Story: "Totems" (48 Pages)

Credits: Tom Peyer (plot, script); Duncan Fegredo, and Richard Case, and Dean Ormston (pencils, inks); Ellie de Ville (letters); Alex Sinclair (colors, color separations); Cliff Chiang (assistant edits); Stuart Moore (edits)

Feature Characters: Bernie Madden (first appearance), John Constantine (last in Vertigo: Winter's Edge #3, next in Hellblazer #144), Animal Man (last in Day of Judgment #4; next in Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. #8), Swamp Thing (last in Vertigo Secret Files: Swamp Thing #1; next in flashback in Swamp Thing Vol. 3 #2), Black Orchid III (last in Black Orchid Vol. 2 #22; next in Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1), Robotman II (last in Doom Patrol Vol. 2 #87; next in Secret Files & Origins Guide to the DC Universe 2000 #1), Shade the Changing Man II (last in Shade the Changing Man Vol. 2 #70, next in Vertigo X Anniversary Preview #1/10))

Villains: Aliens, cultists, and strange mutations (first appearance of all)

Guest Appearances: Brother Power the Geek (last in Vertigo Visions: the Geek #1), Phantom Stranger (last in Day of Judgment Secret Files #1), Zatanna (last in Day of Judgment Secret Files #1, next in JLA #38)

Other Characters: Sara (Bernie's former girlfriend), Dave (her new man; first appearance of both), various party guests

Synopsis:

New Year’s Eve, 1999. John Constantine has invited a herd of odd characters to his Millennium Party, and Bernie Madden has crashed the event to meet them all. Madden, an amateur researcher of “freaky events” has this crazy idea that entering the year 2000 will bring the world into a new era of fundamental changes. And this shift of paradigms can only be comprehended by the “totems” of the new world – i.e. the likes of Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and other guests assembled. Although not really caring about Madden’s theories, Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Black Orchid and Shade the Changing Man agree to investigate the matter by using their powers, and involuntarily create the very same crazy world Madden has predicted. After realizing that Madden and they themselves are the cause of the madness, the heroes once again combine their powers to set the world straight.

Later, Madden breaks into the house of his former girlfriend Sara and tells her his story, but she doesn’t believe it nor care about it.