"I've looked forward to this day for years, Bruce," said the well-dressed man fussing over Bruce Wayne's shirt collar and necktie. He tucked the unruly band of designer silk beneath the collar for the third time. "Lean your head forward a little. Are you sure this suit was tailored for you?"

A smirk formed on Bruce Wayne's lips. "It's a new Italian cut. I'm not sure I like it though. A bit too casual."

"And what of today's occasion? How does that make you feel?"

Bruce raised his chin and tugged the tie's perfectly-formed knot into place. "I'm excited but it's too soon. I don't know if I'm ready for such heady responsibility."

"Oh, balderdash! This is what you were born to do," the man answered. "You'll do the Wayne name proud."

"I hope I do that already," Bruce answered.

"Of course you do," the man replied. "Look around this city. It owes you more than it will ever know. You've sacrificed so much."

"And suffered too at times," Bruce replied. "Have you seen my new shoes?"

The man acknowledged Bruce's first comment with a knowing nod then opened the door to the master bedroom's full-length closet and hastily searched but found no shoes. "I could have sworn they were in here earlier."

Bruce dropped to his hands and knees and shuffled through a messy pile of shoes he should have straightened the week before. "Not here either."

"Alfred!" yelled the man helping Bruce dress.

Alfred Pennyworth pushed open the bedroom door and appeared calm as ever, despite the urgency in the man's voice. "You called, sir?"

"I did," the man replied. "Have you seen Bruce's new shoes? The ones he bought at Heffler's on 42nd?"

Alfred nodded and strode confidently to Bruce's bedside and kneeled to one knee. He pulled open a trundle drawer and removed a plastic bag with the Heffler's logo displayed prominently on the side. "I have, sir. Mrs. Wayne asked me to replace them with these."

Alfred removed a shoe box from the bag and opened it to reveal a pair of leather loafers with a brilliant sheen and tassels at the toes.

Bruce took one of the shoes from the box and fingered the tassels. "Frilly things? Alfred! I can't show up wearing these!"

"The proper term is tassels, Master Bruce," Alfred replied.

The graying man sighed. "Martha! Can you come in here, please?"

A few moments later a woman appeared in the doorway. She looked to be roughly the same age as the man with Bruce and Alfred. Though her graying hair matched her husband's, Father Time left her elegant beauty mostly unspoiled. She was older, more mature, but one didn't have to look hard to see the young socialite that once charmed Gotham's elite in her youth. Only a few tiny crow's feet at the corners of her warm, playful eyes and a tight, distinct pucker around her ruby lips betrayed her age. "Yes, Thomas?"

"Why did you replace the shoes Bruce picked out with these girly things?" asked Dr. Thomas Wayne.

Martha Wayne's cheeks flushed as a playful grin crossed her lips. "I hoped he would like them better. I just don't care for these new styles."

"They were seven-hundred dollar Italian shoes, Mother," said Bruce.

"These are from Heffler's as well," answered Mrs. Wayne. "I thought they'd be more appropriate for your suit."

Bruce sighed. "It's too late to exchange them now. Let's go."

Martha Wayne grabbed her son's broad shoulders and pulled him down toward her. It seemed an impossibly Herculean labor for such a small woman but she accomplished it with relative ease. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you. My little boy taking over his father's practice."

"See, son?" Thomas said. "You already do the Wayne name proud."

Alfred Pennyworth beamed. "Indeed he does, sir. There's not a finer physician in Gotham City than Bruce Wayne! A chip off the old block, if I may say so."

Thomas Wayne smiled. "Indeed you may, Alfred. Indeed you may."

"What If: Act One"

Issue #280

By David Marshall

The Justice League Watchtower

"Any news yet?" asked Nightwing.

John Henry Irons, a.k.a. Steel, shook his head. "Negative. Not as much as a telepathic whisper from J'onn and their condition remains unchanged. I've checked each of them for hypoxia, but their brains are getting sufficient amounts of oxygen. I've ruled out viral attacks on their central nervous systems as well. Their electrolytes, glucose, and CBC are normal. Toxicology screen is negative. We see no evidence of abnormal neuronic discharge. I have them on 4 mg of Lorazepam to treat the seizures, except Wally. His metabolism makes treatment difficult."

The worried heroes stood over the comatose bodies of several long-time Justice League members. They lay erect on medical restraining beds bio-engineered to keep even the most powerful metahumans from hurting themselves in the event of a medical emergency.

Nightwing watched his fallen mentor's breath rise and fall. "Batman's always ten steps ahead of his opponent. Whatever hit them took them by surprise."

"You ok?" Steel asked. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

Nightwing nodded solemnly. " It's so hard seeing him like this, but at least he looks peaceful."

Steel analyzed the results from a EEG. "He may look that way now, but ten minutes ago his spasms were so severe we had to strap him down to tranquilize him. Any news from Earth?"

"More of the same," Nightwing replied. "Miami joined the list an hour ago."

"Miami too?" John asked. "What happened?"

"Interstate 95 tied itself into a bow," Nightwing answered. "Seventy-three car pile up on the northbound lane. One-hundred eight in the southbound. Black Lightning and a few other Outsiders are assisting the victims."

John smiled. "The Outsiders, huh? They got back together?"

Nightwing shook his head. "They swear it's a coincidence they were all in the area."

The Atom walked into the room. "Is Aquaman's neural analysis complete, John?"

"Unfortunately, no." Steel answered. "Batman's convulsions pulled me away."

Oracle's frantic voice echoed through the Watchtower. "Priority alert! Atlantis has surfaced! Repeat, the kingdom of Atlantis has surfaced! I need a team on it, ASAP! The tsunami alone could be catastrophic to coastal areas and it's still unclear what effect the event will have on the Atlanteans themselves. I'm running projections as we speak."

"Too bad Arthur is comatose," said Steel.

"Green Lantern?" asked Nightwing.

The Atom sighed. "No sign of him yet. The security logs record him present with the others, but there's no record of him leaving and a sensor sweep reveals nothing. It's as if he simply ceased to exist."

Nightwing stared out the Watchtower's main observation window at his home below. "Has the whole damn world gone mad?"

The Sahara Desert

Wally West streaked across the burning sands of the Sahara, but no matter how fast he ran his opponent stayed a step ahead.

"Come on, Wally. I know you have more than that."

Wally ran as hard as he could, but the race was fruitless. How could he expect to win with the deck stacked so heavily against him? The other racer was faster and had more experience channeling his speed. Wally's bright yellow blur jarred to an abrupt halt and was soon noticed by the scarlet one that outpaced him.

"You're holding back," said Barry Allen.

"Why would I do that?" Wally asked.

"You don't want to beat me," Barry answered. "Don't spare my feelings. Show me what you've got."

"You know what I can do, Uncle Barry. We've played this gig for years now - Flash and Kid Flash."

"Wally, how old are you?"

"What kind of question is that? You know how old I am."

"And I'm not getting younger," said Barry. "Powers or not, you should outrun me."

Wally shook his head and dropped his Kid Flash cowl. "Why is it so important to you?"

"Why is it not to you?" Barry answered. "Look, Wally. I love being the Flash and would give my life to save this world if I had to, but I don't want to be a hero forever. Iris and I...we want a life. Just two normal people with a little slice of suburbia - our own white picket fence and living on my detective's pension."

"I don't understand," said Wally.

Barry Allen twisted the ring on his finger and a costume identical to his own scarlet uniform erupted from its face. "The time has come, Wally. I'll help you however I can, but the world needs Wally West to be the Flash, more than it needs Barry Allen to wear the uniform again."

Wally gawked at the familiar costume. It never seemed more alien to him. In his dreams, he often looked down while running across the Indian Ocean and found himself clad in it. His dream-self was proud to carry on the tradition started by Jay Garrick and continued by his uncle, Barry. But this wasn't the way he imagined it. Not just a quick costume change on the Sahara sands. "Barry... I..."

"No. You don't have to think about it, Wally. I want you to be the Flash."

Wally brushed his fingers over the costume like someone handed him Babe Ruth's jersey and told him to step into the batter's box.

"Go ahead. Try it on," Barry urged.

Wally whipped up a sandstorm and changed in the midst of its eye. When he finished milliseconds later, he was no longer Kid Flash, but the Flash. Almost. "It's a little baggy in the legs and chest."

Barry tugged at the insignia centered on the costume's chest. It gave a little, but he shrugged it off. "You'll grow into it. Now is the Flash ready to outrun an old man?"

"Don't say it like that," said Wally.

Barry chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked Wally.

"I was thinking back to the first time I met Jay. He was already a legend- even then. I took my name from him, you know. I felt so inadequate when he was around, but he always encouraged me. He joked with me then like I'm joking with you now."

"And how did you feel?" Wally asked.

Barry pulled back the cowl of his costume and smiled. "Like you do now, but I got over it. You will too as you learn that the way to uphold the mantle is to do your best. You can outrun anything on this earth, Wally, except your responsibilities."

"You really want me to give it all I have?" asked Wally.

"Around the world. Last one back to this spot is a rotten egg," Barry nodded. He disappeared while the final words of his sentence still hung in the air.

Wally shook his head and couldn't help but smile. A rotten egg? His uncle was one of the world's greatest heroes, but so square he made Sonny Bono look hip. "Don't start...."

"....without me."

Downtown Chicago, Illinois

"I need air support, stat!" yelled Hourman over the bedlam of the World War II battlefield raging in downtown Chicago. "I have a squadron of Focke-Wulf 190's over the city. Repeat I have fighter planes over the city!"

"We read you loud and clear,." answered Booster Gold over the comm-link. "Beetle and I are on it."

"I'm on my way too," said Power Girl. "I have a feeling you'll need some brains on this one."

"I heard that!" Blue Beetle answered over the comm-link.

"I meant for you to," Power Girl added.

"Jay and I are taking care of things on the ground," Wildcat answered over the comm-link. "This used to be our greatest fear back during the war - German soldiers on American soil. I never thought it'd wait 'til after the turn of the century. Per Degaton, maybe?"

"Negative, Wildcat. I've found no evidence of time manipulation," Hourman answered. "Is Green Lantern with you?"

"Negative, Mr. Chairman," Jay Garrick answered. "Oracle routed him to Rio de Janeiro to meet up with Mikaal and Obsidian."

"I didn't hear it on my comm-link," Hourman replied. "Any reason why she requested that specific group?"

"Oracle searched D.I.N.A.H's sub-routines and deduced that the aliens attacking Rio are Talokians- Mikaal's people," Jay answered. "War-mongering race. According to Mikaal, he defeated the last warlord shortly after he arrived on Earth."

"Someone forgot to tell them that," Hourman replied. "No Obsidian, no Starman, and no Green Lantern. We're still not completely helpless though."

"That's right," Blue Beetle replied over the channel. "The cavalry's here."

"I'm sure that's a comfort to everyone," said Power Girl. "Nothing inspires confidence like the 101st Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum rolling into town."

"Anybody ever told you how hot you sound when you get like that?" Booster asked.

Blue Beetle's snickering filled the comm link.

Back at Hourman's makeshift command post, two German Panzer Tigers rolled toward him. "I've got company guys."

The hulking tanks tore through the downtown with their 88 mm L71 guns menacing the streets like hungry sharks. One slowed to a stop near Sears Tower, raised its gun, and fired. The explosion was deafening.

Hourman feared the worst and was ready to pull a few JSA members to evacuate the tower, but when the smoke cleared he was pleasantly surprised to find Captain Marvel floating majestically between the tank and the tower, flipping the munition end over end between his hands. Hourman wasn't sure where he came from but was thankful for the assist. The World's Mightiest Mortal hurled the empty shell into nearby Lake Michigan. Propelled by the strength of the gods, he plunged into the tank's thick armor. It never stood a chance, exploding into tiny pieces upon impact. Of course, Captain Marvel emerged from the smoke carrying the crew in his arms.

"Good job, Cap. I've got the other one," said Hourman. He raced toward the tank. A machine gunner appeared from the hatch above the turret and opened fire. A hailstorm of bullets pockmarked the street but Hourman stayed one step ahead of the gunman. At the last instant, he leaped into the air and flipped onto the turret. "My dad told me about these things. Let's see what I remember... The Konigstiger, you Germans called it? Sixty-eight tons of rolling terror. I'll leave tearing through the 185 millimeter frontal armor to Cap and try the more direct approach."

Hourman slugged the gunman. The powerful blow rendered him unconscious but he was quickly replaced by another. After felling the second attacker, Hourman took the turret in his hands and ripped it from the tank and tossed it aside. "Sorry, Fritz but this is one King Tiger that's lost its roar."

The tank rolled to a stop.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that?" Booster Gold asked over the comm-link.

"I found it highly educational," Blue Beetle added with a snicker. "Kinda History Channel meets Star Wars. I give it two thumbs up."

"Yeah, but you gave Gigli two thumbs up too," said Booster.

Hourman sighed and wondered how Batman or J'onn ever put up with the duo and made a mental note to amend the JSA charter to make sure neither ever joined their ranks.

Deep Space

The lonely cold of the cosmos pushed the Man of Steel's legendary invulnerability to its limits. It wasn't his first time alone among the innumerable wonders that made each trek as awe-inspiring as his first, but it was his first foray so deep into the particular sector of uncharted space through which he traveled. He wasn't so arrogant as to believe he was the first to see its many unique marvels, but perhaps the first of any of the known galactic species. If his calculation proved correct, the unfamiliar path offered a shortcut via wormhole that would significantly decrease the travel time back to Earth.

Adam Strange offered to return him via a Zeta beam, but Superman declined. Not only would it curtail one of Adam's visits to Rann, but the solitude of the stars was a welcome respite from super-villains and the hustle and bustle of the Daily Planet. He couldn't really open up back on Earth, but among the heavens...

Coming out of a gaseous nebula, Superman spotted a tiny burst of light out of the corner of his eye. It was just a faint glimmer but it snared his attention just the same. He fixed his gaze upon it as it flashed once more, but a thick cloud of creeping space dust eclipsed his view. Nestled behind the massive cloud the glow was little more than a barely perceptible verdant hue. He waited patiently and finally a solar wind from the system's distant star whipped the dust cloud far past Superman's sight line and the glow was as bright as before. There was something about it that troubled the Man of Steel. Perhaps it was the solitude playing tricks on his mind and making him paranoid? He pondered the mystery for a short while and nearly dismissed it altogether before he realized it flashed in a steady, repeating pattern. Something - or someone - was trying to get his attention. Perhaps a stranded space freighter or a passenger ship far off course? If so it could have floated among the heavens for decades, centuries even. The Omega Men once showed him a graveyard of dead vessels outside the Vegan system that predated any of their recorded civilizations. The mysterious twinkle was probably a wild goose chase, but the curious phenomena still merited closer inspection.

Superman swept the blackness of space with his telescopic vision to ascertain the distance between himself and the mysterious light. He was surprised to find it emanated from an object much smaller and closer than he believed. It was no stranded ship, but rather something easily overlooked against the vastness of the universe. He looked twice to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

There it was spinning through the void. A bottle!

He accelerated and quickly closed the distance between himself and the mysterious artifact. Taking it in his hands gingerly, he fingered the smooth glass. No, it wasn't glass - something else. It was some type of energy field that compressed a large amount of matter into one small, finite space. Its shape widened from top to bottom, giving it a bottle-like appearance. Further inspection of the object with microscopic vision yielded an even greater surprise. There was a city inside, just like Kandor, but decidedly different. Had he found another of Brainiac's collection of oddities?

The city was far more grand than Kandor. Even the "bottle" was more elaborate and ornate than the shrunken city back in his Fortress of Solitude. It was also considerably larger, more like the five-gallon container crowning the water cooler in the Daily Planet break room.

Superman scanned the city further. The language on the buildings was Kryptonese! He found another Kryptonian city! There had to be a local seat of government somewhere that could identify the city by name. Again Superman searched until his eyes fell upon the most startling revelation of his life. Kryptonopolis! The city of his birth and the home of his parents - Jor-El and Lara-El!

Could it be that Brainiac shrunk the city and trapped it in an energy field seconds before Krypton blew? Even though his mind told him it wasn't possible, the evidence in his hands suggested otherwise. Perhaps someone there knew his parents! Or better yet, was it possible they were still alive?

Austin, Texas

"I'd rather check out some blues," Roy Harper announced over the comm-link. He fired a volley of small rockets from a wrist-mounted launcher. They exploded before a flank of alien invaders and halted their advance.

"Or babes," replied the green rhino herding another group of aliens away from the command post Donna set up. "Babes beats the blues hands down even in Austin, Texas."

"How about babes with the blues?" Roy asked.

"Would you two please stay focused," warned Donna Troy. "Or this babe's gonna beat both your butts black and blue."

Across the battlefield, Changeling's rhino form gave way to that of a jackass and intercepted another group of attackers. He kicked the point man into those behind him and the aliens fell like dominoes. "Promise?"

"Gar..." Donna replied.

Oracle assigned the Titans to the alien invasion in Texas because she felt they were the best equipped to handle it. Donna was beginning to wonder if Oracle showed too much faith in her adopted family.

A bird-like black wraith enveloped a group of natives and returned to the Titan known as Raven. "Donna, the aliens have brainwashed the masses into believing we're the enemy. My soul self can contain only so many."

"Damn," muttered Donna. "How can we fight the aliens if we have to worry about innocents?"

Zilker Metropolitan Park looked more like a war zone than a place for local families to enjoy a quiet afternoon. The Titans did their best to take the fight to the aliens but were met with only small moral victories and no end to the chaos in sight. In fact it was spreading. There were just too many aliens and too few Titans. No matter what the Titans did, containing the aliens and ending their threat proved two very different tasks.

"Garth, I need a temporal doorway!" Donna demanded.

"To where?"

"The moon for all I care," Donna replied.

"Will do, but I'll need some cover," Tempest answered.

"Vic. Kory..."

"We're on it, Donna," Cyborg answered. He rose into the air as flames erupted from his boots. "These new rocket boosters I've added to my armor need a good workout anyway."

Overhead, Starfire and Cyborg kept the invader's fighter ships busy. Unaccustomed to aerial combat, Victor was awkward but effective. Kory was... well, Kory.

Donna wasn't sure where the aliens came from. They appeared out of thin air according to eyewitnesses. Perhaps a wormhole or a Boom Tube-type device was responsible for their sudden arrival? Wherever the beings were from, they were obviously not Apokoliptian. They were much too disorganized in battle and relied solely on numbers. If the Titans could find and shut down the portal that lead them to Earth, they could handle the remaining ground troops.

A larger vessel moved into the sky overhead, blacking out the sun and casting a shadow over Austin's most popular park.

"Heads up, people! Momma Bear has come to rescue her cubs," said Cyborg. "What now?"

"We do what we always do. Keep fighting until we win or the last of us falls," Donna replied.

The massive mothership opened fire and blew a hole in the middle of the battlefield. The Titans scattered.

"Vic, let's try something," said Starfire. "Do you still have that deflector in your arsenal?"

"Of course I do," Cyborg answered. A dish-shaped device surfaced from his cybernetic arm. "Whatcha thinking, Goldie?"

"I'm going to unleash my deadliest bolt on you. Amplify it and deflect it at the mother ship," Starfire answered.

"Wait! There's not enough room to..."

Starfire's starbolt raced toward Cyborg and forced him to defend himself. Despite his initial reservation toward her plan, he lifted the deflector instinctively. The torrent of deadly energy was drawn to it and danced around the dish like the marble in a roulette wheel.

"Vic! Can you handle that much energy?" Donna screamed over the bedlam.

"Not for long," Vic replied. "It's all I can do to contain it. Problem is the deflector amplifies it and I can't re-route my dampeners fast enough to... I've got to let it go, Donna!"

"Vic, no!" Donna cried. "There's too many people on the ground."

The starbolt raced around the small deflector and grew in intensity and speed. Cyborg did his best but the strain was obviously more than he could handle. Faced with a difficult choice he released the bolt toward the hulking mothership. The amplified energy tore through the ship's hapless force field and slammed into it. The alien vessel never stood a chance. It's hull exploded with such force the ship broke in half and careened toward the ground in two large pieces.

"This area is too populated for that kind of move, Kory," yelled Donna.

"I'm sorry," Starfire replied. "I didn't consider the consequences of such a maneuver."

Cyborg raced to the plummeting fore section and tried to slow its descent. Even with the help of his new rocket boosters, the crippled behemoth was much too heavy for him. He was losing control of it fast. It slowed momentarily but mass and gravity finally took their toll. His rocket boosters burned out.

Donna watched in horror as Cyborg and the gutted alien craft plunged toward the park. "Everyone evacuate immediately! If anyone has an idea I'm all ears."

"I'll see if I can use my magic to catch one of the sections," said Tempest.

"Just get Vic out of the way," Donna commanded. "And clear out."

Things went from bad to worse as the Titans scrambled on the ground to avoid the falling husk. A sudden strong wind threatened to bowl over even Donna with her Amazon strength. Swings, twisted slides, and a mangled merry-go-round slammed into whatever random immovable object happened to stop their advances. Donna shielded her eyes with one hand and was ready to protect herself with the other. The smaller debris was a nuisance to her nearly-invulnerable body but presented a very real danger to the others as well as any civilians in the area.

"Garth if your magic is causing this..."

"It's not me, Donna. I'm not sure what's going on," Tempest answered.

Faced with such powerful gusts, Changeling assumed the form of an elephant and rooted himself to the ground. Tempest formed a protective sphere around himself and Arsenal and fought to reach Gar. They finally latched onto the big, green Pachyderm and struggled to hold on. Raven wasn't as lucky. The mighty wind swept her off her feet and tossed her about like a rag doll. She grabbed a lamppost, but her grip proved futile. Her body snapped like a rubber band as she was tossed back into the gale. She covered her head with her arms to shield herself from the flying debris that dipped and danced helter skelter in the howling blasts of air. Fortunately Changeling was able to catch her with his trunk as she sailed past them.

"Thank you, Garfield," she said.

Changeling smiled. "What can I say? Not only is my trunk impressive but I know how to use it."

"Save your Ron Jeremy fantasy for later," Roy warned over the commlink. "Just hold on to Raven."

Donna wasn't about to let Vic hit the ground. The fall would kill him. Perhaps she could grab him and use the volatile wind currents to her advantage? She leaped toward Cyborg and caught his right arm. That was the easy part. Navigating the rough winds proved more difficult. They were an impenetrable wall of Mother Nature's fury. Finally she found a cooperative burst of air and pulled them free. They rode the current about one hundred feet in descent before things went from bad to worse in a hurry. Donna stumbled into a ground force wind and both she and Vic plummeted earthward. To her amazement, the raging wind caught them and lowered them to the ground. Once they were safe on terra firma the wind stopped as suddenly as it began. The mangled fore section floated gently toward the ground.

"What the..." Vic asked.

Donna was confused as well until she saw Supergirl rise from behind the mangled metal hull. The strong wind suddenly made sense - Red Tornado assisted her. Captain Marvel, Jr. lowered the wounded aft section to the ground.

"Thank Hera for the cavalry," said Donna.

"We're not the only cavalry," said Supergirl. "Some friends should join us any second to help mop up things on the ground."

"Friends?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, friends," Captain Marvel, Jr. answered. "Courtesy of the JLA teleporter."

A loud blast like that from a trumpet erupted across the battlefield. Donna looked around for its source and was relieved to see Mal join the fray. He was joined by Nightwing, Bumblebee, Omen, Argent, Flamebird, and Damage. Most surprising was a young woman dressed in a costume eerily similar to Charley Parker's Golden Eagle. The Titans and their associates attacked the aliens like the battle-tested warriors they were. The various incarnations of the Titans proved an efficient force. The influx of power turned the battle quickly. Perhaps there was a chance the Titans would win after all.

"Arsenal look out!" Donna shouted over the comm-link but Roy Harper didn't hear. He was hit by a blast as he drew his crossbow. Despite the increasing technology available to him, he was still most at ease in combat with some kind of bow in his hand.

"Kory! Get Roy!"

Before the Tamaranian princess could answer, a plasma slide erupted from Argent's fingers and she rushed to snatch the fallen Arsenal from the aliens before they could reach him. "Like, beefcake anyone?"

An alien stepped forward and hurled a small spherical device onto the battlefield near Flamebird.

"Flamebird, watch out!" Nightwing yelled. "That alien threw some kind of grenade!"

Flamebird ran as far away as she could before the device exploded. Captain Marvel, Jr. plucked her from harm milliseconds before the shrapnel reached her.

The explosion bathed the park in an eerie white glow.

Nightwing rushed to Donna's side. "Did your comm-link just fail too?"

Donna nodded. "The grenade was a signal jamming device."

"I can handle communications if I can get some cover," said Omen telepathically.

Donna eagerly accepted the offer. "Attention, everyone! Omen is going to link us via telepathy. The comm-link is down."

"Copy that," said Changeling.

Donna turned to Nightwing. "Want to take over?"

Nightwing shook his head. "You're doing a fine job."

"Nightwing, Damage, Red Tornado, and Flamebird cover for Omen," Donna ordered. "Starfire and Bumblebee, you've got air cover."

"Copy that, Wonder Girl," Bumblebee answered. She joined Starfire over the park and battled the remaining fighter craft. The girl in the Golden Eagle costume joined them in the skies.

Donna couldn't help but smile at Bumblebee's slip of the tongue. It had been awhile since she'd worked with Karen. The multi-faceted distractions kept the aliens away from the Titan once known as Lilith. She was the Titans only means of communication and protecting her was paramount.

"Temporal doorway is almost ready, Donna. I don't know if it will be enough though," Tempest announced.

"It doesn't have to be," said Mal. "Let's see if I can't jar the door open a little wider. I need someone to play bulldozer and clear the path."

Captain Marvel, Jr. teamed with Supergirl and two of the world's mightiest champions charged into the pack of invaders. Mal followed close behind them. Meanwhile Changeling resumed the form of an ill-tempered, green rhino, while Argent rode his back and offered protection from the rear of the pack Mal picked his way along the gauntlet of aliens and finally joined Tempest and retrieved Gabriel's Horn. "Let's hope this works."

"What are you up to, Mal?" Nightwing asked over the telepathic link.

"Re-designed Gabriel's Horn with the drive from a motherbox," Mal answered. "It allows me to control the residual energy that tears at the fabric of reality whenever I use the Horn. A fail safe."

"Do it then," said Nightwing.

Mal quickly programmed Gabriel's Horn for the task. A tendril of energy erupted from it and meshed with Tempest's temporal doorway. A tiny, compressed dot of light formed in the center of the gateway and exploded outward in a bright burst of color. The doorway expanded considerably.

"It's working," Tempest yelled. "Way to go, Mal!"

It was good to see Mal in action again, not that Donna was surprised at the results. He was always resourceful, and of all the Titans who served alongside her through the years, he was among the most heroic. Many would have laid the superhero life aside when they discovered using their power was harmful to reality. Not Mal. His "power" failed him and he took it as just another challenge and overcame it. It was so like him.

While Mal calibrated Gabriel's horn, the other Titans and their allies fought the aliens into the vortex. Soon, the battlefield was cleared and the heroes gathered in the center of the park. Everyone had one question for Nightwing.

"Any word on the JLA?" Cyborg asked.

Nightwing shook his head. "Atom and Steel are working as hard as they can. They're calling in Zatanna to see if magic can help."

The Justice League Watchtower Monitor Room

The Atom analyzed the results of the Neural Analysis while checking the Monitor Room. He thought about the recent events on Earth and wondered how they tied into the League's troubles. All around the globe, teams of heroes fought bizarre menaces. Most of the teams were informal gatherings of heroes who'd worked very little together- if at all. Other assemblages pitted regular teams against peculiar menaces.

Cave Carson's band of adventurers teamed with the Sea Devils and the Challengers of the Unknown to fight a race of mutant lungfish men from deep within the earth. The Sea Devils discovered their aquatic headquarters and asked for assistance. The Mighty Mole took all three teams into the heart of the mutant headquarters. Even if it took an Earth-shaking disaster, it was good to see the Silver Age guard in action again.

A world away, Gorilla City and Phoenix, Arizona changed locales. There was no apparent damage to either city, but the effect was disconcerting for their inhabitants.

In the scarlet speedster's absence, Flash's Rogues protected Central City from a gang of killer bee-men. Atom questioned their motives, but not their effectiveness. It was their city to loot and plunder and they weren't about to surrender it to a swarm of bee-men.

Some threats were nothing more than surprises. Neptune Perkins, Dolphin, and a host of Atlanteans explored a thriving new city that arose on the ocean floor. Bad Blood found themselves dealing with a New Orleans that suddenly found itself 100 years in the past. The Doom Patrol, and even the Metal Men joined the fray to handle the unraveling of reality.

Still the questions remained. What happened to the Justice League and where was Green Lantern?

Mars

J'onn J'onzz savored the majestic refrains of H'mer's C'eridyall Opus. The well-trained symphony was recognized as one of the best on Ma'aleca'andra. He clutched his wife M'yri'ah's hand and squeezed gently. She returned the gesture and the two long-time companions settled into hall's elegant form-fitting seats.

"Father, I have difficulty with this passage," his daughter K'hym whispered telepathically.

J'onn smiled and answered his daughter's thoughts with his own. "Give yourself to the music and let your mind touch the collective conscience around you. Feel how the others respond to it? Make their experience your own. Pain. Joy. Hunger. Wanting. Lust. Love. There is a reason this is the opera's most famous stanza, daughter."

K'hym closed her eyes and concentrated.

"No, daughter. You're trying too hard," said J'onn.

"Your father is right, dear," M'yri'ah added. "Listen to the music of those around you."

K'hym's brow relaxed. She sat motionless until the music slowed to a chilling drone. Its haunting dissonance filled the hall, reverberating from the perfectly-calibrated acoustic tiles of the thousand years-old wooden and stone structure.

J'onn watched his daughter closely. Tears ran down her cheeks and she sobbed deeply. "Yes, that's it! Do you feel it, daughter? Lovers that have lost? The joy of first contact with a mate? The pain of death? The physical pain and emotional joy of birth? Take these and all the experiences of those around you as they respond to the music and make them your own. Now share your song with us."

"Yes, dear, there it is," M'yri'ah added. "You love your pet D'raki so much don't you? I never realized how much it affects you to run with him. Content. At peace. Carefree."

J'onn J'onzz smiled and settled into a state of content meditation and marveled at the song his daughter wove for the collective conscience. He wasn't aware that she was taking the first steps into womanhood. A celebration would have to follow soon. His utopia was overwhelming. He had everything a man could ask for. An intelligent wife whose beauty never faded and a growing daughter who hungered for the fullness of Ma'aleca'andra's wisdom. And most important- his heart was filled with the ancient truths and the collective conscience. Life was so good J'onn almost felt guilty. Almost.

Opal City

The decorative art deco spires of Opal City weren't spared the lunacy afflicting the globe. Half its citizens were transformed into rioting Rag Doll cultists who terrorized the remaining half. Anarchy reigned as buildings burned and good people were slaughtered for sport. The soundtrack to such a hellish night was a cacophonous blend of screams, cries, crashes, car horns, and explosions.

Jack Knight was at wit's end. He mobilized Opal's remaining heroes into a force to eliminate the threat and could only hope it was enough. Even working together, they needed a miracle- and soon. He flew over the city that was such a part of who he was and surveyed the damage en route to a particular destination. If he was successful then perhaps Opal would live long enough to see her miracle.

Mason O'Dare was the first to discover the cultists were no longer human when he accidentally shot one of them. It exploded into a pile of rags. Matt and Hope quickly joined their brother in gunning down the rag piles. Jack couldn't help but wonder what would happen to them once the craziness ended. If indeed it ever would.

Jack knew the O'Dares were up to whatever task they chose for themselves. Or did their task choose them? It didn't matter. He would trust any of them with even more than his life - his beloved Opal even.

Jack couldn't help but grin at the unlikely sight below in the Alleys. Bobo Benetti and Phantom Lady made an unusual team but proved effective. Bobo unleashed his incredible strength and unraveled the Rags with each haymaker landed. Phantom Lady couldn't seem to blind the Rags with her black light, but she was far from helpless. She proved quite the scrapper herself. Still the looting cultists kept coming. A year prior who would have thought such a team possible?

Jack rushed to lend a hand, despite the urgency of his mission. His descent through the cool, night sky was cut short by the chilling echo of maniacal laughter. His heart sank. Hadn't Lady Opal seen enough craziness for one night?

A laughing figure bounded from rooftop to rooftop. Hidden by the shadows Jack couldn't make out more than a large, shaggy silhouette. It was definitely not a Rag Doll cultist. It's graceful movements belied the haunting laughter that erupted from its throat. Whoever or whatever the new threat was, it was about to taste the power of the stars. Jack raised his cosmic rod and prepared to open fire as soon as he saw its eyes. The creature clung to the shadows and dropped from the top of a Greek deli onto the cobbled streets of Old Opal. When it stepped into view, Jack didn't know whether to be relieved or not. The chilling laughter, the bright yellow skin, green hair, and the bright red fur on his shoulders were tell-tale signs that the Creeper had joined the fray. When did he arrive in Opal? The Creeper joined with Phantom Lady and Bobo and quickly turned the tide, which was good news for Jack. It allowed him to return to his mission.

In the warehouse district, he spied Ralph and Sue Dibny on the streets below. Rag Dolls separated them. They piled on Sue and pummeled her. She fought back as best as she could but was no match for her spry attackers. Her cries for help went unanswered. Ralph was tied up - literally. His arms and legs stretched out in every direction and tangled with the nimble cultists. He was surely stretched to his limit as he wrapped another Doll in his flexible appendages, and somehow managed to capture still more. But he couldn't get to his fallen wife.

Jack marveled at Sue's bravery. She had no powers but stood beside not only her husband but the Justice League as well and faced some of the greatest threats mankind had ever known. Jack would not allow her life to end at the hands of rioting Raggedy Anns and Andys. He unleashed a starbolt from his cosmic rod and tried not to think about what happened to the people inside once the piles of tatters exploded. The remaining confused Rags scattered long enough to allow him to land by Sue. He reached his hand to her. "Need some help?"

Ralph smiled and released the Rags he imprisoned within his pliable coils. They ran away. "I've never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. We were doing what we do best - sleuthing around trying to find out who is behind this mess when we were attacked. You're definitely a sight for sore eyes."

"That's a yes," said Sue. She took Jack's hand. She was beaten pretty badly but was able to pull herself up. She spit blood from her busted lip on the asphalt. "No one tops Ralph in spinning a cliché."

The Elongated Man stretched his arm into a lasso and wrangled his wife. "You okay honey?"

Sue nodded to her husband.

"I bet my old man would give him a run for his money," Jack answered. He raised his cosmic rod and fired a warning shot toward a group of Rags who attempted to regroup. They fled.

"Your father is a darling man," Sue answered.

"Yeah, he's not bad," Jack replied. "But he collects cliches like I collect theater lobby cards or bakelite radios. You two going to be ok?"

"Go ahead and up, up, and away yourself," Ralph laughed. "Now that I have Sue we're going to teleport to the Watchtower and get her bandaged up ."

"I'm fine," Sue added. "It takes more than a few bruises and a little blood to keep me down, but thanks Jack. You're welcome to tag along. Ralph's not trying to get rid of you."

"I know," Jack replied. "But there is something I need to do." Jack lifted his cosmic rod and floated into the air.

"Ciao, amigo," the Elongated Man called after him.

Jack didn't reply. He had to find Shade.

When he finally made it to Shade's home, he was surprised to find the immortal sitting in his drawing room savoring a glass of wine.

"Shade, Opal needs your help," said Jack. "Or are you too drunk to take notice of the bedlam?"

"Come Jack, share a glass of Port with me," Shade replied. He gestured toward an empty chair opposite his own and sipped from a narrow fluted glass. After lofting the glass and swirling it, he held it up to the light and peered through it. "Plenty of legs, this vintage. Worth more than your mortal soul probably. Quite refreshing."

Jack shook his head. "I don't have time to sip wine while Opal's falling apart."

Shade regarded Jack's words then, like a lion taunting his prey, his features settled into an unnerving mixture of concern and guile. He leaned forward in his chair and looked at Jack as if seeing him for the first time. "Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be used well."

Jack instinctively pulled his cosmic rod closer to his chest and tightened his grip around its shaft. "We've no time for wine or Shakespeare, Shade."

Shade smiled and swirled the wine once more. "Very good, Jack. Do you know what it's from?"

Jack grew impatient but knew from experience to play along with Shade's game. He would eventually get to his point. "Othello, Act II, Scene III."

Shade looked impressed. "Do you trust me, Jack?"

"For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright, who art black as hell and dark as night."

Shade laughed. "And thus I clothe my naked villainy with odd old ends stolen forth of holy writ, and seems a saint when I most play the devil."

"We can trade Shakespeare all day, Shade. Will you help or not?"

"Do you trust me, Jack?" Shade asked again.

Jack shook his head. "No, but I need you."

Shade nodded and placed his glass on a table between the two chairs. "Very good, Jack. You're a fast learner. As for the wine, it is a bit strong. It's very much an acquired taste."

Whether or not it was intended as insult, Jack shrugged off Shade's comment. He could hold his alcohol as well as anyone, but now wasn't the time to argue the point. "You will help then?"

Shade stood and straightened his coattails. "Allow a gentleman the comforts of his hat and cane?"

Jack nodded. Shade opened a closet door and retrieved the items. "Shall we?"

The motley pair turned to leave, then Shade stumbled to the floor and shook violently.

"Jack! Something's wrong! Go now!" Shade warned.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked. "I can't just leave you. What's wrong?"

"I can't...."

Brilliant beings of pure light erupted from every pore on Shade's body, as conspicuous as the sunrise on the morning of a funeral. They cut through him like knives then turned and gnawed at his flesh. The immortal's painful cries chilled Jack to the bone.

"Shade! Hold on!" Jack opened fire on the creatures. The cosmic energy had no effect on them. Again and again, Jack fired but his weapon was useless against the beings. It did however manage to attract their attention.

They turned to Jack.

"Jack, run!" yelled Shade through his anguished cries. "I can beat them."

Jack hovered over Shade's flailing form. "What are they?"

"Antimatter beings," Shade stammered. "Used the Dark Zone as a portal. They're slicing through the darkness in my soul. I can stop them but one of us has to survive for Opal. Go!"

"I can't do that," Jack answered. "It's not my nature to..."

"Now! While there's still time!" yelled Shade. "Don't argue, boy!"

Jack unleashed another volley of cosmic energy but the attack was fruitless as his previous ones. He hated to do it but he left the immortal to fend for himself and trusted that Shade knew what he was doing. An elaborate window made a makeshift door as Jack crashed through it. Just as he made it outside the 19th century home, it exploded. The force of the explosion knocked him to the ground.

"No!" Jack cried as he rolled with his landing. He gathered himself and bee-lined into the smoking ruins as a pitch black rain fell on the city block the home once occupied. He found the Shade's broken body where the center of the house once stood. On the other side of the house everyday townsfolk gathered to gawk at the damaged home. They were dressed in period clothing similar to Shade's own. The city was different as well.

Jack recognized a few of the buildings but they looked different, newer than he'd ever seen them. He spotted the bell tower of the old courthouse - the one that burned to the ground seventy years earlier and realized he was peering into Opal's past. Somehow Shade's home was a doorway to a time long-forgotten.

The people on the other side looked frightened. Jack couldn't blame them. Their unexpected glimpse into the future was not a pleasant one. His modern Opal City burned in the distance and chaos reigned supreme. Surely they thought the gates of hell itself had opened and was coming for them.

Jack knelt at Shade's mauled body and cradled him in his arms.

"Jack? Is that you?" Shade asked.

He was alive!

"It's me, Shade! I'm here," Jack replied. It was then Jack noticed that the creatures plucked Shade's eyes from their sockets. He resisted the urge to throw up. "What the hell just happened?"

"I imploded the house to the Dark Zone where I had more strength to fight the anti-matter creatures. They have done a number on me, Jack. I don't have long."

"That's impossible, Shade. You're an immortal," Jack answered. "I'll get help."

Shade grabbed Jack's arm. "No time for that now. I want to thank you for taking care of Opal. I bid you adieu with this. To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream. Aye there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life."

The immortal's eyes froze in the throes of death and Jack couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Shade was the most complex man Jack ever knew. A villain who tasted the ultimate power - redemption.

A tear fell from Jack's eye as he laid his friend to rest and stood over his fallen body. He searched the rubble and found Shade's cane. Only the silver tip on the end was missing. He crossed Shade's arms and placed the cane between them. It seemed the right thing to do. "You'll be missed, Shade. Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall."

Krypton City

Superman paced the small room and constantly wrung the ends of his cape within his strong hands. The long-awaited reunion was just moments away. What do you say to the parents you thought long dead since you were an infant?

There were other adjustments. Kryptonopolis was similar to Kandor in some ways but very much different. Kandor was stolen from Krypton decades prior to Kryptonopolis. Technology evolved at a different pace. A city government replaced the Science Council. Superman was proud to learn that Jor-El once served three terms as mayor. Other changes in culture and the arts were noticeable as well.

When Superman found the second "bottled city", he immediately took it to his laboratory in the Fortress of Solitude. The odd scientist who caught his attention by shining a light into his eyes while he passed through the nebulae's debris field worked out a system of communication so Superman could speak with Kryptonopolis. Now thanks to the marvels of Kryptonian science, he stood inside a building within the city and waited for his parents.

Finally the door opened and Kal-El finally stood face to face with his flesh and blood. Though elderly, Jor-El's shoulders were still broad and he carried himself with the same confident gait Superman spied many times in his own reflection in the JLA Watchtower's windows.

It was also easy to see where Kal-El got his eyes. His mother's sparkled like the clearest sea and her smile announced to the entire galaxy that her every prayer had been answered.

Superman dreamed of such a moment on countless Kansas nights. In those dreams, he and his father shared many stories and swapped scientific theories. There were many hugs from his mother and he was surprised to learn Lara was every bit the scientist his father was. His folks were proud of him for being such a wonderful ambassador to Earth. They marveled at his enhanced abilities and were elated to learn their son was one of the most respected beings on his adopted world. But once Kal-El saw his parents, his fantasies disappeared like a puff of smoke. He ran to them and wrapped them in his strong arms and clutched them to his heaving chest. The man who was faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, could do nothing but sob. Even words failed him and dissolved into a blubbering wail. Tears of joy flowed like a waterfall onto his chiseled features. For one sweet, blessed moment in time he was no longer Clark Kent or Superman. He was simply Kal-El and no longer alone.

The Justice League Watchtower

"Steel and I haven't been able to isolate the stimuli that triggers the seizures," the Atom explained.

"And you think magic may be involved?" Zatanna asked. She gazed upon the half-naked bodies of her Justice League allies and wondered what horror brought them so low they had to be strapped to Alpha Level Security beds.

"We've monitored the activity in their cerebral cortexes during the convulsions and compared it with the activity levels afterwards," Steel answered. "The levels should decrease when they're at rest, but that isn't the case."

"So why do you think magic is responsible?" Zatanna asked.

The Atom dropped his head and sighed. "Truth is- we have no idea what's going on. It's a long shot at best, but what else do we have at this point?"

"Will you help us?" Steel asked

"Of course I will, John," Zatanna replied.

On the tables behind them, Wonder Woman and Aquaman stopped writhing and finally calmed.

"Ok, Zee. Do your stuff," said Atom.

Zatanna placed a hand on the forehead of each hero and concentrated. "Yes, there is magic involved. Deep magic, but our friends aren't held against their will. There are no chains or shackles. They are in a place of profound contentment. That's why they fight when you interrupt their stimulus. Your attempts are viewed as an enemy trying to sweep away their utopia. Diana sees a day when mankind fights no wars, there is no hunger or disease, no rich or poor. Everyone is an equal in everyone else's eyes. Kinda like an Amazon version of Lennon's "Imagine". Aquaman's visions are difficult to understand. He's staring out at the sea, but it's hard to tell. There is water and fog everywhere, or it could be metaphorical. I'm not sure."

The sorceress released her touch. "I'm sorry. I lost contact. Someone is blocking me."

"Someone or some thing?" Steel asked.

Zatanna shrugged. "Someone! And if it's who I think it is, we're in big trouble!"