StoryStory"When Theives Fall Out..."
Editor:Gerry Conway
Writer: David A. Kraft
Artist:Pablo Marcos, Ernie Chua and Vince Coletta
Cover ArtErnie Chua (signed 1976)
Captain Cold
Gorilla Grodd - appears next in issue #8.
Manhunter
Mirror Master I
Sinestro
Star Sapphire II
Hi-Jack - Banished to "Limbo" by the Wizard in this story.
Appears next in Justice League of America #167
The Wizard
Captain Boomerang
Captain Comet
Darkseid
Mantis the Power Parasite
Green Lantern
Kalibak the Cruel - appears next in Adventure #459
Funky Flashman - A charlatan and rogue. Assumes leadership of the
Secret Society in this story. Last seen in Mr. Miracle #6
The Black Racer - Messenger of Death on Apokolips. Last seen in
New Gods #12.
Funky Flashman's various underlings
The issue opens with several members of the Secret Society berating
the Wizard and Sinestro for their lack of contribution in the battle with
Mantis. The two villains scoff at their team-mates, who in turn attack
them. A brief melee ensues and Hi-Jack is banished by the Wizard. The two
villains make a quick escape courtesy of Sinestro's power ring. Before
the Society can pursue them, Manhunter calls for order and preparation
against Darkseid's inevitable arrival.
Shortly afterward, Star Sapphire arrives with Green Lantern. She slips
into ths shadows leading to Darkseid's lair, assuming the Emerald Gladiator
is right behind her. Instead, he is waylaid by Mantis, recovering in the
shadows from his defeat at the hands of the Secret Society. Mantis is badly
depleted of energy and goads Green Lantern into a confrontation. As the
battle progresses, Mantis saps the energy out of Green Lantern's ring,
become more and more powerful. The boastful villain exults that the power
derived from the Oan ring will make him more powerful even that Darkseid.
At such an oppurtune moment, the Lord of Apokolips arrives.
Elsewhere in San Francisco, Sinestro and the Wizard return to the Sinister
Citadel to contact Darkseid. There they find "Funky" Flashman,
a notorious scoundrel who had had dealings with Mr. Miracle. Flashman claims
that he is there to provide salvation from the villains worst foe: their
own reputation. After capturing the villains attention, he begins to make
the villains a proposal...
At Darkseid's hidden retreat, Star Sapphire finds her fellow villians preparing
for battle. When quizzed on her whereabouts, she claims to have coerced
Green Lantern into joining them. As she turns to point him out, the villains
are surprised by Kalibak, standing behind her. A battle ensues, with most
of the villains quickly defeated by Kalibak. Grodd, however, is not so
easily turned aside and he and Kalibak battle across San Francisco. In
a battle of brute force, the two batter each other until Grodd, feigning
defeat, bludgeons Kalibak from behind. Exhausted from his victory, Grodd
too, lapses into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Mantis attempts to defeat
Darkseid using the energy from Green Lanter's power ring. He is easily
humbled by Darkseid, who prepares to dispense of Mantis and finally, the
Secret Society. As Mantis cowers, the Black Racer appears, the entity whose
presence always heralds death!
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