By Derrick Ferguson

Issue Number Twenty-One

"Nothing Succeeds Like Success -- Part Three"

"Cool."

The single breathed word came from the mouth of Ted Kord, who was now garbed in the costume he wore as The Blue Beetle. His eyes behind the orange oval lenses of his mask were wide with appreciation as he entered the pressroom of The Justice Squadron’s HQ.

The room was comfortable enough to hold eighty reporters seated and there was room enough for another thirty to stand. The raised dais at the far end of the room contained a long, rectangular polished mahogany table with chairs for the Squadron members with gleaming brass plaques bearing their names. On the wall behind the table was the new logo for the team, a stylized, slanting JS in bright gold outlined in black.

"Like it?" Maxwell Lord slipped up behind Blue Beetle. "I hope so, because we’ll be getting a lot of use out of this room. I plan to have daily press conferences with any and all Squadron members who are available."

"And what if we’re NOT available? Say we’re out being dissected by Khundian warriors? Or having our brains sucked out of our skulls by alien parasites?"

Max shrugged. "I’ll handle it. Or Shilo. That’ll be one of his duties until I can hire a competent press secretary. Where is he, anyway? Have you seen him?"

Blue Beetle shook his head. "Not since Oberon introduced him to us. You think the kid’ll work out?"

"A kid trained by Mister Miracle and Oberon? If I don’t watch out, he may take my job before the year’s out. Where’s the rest of the team? The press conference is going to start in half an hour."

Captain Atom and Plastique walked into the pressroom, holding hands and talking quietly. Captain Atom’s silver face turned toward Max as he said, "There’s quite a mob outside, Max. You think they’ll all fit in here?"

"No, and I’m not going to even try. Gardinel is going to handle letting them in and making sure they’re orderly."

Plastique’s beautiful face frowned. "All by himself?"

"Hey, that cat’s no joke." Will Everett joined them, now dressed in his green and gold Amazing Man costume. "I was listening from an upstairs window while the G-Man was tellin’ the reporters how things are gonna be handled. One of ‘em gave him some lip and G-Man gave him a look that made the dude shut his mouth and slink away like he stole somethin’." Amazing Man grinned. "Bad cat you hired there, Max."

"You don’t know the half of it." Max placed his fists on his hips in annoyance. "It would be nice if the senior members of this team were here! Where the hell IS everybody else?"

"Right here, Max, calm down," Ralph Dibny stepped off the elevator, one arms wrapped protectively around Sue Dibny’s shoulders three or four times. "I’ve got Doctor Light with me."

"Thank goodness!" Max breathed. "But where’s Maya?"

Ralph answered that question easily; "she’s running a little late, Max…but Kimi assures me that she’ll be here."

Max frowned. "She’d better. There will be plenty of reporters from the Indian press here and I can’t begin to tell you how badly it will look if Maya’s not here as a representative of her country." He turned to Doctor Light. "You’re her running buddy. What could possibly be so important for her to miss this press conference?"

"She told me she had a small matter to attend to and then she would come straight to the press conference." Doctor Light said in that frosty, haughty, ‘back-off-and –I’ll-let-you-keep-your-lungs-inside-your chest’ voice that Ralph and Sue knew so well. "If you like, I can go fetch her…"

"No! Bad enough she won’t be here when it starts! Can you imagine the furor the press will make if the both of you aren’t here? It could be misconstrued that you two disapprove of the new members."

Doctor Light frowned. "It would be ridiculous for anyone to assume such a thing! And its not like we haven’t worked with Captain Atom and the others before..well, except for Amazing Man. And Plastique." Doctor Light’s voice held a trace of suspicion as she eyed the taller, red-haired woman. Doctor Light didn’t know how she was going to like having a reformed super villain on the team. But then again, she had taken her ‘professional name’ from the super villain who had once laid claim to it and she was STILL explaining to the press to this day that NO, she was most certainly NOT the illegitimate child of the first Doctor Light. It was a popular rumor that persisted and refused to go away.

Crimson Fox walked down the stairs to join them, looking as scandalously beautiful as always in her skin tight, one piece dark redwood brown costume with the flaring hood and long claws. The bodysuit fit so tightly that every curve of her slim, wonderfully trim form was quite apparent. Captain Atom and Blue Beetle had a hard time keeping their eyes off her. It HAD been a long time since they’d seen Constance D’Aramis in her Crimson Fox costume.

"Are we ready, Max? I’ve got Revson business to take care of in Austria and I need to fly there tonight."

"I know and I appreciate you staying for this, Fox." Max looked at his watch. "Okay, I’d rather get started on time than hold things up and start the press to speculating." Max pointed a finger at Ralph. "I’m officially notifying you as team leader that I’m going to fine Maya for her lateness and if she doesn’t have a damn good reason for being late, there will be further disciplinary action."

"Don’t you think you’re being awful hard on her, Max?" Amazing Man frowned and crossed thickly muscled arms across his chest. "We all got private lives, y’know. Maybe she’s got family problems she’s takin’ care of?"

"Let’s get something straight right here and now, Will," Max said firmly. "I’ve put my ass WAY out on a limb for this team. I’m busting my hump to make sure that this team isn’t going to be looked at as some second rate Justice League. In order to do that, I need to have some discipline and responsibility. If Maya wants to continue to be part of this Squadron, she’d better get used to the idea that this game has got a whole new set of rules. Am I clear on this point?"

Ralph smoothly stepped in between Max and Amazing Man, who had opened his mouth to speak. Ralph’s easygoing voice beat him to whatever he was going to say.

"Okay, gentlemen, I think we all just better concentrate on getting through the press conference. We can hash this out later on, among ourselves, okay?’

Amazing Man was not to be mollified so easy. "I didn’t sign on to be dictated to by-"

Captain Atom laid a hand on Amazing Man’s shoulder and said quietly, "Will, let it go for now. Ralph’s right. We can take as much time as we need later on to work this out."

Amazing Man nodded and turned away to walk into the pressroom, still angry, but subdued for now.

The others followed but Ralph motioned for Captain Atom to hang back so they could talk in private. In a low voice, The Elongated Man said, "Look, Cap, its not that I don’t appreciate your support and help, but I’d rather you’d let me handle problems like that on my own in the future, okay? The team’s going to be yours in a couple of months but for the time being, it’s still mine, right?"

"I’m not trying to step on your toes, Ralph. But you can’t get around the fact that Will IS used to taking orders from me."

"So was Blue Beetle and Plastique, but they seem to be fitting in just fine."

"Ralph, what’s really bothering you? We’ve worked together before and done so with no problems. What’s got you like this?"

Elongated Man motioned for Captain Atom to walk with him to the stage while he answered. "It’s just that…hell, I might as well come out and say it plain…I enjoy being The Squadron’s leader! I’m not all that sure I want to give it up! Not when you and the others are coming on board and we’ve got this new image and all. I just feel like I’m giving up just when things are really starting to pick up for us big time."

"Ralph, nobody’s making you leave The Squadron. The way Max explained it to me, you and Sue both wanted time off to be with the baby. And I think that’s a good idea."

"You want my job that bad, huh?"

Captain Atom shook his head. "No, it’s not that. When we arrived earlier today and I saw how excited Bette was about Sue being pregnant, it got me to thinking…Bette and I have never really sat down and talked about having children. Somehow, I think that’s going to change. And if Bette does want to have children, I’m leaving The Squadron in a New York minute so that I don’t make the same mistake I made with the children from my first marriage."

Ralph looked at the tall, silver skinned man with sympathy. "Sounds like you’ve got a lot of heavy stuff on your mind, pal. Tell you what: after this circus is over, what say we find us a quiet bistro somewhere and have a good long talk, just the two of us?"

Captain Atom smiled. "Thanks, Ralph. I’d like that."

Max yelled from the stage, "You want to join us up here, fellas? Gardinel’s letting the press in now!"

"You want me to break in WHERE?" Shilo Norman exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"Dummy up! You wanna tell the whole world what we’re up to?" Oberon said in a loud whisper, waving the youth to lower his voice.

"There’s no ‘we’ in this, Oberon! I can’t believe you want me to start my first day on a new job by breaking into the office of my new boss’s right hand man!"

"It’s in a good cause, trust me."

Shilo sighed and looked around to make sure nobody was in earshot. They were standing in the foyer, watching the press file inside the pressroom, shepherding by a glowering Gardinel. Shilo motioned for Oberon to follow them and they walked to a small office just off the main hall and he closed the door firmly. "Okay, Oberon, just what is all this about?"

Oberon stroked his left sideburn with a wide, scarred hand as he talked; "I was havin’ a chat with Sue Dibny and Constance and they were both tellin’ me how they’re a little leery of this Gardinel. And I gotta go along with them. I knew Max for quite a few years. Hell, I was his right AND left-hand man back when we were members of Justice League International and we became more than co-workers. We became damn good friends. I just wanna make sure that Max isn’t under some kinda mind control or something."

Shilo eyed the dwarf carefully. "Sounds to me like this sorta thing has happened to Mr. Lord before. Has it?"

Oberon dropped his eyes. "I really don’t wanna talk about it, kid. It was a time in his life that Max is not proud of. And it ain’t for me to go lettin’ his skeletons outta his closet. But I’m not leavin’ here until and unless I know Max is in his right mind and not bein’ used. Now, you in or you out?"

Shilo nodded. "I’m in. If my new boss IS bein’ mind controlled, I wanna know before I go givin’ him my Social Security number. What do you want me to do?"

Oberon grinned. "I’ll go keep tall dark and gruesome occupied with chit chat while you break into his office and see what you can find."

"Why don’t I just break into Max’s office?"

"You will. But AFTER you check out Gardinel’s office first."

"What am I looking for?"

"Anything and everything out of the ordinary. Anything I can use to confront Max with and force him or Gardinel to come clean."

Shilo sighed and shook his head. "I went through four years of college for THIS?"

"Don’t knock it, kid. Beats the hell outta flippin’ burgers in a McMunchie’s, don’t it?"

"Millicent O’Brien, The Daily Gleaner." A short, stocky woman with a beautiful tan that could only have come from the Bahamas stood up, having been the first reporter Maxwell Lord had pointed out. "Mr. Lord, most of us were reporters when most of the members of The Justice Squadron were ALSO members of Justice League Europe and we all know how THAT turned out. What’s different about The Justice Squadron?"

Maxwell Lord smiled. Millicent had come in right on time with the very first question he wanted asked. Max had gotten together with those members of the international press he still had pull with and they had gone over the questions and issues he wanted addressed.

"Thanks for putting that right on the table, Millie. First off, I want to make it quite clear that The Justice Squadron is NOT a branch of The Justice League of America. The JLA is concerned with threats on a global scale. They are considered by The United Nations to be a global metahuman peacekeeping force. Indeed, in recent years, they have played down the ‘America’ portion of their name to the extent where they are usually referred to as simply The Justice League."

"Mr. Lord!"

Max pointed. "Yes?"

"Loren Raydeen, The Daily Planet. So you’re saying that the Justice Squadron will be operating as a totally independent unit from The Justice League?"

"Not at all. The Justice Squadron will share certain classified intelligence databases with not only The Justice League. But with Blackhawk International, The Global Guardians, The Ultramarines and any other superhuman peacekeeping task force. Next question. Yes?"

"Armain Zozhin, Pravda. So what is the mission statement of The Justice Squadron?"

"Our mission statement is two fold. First: we will provide a first line of defense for all European nations against metahuman threats. Second, we offer a training program for those superhumans who for WHATEVER reason have not been invited to join The Justice League. We provide an alternative to their elitist attitude."

Captain Atom visibly started at this statement and touched Ralph on the arm. "Did you know he was going to say this?"

Elongated Man merely said, "Let him finish, Cap…"

Max adjusted his tie and continued to speak. "The Justice League consider themselves too busy to train and guide the newer generation of metahumans who are coming up. Every single member of the press here remembers when Superman had allegedly ‘died’ at the hands of Doomsday. There was a considerable amount of discord and chaos, not to mention heightened criminal metahuman activity due to that. My point is this: there must be a backup of superhumans who will be ready and willing to step up to the plate to defend this world in the event of a Superman or ANY of the superhumans we have come to depend on dying! And that’s the second part of The Justice Squadron’s mission statement: We are actively seeking and welcome ANY metahuman who is willing to join our team and come under the tutelage of some of the best and brightest of the metahuman community!"

There was a storm of flashbulbs as pictures were taken and microphones were shoved forward and shoulder mounted cameras were adjusted to catch a better shot as Maxwell Lord continued;

"The Justice Squadron will let The Justice League do what they do best, which is safeguarding the world from those extraterrestrial and other dimensional forces that threaten us! As the Administrative Consultant to The Justice Squadron, I pledge that we will devote our time to the menaces that threaten us here, but also to devoting our time to training and educating other European heroes so that they can take the knowledge and experience of the heroes you see here back to

their countries and better safeguard them against any and all threats!"

J’Onn J’Onzz watched the press conference from the main conference room with the giant round table emblazoned with the JLA logo. He sat quite relaxed with his hands folded on his stomach. But occasionally, his left hand would leave his stomach to go up to his mouth and soft crunching sounds would fill them room.

"J’Onn."

The Martian Manhunter swiveled around in his chair. He saw nobody. Where had that voice come form?

"Over here."

J’Onn swiveled back and then he saw him. A figure blacker than night. A nightmare worse than any imagination could dream of on Earth OR Mars.

The Batman.

He tossed a computer disk into J’Onn’s hand. "My report on a recent case I had that has some ties to Prometheus."

J’Onn caught the disk easily and placed in on the table. "I would give a considerable amount off my life span to gain the knowledge of just how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Do that, Bruce. You manage to sneak up on me every time. Sneaking up on Clark is bad enough, but I’m a telepath."

The slightest trace of a smile flirted on the open lips exposed by the midnight black cowl of The Batman. But he characteristically did not answer the question, but posed one of his own.

"How’s the Justice Squadron press conference going?"

J’Onn placed the computer disk on the table and settled back into his chair. "Quite well. They have a good team. And it’s always good to see Max again. He’s in rare form."

"Yes." The Batman turned away to melt back into the shadows, but was stopped by J’Onn’s voice.

"Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Why DIDN’T you ask Elongated Man to join our reformed Justice League?"

Batman turned back and was silent for a minute. Then he walked forward and stopped at the back of J’Onn’s chair and placed one midnight black gloved hand on the green shoulder of his alien friend.

"Ralph had no place in our reformed League, J’Onn. Our new League is one that was formed to face enemies that Ralph and HIS team would have had no chance against. They may one day. But not now. It’s OUR due to face those enemies."

"You agree with their mission to train other heroes, then?"

Batman turned away, his voluminous cape billowing after him. "I’ve always believed in training new soldiers to fight the war. Somebody better. It’s a new and more dangerous world. Clark was blessed enough to come back from the dead. Somehow, I don’t think the rest of us will have that luxury. This world is going to need others to protect it."

"Bruce."

The dark figure halted.

"Yes, J’Onn?"

"Stay and watch the rest of the press conference with me."

Batman turned and regarded the smiling face of The Martian Manhunter for about five seconds. Then he flowed over to the huge JLA table and seized his chair and pulled it next to The Martian Manhunter and settled back in.

"I have a regular patrol of Gotham in 50 minutes."

J’Onn smiled widened. "I’ll help you. Cookie?"

"I thought you were off the Oreos."

"These are chocolate chip. I find that they’re not as…habit forming as Oreos."

Batman reached out a hand and took the cookie.

Their mutual crunching filled the room as they turned their attention back to the screen.

Maya stood in the Atlantean wing of The Louvre Museum. She had told Dr. Light that she wanted to inform the museum security staff that it might be best if they placed the urn somewhere safe until she was able to bring the rest of The Justice Squadron in on this. There was something about that urn that disturbed her. The voices were getting louder and she had even heard them as she had been at the airport, watching Kimiyo receive the loving hugs and kisses from her children. On the way back to the chateau that had been lent to them by Crimson Fox, Maya had insisted on returning to the museum to make sure that the urn was put away.

The museum staff had been slightly disbelieving, but after all Maya WAS a Justice Squadron member and if she said that the urn might be dangerous…well, it would not hurt to put it a secure vault on one of the lower levels for a day or two..

She stood before the urn, looking at it intently. The voices were many and strident, pleading for freedom, pleading to be released from their prison. Maya’s eyes had glazed over. The longer she listened to the voices, the louder they became. One voice in particular was becoming even more louder, starting to overpower the others. It was a voice that sounded as loud as a black ocean in full storm, waves crashing against her ears.

Without being aware of it, flames began to dance on her fingertips.

"How’s it hanging’, big fella?" Oberon said easily, walking next to Gardinel and looking up at the tall man, a friendly grin on his wide face.

"Why would you be interested in WHAT is hanging?" Gardinel replied in that voice that was at once impossibly cultured and darkly menacing.

"Its an expression, G. An EARTH expression if you didn’t know."

"I know quite well what it is, little man. I am just not sure why you would ask it of me. We hardly know each other."

Oberon spread his hands innocently. "But that’s exactly my point, G! I mean, I guess you have the job I used to have, right? You’re Max’s assistant, right?"

"It was my understanding that the boy you brought with you is Mr. Lord’s assistant. I on the other hand am..how does Mr. Lord put it? His ‘point man’, I believe."

"Funny I never heard your name mentioned before. An’ me an’ Max were mighty close at one time."

"I’m trying to watch the press conference, little man. If you have a point to make, I wish you would and be done with it."

"Call me ‘little man’ one more time and you’re the one who’s going to be done, smartass, and don’t think I can’t do it either."

Gardinel looked down into the narrowed eyes and wickedly cruel smile of the dwarf and said slowly; "I apologize. You don’t deserve to be spoken to in that manner. I know of you and you’re a good man."

Oberon blinked. Somehow, he didn’t expect Gardinel to apologize of all things. The tall man had turned away from Oberon and returned his full attention to the press conference, leaving Oberon to regard him with a great deal of puzzlement.

"Mr. Lord! Mr. Lord! Vijay Armitraj, Bombay Herald!" Max recognized him and the lean Indian reporter stood up, visibly upset. "Why is it that Maya is not up there along with the other Squadron members? Is she or she not a member of the team?"

Max smiled easily and threw out his arm toward Ralph. "I’ll let the team’s leader, the world-famous Elongated Man answer that question for you, sir. Ralph?"

Ralph never left his seat, but his neck suddenly elongated, covering the nine feet or so between where he sat and the microphone at the podium. "Maya is currently investigating a situation that MAY lead to further involvement from the whole team. But at the present time she wished to carry on this investigation by herself."

"But why couldn’t another team member handle this so-called investigation? Why Maya?"

"Because Maya is our respected colleague and teammate, equally as capable in the field as any of the rest of us you see here. And if she thought her investigation was important enough to be late for the press conference, then we give her that respect and you should too."

Blue Beetle was grinning widely. He couldn’t help it. Damn, but that was smooth, Ralph! It was beginning to look more and more like he’d done the right thing by joining up. This team was strange. It was in a lot of ways tighter than the old JLE, but also looser, somehow…

His attention was pulled to Maxwell Lord, who was listening to his cell phone. He whispered some words into the phone and then snapped it shut and lifted his hands; "Ladies and gentlemen of the press! Please can I have your attention! I’m afraid that I have to cut this short! The Justice Squadron is urgently needed and they have to leave at once! Please make your way to the dining hall and partake of the refreshments there and I’ll have a statement for you shortly! Thank you!" Max stabbed a finger at Ralph and crooked it in a ‘C’mere you’ gesture. Ralph and the rest of The Squadron filed after Max.

Oberon frowned and started forward. "This don’t sound good. Mebbe I’d better-awp!" He was stopped by Gardinel’s hand on his shoulder.

"I’m going to need help controlling the press and YOU are elected, Oberon. Especially since Mr. Lord’s new assistant is conspicuously absent all of a sudden." Gardinel’s voice left absolutely no room from dissention and Oberon grinned back easily. Now wasn’t the time to rip Gardinel a new one, especially if it meant buying Shilo more time to search his office properly.

"Sure, why not? Anything for my new buddy Gardinel. Lead the way, G." Oberon followed the tall man into the dining hall, throwing a concerned look over his shoulder as The Justice Squadron filed into Maxwell Lord’s office and the door was firmly closed.

"You’ve got to get over to The Louvre Museum right away," Max said. "It’s Maya! She’s gone nuts! She ran into the place and gave them some cock and bull story about some ancient JUG was talking to her and the next thing they know, she’s throwing fire arrows at the security! Chased everybody out of The Atlantean wing! This is going to be a publicity nightmare!"

"Damn your publicity!" Doctor Light snapped and turned away. "I’m going to help her even if I have to go by myself!" Inside, she was seething with anger at herself, because really, she was the one to blame for this. She knew that Maya had been acting strangely around that urn earlier and she should have never let the girl go to the museum by herself.

"You’re ALL going and I want Maya brought back here so we can find out just the hell her problem is!"

"And you’re going to take it easy, Max," Captain Atom insisted. "I’m sure the girl had a reason for whatever she did. Maybe she had to get everybody out of there for their own safety."

"WhatEVER!" Doctor Light raged, shaking a fist at them. "Are you all just going to stand around and yammer all damned day?"

"Cap, you and Doc Light go on ahead, scout out what’s goin’ on," Ralph ordered quickly. "Beetle, your bug’s on the roof, right?"

"Gassed up and ready to go, pal."

"We’ll take it."

Captain Atom nodded. "Any orders as to what we do when we get there?"

Elongated Man merely smiled and said; "use your best judgment, Cap. I trust you."

Captain Atom and Doctor Light were both pretty fast fliers and it didn’t take them long at all to arrive at The Louvre. The Parisian police, with a two-block cordon, already sealed off the building in effect. Doctor Light and Captain Atom landed on the steps and waved to the police to signify that they were going on in.

"Better let me go first, Doctor," Captain Atom suggested. "I can take a pretty good hit."

"No!" Doctor Light lifted her arm and formed a large round shield of solid light energy from knuckles to elbow. "Its my responsibility to go first! This…this is my fault."

The Captain’s silver face frowned. "I don’t understand—"

"And you don’t have to! Just back me up!"

This wasn’t the time to debate the volatile Doctor Light, so Captain Atom followed her into The Louvre’s Atlantean wing. It certainly didn’t look like a modern, 21^st Century museum anymore. The walls were covered with a glittering, crusty greenish-gold mold that was spreading even more rapidly over the floor and ceiling. Maya was suspended in midair, outlined in a corona of flame, her eyes black pools of emptiness that stared sightlessly upwards.

Below her, a man shaped form of obsidian, with two huge rubies in each palm and a figure eight of small crystals on its face stood, drinking in Maya’s power, leeching the flames right out of her very soul.

"BASTARD!" Doctor Light screamed, dropped her force shield and extended her hands, palms outwards. Two blazing rods of concentrated solar energy streaked across the room and smashed the obsidian figure in the chest, throwing it backwards to collide with a thick carved pillar that shattered like glass. Rubble toppled onto the obsidian man, raising a storm cloud of mold and dust.

Captain Atom had caught Maya and flown back to Doctor Light’s side. "Remind me never to make you mad," he said as he knelt, placing the girl on the floor, supporting her shoulders and helping her to a sitting position. Maya’s eyes had returned to normal and they focused slowly on Doctor Light’s anxious face. "Kimi…?"

"I’m here, child. I’m going to get you out of here right now."

"Good idea. I’ll stay and handle things here." Captain Atom said quietly, standing up slowly.

"Handle what? I blasted—" Doctor Light’s voice trailed off as she saw the obsidian man standing up, shoving huge chunks of rocks of him. He turned his face toward Captain Atom and the crystals began to glow.

"Get out now! And don’t come back without reinforcements!" Captain Atom’s fists and eyes began to crackle with quantum energy as he prepared himself for serious combat.

Forming a solid platform of energy, Doctor Light lifted the groggy Maya and flew through the winding corridors of the museum until she reached the outside where the huge oval shape of The Bug, Blue Beetle’s personal airship/flying laboratory had landed. The other Squadron members had disembarked and crowded around the two women, asking excited questions. It was Elongated Man who snapped them back into shape with quick, clipped orders: "Save it for the wrap-up when this is over! Amazing Man, Doctor Light, Crimson Fox, I want you guys back in the museum! Plastique, take care of Maya! Beetle, you and I—"

Plastique snapped, "I’m not playing nurse while my husband is—"

There was sudden crack of discharged energies and Captain Atom exploded through a hole blown in the museum wall, to crash to the ground with a hideously painful impact. He rolled on his side, groaning. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, shaking himself to clear his head.

Amazing Man reached down and touched the ground and in seconds, his body had transformed into living concrete as Blue Beetle whipped out his BB Gun, which could fire concentrated blasts of compressed air and blinding strobe bursts. Elongated Man stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Captain Atom, lifted him up and out of harm’s way as the obsidian man stepped through the hole.

"Mon dieu…" Crimson Fox breathed as the obsidian man’s hand ripped at his rocky skin, tearing it apart as easily as if it were cardboard until his head and shoulders were revealed. It was a human head, bearded and mustached, the black eyes glittering with unbridled malevolence and gleeful evil. The face of a devil reincarnated.

"AT LAST!" He roared. "After all this time, I have at last been once again reborn and THIS time I shall not be stayed by having my long delayed revenge!" The black eyes turned upon The Justice Squadron. "Tremble, little mortals and make peace with whatever puny effectual gods you worship, for DEIMOS OF SKARTARIS walks your world and soon every soul inhabiting it will be MINE!"

NEXT ISSUE: If its action you want, you’re gonna get more than your share as The Justice Squadron slugs it out in the heart of Paris against an undead foe who’s unlike any they’ve ever faced! It’s their baptism of fire in "All Undead Wizards Are NOT Alike!"