Justice Issue Guide #11

Issue 30:
Psi Unseen

(continued from Psi-Force # 30!)

As Justice attacked the assembled remnants of the Medusa Web and Psi-Force, after having already blasted Wayne Tucker in the back, his first victim after the battle with Rodstvow was struggling to come to his senses. Starting to black out, Wayne vowed that if he was going to die, he would take Justice with him, and just before losing consciousness, he lashed out recklessly with his telepathic powers.

Somehow linking the minds of his teammates with Justice, the five paranormals lost consciousness, leaving the Medusa Web to piece together what had happened. While Potiphar wanted to kill Justice while he was defenseless, Babel overruled his subordinate. After all, they didn't know what just occurred, and Babel was unsure if Justice's death would similarly cause the end of Psi-Force in their current state.

Meanwhile, in Coney Island, Chauncey, Playback, and Shudderbug were exploring the seemingly deserted amusement park. As she investigated the Wonder Wheel, Playback was surprised by the appearance of Figurine, a young woman who was almost, but not quite invisible. Before she could alert the others, Playback was seized by Figurine and dragged underground, where the rest of her compatriots lay in wait.

Elsewhere, the Psi-Force found themselves within Sanctuary, their first home as a team before Rodstvow destroyed it. Eventually realizing that they were all in Wayne's very mind, Thomas Boyd confronted Justice as soon as he appeared, only to be confounded by his seeming control of events as they unfolded there. When violence ensued, Justice pinned Thomas with his shields while he disintigrated Kathy Ling!

Justice went on to explain that after he defeated Daedalus Darquill, another mind controlling paranormal, he spent a month with Nightmask learning how to defend himself against such powers. Thus, in arenas of the mind, his formidability is almost unmatched. To demonstrate, he brought Kathy Ling back with a wave of his hands, before restraining the four young paranormals within an iron cage of his own making.

Outside of Wayne's mind, the Medusa Web returned to the Siberian Project at the invitation of Red Sun's leader, Coojeechiscue. She had promised their safety after they and Psi-Force helped her team finally free itself from the apocalyptic threat that Rodstvow posed. While the injured were treated, Potiphar again argued for the termination of Justice, and Babel again shot his idea down, not knowing what would happen.

Trying them for their crimes, Justice highlighted the time Wayne sacrificed the lives of several bystanders to save himself when he was assaulted by Spitfire. He reviewed one of the many times Thomas exulted in the beating of a foe he'd already defeated, like when he first met Troublemaker. He recalled how directed by Kathy, the Psi-Hawk lifted the Washington Monument and swung it around while battling Rodstvow.

While the others attempted to justify their actions as a desperate battle for survival, an excuse which had some truth to it, Lindsey Falmon angrily disagreed. She exclaimed that she was tired of being shouted down every time the group did something extreme, even if for their own survival, and that she didn't want to become dead inside. She didn't want to become... like Justice.

Her words cutting him deeply, as much as she reminded him of his own daughter, Justice released Psi-Force from his cage. While the others questioned this, Thomas seized the opportunity and lunged at Justice. As he connected with the antihero, the five paranormals suddenly snapped out of their trance, awakening in the Siberian Project surrounded by their allies in the Medusa Web.

Confronting Kathy once she regained her senses, Justice challenged her to see how her telekinesis would fare against him in the real world, but she refused to rise to his challenge. After all, the only possibilities in such a conflict would be either his death or hers and her friends. And after everything they'd been through, Kathy didn't feel like they needed to fight yet another fight at this point.

When asked in turn why Justice didn't bother to kill them, the man simply ignored Kathy's question and stalked off. Annoyed that she didn't seem to rate an answer, Lindsey simply posited that the man had a daughter, and possibly couldn't bring himself to judge them without doing the same to her. Or maybe he just wasn't as powerful as he let on. Or maybe, like Kathy herself had indicated, what was the point of it all?

Issue 30 (Backup Tale):
Psycho Killer

As he hid out in a remote mountain cabin, Dr. Michael Rabinowitz lamented his current situation, how he'd come to be a killer of multiple men. Thinking back, he recalled that he used to be a respected member of the community, a pediatrician who was eager to finally have children of his own with his wife, Veronica. This all changed after the first time he the first time he ended a life, however!

Mugged on his way home one night, Michael's rage and fear boiled over, and he literally felt his soul leave his body! Watching with horror as it washed over his assailant, Michael was helpless as it consumed his very flesh. Though he decided he had hallucinated the whole thing, it happened again the next night, when two vandals trashed his car, only this time his wife witnessed him killing both thugs!

Feeling he was losing his mind, Michael saw a psychiatrist, but his anger at not being believed caused him to kill the man. Fleeing the scene, Michael's rage at obnoxious drivers caused him to lash out and kill them, too. Running away, Michael holed up all alone, where he couldn't hurt anyone else. And that's where the Central Intelligence Agency found him... and offered him a job!

Issue 31:
Under the Boardwalk

In Coney Island, after Chauncy and Shudderbug noted Playback's inexplicable disappearance, the former called in the situation on a nearby pay phone. While Chauncy waited on hold, Shudderbug saw a young woman chase a sheep out from under the boardwalk, though Chauncy was too occupied to heed his warning. Focused on the woman, Shudderbug failed to note the toad-like man following her from below.

He managed to spot Shudderbug, however, and lurched into action. Slinging his stretchy tongue at the man, Horny Toad grappled Shudderbug from the beach, and yanked him down to his level. Dragging him underground, Horny Toad left Chauncy alone on the boardwalk, who only noticed Shudderbug had also vanished once he finished his call. It was at that point that he noted the woman with the sheep.

Seeing her pull a knife, Chauncy started yelling at her, but couldn't stop her before she killed the unfortunate animal with it. Starting to panic, Chauncy pulled his revolver out and demanded that she freeze. His sidearm was suddenly sliced in two, however, the barrel dropping to the ground. Before he could react, Chauncy was seized by Seraph, who simply stated that the Forsaken had been expecting them!

Back in Washington, DC, Angela had been released from the hospital, and was learning self-defense by sparring with a National Security Council trainer known as Ted. Having been trained a bit too well, Angela brutalized poor Ted, biting, stomping, and kicking him until he called her off. Just then, Terrance Updike and Victor entered the room, the former noting how uncannily fast Angela had recovered from her oreal.

Moments later, Justice himself dropped in, having returned from Siberia at long last. After Angela greeted him, Justice let her know that Rodstvow was dead, and that Psi-Force was a non-issue. Updike broke in to let Justice know he needed his help in Coney Island, but Justice wasn't having it. Not having slept in days, he was starting to lose his grip on reality once more, and needed to at least rest a bit first.

Back in Coney Island, the trio of missing NSC agents were being held in a windowless room. As Playback slowly began to panic over their impending doom, Shudderbug took it upon himself to distract her from the situation. He did this by telling a series of morbid jokes tinged with his unique sense of humor, which cracked her and Chauncy up to the point that they momentarily forgot just how much danger they were in.

Nearby, Seraph was confounded that his prisoners were laughing in their cell. Projecting to him from nearby, Judge Mental told Seraph to forget the government interlopers, and to instead find Augur, who he needed for the purposes of prognostication. Storming off, Seraph eventually found the young woman thanks to the assistance of Figurine, though he once again expressed disapproval at her walking around naked.

When he found her, Augur was busy reading the entrails of the sheep she had recently killed to read the near future. Annoyed that she had to kill yet another small animal, Seraph asked her for a final verdict on how the future would unfold. Though she correctly noted Quill was dead, Augur couldn't determine whether Justice or Seraph would die after their imminent encounter, for a random factor was at play.

After he boarded his flight to New York, Justice was distressed to find that Angela had surrepetitiously accompanied him. As she took her seat next to him, the two got to talking once more, not having done so since before Justice journeyed to Siberia to confront Rodstvow. Though he ultimately wasn't happy with how it went, Angela sure was, and she napped soundly as the two made their way up the coast.

Beneath Coney Island, Figurine was walking the halls of the Forsaken's lair when Horny Toad wrapped his tongue around her waist. Slapping him before stalking off, Figurine left Horny Toad to mumble his discontent, at which point he was punched in the face! Questioned by Captain Brooklyn, Horny Toad tried to fight back against Augur's x-factor, prompting the costumed hero to beat him unconscious.

Nearby, Chauncey, Playback, and Shudderbug were escorted from their cell by Jimmy the Geek, who had since joined the Forsaken in New York. Though they mocked him and the proceedings in general, Jimmy nonetheless escorted the trio to Judge Mental, who was prepared to try the government operatives for... whatever it was he thought they had done. Or were going to do. He wasn't quite clear on that point.

Issue 31 (Backup Tale):
Freedom of Depress

Having wanted to corner President Voigt ever since his friend Leaker died with the man's name on his lips, Andrew Chaser leapt at the chance to do so when Voigt's people called him. Sure, he was up hours earlier than he'd have liked, but he'd been digging into the man for months, and wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. Even if the Secret Service men protecting Voigt got more than a little fresh with him.

At the nation's new White House in Denver, chosen as it was upwind of ash falling from the Pitt, Chaser got right to it when prompted to. Asking Voigt what his parability was, the President stated he had the power to know everything worth knowing, and to act on that knowledge. The key word being 'had', as Voigt's power had recently been overloaded and burned out after his brutal encounter with Jacob Burnsley.

Pressed further, Voigt began to rant about paranormal superiority, and how ordinary humans were about to go the way of the dodo. He then smashed Chaser's tape recorder, ensuring his words never left the room - well, both by smashing Pulitzer and threatening Chaser's mother. Thinking him dealt with, Voigt then dismissed Chaser and his inconvenient investigation... only for Chaser to state that Voigt had to be stopped!

Issue 32:
The Big Goodbye

After the boss declined his lunch offer, Victor stepped out of the National Security Council building to grab a sandwich for just himself. Passed by someone who set off his allergies, Victor shrugged and decided to deal with the issue upon his return. Inside, the paranormal Victor ignored introduced himself as Impact, and asked to join the NSC. The receptionist then demanded a demonstration of his power.

Before he could order lunch, Victor was knocked down by the force of a massive explosion across the street, one which completely collapsed the NSC building! Running back to base as soon as the rubble stopped flying, Victor met Impact as he raved, covered in bricks and other rubble. Ecstatic after having leveled the joint, he eagerly asked repeatedly if this meant he was in, a part of the organization.

Elsewhere, making their way to Coney Island in a rental car, Justice couldn't help but marvel at the lack of traffic in his and Angela's way. When he came there with his parents as a child, after all, the place was stopped up by cars stacked bumper to bumper. But now, the road was deserted, and as the two arrived at Coney Island, the complete lack of people was even more glaring than it was before.

Underground, Judge Mental was attempting to run his court in what he considered a dignified fashion, but his prisoners weren't having it. Though he ordered Seraph to execute one of the captive government operatives, Judge Mental's will was interrupted by the arrival of an unanticipated foe, Captain Brooklyn! As he set upon the Forsaken, Judge Mental ordered Seraph to deal with this oddball.

While the Captain was super strong, and possessed steel-hard skin, Seraph was able to easily slice into his chest with his scythe. Stunned at the mortal injury, Captain Brooklyn was helpless as Seraph took a grenade from the Dog O' War, and stuffed it in his mouth after pulling the pin. When it detonated, it pulped his insides immediately, though his nigh-invulnerable skin managed to completely contain the blast.

Amused at Seraph's improvisational execution, Judge Mental ordered the Forsaken to applaud his bailiff. While Figurine ran out of the court room before she lost her lunch, the rest of the Forsaken obeyed the Judge, who ordered Dog O' War and Fireballer to get rid of what was left of the hero. Judge Mental then returned his attention to his captives, and began to ask them all about his foe, Justice.

As the two dug a shallow grave on the beach for Captain Brooklyn's remains, they were interrupted by the arrival of Justice and Angela on the boardwalk above! Leaping at the antihero, Dog O' War was easily neutralized by Justice's shields, and the man then threw his defeated foe at Fireballer, who was still below in the sand. Though he wanted to question Fireballer, Justice kicked him unconscious when his powers flared up.

This only left the Tensens one option, which Angela reluctantly attempted. Turning her power on the loose skin of the Captain, Angela began to ask it what was going on at Coney Island, and whether or not he'd seen their friends. Though Justice couldn't understand what the Captain told his daughter, Angela was able to make it out just fine, and the two then resumed their walk towards the Forsaken's lair.

Nearby, having interrogated Playback and Shudderbug to little success, Judge Mental turned his focus towards Chauncy. The only fully trained government operative present, the Judge figured Chauncy might reveal something more useful than his compatriots, and let slip that Impact had destroyed the NSC building in an attempt to make him lower his guard. Perhaps to glean something by reading his distracted surface thoughts.

When Chauncy reacted violently to hearing his friends and job had literally been destroyed, Judge Mental personally dealt with the man, using his psionic powers to inflict great pain on the G-Man. Before he could push Chauncy further, however, Judge Mental was again interrupted, this time by his own people. Four Eyes, who was on lookout, had apparently spotted Justice upon his arrival at Coney Island!

When he sent a messenger to the Judge's court, its leader then ordered the Forsaken to mob the antihero. They did so, at which point Justice surrendered peacefully, waiting for someone in charge to appear. After stowing his prisoners in the Wonder Wheel, Judge Mental finally came to where his underlings were holding Justice for him, and confronted him for his crimes against paranormals everywhere.

While the Judge subsequently ranted about how powerful he was, and how he was blocking Justice's parabilities, the antihero asked if the man could actually read thoughts if they weren't actively broadcast. When Judge Mental said no, Justice then shot him with a gun he stole Dog O' War, hoping this was the case. Dropping like a sack of potatoes, the Judge fell silent at that, leading Seraph to lose his cool.

Attacking Justice, Seraph tried to put him down once more, and Justice had difficulty with Seraph this time. This because he was also trying to rescue his coworkers and ostensible friends, and was worrying about Angela. While most of the Forsaken were happy to leave her be, Jimmy the Geek was intent on avenging his dignity after she rejected him in Philadelphia so long ago, so he and Horny Toad gave chase.

Taking Jimmy off the board by crashing two cymbals togther next to his head, Angela tried to sock Horny Toad in the face with her new fighting skills, but wasn't nearly strong enough to make a difference. He then lashed out with his distressing tongue, but Horny Toad missed Angela with his sticky widget and struck a carousel as it rotated, causing him to be dragged off by the amusement.

In a life or death struggle with Justice, Seraph flung his scythe at his foe, almost severing his spine. Justice recovered, however, and managed to defeat Seraph by causing him to plummet to his death before the Wonder Wheel. Liberating his coworkers who were being held hostage inside, Justice immediately took Chauncy up on his statement that he owed Justice one, even though it was made mere moments before.

A week later, Justice was settling in at Coney Island. With Seraph dead, and Judge Mental seemingly deceased as well (even if someone stole his body), Justice decided someone needed to help the Forsaken that remained to manage their community. And Angela, once Victor joined her there, also determined that staying was a good idea. Naturally, being in love with her, Victor opted to as well.