Blue Beetle (1986) # 10 - Time on His Hands

Legends

This book is chapter 15 in the Legends story arch. In this story line citizens have turned on superheros and this has caused President Ronald Reagan to outlaw superheros all together. This is all done by Glorious Godfrey when he controls the population with his mind.

Spoiler Alert

The story opens with a barely conscious Angela Revere being wield into the emergency room followed by Melody Case and Jeremiah Duncan. Ted Kord has told both Melody and Jeremiah that Angela has epilepsy and that is why she didn't show up to work. This is a lie to cover up that her uncle is Chronos the time thief and that he attacked her by freezing her in time. This gets Ted in trouble with Melody because she felt Ted should have let her about Angela's condition. Jeremiah is also upset with Ted for the way he is handling his relationship with Angela. Eventually one by one Melody and Jeremiah both leave. When gone Angela thanks Ted for his kindness.

As soon as he can Ted leaves for his office at K.O.R.D. Industries. He turns the red dart in the nose of a Richard Nixon dart board that lifts a panel in the room that hides an elevator that takes Ted down to the Beetle Nest were he changes into the Blue Beetle. He climbs into the Bug Ship and takes off to find Chronos.

While walking down the street Melody reads a news paper about how President Reagan has outlawed superheros by Presidential order. (The top half of Reagan's face can be seen at the top of the paper.) As she walks down the street her purse is snatched by the future Touch 'n Go. Melody runs after the thief and even captures her for a brief second but she gets away and runs right in front of a semi-truck that hits her.

The Blue Beetle goes to Angela's house and looks for clues on what Chronos might be up to. He is seen by Angela's neighbor who reports him for breaking into Angela's home. When the beetle leaves with his clue he is confronted by two police officers who try to arrest him. Beetle escapes and takes his sky wire into his Bug Ship were he goes over computer files about Chronos and his criminal past with the Atom.

At the hospital Melody checks in on her would be thief who is being kidnaped by two uniformed men. One of the men tasers Melody and escapes out the window by use of an escape helicopter.

In the warehouse district of Chicago Beetle finds out his clue was right and he finds Chronos's hide out. He start to investigate when Chornos walks in. Beetle manages to duck into a hiding spot where he watches Chronos. When Chronos gets ready to eat a hero sandwich Beetle pops out.

Unfortunately for Beetle one of Chronos's clocks go off giving Chronos enough time to spring a trap that make a miniature sandstorm. The trap allows Chronos enough time to escape in his flying sundial. Beetle quickly dissipates the sandstorm with his an air blast from his gun. He then quickly gets into his Bug Ship and takes after Chronos. They get into a dogfight all over Chicago that ends with Beetle jumping down on the sundial and crashing it into a fountain. Beetle finally has Chonos dead to rights when he is hit by a Coke can by someone in an Anti-Superhero mob. Beetle eventually stops Chronos but has to flee before the mob gets too violent.