The Sword of Justice leaned back on the Victorian-era couch and tried to relax. The leader of the Wild Cards was in a waiting area outside the penthouse suite in the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. This particular establishment had long been regarded as among the top of the line in the hotel business. The rich, the famous, and those with great influence readily chose to stay here.
The story was much the same with the guest who was currently occupying the penthouse suite. Her name was Ms. Henrietta Von Drotte, heiress to the fabulous Von Drotte fortune. Ms. Von Drotte had rented out the entire top two floors of the hotel for herself and her staff. A full compliment of Duchess Industries security guards were on duty at all times. Two of them stood guard as the Sword of Justice waited.
On this day, Ms. Von Drotte had summoned the Sword of Justice to her penthouse suite. Far be it for the Wild Cards to ignore the call of the heiress to the richest woman in the world. The Sword of Justice was immediately dispatched to the hotel.
The Wild Cards had just recently completed a contract for Duchess Industries. They had been acquired to help beef up security at the grand opening of Ms. Von Drotte's grandmother's vast Ming Dynasty art collection. It turned out to be a wise investment as the forces of PLUNDER showed up in an attempt to steal some of the priceless artifacts. They failed thanks largely in part to the Wild Cards. (Editor's Note: As shown in Troubleshooters #19)
The door to the inner penthouse opened and one of Ms. Von Drotte's personal secretaries stepped through. "Ms. Von Drotte will see you now."
"Thank you," the Sword of Justice responded. He quickly rose to his feet and stepped through the portal.
The chamber beyond had been converted to a temporary office. Ms. Von Drotte was busy behind a large solid cherry desk. Numerous assistants hovered about her as reports were signed and paperwork accepted. Several folding tables had been set up to hold nearly a dozen computer stations. There was a sense of organized chaos to the makeshift office.
Ms. Von Drotte glanced up from her desk as the leader of the Wild Cards entered. "Ah, Sword of Justice. How good of you to come so quickly." The woman had a noticeable German accent.
The Sword of Justice bowed in greeting. "My pleasure, Madame. How may I be of service?"
"I wanted to thank you and your organization in person for their fine performance at the Met. Not the least of which includes you personally for foiling Sleeper's attempt to spirit me away. I am confident that things would have turned out much differently had you not been there."
"Merely fulfilling our end of the contract, milady. Simply all part of the service provided by the Wild Cards."
Ms. Von Drotte gestured to one of her assistants to step forward. "And here is your fee for your fine services." The young assistant presented an envelope to the Sword of Justice, which he accepted. "I've also included a bonus for your efforts. Please do pass on my thanks to your exceptional staff."
"You are most generous, milady. I will inform my companions of your thanks."
"If you will excuse me, I have many things that demand my attention. My assistant has been instructed to start negotiations with the Wild Cards for future assignments. I trust I will not be disappointed with your services in the future."
"No, ma'am," the Sword of Justice answered. Henrietta offered her hand, which the hero gently accepted and lightly kissed. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"Pleasant afternoon," the Sword of Justice intoned as he stepped into the audition room. It was mid-day Friday afternoon and the rest of the Wild Cards were waiting for their leader to arrive. A long folding table had been set up with five chairs behind it.
"Hey, boss," Major America responded. "What's the deal?" The Major, like the rest of the Wild Cards was unsure just why they had been summoned. "We got a job or something?" The large muscular man wore his standard white costume with red, white, and blue trim. The outfit had a deep plunging neckline that bared much of Major America's chest.
"Not today, my good man. No, for today we are going to be auditioning several new applicants to join the ranks of the Wild Cards."
"More of those insufferable Super Temps?" The caustic query came from Psi-Queen. The regal looking woman wore her regular costume and concealing headpiece seemingly all the time. None of the other Wild Cards had yet to see her face with the possible exception of the Sword of Justice. There was an unmistakable air of arrogance about the woman.
"Maybe he means full powered amigos, like us?" The suggestion came from Jet, a woman in a gray and black bodysuit. At the moment, the hood that covered her head had been pulled down. Jet was a young woman of Hispanic origins with short black hair and brown eyes.
"Maybe there'll be some cute guys among the recruits," the Silver Spectre added enthusiastically. "I'm bit disappointed at the male to female ratio in this organization." The Spectre wore her skimpy skintight silver costume. She was most attractive and had a fantastic figure.
"There are both men and women among the finalists," the Sword of Justice explained diplomatically as he took his seat in the middle of the table and laid out the folder he had been carrying. "Our first applicant has taken the name Thunderstrike." Justice thumbed the intercom before him, connecting him with the outside secretary. "Send in Thunderstrike please."
"Right away, sir," was the response.
Before Thunderstrike could enter the room, Jet pulled her concealing hood up and maneuvered her goggles into place. "No sense in letting him see my real features."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want to scare'em off!" Major America laughed heartily at his own jest.
"Hey!", Jet objected. "I may not fill out my costume like Spectre, but I'm not exactly dog meat either!"
"Yer too scrawny for my tastes," the Major countered with a broad grin. "Get some meat on those bones!"
"Muscle-bound vato!"
"Let's be professional people," the Sword of Justice interrupted.
Jet sulked a bit, but didn't say anything further. Her concealing hood covered up the nasty looks she was sending Major America.
The door to the audition room opened and a plain looking man entered. He wore blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and well-worn construction boots. It was instantly obvious that the man was very nervous. "Uhm, hello."
"Welcome, Thunderstrike," the Sword of Justice greeted. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? It says on your application that you have superhuman strength and can cause thunder strikes. Can you elaborate?"
"Well, you see, I was just a normal Joe building worker in skyscraper construction. This strange white tunnel opened up in the sky and I got sucked in. Next thing I know, I was in an alley and had superpowers. I didn't know what to do until I saw your ad. I mean, I got a wife and kids to support. If working for you guys pays more than construction, then count me in." (Editor's Note: This was covered in greater detail in Avengers #23 & 24)
"That's what we are here to determine, Thunderstrike," Justice responded. "Your powers?"
"Well, I can probably show you better than I can explain it. You got something I can hit?"
Major America rose to his feet and walked around the table to Thunderstrike's side. "This oughta be good. Go ahead shrimp. Take your best shot." The patriotically clad Major towered a full eight inches over Thunderstrike. Major America puffed out his chest and waited to be hit.
Thunderstrike was hesitant and glanced towards. "Are you sure it's safe? I don't want to hurt him?"
"My good man, if you can hurt Major America then you will have secured a spot on the Wild Cards."
"Okay..."
Thunderstrike wound up and punched Major America in the chest. The force of the blow sent the Major back a few steps, but didn't really hurt him. But what surprised Major America and the rest of the Wild Cards was the miniature sonic boom that was unleashed with the blow. It momentarily deafened everyone in the room and sounded very much like a clap of thunder.
"Most aptly named," the Sword of Justice commented after shaking off the effects of the deafening punch.
Psi-Queen rose to her feet in anger, her ears still ringing. "Why didn't you warn us that was going to happen?!"
"Sit down, Psi-Queen," Justice instructed with just a glance. The mentalist paused for a moment and then did sit herself back down. "Thank you for that most interesting demonstration. Do you have any other abilities beside strength and this deafening roar?"
"Not that I've discovered so far. It's only been a few weeks since I got these powers."
"I see. I'm going to recommend putting you into our Super Temps pool for now. We will run further tests to determine the full range of your powers. You show great promise and can move up to the Wild Cards team at a later date."
A broad grin came to Thunderstrike's face. "Thanks! Thanks a lot!"
"Go and see our receptionist, Amanda. She will supply you with the necessary forms to fill out and set up appointments for your physical. We'll even help you decide on a costume for yourself."
"Sounds great!" Thunderstrike vigorously shook the Sword of Justice's hand before departing. "Thank you all!"
"Comments," the Sword of Justice tossed out after Thunderstrike had closed the door behind him.
"Definitely not front line material," Psi-Queen stated. "That deafening roar is more annoying than anything."
"Very unimpressive in appearance," Silver Spectre added. "He definitely needs fashion help."
"Oh, I don't know," Jet commented. "Someone like that can be more readily empathized with by the common man, than say beefcake over there. You know, give the public the idea that you don't have to be a bodybuilder or a supermodel to work for the Wild Cards."
"Interesting observation," the Sword of Justice noted.
"Yeah, but it sure helps!", Major America added with a laugh.
The door to the audition room opened once more and this time a woman in costume entered. Her choice of attire was a one-piece swimsuit-like top in navy blue with white piping. She wore matching high-heeled high boots and long gloves. Rounding out her outfit was a full-length cape also in navy blue with a high-backed collar that completely surrounded her head and a small facemask. The woman had short blonde hair and had average looks. She appeared to be in her early thirties.
"At least this one looks the part," the Silver Spectre noted, but was disappointed to discover that the next applicant was a woman.
"Welcome," the Sword of Justice greeted. "According to your application you have chosen the designation 'Poltergeist'."
"That is correct. Allow me to demonstrate." A moment later, the woman known as Poltergeist rose into the air and hovered before the Wild Cards. She casually folded her legs and floated in mid-air Indian style.
"Well, looks we've finally got someone else who can fly around here," Jet observed. Jet was blissfully unaware of the nasty glance Psi-Queen shot her.
"Can you do more than just float?"
"A lot more," Poltergeist promised. As she spoke, the large table that the Wild Cards were seated behind rose into the air.
"Telekinesis," Psi-Queen explained matter-of-factly. The mentalist was not impressed with the powers of this Poltergeist so far.
Poltergeist didn't say anything, but continued to demonstrate her powers. The seat underneath Psi-Queen suddenly rose into the air and begin to rotate gently. In quick succession the seats of the rest of the Wild Cards rose into the air as well.
"I demand that you stop this at once!" Psi-Queen was the most vocal in demonstrating her displeasure over her current situation. "This is most undignified!"
"Very impressive," the Sword of Justice noted in admiration. Not only was Poltergeist holding herself up in mid-air, but also the entire Wild Cards team and the folding table! "I believe you have more than proven your abilities."
A pleased look came over Poltergeist's face and she gently replaced the table and chairs. However, she continued to hover in mid-air as if sitting Indian style.
"Hey, that was kind of fun!", Jet added with a giggle. "I like her!"
"I am a bit puzzled though," the Sword of Justice stated. "Obviously you have an impressive telekinetic skill, but why have we not heard of you before?"
"My abilities surfaced when I was a teenager," Poltergeist explained. "They frightened me at first, so I just ignored them and tried to act like a normal teen. I married shortly after high school, settled down, and had a few kids. As I got older, I started to play with my powers a bit more around the house. I didn't use my powers because I had a family to raise. I didn't want to seem different, so they were just our little family secret."
"I take it that this situation has changed?"
"My husband got laid off, corporate downsizing and all that. His unemployment was running out and we didn't know where to turn. The bills are piling up. That's when we saw your ad and decided to give this a whirl. I'm doing this to support my family, not because I like running around in this outfit. The kids are old enough now that they understand."
"Your honesty is appreciated," the Sword of Justice answered. "There is a place for someone with your talents in our organization. Stop off at the receptionists' desk and she'll provide you with the necessary paperwork. Permit me to be the first to welcome you to the Wild Cards."
The Sword of Justice rose to his feet and offered his hand towards the floating woman. Poltergeist touched ground once more and eagerly shook Justice's hand.
"Thank you very much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"
Likewise, Poltergeist received congratulations from Jet, Major America and the Silver Spectre. Psi-Queen continued to be her usual aloof self and said nothing until after Poltergeist had departed from the room.
"You people act like you've never seen telekinetics before," Psi-Queen said sourly. "They are among the more primitive of psionic abilities."
"Maybe, but you can't do them either," Jet noted with glee. Psi-Queen's attitude was irritating to the young Wild Card. "At least she seems friendly."
"Present company excluded, of course!", Major America added with a laugh.
Psi-Queen rose to her feet and haughtily stepped towards the exit. "I'm taking a break," she arrogantly stated and departed without waiting for a response. The other Wild Cards watched her depart without comment.
"So seriously, were did you find her?" Silver Spectre's query was directed at the Sword of Justice. "Obviously, not at charm school."
"Like everyone here, Psi-Queen has her secrets. Whether she shares them is her decision."
"Say, Justice, how many more auditions we having today?"
The leader of the Wild Cards referred to this appointment schedule before turning to answer Jet. "Just two more. A woman named Night Owl and a man calling himself Kor Hunter."
"Ingrates," Psi-Queen muttered to herself as she slipped into her private suite of rooms. The mental heroine sighed deeply in relief to be away from everyone else. They should all be far beneath her notice. Why did she tolerate these fools anyway?
Psi-Queen casually swept through her suite and entered the bathroom. She flicked on the light and regarded her image in the large mirror. "I look ridiculous," she muttered in disgust.
Reaching her hands up, Psi-Queen undid the clasps that held her headpiece in place. It was very unusual in appearance. It combined the features of a crown and an armored helmet with a throat protector. The faceplate was opaque in color and complete obscured Psi-Queen's features. With the clasps released, the faceplate flipped up and Psi-Queen lifted the headpiece off.
"Feels wonderful to get that damn thing off," Psi-Queen noted as she set the headpiece on the sink counter. She ran some cold water into a washrag and wiped her face. It got stuffy if she wore the headpiece for too long.
Psi-Queen regarded her real appearance in the mirror. While Psi-Queen was rapidly becoming something of a minor celebrity along with the rest of the Wild Cards, her true identity was already famous. Or more accurately, was already infamous.
Psi-Queen's true face was very attractive in appearance, in spite of the two very obvious shortcomings. It was these same shortcomings that made the crown/full face visor a necessity to pull off this disguise. Psi-Queen's eyes glowed with silvery-yellow energy. A matching glow came from her neck where a star shaped gem was lodged in her throat. Without the headpiece Psi-Queen could easily be recognized as the psionic villainess Esper.
The transition from Esper to Psi-Queen had been a long and convoluted one. Feelers had been put out to recruit what had become the first group of Wild Cards. The concept didn't pique Esper's interest at first when she had been approached. The whole thing seemed beneath her dignity. The psionic villainess always considered herself vastly superior to any normal human. The thought of going to work for those she held in contempt sickened her.
As it turned out, what the Wild Cards could offer Esper was a place for her to hide right in plain sight. There would be others with superpowers around to protect her. She now had teammates who would not take kindly to one of their own being attacked. What was unexpected was that Esper would sort of enjoy her newfound fame, no matter how fleeting it might be.
A long time ago, the woman known both as Esper and Psi-Queen was a normal girl. The source of her powers was the star-shaped gem that became lodged in her throat. Unlike many mentalists the Paralogical Studies Institute played no role in her development. They had tried to capture Esper and indoctrinate her, but she was far too powerful for even that mentalist organization to capture.
Esper committed crimes according to her whims. She knew she was far and away superior to everyone else, so she just took what she wanted. The idea of hurting those who got in her way didn't bother her in the least. Not that she took any great delight or went out of her way to inflict pain. Sometimes Esper worked as a psionic for hire. That was the case in her last appearance before resurfacing as Psi-Queen.
It was Power Crusher of all people who had put that mission together. Esper doubted that he could put two coherent thoughts together let alone an alliance of villains. He was recruiting a team of villains to raid a warehouse for electronic components. It sounded like overkill to Esper to put together such a large group for such a simple purpose, but the money being offered was too much for her to refuse. In addition to Esper, Power Crusher had recruited Thunderbolt, Sparkler, and the very un-Amazing Darkon.
The actual robbery went off without a hitch but the criminals got greedy. They stayed to open up a small office safe and waited for some heroes to arrive. The Crimson Claw's great supervillain contest was in full swing at the time and everyone was eager to collect some more points from defeating heroes.
Unfortunately, the newest lineup of the Avengers showed up and soundly defeated the villains. Nightingale herself put down Esper. The psionic Avenger was only one of a handful of mentalists that Esper could bring herself to call more powerful. When Esper regained consciousness, she was imprisoned in Ryker's Island. (Editor's Note: Covered in more detail in Avengers #2)
Ryker's Island was also known as the East Coast Stronghold. Within the last decade it had been upgraded to handle superpowered prisoners. Esper's awesome mental abilities guaranteed her incarceration at this installation. Her cell had been specifically designed to contain mentalists. At no point did Esper actually see any of her captors so that she could use her mental powers on them. A force field that blocked psionics was on at all times.
Having little better to do, Esper simply sat back and relaxed. She had most of the comforts of home in her cell. All she could do was wait until her guards slipped up before she could inevitably escape. They would eventually make a mistake. Of that she was sure. After all, they were only human.
Esper's release came in a most unexpected manner. One evening, her cell door simply opened. A guard peeked in and said, "The Mistress wishes to speak to everyone. Come!" Then he was gone.
To say that Esper was surprised would be something of an understatement. "It's some kind of trick," she kept telling herself. The psionic villainess waited a few minutes and the door to her cell remained open. Just who was this Mistress that the guard spoke of? None of this made any sense. Besides what was there to lose?
Finally, her curiosity got the best of her and Esper cautiously made her way to the open cell door. Gingerly, she looked out into the hallway to discover all the cells in this area were now open and the prisoners were standing in the hallway. No one had any idea what was going on. Of those present, Esper recognized Arrowhead and Frost of the Destroyers and Sparkler who had also been captured by the Avengers.
"This way!", a voice called out from the intersection of cellblocks.
"I guess we go this way," Arrowhead responded with a shrug. Frost and Sparkler followed the muscleman of the Destroyers. Esper brought up the rear.
The quartet of villains was led to the uppermost level of the prison, to a prison recreation area for those prisoners who were allowed to leave their cells. Strangely enough, the prison guards were quite pleasant throughout all of this, opening doors for the villains as they made their way along. It was almost surreal.
"They are all under mind control!", Esper finally realized. The ability to dominate the will of another was one of Esper's own powers, and part of the reason she was never allowed to see anyone else. Somehow, someone had taken control of the staff of Ryker's Island!
Esper couldn't help but be impressed by this seemingly impossible deed. There were only a handful of mentalists on the planet that had the power to control this many minds at the same time. Menton who worked for Dr. Destroyer and Mentalla who held a similar position with Iron Maiden immediately came to mind. However, something like this did not seem to be their style.
As their group drew closer to the rec area, Esper began to sense a powerful mental presence. While not acutely sensitive to the mental prowess of others, Esper couldn't help but notice this one. There was an extremely powerful psionicist waiting for her in the recreation area.
All the prisoners' currently held in Ryker's Island had been gathered in the rec area. Each was as confused about their situation as Esper was. Minor scuffles had broken out among the prisoners while they waited.
They didn't have to wait long as a woman in an incredibly skintight shiny black bodysuit strolled into the chamber. The villains Ogre and Thermax flanked her. Seated on the woman's head as a seemingly innocent looking stone circlet. Esper instantly realized that it was the source of the powerful mental powers she was feeling.
"Silence, dogs!", Thermax called out as he shot a jet of flame over the gathered throng. Thermax succeeded in getting everyone's attention. "Your new mistress would now speak!"
The woman in black strode forward on very high heels. As she drew closer, Esper realized that the woman's attire appeared to be one single garment from her shoes to her neck. The woman had lustrous jet-black hair and seemed very self-assured.
"I am Lady Darkness," she said arrogantly, "your new master. You will serve me or else face the consequences of your folly."
"Like hell!" The leader of the Destroyers, Deathsinger came forward from the crowd. "Deathsinger doesn't serve anyone, let alone some woman! Let's get her boys!"
Lady Darkness smiled malevolently at the defiant Deathsinger. As she did so, psionic energy gathered about the crown and then shot forward into the sonic villain. The effect was astounding as Deathsinger fell to his knees from the onslaught, his hands vainly trying to protect his mind. Esper could almost feel his will being ripped away as Lady Darkness made him her mental puppet. For one of the very few times Esper feared that her own mental talents would not be enough to save her from a similar fate.
"You were saying?"
The crowd of criminals had gone silent during the display. They waited for Deathsinger's response. Deathsinger remained on his knees. "I live to serve you, mistress," was his reply.
"As will you all," Lady Darkness vowed as she looked out over the small group. "As shall all beings."
"All save Dark Seraph!", a deep voice countered. All eyes focused in on a man with dark charcoal gray skin. He was completely hairless and had impossibly black wings emerging from his back. A crown, similar in appearance to the one worn by Lady Darkness was on his head. This crown was dark gray in color. "I shall never call any mortal master."
"So, the possessor of the Iron Crown finds the nerve to speak. Backed by the power of the Stone Crown you will find that Lady Darkness is hardly a mere mortal. With the power assembled here I can reclaim my throne and enslave my enemies. I shall become even more powerful by adding the Iron Crown to my collection. Surrender it to me willingly, Seraph, I may allow you to retain your free will. Cross me and your punishment shall be most severe."
Dark Seraph let out a deep and hearty laugh that chilled even the vilest of criminals in this chamber to the bone. "You are welcomed to try, wench!"
Psionic energy lanced out from the Stone Crown, striking the wearer of the Iron Crown. Dark Seraph endured the assault much better than Deathsinger had. He remained standing, but Esper could sense that he was weakening.
Esper feverishly tried to figure out a means to escape. She didn't trust Lady Darkness in the slightest and had no desire to be her mental slave. At the same time, escaping on her own seemed almost impossible. It galled Esper that in spite of her awesome mental powers she was forced to walk and run to move about like a normal person. No, she was going to need help. As odd as it might have seemed in hindsight, Esper's only hope was Dark Seraph himself!
The deep voice of Dark Seraph rang out once more. "In the name of darkness, lightning strike! I command it!"
As Dark Seraph spoke, Esper ran towards him. Upon completing his command, the Angel of Darkness started to flap his ebony wings and rise into the air. Esper leaped at the last moment and grabbed Dark Seraph around his left leg and held on for dear life.
"Unhand me!", Seraph growled in annoyance.
"Look, I don't want to be her slave any more than you do, so you gonna waste time arguing with me or fly us out of here?"
Dark Seraph considered for a moment but then had his mind made up for him. "Stop him!", Lady Darkness commanded at the top of her lungs. "Don't let them escape!" A burst of fire from Thermax and weapons discharged from the dominated guards caused Seraph to continue to move in spite of his unwanted passenger.
A bolt of black lightning slammed through the ceiling of the rec area and exploded on the floor below. The attack Seraph had summoned had caused the diversion he had hoped for. Dark Seraph winged his way towards the hole and flew out into the clear night sky.
Those unfortunates near ground zero were sent flying. Lady Darkness was knocked off her feet and was not happy. Esper could hear her screams of anger, but was too far away to make out the exact words of her curses.
Dark Seraph continued to gain altitude and flew away from Ryker's Island. At the moment, any direction was as good as any other. The pair was quickly over open water. Amazed that she had gotten this far, Esper continued to hang on for dear life.
"Be gone, insect!" Dark Seraph ordered as he reached down and pulled Esper's hands away.
"No! Please don't!" But Esper's pleas fell on deaf ears and suddenly she was falling. Esper couldn't help but scream as she turned and twisted in mid-air. The water loomed frighteningly large below her. Esper willed her personal force field into life and closed her eyes right before impact.
Esper did survive the plunge and barely managed to make it to shore. She mind controlled a passing cab driver and was driven away. Esper found herself in the odd position of being alone in New York City, penniless, and very afraid that Lady Darkness would come after her. Recalling the Wild Cards' offer, Esper had the cab driver drop her off at the Fortson Building. At least a new identity and the company of other supers would help protect and hide Esper.
The identity of Psi-Queen was quickly forged. Being royalty gave credence to Esper's superiority complex. The crown and faceplate combination became necessary to conceal her glowing eyes and the jewel lodged in her throat. The throat protector also modified her voice just enough to make it different from Esper's natural tones. She made it appear that her royal scepter was a conduit for her mental power; while in reality it was just a prop. Thus was the Wild Card known as Psi-Queen born and the woman known as Esper seemingly disappeared.
Calmly, Esper replaced her headpiece and sealed it back into place. She was Psi-Queen once more. Her break over, the Wild Card rejoined her teammates in evaluating the new recruits. Life in the Wild Cards had been interesting and profitable so far. Their future promised to be even more so.
Epilogue:
It was late Monday afternoon and a small crowd of reporters had gathered in front of the Fortson Building. A podium had been erected and a red carpet laid out. Numerous microphones had been attached to the podium. CBI reporter Patricia Eisenhart was camped out in the front row.
Finally, the Sword of Justice emerged from the building and stepped up to the podium. "Thank you all for coming this fine morning." Trailing behind the Sword of Justice was the Silver Spectre, Psi-Queen, Major America, and Jet. They took up positions behind the Sword of Justice.
"Sword of Justice!", Patricia cried out trying to get the attention of the leader of the Wild Cards. Not that it took any great effort to attract his attention. The two had secretly been seeing each other for over a week now. "Rumor has it that you are going to be introducing new Wild Cards to the media. Can you elaborate further?"
"You are correct, Ms. Eisenhart. Since our announcement that we were looking for those with superhuman abilities, we have had hundreds of applicants. Many have been enrolled into our Super Temps program and we are vigorously seeking employment opportunities for them. We have also bolstered the membership of the main Wild Cards."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to unveil the three newest members of the Wild Cards. First we have Poltergeist!"
The navy blue clad woman flew out of the building and circled around the reporters before landing and taking a position with the other Wild Cards.
"Night Owl!"
The Night Owl emerged next and moved up to the side of the Sword of Justice. She wore her traditional black costume with owl trimming. "Thank you, thank you! I'm really looking forward to this!"
"And lastly," the Sword of Justice continued. "The archer extraordinaire: Kor Hunter!"
Joining Night Owl was Kor Hunter in his dark blue and gold archer costume. He bowed deeply before the audience and casually placed his arm around Night Owl.
"There you have it, good people," the Sword of Justice summarized. "The newest members of the Wild Cards! I'm sure that you will be hearing many fine things from them in the weeks and months to come!"
