Countdown: Arena (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 2008.
Synopsis for "True Colors"
Following the previous issue, The Bat, now a vampire, has killed Monarch's disposal team and attempted to attack Batman-19 and Apollo, but fortunately, the stasis field prevents him from doing so. Regaining his senses and claiming that he wasn't really going to bite Apollo and Batman, The Bat swears that he will find a way to free them and leaves the room by turning into smoke in order to get help from the other prisoners.
Back in the prison room, Superman-31 is kept from attacking his communist counterpart, who was studying Ted Kord's harness, by the other prisoners. Christopher Kent defuse the situation and raise the subject of Monarch. Superman-31 notes of how Monarch chose the alternate beings who are always dis-comfortable to each other as way to distract themselves. He then further theorize that Monarch doesn't want them to know of his identity given that Monarch had tried to hide his face when facing the Green Lanterns, and that given with his quantum powers in which are similar to the likes of Quantum Storm and Captain Atom, it is implied that Monarch doesn't want them to know his weakness. Finish with his theory, Superman-31 then decides to "lift some heavy things". Superman-30 then shares his examination of Ted's harness to the others, stating that the harness enables the wearer to travel between dimensions, but after Monarch had damage the harness' power supply it is useless. Monarch then appears to the room and sends the Starmen to the Arena, in which the last Starman of Earth-48 tries to kill Monarch but fails. After Monarch have left, The Bat has appeared in the prison room.
The Starman of Earth-17 and Starwoman chat in the arena while waiting for Starman of Earth-48. Once teleported to his counterparts, the blue skinned Starman disintegrates the gorilla Starman's upper body instantly, seeking to win the fight as quickly as possible. He then tackles Starwoman, who blasts his face with her star rod in self defense. She inadvertently decapitates the angry Starman, winning her match in a matter of seconds.
Back in the prison room, The Bat appears before the prisoners and reinforce a plan against Monarch. He then request the dimensional harness from Superman-30 and gives Quantum-Storm to wear it as he, a counterpart of Monarch, will power it. However, Breach willingly volunteer to use the harness. The Bat then instruct Breach to travel every alternate dimensions and recruit every alternate incarnations of "himself" (Captain Atoms). Hearing enough from The Bat, Breach then teleports away. After he left, The Bat is about to instruct Quantum Storm and Captain Atom until Monarch is coming back. The Bat quickly demands anyone to provide a distraction for Monarch in order for him to not notice Breach's absence, in which Superman-30 provides it by fighting his American counterpart. As the fight culminate with the Supermen using their heat visions against each other, Christopher Kent defeats the two by physically grabbing their heat visions and bashing the Supermen together. Monarch then subdues Christopher and sends the Flashes to the Arena. As Monarch leaves, he tells the Wonder Women of their next battle after the Flashes.
In the Arena, Johnny Quick chases after Lia Nelson before being punched in the face by Jay Garrick, knocking him out. Lia then surprisingly betrays Jay with a blinding flash and starts punching him, crowing about not being the crying damsel in distress she made herself out to be on the ship and that she was only acting it. Jay tries to warn her to look behind her, but she ignores him, only to be impaled through the chest with a vibrating punch from a recovered Quick, incapacitating Lia. Quick challenges Jay to a race, in which Jay wins by throwing his helmet at Johnny and then punching him, sending Quick landing hard into the ground. However, Johnny feigns critical wounds, and vibro-punches Jay in the neck when he stoops down to help him, knocking Jay out, leaving Quick the winner.
Back in the prison room, the Supermen are recovering from their injuries and The Bat puts his plans into motion by having himself, Quantum-Storm and Captain Atom to travel below the decks of Monarch's ship to free the other surviving prisoners. As Monarch about to reappear into the room, The Bat dissipates before telling the Wonder Women to give a battle that Monarch "can't take his eyes off" and the Supermen to put side their differences and avenge everyone if everything fails. Monarch appears and then notice Breach's absence. The Supermen (with the exception of Christopher) and Wonder Women then attacks Monarch and giving Quantum-Storm and Captain Atom to make their moves to the stasis room. Monarch teleports the Wonder Women into the Arena and leaves the two Supermen defeated.
The three Wonder Woman agree to give this fight their all, and proceed to slug it out with punches and kicks. Just when Diana Prince of Earth-18 is about to step on Earth-21 Wonder Woman's face, she's knocked out by a punch to the neck from Diana Trevor. She and Earth-21 Wonder Woman square off, delivering simultaneous blows to the head. Being the first to rise, Earth-34 Wonder Woman is declared the winner by Monarch.
In Earth-13, Brigadier Atom survives Monarch's destruction of North America and is approached by Breach along with four alternate Captain Atoms who commands him to prepare for "war".
Appearing in "True Colors"
Featured Characters:
- Starman/woman
- Star Woman (Earth-7)
- Starman (Earth-17) an intelligent superpowered Ape (Dies)
- Starman (Earth-48) (Dies)
- Flashes
- Wonder Women
Supporting Characters:
- The Bat (Earth-40)
- Superman (Earth-30)
- Superman (Earth-31)
- Christopher Kent (Earth-16)
- Quantum-Storm (Earth-37)
- Captain Atom (Earth-38)
- Breach
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Batman (Earth-19)
- Apollo (Earth-50)
- Brigadier Atom (Earth-13)
- Captain Atom Brigade (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue also shipped with a retailer incentive variant cover illustrated by Dale Eaglesham and Mick Gray.
- Includes DC Nation editorial #92 by Dan DiDio is a Christmas theme list which announces that the villainous Superman-Prime will get "more time to call my own" possibly reflecting a new story to fill in the time between his transport at the end of the Sinestro Corps War to his current form as the black and silver clad adult, as well as Batgirl getting her own mini-series (unspecified whether Barbara Gordon or Cassandra Cain), and the possible return from the dead of Stephanie Brown the female Robin.
See Also