In Stone Ridge, Vermont, the Gray Man abandons his mission to collect the dream stuff and begins to alter the town. Alerted by the Gray Man's actions, Dr Fate leaves Salem to prevent him rebelling further against his masters, the Lords of Order. Jack Ryder, alerted to the weird goings on in Stone Ridge, plans to visit with the intention of humiliating the Justice League. Having captured Dr Fate, the Gray Man explains how he came to be while at the Justice League's headquarters, the tension between Gy Gardner and Batman comes to a head and the Green Lantern is knocked unconcious with one punch. Dr Fate manages to communicate with the League and alert them to the Gray Man's plans to convert the whole world into one of his own making. Arriving outside Stone Ridge, the League find the Creeper who shows them the town has been changed into a bizarre landscape.