Haunted

Young Justice #1: "Haunted" is the second issue of the official Young Justice spin-off comic series.

Solicitation
It's moving-in day for Superboy and Miss Martian as they choose their rooms at their new headquarters! But the Boy of Steel is haunted by the cave's memories and strange visions of his past...

Synopsis
The Team is assembled in the Cave, and introduced to Miss Martian. While the rest return home, Batman orders Superboy to stay until Red Tornado arrives. Wally suggests he'd pick out a room first, as he was scared of him sleeping in the closet. M'gann agrees, and they check out the mountain. She comes up with a lot of ideas to decorate all the rooms, but Superboy is largely silent. He picks out a storeroom that is hardly bigger than the closet he slept in at the Wests' house.

Superboy meets up with Red Tornado, who is busy updating the computer systems. He tells Superboy about the history of the Cave, how a crisis drove the Justice League here when they had just formed, how the mountain was hollowed out by Superman and how it became their base, until they moved to the Hall of Justice. The conversation dies down, and Red Tornado leaves by Zeta-Beam to pick up more components for the computer system. Superboy dozes off, dreaming about how he was discovered.

He wakes up hearing a clicking sound, and someone running, obscured by shadow. He checks it out, calls out to the mysterious guest, but gets no reply. Instead, a strange laughter fills the room. He finally spots the intruder, a young man. The kid is surprised to see someone else there. When Superboy turns around, the kid is gone.

After hearing the strange laughter again, the kid reappears. He tries to reach the Justice League over the computer, but can't contact them. Superboy is surprised this time; the young man does not see him. He believes the Cave is haunted somehow, especially as the kid, Snapper, spots the other intruder and uses the same words to him as he just had to Superboy. Poisoned darts fly and incapacitate the boy, but Superboy is not down. A bash on the head from behind changes that. The intruder mocks Snapper as a fool, who sold out the Justice League, and reveals himself to be the Joker.

To Be Continued!

Title
The title refers to Superboy who is assailed by ghostly manifestations in the Cave, and at one point believes the mountain is actually haunted by ghosts.

Characters
! colspan="3"| Non-speaking roles
 * colspan="3" | Aqualad
 * colspan="3" | Batman
 * colspan="2" | Joker (illusion)
 * colspan="3" | Kid Flash
 * colspan="3" | Martian Manhunter
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Snapper Carr (illusion)
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Martian Manhunter
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Snapper Carr (illusion)
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Snapper Carr (illusion)
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Black Canary
 * colspan="3" | Flash
 * colspan="3" | Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
 * colspan="3" | Captain Marvel
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
 * colspan="3" | Captain Marvel
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Zatara

Continuity

 * This story continues in the next issue.
 * The first timestamp picks up after the events of "Fireworks".
 * Wally mentions Superboy's habit of sleeping in a closet, which was shown in the previous issue.
 * The G-Gnome's illusion recreates a scene from four years earlier. Joker discovered the location of the League's base and attacked Snapper Carr inside. The Justice League had not yet gone public, and numbered only ten members, all present in the battle.

Trivia

 * The cover spoils the ending of the next issue.
 * Miss Martian compares Superboy's behavior to stories she's heard of Batman's disappearing acts. Batman is notorious for leaving in silence when his conversation partner has his back turned in the middle of a conversation. Commissioner James Gordon is the most frequent victim of this tactic.

Goofs

 * The opening scene recreates the end of "Fireworks", though there are several discrepancies.
 * Naturally, several sequences are folded into one: Miss Martian's greeting, Kid Flash's welcome, and the positions of the Team.
 * Red Tornado wasn't in the shot in "Fireworks".
 * Robin wore a brown jacket in "Fireworks" rather than a red one.
 * Miss Martian greeted with her left hand in "Fireworks" instead of her right.
 * Snapper has green eyes instead of blue.

Cultural references

 * Wally compares Superboy's habit of sleeping upright in a closet to Dracula, the vampire who slept in a coffin.