Infinite Crisis FAQ

Infinite Crisis Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Ross, with contributions from Dave DeLaney and Edwin Teh
Last updated June 8, 2006

GENERAL

1. This expansion becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed tournaments on May 27, 2006.

2. Identity

A character’s identity follows the diamond after its name. Starting with this expansion, if a character’s name isn’t followed by a diamond, its printed name is also its identity in all zones. This rule also applies to cards from past expansions. Characters usually have one identity, but they can gain more.

Example: Rex Tyler ◊ Hourman and Richard Tyler ◊ Hourman both have the identity Hourman. Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson has the identity Dr. Fate, as does Dr. Fate, Hector Hall. Helm of Nabu reads, “Equipped character can be equipped with any number of Fate Artifacts, gets +1 ATK, and gains the identity Dr. Fate.” While equipped with Helm of Nabu, Rex Tyler gains the identity Dr. Fate in addition to the identity Hourman.

2.1 Shared identity

Two characters share an identity if one or more of their identities match. The matching identities need not be printed identities.

Example: Heroic Rescue reads, “Target JSA character you control and all non-Army characters you control that share an identity with it have reinforcement this turn.” Mordru reads, “When Mordru comes into play, choose a team affiliation and an identity. Mordru gains the chosen affiliation and identity.” When he came into play, you chose the JSA affiliation and the identity Hourman. You also control Dr. Fate, Hector Hall and Richard Tyler ◊ Hourman, equipped with Helm of Nabu. If you target Richard Tyler with Heroic Rescue, then all three characters have reinforcement this turn, because Richard Tyler and Mordru share the identity Hourman, and Richard Tyler and Dr. Fate share the identity Dr. Fate.

2.2 Identity is a quality

There are two types of continuous modifiers from effects: those that alter qualities (like identity) and those that don’t.

Example: A Moment of Crisis reads, “Choose an identity. Characters you control gain the chosen identity this turn.” Identity is a quality, and the modifier created by this effect alters that quality. As a result, affected characters are flagged on resolution (namely, characters you control), and the modifier will apply only to those flagged characters this turn, whether or not they remain under your control. The modifier won’t apply to characters that come into play or under your control after it’s created.

3. Free costs

Starting with this expansion, payment powers that formerly had cost “Pay 0 endurance” now have cost “Free.” These costs are identical. All free powers in this expansion can be used only once per turn.

Example: The Joker, Permanent Vacation reads, “Free >>> Each opponent draws cards equal to the number of cards in his hand. Use this power only once per turn.” You can use this power whenever you have priority, paying nothing to do so, but only once per turn.

4. “In combat”

This expansion introduces the term “in combat.” A character is in combat while it is an attacker or a defender. A character is “in combat with a character with greater cost” while attacking such a character or defending against one or more such characters.

Example: Michael Holt ◊ Mr. Terrific, a JSA character with cost 3, reads, “Exhausted JSA characters you control get +2 ATK / +2 DEF while in combat with a character with greater cost.” You control an exhausted Michael Holt and no other characters. If your opponent team attacks with a 4-cost character and a 1-cost character, Michael Holt gets +2 ATK / +2 DEF while he is defending and the 4-cost character is attacking. If your opponent team attacks with two 4-cost characters, Michael Holt gets only +2 ATK / +2 DEF while defending against both attackers.

5. Loyalty—Reveal

“Loyalty—Reveal” is a new keyword that means, “If you don’t control a character that shares an affiliation with this card, then as an additional cost to recruit this card, reveal a character card from your hand or resource row that shares an affiliation with this card.”

Example: Shazam has loyalty—reveal and only the Shadowpact affiliation. You can recruit Shazam if you control a Shadowpact character. If you don’t control a Shadowpact character, you must reveal a Shadowpact character card from your hand or resource row as an additional cost to recruit Shazam.

6. Tag keywords

This expansion introduces the keywords “vengeance” and “backup.” Like ally, these keywords “tag” cards that have similar powers. There are no new rules to learn for these keywords.

Vengeance characters have powers that trigger whenever they become stunned.

Example: Cheetah reads, “Vengeance: Whenever Cheetah becomes stunned, characters you control get +1 ATK this turn.”

Backup cards have activated powers that can be used only during the build phase.

Example: Surveillance Pawn reads, “Backup: Activate >>> Non-Army characters you control get +1 ATK this turn. Use this power only during the build phase.”

7. Triggered powers with a condition

This expansion introduces triggered powers worded as follows: “[When event occurs] and [condition], [do something].” The [condition] is checked only when the power triggers; it’s not re-checked when the triggered effect resolves.

Now, there are three types of triggered powers with a condition, namely:

• “[When event occurs] and [condition], [do something].” This condition is checked only on triggering.
• “[When event occurs], [do something] if [condition].” This condition is checked only on resolution.
• “[When event occurs], if [condition], [do something]” This condition is double-checked on both triggering and resolution.

Example: Witchfire reads, “Whenever Witchfire stuns a character and you have 25 or less endurance, gain endurance equal to that character’s cost.” Whenever she stuns a character, her power triggers only if you have 25 or less endurance. When her triggered effect resolves, you gain endurance regardless of your endurance total.

Example: Abjuration reads, “At the start of the build phase, gain 5 endurance if you have 10 or less endurance.” Its power triggers at the start of the build phase regardless of your endurance total. When its triggered effect resolves, you gain endurance only if you have 10 or less endurance.

Example: Nightshade, Shadow Siren reads, “At the start of your attack step, if you have 25 or less endurance, you may have the controller of target unprotected character move it to his hidden area.” Nightshade’s power triggers only if you have 25 or less endurance at the start of your attack step. Her triggered effect is negated if you have more than 25 endurance on resolution.

8. Fate Artifacts and Pier 4

Three cards (Amulet of Nabu, Cloak of Nabu, and Helm of Nabu) have the version Fate Artifact and the power “Equipped character can be equipped with any number of Fate Artifacts.” As a result, you can recruit a Fate Artifact onto a character already equipped with one or more Fate Artifacts. However, you can’t recruit a Fate Artifact onto a character already equipped with a non–Fate Artifact equipment unless you control Pier 4.

Example: Pier 4 reads, “Each Fantastic Four character you control can be equipped with up to two equipment.” You control She-Thing, a Fantastic Four character, equipped with two equipment. If at least one of those equipment cards is a Fate Artifact, you can recruit any number of additional Fate Artifacts onto her. If neither is a Fate Artifact, you can’t recruit a Fate Artifact onto her. Regardless, you can’t recruit another non–Fate Artifact equipment onto her. (See also Dr. Fate’s Tower in the “Specific Cards” section.)

9. Concealed—Optional equipment

Concealed—Optional equipment:

• can be equipped to a hidden character (or to a visible character, as usual);
• is not put into your KO’d pile as the equipped character moves between areas;
• can be transferred from a visible character to a hidden character (or vice versa) if you have some way to transfer it.

10. Negative endurance

A negative endurance total is treated as 0 with two exceptions.

• When comparing endurance totals, negative totals are not treated as 0.
• When a player’s endurance total “becomes equal to” or “switches with” another player’s negative endurance total, that other player’s total is not treated as 0.

As a result, you can pay 0 to “pay half your endurance” if your endurance total is negative.

Example: Shazam reads, “At the start of the combat phase, if you have played no plot twists this turn, you may have target opponent’s endurance total become equal to yours.” Black Alice reads, “Pay half your endurance, rounded up >>> Black Alice gets +3 ATK / +3 DEF this attack. Use this power only once per turn and only while Black Alice is in combat.” You control both characters, have -3 endurance, and have played no plot twists this turn. Your opponent has 10 endurance. At the start of the combat phase, you may lower your opponent’s endurance total from 10 to -3. While Black Alice is attacking or defending that phase, you can pay 0 endurance to use her power.

11. “Two team affiliations among characters you control”

Two plot twists in this expansion (Allied Against the Dark and Checkmate Safe House) have “choose up to two team affiliations among characters you control” as an additional cost. You can play these cards even if you control no characters.

Two plot twists in this expansion (Justice United and Forbidden Loyalties) have “choose two different team affiliations among characters you control” as an additional cost. You can play these cards only if there are at least two team affiliations among characters you control.

Example: Allied Against the Dark reads, “As an additional cost to play Allied Against the Dark, choose up to two team affiliations among characters you control. Ongoing: Crossover the chosen affiliations. Exhausted JSA defenders you control get +1 ATK.” You control only two JSA characters. You can play Allied Against the Dark to give your exhausted JSA defenders +1 ATK, even though there is only a single affiliation among characters you control. However, you couldn’t play Justice United or Forbidden Loyalties in the same situation.

12. “When [cardname] is put into a KO’d pile from play, you lose the game.”

Three characters (Ahmed Samsarra; Harry Stein; and Maxwell Lord, Black King) have a power that reads, “When [cardname] is put into a KO’d pile from play, you lose the game.” This power triggers even if [cardname] is stunned when it leaves play, because effects that trigger off of a character leaving play determine whether they should trigger without regard for whether that character is stunned. The player who loses the game is [cardname]’s controller as it leaves play, not necessarily [cardname]’s owner.

13. Comes into play stunned

Two cards (Dodge the Bullet and Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird) can put a character into play stunned. If a character comes into play stunned, then:

• if it has a power that triggers when it comes into play, that power does not trigger;
• it does not become stunned while in play, so it does not cause stun endurance loss;
• powers that trigger whenever a character becomes stunned do not trigger;
• it does not come into play with a cosmic counter.

13.1 Errata to Mammoth

New: As an additional cost to recruit Mammoth, reveal a Fearsome Five character card from your hand.
When Mammoth comes into play, KO a resource you control, and when Mammoth is next put into a KO’d pile from play, put the top card of your deck face down into your resource row.
Whenever Mammoth becomes stunned, KO him.

Old: As an additional cost to recruit Mammoth, reveal a Fearsome Five character card from your hand.
When Mammoth comes into play, KO a resource you control.
Whenever Mammoth becomes stunned, KO him.
When Mammoth is put into a KO’d pile from play, put the top card of your deck face down into your resource row.

The new text moves Mammoth’s leaves-play power into the same paragraph as his comes-into-play power, changing his leaves-play power into a delayed triggered modifier that’s created when he comes into play (but not if he comes into play stunned). In other words, if he comes into play stunned, you don’t KO a resource, but you also don’t gain a resource when he’s put into a KO’d pile from play.

SPECIFIC CARDS

Adam Strange, Champion of Rann
Character, 2, JLA / Rann, 3 ATK / 2 DEF
Reservist
Reveal Adam Strange >>> If Adam Strange is in your resource row, KO target character with cost 1. If you do, KO Adam Strange and you may put a card from your hand face down into your resource row. Use this power only once per turn, only if Adam Strange is in your resource row, and only during the recovery phase.

The payment power above updates the printed card text. You KO the target character only if Adam Strange is in your resource row on resolution. You may put a card from your hand into your resource row only if you successfully KO the target character. You can use this power only once per turn.

A Moment of Crisis
Plot Twist, 2
Choose an identity. Characters you control gain the chosen identity this turn.
If you control a JSA character and A Moment of Crisis is in your resource row, draw a card.

Characters you control gain the chosen identity in addition to any other identities they have. Character cards you own that aren’t in your front or support row are not affected. Identity is a quality, and the modifier created by this effect attempts to alter that quality. As a result, affected characters (namely, characters you control) are flagged on resolution, and the modifier will apply only to those flagged characters this turn, whether or not they remain under your control. The modifier won’t apply to characters that come into play or under your control after it’s created.

Aspiring Pawn, Army
Character, 1, Checkmate, 1 ATK / 1 DEF
Concealed
Whenever Aspiring Pawn causes breakthrough while attacking a player directly, put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on Aspiring Pawn, and it loses the version Army and gains the version Knight.

Aspiring Pawn loses the version Army and gains the version Knight until it leaves play. It gains the version Knight in addition to any other versions it has. Losing the version Army has no uniqueness implications, because other Aspiring Pawns you recruit will not be unique (because they have the version Army).

Bart Allen ◊ The Flash, Impulsive Speedster
Character, 5, Speed Force / Teen Titans, 9 ATK / 9 DEF
Bart Allen does not exhaust to attack.
Whenever Bart Allen stuns a defender or causes breakthrough, Bart Allen cannot attack this turn.
Bart Allen cannot attack the same character more than once per turn.

Like other characters, Bart Allen is not a legal proposed attacker if he is exhausted. Unlike other characters, he does not exhaust when he becomes an attacker. His power will trigger if he is part of a team attack that stuns a defender. His triggered effect doesn’t go on the chain until after the attack concludes, but you can’t propose another attack in response to that effect because you can only propose an attack when the chain is empty.

Black Adam, Teth-Adam
Character, 5, Villains United, 10 ATK / 8 DEF
Vengeance: Whenever Black Adam becomes stunned, target character gets -3 ATK / -3 DEF this turn.

If Black Adam becomes stunned during attack conclusion, the triggered effect doesn’t go on the chain until after the attack concludes. If he is stunned during attack conclusion by a character with 8 ATK / 11 DEF, for example, you can target that character with the triggered effect, but that character won’t become stunned on resolution because it is no longer in combat with Black Adam.

Check and Mate!
Plot Twist, 5
Play Check and Mate! only during the draw phase.
As an additional cost to play Check and Mate!, discard a Checkmate character card.
If you have not played another card named Check and Mate! this game, characters cost 1 more to recruit this turn.

Your characters cost 1 more to recruit this turn, as do your opponents’ characters. On resolution, this checks whether you have successfully played (i.e., announced and paid the cost of) another card of the same name this game and does nothing if you have.

Cheshire, Jade
Character, 5, Secret Six / Villains United, 8 ATK / 11 DEF
Whenever a Secret Six character you control attacks, gain 1 endurance.
Whenever a Villains United character you control attacks, target opponent loses 1 endurance.

Whenever a character you control with both affiliations (like Cheshire) attacks, both powers trigger.

Dr. Fate, Hector Hall
Character, 6, Shadowpact, 12 ATK / 12 DEF
Concealed—Optional, Willpower 4
Other characters you control get +1 ATK for each equipment equipped to Dr. Fate.
Equipment you control and equipment cards you own in all zones have concealed—optional.

Concealed—Optional equipment can be transferred from a visible character to a hidden character (or vice versa) if you have some way to transfer it. If, for instance, you control Dr. Fate and he is non-stunned, transferable equipment you control can be transferred to and from hidden characters you control.

Dr. Fate’s Tower
Location, 2
When you flip Dr. Fate’s Tower, you may discard a card. If you do, search your deck for a Fate Artifact card, reveal it, put it into your hand, and shuffle your deck.
Backup: Activate >>> Transfer all equipment on a character you control to another character you control. Use this power only during the build phase.

The activated effect targets neither character. If you choose to transfer from a character equipped with two or more equipment, that equipment transfers one card at a time, in the order of your choice. As a result, if you successfully transfer one Fate Artifact from the chosen character, you must transfer all other Fate Artifacts equipped to that character. Equipment that can’t be transferred stays where it is.

Example: Pier 4 reads, “Each Fantastic Four character you control can be equipped with up to two equipment.” You control Pier 4; an unequipped Dr. Doom; and Thing (who has the Fantastic Four affiliation) equipped with Jetpack, Helm of Nabu, and Cloak of Nabu. You activate Dr. Fate’s Tower to transfer all equipment on Thing to Dr. Doom. If you transfer Jetpack first, the Fate Artifacts stay on Thing because Dr. Doom is not a Fantastic Four character. If you transfer either Fate Artifact first, you must transfer the second one as well, but the Jetpack stays on Thing. If Dr. Doom also has the Fantastic Four affiliation, you can transfer all three equipment as long as you don’t transfer the Jetpack last.

House of Secrets
Location, 1
Discard a card or pay 1 resource point >>> Gain 2 endurance and an additional 2 endurance if you control a Secret Six character. Use this power only once per turn.

You can pay this cost with 1 resource point only during your recruit step. You can pay this cost by discarding a card any time you have priority. Regardless of the payment method, you can use this power only once per turn. You check the affiliation of characters you control only on resolution.

Huntress, Earth 2
Character, 3, JSA / Gotham Knights, 5 ATK / 4 DEF
Characters you control and character cards you own in all zones gain the version Earth 2.

Applicable characters and cards gain the version Earth 2 in addition to any other version they have, but only while Huntress is in play and non-stunned.

A card with two versions (AB) has the “same version” as another card with versions AB, but a “different version” than a card with versions AC or a card with only version A. However, all four cards “share” version A.

It’s Not Over Yet
Plot Twist, 3
Play It’s Not Over Yet only during the recovery phase.
As an additional cost to play It’s Not Over Yet, discard a card.
Choose one: Recover target stunned Secret Six character you control; or gain endurance equal to the cost of target stunned Secret Six character you control.

You choose the mode (recover or endurance gain) as you play the effect, not when it resolves. The effect resolves before the recovery phase wrap-up, so if the endurance gain raises your total above 0, it can save you from losing the game that turn.

Join Us or Die
Plot Twist, 2
Stun target non-stunned character you control. If that character has the Villains United affiliation, you may recover it.

If you choose to recover the target, you do so immediately after it becomes stunned, before any player gets priority. You still take stun endurance loss, and any powers that trigger off the target becoming stunned (like vengeance powers) still trigger.

Stunning a character removes the attacker, team attacker, and defender characteristics. An attack with no attackers or no defender does not conclude until both players pass on an empty chain.

June Moon ◊ Enchantress, Good Witch
Character, 4, Shadowpact, 7 ATK / 7 DEF
Activate >>> Stun target character with cost 3 or less. If you have more than 25 endurance, that character’s controller moves June Moon to his front or support row, and she gains an affiliation of that player’s choice.

June Moon ◊ Enchantress, Bad Witch
Character, 6, Shadowpact, 12 ATK / 12 DEF
Activate >>> Stun target character. If you have more than 10 endurance, that character’s controller moves June Moon to his front or support row, and she gains an affiliation of that player’s choice. Use this power only during your attack step.

Both characters have similar activated powers. Both can target a character you control. June Moon gains the chosen affiliation in addition to any other affiliations she has, and she keeps it until she leaves play. If your endurance total is less than or equal to the specified number on resolution, June Moon does not move or gain an affiliation.

Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero
Character, 4, JSA / JLA, 8 ATK / 6 DEF
Discard a card that shares an identity with an attacker or defender you control >>> Power-up target attacker or defender you control.
Ally: Whenever a character you control becomes powered-up, it gets an additional +1 DEF this attack.

Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Heroine
Character, 3, JSA / JLA, 5 ATK / 4 DEF
Discard a card that shares an identity with an attacker or defender you control >>> Power-up target attacker or defender you control.
Ally: Whenever a character you control becomes powered-up, it gets an additional +1 ATK this attack.

Both characters have the same payment power. The target’s identities are not checked on resolution. If you control two or more attackers, the card you discard need not share an identity with the target.

Kate Spencer ◊ Manhunter, Fearless Renegade
Character, 2, JSA / Manhunter, 3 ATK / 2 DEF
Characters you control get +1 ATK while attacking a character with greater cost.
Free >>> Target hidden character an opponent controls can be attacked by characters you control with lesser cost this turn. Use this power only once per turn.

After the payment effect resolves, other restrictions can still prevent a proposed attack on the target—the target could be protected from a proposed attacker without flight, a proposed support row attacker may not have range, and so on. You can’t propose a direct attack on the target’s controller if any of the proposed attackers can legally attack the target.

Example: You play Kate Spencer’s effect targeting a hidden character with cost 7, and that target is protected by the only other character your opponent controls. You control two 6-cost characters, but only one has flight. You can attack directly with the character without flight because it can’t attack a protected character. You can’t propose a direct attack with the character with flight because your opponent controls a character it can legally attack.

Knights’ Gambit
Plot Twist, 2
Play Knights’ Gambit only during the combat phase and only if you control a Checkmate character.
If Knights’ Gambit is in your resource row, KO Knights’ Gambit and KO target non–Team-Up ongoing plot twist. Otherwise, replace that plot twist.

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Plot Twist, 2
Play 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . only during the combat phase and only if you control a Villains United character.
If 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . is in your resource row, KO 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . and KO target location. Otherwise, replace that location.

These cards have similar effects. Each has a single target, and what happens to that target depends on whether the source of the effect is in your resource row on resolution. If you play either card from your resource row and another effect turns it face down before resolution, you still KO that card (and the target), because it’s still the same object.

Mourn for the Lost
Plot Twist, 2
As an additional cost to play Mourn for the Lost, discard a character card.
Negate target non-triggered effect from a plot twist with cost 1 or less. If you control a Gotham Knights character, draw a card.

A non-triggered effect is one that doesn’t contain the words “when,” “whenever,” or “at the start of.” The target can be any of the following:

• An effect from a non-ongoing plot twist (like Nasty Surprise)
• A payment effect from an ongoing plot twist (like “replace Null Time Zone”)
• An effect from the “non-ongoing” part of an ongoing plot twist (like Null Time Zone’s “Choose a non-ongoing plot twist card name. Your opponents cannot play cards with that name this turn.”)

Mordru, Dark Lord
Character, 5, 9 ATK / 9 DEF
When Mordru comes into play, choose a team affiliation and an identity. Mordru gains the chosen affiliation and identity.

Mordru’s name isn’t followed by a diamond, so he has the identity Mordru in addition to the chosen identity. Mordru gains the chosen affiliation and identity until he leaves play, even while he is stunned.

Multiverse Power Battery
Plot Twist, 1
The controller of target character moves it to a different position. That player KO’s an equipment equipped to that character.
Ongoing: Each Earth 2 character card you own is not unique unless you control an Earth 2 character with the same name as that card.

The target’s controller moves it to a different position in its current area. You need not target an equipped character. If the target is equipped with two or more equipment, its controller chooses which equipment to KO.

An Earth 2 character is a character with the version Earth 2. The ongoing power essentially means that the uniqueness rule applies to Earth 2 characters you recruit only if you already control an Earth 2 character with the same name.

Example: You control Multiverse Power Battery; Superman, Clark Kent; and Batman, Caped Crusader. If you recruit Superman, Earth 2, the uniqueness rule does not put Clark Kent into your KO’d pile, because Superman, Earth 2 is not unique (because you don’t control an Earth 2 character named Superman). If you then recruit Batman, Earth 2, the uniqueness rule similarly does not put Caped Crusader into your KO’d pile. If you then recruit another Superman, Earth 2, the uniqueness rule puts both characters named Superman into your KO’d pile because the incoming Superman is unique (because you already control an Earth 2 character named Superman).

Obsidian, Todd James Rice
Character, 4, Emerald Enemies, 8 ATK / 6 DEF
Willpower 2
KO a resource you control >>> Target character you control gets +1 ATK this turn for each face-up resource you control. Use this power only once per turn.

You pay the cost on announcement, then count face-up resources you control and apply the ATK bonus once only on resolution.

Pawn of the Black King
Plot Twist, 4
As an additional cost to play Pawn of the Black King, discard a Checkmate character card and exhaust a location you control.
Target character loses all team affiliations and cannot have team affiliations other than Checkmate this turn.

The target loses all team affiliations (including Checkmate) this turn and can’t have affiliations other than Checkmate this turn. It does not gain the Checkmate affiliation from this plot twist.

Removed from Continuity
Plot Twist, 2
As an additional cost to play Removed from Continuity, exhaust a DC character you control.
Remove target stunned non-Army character from the game. You may discard a card. If you do, search that character’s controller’s deck, hand, and KO’d pile for all cards with the same printed name and version as that character and remove them from the game, and that player shuffles his deck.

A DC character is a character with the DC logo in its upper right-hand corner. You compare only the printed name and version of the card you removed with the printed name and version of the cards in its controller’s deck, hand, and KO’d pile.

Rook Control
Location, 4
Rook Control is not unique.
Activate >>> Move a hidden character you control to your visible area. If you do, move target visible Checkmate character you control to your hidden area.

You target a visible Checkmate character you control as you play the activated effect. If you control one or more hidden characters on resolution, you must choose one. You need not control a hidden character to play the effect, but if you don’t control at least one on resolution, the effect resolves but does nothing.

Taking Up the Mantle
Plot Twist, 1
As an additional cost to play Taking Up the Mantle, remove a JSA character card in your KO’d pile from the game and choose a character you control.
Put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on the chosen character.
Ongoing: The chosen character gains the identities of the card you removed.

The chosen character continuously checks the identities of the card in the removed-from-game zone, and it gains those identities in addition to any other identities it has.

Talia, Daughter of Madness
Character, 5, Villains United / League of Assassins, 9 ATK / 9 DEF
Whenever you discard a character card with cost 2 or less, if it is the first card you have discarded this turn, you may put it from your KO’d pile into your front row if you don’t control a character with the same name as that card.

If you’re asked to discard multiple cards simultaneously, you do so one at a time in the order of your choice. No player gets priority between each discard.

For example, if you’re asked to discard two cards, only one of which is a character card with cost 2 or less, you can choose to discard that card before the other one. If you do, Talia’s power triggers if you have discarded no other cards this turn, but the effect doesn’t go on the chain until after you discard the second card.

The Monitor, Guardian of the Multiverse
Character, 9, Crisis, 24 ATK / 22 DEF
Characters and resources you control cannot be KO’d by effects your opponents control.
Whenever a character you control becomes stunned, recover it.

Your opponents can still play effects that would KO characters or resources you control, but such effects will fail to do so when they resolve. The second power triggers at the same time as any vengeance powers of the stunned character, and the triggered effects go on the chain in the order of your choice. You still take stun endurance loss whenever a character you control becomes stunned.

The Rock of Eternity
Location, 4
At the start of your attack step, ready each JSA character you control that was exhausted as your attack step started and exhaust each other character you control.

This power takes note of all exhausted characters in play as your attack step starts, before you get priority. When the effect resolves, ready each “noted” character you control with the JSA affiliation and exhaust all other characters you control.

Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop
Character, 4, Checkmate, 8 ATK / 6 DEF
Concealed
Backup: Activate >>> Characters your opponents control get -3 DEF this turn while Valentina Vostok remains exhausted. Use this power only during the build phase.

Valentina Vostok’s modifier is the first that checks whether an object remains exhausted. When her effect resolves, her modifier is created only if she has not readied since she activated. Once created, her modifier applies until she readies or leaves play.

Example: You activate Valentina during the build phase. Before her effect resolves, you ready her with another effect, then activate her again. The effect from the second activation resolves first and creates a modifier because she has not readied since that activation. After successive passes, the effect from the first activation resolves but does not create a modifier because she has readied since that activation (even though she was exhausted on resolution). During your attack step that turn, you ready her with another effect, then propose her as an attacker. Her modifier ends when she readies, and it does not resume when she exhausts to attack.

Zazzala ◊ Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive
Character, 3, Villains United / Injustice Gang, 5 ATK / 4 DEF
Concealed—Optional
Whenever a character leaves play during the combat phase, target opponent loses 2 endurance. (This power triggers if Zazzala is stunned when she leaves play.)

Zazzala’s power triggers whenever a character controlled by any player leaves play during the combat phase, whether it is put into a KO’d pile, returned to hand, removed from the game, or otherwise removed from play. Her power triggers when she herself leaves play, even if she is stunned (because effects that trigger off a character leaving play ignore whether that character is stunned when determining whether they should trigger).