TITLE: Aphelion: The Music of the Spheres (Part One)
WRITER(s): Matthew Sturges
PENCILER(s): Stephen Jorge Segovia; Nino Joseph Pantaleon
INKER(s): Stephen Jorge Segovia
COLORS: Dan Brown
LETTERS: Steve Wands
EDITOR(s): Joey Cavalieri; Stephanie Buscema

CHARACTERS: William Hanson; Spectre; Crispus Allen; Plastic Man (Eel O'Brian); Eclipso (Jean Loring); Creeper (Jack Ryder); Rosario Corrotto; Dr. Bruce Gordon; Dove

PLOT:
After destroying a fifteen billion dollar particle accelerator at Vicara Research Center, Bruce Gordon finds himself unemployed and single in the city of Metropolis. After returning home he is greeted by Crispus Allen who takes him to the abandoned former MacCallum Ultramax Detention Facility. Allen shuts Bruce Gordon inside the sealed Radiation Chamber and vows not to let him out until sunrise.

Deep in outer-space, Mary Marvel and Eclipo's partnership has come to and end (see Countdown #20). The battle takes the two combatants to the very depths of the ocean where the Eclipso gem deserts its host, Jean Loring, leaving her floating in the ocean as potential shark food. Seeking a new host, the panicked evil gem resorts to tracking down its old host, Dr. Gordon.

The gem manages to get past Crispus Allen and re-attach itself to Bruce Gordon. Crispus Allen calls upon the powers of the Spectre and battles Eclipso eventually harnessing the power of the sun itself to force Eclipso to retreat back inside of Gordon. Bruce comes to, angry and bitter that he has once again been infected by Eclipso. Crispus says that things have changed and that he can teach Bruce to control Eclipso this time.

The other former heroes that have been infected by Eclipso (Plastic Man and Creeper) find themselves in Coast City at the home of billionaire industrialist Rosario Corrotto. It appears as though Corrotto has plans to use the corpse of Alex Montez (who injected liquefied essence of Eclipso directly into his veins before dying). The group is joined by their last member, Dove.