DC: The New Frontier #3

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD The issue begins with the B-47 prototype suffering a major technical malfunction which is piloted by Kyle 'Ace' Morgan and along with passengers Matthew 'Red' Ryan, Professor Walter Haley, and Rocky Davis. Kyle tries to keep the experimental jet from crashing into the Colorado Rocky Mountains, in the process of leaving a fallen trail of trees and wreckage, and narrowly flying over a mountain. However, the jet spirals out of control causing the aircraft's cockpit to tear open, sending its passengers and pilot flying into the sky...   In the present in Montreal, Canada, Matthew 'Red' Ryan wakes up from a nightmare of that plane accident. Ryan, having been working as a daredevil for a traveling circus following his incident and suffering from an apparent case of survivor's guilt, decides to leave his current career.   Meanwhile in Coast City, in a 'romantic' dinner Carol Ferris offer Hal Jordan the proposal of hiring him to work for her family's corporation during which the two celebrate over glasses of champagne.   In the Colorado Rockies, Red Ryan returns to the site of the B-47 crash site. In his internal monologue, it is revealed that after the accident Ryan and the others miraculously survive the crash. Red then unexpectedly meets with the survivors, and Ace Morgan welcomes him to the "fraternity of Flight 772." The four admit to themselves that they have the same urge and feeling that Red has, and question as to how they survived their fatal crash. Walter Haley then suggests that the others "grab[ing] a beer".   In the rural south of Knoxville, Tennessee a group of Ku Klux Klansmen burn down the home of John Wilson along with his family. After the Klansmen leave, Wilson survives his lynching and, distraught with the death of his family, follows in the direction of the "white triangles."   In New York City, Task Force X frantically runs across the top of the Statue of Liberty to a awaiting helicopter piloted by Rick Flagg. After Jess Bright and Karin Grace are onboard, Flagg orders Jess to draw "that nightmare" out over the city's bay. However, the 'nightmare' revealed to be a giant pterodactyl, bites Hugh Evans' body and carries him away. As Evans dies, the dinosaur saw into the thermite grenades that Hugh carries on his body causing them to explode killing it and it's prey.   After attending Hugh Evans' funeral and paying their respect to their fallen comrade, the surviving members of Task Force X reflect on the pterodactyl they encounter, during which Rick Flagg tells his team of his previous experience on Dinosaur Island.   Back in Tennessee, John Wilson works in a bayou shack house creating a steel hammer...   In California, Hal Jordan drives to Ferris Aircraft and meets Rick Flagg, who is flagging Hal for a pick up as his car broke down. After picking up Flagg, the colonel tells Jordan of Ferris Aircraft (revealed to be an air force base) has a project that is being run by the United States Air Force.   Two months later, Hal is at a water impact training session. It is revealed in writing to his brother that, for eight grueling weeks, he has been going through many exercises with "no discernible pattern" such as being buried alive for two days while being monitored with wires. Hal guesses that he is being inducted into a space flight mission. Also, Hal admits of thinking more about Carol Ferris, and is having a rocky relationship with Rick Flagg who runs over and watches Hal's training. In a break room with his friends, Hal learns more about Rick Flagg and the members of Task Force X: Karin Grace was formerly a nurse during the Korean War and was shot down in her medical plane. She rescued her surviving crew onto the plane's debris but unfortunately she and the survivors were without supplies or food. After drifting for two weeks, Karin was the only one to survive. This took a psychological toll on her. Jess Bright and the deceased Hugh Evans were atomic scientists for the Nevada test sites. During a test where they and five others were in a blockhouse a quarter mile from ground zero, Bright and Evans fearfully abandoned the other five and made it to the minimum safe zone before the nuclear bomb exploded. This incident left the two as be the only ones alive, but likewise they suffered mental problems. Lastly, Rick Flagg was formerly commissioned during the Second World War and beyond to lead convicts and insubordinates in his Suicide Squad who has "nothing to lose" for suicide missions. Despite his present cooled personality Rick possess a massive sense of guilt and loss over the people he lost.   Back in Tennessee, the same Klansmen that killed John Wilson's family burn down a black church and kill the survivors. John Wilson arrives and confronts the Klansmen in his costume, while armed with his steel hammers as John Henry.  In Gotham City, John Jones highly anticipates the science-fiction movie Invasion from Mars as he hopes the film would help him to understand what humans would know about Mars, and watches it at a movie theater. Before watching the movie, John watches a cartoon of Superman while noting how he, an alien, is easily accepted into human society due to his appearance. Later a newsreel of the new superhero team, The Challengers of the Unknown is shown.   The Challengers are those of the survivors of Flight 772 who have dedicated their efforts and abilities "to help protect the people and the planet." After being very impressed with the bravery of the Challengers, John watches the movie. However, after almost seeing the entirety of the movie, John is unimpressed with the movie's B-rated depiction of the "Martian" and its story, causing him to laugh out loud in the theater.   As John returns to his apartment, he suddenly realizes that despite the public's lack of knowledge about Mars, they still possessed their hatred for anything they can't control or understand, leaving him to decide it is best for the world that doesn't know about him. After entering his apartment, John finds the Batman waiting for him. Batman wants to talk. He states that during the 18 months after their bust of the cult that worshiped "The Centre" there has been a steady number of similar incidents happening all over the world: mass delusions and people hearing (violent) voices in their head. John concurs with his investigations and is given a medallion that Batman retrieved from the church cult's leader. From his research, Batman believes that his findings are lacking and John is ideally suitable to pursue the investigation, but that it is not a request. Before he leaves through John's window, Batman tells John that he knows that he isn't human due to his spying and forewarns that even though he can be trusted he will use his weakness (fire) against him if he ever betrays him.   In Washington D.C., President Eisenhower presents Wonder Woman the Congressional Medal of Diplomatic Citizenship in a press conference in front of the White House. Wonder Woman gives her speech to the press, expresses her thanks for the honor she received, and talks about the problems that are happening in Vietnam. However, before she could speak any further, Eisenhower's vice-president Richard Nixon quickly ends her speech and the conference.   Wonder Woman is ushered inside the White House's Red Room and receives advice from Eisenhower about deserving to take a vacation. Wonder Woman wants to talk to him about her experience in Asia but Ike couldn't stay to hear her and only gives her a parable: "old soldiers never die they just fade away."   Meanwhile, Hal Jordan is escorted by Carol Ferris to a bunker. Hal wants to know why government agents such as Rick Flagg are involved with her company. Carol tells him he will find out soon. The two climb down the bunker's hatch and, to Hal's surprise, into a large underground research hangar. Carol leads a greatly amused Hal to Flagg to a debriefing with King Faraday, the head of the Air Force's space project. Faraday briefs with Hal at length about the government's secret...   Following the end of World War II, the Allies extracted German scientists who worked with Germany's rocket programs. The scientists either end up in the United States or in the Soviet Union where they contributed their research for Russia's space program such as Sputnik. This made the United States fearful so the next day, the government decided to disband the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and announce the formation of NASA. Furthermore, Congress also approved the funding for a manned space program.   This program will use Wernher von Braun's three stage rocket prototype in an attempt to put a human into orbit. NASA will select seven astronauts to train for the mission. After cooling down Hal's enthrallment, Flagg further talks about Rick Flagg and Task Force X.   During after the Second World War the Suicide Squad was succeeded by Task Force X after the Squad was killed off on Dinosaur Island. Since then Task Force was structured around two divisions: Argent and the Suicide Squad. Argent was tasked in covert ops, quietly arresting mystery men, villains, communist terrorists, and other elements that threaten America. While the Suicide Squad fills the void left by the arrested mystery men when the paranormal threaten the nation.   And speaking of the "paranormal," Faraday briefs Hal about an event that happened in 1955 that involved a Martian (J'onn J'onzz) who was brought to Earth by Erdel due to a sudden overload of radar equipment throughout the eastern seaboard from Erdel's experiment in receiving radio signals from Mars. He also shows Hal a plaster cast of J'onn J'onzz's footprint at Erdel's observatory. Fearing of a threat from Mars, the government created a secret space program using Ferris as a front for Argent's operation. Flagg's microfilm of Dr. Deiter Teschner's visionary notes (that was recovered from Dinosaur Island) was used to create a formula for a plastic alloy called graphite, making a seamless, lightweight skin strong as steel for the secret space program.   By today, Argent received the go-ahead for the operation, which the project, on Flagg's insistence, named Flying Cloud. And the reason for Hal's involvement for Flying Cloud was to replace the deceased Dr. Evans and to be sided along with Task Force X for the mission.   Hearing this, Hal is discontented and believes that he is to only test equipment for NASA. Faraday points out that this isn't what Flying Cloud's intention for sending a person into space is. Its goal was to travel to Mars.   Meanwhile, John Jones has found the Centre cult's locked book in Gotham Police Department's evidence room. He figured out how to unlock the book as the talisman given by Batman is none other than the key for it. Though some of the texts are varied and unreadable as they're written in languages from different cultures, John could recognize the stories and essays via its images. Largely, the book's content is about a mysterious island (Dinosaur Island) populated by "dragons and monsters." John then reads a recognizable pictograph...   In the ancient past, a young Vyking Prince had led a expedition to map the "great land of the south." However, after two years he fell victim to a mutinous crew. He was cast adrift on his ship's figurehead and left to perish in the sea. For days the Prince was adrift in the sea and awoke to find a mysterious island. Though relieved to be on land his joy was lessened when he was attacked by a dragon (a triceratops). Fortunately the 'dragon' is attacked by another (a tyrannosaurus rex) giving the Prince the opportunity to escape. Despite being trapped the Prince was resourceful. He kills a sea beast (a giant prehistoric sea turtle) in order to use it's shell for the base of his raft. With the sea beast's meat for sustenance and the raft ready, the Prince escaped the island and began his long voyage home.   After finishing the Prince's story, John notices an ornate illustration in the book resembling a "large dark force, so dark it blocked the sun." As John touches the image, he receives an electrical shock. With a fearful face, John realizes that the entity is already here on Earth.