Story: "Chapter Seven: The Hero's Life" (30 Pages)

Credits:

Brad Meltzer (plot, script)
Rags Morales (pencils)
Michael Bair (inks)
Kenny Lopez (letters)
Alex Sinclai (colors)
Michael Siglain (assistant edits)
Mike Carlin (edits)

Feature Characters:

Atom II
Black Canary II, Elongated Man
Flash III (last in Flash Vol. 2 #217)
Green Arrow I
Zatanna (last in Flash Vol. 2 #216)

Guest Stars:

Batman (appears in Flash Vol. 2 #217 between pages of this issue)
Superman

Supporting Characters:

Sue Dibny (appears in flashback between pages of #1)
Martha Kent

Villains:

Jean Loring (revealed as the killer, also appears in flashback preceding her appearance in #1; next in Day of Vengeance #1)
Chronos I (next in ???)
Merlyn (next in Manhunter Vol. 3 #8)
Shadow Thief (next in Manhunter Vol.3 #5)

Guest Appearances:

Animal Man (next in Day of Vengeance #1)
Aquaman
Black Lightning Doctor Mid-Nite II
Ellen Baker
Firehawk (last in Flash Vol. #215, quits the hero life, next in Firestorm Vol. 2 #8)
Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Katana
Martian Manhunter (in Manhunter Vol. 3 #5 in between pages 1 and 25)
Mister Miracle II (Scott Free)
Mister Terrific II
Nightwing II (behind the scenes)
Robin III (next in Robin Vol. 2 #132)
Walter Reilly (behind the scenes)
Wildcat II
Wonder Woman I

Comment: Continued directly from the previous issue. One week elapses between page 16 and page 19.

Synopsis:

Batman and Doctor Mid-Nite have both made discoveries which point to Sue Dibny's killer's true identity. Meanwhile, Atom and Jean Loring are talking in bed, when Atom realises that Jean knows something about the case which she shouldn't. Her facade gradually crumbles and she confesses that she did indeed kill Sue Dibny with the aid of the shrinking ability of one of the Atom's old costumes, though she claims it was an accident. She wanted to get Ray back and thought the best way to do this would be to cause some danger to another League member's wife, but things went a little too far and she killed her old friend. Still, she achieved what she wanted to, making sure that Ray came back to her by staging an attempt on her own life. She also arranged for Captain Boomerang to break into Jack Drake's house and left the gun for Drake, hoping that he would kill Boomerang, who would then be blamed for the attacks. She claims she didn't expect Drake to die. Atom feels he has no choice and has her incarcerated at Arkham Asylum before shrinking as small as he can go and disappearing from his old life.

Slowly, the other heroes come to terms with recent events, with Elongated Man dealing with his grief by talking to Sue as suggested by Green Arrow. Some, like Firehawk, give up the heroic life, while others, like Flash, have had their view of the Justice League changed forever. But life will go on for all of them, even if nothing will ever be quite the same again.