COUNTDOWN #42

COVER TAGLINE: Enter: Clayface TITLE: Shock to the System COVER DATE: July 11, 2007 WRITER(s): Antony J L Bedard; Paul Dini, Sean McKeever PENCILER(s): Carlos Magno INKER(s): Jay Leisten; Mark McKenna COLORS: Rod Reis LETTERS: Ken Lopez EDITOR(s): Michael Carlin; Elisabeth V. Gehrlein; Mike Marts; Jeanine Schaefer COVER: T Tom S. Chu; Rachel Dodson; Terry Dodson PRICE: $2.99 U.S./$3.50 Canada CHARACTERS: Mary Marvel [Mary Batson]; Riddler [Edward Nigma]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Karate Kid [Val Armorr]; Flash [Bart Allen] (dream; dies); Holly Robinson; Monitor; Red Hood [Jason Todd]; Donna Troy; Atom [Ryan Choi]; Panda [Doctor Potter]; Doctor Martin Campbell; Jimmy Olsen; Lois Lane; VILLAINS: Pied Piper [Hartley Rathaway]; Trickster [James Jesse]; Multiplex; Deadshot [Floyd Lawton]; Harleen Quinzel [Harley Quinn]; Clayface; Captain Cold [Leonard Snart] (dream); Heat Wave [Mick Rory] (dream); Inertia [Thaddeus Thawne] (dream); Mirror Master [Evan McCulloch] (dream); Weather Wizard [Mark Mardon] (dream) COVER ART:

PLOT: Trickster and Pied Piper have been captured by Multiplex and Deadshot. The pair have been handcuffed together and when they pull on the cuffs they receive a painful shock. Trickster has a false tooth which explodes after he spits it out of his mouth. He and Piper are able to break through the door of the room they were being held in. Unfortunately they didn't know they were on a airplane and they begin falling to earth. Mary Marvel responds to an alarm in Gotham and finds Riddler at the crime scene. She at first assumes he is the criminal but he tells her he's now an investigator and is also checking out the crime scene. The two follow a muddy trail left by the real criminal. The trail leads to Clayface. Mary and Clayface battle and she ends up sending into outer space. Riddler suggests she find a mentor to help control her anger. They are being observed by Batman who is visited by Karate Kid. He has come to say goodbye to Batman before the Legion returns to the 31st century. Harley Quinn is telling Holly Robinson how Athena recruited her for one of the women's shelters and she is now the assistant director of the Metropolis branch. She changed her name to Harleen Quinzel to reflecther new chance at life. Donna Troy, Jason Todd and the Monitor have gone to see the Atom, Ryan Choi, to get his help in travelling to the nanoverse to find Ray Palmer. He agrees to help and they begin the journey. Jimmy Olsen is contemplating a super-hero career and trying to come up with a name and costume. He still can't get his powers to appear at will. NOTE: Two page end of issue story entitled, "History of the Multiverse, Chapter 8" in which the Monitors review the events of INFINITE CRISIS. Earth-2 Superman & Lois Lane, Earth-3 Luthor and Earth-Prime Superboy break loose from their dimension and return to Earth after seeing what they consider heroes lacking in heroism. Unknown to Superman, Luthor has his own plan to recreate the multiverse. He succeeds briefly before being stopped in a great battle that cost the lives of Earth-2 Superman and Earth-1 Superboy. The multiverse collapsed into one Earth, New Earth and Superboy-Prime was placed in a jail on OA.

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