Justice League United Annual #1

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE INFINITUS SAGA PART 1  The Justice League United's headquarters in Moosonee has been invaded by a man from the future who claims that if Ultra is not destroyed, the Legion of Super-Heroes will die. Martian Manhunter attempts to defend the child, but he is repelled. Alanna Strange attempts to stand in between the visitor and Ultra, but she is zapped away by a Zeta-Beam and replaced by her husband Adam. Realizing where he is, Adam shoots at the man, but his bullets are deflected. Finally, Equinox freezes him in a block of ice.  Meanwhile, on the Plexus-6 Pleasure Station, the rest of the team is looking for Hawkman, but all they have found is a bar full of intergalactic bounty hunters. Though they are only seeking whoever it was that stole Hawkman's transmitter, Supergirl is all too eager to brawl, and soon, they are all swept up in a fight. Soon, the bounty hunters are beaten into submission, but no one has answers, until Green Arrow spots someone trying to run away.   Supergirl catches up to the runner and questions him. Nervously, the alien explains that it traded the transmitter for a vid-creds from a Khundian Mercenary. Supposedly, Hawkman's body was being kept on one of the Thanagarian moons, in some kind of temple. The key piece of information, though, is that the priest of that temple was named Byth.   Back on Earth, Adam tries to explain that he won't let the visitor kill Ultra, but halfway through his sentence, he is switched with Alanna again. Martian Manhunter suddenly flies down and knocks the man unconscious, attempting to learn his identity from his dormant mind. He is repelled by Saturn Girl, while Brainiac 5 explains that he, Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl have come as emissaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and there should be no more violence, admitting that his friend Mon-El is a bit of a hot-head.   By way of explanation, Brainiac explains that they have used a Time Bubble to return from the 31st Century. The Legion had faced many threats, but they troubled when they encountered a priority United Planets alert following the transformation of a cosmic anomaly into a tear in the very fabric of space and time. The rift acted as a doorway, and through it came a being called Infinitus. The entity would not communicate, despite its massive alien consciousness. All it seemed to want to do was consume, absorbing planets and civilizations into itself. Within hours, Thanagar and Psion were gone. The Legion sent its heaviest hitters to stop Infinitus before it reached Rann while a rescue squad attempted to evacuate. Unfortunately, Infinitus reacted to the space-team by attacking with Infinity Wraiths. Despite the order to fall back, Shadow Lass was wounded badly. In the meantime, Brainiac 5 had discovered that the energy signature of Infinitus matched the Legion's records on that of Ultra the Multi-Alien. He concluded, therefore, that the child who now cowers behind Martian Manhunter's cape will become Infinitus.   On the moon of Ryngor, Supergirl and company have just arrived thanks to the help of Sardath and the Zeta-Beam. While Animal Man asks a favour of Sardath, Green Arrow takes Supegirl aside to complain of how he was put in charge of this team by the Manhunter, but she had ignored all of his orders earlier. She is part of a team now, and she will have to act like it. Buddy, meanwhile, calls back to San Diego to warn his wife Ellen that he won't be home for dinner again. Grumpily, Ellen reminds that he will miss his daughter's gymnastics competition tomorrow, having promised to be there. Buddy promises to get Maxine a souvenir, and Ellen warns him not to get her another jet-pack. His call is interrupted, though, by the arrival of Byth, who reveals that he has revived and brainwashed Hawkman to attack them.   On Earth, Brainiac offers a deal. He explains that Infinitus was still 36 hours away from Earth when they left, so he is prepared to use 24 of those hours to determine how exactly Ultra becomes Infinitus, and work together to prevent it. If, however, they do not succeed in that time, the rest of the Legion will come back to this time as well, and destroy Ultra at any cost. Suddenly, Green Arrow interrupts via hologram to warn that Hawkman is alive, and Byth wants Ultra. The transmission is cut short when Oliver is knocked back by Hawkman. As the League battles Byth, the terrorist warns that all of this has happened before - but this time he intends to close the loop. He is the priest of the church of the infinite - and they will usher in the new universe to consume all others. Every moment of this experience was per-ordained long ago. The key to his plan, though, is that Ultra must be brought to him. And though Ultra is on Earth, he has sent a Cadre to find him.   As the earth-bound league head out to face the intruders in the snow, Supergirl and the others discover that Byth has opened a doorway in space-time above Ryngor, and intends to bring about the birth of Infinitus.