Welcome back to Elemental Crisis Book III. Last time, Myriad, General Luthor, and Malefic J'onzz made their way into the D.E.O. After taking out the armed troopers, Myriad had General Luthor hack in to the main computer, so he could use his access to track the Element bearers around the facility. Outfitting her teammates with Dark Gems, Myriad and Malefic J'onzz went out to pursue their targets. But as they left, General Luthor secretly revealed he has his own plan, though we don't know what it is quite yet. In the meantime, we've got confrontations to get to. So how's this going to go? Read on to at least start discovering...

(Our scene begins with Martian Manhunter and Sentinel dashing down the hallways of the D.E.O. facility, trying to figure out what's going on. Sentinel appears to be reaching out so someone on her comm system, and doesn't appear to like what she finds on the other send of the line)

Sentinel: I can't reach anybody!

Martian Manhunter: Keep trying, we've got to figure out how far into the facility the Dark Knights are!

(And just as Martian Manhunter makes that declaration, he and Sentinel are immediately stopped in their tracks by Malefic J'onzz, preparing his Dark Gem gloves)

Malefic J'onzz: I'd say you're a little too late on that front.

Martian Manhunter: (Trying to reach his brother, regardless of what world he's from) Malefic, please. Some part of you must realize this is wrong. Let me help you, and we can put an end to this madness!

Malefic J'onzz: That's exactly what you said on my Earth. I didn't go for it last time, and I won't this time.

Martian Manhunter: (Confused) What?

Malefic J'onzz: (Remembering Martian mental powers don't extend across universes) Right, why would you know? Then allow me to enlighten you.

(With that, Malefic J'onnz flashes back, retelling the story of how he came to be in Malefor's employ.)

Malefic J'onzz: For years, my world went much akin to this world. I was disconnected from the Martian collective consciousness. For years, I saw that as a curse, but soon enough, I realized it was a blessing.

(Soon we see a view of a group of White Martians, standing on a bluff overlooking Malefic and J'onn J'onzz, releasing a sort of powder above the two children.)

Malefic J'onzz: The White Martians had developed some kind of disease that was spread via psychic link. A mental virus. And you, J'onn, were patient zero.

(Now we see the effects of the mental virus, it renders almost the entire Green Martian population into what are basically zombies infecting everyone they come across through their mental link, soon followed by a view of Malefic J'onzz cowering in a ruin as a horde of the zombified Green Martians walking by)

Malefic J'onzz: The plague spread like wildfire through mere sight. Any way to connect to the collective consciousness was an infection path. And since I couldn't connect to it, I was immune. And with our population rendered mindless, the White Martians took over. I knew they were behind this, the ultimate end to the civil war. So I was determined to end it.

(The next scene shows Malefic J'onzz in a lab, reverse engineering the virus)

Malefic J'onzz: I discovered that the White Martians had created the virus to only effect the Green Martian collective consciousness. So I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. I reverse engineered the virus, but this time, it only worked on theirs.

(Now, Malefic J'onzz is shown unleashing the modified virus upon the White Martians, rendering them in the same zombified state as their Green cousins, immediately followed by Malefic J'onzz, the only Martian with his brain intact, strolling through Mars like he's a Fallout protagonist)

Malefic J'onzz: My plans worked, and soon Mars was a dead world. A world of the living dead, to be more accurate. And once again, I was alone.

(Now one final scene is shown, Malefic J'onzz being reached out to by Malefor, alongside Red Death, Myriad, and Dark Archer.)

Malefic J'onzz: That was when Lord Malefor came into the picture. He offered to end my loneliness and restore Mars to the state it was before the virus was released. Perhaps it was my loneliness that motivated me, but I answered yes.

(Now we flash back to the present, where Malefic J'onzz is prepared to beat down Martian Manhunter and Sentinel)

Malefic J'onzz: Now you may say that taking you out seems irrational, but there's a simple reason for doing it. I can't take the chance that your White Martians haven't infected you with a slower acting variant. Call it paranoia if you want, but I'll call it what it is, proactive measures.

Martian Manhunter: Malefic...

Malefic J'onzz: No further words. (Finishes adjusting his Dark Gem gloves) Have at you...

(And as Malefic J'onzz prepares to battle his brother, our tale ends for today)

And that looks like a good spot to end for now. I'll be honest, of the three Dark Knights taking center focus here, Malefic J'onzz was the first one I figured out. I knew I wanted to exploit the fact that he couldn't connect to the Martian collective consciousness. And then I remembered a recent series of DC's Elseworlds: DCeased, DC's zombie apocalypse. And then, it all fit together from there. Anyways, what's going to happen next? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!