WARNING! SPOILERS! PRODUCT MAY CONTAIN HAM!
Title: United We Fall
Release Date: July 2001
Writer: Mark WaidPenciller: Bryan HitchInker: Paul NearyJLA Members: Superman,
Batman,
Wonder Woman,
Aquaman,
Green Lantern,
the Flash,
the Martian Manhunter, and
Plastic Man.
Guest Stars: Clark Kent,
Bruce Wayne,
Kyle Rayner,
Wally West,
John Jones, and
Eel O'Brian.
Bad Guys: the
Cathexis.
Cameos: Lois Lane and
Linda Park.
So what happens?Okay, a quick summary, 'cause this is pretty
confusing. An interdimensional wish-granting entity called
Id has been let loose on Earth, where it has been granting occasionally-destructive
wishes all over the planet. One of those wishes, inadvertantly spoken aloud by Superman, has caused most of the JLA to be
split between the
superheroes and their powerless
secret identities, which is drastically altering their personalities. With the aid of the sixth-dimensional Cathexis aliens, the Justice Leagers have finally captured Id, only to be
betrayed by the Cathexis, who wanted Id to use as a tool of
conquest. But all is not lost...
While the superheroes are all unconscious, their civilian
alter egos show up and fling a few
smoke grenades at the Cathexis, who respond by changing Wally West and Kyle Rayner to
glass. But while the aliens are distracted, Eel O'Brian is able to steal one of their machines that can use a person's leftover "Id energy" to reverse a wish -- he quickly attaches the device to Superman's head, but in the weeks that have passed since Supes made his wish, the Id energy had gradually depleted. As a result, there's not enough
energy left to completely reverse the wish, and the six split Leaguers are left only partially
merged, leaving a bunch of people who look like
bizarrely-joined
Siamese twins. Most of them remain entirely useless, as their personalities battle for
dominance, and the Cathexis take the opportunity to start bloodily
deconstructing civilians.
When John Jones/Martian Manhunter try to free Id, the Cathexis set them both on
fire, and when Aquaman tries to stop them, they split him apart into a normal
man and a normal
fish. Wonder Woman ends up saving the day when she tricks the Cathexis into splitting her into the lifeless
clay she was formed from and the
Spirit of Truth which inhabits her body. Separated from her body, Wonder Woman's
consciousness is able to directly interact with her teammates' minds, convince them that they need both halves of their personalities to function, and join each of the alter egos back into the superheroes.
As the reformed JLA attacks, the Flash is able to leap into Id and put himself, at least temporarily, into its driver's seat. He is able to rejoin Aquaman's sundered selves, and then, while the rest of the JLA struggle to stop the otherdimensional Cathexis, he splits them from two sixth-dimensional aliens to four
three-dimensional aliens. With the Cathexis' power vastly depleted, Batman has no trouble beating them to a
pulp. Then the Martian Manhunter
telepathically links the heroes with the Flash, and together, they wish all of Id's victims
restored, the Cathexis back into their home dimension, and Id destroyed.
That's one hell of a wish, ya pompous spandex-jockeys! Then they all get their lives back in order and live happily ever after -- or until next month, whichever comes first.
Cool Moments!The big
splash page of Wonder Woman looking both incredibly
sexy and incredibly
bad-ass; the big
splash page of the JLA, merged back into their proper forms, getting ready to stomp Cathexis tail; Batman cracking an uncharacteristic
grin after clobbering the Cathexis; Batman and Plastic Man verbally
sparring over Eel O'Brian kicking Bruce Wayne's ass
last issue.
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