Showcase #55

When Solomon Grundy last fought Green Lantern Alan Scott, Green Lantern encased Solomon Grundy in an emerald sphere prison floating above Earth. Years later, the sphere has now crash landed back on Earth, and Solomon Grundy has emerged to get his revenge on Green Lantern. Solomon Grundy instinctually heads back to his home of Slaughter Swamp, which at this point is bordering the Tyler Chemical Company plant.

At the Tower of Fate, Kent Nelson is warned that there is trouble by his crystal ball. Seeing the source of the trouble to be Slaughter Swamp, Nelson becomes Dr. Fate. He leaves to search, finding the destroyed remnants of Green Lantern’s sphere. Dr. Fate now knows that Solomon Grundy has returned.

At the Tyler Chemical Co., President Rex Tyler ends his day. He enters a secret vault, and becomes the hero Hourman. Going out on patrol, Hourman comes across Solomon Grundy in Slaughter Swamp. Hourman pops his Miraclo pill, then attacks Solomon Grundy. Shortly after, Dr. Fate arrives to give Hourman a helping hand. However, since Solomon Grundy is made up entirely of plant matter, Dr. Fate finds his magic less useful than usual. Dr. Fate tries freezing Solomon Grundy in ice, then tries electrocuting him. Solomon throws an electrified Dr. Fate at Hourman, knocking both of them out.

Solomon Grundy leaves Slaughter Swamp, but finds that, due to Dr. Fate’s magic, he now attracts various items made of wood behind him. Solomon Grundy enters Gotham City, with these wooden items floating behind him. Grundy’s arrival catches the attention of Green Lantern, who tries to stop Grundy. However, Grundy makes use of the wooden items, exploiting Green Lantern’s weakness to wood. Grundy knocks Green Lantern from the sky, as Dr. Fate appears. Dr. Fate transforms all the wooden items into a giant wooden mallet, and tries to hit Grundy. Grundy avoids the assault, as Hourman arrives on the scene. Hourman swallows another Miraclo pill, just as Dr. Fate and Hourman are overcome with the need to fight each other.

Grundy stands by with an unconscious Green Lantern as Dr. Fate and Hourman battle each other. The two heroes knock each other out, allowing Grundy to leave with Green Lantern’s body. Grundy’s former gang meets up with him, and they go on a crime spree.

Hourman and Dr. Fate awake, and discover that Hourman’s Miraclo is somehow now being affected by Dr. Fate’s magic, and it was the Miraclo that caused the hatred for each other. The heroes split up: Hourman goes to take care of Grundy’s gang, while Dr. Fate tires to stop Grundy and find Green Lantern.

Dr. Fate finds Grundy, and tricks him into revealing Green Lantern’s location. Fate, however, finds Green Lantern now transformed into a creature like Solomon Grundy. The Grundy-Lantern uses his ring and attacks Dr. Fate. Dr. Fate uses his magic to cure Green Lantern, just as Solomon Grundy realizes Fate’s trick. Hourman, having taken care of Grundy’s gang, shows up, and the three heroes defeat Grundy. Green Lantern creates another sphere, this time enhanced by Dr. Fate’s magic, and traps Grundy in orbit again.

Vignettes:

• “Friends Across the Seas”
• “The Origin of Dr. Fate and Hourman”