Justice League of America #256 - Nov. 1986

The JLA faces the awesome power of Adam!

The Story: "Back to Godhead" by J.M. DeMatteis, Luke McDonnell, and Bob Smith. Last issue, John Jones (aka Martian Manhunter) caught a few slugs while investigating a murder.

Of course, that doesn't do much to him, but ending up in burning building did!

While Manhunter struggles to get out the flames, he begins to hallucinate(?), and he sees H'Ronmeer, who is nothing less than the God Martians pray to! He reaches out to J'onn, and is instantly transported away!

The same thing happens to Gypsy during a run-in with a homeless woman, and both of them realize they've undergone illusions, courtesy of Zatanna, who is currently on the floor of Adam's secret headquarters, nearly unconscious:

Manhunter tries to reach into her mind to communicate with her to wake her up, which works. Manhunter is skeptical when Zee tells him her father--her late father--is the one who brought them both here to help her.

Suddenly, the four of them (Gypsy's friend Pam is along for the ride) start tripping through different dimensions, none of them knowing what if any of this is real.

Staggering into the room is Adam, who looks lost and in utter agony.

Zatanna tells them that Adam has forcibly achieved in one day what other mystics spend a lifetime trying to reach--transcending the ego and "merging with the godhead." Without preparation, it simply brings madness.

Manhunter asks Zatanna to try and help Adam come back from the edge of madness, which she reluctantly does. To do so, she has to go into Adam's psyche. Which she does, and how:

Zatanna and Gypsy travel through Adam's psyche, where they are attacked by a horde of demons (as Zee explains it, transferring thoughts in Adam's head into something they could comprehend), which pull them down into the murky ground.

Manhunter, who has been the anchor point for this trip, loses the connection, and begs Adam to help them. But how can he, when he can't even help himself?

To be continued!

Roll Call: Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Gypsy

Notable Moments: J.M. DeMatteis may have only had the steering wheel of the JLA for a few months, but he certainly floored it once he took the wheel!

Even though this isn't very "Leagueish", I'm kind of glad he didn't cram the other members into this story--there's just no room for them in this issue.