Post by redsycorax on Mar 22, 2023 1:09:32 GMT
The Justice Alliance face their own analogue of the Demons Three...but how do these differ from their Earth-One counterparts?
++
HELL: Otherwise known as Hades, Sheol, the Inferno: The repository of all that is darksided within the moral compass. This dimension is high entropy and not isomorphic to any particular universe within the three dimensional multiverse and given its extent, and the balkanisation of Hell itself, there are specific confraternities of demonic entities assigned to particular alternate worlds within the multiverse, which are unique and not replicable on other such Earths. In the case of Earth-One, its Justice League of America fought against a particular elite trinity of demons from their Earth's distant past- Abnegazar, Ghast and Rath. The League succeeded in insuring the Demons Three were returned to their thaumaturgic incursion for a further millennium, only to have the Demons Three re-emerge in Earth-One's Thirtieth Century, where the League, Justice Society of America (Earth-Two) and Legion of Super-Heroes were privy to fatal conflict between Abnegazar and Rath, and the imprisonment of Ghast within the magically reconstructed JLA satellite, which had been destroyed some centuries beforehand. Ghast was only freed...
ENCYCLOPEDIA THAUMATURGA (Prospero City, n.d)
PROLOGUE:
It was now untold years, centuries, millennia after Earth-Two's Doctor Fate had imprisoned the demon Ghast within a reconstituted Justice League of America satellite in 2977 CE. Ghast had watched and wailed to himself within his impervious prison, sealed away from the rest of the surrounding cosmos as humanity survived, evolved and then eventually abandoned the Earth as the Sun began to metamorphose gradually into its red giant phase. He saw the planet below gradually die as its oceans evaporated, its atmosphere was penetrated and dissolved and surface temperatures became too high to sustain even extremophile life, whether carbon or silicon based. But the integrity of Fate's ensorcelment held, as the engorged red giant consumed Mercury and Venus and the Moon became so far distant that its gravitational affiliation to Earth was disrupted and it became a dwarf planet in its own right. Billions of years passed. The red giant sun lost mass and began to contract, and there was a brief second flowering of life on the planet below, now the innermost world to the sun. But by now, the Sun was dying and as it did so, Earth began to freeze over. The star became a white dwarf, and then, billions of years later still, a black dwarf. At length, passing stars and gravitational-electromagnetic turbulence deprived the dead star of its surviving planets, eventually including the Earth and still Ghast remained, observing the triumph of entropy and the departure of life itself from that universe, through singularities into younger alternate universes, including the manifold distant descendants of humanity. As trillions, quadrillions and quintillions of years passed in the greatest solitude any being could ever experience, Ghast was a silent, catatonic observer to the decay of the surrounding universe itself, as black dwarfs and neutron stars fell into the maws of black holes and were consumed, and then, even the black holes began to dissolve into random subatomic particles and then into incoherence. And then, finally, the surrounding universe was funereally silent and apart from Ghast, nothing else remained. And finally, after an immensity of time so long that human reference is unable to adequately describe it, the final survivor of the Demons Three was liberated, as Doctor Fate's magic finally ran out of integrity and cohesion, based as it was on the underlying rules of order within the cosmos itself.
There was one final surprise waiting in this dead cosmos for Ghast, however, which was that given energy, matter, space and time had therefore effectively ceased to exist, Ghast was unable to flee backwards in time. As he mused in the absolute darkness, he realised that he was not necessarily without options, given that he was an extra-dimensional entity himself and not bound anymore by his durable former thaumaturgic prison. And thus, even though black holes themselves were distant memories of his, Ghast left the corpse of Universe-One to the final triumph of entropy and returned to his native Hell.
HELL:
Note: These are transdimensional beings and therefore, necessarily, any translation is approximate when it comes to the subsequent conversation described below.
Baphomet crossed gnarled hands over their swelling, almost female breasts as Ghast came within their sensory range once more:
"Ghast. You've been gone for quite some time."
"Sovereign Baphomet? You're in charge here now?"
"Well, after Lucifer, Beelzebub and Satan fought it out, Lilith seized power for a while, until she was overthrown and then a junta of Abaddon, Belphegor and Azazel ran things for some time. Asmodeus made a play after he engineered a massacre of that lot, but really? Number thirty two in the Old Infernal Hierarchy? I wasn't going to let that go unchallenged, otherwise he would have bored everyone to entropy rabbiting on and on and on about his sexual obsessions and everyone else recognised it too. And so, I challenged him for the Supremacy and was victorious. Hell has seen better days. It's like the other old pantheons across the cosmos- once people cease to honour the rituals and observances and the intensity of religious belief begins to subside, the resident entities begin to cease to exist until none of them are left. So, where are Abnegazar and Rath?"
"They fought it out and killed each other. An accursed spawn of the Lords of Order then imprisoned me in a thaumaturgic enclosure for the duration of that universe's existence. I don't suppose you've got anything you might want to assign me to?"
"There is, as a matter of fact. It's the five hundredth iteration of Earth. They have a Justice Alliance as a metahuman law enforcement agency."
"What's the Order problem there like?"
"We have a renegade spawn of the Zatara dynasty offworld, but unfortunately, she has a sister, Quonjurea. She'll be your principal antagonist, but at least she doesn't have access to that universe's Helm of Nabu as yet. In other words, there is no "Doctor Fate", Prospero, "Doctor Strange" or other sorceror supreme there to stop us."
"Am I alone in this?"
Baphomet's razor teeth lit up in an incongruous smile:
"Not at all, my friend. Ghast, meet the new members of the Demons Three- Astaroth and Belial."
"Uh...Your Eminences, it's an honour-"
Astaroth signalled for his silence: "Is this a good idea, Sovereign Baphomet? Ghast here was imprisoned in that universe for an eternity, which suggests some fallibility and incompetence."
"Are you challenging me for the Supremacy, Noble Astaroth?"
"No, Sovereign. There are few enough of us remaining as there is. I merely meant that there are sound tactical and strategic reasons not to reassign Ghast to an arena akin to the one in which he so miserably failed, allowing he and his extinct colleagues to be imprisoned by first the Timeless Ones and then a dreary succession of puny metahominids. In order for us to fulfil your imperatives, Sovereign, may I suggest his annihilation for his repeated failures and replacement with someone more potentially competent?"
"Sovereign!" But Ghast's entreaty was in vain. Baphomet recognised the logic and merit in Astaroth's argument and dispatched Ghast to annihilation and non-existence with a wave of their hand.
"Now, who do you think should replace our newly extinct former emissary?"
Astoreth's own razor teeth lit up in a grimace only vaguely resembling a human smile:
"I have the perfect demon! Baal, my dear? It's time to shine forth again."
And thus, from the pit of chaos and utmost entropy, a new Demons Three departed Hell for their new assignment. As they summoned some lowly servant demons to deal with the carcass and innards of the extinct Ghast, Baphomet found themselves wondering if his replacement would fare any better against these new adversaries. Ah well. Even if they didn't, at least they'd be rid of a potential rival like Astaroth if they failed in turn against their foes. Even if she feigned submission to their will, they knew she remembered her old glory days as a Princess of Hell and fancied herself as Sovereign. Perhaps they would be fortunate and they would be finally rid of the threat she posed?
UNDERVERSE:
"I still don't understand why we can't make a direct entry into this universe." Baal said, causing a glare from Astaroth:
"Because, honoured associate, this is a sentient universe and we need to pursue an indirect approach, otherwise it will try to prevent our entry."
"We are from the Celestial. We should not fear some intangible creature of starstuff."
Belial sneered at his colleague: "Baal, you have been away from Great Dis our capital for far too long. We are grievously weakened compared to our earlier glory and prominence. We need to be circumspect and follow this avenue. Do you not comprehend that?"
"I am growing tired of your arrogance, Belial. Or is it cowardice?"
Astaroth roared: "That is quite enough, both of you. Regardless of our interneccine rivalries, we need unity in this context. If we fall to petty competition, we are no better than the pitiful Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast who preceded us and who fell to the Light."
"Be it as you command, Mighty Astaroth. We await your wise counsel on what to do once our journey through this zero dimensional void is complete."
JAA SEABASE:
As the Demons Three breached the membrane between Universe-500 and interuniversal bleedspace, there was a heart-rending scream from the core of its existence. Quonjurea bolted awake and Willie and Bella Fawcett ran to the central conference room, intoning their totemic words Thunder and Lightning as they prepared for what would happen. In distant Central City, Tanaka Rei screamed as the Speed Force spasmed over the destructive impact of the Demons Three, and the moment of discontinuity even affected the subatomic realms which the Atom traversed as well as Oa's Central Power Battery and the Green Lantern Hegemony. Aquaman and J'Onn J'Onnz were incapacitated by the psionic feedback within their heads and Ultra Violet experienced a terrifying moment when she lost control over her metamorphic capabilities. As Superman, Superwoman and Wonder Woman entered the room at a run, Hermes Trismegistus looked up from the JAA's Supercomputer:
"Something major has penetrated the brane that separates our universe from the rest of the multiverse. Quonjurea, you're powering up. Is it your sister?"
Quonjurea shook her head: "I would have had major wards up if that were the case, my friends. No. I fear this is something infinitely worse. We are dealing with a high echelon demonic incursion into our universe. There are three significant demonic entities involved- Astoreth, Belial and Baal. Hermes?"
"Pre-Grecian mythology. They're major league threats. Q?" Hermes said as she hestitated.
"You're partially right, Hermes. Hell has seen better days. Millions of years of civil war and anarchy, a series of brutal archdemonic juntas, rebellions, fratricide/sororicide, its ranks have been decimated. That's why our universe is being targeted by someone who would once have been regarded as elite nobles within the Infernal hierarchy. And yes, Kalel and Kara, they have the ability to kill you both with impunity. Look what they've done to J'Onn already."
"We don't care, Quonjurea. We've made this world our home and we would do anything to insure its survival and safety. Our baby will be born here."
"That's why I can't let any of you do this. I'm sorry. This requires an experienced magus. And mine is the responsibility alone."
As Hippolytus entered the room and caught the last segment of the conversation, he ran toward her:
"Quon, what do you mean? Please. We've only just found one another."
She kissed Hippolytus firmly on the mouth: "I love you, Pol. These last few weeks have been paradise and I wish I could stay with you, have children, grow old together and our relationship could last forever. But I am this world's sorceress supreme and it is my responsibility to end this threat."
"Even at the cost of your own life?! No. No, there has to be a way out of this. There must be!"
Hermes turned to face her and shook his head: "No, it won't be you."
"Mi amor?"
"I'm sorry, Quonjurea, but I also have the capability to defeat them."
"Rao. Is there no way to avoid this costing the lives of at least one of us?!" Superman exclaimed.
"Our universe may finally be about to lose its innocence."
"Hermes, don't-"
But in an infinitesimal fraction of a second, Hermes Trismegistus revealed just how advanced his alternate history civilisation was, as he blurred out of conventional time and space and faced the Demons Three. He levelled a large device at them and spoke three indecipherable and fortunately untranslatable phrases. Almost instantaneously, the space/time coordinates were obliterated from existence, as were Astoreth, Belial and Baal, and as was the valiant, courageous and brave Hermes Trismegistus, who made the ultimate sacrifice because he loved his adopted alternate Earth, alternate universe and above all, Jose Hernandez of the Green Lantern Hegemony, more than life itself. He died a hero.
EPILOGUE:
In the JAA Seabase, a statue of Hermes Trismegistus towered above the assembled members of the Justice Alliance at his funeral service. Jose sat there, as if carved in ice, barely responsive to the others. And looking at their colleague, for the first time, Superman wondered what was happening to their lives. Was this tragedy the beginning of the steady darkening of their world?
THE END [3.10 PM, MARCH 31, 2023]
++
HELL: Otherwise known as Hades, Sheol, the Inferno: The repository of all that is darksided within the moral compass. This dimension is high entropy and not isomorphic to any particular universe within the three dimensional multiverse and given its extent, and the balkanisation of Hell itself, there are specific confraternities of demonic entities assigned to particular alternate worlds within the multiverse, which are unique and not replicable on other such Earths. In the case of Earth-One, its Justice League of America fought against a particular elite trinity of demons from their Earth's distant past- Abnegazar, Ghast and Rath. The League succeeded in insuring the Demons Three were returned to their thaumaturgic incursion for a further millennium, only to have the Demons Three re-emerge in Earth-One's Thirtieth Century, where the League, Justice Society of America (Earth-Two) and Legion of Super-Heroes were privy to fatal conflict between Abnegazar and Rath, and the imprisonment of Ghast within the magically reconstructed JLA satellite, which had been destroyed some centuries beforehand. Ghast was only freed...
ENCYCLOPEDIA THAUMATURGA (Prospero City, n.d)
PROLOGUE:
It was now untold years, centuries, millennia after Earth-Two's Doctor Fate had imprisoned the demon Ghast within a reconstituted Justice League of America satellite in 2977 CE. Ghast had watched and wailed to himself within his impervious prison, sealed away from the rest of the surrounding cosmos as humanity survived, evolved and then eventually abandoned the Earth as the Sun began to metamorphose gradually into its red giant phase. He saw the planet below gradually die as its oceans evaporated, its atmosphere was penetrated and dissolved and surface temperatures became too high to sustain even extremophile life, whether carbon or silicon based. But the integrity of Fate's ensorcelment held, as the engorged red giant consumed Mercury and Venus and the Moon became so far distant that its gravitational affiliation to Earth was disrupted and it became a dwarf planet in its own right. Billions of years passed. The red giant sun lost mass and began to contract, and there was a brief second flowering of life on the planet below, now the innermost world to the sun. But by now, the Sun was dying and as it did so, Earth began to freeze over. The star became a white dwarf, and then, billions of years later still, a black dwarf. At length, passing stars and gravitational-electromagnetic turbulence deprived the dead star of its surviving planets, eventually including the Earth and still Ghast remained, observing the triumph of entropy and the departure of life itself from that universe, through singularities into younger alternate universes, including the manifold distant descendants of humanity. As trillions, quadrillions and quintillions of years passed in the greatest solitude any being could ever experience, Ghast was a silent, catatonic observer to the decay of the surrounding universe itself, as black dwarfs and neutron stars fell into the maws of black holes and were consumed, and then, even the black holes began to dissolve into random subatomic particles and then into incoherence. And then, finally, the surrounding universe was funereally silent and apart from Ghast, nothing else remained. And finally, after an immensity of time so long that human reference is unable to adequately describe it, the final survivor of the Demons Three was liberated, as Doctor Fate's magic finally ran out of integrity and cohesion, based as it was on the underlying rules of order within the cosmos itself.
There was one final surprise waiting in this dead cosmos for Ghast, however, which was that given energy, matter, space and time had therefore effectively ceased to exist, Ghast was unable to flee backwards in time. As he mused in the absolute darkness, he realised that he was not necessarily without options, given that he was an extra-dimensional entity himself and not bound anymore by his durable former thaumaturgic prison. And thus, even though black holes themselves were distant memories of his, Ghast left the corpse of Universe-One to the final triumph of entropy and returned to his native Hell.
HELL:
Note: These are transdimensional beings and therefore, necessarily, any translation is approximate when it comes to the subsequent conversation described below.
Baphomet crossed gnarled hands over their swelling, almost female breasts as Ghast came within their sensory range once more:
"Ghast. You've been gone for quite some time."
"Sovereign Baphomet? You're in charge here now?"
"Well, after Lucifer, Beelzebub and Satan fought it out, Lilith seized power for a while, until she was overthrown and then a junta of Abaddon, Belphegor and Azazel ran things for some time. Asmodeus made a play after he engineered a massacre of that lot, but really? Number thirty two in the Old Infernal Hierarchy? I wasn't going to let that go unchallenged, otherwise he would have bored everyone to entropy rabbiting on and on and on about his sexual obsessions and everyone else recognised it too. And so, I challenged him for the Supremacy and was victorious. Hell has seen better days. It's like the other old pantheons across the cosmos- once people cease to honour the rituals and observances and the intensity of religious belief begins to subside, the resident entities begin to cease to exist until none of them are left. So, where are Abnegazar and Rath?"
"They fought it out and killed each other. An accursed spawn of the Lords of Order then imprisoned me in a thaumaturgic enclosure for the duration of that universe's existence. I don't suppose you've got anything you might want to assign me to?"
"There is, as a matter of fact. It's the five hundredth iteration of Earth. They have a Justice Alliance as a metahuman law enforcement agency."
"What's the Order problem there like?"
"We have a renegade spawn of the Zatara dynasty offworld, but unfortunately, she has a sister, Quonjurea. She'll be your principal antagonist, but at least she doesn't have access to that universe's Helm of Nabu as yet. In other words, there is no "Doctor Fate", Prospero, "Doctor Strange" or other sorceror supreme there to stop us."
"Am I alone in this?"
Baphomet's razor teeth lit up in an incongruous smile:
"Not at all, my friend. Ghast, meet the new members of the Demons Three- Astaroth and Belial."
"Uh...Your Eminences, it's an honour-"
Astaroth signalled for his silence: "Is this a good idea, Sovereign Baphomet? Ghast here was imprisoned in that universe for an eternity, which suggests some fallibility and incompetence."
"Are you challenging me for the Supremacy, Noble Astaroth?"
"No, Sovereign. There are few enough of us remaining as there is. I merely meant that there are sound tactical and strategic reasons not to reassign Ghast to an arena akin to the one in which he so miserably failed, allowing he and his extinct colleagues to be imprisoned by first the Timeless Ones and then a dreary succession of puny metahominids. In order for us to fulfil your imperatives, Sovereign, may I suggest his annihilation for his repeated failures and replacement with someone more potentially competent?"
"Sovereign!" But Ghast's entreaty was in vain. Baphomet recognised the logic and merit in Astaroth's argument and dispatched Ghast to annihilation and non-existence with a wave of their hand.
"Now, who do you think should replace our newly extinct former emissary?"
Astoreth's own razor teeth lit up in a grimace only vaguely resembling a human smile:
"I have the perfect demon! Baal, my dear? It's time to shine forth again."
And thus, from the pit of chaos and utmost entropy, a new Demons Three departed Hell for their new assignment. As they summoned some lowly servant demons to deal with the carcass and innards of the extinct Ghast, Baphomet found themselves wondering if his replacement would fare any better against these new adversaries. Ah well. Even if they didn't, at least they'd be rid of a potential rival like Astaroth if they failed in turn against their foes. Even if she feigned submission to their will, they knew she remembered her old glory days as a Princess of Hell and fancied herself as Sovereign. Perhaps they would be fortunate and they would be finally rid of the threat she posed?
UNDERVERSE:
"I still don't understand why we can't make a direct entry into this universe." Baal said, causing a glare from Astaroth:
"Because, honoured associate, this is a sentient universe and we need to pursue an indirect approach, otherwise it will try to prevent our entry."
"We are from the Celestial. We should not fear some intangible creature of starstuff."
Belial sneered at his colleague: "Baal, you have been away from Great Dis our capital for far too long. We are grievously weakened compared to our earlier glory and prominence. We need to be circumspect and follow this avenue. Do you not comprehend that?"
"I am growing tired of your arrogance, Belial. Or is it cowardice?"
Astaroth roared: "That is quite enough, both of you. Regardless of our interneccine rivalries, we need unity in this context. If we fall to petty competition, we are no better than the pitiful Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast who preceded us and who fell to the Light."
"Be it as you command, Mighty Astaroth. We await your wise counsel on what to do once our journey through this zero dimensional void is complete."
JAA SEABASE:
As the Demons Three breached the membrane between Universe-500 and interuniversal bleedspace, there was a heart-rending scream from the core of its existence. Quonjurea bolted awake and Willie and Bella Fawcett ran to the central conference room, intoning their totemic words Thunder and Lightning as they prepared for what would happen. In distant Central City, Tanaka Rei screamed as the Speed Force spasmed over the destructive impact of the Demons Three, and the moment of discontinuity even affected the subatomic realms which the Atom traversed as well as Oa's Central Power Battery and the Green Lantern Hegemony. Aquaman and J'Onn J'Onnz were incapacitated by the psionic feedback within their heads and Ultra Violet experienced a terrifying moment when she lost control over her metamorphic capabilities. As Superman, Superwoman and Wonder Woman entered the room at a run, Hermes Trismegistus looked up from the JAA's Supercomputer:
"Something major has penetrated the brane that separates our universe from the rest of the multiverse. Quonjurea, you're powering up. Is it your sister?"
Quonjurea shook her head: "I would have had major wards up if that were the case, my friends. No. I fear this is something infinitely worse. We are dealing with a high echelon demonic incursion into our universe. There are three significant demonic entities involved- Astoreth, Belial and Baal. Hermes?"
"Pre-Grecian mythology. They're major league threats. Q?" Hermes said as she hestitated.
"You're partially right, Hermes. Hell has seen better days. Millions of years of civil war and anarchy, a series of brutal archdemonic juntas, rebellions, fratricide/sororicide, its ranks have been decimated. That's why our universe is being targeted by someone who would once have been regarded as elite nobles within the Infernal hierarchy. And yes, Kalel and Kara, they have the ability to kill you both with impunity. Look what they've done to J'Onn already."
"We don't care, Quonjurea. We've made this world our home and we would do anything to insure its survival and safety. Our baby will be born here."
"That's why I can't let any of you do this. I'm sorry. This requires an experienced magus. And mine is the responsibility alone."
As Hippolytus entered the room and caught the last segment of the conversation, he ran toward her:
"Quon, what do you mean? Please. We've only just found one another."
She kissed Hippolytus firmly on the mouth: "I love you, Pol. These last few weeks have been paradise and I wish I could stay with you, have children, grow old together and our relationship could last forever. But I am this world's sorceress supreme and it is my responsibility to end this threat."
"Even at the cost of your own life?! No. No, there has to be a way out of this. There must be!"
Hermes turned to face her and shook his head: "No, it won't be you."
"Mi amor?"
"I'm sorry, Quonjurea, but I also have the capability to defeat them."
"Rao. Is there no way to avoid this costing the lives of at least one of us?!" Superman exclaimed.
"Our universe may finally be about to lose its innocence."
"Hermes, don't-"
But in an infinitesimal fraction of a second, Hermes Trismegistus revealed just how advanced his alternate history civilisation was, as he blurred out of conventional time and space and faced the Demons Three. He levelled a large device at them and spoke three indecipherable and fortunately untranslatable phrases. Almost instantaneously, the space/time coordinates were obliterated from existence, as were Astoreth, Belial and Baal, and as was the valiant, courageous and brave Hermes Trismegistus, who made the ultimate sacrifice because he loved his adopted alternate Earth, alternate universe and above all, Jose Hernandez of the Green Lantern Hegemony, more than life itself. He died a hero.
EPILOGUE:
In the JAA Seabase, a statue of Hermes Trismegistus towered above the assembled members of the Justice Alliance at his funeral service. Jose sat there, as if carved in ice, barely responsive to the others. And looking at their colleague, for the first time, Superman wondered what was happening to their lives. Was this tragedy the beginning of the steady darkening of their world?
THE END [3.10 PM, MARCH 31, 2023]