DC Universe: Invasion Interludes, Chapter 3: Angor Rising

by Libbylawrence

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The invasion’s effects were by no means limited to the planet Earth. Countless other worlds faced the same threat from space, and their heroes met the challenge with different degrees of success. On a planet called Angor, a group of battle-weary champions called the Assemblers prepared to make their final stand against an armada that hovered in orbit around their world like an ominous metallic swarm of lethal hornets.

Vaughan Wendel, a young man named Pulsar, saw it all clearly through eyes that gleamed like starlight. He floated in space shielded by the golden energy globe created by the amazing bracelets he wore on each wrists. “When that cosmic entity Era gave me these power bands and proclaimed me Defender of the Cosmos, even he didn’t imagine it would come down to this! First, almost every hero on our world is eliminated in some way by that power-mad dictator of Liberia, Oblivion! Then he enslaves the Assemblers and takes us to a world called Earth, where we are forced to battle their world’s heroic JLA. They free us and we return home, but Oblivion is still out there somewhere and we barely had time to recover from our ordeal when the aliens invaded!” (*)

[(*) Editor’s note: See Justice League of America: Angor Management.]

Pulsar concentrated and sent a pulsing spear of golden energy directed through a small spacecraft that drew too close to his position. The energy spear smashed into the alien ship, and it retreated. “I can do that all day, but what good does it do when that massive mother ship up there keeps spitting out more of the smaller crafts? When we tried to assault the larger ship, Wandjina paid the price for his noble recklessness with his life! I didn’t know anything could kill a being with his type of raw power! I guess we can’t rely on any of our old ideas of how things work!”

He returned to the mansion that housed his fellow Assemblers and glanced around the room. All of their expressions were grim. Still, their leader stood resolutely as ever. Pulsar marveled once again at Captain Liberty’s courage and his inability to ever give up the fight. The patriotic shield-slinger wore the red, white, and blue of America, and Pulsar wondered once more how it could be that Angor shared so many similarities of culture, language, and history with the planet Earth. Oh, there were animals and insects unique to Angor, but during his time on Earth, Pulsar had used his amazing power bands to analyze much that he saw. He learned that the differences between the two worlds were minimal. Many of the same place names existed on both worlds. That was a mystery he would have loved to have solved had more pressing events not occupied his attention.

Captain Liberty said, “We’ve been hurt by this invasion. Wandjina was one of the best comrades any man could ask for. We’ll mourn for him. Still, he’d want us to fight on, and so we shall!”

A handsome blond man with a regal manner and a long handled hammer in his hand raised his magic weapon in agreement. “Aye! ‘Tis only fitting that the Storm King takes noble Wandjina’s place here,” Storm King said in a stentorian tone. “He was my counterpart in the pantheon of his culture. I, Donar, stand ready to avenge the fallen hero!”

Beehive, a petite woman with upswept hair and a golden costume with fishnet hosiery, admired the powerful Donar in silence, while the white-and-blue-costumed Blue Jay watched both of them with growing jealousy. What good is a scientist who can shrink, fly, and control birds next to a mythological titan like Donar? Hank Gordon, you better prepare yourself for losing Beehive’s affection! Blue Jay thought to himself.

The super-swift Jack B. Quick sat in impatient silence as he drummed his fingers restlessly on the sofa and brooded. He was a mutant and had experienced rejection from the normal humans in his time. He now saw anti-mutant hysteria growing in the wake of the alien invasion.

Silver Sorceress, a European beauty with a costume of silver and white, held one elegant hand to her temples. She felt something stirring beyond what the others could perceive or detect with their senses. Such was her birthright, and she only prayed her mystical might could yet prevail against the overwhelming forces above their world.

Romana, the slender blonde princess from beneath the seas, longed to protect both her adopted homeland on the surface and her hidden realm below the waves as well. She knew that if one fell to the aliens, the other would as well.

A voice distorted by metallic speakers rumbled through the room. The armored hero called Tin Man entered in his cumbersome red and gold armor. Tony Starr, the man under the suit, said, “Cap! This is it! I’m detecting a massive surge in energy. That mothership is attacking. If my sensors are working correctly, they’ve got a bomb! It’s unlikely any kind of conventional weaponry I’ve seen even in deep space. It has enough raw power to rip our world apart! I think those cold-blooded monsters have decided to destroy Angor and be done with it!”

Captain Liberty said, “You heard the man! Assemblers attack! Pulsar, I want you to try to shield the planet from the bomb. If that fails, try to redirect its path. Wendy, try to use your magic to cause it to malfunction in space. Tin Man and Donar, you’ve got to stop it if our other ideas fail. Your raw power might turn the tide.” They each obeyed their leader and raced into action.

Silver Sorceress cried out in an arcane tongue, but she faltered even as Quick rushed to her side to steady her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She leaned against him and said, “I tried to cause the bomb to detonate prematurely, but instead my magic revealed that it is beyond my powers to alter in any way. It is powered with weird energies that have the potential to open portals to other dimensions. In other words, its power is too foreign or alien in nature for me to defeat. My domain remains within the manipulation of the natural world!”

Quick said, “Then perhaps we should simply divert the bomb to some alternate dimension before it can strike. Let me get word to Donar!” He raced off to where the noble Donar was hurling his magical hammer in tight circles. “Donar! Do not try to resist the bomb. Redirect its energies to another dimension via the space-warping powers of your hammer!”

Donar frowned. “Tis a mighty task you set before me. Tis more than mortal man could hope to achieve! Yet such is the will and way of the Storm King that miracles may yet be made manifest in his wake!”

“My sensors detect the weapon,” said Tin Man. “They’ve released it. This is make or break time, people!”

Pulsar strained as his energy field spread above the world he loved. “If they can’t redirect that thing, my willpower will be all that stands between home and destruction! I’ve got to come through!” vowed the young hero.

The massive bomb dropped down, and Donar roared as his powers ripped wide the fabric of space. He could create such dimensional portals with ease, but even he had never tried to make one with such size. “Rend asunder the mantle of space! Open wide the gaping maw of infinity!” he cried. A blinding flash of light occurred, and then there was only silence.

“He did it!” shouted Captain Liberty from within the Assembler’s space skimmer. Blue Jay felt elation as Beehive kissed him passionately in celebration. Even the dour Jack B. Quick smiled as he held Silver Sorceress.

Tin Man said, “Donar! You opened that portal and shunted the bomb through it. Yet something else is emerging from within. Close that thing!”

Donar said, “Tis done. Yet even the valor of the Storm King mayst not prevent that which has been from occurring. Yon vessel has escaped from the other dimension, and while the bomb has been diverted to that unknown realm, so has this craft entered our universe!”

Tin Man said, “One more alien craft is nothing compared to that bomb. Stand ready, heroes!”

The new craft drew closer to the Assemblers ship, and to the surprise of all within, a human voice echoed through the speakers. “Assemblers! This is Richard Reed, Mister Triumph of the Triumphant Four! Can you read me? Oblivion trapped us all in a parallel universe. We’ve been trying to find an energy source great enough to allow us to return to our universe. I managed to tap into the power of that odd bomb you directed our way and use its power to propel our craft back home!”

A gruff voice said, “Ah, don’t strain your thesaurus, big brain! In other words, that rat Oblivion trapped us in la-la land, but we’re back now!”

Tin Man said, “I’d know those dulcet tones anywhere! That’s the Monster! Reed, are other heroes with your team?”

“Affirmative! The Scarlet Spider, Doctor Destiny, the Protectors, the Brute, and foreign teams like the Soviet Superiors, and the mutant heroes Gene Factor are all with us!” replied the brilliant scientist.

Captain Liberty said, “We need you all. Our world is under siege by that armada. With your timely arrival, we’ll drive them back into space! I think Angor just got a second chance!”

“In other words, Star-Spangled Sam means ta say it’s rumbling time!” cried the Monster.

And thus, the heroes of Angor fought on against the invaders and eventually found victory, but their tale was merely one of the many epic stories created from the invasion.

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