The JSA and The Blackhawks: Train of Destiny
With this last piece of the puzzle in place, Mr. Terrific shares a shocking deduction with the group: the cargo of this train appears to his educated eye to be centrifuge equipment, crates of uranium ore, and drums of “heavy” water. These things, along with the famed physicist's presence, can only mean one thing. The heroes have intercepted something even more important than the Spear of Destiny – they've stumbled onto the German's Atomic Bomb Program, in transit to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in the heart of Germany! Hartung confirms the suspicion, and explains the monsters were the German soldiers charged with handling the radioactive materials used in the experiments. A combination of radiation from their labors and chemical and steroid treatments used to keep them functioning accounts for their macabre condition.
Attention turns toward the strange globe that stands nearby. Hartung explains it is a prototype of the bomb filled with powdered uranium. As the scientist explains it, the object is harmless in its present state, lacking a source of neutron emissions to begin a chain reaction. The heroes examine the globe, unscrewing a cap on the object, just as Terrific queries Hartung, “Did you say powdered uranium?” As these words leave Terrific's lips, the cap from the globe shoots off and a jet of flame shoots from the opening! Chaos erupts, Hartung screams in panic, and Blackhawk orders everyone to evacuate!
The car is soon engulfed in flames as everyone scrambles toward the engine. A quick decision is made to uncouple the flaming cars from the engine and steam ahead of the conflagration when trouble is spotted ahead – the train is headed down a hillside. At the bottom awaits a Nazi checkpoint teaming with soldiers! The heroes are trapped between a rock and a hard place!
Suddenly, Blackhawk's ears pick up a familiar sound – the distant growl of approaching plane engines! A look to the skies confirms their hopes: the remaining Blackhawks have finally caught up with their comrades! Blackhawk orders the train to speed up to better match the speed of the planes. The engineer is allowed to leap to safety, while Hartung and the heroes climb to the top of the train and grab passing rope ladders dangled from the planes of Olaf, Stanislas and Andre! The flaming train plunges into the Nazi station and explodes violently, destroying every vestige of the German Atomic Bomb Program!
After retrieving their three remaining planes, the heroes discuss their adventure via radio on the way home. The remark on the violence of the “atomic” explosion, but Terrific informs them that what they witnessed was no atomic explosion, merely a demonstration of the volatility of powdered uranium when exposed to air! Hartung elaborates, saying that if it had been a nuclear explosion, nothing would have saved them from the results. A quiet and sober group of heroes flies off into the horizon toward home.
Days later, the veterans of this adventure have returned home to the U.S. to relate their story to the assembled membership of the Justice Society of America. As the tale ends, Green Lantern and the other superpowered heroes who had such high hopes of finding the Spear of Destiny express their regret at still being unable to aid in the war. With their newfound comrades firmly in mind, the six reporting heroes console the others with a reassuring thought – even without the JSA's contribution, the Nazis should have their hands full “for the duration” as long as the Blackhawks are around!
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