by Tynnechris
Continued from The Legion of Justice: On Our Own
Continued from Superman Family: The Adventures of Jemi Olsen
Continued from Secret Origins: The Secret Origin of Kiku
Continued from Showcase: Stretch O’Brien: Weekend in Vegas
For those who came in late:
The Legion of Justice was the twenty-third century’s greatest heroes and the heroic heirs of the Justice Society of America. After they discovered a plot by the insidious Mekanique to change history for the worse, the Justice Legionnaires had to figure out how to travel through time themselves in order to save the past. Three squads were sent back in time by the Legion of Justice: Squad A was led by Canary to warn the JSA, Squad B was led by Kid Terrific to find the fabled files of the second Monitor, and thus learn the key to saving their time without causing devastating paradoxes, while Squad C was led by Chemique to discover the truth about the attack of a giant robot at the World’s Fair that may have been Mekanique.
Unfortunately, good as they were at the super-hero biz, they were rookies to the game of time travel, and the insidious Mekanique had a vast advantage technologically. Her mechano-spatial powers gave her superior time-travel ability. Plus, without guesswork, she was able to determine which events would restore the fascistic future of Joh Fredersen, the scientist Rotwang, and the future Metropolis where Mekanique had originated, and which would destroy the future of the JSA’s legacy. Unknown to the Legion, Mekanique had also allied herself with the Ultra-Humanite of 1985, who was supplying her and the Legion of Justice’s worst enemies — the mysterious Legion of Doom — with additional members and power.
The Legion of Justice had to act soon, or their forebears would be killed, and thus them as well.
***
The year 1942:
Diana, princess of the Amazons, was dreaming. It was not a pleasant dream. She dreamed of a futuristic city full of towering buildings and strange vehicles. Flying and running throughout the city were dozens of men and women wearing brightly colored costumes. And towering above it all was a titanic woman — no, not a woman, a machine made of golden metal — that seemed to sneer at the tiny beings below.
“Hear me, All-Star Squadron! I have brought you now to this city of the future… where you will meet your death at the hands of Mekanique!“
A gruesome battle then ensued. All of the brightly garbed beings tried to fight, only to be fried by the robotic monstrosity’s blasts. Even the Spectre and Green Lantern only seemed to feed the robot’s murderous frenzy when they tried their unearthly might. Finally, only Liberty Belle and Johnny Quick remained. Libby Lawrence Chambers clung to her husband, the injured speedster, and looked up to see a giant gold foot closing in.
“No!” she screamed, “Nooo–”
Diana awoke, screaming the same word.
“Hera! Again that same dream. My allies, my friends — all murdered. But where was I?! A few others were missing as well. By the gods, what does it mean?”
The robot Mekanique had turned up at the Perisphere headquarters of the All-Star Squadron a few months ago. She claimed she was from the future and that the future would be saved if the All-Star Squadron saved the lives of a few people. Robotman seemed quite taken with her. (*) Why had Diana dreamed of her — doing that to her friends? If it was an omen, then she would prepare herself.
[(*) Editor’s note: See “I Sing the Body Robotic,” All-Star Squadron #58 (June, 1986) “Out of the Ashes, Mekanique,” All-Star Squadron #59 (July, 1986) “The End of the Beginning,” All-Star Squadron #60 (August, 1986).]
She felt cold as she remembered the sight of the greatest heroes the world had to offer — crushed like they were nothing.