Their world had been brought to the brink of disaster … and been pushed over the brink. Many of their friends had perished in the conflagrations. Some of the survivors had banded together into groups to bring those who had caused the great disaster to justice, and to attempt to reconstruct their world: men came to know them as the Freedom Fighters, the Atomic Knights, and the Second Chance.
Finally, with the help of a mysterious Brotherhood from an alternate reality, Second Chance was able to construct a rocket to find a new world for humanity. The Freedom Fighters chose instead to follow a path to the Brotherhood's world, to fight once again for justice as they had so many years before. They found themselves only misunderstood, however, and soon Marianne, Fantomette, Photonik, Le Pilote Noir, Mikros, and Fantax were on the run, falsely accused of being villains.
Violette Vâne had been a bored heiress, and amused herself by purchasing and running a circus. When the Evening News began to run stories of adventurers such as Super Man and the Musketeer, she found them a source of inspiration, and donned a costume herself in order to investigate crimes as Miss Musketeer. Eventually her career brought her to the attention of Max Soleil, the Musketeer himself, and she earned his trust and began to accompany him on many of his cases.
It was under cover of night that she patrolled, and on one of the Paris rooftops she saw a flicker out of the corner of her eye. She drew forth her sword and turned to face it. "Pierrot Lunaire?" she exclaimed, seeing the man clad in a clownish device which would have been typical of the Musketeer's silent arch-enemy. "A new look for you? Can't say it suits you."
The man smiled, and raised his hands pacifically. "Far from it," he said. "I go by the name Scaramouche, and I'm a crime-fighter same as you. I was hoping you could help me."
She sheathed her sword. "You're not someone I've come across before, but we welcome new members of our little fraternity."
He executed an elaborate bow. "I hail from the place called Earth-11 … ah, I see from your expression that you're familiar with it."
"Super Man shared information with the Société de Justice'," she replied, wondering about the man's intentions.
"I was a member of a group called the Freedom Fighters," he replied. "I pursued a villain to this reality years ago, and became stranded. Now I see that my old friends have followed me."
"If you know that, you know they are wanted men. But the Musketeer would have files on them … like everything else. I'll see what I can do."
Elsewhere, Pol St. Germain spoke quietly into the phone. The Société de Justice' had foiled his attempts to take over Badhensia, and he had made new allies since then. And yet, at times, he still felt it necessary to take matters into his own hands.
It was late after hours at Violette Vâne's circus that the reunion took place. She sat by the wayside, watching with a smile.
"It's amazing, Charlot," Marianne said. "We'd all thought you'd been killed."
"I couldn't make my way back," he said, "and I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to help. Everyone I knew back home, dead … it's a nightmare."
Fantax nodded soberly. "I'm not sure what you could have done after the San Theodoros affair led the Western democracies and the Communist nations into a nuclear war. It was all any of us could do to hold things together."
"San Theodoros?" Scaramouche repeated, aghast. "I have just come from there … we might be able to prevent the disaster from happening on this Earth as well."
"Another Rastopoulos?" Le Pilote Noir said, naming the villain whose activities were partially responsible for leading to the political chaos which set the stages for the war.
"Worse … the man I followed here from our world," Scaramouche replied sourly. "Fantomas."
Fantomette gasped at name. She had devoted her life to undoing the damage her villainous ancestor had done. "I can't believe it. Can nothing kill him?"
"I'm sorry, Françoise," Scaramouche said gently. "I hope that together, maybe we stand a chance."
Miss Musketeer rose to her feet. "My sword is at your service," she added. "Based on what you say, it may be needed."
Marianne raised a hand in appreciation, "It will be valuable, I'm sure."
The Freedom Fighters, under the auspices of Scaramouche, approached the home of Fantomas, in the forest of San Theodoros. They arrived through the jungle to find the mouth of a large cave. An eerie sensation sent shivers up their spines as they stepped down from the streamlined aeroplane piloted by Miss Musketeer.
"What an appealingly colorful octet," said a sneering voice from above them. "Thank you, Scaramouche, you have acquitted yourself quite well."
Photonik's hands blazed with brilliant light, revealing the presence of an ebony-garbed and masked man. "Fantomas," he said angrily as he faced the man whose manipulations had caused them to become viewed as criminals in their new home, and then turned to his teammate. "Scaramouche? What is he talking about?"
Scaramouche backed away from the others. "You all never wondered why I'm the same age as you, still? Marianne's presence preserved your youth, but I was stranded here decades ago … old and useless, nearly paralyzed. I couldn't even join you when you followed me here. Fantomas gave me the ability to walk again, and a chance for a new life."
"This was not the way," Marianne said sadly. "If you had only reached out to us, Charlot … "
"It's too late for that," Scaramouche replied, dejection heavy in his voice. He ducked a ray of light from Photonik, and vanished into the jungle.
Mikros peered up at Fantomas. "You brought us here … why? Just to gloat over the mephistophelean way you tempted our old teammate?"
"Ahh, no, not at all," Fantomas said as he peered down at them. "Although, dear Françoise, if you would take advantage of this one last opportunity to join me, and do honour to your proud lineage … "
"Never!" Fantomette said. "I'd rather you kill me first!"
Fantomas shrugged. "That can be arranged."
"And you're going to do this all one your own?" Fantax said, balling his hands into fists.
"Allow me to show you a little gift which was passed on to me by an alien friend I met recently, called Nagma. I think you'll find it quite interesting." The Freedom Fighters heard a rush of wind, and a trio of bizarre apparitions appeared from the skies. They wore red uniforms almost identical to that of Super Man, save that emblazoned on their chests was a curious starlike design rather than the familiar 'S,' and on each of their right hands they wore a shining green ring. Their faces, although resembling the iconic hero, were oddly white and multi-angled as if they were made from crystal or stone. "I call them the Super Clones," he continued. "They were formerly used as a security force for another alien race called the Tadsilweny, although I have learned to bend them to my will. I have been creating a new kingdom for myself in this undamaged new Earth, and I had no intention of having you people foil me as you had so often back on Earth-11."
Le Pilote Noir and Photonik took to the air towards Fantomas, and one of the Super Clones followed; as strong as a modern Hercules, he blocked their way, powerful fists sending them back down to earth. Since arriving at this Earth, some of the Freedom Fighters had found their abilities strangely augmented: Fantomette able to become intangible, Mikros' miniature form somehow psychokinetic, and the force of Fantax's punches increasingly explosive. With the aid of Miss Musketeer's sword, they struggled against the red-clad trinity.
Under the assessing eyes of Fantomas, first blood was drawn.
Photonik's and Le Pilote Noir's battle cast a shadow over the others. The rocket belt which enabled the Super Clones to fly, modelled on that worn by the original, did not quite allow the agility of their innate talents, and it was only that which kept them alive.
Marianne's great strength was nearly the equal of her opponent's, although she did not fight alone; Miss Musketeer however was still only human, and struggled only to survive, her weaponry almost useless against her opponent's hardened skin and nigh-invulnerable uniforms.
Fantax, Mikros, and Fantomette coordinated their attacks against the third Super Clone with an expertise born of long practice. They had fought a war for decades on Earth-11 against ruthless foes, some who rivaled Super Man himself in power, yet now they found themselves sorely tested. Fantomette peered upwards at her ancestor with despair. She knew, as did he, that with her abilities she could easily survive this battle, but nevertheless she still feared to confront him alone. Her despair turned to shock as she heard a shot ring out through the dense forest.
Fantomas' eyes widened, his hand clutched to his chest. He saw blood seeping through the black fabric of his coat, and he tumbled forward into the darkness of the cave which swallowed him up. The Super Clones, without his controlling will, paused in mid-battle.
The one which had taken to their air descended to join his fellows. He peered at the Freedom Fighters curiously. "You am friends, or enemies?" he said, confused.
Marianne made an appeasing gesture. "The Freedom Fighters are friends to all men of good will," she replied.
The Super Clone nodded. "We am far from home. We go now." They activated their rocket belts in unison, and soon the three disappeared into the skies.
"Is … is that the end of Fantomas' reign of terror?" Fantomette asked, desperate and confused.
Le Pilote Noir peered into the cave. "We didn't see a body, so whether he is gone forever is too soon to tell. But we seem to have escaped this trap at least."
"Where did the bullet come from? Did anyone see?" Mikros said.
Miss Musketeer alone had seen the familiar figure of Morgan Ducard as it had disappeared into the jungle, his camouflaged outfit visible only by the glint of metal. "Nobody," she responded quietly.
St. Germain had grown quite tired of his new ally's incessant machinations, and grown suspicious of him. The son of Henri Ducard, one of the men who had trained the Musketeer himself, had seemed like the perfect solution to the problem. The Freedom Fighters were in his debt now, and one day, he thought, would come time to repay it.
NOTES:
This was written from a plot by Bobby Danner, originally intended for FDC's Freedom Fighters #11 and 12. In order to Frenchify the storyline, Fantomas replaces the Silver Ghost, Scaramouche replaces the Jester, and Morgan Ducard replaces Slade Wilson. Batwoman's/Miss Musketeer's involvement was my own in order to fit the theme of the series.
The information for the Freedom Fighters was largely derived from Jean-Marc Lofficier's excellent website Cool French Comics. I could not find an easy counterpart for the Human Bomb so instead chose the Hourman-resembling Fantax. Likewise, none suggested Firebrand or the Jester, so I created a legacy character for the swashbuckling Scaramouche.
The Earth-11 noted here is the Pre-Crisis francophone one which first appeared in Teen Titans Spotlight #11, obviously not the post-Crisis genderswitch one. The Superclones first appeared in Asterix and the Falling Sky, although I chose to make them Bizarro-ish.