Synopsis
The story opens with Zatanna in the grasp of gangster-styled demons called The Diablos. As Anita Soulfeeda, a succubus, starts to consume Zatanna’s soul, Superman and Plastic Man arrive on the scene and engage the demons in battle. During the fight Superman is wounded by a magical crossbow resulting in Plastic Man having to transport the Man of Steel and Zatanna to the JLA Watchtower on the moon’s surface.
Once there Superman is tended to by Martian Manhunter in the sick bay where he is surrounded by other individuals that are associated with magic; Deadman, Madame Xandu, Bloodwynd, etc. All of the magical heroes seem to be under attack by The Diablos. J’onn tries to mind probe the comatose Zatanna and finds her turned mad due to the succubus’ halfway draining of her soul. With Superman incapacitated Wonder Woman and Plastic Man travel to Detroit to obtain the help of one of the few magical beings who has not been attacked by the Diablos yet: Sebastian Faust, son of longtime JLA foe Felix Faust.
Once the two League members meet up with Faust, they come across Blue Devil, who has been interrogating a member of The Diablos gang. Faust makes the “Tatters” of the demon’s soul confess what he knows about the oncoming Black Baptism, and the truth makes the creature of lies explode. Wonder Woman then gets a distress call from Aquaman saying that he’s under attack from the Diablos above the Arctic Circle.
Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, and along with Blue Devil and Faust race to Aquaman’s aid and find that Tempest is also there on the scene in combat with the demonic threat. The Diablos achieve their goal of uprooting an undersea fountain and cause a whirlpool due to the fact that the uprooting left a raw breach that in turn caused a vortex. Tempest uses his water control powers to slow the whirlpool to a halt but not before claiming the underwater city of B’miria.
Enraged by Faust’s apathy towards the tragedy of B’miria, Tempest demands Faust use his soul magic to show Tempest the dead spirits of the wasted city. Faust complies and the experience is too much for Tempest, making him pass out. Faust then reveals that he has obtained a fragment of the Fountain of Lessing. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman notices that the moon has grown an eye and a pair of wings.
