Beginning as an odd phenomenon in which everyone in Milwaukee lacked shadows, Milwaukee was soon surrounded by a globe of darkness which began to expand. Milwaukee had been the birthplace and childhood home of Obsidian, a former member of Infinity, Inc. and the Justice League and a manipulator of shadows. The Justice Society, fearing a connection, went to investigate and found that their former ally had gone mad over having seen the horrors in too many peoples' souls. The other dimension from which he had apparently drawn his shadows is not merely a physical absence of light but rather, a psychological phenomenon as well.

   Obsidian and a friend, Ian Karkull (a shadowy super-villain who had fought the JSA in the forties) plotted to spread these so-called "Shadowlands" across the world, trapping people in their own nightmares. The JSA were mostly trapped as well, however, Black Canary was able to escape and was, by chance, rescued by the new Doctor Mid-Nite, who operates out of Portsmouth City. With the new ally, the team was able to turn the tide of the battle against people who were possessed by Obsidian and Karkull.

   While Mid-Nite himself was unavailable for comment, JSA chairman Sand has indicated that he is likely to join the team, joining the other namesakes of deceased JSA members.

   The main blow against Obsidian's darkness was struck by Sentinel, his father. Sentinel declined to comment on the substance of the fight except to say that it was a matter of light breaking through darkness. He tearily eulogized Obsidian, who the JSA say had been absorbed into the Shadowlands and is presumed dead, along with Obsidian's foster father, James Rice of Milwaukee.

   "But the Shadowlands is something no human mind can bear for too long. Todd…Obsidian…bore it for our sake. Time and again before this, he bent the shadows to his will to save all of you as a hero. Unfortunately, his breaking point was reached not long ago, and the darkness we all witnessed was the result.

   "I and all of Todd's friends and teammates hope that you will remember him as the hero he managed for so long to be. And to be aware that what Todd saw when he looked into the shadowlands were the dark parts of our own souls…our fears, hatreds and angers. There can be no better way to memorialize him than for us to do our best to banish those elements from our own souls."

   Although most of the world returned to normal following Obsidian's defeat, Opal City remained inexplicably surrounded by a globe of darkness. The JSA confirmed that Starman was indeed not with them during the battle in Milwaukee, and he is believed to be trapped within his home city, which is completely cut off from the rest of the world. Unlike Obsidian's darkness, the globe surrounding Opal City blocks all telephone and radio communications as well as light. It is therefore suspected that it is a separate phenomenon not related to Obsidian's madness.

   Trouble seems to follow the members of Infinity, Inc. Obsidian is the sixth former member of the team to die or vanish, having been preceded by Silver Scarab (since re-incarnated as the JSA's new Doctor Fate), Skyman (the original Star-Spangled Kid), Doctor Midnight, the second Wildcat and the second Hourman. Additional tragedies of the team are the loss of Fury's sanity and the conversion of Brainwave, Jr. to villainy. The only one of the youngsters who had begun their career with an attempt to join the JSA who has achieved his goal without dying is Nuklon, now known as Atom-Smasher.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD -   A huge explosion has defaced Mount Rushmore, requiring extensive repairs to the beloved presidential shrine and raising additional questions about the viability of teenage super-heroing.

   The Department of Extranormal Operations has blamed the destruction on the team of sidekicks Young Justice, which has recently been under attack in Congress by Senator Neptune Perkins (D-CA) and a group of former teenaged super-heroes calling themselves Old Justice. At the time, the focus had been on the assault by one of their members on one Richard Pulillo, currently awaiting trial for the murder of his ex-fiancee. They were shown broad support by the current super-hero community, led by the Justice LEague, which has publicly sponsored the team. The reprecussions of this disaster are expected to be more serious.

   Red Tornado, the team's adult supervisor, refused to release any details of the specific event. His public statement was, "It has recently become my understanding that the group has been keeping secrets from me, and this assault on Mount Rushmore is one of those. I do not yet condone it or condemn it, but rather, I await their explanation before making any judgment."

   Others were less reserved. "This certainly has the appearance of recklessness," Wonder Woman was heard to say. While both Superboy and Impulse are known for their occasionally reckless behavior, it is somewhat out of character for Wonder Woman's own sidekick.

   The repair efforts will almost certainly require some help from the super-hero community for the sake of the sculpture's integrity. Rumors say that Firestorm, who can re-form matter but who has little knowledge of geology, is being trained for the task by the Atom and Cave Carson.  

Supergirl-Worship Spreads

Leesburg -   A church devoted to the worship of local hero Supergirl has begun to attract a wide following, based on the belief that Supergirl is not merely a super-hero, but an angel come to Earth.

    Cutter Sharp, Supergirl's publicist, refuses to confirm or deny claims of Supergirl's supposed heavenly origin. He does, however, insist that Supergirl is neither aware of the church nor does she endorse it.  

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