52 #6 is an issue of the series 52 (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2006. It was published on June 14, 2006.
Synopsis for "China Syndrome"
Day 1
News reports are lauding Booster Gold for taking down the villain Manthrax... but at the same time, Booster and "Manthrax" are meeting in an empty subway tunnel. Booster pays "Manthrax," actually an actor, for his appearance.
In China, Hal Jordan and John Stewert are in pursuit of Evil Star but are confronted by China's super-hero team, The Great Ten.
Will Magnus once again pays a visit to T.O. Morrow, who is still concerned with the missing mad scientists. It is shown that someone is spying on Morrow.
Back in China, the Green Lanterns finally apprehend Evil Star, but not without getting attacked by Black Adam, who announces that China is now a part of his international coalition, and is therefore under his protection. As the skirmish stretches into Russian air space, The Rocket Reds show up and stop Black Adam and The Great Ten from further fighting. The Green Lanterns and Black Adam exchange harsh words.
Day 2
Booster Gold and Skeets finally discover Rip Hunter's lab in Arizona. Skeets hacks into the security system, allowing Booster to go inside. He discovers a trashed laboratory and a message on a blackboard: "Time is Broken." There are several other messages spread across the board and around the room, including a couple pointing to pictures of Booster that say "his fault."
Appearing in "China Syndrome"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- The Great 10 (First appearance)
- Accomplished Perfect Physician (First appearance)
- August General in Iron (First appearance)
- Celestial Archer (First appearance)
- Ghost Fox Killer (First appearance)
- Immortal Man in Darkness (First appearance)
- Mother of Champions (First appearance)
- Seven Deadly Brothers (First appearance)
- Shaolin Robot (First appearance)
- Socialist Red Guardsman (First appearance)
- Thundermind (First appearance)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- Rocket Red Brigade
- Skeets
- Will Magnus
Antagonists:
- Evil Star
- Manthrax
- T.O. Morrow
- Chang Tzu (Cameo)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The History of the DCU, Part V of X"
Donna Troy continues examining the history of the Multiverse. With the help of the Universe Orb, she recalls the following events:
- The formation of the post-Crisis Justice League
- Booster Gold's arrival from the future
- The formation of the Suicide Squad
- The birth of Checkmate
- The graduation of Dick Grayson from Robin to Nightwing
- The death of Jason Todd at the hands of the Joker
- Barbara Gordon being shot and paralyzed by the Joker
- Tim Drake becoming the new Robin
- Millennium
- Invasion
- The Team Titans arriving from the future
- The appearance of a new Black Condor
- The appearance of a new Ray
- The death of Superman
- Batman's back being broken by Bane
- The Reign of the Supermen
- Hal Jordan becoming Parallax and wiping out most of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe
- Kyle Rayner becoming the sole Green Lantern
- Hawk appearing as Extant
- The start of Zero Hour
Appearing in "The History of the DCU, Part V of X"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- The following characters appear in flashback
- Bane
- Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, not in costume)
- Batman
- Black Canary
- Black Condor
- Blue Beetle
- Booster Gold
- Captain Marvel
- Checkmate soldier
- Hank Henshaw
- Doctor Fate
- Doctor Light
- Dominator (Member of an alien race)
- Eradicator
- Extant
- From the "Millennium" event:
- Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)
- Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
- The Joker
- Martian Manhunter
- Maxwell Lord
- Mister Miracle
- Oberon
- Parallax
- Ray
- Robin (Jason Todd)
- Robin (Tim Drake)
- Steel
- Suicide Squad
- Superboy
- Superman
- Team Titans
- Waverider
Locations:
Items:
Notes
- "China Syndrome" is reprinted in 52 Vol. 1 of the 2007 4-volume edition, 52 Volume One of the 2016 2-volume edition, and 52 Omnibus.
- The following messages can be seen in Rip Hunter's bunker (the meanings of these are revealed over the course the series):
- WORLD WAR III WHY? HOW?
- Dead by lead?
- TIME IS BROKEN
- Further time is different
- The four horsemen will end her rain?
- He won't smell it.
- Find the last "El"
- MAN OF STEEL
- Sonic disrupt -- Time Masters -- Time Servants
- The reach. The reach. The reach.
- The Tornado is in pieces.
- "I'm not kryptonite"
- it hurts to breathe.
- 2000 years from now
- The Scarab is eternal?
- Where is the Curry Heir?
- Who is Super Nova?
- What happened to the son of Superman?
- Where is the Batman?
- Who is the Batwoman?
- Te versus (Au+Pb)
- Who is Diana Prince?
- Don't ask the Question. It lies.
- SECRET FIVE!
- MORTAL SAVAGE
- Someone is monitoring. They see us. They see me.
- KHIMAERA LIVES AGAIN
- The Lazarus Pit RISES
- The old gods are DEAD, the new gods want what's left.
- I'm supposed to be DEAD?
- WHEN AM I?
- OTHERS?
- 520 Kane
- Infinity Inc.
- Casey the cop
- Silverblade
- Find the Sun Devils
- What is spanner's galaxy?
- In addition, the number 52 is written in circles all over the board... there are some scraps of paper with the numbers 51, 53, 54, 55, and 56 written on them... there are what appear to be television screens showing historical events, some of which occurred before the advent of photography... all the clocks in the laboratory appear to be set at 11:52.
- In this issue, Black Adam announces the "Freedom of Powers Treaty", a mutual-defense alliance of his own nation of Kahndaq with Myanmar and North Korea and China.
Trivia
- The ticker-tape at the bottom of the cover reads, "Chinese Heroes!... Booster Gold's Secret Rendezvous!... Time is Warped!"