Like many things in Orion's dominion, the royal chamber was spartan and simply furnished. There was one large oak table with seating for eight, some tapestries depicting Izaya casting off his armour and dropping his war-staff, Scott Free's escape from Apokolips, Izaya imploring young Orion to drop his knife, and little else beyond the brown stone walls. At the table sat Scott Free, leader of the Apokoliptian Defence Force, headmaster of the Apokoliptian Defence Force Academy, and temporary ruler of Apokolips. Across from him sat his wife, Big Barda, leader and trainer of the Female Furies. Both were dressed in casual attire: Scott in a loose-fitting green and orange shirt with long trailing sleeves, and Barda in her light red bikini-top. "This is wonderful. It feels like centuries since the last time we've been able to sit down and just relax."
Scott lowered the chicken leg he was eating to his plate and quickly raised his handkerchief to his mouth, then set it back on the table and spoke. "Rank does indeed have its privileges".
"When will Orion be back?"
"Should be a few hours from now. Another day at most."
Barda stared at Scott. "Are you worried about him."
"A little. Anything can happen. But all he needs to do is fire the Anti-Energizer at whatever's powering the Infinity Pit. It's like I kept on telling him, there's very little that could go wrong…"

But if Scott Free could see his adopted brother right now, he would not be nearly as confident as he is! ORION has fallen into a strange underground world below Apokolips; a world that belongs to HEL of the OLD GODS. In this strange and deadly realm, what will happen to Orion of the…

(Part Two of the Cold Armageddon Crossover)

---

Orion stood, confronting Hel for the first time since he had regained consciousness. "If there's a way into Niflheim, there must be a way out."
"You're quite welcome to find it, Orion." Hel said sweetly, her voice cracking with age. The goddess of the dishonoured dead raised her hand, summoning Orion's Astro-Harness from nothingness. Orion strode towards it, barely able to restrain the surprise and anger he felt. After sliding his hands and feet into the labyrinth of curved tubes and machinery that comprised the Astro-Harness, Orion raised himself slightly off of the ground and asked "Where is the exit to this hall?"
Hel pointed to a small stone marker, which laid to the side of a hallway. "There."
"I thank you, good Hel, but do not feel offended if I do not return to your realm."
Hel cackled. "Oh, return you shall, young god. And quite soon."
Orion ignored the threat. "Farewell." Orion zoomed down the hallway, which, like everything he had seen in Niflheim thus far, was icy and covered in frost and snow. When he exited the great hall, he found himself above a great frozen canyon, filled with the corpses of those who had come before him, and a river also harbouring the dead. Then, he heard the roar of a great beast.
"Arouggh." It came bleating like a demented trumpet. "Aroough." Closer and closer.
Orion turned and saw a massive white dog, as big as a Promethean Giant, with a large red blood stain splattered across it's chest, charging towards him.

---

The East Side of Metropolis, home to the city's major media outlets, was pockmarked in craters. Team Luthor members in sapphire and gold battlesuits, along with policemen dressed in the grey helmets and blue padded vests of the Special Crimes Unit, swarmed around the towering forms of six black hued, yellow eyed giant robots, firing bullets and energy rays at them in a futile effort to destroy them. Other members of the two groups, along with some tough yet ordinary looking people holding massive energy weapons, battled against Khund troops. It was into this arena that Superboy flew. The Boy of Steel swooped towards one of the robots, pushing his bare hands out as he approached it. The robot's head snapped back with a crunch, struck hard by an invisible force. Superboy then waved his hands down, impacting the robot into a metal pancake.
"Holy…" One of the Team Luthor men exclaimed as he circled the young newcomer.
"Nothing of the sort. Just a little telekinesis." Superboy smiled. "Mr….?"
"Stalski. Head of Luthor Internal Security." The stunned Lexcorp employee responded.
"Stalski." Superboy's expression suddenly turned serious. "Get the word to the police, your men, and whoever those guys with the heavy weapons are and tell them to put all their effort into pushing the Khund out of the East Side. Sweep the buildings and make sure everyone's out and safe." Superboy wheeled around to face one of the remaining five Khund robots. "I'll take care of them."
"You've got it, kid." Stalski flew into the distance, his voice trailing off as he relayed Superboy's commands to his underlings.

---

"You sure you're up to this, Oberon?" Zauriel looked down at the short gentleman who stood, fists raised, ready to join him and Shilo Norman in fighting off the swarm of Khund and Gordanian invaders in the Pelham district.
Oberon cocked his right eyebrow angrily. "Wings, didn't you read in those JLA files that I once single-handedly defeated a Khund invasion force?"
"With all due respect, sir, they were shrunk to about an inch each by Imskan technology." Zauriel raised his fiery sword.
"Quiet, guys…" Shilo silenced them, charging his power gloves as he did. "Now Oberon, are you cool with being ground support?"
"That means I tear down whoever gets in my way, right?"
Shilo nodded. "Basically. Now without those ships up there, I'm betting the invaders are gonna be easy to round up. So you ready to go to it one last time, Zauriel?"
"After fighting those things all day, it'll be a relief just to get it all over with, Miracle."
"Go to police HQ and meet up there if we can't find each other after this is all done. Then we'll figure out where they evacuated Ted to."* Shilo said. "Good luck."

*For more on the police evacuation, see last issue -The New God of Thunder and Rock and Roll

"You too, kiddo." Oberon said as he charged off to battle.
Mister Miracle and Zauriel rose into the skies, flying straight for the biggest Khund battlecruiser they saw. The ship, which was shaped something like a squared-off horseshoe, bristled with energy cannons. Almost in unison, the cannons fired at the two heroes. Zauriel weaved, sliding his blazing sword across the side of the ship's hull. Shilo ducked, then raised his hands, firing at the war machine. It exploded in a ball of flame. Zauriel quickly swooped down, using his sonic cry to destroy all large debris from the ship. "One down…what, twenty more to go?" Shilo asked.
"I think…" Zauriel's words died on his lips. An force gripped him, rendering him immobile. Shilo saw a sickly green beam radiating from one of the battleships. "Zauriel!" he shouted. The angel remained still, his face locked in a pained grimace.

---

At the outskirts of the Suicide Slum, a young boy jumped from the back of a falling Gordanian warrior, landing right on his flipper-wearing feet. As the reptilian alien sunk towards the pavement, another kid, dressed in a well-worn orange sweater and green cap, ducked out of the way. When the dust had cleared, the two youngsters rushed towards each other, raising their hands into the air and giving each other hi-fives. "Way ta go, Flip!" the one in the cap shouted.
"Hey, just glad that a Navy man like me was able help an Army type like you." Flip smiled, adjusting his goggles.
"Whaddya mean Army?! Da Scrapper-Troopas are back at da Project!"
"It was a meta…phor-or-or!" Flip exclaimed as another Gordanian hoisted him up from the ground.
"Hey, Godzilla! Let 'im down!" Scrapper rolled up one of his sleeves and balled his hand up into a fist.
"This little thing?" The Gordanian looked down at Scrapper, amused.
"B-be nice to the g-green m-man, Scrap! I'm sure w-we can w-work s-something out!" Flip stammered nervously.
"Excuse me?" Another young voice piped up. The Gordanian turned his head to see another child, this one with unruly black hair and a powder blue jacket. "Pardon me, sir? Excuse me?"
"Yes, rodent?!" The Gordanian bellowed angrily.
"Well I was just wondering…" the boy continued to ramble.
"Yes?!" The Gordanian's face was virtually red with impatience.
"What da hell are ya doing, Gabby?" Scrapper asked the talkative youth.
Suddenly, the form of a blonde-haired young woman came leaping from seemingly out of nowhere. Her leg connected with the Gordanian's head, cracking his neck. The alien slumped over, dropping Flip. Quickly, Gabby, Scrapper, and the lady rushed to his side. "Man down! Man down! Medic! Medic!" Scrapper yelled.
"Pipe down, will ya?! I just scraped my knee!" Flip growled as he sat up.
The blonde leaned down and shook Gabby's hand. "That was a great distraction, Gabby. Thanks."
The Newsboy Legion's resident chatterbox blushed. "Aw, no problem, Courts."
Flip stood up and saw the other five combatants in the street fight against the Gordanians and Khunds firing their futuristic firearms at the last remaining extraterrestrial soldiers standing. "Damn, looks like we got in on the tail end of this party."
"Yeah yeah, never mind dat." Scrapper fumed. "Who's your girlfriend, Gabby?"
"Girlfriend?!" Flip's nose scrunched up. "Look at her, you damn fool! She's way too old for Gabby! Must be 30, at least!"
"21, actually." The woman icily corrected Flip. "My name's Courtney Lincoln. I'm studying criminology at Metro U. Someday soon, I'm going to be a cop and catch criminals like…" one of the armed men, an oily-haired, fair-skinned gentleman with a thin moustache, approached them "…him."
"Did I hear my name uttered?" the man asked as he slid his hand on Courtney's shoulder.
"No, you didn't." Courtney grasped the man's arm by the wrist and snapped it back, quickly twisting him into a painful armlock and disarming him. "You heard a vague pronoun that could refer to you or any of your low-rung Intergang cronies, Crack."
Crack yelped, attracting the attention of the other Intergangsters nearby. They raised their weapons, rushing to their fellow's aid.
"Let him go." One of them held his firearm to his eye, targeting Courtney's head.
"Jesus, how'd they get a hold of guns like that?" Flip whispered to Scrapper.*

*You'd know, Flip, if you'd been reading F-DC's Superman- Continuity Minded Gregg

"Quiet!" Another of the Intergangsters trained his weapon at the two Newsboy Legionnaires. Just as Scrapper was about to protest, a loud POP broke the tense standoff. In it's wake appeared a man wearing a green bodysuit underneath a pair of brown slacks and a blue short-sleeved shirt. His face was also masked in green, and two large orange antennae rose from the man's mask.
Startled by the POP, one of the Intergangsters, a bald fellow with a scraggly beard, wrapped head to toe in leather, fired his gun. The odd man with the blue shirt ducked, narrowly avoiding the lethal blast. The Intergangster's shot slammed into a fire escape overhead, knocking it loose. Quickly, everyone ducked out of it's path.
"Well THAT'S a fine welcome!" the newcomer shouted. "Thanks a lot for trying to kill me, you fanfic hack!"
The bald thug walked towards him. "What did you call me?"
"Oh, you? Nothing. I was just talking to the man writing this story. See, I'm Ambush Bug, and I'm a real comic book character. You guys are all just fanfic simulations of real comic characters. I got talked into doing this story by my agent, and now I'm stuck in this thing."
Courtney was so stunned that she let Crack go. The oily Intergang member didn't try to escape or attack Courtney, he just joined her in stunned silence, as did his underlings and the Newsboy Legion. A hush filled the air for a moment, then a loud, collective "WHAT?!"
"Yeah, you're just characters in a bad attempt to emulate a real comic book." Ambush Bug said casually.
"He's fucking mad." Courtney muttered.
"No shit, Sherlock." Crack replied.
"Hey, it's marginally better than being unemployed." Buggy shot back. "And it's true." Buggy surveyed his new surroundings. "Looks like I've teleported into the safe part of the story, at least."
"Safe part of the city you mean." Crack hissed. "But if you mean all of these weirdos have been taken down, yeah." He waved his hand over all of the fallen Khund and Gordanians.
"Say, if yas are all done blabbing…" Scrapper grumbled "Our buddies Tommy and Big Woids went inta da heart of da city. Can we go check on them?"
Ambush Bug shook his head. "Man, that's one of the WORST transitional lines I've heard in my life!"*

*To see where one of the worst transitional lines Ambush Bug's ever heard in his life leads, see the Fourth World Annual, coming in 2000- Too Many Plot Threads To Wrap Up In A Single Issue Allinson

---

The giant white canine drew closer and closer to Orion. As it did, Orion wavered in the air above the canyon of corpses. "I must fight to defend myself…but…if I do…where will it end?" Orion steadied himself as the beast roared. "No. I cannot fight. At any cost." He turned and swooped back towards Hel's hall.
When Orion reached the frozen dwelling of the goddess of the dishonoured dead, she rolled her worn head back and laughed hoarsely. "So, you chose the coward's route and spared Garm, did you? Perhaps you truly do belong in my realm."
"There is a line between cowardice and pacifism, witch. The strongest warrior I ever knew was one who walked the way of the peacemaker." Orion countered, his voice low but filled with steel.
"Your adopted father? It's truly a tragedy that you did not follow in Darkseid's footsteps." Hel shook her head with disdain.
Orion's eyes narrowed. "Just how much do you know about me and my family line? And what is this influence over Apokolips that you hold?"
"I know enough. Your brother programmed both of these Protonoid creatures" She gestured back to the stone-faced pseudo-life-forms, dressed in Infinity Armour like Orion's, that stood next to her throne "With psychological profiles, to see how you might react to any situations you might encounter down here. Naturally, to do so, he had to include quite a bit of your personal history in the program. As for my influence…what happened at Ragnarok?"
"According to legend, the Old Gods fought their final battle. Their homeworld, Urgrund, was shattered into two worlds, New Genesis and Apokolips."
Hel nodded. "There is a certain amount of truth to that story. But what if I told you that the world of the Gods was larger and more fantastic than you ever suspected?"
Orion was bemused by Hel's statement, but greatly intrigued. "Go on."
"There were smaller worlds within the larger world of the Gods. Asgard, home of the noble Aesir warriors. Jotunheim, realm of the giants. Svartalfheim, abode of the dark elves. Eight worlds, in total. All encased in one larger world."
"What you say is impossible!" Orion scoffed.
"Is it?" Hel regarded him skeptically. "Why?"
"Worlds within worlds? There is no way such a planet could have possibly existed!"
"But it did. Ymir, the first of the gods, was able use his wondrous technology to create a world from the very elements of the universe itself, to contain the struggles of the eight worlds."
Orion shook his head. "Even if what you say is true, and I see no reason why it is, what does it have to do with you?"
Hel circled Orion, gazing at him with her bloodshot eyes. "After the split of Urgrund, four of the smaller worlds- Muspelheim, Jotunheim, Svartalfheim, and Niflheim- realigned themselves into a single dark world. The other four- Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, and Valhalla- were fused into one of light. On each world, a survivor of the Old Gods remained. On the light one, Balduur, son of Baldar reigned. On the dark, I ruled."
Orion took a step back, startled. "You are the first ruler of Apokolips?"
Hel cackled "Moreover, I used the technology I had at my command to fuse my life essence with the dark world. I feed on this planet's life force to stay alive."
With those words, Orion knew that he had found the energy source he came to destroy. He drew his Anti-Energizer quickly, firing it at Hel. The Elder Goddess was bathed in red energy, strange black dots crackling all around her. She stumbled for a moment, apparently weakened by the Anti-Energizer. Then, seconds after, she rose, wobbling, but otherwise unharmed. "So, the tiger still has claws after all." she flashed her rotting teeth.
"I don't understand…" Orion held the gun-shaped Anti-Energizer in his hand, staring at it. Then, he had a flash of remembrance: Scott telling him "Spiritual or otherdimensional energy sources seem to be unaffected by the Anti-Energizer". "Damn you!" Orion screamed, throwing the now permanently drained Anti-Energizer onto the ground. The device cracked into fragments.
"Damn me?" Hel peered at Orion. "For your hastiness? Oh no, Lord Orion. It is you who are damned." The goddess of the dishonoured dead rose her hand, calling the ice that lined her chamber up from the floor. It rose, clutching Orion's arms and legs tightly. In an instant, his appendages were frozen in place. He tensed his arms, trying in vain to crack the cold prison.
"You can't hold me here forever! My friends will rescue me!"
Hel leered at her captive "Oh? Your friends are coming? Good." She drew closer to Orion. "That's exactly what I was counting on."

---

Inside the Daily Planet building stood a young man with a face drenched in freckles, red hair atop his head. He leaned over a windowsill, propping his arms onto it and snapping photos with the camera he held tightly to his eye. Behind him stood an older gentleman, his hair a mixture of auburn and white, nervously puffing on a cigar, trying to smoke the concern right out of his face. "Damnit, Jimmy. I don't know how you talked me into staying here with you after we evacuated the building, but we have to get going!"
Jimmy Olsen looked away from the camera towards Perry White. "Just a few more seconds, Chief. We're going to have the best photos of the invasion in the city, maybe even the world!" As Jimmy spun back around to snap more pictures, he saw a giant ebony fist heading right for him. Involuntarily, he stepped back as the fist reached into the Planet's open window, shaking the building.
"Great Ceaser's Ghost!" Perry exclaimed, the cigar falling from his mouth onto the trembling ground.
Jimmy wheeled around and leapt at his boss, shouting "Chief, get down!" Before he had reached Perry, the side wall of the office was blown wide open. A figure in the blue and gold armour of Team Luthor emerged from the disintegrated wall, snatched Jimmy by the collar of the green and black shirt he wore, then swooped above Perry and pulled him up by his blue collar. As small chunks of plaster rained from the ceiling and the massive black hand shot through the Daily Planet's window, the Team Luthor member that had grabbed Jimmy and Perry raised his head and shot force blasts from the visual sensors of his helmet, opening a hole in the ceiling large enough for him and his quarry to exit through safely. The three men shot through the hole, out into the late afternoon sky. "This is Azarello! I got two out of the Daily Planet, but you better watch out! The building's coming down, and coming down hard!" Azarello turned his head from side to side, looking Jimmy and Perry over. "You two the only ones in there?"
"Yeah." Jimmy's voice quavered as he stared at Azarello's hands, making sure his grip on Perry and him was tight.
"The Planet building was cleared before it began to collapse. Repeat- Daily Planet building coming down, and coming down hard!"
"We copy, Azarello. Set them down in the safest area you can find, then continue to sweep the city for survivors." Stalski's voice filtered through Azarello's helmet. "Good work".
Superboy looked at the crumbling remnants of the Daily Planet building and flew towards them. Calling upon all the mental energy at his disposal, he telekinetically compacted the fragments together, then fashioned a restraint out of them. The pieces of the Daily Planet clung tightly around the same robot that had levelled the building, rendering it immobile. Superboy moved to face another one, when he felt an explosion of heat on his back. Stunned, Superboy fell to the ground. Slowly, he picked himself back up again to face a ring of Khunds and Gordanians.

---

Oberon cartwheeled and spun upwards, slamming his feet straight into the jaw of a Gordanian. With all the fleetness he could muster, the tiny man ran out of the path of the dazed alien. Still, the Gordanian stood, beaten down but unbowed. Oberon was ready to attack again, but suddenly, a golden shield slammed against the Gordanian's head, knocking the invader cold. Oberon looked up to see the form of the Guardian, his shield tight against his hand.
"Looks like it's beginning to wind down." Oberon said, walking towards the Guardian.
The blue-and-yellow garbed hero surveyed the city streets, seeing dozens of dead or unconscious Gordanian and Khund invaders. "I think you're right. Turpin's hard as nails. I think the old man could take down Superman himself."
"Wouldn't surprise me." Oberon agreed. A rumbling noise began to fill the air. Oberon and Guardian stared at the skies overhead. Sun began to creep down as the armada of Khund battleships flew away. "Ha! We were too tough for 'em!" Oberon chuckled confidently. "Look at 'em turn tail!"
Guardian noticed a strange green ray trailing off of one of the ships. In the ray was the unmoving form of a humanoid. "They've got a prisoner!" Guardian raised his hand, pointing at the immobile form of Zauriel.
Oberon smacked his hand against his forehead. "Oh geez…Shilo!" He shouted futilely as Mister Miracle zoomed after the rapidly fleeing ship that held Zauriel. Oberon went running under the ship, screaming as Shilo drifted further and further out of view. When the young escape artist and the ships were gone, Oberon stopped, gasping for breath. "Damn it…" he grumbled.
Guardian strode up behind him and placed his hand on Oberon's shoulder. "A friend?"
Oberon craned his head up towards the hero. "The one that they took away? Kind of. The one following those ships? Known him since he was a kid. Might as well be my grandson."
Guardian smiled sympathetically. "I know how you feel. In fact, I…" He paused for a moment.
"What's up?"
"I just remembered something! Pardon me…" The Guardian went charging over the alien bodies towards the ruins of a building.
"Hey, wait for me!" Oberon waved his hands in the air as he rushed after his newfound friend. In seconds, both Oberon and Guardian were at the few bricks that remained from the building's foundation. In the centre of the building's corpse was a grey metal wheel atop an identically hued steel bulge. Powered by adrenaline, Guardian twisted the wheel at an almost superhuman pace. "What's going on, buddy?"
"There's some kids…who might as well be my sons…I told them to hide down there until this battle was over." Guardian grunted, giving the wheel a final tug. The hatch tumbled open, revealing a ladder that led down into a basement. An assortment of unusual names reeled off of Guardian's lips. "Flip! Scrapper! Big Words! Tommy! Gabby! Is anyone down there?!"
Oberon knelt down to look. "I don't see anybody…"
"Let me check…" Guardian gently brushed Oberon aside with one hand and climbed down into the basement. "Boys?!" his cry echoed up through the hatch. "Newsboy Legion?! The invaders are gone! Come out!"
A moment later, Guardian again rose to the surface.
"Guess your friends weren't down there, huh?"
Guardian shook his head. "I should've known better than to expect them to stay down there. They've always been free spirited. I only hope that they're safe…"
"Tell you what, mister." Oberon said. "My friends up there told me to meet them at the police station if we get separated. Now while I'm still going to do that, I don't expect for them to wipe out that entire fleet in just a few seconds. So if it's OK with you, maybe we could go looking for your kids together?"
"I'd appreciate that, Mr…."
"Oberon. I'm the assistant to the world's famous escape artist Mr. Miracle, who you just saw chasing after those ships. And you sure don't have to tell me your name…" Oberon put his hands on his hips and beamed with pride. "General Glory!"
Guardian could do nothing but laugh softly. "I'm afraid not, friend, although you're on the right track. I'm the Guardian, and I also operated during World War II, just like General Glory."
Smacking his hand against his forehead, Oberon blushed. "Maybe while we're trying to find your friends, you can tell me how you've managed to stay so young!"
"Hold on…" Guardian held his hand to his ear. "They ride around in a vehicle called the Whiz Wagon. My helmet can home in on the Wagon's position. It's not much, but it's a good start…" In an instant, he had located the Whiz Wagon. "It's to the northwest. Let's go!"*

*And to see what happens to the unlikely partnership of the Guardian and Oberon, see the Fourth World Annual 2000!- An Increasingly (and disturbingly) Claremontian Gregg

---

Superboy raised his hands and sent a wave of telekinetic force barrelling at the gang of aliens surrounding him. A trio of invaders went flying backwards with a bone-crunching thud. The remaining Gordanians and Khunds closed in on him, ready for the kill. Despite the overwhelming pain in his back, Superboy wobbled up onto his feet. "OK…you turkeys might just win this one…but there's other heroes out there, and there'll be other battles. Someday, you're gonna lose."
The alien warriors chortled. "Already we have your greatest hero in captivity. Already, your world has been shattered. In the end, it is our alliance that will triumph." A Gordanian with a cracked helmet held a nasty looking metal pole over Superboy and gloated.
"Indeed we shall…" A Khund added gravely "However, now is not that moment. My helmet amplifier has just received a communiqué. We are to abandon this campaign and act as reinforcements to our forces in the central area of the city! All Khund and Gordanian troops are amassing there, and we have five timeparts to flee until all Omakkans are detonated!"
"What?!" The Gordanian's eyes went wide.
"It's true, sir. I just received the order myself." A subordinate Gordanian added.
The Gordanian in the cracked helmet growled. "Damn you humans…destroying my helm's amplifier, making me look like a fool in front of my men…" The Gordanian raised his pole and rammed it into Superboy's chest. A red flare rose from the end of the staff, burning the "S" straight off of Superboy's costume. Superboy screamed in agony, then dropped to his knees.
The Boy of Steel grit his teeth, choking down the pain. "Ha…see…I told you…you'll never conquer the earth!" Superboy jumped at the Gordanian, slamming into its waist. Before the two thudded to the ground, they vanished in a swirling vortex, along with the other aliens.
When Superboy and his foe rematerialised, they were on the bridge of a Khund battlecruiser. Khund soldiers, including some of those who had just arrived with Superboy and the Gordanian, drew their weapons. Superboy wrestled the giant scaled warrior to the ground, punching him in the face until he lost consciousness. Energy blasts slammed into Superboy, searing his flesh, but the young man scarcely seemed to notice. He thrust his hands forward, using his mental powers to pin each and every one of his adversaries to the wall. "Now listen up, and listen up good…what's an Omakkan, and how do I prevent one from blowing up?" Superboy heard a soft noise from behind him. He turned to see the ship's pilot rising from it's station to face him.
"Oh no you don't…sit right back down, and keep this ship in formation. No funny business, or I'll crush your friends here!"
Several faint thuds sounded behind Superboy's back. The Khund pilot laughed darkly. "Which friends?"
The Gordanian and Khunds that Superboy had been holding picked themselves up from the floor. "Damn!" Superboy thought to himself. "That pilot broke my concentration!" Bleeding, his skin seared and costume torn, the young hero felt as if he was about to drop. "I can't…" The thought cut through the hazy pain that blanketed Superboy's mind. "I can't…go on…"
"Omakkans ready to detonate in two timeparts…" The pilot said as he retook his seat.
For all Superboy knew, an Omakkan was a nuclear bomb, a biological weapon, or worse. "Tana…Dubbilex…Sterling...Jim…the Newsboy Legion…can't…fail…them…" he told himself. "I can't fail Earth!" he screamed, raised his hands, and used his psychokinesis to literally blow the roof off of the Khund battlecruiser. Air flew out of the craft, pushing all aboard out with terrifying speed and force. The ship wobbled, pilotless, and began a tailspin. The crew dropped their weapons and fell, silent and fearless due to their military training, until they felt their descent slow, then stop. Above them, in the sky, stood Superboy, his face bruised and battered, his costume in tatters. "I may be many things, but first and foremost, I'm a hero, and heroes don't kill. Although…I might be tempted to violate that little edict if you don't tell me what an Omakkan is, and how I stop one from blowing up."
"We fear not death!" One of the Khunds shouted in defiance. "Death in combat is better than life in defeat!"
The empty, wobbling ship the entire group had just been aboard slammed into an "L"-shaped building, igniting it instantly.

---

Across the city, on the East Side, a transponder in Stalski's armour went dead. "We've got 'em on the run! Look, even their crummy robots are dead now!" Azarello pointed to the black mechanical Khund warriors, who slumped over, powerless. "Clam up, Azzi…the signal from HQ's gone dead."
"Lexcorp Tower?" Another Team Luthor member asked.
"Most likely destroyed!" Stalski said.
"Damn…we have to get over there!"
"I'm with you, Azzi…everyone else…get rid of those damned robots! We'll report in when we know Mr. Luthor's safe!" Stalski and Azarello bolted away, exhaust streaming from their boots.

---

"Life in defeat seems to be our fate…" The Gordanian sighed. "It no longer matters…the Omakkans were what you phrased robots."
Superboy grinned. "Thanks for telling me! And you're right…life in defeat is your fate!" The Boy of Steel used his powers to wrap some debris from Lexcorp Tower around the defeated aliens, creating a makeshift prison.
Above them, Shilo Norman was still hot on the trail of the battlecruiser which had Zauriel entrapped and helpless. "Hey, Mother Box, wake up!"
"Huh?" A dreamy female voice mumbled.
"I said, wake up! Zauriel's been captured by aliens and I need to free him! Got any suggestions?"
"Just ten more minutes…" The Mother Box murmured as wind rushed by Shilo's face.
Shilo punched the little box hooked to his belt. "Now! I don't know what the hell these pug-uglies are gonna do to him! He's in danger!"

---

Mother Box let out a long, exasperated sigh. "All right, all right…" A bright yellow ray shot out of her, dissolving the sickly green tractor beam that held the angel immobile. "You're welcome. Wake me when it's all over." Mother Box muttered.
Zauriel tensed his arms. "What happened?"
"No time to explain that now, buddy." Shilo said. "Let's just take these mothers down!!!"
Zauriel let out a sonic cry aimed at ship that had held him, sending it tumbling. Shilo turned to his right and blasted at another ship, hitting nothing but a force field. "Damn! It's got a defensive screen!" As the words left Shilo's lips, the egg-shaped force field around the ship began to turn red. Someone- or something- was attacking it with power far greater than he or perhaps even Zauriel possessed. In a moment, the shield was gone, and another red blast came at the ship. The battlecruiser melted into slag. Through the smoke and the haze, Shilo spied a figure that seemed to glow. "Zauriel…who is that?"
Zauriel squinted his eyes and saw a man bathed in silver, with tousled hair and a red atomic symbol on his chest. "It's Captain Atom! I recognise him from the JLI exhibit in the Watchtower!"*

*Zauriel acted as the "curator" of the JLA Watchtower's trophy room. -Gregg belongs in a museum!

"Captain Atom?!" Shilo exclaimed in total disbelief. "Jesus! They're calling out the big guns now!"
Captain Atom wheeled around to check for other ships in the skies around him. As he did, a Khund ship moved in towards his blind side, ready to attack.
"Looks like he's in danger…come on, let's go!" Zauriel spread his wings and shot toward the Atomic hero. Shilo followed after on his Aero-Discs.
The Khund battlecruiser fired at Captain Atom, knocking him down. Shilo swept under him, catching him, while Zauriel made short work of the alien ship with his sword. Captain Atom looked up to see Shilo's mask. "Scott?"
"Close. Shilo Norman. I was Scott's pupil and assistant, and I hung out with the JLI from time to time. You might remember me."
"That's right…you became Mister Miracle too."
Shilo smiled. "You think you're OK?"
Captain Atom floated out of Shilo's outstretched arms and nodded. "I'll be OK." Zauriel flew over towards the two. "Hawkman?"
"I seem to get that a lot…but no, I'm Zauriel. Up until recently, a member of the Justice League of America."
Captain Atom began to speak. "Well, looks like the gang's all…" He was abruptly cut off by several Khund and Gordanian droptroops. The otherworldly attackers wore bulky spacesuits and descended rapidly towards the two former Justice Leaguers and Mister Miracle. The trio of heroes prepared to battle the horde, Zauriel holding his sword tightly while Captain Atom and Shilo raised their fists, prepared to unleash the energies that resided within them. Before they could act on their readiness, they were amazed to see two men in blue and gold powered armour swoop towards the droptroops. A third newcomer, a shirtless boy in torn pants with a body lined with bruises and scars, quickly joined the other two.
"Looks like the odds are in our favour…let's help these guys…whoever they are…" The Captain ordered as he began flying towards the droptroops.
"Looks like some Lexcorp types, and some kid who I don't recognise…" Shilo commented. In one graceful arc, he caught a droptroop square in the stomach with his foot.
Zauriel managed to get out a "The child looks familiar…" before one of the Gordanian troops grasped him in a bearhug. The young man zipped over to Zauriel and grabbed the Gordanian, trying to pull it off of him. "I'd hope so. Although I don't look much like it right now, I'm the fantastically famous idol of millions…Superboy!"
"Move out of the way, Supes!" Stalski cried out.
Zauriel and Superboy voiced their disbelief simultaneously. "What?"
"I said, move out of the way!"
"OK, you got it…" Superboy flew off to attack a Khund.
"Mister, I don't know why you did that, but…"
"Hush up, Junior Birdman! Just tell me if this stings!" Stalski held out his hand, sending high-powered miniature missiles from his fingertips slamming into the Gordanian's back. The Gordanian let out a low moan of pain, then loosened his grip on Zauriel as he blacked out. Azarello grabbed the unconscious warrior's fragmented dropsuit and took a second to set it down on the ground.
Zauriel rubbed his shoulders. "It didn't sting!"
"Listen, everyone…" Captain Atom shouted. "We've all got long-range attack capabilities at our disposal! We need to band those attacks together! We can destroy each and every last one of those ships together!"
"You're on!" Superboy responded as he threw a droptroop off of his chest. "Everyone else got that?"
"Sure do!" Shilo said as he flew towards Captain Atom. Stalski, Azarello, Superboy, and Zauriel all gathered around them and formed a wall. The Khund/Gordanian fleet amassed into one impenetrable wall of destruction.
It was, quite literally, the standoff between the irresistible force and the immovable object.
"When I say go, launch everything you've got at them. And don't break ranks unless you've destroyed something." Captain Atom said to his troops. "Ready…" The Captain raised his open hand. "Set…" The Khund ships' laser cannons began to glow. Captain Atom waved his hand down "Go!"
With a fury seldom matched on earth, a hybrid clone, a legendary hero, an escape artist, a fallen angel, and two security guards unleashed all the power at their disposal at the fleet. The central column of battlecruisers exploded, igniting a chain reaction. In seconds, an impossibly large fireball, bursting out from the remnants of the ships, raced towards the heroes who had destroyed them.
"Get down!" Captain Atom ordered. Quickly, all began to descend. All, that is, except Stalski and Azarello. The two Lexcorp employees fell at alarming speed, their armour powerless. They screamed for help, but their cries were muted by their thick faceplates, which were now stripped of their loudspeakers.

---

A faint ripple of wind blew through Styggan's blond, curly hair. He sat in Resurrection Park on a stone bench underneath a golden statue of several children- dressed in both New Genesis and Apokliptian styles- led in song by Esak, a young friend of Metron and Highfather who allied himself briefly with Darkseid before his death. The Esak of the statue was not the hideous creature that served the former lord of Apokolips, but rather the wide-eyed innocent Orion had remembered him as, with a mop of wavy hair contained only barely by a simple headdress.
Resurrection Park was unquestionably the major triumph of Orion's reign on Apokolips. Although it had to be constantly maintained by workers and regulated by machines, it was the only place on Apokolips where grass and trees grew. The psychological benefits of the park were numerous. It allowed Apokoliptians to sample beauty in a non-threatening way before it enveloped the planet. It gave them a place to relax. Most importantly, despite the fact that there had been several recent attempts to deface the park by Resistance members, it was hands-down the safest place on Apokolips outside of the royal palace, thanks to it's relative closeness to the Defence Force Academy and constant patrols by the Female Furies, who were presently represented by the crimson cowled, scarlet haired sorceress Hellacia and the pale, ethereal Zafgie.
None of these factors, however, dominated Styggan's mind at the moment. He saw only a soldier he barely knew, by the name of Valinus, laying down his life for Styggan's own. He saw only the Black Racer, embodiment of death, telling him that he had passed an enigmatic test. Styggan had hoped that the lush park would relax him, but try as he might to focus on the retired soldiers talking happily or the singing children, he saw only visions of death and disappointment.
"I said, turn around, bright eyes." An airy female voice grabbed Styggan's attention.
"What?" The young soldier wheeled to his side to see a woman with short brown hair in orange armour like his own. It was Jena, a New Genesis warrior who Styggan had long admired from afar. Recently, they had been growing closer, but Styggan still couldn't bring himself to express his feelings for her.
"Scott needs us, ASAP. We couldn't trace you through your Mother Box, so he sent me to look for you."
Styggan looked at his waist, where his living computer was attached to his armour. "I told her not to disturb me for any reason. But…" he inhaled. "If it's important…then let's get going."

---

Zauriel saw Stalski and Azarello plunging and dove towards them. He sheathed his sword and caught them by grabbing their gauntlets in his hands. Slowly, he set Azarello and Stalski down and landed next to them. The duo removed their helmets and breathed a sigh of relief.
"What happened?" Zauriel asked.
"Looks like an electromagnetic pulse that rose up from fleet as it blew up knocked out our armour…" Azarello guessed.
"And that's not all, it seems." Stalski pointed to the remaining buildings in the business district. None of them had any lights on.
In rapid succession, Superboy, Captain Atom, and Mister Miracle grouped around the other heroes.
"So what now, gang?" Shilo asked.

---

"Well, our first priority has to be finding Mister Luthor." Stalski said.
Captain Atom nodded. "And there's a young woman who I was taking to her home before I ran into the fleet. I need to make sure she's safe."
Superboy's eyes lit up. "Young woman?"
"Settle down, junior. She's married."
"Aww…" Superboy's head sank.
"We're gonna check to see if Mister Luthor's OK." Azarello said. "Can any of you help us out?"
"What the heck?" Shilo replied.
Captain Atom smiled in agreement. "I think you summed it up for all of us, Shilo." The six rushed towards the remains of Lexcorp Tower. Superboy was the first to act, clearing away the debris around the ruins of the famed landmark with his telekinesis. Under the rubble, he found a bald, somewhat portly middle-aged man in a business suit. He was bleeding from his cheek, and appeared to be in shock.
"Mr. Luthor? Mr. Luthor?" Stalski cried frantically. Shilo and Azarello joined the security chief, crowding around Luthor's fallen body to administer first aid.
Just as Captain Atom was about to ask Superboy if he would be able to continue his rescue efforts, Captain Atom heard footsteps coming towards him. Zauriel, Superboy, and he all turned to face the sound. It was Lois Lane-Kent, covered in grime, grasping a somewhat dusty and battle-worn laptop computer under her arm, but otherwise apparently fine. "Ms. Lane-Kent!" Captain Atom shouted. "Are you OK?"
"OK?" The intrepid reporter stopped short of the trio. "Thanks to you, Silverheels, I had the best seat in the house for an epic battle between some superheroes and an invading alien force- probably the last one this millennium! I'm bound to win another Pulitzer! I also managed to save a few people from falling buildings, keep them safe…being in close proximity to Superman all these years has gotten me used to this sort of thing."
"Excellent." Captain Atom said. "Now, as I was about to say…Superboy, do you think you can continue clearing this away."
"Sure. I might drop a few seconds into it, but I'll give it my best shot."
"Just hold on a second before you go…" Captain Atom strode towards Stalski, Azarello, Shilo, and Lex Luthor, leaving Zauriel, Superboy, and Lois behind. "How's he doing?"
"Better, Captain. Much better." Luthor himself responded warmly. His face still appeared to be slightly worn and weathered, but he was calm.
"Good. Stalski, Azarello…with Mr. Luthor's permission, I would like you to accompany Superboy as he attempts to clear away some of this debris and pull people out from it. He's not in the best of shape, so I want somebody with him to help him out."
Luthor pushed his frame up with his two hands and stood. "Of course. In fact, I was just about to call in the whole of Team Luthor to help in the relief efforts here. We'd be honoured to help, Captain." Stalski and Azarello remained respectfully silent in the presence of their employer.
"Great. Thank you, Mr. Luthor. Care to follow me, gentlemen?" Shilo, Stalski, and Azarello began walking back towards Lois, Superboy, and Zauriel.
Lois stared at the returning foursome. "I don't like this. Looks like Luthor's making his big play at becoming Metropolis's first post-invasion hero here."

---

Superboy nodded. "Doesn't Captain Atom know about Luthor?"
"You have to remember that he was a League member before Superman joined the team. He's just like everyone else- he thinks Luthor is a respected businessman and nothing more." Zauriel explained.
"I wouldn't worry too much…those guys who work for him that fought alongside us seem OK enough." Superboy tried to reassure both himself and his two acquaintances. "Besides, after what I just went through, Luthor could bring down every weapon at his disposal and it'd still look like a picnic in comparison." As Captain Atom and company strode closer, Superboy zipped his lips.
"Well, we've managed to rustle up some help for you. If anything goes wrong, Stalski and Azarello can help you out."
"Thanks." Superboy said as he extended his hands and shook Stalski and Azarello's hands.
"This oughta take a few seconds, the way you were clearing away that stuff earlier, bud." Stalski smiled.
"Just so long as you two prop me up."
"You got it, boss." Azarello said casually.
Superboy smiled, then began to fall forward. Stalski caught him. "Geez, maybe you should take it easy."
The Boy of Steel nodded. "I don't think up to this after all." He said, a little dejected.
"Don't worry. You've done more than enough to help." Zauriel said. "Besides, I think my sonic cry can take care of the rubble just as well as your TK can."
Stalski gently sat Superboy down on a cleared Metropolis sidewalk. "Could you still use a hand?" The Lexcorp guard asked.
Zauriel nodded. "Always."
Superboy ran his hands through his hair, trying to get rid of some of the pain he felt. "I don't care what anybody says, Zauriel. You're one of the good ones. Thanks."
Mister Miracle stepped towards the angel. "Take care of yourself, buddy. It was great working with you."
"Thank you, Superboy. May your pain be short-lived. Thank you, Shilo. Our paths will cross again someday. I'm sure of it."
"Ready, chief?" Azarello asked Zauriel.
"Yes. The Pax-Dei be with you, friends." Zauriel said as he, Stalski, and Azarello alighted, beginning their work.
"So what about us?" Shilo asked.
"Well, before I hit the invasion fleet, I was going to drop Ms. Lane-Kent off at her home, then head to New York to amass a metahuman army to rescue Superman and drive the Khunds, Gordanians, Thanagarians, and whoever else away from the planet. There are some cities between here and New York where we can get you some medical help, Superboy…once we've got you patched up, I'd be honoured if you and Mister Miracle could join me in my group."
Superboy nodded slowly. "I'll let you know after I can breathe without burning my ribs, but yeah…I think once I'm mended together again, I can do that."
"Good." Captain Atom said. "And what about you, Miracle?"

---

"A chance to give these creeps a taste of their own medicine? Lead on, Cap!" Shilo shouted.
"I was just wondering…" Lois interjected. "Are you still planning on dropping me back home?"
"But of course, ma'am." Shilo smiled. "Yo, Mother Box. Wake up!"
"What now?"
"See that woman with the brown hair right over there?"
"Yeah?"
"Wrap her up in a cosmi-current barrier."
"OK." From out of Mother Box came a transparent force field that wrapped itself around Lois. "What?" the reporter cried, slightly bewildered.
"It's a force field. It'll allow you to float in perfect safety after us." Mother Box said wearily.
"Oh…right. Thanks!"
"No problem." Shilo grinned.
"Are we ready now?" the pain-ridden Superboy wondered.
"I think we are." Captain Atom said as he scooped the young man up into his arms. "Let's go!"*

*To see the conclusion of this tale, please read The Fury of Firestorm and the Cold Armageddon special- Ralph's Cohort Gregg

---

Styggan and Jena dropped down into the secret chamber underneath Scott Free's office, alongside Scott and Big Barda, the latter still in her casual attire, the former in his yellow, green and red bodysuit. Styggan cut to the heart of the matter. "Jena told me that something very important is going on".
Scott nodded. "There are only three people on Apokolips that know what Orion is doing right now: Barda, Orion, and I. In just a moment, the two of you will learn as well. You're both aware of the Infinity Pit at the centre of Apokolips, which feeds on the planet's life energy to sustain itself?"
Jena and Styggan both answered "Yes".
"For the past month or so, Orion has been having me set up power batteries all around Apokolips. He intends to destroy the Infinity Pit, then activate the power batteries as a stopgap measure to power Apokolips until it regains it's life force. He embarked on this mission two days ago, and has not returned. As per his orders, I'm sending a search party into the Infinity Pit for him. You're it. Congratulations."
Jena and Styggan stared at each other for a moment, scarcely believing what they had just heard. Finally, Jena managed to get out a few words. "How do you even know he's still alive?"
Scott walked over to one of two empty display cases and punched in a code on the keypad of one of them. Once the glass doors of the case slid open, he hunched over and placed his hand on the back wall of the case. The wall slid open to reveal three suits of Infinity Armour. Once the armour was exposed, Scott walked back out of the case and gestured at it. "He was wearing a suit of Infinity Armour very similar to one of these. Each one, so long as it's intact, transmits a location signal. Orion's is still on. If his armour's intact, most likely, he's in it."

---

"That's an awfully big supposition." Styggan countered.
"But one we have to make." Big Barda argued. "We can't just give up on Orion."
Styggan tried to convince himself that Barda and Scott were right. "I am unsure of the wisdom of this, but…Orion has battled for both Apokolips and New Genesis many times."
"We owe it to him, Styggan." Jena agreed.
"You'll have to wear Infinity Armour when you go down into the pit." Scott told the two cadets. They quickly doffed their Monitor armour, revealing orange bodysuits, then joined Barda in pulling the suits of Infinity Armour from the display case and putting them onto their bodies.
In Niflheim, Hel forced the entrapped Orion to watch an icy wall, which projected an image of his friends preparing to rescue him. Although he was virtually paralysed, Orion was poised and confident. "They will destroy you, Hel. They will destroy you and take me back to my rightful place as ruler of an Apokolips free from your cancerous influence."
"Actually, thanks to them, my 'cancerous influence' as you so…colourfully…put it, will be spread even further. Tell me Orion, why do you think I have never ventured outside of my realm?" Hel asked.
"The energy barrier that encircles the Infinity Pit?" Orion guessed.
"Correct. The first usurper of my throne imprisoned me here with that barrier. I cannot escape it, not even with the aid of Garm. However, with a new army of dishonoured dead…"
Orion gasped, shocked. "No…"
"Yes, Orion. I will kill you, Styggan, Jena, and Barda. Since you now believe in me, I will have power over your soul, and once your allies believe in me, I shall have power over their souls. You four shall be the first of my new army." Hel began rubbing her scabbed hands "And once we penetrate the barrier…I shall rule Apokolips once more!"

---

#24: "Fireworks"
Scintillating Story By: "Galactic" Gregg Allinson
Cracking Creations By: Jack "King" Kirby
Energetic Editing By: "Mighty Miry" Clay Arceneaux
Dishonoured Dead: "Rampagin'" Ralph Angelo
Cold Armageddon Plot By: "Rampagin'" Ralph Angelo

Write To

I fucked up. Pure and simple. I'm not going to make any excuses about why this issue was so totally overdue. Still, my page count is beating out the annual output of Travis Charest and Art Adams combined.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to mention that MONTHS ago, I got a really great and thoughtful letter from Matthew Campbell about the strengths and weaknesses of this title. The letter is far too long to reprint, but he mentioned several great ideas- some that I'd wished I'd thought of (and if they are used, Matthew will most certainly receive credit along with a proud new title of Gallant Grand Godguy), some that I had planned before I got his letter and do plan on getting to sooner or later, and some great ideas that just don't fit in with the story I want to tell (Orion and Myxzptlk…which I'm actually half-tempted to do…although, given the direction the book's heading in, that'll probably be impossible.). He was also very open and honest about what he thought was working and what needed some polishing without being too praiseworthy or overly critical.

Welp, I don't have a lot else to say right now except Happy Millenium. The coming year is also a very special one for all of us because, as you might remember, in the latter half of 1970, King Kirby moved from Marvel to National and totally re-invented the flagging Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen title. Sprinkled into the usual Kirby magic were a couple of seeds that would bear fruit over the next year, including Intergang and a fellow you may've heard of by the name of Darkseid…yep, Godguys and Godgals, it's the Fourth World's 30th Anniversary this year! And, being aware of this fact, your friend and humble narrator will set into motion one of the grandest New Gods epics ever told this year, leading up to the senses-shattering conclusion of this series in 2001 (to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of New Gods #1)! Hang on tight, gang…

NEXT ISSUE: Hel's trap is sprung, capturing Barda, Styggan, and Jena! Will Orion finally make Apokolips a paradise, or will Hel reign again? Find out in New Gods #25!

Coming Attractions:

Fourth World Annual 2000:
-Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, teams up with Guardian, The Newsboy Legion, Oberon, Ted Brown, Mr. Miracle, Intergang, Courtney Lincoln, and a cast of thousands to find out the secret of…the Omegan!
-The Metron Chronicles Part 2
-Features and Facts about the New Gods
-And Much More! Coming First Quarter 2000!