Wonder Woman #293

Wonder Woman #293 (July 1982)

title: "Countdown to Chaos!" (Judgment in Infinity Part 3)

plot: Paul Levitz

script: Roy Thomas

penciller: Gene Colan
inkers: Frank McLaughlin, Bob Smith, & Adrian Gonzales
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Carl Gafford
editor: Len Wein
cover: Ross Andru & Dick Giordano

Order of Appearance: Phantom Lady is the only Freedom Fighter to appear in this story.

Guest Stars:  Wonder Woman (it's her book, so naturally), Raven, Wonder Girl, Starfire, Black Canary, Zatanna, the Huntress, Power Girl, Supergirl, Madame Xanadu

Supporting Characters: Queen Hipplyta 

Opponents:
The omnipotent being known as The Adjudicator and his minions "Death," "Famine," "Plague," and "War"

Overall Summary: 
An omnipotent being known as the Adjudicator has judged Earth (One) and all Earths linked to it, deciding to destroy them. Wonder Woman and ten other super-heroines try to stop him.   

Plot Summary:

At Titans Tower, Raven suddenly screams in pain. Starfire and Wonder Girl rush her to Paradise Island, where Wonder Girl hopes the Amazons' Purple Ray will help her. Queen Hippolyta tells them that the source of Raven's intense pain is from another Earth, so the two Teen Titans use the Amazons' Cosmic Portal to go to "Earth-I" ("I" for Immortal). There they face the Adjudicator's minion, "Death." It is happy to murder as many of the long-living people on this Earth as he can. 

Look, there's Phantom Lady in the far left of panel 6

However, the Adjudicator witnesses the people stand up to "Death" to try to help save Wonder Girl and Starfire, so he pulls back his minion. 

On his battleship, the Adjudicator decides to destroy Earth (One) and all Earths linked to it. But before he destroys them, he pulls the eleven super-heroines who battled his minions to him. He encases them in crystals on his spaceship. He intends to take them with him in his travels. 

Look, there's Phantom Lady lying unconscious at the top left

Wonder Woman uses her magic lasso to break free from the crystal. When the Adjudicator sends his minions after her again, she uses their energy bolts to free Supergirl, Power Girl, and Starfire, who then free the others. 

Look, there's Phantom Lady in panel 1

Tiring of this, the Adjudicator begins to destroy Earth(s). Wonder Woman lassos him and makes him confront his past, specifically WHY and HOW he was established as judge, jury, and executioner. He remembers that he was sent out from his home dimension "on a mission" to keep him "out of mischief." 

As soon as the Adjudicator remembers his past, he disappears. Wonder Woman assumes that he has been called back to his home. As his battleship also begins to fade, the women from Earth One find themselves back in Washington, DC and assume the others returned to Earth Two or Earth X. 

Review: 

I almost didn't include this story in my Freedom Fighters reviews because as you have read, Phantom Lady basically plays the part of "Supporting Super-Heroine in the Background" in this story. After having her own team-up last issue with Madame Xanadu (who?) I was hoping she would. if not front and center, be featured in the second tier. Basically, she's the person waaaay in the back of the photo who you can't make out but know just has to be that Aunt you've met once, six years ago. 

Phantom Lady has no lines in this story, and she has absolutely NO action scene. Which is strange, because she totally could have used her phantom powers to fade OUT of her crystal cage and free the others. But nope, she doesn't get to do anything. Of course, Black Canary and Madame Xanadu don't really get to do anything, either. This story is not very well organized for the guest stars.  

What Phantom Lady has is a mention in the story (twice) and a scene (twice). We don't even see her leave, just a comment from somebody that "oh, I guess she must have returned home. Not sure. Let's assume the story is over." 

As for the story itself, I don't think I have read a worst EPIC story in my life. We finally learn the antagonist's rationale, but it's such a let-down that it seems like a bargain basement "Squire of Gothos" or "Charlie X." And could someone please tell me how or why these other Earths are "linked" to our Earth? He very nonchalantly decides that Earths 1, 2, X, and I are all interconnected, even though we have never heard of Earth-I before (and never will again). It would have been SO much better to have included Earth-3 if we had to have another Earth. Otherwise, Roy Thomas and Paul Levitz should have stuck to Earth One and used Batgirl, Hawkwoman, Mera, Catwoman, and various other Earth One super-heroines instead of muddling the Earths up. 

I am not a fan of Gene Colan, and this issue is not his best work. And that is all I will say about that. 

Come back again next week for something completely different, and, oh yeah,.....Superman! 

Best Phantom Lady Moment 

This is the first we see of Phantom Lady in this story. 

She doesn't even get to say, "Hello." 

Worst Phantom Lady Moment 

This is the last we hear of Phantom Lady in this story. 

She doesn't even get to say "good-bye." 

Freedom of Information

• Phantom Lady and Zatanna appear in the story but do not appear on the cover. 
• No other Freedom Fighters appear in this story.  
• Phantom Lady has no lines in this story. 
• Phantom Lady is not shown doing anything active in this story. 
• Wonder Girl recognizes the Huntress, a woman she has never met. 
• There is no scene between Supergirl and Power Girl, although this is their first meeting.

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein