Titans of Justice #3 - “Not as it Seems Pt. 3”
Written & Maxi-micros by: Power Guy
Edited by: Earth 2 Flash


Central Park, Earth 2…

The Huntress and her newly assembled group of heroes had just watched in horror as the Ultra-Humanite (in Power Guy’s body) grabbed Stardust’s throat and squeezed until his body went limp before them.

“NO!!! It’s happening just like in my dream,” gasped the Sandman, feeling guilty for not saying anything to the others about his dream previously.





Suddenly, all present noticed something very strange: Stardust’s costume sagged even further towards the ground as if it were empty while his helmet and Cosmic Rod hit the grass below. Suddenly, a greenish mist formed around the Ultra-Humanite and began speaking, “Do you know how much I HATE turning into my mist form? It reminds me of my mother, whom I despise! Time for you to reap what you’ve sown!” Instantly, the mist forced itself into the villain’s eyes, nose, and mouth, causing an extreme reaction of itching, watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. The Ultra-Humanite’s newly acquired body became so irritated that he looked like he was having a seizure with his various body parts jerking wildly about. As the genius continued to struggle, Fury threw her magic lasso around him and pulled it tightly.





“Good work, you two,” congratulated the Huntress as she and the others moved in to finish securing the villain. Then an unfamiliar voice commanded, “Leave Power Guy alone!” It was the same man from Metropolis who had been walking through the park before the battle began. A blast of energy emanated from his hands and turned the ground below the Huntress and her team to quicksand, causing them all to sink. The man had left the ground under the Ultra-Humanite as is, which, allowed him to pull himself free from Fury’s rope and use his super-breath to expel the mist from his body.





As the heroes continued to sink downward, Nephthys shouted, “Everyone: join hands!” The heroes, desperate for a way out of this trap, wasted no time in following instructions. The legacy of Hawkman and Hawkgirl then used the Claw of Horus to negate the gravity around them all, pulling them into the air several feet. Once everyone was free, she gently lowered them all to solid ground to prepare for their next move.





“Who are you and why are you helping the Ultra-Humanite?” demanded the Huntress as she pointed her crossbow at the strange man.

“What are you talking about, lady? That’s Power Guy, Superman’s cousin, and from what I can see, you’re the one standing next to the Ultra-Humanite,” argued Alchemy Lad. “And there’s no need to tell you who I am because only a few people in this time-period know who I am anyways.” Several of the heroes raised an eyebrow at that last comment.





“Look pal, you’ve got this all wrong,” pointed out the Sandman, as he began to approach Alchemy Lad.

“Stay away from me…and I’m not your pal!” huffed the man from the future as he used his powers to turn the air around Lawrence Dodds into ice, freezing him solid.

“By continuously attacking us, you’ve declared yourself an enemy!” Nephthys shouted authoritatively as she charged Alchemy Lad.

The ancestor of Element Lad reacted by trying to turn the winged wonder’s mace into rubber, but his powers had no effect on it. “Your mace! What the heck is it made of?” he asked in shock.

“Here, I’ll show you!” spat Nephthys as she whacked Alchemy Lad with her ancient weapon, knocking him off of his feet. Meanwhile, Power Guy and Fury had been holding off the Ultra-Humanite while Stardust used his Cosmic Rod to unthaw the Sandman.

Before Alchemy Lad could pick himself up, the Huntress pulled his arms behind him and slapped a pair of Bat-cuffs tightly on his wrists. She then advised, “You’re clearly walking into this situation unbriefed. I think you’d better sit this one out.”

“I’ll do no such thing!” argued Alchemy Lad as he turned the Bat-cuffs to dust and got up, fists sparking with energy. “Superman was kind enough to take me in after I was banished here from the future and I’ll give my last breath to help his cousin if need be.”

Fury then spoke up, “You want to help Superman’s cousin? Then listen up!” She had restrained the Ultra-Humanite in her golden lasso while Power Guy held his body-snatcher still. “From the sounds of things, you’re from the future so you probably know what my lasso can do to anyone it binds. She then turned to her captive and ordered, “Tell this man who you really are!”





The Ultra-Humanite, seeing he had an ally present, struggled with all of his will to resist the golden rope but he quickly failed and answered, “I am the true Ultra-Humanite. I stole this body to grant me power and longevity.”





“Oh boy, I’ve made a horrible mistake,” frowned the man from the future, “But let me try and make it up to you all.” He then gestured at some nearby rocks and turned them into Kryptonite shackles.

Power Guy quickly grabbed them and placed them on the Ultra-Humanite’s wrists while saying, “I never thought I’d be so happy to see some Kryptonite!”





The Ultra-Humanite collapsed in agony as the team of heroes gathered around him. The Sandman looked at the others and asked, “So, now what?”

***

About forty-five minutes later at the Ultra-Humanite’s lab…

The young heroes had brought the villain back to his lab and hooked him and Power Guy up to the device that had switched their minds and bodies.

Stardust stood at the control panel and said, “I think all of those science lessons that my uncle Ted taught me are going to pay off today. I should be able to operate this device in order to switch their minds back.” After a few minutes of rechecking over the device to make sure he knew what he was doing, he pressed a few buttons and yelled out, “Ok, here goes!”

A short while later, the device shut down and the heroes all waited in anticipation as the two beings attached to the device came to.

The body of the Ultra-Humanite was the first to speak up, “It didn’t work! I’m still trapped in his body!”

“Don’t let him fool you,” said the form of Superman’s second cousin calmly. “It’s me, Power Guy. I’m back in my own body.”

Fury smirked and said, “There’s a quick way to settle this as she threw her lasso around the Ultra-Humanite once again, “Tell us your identity!”

“I am the Ultra-Humanite - the world’s greatest genius!” spoke the white gorilla with an arrogant sneer.

“The world’s greatest genius, yet you’re not smart enough to remember what my lasso can do?” Fury huffed, shaking her head back and forth.

Alchemy Lad quickly turned Power Guy’s Kryptonian shackles back into rocks.

“Thank you, all,” smiled the current Metropolis Marvel. “If you hadn’t all come together to help me, I’d be stuck in that gorilla body for the rest of my life.”

“Hey, some women like hairy guys,” teased Alchemy Lad.

“Not THAT hairy,” smirked Nephthys, gazing over at the Ultra-Humanite in disgust.

“Power Guy makes a good point through,” the Sandman said, speaking up. “At first, I was unsure how this would all play out but we really did a good thing today. Perhaps we should make this a little more permanent?”

“You mean, reform the Justice Society? ...or Infinity Inc?” questioned Stardust.

“Exactly but let’s put our own spin on it,” suggested the son of Wesley Dodds.

“How about calling ourselves the Justice Society Infinity?” proposed Nephthys.

“I like the sound of that,” admitted Power Guy.

“Me too,” Stardust.

“Does anyone NOT like it?” asked Fury as she looked around the assembled group.

The Ultra-Humanite quietly raised his hand, pretending not to be satisfied that his true goal was falling into place.

After nearly a minute of silence, the Sandman looked at the Huntress and questioned, “You’ve been quiet for a bit, Huntress. Are you interested in joining our new team?”

“I called you all together, didn’t I?” reminded the new Dark Knight of Gotham City as she climbed out a windowsill and shot a Bat-grapple at a nearby building. She then said, “I’ll be at the first meeting. Let’s use the Brownstone again,” right before she swung into the night.

As the heroes sorted out other minor details, the Ultra-Humanite sat quiet while thinking, “So, a new version of the Justice Society has formed. Now to enact the part two of my plan: I will form this generation’s Injustice Society to counter and crush them bitterly...”


NEVER THE END!