In Herald City, the criminal element lives in fear of its champion of good, Blue Eagle. But not all do. Here we start at the hideout of wanted mob boss, Mickie the Dagger, as he and his men relax after a string of successful jobs, when suddenly….

Gangsters sat around the circular wooden table in their criminal hideout, dealing cards and putting down chips. Others around the room counted money, sorting it out and keeping it separate from the fake bills two members printed from the counterfeiter.

“What a great heist we pulled last night, boss,” said one of the crooks at the table, drawing a card and putting another one down.

“Yeah, and once we pump those fake bills into circulation, we’ll hold all the real money in Herald City,” added another.

“Of course we will, boys. What would you expect from Mickie the Dagger?” said the head mobster, taking a puff of his cigar. His blue striped suit and hat gave him both an air of respectability and intimidation. The same went for his men, large masses of muscle wearing suits of burgundy, tan, and green. “We’re already a top mob in Herald City, and if you stick with me, we’ll be the top criminals. Ain’t no one who can stop us!”

The door burst open, revealing a strange man in orange tights. He wore a thin helmet over his head, a rubber strap under his chin keeping it in place. A purple cape matched his gloves and boots, and a pair glowing blue interlocking squares positioned diagonally rounded out his costume as a chest symbol.

“False, Mickie the Dagger! I can stop you!” he boldly declared, his beady eyes glaring down the startled crooks. A smile formed under his thin mustache as he held out his hand, revealing a circular glowing pad that matched his chest insignia. “You and your men now belong to me!”

“Who ‘da heck is this?” demanded one of the mobsters.

“Hey, I recognize him. That’s ForceField! He’s a supervillain,” said another gang member. “Word on the street is that he wants to rule the criminal underworld.”

“Not want to, fool. Will!” declared ForceField.

Mickie got to his feet. “I don’t care who this guy is. Ain’t no one who messes with Mickie the Dagger and gets away with it,” he said, drawing his signature dagger.

“Fool! You’re nothing to me,” said the supervillain, holding out a hand as the gang leader approached.

What appeared to be lines forming a square appeared out of nowhere, taking up most of the space between ForceField and Mickie. There was a slight refraction in light, as if a thick pane of glass had appeared. That might as well have been the case, as Mickie bumped against an invisible wall.

“Say, what gives?” he said, tapping on the “glass”.

“I assure you, nothing ‘gives’. Certainly not my force fields,” said the supervillain.

“Aw, a wise guy, eh?” Mickie turned back to his gang. “Get this jokester, men!”

“I wouldn’t do that if it were you,” warned Force Field as pistols and revolvers were pulled from their holsters. “Those bullets bounce, and in such a cramped space, you’re all liable to get clipped.”

There were murmurs of confusion and then gasps as the gangsters realized their predicaments.

The outlines of the invisible walls surrounded them like boxes. They were trapped in force fields!

Firing their guns would have caused them to get hit by the ricochet.

“Now, agree to my demands, or be trapped in my force fields. Forever,” ordered ForceField.

Mickie scowled. “What is it that you want?” he asked.

“It’s simple. I want to be on top of the criminal food chain. A greater supervillain than even Queen Venus! And for that, I need men. You and the other gangs will work for me and incredible wealth and power will be yours, or you will all perish. What will it be?”

A sigh and a nod. “We ain’t got no choice, do we? I accept,” said Mickie.

The containment fields disappeared, and Force Field began to laugh. “So it begins! I can’t wait to see the look on people’s faces when they realize that there’s a new top supervillain in Herald City, one that the Father-Son Duo, Blue Eagle and Switch the Blue Eaglet, won’t be able to stop!”

And so Force Field makes good on his threat. Over the next two weeks, fear grips Herald City as Force Field begins taking over other criminal gangs, such as those led by the dangerous lawbreakers Snake Eyes Jones and Bruiser Brady. Emboldened by his new amoral army, a crime wave paralyzes the city. And so, we shift our focus to the Herald City Diamond and Gem Repository, where….

“Alright, men! Grab those diamonds! Grab those jewels! Grab anything that will make us rich!” ordered ForceField.

The group of over thirty men fanned out along the rows of glass cases, breaking them open and loading precious stones into burlap sacks. Mickie the Dagger led his men down one row, the threat of his blade keeping people at bay. Snake Eyes Jones and his gang took another, employees and customers fearful of his beady yellow eyes, thin lips, and tall and skinny frame. The people in a third row of cases ran as the burly Bruiser Brady smashed a display case to pieces with one swing of his fist, his men robbing the contents within.

An invisible wall seemed to block people into a corner. They gasped and murmured in fear as the strange phenomenon appeared out of nowhere, without warning. It was beyond their comprehension and capability to fight back.

“That’s right, you cowards! You’re seeing Mickie the Dagger, Snake Eyes Jones, and Bruiser Brady. Three of Herald City’s most dangerous non-super criminals, united under me, Herald City’s new top supervillain,” said ForceField, holding out a hand as he kept the civilians at bay. “Hurry it up, everyone! This diamond and gem center might be the largest of its kind here, but we still need to get as much as we can and leave before we get a visit from–”

“From us, ForceField?” came a bold voice.

The crowd pointed and cheered as two figures stood by the entrance.

“Look! It’s Blue Eagle!” cried one man.

“And Switch the Blue Eaglet!” exclaimed a woman.

“That’s right, and we’re here to end your short-lived reign of terror, ForceField,” said Blue Eagle.

“That’s right. Crime doesn’t pay, though we’ll make sure your trip to jail is free,” added Switch.

ForceField gave a small chuckle. “We’ll see about that,” he said. He waved over the three mob leaders. “Get those superheroes!”

“With pleasure, boss,” said Mickie as he, Jones, and Brady rushed toward the Father-Son Duo.

Blue Eagle smiled. “Let’s go easy on them, Switch. As dangerous as they are, this just isn’t a fair fight.”

“Aw, gee, Blue Eagle. I wanted to have some fun,” moped his sidekick.

Mickie the Dagger lunged forward with his trademark dagger, stabbing Blue Eagle in the chest. Or at least that’s what he attempted. He and his weapon weren’t strong enough to pierce the superhero’s durable skin. He gave a double take as he looked at the crumpled blade.

“Now now,” said Blue Eagle, grabbing the mob boss and tossing him into a jewelry display stand, “didn’t your mother tell you it’s not polite to point?”

Snake Eyes Jones came up from behind, leaping onto his back and attempting to put him into a chokehold.

With a snicker, Blue Eagle grabbed him and tossed him at Mickie. “Up, up, and away!”

“I’m gonna turn ya into mincemeat, kid,” said Bruiser Brady as he approached Switch.

The brutish mobster winded his fist back and let loose a powerful right cross at Switch. The boy didn’t move, yet didn’t get hurt either. His invulnerability meant it was Brady who took injury. He yelped in pain, doubling over and holding his hand.

“Come on, big guy. I’ll stand still and give you one more free shot,” taunted Switch.

With a sneer, ForceField pointed to the heroes. “Attack!”

Fifteen gangsters rushed them, but they were no match. In seconds, they are being tossed aside like garbage, all of them landing in a heap.

“I think that was a good warm up,” said Blue Eagle, wiping his hands. “Now, ForceField, do you want to surrender? Or do you want to end up on the pile?”

“Remember, you’re going to jail either way. So you may want to save yourself the embarrassment,” advised Switch.

“Oh, young Blue Eaglet, I believe I’m not the one about to be embarrassed here,” teased the supervillain, pointing a finger at them.

Before they could respond, Blue Eagle and Switch finally found themselves stuck inside strange boxes. They couldn’t see them other than the outlines and slight refractions of light. It was as if they were each inside a nonexistent little room.

“Wha–what’s going on?” said Switch in shock.

“I don’t know, but….” started Blue Eagle as he punched the “wall” with all his power. Nothing happened. “....whatever we’re in, we can’t escape.”

“Oh, don’t worry, my new nemesis. I’ll help you escape,” said ForceField, putting an unnerving emphasis on the word “escape”. Without even a gesture, the containment boxes lifted into the air, their prisoners with them. “And remember that, today, you’ve suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Herald City’s greatest supervillain, ForceField!”

The heroes, their confinements and all, were tossed outside a large window at the front of the building. They crashed through the glass, the force fields disappearing as they tumbled to the lawn unceremoniously.

“Come on, men! Out the back!” ordered the villain as he and his many underlings ran out to the waiting getaway vehicles. “The job was a success! We’ve done it!”

They certainly had done it. They had bested Blue Eagle and Switch the Blue Eaglet.

Herald City would now be theirs.

With the defeat of our heroes, Herald City is thrust even deeper into a crime wave led by ForceField and his new followers. And the fear of the citizenry has not gone unnoticed by those tasked with keeping them safe….

“This is terrible!” cried the Chief of Police, holding the day’s newspaper in his hands. He looked in dismay at the headline.

Father-Son Duo Helpless Before New Top Supervillain.

He looked up at Blue Eagle and Switch, who stood before his desk.

“The crime wave is getting worse. People are getting held up and businesses are being robbed by these horrible mobsters. We’ve had banks, hardware stores, and art galleries picked practically clean! My men are helpless against them!”

Blue Eagle stroked his chin. “All these criminal gangs united under a supervillain that gave even us the slip,” he said. “Why, he may be even more dangerous than Queen Venus.”

“Gosh, Blue Eagle! You don’t really think that, do you?” wondered Switch.

“Regardless, people are afraid of him, Blue Eaglet. And that’s causing real problems,” said the Chief. “An ancient Egyptian gold statuette straight from the tomb of Nefer-amen is supposed to be displayed at the Herald City Ancient History Museum, but now they’re afraid to ship it. What am I supposed to do?”

Blue Eagle thought for a moment. “Tell them to send the statuette,” he said finally. “And let the museum know to advertise the exhibit as planned.”

The Chief’s eyes widened. “But Blue Eagle,” he said, “if we do that, ForceField will certainly try to steal it!”

“He certainly will,” said the superhero. His eyes narrowed. “And when he does, we’ll be ready.”

But the forces of good aren’t the only ones with thoughts on this crime wave! For at that moment, in the lair of Blue Eagle’s archnemesis, Queen Venus….

“What are you reading!?” bellowed Queen Venus, causing her two newspaper-reading minions to nearly jump from the faded couch.

“Uh, the sports section?” said Willie, shaking with fear.

“The business section?” answered Frankie similarly.

Willie glanced disbelievingly at his partner in crime.

Frankie sighed. “The funnies,” he glumly admitted.

Queen Venus snatched the papers out of their hands. “How can you two illiterate wastes read something with such clear libel printed in it!?” she yelled at them as she shoved the front page headlines in their faces.

“Aww, c’mon, boss, it’s just a few jobs,” said Willie. “Plus, this guy managed to make those pesky heroes look like a couple of pikers. Ain’t that good enough?”

“Yeah, maybe we should defeat Blue Eagle and do a crime spree. Then you could be the top supervillain in Herald City,” suggested Frankie.

Queen Venus held up both papers in one hand. Pressing a finger from her other hand against them, acid secreted out, disintegrating them.

“From now on, you’ll only read from sources that write good things about me,” she said, handing the few strips of paper that didn’t burn away to her cronies.

The two men looked at each other, then the paper, then back at each other. Willie said, “I don’t think there’s gonna be much reading in our future, Frankie.”

“Maybe they’re saying nice things about her on TV,” said Frankie, picking up the remote control and clicking the power button.

“--and with the defeat of Blue Eagle and Switch the Blue Eaglet the other day, it seems like ForceField may soon be considered the #1 supervillain in Herald City, making Queen Venus look like a trained pussycat in comparison,” the newscast was saying.

“Or maybe not,” he said as the supervillain let out a frustrated growl.

She grabbed the TV. “Don’t talk about that! Show me something valuable I can steal so everyone can remember who the real top supercriminal is!”

“And now, a new Egyptian artifact that would be a centerpiece trophy for a top supercriminal!”

Satisfied, she backed away. “Now you’re speaking my language.

A photograph of a golden statuette appeared on the screen. It was clearly of ancient Egyptian origin, depicting a cat-like figure with a human head.

“This is the most valuable artifact to come from the recently unearthed tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharoah Nefer-amen. As we speak, this statuette is on its way across the Atlantic and will be on display at the Herald City Ancient History Museum next week. Archeologists have confirmed its authenticity, and it’s believed to be worth untold millions of dollars.”

“Is that so?” said Queen Venus, her tone clear that she took this as a challenge. “Then it’s settled. We will steal the Nefer-amen statuette when it’s on display at the Ancient History Museum! And then, when we’re wealthy beyond measure, Herald City will be mine!”

“But, boss, what if that ForceField and his guys try to steal it?” asked Frankie.

“Or those annoying superheroes?” added Willie.

“I hope they do! Because it will give me a chance,” she explained, her voice suddenly becoming low and menacing, “to remind everyone why I am the most dangerous supervillain in Herald City.”

And so, the statuette depicting the Pharaoh Nefer-amen is shipped and put on prominent display at the Herald City Ancient History Museum….

The statuette looks just as majestic in person as it did on television. More so, in fact. Rested on its pedestal, the eighteen inch high figure’s solid gold surface shined brilliantly in the light. Protected by a display case, it rested between two majestic sarcophagi that stood against the wall. People admired the various other exhibits littering the wide room of the ancient Egypt exhibit with awe and excitement.

And that’s when dozens of gangsters with Tommy guns burst into the exhibit.

“Alright, you mooks! Get outta here before ya get a lead sandwich!” ordered Mickie the Dagger as some of his men fired into the air.

“That’s right. And don’t even think of being a hero!” added Snake Eyes Jones, pointing his snub revolver at the fleeing patrons. “We’re here for the goods.”

“That’s right,” said ForceField, walking in behind his henchmen. “Grab Nefer-amen’s statuette and whatever else isn’t nailed down. This is a heist centuries in the making and no Egyptian god is gonna stop us!”

The sarcophagi swung open and out popped Blue Eagle and Switch.

“But what about a couple of American superheroes?” challenged the veteran crime fighter.

“We do more than think about being heroes. We put villains like you away without a sweat,” said Switch. “Looks like we’re gonna need a whole ancient pyramid for this group.”

ForceField scoffed. “I wouldn’t be so cavelier, my boy. Not when you two are so outnumbered.” To his men, he ordered, “Eliminate those do-gooders!”

The mob raised their guns, but not fast enough. A blue and white blur sped through them, their weapons disappearing immediately. With every couple of passes, the guns were delivered quicker than the eye can see into Blue Eagle’s waiting hands.

Within only a few seconds, Switch has disarmed every criminal and put the firearms in a pile that his father was holding.

Blue Eagle gave a taunting, yet pleasant smile. “Great job lightening their load, Switch. And now….” His voice trailed off as his eyebeams fired at low intensity at the pile of guns. The high heat fused metal and plastic together.

The crooks watched in astonishment as all their weapons were now fused into a large ball.

“I hope you don’t mind if I give this back to you,” said the hero as he threw the ball at them. The mass of metal and plastic crashed into more than half a dozen gangsters, sending them flying like bowling pins. “Strike!“

Switch glanced at an exhibit consisting of a series of lines of faded white fabric attached to the wall. “‘Authentic Mummy Wrap’, eh?” he read out loud. Grabbing an end of one of the lines, he pulled the fabric and raced around three of the gangsters like a tornado. He wiped his hands as he watched the three mummified figures stumble around in confusion.

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One of them turned around, raising his arms as he groaned. It was enough to scare away his fellow crooks.

“Go run home to your mummies,” taunted the young sidekick, chuckling with pride over the joke.

Lifting two men by the back of their jackets, Blue Eagle slammed them into each other. “That’s putting your heads together!”

ForceField sneered and leaned toward Snake Eyes Jones and Bruiser Brady. “Now, while those altruistic fools are distracted, go steal that statuette!”

“Right, boss!” they replied as they rushed toward the statuette. Brady’s meaty fist effortlessly smashed the glass case into pieces while Jones grabbed their golden prize.

“Uh uh, boys,” said Blue Eagle as he and Switch blocked their path. “I don’t think that belongs to you.”

“Yeah, It belongs to history. Now put it back before you become history,” said Switch.

Before another word could be said, the superheroes were each enclosed in a force field the size of a coffin.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?” demanded Switch as they were both lifted into the air.

“The idea, Blue Eaglet, is that if you’re so protective of ancient history, then you should be a part of it,” said ForceField, mentally commanding his force fields to toss the heroes into the open sarcophagi. They snapped shut as they landed in them, and Jones and Brady quickly locked them. “I’ll have you know that I’ve done research on the Pharoah Nefer-amen to determine if this artifact was worth stealing. And I learned that Nefer-amen was a particularly superstitious fellow who believed that powerful gods sought his soul to steal, and so he had these sarcophagi built to keep them trapped. He spared no expense in making sure they were strong enough to hold even gods, and while I can’t attest to that, I have learned that they are strong enough to hold even you.”

From inside, Blue Eagle tried his best to push the door open, but he couldn’t. “He’s right. I can’t….” He strained against the strong metal lid. “....I can’t….get this….open….”

“Those tombs are airtight, and even the mighty Blue Eagle can’t hold his breath forever,” taunted the supervillain. He laughed maniacally. “Now I have the artifact of Nefer-amen, and you shall only know death by suffocation. With my power, I’ve proven that there is no one in Herald City that can outshine me!”

“No, but perhaps there is one plant that can outgrow you,” came a confident female voice.

ForceField turned to see Queen Venus standing in the entranceway alongside Frankie and Wille.

She held her hand out. “And I want my statuette,” she ordered. “Hand it over, immediately.”

“So, Queen Venus. The former top supervillain of Herald City,” said ForceField. “Did you come to see what a real crime boss looks like?”

“Please. I wouldn’t even let you be Frankie’s court jester,” she scoffed.

“Aw, but having one sounds fun, boss,” whined Frankie.

“Now, ForceField, I will give you one chance to respect the hierarchy and my status as Blue Eagle’s archenemy and hand over that statuette. For I promise, you will not be happy if I have to take it by force,” she threatened.

It was ForceField’s turn to scoff. “Considering I just eliminated Blue Eagle and Switch, I don’t think I’ll be handing this over to you,” he said, extending a hand toward her.

An invisible barrier went up just in front of her as he extended her hand toward him, firing a stream of acid toward him. The corrosive acid hit the barrier, sizzling and smoking but failing to make it through.

“Now, I think it’s time you and your followers got a bit closer to one another,” he said.

The force field now surrounded Queen Venus, Frankie, and Willie from all sides, pressing them against one another, much to their confusion and protests.

ForceField laughed. “Now that’s togetherness, if I do say so myself!” he exclaimed. “I think it’s time we all took our leave of you, but don’t worry, Queen Venus! You can stay and celebrate my victory over your enemies!”

His laughter echoed through the museum as a force field formed underneath his feet. It lifted into the air, carrying him and his men through the rooftop skylight and out of sight. It was only a moment later when the barrier that trapped Queen Venus and her henchmen disappeared.

“Well, it looks like he got one over us,” said Willie. “Should we go after him?”

“No, you fools! Quickly, open those sarcophagi and free Blue Eagle and Switch!” quickly ordered Queen Venus.

Frankie and Willie shook their heads, their jaws dropping in disbelief.

“But, boss, we don’t even have to do anything and those two–”

“Just do it!”

“Right, boss!” they exclaimed simultaneously, rushing over to unlock the two tombs. The lids opened and the defeated heroes stumbled out.

“That was close,” panted Switch, gasping for air. “Another minute….and we would have gotten….to meet Nefer-amen….ourselves.”

“That’s right. And it looks….like we can thank….” started Blue Eagle. He caught his breath and got to his feet. “Queen Venus! I guess we have you to thank for this.” His face grew stern. “What’s your angle? You had us dead to rights. Why save us?”

“Don’t assume any altruism, you naive simpleton. I would have gladly celebrated your demise,” she replied. “But I’ll admit that ForceField is a worthy adversary and a threat to my status as the true monarch of this city. And so, I need your help.”

“A team up? That’s rich,” scoffed Switch. “As if Blue Eagle and I would ever team up with a criminal like you.”

“We accept,” said Blue Eagle.

“What!?” cried Switch, Frankie, and Willie in shock.

“As much as I hate to admit it, Queen Venus has a point. ForceField has defeated us twice and even gave her the slip. And even now, he’s consolidating his power over the city’s crime bosses. We must stop him at any cost. And given that we now have a common enemy, it’s best that we team up to stop ForceField.”

“It seems you aren’t as dense as I thought,” said Queen Venus.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t misread my intent. I still consider you the greater threat. As soon as this situation with ForceField is over, I will bring you in for your crimes.”

“Glad to see we’re on the same page. As soon as ForceField is destroyed, you and your annoying little sidekick are next.”

Switch folded his arms. “Boy, it’s going to be weird teaming up with you crooks.”

“We feel the same way, kid,” said Willie.

“Well, since we’re a team now, we better start thinking up a plan to draw out and defeat ForceField,” said Queen Venus.

“Agreed,” said Blue Eagle. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “And a great idea just popped into my mind.”

The next day, a day of exuberance and celebration for the forces of evil when….

Multiple gang members of multiple gangs celebrated in ForceField’s large warehouse hideout. They smoked cigars and played cards and arranged currency and loot joyfully, knowing that they had gotten the best of Herald City’s greatest force for good and its greatest force of evil.

Both Blue Eagle and Queen Venus were no match for them.

ForceField sat on his own, admiring his greatest prize: The statuette of Nefer-amen. He gave a sinister laugh.

“This statuette of Nefer-amen, mine almost without a fight. Blue Eagle and Queen Venus alike were nothing before my power,” he said gleefully. “Now the former is gone, and the latter shown her place. With myself the top crime boss in Herald City, nothing can stop me from taking what I want!”

“We interrupt this program to bring you this special news bulletin!”

The gangsters stopped their conversations and turned to the television set at one end of the room.

“A new scientific breakthrough will be unveiled tomorrow evening at the Herald City Scientific Institute of Technology! Lightology expert Dr. Jule Beagle will be demonstrating a prototype of a new device that can dissipate force fields. Given the nature of Herald City’s newest top supervillain, officials are confident that it can end ForceField’s crime wave once and for all.”

The broadcast ended, and all the gangsters turned back to their leader. The supervillain had a look of anger on his face.

“A weapon that can overcome me? Never! I won’t allow it!” yelled ForceField, slamming his fist on the table. “Tomorrow, men, we crash that demonstration and destroy this device!”

The next morning, two members of Mickie the Dagger’s gang are walking the streets when….

The two suited gangsters walked down the quiet, quaint commercial street. People walked into the various stores and cafes. As they noticed the gangsters, many people backed away, filled with a sense of unease even if they didn’t know who the two men were.

“I’m hungry. Hey, you got any cash on you? I could go for a bite,” said the gangster in the burgundy suit.

“Not much,” said the one in the blue suit. His eyes lit up. “Hey, why worry? We can knock over a joint and get all the dough we want.”

“You doofus! And risk being caught by the cops? Plus, we’re gonna have to get back to the hideout soon to prepare for the job tonight.”

“Psst! Hey, you two. Mickie’s boys. Over here!” came a whisper.

The two men turned to see a man wearing a gray striped suit, hat, and sunglasses standing between two buildings right next to them. He stood near the wall, trying not to draw attention to himself.

“Yeah? Who are you?” asked the blue suited man as they approached.

“I’m one of Jones’s men.”

“Snake Eyes Jones?”

“Yeah. Listen, I’ll make this quick.” The gray suited man looked around to make sure no one was watching. “ForceField came across some information. The job tonight to destroy that doohickey? Bruiser Brady and his boys are gonna turn on us.”

“What!?” cried the burgundy suited man.

“That’s right. Brady wants the loot for himself and his gang. He’s gonna stab our bosses in the back when we ain’t lookin’, so ForceField wants us to do it to him first.”

“That lousy traitor! I’ll put him on ice,” said the blue suited man angrily.

“No! Not right away,” said the gray suited man. “It’ll be at the job. ForceField will give the order to attack, and when he does….”

“When he does, Bruiser Brady will be Bruised Brady,” finished the burgundy suited man.

The gray suited man nodded. “Exactly,” he said. He checked his watch. “I think it’s time you got back to the hideout. And remember, share this only with Mickie and the rest of your gang. You don’t want loose lips to sink ships.”

“Got it,” said the blue suited man. “Thanks for the tip,” he said as he turned to leave.

The gray suited man watched as the two gangsters left. Once they were out of sight, he reached up and pulled off his hat and sunglasses.

“Well, those two certainly fell for it,” said Blue Eagle to himself, smirking at their inability to tell a gangster from a superhero. “I hope the others are having as much luck.”

It seems that things are going as Blue Eagle wishes. Because elsewhere in the city, similar conversations are playing out….

“Mickie the Dagger is going to turn on us!?” exclaimed the gangster.

“That’s right,” said the 12 year old shoe shine boy as he rubbed a cloth over the criminal’s shining black footwear. He glanced around. “One of Bruiser Brady’s men paid me to spread the word to you Snake Eyes Jones gang members. ForceField found out that Mickie wants the loot stolen from that museum all to himself and is gonna to off ya when he gets the chance.”

“That dirty backstabber! We shoulda known never to trust a guy who walks around with a dagger. What else would he use it for?”

The shoe shiner nodded. “Spread the word to the rest of Jones’s men, but otherwise keep quiet so Mickie doesn’t know you found out. At the job tonight, ForceField will give the order to attack. That’s the signal for everyone to take out Mickie.”

“Got it. Thanks for the tip, kid,” said the gangster. He took his foot off the shoe shine block and handed the boy a coin. “Here’s an extra nickel for your troubles. Smart kid, making friends in the right places. You’ll go far.”

“Thanks, mister!” exclaimed the boy cheerfully as he watched the man leave. When he was gone, the boy pocketed the nickel and took his hat off, a mischievous smirk on his face. “Sucker,” added Switch under his breath.

Elsewhere, two more gangsters conversed with a small, pudgy man in a purple suit and a tall lanky man in a blue one. The two men’s Groucho Marx glasses did just well enough to keep the gangsters from realizing that they were speaking to a disguised Frankie and Willie.

“Snake Eyes Jones is gonna betray us? That snake!” said one of the gangsters angrily.

“That’s right,” agreed Willie. “ForceField already gave the news to Mickie the Dagger that the fix was in, and we’re letting you and the rest of the Bruiser Brady guys know as well. When ForceField gives the order to attack during the job, tonight, that’s his signal. His order is for everyone to turn on Snake Eyes. Ya got that?”

“Got it,” said the gangster, as he and his men left. When they were gone, Frankie and Willie removed their disguises and gave each other a knowing wink.

The stage seems set for a sinister standoff! And so we set our sights to that evening, at the Herald City Scientific Institute of Technology, where evil strikes!....

In an auditorium of the prestigious Scientific Institute of Technology, a kindly old scientist was overseeing a group of technicians making adjustments on a large device the size of a van. The average person would be unable to understand the complicated gauges that monitored all sorts of different measurements. The end of the cubic device had a long thin laser emitter attached to it, a red bulb at the very end.

There were no other people in the room, and no chairs were set up yet for people to watch. So there were no other people present to witness the costumed supervillain and the veritable army of gun-toting mobsters burst through the door.

“Gentlemen, I am here to destroy your machine!” announced ForceField. “If anyone wishes to make a pitiful defense against me, do so now. Let me see who dares stand against ForceField!”

From behind the machine, two figures leapt off the stage and stood tall in front of the villains. “I dare!” announced Blue Eagle.

“Don’t forget about me!” said Switch.

ForceField’s face contorted into an angered snarl. “Blue Eagle and Switch!? Curses! How are you still alive?” he demanded. “No matter. This will be your end! Attack!”

The gangsters all brought their guns up, pistols and Tommy guns alike. But they weren’t aimed at the superheroes.

They were aimed at each other.

“What!? What are you fools doing!?” demanded the costumed villain.

The gangsters looked equally as confused as their leader.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?” Mickie the Dagger demanded of Snake Eyes Jones, who was holding his revolver to his back, while he held a dagger to Bruiser Brady. “I thought youse guys was gonna help us off Brady like ForceField said.”

“Whaddaya talking about?” replied Jones. “Brady’s boys warned ours that you were planning to betray us. ForceField found out about your backstabbing.”

“His backstabbing? It’s your backstabbing that ForceField found out about,” said Brady, his hands lifted overhead ready to deliver an overhead smash from behind on Jones.

“What are you getting at, you big lug?” demanded Jones.

Near the machine, Blue Eagle and Switch give each knowing winks. Everything was going to plan.

“Now hold on. I think we all got fed some bad info,” said Mickie. “Someone wanted us all to turn on each other, to take ourselves out. And I know just the rat to do it.”

He pointed an accusing finger. “ForceField!”

ForceField’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Yes, you’re right!” realizes Jones. “He has access to the loot. Why split it with all our gangs when he could keep it all for himself?”

“So, a weasel, eh? Well, I say we take him out,” said Brady, pounding his palm with his fist.

The gangsters all leveled their guns at the supervillain.

“Traitors and fools. That’s what you all are,” said ForceField. He clicked his tongue. “Fine, if this is what you want, then I’ll be happy to cut you out!”

Gunfire echoed through the room as the gangsters unloaded their weapons into ForceField. The bullets pinged and ricocheted off the transparent barrier that appeared before him. Round after round hit it, but it didn’t falter in the slightest.

“Your pathetic attempts to breach my force field with bullets is an insult,” said the villain. He narrowed his eyes. “Let me show you my power.”

The barrier began to shimmer and refract, and lines that were normally indicative of the edges of the force fields now appeared in front of him in circles. Tiny spheres launched at the mobsters, sending them to the ground.

The barrier-creating criminal laughed. “Anyone else want to try my power?”

“Perhaps try to take it away!” came a female voice from behind.

He turned to see Queen Venus with Frankie and Willie standing behind him.

She stretched her hand out. “This gas will depower you just long enough for us to deal with you once and for all,” she said as a yellow gas sprayed from her gloved palm.

“A gas that takes away my powers? Bah! It can’t hurt me if it can’t get to me!” shot back ForceField as he held both palms forward, creating a wall in front of him.

“If you’re so resistant to anything thrown at you, then I hope you don’t mind us joining the fun,” said Blue Eagle as he fired his eyebeams at the supervillain.

An invisible wall blocked the blast.

“Hey, ForceField, mind if I join you in there?” teased Switch, activating his superstrength and throwing a punch at a barrier put up in front of him. The light seemed to ripple, but held steady.

“So, the Father-Son Duo of Blue Eagle and Switch the Blue Eaglet is teaming up with Queen Venus?” mused ForceField as Blue Eagle’s eyebeams and Switch and Queen Venus’s punches pummeled his barrier, which was now in the shape of a dome around him.

Near the wall, Frankie leaned over to Willie as they watched and asked, “Hey, Willie, you think the boss and the superheroes can win this?”

“I should hope so, Frankie. But if not, it might be best that we run,” said Willie. “Still, it’s so bizarre to see Queen Venus teaming up with Blue Eagle. I think I’ve seen everything now.”

As punches and eyebeams continued to bounce off the protective dome, ForceField gave a frustrated grunt as he extended his hands and said, “I grow tired of this. Let me show you real power.”

A force field wrapped around Queen Venus’s waist, lifting her into the air. She kicked her feet trying to break out, but it was to no avail. With a quick jerk, she was tossed aside.

“We got you, boss!” cried Frankie as he and Willie ran forward with their hands outstretched, ready to catch her. She crashed into them, her body resting face down across theirs as they lay dazed on the floor.

“One down. Two to go,” said ForceField, pointing upwards to a light fixture hanging from the ceiling.

The outlines of what looked like a rope or chain emerged from the top of his invisible dome, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. The tip gripped the light fixture and ripped it off. With a mighty swing, the heavy fixture was hurled at Blue Eagle, slamming into his chest and knocking him onto his back.

“Oh, no! Blue Eagle!” cried Switch. He gasped suddenly and looked down at his fists. “Uh oh, I just lost my powers. This is a bad time to be in cooldown.”

Blue Eagle shook his head, still dazed from the attack. He looked up to see Switch backing away from ForceField, who started to advance on the boy.

“Is there nothing that can break through his barriers?” he wondered out loud. His brow furrowed in realization, and he sniffed the air a couple of times. “Wait, of course! We only have one chance. Switch, use the machine! Fire it at him!”

Switch looked at his father in confusion. “What? Fire it at–” He stopped just in time to sidestep a chair from the side of the room that was hurled at him using a force field. “Uh, sure! Sounds like a plan, Blue Eagle!” he said as he made a run for the device.

“No! I won’t let you–” started ForceField, stopping to bring up a barrier just in time to prevent Blue Eagle’s eyebeams from striking him.

“That ought to hold you for at least a moment,” said Blue Eagle, sustaining the blast.

“Fool! Your pathetic eyebeams won’t break through my force fields,” said ForceField.

“What about some acid?” said Queen Venus, back on her feet. She fired a stream of acid from one gloved finger.

“Nothing, you worthless has-been! Nothing can breach my force fields!” declared ForceField as the acid hit another barrier harmlessly.

At the machine, Switch aimed the laser at ForceField. “I hope Blue Eagle knows what he’s doing. Here goes nothing!” he exclaimed as he pressed the button to fire.

The bulb on the tip of the laser glowed slightly, and a red beam fired. It went through the protective force field and hit the villain. There was no destructive or awe-inspiring flair to it. A light simply emanated from the machine and touched the supervillain’s costume.

“Ha! Was that it?” said ForceField. He threw back his head and laughed. “To think I saw that device as a threat. It did nothing! I didn’t feel a thing!”

“Oh, just give it a moment, ForceField,” said Blue Eagle, a knowing smile spread across his face.

“What are you talking about, you heroic fool? I….” started ForceField, his voice trailing off as the force field before him disappeared. A look of shock washed across his face. “Huh?” he uttered, reaching out to bring up another protective barrier.

Nothing happened.

“My-My powers, they don’t work,” he whispered in disbelief, looking at the palm of his hand. His lips curled into a snarl as he turned his attention to Blue Eagle. “Why don’t my powers work!?”

“Because those scientists’ device worked,” explained Blue Eagle, jerking a thumb toward the laser. “It not just cut through your force field, but through your very ability to create them. It’s over, ForceField. You’ll never use your power again.”

“It looks like you’re going to need a new name, ForceField,” said Switch, standing with his father. “Perhaps a prisoner number.”

“No, my powers…. I have nothing now,” wailed ForceField, slumping to his knees in defeat. “I surrender. Have the police come and take me away.”

“Oh, don’t worry. They’re already here,” said Switch, jerking his thumb toward the scientists, who were putting handcuffs on the last of the gangsters.

The head scientist removed his glasses and fake beard, revealing himself to be the Chief of Police.

“You boys should have quit while you were ahead,” he said. “But don't worry. You might not have all the valuables you stole, but you will get a lawyer and a phone call for free.”

Another victory for Blue Eagle against the forces of evil! And moments later, our heroes celebrate peace and justice….

Outside the Scientific Institute of Technology, Blue Eagle, Switch, and the Police Chief watched as the gangsters were loaded into the police vans.

A dejected ForceField was the last to enter.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Blue Eagle,” said the Chief. “We were really in a pickle with this one. But with Mickie the Dagger, Snake Eyes Jones, Bruiser Brady, and ForceField off the streets, I think the people of this city can breathe a sigh of relief. All the bad guys are accounted for and are going to jail.”

“Not all of them,” corrected Switch. “Queen Venus and her henchmen got away when we weren’t looking. Boy, I would have loved the opportunity to have knocked her out when she least expected it.”

“Honestly, Switch, this is the one time I’m glad she escaped,” said Blue Eagle. “It wouldn’t have felt right to take her down after she honored our temporary truce.”

“Gee, I guess you’re right, Blue Eagle. Though I have the feeling that once we see her again, she’ll be our enemy and we’ll have to stop her.”

“Speaking of stopping these criminals,” said the Chief, scratching his head, “how were you able to take ForceField’s powers away? After all, the device and the demonstration were all a ruse to draw him out. The laser itself was just this flashlight filtered through a red bulb,” he added, holding up the very flashlight that had been inside the shell of a machine publicly stated to be able to pierce through force fields.

“That’s yet another thing you can thank Queen Venus for,” explained Blue Eagle. “When she attempted to use her gas to depower him temporarily, he blocked it with his force field. But it was just a flat barrier, not an airtight dome. With my enhanced senses—notably smell—I detected that trace elements of her gas had floated around the barrier and were entering his body. With such small amounts, it would take a moment to kick in, but with the right timing, firing our fake laser at him would make him think his powers were gone for good.”

“You mean, his power loss was only temporary?” asked the Chief in bewilderment.

“That’s right, Chief,” replied Blue Eagle with a grim nod. “In fact, he could probably use his powers right now. But he won’t because he has no reason to. He believes his powers are gone for good, and that should last long enough for you to get him into a secure jail cell.”

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, Blue Eagle!” exclaimed the Chief. “From your plan to draw out ForceField using the threat of something that could defeat him to playing to mobs against each other to this, all of this was absolutely brilliant!”

Blue Eagle chuckled. “It’s not just that, Chief. We had one other thing that ForceField didn’t.”

“And what’s that?”

“Teamwork. ForceField’s men had no reason not to turn on each other in the long run. Dividing the loot they stole among so many means they each get a smaller chunk of the pie, so it made sense they thought their boss was cutting them out. Meanwhile, we all had a common goal of ending this crime wave. Even Queen Venus benefitted from his defeat. And that’s yet another reason,” he added with a smile, “that crime doesn’t pay.”