Krona, an exiled Oan villain from this Universe who has gained the powers of entropy, begins destroying entire universes in his obsession to find out how they are created. The Grandmaster, an alien from [[Marvel Univer

JLA/Avengers is an Intercompany Crossover published from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez. It is a crossover between the greatest heroes of the DC and Marvel Universe.

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History

Krona, an exiled Oan villain from this Universe who has gained the powers of entropy, begins destroying entire universes in his obsession to find out how they are created. The Grandmaster, an alien from another Universe who is obsessed with games, offers to give Krona the knowledge he seeks but only if he can beat him in a game. The game consists of forcing the Justice League of America and their heroic counterparts, the Avengers, from that Universe's Earth to battle each other in a race to find twelve items of incredible power that have been hidden around their worlds. With help from Metron, the heroes are tricked into participating. Krona is given the side of the Avengers and Grandmaster is given the side of the JLA.

Before the contest starts, both teams confront an enemy not of their own universe: the League defeats Terminus in Keystone City as the Avengers defeat Starro in New York City. The Spectre banishes Terminus to his home universe and Starro flees into space in fear, confusion and horror after probing the Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic.

The Grandmaster appears at the JLA lunar base, and shows them the twelve items of power needed to win, stating they need them to save the universe from doom: Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern Power Battery, the Orb of Ra, the Book of Eternity, the ritualistic items of the Demons Three, the Spear of Destiny, the Psycho Pirate's Medusa Mask, and six mysterious items from another universe.

Flash manages to travel to Earth-616 by following the signatures from a piece of Terminus' armor, although he loses his speed there as no Speed Force exists there. Pummeled by an anti-mutant mob, he eventually loses the energies necessary to remain in that Earth and returns to his home universe. Later, though, he is able to help send the Justice League to that Earth to recover the artifacts. Superman starts being affected by that Earth, stating it is a disgrace how heroes have allowed it to fall in that state, though after some bickering, the League locates the first artifact in Monster Island: the Ultimate Nullifier.

The Avengers intervene with a dimensional disruptor, sending the League to their own universe, but Wonder Woman manages to grab the Nullifier just before they vanish. Then, the Vision notes they are being observed. Hurrying into a cave, they find the New God Metron. Metron goads them into participating against the League and reveals the six artifacts from the Earth-616: the already-lost Nullifier, the Evil Eye of Avalon, the Infinity Gems, the Cosmic Cube, the Casket of Ancient Winters, and the Wand of Watoomb.

The Avengers receive a mother box from Metron, which summons a Boom Tube to Metropolis; they confront the League there. Captain America is affected himself, stating is is horrible how the League and superheroes in general have asserted themselves as "gods" ruling over a fascist world, just before the League intercepts them.

After an all-out battle royale, they return to their universe - but without Captain America, who has sneaked away with Batman, and who from the Batcave start researching Metron and the Grandmaster (Krona's involvement being unknown to them until that point), as they realize the futility on continuing their fight, while allowing the others to play out the events so as not to arouse the Grandmaster's suspicions (or those of whoever is involved with him). Meanwhile, the Martian Manhunter sends a telepathic signal to several reservists and past members to aid in the protection of the artifacts already in their universe. A battle royale starts to retrieve the items.

The first item the League loses is the Power Battery, as the Mother Box allows Iron Man to defeat Flash with ease, and he and Hawkeye retrieve it from Kyle's apartment in New York City. In Sant Rico, Superman and Green Lantern defeat Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel for the Orb of Ra, while in the Flash Museum, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver find the Wand of Watoomb after defeating Hawkman, Blue Beetle and Black Canary. Wonder Woman (who bested Hercules in combat) and Aquaman (who had managed to elude She-Hulk) gain possession of the Book of Eternity in Asgard, while Firestorm and Red Tornado snatch the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath, the Red Jar of Calythos and the Green Bell of Uthool from under Thor and Vision's noses in Happy Harbor. In Wakanda, the Black Panther seizes the Medusa Mask while observing the Martian Manhunter incapacitate Yellowjacket and the Wasp as Plastic Man helf them off. In the meantime, Hawkeye and Iron Man find the Casket of Ancient Winters in Smallville, after easily defeating Captain Atom and Green Arrow. Themyscira watches as the Flash takes away the Evil Eye away from Quicksilver during a battle between Steel and Vision, and in the Blue Area of the Moon, Iron Man helps Photon and Quasar seize the Spear of Destiny by defeating Wonder Woman and Green Lantern.

Meanwhile, Batman and Captain America use a time-bike, modified by the Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic and brought to them by the Thing, to reach the ruins of one of the countless universes Krona had already destroyed, following Metron's trail. They reach the Grandmaster's lair, and meet with the Atom. Atom replays in one of the consoles a recording of En Dwi Gast's deal with Krona, discovering the latter's involvement, and Captain America is shocked to learn the Avengers are actually (and unknowingly) fighting on Krona's side, while the Grandmaster's game is intended to hold him at bay.

Everybody is left horrified as in Apokolips, Darkseid has seized the Infinity Gems, but casually discards them as they are worthless in his reality. Flash manages to recover them before the Omega Beams destroys them. All members of both teams are reunited at the Savage Land, with only one item left: the Cosmic Cube. Another all-out battle starts, with each tea

Batman and Captain America intervene, removing the Cube from Quicksilver's grasp so the game ends with a 7-5 victory for the JLA, but Krona refuses to accept this and uses his powers to steal the knowledge directly from the Grandmaster's mind; this is used to summon and attack the carrier of what Krona seeks, Galactus. In turn, the Grandmaster uses the power of the twelve artifacts to merge the two universes, trapping Krona at their center.

The result is a brief multiverse, with Doctor Doom being imprisoned in the Source Wall and Brainiac's ship lying defeated before the Avengers' Hydrobase. Hawkeye is briefly a member of the League before chronal distortions bring back Barry Allen as the Flash and Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. With reality convulsing, Superman and Captain America briefly fight, as both start remembering their past selves. Their associates attempt to calm them, but after a luau scene aboard the JLA satellite and a brief meeting at Hydrobase (separated by continuous chronal and universal blasts), none actually remembers the full truth; they are not helped by the fact the blasts keep changing their uniforms and rosters. A particularly vicious blast hits Hydrobase, and the two teams are scattered. Vision and Aquaman fight a set of Krona's minions in a destroyed, snowing Metropolis before Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Thor, and Captain America intervene.

Meanwhile, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Barry Allen as Flash, Wasp, Batman, Goliath and Scarlet Witch save New York from rivers of lava. However, they realize all the people on the two Earths are intermingling, with differences as dramatic as a Daily Planet issue with an interview with Spider-Man by Clark Kent. The two teams converge at opposite sides of an energy wall separating Earth-616's New York City from the blasted Metropolis. Superman and Iron Man go to the stratosphere to see what's happening, as the Scarlet Witch and Green Lantern assault Krona's energy form, hoping to defeat him. Beyond Earth's atmosphere, Superman and Iron Man see how the two Earths are being forced together by two immense hands. Superman also notes how places like Vlatava and Gotham are wildly appearing and merging senselessly.

The combined attack pays off, and Krona is staved off for a brief time. The Avengers prepare to take the fight to Krona, and are joined by the League shortly after. However, they realize they have precious little time, and an unexpected ally intervenes to save both realities-the Phantom Stranger. The Stranger leads them through a mystic corridor to the Grandmaster's lair, where they find the entity in his death throes, having being attacked by Krona. The Grandmaster explains he didn't think Krona would go on with his plan to destroy the universe if his own existence was at stake, with him at the epicenter of the junction between universes. However, he has the knowledge he needs to find the key to the formation of universes, and is using the powers of the artifacts to force the two universes together so he can witness the birth of a new one. Captain America demands to know how each universe was before the merge. Using the last bit of power within him, the Grandmaster does so. Both teams remember each of their personal stories, and though shaken by their respective tragedies and losses, they agree to team up to vanquish Krona once and for all.

Both teams reunite at the JLA moon base, where they prepare, as Flash and Green Lantern come to terms with the fact they shall die saving reality, Giant Man and Wasp realize they are sacrificing their happiness, and Vision and Scarlet Witch give up their hopes of reuniting with their children. Both teams convert an Atlantean imperial warcraft to reach Krona's citadel, made from the remains of Galactus; Superman and Batman decide to have Captain America serve as team leader, coordinating with Martian Manhunter's mindlink to provide direction to the assault. America gives Superman his shield to wield in the assault. Krona is busy, and has realized universes have their own consciousnesses, feelings, and life itself. However, as the heroes approach the citadel, countless hordes of enemies attack them. Kobra agents, Moloids, Parademons, AIM assault troops, and many, many more footsoldiers appear, totally brainwashed by Krona. Another chronal wave hits, changing the teams again. However, with the Royal Flush Gang, the head-on supervillain attacks commence.

Krona gets ready for the final steps in his plans, forcing both Kismet and Eternity, both universes' consciousnesses, to tell him their secrets. He expects aid from Metron, but receives none. The heroes fare relatively well, cutting through swathes of supervillains without serious trouble until Dreamslayer targets and apparently kills both Hawkeye and Flash. Green Lantern is forcibly aged into Parallax and into the Spectre, fading away with a final missile salvo as Kyle Rayner appears, remembering nothing beyond the fight for the Cube. An all-out battle royale erupts to reach Krona's main control center, with countless heroes and villains appearing, fighting both to destroy and defend the base's defensive lines.

Captain America is attacked by Prometheus, fighting with Batman's uploaded skills, severing the mindlink. Multiple chronal warps hit the main attackers, forcing them to change into several different incarnations of their own selves, as America defeats Prometheus. Aquaman neutralizes the entire force under Attuma's command using his powers, as Superman reaches the final defense lines. Attacked simultaneously by the Radioactive Man, wielding Kryptonite energy, and Solarr, using red sun energy, he is almost defeated until the Vision, heavily damaged, uses the remainder of his batteries' solar charge to reempower Superman.

Superman then defeats them both, and reaches the final defense line, which is too heavily armored even for him to destroy. Thor, while being pinned down by several androids, throws his hammer at Superman so he can destroy the wall. Infused with divine energies, Superman destroys the wall and reveals Krona behind. However, at the other side, Krona responds with a massive blast that knocks all heroes down. Gloating about having won, and about how he devoted only a fraction of his mind to deal with them, he is distracted at his feet by a whizzing sound-it is Flash, having survived Dreamslayer's blast. With Krona distracted, Hawkeye, also having survived, fires his last T.N.T. arrow against Krona's machinery, blasting it moments before he got his answers.

Krona is sucked by the resulting dimensional vortex, as reality starts to heal. The League and the Avengers return to their normal rosters and uniforms. The twin Earths are separated by the Spectre, and both teams return to their own Earth with Flash and Thor's help. Both teams excuse themselves for their behavior on each other's Earth.

In the end, Krona is turned into a "cosmic egg" from which a universe would be born in a trillion years. The two universes return to normal, with everything that Krona destroyed being recreated as well (this would have consequences for the Anti-Matter Universe, as seen in a further Justice League adventure). However, this all turns out to have been a bet between the resurrected Grandmaster and Metron.



Issues

Paraphernalia

Items: By Universe

Vehicles: None known.

Weapons: None known.



Notes

JLA: Syndicate Rules heavily implies that the events of JLA/Avengers are in New Earth continuity.

One of the universes Krona destroys is the Antimatter Universe



Trivia

What Krona learnt during this crossover is put to use in the ongoing Trinity series, with Krona again threatening the universe in search for his answers, and making the discovery even planets have their own consciousnesses, which he plans to use against the universes.



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