"This is Allen Kingston with continuing coverage of 'Crisis at the Brooklyn Bridge'," the handsome reporter intoned. The ace WNN reporter was dressed stylishly as always, his short blonde hair impeccably groomed. Behind Allen, a multitude of fire fighters, paramedics, and police could be seen feverishly working in the disaster area.
"Word has just reached us that the architect of this disaster, a being calling himself 'the Ravager', has been defeated by the Avengers. Even as I speak, PRIMUS forces are preparing to take the villain into custody. We can only hope that this brings to an end the destruction and carnage that has been unleashed here today."
"As reported earlier, a portion of the Brooklyn Bridge has collapsed. How long it will take for this historic structure to be repaired is currently unknown. A huge portion of the docks to the south of the bridge have also been destroyed and at least one ship sunk. The damage total is expected to reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The total loss of life has reached seventeen and is expected to rise as more rescue workers move into the battle zone."
An unexpected noise caused the man called Lord Evil to turn away from the television. There was something amiss in his laboratory. The Morbane, dressed in his Victorian finery, took several steps forward towards what he perceived to be the source of his uneasiness. The vast chamber was currently deserted as the morning's scheduled operation of the portal device had been canceled. The huge machine looked like a giant ray-cannon from some 50's B movie. It had been assembled piecemeal over the last few months, parts acquired by agents both willing and unwilling.
Although he wouldn't show it, Evil was surprised that the device had even functioned at all given its odd construction. However the first test did go off without a hitch and Lady Darkness was finally able to pierce the barrier that had barred her from her home for so many years. The second and third tests were successful as well, but seemed to produce an unexpected side effect. So unexpected, that the scheduled fourth test was halted until this phenomena could be studied further.
To the surprise of Lord Evil, a mystic portal was forming in the laboratory. A figure could be seen approaching as they pierced the barrier between the dimensions. The familiar form of Thermax led the way, followed by Power Crusher, Thunderbolt, Sparkler, Deathsinger, and Ogre. The villains silently and obediently took up a stance on either side of the portal, forming a sort of honor guard.
A woman emerged next, dressed from the neck down in a highly reflective black outfit. The costume was impossibility form fitting and seemed to be one garment from her neck to the tips of her ridiculously high heeled feet. Seated upon the woman's lustrous black hair was a simple stone circlet, in reality the Earth Crown that bestowed great mental powers to its wearer. As beautiful and malevolent as ever, Lady Darkness had returned to Earth.
But she was not alone. Following the Dark Lady was another much shorter woman. Standing not more than five feet in height, the second woman wore dark green and purple with a high collared black cape with silver jewelry and piping. But the most striking thing about the woman was her skin: it was a glossy jet black in appearance. Her face was angular, with sharp features and slightly pointed ears.
"The empire is mine once more," Lady Darkness announced as the magical portal faded away. "My long exile has finally reached its end. Once more Lady Darkness does sit on the throne."
"Well done," Lord Evil complemented as he greeted his wife with a lingering kiss. "But how were you able to pierce the barrier on your own?" After all, it was this same barrier that had barred their return for all these years. "And who is your charming companion? Ectolian, is she not?"
"Correct. This is Vilsimbra," Lady Darkness explained, gesturing towards the shorter woman. "The first of my new generals."
"I live to serve the Empress," Vilsimbra answered with a bow. "The empire has suffered greatly in her absence."
"But the barrier?"
"It is no more, beloved," Lady Darkness casually answered. "My predecessor inadvertently took care of that problem, causing our enemies to remove the barrier themselves. The fools! Now we may freely move between Earth and Terra Nova according to our whims."
"Thanks to the power of her servants, the Lady of Darkness overthrew the false emperor in a matter of days," Vilsimbra proudly reported. "Even now, her armies are gathering in strength to go forth and crush our enemies! A great new age has begun for the empire!"
"Indeed, for our plans of conquest now extend beyond just one world with the completion of the portal device," Lord Evil smirked. "My second and third trials have reached even other dimensions for us to plunder. Entire worlds shall now fall under our sway!"
"Then the machine has passed all of your tests?", Lady Darkness inquired. Having hailed from a magic dominated world, science was something she was leery of. To her it was a dark art, abnormal. Not that using science ever bothered Lady Darkness in her thirst for power. It was somewhat a perversion from the way she had been raised, an idea that she found to be delicious.
"Nearly, but there has been an unexpected side effect." Sensing the confusion in his ladylove, Lord Evil escorted her to the television set. While Allen Kingston continued his voice-over, scenes of the Avengers battling the Ravager could be seen. "Observe."
"This scyring device is most impressive," Vilsimbra commented in appreciation. The Ectolian General had never seen a television set before.
"I like this so-called 'Ravager'," Lady Darkness purred in approval after a time. "He would be such a useful tool to destroy my enemies."
"And so you shall find out, beloved," Lord Evil paused to passionately kiss Lady Darkness vinyl clad hand, "for the behemoth is to be delivered into our very hands!"
| Roll Call: |
|---|
 Black Diamond |
 Muskateer |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Huntress |
 Lightburst |
 Nightingale |
 Supreme |
 Texas Ranger |
 Thing |
Guest Starring Guardian Angel |
 Jack O' Lantern |
"Ben?", Black Diamond whispered gently in concern. The ebony-clad heroine was down on one knee beside the fallen Thing. While attempting to deliver the final blow to the Ravager, the Thing had inexplicably collapsed in pain. "Can you hear me?"
"Come on, don't scare us like this, big guy," Supreme urged. Even the gaudily dressed strongman was concerned by the sudden turn of events.
Groaning softly, the Thing gingerly sat up. "What 'n the Sam Hill was that all about?", he loudly grumbled as he rubbed his rocky hand across his equally rocky face.
"You tell me, Benjamin." Turning, the trio could see Nightingale flying closer from further down the docks, Firestar at her side. The Psionic Avenger had been rendered unconscious earlier in the conflict with the Ravager. "Cassie told me what happened." 'Gale touched down and approached her teammate. "How do you feel?"
"Weird," Ben answered after a moment's consideration. "But otherwise fine. Where'd that big goober go?" Ben strained to locate the Ravager and found him unconscious a short distance away. "'Bout time somebody got 'im to shut up."
"I don't like this," Black Diamond commented as she stood up, helping Ben to his feet in the process. "Not at all." In the back of her mind she had to wonder if Ben's recent exposure to the strange radiation that had originally changed him into the Thing was the cause of this problem.
"Hey, don't look at me that way, Di. I'm not thrilled about it either," the Thing complained. Radiation had played havoc with his body in the past, either making his mutation worse or moving Ben back closer to being human. However, none of these changes had been permanent. But this time he had been exposed to the very same radiation that mutated him in the first place. Whatever lay ahead of him was going to be a rocky ride. He would have been lying if he said that he wasn't concerned.
"I better get Ben back to the Mansion and run some tests," Nightingale announced. "Enchantress, would you please assist me?"
The query diverted the attention of the Enchantress away from Muskateer and the others keeping an eye on the Ravager. The red costumed sorceress rapidly approached the group. "Of course. What do you wish of me?"
"A ride back to the Mansion for Ben and I." Nightingale moved beside the Thing, while Black Diamond, Supreme, and Firestar stepped away. The Enchantress nodded her understanding and cast her Spell of Transport whisking all three Avengers away from the docks.
"One problem dealt with," Black Diamond muttered to herself as she approached the prone Ravager. "Now what do we do with him?" Even unconscious, the Ravager seemed to brim with power. He was wild and unpredictable. Chaos incarnate.
"Man, I must be tired. I know there's a joke in there somewhere...", Muskateer added. "But for the life of me, I can't find it."
"I have been attempting to communicate with my superiors to arrange a retrieval, but they do not answer," Guardian Angel reported. Much like the Ravager, the powder blue heroine had been recently transformed by a series of strange vortices into a character from a television show. In her case, actress Raquel Hamilton had been changed into Guardian Angel, powerful agent for order who sought to protect the Earth from the forces of chaos. Such as the Ravager. "I am at a loss to explain it."
"Because they don't exist," was the answer that came to the minds of the assembled Avengers. Of course, neither did the Ravager and Guardian Angel up until an hour ago. Both were fictional television characters somehow brought to life.
"Perhaps there is some sort of dimensional interference blocking my signal?", Guardian Angel added.
"It's a possibility," Black Diamond diplomatically suggested while Muskateer did a 'she's crazy' behind Guardian Angel's back. The gesture brought a playful push from Firestar. "However, we are still faced with the problem on what to do with him."
"Do we even have a prison that could hold him?", Firestar wondered.
"Good question," the Huntress responded. "It may not be possible to keep him imprisoned once he wakes up because of that 'Chaos Energy' aura around him." Matter itself seemed to break down from being too close to the behemoth. An effect that the Huntress was all too aware of.
"This is one ornery bull that I don't want to have to break again," the Texas Ranger added in his typical Texas twang. The newest Avenger was dressed in white with gold trim. Good guys wear white, after all.
"NOBODY MOVE!", a voice loudly commanded. Turning, the heroes could see the forces of PRIMUS closing in. Nearly two dozen heavily armed agents burst onto the scene. Some wore armored power suits. Leading the way was Major Thomas and his aid, Corporal Lewis. Silver Avenger Jake Koweleski followed closely behind. He could only hope that this meeting with the Avengers would go more smoothly than the last. (Editor's Note: Way back in Avengers #8)
"I didn't think that things could actually get any worse," Muskateer caustically remarked. "So, Major, I take it that they've let you out of the doghouse?"
Ignoring the remark, Major Thomas led his men to the side of the Ravager as he chewed on a foul smelling cigar. "The situation is under control, Major," Black Diamond reported. "The Ravager has been stopped."
As if to determine this for himself, the Major nudged the giant with his foot. "All right, boys, stand down! I want the transport unit here ASAP!" An angry look on his face, the Major turned to face the heroes.
"Nice to see you too," Lightburst remarked snidely.
"You can laugh now, fancy pants, but you've got a lot to answer for." The Major let loose with a puff of foul cigar smoke to punctuate his point towards Lightburst. "For instance, who are all these people? Why haven't you informed us of your updated roster? So that we can keep better track of you vigilantes!"
Guardian Angel stepped forward and offered her hand to the PRIMUS Commander. "I am to understand that you are the locale police authority? I am Guardian Angel, Defender of the Weak, Seeker of Justice. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The announcement actually seemed to take the Major off guard as well as several of the Avengers. It was the Silver Avenger who finally broke the silence. "The honor is mine, miss," he calmly stated as he shook the heroine's hand. "I am the local Silver Avenger."
"This some kind of publicity stunt?", Major Thomas finally blurted out. "I don't know what kind of trick you are trying to pull, but it won't fool me!"
"Oh brother," Firestar muttered to herself.
"Looks like someone needs a refresher of their sensitivity training course," the Huntress noted.
"Seems to me that someone's got a big-ol'-bug up their...", the Texas Ranger started to remark before being interrupted by Black Diamond.
"Look, Major," the heroine stated in an unmistakably icy tone. "The Avengers are no longer recognized by the NSC, meaning that we no longer have to follow any of your rules and regulations. Our roster is our own business. Now I was going to assist you in making sure the Ravager was secured, but since you have the situation under control, I guess we'll let you official government types do the dirty work. Let's go team."
"Awright, Di!", Muskateer cheered on. "We don't have to take this crap from anybody!"
"That's right," Supreme added as he stepped forward while the rest of the Avengers started to walk away. A confused Guardian Angel remained next to the Silver Avenger. "Instead of being such a jerk, you should be grateful for everything the Avengers have done for this city! If it weren't for us, this maniac would still be running around yelling: 'Kill! Kill! Kill!' I'd like to see you government boys deal with that."
Major Thomas didn't respond, but it was clear to see anger was building in his face as it started to turn red. Before the major exploded, Silver Avenger Jake Koweleski stepped in. "As always, any assistance offered by the local hero populous is gratefully accepted," the Silver Avenger diplomatically stated stepping forward. "After all, we are all on the same side and have the same goals. If this Ravager is as great a menace as you speak, then your accompaniment of him to Ryker's Island would also be greatly appreciated."
Black Diamond stopped and turned back to face the Silver Avenger. Diamond knew him to be a good and honorable man. Pity he had to work for such an overbearing hothead like Major Thomas. "Very well. Since you asked so nicely."
"As always, I stand ready to assist the local law enforcement agencies," Guardian Angel added dramatically. "I only pray that you have the resources to contain this Agent of Chaos."
Sunday, May 4th, 1986: Ryker's Island
Ryker was one of several small islands located in the East River. A prison had been constructed on the island to house local criminals. With the boom in the number of superhumans, it had been recently upgraded to hold superpowered criminals. It was one of three Strongholds located in North America.
The original Stronghold had been constructed in the New Mexico desert as the ultimate prison for those with superpowers. But the danger of transporting criminals cross-country quickly became apparent as several supers escaped or were rescued by their partners. Bearing that in mind, two less powerful Strongholds were rapidly constructed as a stop gap measure. Ryker's Island became the Atlantic Stronghold, while a refurbished Alcatraz became the Pacific Stronghold. The original was generally referred to as the Mid-West Stronghold.
The Ravager was quickly secured into the Stronghold Mobile Detention Unit, a heavily reinforced armored vehicle. The prisoner was secured in an oversized security box for transport. This heavy metal box was almost coffin-like in appearance. Restraints secured the prisoner inside the box while sleeping gas or a Hot-Sleep device would keep the felon unconscious. The transport box was also hermetically sealed. The oversized box just barely held the Ravager's large form.
From there, the Detention Unit made its way through Manhattan towards its Ryker's Island destination. Black Diamond, Guardian Angel, Texas Ranger, Lightburst, and Firestar flew overhead while Supreme rode with the Transport Vehicle. Muskateer meanwhile hitched a ride with the Huntress back to the Mansion. Black Diamond thought it better to keep her second-in-command and Major Thomas apart.
The transfer went smoothly and the Ravager had yet to stir. In short order, the giant had been secured in Stronghold. Silver Avenger Jake Koweleski thanked the heroes in the courtyard of the prison.
"My apologies if the Major offended you," the patriotically clad PRIMUS operative stated apologetically. "He's been under a great deal of stress as of late."
"From being such a butthead," Lightburst observed caustically.
"The strain of fighting the forces of evil can take a toll on even the mightiest of men," Guardian Angel stated as she shook the Silver Avenger's hand. "But it is a battle that we must continue to fight until our last breath so that good people won't have to live their lives in fear!"
"I like the cut of your sail," the Silver Avenger answered in admiration. "Have you ever considered joining up with PRIMUS?"
"The offer is appreciated, but I am just a visitor to your world. I must try to find a way home for no doubt the forces of chaos are running rampant without my presence to thwart their efforts."
"Then I wish you the best of luck in your quest." The Silver Avenger just smiled as he spoke to Guardian Angel. He had never met a heroine quite like her before.
"Are you sure that you'll be able to keep the Ravager imprisoned?", Black Diamond asked of the Silver Avenger, shaking his hand after Guardian Angel. "I've not encountered anyone as powerful as him before and have no desire to fight him again."
"We'll continue to keep him under Hot-Sleep until the courts can decide what to do with him." Hot-Sleep was one of the more controversial implements used in imprisoning superpowered villains. Some criminals were simply too powerful to keep locked up with conventional means. Hot-Sleep was one solution to the problem, as the device kept the criminal forcibly unconscious. The use of Hot-Sleep continued to be challenged in the courts.
"Try not to misplace the big goof," Supreme added.
Black Diamond nodded her understanding. "Happy to be of service." Reaching out, Diamond took Supreme's hand and then took to the air, followed by the rest of her team. After a moment Firestar pulled alongside of the Avenger's leader.
"Uhm, Di?", the young Blood asked. "What about Guardian Angel?"
Turning back, Black Diamond could see that Guardian Angel was still standing in the courtyard, most likely wondering what to do next.
"It's not like she's got a place to go," Firestar added hopefully.
"Of course, you are correct, Cassie," Diamond finally said. "How thoughtless of me. Why don't you go see if she'd like to come back to the Mansion with us?"
"Sure thing!" A happy grin on her face, Firestar banked and flew back towards Guardian Angel.
"What's on your mind, Ralph?", Muskateer asked as he drove Hunter's Corvette towards the Avengers Mansion. The Huntress had been unusually quiet during the drive. "It's not like you."
"Sorry, just lost in thought."
"Must be something pretty important." After a brief silence, Muskateer added, "You wanna talk about it, or what?"
"With you?", the Huntress laughed. "You've already got enough ammo to use on me. I'm not going to give you any more to play with."
"Suit yourself, Sprout. I was just trying to be helpful."
"But that's so out of character for you."
"Very funny."
The Huntress took a deep breath before she started to speak again. She couldn't be sure if Muskateer was being genuine or not. The sword-wielding Avenger was one of the few people that she had trouble reading their body language. Maybe because they were no longer trying to compete with each other, she could trust him more. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm worthy of carrying on with my family legacy."
"And how did we reach this conclusion?"
"Observation," the Huntress explained. "The testing that I've done at the Mansion indicates that I'm nowhere near as powerful as my father. Nor as my mother."
"You have no reason to believe that you'd be as powerful as your parents," Muskateer countered. "You're not exactly a slouch either, you know. I've seen you take down crooks with the best of 'em."
"Normal crooks. I can't seem to compete with superpowered criminals. Let's face it, I was pretty much worthless against the Ravager. The Tigress made me look like a fool. The Dreadknight cut me open and the only reason I survived against Roxie was that she liked to 'play with her food'. I'm not sure that I'm cut out for this or even deserve to be associated with the Avengers."
"Some of it's just experience, Sprout. You'll get better over time. Are you sure you're not just trying too hard?"
"Maybe, maybe not.
"Admittedly, I don't have the same problems that you do," Muskateer added. "I'd certainly pity my son should he become the next Muskateer..."
"I'd pity him too," the Huntress teased.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I'd pity him for trying to follow in my shoes. I can't imagine trying to live up to your family."
"I'm not sure that anyone can. It is a unique situation."
Sunday, May 4th, 1986, in a cabin in the northwest woods...
"At last!", the Crystal Bearer cried out. The frail looking man rose from the chair he had been sitting in as he made his announcement. The action went virtually unnoticed by the others present. The white clad Ghost Fire didn't budge an inch from the bunk she had been laying in. Lord Shadow and Lady Zee, former Morbanes, sat side by side on a bench staring out into empty space. The armored Dreadknight remained impassive as ever. None of these beings showed any trace of emotion, for their wills were not their own. They were all under the total control of the pulsating crystal.
"The enemy has revealed herself!", the Bearer continued to intone, his words matching the light pulses in the Crystal. "Long has she sought to hide herself, but now I can sense her presence. Now can our mission begin. By the command of my master, now shall the Empress die!"
"How is he?", Black Diamond asked of Nightingale as she entered the infirmary. The Avengers had returned just a few moments ago and Diamond headed directly down here to check on the Thing's medical condition. Muskateer, Enchantress, and the Huntress were present as well.
"Resting comfortably," Nightingale reported. "My preliminary examination shows that Ben is in perfect health."
"Well, if there's nothing wrong, then why did he collapse?", Muskateer vocalized. "People don't go around fainting for no good reason."
"But you have a theory...?", the Huntress observed. Nightingale's body language suggested it.
"The only thing that seems to make sense is that Ben suffered a momentary radiation burst during the fight. It caught him off guard and he collapsed."
"Perhaps triggered by the adrenalin surge Benjamin was no doubt experiencing from the battle against the Ravager?", the Enchantress suggested. She knew that her heart was racing a mile a minute during the battle. The lovely sorceress could only imagine how those in the heat of the conflict had felt.
"So what you're saying is that any stressful situation might cause this to happen again?", Black Diamond wondered. "Cause this 'radiation surge' to strike Ben?"
"Potentially," Nightingale agreed. "It's too early to tell. I would recommend placing Ben on the inactive roster until I can perform a more thorough examination on Sanctuary."
"Consider it done."
"What if you're not able to return to your home?", Firestar asked of Guardian Angel. The two women, along with the Texas Ranger and Lightburst, were seated at the dining room table enjoying the meal Jeeves had prepared.
"It has not come to that yet, my friend," Guardian Angel answered. "All hope is not lost."
"I reckon it's somethin' you'll need to consider, lil' lady," the Texas Ranger suggested as he cut into his bloody steak. "Jus' the way I like it, Jeeves," he added taking a bite out of his food.
The Avengers' Gentleman's Gentleman nodded in appreciation to the comment. "Just as you instructed, Master Ranger. I made sure that it was 'still mooing'."
"That is, like, so gross." Firestar wrinkled her nose at the site of Ranger's bloody meal. "I think I prefer mine well done." To emphasize her point, Firestar sent a tiny burst of flame to her own steak, searing it further. "There, just right."
"Ya done killed it, tinhorn!", Ranger jokingly admonished Firestar. "Poor critter never had ah chance."
"Now, now, Ms. Firestar," Jeeves added has he cleared away a few of the empty dishes. "You know the rules. No use of destructive powers at the dinner table."
"I'm sorry, Jeeves," Firestar apologized as she pointed at Ranger's meal. "But that's still gross!"
"Enough of the side show," Lightburst spoke up. "Look, Angel or whatever you want to call yourself, you're just an actress on a television show." Looking at Firestar and Ranger, he added, "You people are treating her like the real thing. I think you're all nuts!"
"So I have been told," Guardian Angel calmly answered. "My career has somehow become a television show on your world. Believe me, I find it to be as unsettling as you do. My private life seems to be common public knowledge. I even understand that everyone knows my first name: Kristen."
"Kristen Westcott, history teacher at George Washington High School," Firestar added apologetically.
More annoyed than angry, Lightburst rose from his seat and advanced on Guardian Angel. "That's not what I meant! Kristen Westcott is also a TV character." Standing behind Guardian Angel, Lightburst unexpectedly grabbed her cowl and pulled it off! "Underneath all of this you are still actress Raquel Hamilton and I'll prove it!"
"Have you gone plumb loco?", the Texas Ranger chastised as he rose to defend Guardian Angel's honor.
"My word!", Jeeves stated in surprise.
"Lightburst--!", Firestar started to say until she was suddenly at a loss for words. What was underneath Guardian Angel's cowl was a sight that she was not expecting to see. The powder blue cowl remained in Lightburst's hand while Guardian Angel's long blonde hair was now real! There was no trace of the short auburn hair that Raquel Hamilton sported on the Guardian Angel set a few days back. (Editor's Note: Shown back in Avengers #24)
Unfazed, Guardian Angel rose from her seat and glared at a startled Lightburst. The heroine was a good two inches taller than the light-based mutant. "I will forget this incident this time, my friend. But you will never do that again. Do I make myself clear?"
Lightburst gulped in a combination of surprise and fear. Meekly, he handed Guardian Angel back her cowl and rapidly exited the room. Guardian Angel replaced her cowl and then settled back down to her meal. "An excellent meal, Jeeves," she complimented as if nothing had happened. "What's for desert?"
"Quite a turn out," Silver Avenger Jake Koweleski noted as he peeked through the closed curtains. The hall was filled with guests and dignitaries dressed to the nines. It was a very nice response for this political fundraiser.
"Marcus Eldridge is a rising star in this city," the keynote speaker observed. "I am only too happy to lend my support to his campaign."
"Come now, Senator," the Silver Avenger stated as he turned back to face his old acquaintance. "There are those who say that you've been grooming Marcus since your own days as District Attorney."
Senator Clayton Mansfield chuckled at the notion. Not that it wasn't without merit. During his term as Chief District Attorney of Manhattan, Clayton had noticed a young firecracker by the name of Marcus Eldridge. The young man had worked hard to rise from his humble Harlem origins and tackled prosecuting criminals with a zeal similar to that of Mansfield. The Senator saw a bit of himself in Marcus and gladly put his support behind Eldridge's run for DA.
"Perhaps I was just able to spot his potential," Senator Mansfield finally admitted. "Marcus worked hard to get where he is now."
"Agreed, which is why PRIMUS is also backing him. His tough stance on criminals has been very well received in my organization. There is much to admire in the man."
"Which is why your brutal deaths will be so shocking!"
The Silver Avenger and Senator both turned in surprise at the unexpected comment. Standing before the two men was a man dressed in all black. The only feature that stood out was his ghost-white hair and full beard and his eyes. They glowed a malevolent shade of red.
The stranger gestured and the Silver Avenger found two uniformed NYPD officers locked on to each of his arms. Gratz didn't consider the Senator to be as big of a threat as he did the PRIMUS Operative.
"Hey! What's the big idea?", the Silver Avenger wondered aloud as he tried to free himself. The Silver Avengers were all true superhumans, mutated by a watered down version of a formula that had created the Golden Avenger. But in spite of his great strength, the Silver Avengers arms remained tightly held. "Something's wrong here! No cop is this strong!"
"You are correct, my patriotic fool," Gratz stated, satisfied that his thralls could contain Koweleski. "Now when the curtain rises it shall reveal to all these fine people your bloody corpses. I can only imagine what a blow that it shall give to the Eldridge campaign. My employers will be most pleased."
"You're insane!", Senator Mansfield countered as he stepped away. "Security will put an end to this nonsense."
"Take them my children!", Gratz commanded, baring his fangs. "I shall deal with the Senator personally.
"NO!", the Silver Avenger screamed as he fought against the officers holding him. A third came seemingly out of nowhere, landing right on top of the Silver Avenger forcing him to the floor. As the Silver Avenger struggled against the weight of the three vampires, suddenly the entire group was set alight in a fiery explosion.
"What in the world?!" Senator Mansfield looked away from the approaching Gratz towards the unexpected inferno. However, his survival sense didn't allow him to linger. Using the distraction to his advantage, Clayton rushed off the stage to alert security.
The flaming vampires screamed in pain all but forgetting the Silver Avenger. Flexing his muscles, Jake Koweleski shrugged off the masses on top of him, sending them flying. Even he looked around in confusion. "This just gets weirder by the second!"
A moment later, the sound of eerie laughter wafted over the stage. Gratz looked about, his attention drawn from his flaming minions. "This is beginning to get a bit tedious," he hissed in disgust and concern. True to his expectations, an all to familiar bat-winged glider came into view, spewing noxious gray smoke and carrying its maniacally laughing rider. Gratz began to look for cover or a quick exit.
"G'day, mate," the flaming, pumpkin-headed arrival shouted, in reference to Gratz's Australian nationality. "Pardon me, while I throw another vampire on the barbie." The Jack O' Lantern pulled another hissing pumpkin bomb from his shoulder pack and held it in the air for Gratz to see. "Or make that a barbie on the vampire." He lobbed the smoking grenade towards Gratz. "In a moment or two, we'll have a heckuva campfire!"
Gratz quickly turned to mist form as the exploding projectile burst into flames around him. Meanwhile, the other vampires were flailing about the stage, trying vainly to extinguish the napalm that engulfed them. Their howls reverberated around the backstage area.
The vampires flailing had caught the large curtain on fire, causing the Silver Avenger to pull it down to the stage. A deathly silence filled the hall as the guests of the fund raiser now had a front row seat for the spectacle that was unfolding on the stage. All eyes locked onto the bizarre Jack O' Lantern as he wildly flew about on his bat-wing glider. Summoned by Senator Mansfield, event security filled the stage and fought the flames with fire extinguishers.
"Ah yes, music to my ears," Jack O' Lantern circled around the room, buzzing the flaming, howling vampires tauntingly as he went. "Such sweet sounds would drive Aunt Matilda to tears!" The odd hero guided his glider straight for one of the vampires, smashing it into the back of his head. The vampire was sent sprawling to the ground, still burning.
"I order you to cease and desist!", the Silver Avenger shouted at Jack. "You're causing more trouble than you are solving!" But the PRIMUS Operative's commands were ignored.
As Jack O' Lantern swung back for another pass, he was suddenly confronted by Gratz, who coalesced directly on his glider. The extra weight caused the two to crash to the stage floor.
Gratz was quickly on his dreaded foe, trying to lock his powerful hand around Jack O' Lantern's neck. "You no longer have the advantage," Gratz threatened. "Now, we'll see if you can return from the dead." Jocko didn't seem to be bothered by this sudden turn of events, as he just laughed all the louder. The sound sent a chill down the back of everyone present.
Calmly, Jack O' Lantern reached up and a bright flash filled the air in front of the master vampire. It caught him off guard and his grip weakened. Jack O' Lantern followed it up with his other fist. Holding it near Gratz's chin, a series of small explosions went off in Gratz's blinded face, throwing him back. "You can't kill me. I'm already dead." Jack O' Lantern quickly regained his bat-wing, as Gratz once more turned to mist. With a belch of gray smoke, it shot into the air once more. "At least that's what Uncle Henry has always said!"
Muttering curses, Gratz quickly sought to exit the area. In his bat form, he flew towards the exit. Jack O' Lantern gave chase. As the pumpkin-headed hero closed in, a white form seemed to grow from his belt. As it grew larger everyone who was still watching could see it take the form of a ghost. The apparition shot forward, seeking to envelop Gratz the bat within its voluminous folds, but Gratz was barely able to avoid the snare. The ghost closed in about itself and then disappeared in a wispy puff.
As Gratz flew from the area, Jack O' Lantern called after him. "You keep running away. It's really getting lame. One of these days, we're going to end this game!" Seeing that the other vampires had turned into mist to escape the flames and were drifting away, Jack O' Lantern circled once in a tight circle and then also sped off into the night leaving behind a mass of very confused people.
"What was that masked maniac?", the Silver Avenger could only wonder.
The regular Monday meeting was already in full swing this morning. Black Diamond was at her usual spot at the front of the table, while the other Avengers surrounded the rest of the table. Everyone was present, except for the Thing.
"There have been unconfirmed reports of a sort of 'bird-creature' patrolling Central Park. Keep your eyes open as we'll need to determine if this is a friend or foe."
"So far the overgrown parrot seems to be targeting criminals and thugs," Supreme added. "Let him keep up the good work, as far as I'm concerned."
"I still want everyone to be on their toes as far as the vampire situation goes," Black Diamond stated. "If you saw the news or read the morning paper, than you knew what went down at the Eldridge fund raiser last night. Seems that the vampires are becoming more active again. Other than Muskateer's chance encounter last week, things had been quiet on this front."
"Nothing I couldn't handle," the sword-wielding Avenger shrugged the seriousness of the situation off. (Editor's Note: As shown in Muskteer #21)
No one noticed the momentary look of disappointment on the face of the Huntress. While Muskateer was able to hold his own with the vampires, the Huntress was only able to survive thanks to the intervention of Jack O' Lantern. It just further fueled her feelings of inadequacy.
"Speaking of our fanged friends," the Huntress spoke out loud, "I have to wonder if Jack O' Lantern found them by accident or whether he has some method of locating these creatures?"
"Then we should seek this man out," the Enchantress added. "I spoke with Blackfire and Moonsilver yesterday. While they continue to hunt these monstrosities down, they have yet to locate the vampire's lair."
"It is a big city," Nightingale commented. "They could be just about anywhere." The other Avengers simply agreed.
"Maybe we should set a trap for these undead hombres", the Texas Ranger suggested.
"You've been on the range way too long, cowboy," Lightburst criticized. "What a nutty idea."
"Still there is wisdom in Ranger's words," the Huntress spoke up. "If we can't find them, make them find us."
"Okay, okay, I know what you're going to say next Di." Muskateer rose from his chair and started to head towards the door. "I'll put together the giant mousetrap, somebody round up a couple of gallons of blood."
Firestar closed her eyes and groaned at the bad joke.
"I hardly think that's necessary...", Black Diamond started to say until she stopped in mid-sentence. A man in black and silvery-white armor suddenly appeared in the secure meeting chamber! In the second it took the heroine to overcome her shock, she recognized the man now before her team. "Photon!"
"You dudes call a vampire exterminator?", the man in black and silver asked as he crossed his arms in a cocky stance.
Epilogue: Underneath Manhattan...
"I like this place," Yu thought to itself as it oozed through the sewer making disgusting sloshing sounds. "So much nicer than home. If only the creatures here weren't so hideous!"
It had been nearly three weeks since Yu, the creature's name roughly translated into the local tongue, had been plucked from his home pit and brought to this strange dimension. Yu had heard about such things happening before from his brethren. How beings called-- what was the word? Sorcerers? Beings who could pull them out of their homes to a whole different world and be forced to do the bidding of their summoner.
Yu's fellow demons spoke of this happening as a thing to be avoided. To them it was a nightmarish experience. To be accustomed to being in a position of power and suddenly finding yourself the pawn of another was unsettling. But Yu felt different. That was not surprising as Yu was very different from his brethren. He had no particular desire to cause pain and suffering to other beings. Had no need to gain power or subjugate others.
So when the summoning call came, Yu eagerly looked forward to the experience. He quickly took in his new surroundings and located his summoners. Having only seconds to act, Yu sent tentacles and pseudopods out to touch his summoners, draining them of their magical powers. They could no longer control Yu, no longer send him back to the home that he dreaded. He was free to explore this new realm.
Yu took to what he learned were called 'sewers' to escape pursuit. The creatures here-- humans they called themselves-- found these sewers to be a repulsive place. Yu found the odor to be quite pleasant and appealing. Food was plentiful. It was almost like home, but only better. Yu didn't have the time to explain to the humans who opposed the summoners that he meant them no harm. That he was not like the others. They saw him only as another demon.
Safe in the sewers, Yu began the task of learning about this strange world. He quickly found out that many smaller lines flowed into his new home and that he could send pseudopods up these tiny tunnels. At the end of the tunnels Yu found what he surmised to be dwellings of the creatures who lived in this strange land. Yu was content to spend his days observing the natives, learning their ways.
Once in a while, he would be spotted and the native would scream in terror. So did Yu for that matter. He tried as hard as he could, but never could get past the nightmarish appearance of the humans. They seemed to be stuck in their current shapes. That seemed to be a most horrible fate!
And so Yu spent the days watching and learning. Wondering what strange turn his life was going to take next...
