Overview

Wonder Woman and Power Girl fight side-by-side against a foe who may be more powerful than both of them combined!

After battling some mummies, Power Girl picks up Wonder Woman's lasso. When Diana asks Kara where she's going next, she replies, "To murder Superman in his Fortress..."

The issue opens up with Power Girl and Wonder Woman fighting their way through mummies, and Wonder Woman says she sees a solution on how to finish this. She asks Power Girl to clear a way for her towards altar, but Power Girl doesn’t see what she means. Wonder Woman says she’s not starting an argument, but she believes that in Man’s World, brute force doesn’t accomplish anything. She unhooks her lasso and wraps it around the altar, which holds a glowing orange ball and yanks it off with her lasso. An explosion happens and all the mummies fall to dust. Wonder Woman thanks Power Girl and Power Girl is just as confused as she asks what she did to defeat them. Wonder Woman explains that she noticed mummies nearest the altar fought with greater strength, so the orb gave them a life-force.

Power Girl says that wisdom wins this time, but brute strength will work next time. She picks up Wonder Woman’s lasso and gives it to Wonder Woman. At that point, Wonder Woman asks where Power Girl is off to, and while holding the lasso, Power Girl says, “To murder Superman in his fortress.” The both of them stand shocked and Power Girl is confused as to why she would say such a thing. Wonder Woman says that she was holding the lasso; that’s why she was telling the truth, but she also adds that she was surprised when she told the truth. Wonder Woman adds that Power Girl looked like she was hypnotised when she said that.

Power Girl shoots off to the sky and says she’s going to find who’s controlling her. Wonder Woman tells her to wait and wraps the lasso around Power Girl. She struggles to let go, and threatens to snap her lasso. Wonder Woman replies that it’s not just a “rope”, it’s a magic lasso and even Kryptonians are even vulnerable to magic. Power Girl replies that she is not from this universe, so it doesn’t affect her. She tells Wonder Woman that she respects her and will give her a chance to let her go. Wonder Woman replies that since Superman is in danger, it’s everyone business and adds that they’re alike. Power Girl replies that they’re nothing alike. Wonder Woman calms her down, and asks her to remember anything during the week. Power Girl thinks and remembers Thursday, which was just her usual day in the office. On Wednesday, she remembers the same thing and on Tuesday she didn’t even leave headquarters, but on Monday, it comes up blank. Wonder Woman tells her to calm down. Power Girl then remembers a stone; a yellowish stone in her fist. Power Girl then continues on about an alchemist, a man in the shadows, and she remembers the name “Megistus”. Wonder Woman then thinks up the library and thinks up the worst case scenario with “Not that…”

Wonder Woman goes on to explain the Royal Library of Alexandria and that it was the storehouse of all human knowledge. It contained thousands of scrolls and carvings recording the secrets of the Ages. Megistus, who was a powerful wizard and saw the library as only loot and so he plundered the library on the texts about alchemical science. Then he burned the library. They arrive outside the library as Power Girl carries a chest full of oils and Wonder Woman with a large jar. Wonder Woman mixes a few ingredients together. Wonder Woman explains that Amazonian faith has taught them many things – Power Girl interrupts and asks if it’s patience – but Wonder Woman says that it has taught them that the library still exists. Power Girl says that the library is burned down, but Wonder Woman replies that she was just recounting a legend. She continues to explain that the fire was just an illusion. He really didn’t destroy it, but stole it and put it in his own dimension. A portal opens from the ingredients Wonder Woman mixed together from before. Power Girl asks if they walk in, but Wonder Woman says that they “knock”. Together, they punch the portal and are transported to the library. Power Girl comments on the state of the library, and how much dusting it would need. Wonder Woman replies that it isn’t covered in dust, but it’s made of dust. She explains how ironic how this library is, as it holds all kinds of secrets but no one can read it, because if anyone does, this library would surely fall apart.

As Wonder Woman and Power Girl fall into their arguments again, Power Girl finds the man and shoots straight for him, almost destroying the library. Wonder Woman tells Power Girl to calm down because they don’t know what they’re up against. The strange man replies that Power Girl certainly knows who she’s up against, and introduces himself as Mr. Alchemy, heir to Megistus. He holds up the Philosopher’s Stone and explains to Power Girl that she should’ve listened to Wonder Woman and exercised patience. Now, he is the one ambushing her. He then casts a spell, “Stone to air, oxygen… to cyanide.” Wonder Woman is unprepared, but Power Girl explains that she doesn’t need to breathe. “Some just need to cave your face in!” she continues. She gets him to drop his weapon, and he complies, too easily, and throws it to Power Girl. Wonder Woman, struggling to breathe, tells her to drop the stone, but it’s too late. Mr. Alchemy sends his spirit into the stone, through to Power Girl. Power Girl, controlled by Mr. Alchemy then begins destroying the library and Wonder Woman is shocked.

Through Power Girl, Mr. Alchemy explains that with the Stone, he absorbed everything in the library without even touching it. Now that he can destroy it through Power Girl, he is the only one that knows the knowledge contained within the library. He asks Wonder Woman, “Comforting?” while she is buried under the debris. He continues to explain that she shouldn’t be concerned with the library of yesterday, and should be concerned with the man of tomorrow and continues to explain that it’s Superman she should be worried about, as his Fortress of Solitude is about to become a tomb of solid kryptonite. Power Girl punches Wonder Woman out, and carries Mr. Alchemy’s body out, off to kill Superman.

In the Arctic Circle, Superman comments on the great location of his Fortress of Solitude and perfect for a private meeting; he greets Power Girl. Power Girl says, “So many colours to choose from. Gold, green, white…” and Superman is confused by this. Power Girl then says, “But this is my favourite, “and brings out the alchemical one, the one that brings change, red kryptonite. Superman transform into a strange alien form. While Mr. Alchemy continues to rant on, Power Girl fights through, with “Kal?”, but he tells her to stay down and not to interfere. Mr. Alchemy explains that Wonder Woman is racing here to set this right. He continues to say that there’s no way she could sneak up on her, even with all her stealth and grace and says that she is no where in sight, when Wonder Woman flies through and hits Power Girl. Wonder Woman punches Power Girl, without knowing that Mr. Alchemy has gone out of Power Girl’s body and Power Girl tells her that it’s her again. Wonder Woman trusts her and she unhooks her lasso and holds the stone with her lasso. Wonder Woman tells her to take care of Superman. Wonder Woman then flies up in the sky and asks Athena to forgive for what she is about to do and throws the stone up into the sun. Wonder Woman returns and Power Girl tells her that Superman is going to be okay. She asks her Power Girl where she dropped Mr. Alchemy’s body, and Power Girl replies in London. She also asks if the body had reconnected with the stone. Wonder Woman ponders that if it did… because Wonder Woman had thrown it into the sun, and so he must’ve been destroyed as well.

Superman then asks humorously, how an attack, that left the Fortress of Solitude in debris, is considered a strategic attack? Wonder Woman explains that she was trying to scatter as much kryptonite as possible. Power Girl mentions that she rammed a plane into Superman’s house. Wonder Woman replies that it wasn’t the best, but it still worked. Power Girl and Wonder Woman fly off to allow Superman to rebuild his house.

Some days later, a man and a woman are reading a book and the man is reading about the incident that happened with the Philosopher’s Stone. The fact that it happened only days ago, but is seen in an ancient paper is strange. The man also comments on the second mention of “Megistus” and that “feels like the key”. The man asks another man who has just come in to investigate that and says that he will, but first, “Phoenix.” Another man then interrupts, and tells them that reports of an animal was seen downtown, and that all the animals there are extinct.