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JLA: Lords Of Time
by David R. Black
Welcome to Brainstorm's Corner, a monthly springboard showcase. A springboard, basically a one-page prose summary of a comic book story, is the format used for submitting stories to companies such as DC Comics. In one page, a writer must describe the plot while also trying to make it as intriguing as possible. It's quite a challenge!
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Re-introducing one of the JLA's long forgotten opponents, the Lord Of Time!
Introduction
Given that JLA is one of DC's top selling titles, I've always wondered why they don't put out a second monthly book. Well, with all the specials, miniseries, prestige format, and Elseworlds books the JLA gets, I've concluded that the JLA already has the equivalent of a second title. Just about the only thing DC hasn't done is give the JLA a fifth week/skip week event.
What's a fifth week event you ask? Basically, it's something like Green Lantern: Ring of Fire, Silver Age, JSA Returns, Girl Frenzy, etc. It's a bunch of one shot issues, usually around five to seven, that are tied together with two bookend issues. Lords of Time, my proposal, is one of these fifth week events.
History
Wait, a minute, who's the bad guy? The Lord Of Time? Never heard of him. Who's he?
In short, the Lord Of Time was an opponent of the original JLA who used time travel to commit crimes. Originally from the year 3786 AD (he later "moved" to the year 1 Billion AD), the Lord Of Time is a master scientist and inventor. His gadget included; a chrono-cube which allowed its user to travel through time, an antimatter sphere which destroyed things, and the dreaded Eternity Brain, a computer-like object that could stop the flow of time.
I'm not going to bore you with the details of the Lord Of Time's escapades, but let me say this: he eventually reformed. After the Eternity Brain almost destroyed the time stream, he decided to give up his villainous ways, settle down, and start a family - by cloning himself. The Lord Of Time cloned himself six sons and one daughter. The six sons embarked on a crime spree of their own, but with the help of the Detroit era JLA, the Lord Of Time was able to stop them. He simply went back in time to prevent his sons' creation.
And here we are today…..
Proposal
Villains, even reformed villains, never learn. They always seem doomed to repeat their past mistakes. Now old and gray, the lord Of Time decides to try cloning himself another son. His daughter is still around, but the old and Failing Lord really wants a son.
This son, named Tempus, turns out no different than the others. After killing his father, Tempus pronounces himself the new Lord Of Time and sets out to make himself ruler of the time stream.
What's the best way to rule the time stream? The first step is to steal the Worlogog, an all powerful map of space-time in the possession of the New God Metron (see JSA #15 for details). Tempus does just that.
The second step? Recruit a group of villains with time motifs to help carry out his plan. To ensure compliance from his followers, Tempus plucks them from the time stream moments before their deaths. Chronos I (David Clinton), Extant, the Time Commander, and others find themselves given a new lease of life, but if they try to double cross him, Tempus will simply return them to their proper place in time. Even currently alive villains must die sometime, so Tempus is free to choose his helpers.
The third part of Tempus' plan? Eliminate his father's enemies, the JLA, and with the Worlogog, it's so easy. By the year 1 Billion AD, most of the origins of the 20th century's greatest heroes are common knowledge. Using the Worlogog, Tempus is able to alter the past so that Batman and Superman never exist. Krypton never explodes and Bruce Wayne's parents are never murdered.
After perfecting his time erasure tactic on the world's finest duo, Tempus begins plotting to do similar things to the JLA's other members. However, the ripples in time caused by Tempus' actions are felt by the hero Hourman who summons the rest of the JLA to help him stop Tempus.
Issues
JLA: Lords of Time #1
Basically, this issue contains all the stuff outlined above, but adds in a few new twists. Tempus successfully wipes out a bunch of the DCU's time travelling heroes. Vanishing Point vanishes. Chronos II is locked out of the time stream - permanently. Booster Gold is prevented from travelling to the 20th century. Time runs out for Rip Hunter's former "Time Masters" teammates.
Hourman and the JLA attack, but soon find themselves overwhelmed by Tempus and his allies. Mounting a last ditch effort, Hourman manages to steal the Worlogog from Tempus. Shattering it into seven pieces before being struck down, Hourman uses his last bit of energy to scatter the parts of the Worlogog throughout time.
Recovering all the parts and re-assembling the Worlogog is the only way to victory for either side. The chase is on as both the JLA and the villains split up to recover the Worlogog pieces! Whoever gets the most will triumph! Which side will be the Lords Of Time?
Lords of Time: Flashback #1
Wally West finds himself transported back in time to ancient Greece - the year 490 BC to be exact! And to make matters worse, Wally finds himself in the middle of the Athenian-Persian War! The startled Athenians believe Wally is an incarnation of Hermes, descending from Olympus to help them defeat the Persians, who are led by Ares, the god of war. Will Wally help win the war? And what of the Worlogog fragment? A speedy Athenian messenger named Pheidippedes1 seems to know its location…..
Lords of Time: Steel Knight #1
John Henry Irons, the hero known as Steel, travels to Arthurian England to find his piece of the Worlogog. But Extant has followed him, and when both find the fragment in the possession of Morgan le Fay, the battle is on! Can Steel and his newfound ally, Sir Perceival of the Knights of the Round Table, defeat le Fay and Extant? And what role will Justin2, Perceival's squire, play in the battle's outcome?
Lords of Time: King of the Seven Seas #1
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, me hearties! Aquaman teams up with the Black Pirate in this high seas adventure! After a Spanish galleon carrying loads of treasure (including the Worlogog fragment) sinks in a shallow coastal area of the Caribbean Sea, every ship's captain in the vicinity wants the treasure. While the Black Pirate and his crew fend off an alliance of pirates led by Redbeard, can Aquaman get to the Worlogog before T.O. Morrow and his futuristic submarine do?
Lords of Time: Sisters and Six Shooters #1
Where is ol' John Tane,3?
Where is Hex's shining gun?
Where is the Roving Ranger?
Where have all the cowboys gone?
In the wild American West, Wonder Woman must figure out where the era's famed cowboys have all disappeared to. After teaming up with Madame .44 and Cinnamon, two of the West's legendary heroines, Wonder Woman's quest leads her to the town of Steam River Gulch - and the Time Commander! Is the Time Commander responsible for the disappearances4? Will the three women fail to stop him just like the men did? And what of the Worlogog?
Lords of Time: Manhunter Time Two #1
The first of our heroes to be transported into the future, J'onn J'onzz finds himself in the year 2079. Tracking the Worlogog fragment to the asteroid base of The Brotherhood of space5 - a criminal cartel of smugglers, space pirates, and con artists - J'onn stumbles into a battle royal already in progress! John Starker, also known as Manhunter 2070, has come to collect the bounty on the head of the Brotherhood's vile leader. Can the two Manhunters put a stop to the Brotherhood's evil doings? Or will Starker turn on J'onn, seeking the reward for bringing in the last remaining Martian? And what is a young detective named Star Hawkins doing snooping about the area6 ?
Lords of Time: Plastic Man and the LSH #1
In the 30th century, Plastic Man runs into trouble when pitted against the Time Trapper! Calling himself "Elastic Lad"7, Plas turns to the Legion for help. Can the Legionnaires stop the Trapper before time runs out on the 30th century? Can Plas find the Worlogog before the Legion boots him out for conduct unbecoming a member? What is this anyway? The Laughable Super Hoaxes? The Legion of Silly Heroes?
Lords of Time: Green Lantern of the Solar Council #1
In the year 5711 AD, Kyle Raynor easily defeats the overmatched original Chronos, but their destructive battle attracts the attention of ….Hal Jordan? Why is Hal in the 58th century to begin with8, wonders Kyle, and why does he think his name is Pol Manning? Kyle must deal with this mystery and find the missing Worlogog fragment! But should he tell the Solar Council of Pol's/Hal's ultimate fate, or do they already know?
JLA: Lords of Time #2
In a story titled "Battleground 1 Billion AD!," our event reaches its startling conclusion! Returning to confront Tempus in his lair, will the JLAers succeed in returning the timeline to normal? Or will Tempus truly become the Lord Of Time? Only by reading will you find out who becomes the Lord or Lords Of Time!
Footnotes
1 - According to historical records, Pheidippedes was an actual Athenian soldier who ran from Marathon, the site of the final battle in the Athenian-Persian War, to Athens carrying the news of the Athenian victory. The distance he ran was 26 miles (42 km), and from that we derive the length of our modern day marathon.
2 - Justin, later Sir Justin, became the hero known as the Shining Knight!
3 - John Tane is the true identity of Johnny Thunder, lawman. Tane is also married to Jeanne Walker - Madame .44!
4 - The Time Commander can move objects or people through time. My thinking is that he simply shifted the cowboys who confronted him to a timeline slightly out of phase with the actual one.
5 - The Brotherhood of Space were the villains in John Starker's two Showcase Comics appearances (#92 and #93).
6 - Star Hawkins' first recorded case takes place in 2079, the year in this issue. Star's relationship to John Starker needs to be clarified once and for all. The two were said to be brother's in Howard Chaykin's "Twilight" miniseries, but I think that's too much of a stretch. Keep 'em unrelated.
7 - After gaining stretching powers, Jimmy Olsen joined the pre-Crisis legion as Elastic lad. The name is just too good to be left laying around unused!
8 - In the 58th century, Earth is ruled by a benevolent government called the Solar Council. This time period has no native heroes, and when crises emerge, the Solar Council brings Hal Jordan out of the past to help them. The time travel method they use (called a timescoop) causes temporary amnesia, and thus, Hal is given fictitious memories and the fictitious name "Pol Manning." Hal's adventures in the 58th century are chronicled in Green lantern (second series) #8, 12, 51, 66, and 137. Salakk, another Green Lantern, assumes the Pol Manning identity in Green Lantern Corps #214 & 215.
David R. Black is Fanzing.com's magazine editor and chief archivist. A big fan of "The Warlord," he has a cat named Shakira and is looking for a girlfriend named Tara....
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© David R. Black
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