Countdown to Infinite Crisis 2005 NM-

Countdown to Infinite Crisis 2005 is a pivotal 80-page one-shot comic that served as the official lead-in to DC Comics' 2005–2006 "Infinite Crisis" event. Released on March 30, 2005, it was strategically priced at just $1.00 to encourage widespread readership. 

The Investigation of Ted Kord

The story centers on Ted Kord (the Blue Beetle II), who discovers that nearly his entire fortune has been stolen through his company. 

• The Dismissal: As he investigates, Kord seeks help from various Justice League members. Most heroes—including a cold and distant Batman—dismiss his concerns as a minor financial matter or "comic relief".
• The Betrayal: Alone and nearly bankrupt, Kord tracks the missing funds to a Swiss castle base. There, he discovers the organization Checkmate is using Brother Eye, a spy satellite created by Batman, to monitor and control the superhero community.
• The Murder: Kord confronts the mastermind, Maxwell Lord, his former Justice League financier. When Kord refuses to join Lord’s crusade against superhumans, Lord executes him with a single gunshot to the head. 
• The Secret Identity of Checkmate: Maxwell Lord is revealed as the "Black King" of Checkmate, transforming from a morally gray businessman into a cold-blooded villain.
• The OMAC Project: The issue introduces the OMACs, a fleet of humans transformed into cyborg assassins controlled by Lord via Brother Eye.
• The Cover Mystery: The original cover by Jim Lee and Alex Ross showed Batman cradling a shadowed corpse. The second printing removed the shadows to confirm Ted Kord as the victim.
• Branching Storylines: Kord's death triggered four separate miniseries—The OMAC Project, Villains United, Day of Vengeance, and Rann-Thanagar War—all of which culminated in the Infinite Crisis finale. 
• Writers: Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Judd Winick.
• Artists: An all-star roster including Rags Morales, Ed Benes, Ivan Reis, Phil Jimenez, and Jesus Saiz.