JLA Watchtower (Archive)

Degaton's command ship -- a warship appropriated from the Warlords of Okaara -- hovers, like the rest of Vanishing Point, in a temporal "pocket." To do so otherwise would risk sliding into the future ... into the last remaining moments of the universe.

Consequently, the battle outside of his window is happening entirely at one precise instant ... a moment literally frozen in time. Degaton throws back his head. Sometimes temporal mechanics leave even his head hurting.

The soldiers and engineers around him are impassive, but the man himself is pensive, concerned at the raging war.

"How did Hunter raise an army so quickly?" he muses, but no one dares answer, nor does he expect them to. "No matter. Our forces are inside Vanishing Point, and when it is mine, we can execute the last chronal alterations ... stabilize the altered timelines into one coherent series of events. Rewrite history in my image."

HAIL DEGATON! the soldiers shout on cue. And at that, Degaton smiles.

"Yes," he says. "Hail Degaton. ... And if Hunter and his allies win."

He shrugs.

"There's always the backup plan."

There is no cheering at that. Indeed, the soldiers seem chilled to the bone.

Degaton stands at the helm of a ship that travels outside of time. On his viewscreen, thousands of troops, culled from his conquest of the Earth, descend on the outpost called Vanishing Point -- the place where the Linear Men once kept watch over time, interfering in his efforts to shape the world's history. No more.

The Linear Men have fallen. To his knowledge, there is only a token resistance left inside -- members of Rip Hunter's pathetic Forgotten Heroes. They, and the fortresses automatic defenses, are the only thing that stand between him and the power he was born to wield.

"Mekanique," he says to the computer. "Aprise me of the situation."

Resistance at Vanishing Point near-minimal says Mekanique's cold, metallic voice. Three hostiles remain inside the fortress. Assuming one is Rip Hunter. Others unknown.

Degaton nods. That's been his enemies' greatest strength -- the fact that he doesn't knwo who they are, or where in time to find them. Hunter chose well.

"And in the chronal theaters?"

Abra Kadabra is meeting resistance from the 2007 Justice Society. Kent Nelson has been fully activated, but is meeting resistance from the 2007 Justice Society. Target: Ke-Woh-No-Tay located, elimination has been stalled by the 2007 ....

"Justice Society," interrupts Degaton, the words bitter in his mouth. "They shouldn't be in any of those places."

He spits.

"This is Hunter's fault. What of The Witch Queen activation?"

Moving according to plan. Psi-scans complete for subject Jean Loring, subject Gemma Marsters, subject June Moone, subject Zatanna Zatarra, subject Corrine Bertrand. All scans taken between the years 2012 and 2015, with the exception of Loring. Data 2007, scan completed by Chronos.

Degaton nods.

Simulacrum program initiated, downloaded into nanobots. Point of infection in the timestream: Subject: Nabu.

"The Witch Queen virus," says Degaton. They thought it was a person ... a mere human. Magic. But Kadabra taught me things I couldn't possibly have learned on my own. Science so advanced it appeared as magic."

Degaton takes a deep breath, and stares out as his ships bring Vanishing point low.

"How much longer does Kadabra need to stall them before the Fate virus reaches full download? Before we can release you from this limited computer network and into your new body?"

Five minutes.

"Then that's all Kadabra needs to hold out. And then, my Mekanique, my Witch Queen ... all of time will belong to us.

Affirmative.

All Hell has broken loose as the greatest heroes of World War II, The All-Star-Squadron, battle side by side with their greatest enemies, The Injustice Society, against the menace of Wotan and his mind-controlled lackey, Captain Nazi!

Travelling from mere weeks into the future, an injured Per Degaton has bade the Injustice Society to interfere with Wotan's plans ... plans which will allow him to take control of all Earth's magics and, according to Degaton, grind both America and Germany under his heel, murdering the All-Stars and the Injustice Society in the process!

An uneasy alliance formed, heroes and villains joined forces to bring down the cult of Wotan -- a task made harder by Wotan's mysterious magic amulet, which mutes or totally negates all superpowers in his dungeon lair. While speedsters Flash and Johnny Quick, along with the villainous Shade have maintained at least some of their abilites, the rest have been forced to make do with smarts and fists.

The Gentleman Ghost and Sportsmaster have convinced the younger version of Degaton of the truth of their words, hoping his assistance will turn the tide.

The severely damaged Robotman has engaged Wotan's lackey, but how long cna his resolve hold?

And -- with the wicked wizard distracted by Johnny Quick -- Wotan's amulet is in the Flash's reach.

Can our heroes save the day, or will the world soon fall under Wotan's sway?

The Gentleman Ghost and the Shade interrupt the battling All-Star Squadron and Injustice Society with a combination of amusement and deadly seriousness.

The heroes and villains, their powers muted by the magics pemeating the dank dungeon, stop their fighting as the Ghost commands their attention.

"I'm afraid, gentlemen, that we don't have much time. As I said before, you are all in deadly danger, and as they're here, it's time to put aside fisticuffs and to reveal to our All-Star Associates the truth of certain matters."

He beckons for the heroes and villains to follow him.

"Come," he says and as he passes into the light it's obvious that he really is even more translucent then normal. "Your comrades are nearby, and it seems that Dr.Mid-Nite has managed to free them from Wotan's bonds. We must gather them and work quickly!"