Countdown to Justice: Volume I summary

Countdown to Justice

Volume I

This is essentially a table of contents for Volume I of my LEGO Justice League origin story, Countdown to Justice. I worked on this over the course of about four months; I wanted to create my own 'Dawn of Justice', incorporating my favourite aspects of DC comics and other media, but knew I wouldn't have time to make a full brickfilm. Overall, I'm pleased with this volume, though the story in the second will be a lot more focused.

Chapter 1: The Martian
Chapter 2: Look To The Stars
Chapter 3: Just a Hypocrite in a Cape
Chapter 4: Broken Spirits
Chapter 5: You're Not Alone
Chapter 6: Deal with the Devil Ray
Chapter 7: Paying a Fine
Chapter 8: Freak Like Me
Chapter 9: The Brave and the Bold
Chapter 10: Risks
Chapter 11: Hope and Fear

Volume II will begin in February, with Who Rules The Night, and will be followed by Volume III, the finale, later in 2015.

The Story So Far

Warning: contains spoilers.

A year after the events of Man of Steel, three parties have taken an interest in 'Superman': Batman, vigilante guardian of Gotham; the Martian Manhunter; and CEO of LexCorp, Lex Luthor. While Martian Manhunter seeks to unite with Superman to halt an oncoming threat, Luthor wishes to find a way to destroy him should the need arise, and uses the scientific discoveries of Dr Milton Fine to uncover an alien metal which could prove useful in creating an anti-Kryptonian weapon.

The k-metal is recovered from deep within the sea - where it crash-landed on Earth, inside of an alien ship - by Devil Ray, and his meeting with Luthor is intercepted by Aquaman and the Flash, who decide to find what Luthor bought from Devil Ray and destroy it.

Meanwhile, the Batman (who harbours great distrust for the Man of Tomorrow) goes to Ivy University to spy on Milton Fine, but overhears a meeting between him and Luthor. During their conversation, in which it becomes clear Fine knows more about the alien wreckage than he is letting on, Batman is sought out by a Parallax Corps ring, which tries to induct him into the corps. He uses its power to try and appregend Luthor and Fine, but a blue-ring-empowered Superman drains its energy. With the yellow ring drained, Batman disappears into the night, and the divide between the two superheroes grows ever wider.

What To Expect

Volume II will pick up soon after Volume I left off, focusing more on Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman (who only made a brief appearance in the first volume). It will delve into the latter superhero's lore, as we follow her moving about in modern day America, and we will see the animosity between Batman and Superman reach its peak.

You can also expect at least one interlude into Milton Fine's research, as the mysterious scientist's plans advance further.

While Volume II won't start until February, keep checking this blog for updates, and I will continue to upload brickfilms to my YouTube channel. I may also begin to blog on my second channel, though I find doing so hideously awkward. Overall, there's a lot more to come from Jam Pot Studios, and I hope you'll be with us every step of the way!

Countdown to Justice: Chapter Five

Chapter Five: You’re Not Alone

     “It must be tough,” Clark began, “having had Mars in the first place. I never knew my parents, or Krypton, but you...I’m so sorry, Mr. J’onzz.”
     So polite. “Call me J’onn.”
     Here was a feeling J’onn had not expected to find in Smallville: relief. For the first time since H’ronmeer’s Curse, J’onn did not feel alone. Clark knew what it felt like to be the last of a great race, to have an entire peoples’ legacy on his shoulders.
     Clark had found a similar solace from the Martian. J’onn was not only the last of his race, but had suffered a more terrible loss. What Clark had only dreamt of having, J’onn had had and lost, yet here he was, fighting back. That gave Clark a glimmer of hope, a pure blue light in his soul showing him a tomorrow where he wouldn’t have to be alone.
     “You’re not a hard man to find, Clark.” J’onn smiled. “Take it from a detective, you want to cover your trail more carefully. There’s no telling who else out there might be looking for you.”
     “I dread to think. Even in this last year, I’ve made some enemies.”
     J’onn looked at him quizically. “A man with the strength to move mountains worries about the likes of Morgan Edge, and Glen Glenmorgan?”
     Before Clark could protest, J’onn continued. “I know the game, son. On Mars, I was also a detective, and I made enemies, even my own brother Ma'alefa'ak. I can help you, Clark, if you’ll have me.”
“Why are you so interested in me?”
     “Because the world’s interested. When you fought Zod, when you saved the Earth from his army, the humans were faced with two truths that would change their world forever. The first was that not only is there life in the great void, but that it is significantly more powerful than any human military can defeat. That’s a terrifying thought for anyone, and the whole world now feels that terror. But the second truth, and this is a great comfort to many, is that not all alien life is malicious. You have shown them that there is always hope, and that is why they call you Superman - you’re more than they are, but you’re still a man.”
     At this, Clark was silent. There was no way to respond to something like that. J’onn had such immense confidence in Clark, though they had only met that night.
     “And Clark, you need not do this alone.”
     They walked deeper into Shoulder Gorge in total silence as weight of J’onn’s last comment settled on them both. There were others fighting the good fight all over the world, who could be summoned if the need arose. The two aliens hoped that day would never come, but fate was drawing that day closer and closer. The countdown had already begun.
     “What helped you, growing up with godlike power,” J’onn asked. “What anchored you to humanity?”
     Clark grinned. “Back in high school, I was captain of the football team. It felt so good to be a normal kid, on that field, playing a normal sport, and I was good at it. I cherished those games more than...more than anything.” He stopped for a moment. “How about you, J’onn? What helps you, when you feel a little more alien than usual?”
     He thought about it for a second, and then it came to him. “Chocolate.”

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To be continued...

Stay tuned for the next chapter of Countdown to Justice, on August 27th, where we head to Florida for a meeting with the dreaded Devil Ray! Remember to follow the blog for regular updates.

Countdown to Justice: Chapter Three

As Countdown to Justice continues, we start to take a look at how others have reacted to the sudden appearance of 'Superman', starting in Gotham City...

Chapter Three: Just a Hypocrite in a Cape

     It’s been a year since the end of the world.
     A spaceship descended on Metropolis. Nearly a million people died. Millions more were injured or lost their homes. The power of the U.S. military barely cracked a dent in the ship’s hull thanks to gravitic technology we can’t understand, no matter how advanced our scientists think they are. Top-secret reports I acquired show that it was alien technology that eventually repelled the invaders; the very craft this ‘Superman’ arrived in was what saved our world, but not all of our people.
     A million people.
     Now we know we’re not alone in the universe. Now we know that our technology and our ‘civilisation’ hasn’t brought us that far at all, and I wonder (not for the first time) if policing the streets of Gotham is the best use of my time.
     Crime-rates are higher than ever, the highest in the country, and yet every night I dress in cape and cowl and chase any one of a dozen theatrical criminals through Gotham’s alleys and backstreets.
     Those reports call him ‘Kal-El’. The media call him Superman. I call him a potential threat. He can lift cars, fly at supersonic speed, and project beams of heat from his eyes. How can we be sure that one day, Kal-El won’t turn on us as his own people did? He executed a member of his own race. That doesn’t bode well for us.
     I’ve given him a year to play saviour, but he’s forgotten the truth about the Battle of Metropolis. A Wayne satellite saw him destroy a multi-storey parking lot. Great responsibility comes with the kind of power he has. People in Gotham have died under my watch, but never on a scale like this.
     A million people, Superman.
     Some might call me a hypocrite or a scare-monger, but if I catch the slighest whiff that Superman is becoming a threat to America, to the Earth, then I will take action. Everyone has a weakness, and I’ll find his.
     The Batman will come for him.

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To be continued...

Follow the blog to be the first to know when a new chapter arrives! We take a break next week, and Chapter Four will be released on August 20th.

Countdown to Justice: Chapter Two

Take a trip to Smallville in the latest chapter of Countdown to Justice.

Chapter Two: Look To The Stars

      The journey to Smallville is not long. Perhaps not a blink of an eye, but with my prodigious speed the journey is over quickly. An abrupt stop brings me to the outermost field of the Kent farm. I can sense him inside, alone. His thoughts are calm, focused through that telescope of his. Focused on the stars.
      I try not to peer too deep into his mind. Though I have no qualms over reading the thoughts and memories of an enemy or a criminal, as I did in my days as a Manhunter on Mars, Clark Kent is a potential ally and deserves more respect. That said, I used my telepathy to track him down, and a few of his foremost thoughts are unavoidable.
      Lois Lane…Daily Planet…Krypton…these things I already knew. Even without telepathy, a brilliant detective would be able to deduce that Clark Kent is Superman. I pray that none but me have.
      There is one thought I did not anticipate…Watchtower. I shut off my mind, but the detective in me wonders what this means. If he wishes for me to know, then he will tell me, but he has piqued my interest. 
      Invisible, I sneak close to the house. Though I cannot be seen, and through my density powers I barely displace the grass beneath my feet, but there is a chance he may still be able to hear me.
      His powers are legendary. Despite the desolation his kind wreaked on Metropolis, the people of Earth revere ‘Superman’ as a god, in a way the police or armed forces can only dream of. He is beyond the human: Ms. Lane’s first article after the Kryptonian invasion called him “the pinnacle of otherwordly power”. They see him not as a man with power, like the Hawk, Bat or Arrow, but as power itself given invulernable, primary-coloured form.
      I am below him now, looking up through the porch, through the floors of the house, at the attic. His eye is fixed on the telescope lens. For a moment, I wonder why a man with telescopic vision would use such an instrument, but I quickly realise that’s not the point. Dr. Erdel once said of me that my humanity is a greater strength than any of my abilities, and I believe that Clark Kent may cherish his humanity even more than I do mine.
      Then he hears me. I don’t know how I gave myself away, but his Kryptonian hearing is keen enough for a hundred humans. He leaps out of the window and lands before me. Though I remain invisible, he knows I am there.
      “Whoever you are, don’t make this any harder on yourself.” His blue eyes turn red and bore deep into mine. I allow him to see me, and he is momentarily taken aback at the sight of a human detective. Then I show him my true, Martian colours.
      “You’re not from Kansas, are you?” he says. His tone is lighter and more relaxed now. He knows I am not a threat.
      “Greetings, Son of El,” I begin. “My name is J’onn J’onzz.”

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To be continued... 

Follow the blog to be updated when a new chapter arrives! Chapter Three lands next week, on August 6th.