Infinity Inc. Annual #2

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE DEGATON PARADOX Mister Bones and Wildcat both bust a drug deal. During the raid, Wildcat is burned by Mekanique, who inexplicably was at the site. Mister Bones fights Mekanique but is clearly outmatched. As Mister Bones takes Wildcat outside, he sees an old man, but the old man runs away scared not seeing that he is running towards a truck. Mister Bones then takes the opportunity and asks the truck driver to bring the injured old man and Wildcat to Sunset Medical Center where Doctor Midnight works as a resident.  Mister Bones tells the Infinitors about the incident and they run a search for Mekanique. Chapel reports that Wildcat's burns were quickly fixed but the old man died at the hospital. In the morgue, Mekanique arrives and inexplicably resurrects the old man who turns out to be Per Degaton. Mekanique then orders Per Degaton to tell her if he remembers everything for fear that his death might have affected his memory. Per Degaton relates to Mekanique what he can recall.   Per Degaton relates that, in 1947, after work as a lab assistant of Professor Zee, he went home and was talking to the head of Mekanique, which was the only thing left after her battle with the All-Star Squadron. Mekanique then asked Per Degaton to take the chrono-crystal from inside her head and insert it in the time machine designed by Professor Zee. Degaton, using a gun, took control of Professor Zee and his lab, and ordered Zee to insert the crystal in the time machine. After inserting the crystal, Per Degaton shot Professor Zee with his gun. The time machine, however, was activated and Professor Zee disappeared into the portal. Before the portal disappeared, Degaton quickly lunged towards the portal as the time machine disappeared. Degaton explained the event to Mekanique the disappearance of the time machine but Mekanique knew that the time machine will reappear on the 100th birthday of Professor Zee, as originally programmed by Professor Zee.   Mekanique plans to wait for forty years for the reappearance of the time machine, and during that time, technology will be sufficient for her and Degaton to recreate her body. But Degaton does not wish to be bound by Mekanique and her love, so Degaton buried Mekanique's head. Degaton then joined the Injustice Society using the inventions of Zee and Mekanique. Unfortunately, their plans were foiled by the Justice Society of America, and Degaton spent most of his years in prison. During his prison stay, Degaton had a change of heart. After being paroled, he dug up the head of Mekanique and reconstructed her body using the money he earned while working for Hank Heywood, who was secretly the retired super-hero Commander Steel.   After Mekanique is assured that Degaton did not suffer any mental injuries, they left the hospital but not before being noticed by Wildcat and Doctor Midnight. Wildcat jumps from her hospital room and follows them.   Somewhere outside the city, Mekanique's hands begin to glow which signals the arrival of the time machine. As Mekanique utilizes her mechano-spatial powers, her concentration was interrupted by Wildcat. Mekanique was about to deliver the killing blow when Doctor Midnight arrival made her miss. Both Infinitors fought Mekanique and was later joined by the rest of Infinity Inc.. Outcome seems to be in Infinity Inc.'s favor especially since Brainwave's mental powers is a match for Mekanique's electron bursts. Fearing capture and imprisonment, Degaton tried to run for it but was blocked by Wildcat and Doctor Midnight. Mekanique ran after Degaton and was able to take Wildcat hostage.   Mekanique was able to take advantage of the situation and she was able to make the time machine reappear. To everyone's surprise, the portal of the time machine opened to reveal the injured Professor Zee who immediately died after being surprised on seeing Degaton. As Degaton began to enter the time machine, he was surprised that another Degaton came out, a younger Degaton. As the young Degaton came out of the time machine, the old Degaton instantly disintegrated. It appears that the young Degaton, using the chrono-crystal disintegrated the old Degaton. Mekanique already knew this and explained that when Degaton lunged towards the time machine portal, he was caught in between and it created two Degatons. One, who was able to enter the time machine and another, who was not able to enter the time machine and lived to the present. And when the young Degaton appeared, the older one disintegrated because two Degatons cannot exist at the same time.   After her explanation, Mekanique tried to reacquire the chrono-crystal from the young Degaton but Degaton refused and showed that he no longer need Mekanique for his plans. Rejected, Mekanique self-destructed, apparently taking Degaton with her.