MEMOS CENSORED BY THE D.E.O.

Debriefing Report On: Manipulation Powers

Agent: Operative 4182

Excerpt from Field Report: ...whose power is seemingly without limit. [Both entities code-named Cyborg have had the capacity to reshape entire cities, though the Titan of that name seems to have lost considerable power.] Doctor Polaris can throw around battleships....

... there unquestionably remains a sense of tactical and strategic thought. [The Cyborg Superman, the Linear Men, and the various Green Lanterns are all proof of this.] In a sense, it can be argued...

Note: Most of this memo was included on p. 132 of the DoS; the bracketed sections were either blacked out or deleted.

Subject: Energy Manipulation

Agent: Operative 4182, [who was immediately reassigned following this observation]

Excerpt from Field Report: "...In other words, [sir, he kicked Kalibak's hide from one end of the tarmac to the other.]"

Note: Most of this memo was included on p. 127 of the DoS; the bracketed sections were blacked out or removed, and the "severe reprimand" was added. Aside from not getting to flirt with Ms. Ferris, I don't see how reassignment was all that severe.

Subject: Kinetic Manipulation

Excerpt from JLA log file DC-1M #4: "My force-vision barrier will serve to cement your plasma bottle, Green Lantern."

Note: Remark by the Superman of the 853rd Century. (6)

Subject: Mechanical Manipulation

Interviewee: the Cyborg Superman

Excerpt from Field Report: "Stop me? You're building my victory, every day. Every wire laid, every appliance installed, every computer designed, brings me one step closer to absolute dominion. The future is mine."

Note: Remark made while incarcerated, to D.E.O. interrogators.

Subject: Organic Manipulation

Agents: Observation Team Iota

Excerpt from Field Report: "I find it ironic that I'm best known for changing men into pigs, when most of them are already so adept at doing it to themselves."

Note: Remark by Circe, immediately prior to transforming team into polliwogs (presumably for a change of pace).

Subject: Probability Manipulation

Excerpt from Silver Age file #1G: "Tch, tch! A hydrant breaking—out of the blue! What are the odds?"

Note: Remark by the heroine "Miss Fortune," thus far only seen once, helping to end the short-lived reign of the Injustice League of America. (7)

Subject: Reality Manipulation

Excerpt from Weird Report: You losers tried to put that Green Doofus in this note instead of me? HA! I'll show you what a real "super power" is!

Agent: Take a wild guess! ME! Mxyzptlk! And don't bother tryin' to take this note out of the book either, unless you really like 30s movie stars!

Personal note: The D.E.O. refused to allow me to visit 4181 after this "Memo" was removed from the Directive on Superpowers..

Subject: Time Travel and "Hypertime"

To: Executive Director Faraday

From: Operative 4182

Recently, the Challengers of the Unknown became involved in the strange series of temporal paradoxes that have plagued the world in the last several years. Professor Haly was kind enough to accept being debriefed by me while composing a report to Cadmus on said paradox. Their disappearance was actually a transition from our world to another, triggering a revelation with massive ramifications...time is not linear.

Prof. Haly, who says that he has a "basic understanding" of this phenomenon, was kind enough to explain some of the aspects of nonlinear time. He wouldn't divulge the source of his information, but he seems convinced of its accuracy, and I have seen no reason to doubt him. My only commentary is that Prof. Haly has a gift for understatement.

Many of the recent temporal crises that have arisen seemed to indicate that we exist in the only possible temporal continuum, the so-called one, true timeline that time travelers are interested in preserving or changing. Indeed, there seems to be some authority maintaining both our history and our future in our thread of "Hypertime."

Hypertime is the name given to the phenomenon of alternate temporal realities, as opposed to alternate spacial realities, which seem to be rare. The real potential and danger of Hypertime, however, is that it is not a simple continuum of alternate history scenarios. Apparently, according to Prof. Haley, Hypertime can be used to alter temporal threads by merging them selectively. It may even be possible to create a new thread by traveling to a time along the original thread and changing a key moment. Admittedly, at first glance, this sort of alteration seems little different from the threat posed by "normal" time travel, but in fact it provides a considerable cushion of security—and an even greater threat to history. To quote Prof. Haly: "Unless the theoretical temporal authority reverts that moment to its original state, a new timeline is born."

When a time traveler moves to the past or future, it appears that minor alterations are absorbed by the flexible nature of Hypertime, and major alterations become their own time threads. In this manner, Hypertime is actually a protective force, preserving our past. However, someone with power over Hypertime itself can theoretically create an alternate time thread to his/her/its liking, then merge the preferred timeline with our own. The exact motives for this are uncertain, since our theoretical Hypertime traveler could create any history he desires, but the danger may exist.

On the other hand, the benefits should be equally obvious. If the Department were able to view different Hypertime threads, for instance, we could determine the best operation for any given situation. In addition, due to Hypertime's volatility, full-scale invasions across Hypertime seem impractical at the moment. Unless provided with some sort of protection, apparently very difficult to come by, objects moved through Hypertime cause the Hypertime threads to begin blurring, or merging, over (pardon the phrase) time. Finally, the "proximity" of Hypertime threads seems to be related as much to the emotional investment in particular events as to actual similarity in histories. This means, in theory, that in some timeline, the way we remember the heroes of the past is actually represented in fact.

Don't laugh, we may need them some day.

Note: Originally, my report on Prof. Haly's observations was going to be included in the DoS. The decision was made to use the Professor's original report (which can be found on pg. 138) instead. Attached to my original memo was the note shown to the right:

Subject: Temporal Manipulation

Agent: 4182

Excerpt from file: Flash III: "Look, I can't tell you anything about—geez, you already know? Okay, fine. It was like...each timeline, what you call a 'Hyperthread,' had this unique...vibration. I can't call it anything else. It wasn't like anything was really vibrating, in a physical sense. But we were lost in this Hypertime stuff. What's worse is, I can travel in time. I hate doing it, but I can manage it. So Linda and I had all of infinity to search through, as time ghosts, trying to get home." --Wally West, on his efforts to return from banishment by Abra Kadabra.

Note: And we had to reassign 4182 again after West mentioned that he looked familiar. One more such incident and 4182, regretfully, must be terminated. Keep a lid on this.