"I've seen a lot of things in my thirty years on the force." The Commissioner was speaking more to himself out loud than to the trio of officers with him on the crime scene. "Survived the Mandroid rebellion in '64, numerous VIPER assaults, even the Zodiac taking over the Empire State Building. But I've never seen anything like this."
"I do not doubt that, old friend." The Commissioner and his men turned at the sound of the unexpected voice. Over at the window, the Hunter was perched on the sill. His dark blue hooded cape fluttered in the light breeze. The hood obscured Hunter's features, only his eyes could be seen. Those eyes had sent a chill down many a criminal's spine. The hero lowered himself to the floor, letting his climbing line fall off to one side. (Editor's Note: This story takes place before the events in Avengers #0.)
"Glad you could make it, Hunter. We've got a really weird one for you." Webb approached the hero and they shook hands. At the Police Commissioner's direction, the other officers moved off and continued to search the crime scene.
"So I've been hearing from the streets." Hunter closely examined the remains, searching for any possible clue. "What transpired here?"
Commissioner Webb covered the events that led up to the discovery of the officers' grisly fate. "These four make ten confirmed deaths so far. We're no closer to solving this mystery than we were when the first body was discovered." If Hunter was listening, he didn't show it. Numerous devices were produced from his gadget belt or his shoulder bag as he examined the bones. Webb was used to Hunter's eccentricities from their many years of collaboration.
"Same M.O.?"
"As far as we can tell. All the victims died elsewhere and their bones turned up in skyscrapers."
"On which floor?" Hunter continued to work, and didn't bother to make eye contact with the Police Commissioner's.
"Let me see-- eighty-sixth here." Webb produced a pad and quickly scanned the notes. "Seventy-ninth, sixty-two, and ninety-first."
"No obvious pattern," Hunter mused. He replaced his gadgets and made his way back to the window. "Any other clues? No matter how slim or unimportant they may seem, they could be vital."
"Just one, Hunter. Last night we found a man kneeling over a woman's body in the subway. Her wounds were incredible-- as if something ripped into her."
"What of the man?"
"That's the odd part," Webb conceded. "The arresting officer knew the man as he had arrested him before-- minor charges mostly. The suspect claimed that he heard a scream and went to investigate. That's when the police found him."
Hunter stood up and approached the Commissioner. "Do you think he was involved in these gristly crimes."
"No, I don't. He would have needed weapons or tools to do what was done to the victim, none of which was found on the scene. There was also too little blood on the man. What there was, does fit his story of finding her."
"Doesn't sound that odd, Commissioner," Hunter concluded, his eyes wandering the crime scene looking for the smallest of clues. "The facts seems to support his story."
"The odd part is that the man vanished from a holding cell without a trace."
Hunter turned to face the Commissioner. "Who is this man?"
"His name is Neal Washington. I have his apartment and his mother's home staked out. So far there has been no trace of him. Any suggestions?"
Hunter considered for a moment. "You have a killer who murders his victims and then deposits their remains in skyscrapers unseen. Sounds to me like super-powers are involved. Your men are out of their league in this case. I'll look into the Washington situation as well and be in touch." Grasping his line, Hunter disappeared into the night.
Elsewhere in the Big Apple, Photon had just come face to face with the monster responsible for these hideous acts. Beneath his helmet, Photon's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped open. He had witnessed the creature only briefly before, but now he was face to face with it. The sight was almost more than he could stand. Unable to even say a word, reflex took over, as he blasted the creature with the silvery-white beams from his gauntlets.
It shrieked in horror. This was too much light. It was fascinated by it, it craved it, and yet it feared it. This light it had to have. The creature came forward, again.
"EEIIHH!!!", the mystic Randall Steer screamed. One quick teleportation spell later, he was long gone.
Photon wasn't as lucky. Faced with this horror, his mind had a difficult time forming coherent thoughts. His movements were considerably slower and that allowed the creature to move in.
It grabbed the light and tried to consume it, but again the light was too strong. The light hurt.
Photon blasted the creature once more and finally was able to get away. Flight was the only thing on his mind by now. He turned immaterial and disappeared up through the ground.
Photon was shaken. Not only had the vile creature reached out and touched his soul, but somehow he could feel that they were actually linked. The feeling disgusted him. He felt nauseous.
However, he also couldn't rest now as long as that creature existed. Now he understood why he felt the way he did. The creature was his responsibility and his alone. Photon gathered himself and went home again. But he would return. And this time he would be prepared.
"Man, this is really weird." Blackfire flew over the seemingly deserted streets of Harlem. The hero was dressed in his usual crime-fighting outfit, a purple body suit with black trunks, boots, and gloves done in a flame pattern.
Flying beside him was the being known as Moonsilver. The man's skin was like polished silver his hair spun gold. As if that wasn't creepy enough, Moonsilver's eyes were jet black and had no iris or pupil. He wore a golden robe with matching leggings and boots. "They sense it as do I," Moonsilver said plainly. "They know that evil stalks them."
Blackfire had known Moonsilver for over a year-- ever since he joined the Circle for tutelage of his strange powers. How Moonsilver came to possess his powers was unknown to Blackfire. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. The rumors had it that Moonsilver was once an ordinary man who was nearly overwhelmed by some mystical beast. Both the man and the beast destroyed each other and Moonsilver arose from their ashes.
"Yeah, I know about you and your senses," Blackfire commented. Moonsilver had a thing for seeking out evil, magical creatures and destroying them.
The pair flew on over the seemingly deserted city.
"There!" Moonsilver's sudden comment startled Blackfire so much that he involuntarily jumped. Without another word, Moonsilver dove into a dark alley they had just passed. Blackfire followed a moment later, but that delay had cost him.
Blackfire could hear Moonsilver firing his strange blasts of silvery-light. Their sound was unmistakable; they briefly illuminated the alley like silvery lightning. Rounding a turn, Blackfire found Moonsilver on his knees. No one or thing was around.
"Hey, Moonie? Whatcha firing at?" Blackfire looked for a target in vain. It was then he noticed the blank look on his comrade's face. The hero stooped down on one knee and looked Moonsilver in the eye. "You okay?"
Moonsilver shivered involuntarily. "The horror...", he mumbled...
Back up in the attic of his mother's home, Neal sat at his familiar desk. He had slipped into his mother's house unseen. Until the situation was dealt with and the unspeakable menace had been destroyed, Neal didn't think the police would be too open to his explanations for disappearing from his cell.
The mounds of books that surrounded him were all unopened this time. "That creature had to come through the old guy's portal," Neal said to himself, absentmindedly. The last time I was down there, there was something different. I didn't recognize it at the time, but the rubies weren't in place this time."
Before him was a sheet of paper with a crude rendering of the portal on it. Next to that was the Amulet that the old man first used to tie the armor to Neal. He had since found that he didn't need it to use the armor and had stashed it away. Neal's drawing was a replica of an image which was etched into the amulet's face.
"Something or someone must have released it by removing the gems." Neal wasn't sure whether any of this actually made any sense. His grandfather's books had filled in some gaps and helped him leap to the potential conclusion. "Now it's loose in our world. And somehow it's linked to me. This armor is the only thing that can stop it." Neal shook his head at that thought. He didn't even want to encounter the creature again, much less fight it. Unfortunately, it appeared that he had no choice.
The black corvette silently pulled into a spot across from the basketball courts. Its windows were tinted to prevent anyone from seeing inside. Hunter turned in his seat, produced a pair of binoculars and focused in on the courts. A game was in progress; a small crowd watched as the men raced up and down the court.
"Gotcha," Hunter mumbled to himself. The Hunter's database had held little information on Neal Washington. He had been a gang member and a troublemaker as a teen. His police record mostly contained arrests for fighting and for minor destruction of property. Not exactly the most hardened of criminals.
Lacking tangible information, Hunter hit the streets. Freddy the Fink had pointed him in the direction of Clutch, another informant that Hunter used once in a while. Neal had been spotted together with Clutch before at the courts.
Hunter waited as the game progressed. Once the players drifted apart, Hunter would question Clutch on what he knew about Neal Washington.
Unexpectedly, Hunter's communicator went off. Activating it he responded, "Go ahead."
"Hunter, its Sargon at the mansion. I just had a most interesting chat with a Randall Steer, a minor mage of some notoriety. He claims that he knows what's been stalking the city and asked us to meet him in the sewers."
"Do you trust him, Sargon?"
"No, but he was terrified. If what I was able to gleam from his tale is correct, then our mysterious killer is far more than any of us ever suspected. Pick me up at the Mansion and I'll explain on our way."
"I'll be there in five minutes." Hunter stored his communicator and binoculars. The corvette's engine roared to life and sped off. The Neal Washington angle would have to wait.
Photon worked feverishly. Somehow, all the gems had been taken out of their niches surrounding the portal. He had an idea who may have been responsible. "If I catch that Steer sucker anywhere around here again, I'm gonna ace that jive talkin' double-crossin' fool." It took someone with some mystic knowledge to have removed the gems and opened the portal.
The portal stood wide open, but it was jet black. No light could penetrate that inky area. He thought once about firing a beam into there but decided against it. There would be no point in maybe awakening another of these horrible creatures. Who knows what else may lurk inside that unknown place. Maybe nothing. He couldn't take that chance.
Photon wanted only to seal it back up. The rubies had been found nearby. Whoever had removed them must have been startled and dropped them. Probably when the creature first started to stir.
Something told him that this would be the only way to defeat the creature. He didn't have to get it back inside. He 'knew' that he could destroy it as well as contain it. Containment would be too risky anyway. It had escaped before. It may again. Photon just hoped with all his heart that there was only one of these creatures and no more.
The gems needed to be secured in place to stay, and his beams seemed to work exceptionally well. Slowly, he matched the configuration on the portal with that on his amulet.
"Okay, that only leaves three more to go. Let's see, the two little rubies go on the sides and then this here big one goes right smack in the middle. What was that?" Photon didn't so much as hear any sound as he did sense that something was coming. The creature, perhaps?
"Damn it, I'm not done yet! What do I do now?"
The secret panel to this hidden sanctuary slid open. There it was! The thing from the other side!
It saw Photon, too. And it recognized his light. It wanted that light; it needed to consume it. Maybe then, the gnawing would finally go away.
"Get outta my face, man!"
Photon fired at the creature. It howled an inhuman howl, but continued forward. It strained to reach the source of its pain and salvation. Photon fired rapid blasts at the creature and drove it back. Slowly, the creature retreated.
"What does it take to drop this thing?" What Photon didn't realize was that while he was hurting the creature, he was energizing it at the same time.
"Maybe another angle will work." As much as he hated the idea of closing with the monster, Photon stopped firing. The creature ambled forward and Photon dealt a haymaker to the being's head. The force stunned the creature, which was not expecting such a physical attack. It staggered back and suddenly, there was another light before it.
"What you doin' here, man?! You're gonna' get yerself killed!" The mystic, Randall Steer, had returned. And right now, he wished he hadn't. Face to face with the vile creature, he could do nothing. Not even scream. It seemed to have him mesmerized or at least, paralyzed. The creature reached for the light. And howled in pain.
The light came at it again. This time it came from behind. The light was strong, but it hurt, and this light was willing. It also feared the strong light. For now, it would take the weaker light. It must have some! It must have it now!
Photon hesitated, then made his decision. He could try and save the mystic and maybe never defeat this horrible monstrosity or he could allow the man to buy himself, and the whole city, some time. Photon turned his back to the scene and concentrated once more on closing the portal. Using his armor's energy, Photon began fusing the last of the gems into their respective settings.
Blocking out the man's pitiful screams, Photon worked quickly. Behind him, the terrible ordeal went on for an agonizingly long time. Photon would not have wanted to turn around, even if he could spare the effort. Somehow, he knew that the beast was now finally finished. Only, the final gem remained to be finished. Photon fired a final beam of energy at the large ruby, fusing it in place. A burst of silvery light illuminated the room!
Photon could see the portal close, just as the creature was upon him. With a massive appendage, it swiped at him and sent Photon sprawling. On the ground behind him, Photon could see a pile of smoking bones. It was all that was left of the mystic.
The creature advanced. It must have the light. It could wait no longer. It was desperate. Even the pain it now felt once again would not stop it. It reached for the light and grasped it.
Photon held back a scream as his guts churned inside. He felt like he was being boiled alive, and energy was being sucked from his body. The creature was draining away his very life. The portal was still the key. Photon fired.
The silvery beam struck the large center ruby and the creature howled once more, like never before. It released Photon, and he dazedly rolled away from the flailing beast. He couldn't let up now though.
Photon fired again. Again, the creature shrieked. Summoning up all his strength, Photon fired all his power in a two-fisted blast at the focus. He didn't let up this time. The energy poured out, lighting the room like lightning.
Meanwhile, the beast underwent incredible convulsions. It could not get away. It could not find the source of the light that hurt it. Photon watched as the creature smoldered and smoked. Slowly, inexorably, it was being destroyed. By now, mercifully, it had stopped its horrid wail. It shrank in size continually. Photon kept pouring on the power until finally, there was nothing left. The creature was gone.
Photon was wasted, perspiration soaked him under his armor. He lay on his back staring at the portal. He knew it was over. He felt like someone had just lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. The horror was ended.
After a time, Photon became aware that he was not alone. Sitting up, he saw two costumed men standing near the entryway. He recognized them as Hunter and Sargon of the Avengers. "You guys gonna stand there, or is someone going to give me a hand?"
Hunter closed the distance between the two and offered his hand. He wasn't completely sure what he had just witnessed, but the monster seemed to be gone. "Here you go..."
"The name's Photon." Aided by Hunter, the armored hero made it to his feet. He was unsteady, but his strength was slowly coming back.
"You possess the Armor of Astegor," Sargon stated. "I'd recognize its magical signature anywhere." Directing his comments towards Hunter, the mystic Avenger added, "My theory seems to have been correct. The creature was from one of the ancient portals. Photon here is the guardian."
"Somethin' like that. What are you guys doin' down here, anyway?"
"I've been investigating the mysterious murders done by your monster," Hunter explained. "A Randall Steer pointed us in this direction."
Photon pointed towards the still smoking mystic's remains. "That's 'bout all that's left of the guy. Serves him right. He's the one who let it out." After a pause Photon added, "Not exactly an open and shut case, I guess."
"That's the thing I hate about cases involving magic: trying to explain them," Hunter said, eyeing the remains. "Case closed will have to suffice. The only loose end is Neal Washington's involvement, if any."
"He ain't got any involvement in this," Photon said. Choosing his words carefully, and sensing that a further explanation was required, he added, "Dude was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Figured butt-ugly would go after him again, so I moved him to a safer place. End of story."
"I see," Hunter said. He gave no indication on whether he believed the story or not. "I'll make sure the authorities are informed."
"Thanks. Let's get out of this place."
Photon watched the Avengers depart. After a moment, he removed his silver helm and placed it on the stone table where he had first been given the armor. Neal let out a deep breath and looked around.
"Fact is," he said to himself, "the whole gig has been pretty cool." Neal couldn't give up his duty now that the creature from the portal was destroyed. Who knew whether there were any others inside there? Even if there were not, Neal had learned of many other supernatural menaces and threats during his research in his grandfather's books.
This foe had been destroyed. But there would be more. Photon's battles had really just begun.
