Continuing "Only Legends Live Forever" from the previous issue, Jensen continues his reign of terror on the top of Gotham Twin Towers. Plus, "The She-Demon of the Astral Plane" featuring the Flash, "The Sins of the Father" starring Deadman, and much more!
Only Legends Live Forever!
"Wrongfully" convicted felon, Bill Jensen, has escaped prison and returned to Gotham City. Accusing Bruce Wayne, now the police commissioner, of framing him to build his career, Jensen threatens to level Gotham City, unless Wayne confronts him. Wielding unbelievable power, Jensen lays waste to the Justice Society of America, but Wayne escapes in the melee. Several floors below Jensen, in the Gotham Tower's city museum, Wayne reflects on his life, as the masked vigilante Batman. Wayne relives the pain of his wife's murder, an event that directly led to his retiring the Batman identity. Now, with his beloved Gotham City threatened, by a ghost from his past, Wayne dons the cape & cowl one last time. Police negotiators try to talk Jensen into giving up the downed Justice Society members. In response, Jensen hurls the Golden Age Flash from the tower rooftop. To the astonishment of all onlookers, he is rescued by the Golden Age Batman. Gotham City's guardian has returned. Enraged, Jensen shears the top off the opposite tower, jeopardizing the lives of the police negotiating team. Focusing his attention on the Golden Age Batman, scaling the tower wall beneath him, Jensen is unaware that the Justice Society has recovered. With Dr. Fate leading the attack, the team charges from the rear. Hearing their movements behind him, Jensen deflects both the Golden Age Green Lantern and Dr. Fate's energy blasts, while, at the same time, taking out the Golden Age Robin and Huntress. Now on the defensive, Dr. Fate and the Golden Age Green Lantern find that they cannot hold out against Jensen's incredible power. Their defeat, however, has given the Golden Age Batman time to reach the tower roof. Weathering an ever escalating assault from Jensen's unleashed power, the Golden Age Batman closes on his foe. Though his injuries are horrific in scope, the Dark Knight's determination wins out, getting close enough to Jensen to grapple with him. Through the ruined shards of the Golden Age Batman's mask, Jensen sees the hated face of his enemy, Bruce Wayne. In an instant, Jensen's power flares up, consuming both him and Wayne. Wayne's funeral is attended by, seemingly, the whole of Gotham City, as well as past and present members of the Justice Society of America. As the ceremony concludes, the Golden Age Robin vows to carry on his mentor's work, as the new Batman. The Huntress, however, convinces him to continue fighting crime, but as his own man, for only legends live forever. Meanwhile, the Justice Society of America begins an investigation into how Jensen attained his incredible powers.
"The She-Demon of the Astral Plane!"
Intending to surprise his wife for an impromptu dinner date, Barry Allen, instead, discovers Iris leaving work early, and meeting with another man. Switching to his costumed guise as "The Flash", Allen follows the pair, invisibly, at super speed. The man turns out to be Iris' old college boyfriend, Jake Forrest. Forrest, a parapsychologist, has made an amazing breakthrough in astral travel, and invites Iris back to his lab to share his discovery. Allen is intent on following them, but his duty, as the Flash, gets in the way, when a three alarm fire is reported. Forrest convinces Iris to lie down in his lab, and attempt to astrally project herself. Hours later, in the Allen home, Barry is finishing dinner when he sees the ghostly image of his wife pleading with him. Allen races to Forrest's lab, to find Iris fast asleep, hooked up to several monitors. Vibrating his eyes as superhuman speed, Allen is able to see the "silver cord" that connects Iris to the physical world. Allen leaves Forrest's lab, and switches to the Flash. Matching his internal vibrations to the ever changing vibratory flux of Iris' "silver cord", the Flash is able to race into the astral plane. Upon finding Iris' astral body, the Flash is immediately set upon by a demonic creature. The horrific monster intends to inhabit Iris' mortal body, leaving her astral self adrift forever in limbo. As physical laws are meaningless in the astral plane, the Flash is unable to effect the creature with his super speed attacks. Switching tactics, the Flash gathers up Iris' astral body in his arms and races her back into the physical world. With her astral self rejoined to her physical body, Iris has no memory of the adventure she shared with the Flash in the astral plane.
The Sins of the Father,,!
Alexi Kronsky was a Soviet scientist who spent his life working faithfully, and unquestioningly, for his government. Upon the death of his wife, and the separation from his daughter, Kronsky decided to defect. Continuing his work for the government by day, Kronsky developed his greatest invention, for himself, at night. Kronsky's daughter, Inga, had joined an American circus troop. When the Hill Circus toured the Soviet Union, Kronsky stole into the camp, and hid his invention with the circus. Friends helped Kronsky flee the country. Arriving in New York, Kronsky approached a wealthy industrialist, named Mr. Solomon, with an offer to sell his invention to him. Instead, Solomon took Kronsky prisoner, holding him, for several weeks, while his interrogators tried to unearth the whereabouts of Kronsky's invention. Kronsky managed to escape, and made his way to the Hill Circus, reuniting with his daughter, Inga. Knowing that the Kronsky's invention was hidden somewhere within the fairgrounds of the HIll Circus, Solomon had enlisted a proxy to purchase the circus. Attempting to force the sale to go through, Solomon's agents had also been behind a series of "accidents" that had befallen several of the circus performers. Kronsky reveals to his daughter that he has invented an encephalopathic transmogrifier, a machine which turns thought into reality. Upon hearing this, Deadman rejoices, believing that Kronsky's device could bring him back into the physical world. Solomon, however, has been eavesdropping the whole time. Entering the trailer, Solomon holds Kronsky and several of the circus performers at gun point, while two of his men go to collect Kronsky's machine, disguised as a wooden elephant. Deadman possesses the body of his brother, Cleveland Brand, and charges Solomon, and his goons. With their focus on Brand, Deadman then leaps into his niece, Lita Brand, and slams the trailer door into Solomon, and his thugs, before they can gun down Cleveland. Deadman then possesses the circus strongman, Tiny. Using his body, Deadman/Tiny hurls a refrigerator at Solomon, and his hirelings, knocking them back outside the trailer. Lorna Hill, the circus owner, cries out for help, summoning the entirety of the Hill Circus performers. With the carnival folk battling against Solomon and his men, Deadman possesses Kronsky, and fights off the men assailing him. Reaching for the wooden elephant, Deadman is forcefully, and agonizingly, ejected from Kronsky's body. Kronsky's re-imagines the "elephant" as a helmet. Using the power of his device, Kronsky dissolves the flesh off of Solomon and all his men, horribly killing them. With the device in his possession, Kronsky no longer needs anyone.
Voyage of the "Sorcerers Lost"
In a darkened chamber on Paradise Island, Queen Hippolyta reveals to Wonder Woman the secrets of the enchanted Ruby Of Legend. It was determined by Merlin, Count Cagliostro, and Houdini, that the ruby was too dangerous to leave in the hands of mankind. The Greek Goddesses, Athena and Aphrodite, offered to place the ruby in the charge of the Amazons. Wonder Woman believes the gem is similar to the one used by Sargon the Sorcerer, a man who has played both the role of hero and villain, in past dealings with the Justice League of America. Word arrives that a vessel is approaching Paradise Island. Wonder Woman flies out, in her invisible plane, to intercept the craft. Onboard the "Sorcerers Lost, explorer Mike Myers, and his assistant, Jennifer Clark, have been drawn to Paradise Island by Sargon the Sorcerer. Sargon has enlisted their aid in retrieving the Ruby of Legend from the Amazons. As it nears Paradise Island, the "Sorcerers Lost" is buffeted by powerful winds and storm surged waves. Wonder Woman descends down on her Lasso of Truth, and lashes one end to the boat. Returning to the cockpit of her invisible plane, Wonder Woman begins to tow the "Sorcerers Lost" away from Paradise Island. Myers, however, unlashes his boat, and proceeds on course. Sargon appears and instructs Clark on how to attain the Ruby of Legend. When she refuses to carry out his instructions, Sargon threatens to kill Myers. Wonder Woman stops the "Sorcerers Lost" from landing on Paradise Island, then engages Sargon. Using the battle as a distraction, Clark swims the rest of the way to Paradise Island. Clark convinces the Amazons that Wonder Woman needs them to fight back against Sargon. With the Ruby of Legend left unguarded, Clark steals it, and returns to the "Sorcerers Lost". Wonder Woman snatches the gemstone away with her Lasso of Truth, before Clark can give it to Sargon. Spying the image of Sargon within the Ruby, Wonder Woman commands the sorcerer to come forth. With the real Sargon released from the gemstone, the image of Sargon vanishes from the "Sorcerers Lost". Sargon, Myers, and Clark are allowed to sail away, in peace, from Paradise Island.
Executive Action
Aquaman sets out to sabotage the nuclear reactors powering Universal Food Products' operations in Atlantis. Breaking and entering into the automated power plant, Aquaman overcomes a series of automated defensive measures, designed to keep intruders out. Reaching the control room, Aquaman discovers that the reactors are boiling the surrounding waters around Atlantis. Alerted to Aquaman's presence within the reactor, two living guards enter, and after a short scuffle, manage to overpower the Sea King. Aquaman awakes in the royal throne room of Atlantis, surrounded by his wife, Mera, Aqualad, and the Atlantean king, Vulko. Aquaman raises his concerns with Vulko, but the Atlantean king rebuffs him. Aquaman storms out. Boarding a Universal Food Products submarine, Aquaman confronts Mr. Amos, the head of the Atlanten operations. Amos orders his men to subdue Aquaman. Aquaman handily defeats them all. Telepathically summoning marine life to aid him in his attack, manta rays clog the submarine's cooling system, while the vessel is buffeted by a school of hammerhead sharks. Returning to Atlantis, Aquaman finds Vulko furious at his actions. Refusing to hear Aquaman's concerns, Vulko places the former Atlantean monarch under arrest.
Notes:
- This issue published material that was unpublished due to the DC Implosion.
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