Post by redsycorax on Nov 23, 2021 2:13:32 GMT
On Earth-108, events took a surprising turn from the datum. Although its First World War was fought against Imperial Germany and the other Central Powers, its Second World War was not waged against Nazi Germany, for the National Socialist Party was crushed after its attempted coup in Berlin in 1923. Adolf Hitler and the other members of the fledgeling hierarchy were shot dead by the Berlin constabulary. In 1933, authoritarian Chancellor Papen crushed its communists in turn. Thus, the Soviet Union had a free hand and exploited it- and Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States fought against the menace of communism. Things ended with the victory of the democratic west, after the detonation of the first nuclear weapons over Minsk and Kiev. Thereafter, the United World legislature held theoretical power over much of the remaining world. Nuclear weapons were dismantled after their first use and never used again.
That world's greatest heroes have aligned themselves within the Justice Conference of America- Black Cat (Linda Turner), expert martial artist; Atom Man (Alexander Luthor), superscientist and controller of nuclear fusion which gives him immense power; Diana the Huntress, the legendary Greek goddess, come to Earth to protect the weak and vulnerable; Mercury (Michael O'Toole), nephew of the late Silver Streak, carrying on his heroic legacy; and Diamond Jack (Jack Horton), user of a mystic jewel that gives him unearthly capabilities.
++
D-15, 5742:
"So, what are you doing for Hannukah this year, Linda?"
"I thought I'd lay some flowers on Kit's grave. Hard to believe it's been so long since he was killed."
Atom Man sat back: "No time with Ricky boy planned?"
"As Linda, yes. But the problem is, Rick's in love with me in my civilian identity. However, he thinks the 'Cat is a dangerous vigilante. It makes things...difficult."
"I envy you both. Unfortunately, you know my back story all too well. Given my power threshold, if an enemy discovered that I was Alexander Luthor, things could become very difficult for my potential partner."
"Ah. That white flare must be Jack. Come in, honey, the airlock's ready for you..."
About 22,300 miles above the Earth, the JCA satellite rotated serenely. Black Cat strode toward the teleporter as she relinquished monitor duty. Time to relax with Toby and put my feet up after I visit poor Kit's grave and pay my respects, she thought to herself.
As Diamond Jack entered, the glow from his mystical diamond died down: "How's it been, Alex?"
"Uneventful so far. Not even a Trinitarian terrorist attack and you know how antsy they are at this time of yoar."
"Why can't they stay in Italy? It's the official faith there. Why do they feel the need to impose their beliefs on others?"
Atom Man shrugged: "I'm a scientist, not a philosopher or theologian, Jack." Although, Alexander reflected, the crux of the current problems with the Trinitarians went back at least two millennia. At first, the breakaway Trinitarian sect looked as if it might gain sufficient followers to become Rome's official religion, unthinkable as that now seemed. And then the Emperor Constantine experienced a religious awakening just before a major battle, which he subsequently won- one of a heavenly Torah, suspended above the planned battlefield. And so, instead of upstart Trinitarianism, Judaism became the Roman Empire's dominant faith. The Trinitarians were unhappy at this, but with the full power of the Imperial state and its armed forces behind them, Trinitarianism began to collapse. By the time Rome fell, there was a surge in synagogue construction across the length and breadth of Europe. That had similarly occurred in the United States, Australasia, Africa and elsewhere.
In the fifty second century since the putative creation of the world, Judaism underwent a Renaissance and Reformation, causing advances in medical technology and social reform in its wake as well as religious bifurcation into Orthodox and Reform Judaism. A disastrous pneumonic plague spread by rats from the Near East was avoided and European ships travelled past Gibraltar to discover a new world on the other side of the Altantic Ocean. But as the European population wasn't numerous enough to colonise it, its inhabitants developed early immunity to European pathogens. Consequently, the Aztecs resisted the incursion of Cortez and Pizarro and held Mexica until the early eighteenth century. In 5648, the British Crown granted the Viceroyalty of New England its independence and it consequently formed the United States, with the provision that chattel slavery never be practiced again. However, several decades later, in 5702, the Trinitarian Revolutionary Front seized control of Rome and used its armed forces and state power to crush resistance in the rest of Italy. Surrounded by hostile neighbours, Trinitarian Italy was a substantial Mediterranean military power and although it disavowed any such ambitions, it funded terrorist Trinitarian movements outside their sole religious sanctuary.
Abruptly, in the corner, a golden, gentle glow surrounded a familiar female form:
"Hola, my friends. Well met. No intractable situations, I gather?"
Alexander and Diana weren't quite sure how to interpret each other. Alexander was a thorough-going scientist and rationalist, and he had concluded that Diana was one of the harbingers of a prospective species of humanity that would one day supplant homo sapiens. For her part, Diana had concluded that given his intellect and scientific prowess, Alexander Luthor must be especially beloved of the god of science and technology, Vulcan. Whatever their perceptions and conclusions, though, the pair trusted one another. In the days to come, they would need that trust.
KRYPTON:
As the crowd surged, Kal-El snarled and shot at the ringleaders. He would not stand for this. Why had the Science Council let this happen? It knew Krypton's uranium core and its proximity to Rao would eventually result in this, but as usual, it had delayed too late and now, as the planet finally gave way to its terminal geological and seismic stresses, it would be unable to evacuate much of its populaion in time. To perdition itself with them! His initial resistance had succeeded, but the panicking mob was still within the launch area. Too bad. If he delayed launching now, he'd be caught in the extinction event when the planet met its final demise. So thinking, Kal-El touchplated ignition and the one person staship, developed from the guidelines of his late, ridiculed father Jor-El, rose into the carmine heavens, incinerating any hapless members of the mob of feckless Kryptonopolitans who were foolhardy enough to be within range. He was oblivious to the burning bodies and screams from the people below as the starship accelerated past Krypton's ionosphere, then shot past Krypton's satellites, Wegthor and Mithen, intent on escape. An hour later, well behind him, the long-thwarted energies of the planet formerly known as Krypton reached endpoint, pulverising the world into radioactive debris. Kal-El felt no pangs of conscience for what he had done. As his vessel locked onto the beacon near the Halon wormhole, the sole survivor of Krypton relished his arrival at the weak, primiitive yellow-sunned world that his technology prowess and enhanced alien morphology would enable him to conquer and rule...
MANHATTAN CEMETARY:
So here's the situation, Linda thought to herself. Thus far, I've been able to avoid suspicion about my immortality through posing as Linda Turner and Black Cat's daughters and granddaughters, with the help of some warpaint and polymer hand and fingerprint gloves. I don't know how I'll manage when security and surveillance technology gets to the retinal scan stage...
A familiar and welcome golden glow alighted next to her: "Hola, companion. Here to give veneration and honour to the virtuous fallen?"
"Hello, Diana. Sometimes I wonder how a goddess like you can deign to mix it with we poor fallible humans."
"There is much gold to be found if one looks hard enough. And that was certainly the case with young Christopher Weston here."
"Since he died in 5717, I keep asking myself, why was he taken so young? He was only eighteen when the Sonambulist murdered him."
"You and he would have had to part eventually anyway, my friend. He was at the age that adolescent mortals take to higher education or seek an occupation. And later, he might have retired and eventually passed away from old age and degenerative illness. Ah well. At least there's Mike to talk about those times with. How well I remember those days with all of us- him, Kit, Joseph Cole (the Silver Streak), me and him during WW2."
"Aye. I first came to Earth during that time, back in 5707 as you designate it. My friend, have you given thought to what life could be like after this particular...there is trouble." As Diana said this, a black crow alighted on her shoulder and cawed at her. From experience and previous encounter, Linda knew the bird was a familiar of Hekate, the goddess of prophecy and destiny in her Olympian pantheon.
"What sort?"
"Hekate tells me a malignant presence has entered our solar system, a alien being of immense power and few inhibitions against using it."
"Damn it. Why can't we be left in peace to mourn the lost? Has the dark goddess told you anything about the nature of this creature?"
"Humanoid, corrupted, prejudiced against mortal humanity. Vulnerable to magic. Ruthless in achieving his objective
"You heard that, Jack?" From the satellite, the jewel wielder nodded: "The gem says that the alien is a Kryptonian, a native of a recently annihilated planet orbiting a red dwarf star about thirty light years from Earth. Should I contact Alex? This seems in his league."
As the crow continued to caw, Diana's eyes widened: "No. No, friend Alexander must not confront this alien intruder."
"With his capabilities? Alex is the strongest man on Earth."
"Aye. But I fear that his abilities will be infringed by the newcomer. As powerful as he is, the alien will be enhanced by his morphology and the effects of yellow solar radiation on it. Hekate has foreseen one timeline in which Alexander is killed by this intruder."
Linda nodded gravely: "After I lost Kit and after the Reavers murdered Joe, I swore I would never lose a comrade in battle again."
"We would need your intellect and combat experience when he reaches Earth, Linda. And the same applies to Alexander. We must keep you in reserve."
And then, the goddess of the hunt was gone to face their enemy.
TITAN:
Due to the greater allocation of government expenditure on the US space programme without a Cold War on Earth-109, there were more opportunities for exploration of the outer planets later in the fifty eighth century. By 5742, two uncrewed Pioneer probes had reached Jupiter and Saturn and others had been sent in the 5740s to survey their vast satellite systems. It would not be until 5762 and 5771 that human expeditions (Discoveries 1 and 2) would be sent to the nearest outer planets. However, uncrewed rover vehicles and copters were already active on the icy Titanian surface, analysing the rockhard ice deposits and scrutinising its northern polar lakes from the air.
As Kal-El's rocket blazed through the Saturnian satellary system, he already felt the ultra-solar radiation from the more energetic nuclear fusion reactions within Sol coursing through his body. As they reached the point at which he was empowered to survive without any protection from the vacuum and microwave radiation from adjacent Saturn, he thrust his arms outward and rose from his erstwhile vessel, surveying his future dominion. And then, a primitive projectile hurtled toward him. He barely caught it in turn, as a golden-hued female humanoid woman telepathed:
"Halt! Kal-El of Krypton, you are forbidden from proceeding further into this planetary system. Leave now!"
"I am an evolved humanoid. You are merely an abstraction, a quaint tribal deity from this world's archaic past."
"Foolish man! One of your weaknesses is thaumaturgic energies and my arrows are unearthly in origin. Cease and desist!"
From Kal-El's eyes, twin red pinpoints of heat shone as he focused on the attacking goddess and took the offensive:
"It is my destiny to conquer and subdue this primitive planet. All of your chicanery does not unsettle me."
"Then try this!" In his starship's slipstream, a wormhole had formed and through it, kryptonite debris of his shattered homeworld had followed him. Kal-El felt the radiation, even from a distance, and realised what the meteor swarm that eroded his invulnerability must be. He took evasive action, and accelerated before Diamond Jack could compensate, flinging the gem-clad warrior out of his path. Diana gaze chase, but her arrows flew wide of the mark even as she tended to her fallen colleague: "Jove-damn it! Diana to Alexander, Linda and Michael- our would-be overlord has evaded our intervention and Jack is injured. It's up to you now, my friends."
EARTH ORBIT:
In an hour, Kal-El flew past the moon, only to find himself under bombardment from the satellite's surface as he saw an accelerating blur, who must be responsible for this presumptuous attack and inconvenience. He caught one of the lunar debris projectiles and flung it back at the speedster, but was startled to see the humanoid increase his velocity and the intensity of his assault. Although it caused him no pain, soon the vicinity of the satellite was full of volatilised lunar dust and debris, some of which contained leaden residue, impervious to his X-ray vision capabiities. He had to acknowledge that he had underestimated these primitives, but he was an inhabitant of an advanced civilisation and would not be cowered by enhanced humanoids. Then it occurred to him that the denizens of that planet below would certainly regard the destruction of this satellite as a feat of godlike prowess and evidence of his absolute power.
He was unprepared for the surge from below as an immensely fast outline barrelled into him:
"What is the meaning of this?"
And then he realised- the newcomer had actually hurt him! He would not stand for this indignity and defiance!
"I am Atom Man, probably the strongest man on this world. You are not welcome in this system. Leave. Now."
"I will not submit to you, nor will I tolerate this deliberate defiance!"
"For a representative of a supposedly advanced culture, you have a curious, indeed psychopathic, disregard for your destroyed homeworld's inhabitants. And for other sapient lifeforms.."
"Krypton deserved to perish! My martyred father, Jor-El, warned that the planet's radioactive core would explode due to our orbital eccentricity and the tidal stresses from our primary, Rao!"
"Oh, so that's it. Daddy issues."
"My father was one of Krypton's greatest scientists and they executed him like a common criminal, accusing him of trying to seize power on our world, due to their own arrogance. He didn't deserve that fate."
"Right, so you hid his starship design and used it to save yourself, alone of your world's inhabitants. And now you believe that you have the right to become this planet's absolute tyrant because of an fortunate accident of your alien morphology. Sorry. It isn't happening. Oh, and my armour is carbone-bonded, and impervious to your assault, so don't try to remove it. It won't work."
"I can see that. Very well, if it is to be an endurance race, I can last the distance. I am energised by this planet's ultra-solar radiation. Submit now and I will spare your life. I will not be bested by a mere primitive from an archaic backwater."
"You talk too much." Alexander Luthor and Kal-El continued their mutual conflict, as Diana reached Earth, depositing the injured Diamond Jack in the JCA satellite as Black Cat rushed to her side:"Jack! Damn it, I feel so helpless, so weak!"
"That is only a psychological barrier, my friend, not a material one. Think. This alien is vulnerable to isomorphic radioactive elements from his homeworld and you are immortal and invulnerable. He will not permit me to approach him, given that I share that attribute and he is aware of my divinity. But you are human..."
Linda gazed at the conflict in space on the JCA monitor screen. Slowly, but surely, Kal-El was overpowering the relentless but tiring Atom Man:"All right. Get me out there and find me some of this kryptonite you talk about. It's time we settled this."
And thus it was that a volley of kryptonite daggers flew into Kal-El's chest. Like another fabled flier who had once defied Earth's deities, he spiralled to the moon below, aware only of immense pain. He made a crater as he impacted, but with effort and not inconsiderable pain, he tore the shards from his chest and flung them away. A space suited female figure was waiting when he crawled out of the crater: "You! You will perish at my hands for this, as soon as I regain my strength..."
"Ain't gonna happen, gruesome. You see, that isn't all I've got..." Black Cat unsheathed a kryptonite meteor and Kal-El recoiled before the renewed onslaught:
"So.. you regard yourself... as a heroine? A valiant defender of justice? Yet I...I am the last survivor of my world and you... you are committing genocide."
"No. You did that when you engineered your solo escape from your homeworld. You are a clear and present danger to this planet. I feel sorry for your species, but sadly its last surviving representative is a potential tyrant and already a mass murderer. You do not deserve to be a Super-Man, Kal-El. I'm sorry that it had to end this way." But Kal-El was now beyond hearing, sight, consciousness and indeed, life. Diana brought Atom Man's drifting form to the lunar surface:
"I fear Alexander took some considerable pummelling from the alien intruder. He is grievously injured."
"Yeah, perhaps too much to retrieve his body." Mercury said.
"Wait a minute, what about that cyborg apparatus of his in our lab?"
EPILOGUE: 6782 ANNO JUDAICA:
As they soared through space, Linda glanced at Alexander, stll Atom Man after nearly a millennium of valour, courage and perserverance. And after her marriage to Rick had ended when he had died from old age, she had acted on her long suppressed desire for her colleague and declared her love for Alexander Luthor, reciprocated. Already, their relationship had lasted centuries. Ironically, it had been Alexander's near death at the hands of their nearly forgotten alien assailant that had caused her to realise how much she cared for him. The Justice Conference had survived for almost a millenium too, although its membership and title had changed considerably over that thousand years. It had long since ceased to be limited to a single continent on a single planet. Mercury had long since passed away, but his descendants had served with distinction throughout the long and storied history of the organisation through multiple generations and continued to do so. Diana the Huntress had left for the stars centuries ago as Earth outgrew its belief in anything other than a remote and non-interventionist abstract deity, if even that. She was somewhere amongst the stars now, although no-one knew exactly where. Every few centuries, their paths crossed and they caught up. As fir Earth, it was the centre of a bustling interstelar trade and diplomatic network of its colonies and allied alien worlds. And to think it had all started with the invasion of a maddened alien would-be Super-Man...
THE END
That world's greatest heroes have aligned themselves within the Justice Conference of America- Black Cat (Linda Turner), expert martial artist; Atom Man (Alexander Luthor), superscientist and controller of nuclear fusion which gives him immense power; Diana the Huntress, the legendary Greek goddess, come to Earth to protect the weak and vulnerable; Mercury (Michael O'Toole), nephew of the late Silver Streak, carrying on his heroic legacy; and Diamond Jack (Jack Horton), user of a mystic jewel that gives him unearthly capabilities.
++
D-15, 5742:
"So, what are you doing for Hannukah this year, Linda?"
"I thought I'd lay some flowers on Kit's grave. Hard to believe it's been so long since he was killed."
Atom Man sat back: "No time with Ricky boy planned?"
"As Linda, yes. But the problem is, Rick's in love with me in my civilian identity. However, he thinks the 'Cat is a dangerous vigilante. It makes things...difficult."
"I envy you both. Unfortunately, you know my back story all too well. Given my power threshold, if an enemy discovered that I was Alexander Luthor, things could become very difficult for my potential partner."
"Ah. That white flare must be Jack. Come in, honey, the airlock's ready for you..."
About 22,300 miles above the Earth, the JCA satellite rotated serenely. Black Cat strode toward the teleporter as she relinquished monitor duty. Time to relax with Toby and put my feet up after I visit poor Kit's grave and pay my respects, she thought to herself.
As Diamond Jack entered, the glow from his mystical diamond died down: "How's it been, Alex?"
"Uneventful so far. Not even a Trinitarian terrorist attack and you know how antsy they are at this time of yoar."
"Why can't they stay in Italy? It's the official faith there. Why do they feel the need to impose their beliefs on others?"
Atom Man shrugged: "I'm a scientist, not a philosopher or theologian, Jack." Although, Alexander reflected, the crux of the current problems with the Trinitarians went back at least two millennia. At first, the breakaway Trinitarian sect looked as if it might gain sufficient followers to become Rome's official religion, unthinkable as that now seemed. And then the Emperor Constantine experienced a religious awakening just before a major battle, which he subsequently won- one of a heavenly Torah, suspended above the planned battlefield. And so, instead of upstart Trinitarianism, Judaism became the Roman Empire's dominant faith. The Trinitarians were unhappy at this, but with the full power of the Imperial state and its armed forces behind them, Trinitarianism began to collapse. By the time Rome fell, there was a surge in synagogue construction across the length and breadth of Europe. That had similarly occurred in the United States, Australasia, Africa and elsewhere.
In the fifty second century since the putative creation of the world, Judaism underwent a Renaissance and Reformation, causing advances in medical technology and social reform in its wake as well as religious bifurcation into Orthodox and Reform Judaism. A disastrous pneumonic plague spread by rats from the Near East was avoided and European ships travelled past Gibraltar to discover a new world on the other side of the Altantic Ocean. But as the European population wasn't numerous enough to colonise it, its inhabitants developed early immunity to European pathogens. Consequently, the Aztecs resisted the incursion of Cortez and Pizarro and held Mexica until the early eighteenth century. In 5648, the British Crown granted the Viceroyalty of New England its independence and it consequently formed the United States, with the provision that chattel slavery never be practiced again. However, several decades later, in 5702, the Trinitarian Revolutionary Front seized control of Rome and used its armed forces and state power to crush resistance in the rest of Italy. Surrounded by hostile neighbours, Trinitarian Italy was a substantial Mediterranean military power and although it disavowed any such ambitions, it funded terrorist Trinitarian movements outside their sole religious sanctuary.
Abruptly, in the corner, a golden, gentle glow surrounded a familiar female form:
"Hola, my friends. Well met. No intractable situations, I gather?"
Alexander and Diana weren't quite sure how to interpret each other. Alexander was a thorough-going scientist and rationalist, and he had concluded that Diana was one of the harbingers of a prospective species of humanity that would one day supplant homo sapiens. For her part, Diana had concluded that given his intellect and scientific prowess, Alexander Luthor must be especially beloved of the god of science and technology, Vulcan. Whatever their perceptions and conclusions, though, the pair trusted one another. In the days to come, they would need that trust.
KRYPTON:
As the crowd surged, Kal-El snarled and shot at the ringleaders. He would not stand for this. Why had the Science Council let this happen? It knew Krypton's uranium core and its proximity to Rao would eventually result in this, but as usual, it had delayed too late and now, as the planet finally gave way to its terminal geological and seismic stresses, it would be unable to evacuate much of its populaion in time. To perdition itself with them! His initial resistance had succeeded, but the panicking mob was still within the launch area. Too bad. If he delayed launching now, he'd be caught in the extinction event when the planet met its final demise. So thinking, Kal-El touchplated ignition and the one person staship, developed from the guidelines of his late, ridiculed father Jor-El, rose into the carmine heavens, incinerating any hapless members of the mob of feckless Kryptonopolitans who were foolhardy enough to be within range. He was oblivious to the burning bodies and screams from the people below as the starship accelerated past Krypton's ionosphere, then shot past Krypton's satellites, Wegthor and Mithen, intent on escape. An hour later, well behind him, the long-thwarted energies of the planet formerly known as Krypton reached endpoint, pulverising the world into radioactive debris. Kal-El felt no pangs of conscience for what he had done. As his vessel locked onto the beacon near the Halon wormhole, the sole survivor of Krypton relished his arrival at the weak, primiitive yellow-sunned world that his technology prowess and enhanced alien morphology would enable him to conquer and rule...
MANHATTAN CEMETARY:
So here's the situation, Linda thought to herself. Thus far, I've been able to avoid suspicion about my immortality through posing as Linda Turner and Black Cat's daughters and granddaughters, with the help of some warpaint and polymer hand and fingerprint gloves. I don't know how I'll manage when security and surveillance technology gets to the retinal scan stage...
A familiar and welcome golden glow alighted next to her: "Hola, companion. Here to give veneration and honour to the virtuous fallen?"
"Hello, Diana. Sometimes I wonder how a goddess like you can deign to mix it with we poor fallible humans."
"There is much gold to be found if one looks hard enough. And that was certainly the case with young Christopher Weston here."
"Since he died in 5717, I keep asking myself, why was he taken so young? He was only eighteen when the Sonambulist murdered him."
"You and he would have had to part eventually anyway, my friend. He was at the age that adolescent mortals take to higher education or seek an occupation. And later, he might have retired and eventually passed away from old age and degenerative illness. Ah well. At least there's Mike to talk about those times with. How well I remember those days with all of us- him, Kit, Joseph Cole (the Silver Streak), me and him during WW2."
"Aye. I first came to Earth during that time, back in 5707 as you designate it. My friend, have you given thought to what life could be like after this particular...there is trouble." As Diana said this, a black crow alighted on her shoulder and cawed at her. From experience and previous encounter, Linda knew the bird was a familiar of Hekate, the goddess of prophecy and destiny in her Olympian pantheon.
"What sort?"
"Hekate tells me a malignant presence has entered our solar system, a alien being of immense power and few inhibitions against using it."
"Damn it. Why can't we be left in peace to mourn the lost? Has the dark goddess told you anything about the nature of this creature?"
"Humanoid, corrupted, prejudiced against mortal humanity. Vulnerable to magic. Ruthless in achieving his objective
"You heard that, Jack?" From the satellite, the jewel wielder nodded: "The gem says that the alien is a Kryptonian, a native of a recently annihilated planet orbiting a red dwarf star about thirty light years from Earth. Should I contact Alex? This seems in his league."
As the crow continued to caw, Diana's eyes widened: "No. No, friend Alexander must not confront this alien intruder."
"With his capabilities? Alex is the strongest man on Earth."
"Aye. But I fear that his abilities will be infringed by the newcomer. As powerful as he is, the alien will be enhanced by his morphology and the effects of yellow solar radiation on it. Hekate has foreseen one timeline in which Alexander is killed by this intruder."
Linda nodded gravely: "After I lost Kit and after the Reavers murdered Joe, I swore I would never lose a comrade in battle again."
"We would need your intellect and combat experience when he reaches Earth, Linda. And the same applies to Alexander. We must keep you in reserve."
And then, the goddess of the hunt was gone to face their enemy.
TITAN:
Due to the greater allocation of government expenditure on the US space programme without a Cold War on Earth-109, there were more opportunities for exploration of the outer planets later in the fifty eighth century. By 5742, two uncrewed Pioneer probes had reached Jupiter and Saturn and others had been sent in the 5740s to survey their vast satellite systems. It would not be until 5762 and 5771 that human expeditions (Discoveries 1 and 2) would be sent to the nearest outer planets. However, uncrewed rover vehicles and copters were already active on the icy Titanian surface, analysing the rockhard ice deposits and scrutinising its northern polar lakes from the air.
As Kal-El's rocket blazed through the Saturnian satellary system, he already felt the ultra-solar radiation from the more energetic nuclear fusion reactions within Sol coursing through his body. As they reached the point at which he was empowered to survive without any protection from the vacuum and microwave radiation from adjacent Saturn, he thrust his arms outward and rose from his erstwhile vessel, surveying his future dominion. And then, a primitive projectile hurtled toward him. He barely caught it in turn, as a golden-hued female humanoid woman telepathed:
"Halt! Kal-El of Krypton, you are forbidden from proceeding further into this planetary system. Leave now!"
"I am an evolved humanoid. You are merely an abstraction, a quaint tribal deity from this world's archaic past."
"Foolish man! One of your weaknesses is thaumaturgic energies and my arrows are unearthly in origin. Cease and desist!"
From Kal-El's eyes, twin red pinpoints of heat shone as he focused on the attacking goddess and took the offensive:
"It is my destiny to conquer and subdue this primitive planet. All of your chicanery does not unsettle me."
"Then try this!" In his starship's slipstream, a wormhole had formed and through it, kryptonite debris of his shattered homeworld had followed him. Kal-El felt the radiation, even from a distance, and realised what the meteor swarm that eroded his invulnerability must be. He took evasive action, and accelerated before Diamond Jack could compensate, flinging the gem-clad warrior out of his path. Diana gaze chase, but her arrows flew wide of the mark even as she tended to her fallen colleague: "Jove-damn it! Diana to Alexander, Linda and Michael- our would-be overlord has evaded our intervention and Jack is injured. It's up to you now, my friends."
EARTH ORBIT:
In an hour, Kal-El flew past the moon, only to find himself under bombardment from the satellite's surface as he saw an accelerating blur, who must be responsible for this presumptuous attack and inconvenience. He caught one of the lunar debris projectiles and flung it back at the speedster, but was startled to see the humanoid increase his velocity and the intensity of his assault. Although it caused him no pain, soon the vicinity of the satellite was full of volatilised lunar dust and debris, some of which contained leaden residue, impervious to his X-ray vision capabiities. He had to acknowledge that he had underestimated these primitives, but he was an inhabitant of an advanced civilisation and would not be cowered by enhanced humanoids. Then it occurred to him that the denizens of that planet below would certainly regard the destruction of this satellite as a feat of godlike prowess and evidence of his absolute power.
He was unprepared for the surge from below as an immensely fast outline barrelled into him:
"What is the meaning of this?"
And then he realised- the newcomer had actually hurt him! He would not stand for this indignity and defiance!
"I am Atom Man, probably the strongest man on this world. You are not welcome in this system. Leave. Now."
"I will not submit to you, nor will I tolerate this deliberate defiance!"
"For a representative of a supposedly advanced culture, you have a curious, indeed psychopathic, disregard for your destroyed homeworld's inhabitants. And for other sapient lifeforms.."
"Krypton deserved to perish! My martyred father, Jor-El, warned that the planet's radioactive core would explode due to our orbital eccentricity and the tidal stresses from our primary, Rao!"
"Oh, so that's it. Daddy issues."
"My father was one of Krypton's greatest scientists and they executed him like a common criminal, accusing him of trying to seize power on our world, due to their own arrogance. He didn't deserve that fate."
"Right, so you hid his starship design and used it to save yourself, alone of your world's inhabitants. And now you believe that you have the right to become this planet's absolute tyrant because of an fortunate accident of your alien morphology. Sorry. It isn't happening. Oh, and my armour is carbone-bonded, and impervious to your assault, so don't try to remove it. It won't work."
"I can see that. Very well, if it is to be an endurance race, I can last the distance. I am energised by this planet's ultra-solar radiation. Submit now and I will spare your life. I will not be bested by a mere primitive from an archaic backwater."
"You talk too much." Alexander Luthor and Kal-El continued their mutual conflict, as Diana reached Earth, depositing the injured Diamond Jack in the JCA satellite as Black Cat rushed to her side:"Jack! Damn it, I feel so helpless, so weak!"
"That is only a psychological barrier, my friend, not a material one. Think. This alien is vulnerable to isomorphic radioactive elements from his homeworld and you are immortal and invulnerable. He will not permit me to approach him, given that I share that attribute and he is aware of my divinity. But you are human..."
Linda gazed at the conflict in space on the JCA monitor screen. Slowly, but surely, Kal-El was overpowering the relentless but tiring Atom Man:"All right. Get me out there and find me some of this kryptonite you talk about. It's time we settled this."
And thus it was that a volley of kryptonite daggers flew into Kal-El's chest. Like another fabled flier who had once defied Earth's deities, he spiralled to the moon below, aware only of immense pain. He made a crater as he impacted, but with effort and not inconsiderable pain, he tore the shards from his chest and flung them away. A space suited female figure was waiting when he crawled out of the crater: "You! You will perish at my hands for this, as soon as I regain my strength..."
"Ain't gonna happen, gruesome. You see, that isn't all I've got..." Black Cat unsheathed a kryptonite meteor and Kal-El recoiled before the renewed onslaught:
"So.. you regard yourself... as a heroine? A valiant defender of justice? Yet I...I am the last survivor of my world and you... you are committing genocide."
"No. You did that when you engineered your solo escape from your homeworld. You are a clear and present danger to this planet. I feel sorry for your species, but sadly its last surviving representative is a potential tyrant and already a mass murderer. You do not deserve to be a Super-Man, Kal-El. I'm sorry that it had to end this way." But Kal-El was now beyond hearing, sight, consciousness and indeed, life. Diana brought Atom Man's drifting form to the lunar surface:
"I fear Alexander took some considerable pummelling from the alien intruder. He is grievously injured."
"Yeah, perhaps too much to retrieve his body." Mercury said.
"Wait a minute, what about that cyborg apparatus of his in our lab?"
EPILOGUE: 6782 ANNO JUDAICA:
As they soared through space, Linda glanced at Alexander, stll Atom Man after nearly a millennium of valour, courage and perserverance. And after her marriage to Rick had ended when he had died from old age, she had acted on her long suppressed desire for her colleague and declared her love for Alexander Luthor, reciprocated. Already, their relationship had lasted centuries. Ironically, it had been Alexander's near death at the hands of their nearly forgotten alien assailant that had caused her to realise how much she cared for him. The Justice Conference had survived for almost a millenium too, although its membership and title had changed considerably over that thousand years. It had long since ceased to be limited to a single continent on a single planet. Mercury had long since passed away, but his descendants had served with distinction throughout the long and storied history of the organisation through multiple generations and continued to do so. Diana the Huntress had left for the stars centuries ago as Earth outgrew its belief in anything other than a remote and non-interventionist abstract deity, if even that. She was somewhere amongst the stars now, although no-one knew exactly where. Every few centuries, their paths crossed and they caught up. As fir Earth, it was the centre of a bustling interstelar trade and diplomatic network of its colonies and allied alien worlds. And to think it had all started with the invasion of a maddened alien would-be Super-Man...
THE END
