Justice League America #29 – “Nabu On In My Mind” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Ty Templeton/Joe Rubinstein
This one starts with Fire flying around New York, enjoying the feeling of freedom and exhilaration that comes with her new power-shift. Yes, as I’m sure all of you guessed, Fire can now turn her whole body into living flame like the Human Torch (who she’s almost mistaken for) thanks to the after-effects of the alien Gene Bomb. But she doesn’t know the limits of her new powers yet, so she heads back to the Embassy where Big Barda is waiting to train her and test those limits. Barda wants to use her Mega-Rod to put Fire through her paces, but
someone has stolen Barda’s car from in front of the Embassy … with the Mega-Rod in the trunk. Meanwhile at the hospital, Batman has called in Dr. Fate to help restore Blue Beetle’s mind after Queen Bee’s tampering turned him into an assassin. But this isn’t exactly the Dr. Fate we’re familiar, it’s actually Nabu (Lord of Order) inside Kent Nelson’s (now dead) body. Whatever he is now, Batman thinks he’s their only chance to remove the “azrael block” from Beetle’s mind and get him back to normal … or as close to normal as he gets. Nabu leaves Kent’s body to go inside Beetle’s mind. Back at the Embassy, Mr. Miracle 
homes in on Barda’s Mega-Rod with his Mother Box and he, Barda, and Fire start tracking it down. Inside Blue Beetle’s mind (which is populated by a bevy of babes, including Little Annie Fanny), Nabu finds Beetle’s inner psyche staring into a light that’s beckoning him to leave the real world behind. Nabu convinces him not to go into the light, but before they can leave a gigantic wall (representing the block Queen Bee put in his mind) rears up and Beetle tells Nabu that he can’t get past the wall, can’t even touch it without feeling incredible pain. Meanwhile, Booster Gold has been confined to quarters and he worries about Beetle … and himself, since Queen Bee might’ve screwed with his mind too. Inside Beetle’s head, Beetle is
convinced there’s no way to get past the “wall”, but Nabu sends his mind back into Kent Nelson’s body, while Nabu comes back into Blue Beetle’s body, thus circumventing the mental blocks. Once Nabu switches them back to their regular bodies, he does the same for Booster. Mr. Miracle, Barda, and Fire have tracked the Mega-Rod to Bayonne, New Jersey, where they find Barda’s car smashed up and three dead teenagers inside … but no Mega-Rod. They soon figure out where it is when they’re knocked down by a blast from the Rod, which is being wielded by some young punk.
Justice League Europe #5 – “Stagg Party” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Bart Sears/Joe Rubinstein
This one starts with Captain Atom heading to New York for a meeting with J’onn J’onzz and Max Lord to account for his decisions as leader of the European branch of the League. Captain Atom is sure they’re going to give him shit for the League’s tarnished reputation and (especially) for sending a team into Bialya without authorization. Meanwhile back in Paris (I was embarrassed … sorry, couldn’t resist), Sapphire Stagg has shown up at the Embassy to see her husband Metamorpho, who she’d
thought was dead (after the final issue of Outsiders). Metamorpho has amnesia, so he doesn’t remember he was married, and now it’s up to Catherine Cobert to break the news that his wife is here to see him. Sapphire is overjoyed (to put it mildly) to see Rex again, but he’s still trying to process everything. It seems Sapphire was pressured by her father into marrying Java (the evolved caveman who works for him), but she never stopped loving Rex. In New York, J’onn and Max try to reassure Captain Atom that they just want to talk about recent events, but his paranoia is so high that assumes they’re 
out to get him immediately. In Paris, Ralph and Sue return from shopping and find out about Metamorpho’s wife from Catherine, which makes Ralph very curious to see her. Sapphire tries to fill Metamorpho in on his past, but it’s all pretty overwhelming to him. While Ralph is telling Animal Man about Metamorpho and Sapphire, Java shows up looking for Sapphire. In New York, Captain Atom gets pissed off about various problems his team has had (no European members, hardly any of them speaking French) and resents having to second-guess his own decisions when it was Max who put him in charge of the team to begin with. After his freak-out, he’s told to
wait outside while they discuss things and he figures they’re going to fire him as leader. In Paris, Rex is starting to remember pieces of his former life after talking to Sapphire, but that just pisses him off because she married Java so soon after his “death”. Sapphire tells Rex she had his baby, but before he can ask about that, they hear Java fighting with the others and go to check it out. Sapphire tells Java their marriage is over since Rex is back, but naturally Java doesn’t like that. Captain Atom returns to Paris (having gotten a vote of confidence from Max and equal status to J’onn as a team leader) to find Metamorpho and Java fighting over Sapphire in the embassy. Simon Stagg 
shows up to sort things out, but first Captain Atom has to break up the brawl. The fight has fully restored Metamorpho’s memory, but Stagg talks Sapphire into leaving with him even though she obviously loves still Rex. (Yeah, she still can’t say no to her father; I guess some things never change.) Later, Rex is pretty down about finding and losing a wife and kid all in the same day, but Captain Atom tells him that the team are there for him if he needs support, pointing out that teammates should be friends not just colleagues.
Legion of Super-Heroes #63 – “Where Has All the Magic Gone?” – Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen/Mike DeCarlo
This is the final issue of this particular Legion series and brings an end to the Magic Wars storyline that’s been running in the last few issues. Last issue, the dark entity that’s been trying to break free from Sorcerer’s World (and whose struggles have caused magic to supplant technology all over the galaxy) finally got loose. Calling itself the Archmage, it rises into space and attacks the Legionnaires. The Archmage has apparently been confined for a long time, since he doesn’t recognize the Legion’s various
powers as science-based rather than magical, but that doesn’t stop him from dominating them during the fight and enclosing them in a barrier around the planet. Sensor Girl, Ultra Boy, Dawnstar, and Wildfire (without his containment suit) manage to get far enough away to regroup. Sensor Girl figures they need help and points out that if they fail to stop the Archmage, the whole universe is doomed. On Xanthu, Dream Girl wonders (again) why she came here with Atmos and became his girlfriend when she doesn’t actually love him. 
She finally realizes that he’s been using some kind of will power to force her to be with him. Star Boy and Dawnstar show up to recruit her and she apologizes to Star Boy before decking Atmos just as he wakes up. Back at Sorcerer’s World, the Legionnaires bust through the Archmage’s barrier, which surprises him but he still manages to use his darkness against them. Sun Boy counters that with his light powers, actually harming the Archmage, and Wildfire (who got a new containment suit from the Cruiser) adds some light of his own. Brainiac 5 shows up to help, pointing out that Archmage is trying to keep them off
Sorcerer’s World, so maybe the key to defeating him is there. On Earth, the reserve Legionnaires and the Substitutes prepare to join the fight, except Lightning Lad who has to look after his kids. Ultra Boy shows up to let them know about Magnetic Kid’s sacrifice last issue, and Cosmic Boy blames himself for letting his brother take his place on the team. On Sorcerer’s World, some of the Legionnaires keep Archmage busy while others head to the surface (which has been completely devastated) to find White Witch. But she and the other wizards have conjured a portal and are fleeing through it. They explain how Sorcerer’s 
World was made up of enchanted gemstone, supposed to keep magic locked up so it couldn’t affect the rest of the universe. Bits of magic escaped over the years, but the wizards kept things balanced, even after Mordru escaped. But something tipped the balance (possibly White Witch leaving to join the Legion) and let Archmage escape. The wizards think it’s too late to stop him, so they’re leaving, and White Witch feels guilty so she’s ready to go with them. But the soul of Sorcerer’s World calls for White Witch to stay and she obeys, using her magic to fight Archmage. Even when Dream Girl shows up to tell her she had a vision of the planet being destroyed, White Witch won’t stop fighting, saying something in the planet itself compels her to resist the Archmage’s
power. Cosmic Boy and the others s how up, but are no match for Archmage. But Saturn Girl and Tellus hear a voice in their heads, coming from the planet itself. Blok hears it too and says it’s the soul of the planet, so the Legionnaires join with White Witch to lend her their strength. The soul of the planet materializes and it turns out to be Amethyst, which means Sorcerer’s World was once Gemworld before it shifted into this dimension. Amethyst tells White Witch that she’s ready to perish and urges her to leave, so the Legionnaires take off. Archmage consumes Sorcerer’s World, but realizes too late that his essence was linked 
to the planet, so he’s basically just destroyed himself. White Witch thanks Blok for renewing her faith and Sensor Girl points out that the damage Archmage did hasn’t gone away (and that worse things may be coming), but the Legion will keep fighting as long as they can. This is setting up the next Legion series, which takes place after a five-year gap when the United Planets territory gets invaded and the Legion is disbanded and outlawed. I’ve never read that version of the Legion, so I’m looking forward to checking it out in a few weeks.
New Titans #57 – “Study in Steel” – Marv Wolfman/George Perez/Bob McLeod
This one starts with Wildebeest watching Titans Tower … ominously, of course. Elsewhere, Dick Grayson talks to Starfire about his intention to go see Batman after Alfred called to say how worried he’s been about Batman’s lack of emotion lately. (So, I guess this takes place before Batman 436, where Dick shows up at Wayne Manor to see Batman.) In the park, Joe (Jericho) Wilson is jogging with one of his many female admirers (Lissa Eng), when they’re attacked by Wildebeest. Joe tries to use his possession powers to take over Wildebeest,
but the villain has tinted lenses over his mask to prevent that. Joe possesses Lissa instead, using her to knock Wildebeest on his ass, but Wildebeest recovers and grabs Joe once he’s back in his own body. Lissa pleads with him not to kill Joe and Wildebeest takes off, leaving Joe to wonder if his teammates will also be attacked. Meanwhile, Dick is still thinking about Batman and recalls a recent session with his therapist (who knows his secret identity), where he talked about his guilt over his parents’ deaths, and resolved to confront Batman about his attitude since Jason Todd’s demise. At Titans Tower, 
Raven is meditating and gets a flash that Victor (Cyborg) Stone is in trouble. She teleports to his place (which is wrecked) and realizes he’s been attacked. Wildebeest ambushes her, knocking her out, but instead of finishing her off, he just leaves, much like he did with Jericho. Downtown, Donna (Troia) Troy and Starfire are at a shoot for a rock video (which Starfire is co-starring in) when Wildebeest attacks. Donna uses some of her enhanced powers to set up a force-field around the bystanders, but Wildebeest brings the studio down with a sonic blast before almost killing Starfire when she tries to go head-to-head with him. Wildebeest takes off and Donna and Starfire wonder how he knew
where to find them. They head back to the Tower to compare notes with the others (except Dick, who’s on his way to Gotham already), but Wildebeest attacks again. He pounds them and tries to take off, but Raven has figured out his secret and uses her soul-self to knock him out … after which she unmasks him to reveal that he’s Cyborg. (I kinda suspected it when he used the white noise pulse at the studio, and Raven’s feeling that Cyborg was in trouble just confirmed it.)