The soothing hot water caroms off her chest and flows down her back. It caresses her legs and swirls about her feet, tickling her toes. This extraordinary young woman has been known to enjoy an occasional bath is molten lava. Curiously enough, however, she finds an ordinary shower to be most relaxing. As the water rolls off her person and down the drain, it uncannily seems to take her tensions along with it.

Supergirl's mind wanders as she steps out of the shower. Her cousin Superman's Fortress of Solitude provides the ideal retreat in the aftermath of a very trying week. Twenty year old Kara typically juggles a challenging schedule, but in recent days her dual identities of college student and super heroine have been extra demanding. A crucial deep space mission occupied Supergirl for the better part of the week, thus precluding Linda Danvers of much needed study time during finals week. This resulted in an all night cram session followed by grueling exams in Calculus and Psychology.

Her Kryptonian metabolism not only affords her remarkable powers but equally amazing stamina. Physically, Kara rarely needs to rest. Her mind does require regular sleep however. Cousin Kal, a mature adult male, must sleep about once every two weeks. Kara is still growing and adjusting to her powers; therefore her slumber intervals are more frequent. She habitually dozes twice per week, but can push herself for seven or eight days if need be.

Linda Danvers yearned for well deserved rest upon completing the last of her exams two hours ago. Her down time was delayed however by troublesome reports of a monster in the Florida Everglades region. The girl of steel dutifully responded to the distress call and found herself face to face to the hideous swamp creature, Solomon Grundy. An occasional foe of her cousin's, Grundy's great strength and rage proved a formidable challenge. Supergirl engaged the beast in battle, preventing him from reaching nearby towns. Kara fought Grundy to a standstill until Superman arrived to sway the balance. Together, the Kryptonians subdued the menace.

Kara feels better now having washed the disgusting swamp muck off of her person. "Solomon Grundy is one filthy brute!" she thinks to herself as she towels off. The heroine dons a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Slightly refreshed, she decides to quickly review the file on the bizarre villain Phranyx, whom Kal has twice warned her about. Supergirl scoffs in disgust at the apparent audacity of this newcomer, but she privately questions why the JLA is so concerned about him. "Phranyx couldn't handle Black Canary or Batgirl." Kara reasons. "I shouldn't have any trouble if decides to mess with me!"

After a small snack, the Kryptonian retrieves her super costume from the washing machine. A low intensity dose of heat vision dries her indestructible outfit in seconds. The tired heroine surveys her cleaned signature garb with approval, for there remain no signs of her messy brawl with Grundy. She sets her costume on a chair, turns out the lights and lies down.

Before she can drift off to sleep, Kara abruptly springs to her feet. The lights flash back on as she whirls around and confirms her sudden realization that she is not alone. "It's about time you noticed me Supergirl." Phranyx grins. He clutches her cape, which only moments ago she had placed at her very bedside. The villain seems to dare the astonished heroine to reclaim it. "Stealing your cape was child's play. I trust that stealing you will at least be a slight challenge?" he goads.

The tranquil haven which is the Fortress of Solitude has been violated. Her guard down, she knows not how long her unscrupulous adversary has been here. Kara is livid. "Is this how you derive your pleasure, by eavesdropping on women in the shower?!" she snaps at the interloper. "Don't flatter yourself, young lady!" the villain condescendingly retorts. "You're sweet on the eyes, but it's your awesome powers and abilities which I've come for!"

Her overwhelming temptation is to charge the vile intruder and overcome him quickly. Kara forces herself to act with restraint, however, for she is justifiably wary of this mysterious foe. The villain has not only found the secret location of the Fortress of Solitude, but he has also penetrated its security measures. Intruder sensors have not been tripped, nor did she detect him with her keen super senses. Supergirl believes herself to be physically superior to the invader, but he may well own hidden advantages.

Supergirl maintains her distance while training invisible heat vision beams on the villain's right hand. He suddenly shrieks in pain and releases his grip upon her dangling cape. Phranyx retreats down the corridor and out into Superman's museum area. Kara performs a lightning fast change into her super garb and races after him. Phranyx stands innocently in front of the statues of Kal-El's biological parents, Jor-el and Lara. The intruder appears to be hiding a surprise means of attack behind his back, but Kara's x-ray vision indicates nothing. She cautiously approaches the seemingly carefree villain when she begins to notice a feeling of weakness. This sensation is not new to her, for it is unmistakably the effect of Kryptonite radiation.

To her horror, Supergirl realizes that Phranyx has penetrated her cousin's Kryptonite vault, which is used to safely contain the Earth's known supply of the deadly element. Her foe has strategically planted chunks of it throughout the fortress. A large allotment is positioned at the entrance so as to preclude the heroine from escaping the indoor battleground. With the ill effects increasing, Supergirl quickly scans her immediate surroundings to locate the Kryptonite within closest proximity. She looks to take the fight to her enemy while best distancing herself from the lethal rocks scattered throughout the site. Oddly, there isn't nearly as much of the compound close by as she expects to find given her level of discomfort.

Phranyx gloats at the unnerved Supergirl. Sensing her confusion and growing anxiety, the pompous villain proudly explains what he surely believes to be the means of her demise. Having discovered this secret sanctuary, Phranyx has had free access to the Fortress of Solitude for the past week. In that time, he has unlocked many of its secrets, including the Kryptonite supply and the phantom zone projector. His unauthorized visits have also afforded him the opportunity to sabotage the water supply. Laced with a tasteless and odorless chemical mixture, the water now has a temporary, yet disastrous effect upon Kryptonian physiology. It causes Supergirl's body to attract Kryptonite radiation, much like a magnet or lightning rod.

Kara has no reason to doubt his diabolical explanation. She is weakening at an alarming rate and pain begins to emanate throughout her spine. The heroine staggers as she reaches her smug adversary. Supergirl grabs Phranyx by the collar and backs him into Lara's figure. Unfortunately, her strike lacks the appropriate muster, for she can barely stand upright. The ailing heroine is an easy target for a counter attack. The villain connects with a knee to her stomach and a double-fisted blow to the side of her head thus felling her instantly.

Lying face first on the concrete floor, Kara feels the weight of Phranyx' foot pressing on the small of her back. Barely conscious, she struggles against increasingly foreboding odds. Her pain is excruciating. Her super strength and vision powers are all but gone. Her skin color has taken on a light green tone, a horrible, telltale indication of Kryptonite poisoning. She perspires profusely as radiation fever boils within.

"You will NOT take me so easily!" the prone heroine screams as she miraculously shakes the villain and forces herself to stand. Kara knows she has but one chance. Hidden behind the statues is a lead-lined bunker, the existence of which is known only to Superman and Supergirl. It is so well fortified that it will protect a Kryptonian from virtually any imaginable level of Kryptonite radiation. If she can seal herself and Phranyx within this room, the Kryptonite is no longer a threat. Her strength will return and she can defeat her then overmatched opponent.

Using every shred of her remaining might, Kara tackles Phranyx about the waist. She forces him towards the hidden entrance. Phranyx vehemently resists her efforts, but the determined heroine will not be denied. The door suddenly slides open as per Supergirl's initiative and the pair slips through it.

The next couple of seconds prove to be amongst the most terrifying of the young woman's life. The bunker is not the safe haven she anticipates; rather it is just the opposite. Phranyx has previously transitioned the bulk of the fortress' Kryptonite supply into the bunker. By the time she recognizes this, it is far too late. Kara instantly keels over from the sudden massive jolt of radiation. She frantically clutches her chest. Her skin turns dark green as she loses consciousness.

Phranyx quickly hefts her limp frame out of the bunker and closes the lead-lined door behind them. Sensing his victim is in critical condition, he hastily retrieves the phantom zone projector and relegates her unconscious form into the dimensionless void. The villain swiftly returns the rest of the Kryptonite to its original storage vault. He decontaminates the water supply and proceeds to exit as covertly as he arrived.

*****

A video clip with a mere eight seconds duration is all that sophisticated security cameras managed to film, yet that modicum of footage depicts a graphically ghastly tale. Justice League members look on in shock as Superman plays back yesterday's nightmarish scene from within his fortress of solitude. The hero replays it a second time to further emphasize the magnitude of what they're witnessing. The climax of Supergirl's fateful confrontation with Phranyx unfolds before them. The sheer horror and agony experienced by the young heroine is captured by the camera within Kal's secret bunker. Her collapse and apparent cardiac arrest leave the entire group momentarily speechless.

"Kara's dead!" a grief-stricken Superman solemnly declares. "The Kryptonite was just too much for her to withstand." He struggles greatly to contain his emotions. His tone quickly swings from despair to anger. "I'm going after this &^&%**#@$%! He'll pay for what he's done!" His words are striking in large part because of who he is. Superman is known for his calm demeanor and matchless moral standards. Many leaguers have never heard him utter a profanity much less threaten an enemy as such.

While his anger is perfectly understandable, it is also vital that the world's mightiest hero maintains his composure, especially given the current crisis. Wonder Woman steps forward to both console and reason with her friend and colleague. Diana points out that there is no proof that Supergirl is dead. She notes that they have received brazen notification from Phranyx upon his "capture" of the first of his three super heroines. No mention is made of Kara's condition, but his terminology suggests she is still alive. The very fact that the villain instantly dispatched her to the Phantom Zone supports the Amazon's contention. The zone would preserve her tenuous life signs as if she were placed into suspended animation.

Wonder Woman believes in Supergirl's will to live and has faith that she has survived. She argues that the best way to help the missing Kryptonian is for the JLA to remain focused and work as a team. Superman accepts the wisdom of Princess Diana's calming words, but only to a certain extent. The man of steel is adamant that they must be far more proactive in dealing with this enemy. The prudent approach is no longer viable, because Phranyx presents exceedingly difficult problems. Based on current patterns, the villain will launch numerous additional attacks before even their capable detective work will lead them to their quarry. They must therefore dictate the terms of Phranyx' future assaults.

Opinions vary on how they should aggressively approach the mysterious criminal. Of the little they know about this villain, the consensus opinion is that he is driven by an enormous ego. Wonder Woman theorizes that this can be used against him. She insists upon making herself a very inviting target. "It's about time Phranyx and I meet face to face," the Amazon boldly declares "and I have just the plan to make it happen!"