DC: The New Frontier #6

Issue Details

Synopsis

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA The Spectre and Doctor Fate are called by the Phantom Stranger to Earth's moon and finds him along with Zatanna Zatara and Billy Batson having a banquet. The two question the Stranger as to why they, including their host, are on the moon rather than face the Centre. Billy Batson explains that given that all five of them are gifted with mystical powers that could stop the Centre, but pointed out the question as to whether their action would actually help the forces of good, or hinder it.   Still the Specter and Fate argue that they are inclined to help humanity, but the Stranger state that they and their contemporaries the Justice Society had their chance in heroism after retiring from "the fickleness of popular opinion," and that a new generation of heroes are needed to guide mankind and are the ones to defeat the Centre. The Specter also question that if the heroes failed in their efforts the Earth would be doomed. The Stranger correctly replied that the Centre only seeks the destruction of humankind, and life on Earth would go on. The Stranger lastly states in having faith for the new heroes.  In Cape Canaveral, Lois Lane somberly gives a television report of Superman's ordeal with the Centre and that his body hasn't been found in the Atlantic despite an extensive search, and is feared to be dead. She also reports that the world's greatest scientists and experts had gathered at the base in planning a stop to the Centre before it reaches the coast. Lois suddenly and emotionally breaks down, ordering her crew to stop filming. Rocky Davis, who is also present, plans on comforting Lois with his charms, but Jimmy Olsen interjects and criticize him as he comforts Lois, stating that she actually loved Superman.   Meanwhile in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne is establishing a joint venture with Lexco in routing their companies' materiel and aircraft to the South Atlantic in a mass evacuation effort. At Arkham Asylum, Dr. Leslie Thompkins frees Adam Strange after previously realizing that he was telling the truth of his accounts and the Centre. Strange travels to the home of Raymond Palmer and tells the scientist that his device in shrinking matter would help against the Centre. Palmer then tells Strange that his device is flawed, but Strange simply reply that it is what exactly he had in mind.   Somewhere in rural Arkansas, Hal Jordan is stranded in a corn field as the saucer's fuel system malfunctioned. Hal then uses his Green Lantern Ring to charge the saucer and speeds off towards Cape Canaveral.   At Canaveral, June Robbins helps to look after a unconscious J'onn J'onzz after he was overwhelmed by the Centre's mental power. King Faraday goes to the base's mess hall for coffee and finds the Flash. He apologize to the speedster for their previous "incident" in Central City, but only to receive a hard punch to the face. Flash then walks out and encounter Adam Strange and Ray Palmer who ask him in looking for Professor Haley in which Flash reply in asking "the jerk picking himself off the floor" for directions.   Faraday introduce Strange and Palmer to the gathered scientists. After hearing of Palmer's matter reduction device and knowing that it is flawed, Will Magnus and Haley then immediately realize that it is their answer.   Outside, Flash vents over his rage and is met again by Faraday. The agent tells Flash in putting aside his grudge and cooperate with him as the scientists have a "wild idea" that involves him with his super-speed. Faraday then ask him of how fast he can go, in which Flash snidely replied, "watch my smoke, G-man."  Challengers Prof Haley and Ace Morgan, and Magnus explains to the gathered heroes, soldiers and airmen the background history of the Centre and propose a two-stage attack on the organism. Ace explains to the airmen that they are to be involved in the first stage in which they are to concentrate a direct attack as a diversion and the Blackhawks will attack the Centre's other side. While it's distracted, bombers are loaded with atomic warheads and are to be sent into the Centre via its main 'exhaust' port and hurt it from the inside-out, and escape from the other side after dropping the payload.   Bart Hawk of the Blackhawks then ask them of why they are doing this giving that many will not survive the assault. Ace explains that the assault and bombing are still part of stage one and leave Prof to explain stage two. Haley then introduce Ray Palmer and the two demonstrate Ray's matter reduction device which shrunk a orange and explodes in matter of ninety seconds, and that utilizing it on the weakened Centre will destroy it for good. Though Ray's device is 'small' to shrink the Centre, Prof introduce the Flash as he will be equipped with Ray's device and will run fast as "the speed of light" on the Centre and exposing every part of the creature's body with the device.   Faraday then announce everyone that it is the only plan they could depend and states, with information from J'onn J'onzz, that the Centre's reason that it appear at Cape Canaveral was because it was going after the base's fuel reserves to aid its journey into outer space, given that the mutant pterodactyl that attacked earlier was a scout for the Centre's fuel, right before exterminating the human race because they are a threat to Earth. Faraday then informs everyone on the base that it is their defining moment in saving the humanity. As everyone prepares to fight the Centre, Hal arrives on time for the battle.   Hal, Ace and Nathaniel Adam are the bombers for the second half of stage one as they fly off with the other jet fighters. Suddenly on the ground the same buzzing sound from before the Centre's appearance appears, only this time it is louder and is coming from the mutant pterodactyl tied on the beach. Its body burst open with countless of mutant dinosaurs as everyone on ground side scramble for battle.   In the air, the fighters assault the Centre while facing off its organic defenses and dinosaurs while the Sea Devils in the sea picks up downed pilots. Also unusual is the large presence of marine life circling the Centre as if they were containing the creature's turbulence. The first half of stage one succeeds as Hal, Ace and Adam enters into the Centre.   Back on the ground, the heroes and soldiers fights off the hordes of the mutant creatures. Jimmy Olsen is almost kill by one of the dinosaurs before being save by a recovered Wonder Woman as she joins in the battle.  Meanwhile, Faraday, J'onn and June tries to find a safe area away from the creatures. J'onn suddenly succumbs to the Centre's mental influence and is changed into a humanoid dinosaur. Faraday tries to tell what left of J'onn's sanity to transfer the Centre's essence into him. This act forces to free J'onn's mind but at the cost of Faraday's life. To the horror of his friend's death and self-sacrifice, J'onn transform into the Martian Manhunter and fiercely fights the Centre's forces and swearing that Faraday will not die in vain.   Hal, Ace and Morgan flies and fight through the Centre, and enters into its core, finding themselves within its mental influence in which each pilot sees a figment of their own personal mentality (from Hal's perspective the solar system) before being disoriented by the Centre's hallucinogenic-like effects.  Under the Centre's psychedelic influence, the creature secretes a thick red fluid upon Nathaniel and Ace's jets that causes them to slowly lose control of their aircraft while Hal avoids the substance with the power of his ring. However, the Centre read through Hal's mind and recognize the ring's weakness to the color yellow, thus creating a hallucination of yellow crystal objects that stun and cause him to lose control of the saucer. Hal undergo a series of mental attacks of remembering his entire life but also strengthening him (such as remembering of Carol Ferris, his act of survival, and his power ring); Hal changes into his Green Lantern attire before escaping from his destroyed saucer. With his head clear, Hal's ring scan away the Centre's illusion and heads in rescuing his friends.   The substances cover and disable Ace and Nathaniel's jets. As it seeps into their cockpit and suffocating them, Nathaniel sacrifice his life by self-destructing his jet along with the warheads, and apparently himself. Despite Nathaniel's death, Hal quickly save Ace and escape the Centre's body before Ace's warheads explodes.   Outside, the Flash begins the second stage, as he races across the ocean and leaps onto the Centre's surface, covering the entire surface on foot with Palmer's device before being extracted by Wonder Woman. Everyone on land sees the Centre is shrinking but notice that its damaged form is still heading towards land; attempting to blow up everyone in the vicinity with it.  Nearby, Hal and Ace floats above as the latter learns of Hal's power ring. Seeing the Centre's lasting action, Hal apologize to Ace and dump him into the sea. On land everyone sees Hal containing the Centre with his ring as he drags it to Earth's orbital atmosphere. While doing this, he is contacted by the Guardians of the Universe, who acknowledge him as a Green Lantern and grants his access to the willpower of his lantern. Empowered, Hal concentrate his will in hurling the Centre away from Earth as it explodes.   With the Centre defeated, the world's collective psyche relaxes and everywhere people celebrate. As many participants in the battle attend a ceremony, Hal celebrates his victory in his own way by pursuing his lifelong dream: flying through space with the aid of his new power ring. During the celebration, Superman is revealed to be injured but still alive, saved by Aquaman (calling himself with his real name as Arthur) of Atlantis, revealing that he and his subjects treated the Man of Steel of his injuries during the battle with the Centre. Superman is reunited with Lois and the rest of the heroes, who are touted so on the front page of the Daily Planet.  This monumental victory and display of teamwork changes public opinion about superheroes, and a montage of various heroes and villains as well as the birth of the world's second generation superhero team: the Justice League of America, set to the titular John F. Kennedy "New Frontier" speech as the world changes into a new era.   The story ends with Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane in the Mediterranean Sea witnessing the JLA battling Starro.