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By Barry Reese
Stan Lee Presents : The greatest heroes of the post World War II era...Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty...The Whizzer, Fastest Man Alive...Miss America, Strong and Beautiful Heroine...Sub-Mariner, Prince of Atlantis...and the Human Torch, the fiery android...they are The All-Winners Squad!
"Batta Up!"
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Prince Namor, the Avenging Son of Atlantis, shook his head somberly and looked at the strange piece of wood in his hands. He glanced back at the Torch, ignoring the laughing Fred Davis (Bucky II) and Toro, the Torch's sidekick. In the stands of Yankee Stadium, the crowd roared in anticipation. "You wish me to hit that small sphere with this stick? Gods, you surface dwellers are mad!"
The Torch smiled and placed a hand on Namor's shoulder. The Atlantean's skin was slightly moist, as he had taken a dip in the All-Winners' pool on the way over to the stadium. Jim Hammond, aka the Torch, leaned in and whispered. "I know it sounds crazy. But it's baseball and this is for charity. While the teams take their seventh inning stretch, you're going to take ten swings. For every homer you hit, the city of New York is donating $200 to a local orphanage."
"Hmmm. I shall do it then. But know this, the honor of Namor shall no longer be sullied..."
Hammond watched his friend stalk to the plate and wondered aloud, "What's eating you, Namor? First the way you tried to brush off Toro and me on the way to the Williams house and now this talk about us sullying your honor...maybe I need to sit you down and have a talk."
Meanwhile, in another part of New York City...
William Nausland sat in the cafe and sighed. In the nearly seven months that he had been Captain America, he'd gotten used to looking in the mirror and finding new wrinkles, new touches of gray in his hair. He was only 28 years old but he felt like this past war had sapped most of his will from him. He had always tried to do the best he could...first as the hero Spirit of '76, he had helped formed the Crusaders. But he had later discovered that the entire thing had been a scam, financed by the Nazis. He had been a dupe. But he had stuck in there, pushing on as the Crusader -- helping out the Liberators wherever he could. But when the President had offered him the chance to replace the deceased Steve Rogers as Captain America, William had felt the old fears resurface. He had almost chickened out and refused but when Fred Davis -- the young boy who had once aided the real Cap's partner Bucky -- had talked with him about how much it would mean to America, he gave in. Will didn't know where Fred's future lay, but he had a thought that it was going to be in politics, because he sure knew how to give a rousing speech.
But after seven months of Axis-bashing, first alone and then with the All-Winners Squad, Will felt the old nagging doubts still present. He wasn't the real Captain America and though no one had said anything, he suspected that to Namor and the Torch, he never would be...
Nausland sipped his coffee, his handsome face drawn tight with worry, and wondered how long it was going to be before someone put two and two together and realized that he was a sham...
"When is this nonsense going to end? We should strike now -- hard and fast!" The renegade Atlantean known as U-Man paced in the undersea headquarters of the All-Villains Squad, his anger boiling over. The base had been funded by the Fuehrer early in the war, built just off the shore of Manhatten, hidden from the Allied heroes by alien metals.
U-Man's teammates did not answer. Warrior Woman, a product of Nazi superiority, stood nearby, lifting huge weights as if they weighed no more than a telephone book. She glanced at U-Man with undisguised contempt. "We will attack when ordered to do so, is that so difficult for your dullard Atlantean brain to comprehend?"
U-Man's eyed went red with rage and he moved forward, but the superfast villain Dark Whizzer interrupted them. "Now, now, troops. Save that precious energy for our enemies...we just might need it."
The Asbestos Lady, archfoe of the Human Torch, stepped forward, clad in her asbestos costume, her gun lying against her hip. "Still, he does speak the truth, Whizzer. Why do we wait? I for one would love to revenge myself on the Torch and his young partner."
The Whizzer looked about him, smiling his lunatic's smile, his eyes glinting like steel. "Maybe it is time I revealed our little plan to all of you..." He glanced at Agent Axis, the last of his deadly team that he had recruited. "Axis, why don't you dim the lights and turn on the projector. I have something you should all see...."
Within moments, all the villains were speechless. They saw images of things that never happened -- German soldiers marching through the streets of Washington, DC; the lifeless body of Captain America hanging from a scaffolding; the Human Torch being melted down for scrap. "I'm not from around here," the Dark Whizzer laughed. "As you can see...on my world, there never was a Liberators, just a bunch of small groupings of Allied heroes. In the fall of 1943, the Nazi empire received a visitor from another time, another world...he brought great scientific knowledge with him. I was the first, created to mirror the abilities of the Whizzer. Captain Germany, Miss Aryan, and our own world's version of U-Man...we became the All-Villains Squad. We hunted down the Allied heroes, killed them one-by-one and then led the Axis metahuman elite straight into Washington. The war was over by mid 1944. The Fuehrer delivered a speech from the White House itself...it was a golden age...."
"But it didn't last. Our visitor from the future killed Hitler and claimed power for himself. The All-Villains Squad were made his personal bodyguards and we learned he had no interest in the Nazi ideals..." Bitter hatred oozed into the Dark Whizzer's voice. "When we eventually balked against his orders, he killed Captain Germany...I fled, stealing one of his time travel devices....but I ended up here, in another time stream entirely, maybe another world. Here, the Allies have won...for now. But with the Liberators disbanded and only the All-Winners Squad active, we have only to defeat them and then our path is clear -- we shall seize power for ourselves. I watched and learned from the Fuehrer himself...I know it can be done."
Agent Axis cleared his throat as the lights came back on. "That is the extent of your plan? Defeat the heroes and then power is ours?! You are mad..."
The Dark Whizzer zoomed forward, grasping Axis by the throat. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But I am in charge here. I can kill any of you before you could even blink. And I say that the All-Winners Squad dies!"
"And I am with you...." U-Man stood, looking around the room. One by one, they all swore allegiance to the timelost villain. They had no other choice, they knew...it was their last chance to grab victory and glory.
"Good. Your faith in me is heart warming. It isn't misplaced, believe me...tonight, our enemies die! Painfully..."
Bob Frank, aka the Whizzer, scratched his head. "Let me get this straight, Bucky -- you think William is going to quit?"
Fred Davis, the second youth to wear the costume of Bucky, sat stiffly in his chair in the All-Winners Squad Manhatten headquarters -- the same building that once housed the famed Liberty Legion. Madeline Joyce sat across from Fred, next to her lover the Whizzer, dressed in her Miss America costume. "I think so, Bob. He's been down for awhile -- I mean, when he's in action, he's fine. You'd think he was Captain America. But the rest of the time -- well, I don't know what it'll take to prove to him that he's a hero, through and through."
"Maybe someone should talk him -- maybe the Torch. He respects him."
Bob shook his head. " I don't know. I think the Torch is busy keeping Namor in line. Something's bugging our resident sea lord, too. Damn, why is it so difficult nowadays. I mean, the war's over, we should be having the time of our lives. Even I feel it sometimes, like I'm a walking anachronism all ready."
Madeline placed a hand on Bob's. "Hush. We're still the All-Winners Squad and we still have a job to do -- one given us by the President himself. I'll talk to William."
Fred smiled. "Thanks, Maddy! I sure would appreciate it!"
" You're welcome, Bucky. I'll make sure to talk with him as soon as he's back."
Captain America walked from the cafe late that evening, with a soft fog rolling over the streets. His head sloshed from too many cups of java and his heart was still dreary. He looked forward to a nice night spent in front of the radio.
He felt it first, a sharp breeze that ruffled his hair and reminded him instantly of Bob Frank..."Bob? Whizzer?" His hand dropped to the briefcase he carried. Inside was his shield. He was in civilian clothes but he wore his costume underneath. Something felt....wrong.
"Wrong Whizzer, my friend...but I suppose you know all about imposters, don't you? I've watched you, studied you and your little group..." The voice carried to him over the wind and he saw that the fog held shapes -- large shapes, surrounding him.
"I don't know who you are but you've picked the wrong guy to mug -- ugh!" The first blow came from the Atlantean U-Man. William recognized him immediately and rolled with the punch, bringing up his briefcase to strike the villain on the chin.
Warrior Woman emerged from the shadows, grappling with him, dragging him down. He kicked out, striking someone he recognized as the Asbestos Lady. His heart hammered -- he looked up and saw a madman wearing a variation of the Whizzer's costume. The man was smiling.
"Nighty-night, American." And then the blows came, hundreds of them at superspeed until William Nausland fell into blessed peace.
The Dark Whizzer looked up in the shadows as the final member of their group stepped forward. It was Agent Axis, but he wore the face and bearing of William Nausland. "Put on his clothes, herr Schmidt. It is time for us to see if you deserved the accolades that Hitler heaped upon you. Show us what a wonderful little spy you can be..."
The false Nausland smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is time to show these heroes how weak they are..."
Somewhere, beyond the veil of time, He was coming. The destroyer of the world...he who had conquered timeline after timeline. The Vision floated just below the ninth sphere of reality and waited...
NEXT ISSUE : The identity of the master villain revealed! The fall of the All-Winners Squad! And the Vision unites an all-new hero team of his own! Be there or be square!
Barry Reese
c_r6196@hotmail.com
