Overview
Beginning the long awaited, epic crossover between the new Justice League and the new Justice Society, uniting the combined writing talents of best-selling author Brad Meltzer and comics mega-star Geoff Johns for the ultimate team-up! "The Lightning Saga" 5-parter begins with the mystery of who Trident is, and how his identity crisis will change everything!
The Justice League and the Justice Society are working together on a training day. In The Hall in Washington D.C., Mr. Terrific is playing chess blindfolded with both Hal Jordan and Black Canary at the same time. In the Kitchen, 22,300 miles above the Earth, Red Arrow, Wildcat, Geo-Force, Vixen, Hawkgirl, Red Tornado are playing "capture the flag." In the Batcave, Batman and Black Lightning are trying to figure out who Trident is after capturing him.
Batman says the Fortress computers have identified him as Karate Kid and he is wearing a Legion of Superheroes ring. Black Lightning asks why didn't he go by "Karate Kid" when they fought him. Batman says perhaps it's due to the Starro he had on his neck. Superman had listed him as a Class-15 fighter in his computer. Batman notices that he's listed at 12. As Karate Kid awakes and knocks out Black Lightning, Batman says to himself how he loves to prove Clark wrong. Batman allowed Karate Kid to get close to draw him in. The fist fight begins.
Wildcat, Red Arrow, and Geo-Force are stuck starring at their opponents' flag across a fifty foot field with no cover. Red Arrow decides to run out knowing that Hawkgirl is hoping to flush them out. As she dives down on him, he grabs the flag and shoots it at her with his arrow. She tries flapping her wings hoping the wind will knock it off course. At the last moment, Red Tornado arrives, unleashing his powers. He seems to have miscalculated as he sends Red Arrow flying towards a tree at over sixty miles per hour. Suddenly he stops in mid-air. Apparently Geo-Force was able to affect his gravity much to everyone's surprise.
As Batman and Karate Kid fight, Batman tries to convince him that his name is Val Armorr. He insists it's Trident. Karate Kid manages to grab Batman's utility belt and notices that he's shifted his weight to his left leg. He notes that with the pain he feels in that leg, he must have given him a hernia. Batman snarls that that is not why he shifted to his left as Black Lightning strikes Karate Kid from behind. Batman calls Clark to meet them at the Hall.
At the Hall, both Mr. Terrific and Black Canary call out checkmate. As Batman comes in carrying Karate Kid, he notices the game. He tells them that Mr. Terrific wasn't playing both of them at once. He was playing them against each other.
As both the League and the Society look over Karate Kid, Mr. Terrific is surprised when it's mentioned that he is supposedly from the future. He tells them that their newest JSA member, Starman, also says he's from the future. Upon hearing Starman's name, Karate Kid says Starman's name is Thom Kallor and his is Val Armorr. He is shocked that he knows that. Mr. Terrific calls Power Girl to pick up Starman from the "looney bin."
Flashback to 1948 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. A couple men visit a patient and switch back and forth when referring to the gender of Dolores Winters. They call her the Ultra Humanite. Dolores has cancer. The men tell her that she is going to die tomorrow by a massive brain hemorrhage unless she takes a trip with them.
Diana uses her magic lasso on Karate Kid but he still cannot recall all the facts. He tells them that when he heard the name "Starman" the Trident part of him seemed to disappear. Batman concludes that he must have telepathic fail-safes in place. As Power Girl arrives with Starman, Starman says something in an alien language and Karate Kid falls over. He barely whispers, "We're not the only ones." Regaining his balance he tells them that there were seven of them scattered and all stuck in this time.
Later, Mr. Terrific is fascinated that Red Tornado can see him since he's invisible to all machines. Getting back on track, they managed to trace the signal back from Karate Kid's Legion ring. They mention that Booster, Vril Dox, Kara, and Clark all had rings (Clark actually had two). Now they need to find the other members of these seven soldiers. They prepare by spliting into teams.
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