Synopsis
On the Fortress of Solitude, Hal Jordan is de-worming Captain Cold. Hal realises why the villains tried to get him as far as possible instead of killed. His Power Ring can locate and cleanse Brainiac’s mind-controlling parasites instantly. If he was killed, the Ring would seek John Stewart out.
The heroes deliberate on their next move. Before anything else, the matter of the mind worms must be dealt with. Those drones are controlled by a source, and Zatanna is able to transport a strike team to said source, but they need to find a way to protect themselves from those parasites. Hal’s ring’s energy can shield him, but his comrades will need an armour. Doc Magnus, Niles Caulder and Ray Palmer get to work. Green Lantern traces the transmission inside Captain Cold to Africa.
A strike team formed by Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Zatanna teleport to the source, where Gorilla Grodd is waiting for them. Grodd fights back against the League armed with one of the yellow power rings of the Weaponers. During the skirmish, Captain Marvel is cut off the team, subdued by Black Adam, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. and contaminated with Brainiac’s worms.
In the meantime, Clark and Bruce go back to Gotham. Bruce needs to check up on Alfred, pick up his own battle armour and visit Leslie Thompkins. Leslie takes care of a lot of orphaned kids, and she let the villains heal some of them. Being naturally suspicious, Bruce wants Clark to take a look at those kids. Clark scans a kid and gets mad. Brainiac’s drones are transforming those kids, making them into beings like him.
Back on the Fortress, the trio of scientists keep working on the armour. Wonder Woman will wear her own armour, and some of the members of the League will be wrapped by the Metal Men.
In Africa, the strike team beats Grodd down. Before they can apprehend him, though, Sinestro turns up and takes the gorilla away. Still Metamorpho managed to lift Grodd’s yellow power ring.
In the Fortress of Solitude, a mind-controlled Captain Marvel tries to batter the door down. Superman restrains him while Green Lantern cleanses him. His sanity restored, Captain Marvel and Green Lantern head to Arkham Asylum at Batman’s behest. There, Marvel sees one of the prisoners is Doctor Shivana. Brainiac tried to manipulate and control him, but his mind was too difficult to push. Dismissing him as a potential threat, Brainiac opted to steal his mind and leave him there.
Brainiac stole Sivana’s design for a mechanical leech that could manipulate body and mind, similar to Mr. Mind. Toyman mass-produced them and Brainiac shrank them. Superman deduces this is Brainiac’s work, exclusively. Luthor would never agree to a mechanising of a remnant of humanity and the destruction of the rest. Luthor and Brainiac plan to split up humanity among themselves.
Nonetheless, the armours are done. The Justice League is now ready to fight back.