In the 25th century Thomas Parker recounts to his son one of the Justice League’s adventures, in explanation of an exhibit in their honor in the Space Museum. Unknown to the JLA, the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast had caused the mystic Jar, Bell and Wheel used to imprison them to be left behind in the Souvenir Room of the original Secret Sanctuary when the Justice League moved to their satellite headquarters. There, the artifacts were eventually discovered and used to free the demons from their crypts. The evil trio attacked the satellite during a meeting and was repulsed, then battled the heroes a second time at Stonehenge. In this rematch, Zatanna’s magic proved the key to their defeat by reactivating the imprisonment spell using the Jar, Bell and Wheel.
Thomas Parker takes his son, Gardner, to the Space Museum. An exhibit featuring the Green Bell of Uthool, the Red Jar of Calythos, and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath raises questions. To answer them, Parker tells his son about the Justice League of America. Eons ago, the Earth was ruled over by three demons-Abnegazar, Ghast, and Rath. In response to their monumental cruelty, the Demons Three were imprisoned by alien being, known only as "The Timeless Ones". Anticipating their imprisonment, the Demons Three conjured forth three indestructible items, which, used in unison, could release them from any form of imprisonment.
The Timeless One hid the three items, to prevent them from ever being used to release the Demons Three. Centuries later, the three objects were found by Felix Faust, who forced the Justice League of America to retrieve them. Though the Demons Three were released, the Justice League of America found that the three items could also be used to imprison them anew. A second attempt by the Demons Three to escape imprisonment, inexplicably using the empty costumes of several super-villains, was also thwarted by the Justice League of America. The three artifacts were lost, late in the 20th Century, when the Justice League of America's satellite headquarters was destroyed.
Parker recounts the third attempt of the Demons Three to escape their imprisonment. Pooling their mystic might, the Demons Three were able to exert their influence over the Green Arrow. The Green Arrow had been tasked with moving the three items from the Secret Sanctuary to the Justice League of America's new satellite headquarters. Under the Demon Three's influence, the Green Arrow believed he had completed this task, when in reality, the three items were left behind, unguarded, in the Secret Sanctuary. A hiker stumbled across the three items. Under the influence of the Demons Three, the hiker sold the three items to a pawn shop, run by Jerad Inswich, a minor sorcerer.
Inswich cast Faust's spell to release the Demons Three. Having accidentally stepped outside the protection of his sorcerer's circle, Inswich was defenseless against the Demons Three, who slew Inswich. The Justice League of America declared Zatanna their new chairwoman. The Flash still wrestled with his residual feelings for Zatanna. The Demons Three attacked the Justice League of America's satellite headquarters. The Demons Three challenged the Justice League of America to face them at Stonehenge. The Flash was immediately struck down, by lightning. The Elongated Man fell next, in the midst of an earthquake. The Atom was hurled by hurricane force winds into the rocks.
The Batman sacrificed himself to buy Zatanna the time to destroy the Demons Three. The tactic failed, though, when it was revealed that Zatanna was tricked into focusing her spell on the three items, and not on the Demons Three. With the Green Bell of Uthool, the Red Jar of Calythos, and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath destroyed, by Zatanna's spell, the Demons Three were free to walk the Earth forever. Zatanna merely restored the three items, with another incantation, then used them to imprison the Demons Three anew. Parker explains that the reason he knows so much about the Justice League of America is that he is descended from one of their members. Parker, however, does not reveal which one.
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