Four Kings or Five Fiends? However you name these ancient adversaries to altruists all-over, they are thorns in the side of justice. The League and the Society, especially.
In this twice-told-tale, we learn that pre-historic civilizations of super-humans lived (shades of Immortal Man) and remained in hibernation for centuries awaiting a modern age in which to regain strength.
The Justice Society's friend, archeologist Professor Matthews is drawn to a a section of Africa wherein he along with his colleagues discovers the chambers of Four Kings. Revived upon contact with the air, the four immediately attack and defeat the assembled Society. The Four Kings were Mr. Monarch, Senor Prince, Masked One and Mr. Clown; and the quartet split up over the course of a year recruiting large armies over four continents.
The Justice League member Aquaman is first to discover the existence of this Oceanic race of beings with its five survivors, who quickly spread out across the globe to influence the world around them. The Five Fiends were Tangora, Ku, Tane, Rongo the Jester and the lone female Mauri. Several sub-teams of Leaguers are dispatched to deal with the powerful beings.
Despite displaying immense abilities that rivaled those of our teams of Justice, each member of these "super races" were outsmarted by the teamwork of two to three heroes working together, even though each Fiend and King himself had armies of willing and obedient followers (or in the case of Tane plant life). There were warriors, intellectuals, eco-terrorists and jesters among these bands of baddies. And then Mauri herself whose counterpart was the equally alluring Osira who was just as ancient yet would torment the Society on another occasion, as would Mauri when she reappeared shortly afterher four fiendish friends clash with the League, both brainwashing the male heroes versus the Wonder Women, who proved more than a match for them.
In the end, the Fiends and the Kings met their end in an explosion rivaling that of several atom bombs. The parallels behind these tales, with timeless races of despotic ancients with eye zapping beams leading militaristic minions and going out in a blaze of glory (or inglorious infamy?) make this an obvious candidate for Twice-Told-Tale
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