You think this world is one big classroom, don't ya? And everyone is just dying for ya to teach them all about peace and equality and all that other pious crap! 
Appearing in "The Burning School"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Adversaries:
- Alien Alliance
- Khunds
- Thanagarians
- Commander Qeel
Other Characters:
Athena (Mentioned only)
- George Bains (Mentioned)
Gaea (Mentioned only)
Hades (Mentioned only)
Hera (Mentioned only)
Hermes (Mentioned only)
Hygeia (Mentioned only)
Belina Pushkin (Mentioned only)
- Mischa or Tascha Pushkin
(Mentioned only)
Superman (Mentioned only)
Zeus (Mentioned only) Locations:
Apokolips (Mentioned only)
- New Earth
- Fiji
- Themyscira
- United States of America
- Massachusetts
- Wakefield
- Kapatelis summer home
- Wakefield
- Massachusetts
Items:
Synopsis for "The Burning School"
Answering an urgent summons from her mother, Wonder Woman finds a trio of hostile Thanagarian ships circling Themyscira. The Amazon Princess quickly dispatches two of the ships, while the third slips by—only to be trapped in the island's mystic storm-clouds, which (despite Wonder Woman's best efforts to save it) tear it apart within minutes.
Etta Candy runs for her life
Upon returning to Massachusetts, a shaken Wonder Woman learns from Gen. Hillary that the attack had been part of a worldwide invasion from an interstellar alliance. Almost every serviceman and superhero in the world has been mobilized against this threat; already, Steve Trevor has reenlisted at the request of Captain Atom,[1] while the Justice League has been deployed against a Khund base in Fiji.[2] These Khunds, to Wonder Woman's horror, have launched an all-out manhunt for Etta—the only survivor of a team that had decoded the aliens' communications.[3]
Gardner on warfare
Without prompting, Wonder Woman agrees to lead a rescue party for Etta, and is sent to the League's temporary base in Fiji, where the smitten Rocket Red and the jeering Guy Gardner are assigned as her backup. Despite their sheer firepower, the trio coordinates poorly, especially with Guy relentlessly mocking Wonder Woman's idealism and reluctance to kill. When their bickering causes them to overlook Etta's hiding-place, a desperate Etta throws herself out into the open, drawing every eye in the area—including the Khunds'.
As the Khunds close in, Guy immediately shields Etta with his ring, while Rocket Red and Wonder Woman counterattack—the latter saving Guy's life by destroying a Khund ship. In minutes, the entire Khund force is crushed, Etta delivered to safety, and Guy instilled with a new respect for the Amazon Princess. Better still, Rocket Red has managed to capture two Khunds alive, ensuring more than enough data to make up for any Etta might have lost during her flight.
Nevertheless, Wonder Woman finds herself unable to celebrate such a day built on so many deaths—a sentiment readily shared by the Martian Manhunter, just-returned from an even bloodier mission. Their grievances, however, are soon put on hold; the war is far from won, and the United States has called a super-hero summit to coordinate its next step.[4]
Notes
- This issue is an Invasion! First Strike extra, and a tie-in to the larger story told in the Invasion! miniseries. These crossovers take place in between Invasion! #1 and Invasion! #2, largely dealing with the Alien Alliance's assault on Earth and the way heroes around the world were participating in the initial war effort.
- This story is told concurrently with Justice League International #22, hence Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis being listed as co-plotters.
- Steve Trevor's plot-line is continued in Captain Atom Vol 2 #24, where he is asked to perform a dangerous flying mission to the New Genesis Device out in space with the hopes of using it as a weapon against the Alien Alliance.
- The Hawkman and Hawkwoman appearing in this issues with the JLI were retconned as being Fel Andar and Sharon Parker after the changes to continuity in Hawkworld (Volume 1).
Trivia
- The title of this story may be a reference to "The Burning of the School", a parody of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" frequently sung by insubordinate schoolchildren.
- In this issue, Black Canary is depicted in her classic uniform for the first time in two years.
- This issue mentions Rocket Red having a child but he has two.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Justice League of America (Volume 2)
- Justice League of America (Volume 3)
- JLA (Volume 1)
- Justice League (Volume 2)
- Justice League International (Volume 1)
- Justice League International (Volume 2)
- Justice League International (Volume 3)
- Justice League Europe (Volume 1)
- Justice League America (Volume 1)
- Justice League Task Force (Volume 1)
- Justice League Quarterly (Volume 1)
- Justice League Dark (Volume 1)
- Extreme Justice (Volume 1)
- Justice League Elite (Volume 1)
Links and References
References
  Invasion! Crossover Adventures of Superman #449 • Animal Man #6 • Captain Atom #24 • Checkmate #11 • Daily Planet Special #1 • Detective Comics #595 • Doom Patrol #17 • Firestorm #80 • Flash #21 • Justice League International #22 • Manhunter #8 • New Guardians #6 • Power of the Atom #7 • Spectre #23 • Starman #5 • Superman #26 • Swamp Thing #81 • Wonder Woman #25 |