Black Canary goes to Superman after having disturbing and dangerous dreams.
"A Dream of Demons!"
The Black Canary parachutes down to the Fortress of Solitude. On her trek to the entryway, she is attacked by a polar bear. Her martial arts prowess allows her to defeat her ursine opponent, by hurling the bear through the ice, and into the sea. As the polar bear was favoring an injured paw, it's ability to swim is compromised. Superman rescues the polar bear, then carries Black Canary back to his Fortress of Solitude. There, the Black Canary recounts her last days on Earth-2, and the death of her husband Larry Lance, at the hands of Aquarius. Of late, the Black Canary's sleep has been plagued by nightmare visitations from Lance, wherein her deceased husband warns her of impending danger. Believing that her husband may not have died, but was instead hurled into another dimension, accessible only through dreams, Black Canary asks Superman for help in proving her theory. Meanwhile, at Arkham Asylum, the slumber of Doctor Destiny is rudely disrupted at meal time, an act that may have dire ramifications for the world. Superman's analysis of the Black Canary does indeed turn up proof of the existence of her theorized "Dream Dimension". At super-speed, Superman builds a dimensional doorway, connecting the strange dream realm with Earth. Then, Superman and the Black Canary enter the 'Dream Dimension". Superman is immediately attacked by a Roc, which he repels with a burst of his super-breath.
The Dream Realm seems populated with legendary storybook creatures, as Superman and the Black Canary encounter unicorns, minotaurs and griffins. A castle looms before them in the mist. As it is the only structure for as far as the eye can see, the two heroes make for it. Unbeknownst to the Black Canary, Superman's dimensional doorway requires an enormous amount of power to maintain it. At best it will remain open for only 10 minutes, a fact that deeply troubles the Man of Steel. Inside the castle, Lance appears to the Black Canary again. This time Lance's warning of impending danger comes to late, as Doctor Destiny arrives. Doctor Destiny's power over dreams gives him mastery of the Dream Dimension, allowing him to conjure all manner of threats to pit against the two heroes. While Superman runs interference with Doctor Destiny's dream constructs, the Black Canary brings her sonic cry to bear. Her Canary Cry disrupts the very fabric of the Dream Dimension. As the dream realm fades around them, Superman flies the Black Canary back to the dimensional doorway, and onward to the Fortress of Solitude. The dissolution of the Dream Dimension traumatizes Doctor Destiny, leaving him in a catatonic state. Realizing that Lance was only a figment of her own subconscious, the Black Canary makes her peace with her late husband, and is finally able to sleep once more.
Whatever Happened to the Golden Age Atom?
Al and Mary Pratt are returning home, after an evening on the town, when they find their house in the midst of being burglarized. Pratt quickly dons his Atom costume, just in time to catch one of the thieves coming down the stairs. With one mighty punch, the Atom knocks the man out. A second thief, though, barrels past the two men. The Atom moves to tackle the thief when he is forcibly hurled back by a burst of cosmic energy. Enter Mallo, the Keeper of The Cosmic Balance. Due to the dissimilarities between the Atom, and his Earth-1 counterpart, the multiverse has become unbalanced. To restore equilibrium to the two universes, Mallo exchanges each Atom's super-powers for the other. The Atom finds himself, quite inexplicably, swimming in a vast lake. Upon reaching the shore, he is approached by a giant dog. Soon enough, the Atom realizes that the "lake" was merely a duck pond, and that it isn't the dog that is giant, it is he himself who has shrunk. Activating the size and weight controls in his belt, the Atom returns to his normal height. Returning to his home, the Atom decides that there simply isn't time to determine why he's suddenly in possession of his counterpart's powers. He has to get after the thief that robbed his home. Leaping into a scale model airplane, the Atom takes to the sky to scout out his neighborhood. Soon enough he spies the thief. Though the man is able to take out the Atom's plane, by adjusting the weight controls in his belt, the Atom is able to deliver a knockout pinch as mighty as any he's ever thrown. Suddenly, the Atom returns to his normal height. The universal balance corrected, Mallo returns the Atom's to normal, without either man ever knowing the reason behind their sudden power swap.
Notes:
- "A Dream of Demons!" written by Gerry Conway, penciled by Curt Swan, inked by Vince Colletta, colored by Jerry Serpe and lettered by Ben Oda.
- Aquarius, Hawkman, Batman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and Flash of Earth-1; Kal-L, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Dr. Mid-Nite and Doctor Fate of Earth-2 cameo flashback appearances from Justice League of America #74.
- "Whatever Happened to the Golden Age Atom?" written by Bob Rozakis, penciled by Alex Saviuk, inked by Vince Colletta, colored by Jerry Serpe and lettered by Milt Snapinn.
- This story is a continuation from Action Comics #515 which followed the adventures of the Atom (Ray Palmer) of Earth-1.
- Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom from Earth-1; Kal-L, the Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman of Earth-2 cameo headshots.
- This issue contains the Hostess Superhero Ad, the Flash "Meets the Bureauc-Rat!".
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