Atom Blake was working on his end-of-year project at the exclusive Grimoire Academy of Applied Knowledge. Atom appeared to be a 6-year old boy, small for his age, with black hair and black eyes. His room was decorated strangely for a normal contemporary 6 year old, however - he had posters of 40s movie stars and superheroes on the walls, models of World War II planes hanging from the ceiling, and a scattering of magical apparatus throughout the room, including a crystal ball, and a thurible, and crystals of all shapes, sizes and colors on almost every horizontal space. A table against the wall was covered with glassware, flasks, tubes, ewers, and a small oil lamp. One shelf over the table was devoted to 'solid' spell components in pouches, burettes, tins, and earthenware bottles, and the shelf above that was filled with an impressive number of bottles, flagons, flasks, alembics and phials, each partially filled with some exotic potion.

Of course, Atom wasn't exactly a normal contemporary 6 year old - he'd been born in 1929, had developed amazing super powers as he grew up, been age-regressed and condemned to perpetual 6 year old boyhood by a pair of evil demons in 1950, and spent 20 years in suspended animation, captured by Dr. Sivana in 1953 in a trap designed for Captain Marvel. And of course, he was already a powerful wizard in his own right!

In fact, his perpetual youth was the reason he'd enrolled at the Grimoire Academy last year. The curse cast on him by the demons Blaze and Satanus had produced an unexpected side effect, and granted him magical abilities. As his control of his magic grew, he had attempted to cure his condition - there might be many people who thought immortality to be a blessing, but Atom realized that being stuck at 6 forever would be intolerable. He had been 21 and courting the woman he planned to marry when the demons had cursed him, and he remembered the glimpses he'd had of some of the joys of life that he would forever be denied if he remained trapped at 6. Perhaps he would learn something that could help at the most advanced Institute of Magical Studies on the planet.

He'd been unhappy when he discovered that the Academy was located on the secluded private Isle of Tourmaline and surrounded by a magical protective barrier (which looked like a fog bank) that not only shielded the island from discovery by the outside world, but also prevented magical arrivals or departures (such as by flying or teleportation), and that he'd be isolated from his family and friends for 9 months a year. But he'd quickly adjusted; the school's excellent magical communications systems allowed him to keep in close touch with those acquaintances who knew of his powers, and he'd learned more about magic in the past 9 months than he had ever imagined was possible. Plus, he'd made a lot of new friends among both the faculty and students.

Because of his years of prior experience using his powers, he'd been admitted to the fifth-year class despite the fact that most of his classmates all appeared to be 5 or more years older than he was. He'd had to study extra hard to catch up in some academic areas, while his years of experience gave him an advantage over his classmates in others. He expected that next year would be easier, as he had closed the gaps between his own knowledge and that of the 'normal' 6th year student.

For his final project this year, he'd convinced his advisor to let him do an analysis of the accidental time-stoppage spell he'd encountered, and dissipated on the South Sea island of Maloana a couple of years back*.

*(see Bulletman & Bulletgirl: The Castaways).

He hadn't realized before he started the end-of-term project that it was going to be much more difficult to reverse-engineer a spell than it was to simply cancel it, and he'd had to ask for an extension. The school year ended today, October 31, 1987, and most of the students had already caught a boat for the mainland but he would be here until he finished the project. He could have asked for an academic exception to finish between terms, but an exception would automatically drop his grade a half point, and he needed an Aleph on this project to maintain his perfect 7.0 GPA.

Suddenly, he felt a wash of intense heat, as if a gigantic bonfire had flared in his room, followed instantly by an intense chill. Though he'd never himself actually cast the spell he had been studying with such fervor that he instantly recognized the side effects - somehow a time-stoppage spell had just been activated. "Uh Oh!" he thought in panic. "I think I'm in troub…"

Atom came back to consciousness slowly. He was a little disoriented, and he had no idea how long he'd been unaware. As he gradually became more focused, he realized he could sense the time-stoppage spell, still active but no longer affecting him. He thought that his past experience with the spell, along with his current intensive study, might have made him partially immune, but he could figure that out for sure later. Right now, he began making preparations to dispel it once again. He was pretty sure, though, that even if he straightened things out himself, this little incident was going to shoot his perfect GPA to heck!

He got his feet, the ambient spell fighting his every breath and movement as if the air around him had turned to water. He recalled the spell he'd used on Maloana, and cast it again, but it didn't work this time. Whatever was powering this version of the time-stoppage spell was much more powerful than the best the old Shaman, S'ville had been able to muster. Atom rummaged around his room, gathering some mystical ingredients, ground them to powder in the pestle. He then mixed the power with a potion he pulled from the upper shelf and, while chanting, quaffed the new potion. The pressure around him eased, and he knew he would be able to move normally until the potion wore off, though he wasn't sure how long that would take. Then he took a quick look out his window to learn whatever he could. He assumed it has been his investigation that had somehow started this mess, which made him the guy who needed to resolve it. He was wrong about the cause, though.

In the quad in front of his dorm, he saw two familiar figures. Humanoid except for large horns on their foreheads similar to those on sheep, each about 7 feet tall, the male figure with coal black skin, the female blood red. Atom recognized them instantly. 'Blaze and Satanus!' he thought to himself. 'What are they doing here?' He first thought they must be here for him, but he quickly realized that they were headed for Strabo Hall, home of the Endor College of Necromancy. Atom strongly disapproved of Necromancy and avoided Strabo Hall, but Grimoire accepted students who studied all of the mystical arts. Atom did know, however, that recently the Endor College had received a new 'relic' for study - the corpse of a long-dead alien from the Aldebaran star system called the 'Space Ghoul', who had died fighting the Marvel Family in 1953**. Could the demons be here for the corpse of the Space Ghoul?

**See Marvel Family #80, February 1953. The Space Ghoul from Aldebaran had come to Earth looking for free meals - his species lived on carrion, preferably human flesh. They preferred it freshly dead, still warm, but weren't all that picky - and would gladly feast on rotting human corpses. The Space Ghoul had trapped Billy Batson, Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman in their human forms, but Billy had managed to summon the magic lighting just in time, and during his fight with Captain Marvel, the Space Ghoul had fallen on the knife he'd planned to use to butcher the three kids.

Atom wasn't reckless enough to tackle two incredibly powerful demons on his own, especially as this pair had already bested him once before, cursing him with eternal youth the last time they'd fought. But he wasn't going to simply hide from them either! He picked up a crystal from his desk, quickly crushed it with a mortar and pestle, then while chanting, he sprinkled the dust over the flame of an oil lamp. There was a flash as it vaporized, and the 'bamf' of displaced air as 4 beautiful young women appeared in his room!

Mary Batson was not totally used to being abruptly transported from her dorm room to an unknown location, particularly when she was changing clothes; nonetheless she was used to responding instantly to danger. She shouted her magic word "Shazam!!!" and the mystical lightning flash and accompanying roll of thunder only added to the confusion of the other three women in the room. Not so for the delighted Atom Blake, however.

"Ha, ha! I saw your underpants!" he crowed victoriously to Mary Marvel! Sometimes he couldn't help acting 6 years old…

"Atom Blake, I have a good mind to swat your bottom for that!" she said, in as mean a tone of voice as she was able - which wasn't very mean, as Mary Marvel is one of the sweetest people on Earth! "You better have a good reason for bringing me…" she paused as she noticed the other young ladies in the room, continued, "… for bringing US all here!"

'Us' included: a tall, shapely blonde beauty with an awesome tan, dressed in an beautiful, glittering green floor length evening gown, draped in a sash which read 'California Miss' and wearing a domino mask; a very pretty redhead, dressed as a witch complete with black robes, pointy hat and a broomstick, also wearing a domino mask; and a hot brunette dressed for clubbing, with shiny black leather hot pants and revealing lace-up vest and high-heeled thigh-high boots, all trimmed in gold lame. For a moment, Atom didn't know where to look, and more than ever hoped he could find a way to lift his youthfulness curse!

"Like, hi, other Marys!" the blonde was the next to speak. "Like, wow, Totty, that is some totally awesome Halloween costume! Hillbetty here and I are headed for our sorority's costume party, and, like, neither of us would DARE dress like that, much as we like totally wanted to! Like, we'd be totally slapping boys' hands away all night!"

"This isn't a costume; I'm properly attired for a social evening in London" the girl who had been addressed as 'Totty' responded with offended British dignity and accent. Then she totally changed tracks "I say, it's very good to see you blokes!" The girls gathered together for a round of hugs with their best friends. Atom interrupted.

"Hey, we don't have time for all that icky girl hello stuff!" he piped up. "Mary Marvel has to help me take care of Blaze and Satanus!" He wasn't exactly sure why his spell had brought 4 girls here; he'd only wanted Mary Marvel. He hoped the others wouldn't get in the way!

"Satanus shore is a spooky nai_um" the 'Hillbetty' commented, her accent pure Deep South. "Who all are Blaze and Satanus?"

"I'll show you." Atom waved his hand, and a scene appeared in the air in front of the group. Blaze and Satanus were trying to smash their way through the closed door of Strabo Hall. Even though they were reduced size and seen through a mystical vision, the girls could feel their palpable auras of powerful menacing evil.

"Mary Marvel and I will take care of the demons. You other girls wait here where it's safe" Adam ordered, his high-pitched voice deadly serious. The girls started giggling, even Mary Marvel.

"Look, those two are deadly! I should know, I've fought them before! It's too dangerous for a bunch of girls!"

"You're in for a surprise, Atom." Mary Marvel laughed. "Turn your back!" She remembered what she'd been wearing when she arrived, and Atom had already had a big enough eyeful. He didn't turn away immediately. "Now!" she sternly raised her voice. He shrugged, and obeyed.

"Shazam!" the magic lightning struck again. What was Mary doing? Atom didn't need any more un-powered girls, regardless of their attire (or lack of), he needed the powers of Selena, Hippolyta, Ariadne, Zephyrus, Aurora and Minerva, all rolled into one girl - he needed Mary Marvel. So he was relieved when Mary once more spoke her magic word - and puzzled as he realized the other 3 girls were saying it along with her. "SHAZAM!!!"

The magic lightning struck again - but this time, it was 4 times brighter, 4 times louder, and delivered 4 times the Power of Shazam. With his mystical senses, Atom could feel the awesome magical powers now arrayed in his room, and he almost started to feel sorry for the demons. Almost, but not quite! But even though he suspected, he was not quite prepared for the sight that met him when he turned back to the girls. Where before had stood the majestic form of Mary Marvel and 3 beautiful, sexy, but 'normal' teen age girls, he now witnessed one of the most awesome assemblages of superheroines in history - Mary Mavel and the 3 Lieutenant Mary Marvels, blonde Valley Mary, redheaded Mary Belle and brunette Posh Mary.

You can see a picture of the Lieutenant Marys here

"Wowzer!" was all he could say as his mouth dropped open.

"Like, let's like totally wipe the floor with those icky demons!" was Valley Mary's battle cry. The 4 Marys flashed out the window, and Atom belatedly followed, hoping the Marys would leave him some battle action!

Surprisingly, the pair of demons had not yet managed to batter down the door to Strabo Hall before the Worlds' Mightiest Girls were upon them. They somehow sensed the approaching heroines and turned to face them. The two demons had every reason to believe that incipient battle would be similar to the Ali-Wepner heavyweight title fight, with the demons in the role of Ali. Wepner had fought valiantly, and even knocked Ali down once, but the outcome had never been in doubt. After all, these two claimed Shazam, one of the most powerful human wizards in history, as their father, and a full-fledged demoness as their mother. They had no way of knowing that their mother had lied to them about the identity of their father, but they actually did inherit awesome powers from their real father. And no assemblage of humans, not even one including the 4 Worlds' Mightiest Girls and the not inconsiderable power of Atom Strange, Boy Wizard, could come close to matching their powers. But Atom and the Marys had an unexpected ally.

The Grimoire Academy had been located on the Isle of Tourmaline for almost 3000 years. The ancient wizards who had discovered the Isle had theorized that it might be a remnant of the sunken continent of Atlantis, based on the natural concentration of mystical forces focused here. Literally hundreds of the most powerful mages throughout history had contributed to the magical spells defending the Isle, and the Academy, from invaders. This magic accumulated and merged with underground pools of natural mana, then began to seep into very heart of Tourmaline, slowly imbuing the Isle with a semblance of mystical life and awareness. It was this awareness that perceived the unnatural threats posed by the invaders Blaze and Satanus and joined in the battle.

Magical fire washed from the hands of the two demons, and flared towards the incoming heroes. From nowhere, a powerful wind rose up, driving the flames back at the intruders. The 4 Marys flashed towards the pair of demons and attacked with all their power!

Mary Marvel slammed a roundhouse right to Blaze's jaw, while Valley Mary connected to her stomach with a super powered sidekick, accompanied by a powerful 'Kaiai!' At the same time, Posh Mary slammed viciously into the side of Satanus' neck like a guided missile while Mary Belle tackled him at the knees. Both demons were slammed into the thick wooden doors, which virtually disintegrated into splinters with a crashing noise like an exploding artillery shell. As they fell, stony hands grew from the floor and held them down firmly.

Blaze screamed in anger, and the hands exploded violently. "Go, brother, and rescue the Space Ghoul! I will rend these abhorrent children until they beg for my nonexistent mercy!" She began to grow in size, while Satanus flew at high speed down one of the intersecting corridors. Blaze swept her giant (and still growing) arm in a vicious arc towards the heroines.

"Split!" Mary Marvel ordered her friends, as she flew up and over the blow. "Mary Belle, you're with me." She and Mary Belle flashed down the corridor after Satanus, while Valley, Posh and the late arriving Atom Blake carried the fight to Blaze. Mary Belle was the least dangerous fighter of the Lieutenant Marys, so Mary Marvel was making her teams as even as possible. Satanus had slowed for just an instant, and the two Marys slammed into him like twin missiles, knocking him against a wall, which bulged powerfully and slammed him back at them. Mary Marvel unloaded another roundhouse, and he skidded further down the corridor on his back, digging a groove into the ancient marble floor. Mary Belle quickly flashed ahead and landed on his chest with both feet, driving him more deeply into the floor, which finally gave up and shattered - and the battling foes dropped into the basement.

Valley Mary was a student of karate, and she was practicing the precise science of blows and kicks on Blaze. Posh Mary's style was that of a Liverpool football hooligan, fast and cruel, using elbows and knees viciously. Atom was using his magic to try and restrain the demoness, and Tourmaline itself protected the heroes while occasionally pummeling Blaze as well. Soon she had flames leaking through rents in her ghastly demonic skin, her left arm hung loosely, and she limped as her right knee stiffened to the point where she could no longer bend it. By rights, she should have escaped by vanishing into her own dimension, something even the magic of Tourmaline couldn't prevent. But instead, she stayed and painfully battled on.

Satanus was taking an equal beating as he tried to move through the basement. Mary Belle knew no fighting styles, so she emulated sports - using football tackles to knock Satanus from his feet or battering him with a length of pipe like a baseball bat. Mary Marvel forged steadily ahead, battering him with lefts and rights to his head and body as he would stumble backwards. Though he also was taking serious damage, like his sister leaking flames and having problems using his limbs, he continued to retreat rather than escaping to his own dimension. Finally the attacking heroines trapped him with his back to a wall, and he could retreat no further. Bleeding flame, an eye swollen shut, with the demonic equivalent of broken ribs, one leg almost totally worthless, he faced the Marys for his final stand.

The charged him at their top speed, flashing down the corridor like runaway missiles. Satanus had fooled them, just a little, and he managed to twist and turn and both Marys missed him and crashed into the wall. There was an explosion of mystical energy as powerful wards reinforcing the walls shattered, instantly and violently, temporarily stunning the unsuspecting heroines, who fell to the floor, dazed.

"Fools!" the demon roared at them triumphantly. "The wards on this room were proof even against my magic. Without your help, I couldn't have entered here!" Before they could recover, he was moving towards a table, on which something lay, covered by a sheet. He pulled off that sheet to reveal a green corpse which Mary Marvel recognized instantly.

"It's the Space Ghoul! But why would you want to rescue a corpse?" she asked the battered demon as she rolled over and started to struggle to her feet.

"He's not a corpse. His species can enter a state of suspended animation when they are severely injured" the demon replied. He snapped his fingers and the corpse sat up.

"Too bad YOUR species doesn't have that option!" Mary Belle shouted as she again charged to the attack.

"Too late, fools!" the demon shouted in triumph. He leapt forward, and the instant he touched the now revived alien, they disappeared. In the entrance hall above, the battered Blaze vanished at the same instant.

A few minutes later, the Marys and Atom Blake were back in his room, discussing the incident.

"We beat the CRAP out of those demons!" Atom crowed triumphantly, almost shouting. "But I don't understand one thing" he paused, a curious look on his face, waiting until he had the attention of all 4 girls. "Why was rescuing the Space Ghoul so important to them that they let us beat them up so bad? Why didn't they just give up and go home as soon as they realized how badly we were wiping them out?"

The girls looked at each other with knowing grins, and shared a chuckle of secret amusement. "Why, Atom, surely even you must know…." Mary Marvel started to reply…

and all the others joined in "… that demons are a ghoul's best friend!"