Four Parts
"Apocalypse of the Fifth Sun!" (reprinted from Flash #306)
Opens with Doctor Fate emerging through a wall to see museum guards dressed as Aztec priests performing a sacrifice ritual, speaking in Nahautl the ancient Aztec tongue, in an attempt to raise the Aztec god of war Totec. The Boston Museum of Natural History is hosting the recently unearthed ruins of the great temple of Tenochtitlan. The touring curator of the exhibit, Dr. Olmos, has been murdered as part of a sacrifice to raise Totec.
The action shifts to Inza Nelson back in the Tower of Fate, attempting to write a novel about her life with Kent Nelson and Doctor Fate. Frustrated with the seemingly bad writing, she exclaims that she should stick with writing her diary. She remembers a recent fight with Kent about the effect that Doctor Fate has over their relationship; how, if he really loved her that Kent would give up his Fate duties. Kent responds by saying that if she truly loved him, she would accept his role as mystical protector of Earth.
Later, Inza drives to the museum in an attempt to assist Doctor Fate. She is quickly captured by Totec and used to mollify and capture Doctor Fate--Fate cannot bring himself to destroy Inza in order to attack Totec.
Totec's plan is to bring about the end of the fifth sun, or epoch, and rule the next one.
"Twilight of the Fifth Sun" (reprinted from Flash #307)
Totec is revealed to be a Lord of Chaos named Malferrazae. Since neither Fate nor Malferrazae can be killed, Totec threatens instead to destroy Fate through unannounced means. Totec (because it is easier to type :)) transports everyone to Mexico City and uses his powers to transform it and its people back 400 years. Next Fate is sent to an alternate realm named Coatepec to fight Totec's former warriors, now undead. The warriors died in a battle against another Lord of Chaos, one named by the Aztec as Totec's sister Coyolxauhqui. Fate calls upon El, husband of Asherah, the father of men and giver of strength to provide him the power to fight. Though outnumbered, Fate feels that this is just a distraction for a larger attack.
Meanwhile Totec notices a weakness, jealousy of Doctor Fate, in Inza and manifests it as a large green creature--climbing forth from Inza's mouth. That monster is sent to Coatepec to join the attack on Doctor Fate.
Back in Coatepec Fate calls upon Ptah, Lord of Creation, to create a sand beast to battle the warriors. While watching the sand beast dispatch the undead attackers, Fate is jumped from behind by the green monster.
"Dawn of the Sixth Sun" (reprinted from Flash #308)
As Fate struggles with Inza's jealousy incarnate in Coatepec, Totec taunts Inza back in our world while feeding off of her emotions. Fate is losing his battle and falls back on "...the most awesome invocation I dare speak..." then shouts "Begone, Demon-thing! Leave Me! The power of the savior compels you!" That spell causes the monster to retreat but also reveal that it is directly tied to Inza and threatens "As you would do unto me...so would you do unto the woman."
With the creature escaping through a dimensional portal, Fate declares that if Inza must die to save the world, that is acceptable. With both Fate and the monster back in our world, in California, the fight continues. The demon entraps Doctor Fate in mystical energy, dragging him up and down California which is in the throws of an earthquake.
Doctor Fate uses the time trapped to let his human body heal. Fate waits for the best moment and uses part of the sidewalk in front of Groman's theater to mold a fist which captures the monster. The demon tells Fate that this is exactly what his master wants and Fate begins to notice that the creature's voice reminds him of Inza.
Fate summons the Orb of Nabu to work out his next step. The orb shows him that if he destroys the monster, thus destroying part of Inza, Kent Nelson would reject his destiny. Thus, he decides that he must reunite the jealousy incarnate with Inza Nelson.
Fate rescues Inza and flies her to him. The creature takes this opportunity to shift form, becoming a multi-headed serpent and attacks Fate, ripping the Helmet of Nabu off his head. This causes the spell carrying Inza to stop, sending her plummeting to the ground.
Separated from Nabu, Kent Nelson's consciousness finds Inza lying motionless in the earthquake debris.
"Tomorrow is Forever" (reprinted from Flash #309)
Awakened with little knowledge of what has transpired, Kent Nelson is shocked to find his wife lying broken and seemingly dead. As he scoops up her body, Inza speaks to him from the astral plane, where her spirit escaped before her body's death--protected by her exposure to Fate over the years.
The demon, being drawn from Inza's jealousy, realizes that the Helmet is the only means by which she can control Kent Nelson. She stops her return to Totec and takes the form of a woman to taunt Kent Nelson. She wants Kent to join her and her alone. Seeing this obsession, Kent kisses the dried corpse of Inza which enrages the creature. Distracted by the overwhelming emotions, the monster isn't ready for Kent Nelson's physical attack.
The spread of the mystically created earthquake reaches Boston, where we met the new head of the Boston Museum of Natural History--Doctor Copeland.
Back in California, Kent recovers the helmet and becomes Doctor Fate again, banishing the monster back into Inza. Being part of Inza's life force, the reunification with the creature restores her human body to life.
Doctor Fate, pushing the limits of his powers, grows in size until he can stand atop the Earth itself and spins a spell that repairs the ground faults to stop the earthquakes and destroys Totec.
As the issue ends, Dr. Copeland is researching Kent Nelson and stumbles over a picture of Inza Nelson, who he finds completely beautiful.
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