The Legion of Super-Heroes

Times Past, 2979

Ghost Story

by Libbylawrence

A beautiful young blonde girl soared through the skies over thirtieth century Earth and smiled as she recognized a familiar row of noble statues that lined a stately and busy boulevard. She flew with an easy grace that entirely belied the fact that Kara Zor-El had only gained the ability to fly after her arrival on Earth in her teens. Before the combination of the sun’s coloration and the planet’s gravity acted upon her Kryptonian heritage to grant her the remarkable abilities she would later use as the heroic Supergirl, Kara had only dreamed of such flight!

Now, the Maid of Steel was proficient enough with her super powers to do far more than merely defy gravity. She could travel through time itself and traverse the centuries between 1979 and 2979 with ease. She smiled as a group of tourists on a passing hover bus pointed and gasped in awe and admiration as her costumed form sped by. She waved to them before increasing her speed and drawing nearer to one of the most famous landmarks on the Earth of the future. “Legion of Super Heroes HQ is such an inspiring sight! I know them all as good friends but I still feel a real sense of awe at what they’ve all accomplished and how much they mean to the United Planets of this era! That’s saying a lot from a girl who can call Superman himself her cousin!” she thought.

Supergirl wore her customary costume which consisted of a long sleeve blue blouse, red shorts, red boots, and a red cape. She shook her head as she thought about how much fashion had changed between her era of 20th century Earth and the Legion’s own 30th century. “I know styles have become more daring in my own time since I first arrived on Earth as a survivor of the destruction of Argo City but I doubt that my secret identity of Linda Lee Danvers would be welcome at Vandyne University if she showed up wearing outfits like those favored by Saturn Girl or Shadow Lass!” she thought. She referred to the fact that her heroic role of Supergirl only took up part of her time. With the help of a brown wig, she also enjoyed a more routine life as Linda Lee Danvers although even Linda had gained a lot of travel experience in her time as a college graduate student.

“Then, again drama majors are known for their colorful sense of style!” she mused playfully before landing in front of the complex. She glanced around and then spotted a young couple who had been laughing amongst themselves until they saw her arrive. “Chuck and Luornu seem to be closer than ever! I’m glad! They deserve happiness! Poor Duo Damsel has suffered so much in the past. As a native of Cargg, Triplicate Girl possessed the ability to replicate herself into three separate bodies until one of those bodies was killed by Computo. She should have died after such a loss but she recovered and carried on her Legion career under the more apt name Duo Damsel! Chuck “Bouncing Boy” Taine seems like the perfect guy to bring a smile back to her face!”

Chuck was a rotund young man with a double chin and a broad grin. She also knew that behind the manner of class clown, he was also a sensitive and thoughtful man. He wore the solid blue costume that expanded along with his own body when he employed his unique ability to swell up like a human balloon!

Lu Durgo wore a striking costume of orange and purple with ornate golden thigh-high boots. Her brown hair curled slightly on one side to frame her face. She called out a greeting to Supergirl as the pair approached her. “Supergirl! Welcome back! It has been far too long since you last visited us!” she said.

Supergirl embraced them briefly and said, “I’m happy to see you two as well! Believe me when I say that it has only been due to my busy and ever-changing schedule back home that I’ve been absent for so long!”

Chuck grinned and said, “Brainy will be glad to hear that! I’d hate for the poor guy to think you were too busy dating guys in your time to see him!”

Lu elbowed him and said, “Seriously, Kara, since Superboy resigned, we’ve missed having a Kryptonian around when things get dangerous! Not that we don’t like you for more than your muscles!”

Chuck rolled his eyes in mock lasciviousness and said, “Speak for yourselves, Lu!”

Supergirl said, “When you signaled me via the link in my dorm room at the sorority, I was glad to come. Of course, I have to eventually get around to thinking up an excuse to my roommates about why that one lamp keeps blinking at odd moments!”

Lu said, “Supergirl, I think you’ll find your stay here to be rather dull. We only summoned you since we’re extremely low on power right now due to a mission that took almost all the others away from this era!”

Supergirl said, “Really? Please tell me more!”

Chuck said, “Kara, recently the Fatal Five got their hands on a time manipulation device that literally allowed them to go back to Superboy’s era and alter time itself so that the Legion never formed! Well, naturally, Superboy and some of the others put things back to normal and captured them but by that time, Mon-El in particular became concerned about that kind of tactic become a frequent threat to us! As team leader, he took nearly the whole team to secure all existing time- manipulation technology and to check the time stream itself to make sure the Fatal Five’s tampering had not left any trouble spots!”

Supergirl nodded and said, “My! I can imagine how risky that kind of threat could be! When you consider how long Mon-El spent in the Phantom Zone as a helpless observer of history, I can understand why he’d want to do everything in his power to make sure that time itself never becomes a weapon for your foes!”

Bouncing Boy said, “Of course, the Time Trapper and Glorith have both used time against us before too so Mon’s precautions may not be enough. Still, we expect that kind of attack from the Trapper. We didn’t imagine creeps like Mano, and Persuader would ever pull such a metaphysical ploy!”

Supergirl said, “I’ll be happy to spend some time here and help you all deal with anything that pops up like the others are away! I do hope to see Brainy before I return though! We need to talk.”

Duo Damsel said, “I know our resident genius would love that! He …!” Before the pretty brunette could finish speaking, a shrill scream echoed through the building.

The three Legionnaires flew down the hall and soon reached the scene of the cry. Dream Girl (Nura Nal) the platinum haired beauty from Naltor had been screaming and now, the trio rushed to calm her down as she recovered from what could only be called a nightmare! “Nura, are you OK? Did you have a bad dream?” asked Chuck.

Nura sat up and swung her bare legs off the side of her bed as she regained her composure. “Bad dream? Chuck, my bad dreams are equivalent to your light snacks! You certainly have a gift for understatement! My nightmares aren’t just scary images drawn from my sleeping mind. They are often visions of future events!”

She shook her head in disgust and then rolled her eyes before nodded slowly as she gathered a new resolve. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I saw something that truly frightened me. If this nightmare does come true in the way I saw it unfold in my sleep, then I’m going to lose my closest loved one!” she said.

Lu reached over to hand Nura a robe and then bit her lip as she realized the filmy garment was nearly transparent in design. Nura was something of an exhibitionist at the best of times. “You mean your sister? You saw something happen to your younger sister Mysa?” asked Supergirl.

Dream Girl whispered, “I saw her corpse! I saw Mysa’s dead body!”

She turned to Lu and said, “I have to go to her! I know the team has been greatly reduced because of Mon’s mission but I can not stay here while she is in such danger! She and I are the ones left in our family. I promised our mother that I would always look after Mysa. As it is, I’ve failed them both!”

Supergirl placed one hand on the other woman’s shoulder and said, “Nura, you have not failed them! You saved Mysa when she had been transformed into the Hag. You guided her back to Zerox where she found her own destiny. She loves studying magic there with the wizards of Teachers Isle. I know you’ve said that before!”

Nura nodded and said, “Thank you Kara. I appreciate your support but I have to check on Mysa.”

Duo Damsel said, “We understand. Why don’t we meet with the others who are still here and make some plans? Perhaps, a couple of us could join you if we coordinate our efforts with the Subs!” She referred to the group of brave young people who had failed to gain membership in the true Legion but had found a place together as substitute heroes who helped out the original team when need arose. Dream Girl agreed and they hurried to where two other young men were talking in animated tones.

The taller man had dark hair and wore a green and gold uniform. He came from the planet Bismol and shared the ability to consume and digest almost any quantity of any substance. As Matter Eater Lad, Tenzil Kem had put those abilities to use as a Legionnaire in good standing. He was a personable young man with an outgoing manner in spite of a troubled family life; however, Kara had seldom seen him as agitated as he was at the moment. He turned away from his shorter friend Chemical King (Condo Arlik) who wore a solid green costume and gazed at a computer screen.

“We’ve been getting calls from the Science Police! The whole system is going crazy! We’re under attack! An army is making its way through the city! They seemed to just materialize as if by magic!” he said.

Dream Girl pushed past him and looked at the screen. She saw scenes from several different locations in the huge city; however, while the exact locales differed from one another the events displayed were frighteningly similar. Cloaked and hooded figures were marching through the streets leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Buildings, bridges, and vehicles all met with a swift collapse or ruination as they passed! “By the High Seer! They are plowing through the Science Police with ease! They seem to just ignore laser fire!” she said softly.

Matter-Eater Lad said, “Exactly! The timing could not be worse! The seven of us are on our own!”

Supergirl frowned and asked, “Seven? Is another Legionnaire here?”

At that moment a humanoid figure flickered into view in their midst. He was a handsome man with brown hair and a thoughtful nature that combined the body of the athlete with the introspected air of the scholar. “Lyle, what’s with you today? You’ve been spending more time invisible than you have in plain sight!” said Chemical King as his friend and mentor Lyle Invisible Kid Norg returned to his visible state.

Lyle nodded in a slow and almost distracted manner. “I’m sorry, Condo. You are entirely correct. I have not been myself lately. Something about those invaders disturbs me greatly. I’m most disconcerted by them!”

Chemical King said, “We’ve got to stop them! With every moment, they spread disaster! Even the areas not under attack are suffering from congestion and emergency droids are being stretched to the limits as regular crews are being torn away from dealing with fires, illness, and other routine emergencies!”

Bouncing Boy said, “Leave it to our master of chemical reactions to think in terms of the big picture!”

Supergirl said, “Nura, so much about this army suggests magic. Could this relate to your vision about Mysa?”

Dream Girl’s eyes stared vacantly for a moment and then she said, “Yes! I had a brief vision just then! There is magic in the air and it is tied to Mysa! I can sense as much. Call it part precognition and part plain old female intuition but this group of invaders has something to do with her! I’d even say that they are using magic as their form of attack!”

Chemical King said, “Sure! I don’t understand the details but I can tell that the way they are breaking down matter in their path is a form of magical manipulation! It’s kind of like a mystical version of my own mutant power!”

Supergirl said, “My super senses detect something equally weird about these invaders. They are totally silent. They aren’t speaking to their victims or to one another. They aren’t receiving orders from any general. They just swarm like some kind of human bees!”

The Legionnaires flew out of their HQ and made their way to the heart of Metropolis Park where the masked figures were systematically attacking anyone who came within reach!

Science Police patrols were working desperately with hastily summoned U.P. Fleet soldiers to try to stem the tide but the troops ignored physical blows and delivered their own attacks with an uncanny ease!

Supergirl swooped down to catch a falling hover car as its driver cried out in fear. “The motor just died! That masked man just waved at my vehicle and it stopped working!” he said as the Girl of Steel caught it and gently lowered it safely to the ground.

“I saw the whole thing. Don’t worry, we’re going to get to the bottom of this right now!” she vowed. She scanned the army with her x-ray vision and frowned as she saw their features beneath their masks. “Great Krypton! Few of them share any common planetary origin that I can detect! They seem to be from every known world in the U.P.! What could unite so many diverse races?” she thought.

Meanwhile, her friends were doing their best to bring order to the scene. Bouncing Boy’s expanded form was wildly careening off of objects as he skillfully directed his movement and carried a few frightened kids to safety by bouncing over the heads of the army below. “Wheee! You’re never too young or too old to ride the Chuck Taine express!” he cried as he tried to cheer up the startled kids. “Folks think being a morale officer is easy for a guy like me but they don’t know even I have to force myself to keep grinning when things look as grim as this!” he mused.

His beloved Duo Damsel was fighting wildly below with only partial success. “Having twice the strength of a girl my size helps a little but these terrible soldiers barely feel my best punches and kicks!” she thought. She spun around and kicked a soldier across the chest but he staggered briefly and then resumed his march!

Chemical King was having some luck as he concentrated and used his mutant power to cause the pavement below the troops to decay at a super fast rate! They fell into a widening pit and he nodded in grim approval! “Thank goodness none of them can fly!” he thought. He used his power upon himself and briefly enjoyed boosted strength and speed as he fought the cloaked figures before the enhanced metabolic might wore off. “I can’t do that very often but it sure helps when I can!” he thought.

Nearby, Matter –Eater Lad was clearing a path through a narrow gate for some fleeing elderly couples. “I’ll just eat a path through the gate for you in no time!” he said between bites!

A hooded soldier raised his hands as Invisible Kid stumbled into his path. Before bolts of blazing energy could strike the hero, Duo Damsel split into two bodies and took action!

One Duo Damsel tackled the soldier even as her other body grabbed Lyle Norg and pulled him away from the path of danger! “Head’s up, IK!” she warned.

Dream Girl was dodging attackers even as she dropped and rolled across the ground to rise up and fire a discarded police blaster at a soldier. “The stun setting just bounces off of them! I can’t risk using kill. That would violate the Legion code!” thought the platinum blonde beauty. She flipped away from the hands of an attacker and then crashed into him after gaining a bit of speed and altitude via her flight ring. She fought on with her normal courage and impressive skill but she also worried about her sister as she struggled to wrestle a female away from a helpless victim.

Nura gasped as she pulled a mask away from the woman’s head to reveal the emotionless face of her own sister! “Mysa! What have they done to you?” she whispered.

The lovely Mysa Nal had her sister’s beauty and grace but her unnatural pallor and her silence marked her as one apart from the norm. She showed no emotion as she fought with her sister until Nura realized that the girl was not truly there! Her physical form fought like a machine but she displayed neither human warmth nor intellect. Her eyes were cold and distant.

“She’s dead! This is what I saw! Her corpse is being moved by some magical puppet master! All of them are lifeless bodies!” she said as tears filled her eyes.

Supergirl was busy as well as she spun around at super human speed and created a whirlwind that swept many dozens of the invaders into the air and in her flight path. She swept them into an open lot where a building was going to be constructed over the remains of an empty structure. Before they could escape, she used super strength, speed, and friction to create a solid metal box around them. “That instant prison won’t hold them long! They seem to be using magic to dissolve any such restraints in which they are placed!” she said.

She turned to see Nura and Mysa and realized what was occurring as her super brain processed the data. “I see why so many of them come from different worlds. Magic is what unites them. All of them must be or must have been pupils on Zerox the magic planet! They’ve been enslaved and forced to use their magic to attack the city!”

She raced down and tapped Mysa on the chin without any result except for a monetary collapse by the enslaved girl who regained her feet in seconds. “I tried to gently knock her out but she still fights on. They are almost immune to pain!” she said.

Nura said, “But they do feel something! Lu and you are having a bit of success against them due to your enhanced strength! That means she is still alive!”

Supergirl nodded and said, “I detect a heart beat. All of them are alive but it is like their minds or souls have been removed!”

Dream Girl said, “Help me get Mysa back to HQ! We can examine her there and cure her! Any spell can be broken!”

Chemical King said, “Maybe, my power over reactions can speed up her recovery!”

Dream Girl said, “Supergirl, the ones you captured are already getting free! We can’t do any good here. We need to regroup. Let’s return to HQ!”

Supergirl nodded and gathered the others along with a struggling Mysa as she led them through the air to Legion HQ.

***

Back at the Legion lab, Invisible Kid and Dream Girl exchanged worried glances. The two of them were the most skilled scientists of the seven currently left on Earth.

Dream Girl said, “Nothing Condo tried helped at all. Both slowing and stimulating Mysa’s metabolism failed to change her condition. She is not suffering from a physical malady that might be responsive to his powers. She is under a spell like all of her peers and teachers. I think we both know that only one being in all the cosmos could take control of the bodies of an entire planet of magic adepts!”

Invisible Kid replied, “Mordru! He once ruled Zerox before the Legion defeated him. I guess he could have escaped from his entombment! He certainly has the malice and the motive to pull such a stunt!”

Dream Girl said, “After we defeated him, his empire crumbled and his forces dispersed. It was only his raw power and the fear he created in his pawns that allowed him to hold them all to begin with!”

Supergirl said, “He doesn’t need his old army now. He’s turned all the residents of Zerox into his soulless pawns. He’s even granted them all some limited invulnerability.”

Dream Girl held Mysa’s hand and looked at her still form. “Daxamite sedatives have kept her out but not every sentient can stand that kind of narcotic. We don’t want to kill any of the helpless victims he has enslaved!”

Invisible Kid said, “I imagine that the nature of the sedative is what keeps Mordru from forcing Mysa to continue to fight us. He knows that even his level of power could not animate an inert body without serious harm coming to the being’s cellular structure. He doesn’t want to lose his new army before he has gained his goals!”

Supergirl said, “And from what I’ve read about Mordru, those goals can only spell serious trouble for the United Planets! He was a tyrant who conquered all of the Sorcerers’ World and tried to expand his empire through space via his dark magic. The Legion trapped him in an airless vault and that left him helpless since he has some type of psychological phobia involving loss of air! Apparently, he escaped from that vault and later ended up buried once more!”

Chemical King nodded and said, “His power is so great that even the Legion has never been able to do more than contain him temporarily. In a contest of sheer power, he’d win against all of us put together!”

Dream Girl said, “We have to cure Mysa and the others before the strain of his magical control becomes too much for their bodies to handle.”

Invisible Kid had wandered aside and now brooded as he stared into space. Chemical King slipped over to where his friend was standing and whispered insistently. “Lyle, what’s with you? You were there for me when my own planet was ready to write me off as a living menace. You helped me control my powers and taught me to think of myself as more than a mutant freak! I’d like to help you too. I can tell something is bothering you.”

Invisible Kid said, “Condo, I am a man of science. There was a time when I was giving Brainy a run for his money when it came to inventive concepts. Well, I’m almost scared to admit this but I’m seeing ghosts!”

Chemical King said, “You mean you’re suffering from some type of hallucination? That could be due to your constant hard work in the lab. You push yourself too severely, pal!”

Lyle smiled ruefully and said, “I’m serious. When I use my power to turn invisible I don’t merely become difficult to detect. I think I’ve breached some portal to an otherworldly dimension. Now, when I become invisible you can’t see me but I can see them!”

Chemical King said, “Who? What is it you see?”

“I see phantoms or ghosts! I think my formula may be having serious effects on my mind! I’m afraid I’m losing my sanity!” he said.

Supergirl stepped closer and placed her arm around him. “Lyle, I would not eavesdrop for the world but I heard part of what you just said to Condo. You know with the Phantom Zone where Kryptonian criminals were imprisoned and Tinya’s planet Bgztl, it is not so strange to conceive that you are stepping into a dimension that is out of sync with our own. You might just be getting a partial glimpse into such a dimension and the ghosts are the natives of that limbo!”

Invisible Kid said, “I’ve considered that possibility but why would such an effect suddenly begin when I’ve used my invisibility formula for years without experiencing anything like this before?”

Dream Girl said, “Because you aren’t seeing ghosts and you’re not seeing into another realm. You’re viewing the disembodied spirits of Mordru’s pawns! Perhaps, they are trying to communicate with us and your unique power makes you especially receptive!”

Invisible Kid said, “The phenomenon did manifest itself recently and that could have been when Mordru took over on Zerox! He drove their spirits out of their material forms and enslaved their bodies as you deduced!”

Dream Girl said, “Lyle, return to your invisible state and try to talk to them! Perhaps, I could use your formula and talk with Mysa herself!”

Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel rushed into the room and Lu announced, “The Subs are doing their best to keep order with help from the S.P’s and the military but we can’t do more than hold our ground.”

At that moment green fire blazed through the room and the Legionnaires saw a massive figure looming up over them! He had a long white beard, eyes that blazed with a red intensity, and the costume of a wizard. “Mordru!” gasped Duo Damsel!

Mordru scowled and spoke in stentorian tones as he faced his foes. None of them even had a chance to fight against him since his incredible power contained each one in a tight glowing field of magical energy. Even Supergirl could not break free from the prison! “This day has been destined ere first you dared oppose me! Your peers will not return from their sojourn through time and space. I have banished them all! I will return them when and if a whim moves me to do so and that will only be to torment and destroy them at will!”

Supergirl said, “You were buried! How did you escape?”

Mordru laughed harshly and said, “Maid of Steel, your hated kinsman took advantage of my weakened state to bury me within the soils of Smallville for it was in that spot that I fell victim to my own power! My mystic might was ready to kill Superboy and his allies when the raw energy of my spell broke down a cavern and left me trapped beneath the rubble! I could neither move nor cast a spell!”

Duo Damsel nodded and said, “I was there! Shady, Mon, Superboy and I were there!”

Mordru glared at her and a small gesture from his hands tightened the green energy sphere that held her. She cried out in pain as her body was squeezed by the energy.

“Leave her alone! Isn’t it beneath one of your power to torture a helpless girl?” cried Bouncing Boy.

Mordru smiled coldly and said, “Everything is beneath me but such measures bring me pleasure! I remained trapped beneath the soils of Smallville within the twentieth century as you measure time. I could not escape but once briefly I was able to manifest my powers through time itself and create a duplicate of your Cosmic Boy with which to bedevil Superboy and lure him to this era. While he was thus occupied in this eon, I freed myself and sought to use blood crystals to turn his own race against him in his time! I had to use mystical relics since my own power had not fully returned as yet following my long entombment.”

Chemical King said, “I remember hearing about that case from Rokk Krin! He and Superboy disposed of the magical double you’d created. When Superboy returned to his own time, he eventually stopped you again and buried you right back where you were before!”

Mordru nodded and said, “And thus, I remained helpless and impotent except for the fiery fury that burned in my heart!”

Dream Girl said, “And yet you were too smart to remain trapped for long!”

Mordru said, “Do not try to play games of the mind with me, girl! I see your motive all too clearly! I will answer since your Naltorian stock comes from a race once dear to me! Your enemies the Fatal Five claimed a renegade time manipulation device and used it to alter time so that your team of paladins never came to be! That effect was undone by your petty band but while such a restoration of time went unnoticed by most beings, such was not the case with Lord Modru!”

“I was no longer trapped since your Legion had ceased to exist for that moment in altered time. They never formed and we never fought. I claimed my freedom in that fleeting instance and remained free when all else returned to the way it had been once you undid the felonious work of the Fatal Five!”

“I vowed to regain the hold I once had on Zerox and thus, I took them by surprise and possessed them all! I banished their puny wills and spirits and marched their enslaved bodies through space itself to bring war and bloody ruin to this planet which alone defied my rule!”

Supergirl said, “And yet you want more power! I can tell you have something more in mind! Why else would have trapped us instead of ridding time of us like you did with our friends?”

Modru chuckled and said, “You are correct, Daughter of Argo City. I did erect barriers to keep out your friends. They can no more return to this timeline than you can free yourselves from yon sphere of eldritch fire! I do offer you seven a chance to prolong your lives as my slaves! I want you to seek out an item of magical power which will give me a greater hold upon this world and many more to come!”

Duo Damsel said, “What is it? Why can’t you claim it yourself?”

He said, “I am not yet at my full level of power. Thus, I must use other lesser beings to do my bidding. The teachers and pupils of Zerox will be my army while you Legionnaires will go a questing for the Crystal of Chaos!”

Matter-Eater Lad said, “What is that? Why would we help you gain even more power? Are you daft old man?” He gasped as the magical fire blazed brighter and heat rose from his body.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him!” We’ll obey you!” cried Chemical King.

Mordru said, “Tis so and twas ever so! Mordru commands and all rush to obey!” He turned to glance down at Mysa and a strange expression crossed his face. He reached down to caress her and at his touch she sat up and new light returned to her eyes!

“Nura! By the Seer, I’ve been so helpless!” she cried.

Dream Girl struggled but could not move out of the energy that confined her. “Mysa! Praise the Seer! You’re restored!” she said.

Mordru said, “Aye! I restore this child since she and I have ever had a special bond. I made her the Hag by touching her with mine own essence and even in this comely form, she belongs to me!”

Mysa said, “I would die to stop you! I would die to see your power end!”

Mordru said, “And yet while you burn with hatred for me, consider this, fair Mysa, it is through my will alone that you retain awareness and enjoy the use of your own body!” He encircled her with his emerald fire and turned to face the Legionnaires.

“The Crystal of Chaos was lost in the twentieth century when the world then called New Mars came to a sudden end. Thus, I will bend time itself once more and allow you passage to that era to retrieve that mystical relic for me. Bring it to me and live as my pets. Defy me and watch your fellows burn!” He gestured and the green energy spheres flickered away to leave the heroes free once more.

They started to move forward but another gesture from the wizard left Dream Girl, Matter-Eater Lad, Chemical King, and Invisible Kid trapped anew in one large bubble of arcane fire.

Supergirl, Duo Damsel, and Bouncing Boy vanished in another blaze of magical power!

Mordru took Mysa and led her away as she struggled helplessly to resist him. “You and I will grow closer in time. You once carried my essence. Perhaps, someday you will carry my seed!” he said. He carried her off as she glanced back in despair at her sister and remaining Legionnaires.

***

Dream Girl turned to face the three men. “We know the secret behind the invasion now. We’ve even seen Mordru reverse his spell in Mysa’s case. That means we can still win. We have to get out of here! Tenzil, can you eat your way out of the bubble?”

He chomped down and shook his head as the opening he’d created, merely resealed in seconds. “It won’t work, Dreamy. As you know Bismolian consumption and digestion operates on an almost super fast level in comparison to the way other races eat but I’m helpless since his magical field reforms as soon as I take a bite!”

Dream Girl said, “I have an idea. Tenzil start eating while Condo uses his power over chemical reactions to enhance the speed of your digestive process!”

Chemical King said, “Nura, that could work but it could also prove dangerous for Tenzil!”

Tenzil said, “I’m willing to risk it! I’ve felt like my power was rather useless at times and I’m more than willing to try to use it for some real results for a change!”

They nodded in agreement and Chemical King placed his hands on his pal’s back. “I’ll do my best, Tenzil!” said a solemn Condo Arlik.

In moments, the mutant from Plhon’s power began to work as Matter-Eater Lad actively consumed the sphere with increasing results; his power was beginning to outpace the magic!

Dream Girl wiggled through the opening as the others followed suit. They were free but their work was cut out for them!

“Are you hurt?” asked Chemical King as he turned to a slightly dazed Matter-Eater Lad.

“No. I’m fine but believe it or not I’m also full! It is a weird sensation!” he said.

Dream Girl said, “You’ll get used to it. Now, Chemical King, your work is not done! Can you enhance the power of Lyle’s formula of invisibility? If it enabled him to see the disembodied spirits of the Zeroxians before, then perhaps, a boosted version could enable him to truly reach them!”

Invisible Kid said, “Good idea, Nura. I’m certainly prepared to try. I’m rather fascinated by the prospect! I have to admit that my mind has been preoccupied with the whole experience ever since it first occurred! I feel like a real hypocrite since during my tenure as Legion leader I was a real fanatic about getting the team to be as prepared mentally and physically as possible!”

Dream Girl smiled and said, “I remember. I had a real grudge against you back then. I resented all that extra time you made us spend in the gym.”

Invisible Kid said, “I know but it paid off. You’re one of the best fighters on the team. Val says so himself!”

Chemical King raised his hands and concentrated as Invisible Kid willed himself to turn invisible!

The world became misty as Lyle’s perceptions changed once more. Normally, he saw and heard things around him as did any ordinary person; however, something about his formula was now enabling him to see beyond the purely material realm and into the spirit world. He saw wraiths floating around the void and he gasped as his vision became more acute.

“It’s working! The metabolic enhancement of my formula by Condo’s power is producing a more concrete connection to the void!” he said.

He saw a blue skinned being of indeterminate gender and he said, “How may we help you? We know Mordru separated your spirit from your physical body. What can we do to help you regain control?”

The wizard said, “We are nearly helpless since we’ve been deprived of our material forms; however, our minds are still our own if we could but act in unison much could be dared!”

Invisible Kid said, “I can only apply scientific concepts to this kind of problem but that might be a valid way to approach the situation. Some feel magic is merely a rarely tapped form of energy. Is this realm limited by chronal barriers?”

The wizard said, “We seldom think in such terms since time is far more a factor for the world of science than for the realm of wizardry. I do believe you might use this place to traverse time and space but such a venture would be dangerous. You might become lost and never return to your own proper place!”

Lyle said, “I’m a Legionnaire. We take chances all the time. I feel like I owe it to the others to place myself on the line. I’ve been entirely too preoccupied lately.”

The wizard said, “Young man, you are of noble heart. My fellow teachers and our pupils wish you good fortune in what you seek to do!”

Invisible Kid said, “I thank you. Say a prayer for me if your discipline allows for that kind of spirituality!”

He concentrated and began to fly across the misty void at a speed far faster than any he could have matched under more material circumstances.

***

Else when, Supergirl, Duo Damsel, and Bouncing Boy walked across the sands of a world recently christened New Mars. The Maid of Steel looked around the nearly barren world and marveled at the courage and fortitude the pioneers who dared to try to tame the savage wasteland possessed!

“Cousin Kal’s friend the Martian Manhunter led the Justice League to help his displaced people settle this new planet. I know he can be counted on for any crisis but can he take time to help us when his every moment is surely spent in a quest for daily survival here?” she thought.

She briefly considered leaving this planet to summon her cousin Superman and his allies from Earth but she dismissed the notion.

“I’m a grown woman now. I don’t need to go running to Superman when I’m faced with a problem!” she thought.

She used her super vision to locate the small colony where the Martians had settled. It was crude and undeveloped but it represented hope for a new life for the homeless aliens!

“You know if our era the planet Mars is a colony of Earth’s. Gym Allon lived there when his father was stationed there and Gym even attended Science Police Academy on Mars! Plus, Nix Olympia is a real posh resort there too!” said Chuck.

Lu added, “A lot of weddings are held there. ”

She gave a meaningful look at the plump young man and he ran a hand through his slightly mussed hair.

“Ah, well, sure. That’s true! Of course, we all know that all that kind of Earth led settlement happened long after the Martians who originated there departed for this planet we’re on now!” he said.

Lu said, “It is so sad to see this planet New Mars in its early stages of development and realize that sometime before this 20th century ends, this planet will be destroyed and the colonists will be dispersed never to resettle as such again!”

Supergirl said, “Great Krypton! I’d love to warn them but I know that kind of thing poses a potential threat to history and could alter things in a terrible way! I can’t follow the Fatal Five’s recent example! Their time manipulation caused all this to begin with by freeing Mordru!”

She led her friends to the small community and frowned.

“How odd. I see some structures that clearly predate the ones the Martian colonists built! Maybe, this Crystal of Chaos belonged to the culture that first settled this world long ago!”

Duo Damsel said, “If so then that race has long since died out. The Martians could not have settled on a world that was already inhabited!”

Three green skinned humanoid figures approached and one of the heavy browed beings stepped forward to greet the trio from the future.

“Supergirl! What brings you here? Does the League require my help in some way?” asked the Martian Manhunter.

Supergirl said, “No, J’Onn. I need your help along with my friends from the Legion of Super Heroes of the 30th Century!”

J’Onn J’Onzz said, “I will give it gladly! Tell me what you require.”

In a matter of moments the Legionnaires had explained their mission and the Martian Manhunter had come to a conclusion.

“Duo Damsel is right. This Crystal is not a Martian artifact. We’ve found many odd structures or tombs from the race that once lived here. I wager this Crystal belonged to them. I believe we could find it in time but I do not believe we should surrender such an item of potential power to a being as evil as Mordru. Superman told me about him once when I was with the League and we encountered another less powerful mage!”

He stopped and said, “Wait! I sense something! Another mind is nearby. Look!”

He pointed to empty space and said, “Yes! My telepathy allows me to sense the thoughts of one called Invisible Kid. He is here among us and yet he is not! He walks some veiled limbo betwixt realms!”

Supergirl said, “Lyle! If you can communicate with us, tell us what to do!”

J’Onn said, “He came to this world and this time through a mystical limbo his unique power allowed him to gain access to in some way. He can not speak directly to us since he is truly still within that odd realm. I take it this differs from how his powers normally work! I am going to try to turn invisible as well. That make enabled me to communicate with him through more than mental telepathy!”

He vanished and indeed managed to vaguely make out the outline of the altered Legionnaire.

“Invisible Kid! I know you’ve come here to help your friends. What is it you want to tell us?” asked J’Onn.

Lyle replied but even in his invisible form, J’Onn could only detect a faint whisper like the wind; however, his telepathy enabled him to receive Lyle’s desperate message!

He returned to a visible state and said, “Lyle Norg is a remarkable man. He has dared much and has succeeded in his goal. He learned something of value to you and risked much to come here. Now, he has returned to his own time and planet by returning to a visible state!”

Supergirl said, “What did he tell you?”

J’Onn said, “I’ll explain it all to you but we have much to do if we are to stop Mordru!”

Duo Damsel said, “We? You’d risk yourself to help us in a time not your own?”

J’Onn said, “All we do here is designed to forge a brighter and better tomorrow. Surely, freeing your era from a tyrant is part of that mission on a larger scale!”

Bouncing Boy smiled and whispered to Lu, “Boy! Those Justice Leaguers are something else! History didn’t exaggerate their nobility one bit!”

***

Back in the future Mordru led Mysa Nal into a throne room he had created in Legion HQ and laughed in a harsh manner.

“Mysa, you would make a fitting bride for one of my power. Thus, I’ve granted you new life! You will thank me in time!” he said.

Mysa flushed with anger and said, “Your evil magic turned me into a Hag. That outer ugliness was just a reflection of your inner evil. You see me now as I have been changed again but by the residual magic of Zerox. My flesh is pale and other less evident changes have come over me. These changes are welcome and they speak of my progress in mastering the arcane arts you pervert so freely! By these same arts, I defy you!”

The girl in white tore away from his grasp and began to chant in a studied manner.

Mordru stood before her and waited with a look of amusement.

“You show much spirit which befits a bride of Mordru but in the end you will see that all your petty teachers have taught you will avail you little before my unlimited power!”

“We have power too!” cried Chemical King as he, Invisible Kid, Dream Girl, and Matter-Eater Lad rushed in to confront the wizard.

Dream Girl flew to her sister’s side and embraced her as Matter-Eater Lad slammed into Mordru and was deflected like a human projectile!

Mordru cursed and send a wave of black flame rushing toward the fallen hero from Bismol but Chemical King jumped between his friends and Mordru’s imposing form as he raised his hands and used his mutant power!

“Fire is nothing more than oxidation. I can dampen your flames by reversing the process!” he cried.

He smothered the blaze and then gasped as a magical backlash swept over him.

“I can’t do that trick again!” he thought.

Mordu roared with anger and said, “You miserable gnats! I will teach you to defy my power and the lesson will be one taught by pain and suffering on a scale beyond your puny imaginations!”

At that moment Supergirl, Bouncing Boy, and Duo Damsel returned.

Duo Damsel split into two separate bodies as she joined her friends to face the wizard who loomed above them.

“Mordru! We have returned with your Crystal!” she cried.

Mordru nodded as he saw Supergirl lift a round multifaceted object in one hand.

He smiled and reached out to grab it away from the Kryptonian beauty when his expression changed and he staggered.

“What madness is this?” he gasped.

Supergirl smiled and said, “There’s more method than madness to what’s happening!”

One of Duo Damsel’s bodies suddenly replicated and three Luornu Durgo’s stood before the startled wizard!

Dream Girl said, “Lu, how’d you do that? You lost your third body years ago!”

Lu said, “What you see isn’t always what you get!”

The third Lu that had initially seemed to separate from her original body changed shape and became the hulking form of the Martian Manhunter!

He said, “Your plan worked Supergirl. I was able to join you in my invisible form and then return to view as Luronu. That made Mordru believe me to merely be one of her multiple forms! She in truth had not replicates at that time at all!”

Supergirl nodded as she punched Mordru repeatedly at super speed!

Her efforts were helped by some unseen force that kept him from using his own magic against her!

“This can’t be!” he gasped as she knocked him backward.

Mysa beamed as she felt the raw power of all her teachers and their pupils being focused through the crystal Supergirl had brought back!

“That is not a mystical relic!” she cried.

Duo Damsel said, “No! It’s something called Jewel Kryptonite! It enables phantoms to focus their minds through its facets! Supergirl learned of it when the Phantom Zone criminals once used it to fight Superman! Once Lyle tipped us off to the fact that the Zeroxian minds were still free but unable to touch this plane of reality unaided, Supergirl and J’Onn came up with the idea of substituting Jewel Kryptonite for this Crystal Mordru wanted!”

Mordru cried out in pain and magical fire touched all the heroes!

“My curse is upon you all! You will all die or suffer for this treachery in time!”

Chemical King said, “Now, maybe I can help them too! Respiration is a form of chemical reaction and I’m going to try to inhibit Mordru’s breathing! Loss of air cripples him!”

He gestured and as beads of sweat formed on his brow, Chemical King slowly helped the combined mind of Supergirl and the mental attacks of the Martian and the united population of Zerox in their disembodied state to confound Mordru in every way!

He fell to his knees and thought, “I can’t breathe! I can’t defend myself against the entire mental power of the Zeroxians! Against all of them united as one potent force, even I must quail!”

Supergirl smiled as her own punches staggered him.

“He’s beaten!” she cried as Mordru finally toppled to the ground.

Bouncing Boy said, “We got him! Now what do we do with him?”

Mysa said, “The Zeroxians will handle that!”

In moments a glow surrounded Mordru and his body flickered from view.

“What happened?” asked Duo Damsel.

“We have buried him once more in a fitting resting place known as Doom Crater. Our alien magical might created it while we fought him and it is in its depths that he will remain for all eternity!” said the blue hued wizard as it appeared before them!

“You regained your body!” said Invisible Kid.

“The Zeroxians are free! They’re all regaining their bodies!” said Dream Girl.

Mysa said, “My Teachers and fellow pupils were too much for even Mordru’s power. He could not fight a world united as one mental force!”

Invisible Kid said, “Mordru is dead! I can’t say I’m sorry!”

Supergirl said, “The Jewel K. did the trick! Thank goodness!”

Martian Manhunter said, “I am glad. My own mental power was barely enough to guide them to the Kryptonite. I am drained as well!”

Duo Damsel said, “Why don’t you stay here for a while? We’d love to show you our world. You could return to your own time in a few weeks and manage to arrive mere moments after you first departed!”

J’Onn said, “I believe I will do so! It would do me good to see the promise of a new life brought to fruition in this era!”

He flew off with a final wave to the heroes below.

Mysa said, “I must leave though. I wish to join my Teachers and friends on Zerox. Now that Mordru is no more we can all return to our studies!”

She kissed Dream Girl and then vanished along with all of the liberated and now material bodied Zeroxians.

Dream Girl said, “The Legion has a lot to do though. Even with Mordru beaten and his slave army freed, Earth has a lot of damage to deal with from their invasion.”

Matter-Eater said, “We’ll have plenty of help! The barrier Mordru put up to keep Mon-El and the others away is down! Our pals will be back anytime!”

Supergirl said, “Then, I better return to my own era. I have to admit that my life is pretty complicated as well and this visit has been about all the time I can spare!”

“Kara, you’ll always be welcome!” said Duo Damsel.

Supergirl hugged her and then flew away and glanced backward sadly.

“I also avoiding seeing Brainy by leaving early. The truth is I don’t look forward to facing him and telling him that I don’t think I’m going to be able to come here much anymore. The demands of living my own double life in my own time have increased greatly since I was just little Linda Lee Danvers high school girl in Midvale!”

As the Girl of Steel returned to her own era, the others prepared to greet their friends upon their return and to help the Science Police restore order and rebuild after the rampage of Mordru’s enslaved forces.

Bouncing Boy held hands with Duo Damsel as she walked on each side of his plump form.

“Seeing all this danger, makes me wonder if maybe it’s time this rubbery rube settled down with Lu once and for all! I’ve got some thinking to do!” he thought as an uncharacteristically serious expression crossed his face.

Dream Girl watched him go and frowned.

“I just had a glimpse of Chuck’s future! He’s going to lose his powers soon!” she thought.

She shook her head sadly and walked into the lab.

“Maybe, Mordru’s curse is already starting! If Chuck does lose his powers in a way Bouncing Boy will die! I hope that all of us that he cursed only meet such lesser dooms!” she thought.

Chemical King was busy clearing away rubble with his powers of decay while Matter-Eater Lad was doing his own part to remove the mess.

Invisible Kid was staring dreamily into space and slowly fading from view.

“I can’t enter that same limbo anymore! Chem’s enhancement of my power has faded. Still, I can almost detect something like a ghost when I turn invisible! I’m going to have to investigate this experience in time!”

As he returned to normal and walked into his lab, Lyle failed to see a ghostly girl appear and watch him with a look of interest on her pretty features.

If she could be seen, an observer would say the girl’s eyes were sorrowful as well!

END NOTE: Soon after this story, Bouncing Boy lost his powers and left the Legion to marry Duo Damsel. The visiting Martian Manhunter attended their wedding before returning to his own time. Invisible Kid continued to explore the nature of his power and met the ghostly girl before dying at the hands of Validus.

Chemical King would later die saving the U.P. from the Dark Circle. Matter-Eater Lad would lose his sanity for a time after consuming the Miracle Machine to stop Omega. Supergirl would resign from the Legion and rarely rejoin them until her own death in Crisis. Duo Damsel would experience severe injury at the hands of the Re-Animator before eventually being cured. How or if Mordru’s curse will affect Dream Girl and the White Witch has yet to be revealed.