The World's Greatest Superheroes..... IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
JLA #20 - September, Year 2	by Curt Fernlund

Part 12: No Time Like, The Present

89°S- The Ellis Mountain Range, Antarctica:
12:31 p.m. EST

Superman flew south, not as fast as possible, but fast enough. He kept the dwindling flame in sight, scanning ahead with his Telescopic Vision while focusing his enhanced hearing on the grating sonic beacon that had initially attracted his attention. It was a trap of course, specifically designed to draw him in, and away from the population. That was fine with him. With no innocents in the area there would be no reason to hold back.

He crossed the Andes and angled his flight slightly higher to achieve a more direct route to his goal. It was winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the great mountains of South America were covered in snow. He flew through a storm as he crossed into Argentina and a thin sheen of ice began to coat his body. He sped up, the heat of his speed melting the ice as quickly as it had formed.

He saw the Batman as he soared over the ice packing the Bellingshausen Sea leaving South America behind. He was standing in the shelter of an outcropping of rock, not really hiding but out of the fierce winds. Superman was impressed that the man could survive the sub-zero temperatures with no complaint. He barely shivered as he watched the Man of Steel's approach through his binoculars.

The Batman was standing near the sonic beacon, but exactly why the detective had called him south he could not imagine. When the Caped Crusader saw that Superman had seen him he lowered his binoculars and put them away. He was waiting, calmly, for the Man of Steel's arrival.

As he neared the area, Superman slowed his pace. A swift blast of his Heat Vision destroyed the aggravating sound strobe and immediately set the Man of Steel at ease. The Batman's device had been annoying, but not harmful, and now he could think clearly again. He turned off his Telescopic Vision as he neared, giving the area a final quick scan with his X-Ray Vision before turning his attention fully on his 'friend'.

Superman blinked, pulling up short in his descent. He scanned the ground again, and more importantly the area beneath the ground. There, dozens of yards beneath the ice and earth he caught glimpses of a huge, shielded complex. There were areas that he could not see into as they seemed laced with lead and other substances that he could not identify at a glance, but what he could see looked vaguely familiar. He saw the statue of two strangely garbed figures; a man and a woman supporting a globe between them. The globe was a representation of Krypton! He saw machinery thrumming away in the shadows, crystalline lights flickering and sparkling. He saw small, robotic forms flitting about, floating through the areas in and out of his sight. He stared in astonishment, unbelieving. It was his Fortress of Solitude! It had to be! Someone had moved it…

Superman floated to the earth. With a quick gust of his Super Breath he put out the last of the fire and buried the remains of the Batman's sonic strobe. If the Caped Crusader had any more surprises in that device, he would not be able to use them now.

The Batman stepped from the shelter of the outcropping. He showed no fear, no hesitation as he walked through the deep snow to meet the Man of Steel. Superman wanted to go down into the complex he had seen, but he knew that he would have to face the detective first. The man had gone through a lot of trouble to draw him here. It was the least that he could do and hear the man out.

"Superman." The Batman's voice was as cold as the land around them. This was not the man he knew, but a victim of whatever had altered his world like the rest. That would make it somewhat easier in the end, but it was hard for the Man of Steel to not think of this man as his friend.

"Batman!" he replied, scanning the man with his special sights. There was a slight shimmer about his body, not a force field but a radiating energy none the less. Another trap? Superman did not know. "You obviously wanted me here for a reason, Bruce. Why? I have a lot of work to do."

"What you're doing is wrong… Clark. You're trying to save the world. Trying to reshape it into an image that only you remember. The world hasn't changed, Superman. This is not your Earth!"

Superman stared at the man before him, trying to read him. His gaze was steady. He did not sweat and he was masking his heartbeat somehow. Superman could not tell if the Batman was lying or if he truly believed that.

"It is my world, Batman. Luthor or someone has altered it somehow, that's all. He's playing games with my mind- with all of us! I wish that I could make you see that, but I haven't figured out how as yet. I have started to put the world back however, to make it safe once again. I'm averting potential disasters, both natural and man made. I'm apprehending villains that the League should have caught long ago. I don't know if Luthor's plan was to blind you all to the danger, or simply to subvert you all. Don't worry though. I'm on the job!"

"Luthor has no part in any of this save in your own obsession. What's affecting you is far beyond Luthor, or Brainiac or any of your old foes. All save one that is…

"The Time Trapper!"

Superman stared at the Dark Knight, wondering how he knew that name from his past. The Time Trapper was one of the Legion of Super Heroes greatest foes, and Superman had fought the menace many times when he was a teenager. Granted, the Trapper had the ability to alter reality, but the Keeper of the End of Time was dead. The Legion had seen to that-

It had been when he was a youth, and still an active member of the Legion. That time when the red skies had encompassed the Earth and storms and disasters were devastating the planet, killing thousands. The Legion had appeared in Smallville in one of their Time Bubbles that they used to traverse time itself. They had said that the Time Trapper was attacking time on a grand scale. Throughout the ages, even as far as the Legion's own Thirtieth Century the red skies and storms had appeared. Brainiac-5 had theorized that the Trapper was trying to wipe away all of existence, and it was their job and duty to try to stop him. Of course they needed Superboy's help.

They had confronted the Time Trapper at his citadel at the end of time. It had been a glorious battle, but remarkably no one had died. No one but the Trapper himself! The combined might of Superboy and Mon-El had delivered the final blow, smashing the Trapper into the very machine that was eating away at time. He had been destroyed, a victim of his own mad machinations, and the Legion had barely made it out of his citadel by the skin of their teeth. They had been successful though. When they had returned Superboy to Smallville in the past, the skies were clear and bright. The storms were over and it was almost as though they had never occurred. They had won!

"You're wrong, Batman! The Time Trapper is dead! I saw him die!"

Superman watched the detective for any sign of reaction. He did not seem shaken by that news in the least. Of course, nothing shook the Batman that he remembered, and this man that he had become was far more grim and stoic. He wondered just what Luthor had done to the man to make him so.

"I've never faced the Time Trapper, Superman, but I've heard of him. He manipulates time- changes it. Think, man! Who else could be behind all of this?"

Superman smiled. "It was a good try, Batman. A very good try, but of course you couldn't possibly know the truth. Luthor's fed you the information that he wanted you to know. You don't have all the facts. The Time Trapper's dead. If there's any part of our friendship left within you, at least accept that on faith. Trust me to do the right thing. I am Superman, after all."

The Man of Steel turned away from the detective and started down the icy slope towards the frozen bed of water at the base. He had scanned the area and saw that there was a tunnel deep below the water line that led into the Fortress below. The lake was frozen over, but that was no deterrent. He could easily melt the ice, or drill though it at Super Speed. He heard the Batman following, but paid him little heed, at least until he spoke-

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Superman."

Superman saw the slight glow of green as it sparkled off of the snow and ice before him. He instantly knew what was causing the glow and gasped. He had to get away while he still could, fly away while he still had the strength. He braced, ready to leap into the sky, then hesitated.

He turned and looked at the Batman curiously. The detective was holding a green, glowing rock, A small sliver of stone that he obviously thought was Kryptonite, but seemed to actually have no affect on the Man of Steel. Superman did not feel weak or delirious. His powers were not draining away. He scanned the rock, smiling slightly as the Batman finally showed some confusion. It was Kryptonite, or at least appeared to be. The atomic structure, and its elemental make up were identical, but the radiation that it emitted seemed to have no affect on his Kryptonian physiology. It was perhaps an old piece that had been converted to an iron-like substance and drained of its radioactive properties. Maybe the Batman had created it. He was certainly smart enough. Whatever…

Superman reached out with Super Speed and plucked the stone from the detective's grasp. He considered the rock, considered destroying it, but in the end slipped it into the pocket of his cape before the Batman even realized that his weapon was missing. Superman got some satisfaction of seeing the Batman's confusion as he stared at his suddenly empty hand. The detective looked up, frowning, and the Man of Steel smiled-

"I'm sorry."

Superman tapped the Dark Knight, just enough to render him unconscious. Despite the fact that the man had just tried to kill him, he could not bring himself to harm the image of his best friend. The Batman dropped to the snow at the Man of Steel's feet. He would wake up with a sore jaw and a bruise, but relatively unhurt otherwise. He scooped up his friend, cradling him in his arms.

Superman turned his Heat Vision on the frozen lake. Steam rose and billowed, floating away on the wind as he turned the ice back to water. He could not leave the Batman to freeze to death in the Antarctic wastes, so when the water had cooled enough for a human to survive, the Man of Steel dove into the lake. He would be under water for mere seconds. The Batman was in no danger as he dove beneath the cooling, dark waters, heading for the tunnel that would lead him into the Fortress- his home…
 

The Fortress of Solitude
89°S- The Ellis Mountain Range, Antarctica:
2:47 p.m. EST

Superman stared at the monitors in disbelief as the images flashed before him. A dozen screens flickered within the scope of his peripheral vision, and a dozen more beyond could be seen by slightly turning his head. Several of the monitors sped along at a blinding speed, too fast for any normal man to focus on, the audio low and buzzing like a gnat. Others scrolled by more slowly, and one plodded along at a normal pace, the volume turned high. He stared blankly at that one in particular, shaking his head at the bloody images of death and destruction that flashed before his eyes, recorded news feeds stored in the memory banks of the Fortress' computer.

The Superman had entered the Fortress with some hesitation. Most of what he had found and encountered in this strange world that Luthor had created had been different from what he recalled. Slightly in some cases, as with the Justice League, or greatly, as with his Fortress of Solitude and Supergirl. The Fortress should have been at the North Pole, but when he had traveled north he had found nothing but ice and snow. He had assumed that it had been eliminated in this strange bogus world, that Luthor had taken his home away from him somehow, but apparently it had been moved. The Batman had lured him to the South Pole, to Antarctica and to the very 'door' to his Fortress; the frozen lake that led to the opening far beneath the ice.

He had entered the entry hall as some inner mechanism activated the lights within the complex. He stared, somewhat in awe of the vast hall, which was somewhat different, yet vaguely similar. He saw first the statue that should have been his parents. A man and a woman dressed in sterile, encompassing clothes held aloft a globe that should have been Krypton. The man and woman who he assumed represented his parents were dressed head to foot in robes and headgear, with only their faces showing. Their skin was pale, their faces generic and bland. They had no eyebrows! And the planet that they held- while it could have been Krypton, it too was slightly altered. The continents were different, slightly, and they were positioned wrong. He did not see the Jeweled Mountains or the Valley of Fire on the spiraling globe. He did not see Kryptonopolis, though he did see Kandor where it used to rest before Brainiac stole it and shrank it.

Beyond the statue he saw a trophy room of sorts. He could see the dim silhouette of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and a mock-up of Brainiac's Skull Ship hanging from the rafters on steel cables. He had started in that general direction, the Batman still unconscious and slung over his shoulder when a whirring of small engines caught his attention. He saw probing lights flashing in the distance, and fearing some attack, had set his friend down and to the side out of harm's way.

He had been surrounded by over a dozen of the small, mechanical robots within seconds. They were simplistic in design, but functional with a sensory box for a head, two Waldo-like arms attached to a squat but streamlined body. They flew on gravity waves and Superman could hear the almost silent chime of an internal radar that allowed them to navigate throughout the Fortress. They circled him, and Kal-El stood still as he felt their scans.

One by one the robots had acknowledged him, rising to a level just above his eyes and encircling him. Each had a Kryptonese numeral etched into its frame, and the lowest number- Unit Three floated before the rest.

"Master…" it had said in a staticky, hollow voice, "Welcome home. Do you require assistance?"

Superman was about to say 'no', then thought better of it. He had glanced at the Batman, still unconscious, lying in the shadows.

"Transport my friend to the… guest quarters. Render medical aid and see to his needs, but keep him there."

"Yes, Master!" Four of the small robots had broken formation and flitted towards the Dark Knight. They lifted the still form of the Batman with their mechanical arms and stabilized his body with some form of energy platform before flying away down the hall. Superman watched, marveling at the small constructs. They were efficient, and he had to admit easier to look at than the repetitive images of himself- the robots that he had created so long ago. Their purpose was to act in his stead when needed of course, thus they had to appear in his image. He made a mental note to recreate these versions when he got the world sorted out again.

"I'm going to have a look around. Unit… Three! You will accompany me. The rest of you go about your duties!"

Superman had waited until the other robots had vanished off in the darkness before he moved. He needed information. He needed to see just what had survived into this bogus world, and what exactly that he had to work with. If the robots wanted to help, then so be it. He would use them as long as he could.

Superman followed the robot throughout the vast complex, asking it questions along the way but letting it lead for the most part. The fortress was incredible in its own right, almost the same as what he recalled, but just different enough that everything seemed new and strange.

There was a model of War World in the Trophy Room, as well as a life-sized replica of the robotic Metallo that he had encountered and defeated. There were statues of people he had never seen before; a man in armor holding a hammer and wearing the 'S' shield, a boy who also wore the shield along with a jacket and sunglasses, one of himself in the same garb as the statues of his parents and wearing a visor. There was a statue of Supergirl. There was a small, rocket-like device that vaguely resembled the rocket that had carried him to Earth, and another larger one that looked nothing like it. He found a city in a bottle, but it did not look like the Kandor that he knew, and the microscopic people within were not dressed as Kryptonians. Still, he had wondered, what else could it be?

He had found an armory filled with strange, menacing weapons that he did not recognize, and a zoo inhabited by exotic animals that he had never seen before. There was a thick-walled, lead-lined room that he assumed held Kryptonite, though the robot could not confirm his suspicions. The Living quarters were all empty save for the small apartment that held the Batman. The rooms that he thought must be his own were stark and sparse of any personal effects- a bed and dresser, a closet with some clothes and little else. There was a photograph of Lois Lane, but like everyone else he had so far encountered, she appeared younger than she should have. Her hair was longer and wilder than he liked, and she was dressed rather provocatively for his tastes, but it was definitely her. He quickly moved on.

When the robot had at last led him into the Monitor Room, Superman was more than happy to end the unofficial tour. His head was spinning from all of the bizarre sights that he had seen, and he wanted to rest. His plan was to delve into the computer records and see just what was happening in this world that Luthor had created. He wanted to see exactly what he was supposed to be, as Batman and the rest of the League that he had encountered seemed to think him as different as he found them to be. He had settled into the main chair, a comfortable, plush recliner that conformed to his body as it hovered some ten feet over the tiled floor and shifted position to accommodate his slightest movement. Dozens of monitor screens sparked to life as he sat, screens ranging in size from a few diagonal inches to one screen that was over twenty feet at an angle. Superman recognized the news channels that started broadcasting immediately from all over the world in a dozen different languages. Secondary channels popped on at a lower volume, followed by tertiary broadcasts that were muted. He stared at the monitor array, taking it all in until he decided what he wanted to see. He told the robot to show him the past…

And there he sat, hovering before the array of monitors as he tried to understand the world that he had found himself in when he had returned from space that morning. He had been patrolling the Solar System, a part of the job that he enjoyed, or had. It allowed him some peace for a time, away from the voices and sights that were so hard to filter out at times. He patrolled near space on a regular basis, using his time away from the Earth as a time to unwind and unleash the powers that he generally had to keep restrained. He had been feeling good as he made his way back to the Earth, speeding past the Moon with out a care in the world not ten hours before. How quickly things had changed-

Superman watched the video in shocked silence as the great, gray monstrosity that the media had named 'Doomsday' slammed him into the dirt. The creature was huge and muscular, but seemed to be a master of fighting rather than a lumbering brute. It knew some form of the fighting arts, and its sheer strength was almost incomprehensible. Everywhere it had struck devastation had followed. It had defeated some odd rendition of the Justice League made up of members that Superman did not recognize except for Guy Gardner, and he was wearing a ring like Sinestro's, crafted in the anti-matter universe of Quard. He watched as people died by the score. He watched as building's burned and entire towns were demolished. He watched as the creature made its way into Metropolis-

"Freeze!"

Superman stared at the blurry image frozen in the frame. He striking the creature, the beast striking him. Both devastating blows. Fatal blows!

He had died…

"Forward! Normal speed!"

He saw Lois and Jimmy mourning. He saw the funeral that followed, attended by friends that he did not recognize. He saw the rise of the Supermen; the armored man, the boy, the man in the visor and a Cyborg. He watched Coast City explode, again and again…

And again…

"Cancel!"

it was too much!

Kal-El, the Superman, Last Son of Krypton stared at the blank monitor screens, watching as the last glow of light faded away. He felt cold as he sat in the thickening darkness, the low thrum of the power core of the base barely audible in the back of his mind. It was a coldness of madness- of terror. A feeling that he had never felt before.

He had died. He had died and he did not remember it. The creature called Doomsday had slaughtered hundreds and devastated the countryside in a rampage that put any of his Rogue's Gallery to shame. Mongul had destroyed Coast City in a mad plan to recreate War World without a thought to the lives that would be lost. The Cyborg Superman had pretended to be a hero, but in reality had been a murderous sociopath bent on revenge.

It was like a dream. A nightmare!

It was so twisted, so far beyond anything that he thought Luthor could imagine that Superman was actually starting to believe that the Batman might be right. None of his villains could have thought of this madness! The intricacies were beyond his ability to even comprehend and he was living them. The world could not have been changed so much, yet so little. So subtly-

It was him.

He did not belong here. This was not the Earth that he knew. This was not the world that he had grown up to defend. This was some sick and twisted dark mirror's reflection of his home and he did not belong in it! It was like the Batman had suggested, but he Superman had not believed. The Batman had been right, almost…

The Time Trapper, or someone very much like him had created this world for some foul purpose. Maybe someone had taken the Trapper's place. His memories were dim and convoluted, but as he recalled the Time Trapper had believed himself to be the personification of Entropy, that last gasp of death and decay at the very end of time. He considered himself a force of nature in a way, and if that were actually true and not some delusion of grandeur, then nature would have replaced that entity after the Legion had destroyed the original. Then again, the Trapper had proclaimed himself to be the personification of time itself as well, and as such he seemingly existed outside of time. Would the Legion's destroying him in one time, at the end of time have destroyed him throughout history, or would he still exist between the space of every second, outside of linear reality?

Superman stood, his head spinning in confusion. His mind reeled as he tried to understand the myriad paradox that sprang unwanted into his mind. He did not understand the why or the how, and probably he never would. Why the Time Trapper- or his replacement- would have created this vile world was beyond him. A world where crime seemed brutal and ran rampant and unresisted. A world where Luthor was considered a benevolent businessman, and the Justice League was a band of thugs. He wanted to leave. He wanted to get away, to go home, but he knew that he could not.

He was needed. This world needed a Superman! He needed to stay and set things right here, and then go and deal with the Trapper. End his menace once and for all, so that he could not do this again. And he knew just where to start-

The Justice League!

He did not even see the huge metallic fist until it slammed into the side of his face. It was all shadows as Kal-El flew back, smashing into the monitor array in a shower of sparks and muted explosions. He felt electricity coursing through his body, burning him as he struggled to free himself- to right himself. The energies that powered the Fortress wracked his body with a pain that he had not felt before. He did not scream, but directed the pain into strength and determination. The Superman grabbed at empty air, clutching finally at the edges of the view screen that had become his prison and pried himself from the storm that held him fast. He staggered, showing only a moment's weakness as he looked up into the face of his enemy. It was enough-

The robotic battle suit stood over him, twelve feet tall and half as wide. Cast in Kryptonian metal alloys and toned in the emerald shades of the House of El, it was created to withstand the pressures of the deepest sea, and the withering force of a mega-kiloton blast. It was designed to overcome the rigors of a world lost in its darkest, war-torn age. The ultimate weapon of an age that thrived on warfare and destruction. There was nothing on the face of the Earth that might withstand its unfettered onslaught. Nothing save one man-

A Superman…

 

Next Issue: Superman vs. the JLA!

And now some kind words from Matt Hrubey…

I rarely write reviews for any fan fiction but something about Curt's work on JLA made me change that. I love everything that he has done with the team thus far. The expanded roster, the story lines and the fact that not every member of the League is used every issue. This JLA seems like a far cry from anything else out there.

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME is one of the best stories I've ever read online and I can't wait for the end. This whole Superman is Superman but not exactly the Superman of this world is very interesting and I learned a lot about old DC facts (the whole Legion of Super-Heroes tie-in and all that). The involvement of Lois Lane is obvious seeing as how the story is about Superman but Curt makes it work nonetheless. Batman taking control is also a very Batman thing to do. Though it's semi-predictable, the story as whole has me trying to discern how it's going to end.

The guest stars (Lois, Supergirl, Guardian, Lex) give the story line that added spice too.

Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
JLA fan
Matt Hrubey- hrubx@wowway.com

P.S. can't wait for Curt's work on Ultimate Avengers at Ultimate Marvel (if things ever get off the ground)

Thanks Matt,

It’s always nice to get fan mail, and though I’ve had a lot of folks say some good things about JLA, yours is one of the few actual letters. Hopefully this issue is to your liking and answered a few of the questions while creating a few more. Next issue it just gets worse as things start to heat up, and if you like guest stars, stay tuned!

I guarantee you won’t be disappointed…

Curt