JLA #26~Our Army at War
The Shaggy Man--now shaved--wastes no time in attacking the three Leaguers in his base.  Batman uses thrown bombs to blow the arm off the JLA's invincible foe.  It does little good because the arm just grows back.  In the meantime, Superman finally manages to start talking some sense into the Ultramarines, explaining Eiling's tumor and their own molecular instability.  Back in the base again, Batman, Huntress, and Plastic Man buy themselves a little time and find a bulk transmitter teleport dock.  Despite Plastic Man's desire to use it in order to teleport them to safety, Batman says it's not designed to teleport living tissue.  But of course, Batman has a plan and begins to take advantage of the Shaggy Man's weak brain, edging him toward hypnosis, when Superman, the League, and the Ultramarines bust in.  They start firing relentlessly at the new Eiling, knowing the JLA has never actually been able to defeat the man-made monster.  Though angry at how close to victory he was, Batman enacts a backup plan.  With help from Superman and Wonder Woman, he gets Eiling onto the bulk teleporter.  Though it can't teleport living tissue, the Shaggy Man's body is synthetic.  The push of a button and General Eiling ends up on a rocky needle of an asteroid millions of miles from Earth.  The Ultramarines thank Superman for helping them see the truth and apparently stabilizing their bodies.  They expand their group and form an international peace-keeping force, with a floating base over the ruins of Montevideo (Montevideo was destroyed in DC One Million).  Back in the Watchtower, there's brief discussion about J'onn requesting a temporary leave of absence from League duties and his replacement is on his way.  The replacement is the 853rd Century Hourman, who arrives expecting Earth to be in the midst of its battle with the Fifth Dimension and wondering where Captain Marvel is.  Apparently, there's still a lot of explaining to do.

JLA #27~The Bigger They Come...
Flash and Green Lantern stop by Ivytown to visit Ray Palmer--aka, The Atom--and discuss Superman's proposal for expanding the team's size again.  Atom likes the offer, but declines, saying he'd prefer to keep his life as a full-time professor, part-time superhero.  Meanwhile in the Everglades, Huntress, Steel, and Wonder Woman respond to a call from Professor T.O. Morrow (see JLA #5 for more on Morrow) claiming that in an hour a new Amazo android awakens with all the powers of the Justice League.  Though Wonder Woman proposes simply removing the body from Earth before the android wakes up, Steel discovers that Amazo is booby-trapped to nuke the entire state if he moves more than a few feet.  Wonder Woman orders all the military troops to leave the area as the Leaguers contemplate what to do.  At the same time in Tokyo, Superman, Batman, and Martian Manhunter meet to discuss League expansion in their alter ego disguises (J'onn is disguised as a Japanese business woman).  Bruce and Clark do most of the talking, Clark suggesting more members equals more power, Bruce countering that only the elite should be given the task of handling international problems.  The conversation is cut short, however, when J'onn receives a telepathic message from Oracle that Amazo just awakened 30 minutes ahead of schedule.  The three promptly rush to the scene, finding Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Plastic Man, and Zauriel have already arrived as well.  Another call from Morrow reveals he purposely misinformed the League of Amazo's wake-up time and confirms it's the new League's powers the android possesses.  After taking some nasty blows, the team decides the best bet may be to attack Amazo with Leaguers whose powers he doesn't know and signals Oracle to call in the reserves.  Very shortly, a swarm of heroes arrives, including Blue Beetle, Firestorm, Power Girl, and many others.  Unfortunately, they learn the hard way that Amazo is programmed to learn new powers and his power is increased with the arrival of the others.  All hope seems lost when the Atom appears and carefully instructs Superman what must be done.  Acting as Chairman of the JLA, Superman turns to Amazo and powerfully states that the League is disbanded.  Because the robot is programmed to possess abilities of the League, he loses all powers when the League "ceases to exist."  Following his brilliant plan, Atom is asked once again if he will consider rejoining the team.  Finally convinced that even his academic talents can be utilized, he agrees to a "part-time position as the JLA's science consultant."  The team roster now reaches 15.

JLA #28~Crisis Times Five: Part One
Captain Marvel arrives in Bahdnisia where he learns that elemental Djinn giants from the 5th Dimension have come to Earth from beyond space.  Flash and Jay Garrick discover very unusual phenomenon--buildings bending like rubber--which Oracle reports to the members on duty at the Watchtower:  Superman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern, Huntress, and Hourman.  Oracle also reports that strange pink lightning flashed in Central City the night before and a kid was just found alive in a sealed vault.  Jay, now at the Watchtower with Flash, recognizes the pink lightning as a trademark of JSAer Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt genie.  The connection is made that the genie must actually be an imp from the 5th Dimension--like Mr. Mxyzptlk--and Jay calls Sentinel (Alan Scott) and Wildcat to assist them.  Meanwhile, Gorgonel, an angel from Eagle Host brings it to Zauriel's attention that Spectre, referred to as an avenger who is a manifestation of God's wrath, has somehow been trapped inside a giant rock here in the material universe.  Zauriel is asked to investigate, for someone with the power to trap Spectre must be stopped.  In Chicago, washed-up ex-Leaguer Billy Mac tries to make some money by pawning stolen possessions from the JLA's trophy room.  The situation takes a wild turn when he unleashes Lkz, another lightning-based imp who offers Mac revenge by transforming him back into Triumph.  At the Rock of Eternity, Captain Marvel consults the wizard Shazam on the outcome of the 5th Dimension crisis.  Shazam says four great supermen will clash on earth as the Djinn war in Heaven, and tells Captain Marvel in the end only the wisdom of Solomon will ensure victory.  Everyone finally meets at the Watchtower--JLA, including Zauriel, JSA, and Hourman.  However, even Hourman is unable to unearth how the threat must be dealt with, certain only that Captain Marvel will arrive and someone will die today.  Sentinel and Zauriel leave to rescue Spectre, while Jay, Wildcat, GL, Huntress, and Flash attempt to recapture the Thunderbolt in Central City.