the hangar, while Green Lantern took off with the others. Wonder Woman looked skyward.
"There's the plane. I'll contact Steve to stay low and let him know where we're going."
***
Over the Atlantic Ocean:
The Huntress, Fury, and Wonder Woman were in the Amazon's invisible plane, heading for Paradise Island, ancient home of the Amazons.
"Diana, you mentioned that you almost died confronting Parsifal. How did that happen?"
"Yeah, Mom. You never told me that story."
Diana looked over her shoulder at her daughter. "Really? Hmmm. There were so many adventures, but I guess this one was not something I was particularly proud of. Still, I did what I felt I had to do. It started in 1942. I had a meeting with some of the female members of the All-Star Squadron and chastised them for being so subservient to the male All-Stars."
"Wait a minute. This is from the JSA's secretary? Lecturing the chairwoman of the All-Stars?" Helena asked with a grin on her face.
Diana laughed. "Yes, I was the JSA's secretary, but not in the way you are thinking. I was more of an archivist. Unfortunately, my role in a lot of those early adventures with the JSA was downplayed by the media due to their prejudices against women at the time. The idea of a woman as strong as Superman scared a lot of men. Eventually, though, those tales became more accurate, depicting me as the fighting member that I was. With Black Canary on board full-time, it was hard for the media to deny my involvement in the group.
"Then, after I gathered the women who were the girlfriends of the male JSAers to defeat the Brain Wave, it occurred to me: Why not bring my sisters in the All-Star Squadron to Paradise Island? Surely there was no harm in that. It was April, 1943." (*)
[(*) Editor's note: For the full story, see All-Star Squadron: Times Past, 1943: The Coming of Parsifal.]
Prologue
by JSAGL
Five minutes after midnight, the Gotham City Museum:
He walked silently through the dark corridors of the museum. On display were the works of Monet and Picasso. He ignored them and walked on. A flashlight shone up ahead. Quickly, he ducked behind a statue. His informant had said there were only two guards on duty overnight. They were now lying bloody and dead at the information desk. No matter. He could handle a third overweight guard.
A few moments later, only slightly winded, he wiped a drop of blood from his hands and moved on to the second floor and a very special part of the museum. Even with only the moonlight streaming in from the giant bay window, he could still see the majesty of this wing, the great care and reverence with which it was put together. Of course, how could it be otherwise? It was the wing that commemorated Gotham's greatest hero: Batman. Gotham City had many heroes over the years: Green Lantern, the Black Canary, Batwoman and Bat-Girl, Robin, and the Huntress. But none of them meant so much to the city of Gotham as Batman.
He strode past a dinosaur, giant coin, and a display of the Penguin's trick umbrellas. Carefully, he removed one from the display and brandished it for a moment. How quaint, he thought as he put it back. He walked past Two-Face and the Joker, and then he saw his prize: a wax statue of Batman, wearing one of Batman's actual costumes. He considered it for a moment, and finally a smile crossed his lips. He reached up and touched it: a simple golden utility belt with cylindrical tubes around it. They could contain anything from a bat-rope to a miniature torch to bat-shark repellent. With a swift tug, he pulled it off the statue.
"How I wish that you were still alive, mein freund, so that I might have the pleasure of killing you myself. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that with your utility belt, I will at last have my revenge on your friends in the JSA."
***
Keystone City:
Moving faster than he ever had before, Jay Garrick raced out of Keystone City. If only he could put enough distance between him and his opponent, he could alert the rest of the JSA. Moments before, the Flash had been attending a special benefit for the Keystone City Police Department. Without warning his foe attacked, damaging Jay's signal device in the process. Jay tried to take the man down, but somehow he was able to match every one of Jay's moves. He even moved with Flash-like speed.
At first, Jay thought this man might be the Rival, Jay's old college professor Edward Clariss, who had duplicated the Flash's powers to disastrous results, or even Barry Allen's old foe Professor Zoom. Jay finally got a good look at his foe, and the shock on the Flash's face made his opponent laugh in delight. The Flash realized in that instant that the only thing he could was run. So he did.
Coming back to the present moment, Jay looked over his shoulder to see his foe still running behind him. He then became aware of a pain in his abdomen. The Flash looked down his torso and saw a bright red spot on the front of his shirt. He had been injured during the original assault, but he put it out of his mind. There was no time to dwell on it.
Just then, the Flash felt a hand on his shoulder and suddenly went tumbling out of control. By the time he stopped, Jay had smacked into the side of a building. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground and tried to stand, but his leg was broken, so he fell again, his back to the wall. Jay saw his foe come to a stop in front of him, and suddenly everything turned red. Jay put his hand to his forehead. Wonderful, he thought. I've got a head wound now, too. The last thing the Flash saw was his opponent's fist coming toward his face.
"Joan..."
***
Metropolis:
Power Girl stood atop the Daily Star building and scanned the city with her telescopic vision. Ever since Kal-L retired and moved to Smallville, she felt a greater responsibility to safeguard the streets of Metropolis. Of course, that was her own feeling. It wasn't like Kal had asked her personally to watch his city. They'd barely even spoken since his return from the dead at the end of the Crisis. It made her so mad sometimes that she could feel the blood boil in her ears. And then there was Dick. He wanted her to move to Gotham, but she didn't know if she was ready to do that.
"Hello, liebchen."
"Who the hell?"
The next thing Power Girl knew, something hit her, and she went sailing through the air, only managing to stop her flight after a mile or two. Whoever just did that is going to regret it, she thought as she used her telescopic-vision to find her assailant. Sure enough, there he was standing where she had been seconds before, and he had a non-verbal message for her. Kara Zor-L was not amused. At top speed, she aimed straight for opponent. He stood there laughing as she connected with him, the resulting sonic boom shattering glass for miles. When the smoke cleared, he was still standing there, laughing at her.
"Is that the best you can do, stripling? I expected more from the cousin of the great Übermensch, but then I suppose no female could ever be the equal of Superman."
"What? I'll show you equal, pal."
Kara swung her fist at the grinning man, but in the blink of an eye he was behind her and had Power Girl's arm twisted behind her back. With the same Flash-like speed, he popped open a cylinder on his belt (which looked suspiciously like Batman's utility belt) and removed a small lead case. He flipped the case open to reveal a glowing green stone.
"Kryptonite!"
"Yes, child, and now our little game is over." Without warning, the villain flew Power Girl and himself at mach one into the mountains outside Metropolis. The Girl of Steel kicked her opponent away from her, catching him by surprise. She picked up a giant boulder and heaved it at him, but he effortlessly dodged it.
"I don't know who you are, but you've just made the biggest mistake of your life!"
Before she even finished those words, the villain was upon her, pelting Power Girl with multiple blows. Weakened by the kryptonite that he was holding, Kara Zor-L fell unconscious. The man stood above her and smiled.
***
Fate's Tower, Salem, Massachusetts:
BOOO-OOO-OOO-OOM! BOOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOM!
Doctor Fate's tower began to rock as the sound reverberated through Fate's sanctum. Inza Nelson awoke and shook her husband. "Kent, what in the name of all that's holy is that noise?"
"That's a good question, my love. Let's find out."
Kent gestured, and an opaque orb floated from their dresser and hovered over their bed. It sparked to life and revealed a speeding figure repeatedly hitting the outside of the tower. Where there had been two, now there was one -- the sorcerer supreme, Doctor Fate.
Fate floated effortlessly through the outside wall and sought out the source of the repeated assault on the tower. Weaving a spell of containment, Doctor Fate brought an energy bubble into being, trapping the speeding figure inside. When it finally settled down, Fate could make out the figure of a man wearing a black cloak with a hood. There was a gleaming metal belt with cylindrical tubes on it. The object tugged at Kent Nelson's memories.
"Who are you, and what business do you have with Doctor Fate?"
The figure remained silent as Fate floated to the ground and approached the bubble.
"I ask you again: Who are you?"
The man slowly removed his hood, revealing a shock of white hair and a face that Doctor Fate could never forget.
"You!"
"That's right, mein freund -- me!" With that, the villain leapt effortlessly through the bubble and struck Fate with super-strength, sending him careening toward the tower. Fate was able to cast a spell to stop himself, but he could feel his broken ribs. The joined being of Doctor Fate thought to himself.
He should not have that kind of strength, thought Kent.
Kent, is that who I think it is? asked Inza.
Yes, but he should be dead.
A spell of healing quickly undid the damage, and what followed would have surely given pause even to the Spectre. Doctor Fate and the villain traded powerful blows and magical spells, managing to avoid direct contact with each other, when a wicked grin crossed the white-haired man's face.
"Nabu is no longer with you!"
"What? How do you...?"
"Vunderbar! That means that you are not as skilled as I thought you would be. Incredible! You have merged with your schwarze woman. Clearly, der Führer was right. You are an inferior race!" The villain spoke some words faster than Fate could make out and suddenly launched himself with Flash-like speed, fists ablaze. Doctor Fate raised a shield, but it threatened to shatter with every blow.
Kent, he's got strength like Superman. We can't keep this up much longer.
I know, my love. I am trying to remember something Nabu taught me long ago.
Kent! Something's wrong... our link is weakening.
Kent and Inza Nelson could feel something tearing them apart.
Those words -- he cast a spell of opposites -- it's splitting us apart!
The villain watched as the spell took hold, and Kent and Inza split in a blinding flash of light. They lay on the ground with Fate's helmet between them. Inza desperately reached out for the helmet, but before she could, their foe snatched it away.
"The helmet of Nabu -- and no Nabu in the way. Sehr gut!"
"Go ahead, put it on..."
He smiled at Kent. "I know what you are thinking, Herr Doktor. He puts on the helmet and he becomes trapped inside it, yes? Nein. I will merge with you, and we shall become the new Doktor Fate. Even the mighty Spectre will fall to a being as powerful as us."
"Not bloody likely. Only my magic or Inza's can activate the merge."
"How soon they forget. It will be your magic, dummkopf!"
Without warning, the helmet vanished from the villain's hand, along with the Amulet of Anubis and Fate's cloak. "While you were gloating, we sent the helmet far away," Inza said with a grin, "somewhere you will never find it. Now you can't merge with Kent or me."
"Bah!"
Before Kent or Inza could react, their foe flicked them each on the head. They dropped to the ground once more in a sea of unconsciousness.
"Even your limited magicks will serve me well."
A wave of his hand, and all three were gone from Salem.
Chapter 1
Morning at the JSA Brownstone:
At the monitor board, the Huntress was sleeping, her feet propped up on the ledge. She had been on patrol for over twenty-four hours before she came into JSA Headquarters, having had to deal with the new Mad Hatter along the way. The door creaked open slightly, and the Huntress jumped, her crossbow at the ready.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa... it's me, Dick!"
Helena shook her head as recognition came. It was indeed her older brother, Dick Grayson, alias Red Robin. "Sorry. Instinct, I suppose."
"No harm, no foul. I've fallen asleep here on occasion. Umm, I don't suppose Kara is here anywhere?" Dick asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"No, I haven't seen her for a couple of days, but you know that's not unusual for her," Huntress replied, reclaiming her seat.
"I know," Red Robin said. "The odd thing is, I called StarrWare ###STAR Labs?###, and she hasn't checked in there, either. When I tried her JSA signal device, she never answered. I'm getting worried."
Without another word, the Huntress' fingers flew over the keyboard. A map appeared on the view-screen with a glowing red dot. "There. She's in the mountains just outside Metropolis. I told you she was brooding. Hmm, that's odd. According to the computer, it's been receiving her signal from the same location for almost two days."
"Okay, now I'm worried."
Helena pressed another button on the console. "I've got a call into Jay. He should be here in a few seconds." The words no response flashed across the screen.
"Damn. Jay's signal device isn't working."
Robin looked at the board. "This might not be a coincidence. I'm going to call Joan."
"You do that. I'll see if Alan is available."
Minutes later, Green Lantern arrived at JSA Headquarters to a worried Red Robin and Huntress. "What's going on, gang?"
"Well, it might be nothing, but Flash's signal device is inoperative, and according to the computer, Power Girl's signal device has been in the Metropolis mountains almost forty-eight hours now," the Huntress replied.
"I just got off the phone with Joan Garrick," said Red Robin. "Neither she nor John has seen Jay in almost three days."
Green Lantern walked over to the monitor board and programmed it to run through the other signallers. "It doesn't pick up Doctor Fate or the Spectre, but that's not unusual. Who knows if Spec even has his signal device anymore? We'd better go out and check to see if Kara is OK."
Red Robin looked at them both. "Clark?"
"No," Huntress replied. "Not yet."
Green Lantern enclosed Batman's progeny in his green bubble, and they were on their way.
2
Enroute to Metropolis:
"Were you able to turn anything up about the museum robbery?" the Huntress asked Red Robin.
Staring out through Green Lantern's bubble, Red Robin replied, "Nothing conclusive yet. Whoever this guy was, he was very thorough. He disabled the entire security system before he entered the museum. All three guards were dead when the GCPD arrived. No witnesses, no evidence, and the fingerprints we found show no match anywhere. The commissioner is working on it, but it's not looking good."
"And nothing was stolen but Dad's utility belt?"
"They inventoried the entire museum; that was it. The only other thing that was touched was one of the Penguin's umbrellas."
"What about your informants? There's a lot of Dad's old foes at large right now."
"I shook a few trees, but nothing's fallen out yet."
As the trio of JSAers approached the mountains, Green Lantern hollered back to Red Robin and the Huntress, "We're closing in on her signal now."
On their approach, they could see where something had impacted on the mountainside. There were definitely signs of a struggle. Green Lantern set Robin and the Huntress down. Using his ring, the emerald gladiator began scanning until he found something.
"There!"
The Huntress ran over to where Green Lantern's ring beam was pointing, but what she found did not realize her anguish. "It's Kara's belt, guys. She's not here." Helena handed the belt to Dick and said, "We'll find her. Don't worry."
Green Lantern landed next to the pair. "I'm sorry, Helena, Dick, there's no sign of her. Whoever took Power Girl covered their tracks pretty carefully."
Dick turned to Alan, a cascade of emotions playing across his face. "Can't you use the ring to search for Kara? Surely it can track her down."
"Normally, I'd say yes, but there's some kind of magic at work here. I'm not getting any trace of Kara anywhere."
Helena put her arm around Dick. "We'll find her."
"I know," Dick replied, "but what worries me is, if her disappearance is related to Jay's, who has the power to take out both the Flash and Power Girl?"
A voice from above interrupted them, "I think we can answer that."
Looking skyward, the three JSAers shielded their eyes from the sun to see two familiar figures.
"Starman! And the Shade?"
3
JSA Headquarters:
At the meeting table, Green Lantern, the Huntress, and Red Robin were sitting across from the new Starman, David Knight, and an old JSA foe, the Shade. Normally, the Shade was arrogant and aloof, but the man they saw before them today was none of those things. He appeared haggard and worn, as though someone had torn his very spirit from his flesh, such as it was.
"All right, Shade, what's going on here? Are you responsible for what's happened to the Flash and Power Girl?" Green Lantern said, his voice more than a little forceful.
"Back off, G.L.," Starman said. "I know what you think of the Shade. You fought him many times as a member of the Injustice Society, but he asked me to bring him to you today. When I found him, he was near death."
The Shade chuckled. "Ah, my dear David, you exaggerate somewhat. Death and I are but strangers and always shall be, but he is correct in one aspect. I had been hurt in a manner that I have never been hurt before -- by my own power."
"Quit speaking in riddles, Shade. Out with it," Red Robin said with some impatience.
The Shade sipped his tea and regarded the heroes for a moment. "Only because you asked so eloquently, Boy Wonder. Five days past, I was in Opal City. Some young ruffians were accosting a sweet old lady when I stepped in to assist. She had been--"
"Wait. You were helping an old lady?" the Huntress asked, not entirely believing him.
"Yes, my dear. Though you have reason to question me, especially in light of my most recent activities, one thing I do not tolerate is anyone who would act in a manner that brings disrepute to the fair city of Opal."
Alan looked at David questioningly. "David, is this true?"
David Knight shrugged his shoulders. "As hard as it is to believe, yes, in Opal, the Shade is held in almost as high a regard as my father."
"Amazing!" Green Lantern exclaimed, shaking his head. "Go on..."
"The young hooligans were dispatched carefully to the waiting embrace of my dear friend, Matt O'Dare, an Opal police officer. I did not know it at the time, but as I used my shadow powers to return to my sanctum, he had taken that opportunity to follow me."
"He?" the Huntress asked.
"Yes. I believe he is the same person who abducted Jay Garrick and Power Girl."
***
Flashback:
As the Shade entered his abode, he immediately detected the other's presence. "I am impressed," the Shade said as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Few have had the audacity to enter my private sanctum univited. None have lived to tell the tale."
"True, I'm sure, but I will be the exception to the rule," he said as he moved toward the Shade.
For the first time in many decades, the Shade was truly surprised as he recognized the intruder. The visitor took advantage of that surprise by attacking the Shade with his very own power, wrapping the master of shadows in a dense blanket of ebon darkness. The Shade battled back, but somehow the stranger managed to get the upper hand, and the Shade collapsed to the ground, weary and broken. Such things did not happen.
"This... is... impossible!" the Shade sputtered as his own shadows held him tight.
"Normally I would say yes, but I had an added advantage."
From out of the shadows appeared the unconscious form of the Wizard. "You see, mein freund, while I was battling you, I discovered your houseguest. It was a simple matter to dispatch him, and his powers added to yours allowed me to defeat you."
Dropping the Wizard to the ground, the man cast a spell, and the Shade screamed.
***
"When I awoke," the Shade said to the JSAers, "both my assailant and the Wizard were gone. I had been left for dead. I sought out David Knight and asked him to bring me to you."
"So how does this help us?" the Huntress asked.
"Even though I was unconscious, my familiars were not. They told me what the adversary had done. The Wizard, dear chap, had vanished while I was being assaulted. I shall have to thank him for that, the coward. He also stolen two... mementos that I had accumulated over the years -- a shrinking ray that Vandal Savage had once used against your colleagues and a chunk of kryptonite that I had acquired from Alexei Luthor years prior."
"Why would you have those things? Were you plotting against the JSA?" Red Robin asked.
The Shade laughed. "My dear boy, my collection includes more than you could ever imagine. If destroying the JSA was my intent, you would be dead now. Never doubt that."
"Well, if he is the one who attacked Power Girl, that explains a lot," Green Lantern added. "Kryptonite would definitely take her out."
"Tell the the rest, Shade," said Starman.
"He is also the one who stole the Batman's utility belt from the Gotham Museum, and I am reasonably sure that he has captured Jay Garrick, Power Girl, and Doctor Fate."
"Who is he, Shade?" the Huntress inquired.
The Shade stared directly into Green Lantern's eyes. "It's Parsifal. His next target is the Spectre."
Green Lantern's face turned white. "Helena. Send the signal now. Priority One, and pray it's not too late."
***
The home of Jim Corrigan:
Jim looked out his kitchen window and smiled. His children were playing with some friends like all children do. He had taken that simple pleasure for granted, but thanks to his new arrangement with the Spectre, Jim vowed to never take anything for granted again.
He turned back to the stove and slowly stirred the pot of stew. His wife would be back from the doctor's office soon. He wanted to surprise her with dinner.
Jim felt a burst of magic enter the room. "What's up, moon-face?"
There was no answer.
Turning around, Jim saw something on the dining room table, something familiar. It was Doctor Fate's helmet, amulet, and cape. This was not a good sign.
"No, Jim Corrigan, it is not."
The Spectre appeared in the room and gathered up the artifacts. "I have already gathered your family. We must leave now."
"What's going on, Spectre?"
"Doctor Fate sent us these items as a warning. Parsifal has returned."
Jim swallowed hard. "Oh, God..."
Without another word, the Spectre and Jim Corrigan vanished not a moment too soon. Two seconds later, Parsifal appeared in Corrigan's home.
"Ach du lieber! He has vanished from the mortal plane. I commend you, herr Doktor, but no matter. Even without the power of the Spectre, the JSA will still fall before me."
***
JSA Headquarters:
Green Lantern, the Huntress, Red Robin, and Starman stood before the assembled membership of the JSA. They could scarcely believe what they were being told. Parsifal had returned.
"So what's the scoop? Did he get to the Spectre, or what?" Wildcat asked, pacing the floor.
"We don't know, but we're guessing that he hasn't, otherwise we'd probably know it by now," Green Lantern replied. "Considering how the Spectre has grown in power since World War II, it would be a nightmare if Parsifal subdued him."
"I agree," Hawkman said to the membership. "The question is, what do we do next? I'm open for suggestions here."
Superman stood. "So far, Parsifal has attacked one on one. There's got to be a reason for that. We may need to stick together if we're going to defeat him."
Wonder Woman shifted in her seat, touching her stomach as the baby inside kicked softly. "That almost got us killed the first time we encountered him. Our strategy after that was to stay away from him or let the non-powered members confront him. That's how Terry defeated him in our second encounter. I barely escaped with my life during the first."
"I know, Diana. The way you defeated Parsifal was pure genius," the Man of Steel said. "But what about Kara and Jay and the Nelsons?"
"Clark, we know you're worried about Kara, but think of who we're talking about, here," said Hourman. "If we're all together, he could destroy us!"
"Don't you think I know that, Rex? He's got my cousin, for Rao's sake! For all I know, she's dead!"
Hawkman banged the gavel on the table. "That's enough. Obviously, things are different this time. Parsifal stole things from the Shade and stole Batman's utility belt. He's never done that before."
"Not to mention that fact that he died at our last encounter after the war," the Atom added.
"All right, here's what we're going to do," said Hawkman. "Wildcat, you and Doctor Mid-Nite go check on the Spectre. Shiera, you and Robin check in on Wes and make sure he's OK. I've already contacted Sylvester, and he's making sure that the Infinitors are safe. Keep your comm-lines open. Huntress, I want you to take Diana's invisible plane and fly her back to Paradise Island, picking up Fury along the way."
"Hawkman, I am an Amazon warrior, and I--"
"And you are also with child, Diana," Hawkman said. "I won't risk you losing your baby. There's no dishonor in protecting your unborn child." He took Wonder Woman's hand. The Amazon princess nodded in agreement.
"Atom, G.L., Hourman, Johnny, David, Superman, you need to head off into space or somewhere else for awhile. We can't risk Parsifal coming into contact with you."
"What? I won't run from him, Carter!" Superman said angrily. "He's going to pay for what he's done to Kara."
Hawkman put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "I know how you feel, old friend, but this is in everyone's best interest."
"Fine. Then, effective immediately, I resign from the JSA," Superman said as he flew out the front doors, blowing them off their hinges.
"Damn it all!" cried Hawkman. "I'll go after him. The rest of you get moving. Shiera, make sure you call Ma Hunkle and get the Junior JSA kids to safety. Parsifal likely doesn't know about them, but I'd rather not take a chance."
Carter and Shiera Hall exchanged a kiss, and then he took to the sky. Wildcat and Doctor Mid-Nite hopped on Cat's cycle and headed to the Corrigan residence. Hawkgirl and Robin started for the hangar, while Green Lantern took off with the others. Wonder Woman looked skyward.
"There's the plane. I'll contact Steve to stay low and let him know where we're going."
***
Over the Atlantic Ocean:
The Huntress, Fury, and Wonder Woman were in the Amazon's invisible plane, heading for Paradise Island, ancient home of the Amazons.
"Diana, you mentioned that you almost died confronting Parsifal. How did that happen?"
"Yeah, Mom. You never told me that story."
Diana looked over her shoulder at her daughter. "Really? Hmmm. There were so many adventures, but I guess this one was not something I was particularly proud of. Still, I did what I felt I had to do. It started in 1942. I had a meeting with some of the female members of the All-Star Squadron and chastised them for being so subservient to the male All-Stars."
"Wait a minute. This is from the JSA's secretary? Lecturing the chairwoman of the All-Stars?" Helena asked with a grin on her face.
Diana laughed. "Yes, I was the JSA's secretary, but not in the way you are thinking. I was more of an archivist. Unfortunately, my role in a lot of those early adventures with the JSA was downplayed by the media due to their prejudices against women at the time. The idea of a woman as strong as Superman scared a lot of men. Eventually, though, those tales became more accurate, depicting me as the fighting member that I was. With Black Canary on board full-time, it was hard for the media to deny my involvement in the group.
"Then, after I gathered the women who were the girlfriends of the male JSAers to defeat the Brain Wave, it occurred to me: Why not bring my sisters in the All-Star Squadron to Paradise Island? Surely there was no harm in that. It was April, 1943." (*)
[(*) Editor's note: For the full story, see All-Star Squadron: Times Past, 1943: The Coming of Parsifal.]