Justice League: Endless Winter #1 is an issue of the series Justice League: Endless Winter (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 2021. It was published on December 1, 2020.
Synopsis for "Endless Winter, Chapter 1"
The mobile Arctic research facility drills through a crater on the Citadell glacier in Greenland, which turns out to be the remains of Superman's Fortress of Solitude destroyed by Rogol Zaar a while ago. A figure steps out to retrieve a Kryptonian crystal and wonders what other valuable artifacts they might find there. On the Mathali Island, located in the Arabian Sea, Icicle, Catman, Rampage and Multiplex celebrate after taking it over. They however soon find themselves assaulted by the special crimes task force and Multiplex splits himself up to take on the cops.
The Flash and the Green Lantern John Stewart soon arrive on Mathali to subdue the villains. As they battle Multiplex, Barry tells John that he has been thinking about balancing work and family life recently, but John states that now really is not a good time. As Rampage expresses shock at the two heroes intervening, Superman and wonder Woman soon arrive as well. Barry asks Diana about balancing work and family life as well, but she states that she doesn't know about it and since she was once the god of war, she isn't the right person to discuss it with.
Aquaman arrives with a giant squid, which grabs Rampage as she is battling Wonder Woman and tells Flash he shouldn't be talking to him about work or married life, as he should be on a honeymoon with Mera instead of carrying out his Justice League duties. He then asks Diana if she wants to finish subduing Rampage, and she accepts by knocking her away with a hard punch. Catman meanwhile escapes into an alley, lamenting that the villains never get a break and the League itself came after them. Batman however soon comes up behind him and tells him he should have surrendered to Superman, as he won't take it easy on him.
In Greenland, Sebastian Stagg tells the Stagg Industries board that the melting of the Citadel glacier due to global warming allowed him to discover a new ice strain, which could help in achieving cold fusion. Sapphire berates him for taking the Snow Crawler without permission and using Stagg Industries' resources, but Sebastian reminds her that he's the legal owner unless a court rules in her favor. After shutting the call, he chides her privately for believing his lies about cold fusion and is told of another find by his workers. It turns out to be Kryptonian crystal technology and he gloats how much powerful he will become after unlocking its inner workings.
The workers on the Snow Crawler inform Sebastian that a great storm is going to hit them in a hour and he orders them to pick up the pace despite their reluctance. The Flash asks Superman if they can travel back to the United States together and the latter accepts. Meanwhile in the prison van the villains are being taken away, Rampage suggests escaping to Kahndaq and Multiplex states she can tell them as soon as his clone frees them. While traveling over the Atlantic Ocean, Barry asks Clark how he is able to manage his work and family life so well, but Clark states the he doesn't think he is managing it well right now. He believed revealing his identity to the public would help, but it created more difficulties.
Superman tells Barry to find someone who actually has his life balanced and leaves for Sri Lanka after learning about a mudslide there. In Greenland, the workers load a massive ice block onto Sebastian's aircraft and before leaving, he orders them to ride out the storm, so they can continue digging afterwards. Barry soon visits Jefferson Pierce's home in Metropolis, while the latter is preparing for Christmas with daughters. He asks him how he is able to manage his life and Jefferson states that there's nothing special about it, one only has to try. After talking with Anissa over the ornament they got her a few years ago, he tells Barry that he's just doing his best. The Christmas lights stop working, but Jefferson fixes it, telling Barry his grandmother told him that life was about fixing things.
Batman calls the League to Greenland, where the collapse of the glacier threatens to send the Snow Crawler falling into the crater that was once Fortress of Solitude. A bunch of mysterious icy beasts soon bust in, but the Barry arrives in time along with the League to save the workers. As the League battles the beast, Superman realizes they're not alive and have been animated. Batman uses a bomb to destroy an icy giant toppling the Snow Crawler, which is saved by Superman from falling. A mysterious blast of energy is however soon emitted from the crater, destroying the crawler. A beastly mysterious figure calling himself Frost King busts out and states he's finally free.
Upon seeing the Justice League, the Frost King starts seeing his captors - Black Adam, Hippolyta, and the Viking Prince Jon, in them. He creates another horde of animated ice beasts to attack and they box in Aquaman, Batman, Flash and Diana. John and Clark soon come to their rescue, before the latter assaults the Frost King. His enemies great powers however prove too much for him and the Frost King soon blasts everyone away, promising to take revenge on the world for imprisoning him. John protects everyone except Superman, who survives and realizes they're standing atop the ruins of the former Fortress of Solitude. He wonders whether the Frost King, who was emitting Kryptonian energy, gained power from with the Kryptonian crystals fused into the ice.
Meanwhile, the whole world becomes covered by a blanket of snow and in Kahndaq, Black Adam wonders how it could be happening again. A long time ago in 10th Century Egypt, the Wizard Mamaragan had agreed to release his former champion Black Adam after learning about the coming threat of the Frost King from Hippolyta, the Viking Prince and Swamp Thing. He left as soon as he freed him and the three heroes told the freed Adam that the world required his help. When Adam stated that he wanted revenge instead, Jon told him that there won't be a point since the world would be destroyed without his help.
Appearing in "Endless Winter, Chapter 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Anissa Pierce
- Black Adam (Flashback and main story) (Also as an illusion)
- Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)
- Hippolyta (Flashback only) (Also as an illusion)
- Jennifer Pierce
- Swamp Thing of 10th Century (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback only)
- Viking Prince (Jon Haraldson) (Flashback only) (Also as an illusion)
- The Wizard (Mamaragan) (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
- Catman
- Frost King (First appearance)
- Ice Horde (First appearance)
- Icicle (Cameron Mahkent)
- Multiplex
- Rampage
- Stagg Industries
Other Characters:
- Justice League Dark (Cameo)
- Detective Chimp (Cameo)
- Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour) (Cameo)
- Zatanna (Cameo)
- Mathali Island Police Department (Single appearance)
- Sapphire Stagg (On a TV or computer screen)
- Teen Titans (Cameo)
- Beast Boy (Cameo)
- Crush (Cameo)
- Kid Flash (Wallace R. West) (Cameo)
- Roundhouse (Cameo)
- Andy Curry (Mentioned only)
- Flash Family (Mentioned only)
- Jon Kent (Mentioned only)
- Jor-El (Mentioned only)
- Lois Lane (Mentioned only)
- Mera (Mentioned only)
- Rogol Zaar (Mentioned only)
- Simon Stagg (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Earth 0
- 10th Century (Flashback only)
- 2020
- Earth
- Arabian Sea
- Mathali Island (First appearance)
- Atlantic Ocean
- Canada
- Greenland
- Joklaborg
- Citadel Glacier
- Fortress of Solitude (In ruins)
- Joklaborg
- Kahndaq
- United States of America
- Sri Lanka (Mentioned only)
- Arabian Sea
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- Earth
Items:
- Batarang
- Bat-Signal
- Batsuit
- Bracelets of Submission
- Green Lantern Ring
- Helmet of Fate
- Kryptonian Crystals
- Lasso of Truth
- Sword of Night
- Trident of Poseidon
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
Vehicles:
- Snow Crawler (Single appearance) (Destroyed)
Concepts:
Notes
- The Endless Winter event continues in The Flash #767.
- For the setting of this story, see Notes from Endless Winter.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Justice League: Endless Winter series
- Images from Justice League: Endless Winter Vol 1 1