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Journey to the Center of the Goblin – part four
Avengers Tower, New York headquarters, HAMMER. Nate Grey aka X-Man (vastly powerful mutant shaman, Future Legend), currently inhabiting the body of Norman Osborn (Evil boss of you. Quicksand), smiles and holds up his hands as his eye glows.
Okay, she’s got him, Osborne states. Nate Grey has taken up residence in this body. He doesn’t think much of the interior décor, he adds. But again, he asks her Why should he give her anything?  She is a terrorist with a history of betrayal. Recently of his dad. Then she pretended to be his dead mom as part of Osborn’s plan to leech on his power. And now she comes to him, not with a plea, from one mutant to another, but with an implied threat.
Well nobody’s perfect Mystique (shapeshifter. Always crashing in the same car) replies. So if he’s not planning on helping her, what is he going to do?
He looks out the window. Contact Scott. Tell him he doesn’t have to feel confined. Go through the prisoners. See who needs freeing. He has to make a list of his own. Work out what leads to the best future. Who should stay in the Avengers. Who should be asked back. He has to normalize the whole… the whole … national superhero… Suddenly, he moans, feeling agony in his head.
Nate? Mystique asks. Norman? Don’t call me that! two different voices coming from Norman’s body shout. Osborn’s in here too, Nate realizes, and is stronger than he thought. But he is still in control! He sinks down exhausted.
He won’t free her from those bombs, he decides. Not until she redeems herself. Her threats of exposure are meaningless. He could burn through her mind in a moment and change her story. But if she runs now, he won’t stop her.
Mystique leaves the room. Her instinct is to run. Which way is the future? she asks her dead lover Destiny. If only she were alive to tell her! Is Nate going to make everything “normal” again? Normal for who? Damn it! she swears and goes to inform her teammates.
The Dark Beast (serial biologist from another universe. Cat People) agrees. Of course! Grey can change his energy form into a mental projection and possess Osborn. Excuse him, he’s about to run from here screaming!
Here’s what he’s going to do, Mimic (replicates mutant powers. Sense of Doubt) announces. He’s going to go to him. Ask for more about his future.
Omega (absorbs mutant powers. Space Oddity) holds his head. With him around all the time, he will never be sane, he worries.
As Cal is about to step outside, Raven warns him that Nate is never going to give him his answers. He will judge him! And make that knowledge into a reward or a punishment. Is his conscience clear enough to submit to that? Or wouldn’t he rather have the power to find the answers for himself? Cal stops and slowly turns around.
Inside Norman Osborn’s mind:
Nothingness and in it Nate Grey and Norman Osborn sit at a table and are testing their strength against each other. Surprisingly, Nate has to work up a sweat. He admits that Norman astonishes him. Nate has all these powers. He’s keeping Norman’s body going in the world, doing all kinds of stuff out there. But when it comes down to this… to a contest of pure will…
Osborn replies his father used to say to him, “It’s not all about you.” Norman told him he was working on that. Mutants! he snorts. Heh. With guys who became super heroes it’s pretty easy to dominate them. He means, his superiority to these sympathy-craving personas is kind of obvious. And they follow a pecking order: Yell Avengers assemble! they are yours. But mutants, they don’t just believe in the myth of good and evil like the others do. Mutants are super heroes with politics. He thought he’d beaten the ones who matter by pushing them back on that island. But then Grey came along. Osborn begins to smile. Dealing with the unforeseen, proving his mettle… it’s what he lives for.
HAMMER spy-division. Under Manhattan Island. Alex Jarl, the head psychic, is not happy to see Osborn’s X-Men again, particularly as Beast killed one of his “brain cells” (meaning, one of the psychics) Yes, he did, McCoy admits. But only because it was really interesting. Jarl is flattered. They tend to get ignored down here.
Mystique asks if his brain is back in working order. Somewhat, comes the reply. It seemed to react to X-Man’s absorption of psychic power from its original cells. He assigned new ones, but… well… he shows them the brain made of psychics, glowing with red energy. He thinks his brain is… angry.
Last time they used one of his “cells” to gain visual access to the psychic plane, Mystique explains. This time she wants their own minds to be projected into it. Then the easies way… the best way is for them is to become part of his brain, Jarl suggests. The X-Men all react hesitatingly save for the Beast who announces happily that he would be delighted!
Elsewhere, Nate as Osborn calls his assistant Victoria Hand asking something about the prisoner lists. However, he cannot focus as the real Osborn is beginning to break through to Nate’s consciousness. He can’t even concentrate and it’s going to get worse! He won’t let Nate destroy everything he’s created. He likes being an inner demon. Makes a change!
Nate calls Victoria again and tells her to hold all calls and cancel all meetings. There is something he has to settle, and it’s going to take concentration. His eye begins to glow.
The four X-Men are lying atop the “brain.” Jarl tunes into the Mimic’s psi-power and explains the rest of them will be riding piggyback. They should be aware of something happening in three… two… Oh, there they are!
The Astral Plane:
The four find themselves projected into mental chaos, doors, skulls furniture. Mystique asks Mimic what he is thinking. That he’d like it to be like this all the time. It’s like his powers are all his. And it’s all okay. And she actually feels comfortable in this body, Mystique agrees but she thinks to want this too much is to die.
Ahead of them is a green glowing mess. Osborn’s mind, Mimic figures. It reminds him of his own.
In the whiteness, Osborn and Nate actually fight. Trying to throttle and hit him, Osborn asks if Nate doesn’t get it. He’s going to have to spend more and more energy just containing him. While his body does nothing! Didn’t think it through, did he? he smirks. As always, he thought proclaiming his own goodness and judging people was enough.
Osborn, Nate replies, all this isn’t even the major part of his plan. He smiles as his eye begins to glow. That should be arriving… now!
Elsewhere, the Dark X-Men are in what appears to be a dungeon. So this is…? Omega begins to ask. The interior of Osborn’s mind, McCoy replies looking at a scan. To be precise, the area where Grey has Osborn’s personality confined. He has mental constructs of devices with him. Don’t all compliment his cleverness at once. Ah, yes! He tells them which way to go.
Omega complains he doesn’t get it. Impatiently, Mystique explains: They free Osborn’s mind, help him evict Grey, gain Osborn’s trust for having stayed loyal. Hopefully enough for her to be free of—
Yes, he’s no fool, Omega interrupts impatiently. What he means is why is there walking and finding if they are in a mental space? What does it represent except a… deliberate delay. And if so, who’s doing that?
Maybe Grey? Mystique suggests. What, Omega scoffs, his strategy against them is slight frustration? And is that anything like they imagined Osborn’s mind to be?
“Hey!” Beast shouts, “they found it!” He points at a giant bolted doorway.
Elsewhere, Nate now states that Osborn didn’t think it through. He is dealing with someone who can sometimes see the future. Everything he’s done so far has been him waiting for this to happen. Osborn can feel them in here now, can’t he? His own inner defenses trying to delay them, to hold them back. Only they are not strong defenses now. He’s only causing them slight frustration. Because he’s using all his energy fighting Nate.
Elsewhere, Omega asks the others to listen to him. But they don’t and Mimic blasts apart the door.
In the whiteness, Nate has Osborn on the ropes. He won’t get the chance to stop them getting there, Nate announces. He is keeping Osborn busy here. What would really destroy his world right now? Who does he really not want people to see him as? He doesn’t know if it was that warped brain of Jarl’s searching for something like itself or just that the search for a psychic “jail cell” in his brain found the wrong thing… but guess who’s coming out to play?
The Dark X-Men enter the dungeon. This isn’t where they are supposed to be! Omega babbles nervously. This isn’t where Osborn’s mind is being held prisoner!
Osborn’s mind? a new voice from the darkness asks. They really have dialed the wrong number! He’s glad it’s a mistake though. And not a rescue attempt. He means, he’d hate to have to be indebted to those he is about to kill! the Green Goblin laughs.


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[Assistant]
Journey to the Center of the Goblin – Conclusion
Inside Norman Osborn’s mind:Osborn’s X-Men team has traveled there to free Osborn’s consciousness. What they have found instead is the Green Goblin (Osborn’s even darker side. His own song: a squeal of interference). Sitting on a throne, he asks if they came looking for Osborn. He so loves fools!
Maybe they could just – Omega begins uncertainly. Going for Mystique’s throat (while throwing Goblin bombs at the others) the Goblin finishes his sentence. “Run?” Such heroes! Blue! He hates blue. Mutant color, he tells Mystique (shapeshifter. Her own song: A doomed love song to an old lady and a species). She suggest he not take his eye off the ball. Growing a monstrous leg, she kicks him off his Goblin glider.
They’re not his enemies the Dark Beast (Mad, bad and dangerous to know. His own song: Puts his own lyrics to Streisand) tries to assure the Goblin and points to the exit.
What is he doing? asks Omega (Absorbs mutant power. His own song: ballads he shows to no one). He can work on Osborn if the Goblin takes over, McCoy explains. He’d really enjoy it. The Goblin calls them idiots. He can see now they aren’t important. He runs away. Mystique belatedly orders her surprised team to follow him.
Elsewhere in the whiteness are Nate Grey aka X-Man (near omnipotent: his own song: Several rock CDs, now available in a box set) and Norman Osborn (Neocon and on and on. His own song: he never wrote a single note) are still wrestling it out. Nate has Osborn on the ropes. He can feel it, can’t he? The Goblin’s free! Now he’ll want control over Osborn’s body. When people see him, Osborn’s reign of terror will be over!
Huh, Osborn scoffs with a slight smile. Grey really is from a more innocent era. It seems his precognition only goes so far. He thinks Nate has made one assumption too many!
Elsewhere:Leading the pack, Mimic(copies mutant powers. His own song: some excellent piano pieces, sometimes played for friends) asks why they are chasing him. Mystique explains if the Goblin takes over Osborn’s mind, he won’t honor any deals. He might blow her up for the fun of it!
The Goblin reaches whiteness and a moment later they find themselves in “Osborn Central” as McCoy puts it. A large room, with TV screens showing Osborn’s memories. Memories of his present successes, but also of his past, showing Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, and even more.
The Goblin stands transfixed before a screen showing a young Osborn being beaten by his father. He looks so ordinary, the Goblin muses. That’s the trouble. Mutants like them, he’s always envied them. All their difference, all their excellence, their greatness, it’s all there on the outside. He touches Mystique’s hair. To be admired or worshipped… or pitied.
He points to a screen showing teenage Norman looking into the mirror unhappily. Instead of which all he has is unfortunate hair, to hide under a cap. Sensitive skin, to hide under a mask (a screen showing teenage Norman being laughed at and bullied). A need to be wanted. Especially by those macho guys (Norman and Tony Stark getting drunk together). And a need to be above such needs. But his saving grace is a willingness to do anything – a trait he calls the Green Goblin. A trait underlying all he is. Which anyone could make use of, but so few do. He slashes Mystique’s throat and walks away, announcing now he must do more of that.
Mimic holds Mystique and shouts she can change shape around that wound. She can fix it. Even if she couldn’t, they are just mental constructs in here… so imagine she can!
Not die now, Mystique tells herself and concentrates, until she manages to do so.
Disgusted, Beast looks after the Goblin. He bet on them caring for “one of us.” As if they were human. “Yeah, and he was right to, you psychopath!” Mimic shouts while he helps Mystique up who orders they go after him.
In the whiteness, Norman Osborn explains what is inside him is very practical. He means, this part of him he sees here? This is the social him. This is him playing nice. Didn’t Nate imagine that a creature that can organize he criminal underworld will know when it’s a good idea to fight him and when they have mutual interest? He knocks Nate down.
Elsewhere, the Dark Beast walks ahead of the others. How does one kill a mental construct? Mystique asks, because she really wants to do that right now. Look, Beast points ahead, to the Goblin standing before a source of whiteness. This is what he needs, he mutters. One moment later, he notices them with surprise. “Kick his medieval green ass!” Mystique orders and the team attacks.
However, tentacles spring up from nowhere to trap McCoy and Mystique. Norman may have redecorated, the Goblin explains, but this was originally his home and now Mimic and Omega are close enough for him to do this. He takes a hose from the white well and fires it at them. Sorry he suckered them into that, he adds.
What did he just do? Mystique demands and McCoy surmises that the Goblin is a representation of Osborn’s deepest most primal willpower. Correct, the Goblin agrees. Norman is trusting him so much today! And he’s right to. Gaining access to it gives him all he needs to make the weapon he needs, meaning he forces Mimic to mimic Omega’s power. To save himself! the Goblin cries. And Norman too!
In the whiteness, Nate slams Norman back. He cannot hope to beat him! he announces. That’s what he keeps showing them, Norman replies, and they still don’t get it! There’s Nate’s sort of beat and then there’s his!
As if on cue, the Green Goblin breaks into the whiteness, with Mimic and Omega in tow. “Together: activate! he orders. As if they had a choice about this, Mimic mutters, while Omega adds they haven’t made many so far.
Together they draw the energy out of Nate. He sinks down to his knees. “Oh, you fools”, he exclaims sadly. He sinks down and Norman kicks him in the face.
Norman and the Goblin size each other up for a moment. Then the Goblin walks back into the darkness with a dismissive wave of his hand. Until next time.
Yeah, next time, Norman echoes. Everyone gets out of here. Now.
The X-Men wake up surrounded by the corpses of Jarl’s brain. They are all dead, Omega states and Mimic finds Jarl comatose. Ah, he remembers when his Tuesday nights were always like this, McCoy recalls wistfully.
Osborn’s assistant, Victoria Hand, joins them and informs them director Osborn sends his compliments and asks them to join him for some torture.
In his office, Osborn stands above the unconscious Nate.
Later, Nate sits shackled and roughed up in a chair designed to dampen his powers and is surrounded by guards. He hopes they all enjoyed watching that, Osborn tells his X-Men. Any last words before they put him in the machine and use him like coal? he asks Nate.
There’s a quote, Nate replies, looking at the X-Men- Nobody knows who said it. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Well, the four of them never even got around to deciding whether or not they were good!
If they’d come to him in friendship, if they’d had the courage to be heroes… He could have removed the bomb from Mystique’s nervous system…
(later, Mystique thinks about his words, alone in her bed)
He could have put Mimic’s premonition in context…
(later, Mimic is again depressed in a session with Dr. Sofen)
He could have told Omega exactly why he is the most important mutant alive…
(later, Omega sits drinking and insecure in a bar)
And he would have continued to judge McCoy. To say what he does to humans is wrong and that mutants should not allow it (later, McCoy happily experiments on his hapless lab assistant Bleaker). But instead all that’s left is the hope that one day –
That’s enough! Osborn interrupts. He doesn’t get to do “One day.” Tomorrow belongs to him!
Nate is put into the machine. Osborn leaves, as does McCoy. The other three X-Men look down in shame and despair at what they have done or failed to do.


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[Assistant]
Namor / Norman (1st story),  Mimic (2nd story),  Dark Beast (3rd story)
1st story:Alcatraz Island, Westcoast Headquarters of HAMMER:Norman Osborn talks with his assistant Victoria Hand. He did what? he asks, incredulous. Head-butted Sunspot, comes the reply. On TV. Well… that’s… okay, actually, Norman decides. Sunspot doesn’t look like a kid. He looks like a… scary black-hole thing. That’s just … kind of… lacking class by his standards. And have the bugs picked anything up? Anything he’s said? Abut the Atlantean terrorists? About Reynolds killing the Atlantean terrorists. No Sir, comes the reply. He has just seemed… calm. Really… really… calm.
Namor, Osborn muses. He was sure they were done. Why is he still here? What the hell is he doing here in the first place?
Norman steps in front of the shower… where Namor is. So, about the Atlanteans… he begins. Namor doesn’t even turn around.
Osborn recalls the last time they spoke.
Flashback to the first meeting of the Cabal:Namor was in Norman’s face. Aggressively, he pointed at him, snarling the fact that he even allows Osborn to speak directly to him is a gift he bestows upon him. Do not order him. He tells Osborn he begs for Namor’s appreciation and then waits to see if he chooses to bestow it on him. Atlantis is no more, because the surface world destroyed it. And the fact that he hasn’t dropped a tidal wave on the United States in retaliation is, in his opinion, an act of unimaginable patience and character. So no, he will not help him, and he will not be his dancing monkey. And if he and Osborn nee d to do battle about this, let it be now.
present:In contrast to this, Namor is completely calm as without turning around he asks: what about the Atlanteans?
Well, Norman begins, the last time they talked about that situation, Namor refused to denounce them. Indeed, he came dangerously close to agreeing with them, so Norman had them put down. He had them exterminated. And Namor’s only reaction is… to pitch in and help with this whole mutant thing. He means, he half-expected Namor to ride some giant sea-monster right up to his building. Force them to see who is stronger, Namor or the Sentry. But he didn’t.
Continuing, Norman points out that, at first, Namor did nothing. Then he showed up here at the lovely Ms. Frost’s bequest. So, as he’s sure Namor can imagine it made Norman curious. Curious as to why he did that. He means he didn’t even know Namor was a mutant. Someone informed him of the fact. But how would he know? Namor hasn’t exactly been shouting it off rooftops. If they have those on underwater buildings.
He didn’t join the X-Men when Xavier or Summers were running it. Osborn takes a towel and offers it to Namor. Is it Frost’s feminine wiles getting to him? Or, dare he say it, is their proud Atlantean king having an identity crisis? He means, why else would he come back to Osborn after what he did? Does he need someone to  him who he is, someone to give him orders?
Quick as a snake, Namor goes for Osborn’s throat and slams him against the wall. You do not give me orders, he hisses. Your Highness, with respect… this is insane, comes the reply. He reminds Namor that he joined Osborn’s organization. His X-Men. Osborn was asked to take him on. Namor volunteered.
Namor lets go. And Osborn rubs his throat. If he doesn’t want to take orders he can always just leave. Namor turns his back on him. Haughtily, he inform him this conversation is…
Oh, he sees, Norman replies while straightening his tie. He doesn’t really know why he’s here. Or he wouldn’t fly off the handle like that. He does understand. About being two things. Two things? Namor asks surprised. Which?
Yes, exactly, Norman muses. Which two things? Indeed. A “Super villain” and a “super hero.” He’s made the same journey Norman has. From threatening the world, or at least a part of it, to saving it. But that’s not all.
He thinks right now Namor is looking at his life and questioning whether what he’s been doing for years is working. He touches Namor’s shoulder. He’s been there too, he reminds Namor. All this time he hasn’t seen himself as a mutant. But rather as an Atlantean. Now he’s thinking of making a change, not fighting a lost cause anymore. He thinks coming to them in those circumstance is admirable. He doesn’t think Namor should feel vulnerable about that.
He could have a home here. In the bosom of Ms. Frost. Metaphorically speaking, he means. Although he thinks they’d be great together.
Arms akimbo, Namor doesn’t reply. He’s glad they brought this to the surface, Norman continues, because he wants Namor to consciously sign up for this. He’s offering him his chance. Something he can be: a mutant, an X-Man. A new people he can defend and represent. A people this time some of whom the surface dwellers have at least met and liked.
So now they’re clear. All this is why he’s going to stay. And allow Osborn to keep on giving him orders. Right?
He has said too much, Namor states, looking down on him. But he’s worked him out, hasn’t he? Norman replies. So… the next time he sends Namor on a mission…
Then he will give Norman’s…request serious consideration, Namor concedes and leaves. Norman looks after him triumphantly.
Later, he notes down in his computer files: move subject Namor is not category green for regular assignments. Norman then looks out at San Francisco. He believes he has the measure of him now. It’s nice when someone who was a threat volunteers to be an ally. A flunky! And it’s always good to have a prince on the team.
2nd story:Have you ever come back from the dead? Does that sound like a stupid question? Because people like us, I hear it happens pretty often.
The Mimic recalls. He’s been killed, but also buried. A few times. When you come to there’s a few moments that are pure impulse. You are just a thing, clawing, gasping choking, like a reflex. His eyes glowed and with an optic blast he freed himself from his grave.
That moment, you actually have no idea who you are. There’s no questioning what you do. You just do it. Because if you don’t, you’ll swallow dirt and never move again.
He recalls being buried, but also feeling that way all the time… being a trouble maker, a drinker, being beaten by the Hulk, by Professor X, by Wolverine….
Even if he hadn’t been killed, never had his mind erased, he doesn’t know what difference it would have made. He feels like he never knew who he was to begin with.
It wasn’t till a couple of years ago: Dr. Moira MacTaggert, a good woman, figured out that he has bipolar disorder. How she described this condition was like she’d been walking around in his head. Moira got him to take some meds, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety ones and she was right. They helped. She was a good woman. But he still worries. He still waits for the other shoe to drop.
He addresses someone. He guesses that person knows what he can do. All these people around now shoot lasers from their face to whatever? He gets near them, and he can do it all too.
He recalls fighting the original X-Men, Cable and X-Force, Cerebro alongside the X-Men and the Brotherhood.
These people, they are practically gods. And whatever they spent their whole lives learning to manage, it just comes out of him. He’s hurt people. Because of what comes out and how his brain works.
He recalls inadvertently shooting a woman with his optic blasts. He sought solitude in the wilderness; tried to get away. But the world’s too small. X-Force found him and he inadvertently absorbed Sunspot’s power. And all these things other people can do… they just seep into him. Even if he doesn’t want it to. Sometimes it just comes out.
Some of the scariest people in the world? Wolverine? The Hulk? Charles Xavier? He’s got them all twisted up in him. And he can’t always control himself. Let alone the part of them he’s got stuck inside. He could really hurt people.
He’s afraid he’s already hurt people. He and Norman Osborn walk past a burning building (possibly destroyed by the Mimic). HAMMER agents work on the damage and the injured people. He has, Osborn agrees, calling him Calvin. But he promises him, he’s not worried about all that. He thinks he’s perfect!
3rd story:An abandoned railway shack. The Hank McCoy from another dimension, the so-called Age of Apocalypse, also called the Dark Beast, smiles in his lab looking at a drop of blood in fascination. Suddenly he turns around, having heard something. He becomes alert, ready for an attack.
Moments later outside, Norman Osborn lands in his Iron Patriot armor. He walks inside, his armor changing into his suit. McCoy! he calls into the lab that seems to be empty, except for the corpse of a young girl on a table. He knows he’s here! Osborn shouts. It wasn’t easy and for him that’s saying a lot, but they found him. Tracked him down. He becomes aware of the corpse. Kidnapping children? he asks.
McCoy jumps down from his hiding place. Kidnapping, he repeats. How quaint. No, this one was a gift. A rich eccentric, terminally ill. Life for him, death for his niece. Not that she was supposed to die, he adds in mock regret. He’d hoped for an induced mutation. Sad. Still, nothing like the thrill of experimentation, especially when things go wrong, he states with a grin. It can offer up such… unexpected results. Wouldn’t Norman agree?
Osborn so far has looked at matters with disgust. McCoy knows who he is? he asks. No, sadly not, comes the reply. He’s spent the last several years with his head stuck up his…
He needs his help, Osborn interrupts him curtly. Turning back to his experiment, McCoy replies sarcastically that he’s thrilled. The nation is facing a threat, Osborn states. Mutants out of control, mutants…
This isn’t his nation, McCoy clarifies, hell, it’s not his dimension! He’s an out of control mutant.
Fugitive, yes, Osborn agrees. Out of control, no. Not like these. He needs a way to control them. A way to reduce their power, to make them safe so they can be placed out of harm’s way.
Boohoo, comes the reply. Call Reed Richards, he’s your gizmo go-to man. Osborn really doesn’t know him at all, does he? Actually, he believes he does, Osborn replies. He needs McCoy to experiment on someone. He already is… comes the reply. A mutant, Osborn continues. Now he has McCoy’s attention.
A young man by the name of Michael Pointer, he continues. He has an ability he can use, but it needs to be tempered, altered for their purposes. A mutant, McCoy repeats dreamily, caressing the face of the corpse.
Most people tend to imagine experimentation as boring lab work. And he guesses it can be, but it all depends on the subject. And how willing you are to get your hands dirty. Cutting into the flesh, altering the genetic code, twisting and changing… It’s enough to make your mouth water, wouldn’t he agree? Doing it to another is… exquisite. But doing it to oneself, now there lies something truly extraordinary. They both know this particular delight, don’t they?
Osborn silently glares. McCoy returns to the corpse and tells him not to give him that look. He knows all about Osborn’s past. Pumpkin bombs and all. But he needn’t worry. He’s his biggest fan.
He tosses the corpse aside. How long has it been since Osborn wore his real face? How long has it been since he felt the rush? He struts about the place, pretending to be something else, but why? Why deny who he is? It’s in his blood, he made sure of that. Give back to the beast inside, he lures….
Osborn, for a moment, looks as if he wants to kill him, then he begins to smirk. Take McCoy’s lead then? That’s what he’s suggesting? And where will that get him, exactly. Cast out of his reality? Forced to become an outcast? How’s the “rush” feel when you’re living in dank, decrepit old buildings, hmm? How’s it feel to be reduced to experimenting on children in conditions most rats would find inhospitable?
Accept his offer and McCoy’ll be given the best equipment money can buy. He’ll be given access to mutants and all he need do is follow Osborn’s orders. Toe the line.
Toe the line, Dark Beast repeats. Memories of home. Time to come out of the shadows, Osborn continues. And cut himself off from who he truly is? He can see that’s a price he’s not willing to pay. He needn’t deny his true nature, Osborn continues. He simply needs to be discreet about how much of it he reveals to others.
Like him, he means? Dark Beast asks. Is he in or not, Osborn asks, stone-faced.
Oh, he’s in, comes the reply. He can play the good house pet. But don’t worry, Norman, he’ll be sure to remind him of what he’s missing. Remember, he’s Norman’s biggest fan…


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The Temptation of Cloak and Dagger (1st story)
 Weapon Omega (2nd story)
 I Am Daken (3rd story)
1st story:
Colombia:
Aboard a helicopter are Norman Osborn, clad in his Iron Patriot armor, and his Colombian host, who tells him to remember he was invited here. He feels it’s important to stress that. Two US citizens are destroying property and threatening lives. But rather than summon his own super-powered options, he called him. Not something he could have done via the State department. But with HAMMER in play, those of hem who value orders have more options. Osborn is in this to get paid.
Osborn silently smirks at him, then looks down. There they are. He’ll take it from here.
They are Cloak and Dagger (with a flamethrower), trying to make short works of a poppy field (and being fired at by the guards). One minute, Dagger warns Cloak. One minute to extraction, he replies. Ready…
Suddenly, someone walks towards them through the flames. It is the Iron Patroit. He addresses them by their given names: Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen? He’s such a fan, he assures the young heroes as he stops in front of them.
The head of the armed guards waves the others back.
Does he think he can take them? Cloak asks. Well, Osborn replies, taking off his facemask, actually he thinks that would be really hard. First, he has no leverage. There’s nobody he could threaten. Second, if they don’t like the game, they just take their ball home. Third, why would he want to (he takes away Dagger’s flamethrower)?. They are the good guys. And he’d like to give them an opportunity to go beyond that… to be role models, too. They know, with great power there must also come great responsibility…
Weasel words! Cloak shouts at him. They are he good guys. Osborn is not! He engulfs him. Would he enjoy some time in the dark dimension? Alone with his thought? Just him and Cloak?
Well, that’s just it, Osborn replies, he wouldn’t be alone. He grabs a device from out of the cloak. He has people everywhere. Including the Dark Dimension. He said it would be really hard to take them. Not impossible. Now please listen to his offer. They don’t want to be turned inside out.
Cloak and Dagger share a look. Tell them, Dagger announces. Putting aside the device, Osborn explains he is putting together a team of X-Men. To represent the mutant community in the new order. He’d like them to…
Tandy interrupts, pointing out they are not mutants. Oh, he knows that, he replies. But to the public? They are principled, put upon, and a bit scary. So, of course, they are mutants! They may ask why he wants them. He really likes their war.
Narration accompanied with pictures, showing Osborn meeting with the president.
He’d like to be able to say to the daylight side of the US government that his people are making major advances in the “war on drugs.” He’d like to show them that when one sets aside law and gives order its due, then “wars” which were previously hypocritical gestures can be fought for real. And won.
reality:
Again Cloak and Dagger share a look. “Ty,” Dagger begins, her eyes downcast. No, he refuses. They have no choice, she insists. She takes Osborn’s hand. Call them hypocrites if he wants to, but for all the benefits he offers that’s how they’d like to enter into this arrangement: having no choice.
Osborn assures her he doesn’t call them anything at all. They all do what they have to. Or what they’d like. And speaking of which, let him show them what this is really for. He takes the device he threatened them with and presses the button. Around them the poppy field blows up. As he walked over it he sowed the field with bomblets, Osborn explains. That’s what one gets for taking him granted. He could turn them inside out any time. He just doesn’t need a device to do it. So if they are finished here, any chance of a lift back to Alcatraz?
The mercs attack again. He knows he can trust them to get him there. And he can’t wait to show them their new base. Their new community. Their first real home. And Cloak teleports them away from the battlefield.
2nd story:
An office building is being constructed. One of the construction workers muses that a building this size will have around two million bolts, give or take. Before they are done here, he will personally have set and tightened bout 2,200 or approximately one bolt for every person he killed.
Pointer! somebody calls him. The worker, standing on an upper level of the construction of the Northpole Children’s Hospital looks up.
It took him a year to learn the exact body count. Of the people who died because some extraterrestrial bastard used him to cut a bloody swath across Alaska, Northern Canada ad Cleveland. Two thousand, two hundred and nine.
The foreman who called him coughs and apologizes. A sudden wave of crappy just came over him. There is a guy downstairs who wants to talk to Michael. He’s wearing a suit. Watch your wallet, he suggests jokingly. Michael Pointer thanks Chris and hopes he’ll be better soon. He walks down and off the site, taking off his hard hat.
And so he builds, he muses. Creation from Destruction. Something from nothing. Alpha from Omega.
Michael Pointer? The man waiting for him asks. It’s Norman Osborn. Osborn continues that he assumes Pointer’s self-imposed handyman exile hasn’t precluded him from paying attention to the world.
He knows who Osborn is, comes the curt reply. Used to be crazy. And he knows who Michael is, Osborn shoots back. He knows what he did. He knows who he killed.
Michael’s fist begins to glow. He informs Osborn they are done and warns him to walk away while he can. He wants him to play this Imax size for his workerbee buddies? Osborn asks.  The glow fades. What does he wants from him? Michael asks. His help, Osborn replies. He’s forming a new team. He’s secured his Avengers. Now he’s building his X-Men and he wants Michael on the team.
He doesn’t want him near other mutants, Michael points out. They die if he stays too close for too long. In his current state, yes, Osborn admits, but that’s where he’ll help Michael. Help so he doesn’t inadvertently kill any more innocents. Speaking of which, that is why he is here now. Michael is going to kill everyone on this site.
Osborn’s story:
A HAMMER strike team attacked an illegal shipment of Mutant Growth Hormone heading to Vancouver. They didn’t go peacefully and were shot. In the firefight there was a breach… and the MGH went airborne. The construction site is downwind. That makes everyone here for the next twenty minutes a mutant. And he knows what that means….
They need to… they need to evacuate the site, Michael replies panicked. They don’t need to evacuate the site, Osborn corrects him, they need to evacuate him. This is where Osborn comes in. He asks Michael to let him help him.
Help him? God help him…he’s been offered help like this before. From men with money and resources, who wanted him to join their personal cause under the guise of atoning for his sins. He steps close to Osborn. It never comes without a price. He turns away. The blood on his ands is his to clean. Osborn would just replace it with the blood of his enemies.
Let them be clear about something, Osborn clarifies: there will always be blood. This is the world they live in. The question is whose blood will it be.
Michael runs back to the site and shouts up to the foreman, Chris. He’s calling it a day, Michael informs him. He’s nor feeling well!
However, Chris falls down, sick himself. He’s gotta get out of here! Michael mutters in panic while a colleague shouts for someone to call 911. Yet another colleague begins to cough. As he falls down unconscious, he hits the lever of the crane which whirls around, almost hitting two more men. Michael shoves them to the ground.
He runs away to get some distance between him and his colleagues. On the road before him stands Osborn, backed by a helicopter. There is a school two blocks away filled with temporary young mutants, Norman informs him.
They each know something about demons. They each know what it is like not to be in control. Let Norman help him gain control of his destiny. If he will join him, they will solve this problem together. Hank McCoy himself will devote every waking hour to ensuring that Michael will never unwittingly harm anyone ever again. Welcome to the X-Men. They shake hands.
A little later they sit in the helicopter. In the back, Michael mutters despondently he just wants… he just wants to… He knows, Norman assures him. They’ll fix it. They’ll fix him.
He enters the front where the evil Hank McCoy from the AoA is piloting. How much MGH did they use? McCoy asks. Does it matter? Osborn retorts. They can always make more. If Pointer works out, it was worth it. That man’s no hero, but he’ll make a hell of a warden.
3rd story:
Wearing only in a towel around his hips, Daken looks at himself in the mirror before dressing in a tux. He is Wolverine. And he is not his father.
Flashback:
He recalls a training session, fighting alongside Norman Osborn’s team of Avengers. Deftly he kept off the robot foe’s attacks with his claws ducking, evading and blocking.
Impatiently, his teammate Bullseye (dressed as Hawkeye) tells him his foe ain’t going to beg Daken to cop a feel. He gotta get in there like his daddy would. What is he waiting for?
Riposte. That, Daken replies as he elegantly cuts off his foe’s head.
Present:
Daken meets Osborn outside who praises him for being punctual. He should always be punctual for a job interview. Joining Osborn in the limousine, Daken reminds him sourly that he already has a job. He’s the sane one on his One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest version of the Avengers, remember? That’s why he values Daken, Osborn replies smoothly. He knows he can always count on him.
He offers Daken a drink, which the younger man ignores. And that’s why he wants to invite him to… He has no interest in joining Osborn in any of his power-hungry machinations, Daken announces. So whatever he has planned for tonight, he’s wasting his time.
Oh, Osborn smirks, so he won’t be interested in joining the X-Men then? Daken looks at him surprised. That’s the first time he has ever seen him at a loss for words, Norman observes. They drive on in silence. Osborn smirks and sips at his drink. Daken glares at him.
So he thinks that’s it, he muses. Osborn believes that Daken thinks this will kill his father. So he crawls, says Thank you, sir. And suddenly he’s Osborn’s clawed little lap dog? Osborn thinks he can count on him? Translation: Osborn wants him in his X-Men because he thinks he can control Daken. He thinks that his… relationship with his father is all that he is. Does he think Daken is so easily defined? Does he think that his hatred – his wish to see Wolverine dead – overrides his reason?
They arrive at the Metropolitan Opera. What are they doing here? Daken asks. Enjoying a little culture, comes the reply. It’s what distances them from the savages. They are welcomed personally and led past the. Osborn explains he thought he’d remind Daken of the perks of working for him. Does he know how much exactly a ticket for tonight’s performance costs?
Does he think he cares about – Daken begins to snarl. Of course not, but look around at the crowds. These people are New York’s elite. Yet they wait patiently in line. They do not. Daken scoffs. There is not a building on this planet he couldn’t get into if he wanted.
He is missing the very obvious point, Osborn chides him. Which is? Daken asks. They arrive in a private box. Chilled champagne is already waiting. This is all about power, Osborn informs him smiling. Daken scowsl at him.
As they sit down, Daken takes up a program. It’s Stravinsky. Oedipus Rex, Osborn informs him. He thought it would appeal to Daken. He doesn’t know if he is aware of the story it is based on. It’s about a man who kills his own father and becomes king. He then goes on to marry his own mother, however, which… heh… of course Daken won’t be doing. Welcome to his X-Men.
Daken crumbles the program and unsheathes his claws. Why does Norman want him on the X-Men? The mutants need a Wolverine as one of their trust figures, comes the reply. And every X-team needs their troubled, edgy, dumb berserker. Well, every super team period, it seems. Berserker? Daken asks. Does he think he’s like Venom and Bullseye? Does he think he’s insane?
Osborn laughs out loud. Daken abhors his father, yet seems blissfully unaware of the irony of his becoming Wolverine. He dresses up like his father just so he can twist a knife in his guts. He’s a killer who is entirely driven by hatred, revenge and a brutal need for validation. Of course he’s insane! Now put on the silly mask and stab a few people for Norman Osborn like a good boy!
Claws still unsheathed Daken rises, no standing over Osborn. Sophocles, he states. What? Norman asks. Daken retracts his claws. Oedipus the King  was written by Sophocles. An Athenian playwright who lived between 500 and 400 B.C. Stravinsky’s oratorio was first performed 1927, he thinks. Jean Cocteau, the French surrealist filmmaker and poet wrote the libretto, before it was translated into Latin. At the story’s close, Oedipus realizes that he has killed his father and married his mother and goes insane, stabbing out his own eyes.
He’ll join Norman’s X-Men, but he is not his father. Osborn does not know him and he is not insane.
As Daken walks away, he proclaims that insanity is putting on a goblin outfit and laughing like a lunatic when throwing exploding pumpkins at strangers, wouldn’t he say? Enjoy the culture. He hears it’s what separates them from the savages. Left behind, Osborn seethes.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Hidden Depths (1st story)
 Get Mystique (Slight Return) (2nd story)
 The One Who Got Away (3rd story)
1st story:
Emma Frost, dressed in the black outfit given to her by Osborn, looks around herself critically. Sunken buildings, sharks and other sea creatures. This is what’s inside his mind? Atlantis. Well that’s commendable. But why the mad fish?
An angry Namor swims towards her. He didn’t say--! He told her she could look inside his mind, not--! Not look inside his mind! she corrects with a smile. She’s only here to find the answer to her question. That is what he said she could do.
She swims inside a grotto over his protests. Inside are three doors with the words Attack, Negotiate and Sue.
Emma figures these are his strategies for coping with the surface world. Odd. She never imagined he’d be one for legal action. She tries to budge the door labeled Sue. There are some really odd sounds coming from behind that one too…. Finally, she realizes what this is about.
She turns around, informing him she can usually just breeze right into rooms like that. Most men would be quite roguish about letting her see in there. They would only pretend to be embarrassed. But nobody else has his willpower, do they, or his sense of propriety?
Somewhat flattered, he speaks her name. To address the question that brought her in here, he is increasingly wondering why he did answer her call to join these “X-Men.” Uh-m, Emma replies, distracted. Does she see a door over there with Namora on it? Emma, he warns her. Why did she call for him? His face almost touches hers. Because she was among enemies, Emma replies. She wanted someone at her side with impeccable ethics. Someone honorable… a friend.
A friend! he repeats Well, he’s been meaning to say… he finds some of her friends lacking. Those mutants are an ungainly bunch. Children, fools, cowards who seem to be oppressing themselves.
Right, she decides, let’s see what they can find down there about mutants. She dives down, again ignoring his protest.
So it’s not all Atlantis down there, she finds.  What the word mutant meant to him… She sees the X-Men and other mutants, horrible monstrous distortions. Accusingly, she turns around to him. He came to help her while still feeling like that about mutants! About her people! Emma turns to her diamond form. Her people in whose service she left the side of the man who foolishly loves her. And betrayed him. For whom she joined the company of people who are not fit to share the planet with most everyday human beings.. That is how he, her most trusted ally, her friend, feels – feels about her?!
Emma turns back human again and shrugs. She’s joking. Of course, she wouldn’t dream of judging him on the basis of his unconscious. It’s beyond his control after all. But she knows now, doesn’t she? When she goes and looks for the answer to her question—why he joined the X-Men when she asked him to – she’s going to find it’s because he wants her. And that’s all. She almost looks sad as she states that.
Without a word, Namor drags her deeper downward. When she questioningly calls his name, he orders her to be silent. They reach the ground before a cave. He feels… he knows the answer to her question is in here. He doesn’t know what it is. He’s going to see. She may do as she wishes. He swims ahead. Emma follows carefully.
Both are surprised at what they see. A kaleidoscope of memories from Namor’s past: Fighting the Hulk, the Thing, Nazis, Attuma and more… tender moments with the Invisible Woman and Namora… Battling alongside the Invaders and the Defenders….Allying with Doom… being discovered by the Human Torch… Being a king of his people. It’s me, Namor realizes.
It’s all over the place and it’s gorgeous, Emma agrees. So, no surprises there. All the different facets, Namor muses. Rather impressive, if he does say so himself, he decides with a smile. And there’s the newest just starting to grow. Emma shows him another facet. Namor fighting alongside her X-Men. The darkness of how he feels about the word “mutant” is only his own uncertainty about being one. About whether he can explore the unknown safely.
As she well knew, Namor realizes, when she goaded him into dashing down here. She wanted him to find the answer to her question, Emma explains. He came to them to learn more about who he really is. She knows him so well!
He tenderly cups her chin. Nowhere near well enough, he boasts. If she could see what he sees within her… Himself, diamond Emma retorts as she puts her finger on his lips. In all sorts of ways, he replies, kissing it. They look at each other silently for a moment. Emma returns to her human form. They should…
They should, he stresses with a smile. They should go, Emma finishes her sentence. Ah, he states. As they leave, Emma asks him to tell her about Namora. He vaguely recognizes that name…
2nd story:
A soldier tells the story, accompanied by the film on a laptop:
He – Wolverine, that is- came out of nowhere. They were responding to a call by the local authorities when he just showed up and cut the soldiers to pieces. And he’s still inside? another man asks. Yes, comes the reply. Holding an undetermined number of hostages. He has teams standing by for an assault. They can move in from the roof and…
No, the other speaker decides. He goes in alone. But sir! the soldier sputters, he can’t be serious. This is Wolverine they are talking about. A grade-a-red level threat! Yes, dear boy, Norman Osborn replies. And what do you think I am?
Alone, Norman Osborn enters the bar guests looking at him nervously as he walks towards Wolverine who is sitting at the counter.
Nice bit of playacting out there, Norman announces. You certainly fooled my men. Take a hike, bub, comes the reply. “Bub,” Norman muses. Nice touch. He didn’t come here to play pantomime though. His time is the most precious commodity known to man. You waste it at your peril. Again Wolverine tells him to get out before he’ll carve him up like a turkey. Raven, Osborn replies,  you are making me angry.
“Wolverine” shifts into Spider-Man. Is this better? He knows a brothel in Dubai that would pay handsomely to add a shape-shifter to their harem of drug-addled sex slaves. Shall he give them a call? Norman asks.  Only if he wants to have every bone below his waist snapped like a dried up old twig, comes the reply. Take that face off, Norman snarls, or he guarantees one of them will die here tonight. “Spidey” holds his gaze. Both turn away. Boy, he really has it bad for that guy, huh? Mystique observes a she shifts to her regular form.
What the hell does he want? Many things, he replies, taking a bottle, all of which he shall soon have. The question is what does she want? He bets he can guess. Wolverine gutted her, left her in the middle of the desert to die. Didn’t he? How did she get out of that? He doesn’t want to know, comes the curt reply.
He doesn’t actually, Norman agrees. He’s just being polite. He’s wasting his time, Raven warns him. Whatever it is he’s selling, she isn’t interested. Yes, he agrees, sipping at his drink. She’s doing just fine without his help, isn’t she? That’s why she’s hiding in a bar with a ridiculously poor selection of scotch, surrounded by his agents. How did this whole mess get started anyway?
Flashback:
Mystique shoots around in a city, is chased by a corridor of police cars…
Present:
She got bored, is all she tells Osborn. He can help with that, comes the reply. He’s putting his own team of X-Men together. He wants her on it. She plays along, he will give her Wolverine. Yeah, right, she snorts and turns around.
Her hostages are getting restless. The bikers have drawn their weapons. She isn’t Wolverine, one of them snarls accusingly. He must be the genius of the bunch, Mystique snaps back. C’mon then. When he attacks, she quickly snaps several of his bones. Next! she tells the others.
Osborn sips his drink while she takes care of the others. With that done, he tells her she can cripple every biker in the world. It still won’t give her a shot at Wolverine. Neither will he, she shoots back. Nice chatting with him though. She grabs a gun. Where does she think she’s going? Right out the front door. Does she know how many men he has outside? Not enough, she assures him.
So he guesses that’s a no then on his offer. She suggests he go to hell. That’s too bad. The others will be very disappointed, especially Daken. He was looking forward to introducing them. She did know Wolverine had a son, right?
Mystique stops and shakes his hand. Glad they could come to an agreement. This doesn’t mean he owns her, Mystique warns him. Don’t think that for a second. Wouldn’t dream of it. And no way is she sleeping with him! Furthest thing from his mind, he assures her.
So what’s her role on the team? They’ll have to talk bout that in the car, comes the reply. They walk outside.
One more thing, she adds. He would have needed more men. Hundreds of soldiers, tanks and helicopters surround the bar.
3rd story:
My name is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. And I’m not crazy is what Jeanne-Marie, dressed in a stylish but conservative business suit thinks, sitting in the office of her therapist.
She is fine, she assures him somewhat stammering. She’s working again. She made some friends at church. And she took up water colors. He knows: normal.
I don’t drink. I don’t curse. I manage the family sports brand. Some nights I babysit for the neighbors. True, I can fly at Mach-50 without effort and emit regenerative energy when I touch my brother, but… mostly that’s behind me.
And the episodes?  the therapist asks. They are gone, she quickly assures him. She is gone.
Excellent, he assures her and takes out a gadget from a box. He’d like to run one further test, with her permission. It’s a new type of EEG. It’ll let them monitor her neural activity, just to be on the safe side. Hesitatingly, she agrees as he attaches the crown-like device to her head.
A shock runs through her and she moans. Your patient, the therapist tells a newcomer who gives him an envelope. Your money, the newcomer replies.
Said newcomer introduces himself as Norman Osborn to Jeanne-Marie. Sitting down, he explains that the device is a thalamizer. Its primary function is to identify the centers of activity in your parietal cortex and – by means of inverse induction – to negate them. Which is to say, it blocks your consciousness. He puts a briefcase in front of him. Now, in most cases that’ll cause an amusing state of bewilderment and bowel dysfunction. In hers the effect is a little grander.
Suddenly, the briefcase is lying down and its content, a costume, is outside. She’s noticed the costume? Good. Consider it a gift, he tells her. All he wants in return is a few second of her precious… time.
Before he can finish the sentence the costume is gone, Jeanne-Marie’s clothes are strewn about the room (including a bra on Osborn’s head) and he holds a note in his hand: OUT FRONT – BE QUICK!
He walks outside where he is expected.
Let’s start again, shall we? My name is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier and I’m crazy as sin. I have two distinct and diametrically opposing personalities and the one thing we agree on – me and the Virgin Mary you met before is that two is one too many.
Took your time, grandpa, Aurora, now dressed in the costume – a red and white variant of her original Alpha Flight outfit – and still wearing the  thalamizer – tells Osborn. He wants to—Recruit her for this, she continues, holding an envelope saying HAMMER Project #0V42: X-Men. What’s in it for her? She throws the papers about. Sitting on the car of the therapist, the unconscious man next to her, his money strewn about. And bear in mind, she adds, she’s already emptied his pockets and thieved his gun. Plus, sorry, Armadillo hair doesn’t do it for her. Let’s step into his office, Osborn suggests.
Later, inside the HAMMER heli-carrier, Aurora is still babbling about her other personality. You know how long since she dated? she complains. Three years! And even that was a §&%$ choir singer. No tongues allowed. It’s like being stuck in the brain of Mother Theresa. Say, has this thing got a bar?
Osborn tries to speak but before he can reply she’s already found it and mixed herself a drink. Anyway, now she’s in $&$& therapy, Aurora barely gets a look in.
Again Osborn tries to speak and Aurora continues. And it’s not like she’s Miss Limelight anyway. Even when she does get something right, who gets the kudos? Big bro and his pink vote pr. “Gay hero joins the X-Men!” It’s pathetic!
Enough! Osborn shouts. He didn’t let her out of her cage to prattle like a beauty salon moron. Shut up and sit down! Surprisingly she obeys and sips her drink.
Now, Osborn continues, as she’s seen he has the means to insure Jeanne-Marie never takes the reins again. For that she owes him. And as for her brother –as for the old X-Men… He doesn’t believe they’ll be stealing the glory much longer.
Aurora smiles. He talks a good talk, but here’s the thing: She’s spent long enough looking in the mirror to know crazy when she sees it. His gizmo can fix her, sure, thanks a million, but she’d be kinda dumb to start taking orders from someone still broken, doesn’t he think? She gets up. So she’s grateful for the chat. It was really cathartic. But the rest of it: no thanks.
Perhaps she didn’t understand, he replies. He’s Norman Osborn. He gets what he wants. He presses a red button on a device around his wrist and suddenly Aurora screams in pain and writhes on the ground. Trying to take the thalamizer off will only make it worse, he warns her. He did warn her, he reminds her. Primary function he said. She never asked what else it does. For instance identifying the part of one’s postcentral gyrus - that’s where one’s pain lives – which her second personality uses the most, then nuking them.
He’s told it’s like being flayed by ice. Hell of an image. An any rate, she can’t just sidestep to Ego #1, can she, ‘cause poor Mother Theresa s still blocked.
Soldiers enter. So there’s really nothing to do, he continues, but go with these nice men to meet her new team. And start learning a little respect. Oh, she’s a proud woman, he knows. She doesn’t want to feel like she’s caved in too easy. So he’ll give her a minute or two before switching off. His little treat. Just try not to ruin the carpet, huh?
Upholstery is the least of his concerns, she replies, suddenly standing again. But how…? he gasps surprised. Personality number three, comes the reply.
My name is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. I like fine wines, horse riding and casual ultra-violence.
She takes out several men and hits Osborn. Then she moans as the device adjusts to her new brain pattern. When she moans again, Osborn orders the rest of the soldiers to exterminate her. Enter number four.
My name is Jeanne Marie Beaubier. I’m a weekend Goth, occasionally self-harm and have an inexplicable aversion to shellfish.
Again the device adjusts. Numero cinq comes.
J’aime les activiteés sportif, la photographie et la paleontologie amateur.
Number six likes opera, gardening, creationist literature, lucky number seven, likes graffiti, mild S&M, gambling.
Isn’t so lucky, Osborn tells her as he hits her himself.
He should know better, she reminds him. Making new versions of herself was the first trick she ever learned. Also the last, he tells her as he takes out the gun. She moans again. He holds the gun to her head. So what’s so &%$& special about number eight?
She’s reckless, Jeanne-Marie replies a she shoves his gun aside before it can go off. The pain hits her again but her fingers crawl to the thalamizer until she can take it off. And she’s a committed masochist, she tells him triumphantly.
She puts the thalamizer onto him. Norman goes crazy, shouting The spider. The spider! The goblin king on dusted throne declares a fair of blood and bone!
Jeanne Marie calmly gets dressed, finally has mercy and switches off the device. Thanks for his generous job offer, but she doesn’t see eye to eye with the major shareholder.
My name is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. I may b a little crazy after all. But it could be worse.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Old Wounds
France, 1942…
A man, holding a glass, sits in a bar. Suddenly, he slumps in his chair, bumping his head against the bar and has a huge smile on his face. Someone takes the drink out of the man’s hand. That man… is Logan!
Logan, wearing an Army uniform, has a beautiful woman sitting on his lap and says “cheers” to her. Looking at the many drinks Logan has already drunk, the French woman jokes that Logan can surely “put it away.” The bartender again reminds Estelle that Logan’s Canadian, which explains why he drinks so much. He mocks that the Canucks are born with nipples on their beer bottles. Estelle says that whatever Logan is, his three for every one of Beaubier’s is no small feat, as it’s not like Beaubier couldn’t handle his liquor.
Gently touching his hair, Estelle asks Logan what his secret is. She smiles that she has a way getting things out of a man. Logan smiles he’s sure about that. But, he claims he doesn’t have a secret. She can say he’s just developed a certain tolerance for some of the nastier things in life over the years. The bartender pours Logan a beer, asking if that also counts for the way he survived that Nazi ambush last week. He knows he may be wrong, but Logan took at least three bullets to his chest. It’s impossible that any man could survive that. Logan states it’s like the bartender said: he’s wrong. He jokes the guy’s probably sampling his own wares too much. The bartender laughs and admits he’ll miss Logan when he leaves.
Suddenly, the bartender stops laughing and stares in awe at a new customer entering the bar, just like everyone else starts doing. The man, wearing a black suit and having black hair, approaches the bartender and tells him to buy Logan whatever he’s drinking, and then he’ll have to tell everyone in the bar to leave… immediately.
Estelle wants to take out her gun, but Logan notices this and tells her not to do it. She and all the other customers leave, and the man goes to sit next to Logan. He introduces himself as Roberto Estacado and he’s… Logan, interrupting Roberto, knows he’s the Spaniard. And that he’s here to kill him.
Roberto smiles that he’s impressed his reputation precedes him so. Logan, with a stern look on his face, explains that, last he heard, most organizations have the Spaniard listed as the top assassin in the world. And that’s mainly because he doesn’t wipe out targets… he wipes out towns! Especially when it isn’t necessary. Roberto wants to know about Logan, since virtually nothing is known about him, except that he showed up one day and suddenly the French resistance here has become a far greater thorn in Germany’s side than ever before. He wants to know if Logan is working for the Allies. Or is he working for himself? Either way, the Third Reich does not appreciate such mysteries, which is why they called him.
Logan takes a drink from his beer, and tells Roberto that he can go back to whoever called him, considering the guy has done “work” for both sides. Logan is aware that Roberto would blow his own mother’s head off if he could make a nickel off it. Roberto pours wine into two glasses, not liking that Logan starts to talk that way. He says he prefers to have a drink together with a worthy adversary before their “game” is to begin. He asks Logan to join him, but Logan angrily states he doesn’t drink with murdering scumbags. Roberto finishes his drinks, and when he looks at Logan again, he’s already gone! “Heh”, Roberto smiles, “and so the game begins…”
Brooklyn, a dance bar, present day…
A man, holding a glass, sits in a bar. Suddenly, he bumps his head down and starts to sleep. Someone takes the glass out of the man’s hand and finishes it. That man… is Wolverine! A beautiful, practically naked woman sits on Logan’s lap and smiles he sure can drink. Logan jokes he heard all that before.
Not far away from him, Jackie enters the bar and angrily asks Vinny if he looks like a mook to him. A scared Vinny denies that. Jackie shows Vinny an envelope and asks him why he would think this month seems a little light to him. Vinny reminds Jackie he told him they got raided last Tuesday. And his top girl left. And the cops wanted more kickbacks this month. Jackie states that his uncle used to have an old saying: “if you aren’t stealing a little, you are stealing a lot.” He jokes that he usually looks the other way, knowing a guy allowing him an extra little taste is just part of doing business. But, Jackie threatens, as he takes out his Darkness blade, if he gets another envelope like this next month, the only thing Vinny will be tasting will be his own testicles. Vinny understands and promises it won’t happen again.
Suddenly, a dark voice says “he’s here!” Jackie doesn’t understand. Vinny claims that he didn’t say anything, but Jackie already knew that and tells Vinny to shut up. The voice tells Johnny to look on his right side, to the short guy with broad with the nice rack on his lap. He asks Johnny if he knows who that is. Johnny wonders if he should. The voice explains that, considering the guy killed Jackie’s grandfather a while back, he should know about him. Jackie states that first of all, if that guy killed his grandfather, he wouldn’t be there. The voice admits Jackie’s got them to thank for that. Jackie says that whatever the case was, knowing what the rest of his family is like, his bet is that gramps had it coming.
The voice is surprised it’s like that… no family honor or nothing like it. The man aces his gramps and he can’t believe Jackie’s just going to let the guy sit there and groping his girls and isn’t going to do anything about it. Jackie tries to tell the voice something but, on that moment, Wolverine and the girl get up and approach Jackie, who panics a little. Logan asks Jackie if they’ve got a problem. Jackie denies that. Logan thinks Jackie looks familiar and asks him if they know each other. And, he adds, Jackie doesn’t look “good” familiar. Jackie tries to remind Logan what he said but, suddenly, Logan is attacked by several demons! As all of the other bar customers run outside, Jackie sighs.
Then…
In a clock tower of a nunnery, the same dark voice from before tells Roberto there’s something different about “this guy.” Roberto agrees, joking that Logan has a much bigger price on his head than most. While Roberto points his gun through a window and taking a lock on Logan, who’s standing below, the voice defends that he’s serious… he has seen Logan’s eyes before. They’re crazy eyes. Roberto smiles that Dante always worries too much. He’s confident that in approximately twenty seconds the only thing that’s going to be different about Señor Logan’s eyes is that one of them will have a darkness bullet in it. Logan’s irrelevant.
Below, Logan realizes he’s being watched and talks to a Nazi soldier. He quickly grabs him and uses him as a living shield and, as Roberto fires his bullet, it hits the soldier instead! As the bullet hits the soldier’s chest, the soldier himself screams and a demon merges from it!
Dante asks Roberto if he sees Logan still as irrelevant. As Roberto places another darkness bullet inside his shotgun, he admits that Logan is a clever one. He fires the bullet but, this time, Logan just… catches it?! Dante is stunned. Roberto gets another lock between Logan’s eyes, and admits that Logan’s good at this. But, Roberto defends, he’s still the best. And now, Logan is about to learn why. The bullet transforms into another demon, which bites into a shocked Logan’s hand! Logan quickly snikts his claws open and kills the demon with it.
Roberto is speechless. Dante mocks that he warned Roberto there’s something different about Logan. And now, Logan is coming for them. Roberto tries to get another lock on Logan but sees he’s already gone. Roberto tells Dante to let Logan come to them, for when he does he will teach him how to be afraid of the dark. As Roberto says that, lots of evil, shining yellow eyes appear in the shadows above him.
Now…
Jackie opens fire on Wolverine and sarcastically asks him why Logan can’t do them all a favor and just die. Logan, holding his claws open, smiles that dying isn’t exactly his strong point. He jumps at Jackie, ready to attack him. Jackie holds his Darkness blade ready and smiles he already knew what Logan just said. Taking a look at the Darkness blade, Logan knew there was something familiar about Jackie. He has faced Jackie’s kind before. But he didn’t like it back then… and he doesn’t like it now!
Logan hits Jackie into his face with his claws, causing him to bleed. Jackie angrily tells Dante that, not only did he commit a definite no-no by bringing forth the Darkness without his say so, but Dante might have at least filled him in about those big metal claws before he picked a fight with Logan. Dante jokes he didn’t know what else to say, since Wolverine went all “new and improved” on them.
Wolverine stands triumphantly over Jackie, threatening that, if he’s done talking with his boyfriend in the corner over there, (who he’ll be paying a visit as soon as their business is done) Jackie better lets him know when he’s ready to give up. It seems to him that there’s nothing Jackie’s going to throw his way that Logan hasn’t seen the last time. Jackie grins, knowing Logan’s wrong about that. He points his hand forward, and suddenly a horde of demons emerge out of nowhere and attack Wolverine, quickly outnumbering and surround him.
Then…
Logan has made it into Roberto’s hiding place, and mocks him he probably figured he had the upper hand. That Roberto figured with no lights in this place, he was in his element. And that he would be out of his. After all, Logan jokes, Roberto must have thought there’s no way he could see in the dark. Or figure out all he had to do was get to the light switch, which he has now found and turned on? Logan asks Roberto how all that worked out for him. Staring in front of him, Logan looks at the dead bodies of Roberto and some demons lying all over the floor.
Logan spits on Roberto’s face, and slices his claws again all over his body, making sure the villain’s really dead. After that, Logan leaves.
Once everything’s safe, Dante merges from his hiding place under the bed. He promises Roberto not to worry, as they’re going to fix him up good. He grabs Bobby’s body and glides him under the bed with him, promising that after they’ve fixed Roberto up – he doesn’t care if it takes until the end of times – they’re going to make Logan pay for this!
Now…
Wolverine manages to slice his way through all the demons, killing them all! Standing triumphantly over them, covered in blood, he asks Jackie if that’s all he’s got. Jackie smiles he may have something else up his sleeve. He activates the Darkness armor, which now covers Jackie’s entire body. Dante happily cheers and wants Jackie to finish Logan off. Jackie refuses. He transforms back to his human form, telling Dante they aren’t going to do this. Dante is stunned.
Jackie explains to Dante they aren’t going to let themselves be kidded like this. He realizes that the way things are heading, one of them isn’t going to make out of this alive. Jackie tells Logan that the guy he used to have a beef with was his grandfather, who Jackie thinks was probably a piece of crap of the highest order like every other member of his family and deserved whatever it was Logan did to him. So, Jackie wonders – is he going to kill Logan or, (even worse) get himself killed, over the likes of his grandfather and some misplaced family honor. Jackie smiles there’s not a chance he’s going to do that. He controls the Darkness… it doesn’t control him.
In the shadows, Dante’s eyes get more evil, not liking what he gets to hear.
Jackie promises Logan that he’s done fighting, and that the next move is his to make. Wolverine quietly stares at Jackie for a while, without either saying a word. Eventually, Logan sheathes his claws back in, with the blood that was on them spreading all over the place. Logan notices a bottle of wine behind him and thinks it’s a miracle not everything in the bar is broken. He remembers that before he and Jackie’s grandfather went at it, he offered him a drink. Pouring two glasses full, Logan also remembers that he wouldn’t have that drink on account Roberto was a psycho low-life, but Logan does want to have one with Jackie.
Dante angrily merges from the shadows, not believing his ears! Not only is Jackie not going to kill his enemy… he’s going to drink with him?! He mocks that Jackie’s grandfather would be spinning in his grave. As Dante keeps talking and threatening, Logan and Jackie look at each other. Logan snikts his claws open and Jackie transforms his Darkness blade out, and together they destroy Dante!
They go to sit back on the bar, finishing their drinks. Jackie notices that Logan’s ear is already growing back, which he saw one of the demons destroying during the battle. Logan just says his ear does that. Jackie wonders how long the healing process takes place. “Three hours, forty-two minutes and nineteen seconds”, Logan replies. He asks Jackie if he wants to know how long it takes to grow an eye back. Continuing his drink, Jackie jokingly tells Logan they’ll just classify that under “more information than needed.”


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Winter Guard!
On May 1st, 1703, Peter the Great captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenskans on the Neva River. Weeks later, he laid down the foundation for what would become St. Petersburg - the crown jewel of the Russian Federation. Over the centuries, through many trials and tribulations, St Petersburg has prevailed. But how will this great city and its people endure - when the world around them comes to an end?
A crowd has gathered near a stage, throwing streamers and holding signs. A hooded figure watches the stage, as a man steps onto it: ‘Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!’ he exclaims in his native Russian. ‘In times of great despair, we look towards out best and our brightest. As shining stars, they lead us through our darkest hours. Today, these brave heroes stand with us as beacons of hope and propensity. On behalf of the Russian Executive Security Committee, I present to you…the Winter Guard!’
Darkstar! Ursa Major! Red Guardian! Crimson Dynamo! The super beings stand on the stage and wave at their adoring fans. The crowd claps for them - they are supposed to be the heroes. Little did they suspect that their actions would have such dire consequences. The hooded figure walks away from the crowd. Thinking ‘They can feed their lies to the public - sell them something to believe in. But I know the truth. No one is safe. Absolutely no one’. They pick up a stuffed bear that is lying on the ground and think to themselves that it is ironic to think it all started with a spaceship - sea monsters - and the Agents of Atlas!
Earlier….
A three-headed sea beast rises from the ocean, and a spaceship soars towards it. From inside the spaceship, someone exclaims ‘This is your final warning! Release Namora now!’ On top of the sea beast, Warlord Krang holds onto the unconscious Namora. Krang declares that he will not surrender his betrothed to pitiful surface dwellers. ‘Betrothed? Namora is a monarch of Atlantis! Mating with a warlord is so beneath her!’ Venus exclaims as she and the Agents of Atlas begin battling Warlord Krang’s minions. ‘You’d think Krang’s diseased mind would pick a better place to spawn than Vladivostok!’ Jimmy Woo remarks, when suddenly, Red Guardian a.k.a. Anton exclaims ‘Tell you what, Woo - next time, I’ll invite him to invade your home!’ as he slams his shield against one of Krang’s men.
Reena Stanicoff a.k.a. the new Darkstar unleashes the Darkforce against a foe, while Galina Nemirovksy, the latest Crimson Dynamo informs Red Guardian that she and the Uranian have calibrated their systems, and tells him that she doesn’t think this is the smartest course of action. Inside the spaceship, the Uranian announces that the energies of his warp core drive, coupled with Dynamo’s fusion beam will create a dimensional tear strong enough to banish Krang and his army. ‘Though tears this big often create inter-dimensional instability. Tampering with the laws of physics often has consequences’ he adds.
‘Damn the laws of physics! We stay point!’ Red Guardian orders, telling Reena to blast ‘these sushi people’ back into the water. ‘Yes, sir’ Reena replies, while Jimmy Woo tells Venus and M-11 to help her. ‘You’ve got it, Jimmy!’ Venus exclaims, while Red Guardian radios Major Mikhail Ursus a.k.a. Ursa Major, telling him that he is up.
On a nearby rooftop, the handsome soldier stands with Gorilla Man and asks ‘Are you ready, my monkey friend?’. Gorilla Man picks Ursus up, and throws him into the air: ‘As ready as I’ll ever be - but I ain’t no damn monkey!’ he shouts, while Ursa Major transforms into the mighty bear. ‘PREVED!’ he shouts as he lands on top of the sea creature. ‘Away from me, you foul beast!’ Krang orders. ‘You invade my home, and call me a beast? That doesn’t put me in a very cuddly mood!’ Ursus exclaims, before smashing open Krang’s water helmet. The warlod gasps for air, while Ursus grabs Namora and announces ‘Krang is down!’ before leaping from the sea creature.
‘Don’t break out the vodka just yet - I have some very big fish to fry!’ Crimson Dynamo declares as she hovers above the sea beast. Galina declares that she is not a fan of the “shoot first, deal with the nasty effects later” plan, but unleashes her armor’s energies, alongside those of the Uranian’s spaceship, at Krang, the sea beast and Krang’s warriors - who all disappear moments later. ‘Wow, I guess they really did vanish?’ someone remarks, before Galina declares that now they can break out the vodka.
That was the end of the battle that started the war….
‘So, you taught your team Russian telepathically huh?’ Galina asks the Uranian, while Gorilla Man introduces himself to Ursa Major. ‘You can call me Ken’ he adds, while Venus stands with Namora and the new Darkstar and remarks ‘Maybe blondes do have more fun?’, before Red Guardian alerts his team to the camera crews.
The Winter Guard assemble near their jet, as the reporters and camera crews watch and listen: ‘Rest assured, citizens’ Red Guardian begins, ‘Krang foolishly believed he could invade our temperate waters to spawn. Let his defeat be a lesson to all of those who oppose the Russian Federation. The Winter Guard will stand against you - and we will triumph!’. One of the reporters calls out to Crimson Dynamo, asking ‘Could you beat Colossus in a fight?’. Another calls out to Darkstar: ‘Whatever became of your brother, Vanguard?’, while another reporter asks Ursa Major if he is secretly dating Black Widow.
From inside the spaceship, the Agents of Atlas watch the spectacle: ‘Camera crews? They get camera crews?’ Gorilla Man exclaims. ‘I need a better agent’. Namora tells Ken that their world is a much different one from this. ‘A very alien world’ the Uranian points out. Jimmy Woo declares that Russia seems well in hand. ‘Now we’ve got trouble to deal with in Hawaii!’ he exclaims, and so the Agents of Atlas depart, while the Winter Guard soars across the Russian sky.
That was the day everything changed…..
‘Red Guardian coming in with the Sovereign. I’m requesting permission to land’ Anton announces as their jet streaks towards the Citadel, where someone inside replies ‘Permission granted’. After the jet is docked, the Winter Guard makes their way through the hangar bag. ‘Galina, come give me a hand in my workshop’ Red Guardian exclaims. ‘Was that an invitation or an order?’ Galina asks, while Red Guardian ignores her question, instead calling out to Dimitri Bukharin, the fifth and long-serving wearer of the Red Guardian armor, now the team liaison. Reena quietly asks Mikhail if she could talk to him alone for a minute, to which Mikhail replies ‘Of course’.
Dimitri greets the team, and looking at some papers tells them that he has not heard from the Russian Executive Security Committee for their official word on this, but as their friend and liaison, he thinks they did a fine job. Dimitri smiles and tells the Winter Guard to go and rest up, and if they need anything, to let the support staff know. ‘Will do, my friend’ Anton replies, before he and Galina walk towards his workshop. Galina tells Anton that she knows she is relatively new: ‘And to be invited to your workshop, Anton…I don’t know what to say!’
Anton tells Galina that he doesn’t want her to say anything. ‘I want you to listen’ he tells her. ‘You need to stop questioning how I do things. It reflects poorly on me. And it reflects poorly on you. You may not like how I lead. And you might now think we have the manpower to do our jobs properly…but, trust me, we have more than enough firepower!’ Red Guardian exclaims as he presses his hand against the security pad, which enables him access to his workshop, where inside stand various Crimson Dynamo armors, Red Guardian shields and a motor cycle. ‘Distracting me with fancy toys won’t change the fact that your leadership - whoa! Is that the Airstrike armor?!’ Galina exclaims as she sees the sleek white armor. Anton replies that he retrofitted it with the Dire Wraith technology to make it more responsive. ‘And wait - is that the Ultra-Dynamo?’ Galina asks as she sees the large bulky armor.
‘Yes. The same heavy weaponry, only now it operates on a neural response frequency keyed to the pilot’s brain’ Anton explains, telling Galina that, with her permission, he would like to put similar modifications in her armor. ‘What’s the catch?’ Galina asks, turning away. ‘You are a member of my team. There is no catch’ Red Guardian replies, reminding Galina that she made a choice to be a part of this program. ‘And there are reasons why we do what we do’ he points out. Anton checks something on his motor cycle and tells Galina that if she doesn’t like his command, she is welcome to leave. ‘We can and will replace you’.
Galina picks something up from the bench, to which Anton tells her to be careful with it. ‘That armor matrix is highly unstable!’ he exclaims. Anton points out that the Winter Guard is not Russia’s only team of heroes. ‘There are many other teams you’d fit in with - the Power Corp, for instance. But, I will not tolerate insubordination. Lecture over. Any questions?’. ‘So…this Dire Wraith technology - is it safe?’ Galina asks. ‘Yes, in fact, the whole Citadel was once one of their alien science centers’ Anton replies. Galina asks him if he has just been tinkering around with this technology in his spare time. ‘I’m an engineer, Galina, it’s what I do’ Anton tells her. Galina picks up a shield and tells Anton that it is lovely. ‘Made from Vibranium?’ she asks. ‘Yes. Like other projects here, it’s not quite finished’ Anton tells her, before suggesting they get started on her suit upgrade.
Elsewhere in the Citadel, Reena tells Mikhail that she wants him to be honest with her. ‘Of course’ Mikhail replies. ‘You knew the original Darkstar. You were close, right?’ Reena asks. ‘Yes, very’ Mikhail tells her, to which Reena asks him if he thinks she is doing an okay job as Darkstar. ‘I just don’t feel like I did much this mission, you know? I don’t feel like I played my role well enough’ she confesses. ‘I want to do her proud. I figured you would understand’ Reena explains. ‘Is that what’s troubling you?’ Ursus asks. ‘Please, let me show you something’.
They arrive in another room, as Ursus tells her that the hangar bat is not a private place to talk, so he thought she would be more comfortable here. He motions to a wall where photographs of Laynia Petrovna - the original Darkstar - are lit up by candlelight. Mikhail tells Reena that Laynia was his closest friend. ‘We fought against Magneto, the Presence, and did battle with the Hulk. Mikhail picks up a photograph of him, Laynia and Vanguard, and remarks that after Laynia died while serving with the X-Men, he was devastated, they all were. ‘She wasn’t always perfect; sometimes her emotions got the better of her’ Mikhail adds. ‘But she was a hero’. He holds a hand over his face to hold his tears back.
Mikhail tells Reena that he knows she was given a gem, one that gives her powers. ‘Wear it with honor’ he tells her. ‘Laynia may be dead, but I believe her soul lives on in you - and everyone who honors her memory as Darkstar. I’m no scientist. I can’t predict the future. But you will have your moment to shine - and that moment will make Laynia very proud’ Mikhail declares. Eyes-wide, Reena thanks Mikhail, and smiles.
Elsewhere in a control room, Dimitri is keeping an eye on the four members of the Winter Guard, watching them on monitors, while also watching the cell where the diabolical Presence a.k.a. Sergei Krylov is incarcerated. ‘Colonel Bukharin! How is my favourite Winter Guard liaison?’ a voice booms. Without turning around, Dimitri replies ‘Feh. I’m the only Winter Guard liaison. But I’m glad to see the Executive Security Committee still has a sense of humor’ Dimitri replies, before turning to Colonel Alexi Vazhin and asking ‘To what do I owe the honor, Alexi?’. ‘That’s Colonel Vazhin, to you, my friend’ Vazhin replies, before telling Dimitri that the Winter Guard performed admirably in their recent skirmish, but they left a lot of a mess to clean up.
Colonel Vazhin declares that with the Presence still locked up in the facility, the Executive Security Committee has some concerns about their effectiveness. ‘We feel a review of your roster is in order’. Dimitri motions to the monitor which shows the Presence and replies ‘With all due respect, Alexi - the Presence is in this facility because none of your other prisons can restrain him. As far as your other concern, if you’d like to review our roster - I’ll be happy to oblige’ Dimitri exclaims, pressing a button on the console.
An image of Red Guardian battling Iron Man appears on screen, and Dimitri declares that Red Guardian is one of the world’s brightest minds in one of the world’s strongest cyborg bodies. ‘I know the details; I was there for his surgery. But, since the operation, Anton has -’ Vazhin begins. ‘Become a jerk? Well, yes, he has. But he’s been an effective leader, and that’s what matters’ Bukharin declares.
Footage of the Crimson Dynamo battling AIM soldiers appears next, and Bukharin informs Vazhin that Galina Nemirovsky is a graduate of the Dynamo Program, and is one of the best Crimson Dynamo’s they have seen. ‘I hear she has a problem taking orders’ Vazhin remarks. Bukharin assures Vazhin that is being addressed, but as he said, she is the best at what she does.
Next up is Reena Stanicoff, who Dimitri remarks has all the powers of the precious Darkstars - flight, Darkforce manipulation and teleportation. ‘There is an innocence about her I find appealing. Let us hope that this role doesn’t consume her like it did the others’ Alexi exclaims.
Finally, Ursa Major battling and an undead dinosaur appears on screen. ‘What more can I say, really?’ Dimitri remarks. ‘You still haven’t found a suitable understudy for him yet?’ Alexi asks. ‘Not yet’ Dimitri replies, to which Alexi tells him to keep looking. ‘But -’ Dimitri begins. ‘”But” nothing - remember, Dimitri, we’re all replaceable. Even you’ Vazhin exclaims, adding ‘For your sake, I hope the Guard is ready for awaits in St Petersburg.
Soon, the Winter Guard fly towards St Petersburg, where a purple-colored sky covers the land. Darkstar asks Red Guardian what sort of atmospheric anomaly they can expect, to which Anton replies that the file did not say much. ‘It’s likely just a small weather pattern we have to diffuse’ he adds. ‘When I think of weather patterns, I think of rain showers and storm clouds…this requires more than just an umbrella!’ Mikhail declares as they see some sort of dimensional rift, revealing a strange landscape, before them. Anton frowns, before telling Crimson Dynamo too put her armor to the test, and try and diffuse the rift.
Galina flies out of the jet and reports back that her new sensors are lighting up like fireworks. ‘But given that there’s a big tear in the fabric of reality, that isn’t too surprising’ Galina remarks, before announcing that she is registering an anomaly in the readings, when suddenly, a scantily clad woman with long dark hair falls through the tear in reality! While blasting the tear with her powers, the Crimson Dynamo tells her teammates that she needs help, as the tear still needs patching. ‘We’re on it!’ Red Guardian exclaims. ‘Darkstar?’ he remarks. ‘I’m ready!’ Reena replies, before teleporting towards the falling woman, whom she catches with Darkforce bonds. ‘Don’t worry, miss, I’ve got you’ Reena tells her.
‘Good work Dynamo’ Red Guardian calls out from inside the jet, as he and Major Ursus monitor their teammates. ‘You too, Darkstar’ Mikhail remarks, before his monitor gives a close-up on the woman Reena rescued. ‘Wait…that face…is that…?’
‘FANTASMA!’ Dimitri exclaims as he pushes past Red Guardian and Crimson Dynamo, to the bed where Reena and Major Ursus are watching over Fantasma. Dimitri thanks the team for bringing his former teammate to the Citadel. ‘I’m not sure how she would have done in a hospital’ he remarks. ‘Is it really her? I mean - I heard of her - but I never knew much about her. What’s her deal?’ Reena asks. ‘Still haven’t gotten through all the personnel files, huh?’. Mikhail asks. Dimitri announces that Fantasma is a very powerful sorceress who was recruited years about by the Russian Executive Security Committee.
Dimitri explains that they served together as a team, for a while, but when the original Darkstar fell in battle, it created a rift in the team - ‘And many of our members - many of our friends  left us behind’ he declares, recalling how Vanguard, Steel Guardian, Fantasma and Powersurge departed. ‘Fantasma hasn’t been seen since’ Dimitri adds. ‘Until today, of course’ Galina points out. ‘How do you suppose she got here?’ Reena asks. ‘She probably fell into a cauldron or something’ Mikhail remarks, referencing the attitude many former teammates felt towards Fantasma. ‘Or, if you prefer a more realistic theory, we likely weakened some sort of trans-dimensional barrier’ Galina offers.
‘Exactly. Something ripped her from wherever she was and threw her here’ Red Guardian declares, before Dimitri calls out to Fantasma: ‘Can you hear me? This is Dimitri. You are safe now…’ he tells her. Mikhail watches Fantasma: ‘She’s starting to move - errr….levitate!’ Mikhail announces. Eyes rolled back in her head, the mysterious Fantasma whispers ‘Beware…my children. They are coming!’ her mouth opens wide as she screams ‘They bring death to us all!’. Fantasma sits up and grabs Dimitri: ‘They will wage war with the sky. The stars will vanish. Everything we are everything we hold dear will be forfeit…must…stop…the…’ she exclaims, before passing out in Dimitri’s arms. ‘Fantasma?’ Dimitri calls out.
‘Wow. They was upsetting’ Reena mutters, arms folded. ‘Unsettling or not, we’ll take this matter seriously’ Red Guardian declares. Anton tells Galina to run a full spectrographic analysis on Fantasma. ‘Cross-reference it against any other anomalies in the area. The last thing we want is for any more of those holes to be popping up’. Red Guardian tells Mikhail to review all battle scenarios with Reena. The four stand together as Red Guardian exclaims ‘Whoever is responsible for this will find that the Winter Guard is prepared to stop them!’
But, nothing could prepare them for what was to come next…the untimely arrival of forgotten friends…forgotten heroes from a forgotten war….
There is a blast of green energy signals the arrival of three powerful beings. ‘We have arrived!’ Powersurge announces. ‘Yes, but our mission is not over!’ Dr Tania Belinski a.k.a. Starlight declares. Powersurge remarks that this is all feels familiar, but points out they could be anywhere at this point. ‘Remember - in this war - our enemy has eyes everywhere!’ Starlight exclaims, before Nicolai Krylenko a.k.a. Vanguard declares ‘And we will blind each and every one of those eyes!’. Starlight smiles and points to the Admirality Tower, remarking that they are on target. ‘How fitting that the streets of St Petersburg will be where we make our stand. Today, we will let Russian and al the world know…the Protectorate has returned!’ Vanguard booms…
…and with them came destruction!