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Times Past, 1980
Aboard a space craft orbiting the Earth above Midway City, an alien couple received an unexpected but always welcome guest. A small figure, barely six inches tall, materialized on the top of a console thanks to a teleportation beam from a nearby satellite.
"Ray, what a pleasant surprise!" said a tall figure of a man, his torso bare except for the crisscross yellow harness that kept his uniform's wings secured. The muscular man also wore green pants with red trunks and boots; the upper portion of his head and face sat beneath a feathery helmet that resembled that of a mighty bird of prey. "I wish you had let us know you were coming though."
"Really," said a red haired beauty who entered the chamber. Like her husband, she wore a similar costume with only a slight difference; a yellow, form fitting tunic covered her shapely torso. "Katar could have whipped us up something to eat."
The Atom chuckled. "That's okay, Hawkgirl," the tiny hero said. "I'm not really here for a free meal anyway."
"Your loss," Hawkgirl replied, removing her mask. "You'd be amazed what a wonderful cook he is. He always had a reputation as one of the finest on the force back on Thanagar."
"Is that why you married me, Shayera?" Hawkman said with a smile. "For my cooking talents?"
"That," Hawkgirl replied, "and so many others!" She gave him a knowing wink.
The Atom laughed again at their playful banter. How wonderful these two made marriage seem! It made him want to settle down, if only he could get his girl Jean Loring to slow down a bit with her legal career. Ah well, perhaps some day. "Have I told you guys how great it is to have you back here again?"
"Only about a dozen times or so in the time since our return from Thanagar," Hawkman said. His voice trailed off slightly as he thought about his home world which was still suffering from the Equalizer's disease. The condition, released by an alien's strange microbes, caused all the sentient beings on that world to become equals in ability and characteristics. It was for this reason that the couple had left Thanagar again, only to be cured of the condition later. With time, they hoped to find a way to bring a cure safely back to their people. Meanwhile, they were to remain on Earth, their adopted home, once more.
Hawkgirl noticed the mood of melancholy sweeping over her husband and was quick to counter it. "So, Atom, what brings you to our ship? You have yet to say."
"Oh, right," the Atom said, "sorry." He clicked the hidden controls in his costume, causing himself to expand to his normal height in an instant. Gone was the red and blue costume he wore as the Atom, and in that place the brown haired Ray Palmer stood dressed in jeans and a white shirt. "I have something I wanted to share with you both."
Reaching into his pocket, Ray produced a sheet of paper. Unfolding it, he handed it to Hawkman. "Check it out, Carter," he said. He then clicked his hidden controls again, shrunk back to the six inch size so his costume would reappear, and hopped back on his sometime partner's shoulder.
Hawkman straightened the paper and began to read it. "Why, its a telegram!"
"Yep," the Atom said. "It came to me in care of the university in Ivy Town."
"What does it say, Katar?" asked Hawkgirl.
"It appears to be an invitation," Hawkman said, "to the annual Halloween celebration in Rutland, Vermont."
"Rutland, Vermont?" she asked. "Didn't you and a number of the other Justice Leaguers attend that last year?"
"Yes," Hawkman said, "though not by any invitation from any committee. The one called the Phantom Stranger mysteriously showed up at the JLA satellite to request our assistance and then whisked us off to the festivities."
"I remember reading about the case," the Atom said. "Anyway, it seems you guys were such a big hit last year that they wanted some guest heroes for this year's pageant. Given I'm one of the active heroes in the New England area, they sent this telegram invitation to me. I thought that perhaps you two would like to join me. It might be fun."
"I don't know," Hawkman started to say.
"Oh, Katar, why not?" Hawkgirl said. "I hear that part of the country is lovely in the Fall, and it might be good for us." She put her hands upon his free shoulder. "What do you say?"
Hawkman looked in his wife's eyes and saw her excited look. She was always able to influence him with the simplest of looks. "All right," he finally agreed. "We'll go with Ray."
The Atom raised his hands in a cheer. "Great!"
***
A gray metal truck with an enclosed and locked back section moved down the darkened highway. In the back, on a makeshift bench, sat a red haired man with a wisp of a beard on his chin. Dressed in gray prison clothes and with his hands cuffed together, Mark Mandrill sulked.
Only a few months ago, he was free from incarceration with little of a care in the world. The thief was safely hiding out where any of his foes would be hard pressed to locate him. The Matter Master was free to plot as he saw fit.
His only mistake was due to the workings of his own subconscious mind; part of Mark Mandrill was very distraught over the departure of his old sparring partner, Hawkman. In fact, during one of his extensive periods of special sleep, his mind acted out on its own. Using the power of the Mentachem Rod, a special device the criminal employed, his subconscious mind reached out across Midway City and found a young orphan teen who worshipped Mandrill's hated enemy. The rod's special abilities over matter altered young Charley Parker's clothes, turning him into a pseudo-Hawkman.
The boy used this 'gift' to do as his idol would do, even helping collar criminals and leaving them gift wrapped for Commissioner Emmett. Eventually, the boy's exploits brought in the attention of the Justice League. That, in turn, led the Matter Master into direct conflict with the heroes. In the end, with the help of the boy, the villain was defeated and arrested.
Now, Mandrill was on his way back to a maximum security prison to complete his previous sentence plus extra time for his last escape. "If only I had the Rod now," he muttered. "I'd turn this truck into a soap bubble with a wave of my wrists." As he said this, Mark moved his hands. The clanking of the chains only further reminded him of the futility of his present situation.
Up front in the cab section of the truck, his two escorts that worked for the prison system were talking among themselves. "We never get any of the exciting prisoners out here," the red haired driver said.
"Like who, Ollie?" the dark haired man asked. He took a slurp of his coffee from a Styrofoam cup.
"Oh, I don't know, Stan," said the driver. "How's about Luthor? He's a pretty big name."
"One of the biggest," Ollie agreed.
"Or Captain Cold or Mirror Master. Someone colorful like that. Or maybe even the Joker! Now there's a name! But, the Matter Master? Who really cares about that guy?"
"I don't know," Ollie said. "Maybe handling the lesser crooks ain't all that bad. It has its pluses."
"Yeah?" countered Stan and faced his friend. "Like what?"
"Less chance to end up dea... look out!"
Stan put his eyes back to the road just in time to see what Ollie was pointing to.
There, in the beams of the headlights in the center of the road, was a figure that they were coming up on to fast! It was a man in white, or appeared to be one. But he wasn't moving at all!
Instinctively, Stan cut the steering wheel sharp to one side while slamming on the breaks. The truck seemed to pass harmlessly right through the man as it swerved off the road, bounding over a short embankment and running headlong into a large tree. The two drivers were hurled forward into the windshield with a great force. The front hood was thrown open, and the horn began to blare uncontrollably.
In the back, Mark Mandrill was thrown forward rather urgently. His shoulder slammed hard into the wall with a thud. "Oooof!" It was throbbing with pain, but he couldn't reach up to rub the sore spot. He was just thankful he hadn't hit his head. "What the hell is going on up there?"
The back doors of the truck suddenly began to rattle. Mark tried to rise to his feet, assuming it was the drivers coming to check on him. "I can't wait to complain about these idiots to the prisoners' rights board," he said.
The handle to the door on the right began to turn, and the door opened slowly with a creak. "Come, Matter Master," an eerie voice said. A white gloved hand, attached to no arm, beckoned him out of the vehicle. "It is time for some revenge!"
***
Some time later, in a dead end alleyway in a small town, two figures slipped into the back door of an old abandoned book store. "I've got to hand it to you," Mark Mandrill said. "You sure pulled off that break out with style." As Mandrill closed the door behind them, a hand reached up and pulled the light switch.
The back office area was lit up by a single bulb in the ceiling. Standing before the red haired man was an apparition, a spectral figure dressed in pure white colonial clothes including a top hat and cape. The figure also had a monocle which sat roughly where his left eye would be, if he actually had body parts that were visible.
"To the unsuspecting eye, the truck crash will look like an accident," the Gentleman Ghost said. "We do not want anyone suspicious until we have been able to put my plan into action."
"So, what do you have in mind, Ghost?"
The Gentleman Ghost went to one of the shelves and produced a neatly folded pile of green robes and a red cape. "Here, change out of those prison grays first," he said. "Then we will introduce you to our partner."
Mark Mandrill took the items and started to unfold them. "My costume?" he said. He noticed too the green hat with white stars. It was all here. "This will certainly make me more at home, but..."
"You will need this too," the Gentleman Ghost added, producing a thin wand from his empty sleeve.
"The Mentachem Rod?" Mark cried. "Is that really mine?"
"Of course," the Ghost said flatly. "You would be of no use to me without it. Now, dress! Then join me in the next room." The spectral figure moved towards the door opposite the one they entered in from the street and passed right through the wooden portal as if it wasn't even closed.
Mark felt a slightly chill run up his spine. "Brrrr," he said as he started to undress. "Hate when he does that." He quickly stripped down to his underwear and then donned the costume he wore as Matter Master. When he was happy with his appearance, he tucked the Mentachem Rod in his waist pocket, opened the door and stepped into the next room.
A wafting smell of incense filled the air of the dimly lit book store. Matter Master carefully moved along the shelves towards the candle lit center of the shop. There, seated in a large chair, was a man in midnight blue robes and a similarly colored hat with a moon symbol raised on top. The figure poured over a large book, lost with the brown-edged brittle pages of the ancient tome.
The Gentleman Ghost hovered near the seated man. "Matter Master, may I introduce our colleague," he said. "This is Felix Faust."
The sinister sorcerer glanced up from his book, raised a single eyebrow, and then went silently back to his reading.
"A social fellow, ain't he?" Matter Master said.
"There is a time for talking and a time for doing!" Faust said as he kept his nose down. "I'm not in this to make with the small talk."
"Faust is researching some incantations needed," the Ghost said. "When we attack our mutual foes, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, we want a horde of demonic warriors with which to wear them down."
"I'll need a few things to help with the incantation," Faust said in a demanding tone.
"You'll have them," the Ghost simply replied.
"Even the Cauldron of Kordron?" Faust asked with an eager eye.
"And the Altar of Ratla," the Ghost countered. Faust's eyes glazed over at the thought of being close to such mystical treasures. "All will be arranged for you when we strike at them in Vermont."
"Vermont?" asked Matter Master. "Why Vermont? Why not Midway City?"
"Rutland, Vermont, has its own rather unique mystical aura," the Ghost explained. "The perfect place to launch an attack of a supernatural nature. Plus, I have it on good authority that the accursed winged duo will be attending festivities there on All-Hallows Eve."
"Rutland on Halloween," Faust muttered. "Yes, it will be good to try again..." His voice trailed off.
Matter Master pondered for a moment. While the Ghost was very mysterious, he felt he could trust the spirit. After all, the 'man' had sprung him from incarceration and reunited him with his weapon. Faust, however, was another matter. Matter Master had heard talk of the sorcerer in some circles. If half the strange things he had heard about Faust were true, the man would truly do just about anything for power. Matter Master was determined to keep his Mentachem Rod on his person at all times, just in case.
***
A blue Buick sedan with four passengers headed north on I87 in New York state. Two older young men, just about age nineteen sat in the front seat while two younger, just over seventeen, sat in the back. They were each dressed in colorful costumes befitting the day.
"Hey, Chuck, how much longer?" a dark haired teen in back said. He wore a furry ape costume. The mask sat on the back seat staring with vacant eyes.
"About another hour or so," the driver said. He wore brown robes over his clothes and some ceremonial crosses about his neck for his monk's costume. "We're almost to Glens Falls, then we turn off on the 4 to head into Vermont."
Barely glancing up from his magazine, the other teen in the back seat said, "I told you not to get the big Coke back there when we stopped for gas, Martin." This teen wore blue tights and a red cape and boots, like his favorite hero Superman.
"Its not that. This monkey suit is just hot is all."
"I can't believe you're dressed up like Gorilla Grodd," Chuck said.
"The hard part was tricking my folks," Martin explained. "I told my Mom I was going as King Kong. That's about the only way she'd let me out of the house. I should have insisted on putting it on after we got to the parade spot." He rolled down the back window and stuck his head out in the rushing wind to help cool off. "Ah, that's better."
Martin closed his eyes for a second then opened them. He saw something streak across the sky in the late afternoon sun. "Holy cow!" he exclaimed, pulling his head back in the car. "Did you guys see that?" He tapped the shoulder of the guy in the front passenger seat. "Harvey, tell me you saw that!"
"I didn't see anything," the young man in green said as he focused on the small mirror that was attached to the back of the down visor before him. "I'm too busy trying to get this spirit gum to hold the beard to my face the right way." Harvey worked the fake blonde mustache and beard, trying his best to get the look just perfect.
"You should have gone with Green Arrow's old look, Harv," Chuck said. "Much easier to do."
"But not nearly as cool looking," Harvey replied.
The gorilla suited youth turned to his friend in back. "How's about you, Starsky? You see them fly by?"
Starsky dropped the magazine to face his friend. "Oh, come on, Martin. You always think you're spotting heroes go by. I think the heat's getting to you."
***
High in the sky, two winged figures soared over the rolling countryside, passing over small lakes and streams. Hawkgirl smiled as she looked upon the colorful foliage of the Green Mountain National Forests. "What a wonderful view," she remarked. "Those reds and golds are lovely."
"They are indeed," the Atom agreed as he sat perched on the strap across Hawkman's shoulder. "This time of year is one of my favorites. We get a lot of tourists up in this area in the Fall just to come and see the leaves change."
"Its breath taking," Hawkgirl said.
"I hate to cut your little nature study short," Hawkman said, "but I believe our destination is down below." He pointed his finger towards the horizon. Indeed, the heroes were over Rutland, at the heart of the state of Vermont. The city, whose population numbered at about 15,000 people, was in sight.
The heroes swooped down, heading for a residence just on the outskirts of town. "Is this the right place?" Hawkgirl asked as they landed on the lawn of a small manor.
"Yes," Hawkman said. "I remember it from last year. Batman knew how to find it." Suddenly, the front door opened, and a man with brown hair and glasses ran out to greet them. "And here is our host, if I am not mistaken."
"Hawkman, Hawkgirl and the Atom!" Tom Fagan gushed. "So glad you all could make it!" He shook the hands of the males and gave Hawkgirl's hand a slight kiss.
"Thanks for inviting us, Tom," the Atom said. "I hope we're not too early."
"Not at all," the resident of Rutland said. "In fact, why don't you come in for a bit, maybe have a bite to eat before we head into town. The parade starts officially at nine o'clock, after it gets dark." He showed the heroes inside his home as the afternoon sun was starting to set.
***
Not many miles away, in a large mausoleum that they had broken into the day before, the trio of villains were busy working on their evening surprise. The Altar of Ratla, a rectangular platform decorated with actual skulls and bones, sat in the center of the crypt. On top of the altar sat the Cauldron of Kordron, a greenish-black ancient pot with mystic inscriptions around the sides. A foul smelling concoction simmered within it, sending wisps of smoke into the air. Given the poor ventilation of the old crypt, the air hung with a sickening smell to it.
That didn't seem to faze the villains any. Felix Faust consulted a large book of sorcery and then spoke an incantation. "Rasby, Ghast, Aldevate, hear my call and seek our gate! Chorldon, Magdar, Teristite, your terror filled reign do we invite!"
Matter Master wasn't completely sure what he was doing, but he offered the aid of his Mentachem Rod just the same. He waved the device back and forth. The metaphysical implement charged the air about the cauldron with ionized energy, in hopes to help aid the summoned demons in their crossing over to the physical plane.
The Gentleman Ghost hovered nearby, keeping and ever watchful eye on the proceedings. He nodded with approval. Yes, these two would serve his purpose well. Tonight, his foe would receive an unexpected surprise, and he would finally be rid of the ever present thorn in his side once and for all!
***
As darkness fell on the city, crowds began to gather along the main streets of the historic downtown district. Not even the temperature dipping into the lower forties on this October 31st evening was enough to deter the crowds. This year was the 14th Annual Halloween Parade in Rutland, and the turnout was even larger than those of previous years. People had come many miles, even from out of state, to enjoy the now fabled celebration. Some, like the four young men from New York, even came dressed in costume.
As the hour of nine struck in the North Church tower, a number of floats began to move out onto the parade route. The high school band played a tune taken off the soundtrack of one of the more popular scary films of the time. It helped to set the mood of the night.
A float decorated in black with pots of dry ice in the corner to create an eerie effect followed the band. The winner of the local contest, chosen Queen of Halloween, rose up from the center platform dressed a form fitting black gown. She waved to the crowd as her attendants, the other contestants, tossed wrapped candies out to the people. Everyone, especially the children, scurried to pick up the free treats.
The next float was designated for the guests of honor. Hawkman, Hawkgirl and the Atom rode on this float, waving to the cheering crowd. Around the float danced other Rutland locals, dressed in costumes reminiscent of heroes and villains both real and fictional. They acted out mock battles to the crowds amusement.
Hawkgirl smiled at it. "It is good to see such joy," she said softly. Even her usually serious husband was smiling a bit at the frivolity.
The mood was about to fade.
A man, in his early twenties, bolted around the corner and directly into the parade route. He was running so fast and with such determination, he didn't realize he cut right into the float's path. It stopped just in time before running him down. "Help! You've got to help!" he cried out hysterically.
Tom Fagan recognized the man. "Doc! What's going on?"
"The cemetery..." Doc said as he tried to catch his breath. His heart was racing. "A number of us... attacked by demons!"
"Demons!" Hawkman exclaimed. "We better investigate!" Without another word, the two winged heroes and their tiny teammate took off into the night air.
***
"Can't you control them?" Matter Master asked as he stood beside Felix Faust.
They watched from a safe distance as a number of hideous creatures were terrorizing some locals amidst the cemetery plots. The creatures, some with horns and others with large ears, came in various shades of sickly colors: purples, oranges and greens. Some were covered with scales, other hideous splotches of flesh. All of them shared two things in common: a joyous new found freedom and a desire to raise as much chaos as possible.
"You don't always have that luxury," Felix Faust explained. "Sometimes you have to take what you can get. Black magic doesn't come with a quality control, you know."
"What good are they then?" Matter Master stammered.
"They'll get the job done as soon as we get them into town," Faust said, though his words were less confident and more hopeful.
"No need," said the spectral voice of the Gentleman Ghost. "Look!" He pointed his gloved hand to the moon filled sky as two winged figures swooped out of the sky. "Be ready."
Hawkman let out a shrill call as they swooped down. He hoped it would get the creatures' attention, which it did; the demons looked up from the harassing of the locals and ransacking the graves to see what the noise was about. One unfortunate demon even got a mace to the face for turning his head so quickly.
"There doesn't seem to be too many of them," Hawkman said taking command of the situation. "Let's see if we can get them under control first, and then we'll figure out where they came from."
"That might be easier said than done," Hawkgirl said. She clasped her two fists together and swung them as one into the jaw of a green demon. While it fell backwards, an orange and a red demon jumped at her from behind, grabbing at her wings to try and pull her to the ground.
"Aaaargh!" one of the demons snarled at the heroine, its breath like brimstone.
"Yuck!" Hawkgirl exclaimed, thrusting her wings out and lifting into the air despite the extra baggage. "Maybe some fresh air can help that bad case of halitosis." The demons still clawed at her despite the rise in altitude.
The avian angel then went into a controlled spin, moving faster and faster. The force of the spin was enough to disorient the demons. A few swift kicks from Hawkgirl's boot then sent them plunging to the Earth. When they hit the ground hard, they vanished in puffs of brimstone. "They don't seem so tough after all," she mused.
The Atom leapt from tombstone to tombstone, with a green demon in hot pursuit. "They might not be tough," he said, "but they are fast!" Two clawed hands clapped together at him.
The demon smiled a jagged tooth smile, feeling that he squashed the little hero like so much of a gnat. When it opened his claws once more to check, there were no mashed human remains. It bit its lip curiously.
"Don't strain the pea-brain, ugly," the Atom retorted as he materialized from thin air and slammed a full weight punch into the demon's jaw. "Subatomic physics and molecular compression/decompression would be way over your head!"
"They're beating them!" Matter Master whined loudly. "Do something, Faust! You're responsible for this!"
"Shut up!" the sorcerer snapped. "Something must have been wrong with the spell or the mystic artifacts!" Faust eyed the Ghost with glaring look. "You can't blame me for that!"
"I'll blame you if we get caught and put back in jail!" Matter Master yelled.
The heroes, despite the fighting they were doing with the demons, overheard this last part of the exchange and were able to make out the villain's hiding nearby. "I think we've found our cause!" Hawkman said as he flew in to attack.
"Let's get them before they stir up any more trouble!" the Atom said. The three heroes advanced on the villains. The remaining demons saw them scurrying towards others and followed.
A wild battle in the cemetery commenced between the various combatants.
Faust uttered another incantation. "Trimbledor, Hogwarts, Aliberth, strike the bird woman with earth!" Responding to his mystical plea, the ground began to swell and spit forth large chunks of dirt and grass into the air at Hawkgirl. With skill she easily dodged most of them. Even those which did score did little more than sully her uniform. Some of the demons managed to catch up to her once more, so she was forced to fend them off.
"Idiot!" Matter Master yelled. "You need more versatile attack tools!" Eyeing a nearby statue, he waved the Mentachem Rod. A stone angel suddenly came to life and lifted into the air to attack Hawkman. "See? That's how it's done!"
Hawkman wrestled with his granite attacker. The statue was heavy and strong yet moved through the air as fast and nimbly as he did. The angel grabbed for the hero's throat; he felt the stony fingers trying to close off his wind pipe. As sweat ran down his cheek, Hawkman swung his arms up between those of the stony attacker and tried to break the grip. It wasn't going to work!
"Ha!" Matter Master said cockily.
"Don't bet on it!" Faust said, pointing. "Look!"
Hawkman grabbed for his mace once more and began to pound upon the statue. Though he hated to destroy the property, that seemed to be his only option to stay alive!
Matter Master frowned as he pondered his next move. "You leave my foe to me! Take care of his accursed wife!" Indeed, Hawkgirl had broken away from the demons once more and was bearing down on the duo.
Faust started to gesture as she flew in towards them. "Abnezagar, Yblitz, Demonshir..."
"Oh, give it a rest!" Hawkgirl said, bringing down both her fists hard on the sorcerer's head. His hat shift forwards and caused him to stop his spell in mid-incantation. With another one-two punch, she took the fight quickly out of Felix Faust. As he fell unconscious, the last remnants of his summoning spell faded, sending the demons back to whatever hell they'd been drawn from.
"Gaaaah!" Matter Master exclaimed. With one final blow, Hawkman had vanquished his attacker to so much rubble now piled on the ground. "Not good, not good!" He tried to come up with a plan quickly.
"Give it up!" the Atom called as he was now free from some demon's grasps. Launching through the air on the wind currents, he was quickly upon the Matter Master. With his surprising strength given his size, he was able to snap in two the Mentachem Rod that the villain held in his hand as easily as a Thanksgiving day wishbone. "You're through, double M!"
"Gentleman Ghost! Help!" the red bearded villain cried out just as the Atom's punch took him out.
"Gentleman Ghost?" Hawkman exclaimed, looking about. His keen eyes caught sight of something slipping through the treetops. "Oh no you don't, spook!" The Winged Wonder soared after the fleeing villain, his mace drawn. "You're not getting away!" The hero swung his weapon.
And the mace passed right through its target!
"Ha ha ha ha!" a haunting voice echoed through the night. "You may have gotten my associates, but you will not get me! Another time, old foe!" And with that, the spectral image of the Gentleman Ghost faded into the night.
Hawkman returned to his colleagues who were tying up the villains. Hawkgirl saw the look on her husband's face. "He slipped away?" she asked, but she pretty much knew the answer.
"You'll get him next time," the Atom said in an encouraging way. "Besides, we stopped the threat of these two magical mayhem makers. Not bad for a night's work."
"Agree," Hawkman said. But in his mind, he wouldn't rest easy until the Ghost was once again behind bars. If it took days, weeks or months, it didn't matter.