The Legion of Super-Heroes
World War
by Libbylawrence
Bismol was not a popular tourist attraction since the planet’s toxic ecosystem produced food that could only be safely digested by the altered natives who could consumer anything with ease due to generations of genetic change. For this reason among others, few visitors chose to settle on the odd planet.
The Legion’s Sun Boy (Dirk Morgna) knew he had no desire to remain on the planet for even one second longer than was necessary to clear his father industrialist Derek Morgna of criminal charges the planet’s judiciary body had brought against the fiery tempered man.
Dirk, a handsome young man with reddish-blond hair and a winning manner, watched his father with a mixture of pride and concern. The older Morgna was a distinguished looking man who refused to suffer fools lightly. Still, for all of his intractable ways, he had dealt with his current plight with a remarkable amount of self-control.
“We’ll get the matter cleared up and then we’ll move on with the business of living!” he had barked.
Now, Dirk glanced over to an extremely slender woman with long brown hair and a brief dress. M’Beal was the best lawyer credits could buy and the brisk and confident woman had been tireless in her effort to settle the matter for her wealth client.
“Bismol has been the victim of several recent raids by mineral raiders. Evidence gathered from one such raid implicated you. Since Tenzil Kem is in the unique position of being both a Bismolian Senator and a former Legionnaire, he took the responsibility of personality asking you to come here to defend yourself!” said the lawyer as she addressed the group.
Derek yelled, “By the Galaxy! I’m aware of the situation. What I want is a solution! What I want is a way to clear myself from this space kangaroo court!”
“Now, Derek, as you know, the case being brought against you was not hastily put together on slender grounds. In spite of his desire to appear impartial, Tenzil Kem actually went to great lengths to determine the facts before allowing the charges to be made, “she said.
Sun Boy said, “The mighty Senator Kem wants us to think he’s still our old pal Matter-Eater Lad at heart but I’d say he’s lost his team spirit in his quest for political power. He’s turned on me. I don’t appreciate it and I doubt I’ll ever forget it!”
Shrinking Violet (Salu Digby), a petite dark haired girl in a mini-dress of green, leaned forward and placed her hands on Dirk’s shoulders as she spoke.
“Dirk, I know how you feel. I’m protective of my father too. That’s why I was upset at first when he started dating your Dad’s ex-wife Flavia but now I see she is good for him and I’m pleased for them. It’s natural for you to resent the fact that others might not see your father in a positive light but you can’t fault Tenzil for trying to do his duty to his people and while still trying to remain true to his days as Legionnaire! He’s not happy about having to bring a case against a friend’s father!”
Dirk smiled bitterly and said, “Yeah, you might say he’s eating his heart out over it!”
A pretty blonde woman in a shimmering blue suit stepped inside and scowled at them.
“Making jokes about the Bismolian metabolism won’t win you any sympathy here, Dirk. I assure you my life-partner is hurt by the way you’ve been treating him since he first came to Earth and explained the case. Tenzil thinks of you all as his friends and he hates being forced to work against you!”
Deena Coe was Tenzil’s life-partner. This was the Bismolian term for spouse and the pretty, tough, blonde ruthlessly defended her loved one at every turn.
Dirk tossed up his hands and said, “Sorry! I’m not myself. I don’t really believe Tenzil has it in for me. I even understand about the demands that the role of Senator places upon him. Those demands do not allow him to act in friendship. I get it but I don’t have to like it.”
Deena said, “Very well. I am here to allow you to view the holos taken of the recent raid upon Bismol’s few natural mineral resources in which equipment developed by your father’s company and in one case, actually handled by him personally was used!”
Derek turned to the willowy M’Beal and said, “Tell her again that I say I never touched the cursed machines nor have I ever seen them before! The designs are beyond anything Morgna Industries even uses!”
Deena said, “I heard you. Still, the evidence speaks louder than your rather bellowing tones. You personally touched the machine we managed to damage in the last battle against the raiders!”
She touched a small display unit and holographic images illuminated the room.
The scene displayed consisted of an ore processing plant outside the heart of Bismol’s capitol city Brwan. As they followed their normal routine the workers seemed almost somnambulant until an explosion shattered an outer wall of the plant and a squad of reddish hues beings raced into the factory and started firing energy beams at the frightened staffers. As the staffers fled or tried to resist, the crimson aliens swarmed through the processing plant and steered powerful machines across the floor that dug deeply into the ground and channeled the ore into containers via a powerful suction effect. A small security force charged into battle and managed to bring down one of the digging machines as its occupants darted away.
The holo changed to a closer view of the damaged raiding device and Deena stood beneath it as she gestured upward.
“We ran a scan over the machine and we found two intriguing facts. It was made by your company and the only hand to touch it that left a means by which identification could be determined was your own!”
Derek stood up and said, “I told you before on Earth that I recently learned that one of my chief employees Auric was a robotic pawn of an old enemy of mine. Dr. Regulus had used the robot to gain access to my company resources for his experiments. He could have created the machines with materials from my plants. I give you that but I knew nothing about it. I could have touched the raw parts before he assembled them into that thing but I tell you, young lady, that my company does not have anything like that machine in our inventory! The design is nothing like our Carson digging tools!”
Two newcomers stepped forward and the others turned to see a curly haired rugged older man with a lovely and dynamically dressed blonde woman.
Violet greeted her father Arn and then said, “Dad, it was good of you and Flavia to come here to support Dirk and Mr. Morgna but I don’t think you need to hang around here right now!”
Arn Digby said, “Salu, you’re wrong for once! I may play an important part in the matter! I am an expert on minerals. I’ve worked with them for years and before I left our home planet of Imsk for my new position with the U.P. on Earth, I was approached by a man who offered to sale my company a machine much like that one!”
Derek Morgna said, “If you’ve seen that machine before then you might be able to clear me! I can’t explain how I came to touch it but I assure you all that I’ve never seen anything like it! It is too advanced for my company. The mining is a small part of the business and I’ve seldom put a lot of time or energy into that field!”
Arn nodded as Flavia held his hand affectionately.
“I’ve seen that kind of machine before. As you know I am a mineralogist. I have worked on Earth, Imsk, and all around the United Planets. Before I accepted my current position on Earth, a man named Rolland Sa who wanted to sell me designs for just such a machine approached me. We could not agree on a price and in truth, I didn’t trust him. I knew he had a criminal record. I turned him down and later learned of his death. I can tell you that those plans match the machine in that holo perfectly!”
Violet said, “Dad, can you tell us who this Sa worked for before?”
Arn said, “I do know he once worked for A.D. Nolan of Interplanet Mines!”
Derek Morgna said, “Nolan? He made a fortune in the mining business! While I know nothing about the device, he would be a natural for that kind of product!”
Sun Boy whispered to Shrinking Violet, “A.D. Nolan is more than just a wealthy miner. He was Ferro Lad’s father!”
Violet nodded and said, “Poor Ferro died long ago but I think it looks pretty suspicious for two fathers of Legionnaires to be involved in something like this! Dad may have just brought us the break we need!”
***
Elsewhere, a thoughtful young man with blond hair and green skin gazed skyward through a small device of his own design. Brainiac 5 frowned as he lowered the scanner and looked away from the strange light of the three suns of the bleak planet Zoon.
“If my calculations are correct then the instability I detected in this tristellar system is increasing at a speed beyond my worst projections!” said the Legionnaire genius.
A rugged man in brown and orange scratched his face and nodded.
“Yeah, my birthplace is going to go boom! I was never too happy here but I hate to see it go!” said Timber Wolf (Brin Londo).
Brainiac 5 said, “You were never very sentimental, Brin. Still, even from a strictly scientific point of view, I also feel sorrow for the loss of such a unique environment!”
“It’s a stinking sink hole and it always has been! My folks died here and part of thinks Zoon itself indirectly killed them. I mean the toxicity levels are off the scale. That’s why Dad created those androids. He figured they could do the dangerous mining work around the Ebony Mountains while the humans could remain in the safety of the City! Still, we all knew that those suns, the Three Eyes as some old timers called them would go bad eventually and nothing Dad could do could stop that!”
Brainiac 5 placed his hand on Brin’s arm and said, “Take comfort in that fact that the U.P. Fleet has managed to evacuate the City in record time. Zoon itself may die but its people will live on!”
High above the planet two colorful Legionnaires communicated via the telepathy earplugs they wore.
The young man in red and blue was known as Mon-El (Lar Gand) and the Daxamite hero had witnessed far too many losses in his bizarrely extended life. While he was not very old in terms of normal age, he had spent an eternity as an ageless spirit within a ghostly dimension known as the Phantom Zone. The limbo had been intended as a sanctuary in his case but it had truly been as much a prison to the young explorer and biotechnologist as it had been to the more malevolent criminals who shared exile within its limitless dimensions. Mon-El had been able to watch the universe around him without ever being able to make himself heard of seen or felt. He had watched moments of sorrow and loss and courage and hope and all of them had shaped him into a hero’s hero! Now, even though thanks to the Legion he had been free for many years, he still viewed the world with a thoughtful, somber patience born of his own tragic experience.
He used his super human strength to carry a domed platform to a waiting U.P. Fleet spaceship and steadied it as thousands of occupants escaped from the doom that awaited their home world below.
“We’re going to make it. The Zoonians won’t die like the people of Krypton did!” he said.
“Praise Rao for that! They also won’t die like the Kryptonians who escaped one death only to meet another when Argo City fell to anti-Kryptonite!” said Andromeda (LeslaVol-Lar). She was a lovely blonde girl who flew by his side and carried an equally impressive platform in her own right.
She wore a blue cape, a blue pleated mini skirt, a red blouse, and red boots and after safely guiding the refugees to the starship above, she touched the necklace around her neck.
The necklace depicted the twin stars of Ren-Re and Tar-Lu from Kryptonian and Rokynian legend.
Lesla Vol-Lar’s violet eyes softened as she thought of her late parents and the home world of Rokyn that she might never see again. Rokyn had been settled by Kryptonians who had escaped from the death of their lost planet through diverse means. Now, Rokyn was separated from this universe by a shift in the Cosmic Axis and the teen girl knew that she was truly all alone except for her friends in the Legion and the comforting legacy her legendary ancestors had left her.
Mon-El noticed her fingering the necklace and he realized what she was feeling.
“Andromeda, I know this must remind you of your ancestors Valor and Supergirl. They each survived the explosion that destroyed Krypton and they went on to lead heroic lives that inspired sentients across the universe. I’d say they’d be proud of you! You’ve made a lot of progress since joining the team. You’re one of us now and the Legion always takes care of its own!”
Lesla smiled and said, “Thank you!”
The pair returned to their work and soon joined Brainiac 5 and Timber Wolf as they boarded a Legion cruiser and led the five U.P. Space Fleet starships away from the weird glow of the dying suns of Zoon.
Aboard the ship, Brainiac 5 noticed Lesla’s tentative but steady piloting of the craft under Mon-El’s expert guidance. The girl was becoming a fine heroine and he liked her; however, her beauty brought the late Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) to his mind and as he recalled his lost love he felt the same old sensation that drove him once more to concentrate on his work.
“Science lacks a means to stabilize those suns but I wonder if I could find a useful application for their power. If that energy could be channeled in such a way as to give life or energy to those in need then much good could come from this situation!” he thought.
Lesla laughed as Mon-El corrected her adjustments to the ship and she gazed up at him with ready affection.
“Lar is so sweet! He’s like the big brother I always wanted!” thought Lesla.
Timber Wolf moved closer to Brainiac 5 and said, “She’s nice kid. Ayla loves having her around. She’s so excited about the wedding..!”
He grinned sheepishly and said, “You’re not even trying to listen to me are you?”
Brainiac 5 said, “I’m sorry, Brin. I didn’t mean to be rude. I think I have a way of harnessing the power of that tristellar system.”
Lar looked up and said, “Brainy, how could you contain that amount of energy? Nothing could hold it. It would blaze right through inertron even!”
Brainiac 5 said, “You made me think of the way I could contain it. I’m going to project it into the Phantom Zone!”
***
Meanwhile, back on Bismol, Derek Morgna sat calmly while a pretty blonde woman in a pink costume placed her gloved hands against his temples.
Saturn Girl (Imra Ranzz) concentrated for several moments and then turned her gaze on Sun Boy, Shrinking Violet, and Matter-Eater Lad (Tenzil Kem).
“I do not detect any memory within Mr. Morgna’s mind that would indicate any contact with the machine used to attack Bismol. I do detect something a bit more alarming. There is a void or a blank place in his memory. Something or someone has deliberately shut off or purged part of his memories. I can faintly detect the signs of a tampering with his mind but I can’t penetrate the blocked or stolen memory without a much more prolonged session!” said the Titanian telepath.
Sun Boy said, “If something is wrong with Dad’s memory then it proves something suspicious is going on here. He’s a victim not a villain!”
Shrinking Violet said, “If Imra can detect the same kind of mental alteration within A.D. Nolan’s mind, we’ll really be on to something!”
Saturn Girl said, “Salu, I can see where a pattern would emerge should we determine that Nolan’s mind has been tampered with as well but that in itself does not clear Mr. Morgna of the charges!”
Matter-Eater Lad said, “No, it does not but I will use my influence to buy us some time. This evidence is enough to convince me to request permission to withdraw any formal charges until we learn more!”
Sun Boy said, “Thanks, Tenzil. I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting. I guess I was wrong to blame you for just doing your duty. After all, you were drafted into political service in the first place. You might not have even left the team had that not occurred!”
Matter-Eater Lad smiled and said, “Thank you, Dirk. I know this has been hard on your family. I hated to be the one to bring all this down on your doorstep so to speak but I have to admit that I do love political life most of the time. I’m happy as a senator.”
Violet said, “I’d suggest Saturn Girl remain here and continue her efforts to get through the walls or holes in your father’s memory. You and I can check out Mr. Nolan back on Earth.”
Sun Boy said, “That’s a good idea. Say, Tenzil, how about it? Once a Legionnaire always a Legionnaire, right?”
Matter-Eater Lad said, “Right! I’m glad to hear you say that! I’ll clear things with the senate.”
Sun Boy said, “Don’t get discouraged Dad. We’ll clear your name!”
Derek Morgna said, “Good luck to you all. I can’t say I like the idea of anyone messing about in my mind but at least Imra here is a treat to look at!”
Saturn Girl ignored his remark as she sat down across from the industrialist as his lawyer M’Beal urged her to resume her mental probe.
***
Later, back on Earth, the other group of Legionnaires had returned from their mission of mercy to Zoon. While Star Boy had joined other members on a separate mission, most of the team who had rescued the Zoonians were still in HQ.
As Ultra Boy (Jo Nah of Rombor) ambled into the room he greeted Element Lad, Timber Wolf, Andromeda and Mon-El.
“Great Bird of the Galaxy! You guys look like you just lost your last credit? What’s wrong?”
Mon-El said, “Sorry, pal. It’s the imminent destruction of Zoon. Even with the evacuation a success, we’re all a bit down about the way those folks are going to lose their homes!”
Ultra Boy nodded and said, “I come from a rather rough and tumble environment on Rimbor but my folks have always been there for me. I’d hate to imagine the loss of our old home so I can sympathize with the Zoonians!”
“Where’s Brainy? I know that even losing to a force of nature irks him!” asked Jo.
Andromeda said, “He’s been in his Multi-lab ever since we returned from Zoon.”
Timber Wolf said, “Yeah. He wants to put together some calculations he was working out on the way home. I think he wants to try to do something useful with the energy Zoon’s three suns will emit when they go nova!”
At that moment Sun Boy, Shrinking Violet, and Matter-Eater Lad entered and received a warm welcome from the others even as they were quickly briefed on the situation. Computo’s records had already revealed the general location of the two Legionnaires to the others so they were not surprised to see them turn up; however, Tenzil Ken was an unexpected sight to many!
Sun Boy said, “We just got back from questioning A.D. Nolan about his own involvement in the raids on Bismol. He denied knowing anything but a Titanian Science Police Officer found the same kind of mental blind spot in his memories that Imra detected in Dad’s mind!”
Violet said, “Dirk, I think something bigger is going on here!”
Andromeda said, “The Zoon system is getting ready to go nova!”
Matter-Eater Lad said, “Great Galaxies! This makes my problems on Bismol seem like small potatoes! I know I have duties to the senate but if you all can use a rusty Legionnaire, I’m ready for the job!”
Mon-El slapped him on the back and said, “Welcome back, Tenzil. We can use all the help we can get even if it is just temporary!”
At that moment, Element Lad turned from a console to face the others.
“We can use it right now! There’s some kind of raid going down at Brande’s place!” he said.
***
Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 was busy in his Multi-lab where the young genius had rapidly put his plan into operation. He stood over a small projector-like device.
“My calculations indicate that opening a portal into the Phantom Zone moments before the possible eruption of solar energy from Zoon’s tri-stellar system would allow us to safely contain the power released from such an accident. In the future through use of a carefully modified version of the original Zone projector I could channel small portions of that energy to more useful endeavors. Should that fail, another viable alternative would be to channel the energy into the time steam itself where it would not harm any era. I hesitate to attempt such a project since so much about time travel itself is subject to the influence of certain malevolent beings like the Time Trapper. I doubt we have truly seen the last of him. I also have my doubts about the validity of the revelation of his true identity as an altered Dynamo Boy but I digress!” he said.
He nodded in approval as a squad of servo-droids moved a heavy machine around the chamber.
“By making use of a variation of our own teleportation technology, Computo should be able to shunt my containment portal into place at the appropriate time! That will free me to pursue certain other challenges!”
He gazed at a holographic display of mathematical calculations and rapidly changed certain figures before gazing at them with an introspective manner.
Before he could resume his work Computo’s holographic display projected the image of red beings swarming across R.J. Brande’s private planetoid near Mercury.
“Fascinating! In spite of certain differences in physiology, those creatures appear to be related to the Starburst Bandits we’ve battled before!” he said as he raced toward the door of the Multi-lab.
Meanwhile, on Bismol Saturn Girl had made a disturbing discovery.
“Deena, I can only report what my own experience suggests to me but I feel confident in telling you that Mr. Morgna has not only been the victim of a type of localized amnesia but the origin of it was in no way due to scientific means. My studies at the Mind Institute enable me to confirm that. My time as a Legionnaire enables me to suggest the alternative source of his memory loss!” she said.
As Deena Coe listened, Imra Ranzz continued.
“Mr. Morgna has no memory of ever encountering the materials used to make the machine used against Bismol by the raiders. The memory block comes from a magical attack upon his mind!” she said.
Deena said, “That is absurd! Bismolians view magic with contempt. Surely, the universe has evolved to a point in which such myths may be discounted. You are both a grown woman and a mother. Surely, you don’t expect me to accept the foolish claim that a wizard put him under a spell?”
Saturn Girl said, “You are wrong! Magic exists and I would expect your life-partner to confirm that if he were here. Tenzil certainly has encountered it before in battles against Mordru and others! Now, I have no time for your skepticism. I’m going to join your husband and get some answers!”
She flew off leaving Deena Coe in wide mouthed astonishment!
***
Even as Saturn Girl took a Bismolian cruiser into orbit and headed for deep space, the other Legionnaires were approaching a scene of battle and madness on an artificial planetoid known as Brande’s World!
Their brilliant benefactor’s home place was a testament to his genius; however, the industrialist and star-maker had given up his former life in order to seek new challenges and he had left both the heroic team he had sponsored and his incredible business holdings to look after themselves.
Now, Element Lad frowned as he saw the destruction below their cruiser.
“Those blasts the aliens are emitting are shattering everything in their range of fire! That’s almost total matter decomposition!”
Sun Boy said, “Don’t worry, Jan! We’ll take those creeps apart! This is personal! They look like the same beings who hit Bismol! Getting them might just clear my father!”
As Shrinking Violet studied the red beings, she added, “I’ve been thinking that they have to have some connection to the Starbolts Bandits too. They were reddish as well and humanoid in appearance. Those bolts they give off from their own metabolisms certainly match the energy beams being used below!”
Brainiac 5 said, “I concur except for the fact that these beams appear to be far more destructive. Also, these invaders do not appear to be after natural resources. They are trying to steal some of Brande’s technology!”
Timer Wolf shrugged and said, “Brainy, you do the math, I’ll break some heads!”
The agile Zoonian dived down into the midst of the red hued invaders and started punching them with his usual combination of skill and savagery!
Mon-El and Ultra Boy acted in unison and separated in flight as Lar Gand veered to the left and Jo Nah moved right. They caught a rapidly crumbling communications tower and used their super strength to ease it away from other buildings or frightening staffers below.
“Those raiders play rough! This tower could have crushed dozens of Brande’s staffers!” said Mon-El.
Ultra Boy nodded and suddenly switched his metabolism’s ultra energy from super strength to invulnerability as a red beam rocketed skyward and bounced off his chest.
“Tell me about it! If I hadn’t switched energy functions in time I might have been driven right through the remains of the tower!” he said.
Andromeda used her own super speed and flight to create a whirlwind that brought several of the invaders together in a tightly compressed bunch!
“My, but you fellows are a colorful lot!” she said in a mocking tone as the invaders fought helplessly against the wind power that knocked them around.
Element Lad smiled as the teen girl gestured playfully in the direction of the aliens.
“All yours, Jan!” she said.
The blond sole survivor of Trom used his transmutation power to turn the air around the aliens into a sphere of inertron! He deftly added a few holes for oxygen and said, “That should hold them!”
Sun Boy was using his own control over heat to melt through one of the tank-like vehicles the aliens were using.
“How’s it feel to be back in harness, Tenzil?” he said.
Matter-Eater Lad mumbled a reply as he chomped down on a tank and used his hyper-acidic digestive juices to break through the shielding.
Shrinking Violet smiled as she shrank beneath a ray beam and then grew back to normal size in time to connect with a spinning kick to an alien’s face.
“I’d say he’s too polite to talk with his mouth full, Dirk!” she said.
Sun Boy nodded and said, “Yeah, what would the voter’s think if he displayed bad manners in public?”
He joked to keep his own spirits up and out of a customary optimism. Still, inside, Dirk was worried about his father and what these odd aliens had to do with the charges the elder Morgna faced on Bismol!
Brainiac 5 activated his force shield belt and a protective barrier rapidly surrounded two agitated figures. The man was older with graying hair and a worried if stolid demeanor. The girl was young and very beautiful in a spirited way. She had long black hair and flashing eyes of an equally dark shade. A short iridescent blue tunic and boots completed her outfit.
“Marla! Don’t worry! We have the situation under control!” said the Coluian genius.
Marla Latham, Brande’s senior aide, nodded in appreciation.
“I never doubted that you would! After all I used to be in charge of your new recruits. I know how capable you Legionnaires are!” he said.
Timber Wolf slammed his palm into an alien’s chin as the being released a red energy ray.
The stray beam struck one of his allies and the silent alien literally melted into dust!
The girl with Latham gasped and said, “Total molecular breakdown! That’s impossible unless those things are humanoid constructs of artificial nature!”
Brainiac 5 raised one eyebrow as he nodded approvingly.
“I agree. The beings may resemble an alien species we’ve encountered before but their true composition appears to be of some energy of an artificial nature. They are nothing more than automatons although their composition fascinates me!”
he said.
Latham said, “Not too many sentients can keep up with you in the brains department; however, my granddaughter here might just give you a run for your money!”
The black haired girl smiled and said, “I’m Marlo Latham! Grandpa is too kind but I do love science. I’ve been a student on Naltor. I just returned after graduation and we barely had time to chat when the attackers showed up!”
Brainiac 5 nodded held up a small device which he had removed from his belt.
“The remains of that alien failed to provide me with any energy signature! As strange as it sounds, I suspect the aliens are formed out of magical energy!”
Marlo said, “Magic? I knew a few who dabbled in the arts on Naltor.”
Latham yelled, “Look! The devils are running away! You proved to be more than they could handle!”
Marlo winked at him and said, “You scared them off, Gramps!”
Element Lad said, “They failed to get any of the techno gear either! We got here just in time!”
Mon-El said, “Well, I’d still like to bring them in!”
Mon-El flew in pursuit of the fleeing raiders and managed to catch the edge of one of the strange flying platforms they each rode.
He shattered it into scrap metal and caught the falling rider in a grip that could crush steel.
A bright flash of light illuminated the sky as the other raiders vanished.
“There’s no doubt about it! That was magic not science at work! The teleportation almost knocked me out of the sky. I’m vulnerable to magic and I recognize the feeling!” he said.
Andromeda said, “You were wonderful! You always are!”
Ultra Boy grinned and said, “He’s not bad for an old man!”
Sun Boy said, “Can we question the captive?”
Brainiac 5 nodded and said, “I expect to do so now. We may also have Imra run a mind scan on him. If my speculations about these beings are correct, he won’t reveal much since he’s nothing more than a magically formed puppet!”
Timber Wolf scratched his chin as he thought and said, “Uh, guys, a bigger problem here. Vi’s missing!”
***
Matter-Eater Lad gulped and said, “Salu could be hurt! Maybe, she’s trapped under some of the wreckage in a diminutive form!”
Andromeda’s blonde locks bounced as she shook her head.
“No sign of her! I just did a scan using super senses!”
Ultra Boy said, “I tried my own penetra vision but I don’t see her either!”
Matter-Eater Lad said, “Do you think the aliens took her?”
Timber Wolf said, “Nah, she would have put up a real fight! Have you ever watched her work out in the gym? She spends nearly as much time there as I do!”
Matter-Eater Lad frowned as he said, “Vi?”
Element Lad said, “Salu can take care of herself. She’s changed a lot from the “Shy Vi” you once dated, Tenzil!”
Brainiac 5 said, “I suspect she concealed herself aboard one of their vehicles. She may have decided to ride with them and allow herself to be taken to their point of origin! That was a rather clever tactic although rife with peril!”
Element Lad said, “Since we can’t track their magical teleportation path without Mysa or perhaps, Dawny, we better get some answers from our prisoner!”
The red alien remained impassive as Mon-El held him.
“He’s sure a silent one! Can they talk? I never overheard even a cry of pain from them during the battle!” said Mon-El.
A restless Matter-Eater Lad started to eat his way through some debris as Element Lad turned other sections of charred metal to oxygen.
Sun Boy said, “OK, pal, just where do you come from? Who is your master? We know Mordru is entombed on Orando so it can’t be him!”
Saturn Girl swooped into view and said, “Dirk, let me try the direct approach!”
She approached the alien with her customary mixture of confidence and icy professionalism.
She placed her palms against it’s head and concentrated for a moment before reeling backward on her high-heeled boots and falling into Sun Boy’s arms.
“So powerful! The mind directing the aliens is incredible! It overwhelmed me!” she gasped.
Sun Boy lowered her gently to the ground and held her hand.
“Just rest, Imra. Anything that can throw you for a loop like that is nothing to take lightly!”
As he tended to Saturn Girl, Sun Boy also noticed the shocking sight of the alien’s almost instant decomposition!
Element Lad concentrated and said, “Magical decay! It rivals anything Condo or I could have done!”
He referred to Condo Arlik the late Legionnaire known as Chemical King whose powers had the capability for creating that kind of reaction.
Mon-El said, “Obviously, the mastermind behind these raiders doesn’t want his pawns to reveal too much about him!”
Saturn Girl nodded and rubbed her eyes wearily.
“Dirk, I did sense that the same force that controls them is the same one that forced your father and Nolan to create the tools and machines they use! I think with testimony from me and a couple of the Mind Institute’s experts, we can at least clear him of the charges!” she said.
Tenzil smiled and said, “Wonderful! I’ve hated to have to work against my friends like this!”
Brainiac 5 said, “And I’ve managed to pick up a signal from Violet. She activated her flight ring’s link to Computo for a moment before it suddenly died out. That brief contact was enough for me to pinpoint her location!”
Timber Wolf said, “Then let’s quit jawing and start moving!”
Brainiac 5 nodded. “I agree! We’ve got a long way to travel!”
***
Shrinking Violet (Salu Digby) had managed to do exactly what her teammates had deduced. The brave girl from Imsk had reduced herself to a size at which she could slip within an opening in one of the alien flying sleds.
“I guess you just can’t take the Espionage Squad out of the girl!” she thought with a wry smile as she settled down for what would prove to be a bumpy ride.
She thought about her father Arn and his new budding romance with Flavia Morgna.
“In spite of a taste in clothes that would make Dreamy blush, assuming Nura Nal actually possesses the capacity to show embarrassment, Flavia is really sweet and I’m beginning to think she may be just what Dad needs!” she thought.
Finally, she noticed the sled had stopped moving and she peered through a grillwork to see a startling sight.
“It’s some kind of crude factory in the midst of a jungle! The temperature here is stifling!” she gasped.
She wiped a bead of perspiration from her brow and flew out of the sled.
The red aliens were all busy as they silently went about the performance of certain routine duties.
“They have to be near mindless or at least they show no signs of individuality!”
she noticed with the keen eye for detail that had made her one of the team’s finest detectives.
She watched for a moment as the aliens labored over the machinery and she realized that she understood their method of operation.
“Their master forced industrialists like Mr. Morgna and A.D. Nolan to manufacture the equipment they’ve been using to raid other worlds for the materials they need to run this factory complex. However, I can’t determine what it is exactly that they are trying to make!”
She never got a chance to find out since a tendril of metal suddenly snaked up her legs and around her hips to hold her in a constricting grip!
“I can’t shrink my way free! Pressure’s already too tight!” she cried.
In seconds, the heroic girl had activated her flight ring’s link to Computo and then passed out.
Her prone form hung limply over the coils of the tendril which seemed to lead directly into the soil.
***
Andromeda watched from the deck of the Legion cruiser as Mon-El and Sun Boy expertly guided the ship down to the source of Vi’s brief signal.
“My, what a stark looking planet! It reminds me a bit of the deserts of Rokyn where Uncle Yon and I lived for a time!” she said.
Element Lad said, “It’s not so much the bleakness of the world that bothers me. Trom was rather barren too. That was one of the things in its environment that led my people to develop their transmutation powers over generations. Still, this place has an entirely unsettling feel about it!”
Mon-El nodded and said, “I love space exploration. I’ve even considered leaving the team to pursue that activity more fully but I have never come across any record of this world!”
Brainiac 5 said, “That’s easily explained, Lar. This world did not occupy this portion of space before the last year or so. It was brought here through some arcane means at that time. I can’t conceive the amount of raw magical power required to achieve such a feat but from what we’ve all witnessed with worlds as diverse as Tyrraz and Orando such things are within the realm of possibility!”
Sun Boy said, “It goes beyond mere movement! The mobility of a planet from one location to another would logically create havoc in terms of gravitational forces being exerted in new and deadly ways. If magic moved it then magic also kept things stable where they should have been wildly chaotic!”
Timber Wolf said, “Dr. Morgna sounds like he’s trying to show off his newly minted doctorate!”
Sun Boy grinned and said, “Would you have preferred me to have just said Wow!”
Ultra Boy said, “So, shall we explore this brave new world?”
As the others stared at him, the young man from Rimbor shrugged.
“Hey, I do read once in a while you know!” he said.
Brainiac 5 said, “I’ll be eager to conclude this mission. I have other matters to deal with when we return!”
Matter-Eater Lad said, “You mean the destruction of Zoon’s system?”
Ultra Boy winked at Tenzil and said, “I think Brainy wants to get back to Brande’s place and get a date with Marlo Latham!”
Brainiac 5 frowned and said, “On what data do you base that largely groundless theory?”
Mon-El said, “Largely? Sounds like you like her. Well, good for you. There’s nothing wrong with that. She seemed like a great girl!”
Brainiac 5 nodded and said, “I did enjoy talking with her. She has a fine intellect!”
Sun Boy said, “I noticed! That little blue number really showed off her I.Q.!”
They laughed as the ship landed in the steaming jungle’s main clearing.
“A factory! That seems to be the only settlement in sight!” said Andromeda.
Element Lad said, “There’s something restless about this world! The environment seems to be transitory in nature! I can detect alterations in the composition of the atmosphere itself!”
Brainiac 5 said, “Magical landscapes do shift at whim. Consider the random nature of life on Zerox where Mysa studied!”
Timber Wolf said, “Magic again! I’m glad Imra decided to reluctantly sit this one out. She’s had enough pain due to magic!”
Matter-Eater Lad nodded and said, “You mean the way Darkseid changed her son into Validus? I still can’t quite understand the nuances in that scheme. He used his power to hide the birth of one of her twins and he sent it back through time to allow him to meet us all years earlier as a mutated monster!”
Timber Wolf nodded and said, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Now that the kid has been returned to normal, albeit it as a boy and not an infant, he’s doing pretty well. The poor child’s mind is developing slowly but Garth’s a pretty dedicated house father!”
Ultra Boy said, “Here’s comes our welcoming committee!”
He pointed to where dozens of the red beings were swarming out of the jungle to surround them!
Brainiac 5 generated his force shield to deflect the attacks of the nearest aliens as the others prepared for battle.
“We need to find Violet and confront the creator of these pawns. I fear he or she may be able to create a near endless supply of them at will!” he said.
Element Lad said, “Why don’t we divide up? Jo, Lar, and Lesla can handle the aliens while the rest of us search for Salu!”
Ultra Boy slammed into a group of the red beings and switched from strength to speed as he landed punches on them all in seconds.
Mon-El blasted them with super cold breath and froze them in their tracks.
Andromeda flew at super speed and trailed one hand as she flew so that her super strength allowed her to channel a cascading flow of soil into their midst with stunning force and speed!
Sun Boy said, “Looks like Lesla’s fitting in just fine as the newest member of the Super Three!”
Timber Wolf grinned and said, “You’re right! She’s not Superboy but she’s pretty good for a new kid in the cosmos!”
Element Lad said, “Let me transform the wall of that factory -like complex into air so we can slip in easily!”
He did so and as the young heroes entered the building they saw two odd sights.
Shrinking Violet was trapped within a tightly wrapped series of coils and a weird humanoid being with green skin and a number of weirdly waving tentacles watched her struggles with little or no emotion.
Timber Wolf bounded forward and ripped the coils away from the girl while the others faced the alien.
“Sden? It’s that wizard we once faced! I guess he’s the magic user running this place!” said Sun Boy.
He flew forward and generated a blazing ring of fire!
“If you’ve hurt Violet, I’ll really turn up the heat!” he vowed.
Sden said nothing and made no movement to avoid the flames!
“Either he’s in some kind of trance or he’s gotten over his phobia regarding fire!” said Element Lad.
Brainiac 5 looked around the complex and said, “The factory is not truly converting the stolen minerals into any practical substance! This whole complex seems designed to merely channel them into the world’s core!”
Matter-Eater Lad cried out as a bolt of energy blasted through the roof and struck him.
“Tenzil’s down! I think he’ll recover!” yelled Element Lad as he examined his friend.
The air shimmered around them as a noxious cloud seemed to swirl through the area.
“Some kind of toxic gas! I can’t see!” gasped Timber Wolf as he snarled in anger and leaped at the wizard.
Before he could reach his target, the ground shook violently and the soil erupted to engulf him in mounds of dirt!
Sun Boy baked the soil until it became brittle enough for Timber Wolf to claw his way out!
“Sden’s not even moving! How is he doing this?”
Brainiac 5 tried to encase the gas that threatened to overwhelm them in his force shield but it parted and dodged his efforts with a bizarre but obvious intellect of its own!
Element Lad tried to convert the gas into a harmless vapor but it reformed with a deliberate purpose and left him choking for breath.
Violet opened her eyes and said, “He’s just another puppet! His magic power was enough to enslave your Dad and the rest and make them manufacture the materials used here but that’s all he’s capable of doing. He’s nothing more than a source of mobility for the real wizard!”
As waves of mental energy swept over them, they all realized the truth!
“YOU CAN NEVER TRIUMPH OVER ME! I AM THIS WORLD! I AM YGGARDIS.”
“Great Galaxy! We’re fighting a living, thinking planet! The whole planet is the wizard!” said Brainiac 5.
***
At that moment Mon-El, Andromeda, and Ultra Boy flew into the room and rushed to aid their stricken friends.
“That thundering telepathic voice brought us here! If that’s the mind Saturn Girl tried to make direct contact with through the alien we captured, then I can understand how she would be hurt!” said Andromeda.
Ultra Boy helped Brainiac 5 regain his footing and he said, “This world planet is some kind of living being? It’s the one who wants the stolen minerals?”
“Correct! I think it is using them as some kind of vitamin source!” said Shrinking Violet.
Brainiac 5 nodded ruefully.
“Vi is right! This whole factory, the thefts, the mind control, all were designed to get sustenance for this living world because it is dying!”
Mon-El said, “I guess it doesn’t require the magical pawns to occupy us since we’ve learned its secret! They all just turned away from the fight and resumed their duties!”
“YGGARDIS NEEDS NOTHING BEYOND ITS OWN MIGHT! YOU WILL ALL PERISH!”
The telepathic voice rocked them backward with sheer force of will.
Vi said, “I saw enough while I was captive to determine that magic was occurring but Sden was neither chanting nor gesturing. I figured he had some unseen master and based on the way the whole planet seemed to alter at will as needed, I deduced that planet itself was a sentient being!”
Element Lad said, “Its entire ecosystem is subject to change at its slightest whim. That’s why it could attack us with quakes, dirt slides, lightning, and toxic fumes!”
Sun Boy said, “If it is so powerful why does it need the vitamins as you called the stolen materials?”
“Because the whole world is sick. It is dying from prolonged radiation sickness. The core that is being fed the purloined substances is a raging inferno of deadly energies!” said Element Lad.
“It took me a while but I’ve sensed as much!” he added.
“Could you fix it?” asked a groaning Matter-Eater Lad as he sat up slowly.
“You OK, Tenzil?” asked Violet.
He nodded and said, “I’ve been awake. Just resting. Trying to gather my strength! I was serious. Could you use your powers to turn the poisonous core to something that would not kill the planet?”
Element Lad said, “I can certainly try!”
Brainiac 5 stiffened suddenly and then in a halting tone, he began to speak.
“Yggardis scanned my mind and probed it. He projected a thought to me. He told me of his amazing origin. He showed me his efforts to house various alien races who settled on his soil failed as his radiation killed them all in time. He took pleasure in this for eons but finally as he matured, he grew bored with murder and sought real companionship! It was too late his very core emitted toxic energies that killed all who dwelt here long. That kind of action led him to battle Superman himself on more than one occasion. Finally, Yggardis moved himself through space via magic until he settled here. It in our universe that he found a chance to save himself!”
“He used his magic to ensnare the mystic Sden and through him, he orchestrated the scheme in which Derek Morgna and others across the galaxy were forced to do his will and then forget about it. The goal was to provide him with life-sustaining resources. The red beings were magical constructs formed in the rough image of the real Starburst Bandits we once fought.”
Sun Boy stood up as he and the others found the air free of the gas.
“He’s reviving us! Does this mean he read our good intentions when he scanned your mind?” asked Dirk.
Brainy said, “Apparently so! He is willing to let Jan try to transmute his core to save his existence! If we save him, he will stop his magical manipulations!”
Sden slumped forward and gasped in shock.
“He’s freed Sden. The poor creep didn’t know what hit him. Even a criminal deserves free will!” said Violet.
Ultra Boy said, “Jan, can you really help him? It?”
Jan Arrah nodded slowly as he approached Brainy.
“I’m going to try. If you’ll fly us down to the core for a first hand look, we’ll use the force shield belt to protect us from the core’s deadly power!”
Mon-El agreed and as the ground shook, a tunnel appeared before them.
“USE THIS PASSAGE, MORTALS!” echoed the telepathic voice of the Living Planet.
“This certainly clears your Dad!” said Matter-Eater Lad as he, Sun Boy, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, Andromeda, and Ultra Boy waited on their three friends.
Sun Boy nodded and replied, “Sure. Assuming we actually can get anyone to believe this story!”
Brainiac 5, Mon-El, and Element Lad emerged from the tunnel after an hour had passed.
Their expressions revealed the outcome of their mission of mercy.
“The core is too unstable for Jan’s power to do any good. He can change it for a time but it reverts back to a deadly form in minutes, ” said Mon-El.
Yggardis began to shake and a storm raged above as the Legionnaires fought to survive the chaos!
“I WILL TAKE YOU ALL TO YOUR GRAVES!” roared the Living Planet.
Mon-El shouted, “Not without a fight!”
Brainiac 5 stood impassively by and shielded them with his force shield.
“Yggardis, cease this infantile behavior. While there is life, there is hope as the ancients said. I have one more idea. Allow me to try to cure you through more drastic measures!”
Sun Boy said, “What are you thinking of doing?”
Brainaic 5 merely spoke to the ring by which he was linked to their HQ computer system.
“Computo, activate teleportation system with altered coordinates as indicated by my dictated calculations.”
Timber Wolf said, “I thought you were letting our sentient computer system do something with Zoon’s dying suns?”
Sun Boy smiled and said, “I think he is!”
The hum of an operating teleportation unit filled the room as the unit opened above the enormous tunnels that led deep within the core of Yggardis!
Hours later the world was a changed place. A sense of calm serenity filled the air and clearly Yggardis was at peace!
“You cured him! I can feel it! The unstable core is now harmless! I don’t even feel that aura of menace any longer!” said Element Lad.
Brainiac 5 said, “Yes, I channeled the energies given off by the unstable tri-star system of Zoon when it went nova directly into the core of Yggardis through a teleporation shunt. I hoped correctly that the radical energies would cure his decay through a type of crude planetary scale chemo-theraphy!”
Timber Wolf said, “So, Zoon’s death did some real good!”
“I AM INDEBTED TO YOU! NO LONGER WILL I PLAGUE YOUR KIND. THEY MAY SETTLE HERE SAFELY AND I WILL AT LAST KNOW COMMUNION WITH OTHERS!”
Element Lad said, “You’ll be able to house real sentient beings and not rely on the magic pawns. You no longer need to steal resources from others!”
Brainiac 5 said, “Perhaps, some of the Zoonians will even wish to settle here!”
The heroes returned to their cruiser and flew away from the now benign Living Planet.
“Imagine all of that plotting and peril because a planet was sick and lonely!” said Ultra Boy.
Brainiac 5 said, “In spite of his enormous size and complexity, at heart Yggardis was a simple being. His emotions were those of a spoiled child.”
“The resource raids will stop now. His sentient pawns are all free. We even dropped Sden off as he requested! I guess this wraps up one of the strangest cases ever!” said Violet.
Matter-Eater Lad smiled broadly and said, “Deena will be glad to hear that I was able to resolve things with you all. She knew I hated working against you!”
Sun Boy said, “Dad will grumble a bit but in the end he’ll forgive you. He knows it’s true.”
“What’s true?” asked Timber Wolf.
“Once a Legionnaire, always a Legionnaire!” shouted the others!
