The JLA battle both a villainous Cary Bates and the Injustice Society!
The Justice League of America assemble at the gravesite of the Justice Society of America. Bearing witness is Elliot S. Maggin, a DC Comics writer, from the parallel world of Earth-Prime. Maggin is seeking fellow writer, Cary Bates, who was accidentally thrown into the dimensional void between parallel Earths. Unbeknownst to Maggin, Bates gained super-human powers, while floating in the abyss, before being drawn to Earth-2. Bates also developed a powerful inclination towards evil. It is Bates who has engineered the deaths of the Justice Society of America, at the hands of the Justice League of America.
Unbeknownst to Bates, his powers, and change in demeanor, are the result of a spell, cast by the Wizard. Bates robs a gold train, then delivers the stolen loot to the secret headquarters of the Injustice Society of America. Unbeknownst to all, an eerie presence observes their actions. With the Justice Society of America dead, the Justice League of America step in, to fill the void left by the Justice Society of America's absence. The Flash, the Green Arrow and the Hawkman deal with a nuclear power plant meltdown. Aquaman, the Batman and the Black Canary bring diamond smugglers to justice. The Injustice Society of America become aware of Maggin's presence on Earth-2.
Bates is dispatched to deal with Maggin. Bates uses his magical powers to encase Maggin in a sphere, fashioned from Maggin's own words. The abduction of Maggin troubles the eerie presence. Maggin gets word to the Justice League of America, regarding his whereabouts. Realizing the Justice League of America is walking into a trap, the eerie presence is spurred to action. The eerie presence is revealed to be the Spectre. The Justice League of America discover Maggin, still trapped in the bubble. The Injustice Society of America confront the Justice League of America. Guilt-stricken for their role in the Justice Society of America deaths, the Justice League of America are virtually paralyzed.
To exacerbate the situation, Bates projects ghosts of the Justice Society of America on the battlefield, to haunt the Justice League of America. In an attempt to break Bates' concentration, Maggin begins taunting Bates. The Spectre appeals to God, for the resurrection of the Justice Society of America. Maggins' words begin to have an effect on Bates, as the ghosts of the Justice Society of America fade from the battlefield. In their place, the real Justice Society of America appear. The Justice Society of America rush to the aid of the Justice League of America. Maggin pushes against the sphere, slamming it into Bates, rendering Bates unconscious.
Teaming up with the Justice League of America, the Justice Society of America beats the living daylights out of the Injustice Society of America. After countering the Wizard's spell on Bates, the Thunderbolt sends Maggin, and Bates, back to Earth-Prime. The Spectre departs, leaving the Justice Society of America with no explanation for how they died and were then resurrected. Maggin and Bates, attempt to seal that plot hole with their own outlandish explanations, much to the chagrin of their editor, Julius Schwartz.
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