What's the Story?

Young Justice #5: "What's the story?" is the sixth issue of the official Young Justice spin-off comic series.

Solicitation
Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy and Miss Martian are ready for their first mission as a team. To get to know each other better, they decide to trade stories around the campfire, revealing how they all started as crimefighters. Will this bring them together or underscore their differences?

Synopsis
Wally is at the Cave watching TV, but there's nothing on. He decides to chat up Miss Martian, in the hopes of "doing something together". After dismissing several ideas, Kid Flash suggests watching the stars and making s'mores. Miss Martian agrees, but while Wally gathers supplies, she invites the rest of the Team over. The night under the stars becomes a full camping trip just outside the Cave.

At first, everyone is somewhat uncomfortable. Wally is still miffed he doesn't get a chance to be alone with Miss Martian, M'gann is on a sugar overload from the s'mores, and Superboy does not see any practicality in staying in flimsy tents. To break the ice, Robin suggests telling stories. Miss Martian asks Aqualad to tell his origin.


 * Aqualad grew up in Shayeris, and entered the military for mandatory service at age 12. He transferred to the Conservatory of Sorcery shortly after. It was all different from Shayeris, but he made great friends in Poseidonis.


 * One day, Ocean Master attacked the city, and after a fight that lasted hours, he defeated Aquaman. Kaldur'ahm and Garth attacked Ocean Master to protect their King, but were no match. However, their actions allowed King Orin to recover, and defeat Ocean Master. He was impressed with the courage of the two students, and decided he could use a protégé, like Batman and Green Arrow. Kaldur'ahm accepted and became Aqualad.

Kid Flash continues with his origin, and that of the Flash legacy.


 * Jay Garrick received his powers in a freak lab accident at Lampert laboratories. During the 40s and 50s, he was everywhere as the Flash, the fastest man alive. He did not think to use a secret identity, which allowed a young fan to track him down. After talking for hours and hours, that fan decided to recreate the events of the explosion under laboratory conditions. He too is granted super-speed, and becomes the second Flash. Because his explosion was controlled, he is faster than Jay.


 * Later, Wally West discovers his uncle Barry Allen is the Flash, his favorite superhero. But Barry was less than pleased at the discovery of his journals, and does not want to bear the responsibility of a partner. Determined to make his uncle change his mind, he recreates the explosion with his chemistry set. He blows up his room and end up in the hospital, apparently without super speed.


 * Barry feels guilty about Wally's accident, but Iris tries to convince him it's not his fault. But as they were his notes Wally worked off, it was. After getting out of the hospital, the experiment started to show its effects, and Wally gained super speed—though not nearly as fast as the previous Flashes. Reluctantly, Barry agrees to take Wally as his partner, but only if he follows his orders completely. He becomes Kid Flash.

Robin is not impressed—he heard it all before, but at Miss Martian's request that he tell his origin, he declines, as Batman does not want him to reveal his secret identity. Kid Flash jokes that they'll get more stories out of Superboy. Miss Martian has already heard how Superboy was rescued from Cadmus, but no-one of the team really knows what happened to him at the lab. Superboy tells the rest he has some memories, though most were implanted by the G-Gnome. He did not learn to think for himself until after he was liberated, and remembers little of what Cadmus fed him. The only thing on his mind, though... is destroying Superman.

Title
"What's the story?" is a turn of phrase normally used as a greeting or to ask someone how they have been. In this issue, it refers to the Team sitting around a campfire and sharing their origin stories.

Characters
! colspan="3"| Non-speaking roles
 * colspan="3" | Aqualad
 * colspan="3" | Flash (Barry Allen)
 * colspan="2" | Iris West-Allen
 * colspan="3" | Kid Flash
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Kid Flash
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Aquaman
 * colspan="3" | Batman
 * colspan="3" | Flash (Jay Garrick)
 * colspan="3" | Garth
 * colspan="3" | Green Arrow
 * colspan="3" | Mera
 * colspan="3" | Ocean Master
 * colspan="3" | Speedy
 * colspan="3" | Superman
 * colspan="3" | Topo
 * colspan="3" | Tula
 * colspan="3" | Mera
 * colspan="3" | Ocean Master
 * colspan="3" | Speedy
 * colspan="3" | Superman
 * colspan="3" | Topo
 * colspan="3" | Tula
 * colspan="3" | Superman
 * colspan="3" | Topo
 * colspan="3" | Tula
 * colspan="3" | Topo
 * colspan="3" | Tula
 * colspan="3" | Tula

Trivia

 * Lampert, the laboratory where Jay Garrick had his accident that gave him super-speed, is named after Harry Lampert, one of the creators of the Flash.

Goofs

 * Wally's, Iris's, and Barry's eyes are all blue instead of green.
 * Aqualad tells Miss Martian Superboy is 16 weeks old. However, he was 16 weeks old when he was rescued on July 4; by this time, he should be 18 weeks old.

Cultural references

 * While zapping TV channels, Kid Flash mentions he already has a Slap Chop.
 * M'gann is reading The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. In the comics, Martian Manhunter often read science fiction novels and watched movies about Martians. The miniseries DC: The New Frontier even went as far that he considered them comedies.