This was a faithful modern replica of the old style 100 page specials and which featured reprints from various different titles.
On the planet Earth, honorary Justice League member Snapper Carr, records his recollection of the Justice League of America’s battle against Kanjar Ro, Hyathis, Kromm and Sayyar (as it occurred in Justice League of America #3) Where the JLA had created a prison planet for the four evil aliens following their defeat. On the prison planet the four aliens continue to attempt to break the barrier around the planet created by the Green Lantern’s power ring. Noticing a crack in the force field, Kanjar Ro uses his wand to fly up and through the crack leaving his three former partners behind. Recreating his Cosmic Ship to escape and plot his revenge against the Justice League. Inspired by the fact that Superman’s powers are derived from Earth’s low gravity and yellow sun, Kanjar decides to find a world that is powered by three yellow sun’s predicting that it would make him more powerful than Superman himself.
Meanwhile, on the planet Rann, Alanna has taken Adam Strange to see the “Aurora Borealis” of Rann, and talk about how Adam managed to find a way to remain on Rann indefinitely (as depicted last issue.) Days later after completing their research they head back to the planet Rann where they notice a group of men flying giant birds over the city of Ranagar. Alanna recognizes them as Zooran Barbarians, and the two notice that they are in some sort of trance. One of the Zooran’s uses a small bell that once hit, causes sounds waves that send Adam and Alanna shooting into the outer atmosphere of Rann, where they are stuck in a perpetual orbit.
Trapped in orbit, the two adventurers manage to reverse the effects of the bell by positioning themselves to pass through the “Borealis” they were studying before, and are able to crash land back on Rann. Returning to the city of Ranagar where they meet with Alanna’s father Sardath. Sardath informs them that the Zooran’s are using the bell to take mental control of the people of neighboring cities. Using ear plugs, Adam and Alanna attempt to find out what is going on and pretend to be taken under control of the Zooran’s to follow where all the other slaves are being led to.
They are brought to the ruins of Vardana where Kanjar Ro has setup a laboratory where he has created a device that will bombard him with radiation from Ran’s three suns giving him strength and speed greater than Superman and the Flash. He puts the slaves to work to perfect the device, little knowing that two of them aren’t really under his control but are learning everything they can to stop him. Several days later, Kanjar uses the device again and tests his new-found strength on duplicates of the entire Justice League, defeating them all easily.
That night, Adam attempts to destroy Kanjar Ro’s machine, but is soon discovered and Kanjar immobilizes him with his Gamma Gong, Alanna is captured soon after as well. Kanjar then traps them in a gravity-prison that will keep both Adam and Alanna fixed in chairs unable to move a finger unless they are given food to eat. At meal time, Adam and Alanna attempt to shut off the device by throwing their empty meal plates at the gravity-prison’s switch. When Alanna’s first throw misses, Adam’s throw increases the gravity exponentially. Their increased weight causing them to crash through the floor, freeing themselves from the prison. Sending Alanna back to Ranagar, Adam steals Kanjar Ro’s Cosmic Ship and travels to Earth, in hopes of intercepting the next Zeta-Beam in time.
Arriving on Earth, Adam leaves the Cosmic Ship in an ancient city hidden in the jungles of Zambabwe, Africa. Adam then uses the Zeta-Beam to return to Rann once more. A short time later, the Flash speeds through Africa, returning from a visit to Gorilla City, on his way back he comes across the Cosmic Ship. Suspicious, he calls the rest of the Justice League and Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Snapper Carr arrive to investigate. The JLA members decide that they should go to the prison planet to investigate the matter further.
Back on Rann, Adam reunites with Alanna and the two plot to take control of Kanjar Ro’s Gamm Gong, while on the prison planet, the Green Lantern, Batman and Martian Manhunter learn that Kanjar Ro has escaped and are told by the other prisoners that Kanjar always talked of getting super-powers from a three-star system. They then leave the prison planet signaling the other JLA members back on Earth that they are going to Rann to stop Kanjar Ro. While back on Rann, Adam Strange and Alanna find Kanjar’s Gamma Gong and Adam uses it to immobilise everybody on Rann. Just then the Zeta-Beam wears off and Adam is returned to Earth where he meets up with the Justice League, and introduces himself.
Quickly explaining the situation to Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Snapper, they all take the Cosmic Ship to Rann, where they find that Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern have been immobilized as well. Adam secures Kanjar’s supersonic whistle and uses it to free Alanna, and the frozen JLA members. Kanjar Ro attacks Adam Strange and the JLA members, and the group cannot cope with Kanjar’s new super-powers and soon they are all beaten to a stand still by Kanjar’s might. Kanjar then starts using a anti-evolution ray on Batman, Aquaman and Snapper Carr reverting them into pre-historic cavemen. Adam manages to stop Kanjar by throwing Kanjar’s own Energi-Rod at the villain as he is being struck by one of Ro’s yellow energy beams. The rod strikes Kanjar and knocks him out instantly. With Ro defeated, Green Lantern uses his power ring to change his comrades back to normal.
Adam explains to everyone that he surmised that since Superman’s weakness was Kryptonite which originates from his home planet of Krypton, then a metal native to Kanjar Ro’s home world of Dhor would effect him in the same way, and that Kanjar’s own Enegi-Rod was made out of Dohrite.
Suddenly Adam does not feel so well and has a doctor in Ranagar look at him. The doctor explains that exposure to Kanjar’s energy beam had an effect on Adam that makes it impossible for him to survive on Rann for longer than a year and that he can only stay for short visits. Adam then leaves with the Justice League to return to Earth, planning to use the next Zeta-Beam to return to Rann once again, and resume his short visits to Rann.
The Wizard, after escaping from jail, steals the Liberty Train without a trace. He dreams of making crime triumphant on earth, and forms a new Injustice Society, recruiting the Fiddler, the Huntress, the Icicle, the Sportsmaster, and the Harlequin. The members hold a contest to determine which of them will be the leader, with the one who commits the greatest robbery to be the winner. The members plan thefts of American patriotic objects: the Freedom Bell, Plymouth Rock, Old Ironsides, and the Washington Monument, while the Harlequin plans to trap the Justice Society of America. However, when the Harlequin drops her diary, the Injustice Society learns that Green Lantern’s “enemy” has no intention of joining the group, but she intends to betray them. The Sportsmaster follows her to the JSA headquarters. When the Harlequin alerts the JSA to the villains’ plan, the Sportsmaster launches a grenade in the form of a lacrosse ball that fells the entire group.
Black Canary, investigating the Liberty Train theft, tries to call an emergency meeting of the Justice Society, but finds their headquarters empty. She discovers the knocked out Harlequin under a table, undetected by the Sportsmaster, who lugged the rest of the JSA members back to ISW headquarters. As the Harlequin begins to explain what happened, the Icicle attacks and captures the pair. At Injustice Society headquarters, the two see the brainwashed JSA working as slaves for the villains. Before they could join their comrades in slavery, the Harlequin hypnotises the Justice Society with her glasses and orders them to remember who they are. The revived JSA members set off in to prevent the robberies of the American treasures. Unfortunately, the Harlequin’s hypnosis in only temporary, and the heroes will return to a mindless state with the snap of fingers. Knowing this fact, also, the Wizard sets off to warn the other members of the Injustice Society.
Hawkman draws the assignment to protect Old Ironsides. The Sportsmaster creates a diversion, then steals the boat using portable rockets. The Hawkman chases him down, then knocks him out with one punch. However, the Wizard arrives, snaps his fingers, returning Hawkman to his trance. Then, Hawkman helps the trio sail Old Ironsides back to their hideout. Wonder Woman and Doctor Mid-Nite arrive at the Freedom Bell to find the Fiddler’s theft already in progress. They defeat him and tie him up, but having already been contacted by the Wizard, the Fiddler snaps his fingers, then orders Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite to help him steal the Freedom Bell. The Huntress steals Plymouth Rock by having elephants load it into a circus van. The Flash and Atom overtake the van, then tie up the Huntress. Unable to snap, she jumps on a wooden board to snap it, which successfully enslaves Flash and Atom. The Icicle steals the Navy’s new super jet, then uses it to lasso the Washington Monument, lassoing Green Lantern in the process. The Icicle’s cold gun and Green Lantern’s ring cancel each other out, so the Green Lantern uses his ring to return the monument, then punches out the Icicle. Ironically, the Green Lantern snaps, returning himself to his slave state. Harlequin and Black Canary track down the Liberty Train, but the Wizard arrives, electrocutes, and captures them.
To ensure the JSA will no longer threaten them, the ISW drops them and the Harlequin to their deaths into a deep mine shaft. Then, to determine who won the contest, the villains steal Gotham Stadium during a baseball game, planning to ask the crowd of captured Americans to vote on who committed the best theft. Trapped in the bowels of the earth, the Black Canary and Harlequin work feverishly to convince the JSA of their true identities. With constant urging, the two convince Green Lantern to employ his ring, freeing the JSA from their stupor. The team then rockets up the shaft and confront the ISW, who have reached a murderous level of frustration with their captives. Surprising the villains, the heroes quickly round up the team. They deposit the ISW in jail. In the confusion, Harlequin slips away. Returning to headquarters the Justice Society inducts Black Canary as a member.
While swimming the Atlantic, Aquaman comes upon Peter the Puffer Fish who tells him about a strange alien menace. He witnessed a gigantic creature named Starro land in the sea and use its powers to transform three starfish into oversized monsters that resembled Starro itself. Aquaman decides to call an emergency meeting of the Justice League of America, and activates the communicator contained within his A-Belt.
Wonder Woman is the first to receive the signal, and cuts short her date with Steve Trevor to respond to the call. She pilots her invisible robot plane to the Justice League’s cavern headquarters. Superman is the next to receive the signal, but he is too busy in outer space smashing meteors that threaten to enter Earth’s atmosphere. Likewise, Batman receives the distress call, but a crime wave in Gotham City prevents him from responding. Green Lantern is test flying a jet fighter, but sets it on autopilot, then flies off for the meeting. The Flash meanwhile, disrupts a powerful tornado, and then speeds away in response to the call. Fortunately, it is easy for detective John Jones to excuse himself, as the police chief tells him that he has earned himself some much needed vacation time. John hears the signal with his Martian hearing and flies off.
At Justice League headquarters, Aquaman tells the assembled team what he has learned of Starro. The Flash, as acting chairman for the League, delegates orders to each League member and gives them the locations of each of the Starro agent sightings. Green Lantern is to patrol the Rocky Mountains, while Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter investigate a sighting at Science City. Aquaman is to patrol the ocean depths, while the Flash himself will investigate a Starro’s presence in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island.
Green Lantern charges his ring, and begins patrolling the skies over the Rocky Mountains. He sees one of the Starro agents flying through the air and attack an Air Force jet bomber. The pilot of the bomber fights back, but the Starro is invulnerable to the jet’s machine guns. The creature’s tentacles snake inside and steal one of the atomic missiles from the bomb bay. The plane dives into a tailspin, and Green Lantern uses his ring to set it down safely. When he turns his attention back towards the Starro, he sees to his horror that the monster has detonated the atomic missile. Hal quickly envelops himself in a protective bubble and begins firing blasts of energy at the Starro’s thorax. After several well-placed hits, the creature weakens and reverts to its normal state.
In Science City, Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter arrive just in time to find another Starro spore attacking the Hall of Science. The Starro wraps its huge body around the entire building, picks it up off the ground, and begins flying through the sky with it. During it’s flight, the creature uses its mental powers to absorb the accumulated scientific knowledge of everyone in the building. The scientists inside are placed into a state of suspended animation. Wonder Woman stands on the wing of her robot plane and ensnares the edge of the building with her magic lasso. The Martian Manhunter makes use of falling meteor rocks (those that Superman missed) and uses his Martian breath to blow them at Starro. The attack is mildly successful, but it also ignites a fire inside the building. The Manhunter then uses his breath to create a suction that draws in nearby rain clouds. The rainfall succeeds in dampening the flames. Starro however, concentrates its attack on Wonder Woman. Having absorbed atomic power from its fallen cousin, it generates blasts of energy from each of its tentacles. Wonder Woman deflects the blasts with her Amazonian bracelets, and the Manhunter uses a piece of lead roof plating to protect himself as well. With the lasso still fastened to the building, Wonder Woman ties the other end to her plane and manages to jerk the Hall of Science free from Starro’s grasp. She sets it safely upon the ground then resumes the fight with Starro. After several intense minutes, Starro finally weakens from the assault and collapses down onto the Earth. It returns to the state of an ordinary starfish. Like the other spore, this Starro’s knowledge and power transfers to its third partner.
In Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, the Flash investigates the sighting of the third Starro agent. This one is using its powers to mentally control the town’s populace. The Flash finds the one civilian who appears to be unaffected by the hypnotic attack – Snapper Carr. Snapper is the midst of sprinkling lime on his front lawn when he sees his family wander away from the house in a daze. They join with several other expressionless people who begin slowly walking towards Starro. Starro notices the Flash’s presence and begins blasting at him with his energy attack, but the Flash is too fast for him. By encircling the creature at super-speed, he manages to trap it inside a vortex and propel him out to sea. He then begins drumming his feet on the shoreline at super-speed, causing the water around Starro to part. When he stops, the water crashes back down on top of it, rendering the creature unconscious. With Starro inert, the townspeople regain control of their senses.
The original Starro absorbs the knowledge and power of its defeated underlings and glides towards nearby Turkey Hollow. The Flash radios the rest of the League who gather together for the final showdown. With all of its accumulated power, Starro plans on taking control of the entire world. Starro learns of Green Lantern’s weakness against the colour yellow, and changes its own colour so that it will be invulnerable to Green Lantern’s power ring attacks. Flash is still curious as to why Snapper Carr was impervious to Starro’s mental control. With Green Lantern’s help, he learns that the lime covering Snapper’s clothes was proof against the alien’s power. Armed with a means for combating the monster, the Justice League gather up several barrels of lime and Green Lantern uses his ring to sprinkle it all across Starro’s body. The lime hardens around him imprisoning Starro within a hard, white shell. Grateful for unintentionally providing them with the means to defeat Starro, the Justice League make Snapper Carr an honorary member of the team.
