The scarlet-clad man fell to his knees. "But it's true,Mousqueterr," he said to his cloaked ally, "I can feel the rays from the Kryptonite weakening me!" Madame Rouge further extended her arms holding the glowing green shackles, weakening him further. The Brain's mechanical apparatus, hovered closer. "Don't look to him for help," he scoffed, "once we've captured you we'll … "
He was silenced by the sound of a roar from the sky. They glanced up to see a needle-nosed airplane swooping down. "You people always seem to think I get everywhere by horseback," theMousqueterrsaid, and as he controlled the vehicle through his electronic handset it swooped down nearly to ground level, a sonic boom causing his opponents to crumble in pain. He leapt in, powerful arms scooping up the Kryptonian, and when the plane swooped down once more he grabbed hold of a dangling rope ladder and the pair of them were taken skyward. "You'll have to satisfy your vendetta against us some other time."
Her head clearing, Madame Rouge approached her partner, enquiring after the Brain's health. "My casing has a hairline crack," the voice synthesizer said, "but I believe no more damage than that. We ought to return to our headquarters and do a diagnostic."
Before they could make a move, a whirling lavender sphere appeared before them. "What fresh hell is this?" Madame Rouge said, and her eyes widened as in its place soon stood Super Man and the Musketeer.
"Back for more?" the Brain asked, eyeing Madame Rouge as she retrieved the shackles.
"The Brotherhood! So you were behind this attack?" Super Man said, facing the visages of some of his oldest foes.
"Whatever brought you back to face us wasn't our plan," Madame Rouge said, "but I'm more than happy to take advantage of it."
Police cars roared swiftly to the scene. As the squad got out of their cars, guns drawn, the Brain hovered before them. "Stay back, Captain! Madame Rogue and I will handle these two super-criminals!"
The police nevertheless spread out, allowing the pair the opportunity to take down their foes. "Don't let them get away, men!"
"The police, helping the Brain and Madame Rouge against us! This is a nightmare!" the Musketeer exclaimed. "What kind of a joke is this, Captain?"
Madame Rouge joined the Brain, her elastic body forming a barrier between the newcomers and the police. "Keep back, Captain," she reasserted. "My green Kryptonite manacles are the only thing that holdFrancois the Unbeatable!"
Super Man blinked. "Hold off … Francois? I have never used that name … and we are not criminals … "
"I see you had the presence of mind to alter your insignia from an 'F' to an 'S'," the Brain noted. "What sort of game are you playing?"
".. and the Brotherhood are honored as lawmen," Super Man muttered. "I'm dreaming!"
"It's not a dream. If what I suspect is true," the Musketeer said, "we're not on our own Earth at all!"
Super Man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Like the world of the Freedom Fighters we encountered with the Société de Justice … of course."
"I have often theorised that many similar worlds exist, separated from each other by dimensional barriers," the Brain said, "though it's uncanny to receive visitors from one of them, if that's what the pair of you are. I know not what you're referring to as 'The Brotherhood,' but you'd be welcome allies to the Sisterhood of Justice, if so."
Later, the quartet assembled at the Sisterhood's Lawbase. "How strange it seems to be working with the Brain and Madame Rouge," Super Man mused.
The Brain almost chuckled, a disconcerting sound coming from the artificial larynx. "Madame Rouge and I – teamed up with Super Man and the Musketeer! It's unbelievable!"
"If we had more time, I'd be fascinated to learn more of your world, to see if there are any other curious … inversions," the Musketeer said.
"You'd be welcome to it," Madame Rouge said, "although your presence here offers us an opportunity I'd not want to waste. Your counterparts have run an unimpeded crime wave in our world, and with you as allies we may finally be able to put a stop to them."
"I would consider it an obligation," Super Man said, "no true son of Krypton would behave the way this counterpart has."
The Musketeer pondered that silently. Super Man's father, Gar-El, had been a voice of reason on Krypton before it exploded; there was no evidence that this universe's Gar-El had been anything other than a crime lord, or that Krypton even no longer existed. For that matter, it had only been one bad day which set the young Max Soleil on the path to becoming the Musketeer, but he suspected things could have gone very differently for him, as well.
Super Man peered northwards, adjusting the settings on his helmet to amplify his vision. "It appears this …Francois … does have a Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic, just as I do. If he is recovering from Kryptonite, your Musketeer would likely have taken him there."
"Fantastic!" The Brain swiveled around to face Super Man. "We have never been able to track Francois to his lair. Even without adding your physical abilities to the Sisterhood, that assistance alone is invaluable."
Hours later, in the far north, Super Man once more adjusted the settings on his helmet. "I can see with my x-ray vision that Francois and the criminal Musketeer in the Fortress; they appear to have a copy of the same device which inadvertently transported us here, to your world. If they're about to use the machine … who knows what havoc they would be able to raise on our alternate Earth?"
"I might be able to turn myself into a key which can accommodate its lock," Madame Rouge speculated. "We must hit them fast."
"Super Man can't handle these Kryptonite manacles, so it's up to me to act fast," The Musketeer nodded. "I'll be ready to get them on Francois the So-Called Unbeatable quickly!"
As Madame Rouge's extended one of her limbs into the immense lock, her brow furrowed in concentration, Super Man watched thoughtfully. His own Fortress would not be so easy to transgress; he suspected his earlier supposition was correct: this counterpart, whatever difference there had been in the Costas as they adopted this strange visitor, he had plainly not been exposed to the remnants of Kryptonian culture, as he himself had been.
As the transformed Madame Rouge opened the door, the impromptu quartet rushed through.
The criminalMousqueterrdrew his sword. "It's our doubles … and the Sisterhood!" He turns to his ally. "Look out, he's going to shackle you with Green Kryptonite!"
The Musketeer summoned all his acrobatic skills for a swift effort. Francois grunted in pain. "It's already on my wrists! I've no strength! You use the disintegrating weapon on it!"
"I don't think so," the Musketeer said, his own sword drawn. Before metal could touch metal, Madame Rouge coiled forward like a great serpent, immobilising theMousqueterr. His counterpart sheathed his own sword with a smile.
The criminals bound, Super Man turned to the Brain. "With your great science, couldn't you brainwash our doubles into honest men, so they could use their great talents for good?"
"I can try!" the Brain exclaimed. "You three guard them, and I'll get the necessary instruments from our Lawbase!"
Later, the villains were fitted with special apparatus. "Once, these world's vilest attempted to brainwash Rouge into turning evil," the Brain said. Madame Rouge blushed at the memory. "I created this device to counter their attempts. With some modifications, I may be able to use it to accentuate their own positive impulses."
"Good luck," Super Man said. "Hopefully we can modify the transportational device they were working on, so the Musketeer and I can return home!"
The switch was thrown. "Only time will tell if the brainwashing has removed their criminal impulses," the Brain continued. "But even if your doubles never become fellow lawmen in our world, we owe you an immense debt."
The Musketeer smiled. "Maybe we can someday do the same to our Brotherhood of Evil … but I doubt they'll ever be our close friends!"
Per my research, there is a third French Superman counterpart in addition to Yordi and Marc Costa, "Francois L'Imbattable" (the Unbeatable); I nominated him to be from a Mirror Earth given that some of his adventures had the panel designs flipped. I imagine my francophone version of Super Man along with his old friend the Musketeer traveled there at one point in a story reminiscent of World's Finest #148, and encountered heroic versions of The Brain and Madame Rouge (taking the place of Lex Luthor and Clayface). I had previously characterized the Brotherhood of Evil (due the odd proliferation of French villains on the team) as foes of Super Man, but for this smaller grouping with Madame Rouge comprising 50% of the team I named them the Sisterhood as a nod to the Sisterhood of Dada from the Doom Patrol tv series … and who knows what the Brain's gender needs to be anyway?
La Société de Justice presumably includes Super Man, Musketeer, Batgirl, Capucine, the Cat, Fantax, M'sieu Machine, the Phantom (archer, not ghost who walks) and Phantasmo. Wartime activity included the Blackhawks, the Boy Commandos, the Fightin' 5, the Ghost Patrol, and (Phantom Eagle's) Phoenix Squadron, all of which included French members.
The Musketeer is possibly a descendant of the 18th century Le Justicier. I don't know what the Musketeer's kid sidekick would have called himself, but clearly as an adult he has taken the name Nightrunner. Given the occasions in which Batman (and others) have encountered Tintin, it's possible on Earth-Français that these stories involved the Musketeer; or possibly (given the apparent proliferation of international teams) they have a Musketeers of All Nations, with Batman, the Legionary, the Gaucho, the Knight & Squire.