I swear every time we get together to fix up the Watchtower, some crisis breaks out. 
- — Flash
JLA Classified: Cold Steel #1 is an issue of the series JLA Classified: Cold Steel (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 2006. It was published on December 7, 2005.
Synopsis for "The Hidden World"
A alien spaceship is being pursued by another ship over the Moon's surface and passes by the JLA Watchtower, which catches the attention of the Justice League. Superman and Martian Manhunter forced the pursing spaceship to flee. The pursued spaceship is taken inside the Watchtower and the League meets its passengers.
The aliens are Tsaru-Kar and Genshi Mian of the Ghoji-in-Exile and they are on a expedition to find help. The Ghoji are a telepathic and peaceful race and refugees who settled on the planet Penumbra in the Lagoon Nebula many years ago and were threatened into war by the Voruk, a aquatic race. After three years, the Voruk suddenly left until they sent a planet-killing weapon called the Infinity Coil in which it caused Penumbra to remain in a permanent and ageless stasis. Only a handful of Ghoji escaped the planet and they have been trying to destroy the Infinity Coil without any success. A Ghoji Green Lantern and others who tried to return and save their world has never return.
The Justice League are split over whether they should intervene in a war that is never theirs. Batman feels that the Ghoji are not telling them everything. Kyle Rayner is willing to help because of a fellow and missing Green Lantern.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Voruk, Gordoruk, listen to the concerns of his scientists about the Infinity Coil. They inform that the disruptive effects of the weapon has been spreading across nearby star systems and it will likely cause a dimensional implosion, basically the end of their reality...in which the scientists had warned of this when the Infinity Coil was being built. But Gordoruk is indifferent to the consequences of the weapon as long it serves the deaths of the Ghoji, whom he claims are killers responsible for causing the Voruk's banishment from their planet.
The League, after hearing from their confirmation with Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter that the Ghoji are to be trusted, agrees to help dismantle the Infinity Coil. They then contact the Justice Society to watch Earth in their absence. The League travel on the Ghoji's ship and arrive over Penumbra. But right into the midst of a Voruk gunship. Superman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman manage to fend off the gunship's attacks. But the gunship land a hit on the Ghoji's ship, causing it to fall into Penumbra's atmosphere. Superman tries to catch the ship but falls unconscious from being in the vicinity of the Infinity Coil's field. Kyle fortunately grabs Superman and the ship with his power ring. Martian Manhunter cause enough damage to the gunship and forcing it to retreat.
The Ghoji explain to the League that the Infinity Coil has, for some reason, influence over the planet's gravity well and rendered anyone into a endless sleep. They arrive to the Ghoji's refuge which is inside a hollowed out asteroid. The League are then introduce to a jarring glimpse of Ghoji culture where they treat death as a sort of righteous honor while scorning those that survived the Voruk's cruelty and suffered maiming in which they are treated as cowards and outcasts.
Kyle and Flash are interest of the Ghoji Green Lantern, Shirea Vaas, and learns from Genshi that she was to become the Ghoji's next queen and tried to change her people's customs she viewed as unfair or harmful. After she joined the Green Lantern Corps, her policies were rolled back. She also left a Lantern Battery in the Ghoji's care. Kyle access Shirea's lantern and suddenly gets into contact with an apparition of Shirea. She vaguely speaks about praying to her god Shai-Tar and that her death will "set the sky ablaze" without providing a clear explanation about the Infinity Coil.
The League later learns about the Ghoji having access to captured Voruk shielding technology and recognize they can help bypass the Infinity Coil. But the shielding generators are very large. Kyle suggest of using the Ghoji's construction robots outfitted with the generators. With time as the essence in which the Voruk warfleet are coming to Penumbra, the League and Ghoji retrofit the robots that are specifically designed to each Leaguer's powers and abilities. Furthermore, each pilot will be accompany by a Ghoji technician to provide information and damage support control. This latter proposal is meet with resistance from Tsaru, who argues that the Ghoji are pacifists. Nor is she is please that a outcast, Maiko, is chosen as Batman's technician. Batman rebuke that Maiko volunteered and saw this as an opportunity to redeem himself. This seems to placate Tsaru, who then decide to be Wonder Woman's technician.
The League and their armatures takes off just as the Voruk warfleet finally arrive.
Appearing in "The Hidden World"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ghoji-in-Exile
- Tsaru-Kar
- Genshi Mian
- Maiko
Villains:
- Voruk
- Mhak-Lord Gordoruk
- Cholkach
- Tarngiri
Other Characters:
- Justice Society of America
- Shirea Vaas (First appearance)
Locations:
- Earth's Moon
- JSA Headquarters
- Lagoon Nebula
- Penumbra
Items:
Vehicles:
- Liong-Ma'Tek
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Justice League: A League of One.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the JLA Classified: Cold Steel series
- Images from JLA Classified: Cold Steel Vol 1 1