avengers league issue 15

The Spectre returned to Earth. It had been over a decade since she last stood upon this planet. She was once known as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Since then, she has become something very different. She is now the spirit of judgment and punishment. And she has come to Earth for the purpose of making a judgment that will affect not only the Earth but the whole universe as well.

The Avengers League would play an important role in this judgment, as would the opponent they would soon face in battle. They, and one other, as yet undecided person. The person who would make the toughest choice any mortal man has ever made!

The Avengers League had cordoned off the town of Keystone County, Pennsylvania. It was necessary, not only for the good of the people in the town but also for the rest of the world. A "leak" in the cosmic Speed Force had given all the people of Keystone County super-speed. Speed they couldn't control yet. Flash had called in the Avengers League because he was afraid of the damage 5,000 super-speed beings could do if let loose in the world.

Flash, Wonder Woman, and Quasar used they own super-speed to circle the town, making sure that no one got out. Martian Manhunter hovered over the town, trying to use his telepathy to encourage the people of the town to stay still and not make any sudden moves that would active their super-speed. Inside the town, Captain America, the Wasp, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Batman paid a visit to the elderly ex-member of the Justice Society - Jay Garrick, the original Flash.

"Good to see you again, Jay," Cap said.

"You too, Steve. I wish the circumstances were better."

"Do you have any idea what's going on here?"

"I can't be sure, Cap. But I have a theory. There's been a puncture, or a rip, in the fabric of time and space. A hole in reality has developed. A hole in the barrier that separates our reality from the realm of the Speed Force. Before now, only certain people could access the Speed Force. Now, everyone in this town is being inundated by the energy that gave me my power."

"What do you think caused it?" Batman asked.

"I don't know," Jay said. "But I'm afraid it might be me."

"You?" Wasp asked.

"I've been using my Speed Force in this town for over sixty years," Jay said. "I have a horrible feeling that I may have unintentionally caused all this."

"Not necessarily," Iron Man said. "There may still be other possibilities."

"Maybe," Jay said. "But I have a bad feeling."

"Join the club," Hawkeye said.

"I'm going to need some equipment to do a scientific study," Iron Man said.

"You can use my lab," Jay said. "I'll assist you. I may not be able to run like I used to, but my mind is still swift."

"Take him up on it, Iron Man," Cap said. "I've seen the man work. He's a genius."

"You flatter me," Jay said.

"I'd be honored to work with you, Dr. Garrick," Iron Man said.

"This is the boring part," Hawkeye groaned.

The Spectre appeared outside a laboratory in Redding, Pennsylvania. Invisible, she walked inside through the wall. There, she saw a technician named Owen Reese working on a complicated device called a molecular agitator. Reese was an overly ambitious man, who used to work for the super villain called the Wizard. He was dismissed for being "merely adequate, but not brilliant." That comment ate away at Reese for years. Eventually, he got a legitimate job at this science lab, working on the molecular agitator. But inside him, there still burned the desire to prove himself, to be someone special, powerful. He wanted to be a more powerful super villain that the Wizard and his team of cronies.

Reese held the control rod that was supposed to manipulate the molecules in the particle chamber. The Spectre waved a hand. She intentionally caused another rip in the barrier between the Speed Force and the Earth. Waves of Speed Force energy bathed the molecule chamber. The molecules, which were already being sped up by the agitator, were suddenly increased millions of times more. The rate of molecular motion and reproduction increased beyond the realms that science could create or even understand. The chamber could not withstand so much power. It exploded!

Owen Reese was caught in a flood of super-agitated molecules. They altered him greatly.

"It is done," the Spectre said. "He is the one. The judgment is at hand."

Iron Man, Batman and Jay Garrick were working in Jay's basement lab. The Wasp had summoned Henry Pym, who assisted them. The four brilliant men worked all day and into the night. The following morning, they were still at it.

"These readings just don't make any sense," Hank Pym said.

"I could have told you that," Jay said. "I've been studying the Speed Force for decades. The energy it emits seems to defy any logical scientific theory."

"Nothing is outside the realm of science," Hank said. "We just haven't figured it out yet."

"I agree," Iron Man said. "But time is still a factor. If Jay hasn't been able to isolate the mathematical theory behind the Speed Force in sixty years, there's a very small chance they we'll be able to do it anytime soon."

"There is one difference," Batman interjected. "Dr. Garrick was trying to understand the nature of speed. We're trying to cut off the source."

"Exactly," Henry Pym said. "We're working from the opposite end. And there are four of us. We still have a chance."

"I hope so," Jay said.

"What if we evacuate the town?" Iron Man suggested.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Jay said. "It could take days or even weeks for the massive speed energy they've received to wear off. We can't let them run loose across the planet for all that time. I, more than anyone, know how dangerous the speed force can be."

"What if we move them somewhere else where we can keep them contained?" Batman suggested.

"You'll have to guard them for weeks," Jay said.

"Is there some way to contain a super speed individual?" Batman asked.

"Rival is being held in stasis."

"Is there a way to put the whole town in stasis until the Speed Force effect wears off?" Henry Pym asked.

"The area is too big," Iron Man answered.

"Too big?" Henry Pym said. "So if it was smaller, we could put them all in stasis?"

"Exactly," Iron Man said.

Pym smiled. "Then I have a solution to his problem."

It was an audacious and desperate scheme. But it seemed to be the only hope. Henry Pym had set up a series of beam arrays around the town. The beams were set to emit Pym Particles. These were the energy particles that gave Henry Pym the power to grow and shrink.

He now planned to shrink the entire town of Keystone County.

"Is everything set?" Pym asked.

"All systems ready to go," Iron Man answered.

"Are you sure that this will work?" Jay asked.

"No question," Henry Pym answered. "Nothing will go wrong."

"Before you start, give me a minute," Jay said. "I'm going back in."

"Back in?!" the young Flash exclaimed. "Why?"

"This will be very traumatic for everyone in the town. Including my Joan," Jay said., "I want to be there to do what I can to help."

"I understand," Captain America said. "Go on. I'll see you in a few weeks."

Jay went back into town. Henry Pym went to the control system of the particle arrays.

"Everyone get ready. Here we go!"

Pym activated the devices that began to emit Pym Particles over the town of Keystone County. To everyone's amazement, the town started to shrink. As the foundation receded, acres of dirt were revealed. Finally, a giant crater of dirt took the place where Keystone County had been.

In the center of the crater lay a tiny town, no more than a foot wide. It looked like a toy, except for the tiny figures moving around inside. The Flash put the town into a clear container that looked like a glass bottle or jug. Iron Man slapped a small device to the side that created a stasis field. All the tiny figures in the town froze. The town of Keystone was frozen in stasis.

Flash held the jar carefully. He had friends in there.

Hawkeye looked at the tiny town inside. "A city in a bottle. Who would have thought?"

"I told you it would work," Henry Pym said, with a smile.

"You're sure they're okay?" Flash asked.

"They're fine. Trust me."

"Well done, everyone," Cap said.

Martian Manhunter stood nearby, teetering, off balance.

"J'Onn, are you all right?" The Wasp asked.

"I'm . . . I'm fine, Jan," the Martian said. "I'm just dizzy from keeping the town calm for so long. I'll be all right soon."

Jan accepted this explanation, but J'Onn J'Onzz knew it wasn't the truth. Something was wrong with him.

Batman took the bottled city. "I'll bring it into the jet. The media is gathering and I don't like being photographed."

Just after Batman retreated into the Avengers League jet, the media set up their equipment and started to film the extraordinary sight - a missing town. Captain America represented the team, speaking to the media with all the cool authority one would expect from a living legend.

One reporter approached Hawkeye. Hawkeye grinned at him. "Came to get a few words of wisdom from old Hawkeye?"

"Actually, this reporter shtick is just a disguise," the man said. "I work for Mr. Luthor."

Hawkeye's muscles tensed and his heart jumped a beat. Luthor! I hoped I'd heard the last of him!

"Come with me," the man said.

He walked to a van. Hawkeye followed him. With all the commotion, none of the other Avengers League members noticed. Hawkeye entered the van. Inside was a huge monitor screen. On the screen was the face of Lex Luthor.

"Hello again, Hawkeye. It's been a while."

"Hello, Mr. Luthor."

"You haven't reported in for quite a while. Did you forget about me?"

"Sorry. I . . . I thought the plan was off."

"Off?" Luthor asked. "You mean because of that Swordsman debacle? Not at all, my boy. Actually, that fit in perfectly with my plans. The Avengers League were no doubt suspicious of you when you joined. By turning in the Swordsman and saving the team, you won their trust. I allowed you to remain a part of the team for months, proving your worth and allowing them to see you as ‘one of the family', so to speak. Everything has gone smoothly."

"What do you want, Luthor?" Hawkeye asked.

"It's time to get back to work, Hawkeye. We have to start making new plans. You're still the key in my plans to destroy the Avengers League."

"You trust me? After I turned in the Swordsman?"

"I trust you, Hawkeye, because I know you. Better than you know yourself. Do you really think you're one of them? Do you really think you're a hero? You don't have it in you, boy. You're like me. You look out for number one. Sooner or later, you'll be forced to make a choice between risking your life for these self-righteous do-gooders or saving yourself. When that day comes, you'll do what you've always done. You'll save yourself. You'll let the team down. And they'll never trust you again. They'll hate you. The longer you stay with them, the more it will hurt you when that time comes. It's better that you tell yourself now that you're not one of them. Save yourself a lot of heartache. Stick with me, Hawkeye. I'll give you wealth and power. I'll make you somebody! I'll make your life of suffering and loneliness worth it. All I ask in return is that you continue to spy for me. Help me in my quest to destroy the Avengers League and I'll give you anything your heart desires!"

Hawkeye stood indecisive. Much of what Luthor said was true. Hawkeye had spent most of his life looking out for himself. If it come down to a life-or-death choice, would he risk his life for the team, or would he save himself? And it was also true that the longer he stayed with the team, the more he felt like he was one of them. If he let them down, he would prove everything bad that was ever said about him. The team would hate him. Could he bear to live with that? Maybe it's better to emotionally cut himself off from the League. Maybe it was better to go back to the life that he knew. Luthor wasn't lying when he said he was able to give Hawkeye riches. Luthor had more money than anyone Hawkeye had ever met. All Hawkeye had to do was give Luthor some information, and fortune would be his.

"I . . . I need to think about this," he said.

"Think about it carefully, Hawkeye," Luthor said. "Don't make the wrong decision. Make the profitable one!"

Luthor's face vanished as the screen went blank. Hawkeye exited the van. He paced around the crater, his mind in turmoil. What should he do?

"Let's go, everyone!" Cap ordered.

All the members of the Avengers League went into the Jet. Flash stuck close to the bottled city of Keystone. Batman eyed Hawkeye suspiciously. "Where were you?"

Hawkeye got nervous but decided that the best defense was a good offense.

"Who are you, my mother?"

"Answer me!"

Even Hawkeye found Batman intimidating. Captain America intervened.

"What's the trouble, Batman?"

"I was monitoring everyone from inside the Jet. Hawkeye was missing for five minutes. Where were you, Hawkeye?"

"Does it matter?" Cap said. "Relax."

"Yes, don't be so uptight all the time," Iron Man said.

Wonder Woman approached Batman. "Please, Batman, we all appreciate your caution. It's saved us on more than one occasion, but there are times when you can overdo it."

Batman shook his head. "How have you people lived so long being so naïve?" He gave Hawkeye an icy stare that froze the archer's blood, but he didn't press the matter any longer.

You cold, stuck-up bastard! Hawkeye thought. Maybe Luthor is right. People like you should be brought down a peg.

Hawkeye caught Captain America looking at him. It was a strange look, like Cap was studying him. He had heard that Captain America could read people's body language to determine what they were up to? Did Cap suspect him? If so, wouldn't it be better for Hawkeye to get the League before they decided to arrest him. Luthor's scheme was sounding better and better all the time.

"Hey Cap, we're getting a priority message!" Quasar said. "There's a new supervillain in town!"

The man who had been Owen Reese was tearing up downtown Redding. He had gained power, more power than he could ever have imagined. Perhaps more power than any single mortal man has ever held. The power to control molecules.

Owen's face had been scarred with several marks that looked like lightning bolts on his forehead. He carried the control rod from the molecular agitator. He had used his mastery of molecules to chance his shredded lab jumpsuit into an eye-catching costume - a green outfit with lightning trimmings. He had his wish. He was a powerful supervillain.

He used the city like a toy. He turned cars into puddles of slime. He turned houses into glass. He turned street lamps into pillars of fire. He laughed all the while. He was living his dream.

The Avengers League jet cruised into view. Owen Reese spotted it. "Ah! At last, a challenge!"

Owen turned the jet into pure air. The Avenger League members found themselves falling.

"The bottled city!" Flash yelled, when he noticed it falling.

"I have it!" Wonder Woman said, catching it as gently as possible.

Quasar caught Captain America in the air. Iron Man caught Batman and the Martian Manhunter caught Hawkeye. The Flash spun around and created a cushion of air to lower himself to the ground softly. Wasp caught Henry Pym.

After landing safely, the team was poised for action. Henry Pym was glad he followed his instincts and brought along his Giant Man outfit. Being with the Avengers League often meant getting into a fight. He grew to his maximum height of twenty-five feet. Giant Man joined the other nine Avengers Leaguers present.

"Ten against one!" Owen said. "I've got you outnumbered."

"Who are you?" Cap asked.

"I call myself the Molecule Man!" Owen said.

"Molecule Man?" Flash repeated. "Villains just don't know how to pick names!"

"Very funny," Molecule Man said. "You can die first."

Molecule Man pointed his wand at Flash and fired his molecular ray. Flash moved as fast as light and evaded it.

"Everyone . . . Hit him hard!" Cap ordered.

The Avengers charged Molecule Man. Flash tried to grab the wand away from him at speeds faster than the Molecule Man could see. But as soon as the Flash touched the wand, he was thrown away by some sort of molecular backlash. He crashed to the sidewalk, stunned. The Molecule Man turned the street into a sticky putty, trapping the Flash there.

Wonder Woman threw her Lasso. The Molecule Man turned it into a giant snake. The snake turned on Diana and started to wrap itself around her. She wrestled with it. Iron Man fired his repulsor arrays at the Molecule Man. The energy of the rays were dissipated into nothing. Iron Man's armor was turned into stone. Tony Stark was trapped inside a stone prison. Captain America threw his shield but the Molecule Man turned it into cotton. The wind took it for a ride.

Martian Manhunter turned himself invisible and circled the Molecule Man. He fired his Martian heat vision. The Wasp sneaked up on him and used her bio-stings on him. Unfortunately for both of them, the Molecule Man had created a force field around himself after the Flash's attack almost succeeded. The dual attacks bounced harmlessly off the force field. The Molecule Man created a shock wave that knocked the Wasp unconscious. It merely pushed the Manhunter back a few feet but it knocked him into one of the pillars of fire. He yelled in pain and fell to the ground. Hawkeye shot an explosive arrow at the Molecule Man, but the powerful being turned the arrow into dust. He shot a ray at Hawkeye. By a lucky coincidence, the ray hit Hawkeye's bow. The bow turned into water and spilled onto the floor. Hawkeye looked at it, stunned.

"That could have been me!" he muttered.

Giant Man was about to do a frontal attack but changed his mind. This opponent was too powerful. He shrank himself to ant size and tried to find a way to get the drop on the Molecule Man.

Quasar tried a direct attack on the Molecule Man. The villain was momentarily stunned by the power of Quasar's attack. While he dealt with Quasar, Batman came out of the shadows he had been hiding in. He used an acid pellet to free the Flash from his captivity. Then, Batman went to the spot where Captain America was surveying the battle.

"We need a new strategy," Batman said. "The direct method is failing dismally."

"I agree. I'm trying to come up with something."

"We need to think fast or we're dead!" Batman said.

Cap looked around.

"Where's Hawkeye?"

Without his bow, Hawkeye couldn't attack from a distance. And after seeing how powerful the Molecule Man was, Hawkeye had no intention of getting too close to him. Hawkeye decided to retreat to a safer position to decide what to do. This is exactly what Lex Luthor had spoken of. Hawkeye had come within an inch of being turned into a puddle of water. He didn't want to fight this Molecule Man any longer. He was outclassed and he knew it. He didn't want to risk his life against such a powerful being.

But could he really let his friends down? Could he abandon them? Should he allow a powerful maniac like the Molecule Man run free without trying to stop him? Shouldn't he do the right thing?

Hawkeye was surprised to see a beautiful, red-haired woman standing next to him. She held Hawkeye's bow, recreated, as good as new. She handed it to him.

"Who are you, lady?" Hawkeye asked.

"I am the Spectre," she said. "And I have chosen you to make a decision."

"A decision?"

"You must decide the outcome of this battle," she said.

"Say what?"

"There is a battle raging across the universe. A battle of beings who move in the blink of an eye. I call it the Speed War and it threatens to destroy the galaxy. A solution must be found. A judgment must be made. One side must be found guilty and be punished, while the other will reign supreme. I must make that decision."

"Goody for you, babe," Hawkeye said. "So why are you bothering me? Go decide!"

"I cannot," she said. "Once I would have judged with swiftness and clarity. But my skill is choosing is not what it was. I have been too long away from the mortal realm. I am no longer familiar with their philosophies and ways of acting. I can no longer see the path of justice clearly. I used to punish evil, but doesn't evil have a right to exist as well. I cannot decide the outcome of this war without help."

"Help?" Hawkeye asked. "Me?"

"I need to anchor myself to a mortal. I came here to the world of my birth, hoping that my old allies, the Avengers League would show me the clear path, with your help. The Avengers League are unquestionably good. I created a villain of little compassion and great power that corrupts. And so you have it . . . A massive battle between great good and great evil. The outcome of this battle will clearly show me how I should judge the battle that threatens the galaxy."

"And you want me to decide?" Hawkeye said, stunned.

"I do."

"But, why me?"

"You are a shade of gray, Hawkeye. You are wed to neither side. You walk the line between good and evil. More than any other super being, you know what it's like to live in both worlds. You are a child of two cultures. You can weigh their worth equally. Do so now."

"And decide the fate of the universe?"

"Yes, Hawkeye. Choose for the entire universe. Should good or evil triumph."

Hawkeye was overwhelmed by the implications of this decision. "I . . . I can't! This is too big for me!"

"You must!" the Spectre shouted. "My journey ends with you. You will determine the outcome of the cosmic war between the forces of light and darkness. Who shall be held accountable? Whose sin is this? Who shall be punished?"

"But . . . "

"Your conscience guides me, Hawkeye. Choose carefully."

Hawkeye watched as Captain America and Batman bravely tried to regroup their team for another attempt to defeat this seemingly unbeatable opponent. He admired their bravery. They were good men. But would they eventually decide that Hawkeye was not a good man and stick him in prison? And what about the fortune and glory that Luthor had promised.

What to do? Who to choose? The whole galaxy would be affected by this choice. Which would it be? Right or wrong? Good or evil?

Hawkeye pulled out an arrow and strung it on his bow. He pulled the bowstring back and fired the arrow. The arrow flew through the arc, in a high arc. It dropped, heading for its target. Closer and closer.

The explosive arrow hit the Molecule Man's force field. The Molecule Man looked at Hawkeye.

"I won't let you win!" Hawkeye yelled. "You're a lowlife scum and you don't deserve to win!"

Hawkeye stepped out into the open, where he was exposed to the power of the Molecule Man. He did what he feared he couldn't do. He was risking his life for the cause of good.

The Spectre smiled. "Judgment!"

And in a moment, it was all over. Everything was put back to normal, as if the Molecule Man had never been there. He had vanished. The damage was fixed. Injuries were healed. Iron Man's armor was metal again. Captain America had his shield again.

"It is done," she said. "The War is over. All over the Galaxy, the evil forces of the Ghostlight are no more. Justice is served. And now, I must go. Goodbye."

"Wait a second," Hawkeye said. "You said that you were born here. You were a human once. So tell me, spook lady . . . What would her judgment have been?"

"That is an excellent question," she said. "I wish I knew. Goodbye, Hawkeye."

The Spectre vanished. Hawkeye walked to join his teammates. His friends. Finally, he knew he belonged with them.

Next issue: What's up with J'Onn's extreme headaches? And what does it have to do with an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Find out as Emerald Quest begins in Avengers League 16!