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A battle involving Superman, the Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl against a Giant Robot being piloted remotely by Lex Luthor goes wrong when the destroyed robot, starting to self-destruct, collapses onto the unconscious J'onn J'onzz, John Stewart and Shayera. Flash races to use his whirlwind-creating speed to hold it up, but instead triggers an explosion that causes the robot and the four heroes to vanish in a huge explosion. When it fades away, the four heroes are gone.Meanwhile, the four then reawaken in an unfamiliar city, unharmed but confused. A local newspaper identifies their location as "Seaboard City", which none of them have ever heard of. Puzzlement has to wait, however, as a crime is being committed; a wild-looking red-haired man has just stolen one of the legendary Stradivarius violins from a local store; using an energy-blast-throwing accordian and a suped-up car that resembles a flute, the criminal, who goes by the name "Music Master", manages to escape — but not before the heroes recover the stolen violin.Which unfortunately leaves them looking like the actual criminals when the city's own defenders arrive. They promptly attack the displaced Justice Leaguers, until their own speedster sees Flash save a child from being crushed by rubble as a result of a misplaced blast. He immediately calls his friends to a halt, insisting that nobody willing to save a child could be a criminal.The local heroes take the Justice League quartet back to their headquarters, explaining that they are Seaboard City's defenders: the Justice Guild of America. Green Guardsman, who wields a mentally directed energy construct ring. The Streak, the team's super speedster. Tom Turbine, a genius whose "energy built" allows him to imbue himself with power to achieve feats including Flight and Super Strength. Catman and Black Siren, skilled martial artists. They also introduce the boy that Flash saved as Ray Thompson, their team mascot.The Justice Guilders and the Justice Leaguers talk, with John Stewart explaining that the Justice Guild of America were characters in a 50s comicbook series that he loved to read as a child. Tom Turbine and J'onn J'onzz theorize that the Justice Guild's world is one of myriad alternate worlds that form The Multiverse; the comic authors in the Justice League's world were subconsciously viewing the exploits of the Justice Guild, while Flash's absorbed vibrations from the giant robot opened a temporary rift that catapulted the Justice League into the Justice Guild's world. Tom Turbine reveals an interdimensional gate generator, but admits he hasn't found a way to power it yet. He promises to do all he can to get it running so as to send the Leaguers home.Meanwhile, Music Master is meeting with his own gang, the Injustice Guild — himself, Doctor Blizzard, Sir Swami and Sportsman. While the latter are skeptical of Music Master's claim that there are new heroes in town, they decide to throw a contest; whoever can commit the most successful crime based on the four elements (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) can instead direct the Injustice Guild in its next big organized crime.To the disbelief of the Justice League, the Justice Guild receives a letter warning them about the contest from the Injustice Guild itself, and the two superhero teams divide into four groups to go after each member of the Injustice Guild.Unfortunately, it doesn't work. Sir Swami easily escapes Green Lantern and The Streak with the "Flame of Rasputin" ruby. The Sportsman manages to defeat Catman and Martian Manhunter whilst making off with the trophy for a tennis championship. Music Master evades Hawkgirl and Green Guardsman whilst flying away in an antique airplane. And Doctor Blizzard's attack on a new city fountain not only goes off without a hitch, he captures the Flash and Black Siren in the process.The Justice League quit the field first. Regrouping at the Justice Guild's headquarters, Shayera has disturbing news for her teammates; while she lost Music Master, she found herself crashing into a cemetary — where she found headstones dedicated to each of the Justice Guild's members. The "Justice Guild" they have been speaking to aren't real. Refusing to believe this, John Steward flies off, forcing Hawkgirl to go after him. This leaves only J'onn to help when the Justice Guild return and immediately have to go and stop a blimp-based attack on the Seaboard City Mint by the Injustice Guild. After a fierce battle, they free their captured friends and return triumphant.Whilst they are doing this, however, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern are making unnerving discoveries. John Stewart also finds the same graves Shayera did; determined to find the truth, he sets out with her. Firstly, he interrogates the local icecream truck's driver, having noticed he constantly circles the city but never stops. The man refuses to say anything, but hints ominously at the presence of someone who would be dangerous if they heard what Green Lantern is trying to find out. At the local library, the books are all blank, while the newspaper archives are bricked up. When Shayera breaks through the wall, they find themselves in the mangled ruins of a subway station, where they find two old newspapers from 40 years ago. One announces the imminent outbreak of war, the other is more disturbing...When the Justice Guild, Flash and Martian Manhunter return to the Justice Guild's headquarters, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl confront them with the fact that the Justice Guild are not real — the second newspaper they found, dated the day that the Justice Guild comics stopped being published, declares the Justice Guild perished in an attempt to save Seaboard City from being consumed by nuclear war. Horrified, the Justice Guild are forced to admit that they are fakes — though they didn't know it.It turns out that of the Justice Guild, only the "junior Guildsman" Ray Thompson is real; forty years ago, the nuclear inferno of war mutated him into a grotesque being with powerful psionics, which he used to generate an ultra-real illusion that recreated the city and heroes of his childhood. In the resultant battle, Ray nearly defeats the Justice League... but the Justice Guild, declaring that they can repeat their sacrifice, turn on him, finally rendering him unconscious and revealing the desolation that is the reality of their world, fading away into nothingness with this last act of heroism.However, it turns out that Ray was not the only survivor; the other non-super people seen in the illusory Seaboard City were all human survivors, trapped in an endless loop-world to amuse Ray. They thank the Justice League from freeing them of their nightmarish prison, vowing to rebuild their home in reality.Exploring the ruins of the Justice Guild's headquarters, Green Lantern is able to power Tom Turbine's gateway generator with his ring and return them home.
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