The Titans of Justice Chapter Four – “Amazed”
Written by: Power Guy
Co-conspirator: Scotty2Hotty
Editor: Marcus Mebes


At the Hall of Justice, Metropolis, USA, the first meeting of the Titans of Justice was in session.

“Okay, everyone,” began Celsius, “is everyone clear on their monitor-duty assignments?”

The other eight members of the team acknowledged with a “yes” or a nod of their head. They all understood their assigned times, and had planned out their daily itinerary based upon it.

“All right then,” continued Celsius. “Before we go our separate ways, I thought it would be great to share something about ourselves… to get to know each other better.” When his suggestion was not met with any disagreement, he initiated the conversation. “I’m Colin Caulder. I work as a model in New Zealand.”

“I knew it was you!” exclaimed Wonder Man. “I’m a U.S. model and I’ve seen you in some shoots. My agent has a head shot of you on her wall. You were at that huge fund-raiser last month with Mari McCabe, right?”

“That was me,” confirmed Celsius with a modest smile. “And correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re Scott Trevor, right? Scotty2Hotty in the modeling-world!”

“Guilty as charged,” admitted Wonder Man. “How about the rest of you guys” said Wonder Man to the group. None of them hesitated to think about the repercussions of revealing their secret identities to each other. There seemed to be no reason for any distrust.

Nightvision was next to reply “Brendon Grayson. Detective Grayson of the Gotham City Police Department.”

“Christian Jordaine – archeologist,” added Strato Hawk. The speaker turned to Junjie Quick, passing along the obligation.

“I’m Junjie Chambers. I’m a news reporter for the Daily Starr.”

“Sargona Sargon.” She turned and winked to their leader-elect, pursing her lips in a mock kiss. “I’m the world’s sassiest stage-magician!”

Green Lantern was the next to answer “I’m Daniel Jordan. I’m a pastor currently on assignment in the Philippines.”

“How can you be pastor and a member of the Green Lantern Corps?” asked Junjie Quick. “Don’t the Guardians ask you to do things that go against your faith?”

“They try,” confirmed Green Lantern. He winked back at Sargona, though sagely and not seductively as she did. “But I find ways to do my job without hurting my walk.”

Power Guy then interjected. “I’m a DJ at the Throb Zone Nightclub. Oh, and during the day, I’m the vice-president of Starr Ware. My real name is Ky-El but here on Earth, I go by Vince Starr.” Power Guy turned to Jemstone, noticing that she was the only one who had not yet answered. “How about you Jemstone?”

I’d rather not talk about it,” she demurred, averting her eyes to the floor.

An awkward silence followed, as some of them felt like she should have revealed just as much as they did, while others could feel her unease, and realized that perhaps they should not have been so forthcoming. “W-well,” stuttered Celsius, caught off-guard by her reticence, “If no-one has anything else to add, we can wrap things up.”

“Actually,” said Power Guy. “I’ve heard that there are some concerns with the possibility of the throne of Khandaq being taken over.” He stood to make his point. “Apparently the Black Marvel family has been all but absent for the last few weeks. I’m wondering if we should take a trip over there to see what’s going on. You know: just a reconnaissance thing.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” countered Strato Hawk. “From what Hawkman has told me about Black Adam, he doesn’t take well to others trespassing into his country. Even though he’s been out of sight for a few weeks, I think we should give it a bit longer before we take any action.”

“A few weeks?” echoed Power Guy. “A few weeks for a ruling family to be missing is a long time!”

“True,” responded Strato Hawk, “but we can’t rush into every situation without knowing more about it. Maybe they’re still there, but holding a low profile.”

“Agreed,” said Celsius. “Let’s give the Black Marvel family a few more weeks to reappear and if nothing by then, we’ll look into it.” He sat down, and added, “Except, of course, if someone does try to stage a coupe… and if the Marvels don’t appear, we’ll intercede immediately.”

With opportune timing, the telephone on the meeting table rang.

“I’ll get it,” assured Wonder Man eagerly as he reached across the table to pick up the receiver. “Hall of Justice; Earth’s sexiest hero speaking…”

Before he could continue with his inane effort at humor, his head was sent forcibly sideways as a blast emanated from the receiver. “Arghhhh!!” he screamed. He was knocked off of his feet and fell to the floor, where he lay writing, holding his hand tightly against his ear.

The rest of the assemblage looked in amazement at their companion, and then at the fallen telephone. Before their eyes, their attacker was starting to become visible. A miniature form was soon spotted growing from near microscopic to full-human size:



“Oh spit!” said Strato Hawk. “It’s Amazo!”

Wonder Man had shaken off the pain inflicted by Amazo’s punch to his ear. He tried valiantly to stand up, but had to hold onto the table edge for balance. “What…!”

Amazo—for indeed it was he who had emerged from the phone line—stood before the bewildered novices and spoke. “I was created to destroy the Justice League of America. With the group defunct, I have laid dormant for years.” He scanned the faces and gauged their abilities, altering his programming to compensate for what he deduced their powers to be. “My sensors indicate that the energy-signatures of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and other heroes are present in this room. I have concluded that a new Justice League has formed. If that is the case, I am here to make sure you do not live long enough to see your first roster-change.”

“Actually you’ve got it all wrong pal,” retorted Wonder Man, the first to recover from their shock. He wracked his brain for something witty and misleading, but only managed to utter, “We’re just having a costume party.”

“Pitiful,” sniffed the android, wrinkling his nose. “You are lying. I sense you have the power of Wonder Woman inside of you and for that, you must die!” Without warning Amazo had moved to stand before Wonder man, and quickly punched him in the face; knocking him across the room.

Amazo then turned his attention towards the others.

“I’ve had it with evil androids lately!” exclaimed Jemstone. “I’m going to fry your circuits just like I did Brainiac’s!” She sent forth a blast from her hands that enveloped Amazo in a white-hot blast of energy. It was so hot that the instant it hit Amazo, a cloud of smoke wafted forth from his immolated form. As the smoke threatened to choke the room, Jemstone stopped firing and waited for it to clear. There Amazo stood—unscathed--while the floor beneath him was molten-slag.

“Now it’s my turn,” threatened the android. Amazo used Firestorm’s matter transmutation powers to encase Jemstone in a prism-prison. “It is obvious that you are a living hologram. That prison is made to refract the light you give off. There is no escape.”

Too late the heroes realized that they had to react. They had been standing around like a bunch of startled school-children, with no experience telling them to defend themselves. Though they had trounced the Legion of Doom, it had been pure luck. Now, this near-omnipotent android seemed ready to put the hurt on them permanently The android used the Elongated Man’s stretching powers to enlarge his right fist and slammed it into the stunned heroes, scattering them around the meeting room.

“Look Amazo,” barked Celsius as he picked himself up, “we don’t want a fight but we’re more than willing to give it to you if that’s what you’re asking for!” He planted his feet firmly on the floor and thrust his fists out, ready to blast the invader. “Let’s see how you handle an artic blast!” he said as he covered Amazo in ice.

Amazo quickly used his super-strength to burst free. “Pathetic,” stated the android. “You think that is cold? Try this!” Amazo used Superman’s freeze-breath to give Celsius a taste of his own medicine. The Titans of Justice leader was frozen in his tracks.

“Enough!” yelled Power Guy as he rammed into Amazo with the force of a freight train. The hero then jumped on top of Amazo proceeding to barrage him with a fury of fists.

After picking himself up off the floor, Wonder Man raced over to the struggle and joined Power Guy in pulverizing Amazo. “Mind if I lend a hand?” he grunted as he entered the assault.

“Not at all,” growled Power Guy through clenched teeth.

The two heroes continued punching Amazo as hard as they could. After about a minute, the android counter-attacked by grabbing both heroes by their throats and slamming their heads together. With both heroes groggy, they fell to the ground.

“Got any ideas Nightvision?” asked Junjie Quick.

“Yeah,” said Nightvision. “Hit him with everything we’ve got until I can come up with a plan.”

The remaining heroes converged on Amazo using their various powers and weapons to attack him. Green Lantern blasted Amazo with his ring. Sargona used her “magic-touch” to send various chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture slamming into the android; though some hit her teammates inadvertently. Junjie Quick focused a mini-tornado on Amazo while Nightvision threw several exploding Batarings at him. Strato Hawk took to the air and pile-drived his mace into Amazo’s skull. Even with the fierceness of the heroes’ combined attacks, the android was still not down for the count.

Amazo quickly put an end to Sargona’s tricks by enveloping her hands with two small power-bubbles. “If you cannot touch anything, you are useless, magician,” boasted the android.

“Stay away from her, maniac!” shouted Green Lantern as he hit Amazo with a giant hammer created by his ring. The android went flying into a nearby wall.

Junjie Quick raced up to Amazo and hit him over and over again within a matter of seconds. Unfortunately. Junjie forgot that Amazo has the speed of the Flash. Amazo quickly grabbed both of Junjie’s wrists and started swing him around in a circle until he threw the speedster into the approaching Strato Hawk.

Amazo turned to confront the oncoming Green Lantern and Nightvision. He opened his mouth and battered them with Black Canary’s sonic-cry. Both heroes were dizzy and disoriented. Amazo gloated. “Your parents would be so disappointed in you. You young heroes are too inexperienced to defeat me. Struggling is futile. Accept your demise!”

“Like h_ll we will!” shouted Power Guy as he flew into Amazo, smashing his fist against Amazo’s face.

Meanwhile, Celsius had heated up his core-temperature to thaw the ice surrounding him. One he had shaken off the clinging ice, he aided Green Lantern and Nightvision back to their feet. “Nightvision,” he said urgently, “we’ve got to come up with a plan to take this guy out. He has the powers of all of the original members of the JLA.”

“I think I have an idea,” replied Nightvision. “Green Lantern – can you bust open those bubbles surrounding Sargona’s hands?”

“Give me thirty seconds,” responded the green guardian. He flew over to Sargona.

Sargona grimaced and said, “I see that I’ve finally become useful!” While the others were battling the android, it appeared that she had just been discarded as useless.

“You’re always of use,” replied Green Lantern. “Now put your hands above your head.”

Sargona quickly raised her hands as Green Lantern used his power-ring to shatter the bubbles surrounding them.

“Finally!” sighed Sargona. “I thought I was going to have to have someone feed me the rest of my life.” She glanced at the others as they battled Amazo. “Which might not’ve been very long!”

“Enough with the jokes,” said Green Lantern urgently. “Nightvision has a plan and apparently, you’re the key to it. Go talk to him while I help Power Guy keep Amazo busy.” Green Lantern flew over to rejoin the melee, while Sargona retreated to where Nightvision awaited her. They hurriedly exchanged plans.

While Nightvision and Sargona were collaborating, Power Guy and Green Lantern were having a hard time keeping Amazo occupied. Wonder Man rejoined his allies, throwing his silver magic-lasso around Amazo. “I don’t care how powerful you are, not even you can break my magic-lasso.”

“I don’t need to break it to get free you fool!” said Amazo as he used Martian Manhunter’s phasing ability to let Wonder Man’s lasso pass right through him.

“Guys, I’m running out of ideas here!” pleaded Wonder Man anxiously.

“I’m not!” shouted the approaching Sargona. She pressed her hands against the floor, causing all of the tiles to rip free from the ground and fly into Amazo.

After being hit by several hundred tiles, the annoyed android advanced upon Sargona and picked her up off the ground by her throat. “Your foolish trick does nothing but irritate me woman. There is not a single thing in this room that you can touch that can harm me!” yelled Amazo.

“What if I touch you?” gurgled Sargona as she wrapped both of her hands around Amazo’s extended forearm.

Suddenly, Amazo felt as if he was beomg turned inside-out. He dropped Sargona and convulsed. “What have you done to me woman?” he demanded in a strangled voice.

Coughing and clutching her throat, the sorceress backed away quickly. “Nothing much,” she replied. “I just reversed the polarity on your absorbing cells. All of that power that you’ve stolen over the years has been expelled from your body… which means you’re probably no stronger than I am.” Recovering her strength, she punched Amazo in face, knocking him out cold.

“Nice thinking,” said Strato Hawk as he came up behind her. She gratefully leaned against him. “For a minute there, I thought we were going to generate a bigger death-toll than the Black Orchid massacre.”

“I better go free Jemstone,” said Sargona as she walked off to free her teammate.

“That was awfully close,” sighed Celsius, wiping his arm across his brow. He looked at each of the battered heroes, and at the fallen form of Amazo. “We are too inexperienced. At some point, we are going to get hurt… or worse. We’ve got to start training more. Amazo took us by surprise and wiped the floor with us. I’m going to give Dr. Magnus a call and ask him to come by and dismantle him so there’s no chance of it coming after us again.”

“Good idea,” said Nightvision. “I don’t mean to sound lazy but you guys will have to clean up without me. I have to meet the commissioner in an hour. Apparently Dr. Phosphorus broke out of Arkham again.”

“Isn’t he too old to be threat by now?” asked Junjie Quick.

“No,” replied Nightvision. “Apparently the radiation he absorbed prolonged his life. He still looks the same age he did when he fought my mother and Batman.” He shook his head apologetically. “Look, I’ve got to run. See you guys at the next meeting.”

“If all the meetings are like this one,” muttered Sargonna under her breath, “I don’t know how long our little team will last!”

The rest of the heroes proceeded to clean up the Hall of Justice. It was time-consuming, and they all realized how lucky they were… again… as they righted upturned furniture, and swept up broken glass and computer components. How much would it cost to repair these things? Could they do it themselves? Could they call in favors? Once they were done, all but Celsius and Wonder Man departed.

“I’ll be back after the pageant.” said Wonder Man to Celsius.

“Sounds good dude,” said Celsius wearily.