Captain Zammo's tales and art

The Horsell Commons Affair/ A Sarah Jane Drake story

2009-09-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Horsell Commons Affair

Spring brought a burst of sunshine and renewal to London, and not even Sarah Jane Drake was not immune to its effects. On a warm Sunday in early April, she found herself on a walk with an old friend, a Professor she had worked with years before. The man was a walking history lesson; though Sarah Jane sometimes found his version of history a bit different than the accepted versions.

This particular Sunday found the two of them walking on the Southwest side of London, near Woking. "Why Horsell Common, Professor?" asked Sarah Jane, pushing her dark brown locks out of her eyes for the fourteenth time that afternoon. "And particularly, why here? This is a bit off the beaten path."

Indeed it was. The paths had long given way to overgrowth, then dense trees. Here and there, the forest cover had little flecks of red.

Professor John Smith, PhD, Royal Geographical and Historical Society, paused for a moment. His formerly stocky frame was smaller now, his dark brown curls gone grey. He smiled a crooked smile at Sarah Jane and pointed a crooked finger at her. "History is ALWAYS found off the beaten path, my dear. Those signs, those paths, those museums are all part of the official record, yes, but sometimes the truth is covered up. Or in this case covered over." He moved his walking stick a bit, uncovering a length of barbed wire. A wooden sign drooped from the wire and Sarah could just make out the warning.

"Do not cross this line, under the orders of Colonel Adonijah Washburne, Queen's Royal Regiment, Second of Foot. August 29 1898." Sarah paused a moment. "Do you think that order still stands Professor?"

"It's never been rescinded to my knowledge, Sarah Jane. But then I've never been one to listen to the rules of others, now have I?" His gray eyes twinkled with mischief as he pressed the wire to the ground. "After you, my dear?"

Sarah smiled and crossed the wire. "I really shouldn't you know, Violating a military order is grounds for having my license pulled." She looked at the thick brush then decided she was all right. "But I doubt they'll be too harsh on a trespasser. Besides, you've piqued my curiosity."

The professor stepped over the wire and lifted his stick. "This way," he said, setting a brisk clip across the brush. Sarah Jane hurried behind him, not noticing the burn marks on the back of the sign. She would have fallen into a deep hole had the professor not stopped her with his walking stick.

"Mind the Gap, Sarah Jane," he said affably.

"We came out here to see a hole?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Not just any hole, my dear. This hole is all that remains of the great Martian Invasion of 1898." He held Sarah Jane's gaze with a serious stare.

Sarah Jane couldn't stifle her laughter. "Oh come now Professor. Surely you don't mean...I mean you couldn't possibly...but that's preposterous!"

"Can you imagine the terror, Sarah Jane? The large Heat Cannon rising up out of the pit; cutting down the constabulary and the soldiers? The panic as the people fled, fearing for their very lives? It was real, Sarah Jane. Just a little creative accounting to justify it in the books, to broom it all under the carpet.

"Remember what I said about official and unofficial histories Sarah Jane? The official history is that nothing happened. The government covered it all up. Thousands dead, most of the war machines destroyed, the Empire nearly fell. And it's all the stuff of a popular fiction."

"You mean its all the stuff of HG Wells," Sarah Jane retorted. "Professor, it makes absolutely no sense. If Wells wrote about it as fiction, then how can you stand there and say it's fact? After all, it was over one hundred years ago."

The Professor studied the hole once more. His chest rose and fell heavily, as a great weight was unburdened from inside. "I know because I've been working on the cover up for fifty of those years. I've been part of the Mercury Radio Project, which has been working to uncover and reverse engineer these weapons. Remember when I said most of the war machines were destroyed? National security demanded it. But it also demanded a defense. Our purpose was to develop them both as offensive weaponry and defenses against them. Why do you think we changed from a steam economy to an electric one?"

"WHAT?" asked Sarah Jane, incredulously. "In all these years you never once mentioned it to me. Why now? Why today?"

"About three weeks ago one of my colleagues, Roger Ainsley was found murdered just outside his home. He was still in his auto, but his computer and papers were missing. The Metropolitan police and the Mercury Radio Project security have both investigated, and concluded it was likely a murder to commit robbery. But the computer hasn't turned up anywhere yet."

The Professor fumbled in his coat pocket, and pulled out a press clipping. "Then yesterday, I saw this in the evening Standard."

Sarah Jane took the press clipping and quickly scanned it. "The Carthoris Corporation announced a breakthrough today by demonstrating a sonic device capable of shattering stone at a range of 100 yards."

"Don't you see, Sarah Jane? The Carthoris Corporation has Martian technology. Those big machines were Tripodal in nature. We had almost made the breakthrough on controlling them when Ainsley died. I'm certain that the patent that Carthoris is seeking should properly come to the Ministry of Defense, and under strict classification. But without breaking secrecy laws and my oath to the nation, I can't accuse them."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" asked Sarah Jane. "I can hardly waltz into the company and inspect their most secret documents."

Professor Smith's face fell. "Then we've lost it all. Ainsley had a complete overview of the War Machine in his files, and now, those are gone. The nation is now at risk from both Outer Space and potentially hostile nations. Ah well, perhaps it was time for the great coverup to come to an end."

Sarah studied the crestfallen face of her friend. "I didn't say I wouldn't do it, Professor. Just that it wouldn't be easy. How long do I have?"

"About one week, Ms Drake. You'll need to get the plans or destroy anything they may have done already."

"Professor, you can't expect me to waltz merrily into a high security place like the Carthoris Corporation," Sarah said indignantly as the pair walked out of the dense thicket. "And even if I DID manage to get in, what could I do in there?"

"You're an investigator aren't you? Investigate! There must be something linking them to the death of Roger Ainsley."

Sarah Jane knew that tone of voice well. Despite her better judgment, she also knew she'd not prevail against the Professor's determined will. "All right then," she acquiesced. "Then how are you going to get me in there?"

The Professor led Sarah Jane to his small Audi wagon. He opened the passenger door and rummaged in the glove box. "Here," he said, handing Sarah Jane a thick envelope. Inside were credentials, indicating Sarah Jane was a security consultant from the Ministry of Defense.

"Where did you get this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh don't worry so, Sarah Jane. It's all perfectly legitimate. After all, I still work for the ministry; so it's only natural that my security consultant do likewise. I ran it past Brigadier Gordon, and he agreed I needed an assistant and bodyguard. How did he put it?...Oh yes 'Smith, you're far too valuable an asset to be left unescorted, so I'm assigning you a bodyguard.' "

Sarah Jane giggled at the Professor's impression of his superior. "Yes but I'll wager he didn't count on me?"

"Well he DID say I could have anyone. He might have indicated from the staff security team, but you know I sometimes have trouble hearing. Anyway, Carthoris has their public demonstration in Manchester Tuesday morning. But we members of the Ministry get to come in first for a private look see, tomorrow afternoon. Would you care to join me?"

Sarah felt the tension leaving her shoulders. "All right Professor, as long as I don't have to answer anything more than A level science. I'll pick you up though, I'm not too trusting of your car."

Later that evening, Sarah Jane skimmed through HG Well's classic The War of the Worlds. The novel was still as gripping as it had been when she was 11, and reading it for the first time. But the description of the cylinder on Horsell Commons drew her eye, and for the first time she imagined it in the crater. "That thing must have been MASSIVE" she thought to herself. Well at least I know it won't be easy to hide." Satisfied with that comment she turned to the computer for a long look at Carthoris.

The Carthoris Corporation was started by an elusive John Carter, shortly after the Second World War. It had been a metallurgical operation at first, turning out precision knives, medical implements and high quality castings for many applications. But over the years, it had grown, and pursued more military applications. The company was still privately held, did not trade on the markets; and it appeared that Mr Carter was still firmly in command.

"If that's true, he must be nearly eighty now," figured Sarah Jane. There appeared to be no recent photographs of the elusive owner, however, and the estate house was on the grounds of the factory.

"Curiouser and curiouser," thought Sarah Jane. "I wonder what he's hiding? Or if he'll even appear tomorrow?"
*****

Monday broke, and Sarah Jane drove her Mercedes 350 to the office for an early start. After shuffling some papers and paying some bills, she stretched and straightened her business pantsuit. The new suit was dark, coloured in charcoals and greys, but a white silk blouse added a bit of brightness and femininity to the look.

Sarah Jane pulled up to the Professor's flat and was met by a uniformed Sgt Major. "Sorry Ma'am, but I need to see your credentials," he said.

Unfazed, Sarah handed over both her PI license and the Security credentials Professor Smith had given her the previous afternoon. The soldier took them, studied them, then smiled. "Ahh, the sly old dog. I'll bet he hand picked you for this assignment didn't he?" He handed Sarah Jane her credentials, then waved at the front door. The door opened and Professor Smith trundled out, very annoyed at the attention.

After he'd climbed into the car and buckled his safety harness, he told Sarah Jane to drive.

"My goodness," she said. "Is it ALWAYS this secure?"

"No," grumbled Professor Smith. "But the Project is taking the threats a bit more seriously now."

"Threats?"

"Death threats. Against me, against the Brigadier, against the facility. Someone has broken through the Mercury Radio project, and even scored a major blow against our computers."

"Was anything essential lost?" asked Sarah Jane in a worried tone.

"No, our main database is too well encrypted for mild hacking." The professor sighed and slid back against the leather seat. "But it did wreak havoc with our messenger and outward facing systems. Shaw was none too happy to have to rework the systems I tell you. But Gordon upped security on all of us. You're only here because my vouching of you was firm."

They continued the drive in light banter, both of them working out their nerves on the way to Manchester. Finally though, Sarah Jane brought the sedan to a halt at a security gate outside the Carthoris Corporation. The guard duly tallied them on his sheet and waved them through.

The Carthoris Corporation was a large stone building, crafted in some reddish stone Sarah Jane had never seen before, and with a very unique and distinctive architecture. They walked into a long, cool atrium, lit by several windows and found the small auditorium where the initial tests were to be performed. They found seats near the front, where the Professor could badger if necessary.

Professor Smith found a seat toward the front of the auditorium, and Sarah Jane grudgingly settled in beside him. She had a hard time following the mathematics, though Professor Smith seemed intrigued. He nudged her once, saying, "Those are Quatermass' equations, though I don't see how they can possibly apply here." Sarah Jane just nodded politely and Smith took it as agreement.

But when they wheeled a large device on the stage, both Sarah Jane and Professor Smith sat up. "That's a direct copy of the heat cannon," hissed Smith. "Those villains stole it!"

"Calm down, Professor," warned Sarah Jane. "Isn't it possible they've been working on a similar device? After all, Wells' book can be had in every bookseller in London."

"An exact duplicate?" growled Smith. Still he sat still until the young looking technician stepped to the podium.

"Thank you all for coming this afternoon. My name is Jed Taran. We at Carthoris Corporation take pride in revealing to you our newest device, a heat cannon." There was a general titter in the crowd, and a few people were overheard shouting, "That's nothing but a folly of science fiction."

But Sarah Jane could sense the tension in Professor Smith's arm as he gripped the rest between them. She saw the veins in his neck pulsing through the skin.

Taran motioned and a large block of airplane titanium was wheeled in. "This is titanium," he explained. "Imagine the heat cannon being used against it." Taran pressed a switch and the heat cannon warmed up, then a bright, red beam shot from the nose of the cannon, striking the titanium plate. The plate glowed red, then the beam broke through, shooting into a large log and igniting it. Taran flipped the switch and turned to the thunderous applause of the audience.

"FRAUD!" shouted Professor Smith. His face was beet red with rage. Before Sarah Jane could restrain him, the professor leaped onto the stage and caught Taran by the sleeve of his lab coat.

"No one should be able to do that!" shouted Professor Jones at the stunned young scientist. "We haven't been able to do that of over 100 years! It's only recently we've been able to make the breakthroughs!"

"Unhand me sir!" said Taran, indignantly. "Security!"

Two armed guards came running toward the stage at the same time from opposite sides of the room. The Professor paid them no mind as he continued to assault Taran. "Tell me how you did this! Tell them how you killed Ainsley!"
Behind him, a security guard brought a ton-fa down on Professor Jones' bare cranium. The professor slumped to the floor, unconscious. Sarah Jane leaped from her seat. It had all happened so quickly.

"Oh, please don't hurt him," she said.

"Who are you madam?" asked Jed Taran. "And who is HE?" Taran added, jerking a thumb at the prone form of Professor Jones.

Sarah reached for her purse, aware of the hands reaching for guns. "It's just my id," she said calmly and unhurried. Sarah Jane handed the two pieces of id to the gurad and he stared intently at it.

"Sarah Jane Drake, Ministry of Defense and Professor John Smith, Ministry of Defense, scientific advisor?" He studied the pictures once more, then handed the id's to Taran who glanced at them and handed them back to Sarah Jane.

"All right, we've seen the bona fides, but that still doesn't answer why Professor Jones just attacked me."

"Can't we get him some medical attention first?" asked Sarah Jane. "I promise I'll fill you in." Taran nodded and a small gurney was wheeled into the room. Professor Jones was trundled onto the gurney and wheeled out. Taran took Sarah Jane to a small commissary and sat her at a table. A moment later he returned with two coffees and an assortment of creamers, sugar and other sweeteners.

"He's a bit high strung," began Taran.

Sarah added two packs of Splenda to her coffee and smiled. "I think he's allowed. One of his friends was murdered, and his life's work was compromised. He was working on something similar to your heat cannon. I think the similarities had him convinced that the Carthoris Corporation had something to do with the death of his friend."

Taran sipped his coffee, and Sarah studied the young man. He seemed to be in his early thirties, with a thatch of dark brown hair and a boyish smile. By his blinking she could tell he was wearing contacts, though his vision seemed rather acutely focused on her chest. "So where is Professor Smith?" she asked.

"Hmm?" asked Taran, a bit embarrassed. "Oh he's in the medical bay. I imagine Dr Sullivan will be about finished with him now. Shall we go see?" Sarah Jane agreed and Jed Taran escorted her through the hallways toward the medical section. She noticed very exotic art and some interesting red plants growing in the window ledges.

"What are those?" she asked.

"Oh they're good luck plants from my part of the world. Quite exotic really," grinned Taran, giving nothing away. As they passed closed office doors, Sarah Jane took careful note of her way through the building. Presently they reached the medical bay.

"There you are, right as rain," smiled Dr Sullivan. Professor Smith had a small plaster on his head, but otherwise looked all right.

"Are you all right, Professor?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Quite, Sarah Jane. Dr Sullivan worked all sorts of wonders on my wounded noggin!" Smith tapped the side of his head. "Yes sir, better than ever."

Sullivan flashed an embarrassed smile. "All I did was apply a bandage and some aspirin. Most healing is in the mind you know."

"Well we've taken enough of your time," apologized Sarah Jane. "Come on Professor, you promised me a roast beef at your club tonight."

"I did? Well, a promise is a promise. Let's go Sarah Jane."

Sarah rolled the Mercedes back onto the roads and headed back from Manchester to London. On the drive, Professor Jones was transcribing his thoughts to the Mercury Radio project via his cell phone. Sarah was focused on the rad and wasn't paying too much attention, but it sounded like the professor was a lot calmer than he had been when they first saw the demonstration.

They were about 30 miles out from the city when the Professor began gasping. Sarah noticed the sweat pouring down his face and saw him unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie. "Professor? PROFESSOR!!" The professor was fumbling for his cell phone and it slipped from his hand, landing near Sarah Jane's left leg.

She scooped it up with a rapid movement, then hit redial. "Radio Mercury, what's your pass code please?" said a pleasant voice.

"I don't have a bloody pass code," said Sarah Jane.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but this is a high security installation, and we don't have time for prank..."

"I"m Sarah Jane Drake, the assigned body guard for Professor John Smith. The professor is having a heart attack. Now get me someone I can give information to." Sarah calmed her breathing, eyes on the road rather than the professor. Presently a gruff voice got on the line.

"This is Brigadier Gordon," he said.

"This is Sarah Jane Drake," Sarah repeated. "Professor Smith is having a heart attack."

"Good God, woman! Can you bring him in?"

Sarah Jane looked at her passenger. His skin was turning grey. "I don't think so," she said. A blue sign with an "H" loomed in front of her. I'm right at St Alban's on the northwest side of London. I'm taking him in there."

"All right Ms Drake. But don't leave until we're there to relieve you, please?"

"I couldn't possibly leave the Professor, Brigadier. I'll be here." Sarah Jane shut off the cell phone and pocketed it. She turned the wheel and pulled into the emergency section of St Alban's hospital. "I have a heart attack victim!" she said, bursting into the ER.

The doctors bustled and soon Professor Smith was placed on another gurney, wheeled out of sight. Sarah was soon buried in admission paperwork, worrying about the fate of her friend.

Sarah waited anxiously as the crash team carted Professor Jones into the ER. "Sorry ma'am you can't go any further," an orderly warned as Sarah Jane attempted to go through the heavy double doors to the Emergency Ward. "Why don't you wait in the commissary or there's a chapel?"

Sarah Jane scowled and sat in the waiting room. An aide with a clipboard prodded her for information until Sarah Jane barked at her. "Look, I don't KNOW the answers--I'm only his driver!"

"Well excuse me!" said the aide and she waddled back to the station.

Chastened, Sarah Jane rubbed her head and replayed the events of the previous day. The rumbling in her stomach reminded her she was hungry. She slipped down to the commissary and ordered a salad and iced tea, then sat to eat. The food did her good, and Sarah's mood and optimism began to return.

As she returned her tray to the conveyor belt, she was suddenly flanked by two large men in dark suits. "Yeats and Benton, ma'am, with the Ministry," said the tall man with a roguish smile. "Would you come with us please? The Brigadier would like to speak with you."

Sarah accompanied the two gentlemen down the hall, and was surprised to find them turning toward the chapel. "Oh no!" she said. The door opened and Sarah Jane saw the room was empty, except for a grizzled man in a wheelchair. He turned to Sarah Jane and harrumphed.

"Well don't just stand there with your mouth open. You'll swallow a fly like that! I'm Brigadier Gordon, in charge of the project." Sarah sized the man in the chair up. He was built like a barrel, and there was no doubting his physical power would be great. His hair was a dark grey, and his suit was almost a match for it. The Brigadier exuded an air of authority about him.

"I'm..."

"You're Ms Drake, John's bodyguard and babysitter." The brigadier eyed her up and down and Sarah Jane felt a bit uncomfortable at the close and unwarranted inspection."

"It appears Smith made a good choice. You're well toned, not overly muscled. I daresay you've got a healthy workout routine. I guess I can forgive him for overriding my authority," he sighed. "Again," he added.

The Brigadier motioned for Sarah Jane to sit on the front pew, and she did so.
"Now fill me in on the day's events."

In concise fashion, Sarah Jane recounted the demonstration at Carthoris. The Brigadier didn't interrupt, merely nodding his head and following her narrative.
As Sarah was finishing her tale, Yeats stepped into the chapel.

"Sir, Professor Smith is asking for you. He's going to be OK."

"Thank heavens!" said Sarah Jane, along with the brigadier. They stepped toward the ER, where the Doctor stopped them.

"The professor is resting--so please do not get him excited. "Brigadier Gordon, Ms Drake, he was asking for both of you. If you'd step this way?" The doctor led Sarah Jane and the Brigadier to a private room, with a military guard.

"Just a security precaution, Ms Drake," said the Brigadier. Professor Smith was laying in a hospital bed, with an oxygen mask covering his face. Sarah was shocked to see how weak he looked. But the Professor smiled when he saw Sarah Jane.

"Good show old girl," he said. "I told you we were on the right track."

The brigadier looked at Sarah Jane with a quizzical expression. "What does he mean?"

Sarah Jane smiled. The professor is convinced that Carthoris stole your designs."

"What do you think?" asked the Brigadier.

"I think that they've been working on a similar design. I've seen it happen a lot in industrial security. Company A develops a new product, only to find Company B has developed an almost identical device. Satellite Radio for example. or the different types of digital recordings."

"Wouldn't that confirm at least industrial espionage? Does the Mercury Radio project have a mole or a leak?"

"I don't believe so," said Sarah Jane. "Usually its just a product of two highly trained minds working down similar pathways."

"But the possibility remains," said Smith weakly.

"Excuse us a moment, Smith," said Brigadier Gordon. He motioned Sarah Jane out of the room and followed her. In the hallway, he said, "I trust you know you're on very thin grounds here, Ms Drake. If anything gets out regarding the Mercury Radio project, or the invasion; well lets just say the penalties for violating the official secrets acts are very grave indeed."

Sarah Jane let the words sink in, carefully considering her reply. "I think I understand Brigadier. You'd like me to go home and forget this ever happened."

"Precisely Ms Drake. Nothing untoward happened. Your good friend and mentor Professor John Smith had a heart attack, and you brought him to the hospital. Nothing more."

Sarah Jane nodded, opened her mouth, then closed it. "Tell Professor Smith, I'll visit him tomorrow." She turned on her heel, then left the hospital. She slipped into the car, painfully tired and aware of the lateness of the hour

Back on the nearly abandoned freeway, Sarah proceeded toward her Croydon home. She checked the mirrors and noticed two non-descript dark sedans following her at a not quite discreet distance. One sped up and passed Sarah Jane and she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't being tailed.

Sarah Jane relaxed for just a moment until she saw the front sedan slamming on the brakes. Shocked, the sexy detective hit her own brakes, and felt the Mercedes go into a skid. Sarah Jane turned her wheel to the left, and felt the bone jarring crunch of the second sedan hitting the rear end of her car. Sarah Jane shrieked as the Mercedes rocked, then dropped off the berm. He car steadied itself but slammed into a large maple tree, Sarah jerked forward, but her forward progress was stopped by both the air bag and the seat belt.

She sat back woozy, and trembling. From behind her she could see the bright red and blue lights of the police car looming up behind her. "Thank goodness," she thought. Moments later, though, she was having second thoughts."

"Ma'am are you all right?" asked the police officer.

"I think so," said Sarah Jane. "Though my head seems to be a bit sore."

"Have you been drinking tonight Ma'am?"

"What? No! I'm coming home from St Alban's hospital. I left my friend Professor John Smith there. He had suffered a heart attack and I took him to the nearest hospital." Sarah Jane gave him all the information, including being run off the road.

The officer wrote it all down, then called the incident in over his radio. A moment later, he replied. "It all seems to check out Ms Drake. I'll have a breakdown lorry here in a few minutes. He waited with Sarah Jane until the truck appeared, then tipped his cap.

"I've put out a bulletin for the two sedans Ms Drake, but I doubt we'll find them. No doubt a couple of young punks out for a joy ride. But I'll make certain that if we gat anything on them you'll know." Sarah Jane thanked the officer, then climbed up into the cab of the breakdown truck.

The driver dropped Sarah Jane at her home, then said, "If you'll call down tomorrow, Ms Drake, we'll have a driver drop off a rental to you. I'll have my lads call with an estimate later in the day if that's all right with you?"

Sarah Jane stifled a yawn. "I...That will be fine, thank you!" She found her key and let herself into her townhouse. Kicking off her heels and slipping out of her black dress, Sarah Jane climbed into bed, exhausted.

Sarah Jane Drake awoke, uncertain if the ringing was in her head or coming from the front door. Deciding it was the latter, she slipped into a pair of tight blue jeans and slipped a bathrobe around her bare breasts, then ambled barefoot to the door.

The ringing stopped when Sarah Jane began fumbling with the locks. Swinging open the door, she beheld a large swarthy man, with a dark pallor to his face and an affable smile. He held a clipboard in one massive hand and in the other hand a the ballpoint pen seemed almost delicate.

"Ms Drake? I'm Tarkas vrom de car rental. Here is beink your rental car. Come mit please!" Curious about the strange accent and the prompt service, Sarah Jane followed the man outside and saw a silver Mercedes, very similar to hers, sitting in the parking space.

"There must be some mistake," protested Sarah Jane. "My insurance would never pay for this much rental."

"Is no mishtake...is Mercedes!" said Tarkas, pointing at the familiar logo. And bill approved for two weeks by..." he studied his sheet, "Stewart Gordon." Tarkas harrumphed, billowing his big mustaches.

"The old darling," Sarah Jane smiled and took the proffered clipboard. After signing the contract, she exchanged it for the keys to the car.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" observed Sarah Jane.

"Yes! I'm from Leister!" protested Tarkas. He laughed, and Sarah Jane could see massive muscles rippling beneath the coveralls Tarkas was wearing. "But yes, am Immigrant. Brave soldier at home, then regime was...how you say, deposed. Came here many years ago. Speak English good, no?"

Sarah Jane covered her smile with an polite nod. "Indeed you do."

"Well, be seeink you," said Tarkas cheerily. Then he paused. "Excuse. I hate to be troublink you but is no one to take me back to car lot. Would you...?" he asked sheepishly.

"I'd be delighted," said Sarah Jane. "Please, give me a moment though. She invited Tarkas to her living room, then slipped back to her room and quickly changed. Sarah slipped into a clean rugby shirt and slipped into some comfortable sandals. She ran a brush over her thick, dark hair, smoothing down the flyaways and contemplating a new haircut.

Five minutes later though, a somewhat refreshed Sarah Jane Drake followed Tarkas once more to the waiting Mercedes. She climbed into the driver's side and buckled her harness snugly around her. Turning the key, Sarah Jane smiled as the motor roared to life, then settled into the satisfying, growling purr.

Tarkas provided terse, concise directions, and in no time, Sarah Jane was dropping him at the lot. "Hmmm, Dejah Motors. I don't recall ever seeing this place before," she said.

"Is new, maybe six months?" said Tarkas proudly. "Is named for former ruler of my land. My thanks to you Ms Drake, for bringing me back, and happy motorink!" Tarkas exited the car and waved before going back toward the offices. Sarah Jane proceeded up the boulevard until it intersected with the cross street to her office.

Tarkas watched as Sarah Jane drove away, his mustaches bristling. Looking down at his watch, he spoke softly, "She is away. Observation devices are all operational now."
*****
Sarah Jane heard the pea gravel crunch under the tires as she pulled into the parking lot of her converted cottage office. She was grateful that she hadn't converted the small bathroom. Dropping her purse and keys on the desk, Sarah stepped into the bathroom and out of her hastily attained attire. She slid into a hot shower and felt some of the muscle tensions from the previous night begin to slip away.

As she was showering, a small device rose menacingly from her handbag. A small sphere on spindly legs crossed the floor utilizing a unique tripodal ambulation. It pulled itself behind Sarah Jane's' filing cabinets, hiding itself. Wit deft motions, the little robot cut into and spliced itself into Sarah Jane's telephone line and internet cable. It gave a little bleep when its task was completed and began its waiting.

"Is someone out there?" asked Sarah Jane from the bathroom. She stepped into the office, glancing around. Satisfied nothing was amiss, she padded across the thick plush carpeting in her bare feet, reveling in the soft feel of the carpet. Sliding her feet underneath her desk, Sarah Jane sighed contentedly. Bare feet were one of the joys of Sarah Jane's life, though she generally preferred the cool tile or moist grass.

After handling the morning's tasks, Sarah Jane picked up the phone to call Brigadier Gordon. She used her photographic memory to recall the number from Professor Smith's telephone. When the Brigadier came on line, Sarah Jane beamed over the phone, "Thank you so much for the expensive car rental. I don' t know how you knew about the accident, but it's much appreciated."

"What the devil are you talking about, Ms Drake," answered a confused Brigadier Gordon.

Surprised herself, Sarah Jane recounted the previous night's events, ending with Tarkas arriving with the Mercedes. "And he said it was paid for by Stewart Gordon," she said. "I assumed it was from the Mercury Radio group."

"Now why would I do that?" asked Gordon. "There's a budget minded minister overseeing almost every expenditure. I have to get requests for office supplies and staples done in triplicate. We have to account for every pound. I certainly can't be giving it away; especially for rental cars to unofficial bodyguards.

"Now on the other front, there's good news. Professor Smith has been evaluated. His heart attack was relatively mild and he's expected to make a full recovery. You did capital work getting him to the hospital so quickly. We've had him moved though, security precautions you know."

"Where is he now?" asked Sarah Jane.

"We've moved him to our sickbay for now. Can't have him sneaking off again, now can we? Why don't you drop by in a few days and visit? I'm sure he'll be ready for guests by then. He's already beginning to pester the nurse for a laptop to continue his work."

Sarah Jane smiled, knowing that the brigadier was probably not exaggerating. She agreed to come down and rang off. Fumbling in her purse, she found the invoice for the breakdown truck and checked with them. Finally, she called the metropolitan police to see what needed to be done regarding getting her accident report. After those two calls, though, an uneasy feeling gnawed at her gut.

There was no record of Sarah Jane's accident with the police, and the towing company had no record of a truck in her vicinity all night.

She forced herself to sit still long enough to record her notes from the day before, storing them in her computer. Frustrated, she then made herself pay bills, then made a pot of coffee and settled in at the computer for a more intense research study on Carthoris. She added terms to the search, broadening it to include the Mercury Radio Project, HG Wells, and Brigadier Gordon, looking for any connections.

She wasn't half surprised to discover a link between Mars and Carthoris, as well as a similar connection with John Carter. Sarah Jane sat back from the computer, and rubbed her eyes, realizing the lateness of the hour. She looked at the notes she'd scribbled all afternoon.

"Brigadier Gordon, Heat Cannons, Tarkas, Wars of Worlds, Carthoris and a warlord from Mars. Even Mars itself! This all adds up to a military and dangerous situation. There is definitely something more going on here than industrial espionage." Still she remembered the Brigadier's warning about the secrets act.

"But he didn't say I couldn't investigate my own accident," she said. "I can't believe this isn't all related somehow. And I think the place to begin is Dejah Motors."

Sarah spent a busy morning at her office, catching up the case files and reviewing her notes from the visit to Carthoris. She had the uneasy feeling she was being watched however, despite being alone in the office all day. Finally, though she decided enough was enough. She forwarded the telephone, locked the office and headed back out to the rental car.

Sarah drove back toward her flat the way she'd come that morning. As she passed Dejah Motors she was surprised at how little activity was actually occurring. The car lot took up a whole block's worth of space, but there were very few cars actually for sale and no customers. She drove on home, stopping only at the grocers to get the ingredients for a simple dinner.
After cleaning her apartment and doing dishes, Sarah Jane zipped up a dark hoodie over a white tank top. A pair of tight black lycra pants hugged her waist and thighs, framing her body like an inky silhouette. She laced on her running shoes and clipped a small light to her waist. In the dark streets, her dark outfit would not stand out, and Sarah Jane didn't feel like getting hit by any cars tonight.

She stepped out onto the pavement and stretched briefly, warming up, then headed east down the route laid out by Tarkas earlier that morning. Sarah set an easy pace; her run had more purpose than just exercise tonight. She jogged up about 1 mile, then angled over past Dejah Motors. The building sat dark. Sarah noted the security cameras set up around the perimeter in the front of the building, as well as the high fence that separated the car lot from the convenience store in the back. Without breaking stride, Sarah passed along the side of Dejah Motors, then ran across the front of the lot, observing without breaking stride or being obvious. she continued up the street another five blocks, then cut back and ran along the next street back toward home.

She pulled up short on the way home, dipping into the back of the convenience store that was behind Dejah Motors. The store's dumpster was flush against the thick privacy fence behind Dejah Motors. Sarah's nose wrinkled at the acrid smell, but she had to know. She climbed up the huge metal dumpster, then with an easy grace jumped into the service lot behind Dejah Motors.

It didn't look like any service lot Sarah Jane had ever seen. Aside from the dearth of automobiles, there were no oil drums, no stacks of tires, none of the accessories that indicate cars were serviced there. Sarah crossed the lot, and stood next to the service bay entrance. She opened her jogging lamp and pulled out her small set of skeleton keys.

"I really shouldn't," she said to herself, "But there's just something too strange about all of this." The lock came open easily and Sarah looked for the pad that would shut off any alarms. But there were no pads--nor any alarms that she could see. But in the service bay, Sarah Jane spied a large ovate spheroid on the jack.

"No...it couldn't be. A flying saucer?" Behind the sauce stood something Sarah Jane recognized immediately though, a version of the Carthoris Heat Ray. She slipped into the service bay to examine it more closely.

"I am tellink you I have something heard!" Sarah recognized the booming voice of Tarkas coming from the front of the building, but heading her way.

"Don't be silly, Tarkas, the locks are tight, the building is secure. Look! Nothing on the monitors. "

"Then please, humour me. Help me the service bays check."

"All right." Sarah's blood chilled. The service bay had only the one exit. She scanned the room quickly, and found a trailing wing on the saucer. With the graceful skill of a gymnast, Sarah Jane pulled herself onto the wing then pressed herself flat against the saucer, high above the floor. She could hear Tarkas and the unknown man searching the bay below her.

"There, you see? Nothing."

"Still does not right feel. Are we something missing?"

"Tarkas, there's nothing here. Come on, I'll stand you a round."

Sarah listened as the two sets of footsteps left the bay then counted to fifty. Slowly and noiselessly she slid her spandex covered body over the edge of the saucer again and dropped to the floor. Her trainers moved quietly across the concrete floor. Sarah moved cautiously, but the voices remained in the front of the building.

Cautiously she turned the knob that would release her to the back of the service area again, and stepped onto the concrete stoop. Carefully closing and lcoking the door, Sarah stood up and began to turn toward the fence.

BWAHHHM!!!!! Suddenly the night sky seemed full of fireworks and stars. Sarah almost didn't notice the pain as the tire tool dented her cranium. Her body folded almost instantly, spilling onto the cold asphalt outside Dejah Motors.

"I told you something we are missink," said Tarkas.

"Yes, but NOW what do we do, asked his unknown friend."

Sarah reached for the back of her head, trying to stand, willing herself to motion. But another heavy blow tattooed the back of her head, and the gorgeous detective drooped to the ground; her chestnut hair spilling all around her head.

(do I need to add, to be continued?)

The End?

2009-06-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

(based on an Image by http://powguero.deviantart.com/
he let me do another image like it)

Diana's eyes fluttered and she felt the intensity of the bright halogen bulbs against her retinas. She blinked hard again, trying to clear the fog and cobwebs from her brains and with startling clarity she remembered.

The Ambush....

The message from the Justice League called Wonder Woman to rendezvous with Superman at the refinery outside Blue Valley. Rumors of Metallo's apparent return had convince the Atom that the showstoppers of the JLA were needed. Or so the message had said.

But now she realized it had been a trap for her all along. Diana landed next to the burly, unmoving figure of the Man of Steel and put her hand tenderly on his shoulder. "I'm here Kal. What's this all abou...?"

At that moment, the ground trembled and several bombs exploded in a circle around the two surprised heroes. Wonder Woman was able to dodge most of the shrapnel, but one large tanker truck exploded behind her; a large chink crashing into the back of the Valiant Amazon's skull and knocking her unconscious....

Her memory now regained, Diana leaped to her feet, alarmed. "KAL!" she shouted. In her excited jump, Wonder Woman discovered her wrists were bound tightly together...with her own lasso.

"I'm glad to see you could rejoin us Princess," said a familiar and sinister voice in the shadows. Wonder Woman peered intently into the glare.

"Luthor?" she asked. "Where's Superman?"

"Of course its Luthor," he chuckled. Who else would have been capable of engineering the capture of the amazing Wonder Woman? Or of finally destroying the so-called Man of Steel?"

Superman dead? Wonder Woman's heart fell, but her posture showed she didn't believe it.

"You doubt me, then?" asked Luthor. He held up a tattered red cape; the once proud "S" shield now charred and burned. "The explosions were laced with a heavy green Kryptonite radiation. His death was slow and painful, I'm afraid."

"But the Justice League...?" began Wonder Woman.

"Has no idea where you are," finished Luthor. "It was no small matter, but I've been tapped into your JLA communicators for months now. I've broken your codes. All I had to do was interrupt your transmitter and substitute my own message. And you fell for it. " He held up a restraining hand and Wonder Woman shuddered when she saw the gold lasso tightly held in Luthor's fist.

"Before you ask, even if your friends were able to track you to Blue Valley, they'd find a dead end. The explosion contained a magnetic pulse that destroyed both your comlink and your subdermal GPS locator. We're well within a registered lead lined facility, so even your Martian friend can't find you. Aside from yours truly, no one knows where you are Wonder Woman."

He pulled the lasso a bit, and Wonder Woman was forced to take a step forward. "Now we're going to play a little game Wonder Woman. This lasso of yours compels someone to tell the truth! I should know, I've been in its grip before. But is that all it can do?"

Wonder Woman's body shuddered as she attempted to resist the question. But the answer forced its way from her lips. "NO!" she practically shouted. Luthor smiled a cold, wolf like grin...

Dangling the lasso,so that it whipped slightly against her fists, Luthor prodded, "And just what else can it do Princess?"

Wonder Woman rocked, fighting the compulsion..."nnnNNN It can compel the truth, but whoever is bound by the lasso, must obey whoever hold it."

"I see, and for how long?"

"That depends on the command," replied Wonder Woman. Diana swallowed hot tears, knowing she couldn't stop the last piece of information, even if she wanted to. She tried to bite it back but in a strangled voice she said, " There's more..."

Luthor leaned forward, intent, "Yes?"

Her willpower completely destroyed by the constant battering of the lasso's compelling force. Wonder Woman bowed her head in shame, the raven hair covering her eyes and blocking Luthor from her sight. Her voice dropped so softly, that Luthor had to strain to hear her.

"The lasso can alter how one perceives the truth. It opens the mind, allowing someone to edit basic information. Though its more intense than simple command obedience, it functions along the same lines. While so bound," she held up her bound wrists, " you could convince me or change how I see the truth of almost anything."

"A perfected brain washer. Have you ever used this power before?" Wonder Woman shook her head.

"Of course not, how altruistic. Too powerful and too afraid to use it, I assume. Well I'm not. Let's start simply...Who is Superman?"

Wonder Woman looked up, startled. "You said he was dead."

"I lied. It's what I do. I see you trying to avoid the question Princess, so I'll ask again...Who is Superman?"

For the next hour, Diana told Luthor all the secrets of the Justice League and their allies. He stopped her at that point, then smiled.

"Dance for me, princess. A little harem girl dance."

"What? No! I won't..." but her feet were already moving in little precise dance steps, her hips gyrating sexually. Soft music came up and Wonder Woman found a beat, moving sensuously with the swaying rhythm. The music changed, becoming strident, brassy and definitely bump and grind.

"Go ahead Wonder Woman, strip for me," laughed Luthor, his eyes drinking in the Amazon's humiliation. Despite her bonds and her inexperience, Wonder Woman gave a passable striptease, leaning into Luthor, shimmying her Amazon breasts at the hated villain. Her body gleamed with sweat.

"Stop..." said Luthor. "I think its time to alter your perception."

Wonder Woman disappeared that day. Her costume was carefully preserved, mounted and framed; hidden in Luthor's Lair. Luthor also acquired a new bodyguard; one who was powerful, sexy and fiercely loyal to him. She was tall, tanned and spoke with an exotic accent. She had a build like a supermodel but was hard and cold toward any threats directed at Luthor.

One by one, members of the Justice League disappeared, then returned--driven by Luthor's plans of domination and justice...

the end?

The anthology DC Comics won't write

2009-06-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Recently DC has been bringing out collections of "The Best _______Stories Ever Told" Most of these are terrific stories featuring the heroes--memorable and enjoyable. Here's my challenge to you. You're an editor (or at least part of an editorial pool) at DC comics charged with creating a new anthology. The Working title is the "Best Superheroine Peril Stories Ever Told" The rules are these...

1) The stories have to be memorable stories--ones that have stuck with you for a long time and you should be able to defend choices.

2) Groups stories count too...but only if the heroine is the key to success--no helpless heroines being rescued (Because I consider that cheating--is she a heroine or not?)

3) Note the title is Super HEROINE peril...I do not, nor ever will count Catwoman as a superheroine.

4) Note that the company is DC--no Marvel stories.

5) Don't worry if you think the character is obscure--believe me, ifyou've got one, chances are someone else will have heard of it. Make the list BIG! I'll post it eventually and we'll whittle it downto the top 20 , then the top 10 until we finally have the TOP Superheroine Peril story from DC...Just to get us started....

Justice League 151--Wonder Woman versus Amos Fortune

Adventure Comics 400--Supergirl Versus Black Flame

Action Comics 339--Brainiac's Trap for Supergirl

Lets hear your choices...

Wonder Woman:Nuclear the Magnetic Marauder

2009-06-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

(A Wonder Woman adventure in the IADC Days)

by Captain Zammo

Diana Prince stood with Steve Trevor in the small block house control tower at a private airfield in the Pacific Northwest. General Charles Hunter, USAF, retired, was standing with them, pointing out the new military jet. "The Skyhawk is going to be something spectacular, Steve," he said.

"She sure is a beautiful plane, general. Watching her fly almost makes me wish I'd followed in Dad's footsteps," said Steve.

"Well, your father was one hell of a Flyboy, Steve. He would have loved to fly the Skyhawk, I'm certain." The general shot a glance at Diana and turned red. "My apologies for my mouth, Ma'am. Sometimes I think I'm still leading men." He looked at her again, and frowned.

"General Hunter went to work with my dad right after the war, Diana. Dad taught him everything he knew. And to pay Dad back, General Hunter helped me get a job with the all new IADC."

"Well, I could see you were more like your dad when it came to the cloak and dagger stuff." The general grinned, then added, "And after seeing you total that Camaro at sixteen, I knew I didn't want you flying one of my jets!" General Hunter sat down in a large leather chair and sighed. "But after thirty years, it was time to get out. I'm glad I've gone civilian at Jettech."

Diana took Steve's hand and held it. "Steve's gotten much better with his driving, General. I think he's only had three crashes this year, and all of them were for minimal damage only. The stunning brunette's deep blue eyes twinkled.

Steve looked first at the General, then at Diana; his mouth agape in mock shock. "That's not fair Diana! The chase in Cartagena doesn't count; someone cut the brake cables, as you well know!"

The general laughed. "Don't worry son, we were only fooling." Then the general's face took on a somber expression.

"But there was another reason I wanted to get in touch with you, Steve. The Skyhawk project has been threatened by some nutcase. He calls himself Nuclear, if you can believe it."

Diana and Steve both sat forward, attentive and all business at that point. Steve motioned Hunter to continue.

"My contacts at military intelligence haven't been able to turn up much on him, Steve. His phone calls are routed through several satellite links, and too short to be accurately traced. All we know for sure is he's somewhere in this general region."

"What does this...this Nuclear want?" asked Diana. "An end to war, starting with the Skyhawk?"

"No, nothing that noble. This is extortion, plain and simple. Nuclear is demanding a payment of a quarter million dollars from Jettech. In exchange, he'll 'allow' us to make delivery to the Air Force."

"You've refused to pay, of course," said Steve.

"Damn straight we have!" shouted the General. "The military agreed with us and said they could protect us. But Nuclear called again this morning, and told me personally that this would be the last flight of the Skyhawk."

The trio wandered down the stairs and outside to watch the end of the trim jet's test flight. Performing without a flaw, the civilian pilot landed with ease, then rolled the jet to a perfect stop. On the tarmac, the two IADC agents and General Hunter crossed toward the hangar.

The young test pilot was babbling happily and excitedly. "She was just perfect, General, just like you said."

"No anomalies?" asked Steve. The pilot, a young Inuit named Thomas Kalamaku. turned to look at Steve, then at the general with questioning eyes.

"It's all right, son," said the General.

Kalamaku nodded agreement, then answered Steve, "No sir, none at all. The flight was as smooth as silk." The three of them turned back toward the plane, for the post flight inspections, and they saw a commotion among the ground crew. The wrenching sound of stressed metal was accented by the popping sound of rivets flying free from the sleek jet.

"Holy Christ!" shouted Steve, racing toward the jet; Hunter and Kalamaku on his heels. Before them, the Skyhawk continued twisting and buckling.

Diana glanced at the hills beyond the landing field, then ran into the hangar, now emptied as the workers were running to see the unfolding disaster. Diana found a dark corner, behind some oil drums, and begin turning in a circle, her arms outstretched.

With a bright flash of light, the comely IADC agent disappeared; only to be replaced by the familiar crimson and azure clad Wonder Woman. After a brief check to make certain her costume was in place, Wonder Woman raced out of the hangar. Sprinting across the runway, she leaped the cyclone fencing. Picking her way across the rocky hills, she spotted an oddly dressed man pointing his arms at the airfield.

The man was dressed in a dark green bodysuit, with a peculiar bronze armor covering his chest. An equally odd helmet covered his head, masking his features from the amazing Amazon.

With a casual approach, Wonder Woman said, "I thought I saw something up here. Nuclear, I presume?"

"Fear me, woman! For mine is the power to destroy!" he said, his voice mechanically altered.

Wonder Woman crossed her arms and slowly shook her head at Nuclear. "Oh I deal with master destroyers like you on a daily basis," she said. "She took another step closer, and moved to unhook her lasso.

Nuclear turned and out of the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman saw several sheets of corrugated steel arrowing at her. Before Wonder Woman could prepare, she was peppered with a sheet of corrugated steel. She turned to brace herself, raising her bracelets to fend off the sheets. She was successful in flinging them away from her, but the sheets fell into the ground, forming a barricade between Wonder Woman and Nuclear.

The feisty heroine leaped high over the barricade, but in mid-leap she was hit in the small of her back by another sheet of steel. Stunned Wonder Woman dropped to the ground. Nuclear motioned again and the sheet of metal danced as if it were alive. The steel bent, and Wonder Woman heard the same wrenching sound she'd heard before at the hangar. But this time, the steel wrapped tightly around the heroine, replicating a trick Wonder Woman had performed on countless criminals.

"That should hold you for a bit," sneered Nuclear. And if not, then this should keep you occupied." He gestured at a line of fuel trucks, filled with Jet A. The bottoms of the trucks ripped open, and gallons of fuel splashed onto the field. Nuclear laughed and as the fuel burst into flames, he disappeared into the woods.

Wonder Woman struggled briefly in her corrugated cocoon; amazed at how quickly and thoroughly Nuclear had subdued her. She flexed her shoulders, and gained a bit of freedom for her wrists and hands. Pressing against the sides of the steel envelope, Wonder Woman strained her muscles and was rewarded by the sound of the corrugated sheets buckling. "Hola!" shouted Wonder Woman as she spun from its steely embrace. Wonder Woman spared a glance at the rapidly departing Nuclear, but the villain had already disappeared from sight.

Glancing back at the airfield, she saw the flames were swelling higher. Wonder Woman raced back to the airstrip, and began racing around the flames, containing and snuffing them with her feet. She kept the flames at bay until the crash trucks arrived to quell the blaze.

From the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman spotted Steve and General Hunter running toward her. Steve took her in his hands. "Wonder Woman!" he shouted excitedly. "Thank goodness you were here! Did you see what happened?"

Wonder Woman nodded grimly, "I did. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to prevent it from happening though. There was a man on the hillside, he called himself Nuclear and..."

"Nuclear!" exploded General Hunter. "He's been threatening the Skyhawk project all along." As the general blustered, a timid aide stepped up and handed the general a note. The general scanned it briefly, then turned to Steve. "Another threat! But I won't pay it! He's demanding more, Steve. But I also can't afford to have any more destroyed. Jettech is too new for us to have deep pockets. If I lose any more, we'll be ruined financially."

"I'll have the IADC put up a secure perimeter, Steve said.

"And I have some investigating of my own to do," said Wonder Woman. "If you'll excuse me?" She disappeared into the woods and a moment later, Diana Prince appeared from the hangars.

"Diana? Where have you been?" asked Steve.

"When the Skyhawk was being torn apart, I thought I saw someone running into the hangar. I didn't find anyone but I did find this on a workbench." Diana proffered a sheaf of documents. Steve and General Hunter studied them with a grim look.

Back at IADC headquarters the next day Joe Atkinson led Steve and Diana into the video conference room. The chamber sealed behind them and the trio seated themselves into comfortable chairs for the briefing.

"I don't have to tell you the Skyhawk Project is a high priority Steve," began the president. "It's not only the best replacement for the F14, but the fuel efficiency and the speed make it an economical choice as well. If someone is trying to sabotage it, then we need to stop them."

"I've added a detachment of soldiers to surround Jettech's test field. They're surrounding the base and keeping strict quarantine there. Additionally, I've arranged for flight escorts from Dunn AFB for the remaining test flights," Steve confirmed.

"That sounds good on defense. What are we doing on offense?"

Joe replied, "We're following up several leads from the other manufacturers, dismissed employees and a few peace activist movements in the area."

Diana added, "I'm also going to do a canvass of the neighborhood. It's fairly isolated, but I'm certain that someone in the area has seen something."

The president's voice seemed to smile. "As I recall that area, it is isolated, and there are a lot of high priced mansions. You should be the one doing the canvass Diana; I can't think of anyone saying no to you." Diana's eyes twinkled.

Joe stood up. "Well then, its all set. What are you still doing here? Shoo shoo!" Steve and Diana stood and smiled. As they entered the hallway, Rover beep-beeped at Diana. A small envelope was in the robot's tray.

Diana picked it up. "What is it?" asked Steve.

"IRAC has some additional information for me. I'll catch up with you tonight, all right?" Steve humphed, but nodded. Diana followed Rover to the computer section, and logged herself into IRAC.

"Good Morning, IRA," she announced into the air.

"Good Morning Diana Prince," came the mechanized response.

"What do you have for me?" she asked.

"Nuclear...a name known only recently by any intelligence branch. First reported by Jettech within the last six months. No known affiliation with any paramilitary or terror organization."

"What about Wonder Woman's description?"

"Wonder Woman reported a man, in an armored suit with magnetic ability. She was able to postulate size as approximately 6 feet tall, slender, yet powerful. She was unable to see a face or skin tone, yet owing to the area' s resident population speculated that he was likely adult and Caucasian."

Diana sighed. She already knew that Intel; she'd provided it. "Any speculation as to who might fit that profile IRA?"

The computer hummed and clacked. "There is an eighty two percent likelihood of Nuclear being a resident of Lancer Pointe, the home of Plazcyk, Karl and Plazcyk, Joye."

"A husband and wife?" asked Diana.

"Siblings,"replied IRAC. "Family fortune was raised on shipping and aircraft manufacture. The sister is the head of all the corporate entities, while the brother is seen as a playboy, with little industry."

"IRA, I think I may just have to pay a visit to these Plazcyks," said Diana smugly.

"I concur that it might be a good spot to start, Diana Prince," said IRAC. "But be careful, since Nuclear was able to surprise Wonder Woman."

The following morning, back at Jettech's test field, Thomas Kalamaku warmed up the Skyhawk for another flight. "She checks out OK General," he reported.

"What do you think, Steve?" asked General Hunter.

Steve studied the skies, until he picked out the F 14s coming in from the south. "Well, the troops reported nothing moving all night long, and here's the escort. Let's take her up."

Hunter motioned the go ahead and Kalamaku revved the jet, then launched into the clear sky. The flight continued well until the very end. From the control tower the frightened cries of Thomas Kalamaku came across the radio. "She's not responding. I'm heading for the ocean. Looks like a crackup."

"Pull out Thomas!" called Hunter. "Eject, eject!" Mortified the two men followed the blip until it disappeared into the ocean.

"Parachute sighted, Eagle Six," came a call from the F 14.

"Copy parachute, Eagle Three," the other plane responded.

"Thank God," said Hunter. Steve nodded in agreement, though his face remained grim.

Diana stepped out of her Cougar and took in the surrounding vista of the Plazcyk estate. The home stood on a bluff, overlooking the Pacific ocean almost two hundred feet below. Pine trees softened the ledge, and an elegant fountain and a tennis court stood in front of the house. With some trepidation, she stepped onto the large verandah and rang the doorbell.

The door swung open and Diana caught sight of a slight woman, with dark hair and an elegant Slavic look. "May I help you?" she asked.

Smiling, Diana said, "Hello, my name is Diana Prince with the IADC." She showed her badge to the woman at the door. "I'm looking for Joye or Percy Plazcyk."

"Oh well, Percy's not well. I'm almost certain he's sleeping in fact. But I'm Joye Plazcyk, Ms Prince. Won't you come in?" The door opened wider and Diana found herself ushered into a tasteful sitting room.

"Now, how can I help you?" asked Joye. She was dressed in a modest green dress, with a lace collar. Her dark hair was permed, and hung about shoulder length. She looked at Diana with innocent, eager eyes.

"Well, I've come to ask about some strange doings at Jettech," Diana began. "They've been receiving threatening correspondence from someone named Nuclear, and I was hoping..."

"Nuclear!" shouted Joye. "I should say so. Poor Percival's nerves have been shattered by that menace."

"You have knowledge of Nuclear? What has he done to your brother?"

"Oh I'm not quite sure. But poor Percival used to be quite cunning until Nuclear began threatening him. But I haven't heard from him in months, ever since the company began losing money."

"How did Nuclear threaten him?" asked Diana.

"It's a long story," began Joye. "But when we were younger, Percival only was interested in science; chemistry and physics mainly. But he also would play hard, and was frequently gambling in gentlemen's clubs until his debts overwhelmed him.

"Our father was the president of Plazcyk industries. He was furious at what he perceived as Percy's laziness. Finally, he cut Percy off, no more money; and made me the president of the business. Percy was heartbroken, but vowed to make a name for himself in science. I funded him secretly until father died, then openly afterward. But even I find it hard to support his gambling habits."

Joye sighed, and Diana sat quietly for a moment. Her sharp Amazon hearing had detected the soft creak of a footstep on a wooden floor, and she suspected Percy was about.

"Do you think I might have a word with your brother?" asked Diana patiently.

Joye looked up. "I suppose so, but you need to be gentle."

"As a lamb," promised Diana.

Joye knocked on the bedroom door seconds after Percy closed the secret closet. He darted into the bed and pulled the covers over. "Who is it?" he asked timidly.

"Percy darling, it's Joye. I have a woman from the IADC asking about Nuclear." Joye swung the door open and Percy buried himself in the blankets, quaking in terror.

"I...I can't talk about Nuclear! He'll kill me!" Percy trembled in fear.

Diana pressed her glasses up on her nose and frowned. "I'm here to see that he doesn't get anyone Mr. Plazcyk. He's been making threats and trying to extort money from Jettech. And Joye said he's been trying to do the same to you?"

Plazcyk burrowed lower. "That was a long time ago. He made me use my lab to build his armor in payment for gambling debts. Joye will tell you he's left us alone since then, won't you Joye?"

Joye tugged on Diana's arm. "He's always like this when someone asks about Nuclear. But Percy is right. It's been a few months since Nuclear has bothered us."

"I'm sorry I bothered you Ms. Plazcyk. Can I ask one last question though?"

"Certainly!" said Joye, determined to be helpful.

"Where did Percy have his lab? If he's not been there for a while, Nuclear may be using it as a base."

Joye laughed. "Did you see the bluff behind the house?" Diana nodded.

"Percy's lab was on, or more precisely under the bluff. But it blew up about the time Nuclear left Percy alone. I always suspected that Nuclear blew it up in an effort to kill Percy."

Diana nodded, then clutched her purse and hat. "Well I should be checking in with a few more of your neighbors," she said. She pointed toward the door, and Joye escorted her to the verandah once more. Diana waved a cheerful goodbye and climbed into the rental Cougar.

Driving carefully down the former lumber trail that served as the roadway to the Plazcyks, Diana caught the reflection of the sunshine on bright brass. Suddenly, her car began shaking, then lifted from the roadway. Diana sat back in her seat, hands off the wheel as she felt the car rising into the air. She sensed the sideways motion, then felt the car drop over the ridge. The car tumbled into the trees, and rolled into a deep valley. Diana managed to climb out of the car, shaken. Looking up, she spotted the strange green armor of Nuclear as he laughed, then turned back toward the ocean.

Diana got to her feet then saw Nuclear had gone. She spread her arms and began the mystic spinning that would transform her from IADC agent to Amazon princess. With a flash of light, Diana Prince disappeared and Wonder Woman emerged. Wonder Woman leapt into the air and landed back on the roadway. She ran toward the ocean but saw no sign of Nuclear.

Wonder Woman scoured the bluff and made her way to a wide ledge. As she crawled along the ledge, she could see several small pockets and caves. She began looking into the caves, and could see that most were too small to hide much. But as she neared a crease in the cliffside, she noticed the scars and soot of an explosion. Wonder Woman drew near, and heard a harsh mocking laughter.

"Wasn't the lesson at the airfield enough for you woman?"

Nuclear pointed both both hands at Wonder Woman, and she threw both arms up to deflect whatever Nuclear would toss at her. "I'm ready for whatever you throw my way," she said.

Instead Wonder Woman felt her bracelets drawing together, and her own strength unable to break the attraction. As she struggled to pull the wristlets apart, Wonder Woman felt herself being drawn into the air, closer and closer to Nuclear.

"I see you have some attraction to me, Wonder Woman," laughed the metal clad menace. "I hope it's not fatal."

Wonder Woman soared upward, helpless against the magnetic onslaught of Nuclear's power. She was dashed without pity against the outcrops of granite that lined the cliff face, and the merciless rocks tore at her skin, her hair her costume.

Nuclear brought the hapless amazon parallel to himself. "Seeing you now," he chortled, "I'm repelled." With a wave of his arms, Wonder Woman shot skyward, her bracelets still locked together. At the apex of her trajectory, she felt the magnetic tension on her bracelets relaxing.

"Thank Hera," she began, but her praises turned to gasps of terror as she felt her golden belt twitching against her waist. The golden clasps pulled free and Wonder Woman's belt and lasso spiraled away from the falling heroine, landing in Nuclear's metal grasp.

Wonder Woman tried in vain to control her fall but, but crashed to the rocky abutment at Nuclear's feet. She struggled to regain her own balance, but without her belt, was no more powerful than a regular woman. Wonder Woman sprawled akimbo at Nuclear's feat, her costume tattered and her body bruised.

Steve Trevor hated making reports to Joe Atkinson, especially ones like these. "The test was sabotaged somehow, Joe. The plane was pulled apart, almost rivet by rivet. The dive and recovery teams are still pulling pieces from the water. Kalamaku is fine, though he's a little spooked. And General Hunter only has one prototype left. If that gets destroyed." Steve let the unfinished sentence hang in the air.

"What about Diana's mission, Steve. Has she turned anything up?"

Steve's stomach rumbled in anxiety, as he answered, "We're not sure, Joe. We found her car miles from her last reported position. It had been wrecked, almost like it had rolled down a cliffside. According to Joye Plascyk, Diana visited with her for a while, then left, shortly after noon. No one's seen her since."

Joe folded his hands on the desk, though Steve couldn't see him. Concern furrowed his brow. "I don't like it Steve. Diana wouldn't disappear without some word; not if she was doing deep reconnaissance. I'm afraid we may have to consider her MIA."

"I don't think that's the case Joe," Steve replied. "She's very resourceful; and Diana has a knack for turning up where we least expect her."

Begrudgingly, Joe agreed. "We'll give her another forty eight hours. That's standard procedure for an agent in the field. Either she'll make contact or we'll assume the worst. I don't like it any more than you do Steve, but that's why the agency has the procedures in place."

Steve nodded. "I'm going to insure the perimeter is safe from the seaside, Joe. "That's one area we almost overlooked. I'm going out in the morning to reconnoiter from the bay. Maybe I'll turn something up."

"Good luck Steve," Joe hung up the phone.

Steve stared grimly out the window of the hotel as he returned his own handset to the cradle.

Deep in the crevasse she'd spotted from the bluffs outside, Wonder Woman moaned softly. Cautiously, she eased her eyes open and blinked back tears from the bright light shining in her face. She was standing upright, or so she thought, with her hands outstretched and above her head. She tugged her hand forward and found it wouldn't move.

But her feet dangled loose below her. As Wonder Woman turned her head, she could see she was dangling from a thigh gauge fence, which surrounded a large electric generator. Her bracelets were still magnetized, and they seemed to be all that was keeping her suspended.

Beneath her, Wonder Woman could see Nuclear working on some device. His surprisingly small hands moved with a surgeon's precision as he carefully laid wire and welded it into place. His attention was entirely focused on his work. Nearby, on his workbench, Wonder Woman saw the gleaming gold of her amazonium belt and lasso, and realized once again that she had been made powerless by a man.

A soft bell chimed and behind her, Wonder Woman heard the sound of an elevator opening. Unseen feet clattered along the heavy metal gridded floor. Nuclear turned and snarled at the unseen intruder.

"I thought I told you I was not to be disturbed," he growled. His voice sounded distorted and almost mechanical.

"This is MY laboratory," said the voice, indignant. "And I wanted to see Wonder Woman!"

"Your laboratory, HAH! You have nothing of your own, it all came from your father, your sister. You're nothing but a scavenging parasite, and you'll do exactly what I tell you!" Nuclear stopped his tirade long enough to gesture to the hostage. "There's your precious Wonder Woman, pinned to the wall like a butterfly."

Percy Plazcyk came round to look at Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman squirmed uncomfortably; still unable to free herself.

"Nuclear is quite mad, you know," muttered Percy. "And he's out to destroy Jettech, using my scientific breakthroughs."

"That's quite enough, you sniveling coward," said Nuclear. "You've ogled your would be savior, now go back to simpering in the corners." Nuclear took a menacing step toward Plazcyk. He gasped and scurried back to the elevator. Wonder Woman heard the doors rumble open, then closed.

"I gather that the explosion didn't quite finish you off." said the captive Amazon.

"That fool tried to kill me," said Nuclear. "He thought he was protecting his sister and his scientific legacy. But all he did was succeed in angering me. Now he'll pay the rest of his miserable life for crossing me."

"Isn't that a little harsh? Most villains would be satisfied with just killing him." said Wonder Woman, trying to understand.

"I...I can't kill him. I need him as well."

"So there's a symbiosis in your relationship."

Nuclear remained quiet, then changed the subject. "You're being held in place by the magnogenerators. My research, and that of that insipid fool have discovered that all metals have an electromagnetic affinity; its merely a matter of discovering the precise calibration. For instance, your magnificent bracelets, made of...?"

"Feminum," Wonder Woman provided.

"Thank you. Made of Feminum are magnetic at a very high frequency, almost off the charts. Your belt and lasso are similarly, but not quite as high frequency."

"What are you going to do with me?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Well right now, you're merely a nuisance to me. If you were to break free before I complete my revenge on Jettech, then I suppose you could cause large problems to my schemes. I had contemplated keeping you as a hostage; to keep the IADC away; but I think I wish to experiment."

Nuclear picked up the device he'd been working on and set it on a pivot mount in front of the captive Amazon. "This device is another magnetic probe. But where most magnets have a very short range, this one is powerful over yards. It's calibrated to iron by the very simplest of lodestones."

Nuclear sighted the weapon on Wonder Woman's ample breasts. "What I am going to do is draw every molecule of iron in your body to one spot and extract it to the rod. I don't think the results will be pretty, especially for you, but I rather find the prospect fascinating."

"Your brother was correct, you are insane....Joye," said Wonder Woman.

"NEVER use that name. Joye Plazcyk is DEAD! She died the night her brother declared himself to be Nuclear; the night her father died a suspicious death."

She whirled toward Wonder Woman, her cape fluttering behind her. "The explosion in the lab was my doing. I wanted to keep Percy at bay. But I found Nuclear such a useful tool. Oh we both took turns at it, Wonder Woman. Percy was the mindless, destructive version of Nuclear, and I was in the suit when it required finesse, or an alibi for my brother. The explosion in the lab left Percy a babbling fool at best. But I'm able to provide for both of us, on the remains of Father's shipping and transportation business. It was losing the Skyhawk project to Jettech that pushed us to the brink of bankruptcy though. And so Hunter and his company shall pay, or they shall die."

Nuclear hooked the power cord into the diabolical device, then slipped it into a power source. A telephone buzzed. Nuclear looked at it quizzically, then removed the helmet and the voice distortion devices. Joye Plazcyk picked up the phone and purred sympathetically into it.

"Yes Percy dear?" Wonder Woman strained, but couldn't hear the other end of the conversation.

"Yes Percy, keep him occupied. I'll be up in a moment. All right." Joye set the telephone down and scowled at Wonder Woman.

"It appears the IADC doesn't know when to stop," she said as she slid the helmet back over her head. "With any luck, they've sent the Prince woman back. If not...well it's a big cave, and at least you won't have to die alone."

Nuclear then tripped the switch on the death device. A soft hum filled the cave and Wonder Woman thought she could feel the magnetic pulses touch her, caressing her like spiders inside her blood vessels. She shuddered as the device continued, drawing iron from all the outer edges of her body first.

Her body pulsed and rippled as the iron in her body began to magnetize and reverse its direction. Wonder Woman's fingers were beginning to tingle; her toes and feet were growing cold and numb.

Steve Trevor had always been a man of action, like his father. After deciding that sitting tight was for people like Joe, he'd gone out to retrace Diana's steps. Starting at the Plazcyk manor, he'd been met by a simpering man with mad, rounded eyes. "I'm Steve Trevor, with the IADC. I understand my associate Miss Prince was here today. Did you see her?"

The man looked blankly at the image on the photo. "I did see someone today. But I must say, my nerves aren't quite what they once were, and I'm afraid my memory isn't so good either. Perhaps my sister Joye would remember better."

"Is she here?"

"I believe she's in the cellar," said the man. "Allow me to call down and find out."

Steve studied the art on the walls as the man called down stairs. He was studying an exquisite Matisse when he felt a tap on the shoulder. Steve turned. "Hello Miss Plazcyk....UNNNNGGGGHH!!!" Steve suddenly felt himself hurled across the room, led by the zipper on his jacket. His IADC issued .45 flew out of the jacket's pocket as Steve slammed into the thick stone of the fireplace. The gun slammed him in the side of the head and Steve dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Percival studied the unconscious form of Trevor, then looked up at his sister. He shuddered, covering his eyes as he saw her standing in the Nuclear armor.

"Did you have to hit him so hard?" asked Percy, without a hint of fear in his voice.

"Of course I did, you fool," spat Joye. Do you honestly think either of us would have been a match for him without the element of surprise?" Joye knelt over the prone form of Trevor as he sprawled on the floor of the manor.

"Bring me something to restrain him," she snarled at Percy. A moment later, Percy returned with a short extension cord. Nuclear examined it and nodded. "It will have to do," she said.

Wonder Woman was writhing in pain. She could feel her heartbeat increasing as the iron broke its bonds in her hemoglobin. Her shoulders and thighs ached, and she was losing feeling in her extremities. She heard the elevator door ring again and with an effort, she lifted her head, shaking it slightly to drive the dark hair from her eyes.

Nuclear entered the room backwards, carrying something; Diana saw through misty eyes. As Nuclear's burden became more obvious, Wonder Woman felt her spirits drop. "Steve!" she thought.

The Plazcyks carried the unconscious IADC agent to a clear workbench and left him there. Percy spared a glance at Wonder Woman and shuddered.

"Go warm up the van, we have to spoil one last test," said Nuclear. Nuclear shoved Percy, and he scampered back to the elevator. Smirking, Nuclear returned to Wonder Woman.

"I'm afraid the Skyhawk project is doomed Wonder Woman. You won't be able to stop Nuclear this time, and the IADC is quickly running out of agents." Nuclear glanced at Trevor. "He's harmless for now, and may even be awake to see you die. A pity I won't be here, but even Nuclear can't be two places at once. Oh that's right, He CAN!" Joye stepped up to the captive Amazon, and ran a gloved hand over Wonder Woman's smooth thigh.

"Oh, you're cold. The iron must be breaking down as we speak. And I see that healthy Caribbean tan has faded as the oxygen is draining from your body. Soon, the iron will cluster here," she said, tapping Wonder Woman on her breasts. "And shoot through your skin, leaving you quite dead. But don't worry Wonder Woman, I'll have Percy clean you up when I get back. He'll like that."

She picked up the helmet she wore as Nuclear, and waved a cheerful goodbye. Wonder Woman pulled harder at the grid, but the magnetic field holding her bracelets was too powerful in her weakened state.

The elevator doors closed and the room grew silent with the Amazon's battle against death. Diana's eyes closed as she continued to battle, knowing all the while she was losing. But her ears heard the sound of motion, and she cracked her lids to see Steve sitting up on the workbench.

"I thought they'd never leave," said Trevor. Reaching into his jacket with his bound hands, Steve pulled out a Swiss army knife and began working on the extension cord. The flimsy appliance snapped easily under his sharp blade, and he smiled as he rubbed his wrists.

"Thank goodness I inherited Dad's hard head," he quipped as he raced toward the apparatus.

"Be...be careful...S. S..Steve," croaked Wonder Woman, her voice parched.

Steve studied it for a moment, and realized he was unable to find the off switch. So with his trusty knife, he cut through the cables of the beam first, then found the main for the magnetic grid.

Wonder Woman dropped from the magnetic grid with a lifeless thud. Steve raced to her, cupping her head in his arms. He could feel the cold of her body, and saw her lips were blue. Touching the sides of her throat, Steve felt for a pulse, and found none.

He gently lay Wonder Woman on the cave floor and tilted her neck back. Trevor then kissed those lips he'd always wanted and blew air into Wonder Woman's mouth. He saw her breast rise as he inflated her lungs. The air expelled as he removed his lips, then he repeated the rescue breathing.

Steve felt for a pulse again and still got none. He moved to Wonder Woman's chest, and felt along her breastbone to find the right spot. He clenched his hands together and pressed down on Wonder Woman's chest. "One...two...three...four" he counted. Then he leaned back over to breathe into Wonder Woman's mouth.

This time, Steve felt lips greedily accepting his. An arm wrapped around Steve's head, pulling him close. Flustered and not a little embarrassed, Steve sat back as Wonder Woman moved herself to a seated position.

"My hero," she murmurred. She stood, a bit shakily and made her way to the table where her belt and lasso lay. Jittery, Wonder Woman placed the belt around her trim waist and turned to face Steve with a hint of a smile.

"Hey you should take it easy," said Steve. "After all, you were just dead."

"Thank Hera I'm not." She paused a moment and thought again, "And thank you too, Steve."

"Well, I just..."

"But there's no time for this. Nuclear is going to destroy the Skyhawk. We have to stop them Steve."

"But how?" asked Trevor.

"Do you know the fire rangers in this area?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Well yes, but why?" Wonder Woman put a finger against his lips and explained her plan.

"The fools are actually planning on launching it," laughed Joye, still clad in the Nuclear armor. She set the binoculars down and opened the door of the van. In the driver's seat, Percy whimpered.

"You promised it would be MY turn," he said.

"It's my money, Percy, so I'm going to do them in," glowered Nuclear. Percy nodded, bowing his head in shame. With both sets of eyes focused on the airfield below, neither sibling saw or heard the silent approach of Wonder Woman's invisible jet.

Below, on Jettech's airstrip, the Skyhawk taxied, then leapt upward, climbing with remarkable ease. Joye growled as the plane shot overhead then banked north from her perspective. "It's out of range," she said. "But we'll get it when it returns."

"I don't think so Nuclear," said Wonder Woman. She stepped from the brush and stood with her legs apart and her hands on her hips. "Now would you two like to surrender?"

"YOU!" hissed Joye. "You're supposed to be DEAD!"

"Sorry, I wasn't dressed for a funeral," quipped Wonder Woman. The amazing Amazon unclipped her lasso, swung it and dropped it over Percy in one fluid movement. "Don't move," she said.

Percy stopped all movement and stood completely still. But Joye whirled and raised both hands at Wonder Woman. "You may have stopped my worthless brother," she said. "But I still can control your bracelets." She gestured at Wonder Woman's wrists and Diana felt her hands leap in reply.

The bracelets clanged together, setting off sparks in the dimming twilight sky. Behind Wonder Woman, the woods erupted in flames. Her plane dipped low, allowing Wonder Woman to jump onto the wing, dragging Percy with her.

On the floor below, the quick Napalm fire burned brightly around Nuclear. Joye screamed for mercy as the fire disrupted her magnetic abilities. Wonder Woman got Percy settled, then returned for Nuclear. She hovered the jet above Nuclear and dropped the lasso.

Joye grabbed at the lasso, and began to climb, when a tongue of flame licked at her cape. Joye panicked and dropped the lasso, falling to the ground once more. A flaming tree fell next to her and Wonder Woman lost sight. The Amazon could see the Rangers water bomber coming though and moved her jet out of the way.

"So the Skyhawk was a success?" asked Joe Atkinson as his formerly AWOL agents gave their reports.

"Yes Joe, the plane outperformed the required stats in every test and Jettech got a large order for them. It ought to keep the General and his business going for years," said Steve.

"What about the Plazcyks?" Joe asked, turning to Diana.

"Well, Percival suffered a complete breakdown, and was remanded to the Shady Rest Asylum. Joye's body wasn't recovered, though the Nuclear armor was badly burned and destroyed. I wouldn't believe anything or anyone could have survived the fall and the fire." Diana seemed very disturbed by this.

"Well I don't like having an open door like that," said Steve. "After all, Miss Plazcyk nearly killed you, me and Wonder Woman. The thought that she could return to work revenge isn't going to let me sleep easier at night."

"Speaking of missing, Diana," Joe interrupted. "Where were you? We had IADC scouring the whole of the forest."

"Believe it or not Joe, I was hiding in the woods, trying to figure out how to get back to the road and how to explain I'd lost another car. I was just glad Wonder Woman found me and brought me back to Jettech." Diana adjusted her glasses and looked at Steve.

"Wonder Woman told me one more thing, Steve."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Wonder Woman told me to tell you...now how did she say it? Oh yes, Wonder Woman said to tell you that you're every bit as good at kissing as your father was." Steve's face turned beet red as Joe and Diana laughed.

The End

Wonder Woman: The Thinking Machine

2009-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Based on the Original Wonder Woman story from Comics Cavalcade #29 but updated for the 1970's TV show)

Diana Prince and Steve Trevor sat in leather chairs in Joe Atkinson's office at the IADC. All three of them were facing the large viewing screen, and listening intently as the President spoke to them.

"I don't need to tell you how important it is that we keep ahead of the world in terms of nuclear development. But there seems to be some sort of psychological sabotage going on in our biggest nuclear thinktank."

Diana peered through her large, fashionable glasses at the screen. She was demurely dressed in a yellow turtleneck sweater and a black skirt, with a matching vest. Calf high black boots outlined her shapely legs. Beside her, Steve Trevor was also casually dressed, in doubleknit trousers, a polo shirt and a windbreaker.

"What exactly are we discussing here, sir?" asked Diana, leaning forward.

"Sixty top nuclear scientists have been working day and night, trying to solve a vital problem in atomic energy, which could have vast military and civilian potential. So far, though, they've been unable to solve it. General Brinkley, who heads up the thinktank, thinks it might be some outside force coercing the scientists to "fail."

Diana sat up at that. "With all due respect, sir; I think General Brinkley is wrong. The human mind isn't a machine. In fact, it can only hold a complex thought for a few hours, before requiring rest. Even Einstein's great brain would go numb if he overworked it."

Joe shot Diana a curious look. "Even if that were so Diana, it still doesn't solve Brinkley's problem. We need to see if there's any way to assist him."

"Well, I can check out the efficiency at the thinktank," said Steve, rising.

"And you Diana?"

"I...um...I have an idea I need to follow up on as well," she said, with a curious smile on her face.

An hour later, in the computer room of the IADC, Diana Prince entered the office of the famed mathematician, Professor Fife.

The professor was a young, bookish looking man, with thick glasses and a slender build. His suits were perpetually rumpled and his tie always askew, but his genius unparalleled. "Oh, Diana!" he said, practically jumping out of his skin at her greeting. "You startled me!"

Diana shot her dazzling smile at the professor. He was a kind man but somewhat timid, she knew. She explained the situation regarding the atomic energy question while Fife took notes. "If I understand correctly Agent Prince, the main issue is the fact that a mere human brain can't stay on task for more than a few hours without needing a break. What this task calls for is a device that can think without a pause."

"Is that possible?" asked Diana.

Fife nodded. "I believe it is. I have a friend who's written code for some of the great chess playing computers. He's assured me the only think that's kept his compuers in check so to speak is the amount of memory and power. And with IRAC here, we should be able to design something even more powerful."

Diana smiled. "I think I can provide a suitable power source, if you can provide the memory and the programming."

"I can do that," said Fife. "In fact, I was going over the program already. I had added a few thousand lines of code to it, expanding its processes from chess to a variety of tasks."

Within days, with the help of IRAC, Diana and Fife worked out and built a new device, unlike any computer ever built. "Well Diana, it appears ready," said Fife.

"Shall we give it a try?" asked Diana.

"What shall we ask it?" asked Fife.

"Here, let me program the first question," said Diana. Her skilled fingers danced across the keyboard and she hit "ENTER." The computer blinked and hummed, processing the information Diana had fed into it. Within fifteen minutes, it pinged and page after page of printouts began feeding into the tray.

"Well?" asked Fife, nervously.

Diana read the first page, then smiled back. "It works!" she said. "The computer solved in fifteen minutes what sixty experts couldn't solve in a year's time!"

The news of the the IADC's new computer was hushed up, though such information has a way of trickling into the world. And in a well appointed house belonging to a crime boss, the information was not well recieved.

"Boss, I'm telling you, this machine spells the end of crime in this country," said Lefty Dugan.

"How do you figure?" asked his employer, Michael, "Crime Brain" Doone.

"If this thing can out think anyone, then it can out think us, right?" said Dugan. "It stands to reason that the cops can use it to track us down. We might as well cut and run now."

Doone stared at his henchman. "You're out of your mind, Dugan. Sure the cops could use it to stop us, but only if they had it. And from what I've seen, the IADC aren't too anxious to share it with anyone. But what if..." Doone paused for a moment to take a large draw on his cigar. "What if WE had the machine. Think of it, we could plan perfect crimes and no one could stop us."

"That's only true in the short run, Boss. I mean Fife could always build another one, right?"

"You're not seeing the opportunity I'm seeing, Dugan," said Doone. "What if we were to put a snatch on both Fife and the machine? The way I understand it, the machine isn't on government property. The IADC is keeping it's location secret, but I think we can find it easily enough."

Doone spread a stack of photographs on the table. Most of them showed Professor Fife at various angles, but a few of them showed him in locations other than his home or the IADC building.

"Take a good look here," said Doone, pointing at a few buildings. "This is Miller Hall. It's a building on the outskirts of the university. It's isolated, and up until three weeks ago, empty. So why would the math guy be going there on a regular basis? I think that's where the machine is.

"My plan is to take a big truck, and steal that machine. And hopefully we can get Fife while we're at it. We'll bring them all back here, and use the machine to get stinking rich on crime."

Dugan rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, but nodded in agreement. "We'll have to act quick," he said. "How soon you plan on getting this together?"

Doone laughed. "Would you believe tomorrow night?"

The next night, well after midnight the large truck rolled quietly through the back part of the campus to Miller Hall. Doone's men lobbed in several sleeping gas grenades, putting to sleep any guards. As the gas masked men strolled through the hall and carted up the supercomputer. They found Professor Fife crumpled on the floor next to a striking woman.

"Guess she likes the brainy ones, huh boss?" said Dugan. He fondled the woman's breast through her silky blouse, then found her ID tag on a jacket draped over a chair. "Says here, her name's Diana Prince."

"Leave her here, she's not worth anything to us," said Doone. "But grab the prof and let's go." Without further ado, the men dragged the slumbering Professor Fife into the back of the truck along with the computer. The door closed and the truck drove off into the night.

Diana stretched, uncomfortable. "How careless of me to fall asleep on the floor," she mused. Suddenly it came to her where she was. She sat upright and studied the room. The computer was gone, along with Fife. Diana picked up the desk phone and called the IADC.

"Diana! Thank goodness! We've had a report the supercomputer was stolen." Joe's voice had more than a hint of anxiety, and Diana winced, wishing she had better news for him.

"I'm afraid it's true Joe," she said. "And the thieves also stole Professor Fife." There was a long silence.

"Get in here as quickly as possible, Diana. We're expecting more communication from the thieves soon." Diana replaced the phone.

Thirty minutes later Diana, Steve and Joe Atkinson sat in the communications room at the IADC. The light blinked, indicating an incoming call. "Go ahead caller," said Joe, with a grim voice.

"I am going to steal the entire reserve of US gold in the Fort Knox depository." said a garbled voice.

"That's impossible," siad Joe. "That vault is heavily guarded."

"Nevertheless, I am going to do it," said the voice. "I will steal the gold at midnight, and you can't do anything to stop me." The line went dead.

Diana stood, "I'll get a trace on it," she said.

"You can't," said Steve. "It was a radio phone. Probably bounced off three or four satellites."

Joe folded and unfolded his hands. "I'd like to believe it's a crank call," he said. "But I can't take the chance. Steve? Coordinate with the army and get that vault protected inside and out."

"You bet," said Steve, as he headed for the door.

"Do you have any ideas who did this Diana?" asked Joe.

"No sir. Though I suspect whoever called us just now is the same person who took the supercomputer."

"I agree. See what you can do toward finding them Agent Prince." He summarily dismissed Diana. She stepped into the hallway and crossed to her office. In the privacy of her office, Diana twirled once, twice...her skirt billowed up and her hair fell loose. There was a blinding flash where Diana Prince once stood, Wonder Woman had taken her place. Wonder Woman touched her tiara and belt to insure everything was in place then jumped out the open window of her office.

She lighted gently on the wing of her transparent plane and began winging her way to Kentucky.

By the dark of the moon, Wonder Woman circled the Army fort where the federal gold reserve lay. On the ground, Steve Trevor was commanding a cadre of 250 soldiers and federal agents in and around the vault. Steve took a position outside the safe door as he gave his final orders. "Shoot anyone, man or woman, who even touches a bar of that gold, men." He pulled his own automatic, and waited, checking his watch.

As the vaults automatic chronometers closed on midnight, everyone grew tense. The soldiers, facing out began to smile. "It's midnight and no one got in," said one.

"Holy Cow! Look at that," said another pointing. The well stacked bars of gold were dissolving, evaporating into mist and wafting out through the ventilations system. Steve got the vault door open in time to see the last of the gold disappear from the vault.

In Doone's hideout, Fife was sweating. Doone was looking at his watch and his men were casully playing with their guns. "Well, Prof? Where's the gold?" asked Doone. "If you don't produce it, you'll die a very unpleasant death, like I've told you."

Fife swallowed hard, but found his voice. "I..it will arrive, as I promised. I've followed the computer's instructions in every detail. The electro-atomic current it set up should dematerialize the gold in the vault and rematerilaize it here. The computations are exact and the machine can't be wrong..."

BOP! Something hit Doone in the head. "All right which of you guys threw something at me?" he demanded of his gang.

"Honest boss, none of us threw anything!" As the goon spoke, more bars of gold began forming, dropping out of the sky with loud thuds.

"All right, what a way to go, buried in gold," laughed Doone.

The next morning, Steve and Joe were at the White House, debriefing the cabinet. "I swear that no one got past us," said Steve. "No one came in or out. The gold simply...disappeared."

The Secretary of the Treasury glowered. "This is a travesty. The market is already taking a major hit, the nation is in a panic."

"Trevor and the IADC were negligent," said the Secretary of Defense. "I say we court martial them!"

At that moment, Wonder Woman jumped through an open window in the hot confrence room. "Good morning, gentlemen. May I join this conference?"

"Good heavens! It's Wonder Woman!" blustered the Speaker of the House. "Of course! We'd be glad to have your help."

The statuesque beauty stood tall and smiled at the men leering at her. Wonder Woman was always aware of the effect her good looks had on all men, and in some ways she thrilled to it. Satisfied all eyes were on her, she said, "I wouldn't be too quick to blame Mr Trevor and Mr Atkinson, gentlemen. They were defeated by a supercomputer that stole that gold. It can devise an unbeatable method for committing any crime. But the machine was stolen. I've discovered who stole the machine and it was a scientific criminal named..."

At that moment, an aide rushed in and whispered into the Speaker's ear. His eyes grew round in surprise, and he nodded. The aide crossed to a large televison and switched on the sound. The garbled voice spoke again, "This is Crime Brain Doone calling all the so called leaders of America. The gold is very nice, and I thank you for it. You all were too stupid to stop me then and you'll never stop me. In fact, the only obstacle remaining to my developing my empire of crime is Wonder Woman herself. She will be eliminated permanently today at 3 pm." The machine went silent and the room was still for a moment.

"This is outrageous!" shouted one man. "Call in the marines!" said another. "We'll surround you with an armed guard! We can't let you be taken, Wonder Woman!"

Wonder Woman smiled. "You can TRY gentlemen. But if the machine has figured out an unbeatable way to capture me at three o'clock, then you can bet I'll be captured."

Wonder Woman grabbed Trevor by the arm. "I need to make some preparations before you put me under guard. Come on Steve," she said. They leaped out the window, Steve's heart jumping into his throat.

MEANWHILE...Doone had summoned all the crime leaders in the US to his secret lair to deliver an ultimatum. "You're all joining my crime trust," he said. "I'll plan all your crimes and you'll split the take with me 50-50. Otherwise, I'll have the machine plan your arrests."

The mob bosses laughed, and one of them, Knuckles Bonano, said, "I ain't agreein' until we see just what this thing can do. You prove it to me, an' I'm in. Ain't that right boys?"

The remaining bosses shouted agreement. Doone looked angry, but nodded. "All right, you got a deal. The machine has already planned for a way to bring Wonder Woman to my side of the law. I'll get her here, and have her join my Crime Trust. You stick around to watch, ok?"

BACK IN WASHINGTON...Wonder Woman fretted. She was locked in a tight metal cell completely surrounded by almost 1000 armed soldiers, heavy artillery, tanks and overhead, planes circled. An electonic clock counted the minutes, and Wonder Woman kept her eyes focused on the red LED lights. In the distance she could hear the chimes from the National Cathedral as it tolled the hours.

Three o'clock rolled by and Wonder Woman smiled. Nothing happened. Then all at once an almost transparent ray of pale blue light struck the amazing Amazon behind her ear and penetrated to her brain. Within her innmost mind, Wonder Woman felt a compelling command. "COME FORTH AND FOLLOW THE RAY!!!" Wonder Woman was unable to resist the compulsion, and stepped to the bars of her cell.

"Steve, it's past three. The danger is over. Let me out to look for the supercomputer."

Steve stopped. "I would beautiful, but I can't. My orders are to..."

Unable to resist the command of the ray, Wonder Woman grabbed the bars of the cell and bent them back with her fabled strength. She knocked Steve over, throwing him into the contingent of soldiers directly in front of her. The soldiers fell like bowling pins. Wonder Woman leaped over the wave of soldiers and into the path of an oncoming tank. She bent the barrel of the tank's gun back on itself, rendering the machine useless. "I'm sorry, but I haven't time to argue orders with you...I must obey."

She broke through the remaining barricades and chased at hisgh speed down the roadway. Tirelessly, the Maid from Paradise Island followed the compelling force in her mind, her only thought, obedience. Following the ray, Wonder Woman soon found herself inside Doone's headquarters. She stepped into the living room and bowed her head. She crossed her wrists in submission and spoke to Crime Brain, "I am here, and my brain commands me to obey you."

Doone laughed. "Ha ha! My thinking machine wins again! Follow me, Wonder Woman." Unable to resist, the Amazing Amazon followed the criminal into the next room. Doone grabbed the submissive heroine by the chin and forced her head up. "Take a look at what my Thinking Machine can do! The great Wonder Woman herself, our most dangerous enemy, helpless and obedient!" The room grew silent as the Amazon stood helpless and unresisting.

Mindlessly, Wonder Woman parroted Doone, "Yes, I am obedient to you Doone."

The gang bosses were impressed. "You got a deal Doone," said Bonano. "We're all joinin' your Crime Trust."

Nearby, Fife cowered. "This is all my fault," he thought. "Wonder Woman is powerless, and I'm too worried for my life to do anything about it. All I can do is keep myself alive and do as he says. I'm as helpless as Wonder Woman."

Doone smiled, and began thinking of titles for himself. "Emperor Doone has a nice ring to it, don't you think, Dugan?" He looked once more at his powerful prisoner, incapable of moving without his commands. He had plans for Wonder Woman. Big plans.

Doone turned to Fife. "I need you to plan another crime for me. Something really big. I've already got the gold. Now I want you to steal the launch codes for the US missle defense system. I can blackmail the US government into surrendering to me, or else I can blow up a city or two until they do. Or better still, sell the secrets to the enemies of the nation and retire fabulously wealthy."

"Bu..but that's barbaric!" said Fife, trembling. Doone whirled, slapping the mathematician on the side of his face. Fife tumbled to the floor.

"No more lip," he said. "Or your honey here," Doone pointed to Wonder Woman, "will buy the farm. Do you understand?" Fife nodded.

"I'll do it," he said. "But it will take the machine some time to plan it."

Doone glowered but nodded. "Then give it a quick program first." He whispered his intentions into Fife's ear. Fife grew incredibly red, but said nothing. He punched a few keys on the control panel and thirty seconds later, handed the printout to Doone.

Doone winked at the scientist. "Now get to work on the other plan. This will keep me busy all night long, but I'll want your answer to the other problem in the morning." He turned to Wonder Woman. "Right now, I have a little night music to make. Follow me, Wonder Woman." Without hesitation, Wonder Woman followed the crime boss up the stairs of his hideout. A few minutes later, Fife heard thumping and moaning coming down from the floor above. A loud feminine wail indicated one way Doone intended to use Wonder Woman.

"This is terrible," he muttered. He knew already that Doone was something of a mathematical genius himself; but Fife gambled he wouldn't check the math too closely for this program. Working furiously, he outlined the scheme for the computer, but he also added a few lines that would secretly allow the IADC to find them. Satisfied at his own duplicity, Fife ran the program, then fell asleep.

He woke early, the cries of Wonder Woman still resounding from the floor above. "I guess the first program was to Doone's satisfaction," he grumbled--ashamed of himself. The moaning grew softer, becoming sobs, and then ending entirely. Doone came down the stairs, wearing a thick brocade bathrobe and pajama pants. Behind him, Wonder Woman followed, her cotume torn, wrinkled and matted. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her once perfect hair disshivelled. She still had her head bowed in submission however and she stood behind Doone, her wrists still crossed.

"I have your answers here, Mr Doone," said Fife. Doone scanned the document, then grunted, satisfied.

"Go ahead and put it to work," he said. Fife pressed a few buttons on the machine and the supercomputer hummed to life. All across America, documents began disappearing from military bases--every code book, every key to launch panels began to disappear. A few minutes later, they began to appear on the table in Doone's hideout.

Doone nearly cackled with glee. "This is better than the all night sex formula you gave me last night! Now I control the entire free world! Can you get me on the TV to the government?"

Fife nodded, still defeated. A moment later, Doone appeared on the screen in the President's office, as well as in the IADC's communications room. "I am Crime Boss Doone," he began. "I am responsible for the theft of the supercomputer, the Ft Knox depository and your beloved Wonder Woman." The camera panned the room, showing each item in turn as Doone named it. "As of 10:30 this morning, I also took total control of this nations' defenses. I am ordering the government to surrender to me, or I shall sell these defensive secrets to the enemies of the United States. You will hear from me in 24 hours, at which point I will accept your unconditional surrender."

Doone cut the connection, then smiled. "That should do it," he said. He looked at Wonder Woman, then at Fife. "Doc, I think I need another pick me up," he said.

Back at IADC headquarters, Joe Atkinson was furious. "We cant stop him Steve; he's got control of our most potent weapons, the supercomputer, Fife and Wonder Woman too! And we haven't even got a clue as to where he is!"

At that moment, the little abulatory droid ROVER beep beeped its way into Joe's office. It dropped a note onto the director's desk than rolled out. Joe opened the note and handed it to Steve. "What do you make of this?" asked Joe.

Steve studied the note. "I'd say Fife figured out a way to communicate his location. I'd like to run this by IRAC, but I'm almost convinced these are the coordinates of the supercomputer. And if we find the supercomputer..."

"We find Doone and his cronies," finished Joe. "Sound thinking Steve. Get on it--take as many men as you need."

"Thanks Joe; but I think this is a case where less is more." Steve stood up and left the office.

Three hours, one helicopter and an IADC staff car later, Steve was approximately one mile from Doone's Pennsylvania headquarters. Located in a deep woods, Steve had no problem approaching it without being spotted. He lay on a hill nearby, watching the compound through binoculars. Ever since the device had been stolen, crime had increased and Steve was intent to stop it.

The document had not only indicated the address of the supercomputer, but had provided instructions to approach, away from the otherwise faultless protection. Steve soon found himself entering the compound through an open wine cellar door. He entered the cool dark cellar and waited, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

When his eyes were sufficiently adjusted, he stepped into the main cellar. As he crossed the floor, the lights suddenly blazed on and he found himself face to face with Wonder Woman.

"Angel!" he said. "I can't believe you're free. This will make my job easier."

In response, Wonder Woman grabbed Steve by the lapels of his jacket, and threw him into the heavy stome wall. Steve landed hard, sliding to the floor.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring you flowers," said Steve. "But don't you think that was a little harsh?"

Wonder Woman dove at Steve, grabbing for his neck. The nimlbe IADC agent rolled to his side, barely getting out of Wonder Woman's way. Her timing and superb skill seemed off somehow, and Steve believed she was still under the control of the machine. "The machine," he said. "That's got to be it." Wonder Woman punched at Steve and he barely avoided the fist. Instead, Wonder Woman's fist buried itself into the stone wall, crumbling it.

Steve studied the room and ran diving under Wonder Woman's boomerang tiara. He came up in front of the breaker panel. "You want me? Come and get me." Wonder Woman took a running start at Steve, then kicked up at him. Steve managed once again to get out of the way, and the amazing Amazon's boots landed in the circuit board. There was a flash of lightning, and Steve heard Wonder Woman howl in pain. The lights flickered, then the hideout went black.

Steve reached over to where his angel had fallen. "Wonder Woman?" he asked.

"Steve! Oh Steve!" Steve felt powerful arms around his neck and a deep kiss from Wonder Woman. He maintained his cool, though and managed to break the kiss.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"I think so," she said. "My mind is my own once again." She got to her feet. "And I have a lot of work left to do!"

Soon, the crime bosses who had remained with Doone were rounded up in short order, and tossed into the now locked cellar, with Steve standing guard. Wonder Woman caught up with Doone as he tried to slip away through a roof access. "I owe you BIG, mister," she said, cracking her knuckles.

Doone dropped to his knees begging for mercy. Wonder Woman grumbled, knowing she wouldn not be able to kill a surrendered foe, but tossed Doone extra hard down the stairs. The Crime Trust was broken up, but Wonder Woman still had one task left.

She picked up Professor Fife from the floor. The mathematician hung his head. "I'm terribly sorry for the things Doone had the machine do to you Wonder Woman. I'm so ashamed, how can I ever face my friends?"

"It's true, you were weak when faced with a chance to be courageous," said Wonder Woman. "But you put your life on the line to end this madness. I think you can be forgiven."

"But the horrible things Doone did to you...how can I ever forget it?"

Wonder Woman studied the small man. "We grow from our mistakes, Professor Fife. Rather than forget, learn from this." She looked at the supercomputer. "But maybe the world isn't ready yet for a device that can solve man's problems. Perhaps I should destroy it."

Fife agreed, and Wonder Woman's mighty Amazon muscles made short work of the computer. "Bu-but I still remember how to make another one!" protested Fife. Wonder Woman nodded, then tossed her lasso over Fife's shoulders.

"You will forget how to make a thinking machine," she said. "But you will remember these events." She took the lasso from his shoulders and held the sobbing scientist. "I forgive you." she said.

BACK AT IADC HEADQUARTERS...

"Good work Steve, on rescuing Wonder Woman, the gold and the national defense," said the President, though his filtered screen. "The Congress wants to award you a medal, privately of course. But it will be reflected in your jacket and your paycheck, as well. "

"Thank you sir," said Steve. "But I really didn't do that much."

"Are you kidding Steve?" asked Joe. "You singlehandedly rescued Wonder Woman and saved the nation's defense and economy, I'd hardly call that nothing."

"Well, technically, Wonder Woman did all that," said Steve.

"And you were a part of the biggest haul of wanted criminals in history," added Diana.

"It's just too bad we don't have that thinking machine to devise fitting punishments." said Joe.

"Oh I don't know," said Diana. "It seems to me, we're definitely smart enough to do THAT at least."

"How's Professor Fife doing?" asked the President.

"He's taking a leave from the agency for a while. He wanted to research and write a book on the Dynamics of an Asteroid. Under the circumstances, we felt a sabbatical was a good idea," said Joe.

"That's good," said the President. "As Diana said once, every human mind needs a rest once in a while."

"Well I could certainly use one," said Steve. "How about it Diana? Care for a trip to the Caribbean with me?"

"Oh no, Steve, I couldn't. I feel like I just stood around during your last mission. Someone has to be here in case the world falls apart while you're gone."

"I agree," said Joe. "Have a nice vacation Steve." Joe offered his arm and Diana took it. They left the communications room together.

"Sorry, Steve, I can't go either," said the President. "But maybe you could ask Wonder Woman."

"I would if I could find her."

"Well you found her once. I'm sure you could find her again. She has a way of showing up you know."

The End.

Wonder Woman: Double Trouble

2009-06-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

Wonder Woman: Double Trouble...

a retelling of an old story...By Captain Zammo

The flight from Cincinnati had been long, and throughout the flight Diana had been forced to listen to a middle aged advertising salesman in a bad plaid suit.

"Are you sure you won't stop and have just ONE drink with me in the airport lounge, Miss Prince?" he begged.

"No, for the last time, Mr. Tarlek." Diana tried to turn to the window and reopen her book, but the man was relentless.

"Look Miss," he said. "Washington's a big city, and you might get lost in it. Are you sure you don't need a guide?"

Diana put on a coy little smile. "I don't think you could keep up with me, Mr. Tarlek. I move pretty fast when I want to. You look like you could get tired pretty easily. In fact, you look sleepy now." She put a hand on the man's shoulder and squeezed. The blood rushing to Tarlek's brain stopped momentarily, and the ad executive slumped back in his seat.

Diana was undisturbed for the rest of the flight.

The next morning, dressed in a crisp black pant suit, Diana entered the office suite she shared with IADC agent Steve Trevor. Steve motioned for Diana to come into his office, before Diana could get to hers. She smiled and entered Steve's office. Pushing her enormous glasses back on her pretty face, she asked, "Hi Steve, what's up?"

"Diana, I have a surprise for you. This is Joan Becker. She's a new agent in the IADC, and Joe assigned her to you, to assist you in your work. " Diana sized the young girl up. Joan was dressed in a nice blouse and skirt, with boots up to her knees. They were both about the same size and shape, and just as Diana's hair was dark and full of curls, so was Joan's. Steve whistled.

"Say I didn't notice this before--but you two look like you could have a lot in common. You might even be sisters!" He chuckled at his little joke and was about to make another comment when his phone buzzed. He took the call, then stood up abruptly.

"I'm sorry ladies, but Joe just called with a crisis for me in Parador. I'll be back later." Diana and Joan watched as Steve left the suite.

"Isn't he wonderful, Miss Prince?" said Joan. "He's just the man I want."

"Oh I understand Miss Becker; and call me Diana. But I wouldn't get any ideas if I were you. Everyone knows Steve has a thing for Wonder Woman."

"You can call me Joan, Miss Prince. Oh but who should know better that Steve Trevor loves Wonder Woman than I do?" Joan's face blushed red and she covered her mouth. "Ohhh...I ...I shouldn't have said that! I gave my secret away!" Joan clasped Diana's wrists to hers and said, "Promise me you won't give away my secret Diana?!"

"Tell what, Joan, what secret?" Diana was truly puzzled.

Joan looked shamefacedly at the floor, then looked conspiratorially at Diana. "You probably guessed it already...I am Wonder Woman!"

Diana stared at Joan Becker in amazement. "Y...You're Wonder Woman?" Diana's brain silently pondered the girl's words. "She couldn't POSSIBLY be Wonder Woman, because I am!"

Diana tilted her head back and laughed. "You've got to be kidding me Joan. You couldn't be Wonder Woman! It's true that no one's ever discovered her identity. In fact, there are rumors of a million dollar bounty for anyone who reveals it. But...But you're no Amazon, any more than I am. Wonder Woman can perform all kinds of feats that you couldn't possibly..."

I'll PROVE I'm Wonder Woman," announced Joan, with a large dose of defiance in her voice. She pointed at Diana's feet. "Stand right there and I'll return with proof positive I'm Wonder Woman.

Joan left Diana's office into the outer area. Diana crossed her arms and waited, thinking, "I know she's going to fail, because I'm Wonder Woman...But why is she so confident?"

It had only been maybe ten seconds, but the door blew open and Joan Becker, dressed as Wonder Woman appeared. Diana lurched forward in startled surprise. "Why..why that's impossible!"

"Joan Becker left, and returns as Wonder Woman! But why are you doubting me Diana?" asked Joan.

Diana studied the imposter as if studying her own reflection. Joan was almost identically dressed to Diana's own Amazon garb, right down to the tiny gold links of the lasso. "How can I tell her I can't believe what I'm seeing, without revealing that I am Wonder Woman myself?"

The doubt in Diana's eyes must have been apparent, for Joan said, "I see you're still in doubt Diana. All right then, I'll give you the final proof --proof you'll have to accept." She touched her hand to the star on her tiara and called out "Calling robot Plane."

"Great Hera," thought Diana. "She's calling my plane! But it only answers to my voice and thought commands." Joan climbed to Diana's open window.

"NO! Stop!" Diana called.

"Plane zoom at maximum speed" cried Joan as she leapt out the window and onto an invisible ladder. Diana took a moment to recover, then ran to the window, afraid of what she'd see. But by the time she got there, Joan was gone.

"She's gone," Diana said. "And only my Amazon plane could have disappeared so quickly. She returned to her desk to consider what she had just seen.

"I can't believe what I saw," mused Diana. "If I do, it means that Joan Becker is Wonder Woman. And if she's Wonder Woman, then who am I? No...NO! I need to recall what else has happened to me this morning. The solution MUST be there."

The IADC agent sat with her eyes closed, lost in recollection....

The morning had started innocently enough, with Diana leaving her Georgetown apartment to head to the IADC offices. She's stopped to drop off some dry cleaning when she saw a large hovering machine, grabbing onto an armored car. Bullets began flying from the surprised guards and from the machine as well.

"Great Hera!" said Diana. She stepped into the alley behind Ming's dry cleaning and began twirling. A bright flash of light lit the dim alley, and Diana Prince stood once more in the gold and crimson panoply of Wonder Woman.

"I've got to save those guards, and the truck!" she said, leaping for a wheel on the now hoisted armored car.

"Look it's Wonder Woman," said one of the criminals. "Where did she come from?"

"Who cares!! Cut her down," said another, and a hail of machine gun bullets began flying at the perky form of the amazing Amazon. However, Wonder Woman latched onto the armored truck's wheel and began spinning.

"She's moving too fast, we can't hit her," came a cry from the flying machine.

"We can't all miss her if we keep firing together," said the boss. All the guns began firing in synch at the hurtling Amazon. But scant seconds before the concentrated firepower began, Wonder Woman let go of the wheel and like a hurtling javelin, she landed in the cockpit of the Crime Machine. Two thugs were still firing at the tire.

"I think I got her," said one thug.

The boss whirled around and saw Wonder Woman standing there, with her fists on her hips. "Y..yipes! No, you fools--She's right here!! Turn around and get her!"

But before the gang could fire, Wonder Woman whipped her golden lasso around them. "Don't worry boys. It's going to be cool and quiet where you're going." She lowered the armored truck and the guards, then summoned her robot pBecker. Wonder Woman then turned the gang over to the police.

She whirled out of her Wonder Woman costume and recovered her car, driving onto the parking deck. The memory ended and Diana sat back. "Wait a minute!" she said. "I have it."

She smiled. "What irony. Joan Becker insists she's Wonder Woman and will make Steve fall in love with her, while I'm really Wonder Woman. I proved it by defeating those crooks with an illusion! Could I have been decieved by thinking that where the ladder was, the plane was?"

Diana stepped to her still open window and looked out, studying the wall. "Aha, Joan Becker impersonating me didn't leap onto my plane; merely a ladder similar to the one in my plane. I see the scratches the ladder and her boots made on the wall, where she climbed to the roof.

"But that still doesn't answer how shoe was able to make the change to Wonder Woman so quickly." The sexy IADC agent's musings stopped as the police scanner picked up a police call.

"Great Hera! The remaining members of the gang I caught this morning are trying another heist on Lexington!" Diana grabbed her purse and strode from the office. With her mind on stopping the criminals, she almost missed Steve and Joan talking in the hall.

"Oh...there's Steve and Joan. Is she trying to win him over?" Joan tittered as Steve made a humorous comment. Diana passed by, without them noticing.

"How can I leave Steve with her, knowing she's determined to make him fall in love with her? But if I stay, the gang may get away!!" The mental struggle took only a moment though, and though Diana Prince got into the elevator to the roof, Wonder Woman leapt from it ready for action. She ran down the streets of DC to Lexington Avenue, determined to deal with her imposter when she returned.

Moments later, Wonder Woman reached the scene of the robbery. The crowds turned and cheered when they saw her. "You sure cleaned up that gang in a hurry Wonder Woman!" said the bank president."

"What?" asked an astonished heroine.

"You certainly move fast Wonder Woman. We just saw you leave with the prisoners by way of River Drive. And yet, you're back here already!"

"What a heroine!!"

Diana's mind was racing. "How can they be speaking as if I've already captured the gang, when I just got here? There has to be a mistake--I can't be in two places at one time--unless this is all a dream?" She broke her reverie long enough to acknowledge her undeserved accolades, then said, "Did you say River Drive? Excuse me...I have to leave."

As Diana raced toward River Drive, she thought, "The only person who could so successfully impersonate me is Joan Becker. But I left her with Steve at the IADC. So who is this NEW Wonder Woman?"

As Wonder Woman raced along River Drive, she was startled. "Shades of Pluto! " she swore. "The people at the bank were right. They did see Wonder Woman performing an Amazon feat and so do I!!" In front of the astonished Amazon, she saw a virtual duplicate carrying two men, one in each arm.

The new Wonder Woman turned back and gaped at Wonder Woman in amazement. She dropped the two goons and said, "Joan? What are you doing here?"

"Joan?" thought Wonder Woman. "She called me Joan. By Hera, now I know how she was able to change into Wonder Woman so quickly at the IADC this morning."

Wonder Woman grabbed the fallen goons and lifted them over her head. "I'll take these two friends of yours for safekeeping, if you don't mind." she said.

"Joan! I don't believe it! You were never strong enough to perform the feat you're doing now!"

The stunned goons pulled revolvers from their jacket pockets and began firing at Wonder Woman. Deftly, she deflected each bullet fired at her.

"Holy cow! She's got wrists of steel! It's the real Wonder Woman all right!!"

"Parrying bullets is a game every Amazon Child learns." Wonder Woman tossed the goons into the air, then dropped her lasso over the two of them. "Now gentlemen, you're going to give me some information..."

Behind her though, Wonder Woman heard a cry for help. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her double being dragged into a car covered with motion picture cameras. "She may be impersonating me, but from the looks of things, I don't think she's mixed up with these crooks." Wonder Woman commanded the men to go to sleep, then unlassoed them and chased after the car.

She caught up to the fleeing coupe and grabbed the rear bumper, beginning to lift it from the ground. But to her dismay, the fearless Amazon discovered the movie cameras....

"Fake Cameras...Fixed to...shoot gasssss....." In a fit of coughing, Wonder Woman crumpled to the pavement, unconscious. Powerful arms dragged the fallen heroine into the coupe, then drove swiftly through the Maryland suburbs. Inside the car, those powerful arms slowly began undressing the helpless heroine, then wrapping the magical golden lariat tightly around the unconscious Wonder Woman's limp form.

The lights blurred in Wonder Woman's head, finally resolving into focus in a warehouse. The groggy Amazon swam to consciousness, only to find herself nude and bound tightly hand and foot in the criminal's hideout. Looking up, Wonder Woman gazed into the eyes of her double.

"You...you couldn't possibly be Joan Becker," croaked Wonder Woman through her parched lips. "So you must be her twin. That would account for the lightning fast changes. You were already lurking in the IADC in costume, waiting for Joan to signal you to take her place."

"Very clever Wonder Woman," said the imposter. "I'm Inez Becker. We were hired specifically to lure you out into the open."

"But why?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Isn't that obvious?" replied Inez. "The underworld has a standing contract for you. My sister and I are the daughters of a man you and Steve Trevor sent to jail four years ago. In addition to the money for your life, we're going to collect revenge on the IADC as well. We proposed our plan to the crime bosses and they fronted us $300,000 to trap you."

Inez tugged on the lasso, and Wonder Woman winced as the gold chain pulled taut against her bare chest, thighs and crotch. Inez laughed at her captive's discomfort.

"We already had more than a passing resemblance to you, Wonder Woman, so it wasn't too hard to have Doctor Henkel, here, perform the necessary plastic surgeries to make us your doubles in every way. Then we set out to lure you out.

"Joan passed the tests and was accepted by the IADC with no problems. It was her job to confide to Diana Prince that she was really Wonder Woman. I was to perform "Amazon-like" feats, with the help of Dr. Henkel and his men. Then it was merely a matter of time, Wonder Woman, until you either heard of Joan's claims or my impersonation...and investigate. You were marvelous darling and fell right into our little trap, didn't she Doctor Henkel?" Inez knelt in front of the bound Amazon and stroked Wonder Woman's cheek. The Amazing Amazon blushed at how readily she'd been led.

Inez tugged again at Wonder Woman's crotch rope and the magic lasso slipped into the naked woman's labia. Wonder Woman squirmed helplessly for a moment, then found her breath.

"What are you going to do with me, then?" she asked.

"Well, the Underworld requires proof of your demise. But I'm greedy. Joan and I feel there's MORE to be had from you, than just your death. And when Joan brings Trevor to join us, then the two of you will be sold to the Eastern Bloc for the information you can provide."

"In the meantime...Doctor Henkel's men have some unfinished business, they would like to conduct with you." Inez motioned to the goons Diana had left sleeping earlier. She then held the lasso and said, "I order you to not resist this Wonder Woman; after all, your mission is about peace and love." Wonder Woman's body tensed, then relaxed. She was unable to resist as Inez' men bent her backward and spread her legs.

Inez laughed and took Doctor Henkel by the arm, leading him out of the room. The goons were relentless, and Wonder Woman's cries of "No!" were soon drowned out by raucous laughter.

She found herself face down, her mighty form helpless to resist one intruder after another. Bound with her own lasso, and commanded not to resist, Wonder Woman suffered one indignity after another as Henkel and Inez' men had their way with her. She was groped, poked, prodded and molested every which way, and just whne she thought they'd had enough of her, the men started in again. She whimpered, she moaned and she pleaded, but all night long her body betrayed her.

As the sun rose the next morning, Inez returned, with Dr. Henkel. Inez was furious. "Where could she POSSIBLY be?"she shouted. "All she had to do was seduce one moronic IADC agent. How hard could that be?"

"I don't know," offered Henkel. "perhaps she really fell in love?"

Joan fumed for a while, then said, "We can't wait for her any longer. At least we'll have Wonder Woman to sell. She's bound to have lots of secrets." Inez reached down and carefully untied Wonder Woman's sticky legs. The Amazon groaned in relief.

"Stand up, Wonder Woman," she said. "You can walk to the van under your own power, THEN we can put you to sleep. And when you wake up, you'll be telling your stories and secrets to the Soviets." With halting motions, the once graceful and now sore Wonder Woman slowly got to her feet. Inez grasped the lasso and leered, pointing a gun at Wonder Woman.

"I'll bet you never thought your end would come like this, did you Wonder Woman? Do you have any words for posterity?"

"Yes, you forgot something, Inez," said Wonder Woman.

"What's that?" she scoffed.

"An Amazon never gives up." Wonder Woman kicked up and knocked both the gun and the lasso from Inez' hand. As she struggled to free herself from the knots still binding her, she heard the clicking of three guns' hammers sliding back.

"Don't worry boss, we'll stop her," said Henkel and his henchmen. Wonder Woman stood still, considering her next moves.

Suddenly several shots rang out and Steve's voice cried out. "Federal Agents! Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up--we have the building completely surrounded." Several armed IADC agents stormed into the building, and promptly took custody of Inez, Henkel and their goons. Steve, ever the proper gentleman gave Wonder Woman his topcoat.

She thanks him and slipped it over her bare frame. "How did you find me?" she asked.

"Joan Becker," he replied. "Someone heard her telling Diana Prince she was Wonder Woman. But I got suspicious last night."

"What gave her away?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Her kisses," explained Steve. "No one kisses like you do."

Wonder Woman proved it by rewarding Steve with a long, lingering one.

The End.

Quiz Time Again...

2009-06-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

All right Apt Pupils....Put your books away and prepare for a quiz....

QUESTION ONE

The Wrecker has just destroyed Police headquarters; kiling several cops and civilians. In your costumed role you've chased him to the rooftop of the Generic Building; forty stories high. In the course of your fight to bring the Wrecker to justice, he stumbles, wavering off-balance on the edge of the rooftop.

Do you

a) Shrug and let the Wrecker deal with it?

b) Push him over the edge?

c) Reach out to save him in a valiant rescue effort?

QUESTION TWO

You're defeating the villain, and are about to use your patented Super Crush move when the foul fiend siezes your mask and sees your face. He laughs, recognizing your identity and threatens to blackmail you if you don't do his bidding. Do you...

a) Crush the life from him, preserving your identity?

b) Give in to his demands--protecting your friends and family?

c) Defeat the creep and take him in anyway--vowing to expose yourself to the world?

QUESTION THREE (heroines only)

The Villain has captured you, and discovered some way to keep your amazing abilities at bay. He (she) has systematically begun to assault your body with the idea of turning you into a sexy Superslut. Do You...

a) Whimper helplessly, hoping for a rescue?

b) Block your mind out and just give in to the situation?

c) Fight to the death, trying to escape the whole time?

OK pencils down. This should stir up some controversy, but I feel the only right answer to all the questions is C. The other answers are good, but hardly heroic in my definition. What makes a SUPERHERO in my definition is never giving up, and rising above his or her emotions, living by a code that keeps a hero on the path of right.

It's one reason I like the classic heroes from the forties. Though he used a gun, Sandman only shot gas at his villains, righting the wrong and leaving the legal system to deal with the villains. But he ALWAYS left the villains to the law. I think its a code worth living today, for all of us, not just the Superheros.

On Characterization

2009-06-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm going to give away a secret that will make one a better role player and a better writer. (To my way of thinking, it may even make one a better artist--at least when it comes to storytelling art)
Here's the setup...
The Wrecker, (remember him?) is plotting revenge on Queen City for locking him away all those years. Several robberies have occurred in the past few days, completely baffling the QCPD. They've asked for some Superheroic help, and have received it in the form of Patriette.
Through her own means, Patriette has figured out the Wrecker's plan--specifically to tunnel under the Queen City depository of the Federal Reserve Bank and empty the vault of all the money. Additionally, he's planting explosive charges under the county courthouse , City Hall and Police headquarters (He's really got a bug up his butt on this one.)
The Wrecker's plans call for a specific time table, but being the careful plotter he is, he's allowed himself an additional hour before the big fireworks show begins.
As the Wrecker steps from his hideout to go to the rendezvous point, though, he's pelted by a heavy sonic barrage. Patriette has arrived, and uses her sound based energy to stun the villain. The fight becomes a hard fought battle, until the Wrecker, in a supreme effort, manages to drop a pallet of lumber onto the poor superheroine, knocking her out. The Wrecker now has less than 20 minutes to get to where he's going, and crosstown traffic is murder.
Quiz time again....What should the Wrecker do here?
a) Leave Patriette to rot under the heavy pallet--he needs to get going.
b) Tie the heroine up, throw her in the trunk and take her with him
c) Peel off her panties and have his way with her--leaving her a sobbing wreck--then go on to the redezvous.
d) take the time to rig a deathtickling involving a chicken, a pallet of bricks and tickling.
Pencils down, pass the papers forward.
As strange as it sounds--the Correct Answer to this is "A." Any villain worth his salt is going to see a heroine as a nuisance, and her interference is going to mess up his lovely timetable. Since we've established the Wrecker is a careful plotter, and obscessed with his revenge plan, he's NOT going to waste any MORE time with Patriette.
Now I hear you arguing, "but the whole purpose of this role play is to get to the 'good part.'"
Perhaps--but what if mere moments after the Wrecker leaves, a troop of Boy Scouts appears (on their anti littering day) and rescues Patriette. The recovering heroine thanks troop 1234 for their assistance, then manages to FIND the Wrecker again, shutting down his master plan. The bombs fail to go off. The city is saved. The Wrecker's men are captured. And Patriette has emerged victorious.
But in her moment of triumph, the Wrecker creeps from behind some broken control panel and in a fit of pique bends a lead pipe over Patriette's pretty blonde head. The dazed heroine crumples like a load of wet laundry.
Quiz Time again....
The Wrecker should THEN....
a) bind Patriette and take her with him so he can get revenge on SOMEBODY
b) Leave her behind and make his getaway.
c) Peel off her panties and have his way with her--leaving her a sobbing wreck
d) put her in a death trap HERE.
OK, pencils down again...the correct answer HERE is "A" again. She's messed him up, made him late and ruined his plans. Dammit, someone's gotta pay!
So what's the secret? Characterization. The better a player or character in a story stays in his or her role, the better the story becomes. Try getting inside the motives, it makes a better story.

2009-06-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Victory Woman takes her shot
by Captain Zammo
(With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer)

It really wasn't boding well in Newport on the Bay
The downtown streets were smoldering; the Spoiler'd come to play.
So when the mayor surrendered; the police force did the same
The papers pointed fingers; the people affixed blame.
A lucky few escaped the town; in thrall he held the rest
But HOPE still flickered bravely in each captive townsman's breast.
"If only," it was whispered, "Victory Woman would arrive.
If Victory Woman faced this guy, we'd make it out alive."

But the Guild first sent in Lightning; and also Captain Fate
The former was a rookie, the latter out of date.
And so among the citizens a sense of doom held sway
They felt they wouldn't be alone in needing help that day.
But the kid unleashed a barrage, 'gainst the villain's metal hide
And Fate's concussion blows exposed a booby trap inside!
Then when the dust had settled and the crowd saw what occurred;
They found Fate sprawled out on Broadway
With bits of Lightning strewn all down Third.

Then rocketing across the sky came a streaking crimson form
The sonic boom had echoed like a large impending storm.
And when the form decreased its speed and gracefully swooped down
For the Spoiler there could be no doubt; Vict'ry Woman was in town.

There was Grace in Victory's bearing. as she dodged the Spoiler's guns
Her confidence apparent as her heat beams burned his buns!
She landed near the battle line, and smoothed her ruffled skirt,
Then to the crowds she blew a kiss; just a harmless little flirt.
But as her back was turned to him; the Spoiler fired a flare.
It hit her squarely in the back; she skidded up the square.
So Victory got to her feet, brushed blonde hair from her eyes
"You just got in a lucky punch; you hit me by surprise."

She flew once more into the fray; her azure cape a-swell
Her fists clenched tight in fury, her jaw clamped tight as well.
She dove straight at the Spoiler, with a savage super blow
And crashed deep into City Hall, (The Spoiler dodged, you know.)

Ten thousand eyes upon her as she rose from the debris.
Five thousand tongues fell silent as she dropped back to her knees.
He threw a City Bus at her, "Take that, you stupid cow!
With my expanding Robot Arms, I'm your equal now!"

She caught the bus and set it down, innocent lives at stake.
"Spoiler," she said, blue eyes aglow, "You've made a big mistake!"
She charged the armored mastermind; her fiery eyes ablaze.
But tripped on a downed power line; which set her in a daze.

The Spoiler; sweating in his suit, released a large steel ball
It rolled across the broken street, stopped near the super doll.
A woozy, dizzy Victory gazed out through bleary eyes
And as the ball belched sleeping gas, she inhaled with a sigh.
Her lithe and sexy body shuddered as she breathed the noxious gas
The population trembled, could no one help this lass?

The Spoiler, sensing victory, shambled toward his helpless prey.
It certainly appeared the Good Guys would lose big time this day.
The Spoiler laughed in triumph. The crowd stepped back afraid.
A snaking robot arm reach out, and gripped the Mighty Maid.
But as Victory hung dangling, the Spoiler was surprised.
By two glowing crimson fire beams that shot out of Victory's eyes.

The silent crowd now found its voice, it rallied in a cheer.
While wafting from the Spoiler's suit came the distinct scent of fear.
The Robot's arm was melted, in a hot metallic goo.
But Victory fell into it, felt it harden 'round her shoe.
The once triumphant heroine pulled on her held fast leg.
"Now, at last" the Spoiler thought, "I'll take her down a peg"

With his remaining robot arm he beat her long and hard.
He didn't stop until Victory lay still upon the yard.
Her blonde hair lay across her face, her azure cape was torn
Only tattered scraps remained of the crimson suit she'd worn.
Her eyes were swollen shut in pain, and from her lip blood curled,
"This isn't supposed to happen, I'm a hero in this world"

The Spoiler climbed down from the 'bot, to make his win complete.
He grabbed poor Victory by her locks and pulled her to her feet.
"I've beaten all your heroes here," the Spoiler said, quite proud.
The weakened superheroine stood stumbling, staring blankly at the crowd.
"Now to the Spoiler belongs Victory," he said with an evil leer.
(You readers with small children close, may want to disappear)

The Spoiler pulled the tatters of her ruined costume free
And showed the world the perfect breasts of defeated Victory.
Her shock at being so exposed, caused Victory to wail.
The Spoiler laughed and had his minions carry her to jail.
For three long days and three long nights, she served each villain's whim.
Her perfect body ruined, bruised, no longer trim.
The things they did to Victory are would cause your hair to curl
Suffice to say that no one ever ever, saw the missing girl.

In Newport now, a despot reigns, with all his brutish louts
For Victory, who had a chance with all her friends, struck out.

Sometimes Ya gotta try Something Different

2009-06-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just gotta try something different.
I've never considered myself an artist. I never considered myself a writer. I've never considered myself much of anything. But every now and then, inspiration strikes and you just gotta try it or explode. So I did this picture. It's done in a free program (Daz Studio) which is a 3d rendering program. (see it here http://www.daz3d.com/)
I haven't been taught, it's just my eye at work. But isn't that what art or writing is? Just a chance to let yourself go and get in touch with something different?
I find the act of creativity enjoyable, and in some ways it connects me to my God.
Sometimes I get in touch with my inner demons too, but that's another matter--the act is enough to connect me to a lot of aspects of myself.

The Plot Demands an evil Man

2009-06-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is the Buffoon. He's not a nice man. (As you can see, he's captured the heroine known as the School Girl) Through the years that I've been on line as a role player, I've managed to play both good and bad guys. Overall, in the superhero role plays that seem to be prevalent on line, the men tend to be villainous and the women act as the superheroines.
That's all well and good, except all too often the bad guys win. Now, having played a villain myself, I LIKE to win. But there's something in my head that says. "It's just plain WRONG for the Bad guys to win all the time."
Now I've commented before, that in our society we tend to root for the underdog, that it's not cool to root for Road Runner, Superman, or Luke Skywalker--we'd rather see the Coyote, Lex Luthor or Darth Vader Win. Or DO we? Somehow, its comforting to know that the hero (or heroine) will triumph in the end.
After all, if Superman Returns ended with the Man of Steel DEAD, it would have been a shock ending--one no one anticipated. But I think it would also have been a flo as a movie because we EXPECT Superman to win.
After all, a GOOD plot requires conflict. And an epic plot requires an epic villain. As the Riders in the Sky put it, "...To prove the good are good, someone's got to put 'em through it." So if you look for a role play with me, be prepared for a plot driven story, one with twists and turns.
And like any good epic movie, the hero should expect setbacks, capture, defeat (but never TOTAL defeat) because the villain HAS to put them through it, to reflect the power of the hero's goodness. A hero can TRULY be seen as heroic when he (or she) has overcome terrific odds.
Any comments?

2009-06-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of reading lately and I'm amazed at the recurring themes I find. What sort of stories appeal to me? I'll be honest I like Grand Fantasy. Someting in the realms of Tolkein, Lewis, Brooks. Lately I've been reading a new anthology of lesser known Arthurian tales.
I LOVE the interplay of good and evil, of righteousness and virtue. But all too often, while I love Gawain's gentle gallantry and heroism, I think I identify more with Kay. Kay is a fast tempered, ill-mannered yet courageous member of Arthur's court. That he was efficient was shown by the fact that Arthur made him Seneschal of Camelot--the Chief Justice and Marshall.
But Gawain (in the earlier stories) Lancelot (in the French tales) and Galahad were the perfect knights. I imagine Kay would have been less than pleased with that. IN the tales I'm currently reading, his headstrong ways get Arthur and his court into such trouble that only Gawain can save them from.
The flawed hero is appealing to me. His motives are pure, but his actions may belie the fact he hasn't thought through all his actions. If you've ever had a chance to chat with me, you know that's kinda how I play my characters--Bright, confident, and bullheaded, or flawed some how.
I guess that explains the "cover art" above. Captain Zammo is my alter ego--a man of courage and action. But sometimes his activities seem a little "suspect" and he's been know to rub people the wrong way. I feel he generally succeeds in the end--though he succeeds against the odds, not by taking the best route.
After all, it wouldn't be the Ranger Way.

Fortune Smiles: An Adult Justice League Adventure

2009-06-02T17:29:00.001-07:00

The weekly meeting of the Foes of Justice Poker group was in full swing and the last pot was on the table. Amos Fortune looked at his hand, frowning. His three sevens looked good, but Felix Faust was calmly raising eveyone. So far both the Trickster and Captain Boomerang had folded, and the Shadow Thief had just disappeared.
"Bet's 50 thousand to you Fortune. Are you in or out?" Fortune was a noted gambler, and his theories of luck had landed him in hot water with the JLA more times than he could count. But he DID have an uncanny sense for finding good luck.
"I"ll call, and raise you 100 thousand, Faust."
Felix Faust laughed, and said, "Call," then fanned his hand, proudly displaying a pair of Queens. As he reached his hand out for the pot, Fortune stopped it. "Three sevens beats a pair, Faust."
He looked at the pot, smiling. But he realized it was not the full pot. "Did you place your money into the pot Felix? I appear to be about $100,000 short."
Faust hemmed and hawed, tugging uncomfortably at his collar. In his deep rasping voice, he said, "I don't have the cash, Amos. But I do have this." Reaching up to his throat, he withdrew an amulet--gold, with six small red stones surrounding a large blue one.
"What is it?" asked Fortune.
"The amulet of Osiris, a rare Egyptian treasure. It's supposed to be magic, but I've never been able to work it."
"Why are some of the rubies darker red?"
"I never really noticed that before. But I'm sure it's worth the money I bet."
Fortune took the necklace from the impoverished sorcerer with a frustrated, "Hmmph" then strode to the door for his ride home.
In the car, his hand rubbed the amulet. "What a fraud that Faust is. I wish the Justice League would teach him another lesson."
***********
JUSTICE LEAGUE DESTROYS SORCERER'S LAIR
The headline jumped off the page and Fortune nearly spilled his coffee.
He stared at the Amulet and saw another ruby had shifted from glowing red to a dark blood red. He had four bright red rubies left.
A plan formed in Fortune's twisted mind.
Four rubies. Apparently Faust hadn't experimented with the amulet at all, since he'd parted with it so readily. Amos Fortune smiled at his good luck and pursed his lips. He had been granted the stuff dreams are made of, an amulet that granted his desires.
Of course, part of being so lucky involved careful planning to insure his good luck didn't go to waste. Fortune wasn't sure just how far his wishes would go, just how powerful he could make them. Additionally, he knew just how capricious the winds of chance really were.
He sat in his study, planning carefully for his next move. Fortune had been defeated too many times to allow that good luck was all one needed to defeat the Justice League. "No I need someone willing to be on the inside, someone no one would suspect of being my ally."
Fortune's mind was wandering. He smiled as he remembered some of the partial victories he had scored over the JLA in the past. Then he remembered his defeat at the hands of Wonder Woman.
He had captured her, using her unique body as a focus for a giant stimuluck device. Her body had drained several of the leaguers of their own natural abilities and passed them on to other humans; humans Fortune had controlled.
She had tricked him though. Through her beauty and cunning she had compelled Fortune to reverse his plans, freeing her and saving her friends. Angrily, he gripped the amulet, stroking it, frowning.
"Wonder Woman thought she was so smart, to trick me like that. I wish she was here right now, helpless before me and subject to my whims once again!"
A flash of light temporarily blinded Fortune as he spoke. When his eyes cleared, he was stunned to find a struggling Wonder Woman lying on the silk carpet of his study.
She was bound hand and foot with heavy chains. Her wrists were chained behind her back and her body glistened with sweat from her struggles. She rolled over, struggling and caught sight of Fortune. The light glistened on her red satin bustier, and reflected off the golden eagle whos wings were defined by her magnificent breasts. Her satin trunks were dark with perspiration
"Damn you Amos Fortune! What did you do to me?" Wonder Woman's face was twisted with fury as she confronted her captor.
"Why my dear Wonder Woman, you're here to fulfill my wishes," he chuckled evilly. Fortune reached down to his helpless victim's waist and removed her lasso and belt. "And if it was this easy to capture you, then it should be child's play to defeat all of your colleagues." He unsnapped the lariat from her belt.
Wrapping the lasso around Wonder Woman's neck, he said, "Now you'll tell me how to keep you a helpless slave forever."
He stole a glance at the amulet. Three bright red stones, three dark remained.
Wonder Woman shivered. Faust's command demanded obedience and yet she felt that even without the lasso she would be powerless to resist him.
"I can be kept helpless by any man, provided he welds chains to my bracelets. I then become as weak as a kitten, unable to fight, unable to resist." Wonder Woman felt her face flush red as the terrible truth tumbled from her lips.
Fortune smiled. He remembered that much about her at least. He also remembered that if he was to dominate the world, it had to begin here, now, with Wonder Woman. He tugged on the lasso, forcing a slight gurgle from her lips.
"And tell me Wonder Woman, even with chains, you would still try to resist me, plotting out some escape, always try to work your way free, isn't that right?"
The Amazon nodded. "Yes Fortune, I would always look for a way to defeat you. You would never know another moment's rest as long as you kept me enslaved."
"So," he continued. "Is there a way to defeat an Amazon so completely that she can never regain her strength or her will power?"
Diana trembled at the question. An ancient curse, brought about by Hippolyte's failure to watch for treachery haunted the Amazons and every last woman of them knew it. They never talked about it, though, except in solemn ceremonies.
Now however, the words flowed from Wonder Woman's mouth like a spring breaking through a rock wall.
"If any man takes an Amazon against her will, Athena's curse is that she would fall hopelessly in love with him. Her goddess given abilities would disappear, and she would be relegated to being a mere mortal."
Fortune's eyebrows raised at this suggestion. "Indeed? And in all these years, in all your adventures no one has succeeded in taking you?"
Wonder Woman's blushing face was all he needed to see.
The heavy set felon stood over his well chained captive and laughed. "Then I will make you mine for all eternity, Wonder Woman."

His meaty hand tugged at the waistband of her shiny blue trunks. "No!" hissed Wonder Woman, with a sharp intake of breath. His hand tugged the trunks over her tanned, shapely thighs, exposing a tuft of dark black hair and a soft pink pussy.
"NOoooo!!!" pleaded Wonder Woman, unable to turn away from the horror that she faced. Fortune straddled his victim, forcing himself into her tight opening. Wonder Woman bucked, screamed and pleaded, but Fortune persisted. He rode her like a bronco, his luck holding and his body swaying in rhythm with her wild gyrations. He felt a subtle change as her body began to match his own exertions though, and her impassioned pleas became helpless whimpers.
He felt her back arch and at that moment, his own body seized with ecstasy. Fortune shot his cum deep inside the heroine's body, then leaned back with a satisfied look on his face.
Beneath him, the former Wonder Woman sniffled and sobbed, feeling her strength drain away from her.
Fortune regained the lasso, then asked Wonder Woman, "You're now my obedient slave, is that correct?" Wordlessly she nodded.
He undid the lasso, coiling it for safekeeping, and locked it and the belt into his desk. He returned to the chained victim on his floor and asked, "Are you ready to help me now?"
Meekly Wonder Woman nodded The tears had forced her mascara to run, and her body's sweat stained the once proud red bustier. Fortune kicked the defeated Amazon in the ribs, forcing an intake of breath that was at once demeaning and exhilirating for the tamed princess.
"Now Wonder Woman, tell me how I can best defeat the Justice League. And I'm not looking for some way just to make them disappear, but rather for some way to utterly defeat them forever."
"You fiend! You're talking about murder!" exclaimed the now powerless Wonder Woman, her body shivering in rage. The chains clinked against her sweatstained body.
"Yes, I suppose I am," smiled Fortune. "Still, you'll still be alive and useful to me. After all, I can always use a good scullery maid."
Wonder Woman swallowed hard. Her heart pounded with desire for this man who had tamed her. She desperately wanted him to succeed and love her again and again.
"Master?" she asked, the word almost catching in her throat. "Will you kill all the members of the league?"
"No, only the ones I can't think of a better use for. And if I'm going to rule the world, I'll need some of them to provide support for my administration. But I'll need to know how to defeat every one of them, and you can tell me how to do it, can't you my sweet?"
Wonder Woman nodded. Starting with Aquaman and going through Zatanna, she began listing the weaknesses for all the members of the Justice League. Fortune took copious notes, planning his revenge even more completely than any of his previous schemes.

MEANWHILE...
Zatanna was worried. Diana usually showed up for monitor duty at least two hours ahead of time. This time however, she was running late. Zatanna finished her shift and alerted J'onn J'onzz to Wonder Woman's absence. The martian materialized next to the sexy sorceress.
"I'm worried J'onn," said Zatanna. "It's not like Wonder Woman to fail to check in or show up. And my mystic probing indicates a strong aura of magic where Wonder Woman is involved.
Additionally, I'm getting images of Felix Faust as well."
J'onn nodded gravely. "You sense she is in danger?"
Zatanna shook her head. "No, just something out of sort. I think I'll pay a call on Faust before heading home."
Zatanna popped out of the JLA satellite and into a jail cell reserved for super criminals. Inside Faust was raving about his dumb luck.
"I should know better than to play cards with Amos Fortune! The man cheats--or was born under a lucky star--or something."
Zatanna smiled, then winked out before Faust saw her. "Ekat em ot somA EnutroF!"
***
Fortune leaned back in his chair as he waved Diana off in dismissal, sending her to the kitchen to make him a sandwich. Everything was FINALLY coming together. His years of sufffering and humilation had built up an enormous store of karma...and now that the wheel was turning he planned to make the most of his good luck before it faded once again.
It looked like this would finally be it though, the time that he would defeat the Justice League once and for all....
Suddenly, all of his daydreams popped like a soap bubble as the JLA's sexy sorceress appeared in front of him in a burst of magic. "Zatanna!", he squealed like a stuck pig. "UMmmm...to...ah...what...do I owe this pleasure?" Trying to be casual, he snaked his hand out, trying to take hold of the ruby amulet....
But the dark haired woman would have none of it...even if she didn't know the object at first glance. "somA EnutroF, od ton evom litnu I esaeler uoy!" She leaned down, scowling at the paralyzed man. "Now...tell me where Diana is!"
"I'm right here," Diana declared from behind the sorceress. "And...I'm sorry...."
Zatanna gasped as she whirled about, her mind taking a few precious seconds to process the sight of the now enslaved Amazon. It took her a few more moments to realize the danger she was in as the golden lasso encircled her. "Diana, what are you...?"
Tears streamed down the warrior woman's face. "Zatanna, my lasso binds you in body and soul...you will now only speak whatever spells Amos Fortune commands you to!"
The sorceress opened her mouth to incant a spell, but her voice died in her throat. Her powers were now Fortune's to command.
A wicked grin tugged at the villain's lips. "Release Amos Fortune!", he exclaimed.
The mystic beauty tried, but the lasso's compulsion was irresistable. "Esaeler somA EnutroF!", she hissed, grimacing as the words were forced from her lips.
He sighed in relief. "MUCH better," he said as he stood up. With a sneer, he reached up and caressed the witch's chin. "With your help, this will all be so much easier."
"I'll *never* help you!", she retorted, struggling against her bonds both physical and mental.
Waggling a chubby finger in front of her face, he chortled, "Never say never, my dear! In fact, I think you're about to get a whole new outlook on life!"
Her eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't!"
With a leer, he said, "Zatanna is now Fortune's slave. Zatanna loves her master without
hesitation or reservation and obeys his word to the letter!" Wonder Woman nodded dutifully and said, "Repeat it Zatanna, using your magic."
Unable to resist the lasso's compulsions, the sultry sorceress heard her voice repeating, "Annataz si won S'enutrof evals. Annataz sevol reh retsam tuohtiw noitatiseh ro noitavreser dna syebo sih drow ot eht rettel!"
The panic died in Z's eyes as she was forced to use her powers on herself, altering herself to Amos' obedient lackey. She slid to her knees, smiling up at him. "What is your command, my Master?"
Fortune smiled as Zatanna willing placed herself into his servitude. Her eyes looked longingly at him, eager to serve in some way. Behind him, he felt the delicate touch of Wonder Woman massaging his shoulders; working away the kinks in his neck. All was right with the world, in his opinion. Still something gnawed at his mind, something Wonder Woman had told him. He suddenly sat upright and looked at Zatanna, remembering.
"Zatanna my darling, why did you come looking for me?" he asked. The young sorceress stared up into his eyes, her mouth open in astonishment..
"I..I was worried about Wonder Woman. It was her turn to take over the monitor duty, and she hadn't arrived yet. I told J'onn J'onnz about it, and he agreed to take over the monitor. Fortune frowned at the news. Surely, if Zatanna showed up missing as well as Wonder Woman, the Justice League would be on him like white on rice. He needed to move his plans up.
"How long will the Martian be on monitor duty?" he asked Zatanna.
"Until Wonder Woman returns, or until her shift is over." Zatanna glanced at a clock. "Wonder Woman has about four more hours until her shift is over. Then I think Green Arrow is supposed to take over." Wonder Woman's head bobbed in agreement.
"Then here's what I want you to do," he said, taking his two slaves by the hand.
J'onn J'onnz looked up from the monitor board as he heard the teleporter chime. As Wonder Woman walked into the room, he smiled. "You're a bit late," he said, affably.
"I lost track of time at the festival for Demeter," said Wonder Woman. If Zatanna hadn't found me, I'd still be roping girls from the back of my kanga," said Wonder Woman, settling herself behind the monitor board. She looked over her shoulder at the retreating Martian. Zatanna said she had a surprise for you for being so helpful earlier. She asked if you would meet her in the trophy room."
J'onn nodded and walked noiselessly across the floor of the Watchtower. When he reached the trophy room, however, he saw no sign of Zatanna. "Zatanna?" he called, softly
"Elcric fo erif, part nno'J zzno'J" said Zatanna, stepping out from behind Amazo. J'onn found himself completely encircled by a fiery blaze. His Martian strength deserted him and he groaned in pain as the flames licked closer. As he tried to escape, the flames burned closer, setting his cape ablaze. The flames were too much for the last son of Mars, and he pitched forward, unconscious.
Zatanna smiled, then removed his JLA signal device. "Citsym sdniw yrrac nno'J zzno'J ot obmiL!" A soft, misty wind blew though the Watchtower and swirled around the Martian Manhunter. He was lifted into the swirl, then disappeared into a fog. The mist dissipated, leaving no trace of J'onn J'onnz.
A moment later, Zatanna slipped into the monitor room where Diana carefully manipulated the controls. On several screens,the daily adventures of the Justice League members played out; while on others, crises of less than superheroic proportions were being attended to by firefighters, soldiers, and police officers around the globe.
Toggling a switch, Wonder Woman opened a channel to Fortune, who was waiting below with Zatanna's com device.
"Master, we have eliminated the Martian and are prepared for your arrival." Zatanna worked the teleporter controls and a moment later Amos Fortune stood in the fabulous satellite of the Justice League of America.
Wonder Woman smiled as her beloved conquerer strode across the room, studying the many controls and computers. His gaze lit on her voluptuous form, and he returned her smile.
"Soon my love, soon I will take you again." He looked at Zatanna and added, "And don't think I have forgotten you; I cannot wait to taste your pleasures. But first we must ensure that we have time to carry out my plans. Wonder Woman, I know your monitor duty time is almost up. Who is due to replace you?"
The tamed Amazon studied the duty roster, then reported, "It is to be Green Arrow, Master."
Zatanna nodded solemnly. "He usually does not arrive alone. The Archer is generally accompanied by the Black Canary."
Fortune's eyes lit at this. In addition to his great defeat at Wonder Woman's hands, both Black Canary and Hawkgirl had borne responsibilty as well. The Canary was a fetishist's dream in her fishnet tights and black bodysuit. Eagerly he laid out his plans for the unsuspecting heroes.

"I hate having my atoms blasted to who knows where by Birdbrain's alien technology," grumbled Green Arrow as he stepped from the Star City teleporter, followed by Black Canary. In his brash fashion, Green Arrow strode angrily through the teleporter room doors, heading for the galley for coffee first.
Dinah followed a step behind him, but felt something drop over her shoulders, pinning her arms to her side and squeezing the breath from her before she could utilize her sonic cry. A heavy bag gag was shoved over her face and Wonder Woman's elbow brought the helpless heroine down.
In the galley, Green Arrow was rummaging with the coffeemaker, when he felt a delicate hand caressing his face, tickling his beard.
"Hey pretty bird, I'm all for romance, but not while we're on the clock...HOLY HANNAH!" he said in surprise.
Zatanna stood in front of the stunned archer, dressed only in her fishnet hose and top hat. A large black cape swirled round her shoulders.
"Hey Green Arrow, wanna make some magic? I'll bet you could make your arrow disappear...here." Her hands slid sensually down her taut belly toward her well shaven pussy.
Green Arrow stammered, "Wha..what's got hold of you Zatanna? Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine GA, but you're soon going to be feeling a bit differently. You see your fortunes are about to change."
She turned, the dark cloak swirling and begining to wrap the archer. It slipped free from the sexy magician's shoulders and embraced Green Arrow like an unwanted lover.
Green Arrow struggled, unable to fight the cloak as it wrapped him, then covered him over completely. His form dropped to its knees, then to the floor, then the cloak went flat.
Zatanna snapped it up from the floor, revealing a bare space where Green Arrow had once stood. "Ta daaaaa!" she said with a tiny smirk. She minced back up the corridor, eager to gain the promised reward of Amos Fortune's touch.
*****
Black Canary stood unresisting, mostly because Wonder Woman's lasso had compelled it. Her blue eyes gazed wistfully on her leather bodice and coat, now laying carelessly on the floor beside Wonder Woman. The Amazon was carefully inspecting Black Canary's body. Diana's strong hands cupped Dinah's firm breasts, flicking the nipples until the young heroine whimpered.
"Bah, an Amazon wouldn't complain," said Wonder Woman.
"An Amazon wouldn't betray her friends, either," muttered Black Canary.
"She has new friends, my dear," said Fortune. He entered the room with the nearly nude Zatanna dogging his heels like an eager puppy. "And you're going to become one of them."
Zatanna looked into Black Canary's eyes and began to chant "Yranac emoceb a evals ot eht serised fo somA enutroF" Black Canary felt her mind weakening and her desires for the safety of her friends and city being overcome by the overwhelming desire to please Amos Fortune.

Amos Fortune was in ecstacy. He lolled back on the makeshift king sized bed, and purred contentedly as three of the world's most powerful heroines licked, sucked or fondled every inch of his body. It had been two hours since Fortune had made Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter disappear. In that time, he had pleasured himself frequently with the lithsome heroines. The world was his, the JLA satellite was his and the wonder of it all was he still had three wishes left. With Zatanna's powers at his beck and call, he could control any heroine he desired. He smiled and petted the young sorceress as she snuggled under his left arm, nibbling on his nipples.
Wonder Woman was nestled against his right arm, slowly licking his neck. He bent his head and kissed her deeply, remembering how piteously she had pleaded beofre he claimed her powers and took her completely. Since that moment, she had folowed him relentlessly, with something like worship in her bright blue eyes.
He groaned as Black Canary worked her tongue across his erect shaft. His hands clutched the blonde powerhouse's locks and tugged in eager response. Surprise lit his face as he found himself holding Black Canary's hair and nothing else of the woman. Fortune gazed down at the three raven tressed beauties under his thrall—their bodies perfect and their eagerness to please him apparent on every inch of their bodies.
Reluctantly, though, Fortune knew that his time was short again. The roster for monitor duty indicated Superman and Batman were to be the next two heroes on duty. Fortune had noticed tha J'onn J'onzz logged his whole time in the monitor chair and downloaded it to somewhere in Gotham City. In all likelihood, Batman had already been apprised of Wonder Woman's tardy arrival, and had probably tried to contact the missing heroes.
"I need to stop him before he gets here." said Fortune aloud.
"What's that Master?" asked Wonder Woman. "Who do you need to stop?"
Fortune cupped the Amazon's chim in his hands and gazed tenderly into Diana's eyes. "Darling Wonder Woman, would you tell me if any of your former colleagues had tried to contact you through your JLA signal device?" Wonder Woman tried to break heer master's gaze, but was unable to.
"Yes master. In fact, before Zatanna arrived, no one had tried to contact me. But when you captured me, I was working a case with Supergirl in Stanhope. Since that point, both Superman and Batman have tried to contact me through my signal device."
Fortune sat upright, crossing his hands over his knees and placing his head on them. "What about you?" he growled at the other twowomen.
Zatanna frowned, "Master, I know that J'onn sent out a low level alert to all members when I went to look for Wonder Woman. Batman has tried to follow up with me as well.
Canary nodded in agreement.
"My guess is that the remaining members of the league would be arriving shortly, master. No doubt they've already formulated a plan for attack."
"You got THAT right!"
Fortune whirled, scattering sheets and pillows to the floor. In the doorway of the Sickbay stood Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Flash. Other voices could be heard in the corridor.
"Stand down Fortune, and let the women go." said Batman, menace deep in his voice.
Amos Fortune slowly rose from the bed, hands over his head.
"All right Batman, you've won. But it was fun while it lasted." His hand rubbed the amulet, while Fortune spoke again. "I just wish I had managed to capture all the Justice League in some trap that none of them could escape, either alone or together."

Amos Fortune laughed, but caught himself before it became a maniacal one. After all, one had to have standards. And maniacal laughter was for the Joker, certainly not for a sophisticated gambler such as himself.
He could scarcely beleive his good fortune. Three of the most powerful heroines on Earth were at his beck and call, indeed they were fighting among themselves as to who would be the best to service him. In addition, He was in total control of the Justice League's famed satellite. As for the Justice League, they had been utterly defeated by his lucky amulet.
"They won't be coming back," he said for the fifth time that hour, as giddy as a schoolboy on holiday. "This calls for a celebration. Zatanna, Diana, Dinah, come here!" His three helpless and now devoted slaves raced into his prescence. All three of the heroines were almost completely nude. However, Fortune's twisted mind had allowed them each to maintain some vetige of her heroine costume. Both Dinah and Zatanna were clad in nothing but fishnet hose, while Wonder Woman was clad in her red boots and tiara.
"Attend to me, my dears," said the overweight gambler, leaning back in Superman's extremely comfortable chair. He undid the robe of luck symbols he wore, revealing a bare chest. Wonder Woman placed herself onto his lap, straddling him wiht her long, lean legs and caressing his hirsute chest with her bright red nails. Black Canary began licking at his neck, her velvet tongue causing the master villan (and villanous Master) to arch his nck in sublime glee.
Zatanna drooped over Fortune's head, her long dark hair sweeping along side his cheeks. Her breasts pressed against the bald spot on the top of his head and her tongue worked more magic than her words ever could inside of Fortune's mouth. Amos Fortune whimpered in joy. If a super villain could ever attain to heaven, Fortune was certain it would be like this.
Suddenly though, Amos Fortune found himself swept out of Superman's chair. Instead of the main conference room, he was locked into a stasis cell in the lower levels of the JLA headquarters. "What the..how?" he began.
Standing outside the cell was a vision of strength rivalled by only one power on Earth and a beauty rivalled by none. Hands on her tight red satin hot pants, Supergirl glared at Amos Fortune. Her golden hair gleamed in the low light, and her voice, filled with anger, was powerful.
"What have you done to them Fortune? She demanded. "Why were those women all over you? And what have you done with the Justice League?" Her breasts heaved against the tight blue blouse , forcing the little red S to rise and fall in the most erotic way, thought Fortune. Supergirl reached into the stasis chamber, grabbing the villan by his robe and pulling him to the bars. Fortune howled in pain at the electronic restraints.
"I warn you Fortune, tell me where they are, now?"
"Or what Supergirl, everyone knows you dont' kill. And when my ladies find out what you've done, they'll be here to rescue me."
"Not likely Fortune, Batgirl is up there now trying to break their conditioning."
"So I've been defeated by the World's Finest Ladies Auxillary, is that it?" Fortune said with a smug grin.
Supergirl's eyes changed color from baby blue to red and Fortune felt the heat of his skin rising. "HEY! That hurts! I'll tell Supergirl, I promise." The Last Daughter of Krypton released the hapless Fortune and he fell to the floor.
"Go on, " she said.
Fortune slowly spun the story of the Amulet, how the wishes were granted as he made them. How he had captured and defeated Wonder Woman, then used her to force Zatanna andf Black Canary into his service. "I used the amulet last to send the Justice League into a place where they'll never return," he said.
"And just WHERE is this amulet?" asked Supergirl.
"You snatched me away from it. It's in the control room."
"Not anymore," said a perky voice. Batgirl strode into the room, her hips pivoting seductively beneath the flowing blue cape. She was followed by Wonder Woman and Zatanna. Fortune's face fell, as Batgirl handed the amulet to Supergirl.
"Be careful, Kara, it's magical, and you know how powwerful magic is against you." Supergirl looked up at the dominoed daredoll, with a curious look on her face. Almost immediately, she heard Zatanna say, "Lrigrepus, rednerrus ruoy lliw. Uoy era won eht evals fo Soma Enutrof." Supergirl rocked back on her heels as the powerful incantations of the diminutive mage seeped through every fiber of her being. Suddenly she stood still, then looked into the stasis chamber.
"Master, what are you doing in there?" she asked, bending the bars and releasing Amos Fortune. She knelt at his feet, embracing his knees. "I am so sorry master, I deserve to be punished."
*****
Two weeks had passed in the JLA Satellite. Amos Fortune's control over Earth's most powerful defenders is complete. The Justice League is missing, magically banished and completely unable to return.
Batgirl and Supergirl were his latest acquisitions. Batgirl had gone to free the enthralled heroines only to be stunned into submission by Zatanna. Then in a clever decoy move, she had been instumental in turning the Maid of Might into a sex toy as well.
Day by day, the Justice League Satellite was transforming from a battle command center to something which more resembled the Playboy mansion. Fortune's perverted sense of fun left his slaves in pieces of their original costumes, but for the most part, Amos Fortune was surrounded by beautiful, naked women.
Fortune had settled into the role of a potentate, tasting the delights of each heroine in her turn, as well as in group settings. Zatanna was eager, but inexperienced; Black Canary was well versed in oral sex (who knew?) and Batgirl, with her eidetic memory and gymnast's body was able to perform most of the Kama Sutra with ease. Supergirl's alien anatomy was completely fasinating to explore and her moaning and willingness belied her innocent look. Wonder Woman was completely devoted, unable to be otherwise as he had broken her when he first began his conquests. She was gentle, timid, almost afraid and Fortune knew she would always remain that way.
With the heroines under his thumb, and the JLA gone, the world continued, erupting into chaos. In Gotham City, a turf war had broken out between the Black Mask, the Dummy and the Penguin. Luthor's robots rampaged through Metropolis. In Washington, the Angle Man schemed to control the flow of information in the Capitol. Every other major city in the US was in similar straights.
But in the JLA satellite, all was tranquil. Or so it seemed. Fortune had lost track of time, lost in the raptures of his harem. But in the women's quarters, as Fortune slept, things were different.
Black Canary started one night. Supergirl had been summoned to the master and Black Canary was restless. She crossed to Wonder Woman and said, "You're a cow! A drooping, washed up has been! You were ridiculous beforehand in your garish, ugly costume. You looked like a stripper on steroids."
Batgirl laughed. Getting into the spirit of the night, she added, "Or more like a hideous drag queen. Or an old bat of a movie star, still insisting you're beautiful as your boobs sag lower and lower."
""You're nothing any more Wonder Woman, I don't know what the Master sees in you," said Zatanna, throwing in her own barb. She laughed in a high twitter.
Diana looked around the room pathertically. She threw a punch at Dinah, but Black Canary blocked it, catching Wonder Woman's arm and twisting it tightly around her back. Wonder Woman shrieked as Black Canarylocked her wrist; the groaned in pain as Batgirl landed several combination blows with her hands, feet knees and elbows into the weakened Amazon's stomach.
Black Canary threw Wonder Woman into a wall. Diana fell to the floor and Zatanna stepped on the Amazon's back with her high heeled shoes, grinding Diana's face into the cold metal floor. The three heroines then dropped to the floor and proceeded to beat the hapless Amazon, leaving her a battered mess on the floor; her dignity shredded like her costume. "There, that will teach you your place, Wonder Wuss."
After the sound beating, Diana crawled to her bed, whimpering and fearful. She clutched the pillow, burying her face in the tearstained case. Her hands clutched the Osisris Amulet. She'd been keeping it safe since the day Supergirl and Batgirl burst in, and since she hadn't been summoned before Fortune since then, she had not yet returned it to him.
In a trembling voice, the broken Princess of Power said, "They think they're so tough and powerful; that they can serve Amos Fortune better. Well maybe they're right. But I'd show them if I still was Wonder Woman--even that bubble headed cheerleader, Supergirl. Oh why did I ever tell him the truth? Doesn't he know I'd willingly be his; without compulsion? He's mine, all mine. I wish I was my old self, complete with all my powers. I'd show those women a thing or two then." As she spoke she began rubbing the amulet. "Yes I wish I was Wonder Woman again."
A reddish glow filled the room and Diana felt herself changing. She felt the strength and confidence flowing back into her. "Merciful Minerva! " She caught her mouth and remembered everything that had transpired the last several days.
There was one bright red stone remaining. Swiftly rubbing it, Wonder Woman said, "I wish all was restored to the time Amos Fortune captured me. Let no one remember their misfortunes and may all be as it was."
There was a flash and Diana found herself squirming in chains on the floor of Amos Fortune's house.
"Damn You Amos Fortune, What have you done to me?" she demanded. As she squirmed, she tapped her belt buckle to the floor, opeining the JLA comm link. As Fortune began taunting her, his door crashed open. The Flash darted loops around Fortune, scooping up the mystic amulet (now with no bright red stones) while Red Tornado gently freed Wonder Woman from her restraints.
"Trying to take over the world again Fortune?" asked Flash. "You never learn. You'll always have bad luck around the JLA."
"What? " said Fortune. "For a moment I had the most wonderful vision--all the powerful heroines my slaves and the JLA destroyed."
That was just a bad dream Fortune," said Wonder Woman, with a knowing smile.

The Pursuit and Deriding of Excellence...3/26/2006

2009-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

A week ago I was in a sports bar watching the beginning rounds of the NCAA tournament. Normally I'm not a college hoops fan, but like most men in the US I follow the brackets at tourney time.Anyhow, I overheard a conversation between two men stating how much they hated Duke University and how they couldn't wait until someone took them out. I've heard this lament before in other sports--"I hate the Yankees""Bust up the Patriots dynasty"and similar quotes can be heard throughout whatever season is being played.What gets me though, is the fact that most of these same people would agree with the thought of celebrating excellence--they would want to be a part of something truly excellent or well executed.I don't understand how a nation steeped in the philosophy of "do your best" frowns when someone actually excels.It's true even in school. "Man don't mess up the grade curve" smart students are told. "You'll make us all look bad."I guess the point of this rant is that we need to be people who do what we say we believe. Anything less is hypocrisy.

Heroines in Peril

2009-06-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

You know--to me there's nothing more sexy than a gorgeous heroine in peril. I've been having fun creating perils for a certain friend (and she knows who she is) So while I have enjoyed superheroines for a long time, not all super women wear costumes or fight crimes. Some actually encourage you to stretch yourself and try to grow. Here's to you Ms Drake!

Buffoonery October 5 2004

2009-06-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

BUFFOONERY

T’was Midnight in the Villain’s Lair
Shadows danced against the wall
As Challenger, a super-babe
Strode bravely through the hall.

Soft light shone on her chestnut hair
And suit of gold and black
With sturdy boots and gloves and mask
A gold cape ‘cross her back.

A softly scented, gentle breeze
Across the dark room stirred
A smile crossed Challenger’s face
When she recalled what she had heard…

“Beware the Buffoon’s evil tricks
The Slinkys and Exploding Pens
He’s dangerous with custard pies
And deadly rubber chickens!”

She reconnoitered carefully
Long time she sought her giggling foe
She rested on a statuette
And dropped two floors below!

And through her slitted eyes she saw
Dressed in Jester’s garb so fine
With Merry Bells and Evil sneer
The Buffoon; foul clown of crime.

“Welcome to my secret lair
I’m very glad you’re here
For I reserved a special trap
Built just for you my dear!”

Challenger got to her feet
And kicked him in the throat
He stumbled backward angrily;
She’d cut him off mid-gloat.

“You’ll pay for that,” the villain hissed.
“Bring it on,” she said.
He pulled a yo-yo from his belt
And aimed it at her head.

Then Pie and Punch and Jab and Chick
They battled on till late
He stunned her there and by her hair
He dragged her to her fate!

Brave Challenger awoke in fear
Her feet and hands were fettered.
She held out a courageous face,
But knew she had been bettered.

“I promised you a special end,”
Said the Buffoon with scorn.
“And when I’m finally done with you,
You’ll rue that you were born!”

The sexy superheroine
Squirmed powerless and weak
Her eyes grew wide with horror when
He kissed her on the cheek.

He ran his hand along her crest
Then with a savage tear;
He ripped her costume from her breast
She shrieked at the cool air!

He pulled her sexy costume back;
He peeled her like a grape.
Bold Challenger, a victim now
Could not prevent her rape.

The Buffoon’s men took photos
As he had his way with her.
“This isn’t right, you can’t do this
To me! I’m Challenger!”

The Buffoon’s men, then took their turns
Molesting her for days
They left her naked, bound and gagged
In a catatonic haze.

“And were you once, brave Challenger?”
The shrinks ask this timid dame.
She cuddles in her straight jacket
And shakes her head in shame.