Chapter 6: To Sack the Society
Were it not rude, Dr. Mid-Nite would drum his fingers upon the great round table in Justice Society headquarters. They would echo impressively in the marble auditorium. However, he might irritate Flash and Starman who likewise idle away some time. Jay quietly does the Gotham Gazette crossword. One supposes that it appeals as pastime, for it requires a certain mental quickness. Across from Charles, Ted Knight has his research materials—maps, charts, notepads, books, instruments—spread far and wide atop half the meeting room table. Astronomer Starman finds aliens very interesting. Thus, he avidly considers all of the Kriglo Martians' possible paths to Earth. He might even interview them—if they would only show-up. Sensibly, Starman has his mighty Gravity Rod at the ready atop a thick reference book.
Boredom has become a slight adversary since the Crimson Comet (Flash) and the Master of Darkness (Dr. Mid-Nite) sought to outrace the significant threat headed for Gotham. At dawn two days ago, two JSAers rushed into headquarters and raised the alarm. No-good aliens had attacked in New York to the northeast! The heinous heavies are heading this way! However, the enemy has not attacked in a full forty-eight hours plus.
Initially, the Justice Society assembled a small army to oppose an apparently imminent Martian invasion. The all-star squadron had a dozen mustered mystery men. However, ennui enervated interest over the o'clocks. Therefore, Hawkman flew off, and Red Tornado stormed out eventually. Johnny Thunder and Thunderbolt subsequently did the same. It's a shame. And, Hourman also just didn't have the time.
Certain JSAers never showed. Superman and Green Lantern together scour the Earth for antidote ingredients after Toyman has poisoned Lois Lane (see World's Finest #36). Felonious Father Time (see Sensation Comics #74) has displaced Wildcat into the past, and Dr. Fate has followed to get Ted "Wildcat" Grant back. Thus, those two are not available. Atom is nowhere-to-be-seen, and Spectre is present only in spirit. Mr. Terrific and Sandman pursue communist crumbs throughout the U.S. (Soviet spies really were a problem in this era). So, that's right. Sandman is undercover, and Terrific is tucked beside him.
Beside Flash, Dr. Mid-Nite nudges his chin up. During this lull, he must not nod into sleep. Although, nocturnal animals, such as knight McNider, disrelish noon. Cowl back, the doctor kneads his neck vigorously and stretches knees. For cerebral stimulation, Mid-Nite notes who the JSA HQ does have.
The roll call is Flash, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Gotham's Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary. The former three are in the JSA meeting room. Diana and Dinah guard the second-floor armory. That is presumedly the aliens' ultimate objective. Batman and sidekick stalk the building's dual upper stories should the Martians strike there.
"Where are they, eh?" Starman breaks the room's silence, "The mad scientist and his monster mates should be here molesting us already. Eh what, Mid-Nite?"
"Maybe," Doc Mid-Nite smirks.
"Perhaps, the bad guys gather greater forces," Flash comments, "They could add the entire Injustice Society to their ranks and give us a challenge."
Charles chortles and chafes, "I hope not. We are short-staffed after five fellow heroes left yesterday and before."
"Oh, ye of little faith," Flash replies, "Our headquarters still holds seven super sorts, ranging from Robin to Wonder Woman."
Starman somewhat pursues the point, "Yeah, our hallowed hall has Diana, Flash, and me: essentially gods Artemis, Mercury, and whatever deity that I closely resemble."
"Jeezus! Did you just break your arm patting yourself on the back?" wonders Dr. McNider to himself.
Externally, Dr. Mid-Nite expresses, "I've been worried we are outgunned with what the Kriglo stole."
"Not necessarily," Jay Garrick answers, "We JSAers have an advantage. We know exactly which weapons they stole. Ergo, we know how they should be armed."
"Should be. Sure," Charles supposes.
Gallant Ted Knight hefts his Gravity Rod and shakes it, "Do not forget, friend. They have this and that. But, we have this great Gravity Rod plus a magic lasso, everything in two utility belts, and everything in the armory too."
"I suppose," Dr. Mid-Nite warily supposes. He drops his cowl back in place, just in case the attack is imminent.
Outside, eight aliens in a spacecraft swoop in from over the Atlantic Ocean. Their sinister saucer descends swiftly onto Gotham and Justice Society central specifically. Amidst the invaders, Prof. Jennings snickers to himself. Jeremiah joshes an adjacent Kriglo that the ship brings the JSA big surprises. The evil arachnid assents, and the odious spider-man enjoins Jennings to ready the enhanced weapons. Gleefully, the unctuous Benedict Arnold of an earthling goes to Malcolm Mumm's modified sound machine. The giddy mad scientist giggles. He gets to use the sonic armament during the imminent ambush. And, even better, Martian ship scanners detect Flash, arch-enemy of ol' Jennings, below. May he sempiternally suffer!
Along skyscraper summits, the saucer speedily skims until suddenly stopping for six seconds. A stretchy, strong strand sets a sneering mad scientist and his malevolent machination upon the rooftop facing the Justice Society's HQ. The "bungee cord" contracts back into the vessel.
On his roost across the way, look-out Robin spots the saucer and scientist. He starts. Instantly, the Kriglo craft crosses Fox Street to hover above the heroes' home base. Just as instantly, intrepid Robin radios Batman and every intercom throughout the threatened brownstone. The Boy Wonder blurts a warning heartbeats before a bolt like lightning shoots from the saucer's keel. The crackling coruscation ruptures the roof as though Robin were in the War of the Worlds, and the plasma beam punches through two stories until stopped at the impenetrable alloy atop the armory vault. Then, the sensational, sizzling, scintillating shot suddenly ceases.
Beside the burning breach, Robin beholds the wide rutilant ring perforating the Society's sanctum. Holy whole hole, Batman!
Directly below, the Caped Crusader coolly considers the cylindrical smoking crater cutting the brownstone's living quarters. A huge hole now centrally sits in JSA's sanctuary. Batman stands at the charred circle's boundary. Intense, smoldering eyes look up, and binoculars go before them. The lenses canvass the striking craft. The ship's outré occupants inspect right back by extraordinary means. Via x-ray scan, the Martians see that Batman is still alive and stands spying (upon them) upon a certain spot within the structure's schematics. C'est la vie. The centrally-located armory, and its cache, is their present target anyway. They can kill Batman soon—after a few more strategic moves. For now, the Dark Knight is alive amongst alight living quarters, with flames menacing.
Below Batman, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Flash react on the ground level. Ex-airman Knight wonders if an M64 bomb just dropped. Former corpsman McNider intends to offer aid upstairs.
Upstairs, Wonder Woman warns Black Canary that "something wicked this way comes". Canary wryly replies that, well, it would likely be the Martians who Dr. Mid-Nite mentioned. Diana discloses that she knows, but the princess prefers to be well-spoken when saying "get ready, red alert".
No JSAer anticipates the next mode of attack. It arrives abruptly, before any hero hardly moves. A sweeping sonic blast issues from across the avenue. Jennings operates a reconfigured Mumm machine that has been manufactured to deliver maximum mischief, so to speak. Usually, the contraption causes total silence in an area. However, it now offers the exact opposite in nigh equal degree.
Thus, destructive decibels deluge the Justice Society's locale. A dozen windows shatter, and their shards drive into walls. A dreadful din shudders the domicile. Hanging lamps and hefty decor dangerously drop throughout the disquieted corridors. Disturbed dirt and dust disperse and drizzle everywhere.
In the meeting hall, Starman deftly deflects falling debris under the damaged, dividing dome. Sensationally, his stellar device does double-duty, for the Gravity Rod also pushes aside a tsunami of deadly sound waves in the echoic environment. At Knight's flank, Garrick gets set to dash upon the deviant attacking the JSA.
Above the men, Wonder Woman rides out well the decimating discharge. And somehow, Black Canary obliviously endures the sonic blast, as though inevitably immune. Deep within, Dinah dreams—for a quick dalliance—of having such an attack. In this golden age, she does not. Perhaps, in both women's cases, the ladies are but lucky to be located away from windows and building façade.
Above the women, the Dynamic Duo avoid a direct hit from the Mumm machine's deafening, destructive drone. By luck, they dodge most deleterious effects. They are not debilitated. Amazingly, no ear drums burst anywhere in the blasted building. That's the charmed life in comic books for ya.
By contrast, the sonic weapon suddenly ceases—as though something blew a fuse. Of course, E.T.-tinkered technology does not use fuses, like folks did in the forties. Rather, radioactive batteries and super-conductors run Martian weapons. But, still, something has shorted-out on Jennings' jerry-rigged sound machine.
For a mere second, smart scientist Jay Garrick studies the cracked meeting room marble. Fleetly, Flash figures out the boisterous barrage's vector. The Runner of Runners rushes along the route in reverse.
Almost ahead of Flash, Robin runs for the reverberating roof's edge, for he spotted sinister Jennings in the first place. With cape wide like wings, Robin leaps half the length of the city street, stories below. Lithely, the Boy Wonder tucks and rolls ahead as a trained acrobat would. While dropping a wee, he whips his Batarang and line high for a flagpole outside a building and executes an impeccable arc. Atop that building, Jennings sits cursing his conked contraption. The mad scientist is getting angry. He hysterically hits the machine. The rapped widget rattles and whines, and a bushy brow rises optimistically.
But, Batman's chum arrives before Jeremiah even knows it.
Across the way, Batman, nimble as well, brings himself to the roof by jim-dandy gymnastics. He bounces up through the roof rupture. And, good instinct compels him to look overhead at the saucer. He pauses uneasy. Along the ship's underside, a possible bomb bay has opened. Peripherally, Batman sees Robin arrive at Jennings. Bruce scowls. Dick will have to duel Dr. Hugo Strange over there on his own. Prudence dictates that Batman monitor the Martian man-of-war.
Kaboom! Residual electricity reactivates a rapped raucous weapon. Mumm's modified machine manages one more sonic boom—at a slightly new angle—onto the intersection of Fox and Gardner. Concurrently, Flash enters Gardner Avenue. Coincidentally, the concussion shatters the concrete across which Flash crosses. The Fastest Man Alive trips flat as surrounding traffic also goes topsy-turvy—threatening to splat and squash him.
Back in the halls of the Justice Society, Dr. Mid-Nite and Starman quickly consult. They concur that the Martians are here to steal stuff. The dastards have previously done so from Doc's domain. Therefore, one can reason that the raiders are not razing the Society residence. Therefore, McNider and Knight need not flee a falling building. Rather, they should wait for the Kriglo to come to them. Dr. Mid-Nite volunteers to vanguard the first floor by himself. Other heroes may need mighty Starman outside. Starman says that he'll consider the offer, but he does not know. Dr. Mid-Nite just isn't that powerful. Behind thick goggles, Charles gives the evil eye, but he also chuckles some.
Up on the rooftop, Batman is not laughing. In fact, the Dark Knight's eyes quite narrow. The World's Greatest Detective gazes into the gaping outlet above and analyzes the odd object betwixt the open bay doors. The "munition" jiggles like gelatin. It is unlikely uncontained blasting jelly, if that be the explosive. So, what is it?
Surprisingly, the blob above seemingly shifts itself as Batman stares. How can an inanimate object squirm so? Unless. . . . . Now very curious, the Caped Crusader searches his utility belt for some line long enough to reach the spacecraft.
Across the way, Robin acts atop the world and stands akimbo—intimidating Jennings. At least, the Boy Wonder hopes that he is menacing like his mentor. The mad scientist seems slightly unsettled but mostly unconcerned. Cautiously and slowly, he manipulates the mischief-making Mumm weapon while keeping an eye on Robin. Cavalier Dick dallies an instant engineering something clever to say, for youth ever yearn to be more audacious than efficacious when kicking butt. But, cool can cost them. In this case, Jennings abruptly jerks a lever, and an internal conduit connects to another component with a clank. Thereby, the machine reignites with excited electric current. Oh-oh.
Simultaneously, a bulb goes bright above Robin's head. He thinks of something smart to say—like a champ.
Concurrently, woozy Flash recovers amidst crashed cars—all of which serendipitously missed him. Wobblily, he rises and removes himself from wreckage. He respires rapidly to recuperate. And, a hero rockets himself up a skyscraper face. Robin should have aid in a flash.
Which is good, for Dick's adoptive daddy has his hands full. From the saucer fuselage, an offbeat form falls flailing and fifteen-feet wide. Eight arms gyre like a plunging fan about an ovoid, pudgy center. A narrowed glare goes wide. Batman cannot believe the bioweapon! Briefly, a soaring cephalopod crosses the smoky sky. This Earth's Batman has never met the Squid. But, he is about to encounter a giant octopus! The octopus armament snares Batman as it falls dead-center through the existing fissure. Fires flare up where the affixed foes flop.
From on high, a Kriglo comments, "Landor, the Man Who Knew Too Much, didn't know what he didn't know. Sure, his enhanced glutamic acid created a cognizant elephant and gorilla to attack the Justice Society [see All-Star Comics #29]. However, we adjusted the formula and produced an enormous, intelligent, amphibious, fire-resistant, Atlantic octopus. Not bad."
A comrade Kriglo clicks a switch at a control panel, "We shall keep-up the attack before sacking the Society's sanctum and stored booty. Landor's little elixir can alter animals in other awesome ways—with our improved formula, of course."
An evil alien arachnid releases an odd gas over the narrow alley and electric infrastructure around JSA HQ. Panicked pigeons and crows, reacting to recent explosions, are no longer on those lines and poles. But, they churn in a chaotic circle in the near atmosphere. And, granted, gutter rats and stray cats hunker-down amidst the trash cans after recent rumpus; however, the maleficent Martian mist finds them too. And suddenly, all of the area's little animals—with wild abandon—make severe, savage, stentorian, chilling chatter.
Nearby, in contrast, there is no noise at all—to Garrick and Grayson's great surprise. Upon arrival, Jay immediately impelled Dick to Jennings. Robin had thought of a rhubarb to roar, across the roof, and punctuate with a raspberry. Flash forwarded the Boy Wonder to Jennings before the kid could crow, however. Thus, crowing Robin shouted right in Jennings' face. But, the clamor met only total silence. Grayson's breath grazed bifocals and beard. However, no one heard any words. No one heard anything at all.
You see, Mumm's machine provides an expanding cone of silence in its user's circumambient area. It originally did when Dr. Mid-Nite met mobster Malcolm Mumm (see All-American Comics #51). It should soon silence the entire vicinity. Try to communicate well in that, Justice Society!
Meanwhile, the Martian marauders know their plan of attack, and they continue executing it. They see Starman standing in Fox Street—right where they want him. Presently, he is out of sorts.
Mere moments before, Starman hears the outside commotion and car accidents all the way in the meeting room. Ted Knight does not ruminate long. Abruptly, he tells Dr. Mid-Nite to "hold the fort", and he frantically flies for the outside, where the action is. Auto accidents litter the upturned avenue, and the hero makes to help the injured. Waving his wondrous wand, Starman uprights overturned cars, jimmies jammed doors, and undoes crumpled vehicles. As a mystery man should, he looks like a miracle-worker. Hopefully, the wail of sirens approaches soon, although, oddly, the hero hears nothing from the east (across the street). Casualties keep themselves calm, and bystanders help others. Post-war America is a great place. However, they are all at least shaken up.
Suddenly, an unsettling sound catches the astral All-Star's ear from the west, where an alley amplifies it. Starman turns to see. He is a wee shocked surveying from sidewalk to sky. A four-story chimera—of sorts—speaks sensationally "chitter", "yowl", "screech"! The bird-cat-rat creature is not quite indescribable, but mental definition takes a moment to. . . . .
At the abomination's apex, six Kriglo Spider-Men rappel by their rear-ends from the suspended saucer. Two take the central shaft into the breached building. Four swan-dive from the ship's circumference equidistantly. Each of these arrives at a broken second-floor window. Two agilely swing massive bodies through four-by-four spaces. Two stop at their respective frames instead and must do some Kriglo contortion.
The two rift raiders whiz past Batman wrestling a woeful beast. The inverted invaders head for the exposed vault top. Snarling, Bats slickly slips his wrist from a slimy grip, and he casts a grenade from his girdle. It should hit the Kriglo. But, instead, an unctuous arm bats the bulb back at Bats. Bounding high, the superhero takes cover behind the "invincible" octopus. The explosion demolishes and ignites the surroundings further. The JSA's living quarters were already on fire and trashed. With one arm, the octopus flings Batman through a weakened wall, and it ponderously pursues him on slightly-raised tentacles. The floor creaks but does not collapse under the corpulent creature. From the next room, Bats hurls eight Batarangs at once. The octo adeptly blocks them aside. However, they hurt like hell, for they are razor-edged (i.e. they hew a hint). Batman also lobs a bauble beneath the beast while its arms are raised. The orb burps viscous material in a little puddle—into which the "leviathan" lands. The stuff sticks the awful octo to the hardwood floor! It ejects immense ink in anger.
"That's right," Batman smirks, "Bat-glue."
Similarly, Robin likewise grins over yon. He heartily uppercuts Jennings' gut. He chops loose the rascal's ray gun, once drawn. (He snatches and sets aside Jeremiah's glasses like a gentleman). Then, Kid Grayson's right cross knocks the spit out Jennings' visage and spins the mad scientist verily around. Tripping over his own feet, the perfidious fink falls face-first on filthy roof asphalt. The Boy Wonder kicks him in the butt to move the jackass away from the Mumm machine.
And, the best part is that all of this ham-handed violence happens as though in a slapstick silent movie, thanks to Mumm's mum maker. It is kind of funny—in a dark way.
Nearby, Flash tries figuring out the noise-cancelling device. Genius Garrick's brow furrows. Malcolm Mumm, Jeremiah Jennings, and Kriglo Martians have all inadvertently collaborated to create a complex gadget. They even thought to make the control labels in code. Where is Mr. Terrific or Batman when you need him? Even the Riddler would be welcome right now.
Finally, on impulse, Flash simply seizes the controls. Like lightning, the gadget grabs him back. Electric shock surges through jolted Jay. He jerks in pain for, maybe, one jiffy. Then, his powerful reflexes rip Flash free. Finger fumes wisp into the wind. Funny. In a dark way. Flash frowns and thinks. A forensic criminologist knows about fingerprints, of course. But, few '40s phenoms, fast mentally or otherwise, would theorize that one could lock devices with them.
Robin taps Flash's shoulder to get his attention. Dick couldn't yell effectively. The Boy Wonder points directly west. Both heroes are a bit shocked.
Swooping, spinning, scudding, scourging, scraping, scoring, slicing, striking, a swarm of berserk birds snugly beset aloft Starman. The ferocious flock of feathered fiends would make Gotham's felonious Penguin fond. Essentially, the Kriglo have administered the creatures space coke (like from Cheech and Chong's Next Movie). A pernicious plume of piqued pigeons pluck and peck persistently. A company of crows claw as they caw cacophonously and crap down Starman's crimsoned costume. A lone daffy duck goes loony and lunges incessantly, lashing with its wings.
Wrathfully, puissant Starman responds. He counterattacks curtly and cruelly. First, a force field shoves the entire frenzied flock back. The squawkers go silent (although not from Starman's machinations). Then, the Gravity Rod collapses the star-crossed collection of poultry into a bloody, imploded, meaty medicine ball that drops to the street below! Later, good Ted Knight will feel a little rueful. But, for now, his rudimentary anger (and rude tactic) save him a savage scrabbling.
Within 1940 Fox, other incensed animals, affected by the Martian mist, attack a Justice Society member. Inside the first floor, berserk felines beset Dr. Mid-Nite. The crazed, clawed clowder of cats would suit Catwoman's criminal and sadistic fancies. The feral kitties, furry fury fomented further, fling themselves like mewing missiles and pummel the protector from all sides. Upon landing, each assailant unbridledly abrades his leatherwear and cloth costume. They clamp sharp teeth on sleeves, and they kick as hard as they can. They spit sputum and all sorts of sludgy sleaze. Some crawl quickly for the crimefighter's naked chin and cheeks—where claws could cause cat-a-strophic damage.
Charles McNider tenaciously counterattacks. One hand chops a chippy Cheshire, and a fist chisels another. He punches a keening polychromatic calico. He cuffs cat craniums briskly and consecutively. He stomps strays and kicks caterwaulers to the chandelier. He clutches two kitties and collides them. He captures cantankerous critters in his cape and spins them to discombobulation. Doggedly, Dr. Mid-Nite fights onward.
Elsewhere in the edifice, a Kriglo commando comes through a busted window. To his great surprise, Wonder Woman swats the Spider-Man unconscious straight away. One stupendous slug. A wily warrior is ready when danger arrives, and Diana is one of the best. The Amazon Ideal races around the corner and eliminates another arachnid brute before he can even brace for impact. Her flying boot nigh breaks his neck. Without pause, Wonder Woman bounds along the corridor to its turn, and she charges another Kriglo sans hesitation.
Dashing Diana runs headlong into a huge web stretched across the hallway! Decently strong, it halts her and lifts her from the floor.
A smug Spider-Man smirks, "So, it is so. I understand that bondage is your weakness, especially by a man's devices. We Kriglo have researched well."
Wonder Woman smirks and winks back, "Actually, truth be told, a man needs my magic lasso. But, don't you lewdly reach for it. I'll get it."
Amazonian arms rip the wiry webbing. At super-speed, they whip and roll it up. An alien stands agape glassing through the web's trap gap. Wonder Woman reaches for her mentioned weapon.
Around the next corner, Black Canary covers the armory door. Her arms are crossed and her glare fixed. Looking on, an arachnid alien appears amused. At twelve-feet tall, his stooped, scrunched form takes up substantial space. He skitters slightly forward, blinking his beady and sinister eyes.
"Ma'am, please move," bids the mammoth Martian, "My brethren and I have things to steal from behind this vault's steel."
"Bug off."
The bugbear brings up his dangerous dukes. Dinah Drake does the same, with perfect pugilist form. The karate queen readies for combat. The king-sized Kriglo comes at her.