| Synopsis
| - As the car enters a tunnel, Guy Gardner is becoming antsy. However, Jennifer Hayden asks him about Nightwing. Gardner responds as he has for the rest of the journey: he opens up.
Marcus Moore, officially dead during the American intervention in Czechoslovakia, was rescued, inducted into Nightwing, and given the nickname 'Deadman'. His friends, Walters and Powell, followed him into the organization. Walters ran a group called Nightforce, consisting of superhuman magic-users Hex, Black Orchid and Wildcat. Without their knowledge, Walters used them for Nightwing's benefit, in situations too delicate for Nightwing's Firestorm troopers.
In addition to their technology research, Nightwing began investing in magic, mostly around an entity called the Creeper, who subsisted on human souls. Another result was a group of necromancers called the Dark Circle: Etrigan, Sargon and Bane were among them.
In resonse to Nightwings actions, the Soviets founded a counter-agency called Meridian. Their field agents include Jade and Obsidian. In one of Meridian's efforts, they tried to extract the souls of the Doom Patrol, a group of time-travellers who had come back to avert a disaster. However, through their presence, the disaster happened, and the Soviets inadvertently created the Ultra-Humanite. Although intended as Russia's answer to the Atom, he threatened all life on Earth. He fought Superman on the Moon, in an incident that led to the world as it is today.
Suddenly, the car stops moving. They have arrived...
- On New Earth, Batman, Black Canary and Black Lightning break into the Hall of Justice. They find no-one, but security footage shows Flash and John Stewart going through the effect of the magic lantern. Now they cannot be found anywhere on Earth...
On Earth-9, Flash is responding to the news that he cannot return with the declaration that he will observe this world. The Tangent heroes tell him that this world is hostile to people like him, but the Earth-9 Green Lantern suddenly becomes aware of Manhunter and Spectre, and their planned attempt to bust out the Atom. The Flashes run off to save the day, and John Stewart and the reanimated Joker go after them.
Across town, at the Citizen Reeducation Center, Lori Lemaris has been formally introduced to the long-haired man she just met: his name is Hex, he has remained outside the system, and he believes that the arrivals from New Earth will be helpful in his struggle.
At the Global Security Center, Manhunter is fighting Firestorm troopers outside while Spectre runs from Obsidian and Jade inside the complex. Spectre is suddenly rescued by the Flashes, who make quick work of Jade and Obsidian. John Stewart and Mary Marvel find the Atom, and John is hesitant about releasing him - he only just got here, and should not be breaking the law. However, Mary talks him around, and he frees the Atom. Suddenly, they are accosted by the Superman, who kills Mary Marvel, captures John and forces the others to retreat to the Green Lantern's graveyard. The Superman remarks that he can sense, through John's ring, another mind, searching. On New Earth, Hal Jordan has told Batman that neither nor the Guardians of the Universe can find John Stewart. However, this is not necessarily the last word...
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