A few weeks ago, we took a look at Justice League of America #138, in which the League has to travel to the 73rd Century to help out Adam Strange, who had become an unwilling time traveler.
JLA #139 (February 1977) follows up that story. Through Adam has been rescued and returned to Rann, his problems turned out to be just the first step of an elaorate trap. The heroes who followed them into the future soon fade into intangible and invisible ghosts, unable to communicate with other League members.
Like the previous issue, this one is written by Cary Bates and drawn by Dick Dillon. And, like the previous issue, it's full of imaginative fun.
Adam Strange shows up to explain what's going on. The destructive radiation he had been infused with was now infecting the heroes who also travelled to the future. The alien super-crook Kanjar Ro is responsible for all this--a plot to take out some of the Justice League and torture Adam with the knowledge that he (Adam) was a tool in doing so. Kanjar's motivation seems to be pure revenge, but its a motive that fits him well. Kanjar Ro was always a big meanie.
But the elaborate trap is even more elaborate. Finding a way to save the incorporeal heroes requires a return to the 73rd Century, which Green Lantern accomplishes by using his ring to zap the entire satellite 4300 years forward in time. But before that happens, Flash becomes solid again when he saves GL from an exploding console. So it seems that the sight of a friend in danger can allow the incorporeal heroes to return to normal.
But that's just another step in the trap, arranged by Kanjar Ro so that the heroes--who are due to be attacked by 73rd Century soldiers--will be at a psychological disadvantage because they are subconsciously expecting their invisible allies to pop up and save them.
And those 73rd Century soldiers are tough opponents, using weapons that analyze their opponents and automatically use effective tactics against each individual hero.
I really like the elaborate, multi-step nature of this trap. Looked at through the lens of Comic Book Logic, it follows a step-by-step process that would have made the Mission Impossible team proud. If the Mission Impossible team were evil, that is.
But though Kanjar Ro may be clever, Adam Strange is no slouch in the brains department. He figures out what's going on and how to reverse the "incorporeal" thing. The formerly trapped heroes join the fight, with Superman using his heat vision to disable the soldiers' super-weapons. After that, the battle is pretty much a curb stomp.
It turns out that Kanjar had set up shop in the 73rd Century, using his Energi-Rod to control the soldiers. The villain makes an attempt to getaway by disguising himself as the 73rd Century Green Lantern, but Adam tumbles to that trick as well.
Next week, we'll time travel again--back into the prehistoric past for another visit with Tragg and the Sky Gods.
No comments:
Post a Comment