"Stand down, Clark!"

As Colonel Jack O'Neill pointed his phaser, Clark Kent smirked.

"Who are you supposed to be, Jack? My good buddy Lex pointing a gun at me?" With a mildly manic look and an evil grin, Clark tilted his head.. "Are you afraid of me?"

When he witnessed this, Daniel Jackson thought how Clark was acting the way he did when he was on red kryptonite and he stood in a cornfield confronting his friend Pete Ross and his father Jonathan.

That point was emphasized when Clark stepped forward and spoke in a grim voice.

"You know nothing can hurt me."

O'Neill wore a steely look. "I've got a kryptonite setting that says otherwise." To make his point, O'Neill fired the phaser.

Briefly, Clark staggered backwards. Quickly recovering, he stood with fists clenched as he glared at O'Neill.

"Clark, I don't want to hurt you. Just stand down!"

It happened aboard the timemobile.

Daniel's mind wandered all over the place. He suspected it was mental manipulation by the Joker. .

In his mind, Daniel was back on Vulcan during the Gathering.

Daniel recalled the confrontation between Jack and Clark took place shortly after the Joker offered his challenge (some might say threat) to all the Heroes from the multiple universes.

What the team didn't realize at the time was that the Joker had gotten inside Clark's mind to manipulate him.

The Joker had gotten to all of them at least a little. Which might explain why not everything they did made a lot of sense.

For example, Clark could have used his heat vision to fry Jack's phaser. But when the Joker's got a hold on someone, they don't always think clearly.

In any case, the situation on Vulcan deteriorated to the point where Jaced up pointing his phaser at Clark.

Struggling to regain control of his mind, Daniel went back to before all that.

Major Samantha Carter looked at Clark rubbing his eyes.

"Clark," she said. "You sure you're all right?"

A blurry-eyed Clark nodded. "Yeah, I feel fine. Why?"

"You haven't been yourself lately," Carter noted.

Clark shrugged. "It's just all the weirdness, you know? Everything." .

"It doesn't help that the Joker causes you to disappear and reappear without any warning," O'Neill said.

Clark blinked in confusion. "Has that happened recently? Me disappearing?"

Carter nodded. "You usually have some memory loss afterwards.".

"It's the Joker's way of keeping you disoriented," Sam Beckett said quietly.

O'Neill adjusted his bug-eyed sunglasses. "He's keeping us all disoriented, Beckett."

"Indeed," Teal'c said.

As Daniel kept his focus on Clark, he wore his usual serious intense look. "Last time you disappeared you said you met Captain Kirk and Spock."

"So?" Clark said. "The Joker's always trying to get me to interact with them. You know, to mess up the timeline in the Prime Universe."

"Yes. Except this time you met them in the Kawatche caves.".

For a moment, Clark had a look on his face like he knew something was seriously wrong. But then the look was gone.

"You're right. That's a little weird. But no big deal. Probably on some other world Kirk and Spock live in Smallville."

"Could have had a time travel accident," O'Neill said. "We know all about that."

"Yeah, no big deal," Clark said. But Daniel caught that look again. .

"But your memory loss could be," Carter said as she ran her tricorder over him.

"You also suffered memory loss after you fainted just now," Teal'c noted.

Clark frowned. "That's weird. I don't normally faint." He looked around. "Hey, what is this place, anyway?"

"Vulcan," O'Neill said. "And if there's one thing we agree on it's that we're not crazy about Vulcans."

"Jack, you're doing it again," Daniel said.

"Hey," O'Neill said. "I may not think much of Klingons or Vulcans or Romulans or the Goa'uld. But I'm fine with this guy from Krypton. Most of the time anyway."

Clark waved away the tricorder. "Sam, can you get that away from me?. I'm fine."

"I do not believe that to be the case, Clark Kent," Teal'c said in his usual solemn stoic manner.

"I'm with Teal'c on this, Clark," Carter said.

"And I'm with anyone who will get me off Vulcan," O'Neill said.

"You know, Jack, it seems like whenever we encounter a new culture you always have something critical or sarcastic to say."

"Hey. It's what I do."

Daniel adjusted his glasses. "It's probably not a good idea, Jack. Remember, the Joker can take the slightest negative feelings we have and use them to manipulate us."

"If that were happening, Daniel, don't you think we'd know it?" O'Neill said. "We're all fine."

"Situation normal," Carter said as she examined her tricorder.

"Yes, situation normal," Beckett said.

"We're fine," Clark said.

"We're all fine here," Daniel said.

"How are you?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm good, Teal'c, thanks for asking. Except for being around all these Vulcans." As Daniel gave him a look, O'Neill held up his hands. "Take it easy, Daniel. I'm just kidding." More of the look. "Fine," the colonel sighed. "I'll try to say only nice things from now on."

"Good luck with that," Clark said.

"You seem fine, Clark," Carter said as she put away her tricorder.

"Hey, Colonel O'Neill!" someone called out.

Sporting a cheerful grin, Leonard Hofstadter waved from across the crowd. .

"Oh, no, not these guys again," O'Neill groaned.

"Hi, S-G-One," Leonard said with a wave. As the "Big Bang" guys waved, other members of Team MacGyver simply nodded. The Men In Black. The Punisher. Angus MacGyver himself. .

"Hey, guys," O'Neill said with a slight wave.

"And there's the leader of Team MacGyver," Daniel said. "Your twin, Jack." . .

O'Neill made a face. "Mac and I look nothing alike."

"Yeah, you do," Daniel said.

"Do not."

"You do, too."

"Do not."

"Do, too."

The colonel shook his head. "I don't see it."

"There is a certain resemblance, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

Daniel waved his hand. "Let's go over and say 'hello,'" he said with mock cheerfulness.

O'Neill groaned. "They're not so bad, sir," Carter said.

"I like their show," O'Neill said. "But them? They can be a bit much.. Especially...you-know-who."

"What are you complaining about?" Daniel asked. "You're not the one Raj and Howard kept up all night repeating parts of the Background."

As SG-1 approached the team, Daniel caught a comment Howard made to Raj.

"Is it just me or has Teal'c gotten even bigger?"

Daniel knew Raj couldn't speak around individual women. In this case, Raj was silent because he stood right next to a caped-and-costumed Chloe Sullivan, who gave him a sideways glance. While Chloe worked with a laptop, a caped Lana pressed buttons on a control panel on her waist.

"Hey, Mac," O'Neill said casually.

"Hey, Jack," Angus MacGyver said. O'Neill tilted his head back slightly as the inventor-adventurer held up a silver rifle with a gold dome. "Got one of these yet?"

"Can't say that I have. What is it?"

"A TASER."

"That's Time And Space Equilibrium Rectifier," Sheldon Cooper explained. His head bobbed up and down as he smiled. .

"Thank you, Sheldon," O'Neill said as he took the device and examined it.

Sheldon grinned. "You're very welcome, Colonel O'Neill."

"These are going to be a big help to us," Leonard said with a slight lift of his chin. "They're designed to repair the tears and rips between universes"

"The ones created by you-know-who," Howard muttered. Next to him, Raj simply nodded while wearing a glum look.

Leonard smiled as he bounced on his toes. "The TASERS were created by Doctor Who and the Vulcans."

"Sounds like a rock group," O'Neill noted as he handed the device back.

MacGyver rested the device on his shoulder. "Like Leonard said, these things are going to help a lot. They should put an end to this little crisis. And then we get to go home."

"I'm all for that," O'Neill said.

That was when it happened.

A giant clown head appeared on the horizon and filled the sky above the Gathering.

As the giant head loomed above the Gathering, even some Vulcans audibly gasped.

It was the giant head of someone very familiar to all of them by now.

The Joker.

"Whoa," O'Neill said. "That is one big honkin' Joker."

"Yeah, " Clark said.

"What's he want now?" Beckett groaned.

"I really don't like it here," Sheldon muttered.

O'Neill gestured toward Sheldon. "See, Daniel? Even Sheldon doesn't like it on Vulcan. And he's a nut when it comes to 'Star Trek.' Well, he's a nut in most ways."

Any further comments were drowned out as the Joker spoke.

"HEROES OF THE MULTIPLE UNIVERSES." The Joker's screechy voice cut through the air like a sonic boom. Many Heroes held their ears, especially the Supermen.

"LISTEN TO ME!"

"How can we not?" Leonard groaned.

"DO NOT INTERFERE IN WHAT I AM DOING. AND WHATEVER WORLD YOU ARE FROM I WILL SPARE THE PEOPLE OF THAT WORLD!"

A cackling laugh followed, and the ground shook.

'"THAT IS ALL," the Joker said in a deep rumbling voice as his giant head sank beneath the horizon.

"Well, that was fun," O'Neill said.

"You think he's for real on that?" Raj asked now that the costumed Chloe and Lana had left.

"It's not like the Joker is capable of lying," Daniel said.

"I believe he is, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"I'm not buying it," O'Neill said. "Yeah, sure, Joker. We leave you alone, you'll leave us alone."

"Was that sarcasm, Colonel O-Neill?"

"Gee, Sheldon, you think? Let me translate: the Joker can't be trusted."

"I believe you are correct in your assessment, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "The Joker is most devious. What he says cannot be taken at face value.."

Clark shrugged. "Maybe for once. This time."

"Don't count on it, Clark," O'Neill said.

Leonard stared up at the empty sky with a cynical look. "Really? The rogue Q couldn't find anyone scarier than the Joker?"

"I think the Joker is much scarier than the Penguin," Raj said as he drank Romulan ale.

"Will you lay off that stuff?" Howard snapped as he snatched the flask away. He then drank.

"I would prefer a giant Catwoman," Raj decided.

Sheldon lit up. "My favorite Catwomen are-" He began reciting.

"Oh, no," Leonard said. "You had to mention Catwoman, didn't you?"

"-Julie Newmar, Michele Pfeiffer, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriwether, and Halle Berry."

Raj shrugged. "I like Catwoman. Besides, it's not like Sheldon is giving us jibber-jabber about jibber-jabber."

It was then someone spoke.

"Heroes of the multiple universes, hear me." The gentle voice somehow carried across the wilderness.

"I am the Silver Surfer."

A low murmur from the crowd.

"I once entered into an agreement to be the herald of Galactus because he offered to spare my world."

Everyone fell silent.

"I watched as Galactus destroyed world after world." The Silver Surfer raised a silver arm and held out a silver hand. "Do not make the same mistake I did. The Joker can enslave billions in the multiple universes. Do you think you can live with yourself if he enslaves those in many universes, simply because your own world will be spared?"

"If what the Joker said is even true," Daniel muttered.

As the other Heroes murmured and talked, Leonard crossed his arms. "What are we going to do about this, guys?"

"Leonard, we can't go up against the Joker!" Sheldon shrieked.

"Sure we can," Leonard said.

"Aren't you worried about what the Joker might do to Pasadena?" Sheldon yelped.

"Yeah, Leonard," Howard said. "Have you thought about Penny? What if the Joker turns her into a giant iguana or something?"

Sheldon shook his head. "I definitely don't want an iguana serving my food at the Cheesecake Factory."

Raj crossed his arms. "What will the Joker do to everybody if we do nothing?"

"Exactly, Raj," Leonard said with a nod. "The Silver Surfer is right. We can't back down. We have to at least try." Now he crossed his arms. "Guys, we need to stand up to the Joker. And I think we can take him."

"No, we can't," Sheldon protested. "Leonard, what are you thinking? We can barely stand up to Penny's ex-boyfriend." He checked to make sure he was still wearing pants.

"This is different," Leonard said.

Howard held up a finger. "As Bart once said to Clark, 'I'm voting no on that one.'"

"Bart?" Clark said. "Who's Bart?"

Daniel shook his head. "You haven't met him yet."

"Look, guys," Leonard said. "All we have to do is connect together the means of space-time transport. Then the Heroess can do their jobs." With arms crossed, he bounced on his toes. "We've been doing that already. And we're good at it. We can keep doing that. We got this, guys."

"No, we don't," Sheldon said.

"You know what?" Clark said. The "Big Bang" guys all turned to look at him, all looking somewhat amazed and wide-eyed. "You guys are all right. I like your spirit. I like your attitude." He placed a hand on Leonard's shoulder. "Especially you, Leonard."

"Thanks, Clark," Leonard said with a grin as he adjusted his dark think-framed glasses. "By the way, you might call these my Clark Kent glasses."

Wincing slightly, Clark shook his head. "I don't get it."

"Later you will," Daniel said.

A slight shrug from Clark. "Anyway, I agree with Leonard. You guys can do this."

"Thanks, dude," Raj said.

"All right," Howard said with an uneasy smile. "Let's keep doing what we do."

"We are good at it," Sheldon said. "I am anyway."

"You don't do anything," Howard said.

"I supervise."

A woman with her hair in a white bun, wearing long silver gloves, leaned in toward the group.

"There's a hero inside each one of us," she said.

Leonard and Raj smiled and nodded while Sheldon and Howard looked puzzled.

"I don't get it," Howard said.

"Yes," Sheldon said, looking mildly irritated. "If this is a gathering of the greatest Heroes, what's Aunt May doing here?"

Daniel leaned in toward them. "This Aunt May used to be a herald of Galactus. But then she stood up to him."

"Just like you guys are doing now with the Joker," Clark said.

The "Big Bang" guys watched as Aunt May turned completely silver and flew around on a surfboard..

"Actually, in the Marvel Universe, Aunt May is a Hero," Leonard said. The others looked at him. "She gave love and encouragement to Peter Parker. So she helped give us Spider-Man."

"And we got some really great movies, too," Raj said.

"And the Kents helped give us Superman," Howard said.

"And we can be Heroes, too," Raj said. "In our own way."

"Yeah, we can," Leonard said. "Let's just keep doing what we do. What do you say?"

"I guess," Sheldon murmured.

"Yeah," Howard said.

"Yeah!" Raj smiled broadly. "I can't believe I'm on Vulcan with the Silver Surfer. And Aunt May as the Silver Surfer!"

"There's a lot of Heroes here," Sheldon said.

"And you guys are Heroes, too," Clark said quietly.

As the "Big Bang" guys talked excitedly, Carter gave Clark a smile.

"You're a true hero, Clark," she said.

"Yeah?" Clark said with a puzzled smile. "Why's that?"

"The way you encouraged the guys just now," Carter said.

"Yeah," Beckett said with a grin. "Leonard and Sheldon and those guys probably don't get a lot of encouragement."

"I know something about that," Daniel said. "When I first proposed my theory that the Egyptian gods were actually aliens, people were not very supportive."

Clark smiled. "It could have been worse. You could have told everyone the Egyptian gods were from Krypton."

Daniel patted his arm. "Still, it was nice of you to encourage the guys like that."

"You probably really boosted their spirits," Carter said.

Teal'c stood with his hands behind his back. "You represent the noble warrior spirit well in many ways, Clark Kent."

Beckett nodded. "I think I'm getting an idea of why the Guardian chose you, Clark."

"Of course you do, Beckett. It's no surprise. It's like I've said before: Jonathan and Martha Kent did a great job." O'Neill watched as a silver Aunt May flew around on her surfboard. "Hey, I wanted that," he protested.

"I want that, too," Sheldon said. "I called dibs on that."

"I called dibs before you, Sheldon," O'Neill said.

Like a very tall child, Sheldon stood with his fists clenched at his side. "Did not!"

"S-G-One," someone said.

Along with the others, Daniel turned to look. "Surnak."

Surnak was a young Vulcan lab assistant they had retrieved from the 31st century when the Joker created a timeline where Earth was ruled over by dictators for centuries.

"How are you, my old Vulcan buddy?" O'Neill asked.

"There is an urgent matter," Surnak said.

"Look at that," Clark mumbled. "Look at the way the guy just blurts things out."

"As I said, this is most urgent. Are you aware of changes in the Prime Universe?"

"Actually, we're experts on the Prime Universe," O'Neill said, holding a finger up. Then he tilted his head toward his friend. "Well, Daniel is, really."

"It's kind of what we do," Daniel said.

"We are, after all, the Protectors of the Prime Universe," Teal'c said. Just fact. No hint of arrogance.

"Whether we want to be or not," Clark grumbled.

"Clark," O'Neill admonished.

"But yeah, Surnak. As the Protectors of the Prime Universe, we do keep track of events there," Carter said.

"Besides, we've got this guy. The Guardian. He tells us when something's wrong." As he rested his hand on his phaser, O'Neill surveyed the wilderness again.. "And he's quite a chatty fellow."

"There may be a difficulty in that area," Surnak said. "The Guardian is damaged. The Joker..." For a moment, he clutched his head.

"You all right?" Carter asked as she reached for her medical tricorder.

"I cannot be certain, Major Carter."

"Can you tell us what's going on?" Beckett asked.

Clark stood with his arms crossed. "Yeah, I can't believe you know something we don't," he sneered.

O'Neill gave him a look. "Clark, why the attitude all of a sudden? Didn't I say earlier that I didn't want to spend this trip with a surly super-powered teen?" .

"Listen to me," Clark said firmly. When he clenched his fists, he looked much more menacing than when Sheldon clenched his. "I think this Surnak guy is working for the Joker."

O'Neill did a slight head tilt-back. "What? Fred?" he said as he pointed. "You're kidding, right?"

"Why would you say that, Clark?" Daniel asked.

"Think about it," Clark said. "We don't know if he's telling us the truth. We don't know if we've been cut off from the Guardian."

"In a way, you are correct, Clark Kent," Teal'c said. "But what Surnak says does sound plausible."

"I'm not sure we have reason to doubt him," Carter said.

"Yeah, Clark," Beckett said. "I'd say we can trust the guy."

"No, guys," Clark said. "Don't you see? He's trying to trick us into changing things. Changing the Prime Universe!"

"It's possible, I suppose," Daniel said slowly with an intense look. "But how would we know?"

"Just like we can't verify what Surnak is saying, we can't verify your theory, either, Clark," Carter said.

"Guys, I'm telling you: he wants us to change the Prime Universe," Clark said. "And if that happens, we never go home!" Clark pointed to O'Neill. "Jack, you're the leader. What do you think we should do?"

"For now, we do nothing," O'Neill said.

"No, Jack," Clark waved his hands.

"Hey, listen, Clark. I give the orders around here."

"Are you going to listen to me?" Clark shouted as he pointed angrily. "Or are you going to take the word of this Vulcan?"

Beckett sighed. "Clark, can you stop that, please?"

"Yeah, that's getting really old, Clark," O'Neill snapped.

"Yes, Clark," Daniel said. "You're starting to sound like that crew member in 'Balance of Terror.'"

"I could say that I find working with Earth people distasteful," Surnak said quietly. "But I have always found such feelings to be most unproductive."

Clark moved forward, fists clenched. "You guys gonna quote 'Star Trek' to me or are we going to put an end to this crisis?" He pointed an accusing finger at Surnak. "Are you going to let this agent of the Joker trick us? Are you? ARE YOU?"

Teal'c stepped forward. "Clark Kent. I shall ask you politely to 'back off.'"

Clark scowled. "I don't care how big you are, Teal'c. I'll take you on, powers or no powers."

Danield held out an open palm. "Just take it easy, Clark. Please."

Daniel had never seen such a fierce expression on Clark's face.

"NO!" Clark roared. "I want all this to end now. AND I HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE IT STOP!"

O'Neill pointed his phaser. "Stand down, Clark."

Clark smirked. "Oh, nice. What are you going to do, Jack? Be like my buddy Lex and pull a weapon on me, huh?"

That's when it happened.

The team was caught up in one of the Joker's Time-Blasts.

And off they went into different realities, different timelines.