JLA #21~Strange New World
After spending several days studying Orion's Mother Box--the single device controlling his rage, Steel finally swipes the item long enough to use it as a telepathic shield against the En'taran slavemasters.  He then destroys Adam Strange's slave collar controls, freeing the rest of the League.  They manage to take down the guards and trap Strange and J'onn.  But there's a problem.  Strange finally reveals why he's been acting as he has.  Following his wife's supposed death, Strange's father-in-law set out to revive his daughter.  He ended up making a deal with the En'tarans; they would revive the woman if he would teach them of the Zeta technology which originally put Strange on Rann.  It was agreed, but the En'tarans ended up tricking Strange's father-in-law and invaded Rann.  They then threatened Strange for a Zeta beam projector that would let them overthrow the galaxy.  Strange wanted his wife back so he played along, even offering to rebuild the city in their honor.  Because he was wearing a telepathic shield, they never expected his true intentions and agreed.  He called the JLA to help, but couldn't tell them the truth because the En'tarans could then extract it from them.  Only J'onn, with natural telepathic abilities, could keep the secret.  Because Zeta ray technology is only temporary, the League would return to the Watchtower soon.  Strange explains how he had actually rebuilt the city so Rann would act as a giant Zeta beam projector with him as the lens which would permanently teleport the En'tarans away.  Everyone gets into position and Strange asks Superman to retrieve his wife and father-in-law from the approaching En'taran ship before the beam hits it.  Flash lends Supes the speed to do it, giving Strange and his wife a brief reunion before his drained body returns him to Earth along with the League.

JLA #22~It
Everyone in Metropolis is asleep except Superman.  But it's not just Metropolis, it's nearly all of North America.  Along with Zauriel, the Man of Steel heads to the Watchtower.  Flash reports via telepathic link that everyone in the town of Blue Valley is strangely awake.  J'onn welcomes Supes and Zauriel--Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are already present--but says with some concern there's an intruder who just walked into the place.  The "intruder" introduces himself as the King of Dreams--Sandman.  He explains everyone is asleep dreaming "It's" dream. It will make them slaves and It will feast on them. It will exhaust the world's resources and then move on.  But Sandman proclaims there is a boy who somehow still believes in the League and resists It's will.  Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern agree to enter It's dream world for one hour and see what they can do.  In the meantime, Batman requests to withdraw the alien parasite from the trophy room that took over Flash in Blue Valley the year before (that occurred in a story in JLA Secret Files and Origins #1).  He and Flash both suspect some connection since the only people who had direct contact with the "face-huggers" are the only people not asleep.  Back in the dream world, the Leaguers seem to be getting nowhere when Superman faintly hears a boy call his name.  The heroes' powers are fading by It's will, but Supes gets a glimpse of millions of people controlled by face-huggers.  Martian Manhunter, now patrolling above Earth, feels a strange shift on the edge of consciousness.  A message from Aquaman confirms some presence in the ocean and J'onn leaves the atmosphere to get a better view.  From the moon, Zauriel detects dozens of large lifeforms coming out of nowhere just as J'onn makes visual contact--with a giant face-hugger filling Hudson Bay.

JLA #23~Conquerors
After assembling a chain for Zauriel and Aquaman at Hudson Bay, dropping in on Batman in Gotham, and seeing a second giant star conqueror above Europe, Flash returns to the Watchtower to assist J'onn.  The things are floating over Earth, each waiting to claim another continent.  Aquaman, hauling a chain held by Zauriel for safety, dives into Hudson and attempts a telepathic probe of the giant face-hugger.  But It begins to take control of his mind and J'onn (on telepathic link) offers his help in psychically combating the thing.  About that time Orion arrives at the Watchtower in reply to a signal Flash sent some time ago.  There's barely time to explain the problem before Orion barrels down to Earth to blow the star conqueror away.  In the dream world, powerless Leaguers try to battle off It-controlled dreamers in an attempt to find the single boy who believes in them.  Lantern goes down, but Superman rescues the boy, whose faith returns the heroes' powers.  Panicking now, Flash sends a message to Zauriel to get Aquaman out of the water before Orion kills him.  J'onn takes off in one his Martian shuttles following the New God, and in the meantime calls Batman.  Batman, who has been dissecting the face-hugger from the trophy room, discovers the parasites send out a controlling signal and says a negative reinforcement might repel it.  If J'onn can make a large-scale telepathic broadcast, trying to convince It that Earth is too hostile an environment, It might leave.  Meanwhile, Orion's firepower does manage significant damage to the thing in Hudson Bay, but It counter- attacks with a blast that sends Orion into orbit and nearly kills Aquaman.  J'onn and Zauriel save the two, though, and J'onn begins transmitting. It receives the signal and the dream world begins falling apart, the world wakes up, and Sandman captures It in a strange dream-like state.  A month later, Diana reassumes her role as Wonder Woman and just as Hippolyta is being shown to the teleporters, J'onn detects someone breach Watchtower security (that's happened how many times now?).  The intruders this time?  "We're Justice Legion A. . . . We're from tomorrow."

JLA #1,000,000~Prisoners of the 20th Century
This issue picks up from the middle of the DC One Million crossover.  So far, the JLA of the 853rd Century has come to the 20th Century, offering the current JLA a chance to travel to the future and take part in Superman Prime's return from the sun.  The core group goes (minus Martian Manhunter) and the Justice Legion A stays to protect the 20th Century.  However, the android Hourman (the one GL met in Rock of Ages) unknowingly releases a deadly virus upon the Earth.  While he, J'onn, and other heroes attempt to control it, the Justice Legion A learns that the current JLA is in danger by the computer sun Solaris.  The only way to save them and the people of Earth is to recreate Solaris.  The only problem is, the remaining JLA of the 20th Century sees the future League as enemies.  The two Leagues clash in battle, the heroes from the 853rd Century finding their predecessors more formidable then they imagined.  However, a one-on-one conversation between Steel and the future Superman leads the teams to a truce and they all begin construction of the new (yet old) Solaris.  For more on what happened, check out the DC One Million miniseries or take a look at my Top 5 page.

JLA #24~Executive Action
A strange individual named Warmaker One is released into the ocean to recover one of the JLA's greatest foes--the Shaggy Man.  The problem is detected at the Watchtower, where Zauriel, Plastic Man, and Steel are present.  They signal the alert and Superman is on his way when a press conference called by U.S. General Wade Eiling catches his attention.  Eiling announces he has assembled a new metahuman team, the Ultramarines to protect the U.S.  Because the JLA is a global force, he says it may possibly aid countries planning harm to America.  Superman suspects he's lying.  In the meantime, with Barda and Orion mysteriously gone again, Steel sends Green Lantern and Aquaman to check out the Shaggy Man situation.  However, the nuclear sub from which Warmaker One came takes offensive and the Leaguers have no choice but to get out of there.  Steel finally finds Barda, updating the Watchtower's computer systems to the level of New Genesis.  It's revealed that Orion is meeting with others on New Genesis to discuss a threat the Earth is to face--according to Metron--in two months local time.  Etched on the Source Wall is the single word "MAGEDDON."  Back on Earth, Batman and Huntress prepare to meet with the League when Oracle detects yet another alien invasion on Earth with Phoenix as the source.  Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Steel, Barda, and Zauriel all regroup there, only to find it's a trap.  They're promptly attacked by the Ultramarines, headed by Warmaker One.

JLA #25~Scorched Earth
With an electromagnetic shield surrounding Phoenix so no one can get in or out, the Ultramarines attack, backed by U.S. soldiers.  Though fighting as hard as they can, the League's forces can't keep them going.  Steel's computer system goes down, Flash is wounded and in shock, Green Lantern's inner ear functions have been disabled, and Wonder Woman has some bad concussions.  Though the Ultramarines begin to feel unsure about their actions, General Eiling assures them the orders are Presidential and they must continue.  But Superman analyzes their molecular structure and learns the Ultramarines are going to die.  Meanwhile in Nevada Batman, Huntress, and Plastic Man break into a top secret military base to see what they can find on Eiling and his new corps.  They find Eiling himself in the base--dead from a shot to the throat.  Batman reveals that Superman had previously found some sort of tumor in Eiling's brain.  He also finds records that show the Ultramarines' bodies can't handle their powers.  They'll die in weeks.  Huntress leaves to check the lab when Batman discovers records of Eiling transferring his consciousness to another body to escape the tumor.  His Ultramarines will kill the JLA then die in turn.  But the U.S. won't need superhuman protectors with Eiling in command.  He's become immortal and invulnerable.  He's transferred his mind into the body of the Shaggy Man!