Justice Union #1:

Episode 1 – “Good Hero Gone Bad”

Meanwhile, in another part of town, young Johnny Corsair was busily buying lunch at a nearby hotdog stand. Red brick buildings stretched across the city grounds, the streets were filled with passing cars and sputtering gas, people flocked the sidewalks like ants near a dead worm. He looked at the savory condiments that would compliment the all-beef franks and toasted, white buns.

“Mmmm-mmmm!” He savored. “I’ll take four jumbo hotdogs, please,” Johnny requested. He looked toward his date, Shelly Barnum, with a smile. “Yum, I love hotdogs. Good ol’ U-S-of A! I can’t wait to wash them down with some nice ice cold Coca-Cola,” he said to her. The pretty young woman batted her eyelashes, and looked at Johnny innocently.

“Me either,” she replied in much gratitude, complimenting him with her stunning good looks. Johnny looked at her a bit confused, and he raised a brow. “Well then, go on! Buy some hotdogs already, I’m not stopping ya!”

At the sound of those words, Shelly became instantly infuriated. She groaned in frustration and replied, “Oh Johnny! Don’t you get it!? Erggh! Why did I even go out with you in the first place?! They warned me about you! You’re inconsiderate, you don’t treat ladies right, you disappear at a moment’s glance! My friends were right! You’re a stupid, selfish jerk!”

Taken aback at these negative remarks, Johnny replied, “Wha…what??” Johnny tried to undo the damage done. “Look, Shelly, whatever your gal pals told you, they’re wrong! I know we got off on a bad note, but please, let me make it up to you!” He replied as he knelt down on one knee. Johnny then proceeded to take the arm of his date and lightly kiss her hand in a polite manner. “Please, Shelly…please.” He said, in the most sincere voice he could muster.

Touched by these heartfelt feelings, Shelly put her hand to her heart and said, “Oh…Johnny.” Then the hot dog stand owner interrupted the touching scene. “Pick-up! Four Jumbo Hotdogs!”

“Oh boy!” Johnny cried. Immediately, he stood up, abandoning Shelly’s outstretched arm and taking hold of the warmly cooked jumbo, all-beef frank hotdogs. He devoured each one in haste, then downed the ice cold coke that he loved so much. Watching her boyfriend chow down like a young puppy, Shelly thought his manner was quite cute. “Oh, you’re so cute when you eat, Johnny. Alright, I’ll give you anoth….”

Just then, something else interrupted. It was Johnny’s mobile communicator. He took a look at it and saw that urgent news had been received. “Excuse me, Shelly, I gotta take this call!” Not wanting to spoil the moment, Shelly insisted, “Can’t that call wait?” She then took him by the arms and took his mobile communicator. Knowing full well that he needed to take the call, Johnny thought quickly.

“Uhm…..hey Shelly! Look over there!” He cried as he jerked his hand forward so quickly, that Shelly failed so see it and was knocked down by the surprising, unintentional blow. He looked down at the ailing, but still conscious Shelly, rubbing her head in distress.

“Meh, good enough he said to himself.” With that, he darted away in super-speeding motion.

“Ouch, Johnny! What’d you do that for!?” she yelled. She looked up only to see that Johnny was gone… “Johnny?! Johnny!? Joooooohhhnnnyyyy!!!!!” She yelled aloud for the whole city to hear.

Meanwhile, Johnny ran into a dark alley, and created a human whirlwind which allowed him to safely change into his dark green costume in a moment’s notice. He picked up his com-link and the Patriotess was on the other line. “Johnny, trouble on the east side!” Johnny did not hesitate to act. “Hey, say no more, I’ll be there in a flash.” And indeed he would be.

**************1**************

Elsewhere, in a laboratory far off into the city, Electrolight and the Bulk were seeking aid for the Bulk’s symptomatic rage problems.

Up and coming artist, Richard Stanner lay on a bed in the dark, overcast factory filled with vials, test tubes, and chemistry equipment of all sorts.

“Are you sure this will work, Dr. Laramie?” Electrolight asked him.

“Unfortunately, there’s no telling what might happen. Your friend here has been the victim of a chemical experimentation gone awry. I’m surprised he has been an effective, and even cooperative member of the Justice Union for so long. It seems as though the chemicals that were dispersed throughout the Bulk’s body manifest due to the chemical imbalance in his brain. To my understanding, he transforms in times of extreme stress, or more informally, in instances of rage and fury,” the doc explained.

Electrolight inquired furthermore. “But at times he’s not aggressive or out of control, what about that?”

The doctor stroked his chin in deep concentration. “Well, through my observations, when that chemical imbalance in the Bulk’s brain reaches a certain level, it triggers a unique thought process that erases all morality in the young man’s mind,” he explained.

“And you’re saying that this head brace will help keep the chemical imbalance balanced?” Electrolight asked.

“Yes, let us try it out shall we?” Replied the doctor.

“You have my permission,” Electrolight permitted.

With that, the doctor proceeded to adjust the contraption which was strapped to Richard’s head, and flipped the switch to on.

“Keep in mind that this prototype will raise the imbalance slightly, causing him to transform at the lowest possible level of anger.”

The head brace began to jumpstart with bolted electricity flowing through its circuits. A liquid substance inside the tube of the headgear could be seen flowing into Richard’s head. All seemed well as the machinery worked, until a spark blew and the whole system began to falter. Electric bolts could now be seen, and Richard began to convulse in a wild manner.

“Doctor, what’s happening!?” Electrolight asked in fright.

“I was afraid this would happen!”

Richard then began his monstrous transformation. His skin turned yellow as his muscles began to twitch and gradually grow in size. Soon he was too large and strong to be held by the experiment table and began crying out in agony, ripping the contraption off his large head. Acting quickly, Electrolight pointed her two electrical power rings at the now large, beastly Bulk.

“Bulk, stop! Don’t make me do anything I’ll regret!” She coaxed. But the Bulk would not listen. He roared angrily and began to decimate the lab.

Dr. Laramie screamed in terror and hid behind Electrolight. Bolts of yellow lightning began streaming out of Electrolight’s two power rings, attempting to subdue the monster. The Bulk was hit in the face by the bolts, flinched, then shielded the blasts with his large yellow arms. In a ravenous manner he began to swipe at the electric stream with all his might, slowly inching toward Electrolight and the doctor.

“Get the serum!” cried Electrolight, busily trying to hold off the monstrous being.

Quickly the doctor crawled to find the serum, avoiding the great beast pounding against the electricity. He finally found it upon the ground, in a syringe among broken glass. He picked it up then inched his way towards the Bulk.

“I don’t know how this will work, Allison!” Doctor Laramie replied. “His skin is too dense! The needle won’t penetrate!”

Electrolight struggled to keep her ground, the Bulk was getting very close to massacring her.

“He has a weak spot! Push the needle into the back of his leg, just above where the knee would be!”

Heeding these wise words, the doctor slowly encroached the Bulk’s space, and inserted the needle into his weak spot. He pushed the serum into his leg and then quickly crawled away. The Bulk’s strength began to falter due to the effects of the compound. His jabs became slower, and his pounds became lighter. Electrolight began to ease up her power rings and the bolts disintegrated. The Bulk made one final, and slow swipe that was deathly close to Electrolight’s face, and then he collapsed into faintness. His massive body began to revert into the normal state of the young man he once was. Electrolight sighed in relief at the peaceful sight, but had no time to rest, for her mobile communicator began to sound. She quickly answered it to see what was needed. It was the Blue Panther on the screen, looking to be running from something while on the street.

“Allison, we could really use your help down here,” the Panther explained. Blasts of red rays could be seen penetrating the road behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Allison asked.

“It’s Ultraman, something’s deeply wrong with him, or so it seems.” He remarked.

“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding!” Electrolight concluded.

Watching the screen, Electrolight saw a huge boulder being thrown at the Blue Panther. Quickly, the agile hero jumped out of the way, with screen shaking, and street rumbling.

“You call this a misunderstanding?” He asked in a sarcastic, yet somehow serious way. “I must’ve done something really bad to deserve this,” he continued.

“Okay, okay! I get your point. But what about the Bulk? He’s not fully recovered yet,” Allison asked.

Blue Panther replied, “Leave him there. I’m sure Doctor Laramie can take care of him.”

At the hearing of this, the doctor became extremely anxious and skeptical. “But I…but I…” Electrolight interrupted. “Don’t worry, doc, it’ll be fine. I trust you!” Electrolight comforted. Preparing her exit, Electrolight empowered herself with her lightning rings and an electric yellow aura bolted around her. After receiving this jolt, she flew out the window and proceeded to aid her fellow colleagues.

**************2**************

In another area, miles away lay the stepping-stones of darkness and blight. Massive gravestones and large statuesque stone figures filled the dimming area of the mist-filled yard. Clouds were in the sky, not a day would this place be sunny. Through the mist of it all was a young woman, sitting, concentrating in front of a gothic mausoleum. Her skin was tainted gray, and she had the darkest eyes man could ever have seen. Near her hip was a whip, coiled together in snake-like manner. Before her were the large stone pillars that upheld the mausoleum, and the dark pit that lied within. Statues of crying angels were pitted on both sides, representing the despair and sorrow of the atmosphere. If any regular human being were to ever venture here, the eyes of statues peering upon their every whim would force unnerving chills down their backs. This was a place she was most comfortable in.

Originally from the dark Netherworld of Destartsia, Alesandra Newdoria was a formidable opponent to the Union. That is until she was banished for treason. In some strange twist of fate, she decided to bring her dark psychokinesis ways into the Justice Union, where she fought and banished those who opposed her to another realm. She sat, cross-legged in manner, with ravens upon her shoulders. She meditated in her mind, blocking out all distractions.

After some minutes of complete silence, she acquitted her concentrated state. “I’m sorry my ravens,” Shriek apologized as she petted her raven companions. “I sense something is amiss, and I must correct the wrongs being done.” She allowed the two ravens to prance down her arms and onto her fingers. “Be free for now, I will be back.” She then let the ravens fly their separate ways into the dark gray fog that overcast the graveyard. Thereafter, she raised her arms to the sky, and a dark purple aura began to brew around her. Using her psychokinetic powers, Shriek floated away into the fog like a dark spirit into the shadows.

Shriek arrived at the scene in the east wing of the city. Dozens of people lay on the ground lifeless, and buildings were wrecked to the very wire. In a gush of wind, the Blurr appeared before her. “Glad you could make it, surly,” he greeted.

“Who does these things?” Shriek inquired.

The Blurr whisked his way to her left and began to explain. “Well, you’re not gonna believe this…” he said. “But word on the street says Ultraman is responsible. To confirm this statement, I saw it with my own eyes. I’m sure you’re shocked and devastated at these surprising events.” Shriek ran her hand through her hair and smirked a smirky smirk.

“I’ve dreamed for a chance like this ever since I was a child,” Shriek stated.

Raising both brows, the Blurr replied, “Or maybe not so devastated… Well, anyway, I’ve evacuated everyone from this part of town. Er, the living ones, as you can see,” He said in a bleak tone.