The End of Tomorrow

Introduction
Welcome to the first episode of my Fan Fiction. This is only part one of what will likely be a multi-part story arch. Anyway hope you enjoy! I'd like to tell you a little about the story. It's set about four years after the last episode of Super Friends, and about a year after the Superman series. So it's been a while since we've seen the Super Friends together so things have changed. Anyway, I'm Noah Tall, and this is the story...

"The End of Tomorrow"
In the year 2979, a terrifying figure floats over the city of Metropolis. It is the cloaked super villain known as the Time Trapper. He looks down at the city, gazing his eyes at the Legion Clubhouse, headquarters of the Legion of Super-Heroes. “Despicable!” The Time Trapper thinks, “The Legion would never have existed if it hadn’t been for those blasted heroes of yesterday to inspire them today!” Then it suddenly occurred to him, the Time Trapper had the ability to manipulate time. If he was to travel back to the time of Superman, he could kill him and possibly change the entire course of history, completely eradicating any and all inspiration to form a team of superheroes in this era.

Just then, Time Trapper is surprised to be confronted by two Legionaires, who fly up to his position with their Legion flight rings. “Brainiac 5 and Sun Boy! It’s been a while.” Said the Time Trapper. “Two weeks isn’t that long!” Brainy replies. “I suppose from your perspective it hasn’t been that long. But you must remember I’m a time traveler. So tell me. How did you know I was up here, hovering over your headquarters?” The Time Trapper asks. Brainiac 5 answers: “We detected a strange temporal surge hovering over the Clubhouse. All we had to do was look up.” Time Trapper glares at the heroes and says: “Hmm. I see. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to kill you.” Just then the Time Trapper blasts a ray from his hands which targets Sun Boy. Instantly Sun Boy begins to age rapidly, as if time is being sped up inside his body. “Oh….I feel so weak…I’m dying…help…” Sun Boy is no longer able to speak as his hair starts to recede from rapid aging, he then loses consciousness, but his flight ring keeps him afloat in the air. Brainiac 5 lunges at the Time Trapper with a strong punch, which has no effect. The Time Trapper is even more powerful than he thought! The Time Trapper then opens a portal and jumps through it…Sun Boy has now fully recovered from the attack, and is conscious and back to his youthful self…the two of them jump after the Time Trapper and enter the portal just before it closes…

They then find themselves over Metropolis, in what appeared to be the exact location they left, except for the fact that they are now nearly a thousand years in the past, or rather, our present. “There’s no sign of the Time Trapper,” said Sun Boy. “I know Dirk,” said Brainiac 5, “I can see that. We’ll have to find him before he changes history.” Sun Boy the looks at Brainiac 5 and asks: “About that…where or should I say; when, are we?” Brainiac 5 tells him: “According to my internal chronometer, we’re in the 21st century...in Metropolis.” Sun Boy looks surprised and says: “The 21st century? Wow. Hey…wait a minute. Wasn’t Superman around at this time?” Brainiac 5 nods. “Yes, he was…the Justice League had been around for years by now.” Sun Boy looks scared. “You don’t suppose he’s trying to kill Superman do you? I mean think about what that would mean?! If he kills Superman, that could end a generation of super heroes, and possibly even lead to the end of the world…who knows, even the Legion may never be founded!” Brainiac 5 looks at Sun Boy. “You may be right. Then again perhaps such an act would encourage more heroism. Think of it, he would die a martyr. He’d be a hero and his death alone could inspire future generations. Including ours.” Sun Boy tells him: “Maybe, but this is Superman we’re talking about. He’s not supposed to die…not yet. That’s not how my history goes! We have to save him! Besides, if Superman’s dead, who’ll save the world from the big alien invasion in the year 2024?” Brainy nods. “Oh yes, you mean when the Psions dropped over a thousand hydrogen bombs on earth as a scientific experiment to see what would happen to the populace…yes…Superman stopped all of those bombs. You’re right. And of course that’s just one example…there were several other instances in which Superman saved the world from destruction. In fact, my ancestor Brainiac nearly wiped out the human race on a number of occasions…if it weren’t for Superman…there’d be no human race. I understand what you’re saying Dirk. And believe me, I wasn’t saying we shouldn’t save Superman. The fact of the matter is…we have to….otherwise we can kiss our future good-bye.” Sun Boy scratches his head. “So where do you think Time Trapper would go if he was gonna kill Superman?” Brainy answers: “The Watchtower. Come on. Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, at the inside the Watchtower, Superman, (wearing a black and white costume) Warhawk, Aquagirl, Big Barda, Batman and Micron are all lounging inside the recreation room. Superman stands up, holding a glass of fine wine in his hand, and makes a special announcement. “Fellow members of the Justice League, I have a special announcement to make. We now have a new member of the Justice League. Ladies and gentleman, I would like to introduce to you, the newest Batman, Bruce Wayne’s proud protégé, TERRY MCGINNESS!” The Super Friends erupt in applause and cheering. Just then, Terry stands up after reclining in a chair. He walks up into the center of the room, holds up his glass of wine and says: “Well, I’m not really old enough to drink, but Superman tells me it’s non-alcoholic!” The other Leaguers erupt with laughter. “I just want to say”--- Just then the Time Trapper smashes through the wall crying out--- “Superman! I’ve come for you!” Superman stares in shock. “The Time Trapper!” The Time Trapper pulls a green rock from his cloak. “That’s right Superman…and this…is Kryptonite!!” Superman just laughs. “Where’ve you been Time Trapper? Haven’t you kept up with your local super villain club? Kryptonite has no effect on me anymore!” Big Barda stands up and smiles. “Yeah, he developed a cure for Kryptonite years ago.” Time Trapper angrily smashes the green rock in his hand while clenching his fist. “How could I have made such a miscalculation. I didn’t travel back in time far enough!” “You got that right creep!” Superman says, and then sends a flying punch into his face…knocking him back through the hole that he made to enter the building and landing hard in the street outside.

Overhead, Brainy and Sun Boy have arrived to witness the battle below, Superman and Time Trapper exchanging blows. Brainiac 5 marvels at Superman’s power, he knows that even with all of the Time Trapper’s awesome power, Superman is still able to hold his own against him. Time Trapper fires his temporal aging ray at Superman, and although it does stun him a little, it’s not much of an attack considering Superman’s life span is much greater than most people's, so even when he ages rapidly it doesn’t seem like much. The Time Trapper’s temporal powers have little effect on the Man of Steel, so he’s forced to rely on his own super strength to tear him apart. He punches him in the stomach and sends Superman flying into a oncoming car. The passenger wasn’t wearing her seat belt so she crashes through the windsheild but Brainy flies down and catches her before she hits the pavement. “Brainy?” Superman says. What are you doing here…or…never mind! Thanks for the assist.” Superman instantly recognized Brainy despite being from a completely different time period, because he remembers when he was Superboy Brainy and several other heroes recruited him into the Legion when they traveled back to the 1950s. By now, the other Justice Leaguers are outside helping Superman. The new youthful Batman grabs the young unconscious driver who was knocked out when she hit the windshield. “I got her---what’s the name?” Said Batman. “It’s Brainiac 5.” He said. “Okay, I’ll get her to a hospital, you help Superman take out---whoever that guy is…” Batman then flies off with his jet boots. “Come on Sun Boy…let’s help them.” Brainy says. “You can’t stop me! I’m all powerful!” said the Time Trapper. The entire Justice League combine their powers to attack, Barda uses her beta club, and Aquagirl uses her Atlantean super strength to pick up a car that was parked on the side of the street and throw it at the assailing super villain. Micron grows into a giant, and grabs him with his hand and begins squeezing him, but he breaks free and slams him in the head with a super punch, causing Micron to collapse. Sun Boy uses his solar power but it seems to have no effect. And Brainy attacks as well. Warkhawk swings his axe but to no avail. Time Trapper grabs Barda by the throat. As she struggles to breathe, she begins foaming at the mouth and a gruesome snap is all one could hear as the Time Trapper breaks her neck. Her body goes limp, and she falls to the ground with her eyes wide open. “You monster!” Superman screamed! “You killed her!” Enraged, Superman attacks with unrestrained force. Time Trapper has no choice but to retreat…he opens up a portal into time, and he jumps through it. Superman, Brainy and Sun Boy fly through it…just as it closes.

Now, they emerge even further in the past…in the same location over Metropolis. “What…where’d that monster go!?” Shouted Superman. Sun Boy tries to calm Superman. “Relax big guy…he got away…” Brainy interrupts and says: “Only for now. He had a head start when he jumped through the portal…but he’s got to be around here somewhere.” Superman put his hand on his head. He was both saddened and angered by the death of his teammate. “Yeah…but where….and speaking of where…how about…when?” Brainy checks his chronometer. “We’ve gone back further…according to the chronometer, the date is: November 8, 1989.” Superman instantly knows what he’s up to. “I get it now…I know what he’s up to…he couldn’t kill me in the present, so he’s going to kill me in the past, at a time before I developed the cure for Kryptonite.” Sun Boy agrees and says: “Exactly…we have to find him….or I mean…you…before the Time Trapper does. “I shouldn’t be that hard to find.” Said Superman. “Let’s check the Hall of Justice first. That was one of our headquarters at the time.” Brainy nods his head. “Agreed Superman…let’s go.”

Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Lantern are having a staff meeting. Batman begins by saying: “It looks like the League’s in pretty bad shape now people. The U.N. has pulled out and no longer supports us.” Wonder Woman looks angry. “That’s because of that creep Maxwell Lord.” Green Lantern interrupts. “You’re right. He wanted to make the Justice League into some kind of Suicide Squad…just like Task Force X. He wasn’t even concerned with collateral damages and innocent lives…he was just interested in eliminating the target. But we’re not killers…” “You’re right Hal…” said Batman, “We’re not, and because we refused to kill, Maxwell convinced the U.N. to cease their support of us. And of course they complied, since Max was our liaison to the U.N. But now we don’t have their support at all anymore, and the U.S. Government is also considering ceasing their support, although Colonel Wilcox assures me that he’s doing everything in his power to see that that doesn’t happen. But if it does, that would mean the JLA would no longer be considered a legal agency.” Green Lantern then cuts in and says: “Which would mean we’d likely be thought of as nothing more than vigilantes.” Batman pounds his fist on the table. “To hell with that! We’ve worked too hard for our rights as superheroes to give up now! I’ve been a vigilante before. Having the police stalking me everywhere I go, even though I was helping them all along! I’ll do everything in my power to see that we don’t have to live like that again. But whatever it takes…even if we have to go underground, the Justice League will survive! I can promise you that!” Aquaman, staring at the view screen tells the others: “Hey…look who decided to show his face on the tube.” On the TV, a report about the U.N.’s ceasing of support for the Justice League has made national news, and U.N. member Maxwell Lord is being interviewed by Galaxy Broadcasting’s WGBS-TV anchor Lana Lang. “So tell me” says Lana, “Why did you convince the United Nations to pull out their support of the JLA.” Maxwell Lord smiles slyly: “The Justice League and the U.N. have been in cooperation with each other for years…but we just finally decided we weren’t going to put up with their crap anymore.” Lana listens curiously. “Crap? Could you be more specific?” Max turns to look at the camera. “These so called heroes aren’t willing to do what it takes to save lives. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made in order to execute success, but the Justice League don’t even believe in such extreme measures. Things are changing…the ‘90s are just around the corner. There are terrorists among us…the Justice League has to adapt to the times. Terrorist are willing to kill…if the League ever expects to be real heroes in this new era, they are going to have to learn to make tough decisions like that as well.” Lana looks somewhat disgusted. “Thank you for your time. That will conclude our interview. Get this creep out of here!” She looks toward the camera. “You heard it here first Metropolis…the reason the U.N. won’t support the League is because of the JLA’s no killing policy! What in God’s name has the world come to if the only way to be a hero is to kill. In other news, Lex Luthor has---” Green Lantern cuts in-- “Ah…turn that crap off…I can’t take anymore of this. That reporter is right! What has the world come to.” Wonder Woman bows her head. “Hera help us…you don’t really think that the people of earth will start to look to organizations such as the Suicide Squad as their new generation of heroes do you?” The Superman from the future then enters the room along with Brainy and Sun Boy. “Superman?” Said Batman, “Why are you dressed in black? And I thought you were at SDA headquarters.” Superman smiles. “Thanks for the information Batman…everyone…come with me…we’ll explain everything in route.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Secret Department of Investigation, Superman of this era and Colonel Wilcox are discussing the future of relationships between the Government and the League. “Let me assure you Superman,” said Wilcox. “That I am doing everything in my power to see to it that the U.N.’s cease to support the Justice League will in now way prompt the Government to do the same.” Superman bows his head. “What do you think the chances are?” Wilcox responds by saying: “I wish I knew…we can only--” But his sentence is interrupted by the arrival of the Time Trapper, who smashes through the facilities defenses with ease and crashes through the wall. “Time Trapper!” Superman says in a state of shock. “Correct Man of Steel…and I have something for you!” Superman watches as Time Trapper pulls a chunk of Kryptonite out of his cloak, he then falls to the floor in agony. Wilcox barks at the super villain. “Who in God’s name do you think you are? Crashing into a military facility and attacking the world’s greatest super hero?!!” The Time Trapper just grins. “I’m the Time Trapper…and you…are dead.” Wilcox grits his teeth and pulls out his pistol. “Go to hell creep!” He begins shooting at the villain, only to have his bullets bounce off. “What the hell!?” Shouted Wilcox. The Time Trapper’s hand glows with energy. “Prepare yourself…prepare to be damned for eternity in the dark pit of death!!” Just then, two rays of heat vision strike the Kyptonite, vaporizing it. The Time Trapper screams; “What!? No!!!” The Superman from the present…all dressed in black says; “Oh yes…time to dance Trapper!” The heroes combine their strength to take on the Time Trapper…Superman finally recovers from his Kryptonite attack and he begins attacking as well. It all proves to be too much for the Time Trapper, who finally collapses. Superman looks at his future self and says: “Thanks for saving me Superman…I’m assuming you’re me…from the future.” The future Superman just smiles. “That’s right. I’m you. The Time Trapper tried to kill you…or…I mean…me…so I had to save you…me…I mean. Well you know what I mean!” Superman just smiles. “Of course…so who is this mysterious Time Trapper anyway…I never seen who he was behind the cloak.” Sun Boy kneels down to the unconscious body of Time Trapper and removes his cloak. Wonder Woman is wide-eyed. “Oh my God!” Batman looks wide-eyed as well. “I don’t believe it…it’s Superman…I mean an older Superman…from the future!” The black suited Superman looks just as confused as everyone else. “I don’t get it…who is this guy?” Green Lantern looks at him and says: “Isn’t it obvious? He’s you.” The blue suited Superman says: “But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would I want to kill myself?” Batman then says: “Who knows…a very strange form of suicide perhaps? And you know this could be an older Conner.” Brainy tells them: “I'm doing a DNA scan...he's definitely not Conner. I'd be able to tell if he was a clone. His DNA is definitely Superman's. But why he tried to kill his younger self...we may never know.” Sun Boy then snaps his fingers. “So that explains why my solar energy wouldn’t harm him…it was like a yellow sun…I was only making him more powerful…but I wonder…how did he get his time manipulation powers?” Brainiac 5 puts his hand on Sun Boy’s shoulder and tells him “I don’t know Dirk, but we’ve got to get back to the 30th century. Our work here is done. We’ve got to get the Time Trapper Superman to the authorities…” Superman then says: “Wait…leave him here…I want Martian Manhunter to read his mind to find out just where he came from.” Brainy says, “Suit yourself blue boy. Speaking of blue boy…we also got to get black boy back…” The black suited Superman laughs. “Yeah, this time period ain’t big enough for three Supermen. The three time travelers head back through time, but not before the black suited Superman tells his younger counterpart to watch out for Time Trapper when Big Barda’s around, in the hopes that he can prevent her death in the future. Superman just looks puzzled…but he tells him he will do just that. Superman then looks down at the unconscious body of his future self…and just can’t help but wonder, as he quietly whispers: “Who the hell are you!?”