The New Guardians
Following on from the last post...
The New Guardians - Issue #1 Career Opportunities
The issue began with the close of a performance of the opening night of Swan Lake at a theatre in London. The lead is played by a young dancer and ex-international athlete and gymnast, Elizabeth Jennings. The performance concludes to triumphant applause but during the cast's second curtain call a felon by the name of Magpie leaps down to the stage from the lighting rig.
Chaos ensues as he attempts to capture Elizabeth. She runs, occasionally throwing props and parts of the set into his path. She keeps getting strange flashes of what's going to happen before it does so and feels that all is not as it should. Although she outruns him, Magpie teleports in front of her, surprising her and knocking her out.
Next we see the arrival in the UK of Alan London, formally the hero known as Ronin. We have a flashback of his time with the Madripoor Knights, his leaving the SHIELD Knights and then his discussion with Redan as to his future. He has returned to the UK to try to discover how much of the memories he has of his life there are real and how much was programmed by AIM. Redan has given him a new (armoured) costume and identity to help him start afresh.
He arrives at Heathrow airport early in the morning and the Glimmer Man presents himself, and an offer of work. It appears that the Glimmer Man's employer knows of Alan and that he was coming. Airport police take issue with the Glimmer man wandering around with weapons and challenge them there is a Mexican standoff, which develops into a small skirmish during which Alan leaves and waits outside. Glimmer Man has soon had enough and "glimmers" out. He quickly finds Alan and talks him into a taxi.
Alan and Glimmer Man arrive at an entrance to one of Vixen's bases under
London. The base is highly advanced with what looks like a lot of
SHIELD/AIM level tech and staffed by a paramilitary force. Alan is left in a waiting room where a sleeping/ko'd Elizabeth is laid. Elizabeth is now in a costume. She comes to and they share information.
Soon the Glimmer Man and some guards arrive to escort the "guests" to their host; the Vixen.
When they arrive there is a third individual present (Jagged Edge - who we
will learn via flashback in issue #2 was "recruited" in a similar way to
Elizabeth, when he was attacked in his docklands flat by Fogg). The third
figure is a young man who is chained to a chair, he has obviously been beaten about.
Vixen explains that the three are now her employees (they have no choice - she has selected them & they should feel lucky) and that she "rules" London.
- I can't remember whether it was before or after this but Elizabeth and
Glimmer Man had a scrap while Liz was trying to escape. Glimmer man ko'd Elizabeth after a few panels wearing her down.
The New Guardians - Issue #2 Consider this my resignation...
The issue begins with Vixen reiterating her question or demand from the previous issue - that the team now work for her. Alan stands and delivers his now famous line "You see I can't work for you, because you're a villain and I'm a hero." Vixen orders his death, Champion boosts up, Jagged Edge takes his crystal form and things start to get messy.
Wading through a group of goons, Champion takes down Vixen easily (with a sonic slam which knocks almost everyone off their feet) while Maeve weaves and spins around their opponents with her acrobatic skill.
Jagged Edge manages to free himself from his shackles and erects a wall of crystal between the team and the stage behind Vixen, preventing further goon reinforcements.
The team leave the "club" (Champion carrying Vixen) and head through the base, fighting more of Vixen's goons on the way. Everything is going well until they are suprised by Magpie and Fogg (the criminal mercenary who had kidnapped Jagged Edge) accompanied by more goons.
A fight ensues which the Glimmer Man - who now appears to be on the side of the team, soon joins. Maeve recieves more flashes of the future, giving her more instruction her new abilities and their use.
The team dispatches their foes and are congratulated by Union Jack, who appears from the same direction as Fogg.
He explains that he had come to rescue them and leads them the rest of the way out of the base (the Glimmer Man grabs a coffee on the way).
The New Guardians - Issue #3 Old Friends & new acquaintances
Glimmer Man "glimmered off" at the end of the last issue with little explanation of his change of allegiance but the rest of the team arrives at Falsworth Manor; a location that Union Jack says is one of his bases of operations.
The team notice that the centre of the mansion is under renovation as Union Jack takes them into one of the wings. Elizabeth (Maeve) is a broken woman, recent events having completely overtaken her. Union Jack explains that they are in the residence of Lady Jacqueline Falsworth, a retired heroine from World War II, and that they should treat her with the respect she is due. Jack goes to locate the lady of the house but soon returns with the (apparently early twenties) Lady Falsworth.
Jacqueline takes immediate care of Elizabeth and escorts her off, leaving the boys to discuss what to do with Vixen.
They decide that holding her is not an option, nor is handing her in and so hit on the plan to send her somewhere remote. The three heroes get in the Falsworth's ground keeper's van and take her to a small main line station, buy a single ticket to Newcastle and put her on the train when it arrives. Satisfied for the time being (but prepared for retribution) the guys return to Falsworth Manor.
At the manor Union Jack explains how he had heard on the news about Magpie's abduction of Elizabeth and so, as they are old foes, he had tried to track her down. He succeeded eventually and so entered Vixen's base; whilst there he learnt about the others being held captive.
He had learnt, from Vixen's organisation that Alan was arriving in the UK and was on his way to meet him when he heard the news about Elizabeth. He was planning to seek out Alan, as he would like his help.
Union Jack has discovered a link between a number of apparent gangland killings in London over recent months. The Police seem to be treating them as isolated incidents but to his experienced eye he thinks there is sufficient evidence to suspect the work of a Vampire. It does appear that the vampire is making great attempts not to kill with a bite and is finishing their victims in other ways. He believes this is a sign that they are trying to prevent the spread of their curse leaving him to think it could be a vampiric vigilante.
Further evidence, and the reason he has sought Alan's help comes in the form of a security camera video where the suspect vampire is caught picking up her victim moments before his death. Alan immediately recognises the ex-Guardian, Shade*. However a bizarre fact is that she appears as she did before her death at the hands of Tombstone and the slaughter squad (shorter in height, brown hair normal complexion), before her resurrection (when she returned taller, leaner, with telepathic powers and white hair).
Alan agrees to help but Jagged Edge (calling himself "Jay") is unsure. He is desperately worried for the safety of his family (if Fogg got to him, why not them?) but Union Jack tries to convince him that his best bet is to stick with people, such as Champion, who can help him protect his family. He reminds them that Vixen wanted them, and Elizabeth, for a reason, she doesn't act randomly. Why did she need them? Is it only them she wants or will any super humans do? Until they can answer those questions he figures that it would be best for the three of them (Champion, Jagged Edge and Maeve) to stick together, or at least remain in contact.
It's now early morning and, figuring that Shade will be avoiding the sun, the three heroes decide to get some rest. Lady Falsworth has agreed to put them up for the time being and while Jack leaves Alan and Jay get some well-deserved rest.
The two heroes rise mid afternoon to find lady Jacqueline up and about. She has had her (private) doctor visit Elizabeth and he has given her something to relax her a little. She is currently sleeping. Lady Falsworth has calmed her down and tried to explain some things to her but it has all come as a great shock to her.
*While Alan was never a Guardian a clones of Shade were involved with the Madripoor Knights.
The New Guardians - Issue #4 Then imitate the action of the Tiger
Alan, Jay and Lady Falsworth-Crichton share an evening meal as Elizabeth still rests upstairs. Jay excuses himself to freshen up after dinner and Union Jack arrives on his bike. Alan gets into costume and comes down to find Union Jack conferring with Lady Falsworth. She leaves them to discuss their plans while trying to locate Jay.
The five most recent attacks have all occurred in and around Walthamstow (E17) and the pair of costumed heroes plots the locations on a map. Using the map and aerial photographs they identify a large central building (a secondary school) in the middle of the circle of murders. It appears that there is little pattern to the crimes except that they are all against known or suspected local criminals and that there is no more that four days between two slayings. The most recent was three days ago.
Upon Lady Falsworth’s return she advises that Jay is nowhere to be found. Union Jack is concerned that time may be of the essence so the pair leave, Champion riding pillion on Union Jack’s bike.
They get across town without incident, lock up the bike and begin their search. Union Jack takes to the rooftop of the school while Champion (being somewhat faster) takes the ground.
Both heroes come to the same conclusion, that although it may be clichéd, they should investigate the nearby cemetery. They meet outside the gates of the now closed and dark cemetery and easily vault the surrounding fence.
Advancing cautiously, Union Jack with weapons drawn, Champion watchful of danger, they soon encounter a man in his mid-thirties following them. He is dressed in a suit and raincoat and appears to make no attempt to hide his approach. The man greets them warmly, inquiring why they are out so late (and in such a place as this) but his true nature is soon revealed; as the heroes suspected he was a vampire.
Union Jack and Champion engage the undead beast but he proves a fast, strong and resourceful foe. Both heroes and the vampire were wounded and tired as Champion withdrew to “boost up” and regenerate a little. Union Jack managed to keep the vampire busy until the heel of Champion’s palm connected squarely with the Vampire’s neck, taking his head clean from his shoulders. At this he faded to ash, leaving the heroes tired and somewhat relieved.
Without having a chance to rest a young female voice calls to them both. It is Shade. She sits on the roof of the tomb applauding their victory then approaches to speak with them. Union Jack does not lower his weapons.
She tells them that the Vampire was also after her, as she has a secret that the vampires fear she will tell. She has not been cautious about her kills for a reason – she wanted to be found, and to be found by someone capable of hunting and killing vampires. She has fed off only stolen blood from nearby medical centres and has sought to use her curse to punish criminals until she herself is taken down. She feels she has nothing left to live for and wants to tell her secret to someone who can use it and then end her undeath. Union Jack volunteers to do the deed if she is sure but tries to convince her that there is another way – at least two other vampires have controlled their hunger. She says she still has nothing to live for, all her old friends and family are gone.
Champion explains his origin; he is allegedly constructed from tissue samples from both Stephen (Redan) and Robert Leans (Shade’s physical brothers) and that Redan (or at least a clone of him) is still alive in Madripoor. He explains that he has come back to the UK to try to discover who he really is and what the truth about his life is. He convinces Shade that she still has something to live for: Family.
Shade pledges that she will not only try to restrain the beast within her but that she will take a vow to never kill again. She asks Union Jack to kill her should she ever break that vow, as it could be the first sign of a further fall. He promises to do so.
Shade then discloses her secret; she was revived and turned by none other than Union Jack’s arch-nemesis Baron Blood. Whilst Union Jack believed that, after being resurrected by the foul magic of the Bane, Baron Blood had been killed on the bane’s own altar*, Shade reveals that in the explosion that followed Baron Blood had escaped from the stake that held him and fled. Shade gives the heroes details of a deserted pub, the cellar of which Baron Blood had used as a home.
* See Knights of Pendragon vol. 2 issues 11& 12
The New Guardians - Issue #5 “…just show business with blood.”
Alan and Union Jack head to the location Shade reports seeing Baron Blood, Union Jack desperate to confront his arch nemesis. Upon arrival, however, they discover the place is deserted again, and has been for some time. Investigating in the surrounding area offers no clues and so they return to Falsworth Manor.
At the manor Elizabeth, who is up and about, is speaking with Lady Falsworth about the changes that powers bring and the responsibility inherent in having such abilities. Champion comes in (while Union Jack is parking the bike) and briefs the ladies on the evening’s events. Jaqueline is horrified by the thought of the Baron’s return and becomes somewhat shocked and shaken. At which point the unconscious body of Union Jack is thrown into the drawing room by Baron Blood (the Baron was made aware of their activities as the vampire (Rudolf Hunter) the heroes encountered in the previous issue was one of his own and he was aware of what had happened to him) the Baron had been lying in wait in the grounds of the mansion for the return of his mortal adversary.
Alan powers up and Maeve draws her staff, placing herself between Blood and the frozen Lady Falsworth.
Blood leaps into flight to attack her Ladyship, but Champion leaps up to intercept him in mid flight, bringing him down before he reaches the ladies.
The next page Champion smashes Baron Blood for all he is worth (all his energy in a single attack…) and although he hurts the vampire he begins to realise just how formidable an opponent he is facing. The Baron strikes back causing Champion the same level of harm he received.
Maeve spots and picks up a heavy trophy and hurls it at the Baron for no real effect. This annoys the Baron who leaps at Elizabeth, attempting to place a bite on her. She holds him off with her staff while Champion takes the opportunity to search for a silver weapon on Union Jack’s body (while he also regenerates). He finds the dagger and throws it at the Baron, straight into the middle of his back between the shoulder blades. Blood screams in agony and spins around, just enough of an opportunity for Maeve to spin her staff upwards, connecting solidly with the Baron’s chin and sending him backwards to the floor, unconscious.
The heroes waste no time in reviving Union Jack and then dismembering Baron Blood, burning the individual parts to ashes and scattering them. Thus they rest easy in the thought that his menace is ended once again, but knowing that demonic powers had brought him back from a similar state previously…
Issue #6 “at one moment flame with life,...and at another moment weakly perish…”
It's a few weeks after the events of issue 5. Maeve is back at home but she and Alan are keeping in touch, much to the chagrin of Liz's boyfriend. She has yet to see any more "action" but Alan has agreed to train and work with her.
Social Services have homed Alan in a shared house with three other guys; Will (a youngster who possibly ran away from home but may have just been chucked out - he seems to have latched on to Alan somewhat), Travis (a very loud and obnoxious character who doesn't work but always seems to have money) and Joseph (an old and smelly vagrant who could be any age from late thirties to early fifties. He's rude, crude and frankly disgusting but has a wicked sense of humour and is generally considered to be "alright").
Alan has not been actively "patrolling" the city as he knows that trouble seems to have a way of finding him so, now he's a little settled, he manages to get a chance to follow up one of his leads on the truth about his identity. He goes to a seedy Soho nightclub/lap dancing bar called the "Blue Flamingo" where he remembers working as a doorman just before leaving for Madripoor. There he renews acquaintance with Trevor, the bulky ex-serviceman who heads the security staff and Colin the bar manager. They both remember Alan and it seems like his memories of events are correct. The Club's previous manager, Cynthia has passed away and the owners have installed an upwardly mobile type from the city called Nigel Frobisher. Trevor says that as long as they turn a profit they very rarely see him which suits Colin and he just fine.
Alan asks if Trevor can provide him with some casual work, which he can, starting today. Alan spends the rest of the day working the door at the club until just gone 11pm when a huge column of flame erupts (and suddenly disappears) about a half mile away. Alan leaves the other doorman to go and investigate. Through a crowd he sees a huge crater in the street in the centre of which there is the charred body of what appears to be a human being.
Alan is trying to get a better view when he is approached by none other than Brother Voodoo, who requests his help (it appears that the rest of the crowd cannot see Voodoo). Alan agrees and Brother Voodoo mystically transports them to his Haitian home. Voodoo explains that the corpse is none other than the sometime member of Myst-X; Kaen and that he was killed by parties unknown, possibly using the fire elemental spirit contained within his body. The huongan tells Alan that the normal colleagues he calls upon in situations such as this are unavailable elsewhere (Dark Mage, Hecate and Aegis are in another dimension - see future issues of Myst-X :)) or he cannot locate them (Soul Reaver - for reasons yet to be revealed). Alan agrees to help and Brother Voodoo takes them back to the crater to view, via psychometry, Kaen's final moments.
They see him in his fire form taking a ready stance before an oncoming wave of zombie like cyborgs with advance energy weapons. Brother Voodoo notes that they are known as Psycho Warriors, combinations of magic and technology, but he doesn't know who has created them.
The horde of warriors overwhelms Kaen, but still he fights on, leaping up and slashing down at his foes, with trails of flame following his every move. More come, swarming over him, blasting away, seemingly heedless of their colleagues and apparently immune to pain.
Suddenly a column-like blast of golden energy hits the group from above, sending the Psycho Warriors reeling in all directions, and many are disintegrated by the effect. The golden blast dissipates but Kaen starts to writhe and convulse, suddenly his fire erupts out of his body with the intensity of a star going nova. The rest of the Psycho Warriors are destroyed, windows in nearby buildings are smashed, the column of flame erupts into the sky and the charred husk of Kaen's mortal body falls to the ground.
Issue #7 Cicero’s first duty – Part one
The issue opens with a scene in a deserted industrial unit. It appears to be the site of a meeting between Vixen's mob and a group of psycho-warriors (led by a bald headed "android" character). Vixen's representative (a young corporate type) seems to be trying to make peace with the psycho-warriors but is incinerated by the "android". Liz wakes up screaming. It's 3am, the scene was a very vivid dream or one of her visions.
Shaun, her boyfriend, wakes to find out what had happened and a flash of lightning illuminates the figure of Alan, standing on their penthouse patio in the rain (in costume). Shaun starts fuming and threatening to call the police. They row then Liz lets Alan in and gives him a coffee. Shaun shuts himself in the bedroom (after trading words with Alan and Liz).
Alan updates Liz on the earlier events of the night and she seems to know something of the Psycho-Warriors but doesn't tell him of her dream. During this Shaun leaves the flat (very obviously) and tells Liz he's going to his place and that she should call him to discuss their relationship.
With Shaun gone the heroes talk a little more openly and Alan explains his current situation (no cash and living in a dump of a house). Liz invites him to stay the night in the spare room (as long as Shaun doesn't know) and they plan to go into the city the following day to finish Maeve's costume.
Liz is woken by the smell of Alan cooking breakfast and gets up to discover he has changed out of costume - into some of Shaun's clothes - which he had to get from her bedroom whilst she was asleep. She's not too pleased about this (as can well be imagined) and they have another frank exchange, which all goes to further illustrate their relationship and reinforce the different personalities and backgrounds of the two main characters.
Liz decides that it's too early to call Shaun and so they head into the city. They shop for most of the day (Alan carrying the bags) and it gets to 17:00 and Liz remembers that she hasn't called Shaun. She texts him but doesn't receive a reply.
By this time Liz has explained about her vision and Alan attempts to convince Liz that she needs to help him try to find the meet tonight. She objects, saying she needs to sort out her personal life. Alan reluctantly concedes and they say their goodbyes.
Suddenly Liz collapses, overcome with another vision. This time of a drunk Shaun in a bar, being approached by a city type asking if he knows Liz and offering him an A4 manila envelope and "a deal". The time in the dream is 17:30. Liz recognises the bar and they head over there (arriving at 17:32) to find that Shaun hasn't been in today. Liz focuses on the vision again and remembers clues that indicate that the events are due to take place at some point ("the 14th") in the future. At that point Elisabeth gets a text back from Shaun saying he'll be at her place at 7pm.
That night Alan stakes out the entrance to Vixen's base that they are aware of. He's not the only one as The Glimmer Man is there and makes himself known. Alan explains his lead and The Glimmer Man offers his help. During their conversation a white van emerges and they follow it (Alan having borrowed a motorbike from Union Jack previously - FB(flashback)).
They reach an abandoned industrial unit in a wasteland area near the river. They watch as a force of a dozen of Vixen's goons disembark and enter. The Glimmer Man convinces Alan that they could do with Maeve's help and he tries ringing her but her mobile is off. He agrees to let Glimmer Man go and get her.
Shaun and Liz are having dinner (albeit frosty and almost silent) when The Glimmer man arrives. He gets in, and helps himself to coffee, explaining that Alan needs Liz NOW. Shaun flies off the handle again demanding that Glimmer Man leaves and Liz explains herself. He becomes increasingly convinced that they are "muties" who have got her caught up in a cult or something. Liz decides to open up and explains some of what happened when she was kidnapped. She then demonstrates some of her powers (her wall walking). Shaun flips. He cannot accept that she might be a mutant so he opts for the explanation that this is all some sort of elaborate stunt, joke, ploy or trick at his expense, cooked up by Liz and Alan "her boyfriend". He leaves. The Glimmer Man hands Maeve her costume.
Issue #8 Cicero's first duty - part two
The issue begins with The Glimmer man carrying Maeve to the site of the meeting. He stops en route to grab a couple of coffees. Maeve says she doesn't want one, but they were both for him...
They arrive at the docklands site to see the silhouette of Alan on the roof of the industrial building and then the groups of psycho-warriors teleporting in. As they move towards the building their leader indicates towards the mob van and two Psycho-warriors shoot it with energy weapons, destroying it.
Maeve climbs up the side of the building to tell Alan to come down. Once he does the three heroes heard gunfire (both conventional and energy) erupt within. Alan boosts, they formulate a plan, and once the firing stops Alan bursts through the large doors and sonic slams the ground, Vixens remaining five goons go flying, Glimmer Man has moved out of range, Maeve is clinging to the building, but the leader of the Psycho-warriors (a similar creature to the warriors but the new host for Kaen), Absalom, and the warriors themselves, seem unaffected.
The Psycho-warriors take the advantage and slaughter the remaining goons as they lay on the ground. Maeve spins in, strikes one of the Psycho-Warriors and he is knocked to the ground. Alan leaps to attack the hovering Absalom, connecting well and sending him flying backwards. Glimmer man returns and strikes one of the psycho-warriors with his drawn katana, wounds it, but it keeps coming. Maeve assaults another Warrior with much the same results as the Glimmer Man.
Absalom retaliates with a fiery blast at Alan that does no damage to the hero's empowered frame. The other heroes do not fare nearly as well as they are blasted by the remaining four Psycho-warriors plasma weapons. Both choose to fall unconscious rather than face death.
At that point things looked very black but a shadowy silhouette is cast across the room from the broken doorway behind Alan. Alan looks to see Jagged Edge standing in the doorway! Alan protects himself as Absalom charges him while Jagged Edge runs in, erecting a crystal wall between the warriors and the two fallen heroes. Immediately the psycho-warriors start to blast the barrier and manage to smash through two sections of it.
Having made an opening the psycho warriors near the Glimmer Man attempt to blast him as Jagged Edge raises both unconscious heroes above the battle on columns of crystal. The warriors' shots miss the Glimmer Man but shatter the growing pillar instead, causing his motionless form to fall the ten feet to the ground and the pile of crystal shards below. One of the warriors turns his attention to Jagged Edge, but his shots refract harmlessly off his crystal form. Alan continues to hold off Absalom, neither doing any damage to the other as they trade blows.
Absalom seems to feel that this is going nowhere and so flies out and away, instructing the psycho-warriors to leave no remains. The warriors continue to blast, failing to bring down Maeve or harm Jagged Edge but apparently killing the Glimmer Man. Then, as Jagged Edge and Alan dispose of two of the warriors, the other two draw grenades and set them off, mortally wounding Maeve and Alan, and bringing the building down on top of the heroes.
What a cliffhanger to leave the year on. Did Alan and Maeve survive? They both have healing factors, but will it be enough? Is a building falling on top of him enough to even hurt Jagged Edge? What caused Jagged Edge to suddenly appear as he did? Is the Glimmer Man truly dead? What will happen to Vixen's mob after this defeat? Who is creating the psycho-warriors and what do they want?
Issue #9 The Undiscover’d Country
The building begins to collapse around Maeve’s head just as she regains consciousness, and then slows to an almost stop. The world seems to be running on slowmo, with only Maeve working at full speed. Leaping from falling debris to collapsing wall she ascends up and out of the building, landing safely outside. She sees a string of lights from a procession of police cars crawling towards the building and suddenly time reverts to its normal flow.
A few moments earlier Alan has realised the building will collapse and dives over the unconscious body of Maeve, using his body to protect her, in seconds he, Glimmer Man, Jagged Edge and the bodies of the Psycho Warriors and Goons are buried under tonnes of rubble.
The Police officers arrive; a tactical unit led by a pair of plain clothes detectives. The senior officer, a Chief Inspector Eccles, gently interrogates Maeve and as she appears to be the only survivor. She begins to explain what she knows while the uniformed officers begin excavating the site. They quickly recover the still conscious Alan, who is shocked to discover that Maeve is not beneath him. They also locate bodies of Vixen’s Goons and Psycho Warriors, corroborating Maeve’s story (at least in part) and the Glimmer Man’s dead body.
The Inspector remains unconvinced that Alan and Maeve are not just stooges for Vixen and that this was some sort of super powered skirmish between two syndicates. He asks that Alan and Maeve accompany him back to their HQ for further questioning. The heroes suspicions are aroused that these officers are not all they appear to be, compounded by the fact that the headquarters mentioned appears to be an old derelict school in need of renovation (or demolition).
The scene shifts to a bright white void that we soon learn we are witness to through the eyes of the Glimmer Man. Where ever he is, for possibly the first time in his life Jason Bourne (the Glimmer Man) feels content, comfortable and at peace. Divinity then appears to him as a young woman glowing with light and power. She explains that she is the earthly agent of a sect of angels (The Assura) and that they wish to extend a similar offer that they gave her to Jason. In exchange for being their “warrior” and swearing to never take another mortal life, they will grant him an ageless body, purged free from the psychological problems and physical addictions that racked his previous life. Jason agrees and suddenly he’s in Divinity’s penthouse, dressed in a new white suit. Divinity gives him his new (Stark Industries) stun pistols and explains a little more about their role. She then sends him to help his old friends, Maeve and Alan.
Meanwhile Maeve and Alan are split up and questioned separately, their stories match, as they both tell the officers the full story of what happened. Maeve insists on a phone call and is led off to make it.
She returns and the questioning continues with both the heroes present. Eccles wants to get to bottom of this and seems convinced that there is more to the two of them than they are telling him. It is then that a uniformed officer interrupts the questioning with a message for the Chief Inspector. He leaves and returns a few moments later looking very unhappy. During Eccles absence the new Glimmer man has arrived and surprises all with his return.
Maeve had called Union Jack, who had in turn contacted his government connections (as mentioned in Avengers #83…) who have passed the word down the line. Alan and Maeve are to be freed. Eccles breaks this news but then stops; a thought has stuck him.
He is concerned that his officers are woefully outclassed should they have to deal directly with Absalom and the events of that night. He has dealt with super humans before (see the Wisdom & Pryde mini series for details…) and asks if Alan and Maeve would be willing to assist him on any difficult or “specialist” cases. Maeve says it’s up to Alan as she’s the “sidekick” and he agrees. The Chief Inspector introduces the rest of his team and welcomes them to F66: The Department of Unusual Death.
Issue #10 “…What a messy thing it is to kill a man.”
A couple of weeks after the events of the last issue and Alan and Liz are called up by DCI Eccles to assist on a bizarre series of murders.
The killings have been taking place in Croydon over the past month or so and there appears to be little pattern. The murders all take place at night or early morning and are scattered around the town. The town is also seeing an increasing number of missing persons, a trend the media are keen to connect to the murders although there is no firm evidence to support this.
Victims have been literally torn to pieces in savage attacks and in many cases only incomplete corpses have been recovered.
The frequency of the killings appears to be increasing and that, coupled with their ferocity has prompted the Department to call in the heroes. “Doctor” Strangefoot is the investigating officer, Alan & Maeve meet up with him and head to the latest crime scene, a murder that had taken place in the early hours of that morning.
The victim was a vagrant (Joseph “Stinky Joe” Campbell) who had taken refuge from the rain in an industrial unit on a business park. The heroes discern both signs of a struggle and a surprising amount of blood in the room, although there is none on the way in or out. It appears that the attacker gained entry using the same method as the victim (a broken fire door) or using supernatural abilities. Satisfied that they have gained all they can from the scene the investigators go to the morgue to meet with the forensic pathologist and view the victim’s body.
The body mass recovered is only about a fifth of the victim’s total body and the heroes can clearly see how the victim has been torn. The pathologist remarks that the closest similar wound she has ever seen is a shark bite. Maeve also notes the presence of puncture wounds (about 3 to 4 inches deep) over what remains of the torso and thighs. The pathologist confirms that this is consistent with the other victims. Maeve also notes that the wounds appear slightly swollen, as if irritated. This is the first time this has been witnessed on a victim, but this is the soonest after death that the authorities have found a victim. The investigators head to lunch (just after Liz has put some rubber gloves on and had a good poke around in the corpse…) and discuss theories so far.
After lunch the heroes meet up with the local officers working on the case in their incident room. The officers have spent the morning digging up what they can about Stinky Joe and have been able to identify a number of his usual haunts. CCTV footage of the area around the Business park shows both Joe heading towards the unit and then another vagrant (later identified as one George Smith, a known associate of Stinky Joe) heading to the unit, and then returning a short while later.
In discussions with the local officers the heroes learn of a similar attack on the local zoo, just prior to the start of the murders. The police had not associated the serial killings with the attack on the zoo – putting it down to Animal Rights extremists. However Alan and Maeve can see far more similarities than differences.
They decide to follow up on the lead on the second vagrant and head to a soup kitchen he is known to visit as soon as it opens. Liz gets talking to “Maggie” an elderly lady who knew both Joe and George. She comments, in between reminiscences and complete digressions, that George is rarely around now, having been acting increasingly strange over he last few weeks. He’s started being obsessed with the Queen, ranting and mumbling about her constantly and that the last time Maggie saw him he suddenly gave her a long and passionate kiss. Since then he’s not been back to the soup kitchen, and after being thrown out of most of the local hostels due to his behaviour (in particular his drinking) she tells Liz that he’s now often sleeping rough in the multi story car park near the zoo.
The three investigators head to the car park and while Doctor Strangefoot keeps an eye on the main entrance the two heroes head to the basement to begin searching for George.
The basement room is quite large, holding an emergency generator, a few cleaning supplies and the lift motor. It is dimly lit with orange emergency lighting but this is supplemented by the glow from Alan’s eyes as he boosts. Alan goes first while Maeve scans around. They hear a noise at the end of the room and stop. Something is moving down there. Maeve strains to get a better look while Alan readies himself for an attack.
Suddenly, leaping straight at them from the darkness is the ex-Guardian and now Vampire, Shade…
Issue #11 Ding dong, Rent-o-kill calling…
The issue begins in a stand off with Shade. She explains that the killer had previously attacked her and so she is also trying to track it (and has been about a day ahead of Alan and Liz).
Shade gives the partners a description of her attacker. It boils down to a flying bug the size of a large child.
In conversation and attitude Shade dismisses Maeve causing her to leave Alan and the vampire alone. As Liz reaches the top of the stairs and opens the door she is faced with two fully-grown bugs; Brood Warriors. She immediately engages the two vicious aliens in battle and, perhaps surprisingly, the rookie heroine does well. She eventually calls for assistance but has already defeated one warrior and is about to follow second as it flees when Alan arrives to back her up.
The two heroes chase the fleeing alien out of the car park and back again, eventually arriving on the roof to find the Brood’s fledgling nest. Once there the heroes are accosted by a host of Brood and their queen. The insectoid warriors are defending both their queen and hive and go all out on the heroes who, in turn devote themselves to defending themselves and each other. Alan is hit hard but his regenerative powers kick in to bring him back to fighting strength. However eventually they wear the aliens down, finally engaging and defeating their queen.
In all this Shade was nowhere to be seen but shortly after the destruction of the hive the police arrive, tipped of by the vampiress.
The New Guardians - Issue #1 Career Opportunities
The issue began with the close of a performance of the opening night of Swan Lake at a theatre in London. The lead is played by a young dancer and ex-international athlete and gymnast, Elizabeth Jennings. The performance concludes to triumphant applause but during the cast's second curtain call a felon by the name of Magpie leaps down to the stage from the lighting rig.
Chaos ensues as he attempts to capture Elizabeth. She runs, occasionally throwing props and parts of the set into his path. She keeps getting strange flashes of what's going to happen before it does so and feels that all is not as it should. Although she outruns him, Magpie teleports in front of her, surprising her and knocking her out.
Next we see the arrival in the UK of Alan London, formally the hero known as Ronin. We have a flashback of his time with the Madripoor Knights, his leaving the SHIELD Knights and then his discussion with Redan as to his future. He has returned to the UK to try to discover how much of the memories he has of his life there are real and how much was programmed by AIM. Redan has given him a new (armoured) costume and identity to help him start afresh.
He arrives at Heathrow airport early in the morning and the Glimmer Man presents himself, and an offer of work. It appears that the Glimmer Man's employer knows of Alan and that he was coming. Airport police take issue with the Glimmer man wandering around with weapons and challenge them there is a Mexican standoff, which develops into a small skirmish during which Alan leaves and waits outside. Glimmer Man has soon had enough and "glimmers" out. He quickly finds Alan and talks him into a taxi.
Alan and Glimmer Man arrive at an entrance to one of Vixen's bases under
London. The base is highly advanced with what looks like a lot of
SHIELD/AIM level tech and staffed by a paramilitary force. Alan is left in a waiting room where a sleeping/ko'd Elizabeth is laid. Elizabeth is now in a costume. She comes to and they share information.
Soon the Glimmer Man and some guards arrive to escort the "guests" to their host; the Vixen.
When they arrive there is a third individual present (Jagged Edge - who we
will learn via flashback in issue #2 was "recruited" in a similar way to
Elizabeth, when he was attacked in his docklands flat by Fogg). The third
figure is a young man who is chained to a chair, he has obviously been beaten about.
Vixen explains that the three are now her employees (they have no choice - she has selected them & they should feel lucky) and that she "rules" London.
- I can't remember whether it was before or after this but Elizabeth and
Glimmer Man had a scrap while Liz was trying to escape. Glimmer man ko'd Elizabeth after a few panels wearing her down.
The New Guardians - Issue #2 Consider this my resignation...
The issue begins with Vixen reiterating her question or demand from the previous issue - that the team now work for her. Alan stands and delivers his now famous line "You see I can't work for you, because you're a villain and I'm a hero." Vixen orders his death, Champion boosts up, Jagged Edge takes his crystal form and things start to get messy.
Wading through a group of goons, Champion takes down Vixen easily (with a sonic slam which knocks almost everyone off their feet) while Maeve weaves and spins around their opponents with her acrobatic skill.
Jagged Edge manages to free himself from his shackles and erects a wall of crystal between the team and the stage behind Vixen, preventing further goon reinforcements.
The team leave the "club" (Champion carrying Vixen) and head through the base, fighting more of Vixen's goons on the way. Everything is going well until they are suprised by Magpie and Fogg (the criminal mercenary who had kidnapped Jagged Edge) accompanied by more goons.
A fight ensues which the Glimmer Man - who now appears to be on the side of the team, soon joins. Maeve recieves more flashes of the future, giving her more instruction her new abilities and their use.
The team dispatches their foes and are congratulated by Union Jack, who appears from the same direction as Fogg.
He explains that he had come to rescue them and leads them the rest of the way out of the base (the Glimmer Man grabs a coffee on the way).
The New Guardians - Issue #3 Old Friends & new acquaintances
Glimmer Man "glimmered off" at the end of the last issue with little explanation of his change of allegiance but the rest of the team arrives at Falsworth Manor; a location that Union Jack says is one of his bases of operations.
The team notice that the centre of the mansion is under renovation as Union Jack takes them into one of the wings. Elizabeth (Maeve) is a broken woman, recent events having completely overtaken her. Union Jack explains that they are in the residence of Lady Jacqueline Falsworth, a retired heroine from World War II, and that they should treat her with the respect she is due. Jack goes to locate the lady of the house but soon returns with the (apparently early twenties) Lady Falsworth.
Jacqueline takes immediate care of Elizabeth and escorts her off, leaving the boys to discuss what to do with Vixen.
They decide that holding her is not an option, nor is handing her in and so hit on the plan to send her somewhere remote. The three heroes get in the Falsworth's ground keeper's van and take her to a small main line station, buy a single ticket to Newcastle and put her on the train when it arrives. Satisfied for the time being (but prepared for retribution) the guys return to Falsworth Manor.
At the manor Union Jack explains how he had heard on the news about Magpie's abduction of Elizabeth and so, as they are old foes, he had tried to track her down. He succeeded eventually and so entered Vixen's base; whilst there he learnt about the others being held captive.
He had learnt, from Vixen's organisation that Alan was arriving in the UK and was on his way to meet him when he heard the news about Elizabeth. He was planning to seek out Alan, as he would like his help.
Union Jack has discovered a link between a number of apparent gangland killings in London over recent months. The Police seem to be treating them as isolated incidents but to his experienced eye he thinks there is sufficient evidence to suspect the work of a Vampire. It does appear that the vampire is making great attempts not to kill with a bite and is finishing their victims in other ways. He believes this is a sign that they are trying to prevent the spread of their curse leaving him to think it could be a vampiric vigilante.
Further evidence, and the reason he has sought Alan's help comes in the form of a security camera video where the suspect vampire is caught picking up her victim moments before his death. Alan immediately recognises the ex-Guardian, Shade*. However a bizarre fact is that she appears as she did before her death at the hands of Tombstone and the slaughter squad (shorter in height, brown hair normal complexion), before her resurrection (when she returned taller, leaner, with telepathic powers and white hair).
Alan agrees to help but Jagged Edge (calling himself "Jay") is unsure. He is desperately worried for the safety of his family (if Fogg got to him, why not them?) but Union Jack tries to convince him that his best bet is to stick with people, such as Champion, who can help him protect his family. He reminds them that Vixen wanted them, and Elizabeth, for a reason, she doesn't act randomly. Why did she need them? Is it only them she wants or will any super humans do? Until they can answer those questions he figures that it would be best for the three of them (Champion, Jagged Edge and Maeve) to stick together, or at least remain in contact.
It's now early morning and, figuring that Shade will be avoiding the sun, the three heroes decide to get some rest. Lady Falsworth has agreed to put them up for the time being and while Jack leaves Alan and Jay get some well-deserved rest.
The two heroes rise mid afternoon to find lady Jacqueline up and about. She has had her (private) doctor visit Elizabeth and he has given her something to relax her a little. She is currently sleeping. Lady Falsworth has calmed her down and tried to explain some things to her but it has all come as a great shock to her.
*While Alan was never a Guardian a clones of Shade were involved with the Madripoor Knights.
The New Guardians - Issue #4 Then imitate the action of the Tiger
Alan, Jay and Lady Falsworth-Crichton share an evening meal as Elizabeth still rests upstairs. Jay excuses himself to freshen up after dinner and Union Jack arrives on his bike. Alan gets into costume and comes down to find Union Jack conferring with Lady Falsworth. She leaves them to discuss their plans while trying to locate Jay.
The five most recent attacks have all occurred in and around Walthamstow (E17) and the pair of costumed heroes plots the locations on a map. Using the map and aerial photographs they identify a large central building (a secondary school) in the middle of the circle of murders. It appears that there is little pattern to the crimes except that they are all against known or suspected local criminals and that there is no more that four days between two slayings. The most recent was three days ago.
Upon Lady Falsworth’s return she advises that Jay is nowhere to be found. Union Jack is concerned that time may be of the essence so the pair leave, Champion riding pillion on Union Jack’s bike.
They get across town without incident, lock up the bike and begin their search. Union Jack takes to the rooftop of the school while Champion (being somewhat faster) takes the ground.
Both heroes come to the same conclusion, that although it may be clichéd, they should investigate the nearby cemetery. They meet outside the gates of the now closed and dark cemetery and easily vault the surrounding fence.
Advancing cautiously, Union Jack with weapons drawn, Champion watchful of danger, they soon encounter a man in his mid-thirties following them. He is dressed in a suit and raincoat and appears to make no attempt to hide his approach. The man greets them warmly, inquiring why they are out so late (and in such a place as this) but his true nature is soon revealed; as the heroes suspected he was a vampire.
Union Jack and Champion engage the undead beast but he proves a fast, strong and resourceful foe. Both heroes and the vampire were wounded and tired as Champion withdrew to “boost up” and regenerate a little. Union Jack managed to keep the vampire busy until the heel of Champion’s palm connected squarely with the Vampire’s neck, taking his head clean from his shoulders. At this he faded to ash, leaving the heroes tired and somewhat relieved.
Without having a chance to rest a young female voice calls to them both. It is Shade. She sits on the roof of the tomb applauding their victory then approaches to speak with them. Union Jack does not lower his weapons.
She tells them that the Vampire was also after her, as she has a secret that the vampires fear she will tell. She has not been cautious about her kills for a reason – she wanted to be found, and to be found by someone capable of hunting and killing vampires. She has fed off only stolen blood from nearby medical centres and has sought to use her curse to punish criminals until she herself is taken down. She feels she has nothing left to live for and wants to tell her secret to someone who can use it and then end her undeath. Union Jack volunteers to do the deed if she is sure but tries to convince her that there is another way – at least two other vampires have controlled their hunger. She says she still has nothing to live for, all her old friends and family are gone.
Champion explains his origin; he is allegedly constructed from tissue samples from both Stephen (Redan) and Robert Leans (Shade’s physical brothers) and that Redan (or at least a clone of him) is still alive in Madripoor. He explains that he has come back to the UK to try to discover who he really is and what the truth about his life is. He convinces Shade that she still has something to live for: Family.
Shade pledges that she will not only try to restrain the beast within her but that she will take a vow to never kill again. She asks Union Jack to kill her should she ever break that vow, as it could be the first sign of a further fall. He promises to do so.
Shade then discloses her secret; she was revived and turned by none other than Union Jack’s arch-nemesis Baron Blood. Whilst Union Jack believed that, after being resurrected by the foul magic of the Bane, Baron Blood had been killed on the bane’s own altar*, Shade reveals that in the explosion that followed Baron Blood had escaped from the stake that held him and fled. Shade gives the heroes details of a deserted pub, the cellar of which Baron Blood had used as a home.
* See Knights of Pendragon vol. 2 issues 11& 12
The New Guardians - Issue #5 “…just show business with blood.”
Alan and Union Jack head to the location Shade reports seeing Baron Blood, Union Jack desperate to confront his arch nemesis. Upon arrival, however, they discover the place is deserted again, and has been for some time. Investigating in the surrounding area offers no clues and so they return to Falsworth Manor.
At the manor Elizabeth, who is up and about, is speaking with Lady Falsworth about the changes that powers bring and the responsibility inherent in having such abilities. Champion comes in (while Union Jack is parking the bike) and briefs the ladies on the evening’s events. Jaqueline is horrified by the thought of the Baron’s return and becomes somewhat shocked and shaken. At which point the unconscious body of Union Jack is thrown into the drawing room by Baron Blood (the Baron was made aware of their activities as the vampire (Rudolf Hunter) the heroes encountered in the previous issue was one of his own and he was aware of what had happened to him) the Baron had been lying in wait in the grounds of the mansion for the return of his mortal adversary.
Alan powers up and Maeve draws her staff, placing herself between Blood and the frozen Lady Falsworth.
Blood leaps into flight to attack her Ladyship, but Champion leaps up to intercept him in mid flight, bringing him down before he reaches the ladies.
The next page Champion smashes Baron Blood for all he is worth (all his energy in a single attack…) and although he hurts the vampire he begins to realise just how formidable an opponent he is facing. The Baron strikes back causing Champion the same level of harm he received.
Maeve spots and picks up a heavy trophy and hurls it at the Baron for no real effect. This annoys the Baron who leaps at Elizabeth, attempting to place a bite on her. She holds him off with her staff while Champion takes the opportunity to search for a silver weapon on Union Jack’s body (while he also regenerates). He finds the dagger and throws it at the Baron, straight into the middle of his back between the shoulder blades. Blood screams in agony and spins around, just enough of an opportunity for Maeve to spin her staff upwards, connecting solidly with the Baron’s chin and sending him backwards to the floor, unconscious.
The heroes waste no time in reviving Union Jack and then dismembering Baron Blood, burning the individual parts to ashes and scattering them. Thus they rest easy in the thought that his menace is ended once again, but knowing that demonic powers had brought him back from a similar state previously…
Issue #6 “at one moment flame with life,...and at another moment weakly perish…”
It's a few weeks after the events of issue 5. Maeve is back at home but she and Alan are keeping in touch, much to the chagrin of Liz's boyfriend. She has yet to see any more "action" but Alan has agreed to train and work with her.
Social Services have homed Alan in a shared house with three other guys; Will (a youngster who possibly ran away from home but may have just been chucked out - he seems to have latched on to Alan somewhat), Travis (a very loud and obnoxious character who doesn't work but always seems to have money) and Joseph (an old and smelly vagrant who could be any age from late thirties to early fifties. He's rude, crude and frankly disgusting but has a wicked sense of humour and is generally considered to be "alright").
Alan has not been actively "patrolling" the city as he knows that trouble seems to have a way of finding him so, now he's a little settled, he manages to get a chance to follow up one of his leads on the truth about his identity. He goes to a seedy Soho nightclub/lap dancing bar called the "Blue Flamingo" where he remembers working as a doorman just before leaving for Madripoor. There he renews acquaintance with Trevor, the bulky ex-serviceman who heads the security staff and Colin the bar manager. They both remember Alan and it seems like his memories of events are correct. The Club's previous manager, Cynthia has passed away and the owners have installed an upwardly mobile type from the city called Nigel Frobisher. Trevor says that as long as they turn a profit they very rarely see him which suits Colin and he just fine.
Alan asks if Trevor can provide him with some casual work, which he can, starting today. Alan spends the rest of the day working the door at the club until just gone 11pm when a huge column of flame erupts (and suddenly disappears) about a half mile away. Alan leaves the other doorman to go and investigate. Through a crowd he sees a huge crater in the street in the centre of which there is the charred body of what appears to be a human being.
Alan is trying to get a better view when he is approached by none other than Brother Voodoo, who requests his help (it appears that the rest of the crowd cannot see Voodoo). Alan agrees and Brother Voodoo mystically transports them to his Haitian home. Voodoo explains that the corpse is none other than the sometime member of Myst-X; Kaen and that he was killed by parties unknown, possibly using the fire elemental spirit contained within his body. The huongan tells Alan that the normal colleagues he calls upon in situations such as this are unavailable elsewhere (Dark Mage, Hecate and Aegis are in another dimension - see future issues of Myst-X :)) or he cannot locate them (Soul Reaver - for reasons yet to be revealed). Alan agrees to help and Brother Voodoo takes them back to the crater to view, via psychometry, Kaen's final moments.
They see him in his fire form taking a ready stance before an oncoming wave of zombie like cyborgs with advance energy weapons. Brother Voodoo notes that they are known as Psycho Warriors, combinations of magic and technology, but he doesn't know who has created them.
The horde of warriors overwhelms Kaen, but still he fights on, leaping up and slashing down at his foes, with trails of flame following his every move. More come, swarming over him, blasting away, seemingly heedless of their colleagues and apparently immune to pain.
Suddenly a column-like blast of golden energy hits the group from above, sending the Psycho Warriors reeling in all directions, and many are disintegrated by the effect. The golden blast dissipates but Kaen starts to writhe and convulse, suddenly his fire erupts out of his body with the intensity of a star going nova. The rest of the Psycho Warriors are destroyed, windows in nearby buildings are smashed, the column of flame erupts into the sky and the charred husk of Kaen's mortal body falls to the ground.
Issue #7 Cicero’s first duty – Part one
The issue opens with a scene in a deserted industrial unit. It appears to be the site of a meeting between Vixen's mob and a group of psycho-warriors (led by a bald headed "android" character). Vixen's representative (a young corporate type) seems to be trying to make peace with the psycho-warriors but is incinerated by the "android". Liz wakes up screaming. It's 3am, the scene was a very vivid dream or one of her visions.
Shaun, her boyfriend, wakes to find out what had happened and a flash of lightning illuminates the figure of Alan, standing on their penthouse patio in the rain (in costume). Shaun starts fuming and threatening to call the police. They row then Liz lets Alan in and gives him a coffee. Shaun shuts himself in the bedroom (after trading words with Alan and Liz).
Alan updates Liz on the earlier events of the night and she seems to know something of the Psycho-Warriors but doesn't tell him of her dream. During this Shaun leaves the flat (very obviously) and tells Liz he's going to his place and that she should call him to discuss their relationship.
With Shaun gone the heroes talk a little more openly and Alan explains his current situation (no cash and living in a dump of a house). Liz invites him to stay the night in the spare room (as long as Shaun doesn't know) and they plan to go into the city the following day to finish Maeve's costume.
Liz is woken by the smell of Alan cooking breakfast and gets up to discover he has changed out of costume - into some of Shaun's clothes - which he had to get from her bedroom whilst she was asleep. She's not too pleased about this (as can well be imagined) and they have another frank exchange, which all goes to further illustrate their relationship and reinforce the different personalities and backgrounds of the two main characters.
Liz decides that it's too early to call Shaun and so they head into the city. They shop for most of the day (Alan carrying the bags) and it gets to 17:00 and Liz remembers that she hasn't called Shaun. She texts him but doesn't receive a reply.
By this time Liz has explained about her vision and Alan attempts to convince Liz that she needs to help him try to find the meet tonight. She objects, saying she needs to sort out her personal life. Alan reluctantly concedes and they say their goodbyes.
Suddenly Liz collapses, overcome with another vision. This time of a drunk Shaun in a bar, being approached by a city type asking if he knows Liz and offering him an A4 manila envelope and "a deal". The time in the dream is 17:30. Liz recognises the bar and they head over there (arriving at 17:32) to find that Shaun hasn't been in today. Liz focuses on the vision again and remembers clues that indicate that the events are due to take place at some point ("the 14th") in the future. At that point Elisabeth gets a text back from Shaun saying he'll be at her place at 7pm.
That night Alan stakes out the entrance to Vixen's base that they are aware of. He's not the only one as The Glimmer Man is there and makes himself known. Alan explains his lead and The Glimmer Man offers his help. During their conversation a white van emerges and they follow it (Alan having borrowed a motorbike from Union Jack previously - FB(flashback)).
They reach an abandoned industrial unit in a wasteland area near the river. They watch as a force of a dozen of Vixen's goons disembark and enter. The Glimmer Man convinces Alan that they could do with Maeve's help and he tries ringing her but her mobile is off. He agrees to let Glimmer Man go and get her.
Shaun and Liz are having dinner (albeit frosty and almost silent) when The Glimmer man arrives. He gets in, and helps himself to coffee, explaining that Alan needs Liz NOW. Shaun flies off the handle again demanding that Glimmer Man leaves and Liz explains herself. He becomes increasingly convinced that they are "muties" who have got her caught up in a cult or something. Liz decides to open up and explains some of what happened when she was kidnapped. She then demonstrates some of her powers (her wall walking). Shaun flips. He cannot accept that she might be a mutant so he opts for the explanation that this is all some sort of elaborate stunt, joke, ploy or trick at his expense, cooked up by Liz and Alan "her boyfriend". He leaves. The Glimmer Man hands Maeve her costume.
Issue #8 Cicero's first duty - part two
The issue begins with The Glimmer man carrying Maeve to the site of the meeting. He stops en route to grab a couple of coffees. Maeve says she doesn't want one, but they were both for him...
They arrive at the docklands site to see the silhouette of Alan on the roof of the industrial building and then the groups of psycho-warriors teleporting in. As they move towards the building their leader indicates towards the mob van and two Psycho-warriors shoot it with energy weapons, destroying it.
Maeve climbs up the side of the building to tell Alan to come down. Once he does the three heroes heard gunfire (both conventional and energy) erupt within. Alan boosts, they formulate a plan, and once the firing stops Alan bursts through the large doors and sonic slams the ground, Vixens remaining five goons go flying, Glimmer Man has moved out of range, Maeve is clinging to the building, but the leader of the Psycho-warriors (a similar creature to the warriors but the new host for Kaen), Absalom, and the warriors themselves, seem unaffected.
The Psycho-warriors take the advantage and slaughter the remaining goons as they lay on the ground. Maeve spins in, strikes one of the Psycho-Warriors and he is knocked to the ground. Alan leaps to attack the hovering Absalom, connecting well and sending him flying backwards. Glimmer man returns and strikes one of the psycho-warriors with his drawn katana, wounds it, but it keeps coming. Maeve assaults another Warrior with much the same results as the Glimmer Man.
Absalom retaliates with a fiery blast at Alan that does no damage to the hero's empowered frame. The other heroes do not fare nearly as well as they are blasted by the remaining four Psycho-warriors plasma weapons. Both choose to fall unconscious rather than face death.
At that point things looked very black but a shadowy silhouette is cast across the room from the broken doorway behind Alan. Alan looks to see Jagged Edge standing in the doorway! Alan protects himself as Absalom charges him while Jagged Edge runs in, erecting a crystal wall between the warriors and the two fallen heroes. Immediately the psycho-warriors start to blast the barrier and manage to smash through two sections of it.
Having made an opening the psycho warriors near the Glimmer Man attempt to blast him as Jagged Edge raises both unconscious heroes above the battle on columns of crystal. The warriors' shots miss the Glimmer Man but shatter the growing pillar instead, causing his motionless form to fall the ten feet to the ground and the pile of crystal shards below. One of the warriors turns his attention to Jagged Edge, but his shots refract harmlessly off his crystal form. Alan continues to hold off Absalom, neither doing any damage to the other as they trade blows.
Absalom seems to feel that this is going nowhere and so flies out and away, instructing the psycho-warriors to leave no remains. The warriors continue to blast, failing to bring down Maeve or harm Jagged Edge but apparently killing the Glimmer Man. Then, as Jagged Edge and Alan dispose of two of the warriors, the other two draw grenades and set them off, mortally wounding Maeve and Alan, and bringing the building down on top of the heroes.
What a cliffhanger to leave the year on. Did Alan and Maeve survive? They both have healing factors, but will it be enough? Is a building falling on top of him enough to even hurt Jagged Edge? What caused Jagged Edge to suddenly appear as he did? Is the Glimmer Man truly dead? What will happen to Vixen's mob after this defeat? Who is creating the psycho-warriors and what do they want?
Issue #9 The Undiscover’d Country
The building begins to collapse around Maeve’s head just as she regains consciousness, and then slows to an almost stop. The world seems to be running on slowmo, with only Maeve working at full speed. Leaping from falling debris to collapsing wall she ascends up and out of the building, landing safely outside. She sees a string of lights from a procession of police cars crawling towards the building and suddenly time reverts to its normal flow.
A few moments earlier Alan has realised the building will collapse and dives over the unconscious body of Maeve, using his body to protect her, in seconds he, Glimmer Man, Jagged Edge and the bodies of the Psycho Warriors and Goons are buried under tonnes of rubble.
The Police officers arrive; a tactical unit led by a pair of plain clothes detectives. The senior officer, a Chief Inspector Eccles, gently interrogates Maeve and as she appears to be the only survivor. She begins to explain what she knows while the uniformed officers begin excavating the site. They quickly recover the still conscious Alan, who is shocked to discover that Maeve is not beneath him. They also locate bodies of Vixen’s Goons and Psycho Warriors, corroborating Maeve’s story (at least in part) and the Glimmer Man’s dead body.
The Inspector remains unconvinced that Alan and Maeve are not just stooges for Vixen and that this was some sort of super powered skirmish between two syndicates. He asks that Alan and Maeve accompany him back to their HQ for further questioning. The heroes suspicions are aroused that these officers are not all they appear to be, compounded by the fact that the headquarters mentioned appears to be an old derelict school in need of renovation (or demolition).
The scene shifts to a bright white void that we soon learn we are witness to through the eyes of the Glimmer Man. Where ever he is, for possibly the first time in his life Jason Bourne (the Glimmer Man) feels content, comfortable and at peace. Divinity then appears to him as a young woman glowing with light and power. She explains that she is the earthly agent of a sect of angels (The Assura) and that they wish to extend a similar offer that they gave her to Jason. In exchange for being their “warrior” and swearing to never take another mortal life, they will grant him an ageless body, purged free from the psychological problems and physical addictions that racked his previous life. Jason agrees and suddenly he’s in Divinity’s penthouse, dressed in a new white suit. Divinity gives him his new (Stark Industries) stun pistols and explains a little more about their role. She then sends him to help his old friends, Maeve and Alan.
Meanwhile Maeve and Alan are split up and questioned separately, their stories match, as they both tell the officers the full story of what happened. Maeve insists on a phone call and is led off to make it.
She returns and the questioning continues with both the heroes present. Eccles wants to get to bottom of this and seems convinced that there is more to the two of them than they are telling him. It is then that a uniformed officer interrupts the questioning with a message for the Chief Inspector. He leaves and returns a few moments later looking very unhappy. During Eccles absence the new Glimmer man has arrived and surprises all with his return.
Maeve had called Union Jack, who had in turn contacted his government connections (as mentioned in Avengers #83…) who have passed the word down the line. Alan and Maeve are to be freed. Eccles breaks this news but then stops; a thought has stuck him.
He is concerned that his officers are woefully outclassed should they have to deal directly with Absalom and the events of that night. He has dealt with super humans before (see the Wisdom & Pryde mini series for details…) and asks if Alan and Maeve would be willing to assist him on any difficult or “specialist” cases. Maeve says it’s up to Alan as she’s the “sidekick” and he agrees. The Chief Inspector introduces the rest of his team and welcomes them to F66: The Department of Unusual Death.
Issue #10 “…What a messy thing it is to kill a man.”
A couple of weeks after the events of the last issue and Alan and Liz are called up by DCI Eccles to assist on a bizarre series of murders.
The killings have been taking place in Croydon over the past month or so and there appears to be little pattern. The murders all take place at night or early morning and are scattered around the town. The town is also seeing an increasing number of missing persons, a trend the media are keen to connect to the murders although there is no firm evidence to support this.
Victims have been literally torn to pieces in savage attacks and in many cases only incomplete corpses have been recovered.
The frequency of the killings appears to be increasing and that, coupled with their ferocity has prompted the Department to call in the heroes. “Doctor” Strangefoot is the investigating officer, Alan & Maeve meet up with him and head to the latest crime scene, a murder that had taken place in the early hours of that morning.
The victim was a vagrant (Joseph “Stinky Joe” Campbell) who had taken refuge from the rain in an industrial unit on a business park. The heroes discern both signs of a struggle and a surprising amount of blood in the room, although there is none on the way in or out. It appears that the attacker gained entry using the same method as the victim (a broken fire door) or using supernatural abilities. Satisfied that they have gained all they can from the scene the investigators go to the morgue to meet with the forensic pathologist and view the victim’s body.
The body mass recovered is only about a fifth of the victim’s total body and the heroes can clearly see how the victim has been torn. The pathologist remarks that the closest similar wound she has ever seen is a shark bite. Maeve also notes the presence of puncture wounds (about 3 to 4 inches deep) over what remains of the torso and thighs. The pathologist confirms that this is consistent with the other victims. Maeve also notes that the wounds appear slightly swollen, as if irritated. This is the first time this has been witnessed on a victim, but this is the soonest after death that the authorities have found a victim. The investigators head to lunch (just after Liz has put some rubber gloves on and had a good poke around in the corpse…) and discuss theories so far.
After lunch the heroes meet up with the local officers working on the case in their incident room. The officers have spent the morning digging up what they can about Stinky Joe and have been able to identify a number of his usual haunts. CCTV footage of the area around the Business park shows both Joe heading towards the unit and then another vagrant (later identified as one George Smith, a known associate of Stinky Joe) heading to the unit, and then returning a short while later.
In discussions with the local officers the heroes learn of a similar attack on the local zoo, just prior to the start of the murders. The police had not associated the serial killings with the attack on the zoo – putting it down to Animal Rights extremists. However Alan and Maeve can see far more similarities than differences.
They decide to follow up on the lead on the second vagrant and head to a soup kitchen he is known to visit as soon as it opens. Liz gets talking to “Maggie” an elderly lady who knew both Joe and George. She comments, in between reminiscences and complete digressions, that George is rarely around now, having been acting increasingly strange over he last few weeks. He’s started being obsessed with the Queen, ranting and mumbling about her constantly and that the last time Maggie saw him he suddenly gave her a long and passionate kiss. Since then he’s not been back to the soup kitchen, and after being thrown out of most of the local hostels due to his behaviour (in particular his drinking) she tells Liz that he’s now often sleeping rough in the multi story car park near the zoo.
The three investigators head to the car park and while Doctor Strangefoot keeps an eye on the main entrance the two heroes head to the basement to begin searching for George.
The basement room is quite large, holding an emergency generator, a few cleaning supplies and the lift motor. It is dimly lit with orange emergency lighting but this is supplemented by the glow from Alan’s eyes as he boosts. Alan goes first while Maeve scans around. They hear a noise at the end of the room and stop. Something is moving down there. Maeve strains to get a better look while Alan readies himself for an attack.
Suddenly, leaping straight at them from the darkness is the ex-Guardian and now Vampire, Shade…
Issue #11 Ding dong, Rent-o-kill calling…
The issue begins in a stand off with Shade. She explains that the killer had previously attacked her and so she is also trying to track it (and has been about a day ahead of Alan and Liz).
Shade gives the partners a description of her attacker. It boils down to a flying bug the size of a large child.
In conversation and attitude Shade dismisses Maeve causing her to leave Alan and the vampire alone. As Liz reaches the top of the stairs and opens the door she is faced with two fully-grown bugs; Brood Warriors. She immediately engages the two vicious aliens in battle and, perhaps surprisingly, the rookie heroine does well. She eventually calls for assistance but has already defeated one warrior and is about to follow second as it flees when Alan arrives to back her up.
The two heroes chase the fleeing alien out of the car park and back again, eventually arriving on the roof to find the Brood’s fledgling nest. Once there the heroes are accosted by a host of Brood and their queen. The insectoid warriors are defending both their queen and hive and go all out on the heroes who, in turn devote themselves to defending themselves and each other. Alan is hit hard but his regenerative powers kick in to bring him back to fighting strength. However eventually they wear the aliens down, finally engaging and defeating their queen.
In all this Shade was nowhere to be seen but shortly after the destruction of the hive the police arrive, tipped of by the vampiress.
posted by Bert Jammin | Tuesday, August 29, 2006
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