Before the assembled body of the Justice League of America, the Red Tornado explains his "resurrection". Rather than being destroyed outright, by his use of the Nebula Rod against the celestial hand, the force of the explosion shunted the Red Tornado from Earth-2 to Earth-1. Unconscious, the Red Tornado was discovered by a blind sculptor, who nursed the Red Tornado back to health. The sculptor also carved a true face into the Red Tornado's formerly featureless visage. Attempting to return to Earth-2, the Red Tornado found that the energies absorbed from the Nebula Rod prevented him from piercing the dimensional barrier.
Aware of the Justice League of America's low opinion of him, the Red Tornado chose to shadow them on their latest adventure, rather than reveal himself outright. To make amends for their shabby treatment of the Red Tornado, the Justice League of America offer him membership in their ranks. The Red Tornado accepts. His true intentions, however, are to destroy the Justice League of America. Unbeknownst to the Red Tornado, he has fallen under the sway of his creator, Thomas Oscar Morrow. It was Morrow who discovered the inert form of the Red Tornado, and brought him back to life. The blind sculptor is the result of a false memory implant.
Morrow's computer has predicted that, at the end of the next 28 days, either the Justice League of America, or Morrow, will cease to exist. Morrow sets out to preemptively destroy the Justice League of America, to ensure his continued survival. According to the computer, should a new member be added to the Justice League of America's ranks, they will be destroyed. Morrow immediately groomed the Red Tornado to be that member, engineering a set of circumstances that would paint the Red Tornado in the best light. Morrow booby trapped the Red Tornado's Justice League of America distress signal. Should it be triggered, the signal frequency will murder all of the other members.
Adopting the name John Smith, the Red Tornado attempts to assimilate himself into human society. While searching for a job, Smith is on hand when an enormous, futuristic tank fires on a bank. Smith, intervenes, as the Red Tornado. When the tank proves too formidable a threat for the Red Tornado to handle alone, he reaches for his signal device. Before the Red Tornado can press the button, the Green Lantern stops him. Fearing the Red Tornado's shortcomings would lead to just such a situation, the Justice League of America have been surreptitiously monitoring him. The Green Lantern, however, also fails to stop the tank.
The Batman, and the Flash, join the fight. While the Batman battles against the tank crew, the Flash, and the Red Tornado, team up to disable the tank. The Justice League of America recognizes Morrow's hand in the assault on the bank. The return of Morrow, coinciding with the return of the Red Tornado, leads to suspicion, and veiled accusations against the Red Tornado. The Red Tornado angrily storms out of the Justice League of America's satellite headquarters. The Red Tornado, as Smith, makes the acquaintance of Kathy Sutton, an unemployment councilor. Taking pity on Smith, Sutton takes him to lunch. Sutton aids Smith in procuring a place of residence.
Over the next several days, Smith courts Sutton. Morrow is astonished that the Red Tornado is capable of romantic feelings. With time running out on him, Morrow launches an aerial assault. Morrow's minions transform Sutton into stone. Superman joins the Red Tornado in combatting Morrow's minions. When collateral damage threatens to destroy Sutton, the Elongated Man comes to her rescue. The Hawkman joins the fight, summoning thousands of birds, to reveal the location of Morrow's invisible ships. After destroying the ships, the Justice League of America falls to a poison gas attack, The Elongated Man presses the Red Tornado's distress signal, slaying the Justice League of America.
Morrow is overjoyed at the death of his enemies. Morrow is stunned to find the Justice League of America alive, and well, and standing right outside Morrow's headquarters. Having discovered Morrow's tampering of the Red Tornado's signal device, Superman burned out the weaponized system, The Justice League of America then played along with the scheme, to lure Morrow out. With only seconds left before the 28 days elapse, Morrow desperately draws a weapon on the Justice League of America. The Red Tornado, and the Elongated Man, disarm Morrow. As the clock tolls the deadline, Morrow vanishes from existence.
The Justice League of America apologize for keeping the Red Tornado in the dark. They couldn't take the chance, however, that Morrow's hold on the Red Tornado wasn't absolute. The Red Tornado returns to Earth, to pursue his relationship with Suttton.
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