Post by lawrenceliberty on Jun 9, 2017 18:29:13 GMT
Queens of Evil
By lawrenceliberty
1988
Prologue
The Grand Ballroom was ablaze with light and three crystalline chandeliers illuminated the already sparkling room. The orchestra loomed above the guests from on top of an elevated platform and the music filled the room along with the happy conversations of the dancing or mingling couples. All of the guests were dressed to impress as befitted the Realm’s noble families. However, even in a huge chamber full of beautiful people, all eyes turned to stare with admiration as one blonde beauty entered their line of vision and paused for a moment at the head of the wide staircase that descended from the outer rooms to the ballroom itself. As moonlight streamed in from an open skylight, the lovely blonde seemed to glow with the radiance of a fairy or some other ethereal being from a higher plain. She was dressed in a pale rose ball gown and matching high heels of a delicate but finely crafted crystalline substance that reflected the many lights like so many will o’wisps. She smiled and extended one gloved hand as a handsome man approached and bowed to her. He was dressed like a Royal Prince of the Realm but his facial features seemed to change from moment to moment as different lights bathed over his graceful but powerful figure.
The couple began a dance of exquisite beauty as they whirled around the room and met the approval of the other guests. It was a romantic evening and every detail was perfect. The belle of this ball was smiling with pleasure. She was filled with emotion and her heart raced with delight. Her name was Ella although there were those who had cruelly called her Cinderella because of her normally humble manner and the dirty work she routinely performed. Her name was certainly Cinderella and yet as a shadow fell across her face and she carefully pushed one long blonde lock of hair away from her face, she thought for the briefest of moments that her name was Eve Eden and this was not truly the life she was supposed to live. At the moment she realized this, the scene changed and she found herself locked in an incredibly high tower. She gazed forlornly out its sole window and brushed her now amazingly long blonde hair. With this new transformation, the memory of the name Eve Eden grew ever so faint.
1
Cloisters, Vermont was a quaint little town in the countryside with a reputation for historic preservation and small shops and comfortable inns that were a pleasant change from the urban sprawl and “box stores” of larger cities. One of the oldest houses in the town rested on a high hill that overlooked the community. Some folks called the address Mystery Hill and the historical old home that sat on the top of crest was known as Mystery Manor although the spacious home was not really a mansion in the classic sense of the word. It was a big house for only one occupant. The new owner sat slumped in a plush chair in the slightly messy library and idly thumbed through a thick book. He smiled up at a row of oil paintings that depicted the original owners of the house going back to colonial times.
He was a smart and handsome man with a good sense of humor and a pleasing demeanor. He grinned again as a black cat jumped up into his lap and sent the book crashing to the worn carpet on the wooden floor.
He smiled at the cat and said, “This house is too big for the two of us!”
The black cat looked up at him and said, “I like it here! I am glad you found it!”
Mark Merlin stroked the talking cat and said, “I do too. I guess I’m just bored. Even being a detective of the supernatural gets dull when no one bothers to hire you. If it wasn’t for the loan Eve gave us I would never have been able to buy this place. I still have to find a way to pay her back. I’d hate to sell the stuff the previous owner accumulated. It all makes me feel closer to my late uncle even if the man who owned this place was not the same person who owned the place on my original earth!”
Mark said, “If anyone heard me they would think I was one ghost short of a haunted house but, you know my story is true. I was born on another parallel earth where my Uncle Mort was a stage magician called the Mighty Merlin. He taught me how to expose frauds who tried to con ordinary people by pretending to have supernatural powers. When my uncle was murdered, I started acting as a mystical detective of sorts. Most of my cases turned out to be clever frauds but some have genuine occult aspects about them. My assistant Elsa helped me through all the weird situations even when I found an ancient charm that enabled me to transfer my mind into the body of a cat. Then things got really bizarre and I became physically and mentally dominated by an arrogant guy named Prince Ra-Man. He died during a cosmic Crisis and I ended up here on another earth not quite exactly like my own. I’m no older than I was back when he first took over my form. I still have the charm and picked up the ability to detect magic after being in contact with him for so long! When I found out there was a Mystery Manor and a Cloister, Vermont on this earth I had to buy the place. I mean, that was exactly where I lived when I was back on my Earth. Finding a replica of the same old house in the same weird little town was a miracle!”
Memakata said, “The fact that my name used to be Faustus and the last owner of this place was not your magician uncle fails to undermine your quest for nostalgia!”
Mark shrugged and said, “Call me sentimental. I like all my talking cats to have the same name. After all, the original Memakata died during the Crisis and you are the closest match to him found on this Earth!”
He continued, “I saw plenty of odd things when I used to travel around investigating and exposing fake wizards and bogus ghouls but being transported to another Earth and basically getting a second chance at life is a strange experience even for me! Naturally, I want to find anything that reminds me of home. At least you and I were befriended by a great girl like Eve Eden!”
He stood up as the cat jumped to the ground and ran over to the door.
“You want to go out? Don’t tell me I’m boring you? Nobody wants to listen to my ramblings!” joked Mark.
Memakata said, “You miss your old assistant don’t you?”
Mark sighed and said, “Yeah, I do. It is not every day you find someone as smart and pretty as Elsa. It’s not like I can just open a door and a girl like her will magically appear!”
He swung open the heavy front door to reveal a lovely young girl standing on the porch with her hands on her hips.
She had long dark hair that reached below her shoulders and expressive dark eyes that were rather heavily made up. The petite girl had an attractive if demure figure. She was wearing a purple mini dress with matching hosiery and heels. She also wore a long gold necklace and long dangling earrings. She had a large bag swung across one shoulder and she looked up a Mark Merlin with a rather flirtatious expression on her face.
She said, “Mr. Merlin? My name is Arachne Coffin and I need your help!”
She walked by with a rather sultry walk and sat down on the couch. She opened her bag and pulled out a large book.
Mark closed the door and approached her with interest. He relished his work and even when he could not determine the true nature of a mystery he merely filed it away in what he jokingly called his “question mark file!”
“Miss Coffin, may I ask how you heard of me and my services? I’m rather new here at least!” he said as he sat next to her.
She smiled winningly and he noticed how attractive a girl she truly was. She said, “My uncle is well versed in many subjects. He is a well-travelled philosopher who keeps up to date on any subject of interest. You and your special talents are of interest to…us!”
Mark said, “I will be glad to help. Is this book the source of your problem? I can tell it possesses a magical energy of some type.”
Arachne shook her head.
“Not exactly. This book is not the problem nor is it the source of the threat we face. It merely depicts the nature of that menace. You see within this book a collection of what many consider to be fairy tales; however, we know the tales within really happened in another dimension of magic and wonder. The dilemma we face is that the endings of those stories have been altered so that the villains triumph. The very scene of their conflicts has changed as well as you may see for yourself!” she said as she leaned closer and opened the heavy book across her knees.
Mark frowned as he saw colorful sketches of familiar fairy tale characters like Snow White and Rapunzel but the heroines were violently killed by their foes and the vividly painted scenes placed those battles in a very modern world of skyscrapers and motor cars!
“I don’t understand. These scenes depict what might be called contemporized fables with dark endings. What is their significance?” he asked.
She tossed back her long hair and stared at him with concerned eyes as she reached over and took his hand.
“Mr. Merlin, this book shows proof that someone is using magic from another world to turn this one into a kind of evil fairy tale! The pictures have changed from what they were originally. That means this reality is also changing!” she said.
“What it shows is really happening or will happen here!” she insisted.
Mark said, “I’ve seen stranger things in my time. I have a theory about where this dark magic came from and who caused it. Have you ever heard of the Realm of the Nightshades or the Succubus?”
Arachne said, “Yes! My uncle spoke of the dimension and its former ruler in the past. He didn’t mention this witch when he sent me here.”
Mark said, “The Succubus brought magical energies into our world from her Realm once before. I suspect she is trying to do so again! I know just the person to help us stop her. I have a good friend who is a royal princess of that mystical dimension!”
He grabbed his telephone, dialed a number, and waited.
“No answer. I fear Eve may either be on a mission or in peril!” he said.
Arachne said, “Eve? What does she look like?”
Mark said, “Well, she’s a pretty blonde with long hair and..!”
Arachne stopped him and flipped open the book once more and held up the open pages. The pictures showed a beautiful woman in a lovely ball gown and glasses slippers.
“Is this her?”
Mark gasped and said, “Great Scott! It certainly looks like her!”
Arachne said, “It used have the caption Princess Eve of the Realm. Now, it just says Cinderella!”
Mark said, “Somehow Eve has been trapped in a fairy tale!”
Arachne said, “And she will come to a bad end if we can’t free her!”
Mark said, “We better get to her house fast! My car is outside!”
At that moment Memakata jumped forward and blocked their path.
The black cat glowed a bright green for a moment and then a ghostly figure emerged from within its small frame and loomed up in front of the duo.
“You are not going anywhere!” he declared.
Cloisters, Vermont was a quaint little town in the countryside with a reputation for historic preservation and small shops and comfortable inns that were a pleasant change from the urban sprawl and “box stores” of larger cities. One of the oldest houses in the town rested on a high hill that overlooked the community. Some folks called the address Mystery Hill and the historical old home that sat on the top of crest was known as Mystery Manor although the spacious home was not really a mansion in the classic sense of the word. It was a big house for only one occupant. The new owner sat slumped in a plush chair in the slightly messy library and idly thumbed through a thick book. He smiled up at a row of oil paintings that depicted the original owners of the house going back to colonial times.
He was a smart and handsome man with a good sense of humor and a pleasing demeanor. He grinned again as a black cat jumped up into his lap and sent the book crashing to the worn carpet on the wooden floor.
He smiled at the cat and said, “This house is too big for the two of us!”
The black cat looked up at him and said, “I like it here! I am glad you found it!”
Mark Merlin stroked the talking cat and said, “I do too. I guess I’m just bored. Even being a detective of the supernatural gets dull when no one bothers to hire you. If it wasn’t for the loan Eve gave us I would never have been able to buy this place. I still have to find a way to pay her back. I’d hate to sell the stuff the previous owner accumulated. It all makes me feel closer to my late uncle even if the man who owned this place was not the same person who owned the place on my original earth!”
Mark said, “If anyone heard me they would think I was one ghost short of a haunted house but, you know my story is true. I was born on another parallel earth where my Uncle Mort was a stage magician called the Mighty Merlin. He taught me how to expose frauds who tried to con ordinary people by pretending to have supernatural powers. When my uncle was murdered, I started acting as a mystical detective of sorts. Most of my cases turned out to be clever frauds but some have genuine occult aspects about them. My assistant Elsa helped me through all the weird situations even when I found an ancient charm that enabled me to transfer my mind into the body of a cat. Then things got really bizarre and I became physically and mentally dominated by an arrogant guy named Prince Ra-Man. He died during a cosmic Crisis and I ended up here on another earth not quite exactly like my own. I’m no older than I was back when he first took over my form. I still have the charm and picked up the ability to detect magic after being in contact with him for so long! When I found out there was a Mystery Manor and a Cloister, Vermont on this earth I had to buy the place. I mean, that was exactly where I lived when I was back on my Earth. Finding a replica of the same old house in the same weird little town was a miracle!”
Memakata said, “The fact that my name used to be Faustus and the last owner of this place was not your magician uncle fails to undermine your quest for nostalgia!”
Mark shrugged and said, “Call me sentimental. I like all my talking cats to have the same name. After all, the original Memakata died during the Crisis and you are the closest match to him found on this Earth!”
He continued, “I saw plenty of odd things when I used to travel around investigating and exposing fake wizards and bogus ghouls but being transported to another Earth and basically getting a second chance at life is a strange experience even for me! Naturally, I want to find anything that reminds me of home. At least you and I were befriended by a great girl like Eve Eden!”
He stood up as the cat jumped to the ground and ran over to the door.
“You want to go out? Don’t tell me I’m boring you? Nobody wants to listen to my ramblings!” joked Mark.
Memakata said, “You miss your old assistant don’t you?”
Mark sighed and said, “Yeah, I do. It is not every day you find someone as smart and pretty as Elsa. It’s not like I can just open a door and a girl like her will magically appear!”
He swung open the heavy front door to reveal a lovely young girl standing on the porch with her hands on her hips.
She had long dark hair that reached below her shoulders and expressive dark eyes that were rather heavily made up. The petite girl had an attractive if demure figure. She was wearing a purple mini dress with matching hosiery and heels. She also wore a long gold necklace and long dangling earrings. She had a large bag swung across one shoulder and she looked up a Mark Merlin with a rather flirtatious expression on her face.
She said, “Mr. Merlin? My name is Arachne Coffin and I need your help!”
She walked by with a rather sultry walk and sat down on the couch. She opened her bag and pulled out a large book.
Mark closed the door and approached her with interest. He relished his work and even when he could not determine the true nature of a mystery he merely filed it away in what he jokingly called his “question mark file!”
“Miss Coffin, may I ask how you heard of me and my services? I’m rather new here at least!” he said as he sat next to her.
She smiled winningly and he noticed how attractive a girl she truly was. She said, “My uncle is well versed in many subjects. He is a well-travelled philosopher who keeps up to date on any subject of interest. You and your special talents are of interest to…us!”
Mark said, “I will be glad to help. Is this book the source of your problem? I can tell it possesses a magical energy of some type.”
Arachne shook her head.
“Not exactly. This book is not the problem nor is it the source of the threat we face. It merely depicts the nature of that menace. You see within this book a collection of what many consider to be fairy tales; however, we know the tales within really happened in another dimension of magic and wonder. The dilemma we face is that the endings of those stories have been altered so that the villains triumph. The very scene of their conflicts has changed as well as you may see for yourself!” she said as she leaned closer and opened the heavy book across her knees.
Mark frowned as he saw colorful sketches of familiar fairy tale characters like Snow White and Rapunzel but the heroines were violently killed by their foes and the vividly painted scenes placed those battles in a very modern world of skyscrapers and motor cars!
“I don’t understand. These scenes depict what might be called contemporized fables with dark endings. What is their significance?” he asked.
She tossed back her long hair and stared at him with concerned eyes as she reached over and took his hand.
“Mr. Merlin, this book shows proof that someone is using magic from another world to turn this one into a kind of evil fairy tale! The pictures have changed from what they were originally. That means this reality is also changing!” she said.
“What it shows is really happening or will happen here!” she insisted.
Mark said, “I’ve seen stranger things in my time. I have a theory about where this dark magic came from and who caused it. Have you ever heard of the Realm of the Nightshades or the Succubus?”
Arachne said, “Yes! My uncle spoke of the dimension and its former ruler in the past. He didn’t mention this witch when he sent me here.”
Mark said, “The Succubus brought magical energies into our world from her Realm once before. I suspect she is trying to do so again! I know just the person to help us stop her. I have a good friend who is a royal princess of that mystical dimension!”
He grabbed his telephone, dialed a number, and waited.
“No answer. I fear Eve may either be on a mission or in peril!” he said.
Arachne said, “Eve? What does she look like?”
Mark said, “Well, she’s a pretty blonde with long hair and..!”
Arachne stopped him and flipped open the book once more and held up the open pages. The pictures showed a beautiful woman in a lovely ball gown and glasses slippers.
“Is this her?”
Mark gasped and said, “Great Scott! It certainly looks like her!”
Arachne said, “It used have the caption Princess Eve of the Realm. Now, it just says Cinderella!”
Mark said, “Somehow Eve has been trapped in a fairy tale!”
Arachne said, “And she will come to a bad end if we can’t free her!”
Mark said, “We better get to her house fast! My car is outside!”
At that moment Memakata jumped forward and blocked their path.
The black cat glowed a bright green for a moment and then a ghostly figure emerged from within its small frame and loomed up in front of the duo.
“You are not going anywhere!” he declared.
2
The Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) was not his normally good humored self as he piloted his stylized Bug craft through the air and glanced down at the tenements and back alleys of a neighborhood in decay.
He looked as fit and agile as ever in his blue costume and cowl. He guided the advanced flying vehicle with his customary skill and accuracy and his keen scientific mind routinely made some mental notes for improvements he could add that would enhance its speed. He was as capable as ever and was a worthy and fitting representative of a heroic legacy that dated back to before World War II. He knew his mentor the second man to be called the Blue Beetle was proud of him. He knew his wife Tracey and their child loved him deeply. He was firmly in control of the company his father had left him and the newer labs he had created himself. He had the respect of the action hero community and was a valued member of the famous Sentinels of Justice. In spite of all his blessings and accomplishments, the Blue Beetle was not himself this day. He was both mourning the loss of a friend Booster Gold and he was in search of another : the Question!
“Supernova agreed with my findings. My best pal Booster Gold just vanished into time itself and since he originally came from another era, that’s not hard to believe. What makes it so hard to accept is that I can’t find any trace of when or where he ended up. A while back the legendary Action Hero Wonder Man appeared and helped us and then he also vanished in time. Lord Volt hurled himself and one of our enemies into the time stream as well during that same case. It makes me more determined than ever to find a way to create my own working time machine. In the meantime, my old friend Vic “The Question: Sage told me he was looking into the abduction of some homeless folks from nearby a shelter in this area. I hope I can find him and talk over the whole problem about Booster with him. Vic is a good listener even though he never exactly liked Booster!” he mused.
He adjusted the controls and guided the Bug downward to a rough grassy field that sloped down to a worn old bridge.
“Someone is under that bridge! I can see shadowy figures and sure enough I see the Question! I wish Vic would start wearing his signal device again but he is so independent that he claims to be too busy for active involvement with the team these days!” he thought.
As the Beetle expertly landed the Bug on the field above, the Question was in a battle for his life.
Vic Sage had risked his life for years as the faceless hero known only as the Question. He wore a mask that concealed his facial features and left his identity a secret to any observer. He wore a blue suit and he fought bravely with the raw courage, relentless desire for justice, and simple stubbornness that marked him as a crusading journalist and broadcaster.
He was circling warily as a hulking figure gradually emerged from beneath the shadows of the old bridge.
“I wanted to find out what had happened to those poor people and I sure found the answer even though it makes me sick and angry at the same time! They were eaten by that troll! This is like some bad horror flick! Give me thugs and gang lords any day!” he thought!
The troll was larger than a normal man and its skin was gray and rock-like. It moved slowly but it carried itself with a lethal certainty. It was more than capable of ripping a human in half and of consuming his remains!
The Question darted forward and connected with a series of rapid blows that failed to even slow the monster down. Its stony body was impervious to his human strength.
“I know Nightshade and Vulcan are used to this kind of thing but I’m not. I wonder if this isn’t just one more sign that it is time the Question quit the Sentinels and devoted himself fulltime to cleaning up the gangs and white collar punks who commit normal human crimes!” he mused as he dodged the troll’s outstretched arms.
The Blue Beetle raced forward and blinked in surprise as he saw the odd scene in his path.
“I guess it is what they call a Troll bridge!” he punned as he flipped through the air and landed between the Question and his inhuman foe.
He raised a strange shaped gun in one hand and fired it directly at the troll!
A burst of light blazed from the gun and blinded the monster. It roared in pain and covered its highly sensitive eyes. It could not stand bright light.
As the troll lurched aside the Blue Beetle moved closer and fired the gun again and again!
The brilliant light left the beast dazed and in pain. It roared and lashed out again and again but failed to connect with the agile Beetle.
At that moment the Question who had darted inside the Bug flew forward in his friend’s craft and crashed into the monster.
The troll fell backward into the river itself and sank to the bottom in seconds! It was simply too heavy to swim!
As the Question lowered a ladder to his friend, Blue Beetle swung aboard and said, “I’m glad I taught you how to fly the Bug. You handled it like a pro!”
The Question said, “Yeah, maybe, but I’m not too sure I would have been too successful without your specialized help! I doubt I could have wrestled that thing down!”
The Beetle slid over and took the pilot’s chair as the Question changed positions with him.
“I think you would have found a way. I guess I should say the Question always finds the answer!” he said.
The Question looked at his friend and said, “I think we both know the answer to a creature like that will involve something that requires our friends. This has Nightshade’s home place written all over it!”
The Beetle frowned and said, “She doesn’t respond to my signal and unlike you, she always wears her signal device. I think she may be in trouble. I’m activating an alarm and urging the others to meet us at Eve’s mansion!”
The Question sighed and said, “That sounds like a plan to me. I just hate it that we couldn’t stop that thing before it had killed so many people who already received a bad lot in life!”
The Beetle nodded somberly. His own problems could wait. People needed help. He knew Booster Gold would want it that way too. Beneath his flashy public persona, Booster was a true hero
3
* The duo rode on in silence until they reached the suburban estate of Eve “Nightshade” Eden. The heroine was in fact more than a supremely skilled martial artist and government agent. She was the heiress to a magical kingdom known as the Realm and it was from this mystical dimension that she inherited her birthright of certain powers like the ability to travel through shadows and become a semi-slid shadow herself. That kingdom was now ruled b her brother but the siblings had longed lived in opposition if not fear to a witch known as the Succubus. Any peril from that realm likely involved the powerful and malevolent being who had usurped their rightful rule for many years before Eve deposed her.
Blue Beetle smiled as he saw a silvery figure flying ahead of them.
“Captain Atom’s on the scene! He sure can move! He’s carrying Liberty Belle and Vulcan as well! I guess the five of us can handle this!” he said as he landed behind the Eden mansion. He knew Eve’s father was out of the country and the remote estate was shielded by prying eyes by its isolation and its sheer size.
He referred to their fellow Sentinels of Justice. The Question nodded. He was impressed by Captain Atom’s array of atomic based powers and by his courage but the Question had some misgivings about the military industrial complex and its relation to the common man. He knew Liberty Belle was an ordinary woman who seemingly possessed a talent for almost any task be it physical or mental. She was another patriotic heroine and he shared her loyalty if not her blind devotion to her country. As for Vulcan he was a man of peace gifted by the Olympian gods with super human powers to oppose one of their own namely Mars the god of war. This bizarre origin troubled the Question but he trusted John Mann and shared some of his own views.
As the heroes came together and approached the silent house, Captain Atom said, “ I wager Nightshade’s homeland is the source for the current problem. I’ve heard from some of my contacts that the whole world has been hit by sightings of mythical beings of various types. Our allies in the Union have been fighting a hoard of goblins for example! Belle and I sent Lady Quark, Supernova, and some of the others to try to do their part. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this Fairy Tale War!”
Liberty Belle said, “Last time we visited the Realm, Nightshade’s brother Prince Laredon was safely in charge but some Soviets from another planet similar to Earth had crashed there. They left but could they have somehow freed the Succubus upon arrival?”
Vulcan said, “I was told by my patron Vulcan himself that a magical peril threatens our world but it has no connection to the Olympians. He made it sound as though it was a grave threat.”
The Question said, “I’m tired of these inhuman creeps hurting ordinary folks. They see us all as mere flies to be tormented and cast aside at any whim!”
Vulcan said, “I have seen as much from Mars and his minions but we can’t say all of these powerful beings are equally guilty.”
Blue Beetle whispered, “He didn’t mean anything by it. I think we’re all a bit on edge!”
Before they could cross the long walkway that wound its way toward the front door a harsh braying sound filled the night air and they were attacked by a pack of fierce animals!
Vulcan jumped forward and grappled with two of the snarling beasts and hurled them into one another. He was not going to kill them if he could avoid it.
Liberty Belle spun around and sent one foot into the nearest animal’s skull. She leaped over its falling body and connected with another of the animals as it revealed its fangs
The Question said, “What are these things? Wolves? Wild dogs?”
The All-American Girl shook her head and rammed one knee into another beast.
“Jackals! They’re jackals!” she said.
Blue Beetle aimed his special gun after adjusting it so that it emitted a tightly focused blast of compressed air.
“I don’t recall any fairy tales about jackals!” he said.
Captain Atom shrugged as he used his own super strength to gather and then stun the remaining jackals.
“I suppose they figure prominently in the Egyptian version of Red Riding Hood!”
They entered the Eden home and made their way into the sprawling house. They were all worried about Nightshade. She was incredibly capable but she was loved by them all and they knew exactly how much hatred the Succubus had for the woman.
Captain Atom said, “If that fiend has hurt her…!”
“Would you be referring to me?” said a sibilant voice from within a darkened room. They entered to see a sultry woman sitting upon a throne. She was lovely in an inhuman way. Her figure was flawless as was her face but her expression reflected true evil and her skin was almost translucently pale. Strange zebra-like stripes decorated her white body and her platinum hair reached to her hips and was marked by one stark black streak.
“The Succubus! We knew you were behind this! What have you done with Eve?” demanded Blue Beetle.
“I prefer to be known by my real name Malevanna the Night Queen! After all we are old friends are not? None of you call yourselves Mortal so why should I merely be known by what I am and not who I am?” she said with a laugh.
“As for your so-called knowledge, did it ever occur to you, Azure Knight that you came here so quickly because I wanted you to do so?” she said. “I placed the clues within your feeble minds!”
“We thought you were dead or lost forever!” said the Question. “We should have known better. Your kind never dies!”
She crossed her legs and smiled flirtatiously. “I am immortal unlike your frail species but you do make wonderful playthings! Look, for example, and my most cherished doll! Isn’t she lovely?”
She gestured toward a crystalline coffin in which a beautiful blonde lay in a deathlike sleep.
“Eve!” cried Captain Atom as he rushed forward only to be blocked by several snarling wolves that appeared out of the shadows.
“Do not worry, Fiery Knight, your Fair Damsel merely slumbers as befits her Beauty! She will only awaken when and if my spell is broken! It is her sleeping mind that is my power source in this odd world of yours for I have been shut out of my native Realm!” she said.
“Sleeping Beauty! She’s turned Eve into Sleeping Beauty!” gasped Liberty Belle.
Vulcan raised his sword and said, “We shall liberate her! Even you can’t stop us all!”
The Night Queen shimmied on the throne in mock delight.
“Oh really? Well, it is certainly fortunate for me that I am not alone!” She clapped her hands together and laughed girlishly as the lights brightened to reveal two other thrones on each side of her own.
The throne on the left held a beautiful woman with long black hair and a sultry demeanor. She wore a scarlet halter top and a rather filmy sarong with golden sandals and ornate jewels.
The throne on the right held a sexy woman with dark skin and seductive eyes. She was Egyptian and wore a gemstone encrusted tiara along with her shimmering jewels and a revealing white gown. She had a more languid manner than the other two women but her eyes and her cruel smile revealed a more powerful intellect.
The first woman smiled at the others and said, “Fear us, mortals. We, Queens of Evil, have united! You may threaten one of us but by doing so, you will merely provoke retaliation from the other two. I shall act on my sister-queen’s behalf. You say we can not stop you all? Well, then, you shall simply no longer exist then! Such is the will and the way of Queen Nagana!”
The heroes faded from view and silence filled the room.
She laughed as a curtain fell aside to reveal a full length mirror. The mirror did not reflect the now vanished heroes. It contained other shadowy figures that stepped out of the glass to confront them.
A handsome man in a red and gold costume with a red sunburst emblem on his chest stepped out of the magical glass and smiled coldly. He had blond hair and wore a gold cape and matching boots.
“We have no need of a Captain Atom when we have an enslaved Atoman!” said Nagana.
“Ragman is the answer to the Question!” said a man in a torn and dirty suit and fedora. His face was concealed behind a thin gauze fabric that came down from his hat over his face.
A blonde in a brief red, white and blue dress and boots posed defiantly and said, “Yankee Girl will leave Liberty Belle seeing stars …and stripes!”
A burly man in a yellow and black costume smiled arrogantly. “The Yellowjacket will sting the Blue Beetle to death!”
Finally, a muscular man wearing little more than a Greek tunic and sandals said, “Vulcan? He can not best the Earth-born might of Antaeus!”
Queen Nagana said, “Now, the heroes are no more and in their places, we have our slaves! They will stop any other would be knights errant and our Sleeping Pretty will fuel our magical conquest of this land!”
The third woman smiled and revealed brilliant white teeth and ruby lips
“Well done! As for you, Queen Nagana, we shall restore you to your own proper throne!” she said.
The Night Queen said, “Exactly, Queen Evila, and you shall hold sway over the gods themselves with our help!”
The three women laughed with pleasure as an enchanted Eve Eden played the new role of Sleeping Beauty.
The duo rode on in silence until they reached the suburban estate of Eve “Nightshade” Eden. The heroine was in fact more than a supremely skilled martial artist and government agent. She was the heiress to a magical kingdom known as the Realm and it was from this mystical dimension that she inherited her birthright of certain powers like the ability to travel through shadows and become a semi-slid shadow herself. That kingdom was now ruled b her brother but the siblings had longed lived in opposition if not fear to a witch known as the Succubus. Any peril from that realm likely involved the powerful and malevolent being who had usurped their rightful rule for many years before Eve deposed her.
Blue Beetle smiled as he saw a silvery figure flying ahead of them.
“Captain Atom’s on the scene! He sure can move! He’s carrying Liberty Belle and Vulcan as well! I guess the five of us can handle this!” he said as he landed behind the Eden mansion. He knew Eve’s father was out of the country and the remote estate was shielded by prying eyes by its isolation and its sheer size.
He referred to their fellow Sentinels of Justice. The Question nodded. He was impressed by Captain Atom’s array of atomic based powers and by his courage but the Question had some misgivings about the military industrial complex and its relation to the common man. He knew Liberty Belle was an ordinary woman who seemingly possessed a talent for almost any task be it physical or mental. She was another patriotic heroine and he shared her loyalty if not her blind devotion to her country. As for Vulcan he was a man of peace gifted by the Olympian gods with super human powers to oppose one of their own namely Mars the god of war. This bizarre origin troubled the Question but he trusted John Mann and shared some of his own views.
As the heroes came together and approached the silent house, Captain Atom said, “ I wager Nightshade’s homeland is the source for the current problem. I’ve heard from some of my contacts that the whole world has been hit by sightings of mythical beings of various types. Our allies in the Union have been fighting a hoard of goblins for example! Belle and I sent Lady Quark, Supernova, and some of the others to try to do their part. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this Fairy Tale War!”
Liberty Belle said, “Last time we visited the Realm, Nightshade’s brother Prince Laredon was safely in charge but some Soviets from another planet similar to Earth had crashed there. They left but could they have somehow freed the Succubus upon arrival?”
Vulcan said, “I was told by my patron Vulcan himself that a magical peril threatens our world but it has no connection to the Olympians. He made it sound as though it was a grave threat.”
The Question said, “I’m tired of these inhuman creeps hurting ordinary folks. They see us all as mere flies to be tormented and cast aside at any whim!”
Vulcan said, “I have seen as much from Mars and his minions but we can’t say all of these powerful beings are equally guilty.”
Blue Beetle whispered, “He didn’t mean anything by it. I think we’re all a bit on edge!”
Before they could cross the long walkway that wound its way toward the front door a harsh braying sound filled the night air and they were attacked by a pack of fierce animals!
Vulcan jumped forward and grappled with two of the snarling beasts and hurled them into one another. He was not going to kill them if he could avoid it.
Liberty Belle spun around and sent one foot into the nearest animal’s skull. She leaped over its falling body and connected with another of the animals as it revealed its fangs
The Question said, “What are these things? Wolves? Wild dogs?”
The All-American Girl shook her head and rammed one knee into another beast.
“Jackals! They’re jackals!” she said.
Blue Beetle aimed his special gun after adjusting it so that it emitted a tightly focused blast of compressed air.
“I don’t recall any fairy tales about jackals!” he said.
Captain Atom shrugged as he used his own super strength to gather and then stun the remaining jackals.
“I suppose they figure prominently in the Egyptian version of Red Riding Hood!”
They entered the Eden home and made their way into the sprawling house. They were all worried about Nightshade. She was incredibly capable but she was loved by them all and they knew exactly how much hatred the Succubus had for the woman.
Captain Atom said, “If that fiend has hurt her…!”
“Would you be referring to me?” said a sibilant voice from within a darkened room. They entered to see a sultry woman sitting upon a throne. She was lovely in an inhuman way. Her figure was flawless as was her face but her expression reflected true evil and her skin was almost translucently pale. Strange zebra-like stripes decorated her white body and her platinum hair reached to her hips and was marked by one stark black streak.
“The Succubus! We knew you were behind this! What have you done with Eve?” demanded Blue Beetle.
“I prefer to be known by my real name Malevanna the Night Queen! After all we are old friends are not? None of you call yourselves Mortal so why should I merely be known by what I am and not who I am?” she said with a laugh.
“As for your so-called knowledge, did it ever occur to you, Azure Knight that you came here so quickly because I wanted you to do so?” she said. “I placed the clues within your feeble minds!”
“We thought you were dead or lost forever!” said the Question. “We should have known better. Your kind never dies!”
She crossed her legs and smiled flirtatiously. “I am immortal unlike your frail species but you do make wonderful playthings! Look, for example, and my most cherished doll! Isn’t she lovely?”
She gestured toward a crystalline coffin in which a beautiful blonde lay in a deathlike sleep.
“Eve!” cried Captain Atom as he rushed forward only to be blocked by several snarling wolves that appeared out of the shadows.
“Do not worry, Fiery Knight, your Fair Damsel merely slumbers as befits her Beauty! She will only awaken when and if my spell is broken! It is her sleeping mind that is my power source in this odd world of yours for I have been shut out of my native Realm!” she said.
“Sleeping Beauty! She’s turned Eve into Sleeping Beauty!” gasped Liberty Belle.
Vulcan raised his sword and said, “We shall liberate her! Even you can’t stop us all!”
The Night Queen shimmied on the throne in mock delight.
“Oh really? Well, it is certainly fortunate for me that I am not alone!” She clapped her hands together and laughed girlishly as the lights brightened to reveal two other thrones on each side of her own.
The throne on the left held a beautiful woman with long black hair and a sultry demeanor. She wore a scarlet halter top and a rather filmy sarong with golden sandals and ornate jewels.
The throne on the right held a sexy woman with dark skin and seductive eyes. She was Egyptian and wore a gemstone encrusted tiara along with her shimmering jewels and a revealing white gown. She had a more languid manner than the other two women but her eyes and her cruel smile revealed a more powerful intellect.
The first woman smiled at the others and said, “Fear us, mortals. We, Queens of Evil, have united! You may threaten one of us but by doing so, you will merely provoke retaliation from the other two. I shall act on my sister-queen’s behalf. You say we can not stop you all? Well, then, you shall simply no longer exist then! Such is the will and the way of Queen Nagana!”
The heroes faded from view and silence filled the room.
She laughed as a curtain fell aside to reveal a full length mirror. The mirror did not reflect the now vanished heroes. It contained other shadowy figures that stepped out of the glass to confront them.
A handsome man in a red and gold costume with a red sunburst emblem on his chest stepped out of the magical glass and smiled coldly. He had blond hair and wore a gold cape and matching boots.
“We have no need of a Captain Atom when we have an enslaved Atoman!” said Nagana.
“Ragman is the answer to the Question!” said a man in a torn and dirty suit and fedora. His face was concealed behind a thin gauze fabric that came down from his hat over his face.
A blonde in a brief red, white and blue dress and boots posed defiantly and said, “Yankee Girl will leave Liberty Belle seeing stars …and stripes!”
A burly man in a yellow and black costume smiled arrogantly. “The Yellowjacket will sting the Blue Beetle to death!”
Finally, a muscular man wearing little more than a Greek tunic and sandals said, “Vulcan? He can not best the Earth-born might of Antaeus!”
Queen Nagana said, “Now, the heroes are no more and in their places, we have our slaves! They will stop any other would be knights errant and our Sleeping Pretty will fuel our magical conquest of this land!”
The third woman smiled and revealed brilliant white teeth and ruby lips
“Well done! As for you, Queen Nagana, we shall restore you to your own proper throne!” she said.
The Night Queen said, “Exactly, Queen Evila, and you shall hold sway over the gods themselves with our help!”
The three women laughed with pleasure as an enchanted Eve Eden played the new role of Sleeping Beauty.
4
In a cavern on a lonely mountain peak in Tibet, four people sat around a simple table and listened intently as a fifth man spoke in a measured tone of voice.
He was a handsome man with a blond beard and he gazed at most of his audience with affection and interest. This was fitting since three of the four listeners were his family in many ways.
Peter Cannon had been a hero known as the Thunderbolt but he had passed this more active role and all it demanded to his adopted son Paul in order to continue the meditative studies that had preoccupied much of his time in reason years.
Paul Cannon was a Chinese man in his twenties. He wore a red and blue costume and held a small black domino mask in one hand as he listened closely to his father. He admired and loved him more than anyone else and valued anything the elder Cannon had to offer as far as advice was concerned.
Next to Paul sat a lovely woman of Indian origin. She had long black hair and a pretty face. She was dressed for outdoor activities but maintained a certain style no matter how she was dressed. Her name was Priya Singh and her physician father sat next to her. Dr. Tabu Singh had always been the elder Cannon’s best friend. A back injury had slowed him down in recent months but he was doing better now and relished being back in Tibet with his old friend.
The final audience member was an American in a heavy coat and jeans. He was interested in everything as well but he also marveled at what he saw and heard. Tom Falcon was new to the life of an Action Hero and while he had inherited certain remarkable powers from his own father Phillip Flip Falcon’s exposure to certain other dimensional energies, he was in no way comfortable with the exotic or the dangerous.
Peter gestured to the walls of the cavern which contained crystalline sections that depicted moving scenes like television monitors or magic mirrors from a fairy tale. In truth the cavern had passageways that existed beyond time and space and Peter knew that various eras could be viewed or even accessed through these portals.
He said, “This time together has been wonderful but we were meant to be here for reasons beyond mere fellowship. Old evils are stirring once more in the outer world and my old friends in the Sentinels of Justice have only now been targeted by the powerful forces arrayed against us. They have been displaced from time by dark magic and not even these portals will enable us to do more than watch their plight. We can’t reach them. Can’t is not a word I like to use but it applies in this instance.”
Tabu said, “And yet? I know you too well to accept that you do not have a plan!”
Peter smiled and said, “Yes, I do have an idea. My friends like Vulcan have been forcibly teleported into a type of limbo not entirely unlike this cavern itself but different enough to make getting to them difficult. The magic that put them in this limbo makes it impossible for ordinary time travelers to reach them but through careful study of the situation I have found a possible solution!”
Priya said, “Dad was right. You always find a way!”
Peter said, “The only people who may reach these heroes who have been displaced in time and space are other heroes who have been similarly shifted from their rightful eras under similar circumstances. How they came to be displaced is something I have failed to discern but we may use them to free my friends! I was displaced in time before and I can reach them. I plan to enlist other time displaced heroes to aide me!”
Paul said, “So how do we find these lucky few?”
Priya said, “We might as well call them history’s heroes for lack of a more precise term!”
Peter nodded and said, “Mr. Falcon may reach them and they in turn may join me in reaching my lost friends!”
Falcon stood up and said, “What? You must be joking! I know my father invented a 4-dimensional machine and my body contains some of its powerful energies but I don’t know how they work. I sent some bad guys away with some kind of mental help from Paul but even so I can’t find these strangers throughout time or space!”
Paul said, “My father knows what he’s doing. He is wise and he is valiant. You must be so as well! Remember, you didn’t even know you had those other dimensional energies at your disposal until we helped you tap into them. We can do it again!”
Tom said, “I will try but this is all new to me! I owe you that much since you saved my life, Paul!”
Paul said, “It will be well. Trust us and trust yourself!”
Peter said, “Sit down and breathe deeply. I will help you. The latent energies within your body will enable you to travel through space and time and my own force of will will guide you to the proper destinations my own studies have enabled me to locate!”
Tom nodded and obeyed his friend’s father He calmed down slowly and listened as the elder Cannon spoke softly and helped him visualize certain locales! A nimbus of energy began to flicker around his body and then he vanished!
1876
The Arizona Territory was rugged in more ways than one. The terrain was unspoiled and dangerous. That was obvious to the men who rode down a narrow canyon trail on weary horses. The fact that these outlaws had abducted a young woman who even now glanced helplessly around in search of any sign of escape made it equally clear that the perils of the land were not limited to natural predators.
A man in a dirty cowboy hat wiped his bearded face and grinned as he received a bottle from the gaunt man who rode nearest to his horse on the winding trail.
“The banker will pay us plenty for the return of his wife and after we get the ransom we can disappear in these canyons before the law can even reach us!” he gloated.
The young woman looked frightened and tired- weary in mind and body!
A third outlaw laughed at her fearful expression.
“You can’t get away so you better just get used to our company!” he said with a leer
“You might find out that we’re good company!” he added.
“I’d say the lady already knows that you are a pack of unwashed coyotes!” declared a newcomer who suddenly loomed up in front of them on a sleek black horse. He was dressed from head to toe in midnight black and he wore a mask and hat of the same color.
“The Black Rider! I thought he was a just a folktale!” said the first kidnapper as he drew his gun only to cry out in pain as the masked man shot it out of his hand!
The Black Rider aimed his gun at the second outlaw and swiftly disarmed him with the same amazing show of dexterity that had left the first criminal wounded and dazed!
The final kidnapper held the young woman around the throat and said, “You are fast and you’re accurate but can you shoot me without hitting this little lady? I doubt that, masked man!”
“I won’t need to. My partner will take care of you!” he said.
The thug laughed harshly. “We’re in a canyon. Ain’t nobody behind us on this trail and anybody with you sure can’t get closer without taking a bullet!” he declared.
“Really? You don’t know my friend very well!” said the Black Rider.
At that moment a graceful and dramatic figure appeared as if from out of the blinding sun above and swooped down to rip the outlaw off his horse and away from his captive. The entire act had occurred so swiftly that he had not had a chance to even close his finger on the gun’s trigger.
The flying man was bare chested and wore a brown pants and boots. His cloak swelled out from around his neck like the wings of a vast bird. He had long black hair which he wore swept back from his shoulders like the plumage of an avian.
He punched the startled outlaw and knocked him cold with one blow.
By this time the Black Rider and reached the captive and was offering her reassuring words.
“You are safe now, miss! Birdman and I will take you back to your family!” he said.
He waved to the flying Native American who smiled in return.
Moments later Tom Falcon materialized on the trail and said, “I need your help. You’ve done a lot of good here but the two of you aren’t from this era. You both came from the 1940’s. Something plucked you from that era to this one where you’ve become legends. My friends and I need your help. Will you come with me?” he said.
The Western heroes nodded slowly. They had forgotten that they originated in the 1940s and something about seeing this man from their future and hearing his claims began to awaken their own clouded memories of life in another era!
They vanished in a moment leaving only a very confused young woman behind. She thought about swooning but since there was no one around to help, she merely turned her horse around and galloped back toward the safety of town.
The stunned outlaws remained alone on the burning desert sands.
1910
Richard Warwick appeared to be a rather ordinary if handsome and old fashioned young man. He was well-liked in the small English village in which he lived. He kept his small home tidy and his gardens were lovely. He sang well and often at church and was viewed by the mothers of the community as a perfect catch for their eligible daughters. He apparently had some modest private income and spent his time reading, writing, gardening, or exercising his horse across the fields that lay beyond the village green.
One day as Richard was riding along that particular field, a bizarre apparition appeared before him.
He reigned in his horse and stared in disbelief. He was startled merely because the man had appeared in his pathway. Had he taken the time to analyze his reaction, he would have realized that the basic concept of a man appearing out of thin air didn’t really faze him on some level. Beneath clouded memories, Richard Warwick could have recalled encounters with magic, monsters, and wonders that would have shocked his friends in the village he so loved.
“Sir Richard of Warwick. You do not belong here. You were plucked from your proper era of 1189 where you were the legendary Crusader known as the Golden Knight. Your courage, skill, and good right hand are needed once more! Will you join me?” asked Tom Falcon even as he marveled at how Peter Cannon had effortlessly provided him with the right words and all the data he needed to recruit this time tossed champions!
Sir Richard nodded and said, “I shall aid you… thee!”
1692
Salem Town
A bare tree loomed over the crowded town square like an ominous bird of prey. Onlookers awaiting the hanging may have felt different emotions but their grim demeanors failed to reveal the extent of their true feelings. No one protested and no one tried to defend the condemned woman who was now standing beneath the tree on a small wooden platform with a noose drawn around her throat.
“Mistress Sarah Benson, ye hath been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. Ye hath refused to explain your actions and witnesses agree that ye hath displayed strange abilities that no normal woman could possess without unholy bargaining. Say ye nothing at this time?” demanded a stern looking man.
Even had she not been on the platform, the young woman would have stood taller than any of the men present. She was beautiful with long blonde hair now covered by a bonnet. She wore a plain brown dress and she glared at the crowd with no sign of fear.
As the platform was shoved aside she swung forward and…hovered in midair. She ripped the noose away from her throat and descended to the ground as the crowd roared with confusion and fear.
One defiant man rushed forward with a pitchfork and gasped as it shattered to pieces against the woman’s chest.
She seemed surprised but not frightened. At that moment Tom Falcon appeared and as he had in the past, he approached his target and said, “You have super powers because you come from another planet. You are no witch but you are also more than Sarah Benson. You are Astra the Wonder Girl and you come from the future where you were a member of a heroic assembly called the Solar Legion!”
She blinked slowly and then ripped off her dress to reveal a red blouse and very short blue pleated skirt.
“I remember! By the stars! I was hurled to this era and lost my memory after an explosion! What happened to my allies?” she said.
Tom said, “I don’t know. A friend of mine only knew this much by seeing a glimpse of what will be the distant future from our perspective! He may be able to tell you more. Will you join me?”
Astra stomped one bare foot against the ground and smiled with satisfaction as an earthquake sent the crowd tumbling to the ground.
She flew skyward with Tom as they vanished!
1944
Rod Page jumped in front of his pretty blonde secretary as the thugs they had been trailing closed in on them.
The muscular man sailed into his foes with his customary skill and abandon. He clipped one with an upper cut and ducked under the second man’s punch to connect with one of his own.
Arlene Stenzel ran forward and kicked the final crook in the knee. He bellowed in pain and staggered to one side in time for her boss to lunge forward and knock him flat.
“We may not have found their hideout but we sure showed them a thing or two!” he said as he pushed his dark hair into place.
Arlene smiled and adjusted her pillbox hat. “You were super, Rod!
Rod frowned as a newcomer stepped out of the shadows.
“Okay, you Mug! I see you! Don’t try hiding!” he said.
Tom Falcon raised both hands in a placating gesture.
“Rod and Arlene, you don’t belong in this era. You come from the year 2042. I know you have a costume beneath your suit but even your Red Rocket action hero identity is just a faint reflection of the real you. You are scientific adventurers from the future!” he said.
Rod nodded and said, “Yeah! I remember some of it now. I was coloring my hair even for some reason. Someone didn’t want me to know my real identity. He took his wrist watch and pried open the cover.
He twisted on the dial and a hum echoed through the air.
“Arlene, the Blue Bullet is nearby. Whoever gave us amnesia and dumped us here didn’t take my rocket away!” he said with a grin.
Arlene nodded and looked down at her outfit in dismay.
“I can’t believe our ancestors dressed like this. So much material!” she said with a frown.
Tom said, “I need you both. Will you join me and let me explain?”
Red Rocket said, “You got a deal, pal!”
Moments later, Tom found himself aboard a small blue spacecraft with the assembled and now equipped heroes of history and Peter Cannon himself aboard. Cannon wore a version of his own red and blue action hero costume.
“ I was able to determine all of you were displaced in time. I have never known who did it to you or why it happened. I only know the circumstance makes you able to do something no one else could do. I need you to join me in invading a timeless limbo in order to rescue some heroes and face a villain. Together, I know we can, we must, and we will triumph!” he said.
They cheered in response and together following some instinct that his long study of ancient scrolls of wisdom and power had given him the original Thunderbolt directed Red Rocket who in turn piloted his ship through the void of space and time- empowered by Tom Falcon who rested both hands on the control panel and breathed slowly as he followed Peter’s meditation instructions. His own 4-D energies would fuel the Blue Bullet rocket and grant it the power to reach the limbo where danger awaited them all.
5
*
Mark Merlin stepped protectively in front of Arachne Coffin as the green hued apparition emerged from within Memakata the magical cat. The small black cat jumped away the ghostly image shimmered in mid-air before becoming less bright and more humanoid in appearance. It changed shape until it became a rather noble looking man with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a look of benign wisdom on his face. He wore a long robe with certain exotic glyphs decorating the front and sleeves.
“I said you must not seek the source of the magical creatures that have invaded your realm and in doing so have changed the endings of your fairy tales! That threat will be resolved but a more pressing danger requires your actions or all shall be lost!” he said.
Mark said, “Who are you? What were you doing in my cat?”
The man said, “I am known as Kalkor, Priest of Isis. For eons I have battled Nagana, Queen of Evil. She is an ancient temptress who acquired dark magic out of her jealousy of the goddess Isis! She has often plagued me over the years since we first met in ancient Thebes. I have lost most of my former power and could only reach you by temporarily using these cat’s magical nature as a medium of communication! Mark Merlin, as I said, while the book Arachne Coffin brought to you indeed alerted you to how reality has been altered, another danger requires your personal intervention. I am nearly spent in energy and in time. I shall soon walk this world no longer. I may only warn you to go to Thebes where you must free Cairo and liberate the Sun!”
He vanished and Arachne whistled softly.
“Heavy!” she said.
Mark Merlin scooped up his cat and said, “Come on. I trust him. He spoke with all the conviction of a man who is facing his own mortality. I’ll see you to safety and then I have to go to Thebes and somehow figure out what he meant by the rest of his message!”
Arachne picked up her book and bag and said, “Really? What place is safe with those fairy tale fiends on the loose? I think you might need my help. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet!”
Mark nodded and said, “Very well. I have a plane at the airport a few miles outside of town. We better hurry if we are going to reach Thebes in time but how do we free Cairo and liberate the son? Who is the son?”
Arachne said, “He mentioned that he was a priest of Isis. Thebes was a center of worship for Isis. In Egyptian mythology the sun god was personified and not merely an abstract concept. I think he meant s.u.n. not s.o.n!”
As the odd couple and the magical cat hurried down the rickety steps of the front porch, they walked by a newly delivered newspaper. Had they opened it they would have noticed a photo of a stunningly beautiful woman in a designer business suit. Below the picture was a caption that read “ Super model turned industrialist Cairo De Frey missing according to corporate spokesman.’
As they hurried toward Merlin’s car, neither took the time to notice how cold it was or how strangely dim the sun was.
Hours later Mark Merlin and Arachne Coffin found themselves in an environment that looked like a scene from an old fashion sword and sandals epic. Thebes had been transformed in every way as had its occupants. The modern buildings had been replaced with tents or ancient looking structures with ornate columns and heavily stylized hieroglyphics. Cars had been replaced with chariots and camels and the occupants were dressed in the robes and tunics of a long lost era.
Above the city forum a towering palace dominated the view even in a darkening sky. A chill filled the air in the normally temperate climate.
“Some kind of magic has turned back time itself. This is Thebes as it was not as is should be. I suppose that same magical spell might account for how dark it is and how cold everything feels!” said Arachne.
Merlin nodded. He had the power to detect magic but with the entire community under enchantment, his keen senses were almost nullified. There was simply too much eldritch energy around him for him to make sense of the situation.
He said, “That palace has to be the center of the problem. Look at that statue!”
He pointed to a massive statue that stood 100 feet tall! It depicted a beautiful woman with a cruel smile and wicked but seductive eyes. She was dressed in a revealing sarong and sandals and her hands were resting on her hips in a strikingly modern gesture of superiority.
Arachne said, “I do believe we are looking at Nagana, Queen of Evil herself! She does do things in a big way!”
Mark agreed and said, “We have one chance to get inside unseen. Will you do what I ask? It will require a change if clothing and put you in danger!”
Arachne grinned and said, “Well, when you ask so nicely how can a girl refuse?”
Moments later, Arachne Coffin, dressed in the brief costume of an ancient slave girl, carried Memakata into the palace. A veil covered her face and she whispered to the cat as she walked by rows of stolid looking guards.
“It is amazing how your body just disappeared when you transferred your mind into the cat’s body! Where does his mind go?” she asked.
Mark, within the talking cat, made no reply. He was busy studying the bizarre scene. For every detail that was historically correct, he could detect others that were so wrong. Clearly, Nagana had adopted some later customs or décor during her eons at large in the world.
He also felt something…. Some stirring that led him toward a more potent source of magic than that which saturated the altered city beyond the palace.
“Take me into that room off to the far left. It looks like some kind of dungeon!” he said softly.
They descended to a dank area without guards but lined with locked doors and an atmosphere of gloom and despair.
He jumped out of Arachne’s arms and his normal body materialized as he willed it to be so. He said, “Something or someone in that cell is suffused with magic!” he said.
Arachne smiled and held up a small pronged tool.
“Allow me. I can pick the lock. My uncle taught me how it is done!” she said.
As she opened the heavy door, Mark marveled at the girl’s courage and skill.
“My uncle taught me as well since he was a stage magician but I will defer to her. She is an amazing girl. I thought I’d have to do something I’d rather not do to secure her disguise but she decked a slave girl before I could even make a suggestion!” he mused.
Within the darkened cell a lovely woman with long flowing black hair, sultry if sad eyes, and a world famous figure was chained to the wall.
“I know her! She’s that supermodel who dated that British football star! Cairo! Yeah, Cairo DeFrey is her name!” yelled Arachne. “I had one of her skirts. It cost a fortunate!”
Mark said “Liberate Cairo! I’d say my magic sense proved accurate. This Cairo must be the Cairo we are to liberate!”
He said, ‘Don’t be scared. I’m Mark Merlin. This is my assistant Arachne. We are going to help get you out of here!”
As they pried open the chains, the prisoner fell forward and thanked them profusely.
“I am so confused. I thought the world of modeling was cutthroat then I found out how dangerous international finance could be when I inherited my father’s multi-national company. Neither of those experiences prepared me for this. A mad woman appeared in my private suite and said I was her most hated foe and she would make me sorry for all she had suffered!” said Cairo.
Arachne said, “Isis! Nagana hated Isis according to Kalkor! She must see you as the descendent of the Egyptian goddess!”
Cairo said, “I don’t know anything about that old nonsense. I am a modern woman. My name is Cairo but I left Egypt as a child. I grew up in France for heaven’s sake!”
They hurried out of the cell and Merlin frowned as he noticed Memakata was clawing futilely at another cell door.
“He wants us to open the door!” he said.
“Kalkor is in there! His physical body has been locked in that cold, dark cell for far too long! I sensed him since his being in me before gave me some kind of connection to him!” announced the talking cat.
Cairo blinked in surprise. “A talking cat! Will this nightmare never end!”
Merlin managed to open the cell door and sure enough a frail but very real Kalkor emerged.
“Thank Isis! She held me within that jail for so long that almost all my energies were required merely to project that mystical sending to your home! Cats were always sacred to my goddess and you have proven to be a boon to me now!” he said as he picked up Memakata.
He said, “We can undo this spell by shattering the Sands of Time! It is a magical hourglass Nagana was given by Queen Evila. She used it to turn back time itself and restore her version of our ancient homeland. I fear the only way to do so is to first face down the Queen of Evil herself!”
Suddenly as smoke swelled around them they were teleported into a huge throne room where Nagana herself- the living embodiment of the massive statue beyond the palace, reclined on an ornate divan.
“And now face me, you shall! I have long awaited a final battle with you, old foe! Your mortal pawns will enjoy the talents of my royal torturers. Oh, and the daughter of Isis will receive my personal attentions once you are no more!” said the Queen of Evil.
Cairo said, “I am not Isis! I’m a businesswoman!”
Kalkor said, “You could never have accomplished all this on your own! Queen Evila enabled you achieve this mad triumph. It was your shared might that brought me down!’
Queen Nagana sat up and smiled with malice.
“My sister-queens aided me but rest assured that when I no long need their powers to enhance my own, I shall slay them both!”
She clapped her hands and guards rushed into the room from all sides.
Merlin drew back his fist and prepared to fight for his life.
He glanced upward at an open window and saw a weird sight. The sun was fully eclipsed!
“Free the sun? I can’t even free myself!” he thought grimly.
Mark Merlin stepped protectively in front of Arachne Coffin as the green hued apparition emerged from within Memakata the magical cat. The small black cat jumped away the ghostly image shimmered in mid-air before becoming less bright and more humanoid in appearance. It changed shape until it became a rather noble looking man with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a look of benign wisdom on his face. He wore a long robe with certain exotic glyphs decorating the front and sleeves.
“I said you must not seek the source of the magical creatures that have invaded your realm and in doing so have changed the endings of your fairy tales! That threat will be resolved but a more pressing danger requires your actions or all shall be lost!” he said.
Mark said, “Who are you? What were you doing in my cat?”
The man said, “I am known as Kalkor, Priest of Isis. For eons I have battled Nagana, Queen of Evil. She is an ancient temptress who acquired dark magic out of her jealousy of the goddess Isis! She has often plagued me over the years since we first met in ancient Thebes. I have lost most of my former power and could only reach you by temporarily using these cat’s magical nature as a medium of communication! Mark Merlin, as I said, while the book Arachne Coffin brought to you indeed alerted you to how reality has been altered, another danger requires your personal intervention. I am nearly spent in energy and in time. I shall soon walk this world no longer. I may only warn you to go to Thebes where you must free Cairo and liberate the Sun!”
He vanished and Arachne whistled softly.
“Heavy!” she said.
Mark Merlin scooped up his cat and said, “Come on. I trust him. He spoke with all the conviction of a man who is facing his own mortality. I’ll see you to safety and then I have to go to Thebes and somehow figure out what he meant by the rest of his message!”
Arachne picked up her book and bag and said, “Really? What place is safe with those fairy tale fiends on the loose? I think you might need my help. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet!”
Mark nodded and said, “Very well. I have a plane at the airport a few miles outside of town. We better hurry if we are going to reach Thebes in time but how do we free Cairo and liberate the son? Who is the son?”
Arachne said, “He mentioned that he was a priest of Isis. Thebes was a center of worship for Isis. In Egyptian mythology the sun god was personified and not merely an abstract concept. I think he meant s.u.n. not s.o.n!”
As the odd couple and the magical cat hurried down the rickety steps of the front porch, they walked by a newly delivered newspaper. Had they opened it they would have noticed a photo of a stunningly beautiful woman in a designer business suit. Below the picture was a caption that read “ Super model turned industrialist Cairo De Frey missing according to corporate spokesman.’
As they hurried toward Merlin’s car, neither took the time to notice how cold it was or how strangely dim the sun was.
Hours later Mark Merlin and Arachne Coffin found themselves in an environment that looked like a scene from an old fashion sword and sandals epic. Thebes had been transformed in every way as had its occupants. The modern buildings had been replaced with tents or ancient looking structures with ornate columns and heavily stylized hieroglyphics. Cars had been replaced with chariots and camels and the occupants were dressed in the robes and tunics of a long lost era.
Above the city forum a towering palace dominated the view even in a darkening sky. A chill filled the air in the normally temperate climate.
“Some kind of magic has turned back time itself. This is Thebes as it was not as is should be. I suppose that same magical spell might account for how dark it is and how cold everything feels!” said Arachne.
Merlin nodded. He had the power to detect magic but with the entire community under enchantment, his keen senses were almost nullified. There was simply too much eldritch energy around him for him to make sense of the situation.
He said, “That palace has to be the center of the problem. Look at that statue!”
He pointed to a massive statue that stood 100 feet tall! It depicted a beautiful woman with a cruel smile and wicked but seductive eyes. She was dressed in a revealing sarong and sandals and her hands were resting on her hips in a strikingly modern gesture of superiority.
Arachne said, “I do believe we are looking at Nagana, Queen of Evil herself! She does do things in a big way!”
Mark agreed and said, “We have one chance to get inside unseen. Will you do what I ask? It will require a change if clothing and put you in danger!”
Arachne grinned and said, “Well, when you ask so nicely how can a girl refuse?”
Moments later, Arachne Coffin, dressed in the brief costume of an ancient slave girl, carried Memakata into the palace. A veil covered her face and she whispered to the cat as she walked by rows of stolid looking guards.
“It is amazing how your body just disappeared when you transferred your mind into the cat’s body! Where does his mind go?” she asked.
Mark, within the talking cat, made no reply. He was busy studying the bizarre scene. For every detail that was historically correct, he could detect others that were so wrong. Clearly, Nagana had adopted some later customs or décor during her eons at large in the world.
He also felt something…. Some stirring that led him toward a more potent source of magic than that which saturated the altered city beyond the palace.
“Take me into that room off to the far left. It looks like some kind of dungeon!” he said softly.
They descended to a dank area without guards but lined with locked doors and an atmosphere of gloom and despair.
He jumped out of Arachne’s arms and his normal body materialized as he willed it to be so. He said, “Something or someone in that cell is suffused with magic!” he said.
Arachne smiled and held up a small pronged tool.
“Allow me. I can pick the lock. My uncle taught me how it is done!” she said.
As she opened the heavy door, Mark marveled at the girl’s courage and skill.
“My uncle taught me as well since he was a stage magician but I will defer to her. She is an amazing girl. I thought I’d have to do something I’d rather not do to secure her disguise but she decked a slave girl before I could even make a suggestion!” he mused.
Within the darkened cell a lovely woman with long flowing black hair, sultry if sad eyes, and a world famous figure was chained to the wall.
“I know her! She’s that supermodel who dated that British football star! Cairo! Yeah, Cairo DeFrey is her name!” yelled Arachne. “I had one of her skirts. It cost a fortunate!”
Mark said “Liberate Cairo! I’d say my magic sense proved accurate. This Cairo must be the Cairo we are to liberate!”
He said, ‘Don’t be scared. I’m Mark Merlin. This is my assistant Arachne. We are going to help get you out of here!”
As they pried open the chains, the prisoner fell forward and thanked them profusely.
“I am so confused. I thought the world of modeling was cutthroat then I found out how dangerous international finance could be when I inherited my father’s multi-national company. Neither of those experiences prepared me for this. A mad woman appeared in my private suite and said I was her most hated foe and she would make me sorry for all she had suffered!” said Cairo.
Arachne said, “Isis! Nagana hated Isis according to Kalkor! She must see you as the descendent of the Egyptian goddess!”
Cairo said, “I don’t know anything about that old nonsense. I am a modern woman. My name is Cairo but I left Egypt as a child. I grew up in France for heaven’s sake!”
They hurried out of the cell and Merlin frowned as he noticed Memakata was clawing futilely at another cell door.
“He wants us to open the door!” he said.
“Kalkor is in there! His physical body has been locked in that cold, dark cell for far too long! I sensed him since his being in me before gave me some kind of connection to him!” announced the talking cat.
Cairo blinked in surprise. “A talking cat! Will this nightmare never end!”
Merlin managed to open the cell door and sure enough a frail but very real Kalkor emerged.
“Thank Isis! She held me within that jail for so long that almost all my energies were required merely to project that mystical sending to your home! Cats were always sacred to my goddess and you have proven to be a boon to me now!” he said as he picked up Memakata.
He said, “We can undo this spell by shattering the Sands of Time! It is a magical hourglass Nagana was given by Queen Evila. She used it to turn back time itself and restore her version of our ancient homeland. I fear the only way to do so is to first face down the Queen of Evil herself!”
Suddenly as smoke swelled around them they were teleported into a huge throne room where Nagana herself- the living embodiment of the massive statue beyond the palace, reclined on an ornate divan.
“And now face me, you shall! I have long awaited a final battle with you, old foe! Your mortal pawns will enjoy the talents of my royal torturers. Oh, and the daughter of Isis will receive my personal attentions once you are no more!” said the Queen of Evil.
Cairo said, “I am not Isis! I’m a businesswoman!”
Kalkor said, “You could never have accomplished all this on your own! Queen Evila enabled you achieve this mad triumph. It was your shared might that brought me down!’
Queen Nagana sat up and smiled with malice.
“My sister-queens aided me but rest assured that when I no long need their powers to enhance my own, I shall slay them both!”
She clapped her hands and guards rushed into the room from all sides.
Merlin drew back his fist and prepared to fight for his life.
He glanced upward at an open window and saw a weird sight. The sun was fully eclipsed!
“Free the sun? I can’t even free myself!” he thought grimly.
6
*
Meanwhile, if the world had any meaning in the timeless limbo in which Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Tom Falcon, and the so-called heroes of history, were travelling with Red Rocket’s futuristic spacecraft the Blue Bullet, the odd assembly were exchanging stories.
Black Rider said, “My name is Jack Cody. I found myself facing some crooks out West in 1940. I helped some of the folks there defy them and in doing so, I adopted the costumed identity of the Black Rider. I had of course heard of the legendary masked man who brought swift justice to the Old West and I eagerly assumed the role of a twentieth century version of the hero. In 1942 I was ripped from my proper time by what looked like a cyclone no less! Now, I wonder if it was something more unworldly in nature. It left me unharmed in the 19th century where I basically created the very legend of the Black Rider that had inspired me many years later. I guess I sort of became my own inspiration. I had help though. The same storm that brought me to the past from 1942 also brought me the man who would become my best friend!”
Birdman smiled and said, “Hopituh Sinom,- the People of the Hopi! Of such was I born. I was blessed with the gift of flight. I loved soaring over the arid lands where once arose the Pueblos that first housed my ancestors before the search for water led them away to more scattered settlements and gradual conquest by the Spanish. My name is Sisika and like my friend Jack, I too used my abilities to bring peace to my home in the 1940’s. A storm swept across our trail one day in late 1941 and we found ourselves in the past. We worked well together and I feel we were destined to dwell in that earlier time by a higher power.”
Red Rocket said, ‘This cyclone of yours must have been some kind of portal through time. My ship the Blue Bullet was drawn into such a gap in space one day in 2042. Arlene and I grew up as friends and her brilliant father was my mentor. He helped us battle a wild assortment of aliens across the universe. When Arlene and I ended up in 1944, we really believed we were from that era and that I was a reporter turned private eye and she was my Girl Friday!”
Arlene nodded in agreement. She had Red had secured their normal clothes from within the rocket which had been concealed during their time in 1944. Red wore a bright red and green outfit with a rocket emblem on the shirt. He carried a variety of devices and weapons in a belt that wound around his hips and his formerly dyed black hair was now its original red.
Arlene wore a very, very short green skirt with a red halter top. She clearly felt much more at home in the futuristic styles she had grown up wearing than she had during her false life in 1944.
She said, “I wonder if the Devils of Venus had anything to do with how we ended up trapped living fake lives in the primitive past?”
Red said, “I doubt those fiends had time travel technology nor would they target the others! I’m the man who whipped their tails!”
Sir Richard of Warwick nodded and said, “I once met a being from beyond the stars but he had no such magic at his disposal!” The Golden Knight carried his enchanted blade and wore a suit of gleaming armor that seemed miraculously light as normal cloth yet was incredibly durable.
“My story tis equally passing strange. I was one of the Crusaders and in my quest to spread the Faith I battled many a foe. Some possessed dark magic but none had the ability to rip asunder the very curtain of time itself!” he said.
Astra snorted impatiently. She was rather bad humored and the blonde powerhouse barely concealed her disdain for the others.
“My ancestor lived on Earth and became known as Wonder Boy. I spent my childhood exploring space but I heeded the call of a man named J.J. Kord to join his band of super human teens in the Solar Legion. I barely had time to begin my career when something exploded around me and my team. I ended up in old Salem where I was deemed a witch. My memory only returned upon seeing Mr. Falcon appear. I need to return to my true era. My team can not survive without me if indeed they survived the blast that put me in that terrible era!” she said.
Red Rocket nudged Arlene and whispered, “She is some ice queen but a real looker!”
Arlene said, “If you like THAT type of girl, Red!”
Thunderbolt said, “I became aware of your individual displacement through time by observing events within a cavern that is said to be older than time itself. I know that whatever force did this to you intended, I can use your special circumstances for good. Only those of us who have been tossed through time may penetrate this limbo prison which holds my allies!”
Birdman said, “I say again a higher power made it so!’
Tom Falcon said, ‘Look! I think we have arrived!”
He pointed to a solitary structure that hovered within empty white space.
“A palace at the end of time!” whistled Arlene! “How father would love seeing something like that!”
Red said,” We’ll get back to him! I promise it, honey!”
Within the weird fortress the four captive Sentinels of Justice stood as though they were lifeless when in fact they were trapped between seconds in a timeless trance. They felt no time passing but they did see odd visions from their possible futures!
In his own trance, Captain Atom found himself facing a figure who fairly radiated hatred and menace. As the shadows parted to reveal this new foe’s features more clearly, he gasped in recognition. The man he faced, the foe who clearly hated him, looked exactly like him as he looked when he was dressed as plain Nathaniel Adam!
The Blue Beetle gasped as he saw something that have him comfort and not fear or worry. He saw his best friend Booster Gold! Booster was with a man in a red and blue costume. This hero was familiar to Blue Beetle from the cosmic Crisis!
“Superman! He’s that champion from the alternate planet called Earth 1! Booster must have somehow ended up on that world. Could he have also been a victim like Black Rider and the others? He seems free and he is talking openly with Superman. I believe I can even hear them! He’s okay. He’s happy even. I see his mother and sister are with him too! I’ll miss him but at least I know now that he has friends and family and is alive and well on that other planet!” he thought.
Vulcan glared in anger as he saw a very familiar figure. An Asian man nodded eagerly as he spoke to a shadowy figure. “I assure you all my resources are at your disposal. It does not matter how many people wear that hated costume or assume the role of Peacemaker, we shall teach them all their folly! So swears Dr. Kong!”
Vulcan frowned grimly. “Kong is back and he has some mysterious ally. He must be gunning for Christopher Smith- the Peacemaker! I’ll have to warn him when we get out of this place!”
Liberty Belle’s blue eyes widened as she saw herself battling uniformed goons alongside several other colorful women! She didn’t recognize any of them but she noticed how effective a team they made!
The Question stared into space as well but unlike the others Vic Sage saw only emptiness as if he had no future!
Nearby, their captors conferred in hushed tones. Yellowjacket, Yankee Girl, Atoman, Ragman, and Antaeus were not truly villains. They had all been heroes at one time but dark magic had enslaved them all and they now reacted with the malice and violence with which the Evil Queens had poisoned their minds!
Meanwhile, if the world had any meaning in the timeless limbo in which Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Tom Falcon, and the so-called heroes of history, were travelling with Red Rocket’s futuristic spacecraft the Blue Bullet, the odd assembly were exchanging stories.
Black Rider said, “My name is Jack Cody. I found myself facing some crooks out West in 1940. I helped some of the folks there defy them and in doing so, I adopted the costumed identity of the Black Rider. I had of course heard of the legendary masked man who brought swift justice to the Old West and I eagerly assumed the role of a twentieth century version of the hero. In 1942 I was ripped from my proper time by what looked like a cyclone no less! Now, I wonder if it was something more unworldly in nature. It left me unharmed in the 19th century where I basically created the very legend of the Black Rider that had inspired me many years later. I guess I sort of became my own inspiration. I had help though. The same storm that brought me to the past from 1942 also brought me the man who would become my best friend!”
Birdman smiled and said, “Hopituh Sinom,- the People of the Hopi! Of such was I born. I was blessed with the gift of flight. I loved soaring over the arid lands where once arose the Pueblos that first housed my ancestors before the search for water led them away to more scattered settlements and gradual conquest by the Spanish. My name is Sisika and like my friend Jack, I too used my abilities to bring peace to my home in the 1940’s. A storm swept across our trail one day in late 1941 and we found ourselves in the past. We worked well together and I feel we were destined to dwell in that earlier time by a higher power.”
Red Rocket said, ‘This cyclone of yours must have been some kind of portal through time. My ship the Blue Bullet was drawn into such a gap in space one day in 2042. Arlene and I grew up as friends and her brilliant father was my mentor. He helped us battle a wild assortment of aliens across the universe. When Arlene and I ended up in 1944, we really believed we were from that era and that I was a reporter turned private eye and she was my Girl Friday!”
Arlene nodded in agreement. She had Red had secured their normal clothes from within the rocket which had been concealed during their time in 1944. Red wore a bright red and green outfit with a rocket emblem on the shirt. He carried a variety of devices and weapons in a belt that wound around his hips and his formerly dyed black hair was now its original red.
Arlene wore a very, very short green skirt with a red halter top. She clearly felt much more at home in the futuristic styles she had grown up wearing than she had during her false life in 1944.
She said, “I wonder if the Devils of Venus had anything to do with how we ended up trapped living fake lives in the primitive past?”
Red said, “I doubt those fiends had time travel technology nor would they target the others! I’m the man who whipped their tails!”
Sir Richard of Warwick nodded and said, “I once met a being from beyond the stars but he had no such magic at his disposal!” The Golden Knight carried his enchanted blade and wore a suit of gleaming armor that seemed miraculously light as normal cloth yet was incredibly durable.
“My story tis equally passing strange. I was one of the Crusaders and in my quest to spread the Faith I battled many a foe. Some possessed dark magic but none had the ability to rip asunder the very curtain of time itself!” he said.
Astra snorted impatiently. She was rather bad humored and the blonde powerhouse barely concealed her disdain for the others.
“My ancestor lived on Earth and became known as Wonder Boy. I spent my childhood exploring space but I heeded the call of a man named J.J. Kord to join his band of super human teens in the Solar Legion. I barely had time to begin my career when something exploded around me and my team. I ended up in old Salem where I was deemed a witch. My memory only returned upon seeing Mr. Falcon appear. I need to return to my true era. My team can not survive without me if indeed they survived the blast that put me in that terrible era!” she said.
Red Rocket nudged Arlene and whispered, “She is some ice queen but a real looker!”
Arlene said, “If you like THAT type of girl, Red!”
Thunderbolt said, “I became aware of your individual displacement through time by observing events within a cavern that is said to be older than time itself. I know that whatever force did this to you intended, I can use your special circumstances for good. Only those of us who have been tossed through time may penetrate this limbo prison which holds my allies!”
Birdman said, “I say again a higher power made it so!’
Tom Falcon said, ‘Look! I think we have arrived!”
He pointed to a solitary structure that hovered within empty white space.
“A palace at the end of time!” whistled Arlene! “How father would love seeing something like that!”
Red said,” We’ll get back to him! I promise it, honey!”
Within the weird fortress the four captive Sentinels of Justice stood as though they were lifeless when in fact they were trapped between seconds in a timeless trance. They felt no time passing but they did see odd visions from their possible futures!
In his own trance, Captain Atom found himself facing a figure who fairly radiated hatred and menace. As the shadows parted to reveal this new foe’s features more clearly, he gasped in recognition. The man he faced, the foe who clearly hated him, looked exactly like him as he looked when he was dressed as plain Nathaniel Adam!
The Blue Beetle gasped as he saw something that have him comfort and not fear or worry. He saw his best friend Booster Gold! Booster was with a man in a red and blue costume. This hero was familiar to Blue Beetle from the cosmic Crisis!
“Superman! He’s that champion from the alternate planet called Earth 1! Booster must have somehow ended up on that world. Could he have also been a victim like Black Rider and the others? He seems free and he is talking openly with Superman. I believe I can even hear them! He’s okay. He’s happy even. I see his mother and sister are with him too! I’ll miss him but at least I know now that he has friends and family and is alive and well on that other planet!” he thought.
Vulcan glared in anger as he saw a very familiar figure. An Asian man nodded eagerly as he spoke to a shadowy figure. “I assure you all my resources are at your disposal. It does not matter how many people wear that hated costume or assume the role of Peacemaker, we shall teach them all their folly! So swears Dr. Kong!”
Vulcan frowned grimly. “Kong is back and he has some mysterious ally. He must be gunning for Christopher Smith- the Peacemaker! I’ll have to warn him when we get out of this place!”
Liberty Belle’s blue eyes widened as she saw herself battling uniformed goons alongside several other colorful women! She didn’t recognize any of them but she noticed how effective a team they made!
The Question stared into space as well but unlike the others Vic Sage saw only emptiness as if he had no future!
Nearby, their captors conferred in hushed tones. Yellowjacket, Yankee Girl, Atoman, Ragman, and Antaeus were not truly villains. They had all been heroes at one time but dark magic had enslaved them all and they now reacted with the malice and violence with which the Evil Queens had poisoned their minds!
7
Atoman (Dr. Barry Dale) was a genius who gained atomic power from exposure to nuclear energies. He had used those gifts as an action hero for a few years before giving up the costumed life to concentrate on his scientific work. He had been a hero to Captain Atom and it was doubly ironic that he now found himself serving as the captive hero’s evil counterpart.
Ragman (Jay Garson IV) was the third man to use the name Ragman. He had followed his grandfather and his father into the role of protector of Seattle, Washington. While the original Ragman had merely worn a tattered suit and battered fedora, the modern version concealed his features beneath a gauze –like veil. He had a unique advantage over many costumed heroes in that he had been trained for his role literally from birth by two men who had in turn given their adult lives to the career of action hero. They would be ashamed if they could see their heir now. His relentless courage and impressive skills had been turned to fulfill the demands of the Evil Queens and somewhere beneath the spell that clouded his mind as the gauze clouded his face, Garson fought the spell with all his might.
Antaeus the Bouncer (Adrian Antaeus) was a bizarre being who was supposedly descended from the demi-god Antaeus of Greek myth. The original Antaeus was the giant son of the sea god Poseidon and the earth goddess Gaia. This birthright enabled him to gain power from contact with the ground. A frail sculptor named Adam had sculpted a statue of the mythological Antaeus back in the forties. The statue had come to life and used his powers to fight crime. When the war ended, the statue had returned in its inanimate state. When a car accident nearly claimed life of Adam’s beloved son Adrian, the sculptor’s anguished pleas for help had somehow resulted in the statue’s regaining life long enough to transfer it to the dying boy. Once he recovered from the wreck, the younger Antaeus found himself able to transform himself at will from a meek artist into the personification of the powerful statue his father had created decades ago. Now, the heir to the demi-god was magically positioned to be the opponent of Vulcan who was an “heir” of sorts to the Roman god of the forge!
Yellowjacket ( Hank Harvey) was the grandson of the original vigilante called Yellowjacket. While Vince Harvey had somehow gained enhanced strength and other powers from the sting of the insects he loved, his grandson Hank merely wore a yellow and black costume and relied upon various gadgets with the insect motif. He was a proper counterpart for the Blue Beetle although like the others he had no choice in the evil he was forced to do.
Yankee Girl (Katie Roberts) was another heir to an older action hero. Her beloved Aunt Kitty had been the patriotic Yankee Girl during the war years. She retired after marrying a policeman. Their son was the father of the current twenty-something Katie Roberts. Kate had no super powers but she was a good fighter and she had the same spirit and resolve to do good that had motivated her aunt. Sadly, for the blonde in the red and blue mini dress and heels, she was now forced to be the evil counterpart for the captive Liberty Belle.
The enslaved heroes had little time to consider their new state of mind as the heroes of history suddenly burst into the room!
Thunderbolt (Peter Cannon) moved deftly past them all and raced into what appeared to be a throne room. He looked up to see his old foe Queen Evila sitting on the elevated throne.
She smiled wickedly and said, “You? I little expected this rare delight. I thought you had vanished from the earth itself!”
Thunderbolt said, ‘While evil lives, all men of virtue have a duty to join the fight to restore order!”
Evila laughed and said, “As self-righteous as ever!”
She met his own steely gaze and the two stood like the frozen heroes but they were in truth locked in a mental battle of wills. This unseen fight occurred on a spiritual level though no observe could see it.
Thunderbolt concentrated and focused his fabled force of will power while the immortal queen drew upon her own ancient magic.
No strain showed on either of their faces. Nothing as small as a change of expression or the blink of an eye indicated how desperately the two enemies fought but they gave their all in a true combat of wills.
Back in the other room, Queen Evila’s slaves and the heroes of history engaged in their own more obvious battles.
Red Rocket said, “You guys should give up now! You can’t keep those brave men and women captives for long!”
He frowned as an amazingly fast Atoman flew forward and knocked him to the ground with one glowing fist.
He said, “I suggest you give up, Spaceman! You may be from the future but I AM the future!”
He raised both hands and a glow filled the room.
Arlene screamed as he closed in on her fallen friend.
“Get away from him Red!” she yelled.
Red scrambled backward and then relaxed as Astra swooped in and tackled Atoman.
The blonde powerhouse said, “Take care of the others, Earthman! I’ll handle the big threat!”
Atoman said, ‘You aren’t from this world! You could tell me so much about the universe!”
Astra the Wonder Girl sneered in contempt.
“I doubt you would be able to comprehend!” she declared as she punched him in the face.
Nearby, Ragman ( Jay Garson IV) had darted forward and swung at Black Raider. The cowboy hero blocked the punch but grunted in pain as Ragman connected with a knee below the belt.
He hesitated and Ragman brought both fists down on his neck as he bent forward.
“You can’t beat me! I have trained with the best fighters in the world!’ said Ragman.
Black Rider blocked a few blows but he was truly outmatched by his more skilled foe. He struggled onward like the hero he was but he was failing and he was falling!
He saw the frozen Sentinels and he remembered once more how much was at stake. This was no ordinary fight and he could not stick to his normal code of conduct. Thus, as he dropped to the ground and drew his gun and shot Ragman twice!
Ragman gasped and collapsed near his black clad foe.
The Black Rider stood up and said, “You’ll live but I had to stop you. The whole world may be depending on what we do!”
Meanwhile, Yankee Girl had dived at the Golden Knight who sidestepped and refused to raise his magical blade against a fair maiden. He moved forward and avoided her attacks as best he could.
Birdman was flying around above avoiding the darts fired by Yellowjacket from the enslaved Harvey’s stingray gun!
Yellowjacket said, “I can do this all day, Tonto! Can you say the same?”
Birdman ignored the mocking man below and suddenly reversed his flight path. He crashed into the yellow garbed man and knocked him out with one punch.
“I find prolonged combat to be needless!’ he said with a slight smile.
Astra was battering Atoman but the embattled Dr. Dale literally exploded and left the blonde dazed for a moment.
The Golden Knight took that moment to leap to her defense. He said, “Advance no closer! This maiden is under my protection!”
Astra scowled and said, “Bah! I don’t need your help!”
Atoman smiled with atypical malice. “Really? And I suppose because you have a pure heart, you think you believe you can stop me! You deluded fool!”
Golden Knight stepped forward and casually sliced Atoman’s stomach with his enchanted blade!
Atoman gasped and clutched his stomach in agony. “How? I can break steel. I can melt iron!”
The Knight said, “My good blade can cut through any substance. It was forged by the legendary Merlin!”
Astra allowed him to assist her to her feet. She smiled slightly and said, “Thank you.’
Sir Richard nodded and said, “Twas my pleasure, fair one!”
Antaeus had closed in on Red Rocket and as the space hero blasted away at him with his energy-gun, the invulnerable champion laughed dismissively.
“You can’t hurt me for I alone am the modern heir of Antaeus!!” he gloated.
Red frowned and hurled his spent energy-gun at the bigger man but the weapon just bounced off his chest harmlessly.
Arlene yelled, “Anti-grav! Anti grav him!”
Red frowned and then shrugged. ‘Okay, doll if you say so!’
He dived at Antaeus who caught him with one hand. He clutched the muscular man around the chest and activated his flight belt.
As they zoomed skyward, Red began to punch the cocky man again and again! To his surprise, he managed to stun him! (As long as Antaeus could not touch the surface, he was a normal man!)
Arlene clapped her hands and said, “I read about him on my pocket compu-tron. He gets his strength from the surface! In the air he is a normal guy!”
Red belted him again and said, “So this goon gets his power from touching the ground even in a limbo like this?”
Arlene fluffed her blonde hair and smiled broadly. “Exactly! You were wonderful, Red!”
Meanwhile, as the heroes of history worked to awaken the entranced Sentinels, Thunderbolt continued his own duel with Queen Evilia.
He was winning and he knew it. Queen Evila sensed as much. She found herself suddenly cut off from the added power her sister-queens had previously loaned her. Apparently, they too were engaged in some challenge all their own. She frowned as Thunderbolt’s hated manta rang in her mind like an accusation or a promise of her own defeat.
“I can! I must! I will!”
Abruptly, Queen Evila realized that Cannon was far more skilled than he had been during their last battle. He had mastered ancient lore that she knew nothing of and she was outmatched in every way.
She struck with her of her might and raced from his presence.
He followed her and said, ‘Give up. End this madness!”
Queen Evila looked back over her shoulder and smiled once more.
‘You would have me chained in shame and defeat. You would mock my former glory. No! Better it is that I die!” she cried as she hurled herself off the platform upon which the strange fortress rested within the white void beyond time.
Thunderbolt could not spot her falling body nor could he sense her presence.
“What a waste!” he thought as he rejoined the others and greeted his now free allies.
Captain Atom clasped his hand and said, “It is good to see you. You know we forgot about you when you were briefly erased from history but we regained our memories of you and tried to find you.’
Thunderbolt said, “I know. I was occupied with my own studies but I ever valued your good wishes!”
Blue Beetle said, “We owe you guys a lot. What about the others? Isn’t that Dr. Dale the Atoman?”
Thunderbolt said, “They should be fine when they awaken. They were victims of a dark spell.”
Vulcan frowned and said, “We have to get back to Earth. We have a lot left to do. Nagana and Ravanna are still at large!”
8
* Mark Merlin was a good fighter and Arachne Coffin seemed to know more than a few combat moves herself; however, he knew that only someone with mystical power like Kalkor could stand against the Queen of Evil. Kalkor was pressing forward as a green energy surrounded his body and seemed to clear a pathway through the attacking guards. He and Nagana locked eyes and in truth the two ancient foes had no interest in the others combatants. Theirs was an old hatred and this night would be spell the end of their ages-old enmity.
Nagana smiled with pleasure. “I have hated you since you and your precious goddess Isis first robbed me of my rightful position! I will enjoy ending your life and seeing her mortal descendent Cairo DeFrey perish!”
Kalkor said, “And I shall take pleasure in ending your evil life but your words suggest the proper way to curtail your plans. Since Cairo is the modern day heiress to the line of Isis, perhaps, she should also partake of her power!”
Cairo was frightened but she felt as if she could regain control of her life if she could just escape from this madhouse of magic and madwomen! Her high heels clattered as she raced away from the others and fled from the scene of battle to emerge in a room with only one entrance. She had reached a dead end and yet the quiet room was not entirely devoid of life. A handsome man in the splendor of an Egyptian ruler was standing as if frozen in place in the center of the room. His eyes were glowing and in place of any pupils they contained tiny spheres of brilliant light.
Cairo started to turn away and find an exit but something in the man’s expression drew her closer to him in spite of her own peril. She was a spoiled and selfish woman and helping others was not part of her normal nature.
She touched him and he moved abruptly as if in pain.
“You are the daughter of Isis! You must free me! It is my stolen power that has enabled the Evil Queens to work their magics! None of them had such power before they united to enslave me and use my heavenly fires to empower their spells!” he said.
Cario shook her head and pushed back her long black hair.
“Who are you? How can I free you? What holds you here?” she asked as she looked left and right.
He said, “I am Aten. Mine is the fire that fuels their magic. By trapping me here, the three witches have gained untold power and control my solar barge itself. They have diverted it from its proper course through the cosmos and in doing so have plunged the earth into darkness and frigidity.”
At that moment Arachne Coffin managed to change the tide of battle. She was with Mark down the hallway in the royal chamber but through the confusion of battle, the girl spotted Memakata leaping toward a high altar covered with symbols of dark magic. A large book rested on the top of the altar.
Clearly, the magical cat wanted them to see the book!
She recognized a glyph on its spine from time spend in her uncle’s vast library.
“That’s the Theban Book of Life! Why would a dark witch like the Queen of Evil have a book of good magic in her possession?” she wondered.
She darted forward as Mark Merlin punched and fought his way through the guards.
Arachne grabbed the ancient tome and as she removed it from the altar, Nagana herself shuddered as if in pain. Her concentration wavered and Kalkor fought through her magical flames to wrestle with her.
Nagana cried out, “No! That foolish girl has disrupted the circle of power that enabled me to hold hated Amen in thrall!”
Kalkor smiled and said, “And that will in turn spell your doom!”
Nagana glared at him and then released a burst of magical energy that burned the old priest to ashes!
“At last, Kalkor is no more!” she screamed with pleasure.
At that moment her palace erupted in flames as Aten surged into the sky as a ball of fire! With the removal of the book he was free once more!
Mark grabbed Arachne and cried out, “We can’t help Kalkor. May he find peace. We have to get out of here!”
Arachne nodded and looked down to see the sacred book she had rescue had vanished in Aten’s wake.
As they fled the burning palace, the guards crumbled to dust and Nagana shrieked in rage.
She raced forward to stop them only to be blocked by Cairo DeFrey!
“You? What is the meaning of this? I see who you are!” stammered Nagana.
Cairo raised both hands and said, “I also know the truth about you. I am the new Isis!”
She smiled coldly as magical power swept from her outstretched hands and engulfed Nagana!
Nagana screamed in pain and anger and then fell backward as her own massive statue crumbled and then buried her burning palace in a mountain of rubble!
Mark Merlin held Memakata as Arachne called out to Cairo.
Cairo flew toward them and said, “I am Isis now! Something that being called Aten did gave me power beyond anything I’ve ever known!”
Merlin said, “I do detect magic in you now. It was not there when we first found you. You are very powerful!”
Cairo said, “May I find the wisdom to use it properly!”
As the group climbed up a hill away from the rubble and the fires, the city of Thebes began to slowly transform back into its customary state.
The air was warm again and the sun glowed brightly once more.
“They had trapped the physical manifestation of the sun from Egyptian myth! It was his power that boosted their own spells! When I took that book off the altar it broke their hold on him!” said Arachne.
“Kalkor sent me some feeling or instinct that that book was important. He gave his life to buy us time!” said the black cat.
Mark said, “You both did great. You all did!”
Arachne kissed him on the cheek and said, “Well, we did free Cairo and liberate the sun god but I don’t think our job is done!”
Cairo smiled rather oddly and said, “I know my job is just beginning!”
Mark Merlin was a good fighter and Arachne Coffin seemed to know more than a few combat moves herself; however, he knew that only someone with mystical power like Kalkor could stand against the Queen of Evil. Kalkor was pressing forward as a green energy surrounded his body and seemed to clear a pathway through the attacking guards. He and Nagana locked eyes and in truth the two ancient foes had no interest in the others combatants. Theirs was an old hatred and this night would be spell the end of their ages-old enmity.
Nagana smiled with pleasure. “I have hated you since you and your precious goddess Isis first robbed me of my rightful position! I will enjoy ending your life and seeing her mortal descendent Cairo DeFrey perish!”
Kalkor said, “And I shall take pleasure in ending your evil life but your words suggest the proper way to curtail your plans. Since Cairo is the modern day heiress to the line of Isis, perhaps, she should also partake of her power!”
Cairo was frightened but she felt as if she could regain control of her life if she could just escape from this madhouse of magic and madwomen! Her high heels clattered as she raced away from the others and fled from the scene of battle to emerge in a room with only one entrance. She had reached a dead end and yet the quiet room was not entirely devoid of life. A handsome man in the splendor of an Egyptian ruler was standing as if frozen in place in the center of the room. His eyes were glowing and in place of any pupils they contained tiny spheres of brilliant light.
Cairo started to turn away and find an exit but something in the man’s expression drew her closer to him in spite of her own peril. She was a spoiled and selfish woman and helping others was not part of her normal nature.
She touched him and he moved abruptly as if in pain.
“You are the daughter of Isis! You must free me! It is my stolen power that has enabled the Evil Queens to work their magics! None of them had such power before they united to enslave me and use my heavenly fires to empower their spells!” he said.
Cario shook her head and pushed back her long black hair.
“Who are you? How can I free you? What holds you here?” she asked as she looked left and right.
He said, “I am Aten. Mine is the fire that fuels their magic. By trapping me here, the three witches have gained untold power and control my solar barge itself. They have diverted it from its proper course through the cosmos and in doing so have plunged the earth into darkness and frigidity.”
At that moment Arachne Coffin managed to change the tide of battle. She was with Mark down the hallway in the royal chamber but through the confusion of battle, the girl spotted Memakata leaping toward a high altar covered with symbols of dark magic. A large book rested on the top of the altar.
Clearly, the magical cat wanted them to see the book!
She recognized a glyph on its spine from time spend in her uncle’s vast library.
“That’s the Theban Book of Life! Why would a dark witch like the Queen of Evil have a book of good magic in her possession?” she wondered.
She darted forward as Mark Merlin punched and fought his way through the guards.
Arachne grabbed the ancient tome and as she removed it from the altar, Nagana herself shuddered as if in pain. Her concentration wavered and Kalkor fought through her magical flames to wrestle with her.
Nagana cried out, “No! That foolish girl has disrupted the circle of power that enabled me to hold hated Amen in thrall!”
Kalkor smiled and said, “And that will in turn spell your doom!”
Nagana glared at him and then released a burst of magical energy that burned the old priest to ashes!
“At last, Kalkor is no more!” she screamed with pleasure.
At that moment her palace erupted in flames as Aten surged into the sky as a ball of fire! With the removal of the book he was free once more!
Mark grabbed Arachne and cried out, “We can’t help Kalkor. May he find peace. We have to get out of here!”
Arachne nodded and looked down to see the sacred book she had rescue had vanished in Aten’s wake.
As they fled the burning palace, the guards crumbled to dust and Nagana shrieked in rage.
She raced forward to stop them only to be blocked by Cairo DeFrey!
“You? What is the meaning of this? I see who you are!” stammered Nagana.
Cairo raised both hands and said, “I also know the truth about you. I am the new Isis!”
She smiled coldly as magical power swept from her outstretched hands and engulfed Nagana!
Nagana screamed in pain and anger and then fell backward as her own massive statue crumbled and then buried her burning palace in a mountain of rubble!
Mark Merlin held Memakata as Arachne called out to Cairo.
Cairo flew toward them and said, “I am Isis now! Something that being called Aten did gave me power beyond anything I’ve ever known!”
Merlin said, “I do detect magic in you now. It was not there when we first found you. You are very powerful!”
Cairo said, “May I find the wisdom to use it properly!”
As the group climbed up a hill away from the rubble and the fires, the city of Thebes began to slowly transform back into its customary state.
The air was warm again and the sun glowed brightly once more.
“They had trapped the physical manifestation of the sun from Egyptian myth! It was his power that boosted their own spells! When I took that book off the altar it broke their hold on him!” said Arachne.
“Kalkor sent me some feeling or instinct that that book was important. He gave his life to buy us time!” said the black cat.
Mark said, “You both did great. You all did!”
Arachne kissed him on the cheek and said, “Well, we did free Cairo and liberate the sun god but I don’t think our job is done!”
Cairo smiled rather oddly and said, “I know my job is just beginning!”
9
*
Tom Falcon emerged from the Blue Bullet and urged the others to climb aboard.
“This place is crumbling or fading away! he shouted.
Blue Beetle said, “Evila must have hit some self-destruct button!”
Thunderbolt said, “She did not create this place. It is closely akin to the cavern I use as a base. Someone else…some ally…made it for her!”
He pointed to a huge portal that filled one wall of the crumbling structure.
“If you think of the era you want to return to and pass through the portal, it shall restore you to that time. If you wish to return to your proper times this is your chance! You have all accomplished more than we could have wished from you!”
The Black Rider said, “Birdman and I wish to return to the Old West. There is a need for us back then and we feel like we may do a lot of good back then!”
Birdman said, “I agree. All who knew us in the forties believe we died in the cyclone!”
They departed through the portal and found themselves in 1876 once more.
Red Rocket said, “Arlene and I need to get back to 2042 to see her father and I may be needed there to save the universe or something like that!
Blue Beetle said, “What about the rocketship?
Red said, “You folks keep it. I can get another one cheap enough in 2042!”
Arlene said, “He means my father will make him one!”
They raced through the portal and emerged in 2042!
The Golden Knight said, “I grew to love my life in 1911 and it would please me to return there!”
He stepped into the portal and emerged in his beloved village.
Astra gasped as the portal rejected her.
“What is this? I can’t get through!” she cried.
Peter said, “I think something is the nature of the explosion that brought you to the past also saturated your alien metabolism with an energy that makes it impossible for you to travel through time!”
She said, “Then how did Mr. Falcon bring me from old Salem to your era?”
Peter said, “He brought you directly into my cavern beyond time. That may mean you may only go that far and no more! I honestly don’t have an answer! I’m sorry!”
She said, “Well, I won’t give up. I have to get back to my proper era!”
They raced into the Blue Bullet and Captain Atom took the captain’s chair. He was the best pilot there.
They escaped from the limbo as it seemed to blink out of existence. It was Tom Falcon again who empowered the ship to traverse time as well as space.
They placed the injured Ragman and Atoman in stasis chambers as Blue Beetle marveled at the advanced science found in the rocket.
“This is amazing!” he said.
The Question said nothing. He was troubled by the fact that his future appeared to be blank. He shrugged and decided that this only meant that he and he alone would determine his destiny.
Vulcan said, “Evila disappeared. That means we better get back to Eve’s home and fight our way through to her sleeping body! She may be the magical power source Malevanna was using to bring those fairy tale monsters into our world!”
Captain Atom said, “I agree. When we helped Eve depose her from the Realm, she was literally hurled out of that dimension. I don’t think she can tap into its magic naturally any longer. She has to be using Eve as a human magical battery!”
They emerged in their proper era and hovered over the Eden home where a scene of horror played out below them.
Queen Malevanna the Night Queen stood outside the manor and looked down on a veritable army of fairy tale creatures. The monsters roared in approval as she urged them to kill everyone in the country!
Vulcan said, “By the Forge! How can we stop that legion?”
Thunderbolt said, “If the three queens you told me about were helping one another by sharing power, apparently, something caused them to stop feeding magical energy to Evila. I wager they have turned on one another by now. Each wants to rule alone!”
Liberty Belle said, “I’m sure the other Sentinels are out there fighting her forces already!”
The All-American Girl was correct. Heroes around the world were facing off against Queen Malevanna’s forces even without knowing the source of the creatures!
In New York, the vampire-looking Countess (Monica Lake), her she-cat friend Felina (Maddy Lopez), the artificial being known as the Shape, the super human Guardian (Debbie Huston), young hero the Champion (Adam Thompson), the regal Lady Quark, and the reformed super criminal Supernova ( Alec Rois) were battling an army of trolls, ogres, and goblins!
In the Soviet Union, Redstar led his resentful allies Hammer, Sickle, Pravda, Molotov, and Bolshoi against three giants who loomed high over Moscow.
In Great Britain the Union (Piskie, the Brixton Brawler, Springheeled Jack, Nightstalker, and Lady Justice were protecting London from four massive fire-breathing dragons! Lady Justice was valiantly using her powers in defense of her adopted homeland in spite of the fact that the teen girl was still mourning the loss of the only parents she had ever known!
In Norway, the odd trio of Samson, Hercules, and Thor were attacking a legion of Frost Giants.
Even semi-retired heroes like the Green Mask, the Flame, Flame Girl, and Solar were using their skills to keep ordinary people safe from werewolves and vampires!
In Japan the young hero Voltron was combating the bizarre chicken-monster called the Basan with help from a young woman calling herself the Joker!
In China the Sino-Supermen were keeping their nation safe from a flock of Longmas!
In Canada the Champions were battling monstrous snow beasts.
Even Action Villains like the Squids, the Madmen, and Dr. Spectra were using their talents to fight off the magical armies.
Captain Atom, ever the leader, flew forward and glowed brightly as if to attract the attention of Queen Malevanna’s legions. The creatures reacted differently according to their natures. Some feared the light and drew back from his with a shudder while others lashed out with a new frenzy as though desperate to reach him.
He hesitated for a moment to access the strength of his targets and then he crashed into them at super speed and radiated energy that left many of them stunned or at least hurt.
Captain Atom was well-known for his strength and for the atomic energy he controlled so well; however, he was also super humanly fast. His speed was something even his most ardent supporters sometimes ignored or took for granted. He used it well this day as he selected targets and battered them or blazed with energy until they faltered. He also had amazing stamina and he drew upon it since he knew this battle would not be over soon!
“I hope we can revive Eve. She has to be more than a mere living magic battery. Malevanna hates her so much that losing her would dishearten that witch!” he mused.
The Question was fighting his well through the assorted goblins that lined the yard and he soon realized that his blows were really not that effective against the creatures since their skulls were as hard as stone. He used his stealth to slip away from the fight. Perhaps, he could be of more use within the manor. After all, Nightshade was probably still within and trapped in her magical slumber.
“I’m no Prince Charming but maybe I can wake her up!” he thought as he slipped through the darkened hallways and hurried toward the place he had last seen his friend.
He found the glistening coffin-like formation that held the sleeping Eve Eden and he studied the shadows of the room in search of any guards. He frowned as he saw something odd. There were no guards in sight.
He started to approach the coffin when he saw a prone figure on the floor. It was one of the monsters but it was either dead or stunned. Nearby a second creature lay still as did a third.
He started to turn when someone grabbed him from behind and placed him in a choke hold.
The Question dropped down to his knees and flipped the other person over his shoulders. He grunted as the weight of his attacker or more precisely the weight of the woman’s costume passed over his shoulders.
She rolled nimbly to her feet and stood before him ready to resume combat. Then he frowned as he stepped into the dim light of the heavily curtained chamber.
“The Question? We’re on the same side! You may call me Peacemaker!” she said. She had long blonde hair and wore a stylized gold and red armored costume with protective helmet and eye goggles.
“You sure don’t look like the guy I know!” quipped the Question.
“But you work like him! I can see that!” he added as he gestured toward the fallen monsters.
“He trained me along with some other recruits. Chris is always prepared and his own retirement from active duty is just one eventuality he has taken into account!” she added.
“He sent me here to try to liberate Nightshade. He told me she would be at the root of this crisis!”
They turned as several shadowy beings lurched into the room. Clearly, the house still had other creatures at large!
The Question stood back to back with the new Peacemaker and sighed.
“It is always something!” he thought.
Meanwhile, Liberty Belle was kicking furiously at a hulking creature who appeared to be an ogre. She bounded up and over his broad back and landed on the other side. Before the brute could turn, she had lashed out and hit his knee with enough accuracy to topple him. He crashed to the ground and Belle connected with a chop to his throat.
“Lesson for today: Ogres do have pressure points!” she said with a smile.
She whirled around as a pair of horned men with scaly skin slipped toward her like some combination of man and snake.
Liberty Belle dodged their swift attacks and rolled away from them. She jumped forward and slammed her fists into their faces. They shuddered and drew back as she prepared to resume her attack.
Vulcan was lashing out with his gleaming battleaxe as a dragon loomed over his muscular form. He held his breath as a cloud of toxic gas threatened to swallow him up. He moved forward and relentlessly ignored the peril until he drew blood once more. He lowered his head and slashed at the roaring beast in front of him again and again until he fell at his feet.
Blue Beetle was piloting the Blue Bullet and his nimble hands fairly flew across the controls as he fired concussive blasts at the army of Queen Malevana.
He knew the captives like Yellowjacket were secure in stasis chambers and he had been confident after studying the rocket’s equipment that they would possibly even emerge healed of their injuries. The ship was amazingly sophisticated for someone who seemed rather simple like Red Rocket.
As the heroes fought onward both on the grounds of the Eden estate and around the globe, Peter Cannon was making a more direct assault on the source of the problem. He had followed the Question inside the house and since he was confident his friend could handle himself, he passed by the scene of battle where the faceless hero and the armored woman were combating the monsters and he approached Eve Eden’s still form.
He touched her face gently and concentrated until the sights and sounds of battle faded from his senses and the entranced woman seemed to dominate the room. He was aware of her perfume and he detected her slow but regular breathing. He focused the force of will power that he had mastered so well and reached out for her mind. He made contact and gently ever so gently whispered words of comfort and assurance to her. He did not try to rush or force his efforts to awaken her. He merely reached out to her sleeping mind and gave some of his own will to strengthen her until slowly at what seemed to be snail’s pace, Eve opened her eyes!
She sat up slowly and he lifted her into his arms and then helped her regain her footing.
“Peter? Is it really you? I feel like I’ve been away so long! I’ve been lost in a dream!” she said softly as her eyes blinked again and again and she slowly became comfortable once more with the real world beyond her enforced sleep.
“You are well once more!” he said softly.
“It was the Sucubus again wasn’t it?” asked Eve as she looked down at her flowing ball gown and matching heels.
“Yes, but we will soon deal with her with your help!” he said with a smile.
He nodded in approval as the Question and the woman who wore the emblem of the Peacemaker stepped closer over some fallen monsters.
“Are you okay, kid?” asked the Question.
Eve nodded and said, “Yes, take me to her!”
They rushed out to confront the evil queen only to find her waiting for them. She had sensed it the moment her prisoner broke free from the spell. She was furious but she was unafraid.
“Eve Eden, Darling of Darkness! I shall give you more darkness than you can handle!” she said with a scowl.
Eve said, “No. You will only fall before me as you have before!”
She charged at the deathly pale woman and they wrestled across the patio. The magic involved in all they did was secondary at this moment to simple, physical aggression between two old enemies.
Eve was slower and weaker than her foe and she felt it as the bigger woman drove her backward.
Still, she had more than a few tricks all her own and she phased into semi-solid shadow form for a moment before returning to normal again. She repeated the trick again and smiled in satisfaction as she gained a bit of traction and sent the evil queen crashing to the grass.
Queen Malevana laughed instead of showing any sign of concern. She looked up at the other woman and said, “ Perhaps, it is time I showed you who truly rules the darkness!”
Eve stiffened as her own body began to change hue. She felt herself becoming colder as an inky darkness rose up her feet and legs and slowly covered her body.
She became completely immobile as the dark magic shut out her senses and threatened to smother her!
Even if her friends could break her free they were unable to reach her as a cloud of darkness exploded upward and left them all lost in a freezing cold that blinded and wounded even Captain Atom!
It appeared as though Queen Malevana was about to achieve her ultimate victory!
Tom Falcon emerged from the Blue Bullet and urged the others to climb aboard.
“This place is crumbling or fading away! he shouted.
Blue Beetle said, “Evila must have hit some self-destruct button!”
Thunderbolt said, “She did not create this place. It is closely akin to the cavern I use as a base. Someone else…some ally…made it for her!”
He pointed to a huge portal that filled one wall of the crumbling structure.
“If you think of the era you want to return to and pass through the portal, it shall restore you to that time. If you wish to return to your proper times this is your chance! You have all accomplished more than we could have wished from you!”
The Black Rider said, “Birdman and I wish to return to the Old West. There is a need for us back then and we feel like we may do a lot of good back then!”
Birdman said, “I agree. All who knew us in the forties believe we died in the cyclone!”
They departed through the portal and found themselves in 1876 once more.
Red Rocket said, “Arlene and I need to get back to 2042 to see her father and I may be needed there to save the universe or something like that!
Blue Beetle said, “What about the rocketship?
Red said, “You folks keep it. I can get another one cheap enough in 2042!”
Arlene said, “He means my father will make him one!”
They raced through the portal and emerged in 2042!
The Golden Knight said, “I grew to love my life in 1911 and it would please me to return there!”
He stepped into the portal and emerged in his beloved village.
Astra gasped as the portal rejected her.
“What is this? I can’t get through!” she cried.
Peter said, “I think something is the nature of the explosion that brought you to the past also saturated your alien metabolism with an energy that makes it impossible for you to travel through time!”
She said, “Then how did Mr. Falcon bring me from old Salem to your era?”
Peter said, “He brought you directly into my cavern beyond time. That may mean you may only go that far and no more! I honestly don’t have an answer! I’m sorry!”
She said, “Well, I won’t give up. I have to get back to my proper era!”
They raced into the Blue Bullet and Captain Atom took the captain’s chair. He was the best pilot there.
They escaped from the limbo as it seemed to blink out of existence. It was Tom Falcon again who empowered the ship to traverse time as well as space.
They placed the injured Ragman and Atoman in stasis chambers as Blue Beetle marveled at the advanced science found in the rocket.
“This is amazing!” he said.
The Question said nothing. He was troubled by the fact that his future appeared to be blank. He shrugged and decided that this only meant that he and he alone would determine his destiny.
Vulcan said, “Evila disappeared. That means we better get back to Eve’s home and fight our way through to her sleeping body! She may be the magical power source Malevanna was using to bring those fairy tale monsters into our world!”
Captain Atom said, “I agree. When we helped Eve depose her from the Realm, she was literally hurled out of that dimension. I don’t think she can tap into its magic naturally any longer. She has to be using Eve as a human magical battery!”
They emerged in their proper era and hovered over the Eden home where a scene of horror played out below them.
Queen Malevanna the Night Queen stood outside the manor and looked down on a veritable army of fairy tale creatures. The monsters roared in approval as she urged them to kill everyone in the country!
Vulcan said, “By the Forge! How can we stop that legion?”
Thunderbolt said, “If the three queens you told me about were helping one another by sharing power, apparently, something caused them to stop feeding magical energy to Evila. I wager they have turned on one another by now. Each wants to rule alone!”
Liberty Belle said, “I’m sure the other Sentinels are out there fighting her forces already!”
The All-American Girl was correct. Heroes around the world were facing off against Queen Malevanna’s forces even without knowing the source of the creatures!
In New York, the vampire-looking Countess (Monica Lake), her she-cat friend Felina (Maddy Lopez), the artificial being known as the Shape, the super human Guardian (Debbie Huston), young hero the Champion (Adam Thompson), the regal Lady Quark, and the reformed super criminal Supernova ( Alec Rois) were battling an army of trolls, ogres, and goblins!
In the Soviet Union, Redstar led his resentful allies Hammer, Sickle, Pravda, Molotov, and Bolshoi against three giants who loomed high over Moscow.
In Great Britain the Union (Piskie, the Brixton Brawler, Springheeled Jack, Nightstalker, and Lady Justice were protecting London from four massive fire-breathing dragons! Lady Justice was valiantly using her powers in defense of her adopted homeland in spite of the fact that the teen girl was still mourning the loss of the only parents she had ever known!
In Norway, the odd trio of Samson, Hercules, and Thor were attacking a legion of Frost Giants.
Even semi-retired heroes like the Green Mask, the Flame, Flame Girl, and Solar were using their skills to keep ordinary people safe from werewolves and vampires!
In Japan the young hero Voltron was combating the bizarre chicken-monster called the Basan with help from a young woman calling herself the Joker!
In China the Sino-Supermen were keeping their nation safe from a flock of Longmas!
In Canada the Champions were battling monstrous snow beasts.
Even Action Villains like the Squids, the Madmen, and Dr. Spectra were using their talents to fight off the magical armies.
Captain Atom, ever the leader, flew forward and glowed brightly as if to attract the attention of Queen Malevanna’s legions. The creatures reacted differently according to their natures. Some feared the light and drew back from his with a shudder while others lashed out with a new frenzy as though desperate to reach him.
He hesitated for a moment to access the strength of his targets and then he crashed into them at super speed and radiated energy that left many of them stunned or at least hurt.
Captain Atom was well-known for his strength and for the atomic energy he controlled so well; however, he was also super humanly fast. His speed was something even his most ardent supporters sometimes ignored or took for granted. He used it well this day as he selected targets and battered them or blazed with energy until they faltered. He also had amazing stamina and he drew upon it since he knew this battle would not be over soon!
“I hope we can revive Eve. She has to be more than a mere living magic battery. Malevanna hates her so much that losing her would dishearten that witch!” he mused.
The Question was fighting his well through the assorted goblins that lined the yard and he soon realized that his blows were really not that effective against the creatures since their skulls were as hard as stone. He used his stealth to slip away from the fight. Perhaps, he could be of more use within the manor. After all, Nightshade was probably still within and trapped in her magical slumber.
“I’m no Prince Charming but maybe I can wake her up!” he thought as he slipped through the darkened hallways and hurried toward the place he had last seen his friend.
He found the glistening coffin-like formation that held the sleeping Eve Eden and he studied the shadows of the room in search of any guards. He frowned as he saw something odd. There were no guards in sight.
He started to approach the coffin when he saw a prone figure on the floor. It was one of the monsters but it was either dead or stunned. Nearby a second creature lay still as did a third.
He started to turn when someone grabbed him from behind and placed him in a choke hold.
The Question dropped down to his knees and flipped the other person over his shoulders. He grunted as the weight of his attacker or more precisely the weight of the woman’s costume passed over his shoulders.
She rolled nimbly to her feet and stood before him ready to resume combat. Then he frowned as he stepped into the dim light of the heavily curtained chamber.
“The Question? We’re on the same side! You may call me Peacemaker!” she said. She had long blonde hair and wore a stylized gold and red armored costume with protective helmet and eye goggles.
“You sure don’t look like the guy I know!” quipped the Question.
“But you work like him! I can see that!” he added as he gestured toward the fallen monsters.
“He trained me along with some other recruits. Chris is always prepared and his own retirement from active duty is just one eventuality he has taken into account!” she added.
“He sent me here to try to liberate Nightshade. He told me she would be at the root of this crisis!”
They turned as several shadowy beings lurched into the room. Clearly, the house still had other creatures at large!
The Question stood back to back with the new Peacemaker and sighed.
“It is always something!” he thought.
Meanwhile, Liberty Belle was kicking furiously at a hulking creature who appeared to be an ogre. She bounded up and over his broad back and landed on the other side. Before the brute could turn, she had lashed out and hit his knee with enough accuracy to topple him. He crashed to the ground and Belle connected with a chop to his throat.
“Lesson for today: Ogres do have pressure points!” she said with a smile.
She whirled around as a pair of horned men with scaly skin slipped toward her like some combination of man and snake.
Liberty Belle dodged their swift attacks and rolled away from them. She jumped forward and slammed her fists into their faces. They shuddered and drew back as she prepared to resume her attack.
Vulcan was lashing out with his gleaming battleaxe as a dragon loomed over his muscular form. He held his breath as a cloud of toxic gas threatened to swallow him up. He moved forward and relentlessly ignored the peril until he drew blood once more. He lowered his head and slashed at the roaring beast in front of him again and again until he fell at his feet.
Blue Beetle was piloting the Blue Bullet and his nimble hands fairly flew across the controls as he fired concussive blasts at the army of Queen Malevana.
He knew the captives like Yellowjacket were secure in stasis chambers and he had been confident after studying the rocket’s equipment that they would possibly even emerge healed of their injuries. The ship was amazingly sophisticated for someone who seemed rather simple like Red Rocket.
As the heroes fought onward both on the grounds of the Eden estate and around the globe, Peter Cannon was making a more direct assault on the source of the problem. He had followed the Question inside the house and since he was confident his friend could handle himself, he passed by the scene of battle where the faceless hero and the armored woman were combating the monsters and he approached Eve Eden’s still form.
He touched her face gently and concentrated until the sights and sounds of battle faded from his senses and the entranced woman seemed to dominate the room. He was aware of her perfume and he detected her slow but regular breathing. He focused the force of will power that he had mastered so well and reached out for her mind. He made contact and gently ever so gently whispered words of comfort and assurance to her. He did not try to rush or force his efforts to awaken her. He merely reached out to her sleeping mind and gave some of his own will to strengthen her until slowly at what seemed to be snail’s pace, Eve opened her eyes!
She sat up slowly and he lifted her into his arms and then helped her regain her footing.
“Peter? Is it really you? I feel like I’ve been away so long! I’ve been lost in a dream!” she said softly as her eyes blinked again and again and she slowly became comfortable once more with the real world beyond her enforced sleep.
“You are well once more!” he said softly.
“It was the Sucubus again wasn’t it?” asked Eve as she looked down at her flowing ball gown and matching heels.
“Yes, but we will soon deal with her with your help!” he said with a smile.
He nodded in approval as the Question and the woman who wore the emblem of the Peacemaker stepped closer over some fallen monsters.
“Are you okay, kid?” asked the Question.
Eve nodded and said, “Yes, take me to her!”
They rushed out to confront the evil queen only to find her waiting for them. She had sensed it the moment her prisoner broke free from the spell. She was furious but she was unafraid.
“Eve Eden, Darling of Darkness! I shall give you more darkness than you can handle!” she said with a scowl.
Eve said, “No. You will only fall before me as you have before!”
She charged at the deathly pale woman and they wrestled across the patio. The magic involved in all they did was secondary at this moment to simple, physical aggression between two old enemies.
Eve was slower and weaker than her foe and she felt it as the bigger woman drove her backward.
Still, she had more than a few tricks all her own and she phased into semi-solid shadow form for a moment before returning to normal again. She repeated the trick again and smiled in satisfaction as she gained a bit of traction and sent the evil queen crashing to the grass.
Queen Malevana laughed instead of showing any sign of concern. She looked up at the other woman and said, “ Perhaps, it is time I showed you who truly rules the darkness!”
Eve stiffened as her own body began to change hue. She felt herself becoming colder as an inky darkness rose up her feet and legs and slowly covered her body.
She became completely immobile as the dark magic shut out her senses and threatened to smother her!
Even if her friends could break her free they were unable to reach her as a cloud of darkness exploded upward and left them all lost in a freezing cold that blinded and wounded even Captain Atom!
It appeared as though Queen Malevana was about to achieve her ultimate victory!
10
* Earlier, Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Memakata had bid farewell to Cairo DeFrey. She had thanked them for their help and vowed to use her newfound magical powers to protect those around her.
“When Queen Nagana was defeated something changed. I guess the sun god reclaimed his power from all three of them and they are losing their hold on our world!” said Mark.
Cairo said, “When I felt the power of Isis rise up in my body I sensed as much though I hardly knew what it all meant. I feel like we may yet triumph if we follow through!”
She waved goodbye as the others approached Merlin’s plane.
She would indeed make use of her power. That was a vow she would keep or die trying!
After Mark, Arachne, and Memakata had boarded the plane, they were soon headed for a strange location. After glancing through the book Arachne had first brought to Merlin’s home, they noticed some startling changes. The scenes of altered fairy tales had stated to return to their normal endings and while some pages depicted monsters in urban settings, most now had been restored to their traditional settings.
Arachne frowned as she flipped through the book and then she held it up for the others to see.
“It is us! This page shows the three of us! We’re in some town called Chilhowie, Virginia! See the community sign in the background? That little house has a mailbox too. I can just make out the name Thunder on the box. We’re supposed to find some man named Thunder in rural Virginia!”
Mark nodded and said, “Then that’s exactly what we will do!”
As they reached the closest airport to the tiny town and rented a card, Merlin thought about all he had experienced since meeting Arachne.
“She’s a wonderful girl! I wonder if she might consider sticking around and becoming my assistant?” he thought.
Memakata looked up at his friend and winked knowingly.
As they drove down a windy country road, they eventually found themselves in the heart of a tiny community that roughly matched the drawing in Arachne’s book.
“Dr. David Thunder! Why would the book send us to a country doctor?” asked Arachne.
Mark Merlin said, “I don’t know but it has not been wrong yet. Your uncle must be a remarkable man!”
Moments later, they reached a small but comfortable looking home with a neatly landscaped yard.
As Mark Merlin approached the front porch, a kindly looking man with gray hair and rather heavy eyebrows opened the door and smiled warmly.
“Come inside. I’m Dr. David Thunder, how may I help you?” he said as he held open the screen door.
Arachne smiled at the old physician and said, “You can tell us what your connection is to magical invasion that has struck most of the world’s cities!”
He scratched his head for a moment and sighed.
“I suppose it has to do with my best friend. You see, I may be a country doctor and a proud parents and grandparent, but to my rather special best friend, I’m what he calls the Wish Master!”
He said, “When I was a boy back during the war I didn’t have much going for me except for a friend. He helped me and became all the family I needed. He made me what I am today. I owe him everything. You might call him a genie or a wish granter but for some reason whatever that may be he bonded with one lonely child and answered all my boyhood wishes.”
He gestured to where the empty room suddenly seemed to fill with a puffy cloudlike substance that formed a humanoid shape.
He smiled broadly like a good natured child or oversized infant and said, “Davy, what is your wish?”
Dr. David Thunder shrugged and said, “He still calls me Davy like he did when I was a child!”
Mark said, “Amazing! I believe you may be the key to ending this whole crisis! Dr. Thunder, will you wish for a few things as I mention them to you?”
The old doctor grinned and for a moment even Merlin could see signs of the impish child he must have been decades ago when he first met his beloved genie.
Captain Atom refused to give up. He summoned all his energies and tried to burn away the magical darkness and he succeeded to a degree. It drew back from his body but failed to part beyond proximity to him.
Thunderbolt fought to use his own force of will to enable him to use other senses and escape from the problems loss of vision caused normal men.
Blue Beetle tried to use the rocket’s tools to burn through the inky cloud of night with little effect.
Vulcan wished briefly that he still had the overwhelming powers that had been his when he had served as the world guarding Monitor.
Eve Eden was in no pain. She felt nothing but even nearly suffocated by darkness, the rightful Princess of the Realm fought with all her will and courage. She began to crack through the cloud that crushed her but she knew she had far to go to truly be free.
At that moment all of the monsters vanished! Queen Malevana gasped as she saw only a trio of odd figures cross the lawn with another wispy being hovering above them.
Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Dr. Davy Thunder approached slowly as the old man’s magical genie banished the creatures back to their own dimension. It could do so with seemingly no effort. Perhaps, the only thing that had ever limited the magical being’s awesome power was the imagination and moral compass of its master.
Dr. Thunder said, “What do you want him to do next?”
Merlin said, “Cancel the spell of darkness!”
The cloud-like being grinned and clapped its fat hands together as it did just that.
Eve gasped with relief and jumped up to tackled the Evil Queen.
Queen Malevana shrieked as she felt herself losing not only the battle but even her sense of supreme power. This weird little man and his genie were stronger than she was!
As Eve pummeled her again and again, the Queen broke free and raced across the lawn. She was almost desperate now since she felt her end was near.
As she rounded the corner of the house and temporarily escape from the view of the others she was confront by a mocking figure who stood before her with both hands placed on her shapely hips.
She looked just like Cairo DeFrey but as Queen Malevana realized….just as Queen Nagana had before her… this woman was something more!
“You! Have you come to help me, sister? Have you come to give me power?” asked Queen Malevana.
The woman who had worn the form of Cairo since moments after the departure of the sun god Aten back in Thebes, smiled coldly and raised one delicately arched eyebrow.
“I saw how you and Nagana planned to betray me. I saw it all from my throne in the limbo beyond time. I fled from there when I faced the Thunderbolt but what even he didn’t realize was that I knew my way around its portals well enough to use it to travel back in time to enable me to reach Thebes at an earlier moment. I waited until Aten escaped and then I took over Cairo Defrey’s body. I lied about having received the powers of Isis although the insipid model may truly be a descendent of Isis herself, she was never granted super powers by Aten. He left as soon as he was freed by the removal of the book that held him prisoner. I let the heroes believe the magic Merlin now detected in my body was newly given to me by the Egyptian when in fact it was always mine and he detected it because my spirit now wore the moral Cairo like a designer dress!”
Malevana said, “Evila? You saw we were going to lose and you plotted to cheat us all! You’ve secured power for yourself at our expense!”
Cairo smiled and stepped closer. She whispered in the other woman’s ear.
“QUEEN Evila, my dear. You must use my proper title since I am in fact the last and only Queen of Evil!”
She concentrated and her own magic struck Malevana like a bolt of lightning.
She laughed and vanished.
As Eve and the others reached the scene, they found the stricken Queen Malevana and secured her with help from Davy’s genie. They would banish her to a prison dimension where she could do no additional harm.
Eve kissed Mark and said, “I owe you all so much but you really secured our victory by finding this wonderful man!”
She nodded toward a beaming Davy Thunder and his genie.
Mark said, “And I owe it to this little lady and her uncle’s magical book. Arachne, what would you say to becoming my assistant fulltime?”
Arachne smiled coyly and said, “I’d be happy to be your partner!”
The assembled heroes rejoiced in their victory even as around the world, their peers felt the same elation.
The fairy tale war had been won. The fairy tale war was over.
However, elsewhere, within the spacious industrial empire of Cairo DeFrey, Queen Evila admired her new body in a full length mirror and felt her own sense of pleasure.
“It is good to be Queen!” she whispered.
The End
Earlier, Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Memakata had bid farewell to Cairo DeFrey. She had thanked them for their help and vowed to use her newfound magical powers to protect those around her.
“When Queen Nagana was defeated something changed. I guess the sun god reclaimed his power from all three of them and they are losing their hold on our world!” said Mark.
Cairo said, “When I felt the power of Isis rise up in my body I sensed as much though I hardly knew what it all meant. I feel like we may yet triumph if we follow through!”
She waved goodbye as the others approached Merlin’s plane.
She would indeed make use of her power. That was a vow she would keep or die trying!
After Mark, Arachne, and Memakata had boarded the plane, they were soon headed for a strange location. After glancing through the book Arachne had first brought to Merlin’s home, they noticed some startling changes. The scenes of altered fairy tales had stated to return to their normal endings and while some pages depicted monsters in urban settings, most now had been restored to their traditional settings.
Arachne frowned as she flipped through the book and then she held it up for the others to see.
“It is us! This page shows the three of us! We’re in some town called Chilhowie, Virginia! See the community sign in the background? That little house has a mailbox too. I can just make out the name Thunder on the box. We’re supposed to find some man named Thunder in rural Virginia!”
Mark nodded and said, “Then that’s exactly what we will do!”
As they reached the closest airport to the tiny town and rented a card, Merlin thought about all he had experienced since meeting Arachne.
“She’s a wonderful girl! I wonder if she might consider sticking around and becoming my assistant?” he thought.
Memakata looked up at his friend and winked knowingly.
As they drove down a windy country road, they eventually found themselves in the heart of a tiny community that roughly matched the drawing in Arachne’s book.
“Dr. David Thunder! Why would the book send us to a country doctor?” asked Arachne.
Mark Merlin said, “I don’t know but it has not been wrong yet. Your uncle must be a remarkable man!”
Moments later, they reached a small but comfortable looking home with a neatly landscaped yard.
As Mark Merlin approached the front porch, a kindly looking man with gray hair and rather heavy eyebrows opened the door and smiled warmly.
“Come inside. I’m Dr. David Thunder, how may I help you?” he said as he held open the screen door.
Arachne smiled at the old physician and said, “You can tell us what your connection is to magical invasion that has struck most of the world’s cities!”
He scratched his head for a moment and sighed.
“I suppose it has to do with my best friend. You see, I may be a country doctor and a proud parents and grandparent, but to my rather special best friend, I’m what he calls the Wish Master!”
He said, “When I was a boy back during the war I didn’t have much going for me except for a friend. He helped me and became all the family I needed. He made me what I am today. I owe him everything. You might call him a genie or a wish granter but for some reason whatever that may be he bonded with one lonely child and answered all my boyhood wishes.”
He gestured to where the empty room suddenly seemed to fill with a puffy cloudlike substance that formed a humanoid shape.
He smiled broadly like a good natured child or oversized infant and said, “Davy, what is your wish?”
Dr. David Thunder shrugged and said, “He still calls me Davy like he did when I was a child!”
Mark said, “Amazing! I believe you may be the key to ending this whole crisis! Dr. Thunder, will you wish for a few things as I mention them to you?”
The old doctor grinned and for a moment even Merlin could see signs of the impish child he must have been decades ago when he first met his beloved genie.
Captain Atom refused to give up. He summoned all his energies and tried to burn away the magical darkness and he succeeded to a degree. It drew back from his body but failed to part beyond proximity to him.
Thunderbolt fought to use his own force of will to enable him to use other senses and escape from the problems loss of vision caused normal men.
Blue Beetle tried to use the rocket’s tools to burn through the inky cloud of night with little effect.
Vulcan wished briefly that he still had the overwhelming powers that had been his when he had served as the world guarding Monitor.
Eve Eden was in no pain. She felt nothing but even nearly suffocated by darkness, the rightful Princess of the Realm fought with all her will and courage. She began to crack through the cloud that crushed her but she knew she had far to go to truly be free.
At that moment all of the monsters vanished! Queen Malevana gasped as she saw only a trio of odd figures cross the lawn with another wispy being hovering above them.
Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Dr. Davy Thunder approached slowly as the old man’s magical genie banished the creatures back to their own dimension. It could do so with seemingly no effort. Perhaps, the only thing that had ever limited the magical being’s awesome power was the imagination and moral compass of its master.
Dr. Thunder said, “What do you want him to do next?”
Merlin said, “Cancel the spell of darkness!”
The cloud-like being grinned and clapped its fat hands together as it did just that.
Eve gasped with relief and jumped up to tackled the Evil Queen.
Queen Malevana shrieked as she felt herself losing not only the battle but even her sense of supreme power. This weird little man and his genie were stronger than she was!
As Eve pummeled her again and again, the Queen broke free and raced across the lawn. She was almost desperate now since she felt her end was near.
As she rounded the corner of the house and temporarily escape from the view of the others she was confront by a mocking figure who stood before her with both hands placed on her shapely hips.
She looked just like Cairo DeFrey but as Queen Malevana realized….just as Queen Nagana had before her… this woman was something more!
“You! Have you come to help me, sister? Have you come to give me power?” asked Queen Malevana.
The woman who had worn the form of Cairo since moments after the departure of the sun god Aten back in Thebes, smiled coldly and raised one delicately arched eyebrow.
“I saw how you and Nagana planned to betray me. I saw it all from my throne in the limbo beyond time. I fled from there when I faced the Thunderbolt but what even he didn’t realize was that I knew my way around its portals well enough to use it to travel back in time to enable me to reach Thebes at an earlier moment. I waited until Aten escaped and then I took over Cairo Defrey’s body. I lied about having received the powers of Isis although the insipid model may truly be a descendent of Isis herself, she was never granted super powers by Aten. He left as soon as he was freed by the removal of the book that held him prisoner. I let the heroes believe the magic Merlin now detected in my body was newly given to me by the Egyptian when in fact it was always mine and he detected it because my spirit now wore the moral Cairo like a designer dress!”
Malevana said, “Evila? You saw we were going to lose and you plotted to cheat us all! You’ve secured power for yourself at our expense!”
Cairo smiled and stepped closer. She whispered in the other woman’s ear.
“QUEEN Evila, my dear. You must use my proper title since I am in fact the last and only Queen of Evil!”
She concentrated and her own magic struck Malevana like a bolt of lightning.
She laughed and vanished.
As Eve and the others reached the scene, they found the stricken Queen Malevana and secured her with help from Davy’s genie. They would banish her to a prison dimension where she could do no additional harm.
Eve kissed Mark and said, “I owe you all so much but you really secured our victory by finding this wonderful man!”
She nodded toward a beaming Davy Thunder and his genie.
Mark said, “And I owe it to this little lady and her uncle’s magical book. Arachne, what would you say to becoming my assistant fulltime?”
Arachne smiled coyly and said, “I’d be happy to be your partner!”
The assembled heroes rejoiced in their victory even as around the world, their peers felt the same elation.
The fairy tale war had been won. The fairy tale war was over.
However, elsewhere, within the spacious industrial empire of Cairo DeFrey, Queen Evila admired her new body in a full length mirror and felt her own sense of pleasure.
“It is good to be Queen!” she whispered.
The End
Epilogue
* In his remote base Stardust the Super Wizard, now the Monitor of Earth 4’s Universe, nodded grimly.
“It was a necessary evil for me to remove the Black Rider and the others from their proper eras in order to enable them to serve a greater good for just such a crisis as the one they helped the Sentinels to weather. Since all of them have now returned to their desired eras with the exception of Astra, no lasting harm was done to them. As for Astra, I retained her in this era since she still has much to do in the twentieth century! She will not be lonely for much longer either!”
He spoke to himself and soon returned to his solitary vigil.
In his remote base Stardust the Super Wizard, now the Monitor of Earth 4’s Universe, nodded grimly.
“It was a necessary evil for me to remove the Black Rider and the others from their proper eras in order to enable them to serve a greater good for just such a crisis as the one they helped the Sentinels to weather. Since all of them have now returned to their desired eras with the exception of Astra, no lasting harm was done to them. As for Astra, I retained her in this era since she still has much to do in the twentieth century! She will not be lonely for much longer either!”
He spoke to himself and soon returned to his solitary vigil.
By lawrenceliberty
1988
Prologue
The Grand Ballroom was ablaze with light and three crystalline chandeliers illuminated the already sparkling room. The orchestra loomed above the guests from on top of an elevated platform and the music filled the room along with the happy conversations of the dancing or mingling couples. All of the guests were dressed to impress as befitted the Realm’s noble families. However, even in a huge chamber full of beautiful people, all eyes turned to stare with admiration as one blonde beauty entered their line of vision and paused for a moment at the head of the wide staircase that descended from the outer rooms to the ballroom itself. As moonlight streamed in from an open skylight, the lovely blonde seemed to glow with the radiance of a fairy or some other ethereal being from a higher plain. She was dressed in a pale rose ball gown and matching high heels of a delicate but finely crafted crystalline substance that reflected the many lights like so many will o’wisps. She smiled and extended one gloved hand as a handsome man approached and bowed to her. He was dressed like a Royal Prince of the Realm but his facial features seemed to change from moment to moment as different lights bathed over his graceful but powerful figure.
The couple began a dance of exquisite beauty as they whirled around the room and met the approval of the other guests. It was a romantic evening and every detail was perfect. The belle of this ball was smiling with pleasure. She was filled with emotion and her heart raced with delight. Her name was Ella although there were those who had cruelly called her Cinderella because of her normally humble manner and the dirty work she routinely performed. Her name was certainly Cinderella and yet as a shadow fell across her face and she carefully pushed one long blonde lock of hair away from her face, she thought for the briefest of moments that her name was Eve Eden and this was not truly the life she was supposed to live. At the moment she realized this, the scene changed and she found herself locked in an incredibly high tower. She gazed forlornly out its sole window and brushed her now amazingly long blonde hair. With this new transformation, the memory of the name Eve Eden grew ever so faint.
1
Cloisters, Vermont was a quaint little town in the countryside with a reputation for historic preservation and small shops and comfortable inns that were a pleasant change from the urban sprawl and “box stores” of larger cities. One of the oldest houses in the town rested on a high hill that overlooked the community. Some folks called the address Mystery Hill and the historical old home that sat on the top of crest was known as Mystery Manor although the spacious home was not really a mansion in the classic sense of the word. It was a big house for only one occupant. The new owner sat slumped in a plush chair in the slightly messy library and idly thumbed through a thick book. He smiled up at a row of oil paintings that depicted the original owners of the house going back to colonial times.
He was a smart and handsome man with a good sense of humor and a pleasing demeanor. He grinned again as a black cat jumped up into his lap and sent the book crashing to the worn carpet on the wooden floor.
He smiled at the cat and said, “This house is too big for the two of us!”
The black cat looked up at him and said, “I like it here! I am glad you found it!”
Mark Merlin stroked the talking cat and said, “I do too. I guess I’m just bored. Even being a detective of the supernatural gets dull when no one bothers to hire you. If it wasn’t for the loan Eve gave us I would never have been able to buy this place. I still have to find a way to pay her back. I’d hate to sell the stuff the previous owner accumulated. It all makes me feel closer to my late uncle even if the man who owned this place was not the same person who owned the place on my original earth!”
Mark said, “If anyone heard me they would think I was one ghost short of a haunted house but, you know my story is true. I was born on another parallel earth where my Uncle Mort was a stage magician called the Mighty Merlin. He taught me how to expose frauds who tried to con ordinary people by pretending to have supernatural powers. When my uncle was murdered, I started acting as a mystical detective of sorts. Most of my cases turned out to be clever frauds but some have genuine occult aspects about them. My assistant Elsa helped me through all the weird situations even when I found an ancient charm that enabled me to transfer my mind into the body of a cat. Then things got really bizarre and I became physically and mentally dominated by an arrogant guy named Prince Ra-Man. He died during a cosmic Crisis and I ended up here on another earth not quite exactly like my own. I’m no older than I was back when he first took over my form. I still have the charm and picked up the ability to detect magic after being in contact with him for so long! When I found out there was a Mystery Manor and a Cloister, Vermont on this earth I had to buy the place. I mean, that was exactly where I lived when I was back on my Earth. Finding a replica of the same old house in the same weird little town was a miracle!”
Memakata said, “The fact that my name used to be Faustus and the last owner of this place was not your magician uncle fails to undermine your quest for nostalgia!”
Mark shrugged and said, “Call me sentimental. I like all my talking cats to have the same name. After all, the original Memakata died during the Crisis and you are the closest match to him found on this Earth!”
He continued, “I saw plenty of odd things when I used to travel around investigating and exposing fake wizards and bogus ghouls but being transported to another Earth and basically getting a second chance at life is a strange experience even for me! Naturally, I want to find anything that reminds me of home. At least you and I were befriended by a great girl like Eve Eden!”
He stood up as the cat jumped to the ground and ran over to the door.
“You want to go out? Don’t tell me I’m boring you? Nobody wants to listen to my ramblings!” joked Mark.
Memakata said, “You miss your old assistant don’t you?”
Mark sighed and said, “Yeah, I do. It is not every day you find someone as smart and pretty as Elsa. It’s not like I can just open a door and a girl like her will magically appear!”
He swung open the heavy front door to reveal a lovely young girl standing on the porch with her hands on her hips.
She had long dark hair that reached below her shoulders and expressive dark eyes that were rather heavily made up. The petite girl had an attractive if demure figure. She was wearing a purple mini dress with matching hosiery and heels. She also wore a long gold necklace and long dangling earrings. She had a large bag swung across one shoulder and she looked up a Mark Merlin with a rather flirtatious expression on her face.
She said, “Mr. Merlin? My name is Arachne Coffin and I need your help!”
She walked by with a rather sultry walk and sat down on the couch. She opened her bag and pulled out a large book.
Mark closed the door and approached her with interest. He relished his work and even when he could not determine the true nature of a mystery he merely filed it away in what he jokingly called his “question mark file!”
“Miss Coffin, may I ask how you heard of me and my services? I’m rather new here at least!” he said as he sat next to her.
She smiled winningly and he noticed how attractive a girl she truly was. She said, “My uncle is well versed in many subjects. He is a well-travelled philosopher who keeps up to date on any subject of interest. You and your special talents are of interest to…us!”
Mark said, “I will be glad to help. Is this book the source of your problem? I can tell it possesses a magical energy of some type.”
Arachne shook her head.
“Not exactly. This book is not the problem nor is it the source of the threat we face. It merely depicts the nature of that menace. You see within this book a collection of what many consider to be fairy tales; however, we know the tales within really happened in another dimension of magic and wonder. The dilemma we face is that the endings of those stories have been altered so that the villains triumph. The very scene of their conflicts has changed as well as you may see for yourself!” she said as she leaned closer and opened the heavy book across her knees.
Mark frowned as he saw colorful sketches of familiar fairy tale characters like Snow White and Rapunzel but the heroines were violently killed by their foes and the vividly painted scenes placed those battles in a very modern world of skyscrapers and motor cars!
“I don’t understand. These scenes depict what might be called contemporized fables with dark endings. What is their significance?” he asked.
She tossed back her long hair and stared at him with concerned eyes as she reached over and took his hand.
“Mr. Merlin, this book shows proof that someone is using magic from another world to turn this one into a kind of evil fairy tale! The pictures have changed from what they were originally. That means this reality is also changing!” she said.
“What it shows is really happening or will happen here!” she insisted.
Mark said, “I’ve seen stranger things in my time. I have a theory about where this dark magic came from and who caused it. Have you ever heard of the Realm of the Nightshades or the Succubus?”
Arachne said, “Yes! My uncle spoke of the dimension and its former ruler in the past. He didn’t mention this witch when he sent me here.”
Mark said, “The Succubus brought magical energies into our world from her Realm once before. I suspect she is trying to do so again! I know just the person to help us stop her. I have a good friend who is a royal princess of that mystical dimension!”
He grabbed his telephone, dialed a number, and waited.
“No answer. I fear Eve may either be on a mission or in peril!” he said.
Arachne said, “Eve? What does she look like?”
Mark said, “Well, she’s a pretty blonde with long hair and..!”
Arachne stopped him and flipped open the book once more and held up the open pages. The pictures showed a beautiful woman in a lovely ball gown and glasses slippers.
“Is this her?”
Mark gasped and said, “Great Scott! It certainly looks like her!”
Arachne said, “It used have the caption Princess Eve of the Realm. Now, it just says Cinderella!”
Mark said, “Somehow Eve has been trapped in a fairy tale!”
Arachne said, “And she will come to a bad end if we can’t free her!”
Mark said, “We better get to her house fast! My car is outside!”
At that moment Memakata jumped forward and blocked their path.
The black cat glowed a bright green for a moment and then a ghostly figure emerged from within its small frame and loomed up in front of the duo.
“You are not going anywhere!” he declared.
Cloisters, Vermont was a quaint little town in the countryside with a reputation for historic preservation and small shops and comfortable inns that were a pleasant change from the urban sprawl and “box stores” of larger cities. One of the oldest houses in the town rested on a high hill that overlooked the community. Some folks called the address Mystery Hill and the historical old home that sat on the top of crest was known as Mystery Manor although the spacious home was not really a mansion in the classic sense of the word. It was a big house for only one occupant. The new owner sat slumped in a plush chair in the slightly messy library and idly thumbed through a thick book. He smiled up at a row of oil paintings that depicted the original owners of the house going back to colonial times.
He was a smart and handsome man with a good sense of humor and a pleasing demeanor. He grinned again as a black cat jumped up into his lap and sent the book crashing to the worn carpet on the wooden floor.
He smiled at the cat and said, “This house is too big for the two of us!”
The black cat looked up at him and said, “I like it here! I am glad you found it!”
Mark Merlin stroked the talking cat and said, “I do too. I guess I’m just bored. Even being a detective of the supernatural gets dull when no one bothers to hire you. If it wasn’t for the loan Eve gave us I would never have been able to buy this place. I still have to find a way to pay her back. I’d hate to sell the stuff the previous owner accumulated. It all makes me feel closer to my late uncle even if the man who owned this place was not the same person who owned the place on my original earth!”
Mark said, “If anyone heard me they would think I was one ghost short of a haunted house but, you know my story is true. I was born on another parallel earth where my Uncle Mort was a stage magician called the Mighty Merlin. He taught me how to expose frauds who tried to con ordinary people by pretending to have supernatural powers. When my uncle was murdered, I started acting as a mystical detective of sorts. Most of my cases turned out to be clever frauds but some have genuine occult aspects about them. My assistant Elsa helped me through all the weird situations even when I found an ancient charm that enabled me to transfer my mind into the body of a cat. Then things got really bizarre and I became physically and mentally dominated by an arrogant guy named Prince Ra-Man. He died during a cosmic Crisis and I ended up here on another earth not quite exactly like my own. I’m no older than I was back when he first took over my form. I still have the charm and picked up the ability to detect magic after being in contact with him for so long! When I found out there was a Mystery Manor and a Cloister, Vermont on this earth I had to buy the place. I mean, that was exactly where I lived when I was back on my Earth. Finding a replica of the same old house in the same weird little town was a miracle!”
Memakata said, “The fact that my name used to be Faustus and the last owner of this place was not your magician uncle fails to undermine your quest for nostalgia!”
Mark shrugged and said, “Call me sentimental. I like all my talking cats to have the same name. After all, the original Memakata died during the Crisis and you are the closest match to him found on this Earth!”
He continued, “I saw plenty of odd things when I used to travel around investigating and exposing fake wizards and bogus ghouls but being transported to another Earth and basically getting a second chance at life is a strange experience even for me! Naturally, I want to find anything that reminds me of home. At least you and I were befriended by a great girl like Eve Eden!”
He stood up as the cat jumped to the ground and ran over to the door.
“You want to go out? Don’t tell me I’m boring you? Nobody wants to listen to my ramblings!” joked Mark.
Memakata said, “You miss your old assistant don’t you?”
Mark sighed and said, “Yeah, I do. It is not every day you find someone as smart and pretty as Elsa. It’s not like I can just open a door and a girl like her will magically appear!”
He swung open the heavy front door to reveal a lovely young girl standing on the porch with her hands on her hips.
She had long dark hair that reached below her shoulders and expressive dark eyes that were rather heavily made up. The petite girl had an attractive if demure figure. She was wearing a purple mini dress with matching hosiery and heels. She also wore a long gold necklace and long dangling earrings. She had a large bag swung across one shoulder and she looked up a Mark Merlin with a rather flirtatious expression on her face.
She said, “Mr. Merlin? My name is Arachne Coffin and I need your help!”
She walked by with a rather sultry walk and sat down on the couch. She opened her bag and pulled out a large book.
Mark closed the door and approached her with interest. He relished his work and even when he could not determine the true nature of a mystery he merely filed it away in what he jokingly called his “question mark file!”
“Miss Coffin, may I ask how you heard of me and my services? I’m rather new here at least!” he said as he sat next to her.
She smiled winningly and he noticed how attractive a girl she truly was. She said, “My uncle is well versed in many subjects. He is a well-travelled philosopher who keeps up to date on any subject of interest. You and your special talents are of interest to…us!”
Mark said, “I will be glad to help. Is this book the source of your problem? I can tell it possesses a magical energy of some type.”
Arachne shook her head.
“Not exactly. This book is not the problem nor is it the source of the threat we face. It merely depicts the nature of that menace. You see within this book a collection of what many consider to be fairy tales; however, we know the tales within really happened in another dimension of magic and wonder. The dilemma we face is that the endings of those stories have been altered so that the villains triumph. The very scene of their conflicts has changed as well as you may see for yourself!” she said as she leaned closer and opened the heavy book across her knees.
Mark frowned as he saw colorful sketches of familiar fairy tale characters like Snow White and Rapunzel but the heroines were violently killed by their foes and the vividly painted scenes placed those battles in a very modern world of skyscrapers and motor cars!
“I don’t understand. These scenes depict what might be called contemporized fables with dark endings. What is their significance?” he asked.
She tossed back her long hair and stared at him with concerned eyes as she reached over and took his hand.
“Mr. Merlin, this book shows proof that someone is using magic from another world to turn this one into a kind of evil fairy tale! The pictures have changed from what they were originally. That means this reality is also changing!” she said.
“What it shows is really happening or will happen here!” she insisted.
Mark said, “I’ve seen stranger things in my time. I have a theory about where this dark magic came from and who caused it. Have you ever heard of the Realm of the Nightshades or the Succubus?”
Arachne said, “Yes! My uncle spoke of the dimension and its former ruler in the past. He didn’t mention this witch when he sent me here.”
Mark said, “The Succubus brought magical energies into our world from her Realm once before. I suspect she is trying to do so again! I know just the person to help us stop her. I have a good friend who is a royal princess of that mystical dimension!”
He grabbed his telephone, dialed a number, and waited.
“No answer. I fear Eve may either be on a mission or in peril!” he said.
Arachne said, “Eve? What does she look like?”
Mark said, “Well, she’s a pretty blonde with long hair and..!”
Arachne stopped him and flipped open the book once more and held up the open pages. The pictures showed a beautiful woman in a lovely ball gown and glasses slippers.
“Is this her?”
Mark gasped and said, “Great Scott! It certainly looks like her!”
Arachne said, “It used have the caption Princess Eve of the Realm. Now, it just says Cinderella!”
Mark said, “Somehow Eve has been trapped in a fairy tale!”
Arachne said, “And she will come to a bad end if we can’t free her!”
Mark said, “We better get to her house fast! My car is outside!”
At that moment Memakata jumped forward and blocked their path.
The black cat glowed a bright green for a moment and then a ghostly figure emerged from within its small frame and loomed up in front of the duo.
“You are not going anywhere!” he declared.
2
The Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) was not his normally good humored self as he piloted his stylized Bug craft through the air and glanced down at the tenements and back alleys of a neighborhood in decay.
He looked as fit and agile as ever in his blue costume and cowl. He guided the advanced flying vehicle with his customary skill and accuracy and his keen scientific mind routinely made some mental notes for improvements he could add that would enhance its speed. He was as capable as ever and was a worthy and fitting representative of a heroic legacy that dated back to before World War II. He knew his mentor the second man to be called the Blue Beetle was proud of him. He knew his wife Tracey and their child loved him deeply. He was firmly in control of the company his father had left him and the newer labs he had created himself. He had the respect of the action hero community and was a valued member of the famous Sentinels of Justice. In spite of all his blessings and accomplishments, the Blue Beetle was not himself this day. He was both mourning the loss of a friend Booster Gold and he was in search of another : the Question!
“Supernova agreed with my findings. My best pal Booster Gold just vanished into time itself and since he originally came from another era, that’s not hard to believe. What makes it so hard to accept is that I can’t find any trace of when or where he ended up. A while back the legendary Action Hero Wonder Man appeared and helped us and then he also vanished in time. Lord Volt hurled himself and one of our enemies into the time stream as well during that same case. It makes me more determined than ever to find a way to create my own working time machine. In the meantime, my old friend Vic “The Question: Sage told me he was looking into the abduction of some homeless folks from nearby a shelter in this area. I hope I can find him and talk over the whole problem about Booster with him. Vic is a good listener even though he never exactly liked Booster!” he mused.
He adjusted the controls and guided the Bug downward to a rough grassy field that sloped down to a worn old bridge.
“Someone is under that bridge! I can see shadowy figures and sure enough I see the Question! I wish Vic would start wearing his signal device again but he is so independent that he claims to be too busy for active involvement with the team these days!” he thought.
As the Beetle expertly landed the Bug on the field above, the Question was in a battle for his life.
Vic Sage had risked his life for years as the faceless hero known only as the Question. He wore a mask that concealed his facial features and left his identity a secret to any observer. He wore a blue suit and he fought bravely with the raw courage, relentless desire for justice, and simple stubbornness that marked him as a crusading journalist and broadcaster.
He was circling warily as a hulking figure gradually emerged from beneath the shadows of the old bridge.
“I wanted to find out what had happened to those poor people and I sure found the answer even though it makes me sick and angry at the same time! They were eaten by that troll! This is like some bad horror flick! Give me thugs and gang lords any day!” he thought!
The troll was larger than a normal man and its skin was gray and rock-like. It moved slowly but it carried itself with a lethal certainty. It was more than capable of ripping a human in half and of consuming his remains!
The Question darted forward and connected with a series of rapid blows that failed to even slow the monster down. Its stony body was impervious to his human strength.
“I know Nightshade and Vulcan are used to this kind of thing but I’m not. I wonder if this isn’t just one more sign that it is time the Question quit the Sentinels and devoted himself fulltime to cleaning up the gangs and white collar punks who commit normal human crimes!” he mused as he dodged the troll’s outstretched arms.
The Blue Beetle raced forward and blinked in surprise as he saw the odd scene in his path.
“I guess it is what they call a Troll bridge!” he punned as he flipped through the air and landed between the Question and his inhuman foe.
He raised a strange shaped gun in one hand and fired it directly at the troll!
A burst of light blazed from the gun and blinded the monster. It roared in pain and covered its highly sensitive eyes. It could not stand bright light.
As the troll lurched aside the Blue Beetle moved closer and fired the gun again and again!
The brilliant light left the beast dazed and in pain. It roared and lashed out again and again but failed to connect with the agile Beetle.
At that moment the Question who had darted inside the Bug flew forward in his friend’s craft and crashed into the monster.
The troll fell backward into the river itself and sank to the bottom in seconds! It was simply too heavy to swim!
As the Question lowered a ladder to his friend, Blue Beetle swung aboard and said, “I’m glad I taught you how to fly the Bug. You handled it like a pro!”
The Question said, “Yeah, maybe, but I’m not too sure I would have been too successful without your specialized help! I doubt I could have wrestled that thing down!”
The Beetle slid over and took the pilot’s chair as the Question changed positions with him.
“I think you would have found a way. I guess I should say the Question always finds the answer!” he said.
The Question looked at his friend and said, “I think we both know the answer to a creature like that will involve something that requires our friends. This has Nightshade’s home place written all over it!”
The Beetle frowned and said, “She doesn’t respond to my signal and unlike you, she always wears her signal device. I think she may be in trouble. I’m activating an alarm and urging the others to meet us at Eve’s mansion!”
The Question sighed and said, “That sounds like a plan to me. I just hate it that we couldn’t stop that thing before it had killed so many people who already received a bad lot in life!”
The Beetle nodded somberly. His own problems could wait. People needed help. He knew Booster Gold would want it that way too. Beneath his flashy public persona, Booster was a true hero
3
* The duo rode on in silence until they reached the suburban estate of Eve “Nightshade” Eden. The heroine was in fact more than a supremely skilled martial artist and government agent. She was the heiress to a magical kingdom known as the Realm and it was from this mystical dimension that she inherited her birthright of certain powers like the ability to travel through shadows and become a semi-slid shadow herself. That kingdom was now ruled b her brother but the siblings had longed lived in opposition if not fear to a witch known as the Succubus. Any peril from that realm likely involved the powerful and malevolent being who had usurped their rightful rule for many years before Eve deposed her.
Blue Beetle smiled as he saw a silvery figure flying ahead of them.
“Captain Atom’s on the scene! He sure can move! He’s carrying Liberty Belle and Vulcan as well! I guess the five of us can handle this!” he said as he landed behind the Eden mansion. He knew Eve’s father was out of the country and the remote estate was shielded by prying eyes by its isolation and its sheer size.
He referred to their fellow Sentinels of Justice. The Question nodded. He was impressed by Captain Atom’s array of atomic based powers and by his courage but the Question had some misgivings about the military industrial complex and its relation to the common man. He knew Liberty Belle was an ordinary woman who seemingly possessed a talent for almost any task be it physical or mental. She was another patriotic heroine and he shared her loyalty if not her blind devotion to her country. As for Vulcan he was a man of peace gifted by the Olympian gods with super human powers to oppose one of their own namely Mars the god of war. This bizarre origin troubled the Question but he trusted John Mann and shared some of his own views.
As the heroes came together and approached the silent house, Captain Atom said, “ I wager Nightshade’s homeland is the source for the current problem. I’ve heard from some of my contacts that the whole world has been hit by sightings of mythical beings of various types. Our allies in the Union have been fighting a hoard of goblins for example! Belle and I sent Lady Quark, Supernova, and some of the others to try to do their part. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this Fairy Tale War!”
Liberty Belle said, “Last time we visited the Realm, Nightshade’s brother Prince Laredon was safely in charge but some Soviets from another planet similar to Earth had crashed there. They left but could they have somehow freed the Succubus upon arrival?”
Vulcan said, “I was told by my patron Vulcan himself that a magical peril threatens our world but it has no connection to the Olympians. He made it sound as though it was a grave threat.”
The Question said, “I’m tired of these inhuman creeps hurting ordinary folks. They see us all as mere flies to be tormented and cast aside at any whim!”
Vulcan said, “I have seen as much from Mars and his minions but we can’t say all of these powerful beings are equally guilty.”
Blue Beetle whispered, “He didn’t mean anything by it. I think we’re all a bit on edge!”
Before they could cross the long walkway that wound its way toward the front door a harsh braying sound filled the night air and they were attacked by a pack of fierce animals!
Vulcan jumped forward and grappled with two of the snarling beasts and hurled them into one another. He was not going to kill them if he could avoid it.
Liberty Belle spun around and sent one foot into the nearest animal’s skull. She leaped over its falling body and connected with another of the animals as it revealed its fangs
The Question said, “What are these things? Wolves? Wild dogs?”
The All-American Girl shook her head and rammed one knee into another beast.
“Jackals! They’re jackals!” she said.
Blue Beetle aimed his special gun after adjusting it so that it emitted a tightly focused blast of compressed air.
“I don’t recall any fairy tales about jackals!” he said.
Captain Atom shrugged as he used his own super strength to gather and then stun the remaining jackals.
“I suppose they figure prominently in the Egyptian version of Red Riding Hood!”
They entered the Eden home and made their way into the sprawling house. They were all worried about Nightshade. She was incredibly capable but she was loved by them all and they knew exactly how much hatred the Succubus had for the woman.
Captain Atom said, “If that fiend has hurt her…!”
“Would you be referring to me?” said a sibilant voice from within a darkened room. They entered to see a sultry woman sitting upon a throne. She was lovely in an inhuman way. Her figure was flawless as was her face but her expression reflected true evil and her skin was almost translucently pale. Strange zebra-like stripes decorated her white body and her platinum hair reached to her hips and was marked by one stark black streak.
“The Succubus! We knew you were behind this! What have you done with Eve?” demanded Blue Beetle.
“I prefer to be known by my real name Malevanna the Night Queen! After all we are old friends are not? None of you call yourselves Mortal so why should I merely be known by what I am and not who I am?” she said with a laugh.
“As for your so-called knowledge, did it ever occur to you, Azure Knight that you came here so quickly because I wanted you to do so?” she said. “I placed the clues within your feeble minds!”
“We thought you were dead or lost forever!” said the Question. “We should have known better. Your kind never dies!”
She crossed her legs and smiled flirtatiously. “I am immortal unlike your frail species but you do make wonderful playthings! Look, for example, and my most cherished doll! Isn’t she lovely?”
She gestured toward a crystalline coffin in which a beautiful blonde lay in a deathlike sleep.
“Eve!” cried Captain Atom as he rushed forward only to be blocked by several snarling wolves that appeared out of the shadows.
“Do not worry, Fiery Knight, your Fair Damsel merely slumbers as befits her Beauty! She will only awaken when and if my spell is broken! It is her sleeping mind that is my power source in this odd world of yours for I have been shut out of my native Realm!” she said.
“Sleeping Beauty! She’s turned Eve into Sleeping Beauty!” gasped Liberty Belle.
Vulcan raised his sword and said, “We shall liberate her! Even you can’t stop us all!”
The Night Queen shimmied on the throne in mock delight.
“Oh really? Well, it is certainly fortunate for me that I am not alone!” She clapped her hands together and laughed girlishly as the lights brightened to reveal two other thrones on each side of her own.
The throne on the left held a beautiful woman with long black hair and a sultry demeanor. She wore a scarlet halter top and a rather filmy sarong with golden sandals and ornate jewels.
The throne on the right held a sexy woman with dark skin and seductive eyes. She was Egyptian and wore a gemstone encrusted tiara along with her shimmering jewels and a revealing white gown. She had a more languid manner than the other two women but her eyes and her cruel smile revealed a more powerful intellect.
The first woman smiled at the others and said, “Fear us, mortals. We, Queens of Evil, have united! You may threaten one of us but by doing so, you will merely provoke retaliation from the other two. I shall act on my sister-queen’s behalf. You say we can not stop you all? Well, then, you shall simply no longer exist then! Such is the will and the way of Queen Nagana!”
The heroes faded from view and silence filled the room.
She laughed as a curtain fell aside to reveal a full length mirror. The mirror did not reflect the now vanished heroes. It contained other shadowy figures that stepped out of the glass to confront them.
A handsome man in a red and gold costume with a red sunburst emblem on his chest stepped out of the magical glass and smiled coldly. He had blond hair and wore a gold cape and matching boots.
“We have no need of a Captain Atom when we have an enslaved Atoman!” said Nagana.
“Ragman is the answer to the Question!” said a man in a torn and dirty suit and fedora. His face was concealed behind a thin gauze fabric that came down from his hat over his face.
A blonde in a brief red, white and blue dress and boots posed defiantly and said, “Yankee Girl will leave Liberty Belle seeing stars …and stripes!”
A burly man in a yellow and black costume smiled arrogantly. “The Yellowjacket will sting the Blue Beetle to death!”
Finally, a muscular man wearing little more than a Greek tunic and sandals said, “Vulcan? He can not best the Earth-born might of Antaeus!”
Queen Nagana said, “Now, the heroes are no more and in their places, we have our slaves! They will stop any other would be knights errant and our Sleeping Pretty will fuel our magical conquest of this land!”
The third woman smiled and revealed brilliant white teeth and ruby lips
“Well done! As for you, Queen Nagana, we shall restore you to your own proper throne!” she said.
The Night Queen said, “Exactly, Queen Evila, and you shall hold sway over the gods themselves with our help!”
The three women laughed with pleasure as an enchanted Eve Eden played the new role of Sleeping Beauty.
The duo rode on in silence until they reached the suburban estate of Eve “Nightshade” Eden. The heroine was in fact more than a supremely skilled martial artist and government agent. She was the heiress to a magical kingdom known as the Realm and it was from this mystical dimension that she inherited her birthright of certain powers like the ability to travel through shadows and become a semi-slid shadow herself. That kingdom was now ruled b her brother but the siblings had longed lived in opposition if not fear to a witch known as the Succubus. Any peril from that realm likely involved the powerful and malevolent being who had usurped their rightful rule for many years before Eve deposed her.
Blue Beetle smiled as he saw a silvery figure flying ahead of them.
“Captain Atom’s on the scene! He sure can move! He’s carrying Liberty Belle and Vulcan as well! I guess the five of us can handle this!” he said as he landed behind the Eden mansion. He knew Eve’s father was out of the country and the remote estate was shielded by prying eyes by its isolation and its sheer size.
He referred to their fellow Sentinels of Justice. The Question nodded. He was impressed by Captain Atom’s array of atomic based powers and by his courage but the Question had some misgivings about the military industrial complex and its relation to the common man. He knew Liberty Belle was an ordinary woman who seemingly possessed a talent for almost any task be it physical or mental. She was another patriotic heroine and he shared her loyalty if not her blind devotion to her country. As for Vulcan he was a man of peace gifted by the Olympian gods with super human powers to oppose one of their own namely Mars the god of war. This bizarre origin troubled the Question but he trusted John Mann and shared some of his own views.
As the heroes came together and approached the silent house, Captain Atom said, “ I wager Nightshade’s homeland is the source for the current problem. I’ve heard from some of my contacts that the whole world has been hit by sightings of mythical beings of various types. Our allies in the Union have been fighting a hoard of goblins for example! Belle and I sent Lady Quark, Supernova, and some of the others to try to do their part. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this Fairy Tale War!”
Liberty Belle said, “Last time we visited the Realm, Nightshade’s brother Prince Laredon was safely in charge but some Soviets from another planet similar to Earth had crashed there. They left but could they have somehow freed the Succubus upon arrival?”
Vulcan said, “I was told by my patron Vulcan himself that a magical peril threatens our world but it has no connection to the Olympians. He made it sound as though it was a grave threat.”
The Question said, “I’m tired of these inhuman creeps hurting ordinary folks. They see us all as mere flies to be tormented and cast aside at any whim!”
Vulcan said, “I have seen as much from Mars and his minions but we can’t say all of these powerful beings are equally guilty.”
Blue Beetle whispered, “He didn’t mean anything by it. I think we’re all a bit on edge!”
Before they could cross the long walkway that wound its way toward the front door a harsh braying sound filled the night air and they were attacked by a pack of fierce animals!
Vulcan jumped forward and grappled with two of the snarling beasts and hurled them into one another. He was not going to kill them if he could avoid it.
Liberty Belle spun around and sent one foot into the nearest animal’s skull. She leaped over its falling body and connected with another of the animals as it revealed its fangs
The Question said, “What are these things? Wolves? Wild dogs?”
The All-American Girl shook her head and rammed one knee into another beast.
“Jackals! They’re jackals!” she said.
Blue Beetle aimed his special gun after adjusting it so that it emitted a tightly focused blast of compressed air.
“I don’t recall any fairy tales about jackals!” he said.
Captain Atom shrugged as he used his own super strength to gather and then stun the remaining jackals.
“I suppose they figure prominently in the Egyptian version of Red Riding Hood!”
They entered the Eden home and made their way into the sprawling house. They were all worried about Nightshade. She was incredibly capable but she was loved by them all and they knew exactly how much hatred the Succubus had for the woman.
Captain Atom said, “If that fiend has hurt her…!”
“Would you be referring to me?” said a sibilant voice from within a darkened room. They entered to see a sultry woman sitting upon a throne. She was lovely in an inhuman way. Her figure was flawless as was her face but her expression reflected true evil and her skin was almost translucently pale. Strange zebra-like stripes decorated her white body and her platinum hair reached to her hips and was marked by one stark black streak.
“The Succubus! We knew you were behind this! What have you done with Eve?” demanded Blue Beetle.
“I prefer to be known by my real name Malevanna the Night Queen! After all we are old friends are not? None of you call yourselves Mortal so why should I merely be known by what I am and not who I am?” she said with a laugh.
“As for your so-called knowledge, did it ever occur to you, Azure Knight that you came here so quickly because I wanted you to do so?” she said. “I placed the clues within your feeble minds!”
“We thought you were dead or lost forever!” said the Question. “We should have known better. Your kind never dies!”
She crossed her legs and smiled flirtatiously. “I am immortal unlike your frail species but you do make wonderful playthings! Look, for example, and my most cherished doll! Isn’t she lovely?”
She gestured toward a crystalline coffin in which a beautiful blonde lay in a deathlike sleep.
“Eve!” cried Captain Atom as he rushed forward only to be blocked by several snarling wolves that appeared out of the shadows.
“Do not worry, Fiery Knight, your Fair Damsel merely slumbers as befits her Beauty! She will only awaken when and if my spell is broken! It is her sleeping mind that is my power source in this odd world of yours for I have been shut out of my native Realm!” she said.
“Sleeping Beauty! She’s turned Eve into Sleeping Beauty!” gasped Liberty Belle.
Vulcan raised his sword and said, “We shall liberate her! Even you can’t stop us all!”
The Night Queen shimmied on the throne in mock delight.
“Oh really? Well, it is certainly fortunate for me that I am not alone!” She clapped her hands together and laughed girlishly as the lights brightened to reveal two other thrones on each side of her own.
The throne on the left held a beautiful woman with long black hair and a sultry demeanor. She wore a scarlet halter top and a rather filmy sarong with golden sandals and ornate jewels.
The throne on the right held a sexy woman with dark skin and seductive eyes. She was Egyptian and wore a gemstone encrusted tiara along with her shimmering jewels and a revealing white gown. She had a more languid manner than the other two women but her eyes and her cruel smile revealed a more powerful intellect.
The first woman smiled at the others and said, “Fear us, mortals. We, Queens of Evil, have united! You may threaten one of us but by doing so, you will merely provoke retaliation from the other two. I shall act on my sister-queen’s behalf. You say we can not stop you all? Well, then, you shall simply no longer exist then! Such is the will and the way of Queen Nagana!”
The heroes faded from view and silence filled the room.
She laughed as a curtain fell aside to reveal a full length mirror. The mirror did not reflect the now vanished heroes. It contained other shadowy figures that stepped out of the glass to confront them.
A handsome man in a red and gold costume with a red sunburst emblem on his chest stepped out of the magical glass and smiled coldly. He had blond hair and wore a gold cape and matching boots.
“We have no need of a Captain Atom when we have an enslaved Atoman!” said Nagana.
“Ragman is the answer to the Question!” said a man in a torn and dirty suit and fedora. His face was concealed behind a thin gauze fabric that came down from his hat over his face.
A blonde in a brief red, white and blue dress and boots posed defiantly and said, “Yankee Girl will leave Liberty Belle seeing stars …and stripes!”
A burly man in a yellow and black costume smiled arrogantly. “The Yellowjacket will sting the Blue Beetle to death!”
Finally, a muscular man wearing little more than a Greek tunic and sandals said, “Vulcan? He can not best the Earth-born might of Antaeus!”
Queen Nagana said, “Now, the heroes are no more and in their places, we have our slaves! They will stop any other would be knights errant and our Sleeping Pretty will fuel our magical conquest of this land!”
The third woman smiled and revealed brilliant white teeth and ruby lips
“Well done! As for you, Queen Nagana, we shall restore you to your own proper throne!” she said.
The Night Queen said, “Exactly, Queen Evila, and you shall hold sway over the gods themselves with our help!”
The three women laughed with pleasure as an enchanted Eve Eden played the new role of Sleeping Beauty.
4
In a cavern on a lonely mountain peak in Tibet, four people sat around a simple table and listened intently as a fifth man spoke in a measured tone of voice.
He was a handsome man with a blond beard and he gazed at most of his audience with affection and interest. This was fitting since three of the four listeners were his family in many ways.
Peter Cannon had been a hero known as the Thunderbolt but he had passed this more active role and all it demanded to his adopted son Paul in order to continue the meditative studies that had preoccupied much of his time in reason years.
Paul Cannon was a Chinese man in his twenties. He wore a red and blue costume and held a small black domino mask in one hand as he listened closely to his father. He admired and loved him more than anyone else and valued anything the elder Cannon had to offer as far as advice was concerned.
Next to Paul sat a lovely woman of Indian origin. She had long black hair and a pretty face. She was dressed for outdoor activities but maintained a certain style no matter how she was dressed. Her name was Priya Singh and her physician father sat next to her. Dr. Tabu Singh had always been the elder Cannon’s best friend. A back injury had slowed him down in recent months but he was doing better now and relished being back in Tibet with his old friend.
The final audience member was an American in a heavy coat and jeans. He was interested in everything as well but he also marveled at what he saw and heard. Tom Falcon was new to the life of an Action Hero and while he had inherited certain remarkable powers from his own father Phillip Flip Falcon’s exposure to certain other dimensional energies, he was in no way comfortable with the exotic or the dangerous.
Peter gestured to the walls of the cavern which contained crystalline sections that depicted moving scenes like television monitors or magic mirrors from a fairy tale. In truth the cavern had passageways that existed beyond time and space and Peter knew that various eras could be viewed or even accessed through these portals.
He said, “This time together has been wonderful but we were meant to be here for reasons beyond mere fellowship. Old evils are stirring once more in the outer world and my old friends in the Sentinels of Justice have only now been targeted by the powerful forces arrayed against us. They have been displaced from time by dark magic and not even these portals will enable us to do more than watch their plight. We can’t reach them. Can’t is not a word I like to use but it applies in this instance.”
Tabu said, “And yet? I know you too well to accept that you do not have a plan!”
Peter smiled and said, “Yes, I do have an idea. My friends like Vulcan have been forcibly teleported into a type of limbo not entirely unlike this cavern itself but different enough to make getting to them difficult. The magic that put them in this limbo makes it impossible for ordinary time travelers to reach them but through careful study of the situation I have found a possible solution!”
Priya said, “Dad was right. You always find a way!”
Peter said, “The only people who may reach these heroes who have been displaced in time and space are other heroes who have been similarly shifted from their rightful eras under similar circumstances. How they came to be displaced is something I have failed to discern but we may use them to free my friends! I was displaced in time before and I can reach them. I plan to enlist other time displaced heroes to aide me!”
Paul said, “So how do we find these lucky few?”
Priya said, “We might as well call them history’s heroes for lack of a more precise term!”
Peter nodded and said, “Mr. Falcon may reach them and they in turn may join me in reaching my lost friends!”
Falcon stood up and said, “What? You must be joking! I know my father invented a 4-dimensional machine and my body contains some of its powerful energies but I don’t know how they work. I sent some bad guys away with some kind of mental help from Paul but even so I can’t find these strangers throughout time or space!”
Paul said, “My father knows what he’s doing. He is wise and he is valiant. You must be so as well! Remember, you didn’t even know you had those other dimensional energies at your disposal until we helped you tap into them. We can do it again!”
Tom said, “I will try but this is all new to me! I owe you that much since you saved my life, Paul!”
Paul said, “It will be well. Trust us and trust yourself!”
Peter said, “Sit down and breathe deeply. I will help you. The latent energies within your body will enable you to travel through space and time and my own force of will will guide you to the proper destinations my own studies have enabled me to locate!”
Tom nodded and obeyed his friend’s father He calmed down slowly and listened as the elder Cannon spoke softly and helped him visualize certain locales! A nimbus of energy began to flicker around his body and then he vanished!
1876
The Arizona Territory was rugged in more ways than one. The terrain was unspoiled and dangerous. That was obvious to the men who rode down a narrow canyon trail on weary horses. The fact that these outlaws had abducted a young woman who even now glanced helplessly around in search of any sign of escape made it equally clear that the perils of the land were not limited to natural predators.
A man in a dirty cowboy hat wiped his bearded face and grinned as he received a bottle from the gaunt man who rode nearest to his horse on the winding trail.
“The banker will pay us plenty for the return of his wife and after we get the ransom we can disappear in these canyons before the law can even reach us!” he gloated.
The young woman looked frightened and tired- weary in mind and body!
A third outlaw laughed at her fearful expression.
“You can’t get away so you better just get used to our company!” he said with a leer
“You might find out that we’re good company!” he added.
“I’d say the lady already knows that you are a pack of unwashed coyotes!” declared a newcomer who suddenly loomed up in front of them on a sleek black horse. He was dressed from head to toe in midnight black and he wore a mask and hat of the same color.
“The Black Rider! I thought he was a just a folktale!” said the first kidnapper as he drew his gun only to cry out in pain as the masked man shot it out of his hand!
The Black Rider aimed his gun at the second outlaw and swiftly disarmed him with the same amazing show of dexterity that had left the first criminal wounded and dazed!
The final kidnapper held the young woman around the throat and said, “You are fast and you’re accurate but can you shoot me without hitting this little lady? I doubt that, masked man!”
“I won’t need to. My partner will take care of you!” he said.
The thug laughed harshly. “We’re in a canyon. Ain’t nobody behind us on this trail and anybody with you sure can’t get closer without taking a bullet!” he declared.
“Really? You don’t know my friend very well!” said the Black Rider.
At that moment a graceful and dramatic figure appeared as if from out of the blinding sun above and swooped down to rip the outlaw off his horse and away from his captive. The entire act had occurred so swiftly that he had not had a chance to even close his finger on the gun’s trigger.
The flying man was bare chested and wore a brown pants and boots. His cloak swelled out from around his neck like the wings of a vast bird. He had long black hair which he wore swept back from his shoulders like the plumage of an avian.
He punched the startled outlaw and knocked him cold with one blow.
By this time the Black Rider and reached the captive and was offering her reassuring words.
“You are safe now, miss! Birdman and I will take you back to your family!” he said.
He waved to the flying Native American who smiled in return.
Moments later Tom Falcon materialized on the trail and said, “I need your help. You’ve done a lot of good here but the two of you aren’t from this era. You both came from the 1940’s. Something plucked you from that era to this one where you’ve become legends. My friends and I need your help. Will you come with me?” he said.
The Western heroes nodded slowly. They had forgotten that they originated in the 1940s and something about seeing this man from their future and hearing his claims began to awaken their own clouded memories of life in another era!
They vanished in a moment leaving only a very confused young woman behind. She thought about swooning but since there was no one around to help, she merely turned her horse around and galloped back toward the safety of town.
The stunned outlaws remained alone on the burning desert sands.
1910
Richard Warwick appeared to be a rather ordinary if handsome and old fashioned young man. He was well-liked in the small English village in which he lived. He kept his small home tidy and his gardens were lovely. He sang well and often at church and was viewed by the mothers of the community as a perfect catch for their eligible daughters. He apparently had some modest private income and spent his time reading, writing, gardening, or exercising his horse across the fields that lay beyond the village green.
One day as Richard was riding along that particular field, a bizarre apparition appeared before him.
He reigned in his horse and stared in disbelief. He was startled merely because the man had appeared in his pathway. Had he taken the time to analyze his reaction, he would have realized that the basic concept of a man appearing out of thin air didn’t really faze him on some level. Beneath clouded memories, Richard Warwick could have recalled encounters with magic, monsters, and wonders that would have shocked his friends in the village he so loved.
“Sir Richard of Warwick. You do not belong here. You were plucked from your proper era of 1189 where you were the legendary Crusader known as the Golden Knight. Your courage, skill, and good right hand are needed once more! Will you join me?” asked Tom Falcon even as he marveled at how Peter Cannon had effortlessly provided him with the right words and all the data he needed to recruit this time tossed champions!
Sir Richard nodded and said, “I shall aid you… thee!”
1692
Salem Town
A bare tree loomed over the crowded town square like an ominous bird of prey. Onlookers awaiting the hanging may have felt different emotions but their grim demeanors failed to reveal the extent of their true feelings. No one protested and no one tried to defend the condemned woman who was now standing beneath the tree on a small wooden platform with a noose drawn around her throat.
“Mistress Sarah Benson, ye hath been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. Ye hath refused to explain your actions and witnesses agree that ye hath displayed strange abilities that no normal woman could possess without unholy bargaining. Say ye nothing at this time?” demanded a stern looking man.
Even had she not been on the platform, the young woman would have stood taller than any of the men present. She was beautiful with long blonde hair now covered by a bonnet. She wore a plain brown dress and she glared at the crowd with no sign of fear.
As the platform was shoved aside she swung forward and…hovered in midair. She ripped the noose away from her throat and descended to the ground as the crowd roared with confusion and fear.
One defiant man rushed forward with a pitchfork and gasped as it shattered to pieces against the woman’s chest.
She seemed surprised but not frightened. At that moment Tom Falcon appeared and as he had in the past, he approached his target and said, “You have super powers because you come from another planet. You are no witch but you are also more than Sarah Benson. You are Astra the Wonder Girl and you come from the future where you were a member of a heroic assembly called the Solar Legion!”
She blinked slowly and then ripped off her dress to reveal a red blouse and very short blue pleated skirt.
“I remember! By the stars! I was hurled to this era and lost my memory after an explosion! What happened to my allies?” she said.
Tom said, “I don’t know. A friend of mine only knew this much by seeing a glimpse of what will be the distant future from our perspective! He may be able to tell you more. Will you join me?”
Astra stomped one bare foot against the ground and smiled with satisfaction as an earthquake sent the crowd tumbling to the ground.
She flew skyward with Tom as they vanished!
1944
Rod Page jumped in front of his pretty blonde secretary as the thugs they had been trailing closed in on them.
The muscular man sailed into his foes with his customary skill and abandon. He clipped one with an upper cut and ducked under the second man’s punch to connect with one of his own.
Arlene Stenzel ran forward and kicked the final crook in the knee. He bellowed in pain and staggered to one side in time for her boss to lunge forward and knock him flat.
“We may not have found their hideout but we sure showed them a thing or two!” he said as he pushed his dark hair into place.
Arlene smiled and adjusted her pillbox hat. “You were super, Rod!
Rod frowned as a newcomer stepped out of the shadows.
“Okay, you Mug! I see you! Don’t try hiding!” he said.
Tom Falcon raised both hands in a placating gesture.
“Rod and Arlene, you don’t belong in this era. You come from the year 2042. I know you have a costume beneath your suit but even your Red Rocket action hero identity is just a faint reflection of the real you. You are scientific adventurers from the future!” he said.
Rod nodded and said, “Yeah! I remember some of it now. I was coloring my hair even for some reason. Someone didn’t want me to know my real identity. He took his wrist watch and pried open the cover.
He twisted on the dial and a hum echoed through the air.
“Arlene, the Blue Bullet is nearby. Whoever gave us amnesia and dumped us here didn’t take my rocket away!” he said with a grin.
Arlene nodded and looked down at her outfit in dismay.
“I can’t believe our ancestors dressed like this. So much material!” she said with a frown.
Tom said, “I need you both. Will you join me and let me explain?”
Red Rocket said, “You got a deal, pal!”
Moments later, Tom found himself aboard a small blue spacecraft with the assembled and now equipped heroes of history and Peter Cannon himself aboard. Cannon wore a version of his own red and blue action hero costume.
“ I was able to determine all of you were displaced in time. I have never known who did it to you or why it happened. I only know the circumstance makes you able to do something no one else could do. I need you to join me in invading a timeless limbo in order to rescue some heroes and face a villain. Together, I know we can, we must, and we will triumph!” he said.
They cheered in response and together following some instinct that his long study of ancient scrolls of wisdom and power had given him the original Thunderbolt directed Red Rocket who in turn piloted his ship through the void of space and time- empowered by Tom Falcon who rested both hands on the control panel and breathed slowly as he followed Peter’s meditation instructions. His own 4-D energies would fuel the Blue Bullet rocket and grant it the power to reach the limbo where danger awaited them all.
5
*
Mark Merlin stepped protectively in front of Arachne Coffin as the green hued apparition emerged from within Memakata the magical cat. The small black cat jumped away the ghostly image shimmered in mid-air before becoming less bright and more humanoid in appearance. It changed shape until it became a rather noble looking man with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a look of benign wisdom on his face. He wore a long robe with certain exotic glyphs decorating the front and sleeves.
“I said you must not seek the source of the magical creatures that have invaded your realm and in doing so have changed the endings of your fairy tales! That threat will be resolved but a more pressing danger requires your actions or all shall be lost!” he said.
Mark said, “Who are you? What were you doing in my cat?”
The man said, “I am known as Kalkor, Priest of Isis. For eons I have battled Nagana, Queen of Evil. She is an ancient temptress who acquired dark magic out of her jealousy of the goddess Isis! She has often plagued me over the years since we first met in ancient Thebes. I have lost most of my former power and could only reach you by temporarily using these cat’s magical nature as a medium of communication! Mark Merlin, as I said, while the book Arachne Coffin brought to you indeed alerted you to how reality has been altered, another danger requires your personal intervention. I am nearly spent in energy and in time. I shall soon walk this world no longer. I may only warn you to go to Thebes where you must free Cairo and liberate the Sun!”
He vanished and Arachne whistled softly.
“Heavy!” she said.
Mark Merlin scooped up his cat and said, “Come on. I trust him. He spoke with all the conviction of a man who is facing his own mortality. I’ll see you to safety and then I have to go to Thebes and somehow figure out what he meant by the rest of his message!”
Arachne picked up her book and bag and said, “Really? What place is safe with those fairy tale fiends on the loose? I think you might need my help. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet!”
Mark nodded and said, “Very well. I have a plane at the airport a few miles outside of town. We better hurry if we are going to reach Thebes in time but how do we free Cairo and liberate the son? Who is the son?”
Arachne said, “He mentioned that he was a priest of Isis. Thebes was a center of worship for Isis. In Egyptian mythology the sun god was personified and not merely an abstract concept. I think he meant s.u.n. not s.o.n!”
As the odd couple and the magical cat hurried down the rickety steps of the front porch, they walked by a newly delivered newspaper. Had they opened it they would have noticed a photo of a stunningly beautiful woman in a designer business suit. Below the picture was a caption that read “ Super model turned industrialist Cairo De Frey missing according to corporate spokesman.’
As they hurried toward Merlin’s car, neither took the time to notice how cold it was or how strangely dim the sun was.
Hours later Mark Merlin and Arachne Coffin found themselves in an environment that looked like a scene from an old fashion sword and sandals epic. Thebes had been transformed in every way as had its occupants. The modern buildings had been replaced with tents or ancient looking structures with ornate columns and heavily stylized hieroglyphics. Cars had been replaced with chariots and camels and the occupants were dressed in the robes and tunics of a long lost era.
Above the city forum a towering palace dominated the view even in a darkening sky. A chill filled the air in the normally temperate climate.
“Some kind of magic has turned back time itself. This is Thebes as it was not as is should be. I suppose that same magical spell might account for how dark it is and how cold everything feels!” said Arachne.
Merlin nodded. He had the power to detect magic but with the entire community under enchantment, his keen senses were almost nullified. There was simply too much eldritch energy around him for him to make sense of the situation.
He said, “That palace has to be the center of the problem. Look at that statue!”
He pointed to a massive statue that stood 100 feet tall! It depicted a beautiful woman with a cruel smile and wicked but seductive eyes. She was dressed in a revealing sarong and sandals and her hands were resting on her hips in a strikingly modern gesture of superiority.
Arachne said, “I do believe we are looking at Nagana, Queen of Evil herself! She does do things in a big way!”
Mark agreed and said, “We have one chance to get inside unseen. Will you do what I ask? It will require a change if clothing and put you in danger!”
Arachne grinned and said, “Well, when you ask so nicely how can a girl refuse?”
Moments later, Arachne Coffin, dressed in the brief costume of an ancient slave girl, carried Memakata into the palace. A veil covered her face and she whispered to the cat as she walked by rows of stolid looking guards.
“It is amazing how your body just disappeared when you transferred your mind into the cat’s body! Where does his mind go?” she asked.
Mark, within the talking cat, made no reply. He was busy studying the bizarre scene. For every detail that was historically correct, he could detect others that were so wrong. Clearly, Nagana had adopted some later customs or décor during her eons at large in the world.
He also felt something…. Some stirring that led him toward a more potent source of magic than that which saturated the altered city beyond the palace.
“Take me into that room off to the far left. It looks like some kind of dungeon!” he said softly.
They descended to a dank area without guards but lined with locked doors and an atmosphere of gloom and despair.
He jumped out of Arachne’s arms and his normal body materialized as he willed it to be so. He said, “Something or someone in that cell is suffused with magic!” he said.
Arachne smiled and held up a small pronged tool.
“Allow me. I can pick the lock. My uncle taught me how it is done!” she said.
As she opened the heavy door, Mark marveled at the girl’s courage and skill.
“My uncle taught me as well since he was a stage magician but I will defer to her. She is an amazing girl. I thought I’d have to do something I’d rather not do to secure her disguise but she decked a slave girl before I could even make a suggestion!” he mused.
Within the darkened cell a lovely woman with long flowing black hair, sultry if sad eyes, and a world famous figure was chained to the wall.
“I know her! She’s that supermodel who dated that British football star! Cairo! Yeah, Cairo DeFrey is her name!” yelled Arachne. “I had one of her skirts. It cost a fortunate!”
Mark said “Liberate Cairo! I’d say my magic sense proved accurate. This Cairo must be the Cairo we are to liberate!”
He said, ‘Don’t be scared. I’m Mark Merlin. This is my assistant Arachne. We are going to help get you out of here!”
As they pried open the chains, the prisoner fell forward and thanked them profusely.
“I am so confused. I thought the world of modeling was cutthroat then I found out how dangerous international finance could be when I inherited my father’s multi-national company. Neither of those experiences prepared me for this. A mad woman appeared in my private suite and said I was her most hated foe and she would make me sorry for all she had suffered!” said Cairo.
Arachne said, “Isis! Nagana hated Isis according to Kalkor! She must see you as the descendent of the Egyptian goddess!”
Cairo said, “I don’t know anything about that old nonsense. I am a modern woman. My name is Cairo but I left Egypt as a child. I grew up in France for heaven’s sake!”
They hurried out of the cell and Merlin frowned as he noticed Memakata was clawing futilely at another cell door.
“He wants us to open the door!” he said.
“Kalkor is in there! His physical body has been locked in that cold, dark cell for far too long! I sensed him since his being in me before gave me some kind of connection to him!” announced the talking cat.
Cairo blinked in surprise. “A talking cat! Will this nightmare never end!”
Merlin managed to open the cell door and sure enough a frail but very real Kalkor emerged.
“Thank Isis! She held me within that jail for so long that almost all my energies were required merely to project that mystical sending to your home! Cats were always sacred to my goddess and you have proven to be a boon to me now!” he said as he picked up Memakata.
He said, “We can undo this spell by shattering the Sands of Time! It is a magical hourglass Nagana was given by Queen Evila. She used it to turn back time itself and restore her version of our ancient homeland. I fear the only way to do so is to first face down the Queen of Evil herself!”
Suddenly as smoke swelled around them they were teleported into a huge throne room where Nagana herself- the living embodiment of the massive statue beyond the palace, reclined on an ornate divan.
“And now face me, you shall! I have long awaited a final battle with you, old foe! Your mortal pawns will enjoy the talents of my royal torturers. Oh, and the daughter of Isis will receive my personal attentions once you are no more!” said the Queen of Evil.
Cairo said, “I am not Isis! I’m a businesswoman!”
Kalkor said, “You could never have accomplished all this on your own! Queen Evila enabled you achieve this mad triumph. It was your shared might that brought me down!’
Queen Nagana sat up and smiled with malice.
“My sister-queens aided me but rest assured that when I no long need their powers to enhance my own, I shall slay them both!”
She clapped her hands and guards rushed into the room from all sides.
Merlin drew back his fist and prepared to fight for his life.
He glanced upward at an open window and saw a weird sight. The sun was fully eclipsed!
“Free the sun? I can’t even free myself!” he thought grimly.
Mark Merlin stepped protectively in front of Arachne Coffin as the green hued apparition emerged from within Memakata the magical cat. The small black cat jumped away the ghostly image shimmered in mid-air before becoming less bright and more humanoid in appearance. It changed shape until it became a rather noble looking man with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a look of benign wisdom on his face. He wore a long robe with certain exotic glyphs decorating the front and sleeves.
“I said you must not seek the source of the magical creatures that have invaded your realm and in doing so have changed the endings of your fairy tales! That threat will be resolved but a more pressing danger requires your actions or all shall be lost!” he said.
Mark said, “Who are you? What were you doing in my cat?”
The man said, “I am known as Kalkor, Priest of Isis. For eons I have battled Nagana, Queen of Evil. She is an ancient temptress who acquired dark magic out of her jealousy of the goddess Isis! She has often plagued me over the years since we first met in ancient Thebes. I have lost most of my former power and could only reach you by temporarily using these cat’s magical nature as a medium of communication! Mark Merlin, as I said, while the book Arachne Coffin brought to you indeed alerted you to how reality has been altered, another danger requires your personal intervention. I am nearly spent in energy and in time. I shall soon walk this world no longer. I may only warn you to go to Thebes where you must free Cairo and liberate the Sun!”
He vanished and Arachne whistled softly.
“Heavy!” she said.
Mark Merlin scooped up his cat and said, “Come on. I trust him. He spoke with all the conviction of a man who is facing his own mortality. I’ll see you to safety and then I have to go to Thebes and somehow figure out what he meant by the rest of his message!”
Arachne picked up her book and bag and said, “Really? What place is safe with those fairy tale fiends on the loose? I think you might need my help. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet!”
Mark nodded and said, “Very well. I have a plane at the airport a few miles outside of town. We better hurry if we are going to reach Thebes in time but how do we free Cairo and liberate the son? Who is the son?”
Arachne said, “He mentioned that he was a priest of Isis. Thebes was a center of worship for Isis. In Egyptian mythology the sun god was personified and not merely an abstract concept. I think he meant s.u.n. not s.o.n!”
As the odd couple and the magical cat hurried down the rickety steps of the front porch, they walked by a newly delivered newspaper. Had they opened it they would have noticed a photo of a stunningly beautiful woman in a designer business suit. Below the picture was a caption that read “ Super model turned industrialist Cairo De Frey missing according to corporate spokesman.’
As they hurried toward Merlin’s car, neither took the time to notice how cold it was or how strangely dim the sun was.
Hours later Mark Merlin and Arachne Coffin found themselves in an environment that looked like a scene from an old fashion sword and sandals epic. Thebes had been transformed in every way as had its occupants. The modern buildings had been replaced with tents or ancient looking structures with ornate columns and heavily stylized hieroglyphics. Cars had been replaced with chariots and camels and the occupants were dressed in the robes and tunics of a long lost era.
Above the city forum a towering palace dominated the view even in a darkening sky. A chill filled the air in the normally temperate climate.
“Some kind of magic has turned back time itself. This is Thebes as it was not as is should be. I suppose that same magical spell might account for how dark it is and how cold everything feels!” said Arachne.
Merlin nodded. He had the power to detect magic but with the entire community under enchantment, his keen senses were almost nullified. There was simply too much eldritch energy around him for him to make sense of the situation.
He said, “That palace has to be the center of the problem. Look at that statue!”
He pointed to a massive statue that stood 100 feet tall! It depicted a beautiful woman with a cruel smile and wicked but seductive eyes. She was dressed in a revealing sarong and sandals and her hands were resting on her hips in a strikingly modern gesture of superiority.
Arachne said, “I do believe we are looking at Nagana, Queen of Evil herself! She does do things in a big way!”
Mark agreed and said, “We have one chance to get inside unseen. Will you do what I ask? It will require a change if clothing and put you in danger!”
Arachne grinned and said, “Well, when you ask so nicely how can a girl refuse?”
Moments later, Arachne Coffin, dressed in the brief costume of an ancient slave girl, carried Memakata into the palace. A veil covered her face and she whispered to the cat as she walked by rows of stolid looking guards.
“It is amazing how your body just disappeared when you transferred your mind into the cat’s body! Where does his mind go?” she asked.
Mark, within the talking cat, made no reply. He was busy studying the bizarre scene. For every detail that was historically correct, he could detect others that were so wrong. Clearly, Nagana had adopted some later customs or décor during her eons at large in the world.
He also felt something…. Some stirring that led him toward a more potent source of magic than that which saturated the altered city beyond the palace.
“Take me into that room off to the far left. It looks like some kind of dungeon!” he said softly.
They descended to a dank area without guards but lined with locked doors and an atmosphere of gloom and despair.
He jumped out of Arachne’s arms and his normal body materialized as he willed it to be so. He said, “Something or someone in that cell is suffused with magic!” he said.
Arachne smiled and held up a small pronged tool.
“Allow me. I can pick the lock. My uncle taught me how it is done!” she said.
As she opened the heavy door, Mark marveled at the girl’s courage and skill.
“My uncle taught me as well since he was a stage magician but I will defer to her. She is an amazing girl. I thought I’d have to do something I’d rather not do to secure her disguise but she decked a slave girl before I could even make a suggestion!” he mused.
Within the darkened cell a lovely woman with long flowing black hair, sultry if sad eyes, and a world famous figure was chained to the wall.
“I know her! She’s that supermodel who dated that British football star! Cairo! Yeah, Cairo DeFrey is her name!” yelled Arachne. “I had one of her skirts. It cost a fortunate!”
Mark said “Liberate Cairo! I’d say my magic sense proved accurate. This Cairo must be the Cairo we are to liberate!”
He said, ‘Don’t be scared. I’m Mark Merlin. This is my assistant Arachne. We are going to help get you out of here!”
As they pried open the chains, the prisoner fell forward and thanked them profusely.
“I am so confused. I thought the world of modeling was cutthroat then I found out how dangerous international finance could be when I inherited my father’s multi-national company. Neither of those experiences prepared me for this. A mad woman appeared in my private suite and said I was her most hated foe and she would make me sorry for all she had suffered!” said Cairo.
Arachne said, “Isis! Nagana hated Isis according to Kalkor! She must see you as the descendent of the Egyptian goddess!”
Cairo said, “I don’t know anything about that old nonsense. I am a modern woman. My name is Cairo but I left Egypt as a child. I grew up in France for heaven’s sake!”
They hurried out of the cell and Merlin frowned as he noticed Memakata was clawing futilely at another cell door.
“He wants us to open the door!” he said.
“Kalkor is in there! His physical body has been locked in that cold, dark cell for far too long! I sensed him since his being in me before gave me some kind of connection to him!” announced the talking cat.
Cairo blinked in surprise. “A talking cat! Will this nightmare never end!”
Merlin managed to open the cell door and sure enough a frail but very real Kalkor emerged.
“Thank Isis! She held me within that jail for so long that almost all my energies were required merely to project that mystical sending to your home! Cats were always sacred to my goddess and you have proven to be a boon to me now!” he said as he picked up Memakata.
He said, “We can undo this spell by shattering the Sands of Time! It is a magical hourglass Nagana was given by Queen Evila. She used it to turn back time itself and restore her version of our ancient homeland. I fear the only way to do so is to first face down the Queen of Evil herself!”
Suddenly as smoke swelled around them they were teleported into a huge throne room where Nagana herself- the living embodiment of the massive statue beyond the palace, reclined on an ornate divan.
“And now face me, you shall! I have long awaited a final battle with you, old foe! Your mortal pawns will enjoy the talents of my royal torturers. Oh, and the daughter of Isis will receive my personal attentions once you are no more!” said the Queen of Evil.
Cairo said, “I am not Isis! I’m a businesswoman!”
Kalkor said, “You could never have accomplished all this on your own! Queen Evila enabled you achieve this mad triumph. It was your shared might that brought me down!’
Queen Nagana sat up and smiled with malice.
“My sister-queens aided me but rest assured that when I no long need their powers to enhance my own, I shall slay them both!”
She clapped her hands and guards rushed into the room from all sides.
Merlin drew back his fist and prepared to fight for his life.
He glanced upward at an open window and saw a weird sight. The sun was fully eclipsed!
“Free the sun? I can’t even free myself!” he thought grimly.
6
*
Meanwhile, if the world had any meaning in the timeless limbo in which Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Tom Falcon, and the so-called heroes of history, were travelling with Red Rocket’s futuristic spacecraft the Blue Bullet, the odd assembly were exchanging stories.
Black Rider said, “My name is Jack Cody. I found myself facing some crooks out West in 1940. I helped some of the folks there defy them and in doing so, I adopted the costumed identity of the Black Rider. I had of course heard of the legendary masked man who brought swift justice to the Old West and I eagerly assumed the role of a twentieth century version of the hero. In 1942 I was ripped from my proper time by what looked like a cyclone no less! Now, I wonder if it was something more unworldly in nature. It left me unharmed in the 19th century where I basically created the very legend of the Black Rider that had inspired me many years later. I guess I sort of became my own inspiration. I had help though. The same storm that brought me to the past from 1942 also brought me the man who would become my best friend!”
Birdman smiled and said, “Hopituh Sinom,- the People of the Hopi! Of such was I born. I was blessed with the gift of flight. I loved soaring over the arid lands where once arose the Pueblos that first housed my ancestors before the search for water led them away to more scattered settlements and gradual conquest by the Spanish. My name is Sisika and like my friend Jack, I too used my abilities to bring peace to my home in the 1940’s. A storm swept across our trail one day in late 1941 and we found ourselves in the past. We worked well together and I feel we were destined to dwell in that earlier time by a higher power.”
Red Rocket said, ‘This cyclone of yours must have been some kind of portal through time. My ship the Blue Bullet was drawn into such a gap in space one day in 2042. Arlene and I grew up as friends and her brilliant father was my mentor. He helped us battle a wild assortment of aliens across the universe. When Arlene and I ended up in 1944, we really believed we were from that era and that I was a reporter turned private eye and she was my Girl Friday!”
Arlene nodded in agreement. She had Red had secured their normal clothes from within the rocket which had been concealed during their time in 1944. Red wore a bright red and green outfit with a rocket emblem on the shirt. He carried a variety of devices and weapons in a belt that wound around his hips and his formerly dyed black hair was now its original red.
Arlene wore a very, very short green skirt with a red halter top. She clearly felt much more at home in the futuristic styles she had grown up wearing than she had during her false life in 1944.
She said, “I wonder if the Devils of Venus had anything to do with how we ended up trapped living fake lives in the primitive past?”
Red said, “I doubt those fiends had time travel technology nor would they target the others! I’m the man who whipped their tails!”
Sir Richard of Warwick nodded and said, “I once met a being from beyond the stars but he had no such magic at his disposal!” The Golden Knight carried his enchanted blade and wore a suit of gleaming armor that seemed miraculously light as normal cloth yet was incredibly durable.
“My story tis equally passing strange. I was one of the Crusaders and in my quest to spread the Faith I battled many a foe. Some possessed dark magic but none had the ability to rip asunder the very curtain of time itself!” he said.
Astra snorted impatiently. She was rather bad humored and the blonde powerhouse barely concealed her disdain for the others.
“My ancestor lived on Earth and became known as Wonder Boy. I spent my childhood exploring space but I heeded the call of a man named J.J. Kord to join his band of super human teens in the Solar Legion. I barely had time to begin my career when something exploded around me and my team. I ended up in old Salem where I was deemed a witch. My memory only returned upon seeing Mr. Falcon appear. I need to return to my true era. My team can not survive without me if indeed they survived the blast that put me in that terrible era!” she said.
Red Rocket nudged Arlene and whispered, “She is some ice queen but a real looker!”
Arlene said, “If you like THAT type of girl, Red!”
Thunderbolt said, “I became aware of your individual displacement through time by observing events within a cavern that is said to be older than time itself. I know that whatever force did this to you intended, I can use your special circumstances for good. Only those of us who have been tossed through time may penetrate this limbo prison which holds my allies!”
Birdman said, “I say again a higher power made it so!’
Tom Falcon said, ‘Look! I think we have arrived!”
He pointed to a solitary structure that hovered within empty white space.
“A palace at the end of time!” whistled Arlene! “How father would love seeing something like that!”
Red said,” We’ll get back to him! I promise it, honey!”
Within the weird fortress the four captive Sentinels of Justice stood as though they were lifeless when in fact they were trapped between seconds in a timeless trance. They felt no time passing but they did see odd visions from their possible futures!
In his own trance, Captain Atom found himself facing a figure who fairly radiated hatred and menace. As the shadows parted to reveal this new foe’s features more clearly, he gasped in recognition. The man he faced, the foe who clearly hated him, looked exactly like him as he looked when he was dressed as plain Nathaniel Adam!
The Blue Beetle gasped as he saw something that have him comfort and not fear or worry. He saw his best friend Booster Gold! Booster was with a man in a red and blue costume. This hero was familiar to Blue Beetle from the cosmic Crisis!
“Superman! He’s that champion from the alternate planet called Earth 1! Booster must have somehow ended up on that world. Could he have also been a victim like Black Rider and the others? He seems free and he is talking openly with Superman. I believe I can even hear them! He’s okay. He’s happy even. I see his mother and sister are with him too! I’ll miss him but at least I know now that he has friends and family and is alive and well on that other planet!” he thought.
Vulcan glared in anger as he saw a very familiar figure. An Asian man nodded eagerly as he spoke to a shadowy figure. “I assure you all my resources are at your disposal. It does not matter how many people wear that hated costume or assume the role of Peacemaker, we shall teach them all their folly! So swears Dr. Kong!”
Vulcan frowned grimly. “Kong is back and he has some mysterious ally. He must be gunning for Christopher Smith- the Peacemaker! I’ll have to warn him when we get out of this place!”
Liberty Belle’s blue eyes widened as she saw herself battling uniformed goons alongside several other colorful women! She didn’t recognize any of them but she noticed how effective a team they made!
The Question stared into space as well but unlike the others Vic Sage saw only emptiness as if he had no future!
Nearby, their captors conferred in hushed tones. Yellowjacket, Yankee Girl, Atoman, Ragman, and Antaeus were not truly villains. They had all been heroes at one time but dark magic had enslaved them all and they now reacted with the malice and violence with which the Evil Queens had poisoned their minds!
Meanwhile, if the world had any meaning in the timeless limbo in which Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Tom Falcon, and the so-called heroes of history, were travelling with Red Rocket’s futuristic spacecraft the Blue Bullet, the odd assembly were exchanging stories.
Black Rider said, “My name is Jack Cody. I found myself facing some crooks out West in 1940. I helped some of the folks there defy them and in doing so, I adopted the costumed identity of the Black Rider. I had of course heard of the legendary masked man who brought swift justice to the Old West and I eagerly assumed the role of a twentieth century version of the hero. In 1942 I was ripped from my proper time by what looked like a cyclone no less! Now, I wonder if it was something more unworldly in nature. It left me unharmed in the 19th century where I basically created the very legend of the Black Rider that had inspired me many years later. I guess I sort of became my own inspiration. I had help though. The same storm that brought me to the past from 1942 also brought me the man who would become my best friend!”
Birdman smiled and said, “Hopituh Sinom,- the People of the Hopi! Of such was I born. I was blessed with the gift of flight. I loved soaring over the arid lands where once arose the Pueblos that first housed my ancestors before the search for water led them away to more scattered settlements and gradual conquest by the Spanish. My name is Sisika and like my friend Jack, I too used my abilities to bring peace to my home in the 1940’s. A storm swept across our trail one day in late 1941 and we found ourselves in the past. We worked well together and I feel we were destined to dwell in that earlier time by a higher power.”
Red Rocket said, ‘This cyclone of yours must have been some kind of portal through time. My ship the Blue Bullet was drawn into such a gap in space one day in 2042. Arlene and I grew up as friends and her brilliant father was my mentor. He helped us battle a wild assortment of aliens across the universe. When Arlene and I ended up in 1944, we really believed we were from that era and that I was a reporter turned private eye and she was my Girl Friday!”
Arlene nodded in agreement. She had Red had secured their normal clothes from within the rocket which had been concealed during their time in 1944. Red wore a bright red and green outfit with a rocket emblem on the shirt. He carried a variety of devices and weapons in a belt that wound around his hips and his formerly dyed black hair was now its original red.
Arlene wore a very, very short green skirt with a red halter top. She clearly felt much more at home in the futuristic styles she had grown up wearing than she had during her false life in 1944.
She said, “I wonder if the Devils of Venus had anything to do with how we ended up trapped living fake lives in the primitive past?”
Red said, “I doubt those fiends had time travel technology nor would they target the others! I’m the man who whipped their tails!”
Sir Richard of Warwick nodded and said, “I once met a being from beyond the stars but he had no such magic at his disposal!” The Golden Knight carried his enchanted blade and wore a suit of gleaming armor that seemed miraculously light as normal cloth yet was incredibly durable.
“My story tis equally passing strange. I was one of the Crusaders and in my quest to spread the Faith I battled many a foe. Some possessed dark magic but none had the ability to rip asunder the very curtain of time itself!” he said.
Astra snorted impatiently. She was rather bad humored and the blonde powerhouse barely concealed her disdain for the others.
“My ancestor lived on Earth and became known as Wonder Boy. I spent my childhood exploring space but I heeded the call of a man named J.J. Kord to join his band of super human teens in the Solar Legion. I barely had time to begin my career when something exploded around me and my team. I ended up in old Salem where I was deemed a witch. My memory only returned upon seeing Mr. Falcon appear. I need to return to my true era. My team can not survive without me if indeed they survived the blast that put me in that terrible era!” she said.
Red Rocket nudged Arlene and whispered, “She is some ice queen but a real looker!”
Arlene said, “If you like THAT type of girl, Red!”
Thunderbolt said, “I became aware of your individual displacement through time by observing events within a cavern that is said to be older than time itself. I know that whatever force did this to you intended, I can use your special circumstances for good. Only those of us who have been tossed through time may penetrate this limbo prison which holds my allies!”
Birdman said, “I say again a higher power made it so!’
Tom Falcon said, ‘Look! I think we have arrived!”
He pointed to a solitary structure that hovered within empty white space.
“A palace at the end of time!” whistled Arlene! “How father would love seeing something like that!”
Red said,” We’ll get back to him! I promise it, honey!”
Within the weird fortress the four captive Sentinels of Justice stood as though they were lifeless when in fact they were trapped between seconds in a timeless trance. They felt no time passing but they did see odd visions from their possible futures!
In his own trance, Captain Atom found himself facing a figure who fairly radiated hatred and menace. As the shadows parted to reveal this new foe’s features more clearly, he gasped in recognition. The man he faced, the foe who clearly hated him, looked exactly like him as he looked when he was dressed as plain Nathaniel Adam!
The Blue Beetle gasped as he saw something that have him comfort and not fear or worry. He saw his best friend Booster Gold! Booster was with a man in a red and blue costume. This hero was familiar to Blue Beetle from the cosmic Crisis!
“Superman! He’s that champion from the alternate planet called Earth 1! Booster must have somehow ended up on that world. Could he have also been a victim like Black Rider and the others? He seems free and he is talking openly with Superman. I believe I can even hear them! He’s okay. He’s happy even. I see his mother and sister are with him too! I’ll miss him but at least I know now that he has friends and family and is alive and well on that other planet!” he thought.
Vulcan glared in anger as he saw a very familiar figure. An Asian man nodded eagerly as he spoke to a shadowy figure. “I assure you all my resources are at your disposal. It does not matter how many people wear that hated costume or assume the role of Peacemaker, we shall teach them all their folly! So swears Dr. Kong!”
Vulcan frowned grimly. “Kong is back and he has some mysterious ally. He must be gunning for Christopher Smith- the Peacemaker! I’ll have to warn him when we get out of this place!”
Liberty Belle’s blue eyes widened as she saw herself battling uniformed goons alongside several other colorful women! She didn’t recognize any of them but she noticed how effective a team they made!
The Question stared into space as well but unlike the others Vic Sage saw only emptiness as if he had no future!
Nearby, their captors conferred in hushed tones. Yellowjacket, Yankee Girl, Atoman, Ragman, and Antaeus were not truly villains. They had all been heroes at one time but dark magic had enslaved them all and they now reacted with the malice and violence with which the Evil Queens had poisoned their minds!
7
Atoman (Dr. Barry Dale) was a genius who gained atomic power from exposure to nuclear energies. He had used those gifts as an action hero for a few years before giving up the costumed life to concentrate on his scientific work. He had been a hero to Captain Atom and it was doubly ironic that he now found himself serving as the captive hero’s evil counterpart.
Ragman (Jay Garson IV) was the third man to use the name Ragman. He had followed his grandfather and his father into the role of protector of Seattle, Washington. While the original Ragman had merely worn a tattered suit and battered fedora, the modern version concealed his features beneath a gauze –like veil. He had a unique advantage over many costumed heroes in that he had been trained for his role literally from birth by two men who had in turn given their adult lives to the career of action hero. They would be ashamed if they could see their heir now. His relentless courage and impressive skills had been turned to fulfill the demands of the Evil Queens and somewhere beneath the spell that clouded his mind as the gauze clouded his face, Garson fought the spell with all his might.
Antaeus the Bouncer (Adrian Antaeus) was a bizarre being who was supposedly descended from the demi-god Antaeus of Greek myth. The original Antaeus was the giant son of the sea god Poseidon and the earth goddess Gaia. This birthright enabled him to gain power from contact with the ground. A frail sculptor named Adam had sculpted a statue of the mythological Antaeus back in the forties. The statue had come to life and used his powers to fight crime. When the war ended, the statue had returned in its inanimate state. When a car accident nearly claimed life of Adam’s beloved son Adrian, the sculptor’s anguished pleas for help had somehow resulted in the statue’s regaining life long enough to transfer it to the dying boy. Once he recovered from the wreck, the younger Antaeus found himself able to transform himself at will from a meek artist into the personification of the powerful statue his father had created decades ago. Now, the heir to the demi-god was magically positioned to be the opponent of Vulcan who was an “heir” of sorts to the Roman god of the forge!
Yellowjacket ( Hank Harvey) was the grandson of the original vigilante called Yellowjacket. While Vince Harvey had somehow gained enhanced strength and other powers from the sting of the insects he loved, his grandson Hank merely wore a yellow and black costume and relied upon various gadgets with the insect motif. He was a proper counterpart for the Blue Beetle although like the others he had no choice in the evil he was forced to do.
Yankee Girl (Katie Roberts) was another heir to an older action hero. Her beloved Aunt Kitty had been the patriotic Yankee Girl during the war years. She retired after marrying a policeman. Their son was the father of the current twenty-something Katie Roberts. Kate had no super powers but she was a good fighter and she had the same spirit and resolve to do good that had motivated her aunt. Sadly, for the blonde in the red and blue mini dress and heels, she was now forced to be the evil counterpart for the captive Liberty Belle.
The enslaved heroes had little time to consider their new state of mind as the heroes of history suddenly burst into the room!
Thunderbolt (Peter Cannon) moved deftly past them all and raced into what appeared to be a throne room. He looked up to see his old foe Queen Evila sitting on the elevated throne.
She smiled wickedly and said, “You? I little expected this rare delight. I thought you had vanished from the earth itself!”
Thunderbolt said, ‘While evil lives, all men of virtue have a duty to join the fight to restore order!”
Evila laughed and said, “As self-righteous as ever!”
She met his own steely gaze and the two stood like the frozen heroes but they were in truth locked in a mental battle of wills. This unseen fight occurred on a spiritual level though no observe could see it.
Thunderbolt concentrated and focused his fabled force of will power while the immortal queen drew upon her own ancient magic.
No strain showed on either of their faces. Nothing as small as a change of expression or the blink of an eye indicated how desperately the two enemies fought but they gave their all in a true combat of wills.
Back in the other room, Queen Evila’s slaves and the heroes of history engaged in their own more obvious battles.
Red Rocket said, “You guys should give up now! You can’t keep those brave men and women captives for long!”
He frowned as an amazingly fast Atoman flew forward and knocked him to the ground with one glowing fist.
He said, “I suggest you give up, Spaceman! You may be from the future but I AM the future!”
He raised both hands and a glow filled the room.
Arlene screamed as he closed in on her fallen friend.
“Get away from him Red!” she yelled.
Red scrambled backward and then relaxed as Astra swooped in and tackled Atoman.
The blonde powerhouse said, “Take care of the others, Earthman! I’ll handle the big threat!”
Atoman said, ‘You aren’t from this world! You could tell me so much about the universe!”
Astra the Wonder Girl sneered in contempt.
“I doubt you would be able to comprehend!” she declared as she punched him in the face.
Nearby, Ragman ( Jay Garson IV) had darted forward and swung at Black Raider. The cowboy hero blocked the punch but grunted in pain as Ragman connected with a knee below the belt.
He hesitated and Ragman brought both fists down on his neck as he bent forward.
“You can’t beat me! I have trained with the best fighters in the world!’ said Ragman.
Black Rider blocked a few blows but he was truly outmatched by his more skilled foe. He struggled onward like the hero he was but he was failing and he was falling!
He saw the frozen Sentinels and he remembered once more how much was at stake. This was no ordinary fight and he could not stick to his normal code of conduct. Thus, as he dropped to the ground and drew his gun and shot Ragman twice!
Ragman gasped and collapsed near his black clad foe.
The Black Rider stood up and said, “You’ll live but I had to stop you. The whole world may be depending on what we do!”
Meanwhile, Yankee Girl had dived at the Golden Knight who sidestepped and refused to raise his magical blade against a fair maiden. He moved forward and avoided her attacks as best he could.
Birdman was flying around above avoiding the darts fired by Yellowjacket from the enslaved Harvey’s stingray gun!
Yellowjacket said, “I can do this all day, Tonto! Can you say the same?”
Birdman ignored the mocking man below and suddenly reversed his flight path. He crashed into the yellow garbed man and knocked him out with one punch.
“I find prolonged combat to be needless!’ he said with a slight smile.
Astra was battering Atoman but the embattled Dr. Dale literally exploded and left the blonde dazed for a moment.
The Golden Knight took that moment to leap to her defense. He said, “Advance no closer! This maiden is under my protection!”
Astra scowled and said, “Bah! I don’t need your help!”
Atoman smiled with atypical malice. “Really? And I suppose because you have a pure heart, you think you believe you can stop me! You deluded fool!”
Golden Knight stepped forward and casually sliced Atoman’s stomach with his enchanted blade!
Atoman gasped and clutched his stomach in agony. “How? I can break steel. I can melt iron!”
The Knight said, “My good blade can cut through any substance. It was forged by the legendary Merlin!”
Astra allowed him to assist her to her feet. She smiled slightly and said, “Thank you.’
Sir Richard nodded and said, “Twas my pleasure, fair one!”
Antaeus had closed in on Red Rocket and as the space hero blasted away at him with his energy-gun, the invulnerable champion laughed dismissively.
“You can’t hurt me for I alone am the modern heir of Antaeus!!” he gloated.
Red frowned and hurled his spent energy-gun at the bigger man but the weapon just bounced off his chest harmlessly.
Arlene yelled, “Anti-grav! Anti grav him!”
Red frowned and then shrugged. ‘Okay, doll if you say so!’
He dived at Antaeus who caught him with one hand. He clutched the muscular man around the chest and activated his flight belt.
As they zoomed skyward, Red began to punch the cocky man again and again! To his surprise, he managed to stun him! (As long as Antaeus could not touch the surface, he was a normal man!)
Arlene clapped her hands and said, “I read about him on my pocket compu-tron. He gets his strength from the surface! In the air he is a normal guy!”
Red belted him again and said, “So this goon gets his power from touching the ground even in a limbo like this?”
Arlene fluffed her blonde hair and smiled broadly. “Exactly! You were wonderful, Red!”
Meanwhile, as the heroes of history worked to awaken the entranced Sentinels, Thunderbolt continued his own duel with Queen Evilia.
He was winning and he knew it. Queen Evila sensed as much. She found herself suddenly cut off from the added power her sister-queens had previously loaned her. Apparently, they too were engaged in some challenge all their own. She frowned as Thunderbolt’s hated manta rang in her mind like an accusation or a promise of her own defeat.
“I can! I must! I will!”
Abruptly, Queen Evila realized that Cannon was far more skilled than he had been during their last battle. He had mastered ancient lore that she knew nothing of and she was outmatched in every way.
She struck with her of her might and raced from his presence.
He followed her and said, ‘Give up. End this madness!”
Queen Evila looked back over her shoulder and smiled once more.
‘You would have me chained in shame and defeat. You would mock my former glory. No! Better it is that I die!” she cried as she hurled herself off the platform upon which the strange fortress rested within the white void beyond time.
Thunderbolt could not spot her falling body nor could he sense her presence.
“What a waste!” he thought as he rejoined the others and greeted his now free allies.
Captain Atom clasped his hand and said, “It is good to see you. You know we forgot about you when you were briefly erased from history but we regained our memories of you and tried to find you.’
Thunderbolt said, “I know. I was occupied with my own studies but I ever valued your good wishes!”
Blue Beetle said, “We owe you guys a lot. What about the others? Isn’t that Dr. Dale the Atoman?”
Thunderbolt said, “They should be fine when they awaken. They were victims of a dark spell.”
Vulcan frowned and said, “We have to get back to Earth. We have a lot left to do. Nagana and Ravanna are still at large!”
8
* Mark Merlin was a good fighter and Arachne Coffin seemed to know more than a few combat moves herself; however, he knew that only someone with mystical power like Kalkor could stand against the Queen of Evil. Kalkor was pressing forward as a green energy surrounded his body and seemed to clear a pathway through the attacking guards. He and Nagana locked eyes and in truth the two ancient foes had no interest in the others combatants. Theirs was an old hatred and this night would be spell the end of their ages-old enmity.
Nagana smiled with pleasure. “I have hated you since you and your precious goddess Isis first robbed me of my rightful position! I will enjoy ending your life and seeing her mortal descendent Cairo DeFrey perish!”
Kalkor said, “And I shall take pleasure in ending your evil life but your words suggest the proper way to curtail your plans. Since Cairo is the modern day heiress to the line of Isis, perhaps, she should also partake of her power!”
Cairo was frightened but she felt as if she could regain control of her life if she could just escape from this madhouse of magic and madwomen! Her high heels clattered as she raced away from the others and fled from the scene of battle to emerge in a room with only one entrance. She had reached a dead end and yet the quiet room was not entirely devoid of life. A handsome man in the splendor of an Egyptian ruler was standing as if frozen in place in the center of the room. His eyes were glowing and in place of any pupils they contained tiny spheres of brilliant light.
Cairo started to turn away and find an exit but something in the man’s expression drew her closer to him in spite of her own peril. She was a spoiled and selfish woman and helping others was not part of her normal nature.
She touched him and he moved abruptly as if in pain.
“You are the daughter of Isis! You must free me! It is my stolen power that has enabled the Evil Queens to work their magics! None of them had such power before they united to enslave me and use my heavenly fires to empower their spells!” he said.
Cario shook her head and pushed back her long black hair.
“Who are you? How can I free you? What holds you here?” she asked as she looked left and right.
He said, “I am Aten. Mine is the fire that fuels their magic. By trapping me here, the three witches have gained untold power and control my solar barge itself. They have diverted it from its proper course through the cosmos and in doing so have plunged the earth into darkness and frigidity.”
At that moment Arachne Coffin managed to change the tide of battle. She was with Mark down the hallway in the royal chamber but through the confusion of battle, the girl spotted Memakata leaping toward a high altar covered with symbols of dark magic. A large book rested on the top of the altar.
Clearly, the magical cat wanted them to see the book!
She recognized a glyph on its spine from time spend in her uncle’s vast library.
“That’s the Theban Book of Life! Why would a dark witch like the Queen of Evil have a book of good magic in her possession?” she wondered.
She darted forward as Mark Merlin punched and fought his way through the guards.
Arachne grabbed the ancient tome and as she removed it from the altar, Nagana herself shuddered as if in pain. Her concentration wavered and Kalkor fought through her magical flames to wrestle with her.
Nagana cried out, “No! That foolish girl has disrupted the circle of power that enabled me to hold hated Amen in thrall!”
Kalkor smiled and said, “And that will in turn spell your doom!”
Nagana glared at him and then released a burst of magical energy that burned the old priest to ashes!
“At last, Kalkor is no more!” she screamed with pleasure.
At that moment her palace erupted in flames as Aten surged into the sky as a ball of fire! With the removal of the book he was free once more!
Mark grabbed Arachne and cried out, “We can’t help Kalkor. May he find peace. We have to get out of here!”
Arachne nodded and looked down to see the sacred book she had rescue had vanished in Aten’s wake.
As they fled the burning palace, the guards crumbled to dust and Nagana shrieked in rage.
She raced forward to stop them only to be blocked by Cairo DeFrey!
“You? What is the meaning of this? I see who you are!” stammered Nagana.
Cairo raised both hands and said, “I also know the truth about you. I am the new Isis!”
She smiled coldly as magical power swept from her outstretched hands and engulfed Nagana!
Nagana screamed in pain and anger and then fell backward as her own massive statue crumbled and then buried her burning palace in a mountain of rubble!
Mark Merlin held Memakata as Arachne called out to Cairo.
Cairo flew toward them and said, “I am Isis now! Something that being called Aten did gave me power beyond anything I’ve ever known!”
Merlin said, “I do detect magic in you now. It was not there when we first found you. You are very powerful!”
Cairo said, “May I find the wisdom to use it properly!”
As the group climbed up a hill away from the rubble and the fires, the city of Thebes began to slowly transform back into its customary state.
The air was warm again and the sun glowed brightly once more.
“They had trapped the physical manifestation of the sun from Egyptian myth! It was his power that boosted their own spells! When I took that book off the altar it broke their hold on him!” said Arachne.
“Kalkor sent me some feeling or instinct that that book was important. He gave his life to buy us time!” said the black cat.
Mark said, “You both did great. You all did!”
Arachne kissed him on the cheek and said, “Well, we did free Cairo and liberate the sun god but I don’t think our job is done!”
Cairo smiled rather oddly and said, “I know my job is just beginning!”
Mark Merlin was a good fighter and Arachne Coffin seemed to know more than a few combat moves herself; however, he knew that only someone with mystical power like Kalkor could stand against the Queen of Evil. Kalkor was pressing forward as a green energy surrounded his body and seemed to clear a pathway through the attacking guards. He and Nagana locked eyes and in truth the two ancient foes had no interest in the others combatants. Theirs was an old hatred and this night would be spell the end of their ages-old enmity.
Nagana smiled with pleasure. “I have hated you since you and your precious goddess Isis first robbed me of my rightful position! I will enjoy ending your life and seeing her mortal descendent Cairo DeFrey perish!”
Kalkor said, “And I shall take pleasure in ending your evil life but your words suggest the proper way to curtail your plans. Since Cairo is the modern day heiress to the line of Isis, perhaps, she should also partake of her power!”
Cairo was frightened but she felt as if she could regain control of her life if she could just escape from this madhouse of magic and madwomen! Her high heels clattered as she raced away from the others and fled from the scene of battle to emerge in a room with only one entrance. She had reached a dead end and yet the quiet room was not entirely devoid of life. A handsome man in the splendor of an Egyptian ruler was standing as if frozen in place in the center of the room. His eyes were glowing and in place of any pupils they contained tiny spheres of brilliant light.
Cairo started to turn away and find an exit but something in the man’s expression drew her closer to him in spite of her own peril. She was a spoiled and selfish woman and helping others was not part of her normal nature.
She touched him and he moved abruptly as if in pain.
“You are the daughter of Isis! You must free me! It is my stolen power that has enabled the Evil Queens to work their magics! None of them had such power before they united to enslave me and use my heavenly fires to empower their spells!” he said.
Cario shook her head and pushed back her long black hair.
“Who are you? How can I free you? What holds you here?” she asked as she looked left and right.
He said, “I am Aten. Mine is the fire that fuels their magic. By trapping me here, the three witches have gained untold power and control my solar barge itself. They have diverted it from its proper course through the cosmos and in doing so have plunged the earth into darkness and frigidity.”
At that moment Arachne Coffin managed to change the tide of battle. She was with Mark down the hallway in the royal chamber but through the confusion of battle, the girl spotted Memakata leaping toward a high altar covered with symbols of dark magic. A large book rested on the top of the altar.
Clearly, the magical cat wanted them to see the book!
She recognized a glyph on its spine from time spend in her uncle’s vast library.
“That’s the Theban Book of Life! Why would a dark witch like the Queen of Evil have a book of good magic in her possession?” she wondered.
She darted forward as Mark Merlin punched and fought his way through the guards.
Arachne grabbed the ancient tome and as she removed it from the altar, Nagana herself shuddered as if in pain. Her concentration wavered and Kalkor fought through her magical flames to wrestle with her.
Nagana cried out, “No! That foolish girl has disrupted the circle of power that enabled me to hold hated Amen in thrall!”
Kalkor smiled and said, “And that will in turn spell your doom!”
Nagana glared at him and then released a burst of magical energy that burned the old priest to ashes!
“At last, Kalkor is no more!” she screamed with pleasure.
At that moment her palace erupted in flames as Aten surged into the sky as a ball of fire! With the removal of the book he was free once more!
Mark grabbed Arachne and cried out, “We can’t help Kalkor. May he find peace. We have to get out of here!”
Arachne nodded and looked down to see the sacred book she had rescue had vanished in Aten’s wake.
As they fled the burning palace, the guards crumbled to dust and Nagana shrieked in rage.
She raced forward to stop them only to be blocked by Cairo DeFrey!
“You? What is the meaning of this? I see who you are!” stammered Nagana.
Cairo raised both hands and said, “I also know the truth about you. I am the new Isis!”
She smiled coldly as magical power swept from her outstretched hands and engulfed Nagana!
Nagana screamed in pain and anger and then fell backward as her own massive statue crumbled and then buried her burning palace in a mountain of rubble!
Mark Merlin held Memakata as Arachne called out to Cairo.
Cairo flew toward them and said, “I am Isis now! Something that being called Aten did gave me power beyond anything I’ve ever known!”
Merlin said, “I do detect magic in you now. It was not there when we first found you. You are very powerful!”
Cairo said, “May I find the wisdom to use it properly!”
As the group climbed up a hill away from the rubble and the fires, the city of Thebes began to slowly transform back into its customary state.
The air was warm again and the sun glowed brightly once more.
“They had trapped the physical manifestation of the sun from Egyptian myth! It was his power that boosted their own spells! When I took that book off the altar it broke their hold on him!” said Arachne.
“Kalkor sent me some feeling or instinct that that book was important. He gave his life to buy us time!” said the black cat.
Mark said, “You both did great. You all did!”
Arachne kissed him on the cheek and said, “Well, we did free Cairo and liberate the sun god but I don’t think our job is done!”
Cairo smiled rather oddly and said, “I know my job is just beginning!”
9
*
Tom Falcon emerged from the Blue Bullet and urged the others to climb aboard.
“This place is crumbling or fading away! he shouted.
Blue Beetle said, “Evila must have hit some self-destruct button!”
Thunderbolt said, “She did not create this place. It is closely akin to the cavern I use as a base. Someone else…some ally…made it for her!”
He pointed to a huge portal that filled one wall of the crumbling structure.
“If you think of the era you want to return to and pass through the portal, it shall restore you to that time. If you wish to return to your proper times this is your chance! You have all accomplished more than we could have wished from you!”
The Black Rider said, “Birdman and I wish to return to the Old West. There is a need for us back then and we feel like we may do a lot of good back then!”
Birdman said, “I agree. All who knew us in the forties believe we died in the cyclone!”
They departed through the portal and found themselves in 1876 once more.
Red Rocket said, “Arlene and I need to get back to 2042 to see her father and I may be needed there to save the universe or something like that!
Blue Beetle said, “What about the rocketship?
Red said, “You folks keep it. I can get another one cheap enough in 2042!”
Arlene said, “He means my father will make him one!”
They raced through the portal and emerged in 2042!
The Golden Knight said, “I grew to love my life in 1911 and it would please me to return there!”
He stepped into the portal and emerged in his beloved village.
Astra gasped as the portal rejected her.
“What is this? I can’t get through!” she cried.
Peter said, “I think something is the nature of the explosion that brought you to the past also saturated your alien metabolism with an energy that makes it impossible for you to travel through time!”
She said, “Then how did Mr. Falcon bring me from old Salem to your era?”
Peter said, “He brought you directly into my cavern beyond time. That may mean you may only go that far and no more! I honestly don’t have an answer! I’m sorry!”
She said, “Well, I won’t give up. I have to get back to my proper era!”
They raced into the Blue Bullet and Captain Atom took the captain’s chair. He was the best pilot there.
They escaped from the limbo as it seemed to blink out of existence. It was Tom Falcon again who empowered the ship to traverse time as well as space.
They placed the injured Ragman and Atoman in stasis chambers as Blue Beetle marveled at the advanced science found in the rocket.
“This is amazing!” he said.
The Question said nothing. He was troubled by the fact that his future appeared to be blank. He shrugged and decided that this only meant that he and he alone would determine his destiny.
Vulcan said, “Evila disappeared. That means we better get back to Eve’s home and fight our way through to her sleeping body! She may be the magical power source Malevanna was using to bring those fairy tale monsters into our world!”
Captain Atom said, “I agree. When we helped Eve depose her from the Realm, she was literally hurled out of that dimension. I don’t think she can tap into its magic naturally any longer. She has to be using Eve as a human magical battery!”
They emerged in their proper era and hovered over the Eden home where a scene of horror played out below them.
Queen Malevanna the Night Queen stood outside the manor and looked down on a veritable army of fairy tale creatures. The monsters roared in approval as she urged them to kill everyone in the country!
Vulcan said, “By the Forge! How can we stop that legion?”
Thunderbolt said, “If the three queens you told me about were helping one another by sharing power, apparently, something caused them to stop feeding magical energy to Evila. I wager they have turned on one another by now. Each wants to rule alone!”
Liberty Belle said, “I’m sure the other Sentinels are out there fighting her forces already!”
The All-American Girl was correct. Heroes around the world were facing off against Queen Malevanna’s forces even without knowing the source of the creatures!
In New York, the vampire-looking Countess (Monica Lake), her she-cat friend Felina (Maddy Lopez), the artificial being known as the Shape, the super human Guardian (Debbie Huston), young hero the Champion (Adam Thompson), the regal Lady Quark, and the reformed super criminal Supernova ( Alec Rois) were battling an army of trolls, ogres, and goblins!
In the Soviet Union, Redstar led his resentful allies Hammer, Sickle, Pravda, Molotov, and Bolshoi against three giants who loomed high over Moscow.
In Great Britain the Union (Piskie, the Brixton Brawler, Springheeled Jack, Nightstalker, and Lady Justice were protecting London from four massive fire-breathing dragons! Lady Justice was valiantly using her powers in defense of her adopted homeland in spite of the fact that the teen girl was still mourning the loss of the only parents she had ever known!
In Norway, the odd trio of Samson, Hercules, and Thor were attacking a legion of Frost Giants.
Even semi-retired heroes like the Green Mask, the Flame, Flame Girl, and Solar were using their skills to keep ordinary people safe from werewolves and vampires!
In Japan the young hero Voltron was combating the bizarre chicken-monster called the Basan with help from a young woman calling herself the Joker!
In China the Sino-Supermen were keeping their nation safe from a flock of Longmas!
In Canada the Champions were battling monstrous snow beasts.
Even Action Villains like the Squids, the Madmen, and Dr. Spectra were using their talents to fight off the magical armies.
Captain Atom, ever the leader, flew forward and glowed brightly as if to attract the attention of Queen Malevanna’s legions. The creatures reacted differently according to their natures. Some feared the light and drew back from his with a shudder while others lashed out with a new frenzy as though desperate to reach him.
He hesitated for a moment to access the strength of his targets and then he crashed into them at super speed and radiated energy that left many of them stunned or at least hurt.
Captain Atom was well-known for his strength and for the atomic energy he controlled so well; however, he was also super humanly fast. His speed was something even his most ardent supporters sometimes ignored or took for granted. He used it well this day as he selected targets and battered them or blazed with energy until they faltered. He also had amazing stamina and he drew upon it since he knew this battle would not be over soon!
“I hope we can revive Eve. She has to be more than a mere living magic battery. Malevanna hates her so much that losing her would dishearten that witch!” he mused.
The Question was fighting his well through the assorted goblins that lined the yard and he soon realized that his blows were really not that effective against the creatures since their skulls were as hard as stone. He used his stealth to slip away from the fight. Perhaps, he could be of more use within the manor. After all, Nightshade was probably still within and trapped in her magical slumber.
“I’m no Prince Charming but maybe I can wake her up!” he thought as he slipped through the darkened hallways and hurried toward the place he had last seen his friend.
He found the glistening coffin-like formation that held the sleeping Eve Eden and he studied the shadows of the room in search of any guards. He frowned as he saw something odd. There were no guards in sight.
He started to approach the coffin when he saw a prone figure on the floor. It was one of the monsters but it was either dead or stunned. Nearby a second creature lay still as did a third.
He started to turn when someone grabbed him from behind and placed him in a choke hold.
The Question dropped down to his knees and flipped the other person over his shoulders. He grunted as the weight of his attacker or more precisely the weight of the woman’s costume passed over his shoulders.
She rolled nimbly to her feet and stood before him ready to resume combat. Then he frowned as he stepped into the dim light of the heavily curtained chamber.
“The Question? We’re on the same side! You may call me Peacemaker!” she said. She had long blonde hair and wore a stylized gold and red armored costume with protective helmet and eye goggles.
“You sure don’t look like the guy I know!” quipped the Question.
“But you work like him! I can see that!” he added as he gestured toward the fallen monsters.
“He trained me along with some other recruits. Chris is always prepared and his own retirement from active duty is just one eventuality he has taken into account!” she added.
“He sent me here to try to liberate Nightshade. He told me she would be at the root of this crisis!”
They turned as several shadowy beings lurched into the room. Clearly, the house still had other creatures at large!
The Question stood back to back with the new Peacemaker and sighed.
“It is always something!” he thought.
Meanwhile, Liberty Belle was kicking furiously at a hulking creature who appeared to be an ogre. She bounded up and over his broad back and landed on the other side. Before the brute could turn, she had lashed out and hit his knee with enough accuracy to topple him. He crashed to the ground and Belle connected with a chop to his throat.
“Lesson for today: Ogres do have pressure points!” she said with a smile.
She whirled around as a pair of horned men with scaly skin slipped toward her like some combination of man and snake.
Liberty Belle dodged their swift attacks and rolled away from them. She jumped forward and slammed her fists into their faces. They shuddered and drew back as she prepared to resume her attack.
Vulcan was lashing out with his gleaming battleaxe as a dragon loomed over his muscular form. He held his breath as a cloud of toxic gas threatened to swallow him up. He moved forward and relentlessly ignored the peril until he drew blood once more. He lowered his head and slashed at the roaring beast in front of him again and again until he fell at his feet.
Blue Beetle was piloting the Blue Bullet and his nimble hands fairly flew across the controls as he fired concussive blasts at the army of Queen Malevana.
He knew the captives like Yellowjacket were secure in stasis chambers and he had been confident after studying the rocket’s equipment that they would possibly even emerge healed of their injuries. The ship was amazingly sophisticated for someone who seemed rather simple like Red Rocket.
As the heroes fought onward both on the grounds of the Eden estate and around the globe, Peter Cannon was making a more direct assault on the source of the problem. He had followed the Question inside the house and since he was confident his friend could handle himself, he passed by the scene of battle where the faceless hero and the armored woman were combating the monsters and he approached Eve Eden’s still form.
He touched her face gently and concentrated until the sights and sounds of battle faded from his senses and the entranced woman seemed to dominate the room. He was aware of her perfume and he detected her slow but regular breathing. He focused the force of will power that he had mastered so well and reached out for her mind. He made contact and gently ever so gently whispered words of comfort and assurance to her. He did not try to rush or force his efforts to awaken her. He merely reached out to her sleeping mind and gave some of his own will to strengthen her until slowly at what seemed to be snail’s pace, Eve opened her eyes!
She sat up slowly and he lifted her into his arms and then helped her regain her footing.
“Peter? Is it really you? I feel like I’ve been away so long! I’ve been lost in a dream!” she said softly as her eyes blinked again and again and she slowly became comfortable once more with the real world beyond her enforced sleep.
“You are well once more!” he said softly.
“It was the Sucubus again wasn’t it?” asked Eve as she looked down at her flowing ball gown and matching heels.
“Yes, but we will soon deal with her with your help!” he said with a smile.
He nodded in approval as the Question and the woman who wore the emblem of the Peacemaker stepped closer over some fallen monsters.
“Are you okay, kid?” asked the Question.
Eve nodded and said, “Yes, take me to her!”
They rushed out to confront the evil queen only to find her waiting for them. She had sensed it the moment her prisoner broke free from the spell. She was furious but she was unafraid.
“Eve Eden, Darling of Darkness! I shall give you more darkness than you can handle!” she said with a scowl.
Eve said, “No. You will only fall before me as you have before!”
She charged at the deathly pale woman and they wrestled across the patio. The magic involved in all they did was secondary at this moment to simple, physical aggression between two old enemies.
Eve was slower and weaker than her foe and she felt it as the bigger woman drove her backward.
Still, she had more than a few tricks all her own and she phased into semi-solid shadow form for a moment before returning to normal again. She repeated the trick again and smiled in satisfaction as she gained a bit of traction and sent the evil queen crashing to the grass.
Queen Malevana laughed instead of showing any sign of concern. She looked up at the other woman and said, “ Perhaps, it is time I showed you who truly rules the darkness!”
Eve stiffened as her own body began to change hue. She felt herself becoming colder as an inky darkness rose up her feet and legs and slowly covered her body.
She became completely immobile as the dark magic shut out her senses and threatened to smother her!
Even if her friends could break her free they were unable to reach her as a cloud of darkness exploded upward and left them all lost in a freezing cold that blinded and wounded even Captain Atom!
It appeared as though Queen Malevana was about to achieve her ultimate victory!
Tom Falcon emerged from the Blue Bullet and urged the others to climb aboard.
“This place is crumbling or fading away! he shouted.
Blue Beetle said, “Evila must have hit some self-destruct button!”
Thunderbolt said, “She did not create this place. It is closely akin to the cavern I use as a base. Someone else…some ally…made it for her!”
He pointed to a huge portal that filled one wall of the crumbling structure.
“If you think of the era you want to return to and pass through the portal, it shall restore you to that time. If you wish to return to your proper times this is your chance! You have all accomplished more than we could have wished from you!”
The Black Rider said, “Birdman and I wish to return to the Old West. There is a need for us back then and we feel like we may do a lot of good back then!”
Birdman said, “I agree. All who knew us in the forties believe we died in the cyclone!”
They departed through the portal and found themselves in 1876 once more.
Red Rocket said, “Arlene and I need to get back to 2042 to see her father and I may be needed there to save the universe or something like that!
Blue Beetle said, “What about the rocketship?
Red said, “You folks keep it. I can get another one cheap enough in 2042!”
Arlene said, “He means my father will make him one!”
They raced through the portal and emerged in 2042!
The Golden Knight said, “I grew to love my life in 1911 and it would please me to return there!”
He stepped into the portal and emerged in his beloved village.
Astra gasped as the portal rejected her.
“What is this? I can’t get through!” she cried.
Peter said, “I think something is the nature of the explosion that brought you to the past also saturated your alien metabolism with an energy that makes it impossible for you to travel through time!”
She said, “Then how did Mr. Falcon bring me from old Salem to your era?”
Peter said, “He brought you directly into my cavern beyond time. That may mean you may only go that far and no more! I honestly don’t have an answer! I’m sorry!”
She said, “Well, I won’t give up. I have to get back to my proper era!”
They raced into the Blue Bullet and Captain Atom took the captain’s chair. He was the best pilot there.
They escaped from the limbo as it seemed to blink out of existence. It was Tom Falcon again who empowered the ship to traverse time as well as space.
They placed the injured Ragman and Atoman in stasis chambers as Blue Beetle marveled at the advanced science found in the rocket.
“This is amazing!” he said.
The Question said nothing. He was troubled by the fact that his future appeared to be blank. He shrugged and decided that this only meant that he and he alone would determine his destiny.
Vulcan said, “Evila disappeared. That means we better get back to Eve’s home and fight our way through to her sleeping body! She may be the magical power source Malevanna was using to bring those fairy tale monsters into our world!”
Captain Atom said, “I agree. When we helped Eve depose her from the Realm, she was literally hurled out of that dimension. I don’t think she can tap into its magic naturally any longer. She has to be using Eve as a human magical battery!”
They emerged in their proper era and hovered over the Eden home where a scene of horror played out below them.
Queen Malevanna the Night Queen stood outside the manor and looked down on a veritable army of fairy tale creatures. The monsters roared in approval as she urged them to kill everyone in the country!
Vulcan said, “By the Forge! How can we stop that legion?”
Thunderbolt said, “If the three queens you told me about were helping one another by sharing power, apparently, something caused them to stop feeding magical energy to Evila. I wager they have turned on one another by now. Each wants to rule alone!”
Liberty Belle said, “I’m sure the other Sentinels are out there fighting her forces already!”
The All-American Girl was correct. Heroes around the world were facing off against Queen Malevanna’s forces even without knowing the source of the creatures!
In New York, the vampire-looking Countess (Monica Lake), her she-cat friend Felina (Maddy Lopez), the artificial being known as the Shape, the super human Guardian (Debbie Huston), young hero the Champion (Adam Thompson), the regal Lady Quark, and the reformed super criminal Supernova ( Alec Rois) were battling an army of trolls, ogres, and goblins!
In the Soviet Union, Redstar led his resentful allies Hammer, Sickle, Pravda, Molotov, and Bolshoi against three giants who loomed high over Moscow.
In Great Britain the Union (Piskie, the Brixton Brawler, Springheeled Jack, Nightstalker, and Lady Justice were protecting London from four massive fire-breathing dragons! Lady Justice was valiantly using her powers in defense of her adopted homeland in spite of the fact that the teen girl was still mourning the loss of the only parents she had ever known!
In Norway, the odd trio of Samson, Hercules, and Thor were attacking a legion of Frost Giants.
Even semi-retired heroes like the Green Mask, the Flame, Flame Girl, and Solar were using their skills to keep ordinary people safe from werewolves and vampires!
In Japan the young hero Voltron was combating the bizarre chicken-monster called the Basan with help from a young woman calling herself the Joker!
In China the Sino-Supermen were keeping their nation safe from a flock of Longmas!
In Canada the Champions were battling monstrous snow beasts.
Even Action Villains like the Squids, the Madmen, and Dr. Spectra were using their talents to fight off the magical armies.
Captain Atom, ever the leader, flew forward and glowed brightly as if to attract the attention of Queen Malevanna’s legions. The creatures reacted differently according to their natures. Some feared the light and drew back from his with a shudder while others lashed out with a new frenzy as though desperate to reach him.
He hesitated for a moment to access the strength of his targets and then he crashed into them at super speed and radiated energy that left many of them stunned or at least hurt.
Captain Atom was well-known for his strength and for the atomic energy he controlled so well; however, he was also super humanly fast. His speed was something even his most ardent supporters sometimes ignored or took for granted. He used it well this day as he selected targets and battered them or blazed with energy until they faltered. He also had amazing stamina and he drew upon it since he knew this battle would not be over soon!
“I hope we can revive Eve. She has to be more than a mere living magic battery. Malevanna hates her so much that losing her would dishearten that witch!” he mused.
The Question was fighting his well through the assorted goblins that lined the yard and he soon realized that his blows were really not that effective against the creatures since their skulls were as hard as stone. He used his stealth to slip away from the fight. Perhaps, he could be of more use within the manor. After all, Nightshade was probably still within and trapped in her magical slumber.
“I’m no Prince Charming but maybe I can wake her up!” he thought as he slipped through the darkened hallways and hurried toward the place he had last seen his friend.
He found the glistening coffin-like formation that held the sleeping Eve Eden and he studied the shadows of the room in search of any guards. He frowned as he saw something odd. There were no guards in sight.
He started to approach the coffin when he saw a prone figure on the floor. It was one of the monsters but it was either dead or stunned. Nearby a second creature lay still as did a third.
He started to turn when someone grabbed him from behind and placed him in a choke hold.
The Question dropped down to his knees and flipped the other person over his shoulders. He grunted as the weight of his attacker or more precisely the weight of the woman’s costume passed over his shoulders.
She rolled nimbly to her feet and stood before him ready to resume combat. Then he frowned as he stepped into the dim light of the heavily curtained chamber.
“The Question? We’re on the same side! You may call me Peacemaker!” she said. She had long blonde hair and wore a stylized gold and red armored costume with protective helmet and eye goggles.
“You sure don’t look like the guy I know!” quipped the Question.
“But you work like him! I can see that!” he added as he gestured toward the fallen monsters.
“He trained me along with some other recruits. Chris is always prepared and his own retirement from active duty is just one eventuality he has taken into account!” she added.
“He sent me here to try to liberate Nightshade. He told me she would be at the root of this crisis!”
They turned as several shadowy beings lurched into the room. Clearly, the house still had other creatures at large!
The Question stood back to back with the new Peacemaker and sighed.
“It is always something!” he thought.
Meanwhile, Liberty Belle was kicking furiously at a hulking creature who appeared to be an ogre. She bounded up and over his broad back and landed on the other side. Before the brute could turn, she had lashed out and hit his knee with enough accuracy to topple him. He crashed to the ground and Belle connected with a chop to his throat.
“Lesson for today: Ogres do have pressure points!” she said with a smile.
She whirled around as a pair of horned men with scaly skin slipped toward her like some combination of man and snake.
Liberty Belle dodged their swift attacks and rolled away from them. She jumped forward and slammed her fists into their faces. They shuddered and drew back as she prepared to resume her attack.
Vulcan was lashing out with his gleaming battleaxe as a dragon loomed over his muscular form. He held his breath as a cloud of toxic gas threatened to swallow him up. He moved forward and relentlessly ignored the peril until he drew blood once more. He lowered his head and slashed at the roaring beast in front of him again and again until he fell at his feet.
Blue Beetle was piloting the Blue Bullet and his nimble hands fairly flew across the controls as he fired concussive blasts at the army of Queen Malevana.
He knew the captives like Yellowjacket were secure in stasis chambers and he had been confident after studying the rocket’s equipment that they would possibly even emerge healed of their injuries. The ship was amazingly sophisticated for someone who seemed rather simple like Red Rocket.
As the heroes fought onward both on the grounds of the Eden estate and around the globe, Peter Cannon was making a more direct assault on the source of the problem. He had followed the Question inside the house and since he was confident his friend could handle himself, he passed by the scene of battle where the faceless hero and the armored woman were combating the monsters and he approached Eve Eden’s still form.
He touched her face gently and concentrated until the sights and sounds of battle faded from his senses and the entranced woman seemed to dominate the room. He was aware of her perfume and he detected her slow but regular breathing. He focused the force of will power that he had mastered so well and reached out for her mind. He made contact and gently ever so gently whispered words of comfort and assurance to her. He did not try to rush or force his efforts to awaken her. He merely reached out to her sleeping mind and gave some of his own will to strengthen her until slowly at what seemed to be snail’s pace, Eve opened her eyes!
She sat up slowly and he lifted her into his arms and then helped her regain her footing.
“Peter? Is it really you? I feel like I’ve been away so long! I’ve been lost in a dream!” she said softly as her eyes blinked again and again and she slowly became comfortable once more with the real world beyond her enforced sleep.
“You are well once more!” he said softly.
“It was the Sucubus again wasn’t it?” asked Eve as she looked down at her flowing ball gown and matching heels.
“Yes, but we will soon deal with her with your help!” he said with a smile.
He nodded in approval as the Question and the woman who wore the emblem of the Peacemaker stepped closer over some fallen monsters.
“Are you okay, kid?” asked the Question.
Eve nodded and said, “Yes, take me to her!”
They rushed out to confront the evil queen only to find her waiting for them. She had sensed it the moment her prisoner broke free from the spell. She was furious but she was unafraid.
“Eve Eden, Darling of Darkness! I shall give you more darkness than you can handle!” she said with a scowl.
Eve said, “No. You will only fall before me as you have before!”
She charged at the deathly pale woman and they wrestled across the patio. The magic involved in all they did was secondary at this moment to simple, physical aggression between two old enemies.
Eve was slower and weaker than her foe and she felt it as the bigger woman drove her backward.
Still, she had more than a few tricks all her own and she phased into semi-solid shadow form for a moment before returning to normal again. She repeated the trick again and smiled in satisfaction as she gained a bit of traction and sent the evil queen crashing to the grass.
Queen Malevana laughed instead of showing any sign of concern. She looked up at the other woman and said, “ Perhaps, it is time I showed you who truly rules the darkness!”
Eve stiffened as her own body began to change hue. She felt herself becoming colder as an inky darkness rose up her feet and legs and slowly covered her body.
She became completely immobile as the dark magic shut out her senses and threatened to smother her!
Even if her friends could break her free they were unable to reach her as a cloud of darkness exploded upward and left them all lost in a freezing cold that blinded and wounded even Captain Atom!
It appeared as though Queen Malevana was about to achieve her ultimate victory!
10
* Earlier, Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Memakata had bid farewell to Cairo DeFrey. She had thanked them for their help and vowed to use her newfound magical powers to protect those around her.
“When Queen Nagana was defeated something changed. I guess the sun god reclaimed his power from all three of them and they are losing their hold on our world!” said Mark.
Cairo said, “When I felt the power of Isis rise up in my body I sensed as much though I hardly knew what it all meant. I feel like we may yet triumph if we follow through!”
She waved goodbye as the others approached Merlin’s plane.
She would indeed make use of her power. That was a vow she would keep or die trying!
After Mark, Arachne, and Memakata had boarded the plane, they were soon headed for a strange location. After glancing through the book Arachne had first brought to Merlin’s home, they noticed some startling changes. The scenes of altered fairy tales had stated to return to their normal endings and while some pages depicted monsters in urban settings, most now had been restored to their traditional settings.
Arachne frowned as she flipped through the book and then she held it up for the others to see.
“It is us! This page shows the three of us! We’re in some town called Chilhowie, Virginia! See the community sign in the background? That little house has a mailbox too. I can just make out the name Thunder on the box. We’re supposed to find some man named Thunder in rural Virginia!”
Mark nodded and said, “Then that’s exactly what we will do!”
As they reached the closest airport to the tiny town and rented a card, Merlin thought about all he had experienced since meeting Arachne.
“She’s a wonderful girl! I wonder if she might consider sticking around and becoming my assistant?” he thought.
Memakata looked up at his friend and winked knowingly.
As they drove down a windy country road, they eventually found themselves in the heart of a tiny community that roughly matched the drawing in Arachne’s book.
“Dr. David Thunder! Why would the book send us to a country doctor?” asked Arachne.
Mark Merlin said, “I don’t know but it has not been wrong yet. Your uncle must be a remarkable man!”
Moments later, they reached a small but comfortable looking home with a neatly landscaped yard.
As Mark Merlin approached the front porch, a kindly looking man with gray hair and rather heavy eyebrows opened the door and smiled warmly.
“Come inside. I’m Dr. David Thunder, how may I help you?” he said as he held open the screen door.
Arachne smiled at the old physician and said, “You can tell us what your connection is to magical invasion that has struck most of the world’s cities!”
He scratched his head for a moment and sighed.
“I suppose it has to do with my best friend. You see, I may be a country doctor and a proud parents and grandparent, but to my rather special best friend, I’m what he calls the Wish Master!”
He said, “When I was a boy back during the war I didn’t have much going for me except for a friend. He helped me and became all the family I needed. He made me what I am today. I owe him everything. You might call him a genie or a wish granter but for some reason whatever that may be he bonded with one lonely child and answered all my boyhood wishes.”
He gestured to where the empty room suddenly seemed to fill with a puffy cloudlike substance that formed a humanoid shape.
He smiled broadly like a good natured child or oversized infant and said, “Davy, what is your wish?”
Dr. David Thunder shrugged and said, “He still calls me Davy like he did when I was a child!”
Mark said, “Amazing! I believe you may be the key to ending this whole crisis! Dr. Thunder, will you wish for a few things as I mention them to you?”
The old doctor grinned and for a moment even Merlin could see signs of the impish child he must have been decades ago when he first met his beloved genie.
Captain Atom refused to give up. He summoned all his energies and tried to burn away the magical darkness and he succeeded to a degree. It drew back from his body but failed to part beyond proximity to him.
Thunderbolt fought to use his own force of will to enable him to use other senses and escape from the problems loss of vision caused normal men.
Blue Beetle tried to use the rocket’s tools to burn through the inky cloud of night with little effect.
Vulcan wished briefly that he still had the overwhelming powers that had been his when he had served as the world guarding Monitor.
Eve Eden was in no pain. She felt nothing but even nearly suffocated by darkness, the rightful Princess of the Realm fought with all her will and courage. She began to crack through the cloud that crushed her but she knew she had far to go to truly be free.
At that moment all of the monsters vanished! Queen Malevana gasped as she saw only a trio of odd figures cross the lawn with another wispy being hovering above them.
Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Dr. Davy Thunder approached slowly as the old man’s magical genie banished the creatures back to their own dimension. It could do so with seemingly no effort. Perhaps, the only thing that had ever limited the magical being’s awesome power was the imagination and moral compass of its master.
Dr. Thunder said, “What do you want him to do next?”
Merlin said, “Cancel the spell of darkness!”
The cloud-like being grinned and clapped its fat hands together as it did just that.
Eve gasped with relief and jumped up to tackled the Evil Queen.
Queen Malevana shrieked as she felt herself losing not only the battle but even her sense of supreme power. This weird little man and his genie were stronger than she was!
As Eve pummeled her again and again, the Queen broke free and raced across the lawn. She was almost desperate now since she felt her end was near.
As she rounded the corner of the house and temporarily escape from the view of the others she was confront by a mocking figure who stood before her with both hands placed on her shapely hips.
She looked just like Cairo DeFrey but as Queen Malevana realized….just as Queen Nagana had before her… this woman was something more!
“You! Have you come to help me, sister? Have you come to give me power?” asked Queen Malevana.
The woman who had worn the form of Cairo since moments after the departure of the sun god Aten back in Thebes, smiled coldly and raised one delicately arched eyebrow.
“I saw how you and Nagana planned to betray me. I saw it all from my throne in the limbo beyond time. I fled from there when I faced the Thunderbolt but what even he didn’t realize was that I knew my way around its portals well enough to use it to travel back in time to enable me to reach Thebes at an earlier moment. I waited until Aten escaped and then I took over Cairo Defrey’s body. I lied about having received the powers of Isis although the insipid model may truly be a descendent of Isis herself, she was never granted super powers by Aten. He left as soon as he was freed by the removal of the book that held him prisoner. I let the heroes believe the magic Merlin now detected in my body was newly given to me by the Egyptian when in fact it was always mine and he detected it because my spirit now wore the moral Cairo like a designer dress!”
Malevana said, “Evila? You saw we were going to lose and you plotted to cheat us all! You’ve secured power for yourself at our expense!”
Cairo smiled and stepped closer. She whispered in the other woman’s ear.
“QUEEN Evila, my dear. You must use my proper title since I am in fact the last and only Queen of Evil!”
She concentrated and her own magic struck Malevana like a bolt of lightning.
She laughed and vanished.
As Eve and the others reached the scene, they found the stricken Queen Malevana and secured her with help from Davy’s genie. They would banish her to a prison dimension where she could do no additional harm.
Eve kissed Mark and said, “I owe you all so much but you really secured our victory by finding this wonderful man!”
She nodded toward a beaming Davy Thunder and his genie.
Mark said, “And I owe it to this little lady and her uncle’s magical book. Arachne, what would you say to becoming my assistant fulltime?”
Arachne smiled coyly and said, “I’d be happy to be your partner!”
The assembled heroes rejoiced in their victory even as around the world, their peers felt the same elation.
The fairy tale war had been won. The fairy tale war was over.
However, elsewhere, within the spacious industrial empire of Cairo DeFrey, Queen Evila admired her new body in a full length mirror and felt her own sense of pleasure.
“It is good to be Queen!” she whispered.
The End
Earlier, Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Memakata had bid farewell to Cairo DeFrey. She had thanked them for their help and vowed to use her newfound magical powers to protect those around her.
“When Queen Nagana was defeated something changed. I guess the sun god reclaimed his power from all three of them and they are losing their hold on our world!” said Mark.
Cairo said, “When I felt the power of Isis rise up in my body I sensed as much though I hardly knew what it all meant. I feel like we may yet triumph if we follow through!”
She waved goodbye as the others approached Merlin’s plane.
She would indeed make use of her power. That was a vow she would keep or die trying!
After Mark, Arachne, and Memakata had boarded the plane, they were soon headed for a strange location. After glancing through the book Arachne had first brought to Merlin’s home, they noticed some startling changes. The scenes of altered fairy tales had stated to return to their normal endings and while some pages depicted monsters in urban settings, most now had been restored to their traditional settings.
Arachne frowned as she flipped through the book and then she held it up for the others to see.
“It is us! This page shows the three of us! We’re in some town called Chilhowie, Virginia! See the community sign in the background? That little house has a mailbox too. I can just make out the name Thunder on the box. We’re supposed to find some man named Thunder in rural Virginia!”
Mark nodded and said, “Then that’s exactly what we will do!”
As they reached the closest airport to the tiny town and rented a card, Merlin thought about all he had experienced since meeting Arachne.
“She’s a wonderful girl! I wonder if she might consider sticking around and becoming my assistant?” he thought.
Memakata looked up at his friend and winked knowingly.
As they drove down a windy country road, they eventually found themselves in the heart of a tiny community that roughly matched the drawing in Arachne’s book.
“Dr. David Thunder! Why would the book send us to a country doctor?” asked Arachne.
Mark Merlin said, “I don’t know but it has not been wrong yet. Your uncle must be a remarkable man!”
Moments later, they reached a small but comfortable looking home with a neatly landscaped yard.
As Mark Merlin approached the front porch, a kindly looking man with gray hair and rather heavy eyebrows opened the door and smiled warmly.
“Come inside. I’m Dr. David Thunder, how may I help you?” he said as he held open the screen door.
Arachne smiled at the old physician and said, “You can tell us what your connection is to magical invasion that has struck most of the world’s cities!”
He scratched his head for a moment and sighed.
“I suppose it has to do with my best friend. You see, I may be a country doctor and a proud parents and grandparent, but to my rather special best friend, I’m what he calls the Wish Master!”
He said, “When I was a boy back during the war I didn’t have much going for me except for a friend. He helped me and became all the family I needed. He made me what I am today. I owe him everything. You might call him a genie or a wish granter but for some reason whatever that may be he bonded with one lonely child and answered all my boyhood wishes.”
He gestured to where the empty room suddenly seemed to fill with a puffy cloudlike substance that formed a humanoid shape.
He smiled broadly like a good natured child or oversized infant and said, “Davy, what is your wish?”
Dr. David Thunder shrugged and said, “He still calls me Davy like he did when I was a child!”
Mark said, “Amazing! I believe you may be the key to ending this whole crisis! Dr. Thunder, will you wish for a few things as I mention them to you?”
The old doctor grinned and for a moment even Merlin could see signs of the impish child he must have been decades ago when he first met his beloved genie.
Captain Atom refused to give up. He summoned all his energies and tried to burn away the magical darkness and he succeeded to a degree. It drew back from his body but failed to part beyond proximity to him.
Thunderbolt fought to use his own force of will to enable him to use other senses and escape from the problems loss of vision caused normal men.
Blue Beetle tried to use the rocket’s tools to burn through the inky cloud of night with little effect.
Vulcan wished briefly that he still had the overwhelming powers that had been his when he had served as the world guarding Monitor.
Eve Eden was in no pain. She felt nothing but even nearly suffocated by darkness, the rightful Princess of the Realm fought with all her will and courage. She began to crack through the cloud that crushed her but she knew she had far to go to truly be free.
At that moment all of the monsters vanished! Queen Malevana gasped as she saw only a trio of odd figures cross the lawn with another wispy being hovering above them.
Mark Merlin, Arachne Coffin, and Dr. Davy Thunder approached slowly as the old man’s magical genie banished the creatures back to their own dimension. It could do so with seemingly no effort. Perhaps, the only thing that had ever limited the magical being’s awesome power was the imagination and moral compass of its master.
Dr. Thunder said, “What do you want him to do next?”
Merlin said, “Cancel the spell of darkness!”
The cloud-like being grinned and clapped its fat hands together as it did just that.
Eve gasped with relief and jumped up to tackled the Evil Queen.
Queen Malevana shrieked as she felt herself losing not only the battle but even her sense of supreme power. This weird little man and his genie were stronger than she was!
As Eve pummeled her again and again, the Queen broke free and raced across the lawn. She was almost desperate now since she felt her end was near.
As she rounded the corner of the house and temporarily escape from the view of the others she was confront by a mocking figure who stood before her with both hands placed on her shapely hips.
She looked just like Cairo DeFrey but as Queen Malevana realized….just as Queen Nagana had before her… this woman was something more!
“You! Have you come to help me, sister? Have you come to give me power?” asked Queen Malevana.
The woman who had worn the form of Cairo since moments after the departure of the sun god Aten back in Thebes, smiled coldly and raised one delicately arched eyebrow.
“I saw how you and Nagana planned to betray me. I saw it all from my throne in the limbo beyond time. I fled from there when I faced the Thunderbolt but what even he didn’t realize was that I knew my way around its portals well enough to use it to travel back in time to enable me to reach Thebes at an earlier moment. I waited until Aten escaped and then I took over Cairo Defrey’s body. I lied about having received the powers of Isis although the insipid model may truly be a descendent of Isis herself, she was never granted super powers by Aten. He left as soon as he was freed by the removal of the book that held him prisoner. I let the heroes believe the magic Merlin now detected in my body was newly given to me by the Egyptian when in fact it was always mine and he detected it because my spirit now wore the moral Cairo like a designer dress!”
Malevana said, “Evila? You saw we were going to lose and you plotted to cheat us all! You’ve secured power for yourself at our expense!”
Cairo smiled and stepped closer. She whispered in the other woman’s ear.
“QUEEN Evila, my dear. You must use my proper title since I am in fact the last and only Queen of Evil!”
She concentrated and her own magic struck Malevana like a bolt of lightning.
She laughed and vanished.
As Eve and the others reached the scene, they found the stricken Queen Malevana and secured her with help from Davy’s genie. They would banish her to a prison dimension where she could do no additional harm.
Eve kissed Mark and said, “I owe you all so much but you really secured our victory by finding this wonderful man!”
She nodded toward a beaming Davy Thunder and his genie.
Mark said, “And I owe it to this little lady and her uncle’s magical book. Arachne, what would you say to becoming my assistant fulltime?”
Arachne smiled coyly and said, “I’d be happy to be your partner!”
The assembled heroes rejoiced in their victory even as around the world, their peers felt the same elation.
The fairy tale war had been won. The fairy tale war was over.
However, elsewhere, within the spacious industrial empire of Cairo DeFrey, Queen Evila admired her new body in a full length mirror and felt her own sense of pleasure.
“It is good to be Queen!” she whispered.
The End
Epilogue
* In his remote base Stardust the Super Wizard, now the Monitor of Earth 4’s Universe, nodded grimly.
“It was a necessary evil for me to remove the Black Rider and the others from their proper eras in order to enable them to serve a greater good for just such a crisis as the one they helped the Sentinels to weather. Since all of them have now returned to their desired eras with the exception of Astra, no lasting harm was done to them. As for Astra, I retained her in this era since she still has much to do in the twentieth century! She will not be lonely for much longer either!”
He spoke to himself and soon returned to his solitary vigil.
In his remote base Stardust the Super Wizard, now the Monitor of Earth 4’s Universe, nodded grimly.
“It was a necessary evil for me to remove the Black Rider and the others from their proper eras in order to enable them to serve a greater good for just such a crisis as the one they helped the Sentinels to weather. Since all of them have now returned to their desired eras with the exception of Astra, no lasting harm was done to them. As for Astra, I retained her in this era since she still has much to do in the twentieth century! She will not be lonely for much longer either!”
He spoke to himself and soon returned to his solitary vigil.