The Leaguers who have decided not to defy the United Nations and have stayed behind at the JL Embassy, mourn the loss of Booster Gold, but are shocked and confused to see him alive, yet with no vital signs. They discover that since the Overmaster came to Earth, there have been no births or deaths anywhere in the world. Captain Atom's rebel team head for the Overmaster, stopping off in Benares to pick up some more recruits (and defeating some members of the Cadre in the process). The other Leaguers come under attack from the rest of the Cadre, under the leadership of Ice, but the Cadre members leave almost as quickly as they arrived. Meanwhile, Captain Atom's group encounter a number of people who have been employed by the UN to stop them reaching the Overmaster: the Leaguebusters.

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