Infinity Crisis Aftermath: History Lesson-51
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners. This is purely for fun.
In my previous story Temporal Tete-A-Tete, I established that Earth-51 (The DC Extended Universe) had undergone some alterations to its history thanks to the Wild Card destroying the icebergs in The Pighead's Another Side of the Glimpses. But what further alterations were made to its history? Let's find out!
The Palace of Eternity
Outside of the timestream and the multiverse existed a futuristic golden palace that appeared to be mounted onto an asteroid. This was the Palace of Eternity. It was the home of a time-traveling scientist/mercenary named Epoch, aka the Lord of Time.
Speaking of Epoch, the man himself walked into a room that seemed very much like an office. He sat down at a silver desk. He was clad in a pair of golden yellow-colored pajamas with a red comfortable robe over them. Over his feet was a pair of red and gold slippers.
"Good morning, Epoch." A female voice greeted. Epoch saw what appeared to be a woman made of golden energy dressed like a librarian appear in the room.
"Good morning, Etta." Epoch greeted the holographic woman. The "woman" was not an actual living person. Etta was actually a holographic avatar of the Eternal Brain, the computer system/artificial intelligence that helped run the Palace of Eternity.
"What do you have planned today?" She asked.
"Have you been tracking the changes to Earth-51's timeline?" He asked.
"Yes, I have." Etta confirmed, her holographic avatar nodding. "There's been more alterations to the historical record."
"The changes are continuing?"
"Indeed."
"...yeah, I'm going to need some coffee." Epoch muttered. A drone floated towards him, holding a tray. On the tray was a coffeepot. Also on the tray was a smaller container for cream, a bowl with sugar cubes, a spoon, and a red mug with "Multiversal Monarch" on it in gold lettering. "Thank you, Etta." He poured himself a cup of coffee, mixed in some cream and sugar, then took a sip. Epoch smiled after enjoying the sip. Colombian coffee from Earth-199596 was criminally underrated in his opinion. But then again, Colombians making good coffee seemed to be a multiversal constant in Epoch's experience.
"Would you like to review some of the new history?" Etta asked.
"Well now that I have my coffee, I can do so." Epoch smiled as he pressed a panel on his desk. A translucent screen appeared over the desk. "Let's take a look at the new history of Earth-51. Particularly its ages of American superheroes in the 20th and 21st centuries." Epoch ordered.
"Working..." Ellie answered. "The first major age of superheroes on Earth-51 emerged with the rise of the Justice Society of America in 1940."
"How did they form?" Epoch answered.
Etta showed an image of Adolf Hitler holding an ancient spear. "In November of 1940, Adolf Hitler had obtained the powerful magical artifact that would become known as the Spear of Destiny."
"The spear that pierced the side of Christ, if I remember correctly." Epoch recalled. "Continue, Etta."
"This was discovered by a British spy named Timothy Smythe. Smythe alerted the then-President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt of this. However, at the time, the United States had adopted an isolationist stance regarding the growing war in Europe."
"Understandable." Epoch nodded, sipping his coffee. "Considering the losses suffered in the previous World War..."
"Roosevelt did take the threat seriously." Etta continued. "After the events of World War I, Diana of Themyscira retired back to her home, grieving the loss of Steve Trevor, the first man she had ever loved."
"According to the new history, she returned to Patriarch's World to fight in the Second World War." Epoch called. "What made her pick up the lasso again?"
"An Amazonian Oracle warned her of the threat of the Nazis, and she needed to gather a group of superhumans to help stop them from conquering the world, including Themyscira." Etta said. "Diana was hailed as a heroine for her actions in the first war. In the years before the war, a new generation of 'mystery men' had arisen. Diana approached Roosevelt, and convinced him to let her investigate Smythe's reports. She was joined by two other 'mystery men' she had learned of thanks to the Oracle."
This explains why Wonder Woman was considered the JSA's founder. Epoch thought.
An image appeared on the screen. It depicted a slim man with a runner's frame. He had a warm smile on his face. He wore a red motorcycle jacket with a yellow lightning bolt on it, blue pants with yellow lightning bolt stripes running down the sides, and red boots with small yellow wings on them. On his brunet head was what looked like a modified silver doughboy helmet from WWI with golden wings attached to it. His identity was protected by a pair of goggles with opaque lenses. "Jason Peter Garrick, aka the Flash..."
A second image them appeared on the screen. This one depicted another man, this one blond. He wore what looked like a red sweater with a logo of a green train lantern in a yellow circle, green gloves, green pants, and red and yellow boots. He also had on a purple cape with green on the inside, and a purple face mask. On one of his hands was a green ring with a jewel in the shape of a green train lantern. The ring's jewel was gleaming, surrounded by a corona of emerald flames. "And Alan Ladd Wellington Scott, aka the Green Lantern."
Epoch frowned at the image of the original Green Lantern. "What a garish costume." Etta's avatar shrugged.
"It was the 1940s."
Epoch nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. Continue on."
"The three heroes would travel to Scotland's McMurdie Castle. In the castle, they discovered a secret Nazi project called the 'Mordmaschine'."
"Murder Machine." Epoch translated.
"Correct." Etta 'nodded'. "The Machine easily overcame the three heroes, and captured them. They would be brought to Germany, displayed to the public by Adolf Hitler himself. He used the Spear of Destiny to summon a group of mythical Valkyrie." The screen showed Hitler summoning the Valkyrie. "These Valkyrie's purpose were to escort a prototype long-range bomber aimed at Washington D.C. Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern were able to escape, but they failed to stop the bomber from being launched."
"So how was the bomber stopped?"
"Thanks to the sorcerer born Kent Nelson, but mostly known as Doctor Fate." Etta answered. "He perceived a future Nazi invasion of England. In response to this prediction, he gathered another group of 'mystery men' to stop it..." The screen showed a short-statured man wearing a blue full-face mask with the image of an atom on it. He wore a yellow short-sleeved bodysuit with blue trunks, boots, and gloves with the atom symbol on his chest. "Albert Pratt, the Atom..."
The screen next showed a Black man wearing a golden bird-themed helmet. He wore a green chestplate with a golden harness crossing it, the center having a red circle with a black bird's head emblem on it. He also had a yellow utility belt. His costume included a pair of green pants with red stripes down the sides of the legs and red trunks. His boots had yellow lines on them that were reminiscent of bird's feet. He had a pair of brown feathered wings on his back, and held a fearsome-looking mace. "Carter Hall, the Hawkman..." The screen then showed an Egyptian-American woman in a similar outfit, with red hair spilling out of her hawk helmet. She held a sword and a crossbow. "Shiera Hall, Hawkwoman..."
The screen next showed a Latino man wearing a black costume with a yellow hood attached to a matching cape and leggings, yellow gloves, and black-and-red boots. Around his neck was an hourglass. "Rex Tyler, Hourman..."
The screen finally showed a man with ghostly white skin, clad in only a pair of green boots, gloves, and trunks. His "outfit" was completed by a green cape and hood. "Jim Corrgan, the Spectre."
"The Spectre?!" Epoch blinked in amazement. "How the hell did Fate get the literal Wrath of God to help?!"
"Fate appealed to the Spectre's purpose of punishing the wicked." Etta answered. "These heroes were brought by Fate's magic to England, where they helped the British forces in Dover. They would join Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern in stopping the bomber and capturing most of the Valkyries. Except for one."
A gurgling interrupted Etta's history lesson. Epoch tapped his stomach. "Ah, right. Gotta feed the body as well as the brain." Another drone floated in, carrying a tray. The tray had a stack of pancakes on it and some eggs, bacon, and a couple slices of toast. "Thank you, Etta." Epoch cut into his pancakes.
"You are welcome, sir. I anticipated you'd be hungry." Etta's avatar smiled.
"Go ahead and continue the history lesson. I can eat and hear." The Lord of Time started to eat his breakfast.
"One of the Valkyries, identified as Gudra, made her way into the White House and tried to kill Roosevelt. The Atom managed to intercept her. He was injured battling her, but the fight bought the Secret Service time to rescue the President. This incident convinced him that the United States being brought into the war was inevitable. He convinced the heroes to stay together as a team to protect the country from the Nazis. The Justice Society of America was born. The Spectre would not join the team, but was considered a member and would help out on occasion."
"Hmmm..." Epoch mumbled as he dipped a piece of pancake in some maple syrup. "I'm guessing Wonder Woman was considered the founder because she told Roosevelt to bring in the Flash and Green Lantern."
"Correct." Etta nodded. "After the Japanese ambushed Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941, the Justice Society would end up becoming an arm of the All-Star Squadron." She showed an image of a large gathering of superheroes. "They would protect the home front from the threat of the Nazis as well as supervillains."
"Hitler possessing the Spear of Destiny was the reason why they couldn't attack the Nazis directly in Europe, but what about the Japanese in the Pacific?" Epoch asked. "Unless Tojo had something like that of his own as well."
"Correct. The Philosopher's Stone."
Epoch nodded, eating some bacon. "Alright. Go on."
"Over the war years, the JSA's roster would change and evolve." Etta continued. "Wonder Woman consistently remained Chairwoman during the JSA's tenure, with Hawkman being her second-in-command. Other heroes would join up, such as Ted "Starman" Knight, Dinah "Black Canary" Lance, Johnny Thunder, Ted "Wildcat" Grant, Wesley "Sandman" Dodds, and Charles "Dr. Mid-Nite" McNider. With the war's end, the All-Star Squadron disbanded, but the JSA continued to fight crime." Etta showed an image of the JSA fighting a man made of shadows. "One notable adventure occurred in 1941. The JSA battled with a shadow being that was once a man named Ian Karkull. The battle ended with Karkull exploding, bathing the JSA and their loved ones with a strange radiation. They would discover in the 1960s that this radiation had slowed their aging to the point they would be effectively immortal."
"So, considering Wonder Woman already was immortal, did she now have double immortality or something?" Epoch half-joked. Etta giggled.
"The JSA would continue fighting crime after the war ended...until 1951."
"I'm guessing the Second Red Scare had something to do with it."
"Correct. Paranoid about Communism, then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover became convinced that the JSA were Communist agents, mainly thanks to Wonder Woman using her wartime fame to speak up for women's rights and even LGBTQ+ rights."
Epoch's jaw dropped. "In the 1940s and 50s?!"
"Wonder Woman was open about her bisexuality."
"That makes sense. I can't see her wanting to hide that, regardless of the era."
"Hoover convened the House Un-American Activities Commission, a special inquiry that demanded the JSA reveal their identities to the American public. The JSA refused, citing the need to protect their loved ones from potential criminal retaliation. Despite the investigation showing the JSA had no Communist ties, Hoover refused to let it end, threatening to jail the JSA. In response, they retired, and Wonder Woman went back to Themyscira, blaming herself for the JSA's downfall. It would later be discovered that Hoover was unknowingly manipulated by another time traveler: Per Degaton. His goal was to smash the JSA once and for all." Etta showed an image of a red-headed sneering man in a black uniform with a red belt, boots, and gloves. On the uniform's top was a red letter "D". Epoch rolled his eyes.
"Per Degaton." He shook his head. "I was like him once. Wanted to conquer all of time. Even called myself the "Lord of Time". But I learned my lesson, unlike him." Nowadays, I'm just happy doing exploration and research.
"Earth would not go without superheroes for long." Etta continued. "In 1955, a scientist named Saul Erdel would accidentally bring what was at that time believed to be the last of the Green Martians, a law-enforcer named J'onn J'onzz to Earth." She showed an image of a Black man in a lab talking to an angular green humanoid being. "He would take up the identity of John Jones and work as a private investigator in Middleton, a suburb of Denver, Colorado. In 1957, inspired by stories Erdel told him about the JSA and the All-Star Squadron, he would be one of the founding members of the superhero team called the Justice Experience under his first superheroic identity: The Bronze Wraith." She gestured to the disguised J'onn in the image of the founders of the Justice Experience. He had taken the form of a golden man who looked like an Oscar statue wearing a purple cape and hood. "The Experience would be the main superhero team for America for decades. Their roster was rather fluid, with the Bronze Wraith being the only constant. Members would come and go over the years."
"I take it the JSA stayed in retirement during that time?"
"Yes, working civilian lives and starting families. Until 1977." Etta answered. "In that year, the JSA (sans Wonder Woman and Black Canary) reunited and teamed up with the JE. It sadly would be the only time the two teams would join forces." She showed an image of Per Degaton holding up the Spear of Destiny, energy crackling from the relic. "As you can see, Per Degaton had managed to obtain the Spear of Destiny, and wished to use it to bring about Ragnarok."
"Wait, Ragnarok? As in, the end of the Norse Gods?! Didn't Ares kill them all?" Epoch blinked.
"Some faked their deaths; others found a way to return." Etta explained. "To stop it, the JSA sacrificed themselves, trapping themselves in Asgard in a never-ending cycle of battle. Several of the JSA's children would go on to be Experience members themselves in the 1980s. Most notably, Alan Scott's children Jade and Obsidian, Hawkman and Hawkwoman's sons Northwind and Silver Scarab, Wildcat's son Thomas Bronson, aka Wildcat II, and Michael Rothstein, aka Nuklon."
"Wait, Michael Rothstein?" Epoch asked.
Etta nodded. "He is the father of Albert Rothstein, the future Atom Smasher. He was Al Pratt's godson." She explained. "Like their parents, Jade, Obsidian, Wildcat II, and Silver Scarab inherited the slowed aging."
"I get it." Epoch said. "Northwind and Nuklon weren't biological relatives of the JSA. Continue on."
"The Justice Experience's adventures would sadly come to an end in 2007." Etta said. "They stopped an invasion of White Martians. The Bronze Wraith was one of the few survivors of that battle, alongside Jade, Obsidian, Silver Scarab, and Wildcat II. Their legacy would help inspire a new generation of superheroes, most notably Clark Kent and Barry Allen. Obsidian and Silver Scarab would go on to form a new team of superheroes called Infinity Inc. alongside Beth Chapel, Dr. Mid-Night II, and Rex Tyler's son Rick, aka Hourman II. Wildcat II and Jade retired from heroics. Bronson passed his mantle on to a young boxer named Yolanda Montez, who became Wildcat III."
"I've been looking into Jade's life, and she never seemed to really enjoy heroics." Epoch said sadly.
Etta nodded. "She felt forced into it, as her metahumanity was obvious, the green skin, hair, and all. She believed being a superhero was the only path open to her. Unlike her brother Obsidian, she cannot assume a human form. She grew estranged and resentful of her father, feeling that he cursed her. When she retired, she disappeared. She would reappear again later on."
"I understand the alterations to the timeline also affected Clark Kent and Barry Allen's early lives."
"Indeed." Etta nodded. "Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, Kansas. At the time, he was believed to be the sole survivor of Krypton's destruction, but that statement would prove untrue, for good and for ill. He grew up happy on the Kent farm, and like many children of the era, he would hear tales of the JSA and JE. When he transitioned into his teenage years, trouble brewed."
"Puberty is awkward for anyone, Etta." Epoch chuckled. "I remember it for me. So. Much. Acne." He shuddered. "God, it was miserable."
"Puberty was also tough for Clark Kent, as his Kryptonian powers started manifesting. Thankfully, he found some understanding new friends." She showed footage of a teenage Clark Kent hanging out in a barn, with three other teens. The first was a blonde-haired blue-eyed bombshell, wearing a red-and-white outfit with an emblem of a yellow ringed planet. The second was a Black teenager with a mop of wild red hair, wearing a blue-and-white costume with a pair of golden lightning bolts going over his shoulders and meeting at the chest. The third had features that made him appear East Asian. His black hair was in a neat cut. He wore a purple-and-black costume with four small silver discs on the chest. "Imra "Saturn Girl" Ardeen. Garth "Lightning Lad" Ranzz. And Rokk "Cosmic Boy" Krinn. He would adventure with them and the other members of the Legion of Super-Heroes in their time as Superboy."
"The Legion travel back in time to inspire and befriend a young Clark Kent. Clark Kent becomes Superman...whose heroics inspire the Legion. God, there's a paradox for you." Epoch sipped his coffee. "So, in the new timeline, his time as a Legionnaire gives him not only much-needed friendship, but also valuable experience and understanding of his growing superpowers."
"Which would aid him in the future." Etta nodded. "For example, the tornado that killed Jonathan Kent in the old timeline. In the new one, Clark was able to secretly use his powers to save his father. As for Barry Allen, you are aware of his childhood trauma?"
"Yes." Epoch nodded. "Barry Allen's mother Nora was murdered when he was a boy. His father Henry Allen was framed for it and imprisoned. Allen would eventually discover his mother was murdered by Eobard Thawne; aka Professor Zoom. Allen would try to prevent it with time-travel, causing a Flashpoint that threatened to break the multiverse."
"It was altered as well. Nora Allen lives now." Etta explained. She showed an image of a brown-haired woman in her 60s/70s autographing a book for a happy fan in a bookstore. "Barry Allen grew up the son of forensic scientist Henry Allen...and best-selling science fiction author/astrophysicist Nora Allen. Among her books were several Star Trek novels under a pseudonym."
"Well, that's good to hear." Epoch smiled. "I'll have to pick up some of her book. Could use a stronger female presence in my library. So, what made Barry Allen want to become a forensic scientist in the new timeline?"
"A desire to follow in his father's footsteps." Etta said. "Would you like to hear more about the history of Superman's early adventures?"
"Since that was altered, sure." He finished his breakfast, and a drone took the empty plates away.
"Clark Kent took a break from heroics to concentrate on his studies during his years at the University of Kansas. He would graduate magna cum laude with a degree in Journalism. Kent's passion for writing and finding the truth was shown in his work for the Smallville High School's own newsletter. Soon after, he got a job offer from the Daily Planet in Metropolis." Etta regaled. "Soon after moving in, he formally debuted as Superman. For the first couple of years of his superhero career as Superman, he did not face any supervillains." An image showed of two people. One was a brown-haired man wearing a gray costume with orange Kirby-style piping on it. The other was a Latina woman who wore a brown costume with a cape and hood. The costume had a diamond-shaped hole in the front that helped emphasize her...generous bust. "These two were the first supervillains he ever faced: Edward Lytener, aka Luminus, and Lourdes Lucero, aka La Encantadora."
"I take it they were key to Superman's development."
"It was through them that Superman discovered that red-tinted sunlight could sap his powers. Thanks to his adventures with the Legion, he had known that he was no more invulnerable to magic than anyone else. They were not evil, per se. They were two people in bad situations. Lytener was blackmailed into fighting Superman, and Lucero was going mad with her magical powers. Superman was able to aid them, freeing Lytener of his blackmail, and helping Lucero see she was stronger than the Mists of Ibella's influence."
"The Mists of Ibella?"
"The source of her powers."
"Ah."
"They turned themselves in to the authorities in gratitude."
A smile graced Epoch's face. "Inspiring people to be better."
"Indeed. The next major villain he faced was the alien AI called Brainiac." Etta showed an image of a spaceship that looked like a large metal silver skull with metal tentacles growing down from the bottom. The dome part of the skull appeared to be made of interlocking hexagons. Next to the ship was an image of a bald, green-skinned man with interlocked diodes on his head.
"He still did battle Zod, didn't he?" Epoch asked.
"Correct." Etta confirmed. "Zod would escape the Phantom Zone alongside his associates: martial arts expert Faora Hu-Ul, and brutish criminal Non Hal-Ran. That battle would be much less destructive than in the old timeline thanks to Superman recruiting Luminus and La Encantadora to help him stop them. They took advantage of the Kryptonians' shared vulnerabilities to red sunlight and magic, as well as the rogue Kryptonians' struggles with their yellow sunlight-gifted powers. Superman lived his whole life under a yellow sun, and as a result, he was much more physically powerful than them. And he was more skilled with his powers than they were." Etta showed footage of the three Metropolitan heroes facing off against Zod.
"Come, son of Jor-El!" The mad Kryptonian taunted. "You and your pathetic human allies will kneel before Zod!"
"The battle didn't end with Superman killing Zod." Epoch deduced.
"Correct." Etta said. "Zod, Faora, and Non were locked underground in a facility developed by the Department of Extranormal Operations. They reside in a mystically-induced stasis in cells where they are bathed constantly in red sunlight. Luminus and Encantadora would end up becoming defenders of Metropolis alongside Superman."
"Since Zod isn't dead, Alexander Luthor Jr. was unable to use his body to create Doomsday." Epoch said. "So, how did Superman and Batman first meet?"
"Not long after Superman's first battle with Brainiac, he and Batman met up for the first time, investigating a murder that led the Dark Knight to Metropolis. It involved Alexander Luthor Senior, whose company had discovered a green rock near a development site. Thanks to a spy in the DEO, they discovered that the rock could weaken Kryptonians. As a defense against Superman, Luthor had a chunk of it made into a ring."
"How did Batman and Superman get along?"
"Their meeting was frosty at first, but they would end up starting a friendship after this. Superman would entrust Batman with Luthor's Kryptonite ring, and Batman would entrust Superman with photos of his associates known as the 'Bat-Family' as defense against him." Etta explained. "At the time, Superman was also investigating Intergang, an organized crime outfit that used advanced weaponry."
"Provided by Darkseid and his Elite of Apokolips." Epoch frowned.
"Intergang had been active since the 1920s." Etta explained. "Darkseid would go on to use Intergang as a way to track down the Anti-Life Equation and sow chaos on Earth. The JSA and the JE have had encounters with them during their years of activity. As part of the lead-up to Steppenwolf's invasion of Earth, several future members of the Justice League found themselves the target of Intergang. Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Superman, and Batman all had Intergang plots centered around them."
"So, how did the League get together in the new timeline?"
"The Barry Allen Flash and Hal Jordan Green Lantern had met beforehand, much like Batman and Superman had. The Oracle at Themyscira warned Diana of a new threat: Steppenwolf. She was reluctant to bring together a new team, considering the forced retirement and sacrifice of the JSA and the fall of the Justice Experience. But she knew the world needed a new team of heroes. She would gather together Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and a neophyte hero called Cyborg to save the Earth from the Parademon invasion."
"And where was J'onn J'onzz during these events?"
"J'onzz had heard about a possible lost colony of Green Martians, so he went off Earth to investigate them. He would eventually discover the colony, which became known as New Mars, or Mars II." She showed a map of the constellation Cygnus. "Located on the fourth planet of the star Earth astronomers designated 33 Cygni. When there, J'onn discovered that the colony was being crushed under the tyrannical hand of a Commander Blanx, a White Martian warlord posing as a Green Martian. By the time he was able to return to Earth, both the Kryptonian and Apokoliptian invasions had already passed. He returned to his civilian life, having decided to stay a civilian, living under the identity of General Calvin Swanwick, until the incident where the Justice League of Earth-51 and the Avengers of Earth-199999 joined forces to battle the Enchantress of the Avengers' Earth."
"Right." Epoch nodded. "Man, my old timeline's been massively rewritten, huh?" He then recalled something. "When the Dusting struck, the JLA were alerted to the source universe of it by Dr. Fate. If the JSA were stuck in a Ragnarok limbo dimension all those years, how did that happen?"
"Not long after the League's formation, they joined forces with Infinity Inc. and an Irish-American heroine and former Justice Experience member named Lady Luck to free the JSA from the dimension. It would also be discovered that the Ragnarok the Society spent decades trapped in was a false one created by Odin to prevent the actual Ragnarok." Etta said. She showed an image of the JLA, Infinity Inc, and JSA alongside a green-wearing redheaded woman, the presumed Lady Luck. "Jade was found by Obsidian and brought in because he hoped that the reunion would allow her and their father to clear the air. Alan Scott always wanted Jade to find her own path and happiness. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Fate would join forces with Wonder Woman and Batman on a mission." She winced. "Due to Kent Nelson being...Kent Nelson, it left Batman with a poor impression of him. And as for Wonder Woman, well, she knew him from their JSA days. She wasn't surprised in the least."
"Ah." Epoch nodded. "There is still one other question. We know Wonder Woman re-emerged in 1984. But that was changed, too."
"Correct." Etta smiled. "In 1984, the immortal sorcerer Felix Faust sought out three magical artifacts." She showed an image of a small green bell, a red jar, and a silver wheel. "The Green Bell of Uthool, the Red Jar of Calythos, and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath. They can be used to summon beings known as the Demons Three: Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast. Faust hoped to use the power of the trio to basically rule the world. She was aided by members of the Justice Experience of the era."
"So, instead of Maxwell Lord, she faced Felix Faust."
"Faust will go on to menace the League in the future." Etta said. "The League would also get new allies in the future. I do believe about that Supergirl is about to debut shortly..." She showed an image of La Encatadora fighting what looked like King Kong and flying towards Kong was a young blonde woman wearing a blue uniform with a red skirt and the "S" shield on her chest. Her hair was kept out of her face by a red headband.
Epoch nodded. "Well, I'm satisfied with this for now. I can explore more in the future. I'm sure this Earth's history has a wealth of stories to explore." He got a wicked smile. "Let's look in on the Avengers of Earth-199999, shall we? I know Kang has a fascination with them, but I want to see why..."
Little Rock, Arkansas, Earth-199999
"GET DOWN!" Steve Rogers yelled at a woman. He jumped in front of her and held out up his mighty shield. A powerful energy beam slammed into the weapon. The source of the energy beam was...unusual. It appeared to be a twelve-foot tall bear with glowing red eyes.
"NOW! FIRE!" Carol Danvers yelled at another man, her fists glowing with power. The man was nearly seven feet tall and was over 400 pounds of muscle. He wore a green costume with yellow gloves and boots and a yellow utility belt. The most notable thing about the man's costume was the large brown hood meant to resemble the head of a warthog, complete with tusks.
Razorback. Real Name: Buford T. Hollis. Birthplace: Texarkana, AR. Physiology: Mutant Human. Powers and abilities: Has the power to instantly operate any vehicle. Superhuman strength. Superhuman durability. Skilled mechanic, engineer, and street fighter. Razorback hood's mane can generate powerful electrical charges.
"You got it, ma'am!" Razorback's warthog-hood mane glowed, and it released a bolt of lightning. The bolt combined with Captain Marvel's energy blasts to knock the giant bear backward.
"I thought this bull$%&^ only happened in Kentucky!" Clint Barton grumbled as he nocked a trick arrow. "How the hell did this bear get turned into that thing?!"
"Evidently, it ate some of that experimental cocaine." Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk, said. "At least, that's what Hank managed to determine. Where'd Stark go?!"
"The bear bit his ass and tossed him into Tennessee." Clint said. "Literally."
"That explained the high-pitched screaming." Jennifer then heard a truck's horn. "Outta the way!" A red, white, and blue semitruck raced down the road and slammed into the bear, knocking it down the street. Hank McCoy peeked out of the passenger window. Out of the driver's side peeked a blonde-haired man wearing a red trucker cap and a red jacket with a white shirt underneath it.
"Did we get it?!" Ulysses Solomon Archer asked.
The Palace of Eternity
Epoch blinked at the footage.
"...what the hell did I just see?" He asked Etta's avatar. "Is...is that thing working right?"
"Affirmative." Etta answered. Epoch blinked and looked at his mug.
"...I think I'm going to need another cup of coffee."
"Right away, sir." Etta summoned a drone to collect his mug.
"And make it an Irish coffee, please and thank you." He added. "Now I get why Kang wants to face the Avengers so badly. They're as crazy as he is!"
I hope you all had fun reading this. This was one of the...more demanding stories I've ever written. I wanted to be comprehensive on the new superhero history of Earth-51, but also allow room for future writers to expand on stuff established here.
I imagined Epoch's computer Etta having the voice of the late Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. It's the Star Trek fan in me.
The Palace of Eternity, Epoch's home, first appeared in Justice League of America #159 (October 1978), created by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin. The Eternity Brain, the AI that runs the palace, first appeared in Justice League of America #160 (November 1978), also created by Conway and Dillin.
Wonder Woman founding and leading the JSA was what I felt the sequel to the 2017 Wonder Woman should have been. Imagine a film with her and the World's First Superhero Team punching Nazis for two hours. That would have raked in ALL the friggin' money!
The Earth-51 JSA's origins is a retelling of their origin tale in Secret Origins #31 (October 1988) by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair.
The Carter Hall Hawkman being Black is a nod to Aldis Hodge, who played the Carter Hall Hawkman in Black Adam. He was badass in that movie. Also, I made Hawkwoman a full JSAer in this universe because the JSA needs more female presence.
The JSA being exposed to the life-extending energies from Ian Karkull is a reference to All-Star Squadron Annual #3 (1984).
The Justice Experience first appeared in Chase #6 (July 1998), created by Dan Curtis Johnson and J.H. Williams III. J'onn J'onzz being a member of the group as the Bronze Wraith was established there.
The Michael Rothstein Nuklon was created by me as a way to have Noah Centineo's Albert Rothstein/Atom Smasher on Earth-51. I saw Black Adam, and I liked him.
The Tom Bronson Wildcat debuted in Justice Society of America #1 (February 2007), created by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham.
Clark Kent hanging out with the Legion as a teenager and adventuring with them in their time as Superboy is a nod to the Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes storyline that ran through Action Comics #858-863 (Late December 2007 - May 2008) by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. It's one of my favorite Superman stories.
Luminus comes from Superman: The Animated Series. He first appeared as Edward Lytener in "Target" and became Luminus in "Solar Power".
La Encantadora first appeared in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 (December 1999), created by Joe Kelly and Jackson Guice.
Luminus and La Encantadora being Superman's first villains, then Brainiac, then finally Zod was a nod to a Superman trilogy as part of a DCEU reboot I had concieved.
Non's surname, Hal-Ran, is a nod to Jack O'Halloran, who played him in Superman: The Movie and Superman II.
Superman and Batman's first meeting is a nod to the Dark Knight Over Metropolis storyline, which went through Superman #44 (June 1990), Adventures of Superman #467 (June 1990), and Action Comics #654 (June 1990). It's a great story.
Mars II first appeared in Adventure Comics #449 (February 1977), created by Denny O'Neil and Michael Netzer. Commander Blanx first appeared in Justice League of America #71 (May 1969) created by O'Neil and Dick Dillin.
Lady Luck first appeared in the June 2, 1940 edition of the Spirit's comic strip created by Will Eisner and Chuck Mazoujian. Geoff Johns wanted to include a modern version of her in the New 52 Justice League series.
The Green Bell of Uthool, the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath, and the Red Jar of Calythos first appeared in Justice League of America #10 (March 1962), created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. The comic was also the first appearance of Felix Faust and the Demons Three.
Buford Hollis/Razorback first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #12 (August 1977), created by Archie Goodwin, Sal Buscema, and Bill Mantlo.
Ulysses Solomon Archer first appeared in U.S. 1 #1 (February 1983), created by Al Milgrom and Herb Trimpe.
The scene with the Avengers was inspired by the trailer for Cocaine Bear.