The Flash #282

The Flash #282

(November, 1979)

"Mishmash!"

Cover by Ross Andru, Dick Giordano

Artist: Don Heck

Inks: Frank Chiaramonte

Colors: Gene D'Angelo

Writer: Cary Bates

Letters: Ben Oda

Professor Zoom has trapped Flash in a pair of heavy-matter boots, which become heavier and heavier with each passing instant. Unable to vibrate through the boots due to their incredible density, the Scarlet Speedster quickly sinks into the ground, and it will not be long before he is pulled into the molten core of the planet.

Luckily for him, the pressures and the temperature become so overwhelming the closer he gets to the core, that the boots disintegrate, while his vibrations allow the heat to pass harmlessly through his molecules. Now free from the deadly footwear, and protected by his invisible aura, Flash is able to navigate through the magma flows and emerge from an undersea volcano.

Once in the surface, Flash is assisted by his best friend, Green Lantern, who homes in on his location thanks to the JLA Signal beacon. Returning to Central City, the duo splits, and the Fastest Man Alive makes his way back home, where he promptly uses the cosmic treadmill to travel into the future. His goal is to access the historical records and uncover the identity of Iris West's killer. Unfortunately, and much to his dismay, Flash soon realizes that even in the 25th century, the murder of his wife remains a mystery, and the name of her killer is still unknown.

Back in the present, Green Lantern shows up again in Central City, and insists on offering unsolicited help to his buddy, but he is promptly dismissed. Feeling guilty for not being there for Flash when Iris died, the Emerald Crusader keeps imposing himself, until he finally pushes a little too hard and is violently rejected. The two friends start a physical confrontation that leaves Green Lantern defeated when he realizes that he has not been fighting Flash, but Professor Zoom, who is impersonating the Scarlet Speedster all over the city.

The real Flash is still making his way back from the 25th century through the Time Barrier, unaware that his evil doppelgänger has been supplanting him. However, when he finally starts to materialize in the present, the cosmic treadmill shakes uncontrollably and explodes before he can fully reintegrate!

Justice League Of America #170

Justice League Of America #170

(June, 1979)

"While a World Lies Burning"

Cover by Dick Dillin, Dick Giordano

Artist: Dick Dillin

Inks: Frank McLaughlin

Colors: Jerry Serpe

Writer: Gerry Conway

Letters: Ben Oda

Five members of the Justice League are on trial for illegally imprisoning Ultraa, the sole superhero from a parallel world known as Earth-Prime. The proceedings that are taking place at the United Nations building in New York have barely started, when they are violently interrupted by the star witness himself.

Ultraa, seemingly unprovoked, attacks his own lawyer, who suddenly transforms and splits into several floating entities calling themselves the Over-Complex. The alien collective reveals that the trial is nothing but a distraction to keep the League occupied while the oceans dry and the world burns in flames. Not only that, the creatures have also eliminated Superman, the most powerful hero of this Earth.

Batman, who is in the JLA satellite on monitor duty, discovers that Earth's atmosphere has become saturated with oxygen, and this surplus is igniting fires around the planet. The Flash is badly injured when the Over-Complex escapes the U.N. building. Green Lantern stays behind to take care of him in what could be his very last moments. Ultraa and Red Tornado go after the alien collective, while Wonder Woman is on a desperate search for the missing Superman. The Leaguers not involved in the trial are all over the world trying to contain the fires, which leaves only the Caped Crusader to find a solution to the problem at hand.

Wonder Woman rescues Superman from the bottom of the sea, badly hurt, but still alive. The Man of Steel explains that the creatures are using electrolysis to capture hydrogen from the oceans, and the residual oxygen has been accumulating in the atmosphere causing the fires. Once Superman and Flash are tended to, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern reconvene with Red Tornado, and together, track the Over-Complex to Ultraa's last known position.

Batman finds the space vessel used by the collective to dry the oceans, and successfully hurtles it out of the Solar System. Green Lantern uses his power ring to reverse the global electrolysis process and replenish the stolen water, but the dangerous manipulation of hydrogen has fatal consequences for the Over-Complex after their underground base explodes. Finally, Ultraa and the League put the past behind, and make amends after realizing they were being manipulated by the alien creatures.

The Brave And The Bold #164

The Brave And The Bold #164

(April, 1980)

"The Mystery Of The Mobile Museum!"

Cover by Jim Aparo, Tatjana Wood

Artist: José Luis García-López

Inks: Steven Mitchell

Colors: Adrienne Roy

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Letters: Ben Oda

Batman and Hawkman are collaborating in the transfer of two Eldritch statues from the Gotham Metropolitan Museum to the Midway City Museum, but things soon get out of control when the Dark Knight Detective and Museum Curator Shiera Hall (Hawkgirl) are attacked by a mysterious force.

To the amazement of everyone present, the Midway City Museum itself starts levitating, and quickly ascends leaving Earth's atmosphere. While Hawkman tries to penetrate the force field surrounding the museum, Batman is protecting himself and the unconscious Shiera from the harsh space environment and the attack by the exhibit pieces that have suddenly come to life.

The mysterious force that possessed the museum suddenly takes over Shiera, and as she grabs the Eldritch statues and departs, the building is returned to the ground and its proper place in Midway City. Batman cautions Hawkman from going after his wife, as this could potentially harm her, but the Winged Wonder ignores his friend's warnings and leaves on pursuit.

After a brief confrontation in mid-air, Shiera regains control of her mind and body, and she and Hawkman reconvene with Batman, who suspects that the force may not be malicious after all.

Almost in response, the mysterious energy manifests itself in front of the three heroes, and explains it belongs to an ancient raced called the Ma-Prusha. The Eldritch statues are in reality two deities adored by the Ma-Prusha, that, after a natural disaster ended up on Earth by chance. The energy being's mission is to retrieve the deities and return them home.

Batman and Hawkman offer their help carrying the statues through a cosmic wormhole, and after an agonizing trek that almost costs them their sanity, the two heroes successfully return the gods to their homeworld. Grateful for their assistance, the Ma-Prusha allow the heroes to go back to Earth, where Shiera awaits them with open arms.

Justice League Of America #164

Justice League Of America #164

(December, 1978)

"Murder By Melody!"

Cover by Rich Buckler, Dick Giordano, Todd Kline

Artist: Dick Dillin

Inks: Frank McLaughlin

Colors: Jerry Serpe

Writer: Gerry Conway

Letters: Ben Oda

Still recovering from his injuries, Red Tornado recounts the events of the hours following the League's defeat against Anton Allegro. Reconvening to determine their next move, the team deduces that Allegro's powers are mystical in nature, rather than technological or scientific.  This also explains why Zatanna was able to briefly break into the supernatural barrier holding her mother prisoner at the exact moment that Anton's synthesizer was playing.

Deciding to fight Allegro one last time, Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Zatanna, Flash, and Green Lantern teleport to Star City. There, they find the second volume of "Mystic Abominations," a forbidden book written in the 14th century, and that Allegro used to learn dark magic. Now discovering the source of his madness, Zatanna knows how to stop him.

Finding the musical madman in an abandoned theater, and directing a deadly concert played by evil spirits, the League charges against Allegro. The maid of magic uses her powers to augment Black Canary's cry, causing all the creatures to explode in agony. Then, Flash delivers the final blow defeating Anton, while Green Lantern gains possession of his mystic synthesizer.

Back in the Justice League's satellite, Hawkgirl and Superman have found the location of the mystic barrier imprisoning Sindella; it is a spot in the mountains of Northern Turkey. Upon hearing this, Zatara tells the League this is the place where he first met his wife and Zatanna's mother. Furthermore, he realizes that if the barrier does not originate in a spiritual realm, but in a place on Earth, then Sindella is alive. Red Tornado and Green Arrow stay in the satellite since they are still convalescing, while the League and Zatara depart into the unknown.

Time later, on a mountaintop in Northern Turkey, Zatanna starts playing Anton Allegro's synthesizer to weaken the mystic barrier, while Zatara casts the spell to breach it. At the same time, Green Lantern uses his power ring to protect Zatanna's mind from the "Mystic Abominations" madness. Suddenly, the barrier shatters revealing the Secret City, and the team rushes to explore it, but they are soon detected by a sentry who sounds the alarm.

In a matter of seconds the skies are darkened by an endless swarm of flying beings calling themselves the Hidden Ones, and the Justice League finds itself surrounded with no other option but that of surrender. They are soon taken before the Highlord, possessor of the Optic Gem and captor of one other who possesses the Medulla Jewel. When Zatanna and Zatara confront the leader of the Hidden Ones, they are horrified to discover that his prisoner is none other than Sindella herself. Zatanna has finally found her mother!

Legion Of Super-Heroes #278

Legion Of Super-Heroes #278

(May, 1981)

"Tragedy at the Top of the World!"

Cover by George Pérez

Artist: Jimmy Janes

Inks: Bruce D. Patterson

Colors: Gene D'Angelo

Writer: Gerry Conway

Letters: Todd Klein

Grimbor the Chainsman has surrounded Earth with a network of gigantic chains, preventing anything and everything from passing in or out of the atmosphere. Lighting Lad is leading Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Mon-El, Light Lass, and Timber Wolf on a mission to check out the energy chains, only to find that the indestructible shackles are tightening around the planet at an alarming rate. Unfortunately for them, none of their powers has any effect on the massive chain, but luckily, Saturn Girl is able to detect a faint mental link emanating from the North Pole and towards the fetters.

A second team formed by Star Boy, Shrinking Violet, Colossal Boy, Wildfire, and Element Lad, is serving as liaison between the Legion and the Earth Council, in hopes of obtaining more information and preventing the Council from interfering with Lightning Lad's team. Grimbor has made two demands in exchange for liberating Earth from the constricting chains: He must be made Supreme Dictator of Earth, and the Legion must be turned over to him. President Allon has been put in an impossible position, and the constant bickering between the Council, the Legion, and Grimbor, is making the situation even worse.

The third Legion team, led by Cosmic Boy, is at a spaceport looking into the equipment Grimbor procured to build his indestructible chains, but their mission is soon derailed as they come across the mysterious Reflecto, and a fight soon ensues. Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Block, and Cosmic Boy himself, fall before the enigmatic character, but when it's time to face Phantom Girl, Reflecto concedes and gracefully departs. The team achieves their goal, however, when they discover that Grimbor is using one of the largest power crystals in existence to energize the chains surrounding Earth.

Up in the North Pole, things take a turn for the worse when the Chainsman uses his deadly traps to capture Lightning Lad's group one by one. Blaming them for the death of his beloved Chandra, Grimbor readies himself to execute the Legionnaires, not before destroying the atmosphere first. Back at the spaceport, Cosmic Boy has become aware that contact has been lost with the North Pole team, so he and his squad take flight to the top of the world, not knowing they are being closely followed by Reflecto. Finally, in Metropolis, where Princess Projectra and Karate Kid have been coordinating operations, it is becoming almost impossible to breath, which means that Earth only has minutes left before its destruction!

Superman #353

Superman #353

(August, 1980)

"The Fantastic Foe Superman Could Never Meet!"

Cover by Ross Andru, Dick Giordano

Artist: Curt Swan

Inks: Frank Chiaramonte

Colors: Adrienne Roy

Writer: Cary Bates

Letters: Ben Oda

Troxx-5S, an alien from a far-advanced society in a parallel dimension where criminal acts are impossible, has been using the technology at his disposal to switch places with Superman. While the Man of Steel is transported to the unknown realm, Troxx-5S commits all sorts of crimes in Metropolis, from bank robberies and vandalism, to property destruction and hijacking. Getting dubbed by the citizens simply as The Demolisher, the alien criminal also takes advantage of the inter-dimensional switches to make it seem as if Superman is afraid to confront him.

The media quickly turns on Superman, and questions his absence and perceived inaction to the crisis, but Lois Lane quickly reassures him of her unbreakable trust and faith in him. In return, the Man of Steel gives her a space jewel she must keep with her at all times, while he plans the decisive move against The Demolisher.

Unknown to Troxx-5S, Superman has been learning a great deal about him and his home world during the inter-dimensional switches, so when The Demolisher returns to Earth one final time to commit the ultimate crime, the Man of Steel is more than prepared to counteract.

The alien marauder makes his way to the Galaxy Communications building, where he delivers a deadly strike against Lois, leaving everyone at WGBS in shock. Having committed cold-blooded murder, Troxx-5S fades back to his own dimension, victorious and at large... or so he believes.

Before the final switch, Superman designs a chair in the alternate dimension that will imbue Troxx-5S upon his return, with a purifying beam that will effectively turn him into the law-abiding citizen his crime-free society expects him to be.

Once Superman returns to Earth, it is revealed that Lois was never in danger, thanks to the space jewel she was carrying, protecting her from all types of destructive energy. While celebrating one more triumph against evil, Jimmy Olsen realizes that the Man of Steel was able to defeat an enemy he never even met in the first place.