LSH: The Battle For The Universe
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 3 - TAZZ, THE INVADER
Invisible Kid could hardly guess how unusual was the "something"
that Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 had run into and how deadly. Ferro Lad
was currently plummeting like a stone toward the mammoth electromagnet
on the peak of Mount Everest, pulled downward by superpowerful forces.
But he had not given up all hope. Through his swirling mind, a
plan of action -- even though it wasn't much -- was forming. He tried
to turn his body perpendicular to the magnet. He wanted to attempt
to strike the force field so that his back would take most of the impact.
Clashing forces flung him back a bit as he fought the supermagnetic
pull below. He imagined that it was like trying to paddle a canoe up a
waterfall. Still, he was able to turn his body somewhat. Could he distribute
the force of the impact enough across his body to save himself from being
cracked open like an eggshell against the force-field cushion?
Fifty feet ... 25 ... 10 ... 5 ... WHAM!
A shriek tore from Andrew Nolan's lips as his iron-like body
slammed into the force-field. But his invulnerable body held up without
cracking into several pieces. With no more than his wind knocked out,
Ferro Lad bounced a hundred feet high from the force-field barrier, then
fell off to the side toward bare hard rock.
Shaking off reeling dizziness, Ferro Lad managed to land on his
feet with no more of a jar than that of someone jumping down ten feet. He
swayed on his feet for a moment, almost collapsing. His blurred eyes
cleared up and focused -- on a man in a strange costume.
Ferro Lad stared in wonder. The man was dressed in clothing that
resembled no style ever seen on Earth before. His height and figure were
average. Strangest of all was the malevolent expression in his frosty blue
eyes, infinitely cold and hostile.
"An intruder," came his harsh voice, as if he owned Mount Everest.
"But you are different from the other Earth-people on my world monitor
screen. You appear to be encased in protective armor. Who are you?"
Ferro Lad whispered into his comm-link, "Brainy, I think you better
get up here." He then addressed the man in front of him, "They call me Ferro
Lad, the Legionnaire." He waved at the humming machine, still awed. "And
just who are you? Did you build this supermagnet? And why?"
The stranger drew himself up regally, and spoke in lofty tones, "I am
Tazz, the Invader!"
"I imagine I'm supposed to tremble at the name," said Ferro Lad
sarcastically, "But you might as well have just said Joe, for all the name
means to me.Where do you do your so-called invading?"
"All over the universe, my mocking friend. World after world among
the stars has fallen before my invincible legion of space warcraft. I am not a
native of Earth. I am from a far-off world of superscience beyond your
imagination."
Ferro Lad would have put him down for a harmless crackpot,
except for one thing -- the supermagnet. You couldn't laugh that off.
Just then, Brainiac 5 floated down to join the two would-be combatants
who were seemingly involved in a standoff. Brainy landed softly and
his eyes flickered back and forth from the supermagent and the strangely-
clad Tazz.
Ferro quickly explained to Brainiac 5, "He says his name is Tazz
from a distant planet that isn't too neighborly. Likes to invade worlds,
we've heard that a few times, haven't we, Brainy?"
Brainiac 5 looked at Tazz and said, "I see that evolution on your
world produced the same type of human species that we are."
"You are mistaken, Green One," denied Tazz. A faint smile played
about his lips. "Prepare for a shock, human. We control metabolic
transformation of our body tissues at will. Watch ... this is how I really look."
Before Brainiac 5 and Ferro Lad's eyes, the human form of Tazz
began to subtly and steadily later, like a man melting down and changing
into something else. The face and other human attributes faded into an
amorphous mass, over which a new face and form began to superimpose
themselves.
The two Legionnaires watched as they saw Tazz change, portion
by portion, until there stood before them a shocking monstrosity. He was,
in general, still semi-man like, and not changed in general size. But all else
was utter madness.
A face with blotched purple skin ... ghastly green lips ... hair of
poisonous blue ... and eyes that were fiery red like hot coals. The arms
had changed into boneless tentacles with ten tender "fingers" that writhed.
The two gnarled legs ended in hooves instead feet.
It was surrealistic creature beyond the imagination of a gone-mad
artist ... a nightmare beyond the wildest fantasy of the human mind -- yet
there was intelligence in the creature's face. Superintelligence, in fact. The
Legionnaires could expect no mercy or pity from such coldly inhuman
intellect.
"Appalled, humans?" mocked the alien. "But let me hasten to inform
you that nausea strikes me when I gaze upon your horribly repulsive human
form."
"Big deal!" Ferro Lad exclaimed. "We see Chameleon Boy do that
once a week. And Princess Projectra can conjure up even more frightening
things."
"I know of nothing of those you mention," Tazz replied as he began
reversing the process, his monstrous form slowly metamorphosizing back to
the human "disguise" he had worn before.
"It is not to spare your eyes that I adopt human form on Earth," Tazz
commented, "But because in my own form I am dangerously unadapted to
the environment. On our native planet we breathe clorine gas. And only in
human guise can I breathe this horrible oxygen in your atmosphere, poisonous
to us."
Tazz shrugged and went on. "To satisfy your curiosity as to why I
speak your language fluently, I have been on your world a week now. During
that time I learned all languages.
"All of them?" gasped Brainiac 5
"Including all local idiom," nodded Tazz. With a wry face, he turned
haughty. "I know everything else about Earth from my long-range sensors,
scanners and monitors -- the continents and oceans, mountains, rivers; also
cities, people and politics."
"That's fairly impressive to absorb all that in one week," said Brainiac
5, aware of the superintelligence facing him. "But you apparently never heard
of the Legion of Super-Heroes."
"You two are of no consequence to me."
"You have come, I suppose, to invade Earth now?" Ferro Lad asked.
"No, Masked One."
Prepared for an affirmative answer, Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 were
amazed.
"But you boasted of how many other planets you had invaded. Then
what else could you be here for?" Ferro asked the alien.
"To destroy Earth!" hissed Tazz, his eyes seething in ferocious
hatred.
***
In Metropolis, the Legion's colorful Meet played on to a rapt
audience across the galaxy.
"We have honored the founding members of the Legion of
Super-Heroes," announced Invisible Kid. "We will now review some
of the Legionnaires we have with us today and give you their origin and
special abilities. First, a guy who sits fifteen feet tall and I'm not
exaggerating when I say he can grow much larger. Here he is, the man
mountain ... the walking skyscraper ... Colossal Boy!"
The spotlight limned the huge 15-foot form and a gasp sounded
in every home across the galaxy that had a video monitor. Shrinking Violet
had flown off his shoulder. "This is your show, Big Boy. I'll go press the
button for the elephant to come on stage."
Flying to the podium, Violet darted down and jammed the button
with her descending feet, just before Invisible Kid's finger got there. She
grinned impishly at him.
Out in the middle of the large Legion Council Hall, a big door
flew open and a moving platform dame into view, on which stood a
huge bull elephant with one end of a heavy rope wrapped in its trunk.
Colossal Boy picked up the other end. The rope tightened as he braced
himself and the trained elephant began to pull.
"A tug of war between Colossal Boy and a five-ton elephant,"
sang out Invisible Kid. "Don't bet too soon on the wrong one!"
At first, the powerful beast began to back up, dragging Colossal
Boy forward. But then the towering Gim Allon planted his feet, rippled
his muscles, and began a slow, steady pull that first halted the elephant,
then -- incredibly -- dragged him forward foot by foot, and finally brought
him across the dividing line.
Colossal Boy took a bow in the spotlight as the other Legionnaires
applauded. "You know it's not the muscle but sheer weight that wins a tug
of war," said Sun Boy maliciously, eyeing Shrinking Violet. "It's a good
thing that cloudscraper has splenty of fat -- between his ears."
"Fat or not," said Violet sweetly, "it can outthink whatever stuffing
they put in your skull ... probably rocks."
Invisible Kid cleared his throat as Colossal Boy sat down.
"Now listen to the strange story of Colossal Boy. He was an ordinary
Science Police cadet when he took a vacation on Mars. While on Mars, a
radioactive meteor landed right at his feet. This injured him and put him in the
Science Police Academy's infirmary. Soon after being released, he spotted
a crime in progress. As he chased the criminal, who tried to get away by using
the elevator, Gim managed to catch him anyway -- by growing to a height of
fifteen feet tall. His mother suggested that his power might be of better use in
the Legion of Super-Heroes than in the Science Police, and Gim, calling
himself Colossal Boy, took that advice. And we're glad he did!
The spotlight now swung to Shrinking Violet, again perched on
Colossal Boy's shoulder.
Lyle Norg continued reading from his notes, "Salu Digby is from the
planet Imsk, where everyone there is capable of shrinking to microscopic
size. Shrinking Violet has shared in many Legion adventures, doing her part
in confounding our foes."
Sun Boy was about to make a sarcastic remark when the spotlight
fell on him. He bounced to his feet.
"Actually, Sun Boy doesn't need our spotlight," came Invisible
Kid's buildup. "Because he can provide his own whenever he needs one."
In the middle of the Council Hall floor, Sun Boy began to glow.
The light emanating from body became brighter and brighter until everyone's
eyes began to hurt. The Legionnaires in the room had to turn away and
shield their eyes.
"See, folks? Sun Boy can radiate brighter light than any artificial
light source in the known universe," Invisible Kid described. Sun Boy,
acting nonchalant, returned to his seat.
Lyle's voice resumed as he explained Sun Boy's background:
"Dirk's father, a scientist, hired a Doctor Zaxton Regulus to work in his
laboratory. Dirk, at the time, was doing odd jobs in the laboratory. The
two got along badly from the start, and Regulus became angry when Dirk
interrupted an illegal experiment that Regulus was performing. The resulting
accident killed one of Dirk's co-workers, and destroyed Regulus's career.
Regulus blamed Dirk and locked him in a nuclear reactor for revenge. But
Dirk was lucky. Instead of killing him, the radiation turned him into a living
sun. With the power to radiate bright light, as you have witnessed, he tried
out for the Legion and was, at first, turned down. He reapplied later after
discovering that he was also able to project heat and was accepted."
Violet grew back to her normal size and whispered to Invisible Kid:
"Ferro Lad was supposed to get the next buildup. What do you suppose is
holding him up?"
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 3 - TAZZ, THE INVADER
Invisible Kid could hardly guess how unusual was the "something"
that Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 had run into and how deadly. Ferro Lad
was currently plummeting like a stone toward the mammoth electromagnet
on the peak of Mount Everest, pulled downward by superpowerful forces.
But he had not given up all hope. Through his swirling mind, a
plan of action -- even though it wasn't much -- was forming. He tried
to turn his body perpendicular to the magnet. He wanted to attempt
to strike the force field so that his back would take most of the impact.
Clashing forces flung him back a bit as he fought the supermagnetic
pull below. He imagined that it was like trying to paddle a canoe up a
waterfall. Still, he was able to turn his body somewhat. Could he distribute
the force of the impact enough across his body to save himself from being
cracked open like an eggshell against the force-field cushion?
Fifty feet ... 25 ... 10 ... 5 ... WHAM!
A shriek tore from Andrew Nolan's lips as his iron-like body
slammed into the force-field. But his invulnerable body held up without
cracking into several pieces. With no more than his wind knocked out,
Ferro Lad bounced a hundred feet high from the force-field barrier, then
fell off to the side toward bare hard rock.
Shaking off reeling dizziness, Ferro Lad managed to land on his
feet with no more of a jar than that of someone jumping down ten feet. He
swayed on his feet for a moment, almost collapsing. His blurred eyes
cleared up and focused -- on a man in a strange costume.
Ferro Lad stared in wonder. The man was dressed in clothing that
resembled no style ever seen on Earth before. His height and figure were
average. Strangest of all was the malevolent expression in his frosty blue
eyes, infinitely cold and hostile.
"An intruder," came his harsh voice, as if he owned Mount Everest.
"But you are different from the other Earth-people on my world monitor
screen. You appear to be encased in protective armor. Who are you?"
Ferro Lad whispered into his comm-link, "Brainy, I think you better
get up here." He then addressed the man in front of him, "They call me Ferro
Lad, the Legionnaire." He waved at the humming machine, still awed. "And
just who are you? Did you build this supermagnet? And why?"
The stranger drew himself up regally, and spoke in lofty tones, "I am
Tazz, the Invader!"
"I imagine I'm supposed to tremble at the name," said Ferro Lad
sarcastically, "But you might as well have just said Joe, for all the name
means to me.Where do you do your so-called invading?"
"All over the universe, my mocking friend. World after world among
the stars has fallen before my invincible legion of space warcraft. I am not a
native of Earth. I am from a far-off world of superscience beyond your
imagination."
Ferro Lad would have put him down for a harmless crackpot,
except for one thing -- the supermagnet. You couldn't laugh that off.
Just then, Brainiac 5 floated down to join the two would-be combatants
who were seemingly involved in a standoff. Brainy landed softly and
his eyes flickered back and forth from the supermagent and the strangely-
clad Tazz.
Ferro quickly explained to Brainiac 5, "He says his name is Tazz
from a distant planet that isn't too neighborly. Likes to invade worlds,
we've heard that a few times, haven't we, Brainy?"
Brainiac 5 looked at Tazz and said, "I see that evolution on your
world produced the same type of human species that we are."
"You are mistaken, Green One," denied Tazz. A faint smile played
about his lips. "Prepare for a shock, human. We control metabolic
transformation of our body tissues at will. Watch ... this is how I really look."
Before Brainiac 5 and Ferro Lad's eyes, the human form of Tazz
began to subtly and steadily later, like a man melting down and changing
into something else. The face and other human attributes faded into an
amorphous mass, over which a new face and form began to superimpose
themselves.
The two Legionnaires watched as they saw Tazz change, portion
by portion, until there stood before them a shocking monstrosity. He was,
in general, still semi-man like, and not changed in general size. But all else
was utter madness.
A face with blotched purple skin ... ghastly green lips ... hair of
poisonous blue ... and eyes that were fiery red like hot coals. The arms
had changed into boneless tentacles with ten tender "fingers" that writhed.
The two gnarled legs ended in hooves instead feet.
It was surrealistic creature beyond the imagination of a gone-mad
artist ... a nightmare beyond the wildest fantasy of the human mind -- yet
there was intelligence in the creature's face. Superintelligence, in fact. The
Legionnaires could expect no mercy or pity from such coldly inhuman
intellect.
"Appalled, humans?" mocked the alien. "But let me hasten to inform
you that nausea strikes me when I gaze upon your horribly repulsive human
form."
"Big deal!" Ferro Lad exclaimed. "We see Chameleon Boy do that
once a week. And Princess Projectra can conjure up even more frightening
things."
"I know of nothing of those you mention," Tazz replied as he began
reversing the process, his monstrous form slowly metamorphosizing back to
the human "disguise" he had worn before.
"It is not to spare your eyes that I adopt human form on Earth," Tazz
commented, "But because in my own form I am dangerously unadapted to
the environment. On our native planet we breathe clorine gas. And only in
human guise can I breathe this horrible oxygen in your atmosphere, poisonous
to us."
Tazz shrugged and went on. "To satisfy your curiosity as to why I
speak your language fluently, I have been on your world a week now. During
that time I learned all languages.
"All of them?" gasped Brainiac 5
"Including all local idiom," nodded Tazz. With a wry face, he turned
haughty. "I know everything else about Earth from my long-range sensors,
scanners and monitors -- the continents and oceans, mountains, rivers; also
cities, people and politics."
"That's fairly impressive to absorb all that in one week," said Brainiac
5, aware of the superintelligence facing him. "But you apparently never heard
of the Legion of Super-Heroes."
"You two are of no consequence to me."
"You have come, I suppose, to invade Earth now?" Ferro Lad asked.
"No, Masked One."
Prepared for an affirmative answer, Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 were
amazed.
"But you boasted of how many other planets you had invaded. Then
what else could you be here for?" Ferro asked the alien.
"To destroy Earth!" hissed Tazz, his eyes seething in ferocious
hatred.
***
In Metropolis, the Legion's colorful Meet played on to a rapt
audience across the galaxy.
"We have honored the founding members of the Legion of
Super-Heroes," announced Invisible Kid. "We will now review some
of the Legionnaires we have with us today and give you their origin and
special abilities. First, a guy who sits fifteen feet tall and I'm not
exaggerating when I say he can grow much larger. Here he is, the man
mountain ... the walking skyscraper ... Colossal Boy!"
The spotlight limned the huge 15-foot form and a gasp sounded
in every home across the galaxy that had a video monitor. Shrinking Violet
had flown off his shoulder. "This is your show, Big Boy. I'll go press the
button for the elephant to come on stage."
Flying to the podium, Violet darted down and jammed the button
with her descending feet, just before Invisible Kid's finger got there. She
grinned impishly at him.
Out in the middle of the large Legion Council Hall, a big door
flew open and a moving platform dame into view, on which stood a
huge bull elephant with one end of a heavy rope wrapped in its trunk.
Colossal Boy picked up the other end. The rope tightened as he braced
himself and the trained elephant began to pull.
"A tug of war between Colossal Boy and a five-ton elephant,"
sang out Invisible Kid. "Don't bet too soon on the wrong one!"
At first, the powerful beast began to back up, dragging Colossal
Boy forward. But then the towering Gim Allon planted his feet, rippled
his muscles, and began a slow, steady pull that first halted the elephant,
then -- incredibly -- dragged him forward foot by foot, and finally brought
him across the dividing line.
Colossal Boy took a bow in the spotlight as the other Legionnaires
applauded. "You know it's not the muscle but sheer weight that wins a tug
of war," said Sun Boy maliciously, eyeing Shrinking Violet. "It's a good
thing that cloudscraper has splenty of fat -- between his ears."
"Fat or not," said Violet sweetly, "it can outthink whatever stuffing
they put in your skull ... probably rocks."
Invisible Kid cleared his throat as Colossal Boy sat down.
"Now listen to the strange story of Colossal Boy. He was an ordinary
Science Police cadet when he took a vacation on Mars. While on Mars, a
radioactive meteor landed right at his feet. This injured him and put him in the
Science Police Academy's infirmary. Soon after being released, he spotted
a crime in progress. As he chased the criminal, who tried to get away by using
the elevator, Gim managed to catch him anyway -- by growing to a height of
fifteen feet tall. His mother suggested that his power might be of better use in
the Legion of Super-Heroes than in the Science Police, and Gim, calling
himself Colossal Boy, took that advice. And we're glad he did!
The spotlight now swung to Shrinking Violet, again perched on
Colossal Boy's shoulder.
Lyle Norg continued reading from his notes, "Salu Digby is from the
planet Imsk, where everyone there is capable of shrinking to microscopic
size. Shrinking Violet has shared in many Legion adventures, doing her part
in confounding our foes."
Sun Boy was about to make a sarcastic remark when the spotlight
fell on him. He bounced to his feet.
"Actually, Sun Boy doesn't need our spotlight," came Invisible
Kid's buildup. "Because he can provide his own whenever he needs one."
In the middle of the Council Hall floor, Sun Boy began to glow.
The light emanating from body became brighter and brighter until everyone's
eyes began to hurt. The Legionnaires in the room had to turn away and
shield their eyes.
"See, folks? Sun Boy can radiate brighter light than any artificial
light source in the known universe," Invisible Kid described. Sun Boy,
acting nonchalant, returned to his seat.
Lyle's voice resumed as he explained Sun Boy's background:
"Dirk's father, a scientist, hired a Doctor Zaxton Regulus to work in his
laboratory. Dirk, at the time, was doing odd jobs in the laboratory. The
two got along badly from the start, and Regulus became angry when Dirk
interrupted an illegal experiment that Regulus was performing. The resulting
accident killed one of Dirk's co-workers, and destroyed Regulus's career.
Regulus blamed Dirk and locked him in a nuclear reactor for revenge. But
Dirk was lucky. Instead of killing him, the radiation turned him into a living
sun. With the power to radiate bright light, as you have witnessed, he tried
out for the Legion and was, at first, turned down. He reapplied later after
discovering that he was also able to project heat and was accepted."
Violet grew back to her normal size and whispered to Invisible Kid:
"Ferro Lad was supposed to get the next buildup. What do you suppose is
holding him up?"
To be continued ...