2JOURNEY INTO MYSTERIOUS ACTION #6: THOR-EL YEAR ONE "Enemies Mine"
From: Mikel Midnight (with a touch here and there of Neelnat's SuperThor.)
Clark Blake watched uncomfortably, holding the flashlight in place, as Bettey Lane toyed with the rusted lock. He whispered, "You're sure this is a good idea?"
Her eyes never left the complex work in front of her. "Of course it is, farmboy," she responded, her voice hushed, "You heard the recording as well as I did. And ... ha!" She grinned up at him as the lock fell open.
The two of them entered the abandoned Gotham City warehouse. Clark sealed the door behind him quietly, and limped after Bettey as she laid their packs on the ground by what appeared to be the center of the open space, and began to assemble the metal detectors. She handed Clark one, "Don't bail out on me now, farmboy, I need you."
Clark nodded in the darkness, "I'm not going anywhere." The two of them started the sweep, moving in slow concentric circles outwards from the center. Every so often one would hear a familiar buzz ... invariably producing a coin, a bottle top, a piece of scratch metal. Anything that looked suspicious went into a small plastic bag. Finally, "Bettey!" Clark called out in a stage whisper.
Bettey marched over, her flashlight sweeping before her. She found him kneeling on the ground, shining his flashlight on a small object he held gingerly in his open palm. "What did you find, farmboy?"
He smiled grimly, "Paydirt, city gal." Her breath caught as she looked at his find: a fragment of what appeared to be a sharp blade, oddly curved, and broken off at one jagged end. "You sure did, Clark," she breathed quietly.
She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a photograph. It was a new print of what appeared to be an old publicity photo. In it was a powerful looking man clad in a war-era military jacket and riding trousers. His features were covered by a feral-looking mask, but he was grinning widely for the camera. His arms were crossed, and from the backs of each glove protruded a single long, curved, clawlike blade. The shape of the blade in Clark's hand and the blades in the photo matched exactly. "You sure did," she repeated, and held Clark's find up against the photo of the man whom history would call the Golden Age Dark Claw.
The pair of them sat in Bettey's Metropolis apartment after, sipping coffee. Jimmy Parker sat with them, typing madly into a keyboard. "Ok Jimmy, play the recording back."
A young man's voice, earnest and panicked, came over the speaker, the quality rough and scratched with age. "Come quick," the man said, "It's terrible ... the airplane factory on the end of town ... they have hostages ... they're demanding Dark Claw ... no police ... they say they'll kill the hostages ... please ... "
Jimmy looked up at the pair, "That's all she wrote."
Clark sipped the coffee again. "That's all she wrote for Dark Claw as well. He vanished and this entire affair was purged from police records until Bettey received this tape. So ... what should we do, go to the current Dark Claw with this? See whether he wants to investigate whatever happened to his predecessor?"
Bettey shook her head emphatically, "Maybe later, but right now, this is *our* story, and I don't plan to give it up. Jimmy ... log into the Planetary Bugle's audio archives and see if you can find a voiceprint match. At least that'll be a start. I'll brew up some more coffee."
The familiar sound of the modem filled the room, and Jimmy started the search. The three of them sat around in a circle, glancing at the screen occasionally, drinking and batting around wild theories. Finally the search stopped. Jimmy jumped over to the monitor, "Only one audio match." He selected a random listing from the search outcome, and typed in the command for an audio replay.
The tape started. Unmistakably the same voice, but this time clear and confident. "Yes sir. I must say I was honored to be picked as flight engineer, and as a real American I plan to do my best. We're going to beat the Russkies to the moon so quickly they won't have time to say 'black market borscht.'" There was cheering from the crowd, and the selection faded out.
Lois jumped up and stood over Jimmy's shoulder. "Are you sure that's right? My god, I remember that interview, from when I was a little girl. Johnny Sartorius ... race car driver, engineer, astronaut ... I even had a poster of him in my bedroom!"
Clark grinned, "Oh yeah?" but then he turned serious. "Lois, when was that interview made?"
Lois glanced at him, and slid the mouse over to the selection to get more info. "The interview was made in 1961 ... but the Dark Claw recording we've been listening to was recorded years after that ... and Johnny Sartorius *died* in 1961 along with the pilot, Ben Jensen, when the moon ship crashed."
Jimmy gasped, "Jeepers, Miss Lane, what're you suggesting?"
Bettey pondered. "I don't know ... yet. But I know just the man to ask. I think it's time to speak to one of the two survivors of the lunar expedition ... the person who captained the rocket, Reed Luthor."
Bettey said, "Thank you again for agreeing to an interview, Mr. Luthor."
Reed Luthor leaned back and smiled indulgently. "My pleasure, Ms. Lane. I've always appreciated your and Mr. Blake's by-lines at the Planetary Bugle." Next to him, his wife, the famed physicist Sue Phillips-Luthor, squeezed his hand affectionately. They made an appealing couple. Reed's receding hairline and red hair tinted with grey only made him seem more distinguished. Sue appeared twenty years younger than her actual age, her blonde hair and fashion-model looks still striking. "Now ... next question?"
Bettey smiled back, "Well, I'd like to backtrack a bit. I know this is a sensitive issue, but I have some questions about the 1961 flight. Would you ... "she was interrupted as Luthor stood up abruptly.
Reed said, "Enough. This interview was purportedly about ReedCorp.'s charitable work, not to dredge up old scandals. I think our interview is at an end, Ms. Lane."
Bettey Lane said, "But ... "
Sue shook her head dismissively. "I think you had best leave, Ms. Lane." She stood up as well and escorted Bettey to the door. Bettey sighed, made her apologies, and did her best to depart gracefully under the circumstances.
After she closed the door, Sue walked back to sit next to her husband on the sofa. "What do you think?"
Reed scowled. "Note the subtext of the interview, scattered throughout the more innocuous questions: our Canadian investments, our Gotham offices, our biotechnology research ... she did everything but mention the Weapon X Project by name. There's been a leak, she can't have arrived at this by accident."
Sue raised an eyebrow, "Do you think she knows?"
Reed shook his head. "I doubt it. We covered our tracks too well. But she's not what concerns me. You know as well as I do that where Bettey Lane or Clark Blake go, Thor-El is soon to follow. Fortunately I have been preparing for this so-called 'Norse god'."
Sue asked, "Do you think it's time to involve Team Four?"
Reed thought for a bit. "I think it's time for a test of his capabilities."
The pair of them stood, and entered a corner of the room, where Reed used his key to activate a private elevator. They travelled down to a sub-basement far below the city streets. The doors opened to reveal a walkway which ran alongside a long series of glass windows. They looked upon a room which seemed to take up several city blocks, and which contained every amenity known to man. The two of them walked until they found what they were looking for: the inhabitants of the space. The first was muscular bald man with purple skin and dressed in a bikini bottom, the second was a smaller, athletic blond man with glowing, transparent skin through which you could see his skeleton and dressed in red tights with yellow trim.
Reed spoke into a microphone, "Hello Ben, Johnny."
The purple man looked up and spied the couple, "Hey Stretch. You got an assignment for us?"
Reed nodded, "Sue will explain. I'm not to accompany you this time."
Sue laid down on one of a series of couches which lined the viewing hallway and closed her eyes. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Soon after, a closet in the wall of the living area opened from the inside. What walked out was a curious sight: a blue minidress and boots, with black trim, filled out quite attractively, and a matching blue helmet with a fin on top. But the body wearing the outfit was completely invisible. The figure walked over and apparently kissed Ben and Johnny on the cheek. "You'll like this one, boys." Sue's voice, emitted from the space under the helmet, held a smile. "The Invisible Destroyer, the Human Phosphorescent, and the Parasite-Thing are going after ... Thor-El!"
The purple man, which had been Ben Jensen, cracked his knuckles in anticipation and grinned happily.
"Look, up in the air ... "
Thor-El gave a magnanimous wave at the Metropolis population as they cheered him. He soared through the skies effortlessly, hammer strapped at his waist, super-vision and hearing scanning the ground below for crimes. They provided no warning, however, when he found his flight halted by an invisible force field.
Thor-El quickly scanned the surrounding area, spotting the three odd figures on a nearby rooftop. "So that's it, is it?" he muttered, and withdrew his hammer to start smashing away at the field. He quickly found himself dragged down to join the odd trio, and released.
The Parasite-Thing touched a guard rail and his skin turned to steel. "Thor-El. How ya doing?"
Thor-El scowled and settled down into a battle stance. "Fine. Are you three supposed to be the freak show come to town?"
The Human Phosphorescent laughed, "Consider us your graduate studies." He emitted a blast of radioactive flame towards Thor-El. The latter just shook his head, and whirled his hammer to create a mini-tornado which funneled the flame upwards and away from him. The tactic backfired on him as the flames were suddenly reflected back toward him by a force shield. Thor-El recoiled from the heat, then flew backwards, looping around to land aside his attacker.
Thor-El was ready to throw a punch, but the Parasite-Thing grabbed his face and started to absorb his powers. Amazingly, Thor-El started to revert to Clark Blake!
Feeling his strength ebb, Thor-El thrust all his remaining strength into a massive push, freeing himself from the purple man's attack. He started to get his powers slowly back from his hammer. It was barely in time, as he soon found himself buffeted by an invisible force.
Fighting to keep his concentration, Thor-El summoned a bolt of lightning which struck the rooftop. The attack stopped as the Invisible Destroyer's attention was distracted.
The Parasite-Thing went for the attack again, his strength nearly equal to Thor-El's now. Thor-El threw his hammer at the purple creature, who sidestepped it easily. The pair wrestled, and Thor-El felt the other's strength overcoming his own. The Parasite-Thing was about to defeat him when the hammer circled around and slammed into his back.
"Do I have to absorb you again?" he said. Thor-El gestured, and a storm cloud flooded the combatants. Steam filled the roof as water evaporated off the Human Phosphorescent. The Parasite-Thing absorbed the steam instead. Now made of vapor, Ben Jensen was blown into the atmosphere by the "Norse god's" super-breath.
Thor-El flew towards the Invisible Destroyer. As he grabbed her, she disappeared; he was left holding empty clothing. He turned his attention to the Human Phosphorescent.
Miles away, in one of ReedCorp.'s laboratories, Sue Phillips-Luthor woke up. "Reed!" she screamed. "He's too powerful, get them out of there!"
Reed Luthor nodded, "I'm on it."
Thor-El advanced menacingly on the Human Phosphorescent, whose flame blasts were buffeted away by Mjolnir. As he reached his opponent, the sky darkened. He looked up, and saw what appeared to be an immense flying saucer. Quickly, a small mechanism extended from the bottom; before Thor-El could even react, his opponent disappeared from his grip, along with the Invisible Destroyer's uniform and the vapors which had once been the Parasite-Thing.
Thor-El swung his hammer to attack the ship, but suddenly the section of roof under his feet vanished. He fell through to the next floor, and the rest of the roof collapsed down on top of him.
Angrily, he soared out into the skies, ready for battle, but the ship was gone. He howled in anger. "This is not over, whoever you are. Not by a long shot."
Miles away, Reed Luthor shook his head. "No, no it isn't," he said to himself.
The end ... for now.
Thor-El= Superman + Thor
Clark Blake= Clark Kent + Don Blake
Reed Luthor= Lex Luthor + Reed Richards
Invisible Destroyer= Invisible Destroyer + Invisible Girl
Human Phosphorescent= Dr. Phosphorus + Human Torch
Parasite-Thing= The Parasite + The Thing
Team Four= Team Luthor + Fantastic Four
Bettey Lane= Lois Lane + Betty Brant
Jimmy Parker= Jimmy Olsen + Peter Parker
Planetary Bugle= Daily Planet + Daily Bugle
