The man known to the world as Lightburst flew over the expanse of Central Park. It was a bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon. Many office workers were outdoors enjoying their lunches in the park. Lightburst spotted those he was supposed to meet and descended to the ground below.
He had been contacted earlier that morning by one Patricia Eisenhart, Celebrity and Fashion Correspondent for the local Central Broadcasting Incorporated affiliate. She requested an interview and being the gentlemen that he was, Lightburst agreed to meet her in Central Park with her crew. The fact that she was a knockout certainly weighed heavily in his decision!
Patricia Eisenhart was seated on one of the many benches with her cameraman and her producer close by. She was tall with fiery red hair and sparkling green eyes. As always she was impeccably dressed.
"Lightburst!", Patricia said flashing her famous smile. "I'm so pleased that you could make it."
Lightburst, face safely hidden behind his full mask, eyed the beautiful reporter. He fantasized about spending the evening with this lovely creature. "My pleasure, Patricia. I never could refuse a lovely lady." Lightburst kissed her hand as he spoke.
"And a proper gentleman as well. Please sit, I have an appointment to keep in an hour. Shall we begin?"
"Of course."
Patricia took a seat and Lightburst took a position next to her. The cameraman positioned himself for the best picture and adjusted the lighting stands. While this was going on, Patricia studied her notes. Once her Producer signaled that all was ready, she began.
"Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Patricia Eisenhart and today I'm interviewing the superhero Lightburst, who has recently rejoined the Avengers. Thank you for being here today, Lightburst."
"My pleasure, Patricia."
While the two conversed, Patricia's producer took up a position near Lightburst, but remained off camera. Unexpectedly, an ethereal dagger emerged from her forehead and flew unerringly at the unsuspecting Lightburst! The dagger stuck Lightburst in the side of his head and he screamed in pain!
Before Lightburst could recover, a volley of ethereal dart-like objects flew from the cameraman's hand. These darts struck Lightburst in the forehead and he was nearly rendered unconscious. Patricia finished the job by swinging her large purse into Lightburst's head. He slumped unconscious on the bench. Strangely enough, no one in the immediate area paid the slightest bit of attention to any of this.
"Excellent!", the producer hissed. "The simpleton fell right into our trap!"
Her form shimmered and changed into Lady Darkness! Likewise, the cameraman became Lord Evil while reporter Patricia Eisenhart was revealed to be the Chameleon!
"Agreed, my love." Lord Evil inspected Lightburst to ensure he was unconscious. "Likewise, well done, Chameleon. You played your part to perfection."
"The fool didn't have a clue," Lady Darkness continued. "He didn't even notice as I cast my Spell of Concealment."
"We should depart immediately, milords." The Chameleon wearily eyed an unsuspecting couple that passed dangerously close to the hidden villains.
"Agreed." Lord Evil cast a spell and he and the Chameleon vanished. Lady Darkness did likewise and she and Lightburst were gone as well...
| Roll Call: |
|---|
 Black Diamond |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Lightburst |
 Muskateer |
 Nightingale |
 Thing |
"I am Jeeves, Madame."
"Jeeves?", she questioned.
"The butler, Madame."
"Butler?"
"Really, Madame. I thought the world famous Black Diamond was above stooping to parrot imitations. My papers." The man reached into his vest pocket and produced a folded document. He handed it to Black Diamond with an elegant gesture.
Diamond quickly glanced at it. "I see... Everything seems to be in order. My apologies, Jeeves, I had not been informed of your impending arrival." Black Diamond made a 'come in' gesture and then closed the door.
The Avengers had butlers before to handle the more mundane tasks around the mansion. Their previous gentlemen's gentleman had retired when the old Mansion was destroyed. Luckily, it exploded on his night off. With all the tasks and problems facing her since that time, Black Diamond hadn't even considered a replacement.
"I understand, Madame. On the other hand, I have been fully briefed by Mister Gamble. You'll find my security clearance more than adequate."
"Yes, it is. I fact, it's higher then our newest members." Black Diamond refolded Jeeves' papers and returned them to him. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters."
"Jolly good, Madame."
Black Diamond led the way to the staff's quarters a good-sized chamber located on the first floor of the Mansion, just off the kitchen. As she was helping Jeeves with his things, Black Diamond's communicator went off.
"Diamond here."
"It's the Enchantress. Could you come to the Communications Room when you get the chance?"
"I'll be right up. Diamond out." Turning back to Jeeves, she added, "If you care to accompany me, I'll show you around and introduce you to the rest of the team."
"As you wish, Madame."
A few minutes later, the duo entered the Communications Room where the Enchantress was currently on monitor duty.
"Gwen, this is Jeeves, our butler. Jeeves, this is the Enchantress. You may call her Gwen for short."
"Now this is a pleasant surprise," the Enchantress said, extending her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Jeeves. We could sure use you around here."
"I have noted that, Madame." He shook her hand briefly, while surveying the surroundings.
"Anyway, what's up, Gwen?", Diamond finally asked.
"I don't like to complain, but Lightburst is almost two hours late to relieve me."
"I see," Black Diamond said with a thoughtful look on her face. "It's not unheard of for him to do this. But still..." Taking out her communicator, she attempted to reach Lightburst. Diamond received no reply. "Now this is strange.... If it's not a problem, could you stay on duty a while longer?"
"It is not a problem."
"Great. Everyone else is out for the day, and I don't want to disturb Ben while he's recovering from his wound inflicted by Mechassassin. I'll finish showing Jeeves around and getting him settled in. If Lightburst isn't back by then, I'll complete his shift."
"Okay," the Enchantress nodded. "Either way, I have a matter to discuss with you when you return."
About half an hour later, Black Diamond has returned. Lightburst remains AWOL.
"What's on your mind, Gwen?"
"I've done some follow up work on the crystal in the photos. I showed it to several other magicians, including my own instructor."
"And...?"
"It was entirely unknown to each of them. This can only lead me to the conclusion that it's not of this Earth, possibly not even this dimension. That is why its magic residue was so strange," Gwen explained.
"This mystery just gets stranger and stranger," Diamond said, slowly shaking her head. "An alien crystal blows up the Avengers Mansion? Hard to believe."
"I concur. However, that is to what the evidence points."
April 2nd, 1986:
Late the next morning, we find Muskateer and Firestar sitting in the same Communications Room...
"I really appreciate this, Musky." Firestar was seeking tutorial help with her studies. Mathematics was not one of her strong suits.
"Hey, if anyone appreciates this, it's me!" Most of the Avengers found Monitor duty to be boring and tedious. Muskateer was no exception. He stared intently at 'Star's workbook, desperately trying to keep his mind off his young companion. She sat directly next to him, peering questioningly at the problem. A light smell of honey came from her freshly washed hair. "It's really not that complicated, Cassie. All you need to do is solve for 'X' in this equation."
"You make it sound so simple."
"It's not hard once you get the hang of it, kiddo. Now what you do is--" A soft buzzing sound and flashing light came from the Communications Board interrupting Muskateer. "Hey, looks like something's happening! The perimeter alarm has gone off."
Setting the workbook aside, Muskateer devoted his full attention to the screens on the console. Firestar rose and looked on with great interest. Muskateer worked the controls and soon the cause of the alarm appeared on the monitor. A large man with charcoal gray skin and jet black wings was rapidly approaching.
"Any idea who that is?" Firestar couldn't place the figure displayed before her.
"Beats me, but he's right outside! C'mon!" Muskateer exited from the Communications Room and made his way out to the Mansion's roof. He scanned the sky for a few seconds until he located the dark intruder. "Man, he is one UGLY sucker!" But still there was something vaguely familiar about him...
Firestar followed right behind Muskateer, pausing only long enough to change into her heroine costume. "Pretty creepy looking if you ask me!"
The dark figure came closer and hovered nearby. "I sense that the magician has been here...." The gray skinned being's words were not directed to anyone in particular. Then his eyes locked on to the pair of Avengers. "Children... Heroes of the Light. Bring her before me and I will spare you."
"A female magician?" Muskateer repeated. "He's got to be talking about the Enchantress!"
"I get the feeling that this is not one of the good guys!", Firestar whispered to her teammate.
"Bingo," Muskateer answered.
"Aye, I seek the one you called the Enchantress," the dark intruder commanded. "She will pay for what she did to me!"
"Hey, I know who this bozo is--", Muskateer said, as the realization came upon him. "It's Dark Seraph! Blast him!"
Firestar didn't need to be told twice. The young heroine raised her arms and a concentrated blast of fire shot from her hands! However, Dark Seraph's jet black wings closed to shield him from the blast, sparing him most of the harmful effects.
Muskateer drew his sword and pressed a button on the hilt. An arc of electricity leapt off and slammed into the dark form before him. Neither attack had done any serious damage to the Angel of Darkness. "Fools! You have not the might to stop me! In the name of darkness, lightning strike! I command it!!"
Both heroes looked at each other as nothing happened after Dark Seraph's proclamation. "Sounds to me like--" Muskateer stopped speaking as he saw that Dark Seraph had suddenly turned and began flying away. "Take cover!!"
Firestar dove forward and flew off the roof, while Muskateer ran back towards the way he had originally come. A split-second later, a bolt of black lightning streaked in from the sky and impacted on the very spot where the two heroes had just been standing!
Elsewhere, Black Diamond was seated in her office, conversing with her friend Nightingale.
"I don't like it," Diamond said as she played with a pencil. She was concerned, as Lightburst hadn't been heard from since yesterday morning.
"It's not like Seymour hasn't pulled this before." Nightingale had been a teammate of Lightburst long enough to know his general habits. "Disappearing for days at a time is almost normal for him. You know how little regard he has for rules. He's probably found some foolish young girl to entertain him."
"I know," Black Diamond said with a sigh. At one time she and Lightburst had dated, however Lightburst didn't seem content with just any one woman. She had learned that lesson the hard way. Even thought it had occurred years ago, she still felt some of the pain from Lightburst's cruel actions. "It just doesn't feel right...."
Black Diamond stopped in mid-sentence as she felt a familiar tingling from her sixth sense. "Something's wrong here..." A second later the mansion shook from what sounded like an explosion! "We're under attack!"
The heroines raced from the office and down the hallway. Rounding the corner they were both surprised to see that a gaping hole had been blown in the southeast side of the mansion.
"What in the world--" Black Diamond was nearly at a loss for words. "We just had this place rebuilt and it's already been blown to pieces! 'Gale, try to locate the others. I'll take a look outside."
Nightingale nodded and closed her eyes. Her mind ranged over the area and quickly located the others in the mansion. Fortunately, none of them appeared to be seriously hurt; their minds were strong and active.
Black Diamond flew out from the huge opening and scanned the area. Her sixth sense was no longer buzzing; the sky was clear. From this vantagepoint, she could see the full extent of the damage. Ground zero appeared to have been on the roof near the southeast corner of the Mansion. A spherical shaped blast hole remained. Most of the outer wall was gone, the rooms in that part of the house were exposed to the elements.
Diamond spotted Firestar sprawled on the lawn outside the Mansion underneath some debris. Landing, Black Diamond quickly unburied the young heroine. A quick examination revealed that she was unconscious, but didn't appear to suffer any serious injuries.
Elsewhere, Nightingale picked her way through the third floor of the Mansion. The damage was the heaviest here, but didn't look beyond repair. The floor groaned slightly as she walked, but a collapse didn't seem imminent. She found her target in the remains of the English Conservatory. Buried under several of the large plants and bits of debris was the Muskateer. He was beginning to stir.
"Muskateer, are you alright?"
"Yeah-- Anyone get the license number of that truck?"
Nightingale mentally pushed the debris aside and helped Muskateer to his feet.
"Thanks. Cassie! Is she--?"
"She's okay. Linda is with her right now. What happened here?", Nightingale asked.
"It was Dark Seraph. He said he was looking for the Enchantress!" Muskateer located his sword in the debris and cleaned it off. Looking around at the destruction, he said, "Man, I hope this doesn't come out of my paycheck!"
"We had best join the others." With that, Nightingale took to the air and floated down to ground level.
"How come everyone else has all the neat powers?!" Muskateer turned and made his way towards the stairs. "They can either fly or change clothes just by thinking about it. It's not fair!"
A few moments later, Muskateer joined his teammates. Not too far behind him was the Thing. A large bandage was wrapped around his torso. "Holy Cats!", he said when seeing the damage.
"You okay, 'Star?", Muskateer said, concerned about his teammate.
"I'm okay. Just some cuts and bruises. I'm just glad we moved when we did!"
Black Diamond turned towards Muskateer, looking annoyed. "Hey, don't look at me!", Muskateer said, catching the look in her eye. "Dark Seraph did it!"
"I know, however, next time follow procedure. Sound a general alarm when enemies are approaching."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Dark Seraph did this?" The Thing had tangled with this self-proclaimed Angel of Darkness before. "He's a tough customer."
"But not invincible," Black Diamond added. "It's been years since Seraph last appeared. I wonder what he's been up to. And why he's suddenly out for revenge against the Enchantress."
"I'd say that we better find Gwen and fast. Before the Dark Dipstick gets to her." Muskateer was eager to get his shot at Dark Seraph. No one tried to blow him up and got away with it!
"Agreed," Black Diamond said. "Ben, you stay here. You're in no condition for combat."
"But--"
"No buts, Mister Grimm. Get your rocky rear back to bed or I will carry you there personally."
Ben Grimm thought about that for a second and seemed amused. "Yer worse then my Aunt Petunia," he grumbled and walked off.
"Muskateer, see if you can locate Gwen via her communicator."
"Right!" Muskateer began using his Comlink to try and contact the Enchantress.
"Chris, tend to Firestar's wounds. We'll meet in front in five minutes!"
As Black Diamond made her way back inside the Mansion, Jeeves approached her. The butler didn't even seem fazed by the destruction. "Madame, I've taken the liberty of contacting the contractor. They'll be here shortly."
"Good work, Jeeves. We'll be leaving in pursuit of the party responsible for this shortly."
"Understood, Madame."
Twenty minutes later, the four Avengers landed on the corner of 5th Avenue and West 58th Street drawing many looks from passersby. Black Diamond sat Muskateer down and looked around. Nightingale and Firestar touched ground moments later. Muskateer worked a small device that was about the size of a paperback.
"According to these readings, 'Tress is in there," Muskateer said, pointing to a large brick structure. Muskateer had tried to contact the Enchantress, but her Comlink was off. However, it could be tracked and it had led the team to Mid-Town Manhattan.
"The Enchantress sure has expensive tastes," Black Diamond noted, as the tracker had lead them to Jean Paul Lafitte, a fairly expensive French eating establishment.
As the quartet neared the restaurant, they spotted Gwen sitting at a table near the front window. To their genuine surprise, sitting across from her was Allen Kingston, a local reporter for World Network News. "Not to mention gettin' cozy with a reporter!" Muskateer exclaimed.
"Let's not jump to any conclusions," Black Diamond said. "But this certainly complicates things. 'Gale?"
Nightingale nodded and concentrated on the Enchantress. The sorceress' mind was well disciplined and resisted the mental probing. Nightingale however was stronger and broke through, making contact. 'Gale quickly began to explain the situation.
Inside the restaurant, Gwen looked confused for a moment. After listening to the telepathic message, she spotted her teammates and waved to them. Gwen rose, kissed Allen Kingston on the cheek, and walked out of sight.
"She's on her way," Nightingale reported.
Suddenly, the Enchantress appeared in their midst startling the assembled Avengers! Gwen had changed into her heroine outfit and teleported out to the street from the ladies room of Jean Paul Lafitte.
"Sorry, I'm late! You say that Dark Seraph is loose again?", the Enchantress asked.
"I got to see his ugly puss up close and personal," Muskateer said. "It was definitely him."
"This is not good," the Enchantress decided.
"Do you have any idea why he'd be after you?" Black Diamond was looking for an explanation.
"In fact, I do. You see, I--"
Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, a dark form passed through the sidewalk and rose into the air! As he passed, he grabbed the Enchantress with one large arm and summoned another bolt of black lightning!
"Take cover!!" Muskateer screamed the order and dove for safety.
Everyone ran off or flew off, seeking shelter. People in the street ran every which way.
The bolt struck with devastating fury, as if a bomb had exploded. Cars close to the impact point were thrown aside as if they were mere toys. Bodies were strewn everywhere. Nearby buildings were damaged, their walls blown out, windows shattered. It looked like a war zone.
High over head, Dark Seraph rose with the struggling Enchantress. Her arms were clamped to her sides, held there by Seraph's superior strength. Without her hands free to cast spells, the Enchantress was basically helpless.
"It is useless to resist," Dark Seraph offered. "Your fate is sealed."
"Listen to me! You're being used! Your crown was created by--!" The Enchantress was cut off as Dark Seraph slapped her with his other hand. The force of the blow stunned her.
"Silence! I shall now have my revenge! I will imprison you in the same state that you left me. You will remain in a deep sleep for all eternity!"
"Not today, Seraph!" Black Diamond streaked onto the scene and punched Dark Seraph in the face! He, and the Enchantress, fell back towards the street but Seraph recovered before they could impact.
Black Diamond flew in again, but this time Dark Seraph was ready. He avoided her blow and reached out with his free hand, grasping her neck. With all his incredible strength, Dark Seraph began to squeeze! Black Diamond's hands instinctively reached up and grasped Seraph's. His strength was considerable, but she was stronger. It became a race to see if she could break his hold before she blacked out from lack of oxygen...
Down on the street, Muskateer crawled out from behind an overturned car. "This guy's really beginning to annoy me!" Looking around he couldn't see Firestar or Nightingale. People staggered about, shell-shocked from the look of it. Many more were down and hurt. Looking up, Muskateer spotted Dark Seraph, Enchantress still in his grasp, choking Black Diamond! They were about twenty-five feet off the ground.
Muskateer ran towards the hovering trio, climbing over cars as he went. Once underneath them, he uncoiled his swinging line, made a lasso, and threw it. The swashbuckler's aim was true and the steel-reinforced line settled around Dark Seraph's left leg.
"What is the meaning of this?!" The Angel of Darkness felt the rope constrict over his leg. He tried to shake it off, but had no leverage to do so. His wings were beating rapidly just to keep him aloft and support the two women as well.
"Just little ol' me, dipstick! The proverbial fly in the ointment!" Muskateer quickly tied his line off to the towing hitch of a pick-up truck, anchoring Dark Seraph to the ground.
"Release me!", the angel of darkness commanded.
"No chance, English bed-wetting type," Muskateer said in an exaggerated French accent. He then grabbed the line and began to climb.
Meanwhile, Black Diamond's face was turning red, even though she was slowly winning the contest of strength. Little by little, the pressure on her throat was easing. Oxygen barely reached her lungs.
Muskateer reached the top of the line and avoided Dark Seraph's clumsy attempts to kick him. "Watch it, tall, dark and ugly!" Drawing his sword, he pressed one of the controls on the hilt and electrified the blade. Swinging around, Muskateer leaned upwards and made contact with Dark Seraph's restrained leg. The energy in the blade flowed through the villain and he let out a loud cry of pain.
Black Diamond used her teammate's distraction to break free from Dark Seraph's grasp and she punched him with all her might! Dark Seraph was rocked by the blow and unknowingly released the Enchantress! Amid the confusion, Muskateer reached for his falling teammate and caught her.
To the swashbuckling hero's horror, he realized that Dark Seraph had been thrown back from Black Diamond's powerful blow! Due to the fact that he had anchored Dark Seraph, the villain was traveling in an arc and was quickly gaining on the ground! Since Muskateer was still hanging on to that line, he too was rapidly approaching the ground!
"Ah MAN!", Muskateer exclaimed as he and the Enchantress fell towards the roof of a station wagon. Realizing that Gwen was still quite dazed, he twisted in mid-air to shield her from the impending impact.
Dark Seraph hit hard on the concrete. Muskateer landed with a crash, back first on the station wagon; the Enchantress on top of him. The tremendous force of the impact knocked the air out of his lungs.
The whole thing happened in a split second, far too fast for even Black Diamond to react. She hung in mid-air getting her breath back, the natural color returning to her face.
In spite of all the damage he had taken, Dark Seraph struggled to his feet. "The.. power of darkness... is supreme!"
"Not now, not ever!" Black Diamond closed on him once more and unloaded. He was unconscious before he landed some forty feet away.
On top of the station wagon, the Enchantress stirred. Muskateer was just getting his breath back. "That didn't hurt..," he uttered.
The Enchantress leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "My hero, " she said.
"God, I love this job!"
Several hours later, back at the Avengers mansion, the team was gathered around the dining room table. Jeeves had prepared the evening meal.
"Now this is some good eatin'," Muskateer commented, as he gulped down a forkful of food. Since becoming an Avenger, he had either eaten out or whipped up small meals for himself. It had been a while since he had a full blown home cooked supper. Neither had his teammates.
"Excellent, Jeeves." The Enchantress considered herself a connoisseur of fine foods and had to agree with her teammate's appraisal.
"Thank you, Sir, Madame," Jeeves said as he placed yet another helping in front of the Thing. "I aim to please."
Black Diamond entered and took her seat. "You'll be happy to know that Dark Seraph safely arrived at Ryker's Island."
"Great! That's one villain I'd rather not run into again," Firestar said.
"Agreed," Nightingale added. The explosion in the street had thrown her into one of the buildings. She was a bit bruised and battered, but suffered no serious injuries.
"Gwen, you've got some explaining to do." Black Diamond spread her napkin across her lap and tasted her meal.
"I suppose I do."
"Yeah, like what you were doing with a reporter?", Firestar added.
"Oh, that. No need for concern. Allen is my brother. He knows that I'm the Enchantress, but little more. We try to keep our professional lives separate."
"I see," Muskateer said taking a drink. "Then that would make your last name Kingston?"
"Correct. Now as for Dark Seraph, it's a bit more complicated."
"It always is."
"Apart from those groups that the public knows I associate with, I'm also a member of an informal, private association called The Circle."
"I've heard of The Circle," Black Diamond said, "but nothing more than rumors."
"The Circle is more like a school for mages than anything else. I received much of my training there. Warlock and the Sorceress did so as well. Several years ago we learned that a demonic entity known as Krim had forged three crowns: The Earth Crown, the Stone Crown, and the Iron Crown. Through these crowns, Krim could manipulate the wearers."
"We tried to convince Dark Seraph of this, but he wouldn't listen. After several confrontations, we managed to imprison him in the mountains of West Virginia. We cast a ward over him and thought him trapped forever. Apparently, we were wrong."
"No wonder he was so eager to get back at you."
The Enchantress nodded towards Muskateer. "Petty revenge. He's being used by Krim and he doesn't even realize it. The Stone Crown was used by a villain called the Grandmaster. We confronted him as well. Unfortunately, he perished by his own hand. PRIMUS was there and they took possession of the Stone Crown. As far as I know, they still have it in their possession."
"Who has the last crown?" This whole story had Black Diamond curious. The tale connected what she had once thought were seemingly unrelated events.
"The Earthmaster. We have been unable to recently locate him thus far."
"All in all, we did a good job today," Black Diamond concluded. "Especially you, Muskateer. Your quick thinking turned the tide of the battle."
"Just doin' my job, Ma'am."
"Spoken like a true super hero," the Thing said with a laugh.
Epilogue:
Lightburst awoke. He couldn't move his limbs, couldn't see, and couldn't speak. He tried to fire blasts of light from his hands but nothing seemed to happen. His entire body felt numb.
Off in the distance, he could hear the sound of a woman wearing high heels approaching. The sound grew steadily louder and louder until they suddenly stopped. Lightburst felt someone breathing on him and then she spoke.
"You should be honored. It's been far to long since anyone has endured my personal touch. You shall be the just the first of my new slaves. Soon, your entire live will only revolve around serving your empress. Just relax and enjoy the experience. I trust it will be most painful."
Something sharp surged into Lightburst’s head. Were he able, he would have screamed for a very long time....
