by Libbylawrence
J’onn J’onzz gazed up at a towering metal humanoid who looked down on his captive, weakened form with the silent malevolence of a sentient machine. “Tor?! But you were destroyed long ago!” he said, even as the robot loomed over him, its massive fist raised in a threatening gesture.
Professor Arnold Hugo’s voice dripped with malevolence as he gloated, “Yes, Tor — the Frankenstein Monster of Mars! Much like that Modern Prometheus, Tor always had the capacity for rebirth!”
J’onn’s mind flashed back to his early days as a scientist on Mars, when he had been the sole voice of dissent against the creation of the robot called Tor. I always feared that such an engine of near-mindless power could be a danger to Martian society, he recalled. Little did I suspect that a lab error would give the automaton the instincts of a criminal.
The story of Tor’s creation, like that of Frankenstein’s Monster, served as a reminder that science must always be tempered with wisdom. Long ago, his fellow Martian scientists had designed the robot to be an indestructible being of vast strength and intellect, intended to serve their planet.
However, J’onn’s apprehensions about the project would soon be proven correct when one of the scientists accidentally inserted the master criminal thought-control card into Tor’s mechanical brain. Sure enough, the robot soon quickly absorbed those crime facts electronically, using them to reprogram itself into a violent, scheming criminal mastermind — Tor, the Robot Criminal of Mars. With an insatiable greed for riches, Tor seemed unstoppable as he ravaged the Martian civilization, until J’onn devised a plan to stop the robot mastermind. Knowing Tor’s greatest weakness was his own greed, J’onn lured the robot onto a rocket ship with a false rumor of riches to be found within. Once Tor stepped into the ship, the doors were locked shut, and the robot criminal was then rocketed to the dead planetoid of Turas, where solar dust would slowly disable its circuitry and eventually erode its massive form.
Years passed as Tor managed to develop machines, one that enabled it to learn of J’onn’s exile to Earth, and another that allowed it to control a human host on that world, also making that human as indestructible as Tor itself. Yet Tor had precious little time left before the solar dust finally destroyed it. So, with an estimated twenty-four hours left of existence, Tor took full control of a notorious gangster named Marty Kirk, essentially possessing him like a demon of legend. Tor used Kirk’s possessed form to exact his revenge against J’onn, attempting to kill him that night and into the next day. Yet J’onn still managed to evade the criminal until its time was nearly up. Tor’s final gambit was to reveal J’onn’s human identity of John Jones to all of humanity, thus destroying J’onn’s life, if he couldn’t destroy his impervious Martian body.
Desperate to stop him, J’onn took the risk of setting fire to a pile of old newspapers, which weakened him terribly — and did the same to Tor’s human host, since the Martian-based powers given to Kirk were equally as vulnerable to open flame. Within moments, Marty Kirk was freed from Tor just as the twenty-four-hour period was up. J’onn then delivered the wanted criminal to jail. (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See “The Criminal from Outer Space,” Detective Comics #243 (May, 1957).]
Professor Hugo’s laughter was maniacal as he said, “You thought you had seen the last of Tor when you defeated his human pawn and left him to rot on that barren planetoid, but I brought him here with my electronic brain, and I repaired him! He now operates at my command, since it is my advanced mind that guides his every move!”
J’onn suddenly shifted sideways as the robot attacked. Although he managed to avoid the blow, he shuddered in pain as the movement inadvertently brought him closer to the flickering row of flames that still lined both sides of his prison.
“We won’t make this too easy or too fast,” said his human tormentor. “I want you to suffer! That is why I brought you here. That is why I labored to create a new and improved version of Erdel’s old machine. You see, you filthy alien, you should be honored. You’ve been the main obsession of the great Professor Arnold Hugo for years now!”
J’onn released a powerful burst of Martian breath, but even that failed to smother the flames. I am running out of options, but I will not allow this madman to keep me from Nubia! he vowed silently.
Professor Hugo allowed the robot to back J’onn up until he was closer to the rear wall of the old barn. Then he said, “Tor will keep you company, while I prepare another fatal surprise for your friends in Middletown! I might just find pretty patrolwoman Diane Meade and become reacquainted with your old ally!”
The criminal scientist started to leave, only to turn back and glare mockingly at J’onn. “Oh, yes, I know you were Police Detective John Jones. I had plenty of time to deduce the truth while I languished in prison because of your interference. You know, Batman was the first costumed hero to oppose me, but I hate you infinitely more than the Caped Crusader, because despite not even being from this world, you still dared to challenge me when I already had more right to rule here than your kind ever could!”
“I never tried to rule,” said J’onn. “I always tried to help others. You were the enemy of your own civilization!” Inwardly he thought, If I can stall and keep this egomaniac talking, I may be able to come up with a solution to this trap!
***
On New Mars, little Zook was sitting on his bed, talking softly to himself. “Manhunter go away like ‘Bot-Brain took him! Zook knows, ’cause Zook saw old Brain on Earth!” he said, holding a small action figure in one hand and lifting it into the air.
Scrambling out of bed, he slipped out of the house. As he raced through the streets of New Mars, the little alien kept whispering to himself, “T’omm wrong! J’onn not on Mars! Manhunter on Earth! Zook help him!”
When he made his way to a certain small home, he flattened himself until he was no thicker than a piece of paper. He used this special power to slip inside, where a beautiful Martian woman with light red hair gasped in surprise.
“Zook! What is wrong? Is he hurt?” she asked, bending down and placing a calming hand on the orange alien.
“Nope! He on Earth! Zook just knows! Zook’s antennae say so!” he sputtered.
“I will take you there,” she assured him, “but you must keep your promise to me!”
Zook nodded eagerly. “Nobody know your secret. Zook promised!”
She used her Martian power to transform herself into a white-hued Martian with long platinum hair and a brief blue and white costume. “Call me Primaid while I am in this form,” she said. “I cannot let anyone — least of all J’onn — know that the first super-heroine of New Mars was once very dear to the Martian Manhunter!”
Together they hurried into the darkness, then flew over the city until they reached the mysterious phasing building of the ancient race of Vonn, which regularly materialized on the planet Earth.
J’onn told me about his adventure with Superman within the shifting building when he and I were first lovers, she thought as she carried Zook through the phasing structure. (*) Now that knowledge may enable me to save his life. If only that could make up for how I betrayed him once before!
[(*) Editor’s note: See “And So My World Begins,” World’s Finest Comics #212 (June, 1972).]
A moment later, the building vanished, then reappeared on Earth within seconds.
Zook clapped his small hands with pleasure as he recognized where he was. “Zook like Earth, but it make Zook cough!” he said.
“You cannot stay here long, or your pollution allergy will return,” noted Primaid with understanding. “Can you detect J’onn?”
Zook concentrated, then nodded with excitement. “Zook find Manhunter!” he cried. “Come on!”
In silence they flew away for a destination far from Utah. But as they left the weird alien structure, they inadvertently startled the military personnel at a nearby guard station tasked with keeping watch over the phase building.
***
Nubia awakened to find herself wearing a brief red tunic with gold sandals. Her Wonder Woman costume had been removed by her attackers. She looked up to see the Coliseum full of rows of yellow Martians, who were clearly eager to see some sporting event. (*) She swiftly realized that she was to be the main attraction.
[(*) Editor’s note: The seldom-seen yellow-skinned Martians first appear in “Key of Deception,” Wonder Woman #104 (February, 1959).]
A green-skinned female flew down to land in front of the prone Amazon, who slowly stood up. “Nubia of Earth, I am Bel Juz, the Queen of Mars,” said the blonde Martian. “I have brought you here so you may provide sport for my loyal subjects!”
Nubia smiled grimly as she prepared to fight. “I welcome any challenge, but I want to know where J’onn is!” she demanded.
Bel Juz tossed back her long blonde locks and laughed bitterly. “Have you lost your lover so easily? If a true Martian woman could not occupy him, then surely no Earth savage could amuse him for long! When J’onn and I were together, I assure you he never tried to leave my side!”
“No, he did not,” said Nubia. “You were the one who lied to him and tried to betray all he valued in order to gain favor with the enemies of your race. You are both a traitor and a coward! You sold yourself to the Marshal in order to gain his protection in case your people and J’onn eventually learned how you had aided their enemies!” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See “War of the Worlds 1984, Part One: War of the World?” Justice League of America #228 (July, 1984), “War of the Worlds 1984, Part Two: Bitter Ashes,” Justice League of America #229 (August, 1984), and “War of the Worlds 1984: Part Three: Blessed is the Peacemaker,” Justice League of America #230 (September, 1984).]
Bel Juz’s eyes flashed with passion as she drew closer to Nubia. “You witch! I used J’onn and the Marshal as playthings, and it all paid off. I rule here! This world — our ancestral home — belongs to me and to my benefactor! I have all the power I have always desired!”
She kicked Nubia in the leg, then elongated one arm to choke the Amazon. Nubia brought both fists upward in a sweeping motion and broke free of the crushing embrace. She spun around and connected with a spinning kick to the face.
Bel Juz used her malleability to absorb the impact of the kick, and closed over Nubia’s foot with two pincer-like sections of wildly changing skin. She dropped Nubia to her back and swept over her as an elongated blanket.
Nubia gasped for air as she found herself enveloped by the shape-shifter. By Mars’ beard, she does fight like a fury! thought Wonder Woman.