Allies:
Inferno - Member of Workforce. Capable of generating heat.
Shvaughn Erin - Member of Science Police.

Enemies:
Mordru - A powerful sorcerer who in a thousands years will come to threaten the entire galaxy.
Brainiac - Extraordinary mentalist and genius. Ancestor of Brainiac 5. Among the greatest of all the 20th century villains.

	The 30th Century's Greatest Superheroes..... "To Turn Back Time" PART 2 Brains Over Magic
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #3- May, Year One	by Steve Crosby

 

LEGION ROLL CALL!

COSMIC BOY	SATURN GIRL	GATES	INFERNO	SHVAUGN ERIN
APPARITION	ULTRA BOY	SPARK	FERRO	BRAINIAC 5

“Exquisite,” breathed Querl Dox.

“There is a certain aesthetic appeal to it,” agreed Vril Dox. “However, I prefer the wealth of conceptual knowledge I may glean from it. What you see before you is a map of sorts. A map of all existence.”

Fascinated by what sat before him, Querl Dox raised his hand and nearly touched it. His touch only millimeters away, Querl Dox traced along the sides briefly. “The slightest shifting of your vision, and it appears completely different. In fact, because the map itself is in a continuous state of rotation, it will always appear different no matter how you look at it. Unless of course--”

“You match your gaze to the rotation exactly,” Vril Dox finished. “Briefly I considered studying this from all angles at once. However, even minds such as ours can be overloaded. I calculate approximately one hundred ninety-six thousand eight hundred thirty three separate dimensional planes.”

“With each rotation, new dimensions are added, leading to more rotations and thereby more dimensions in a continuing cycle.” Querl Dox wanted to face his progenitor, but he could not bring himself to look away from the map. The closest he could come to describing it was . . . a snowflake. “In minute detail, you can see planets, whole universes that make this up. The one constant I can make out is the current of energy flowing between all universes.”

“Yes, so much like blood pumping through a body, that bleed of energy pumps through the multi-verse, keeping all separate and maintaining cohesiveness.” For the first time, there was something in Vril Dox’s voice. “I believe that I am close to finding a way to enter and sail those omni-versal currents. But come, I’m sure that my primitive experiments are of no interest to you. Multi-dimensional travel must have been conquered long before your time.”

“You know that Colu experienced a long period of technological stagnation,” reminded Querl Dox. “In many ways, I am your equal, even your inferior.”

“Nevertheless, as fascinating as my experiments are, we both have far more pressing business.” Vril Dox could not help but feel pleased at his progeny’s words. Pride was and always will be a characteristic of the Dox line. “My scanners reveal that Mordru is nearing out position. He should be within visual range inside of an hour.”

“You still haven’t told me your plan.” Querl pointed out.

“Being my progeny from over a thousand years in the future, you should have some idea.” Vril was walking through the doorway that had suddenly appeared in the wall. His entire ship was composed of microscopic mechanical cells, in essence making the ship a living thing. The features shifted at Brainiac’s command. “But if such thoughts are beyond your grasp, then I shall educate you.”

“I recognize this sector of space,” Querl remarked. “No doubt you took the information from my mind. The basic goal is simple enough. What I have difficulty fathoming is the means towards this goal. For an untrained fool, Mordru is unbelievably powerful, tapping into other-dimensional forces you cannot even begin to understand. In my time, there is a greater synergy between magic and technology. I have far more experience with it than you.”

“Which is precisely why your information is vital,” Vril explained. “The key is to cut Mordru off from those other-dimensional energies. The boy of iron proved capable of weakening that link.”

“That boy had a name, and while it escapes me at the moment he is deserving of our respect,” Querl declared. “He risked his life helping me and the rest of the Legion.”

“He was an experiment,” Vril remarked. “Nothing more. Because of him, we know that Mordru is vulnerable to iron. What was once theory is now fact. Do not let your emotions cloud this.”

“My emotions do not prevent me from seeing one imperative flaw,” Querl continued. “Mordru has control of the Legion and all their powers. He used Cosmic Boy’s magnetic ability to disable Ferro. Iron is no good against Mordru if he can just repel it.”

Vril chuckled, mildly amused. “So much like a brutish child you are. It’s almost hard to believe your one of my progeny. I have a different approach in mind. You need only be prepared to act when I tell you to.”

Querl Dox trusted his progenitor. He had to, because trust was logical, and Vril Dox was logical. He would trust Querl to keep his end of the bargain, and Querl would in turn trust Vril. Unfortunately, that bargain meant that, once the Legion was safe, Querl would have to stay in the present and serve his progenitor.

Though Querl had his suspicions as to why Vril would make such a request, it was not to be questioned. The deal had been made; Vril would uphold his end. Querl’s friends in the Legion would be safe, and they would be taken back home.

That was all that mattered.

“Mordru comes,” Vril Dox announced. A viewing monitor had formed on the wall, showing visuals scan from outside the ship. Far off in the distance, an emerald light was slowly growing in size.

“From this distance, it looks very similar to a Green Lantern,” Querl Dox observed. “Perhaps the Emerald Eye is connected to the Guardians in some way. It would be something to follow up, later.”

“The Guardians are all gone,” Vril Dox stated. “The Green Lantern Corps was destroyed.”

“They will be formed again,” Querl Dox replied. “Recent events have already set it in motion. Earth’s sun will be a part of it.”

“Of course. What Hal Jordan stole, he gave back. As you said, something to follow up.”

As the light grew closer, Querl Dox frowned. “Mordru is using Saturn Girl’s telepathy. I can feel him reaching for my mind.”

“She is powerful,” was the statement Vril Dox made. “It will take a great deal of my energy to protect our thoughts. Mordru cannot suspect. You will need to control the ship.”

Querl glanced down, and saw that control panels were already forming in front of him. Without hesitation, he placed his hands against the indentations on the panels. Querl knew how his progenitor thought.

Organic nervous system and artificial circuitry became connected. Querl was one with the ship. It was an extension of himself; every cell of its being was his to control. The viewing monitor was useless, for Querl could become aware of everything around the ship, a full one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred degrees. At a thought, Querl upgraded the scanning sensors of the ship and could view Mordru in all his terrible glory. Trailed along behind him were the Legion and their allies, those who Querl had become stranded in the past with and their native friend Ferro.

Upon viewing the bloody and misshapen form of Ferro, Querl Dox found himself nearly losing control of his emotions.

“Now is the critical stage,” the voice of Vril Dox echoed inside Querl’s consciousness. “Prepare the attack. Keep him busy until it is time.”

“Two minds are better than one,” Querl replied. “Ours are so similar that joint control would be effortless. Enter the link.”

Electron generators began to form along the outside hull of the ship.

“I cannot. It takes too much effort to repel Mordru’s mental advances.”

“The brain functions through synaptic activity. Electronic signals. I can disrupt the intercepting signals.”

The hull became ionized, surrounding by a variant field of electromagnetic energy. Both Mordru and the unconscious slave Saturn Girl winced at the resultant feedback.

“Hurry! Join so that we can strike before Mordru utilizes Spark.”

For a long time, Vril Dox had ceased to be defined as a living creature. His physical form destroyed by the Computer Tyrants that had once ruled Colu, Vril’s psychic essence drifted through the ether of space. In time he was drawn to a human mentalist from Earth, and had slowly taken possession of the weak-willed man. Genetic engineering had altered that body into a more appropriate vessel for Vril, but even that hadn’t been enough in the face of battling Superman. Realizing the weaknesses of organic life forms, Vril Dox undertook the task of placing his mind into an artificial body, one that was far more resilient.

Upon mentally linking with his progenitor, Querl Dox saw that the artificial body he now possessed was very similar to the ship itself. Millions of tiny electronic cells made up Vril’s form, each containing a fragment of his powerful mind. They were ever shifting and adapting at his command, allowing for the duplication of virtually any super-human ability. If necessary, Querl suspected that a new body could be formed from the very ship itself. It’s very likely that Vril’s consciousness was stored elsewhere as well, waiting to be upgraded with the current incarnation’s memories and activated upon destruction of the previous. Literal immortality, Querl thought.

With the two 12th level intellects merged into the controlling consciousness of the ship, the battle began. Miniature probes shot off from the ship, scattering around the approaching Mordru. Dox was inside each probe, simultaneously sent the command to each. Beams of energy lanced out at Mordru. He retaliated with mystical shields and electricity. He wasn’t stopped, but the attack slowed him down.

The biggest problem, Dox knew, would be defending the ship. Iron would be best to halt a direct magical attack, but it was also most vulnerable to Spark’s electricity and Cosmic Boy’s magnetic control. Inferno’s fire was not a problem, as there was no oxygen in space, and Mordru would not be able to effectively utilize Ultra Boy and Apparition’s abilities.

Varied electromagnetic pulses ionized across the iron hull would protect against electricity and magnetism, Dox decided. They made it so. As the polarized magnetic storm spread around the ship, shielding it, the ship also drifted back and up. Mordru rocketed after it, hurling electrical bolts and magnetic pulses. These proved ineffective, and Dox unleashed another barrage plasma/laser/kinetic blasts, all of which were concentrated overhead Mordru. He was knocked down, far under the ship.

The fool is so easily led, Dox thought. It is nearly time. He is nearly beaten. But what if it does not work? It has to work. It is logical. Magic is not logical, however. Like all else, magic follows rules.

The probes were beginning to annoy Mordru. The attacks were now being concentrated on them. One at a time, they were destroyed, and Dox felt pain with each destruction. With the threat dealt with, Mordru again focused on the ship itself. Wave after wave of magical energy was directed outwards. Each wave passed through the magnetic storm, only to dissipate against the iron hull. Had Mordru been smart, he would have concentrated the magic against the shields itself, dispersing them and allowing for the other attacks to strike the ship.

A foolish whelp, Dox decided. In a thousand years he will not be so negligent. Better to kill him now. But that would create paradox. It has already been done. Mordru has tasted power and will emerge as a threat long before he was meant to. He has done nothing yet to warrant death. Not even what he did to Ferro? You/I/We had a hand in that is well. Are/Is we/I/you not to be punished as well? The time has come!

As the ship navigated through the solar system, Mordru had followed, never letting up with his barrage of attacks. All were ineffective, and the entire time Mordru was going exactly where Dox had wanted him to go. In the small system where the battle was taking place, there was a small planet composed entirely of iron ore. This planet was known as Yuen, and it’s orbit was taking it directly between Mordru and the distant planet Zerox.

Dox had formulized a theory about Mordru earlier. The sorcerer had attempted a ritual on the planet Zerox to draw residual energies of the Emerald Eye from the time-lost Legion. Apparently, Zerox was a planet caught between dimensions, and as such as a nexus of powerful magical energies. The reason for Mordru’s great magical strength was that he had formed a link between himself and Zerox, channeling those great powers through his body.

The iron planet of Yuen had just severed that magical link.

The ship’s scans revealed that Mordru was suddenly wracked with pain, and were he not in the vacuum of space his scream would surely had reached the physical forms of Dox. The scans were sufficient in detecting the pain, however, and Dox was aware of the sudden weakness Mordru experienced.

It has worked. Yes, but in his weakened condition he cannot maintain a life support environment beyond his own person. The Legion are being cast loose. They will die! Then the energies of the Emerald Eye will die with them, and Mordru will not have his ascension. That was not the agreement! The Legion must be saved; we have the technology to save them. Unless . . . this is what you desired from the beginning! Join my/your mind with your/my own, and complete the merge by severing emotional attachments. I will not allow this! Leave my mind!

“Get out!” Querl Dox screamed. He was back in his physical body, inside the ship beside Vril Dox. At some point Querl had fallen to his knees, and he struggled to rise. It took a brief period of adjustment, being back in a limited body.

“How can you return to that after what you’ve experienced?” Vril asked, curious. “Your consciousness is too great to be bound in a finite shell. Mordru has not yet been defeated. I command you to rejoin with me!”

“The Legion have not been saved yet,” Querl Dox stated. “Only after that has been done and they are returned home will I serve you. As for Mordru, I know how to defeat him. Bring my friends aboard now!”

Much to Querl’s surprise, Vril smiled. “Very well. In his weakened state, Mordru is no threat at the moment.”

On the viewing monitor, Querl saw his friends shimmer and disappear. An instant later, they were lying on the floor of the ship, all around him. All save Apparition, who’s intangible form floated millimeters off the surface. Kneeling down, Querl picked up Science Officer Shvaughn Erin from under her arms and began to lift her up.

“Quickly, create stasis tanks for all of them, including myself. Calibrate all the tanks except Ferro’s to draw out the energies of the Emerald Eye. You said that you could do it!”

Vril did not make a gesture, did nothing save look at the viewing monitor. Mordru was enraged, hammering at the ship with bolts of magic. These were far weaker than previously, however, and against the iron hull were quite useless.

At the other end of the large chamber, nine tanks formed out from the wall. Querl began to drag Shvaughn towards one of the tanks.

“Do not bother trying to load them all in,” Vril said, without turning. “My way is faster.”

At his thought, the floor beneath the Legion seemed to flow, carrying them all towards the tanks. Querl felt a light breeze, and saw that Apparition was being floated towards the tanks as well.

“There are only nine tanks,” Querl pointed out. “Ferro will need one, to recover from his injuries!”

“One tank is for both Ultra Boy and Apparition,” responded Vril. “She was residing in his body when you all were hurled back in time. The two seem to share a unique link.”

“It is called love, a wholly alien concept to you,” Querl spat.

“But not to you,” Vril said. “There is an emptiness and a deep sadness inside of you, progeny. Subconsciously, you mourn for somebody. The shadow of somebody who never existed, perhaps as the result of a temporal paradox. Intriguing, how some things are capable of surviving such crises.”

“Shut up.” Querl had raised his voice. “Simply do what you have promised, and shut up!”

“The bargain did not require my silence, progeny. If you don’t wish to hear me, join your companions.”

“Gladly.”

Once all the Legionnaires were encased, their bodies were scanned. Vril was intrigued by much of what he discovered, most notably the physiologies of Spark and Ultra Boy, the only members of the Legion who hadn’t been born with their abilities. From all the information he’d gathered from Mordru recently, Vril was capable of isolating the mystical energies of the Emerald Eye. Their bodies were saturated with magic, which Vril then leeched out in a particularly gruesome manner involving iron taken from Ferro’s body. Soon, Vril had extracted and isolated all the residual energies of the Emerald Eye.

Once this was done, Vril freed his progeny. He held a glass ball containing the Emerald Eye’s energies. “It is done,” Vril declared. “All that remains is to deal with Mordru.”

It could be seen on the viewing monitor that, outside in space, Mordru was being mercilessly hammered by pulse beams.

“According to my history,” Querl explained, “Mordru is trapped inside of an iron prison. The exact location is unknown, but--”

“Yuen is the only planet in the known universe to be entirely composed of iron,” Vril went on. “That is why I chose this system. You wish to imprison him, then, instead of simply kill him.”

“Only you can decide his fate now,” Querl stated. “Mordru was not involved in our deal.”

“No, he wasn’t.” Vril smiled, an eerie thing to witness. After a moment of processing, Vril Dox continued. “You claim that temporal integrity must be maintained. If he is killed, then Mordru will never conquer vast sections of the galaxy, creating countless paradoxes. But if he is allowed to survive this day, then Mordru will be a threat hundreds of years before he was meant to. It would be impossible to guarantee his survival during this period. Either option threatens temporal integrity. The option you consider is best.”

Querl Dox nodded. “We must imprison him. It is possible that he may be released in the future and carry out his role, only to be trapped in the same prison again.”

“Then it shall be done.” Vril gazed down at the sphere in his hand, containing magic. “Your history hints that Mordru was in possession of the Emerald Eye during his reign. He will need this, for when he is free.” Vril placed the sphere against the console, where it was absorbed into the ship.

“What are you doing?” Querl asked.

With no response, Vril sent out his command. The energies of the Emerald Eye were fed into a pulse cannon that had formed on the hull of the ship. A great beam of emerald light shot out at Mordru. He was struck full on, and for an instant he shined like a star.

Then Mordru was gone.

“A teleportation beam was directly behind the blast,” Vril revealed. “Mordru had no time to enjoy his newfound ascension before finding himself inside a planet of iron. The power should--might keep him alive, but then I am unfamiliar with magic.”

“Only time will tell,” said Querl. “Only one task remains, progenitor.”

“I have not forgotten.” The eight remaining tanks opened, and the Legion fell out onto the floor along with allies Inferno and Shvaughn Erin. Ferro was in his iron form, shuddering with pain. Both Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl vomited on the floor. They could feel Ferro’s pain. With gritted teeth, Cosmic Boy lifted his gaze up at Brainiac.

“What did you do to him, you monster?”

“A great deal of your teammate’s suffering was inflicted by your hands,” Brainiac replied. “Guided by Mordru, that is.”

“Read my mind, Saturn Girl,” Brainiac 5 offered. “Look deeper into Ferro’s mind. It was Mordru who attacked us. My progenitor here was instrumental in saving our lives.”

“I’m touching the floor,” Apparition said with awe. She was lying beside Ultra Boy, and had risen to her hands and knees with surprise. “I’m corporeal again.”

“A simple procedure, with my equipment,” Brainiac remarked. “I could just as easily left you as you were. My progeny had made no specific requests in our bargain.”’

“Bargain?” Cosmic Boy turned to look at Brainiac 5. “You made a deal with him?”

“It was the most expedite way to save your lives,” replied Brainiac 5. “The rest of you will be going back home. I, however, must remain here.”

“No!” Ferro had managed to struggled to his feet. “After what this sick bastard did to me, you made a deal to--”

“Be quiet,” Brainiac commanded. Ferro immediately stopped talking.

“Get out of his mind,” Saturn Girl demanded. Ultra Boy and Cosmic Boy had both taken steps forward.

“The deal was made,” Brainiac said. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain. My progeny is prepared to fulfill his end. Even if he wanted you all to fight on his behalf, this is my ship. It battled Mordru while he had access to all of your powers. You have no chance against me.”

“My progenitor is correct,” Brainiac 5 told his friends. “It has been done. I will be staying here.”

“We aren’t going anywhere without you,” Cosmic Boy stated.

“Very well then,” Brainiac replied. “Progeny, you will be leaving with them.”

Brainiac 5 joined his friends in staring at Brainiac with shock. In response, Brainiac made a gesture. The tanks had disappeared, absorbed back into the ship. The wall had opened up, revealing a platform large enough for the entire Legion.

“Step on that platform, and I will be able to send you all back to your native time.” He looked at Brainiac. “Do not look so surprised, progeny. You made the case about maintaining temporal integrity, and your continued presence here would certainly be a threat in that regard. Make no mistake, the bargain remains. You will simply serve me in a different way. Go, all of you.”

One by one, each with suspicious looks, the Legion and their allies moved to stand on the platform. Brainiac 5 was the last, taking his place beside the ragged Ferro.

“Until I hear from you again, progenitor,” he told Brainiac.

“Until then,” Brainiac agreed. At his thought, the time platform activated. There was a glow, the Legion shimmered. Then they were gone, removed from time itself.

The equipment flowed back into the ship, the wall reappeared, Brainiac turned to face the presence he had just become aware of. “The bargain was made. I have fulfilled my end.”

“And through your actions, you have fulfilled mine as well.” The being that had suddenly appeared behind Brainiac was completely hidden under a dark cloak. To those who were aware of his existence, he was known as the Time Trapper!

“My progeny rejected the link,” Brainiac said.

“But you are a part of him now,” the Time Trapper replied. “On this day, a connection was made that can never be broken. In time, you will have what you wanted.”

“I can be patient until then.” Brainiac turned his gaze to the viewing monitor, on which was the planet Yuen. “I am curious as to Mordru’s fate. Was my hypothesis correct? Was your goal simply to maintain temporal integrity?”

“Our deal had terms,” the Time Trapper reminded. “Not the motive behind those terms. In time, you might see what I have gained this day.”

“In time,” Brainiac agreed.

THE END?

Afterward

I set about writing this mini-series with one goal in mind: send the Legion back to their time. You see, in the cutoff to JLU, half the Legion were still in the present. Deciding that any potential Legion writer would be put off at the task of reuniting the entire team (aside from all the other continuity problems), I set out to deal with that one little problem.

Now that I’m done, I see that I’ve solved all the other continuity problems associated with the Legion as well.

Whoever decides to follow me in writing the Legion can write whatever they want. Be it the status quo or some radical new direction, they can write anything. Maybe trapping Mordru did change the future, or maybe he will free himself and things will go on as they should. It’s up to the next writer.

And if he does decide to continue with the Legion of Superheroes continuity, here’s some stuff I dug up as to what was going on with the future Legion at the cutoff:

Leviathan was killed in the battle against Emerald Violet and his body was buried.
Live Wire was appointed Legion Chairman in the wake of Cosmic Boy‘s absence.
Magno, Sensor, and Umbra joined the team.
The Legion of Super-Rejects had inadvertently freed Mordru.
Invisible Kid is elected Legion Chairman.

So, yeah, if a writer decides to follow Legion continuity, the time-lost team arrives just in the nick of time. But, as I said, he or she or they can do whatever they want. To the future.

Stephen Crosby

Story © 2004 Steven Crosby and may not be reproduced without permission.