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

[Assistant]
Fiery Revolution
All great nations are shaped by their heroes. A hooded figure thinks to themselves as they walk down a street, past a poster of the Winter Guard, past televisions showing the Winter Guard‘s celebration. Heroes who mythic stories are legendary. This is not one of those stories. This is about all those left behind. This is the tragedy they won’t sell you on television. It is as cruel as it is oppressive. This is a tale of sound and fury. A tale of madness that started a revolution…the sparks of which started days ago on the streets of St Petersburg….
‘We can’t let ourselves get distracted, Powersurge! Let’s end this quickly!’ Dr Tania “Starlight” Belinsky exclaims as she uses her energies to keep back members of the Sword of Judgment, while Powersurge smacks some of the warriors aside, ‘Tell that to your boyfriend, Starlight - he started it!’ Powersurge points out. ‘Russia has oppressed us for far too long. St Petersburg will crumble under the mighty of the Sword of Judgment’ a warrior carrying a flaming sword shouts. Nicolai Krylenko a.k.a. Vanguard tells his teammates in the Protectorate that they may have been gone for some time, but that this is their home.
‘The land we have sworn to protect!’ Vanguard exclaims as he knocks the enemy aside with his trusty hammer. ‘You will be the first to fall!’ the sword-wielding warrior shouts. ‘Not on your life, cretin! Not while the Protectorate is here!’ Vanguard booms as he engages the warrior in battle. ‘Submit!’ the warrior shouts. ‘Not gonna happen!’ Vanguard retorts.
The Protectorate are former members of the Winter Guard. Vanguard being the master of kinetic energy, while Starlight, a neuro-scientist, is powered by the cosmos itself. ‘Judging by the technology, I’d say we’re in the right era!’ Starlight exclaims as she blasts through the chopper overhead. ‘Then hopefull we are not too late!’ exclaims the radioactive Powersurge, real name Illarion Pavlovich Ramskov, as he slams several warriors aside. ‘Let’s finish this!’ Starlight suggests. Lost in time and space for so long, they have returned to a world that still needs protecting. Too bad no one could protect them…. ‘Remember - you brought this on yourselves!’ Vanguard exclaims as he knocks back the sword-wielding warrior, breaking the sword in the process. ‘It’ll feel good to break you’ Nicolai exclaims, hammer charged as he stands over his foe.
‘I must break you!’ Reena Stanicoff a.k.a. the new Darkstar exclaims as she slams a fist down on top of the coffee percolator. ‘Stupid coffee machine’ she mutters, before it slowly drips coffee into a cup. Reena stands in the kitchen and drinks the coffee as Galina Nemirovsky a.k.a. the new Crimson Dynamo enters. ‘The citadel might be the most technologically advanced headquarters on the planet - but we still have a lousy coffee maker - so please go easy on it, Reena’ she exclaims. Galina informs Reena that she has finished her shift watching Fantasma in the sick bay.
‘Between that and running scans all night, the last thing I need to suffer through is caffeine withdrawal’ Galina smiles. Reena frowns at her, and apologizes, explaining that she is a little agitated. ‘Something about Fantasma bothers me’ Reena remarks. ‘Is it her slutty outfit, finding her falling from a tear in reality, or her crazy spooky premonition?’ Galina asks, picking up an apple. ‘All of the above’ Reena replies. Reena then reveals ‘I grew up fat, ugly and unloved. I become Darkstar because I wanted a better life for myself. The technology here - it changed me’ she explains. ‘But look at you - you’re beautiful’ Galina tells her.
Looking at a plate of doughnuts, Reena replies ‘That’s just it. I have this beautiful body, this great role as Darkstar and everything. But I have incredible darkness twisting like a corkscrew inside of me - it says I’m not ready’ Reena declares. She hangs her head and remarks that seeing Fantasma, and listening to her words scared her. ‘Maybe this whole thing isn’t for me’ Reena wonders. Galina tells her that the Winter Guard has its problems, but she doesn’t think Reena is one of them. ‘These world threats - you don’t have to handle them alone’ Galina points out. Reena apologizes, and asks Galina to pretend she didn’t say anything. ‘I just need some rest’ she remarks. ‘Rest will have to wait, I’m afraid. I think we just found another teat in reality. The others are in the sick bay with Fantasma, come on!’ Galina exclaims as the portable monitor she is carrying sparks up.
At that moment, in sick bay. The scantily clad mysterious Fantasma sits up in the bed and clutches her head, while the Winter Guard liaison Dimitri Bukharin -formerly a member of the team himself - asks Fantasma if she doesn’t remember when they teamed with the Avengers and Alpha Flight. ‘Or that time you and Dimitri here tried to kill me?’ Major Mikhail Ursus a.k.a. Ursa Major smirks. Fantasma apologizes to the men, telling them that she only has cloudy images in her head. ‘But I can feel your bio-readings. They are familiar to me’ she declares, adding that she knows she is in the right place.
Dimitri asks Fantasma if she can tell them anything else about her vision. ‘You mentioned death would come to us all. Is there anything else you remember?’ he remarks. The sorceress replies that to be honest it is all a jumble in her head. ‘I remember only the feeling of death surrounding me. The haunting screams of the dying and those yet to die!’. Suddenly, Galina and Reena rush into sickbay: ‘Guys! Guys! Guess what!’ Reena exclaims excitedly. ‘Galina found something!’ she announces. ‘Oh, Fantasma is finally awake now?’ Galina asks. ‘Thanks for telling us’ Reena snaps. ‘Get over it’ Dimitri barks, before asking them what they found.
‘The vortex that Fantasma fell through was not unique!’ Galina announces. ‘I believe it to be some sort of pocket universe or temporal limbo’ she adds, before Anton a.k.a. Red Guardian enters the sickbay: ‘What she is saying is…something else got through!’ he declares as he presses a remote, which turns on a large monitor. ‘Yes, exactly’ Galina scowls, before everyone turns their attention to the monitor - which shows Vanguard, Starlight and Powersurge battling the Sword of Judgment.
‘Bozhe moi! Can it be?’ Mikhail gasps. ‘Yes, Major. It seems like our old friends have returned’ Dimitri remarks, while the Red Guardian announces that this recording was taken only moments ago in St Petersburg. ‘Given the Winter Guard’s history with these people - and Fantasma’s prophecy - it’d be best if we check it out’ Anton suggests. ‘I don’t understand - if they are old friends, why did they leave the Guard in the first place?’ Reena asks. ‘We needed a Darkstar. Ours was dead, so we created a new one’ Dimitri explains. Major Ursus reveals that Vanguard and the others didn’t like that at all, so they left. ‘End of story’ he declares, while Fantasma watches them.
‘Okay, so we just have to go introduce ourselves and recruit them? Sounds simple’ Galina remarks, before asking if Fantasma will be joining them. ‘Given what she has been through, I think it’s important that she recover first’ Dimitri replies. Fantasma remarks that she is sure she will be in good hands. ‘Go with my blessing, my friends’ she remarks.
‘What now?’ Powersruge asks as he, Vanguard and Tania stand over the defeated members of the Sword of Judgment. ‘Now we wait, Powersurge. Fantasma will see we’ve followed her. She’ll make the first move’ Vanguard declares. ‘Her forces are many, and could be anywhere!’ he exclaims. ‘I just hope it brought us the right kind of attention’ Tania remarks. ‘Any attention is the right attention if it brings us closer to destroying Fantasma!’ Powersurge suggests. The Winter Guard’s jet descends overhead, and Vanguard tells his friends to consider the thugs a warp up. ‘Because when push comes to shove - it’ll be up to us to save the world!’
‘On behalf of the Winter Guard, I urge you to stand down!’ Red guardian exclaims as he leaps from the jet, while Darkstar flies alongside him, and the Crimson Dynamo drops down, carrying Ursa Major. ‘This was part of Vanguard’s plan, right?’ Powersurge asks. ‘I think so…’ Tania replies. ‘Just checking’ Powersurge remarks. With his hammer charged, Vanguard stands before the Red Guardian: ‘So, they called in the Winter Guard, eh? We need the help of real heroes - not expendable impostors!’ But the Red Guardian assures Vanguard that they are here as a matter of courtesy. ‘What does the Winter Guard know of courtesy?’ Nicolai asks. ‘You certainly didn’t show courtesy to my dead sister when you defiled her body and her memory!’ Nicolai exclaims. ‘Wait…it’s not like that’ Anton tells him. ‘The hell it isn’t!’ Vanguard exclaims as she slams his powerful hammer against Red Guardian’s shield.
Back at the Citadel, the kindling ignited into a blaze…. ‘I don’t believe I’ve thanked you properly for giving me this tour, Dimitri. I was starting to feel confined’ Fantasma tells Bukharin as they walk through the corridors of the Citadel. Dimitri tells Fantasma that he is glad to see that she is feeling better, and that he hopes this tour will restore her memory. ‘And I’ll admit, it is good to see the familiar face of an old teammate’ Dimitri adds. Fantasma walks close against Dimitri, who tells that that they only recently reopened this base, and are not fully staffed yet. He adds that currently most of their prisoners are transferred to the Mantlov Facility, but they needed a place to contain their very special guests.
They enter the secure facility, and Dimitri motions to a cell, telling Fatasma that it is home to Sergei Krylov, father of Vanguard and the original Darkstar. ‘Sergei Krylov is no more. There is only the Presence’ the diabolical madman declares, before telling Dimitri that it is nice to see he brought along a playmate. ‘She is everything I hoped for…aren’t you my dear?’ the Presence remarks, eyes glaring at Fantasma. ‘I…my…I must save them…I must save them all!’ Fantasma exclaims, before running away, despite Bukharin calling out to her. ‘What did you just do to her?’ Dimitri asks the madman. ‘Now, now, Dimitri - do you think I’d really spoil this surprise for you?’ the Presence replies. ‘Damn it!’ Dimitri exclaims, before asking the computer to locate Fantasma.
The Computer searches, before announcing that a life-form matching Fantasma’s biological data is headed toward the sub-basement. ‘Lovely’ Dimitri mutters as he makes his way to the sub-basement. He passes a large sign which reads “re-construction begins at this point”, and the computer informs him that he is entering a restricted area, so no further data is available. ‘This just keeps getting better’ Dimitri remarks , before noticing a large gaping hole in the floor of the sub-basement, with some mysterious glowing smoke-like substance, rising from the hole. ‘Fantasma?’ Dimitiri calls out as he steps to the edge of the hole. ‘Dear, God…what is all of this?’ Dimitri demands.
Standing amongst large red egg-like pods, with faces staring through the eggs, Fantasma looks ahead blankly as she declares ‘What it is…is what it always was…my destiny!’ She runs a hand through her hair as she exclaims ‘Look at it - it is all so beautiful. So much beauty!’. Fantasma announces that, as a foundling, she was always confused, living in a human’s world. ‘I never had a sense of belonging or understanding. But now…it has all been made clear to me!’. Fantasma crouches beside one of the eggs and puts her hand to it, declaring that the Citadel was their fertility center, a place where science and sorcery converged.
‘These eggs were a precautionary measure…hidden from prying eyes…’ Fantasma explains, as her body begins to change. ‘They have spent many months waiting to be fully birthed…waiting for a surrogate mother to raise them. I am that mother. I am their salvation!’ Fantasma exclaims, her body turning purple, her hands become deadly talons, her eyes glowing green. She transforms even further, declaring ‘The Dire Wraiths will be reborn!’. ‘All this time we served together…’ Dimitri remarks, before Fantasma discovers that the eggs are not yet fully fertilized.
Fantasma turns her attention to Dimitr: ‘No matter, I know just how to remedy that….’ she exclaims as her tendrils reach for Bukharin, who begins to run from her, while ordering the computer to contact the Winter Guard. ‘Winter Guard cannot be reached’ the computer replies. ‘Alright. Computer, contact the support staff!’ Dimitri orders. But the computer replies that the support staff cannot be reached. ‘Damn it!’ Dimitri declares as he runs along a corridor, past the prisoner containment facility, with Fantasma’s tendrils still reaching for him. Dimitri orders the computer to prepare the armoury, but the computer replies that the armoury is inaccessible. ‘Override code 11091951!’ Dimitri exclaims.
‘Run all you like, Dimitri…I’ve already begun to infect your headquarters. There is no use escaping!’ the transformed Fantasma warns him. Suddenly, the voice of the Presence tells Fantasma to come now, as Bukharin is of little consequence in the grand scheme. ‘You?!’ Fantasma exclaims as she stares at the Presence, her horrific new form reflected in the Presence’s large helmet. ‘Let me show you what the universe has in store for us!’ the Presence exclaims, eyes crackling with energy.
Meanwhile, ‘We don’t want to fight you!’ Reena exclaims as she traps Vanguard in Darkforce bonds. ‘But I want to fight you - the mere sight of you disgusts me!’ Nicolai tells her. ‘You’re a mockery of everything my sister stood for!’. Red Guardian moves towards Starlight - formerly known as Red Guardian herself, and tells her that she may be powered by the cosmos, but he fights with science - ‘And science is awesome!’ Anton declares. While the Crimson Dynamo lies motionless nearby, her armor smouldering, while Ursa Major grabs Powersurge and asks ‘Do you really think you can withstand the unsurpassed power of Ursa Major?’. Powersurge boasts in reply: ‘I’m made of a million atom bombs! I’m pretty sure you’ll lose!’
‘I have had enough of this foolishness!’ Vanguard shouts as he breaks free of the Darkforce bonds. Red Guardian radios to the Crimson Dynamo, telling her to show Vanguard how well she plays possum. ‘You’ve got it, Red!’ Galina replies as she blasts Vanguard with her energies, adding that she questions the mode of this attack. ‘As well you should - my abilities are stronger now than ever!’ Nicolai exclaims, adding that he will be happy to demonstrate, as he discharges the energy he absorbed from Crimson Dynamo into his hammer, out at the Red Guardian, who manages to deflect the energy off his shield. ‘Your team doesn’t listen very well, Vanguard’ Anton remarks. ‘When I said I fight with science, I meant it!’ he boasts as the deflected energy up into the air, striking Starlight.
‘Tania!’ Vanguard calls out as Starlight begins to fall to the ground. ‘Don’t worry, miss! I’ve got you!’ Reena exclaims as she flies over and catches Starlight in Darkforce bonds. ‘As you can see - I always win!’ Ursa Major booms as he slams Powersurge against the ground. Red Guardian, Ursa Major and Crimson Dynamo gather together as Anton tells Vanguard that his team has been defeated. ‘Looks like we didn’t need Fantasma’s help after all’ Galina exclaims. ‘Fantasma? You’ve seen her?’ Nicolai asks. ‘Please, I beg of you…tell us where she is!’ he pleads, before Anton asks him if he is going to simmer down and listen.
Soon, the Winter Guard and the Protectorate are onboard the jet, heading back towards the Citadel. ‘Okay, we’ve explained how we found Fantasma in a crazy anomaly thing - but why exactly are you after her?’ Reena asks. ‘Bah! This was a bad idea. These inexperienced fools will -’ Vanguard begins, before Starlight reminds him that they are all on the same side. ‘For starters, that “anomaly”, as you called it, is a gateway to Limbo!’ Starlight reveals.
Flashback, narrated by Starlight:
Starlight explains that it is the realm of the Timelord known as Immortus - a powerful being who can manipulate the very essence of time and space. Starlight explains that after Vanguard, Steel Guardian, Fantasma, Perun, Vostok, Powersurge and she left the Winter Guard, they formed the Protectorate, and used all of their abilities and resources to find Immortus. Desperate to get Laynia back, Vanguard pled with Immortus and asked him to manipulate the time-stream for Laynia to return.
Immortus was intrigued by this offer, and as the Dire Wraiths, a race of hideous shape-shifting monsters, had infected Immortus’ realm, the Protectorate agreed to serve as Immortus’ personal guard for a period of one year, to help Immortus eliminate the threat posed to his kingdom. The Protectorate valiantly fought against the Dire Wraiths. But time passes differently in Limbo. A year can feel like an eternity. In that time, relationships were forged - Vanguard and Starlight become a couple. And lives were lost - Steel Guardian a.k.a. Josef Petkus was slain by a Dire Wraith who shoved a tendril through Josef’s chest.
But just when they thought all of the Wraiths were destroyed, fate had something else in store for the Protectorate - Fantasma - who they long believed their ally - was herself a Dire Wraith. And after finding a tear in time and space, she escaped back to Earth.
Present:
Starlight explains that they followed Fantasa here, and declares that the Wraiths are an infectious scourge that must be destroyed. ‘I always through there was something funny about her’ Mikhail remarks. ‘There’s nothing funny about this situation’ Red Guardian exclaims, before announcing that the Citadel has been compromised and that he has not been able to reach Dimitri. ‘And judging by what’s on screen - we have some monsters to fight!’ Anton exclaims as the jet soars towards the Citadel - which is now hovering in the orange colored sky, while deadly winged creatures swarm about…and the inferno that erupted threatened to consume the world!


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

[Assistant]
Untitled
During World War II, St Petersburg was the site of one of the longest, most destructive, most lethal invasions in modern warfare. The Nazi-led siege lasted 872 days. Despite Russia’s heroic resistance, the country lost many brave men, women and children to famine, murder and torture. Yet, Russia still prevailed. Days ago, the country found itself facing a new threat. One that turned its greatest heroes into something else entirely. A hooded figure walks down the streets of St Petersburg, holding a stuffed teddy bear representing Ursa Major. ‘I’m the King of Bears!’ a recorded message in the stuffed toy exclaims. The hooded figure rips the bear’s head off, it falls to the ground. ‘Once we were glorious…now we are simply casualties…in the dead of winter!’.
On the outskirts of the Citadel, headquarters of the Winter Guard, a jet carrying the Winter Guard and the Protectorate dodges several deadly flying creatures. ‘What are those things?’ Reena Stanicoff a.k.a. the new Darkstar asks. ‘Can’t talk, flying ship’ Anton a.k.a. the current Red Guardian replies. ‘Vanguard, any ideas?’ Reena asks. ‘Fantasma’s own breed of death-wings, no doubt!’ Nicolai “Vanguard” Krylenko replies. ‘Death-wings? The nam sort of says it all, huh?’ Galina Nemirovksy remarks. ‘What’s the plan?’ the handsome Major Mikhail Ursus a.k.a. Ursa Major asks. ‘Stop the monsters from eating the ship!’ Red Guardian exclaims as two of the death-wings attack the jet.
Reena points out that if Fantasma has control of the Citadel, then who knows what she has done to Dimitri and the staff. ‘Which is why we need a distraction’ Mikhail  points out, telling Red Guardian to pull the ship up, as he needs some altitude. Mikhail finds a rope and tells Red Guardian to get to the armoury. ‘I’m sure you have enough fire-power in there to disarm Latveria. If Dimitri is alive, I’m sure you’ll find him’ Mikhail adds, before picking up Vanguard’s hammer. ‘Hey, my hammer -’ Nicolai exclaims. ‘You’ll get it back, friend. No worries’ Mikhail assures his long-time friend.
‘What are you doing, Mikhail?’ Reena asks as Mikhail stands at the jet hatch. ‘I’m a senior officer of the armed forces, Reena. I’ve been trained for any and every situation!’ Mikhail replies, telling his teammates that he is doing what needs to be done. ‘Besides, I’m the one thing our enemies won’t expect’ he adds, before transforming into the mighty bear. ‘A badass bear with a hammer!’ Mikhail exclaims, before leaping from the jet. ‘Preved medved!’ he shouts, before landing on one of the death-wings, he flings the rope around it’s mouth. ‘You’ll do!’ he exclaims as he reigns in the beast.
‘Today is the day - foolish beasts - you will believe a bear can fly!’ Major Ursus booms as he expels the energy from Vanguard’s hammer, taking down one of the creatures. ‘Is Ursa Major completely insane?’ Galina asks. ‘Absolutely’ Anton replies, while Illarion Pavlovich Ramskov a.k.a. Powersurge announces that the ship is starting to shred like tissue paper. ‘How much time do we have till we’re next?’ Dr Tania “Starlight” Belinksy asks. ‘Enough time for Darkstar to teleport us into the Citadel!’ Anton exclaims, asking Reena if she thinks she can do that. ‘You bet I can!’ Reena exclaims, remarking that she needs some concentration to really shine - and moments later, the jet, and everyone in it - are teleported away - just as one of the death-wings chomps down.
Inside the Citadel, down in the sub-basement, Sergei Krylov a.k.a. the diabolical Presence holds Fantasma in his arms. The somewhat transformed Fantasma asks the Presence if he heard the rumble. ‘The Citadel has been breached!’ Fantasma exclaims. ‘What madeness threatens the completion of our intimate congress?’ the Presence demands, while the Dire Wraith eggs lay beneath them. The Presence announces that his powers of awareness have detected the awkward yet inevitable arrival of the Winter Guard. ‘Were the circumstances different, it might have illicited a small degree of sentimentality’. Fantasma’s long Wraith tongue flickers as she tells the Presence that she feels his thoughts, his anger, his emotions.
‘Emotions? For my forgotten son, estranged lover, and that black-hearted thing that masquerades as my daughter? No, me dear…the family that abandoned me has reached their obsolescence’ the Presence declares, adding that he has no anger, only enthusiasm for what is to come. ‘Then, maybe a special family reunion is in order’ Fantasma remarks. Standing over the Dire Wraith eggs, her form shifts slightly, announcing that never will their children be manipulated, forced to hide who they really are. The Dire Wraiths begin emerging from the eggs as Fantasma exclaims that, like her, they will draw their power from the aether. ‘But they owe all of their loveliness - and their very lives to you!’ she declares.
The Presence reveals that while in confinement, the Citadel whispered its special secrets to him. ‘But I knew I needed you to unlock the door’ he adds, declaring that the grand design is well underway. Drool drips from Fantasma’s now jagged-tooth mouth as she exclaims ‘Yes…the larvae spores…they need our attention’. She declares that while they are occupied, they can send the hatchlings out to play. ‘Go forth, my children…today you triumph over mankind. Today, you thrive!’ Fantasma exclaims as the Dire Wraiths move from the sub-basement.
In the hangar bay, Red Guardian, Vanguard, Reena Starlight, Powersurge and Galina rush into action, while Vanguard exclaims to Reena ‘You teleported a whole ship? My sister could never do that’. Reena frowns and replies ‘I’m not your sister, Vanguard’. Galina asks if the Dire Wraiths are just shape-shifters, to which Powersurge replies ‘Not just any shape-shifters - these are brain-eating, soul-swallowing shape-shifters. And they reproduce like cockroaches!’. Anton asks Crimson Dynamo to try calling Dimitri again as he slams his hand against a security pad: ‘Override protocol engaged. Palm print confirmation: Red Guardian’ the computer announces.
Suddenly, ‘No need. I’m right here!’ a voice exclaims. ‘Dimitri?’ someone calls out as they turn and see the Winter Guard liaison, Dimitri Bukharin, once again wearing the Crimson Dynamo armor. ‘And…so are you it seems. The sensors say you are normal. Because - as you have guessed by now - we have outselves an infestation’ Dimitri declares. He adds that with the Presence and Fantasma heading to the reactor room, it is probably going to get worse. ‘Okay, but how do we know you aren’t a Dire Wraith yourself?’ Galina asks as she steps towards Dimitri, power surging from her armor. ‘If I was you’d be dead already’ Dimitri replies. ‘Fair enough’ Galina concedes.
‘We are here, so now what?’ Starlight asks as they enter Red Guardian’s workshop. Galina suggests that they use the same sort of trick against Krang, bending the laws of physics to banish the Dire Wraiths somewhere else, they just need an incredible power source. ‘Why is everybody looking at me?’ Powersurge asks. Anton smiles and tells Powersurge that he is about to get an upgrade. Red Guardian turns to Starlight: ‘You’re a doctor, right? I’ll need your expertise on this’ he tells her, before ordering everyone else to guard the door. ‘We don’t want those things getting through’ he declares.
Galina tells Anton that she could help. ‘I know about all the -’ she begins, but Red Guardian orders her to watch the doors. While Dimitri, Vanguard and Reena stack crates against the doors, Galina mutters that the walls are pure carbonadium so nothing can get through them. Vanguard tells Reena that he does not like what they did to her, or to Laynia’s memory. ‘But I have come back from the edge of reality for one thing - I have an agreement to keep!’ he declares, before asking Red Guardian how his “gizmo” is coming along, unaware that some tentacles are writhing about on the pipes above them.
‘It’s not a “gizmo”, it’s a nuclear-powered dimensional placer’ Anton explains. Starlight remarks that everything is a “gizmo” to Vanguard, especially in situations like this. Powersurge tells the others to be careful with his containment suit, for if it ruptures, they will not have much of a citadel left to defend. ‘There’s no danger of that, as far as I can tell’ Red Guardian replies as he makes the adjustment on Powersurge’s suit - when suddenly, a tentacle drops down from the pipes overhead and wraps around Anton’s head - before pulling it right out of his cyborg body! ‘Let that be the last thing you ever see!’ the Dire Wraith attached to the tentacle declares.
‘Red Guardian!’ Starlight screams, while grabbing at the tentacle that wraps around her own neck. ‘We shall rend the flesh from your bone!’ one of the Dire Wraiths exclaims as a group of them drop from above. ‘Tear off their pathetic human heads, my Wraith sisters - and swallow their souls!’ the Wraith holding Anton’s head exclaims. ‘Swallow this!’ Vanguard booms as he throws a shield from the wall at the Wraith. ‘I won’t stop until every last one of you is destroyed!’ Nicolai declares. Vanguard calls out to Tania, who replies that she is okay. ‘I’m fine, too. Thanks for asking’ Powersurge remarks.
Taking the shield, Vanguard calls out to Reena, ordering her to get them to the reactor room. ‘You’ve got it!’ Reena replies as Vanguard hops on the motor cycle, he shouts ‘Hear that, Wraths? It’s a winter storm warning!’ he booms as he drives the motor cycle through the teleport, followed by the others. ‘Come on Darkforce, don’t fail me…’ Reena exclaims as she attacks the Dire Wraiths, while Starlight encourages her to not let them overwhelm her as she unleashes her energies on the vile beings. ‘Wraiths can assume any form, Galina. Be careful’ Dimitri tells the other Crimson Dynamo. ‘I’m Galina Nemirovsky, top graduate of the Federal Dynamo Program, I’m more than capable at my job!’ she boasts as she unleashes energies from the armor. ‘We’ve lost friends to these creatures, Dynamo. We don’t want you to be one of them!’ Powersurge tells Galina as he destroys several Wraiths with a dose of nuclear energy.
‘Ahh…once again your arrival proves awkward!’ the Presence exclaims as he and Fantasma hover nearby. ‘Still…what you are witnessing is the birth of a glorious new future! These eggspores, when released, will rewrite the Earth, infecting the air, the water and the soil!’ he booms. The Presence adds that his children need someplace to call their home. ‘Actually, father…this is your eviction notice!’ Vanguard declares as he drives the motor cycle right into the Presence, knocking him backwards.
‘Defend yourselves, my children!’ Fantasma shrieks. ‘Our pleasure, mother’ one of the Wraiths exclaims. ‘We know just where to start’ another remarks. ‘Delicious!’ the Wraith announces as its tongue skewers Reena - right through her head. ‘How can I taste so much power in such a pathetic body?’ the Wraith asks as Reena’s limp form drops to the floor. ‘Darkstar!’ Vanguard shouts as he rides the motor cycle over his father once more. ‘What’s the matter, Vanguard? Do you recognize your own sister?’ the Wraith asks as it picks up the gem possessed by Reena and shifts its form.
‘You monster! Why did you let that happen? She was all I had left of my Laynia!’ Nicolai shouts, grabbing his father by the neck, he holds the sharp shield, charged with kinetic energy towards him. ‘Don’t worry, my son, you can join her’ the Presence exclaims. ‘Yes. We are willing to adopt!’ Fantasma snarls as she wraps her tongue around Vanguard’s neck. ‘Umph!’ Nicolai exclaims. ‘Over my dead body!’ Starlight exclaims as she flies down and knocks Fantasma away from Vanguard.
‘Now what does this little contraption here do, I wonder?’ the Wraith who has shifted into Darkstar’s form remarks as it extends its talons around Powersurge’s suit. ‘Hands off the merchandise!’ Dimitri exclaims, blasting the Wraith from Powersurge, who thanks him. ‘Displace these spoors!’ Dimitri declares. ‘You’ve for it!’ Powersurge responds as he unleashes his energies against the remaining Dire Wraith eggs. Galina announces that the Wraith that ate Reena broke the device, so she is going to amplify the effect, and uses her power in conjunction with Powersurge’s.
‘Galina…what are you doing?’ Powersurge asks, before suddenly, a tear in space-time opens! ‘By the white wolf!’ Powersurge exclaims. ‘NOOOOO!’ Fantasma shrieks. ‘I will not be sent back there!’ Fantasma exclaims. ‘Limbo…’ Vanguard remarks, kneeling over the body of the Presence. ‘Limbo or not…that tear could consume everything!’ Dimitri exclaims. ‘Everything…and maybe everyone?’ Galina asks as everyone stares into the strange dimension. Suddenly, Galina takes flight. ‘What are you doing?’ Dimitri asks her. ‘What needs to be done!’ Galina replies. Dimitri cannot stop her as several Dire Wraiths wrap themselves around him. ‘Damn dirty aliens, get the hell off of me!’ he declares.
‘Time to put the crazy lady - back where she came from!’ Galina exclaims as she picks up Fantasma and throws her through the tear, back into Limbo. ‘NOOOOO! I will not face oblivion alone!’ Fantasma shrieks, shifting her body so that she extends tendrils back through the closing rip - tendrils that wrap around Starlight! Tania calls out to Vanguard, but it’s too late, as she is pulled through the closing tear. ‘Tania!’ Nicolai shouts. ‘Remember that I loved you…’ Tania tells him. ‘Starlight is gone? I…I…’ Galina remarks.
‘You’ve ruined everything I have ever loved!’ Vanguard shouts as she slams the shield against the Presence. ‘Don’t worry…where you are going there is no love. Now that I have tapped into the full power of the Darkforce…’ the Wraith in the form of Darkstar shouts as the Dire Wraiths close in on Vanguard, Dimitri, Galina and Powersurge. ‘You will experience only suffering…’ the Wraith begins, while the Darkforce ebbs around it. ‘What…what is happening…’ the creature asks as its form transforms, and a new voice is head. ‘today the suffering ends…and where there was once life…only death shall remain!’ exclaims Darkstar as she hovers over the Dire Wraiths and destroys them all with ease.
‘Reena?’ Galina calls out. ‘Reena Stanicoff is no more’ Darkstar exclaims. ‘By the power of Immortus…Laynia? Is that you?’ Vanguard calls out, holding the shield as he stands over the unmoving Presence. Darkstar - the real Darkstar - smiles: ‘Yes, my brother. We are reborn and we are wondrous!’ Laynia Petrovna declares.
The Presence looks up and remarks that this development was unforseen. ‘But the sub-text is not lost on me. However, I cannot let your actions go unpunished!’. The madman stands up, and knocks the five heroes back with a surge of energy. ‘Radiation? Against me?’ Powersurge asks. Powersurge runs towards the Presence and remarks ‘For an evil genius, you are seriously stupid’. The Presence asks Powersurge what he is doing, before Powersurge grabs the Presence and holds him. ‘What does it look like I’m doing? I’m saving the day…’ he exclaims a she absorbs the Presence’s radiation.
‘We have to go, now!’ Galina exclaims as Laynia opens a teleport for everyone to escape. ‘Thank you, my friend’ Vanguard declares as he turns back to the skeletal remains of Powersurge.
Darkstar’s teleport portal opens outside the Citadel - which explodes an instant later, knocking the four remaining heroes through the air. They plummet to the ground - but Ursa Major manipulates the death-wing to soar down and collect them on the creature’s back. ‘Hello, my friends. Did you miss me?’ Mikhail asks, before telling Vanguard that he owes him a hammer. ‘It’s okay, Mikhail. Some things are just more important’ Vanguard replies as he looks at Laynia.
‘Some things are indeed more important‘, the hooded figure thinks to themselves as they walk down an alleyway. ’One person’s personal happiness shouldn’t mean the corruption of a nation’s wellbeing…but that’s just what happened to the Winter Guard. In the end, Vanguard got what he wanted…while most of us got stomped into the ground’ the mysterious person remarks to themselves, standing on a poster of the Winter Guard. The hooded figure reveals that Vanguard leads the Winter Guard as the new Red Guardian now, tracking down any surviving Dire Wraiths, and hoping to find whatever remains of the Protectorate.
‘Meanwhile, the sister he tried so valiantly to resurrect lives inside the body of brain-eating abomination, hiding in plain sight among us. Maybe Ursa Major mourns the loss of his sweet little “lapsha” or whatever…but to the rest of the world, Reena dies unknown and unsung. A star that vanished before her time’. The hooded figure comes up to a piece of equipment in the alleyway, and opens the lid, revealing a strangely familiar security palm-print. ‘What became of the Crimson Dynamo, you might ask? That’s the funny part…’. The figure puts their hand against the palm print, and a computer voice exclaims ‘Override protocol engaged. Palmprint confirmation: Red Guardian’.
The hooded figure enters a warehouse, ‘Dimitri serves in that role for now. At least until they find a better replacement. I was let go for insubordination!’ Galina reveals. She walks past several Crimson Dynamo armors, and the Airstrike armor, stored in a docking bay. ‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t salvage the remains of the citadel. It doesn’t mean I can’t create my own team - a better team. It doesn’t make my cause less just’ Galina tells herself. ‘It doesn’t make them less wrong’ she adds, walking past the cyborg head of Anton, held in a stasis tank.
‘There are monsters in this world. Monsters disguised as heroes. And I have a plan to stop them’ Galina declares as she stands before a rather large Crimson Dynamo armor. ‘My name is Galina Nemirovsky. I am the Ultra-Dynamo. And my story has just begun!’.


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

[Assistant]
Once Upon a Time…
His name is Duck… Howard the Duck. He quacks and his cigar falls out of his mouth as he is pushed to the ground by two soldiers wearing turbans. A larger soldier stands over him carrying a very large axe. A haggard Scarlet Witch carries a broom and stands to one side, while a woman with brown hair stands to one side of a throne where the White Queen sits and shouts ‘Off with is head!’ A man wearing a blue clothing and gold armor sits at her side.
Generally, Howard considers himself a visitor to this fair Earth, an accidental tourist stranded on a planet of hairless apes - trapped in a world he never made! Howard looks up above him, where a bubble floats containing Franklin Richards, Artie Maddicks, the Morlock Leech, the Man-Thing and the alien called Tana Nile. Artie looks down at Howard and projects an image of a roasted duck.
Over the years, Howard has earned a reputation for circumnavigating the most dangerous and deadly of situations, triumphantly overcoming the obstacles and imbeciles that our wacky world would throw at him. Unfortunately, this ain’t there!
‘Hassan… chop!’ the large soldier with the axe shouts as he raises the axe overhead. ‘Okay, Duck… how ya gonna get yerself outta this one?’ Howard thinks to himself as he looks up at the axe, which starts to come down towards him. ‘Or maybe a better question would be… could somebody please tell me how I got inta this cockamamie situation in the first place?’ he wonders.
Earlier:
Howard puts a hand to his head as he looks around and finds himself and his bizarre companions floating on a small rock, doorways and pathways all around them. The castaways have been sailing aimlessly through the Nexus of all Realities on this borrowed chunk of earth. Tana Nile thoughtfully examines her surroundings, while Franklin and Leech play. Man-Thing looks down at Artie who is sleeping against him, dreaming of playing on a slide. ‘This is just great! A motley crew of misfits going nowhere fast!’ Howard the Duck complains. He turns to Man-Thing: ‘Look, you adorable pile of mulch - I don’t mean to sound ungrateful… I mean, ya did save our tail feathers from that maniac back there… but last I looked, teleporting huge chunks’a dirt with people on ‘em all over the universe wasn’t in yer bag o’ tricks!’
‘So, congrats on the new powers. Now why don’tcha turn this thing around and take us back ho-’ Howard begins, shaking his finger at Man-Thing. He shoves the creature, and his finger goes into Man-Thing’s body. ‘Ye-uch!’ Howard exclaims, pulling his finger back out, covered in a gunk. ‘Oh, there’s a stain I’m gonna have trouble shouting out!’ Howard mutters.
‘Why’re you so mad, Mr Duck?’ Franklin Richards asks, pointing out that they got away from the bad man, and that now they are going on an adventure, which he calls a “venture“. ‘Kid, I been on enough “ventures” t’last a lifetime… maybe two! An’ the last place I wanna be is cruising through the cosmos with a buncha ankle-biters and the walking salad over there!’ Howard snaps.
‘Why My Duck such a grouch?’ Leech asks. ‘Why am I a grouch? Why not?!’ Howard shouts, throwing his arms into the air. He reveals that a couple of years ago, for no good reason, he got yanked off his world and dumped onto their planet of monkey-boys. ‘Where, I might add, I’ve suffered more indignities than I’d care t’catalogue’. He explains that he hasn’t seen any of his friends in ages, not that he really had any friends, and his family probably thinks he is dead - although, considering what a bunch of dysfunctional losers they are, that might not be such a bad thing, he remarks, before stating that if anyone has a right to be a grouch, it is hhime.
Tana Nile suddenly picks Howard up by the back of his jacket and tells him not to be rude to the little ones, as children are the hope of the future. ‘Spare me the Sesame Street, toots! In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t seem t’have a future. We’re gonna just keep floating around on this stupid -’ he doesn’t finish his sentence as Tana Nile interrupts, declaring that some of them have much less of a chance at a future than the rest, as she then tosses Howard behind her.
He bounces on the edge of the floating chunk of earth, ‘Eh… er… where was I…? Oh yeah, WAAAUUGH!’ he screams as he then falls off the edge, and straight to a floating doorway below. Feathers fly as the door slams closed behind Howard. ‘Ah, well… no great loss’ Tana remarks casually, arms folded. ‘Leaving Mr Duck…? But him… him our friend!’ Leech utters as he and Franklin stare over the edge. ‘We hafta go after him! We hafta save him… that’s what the good guys do!’ Franklin exclaims.
‘Can you do it, Mr Salad? Can you get us back to Mr Howard?’ Franklin asks Man-Thing, while Artie projects an image of candy and ice-cream. It is said that whatever knows fear burns at the touch f the Man-Thing. But there is no fear in this young Franklin Richards. There is only an innocent faith…and trust. And all of the things that you would find in a hero - but mostly, there is hope. Man-Thing reaches out to Franklin, and touches his face. Sometimes hope is enough, and Man-Thing forces the chunk of earth downwards, they move at great speed so that Franklin, Leech and Tana have to cling onto Man-Thing.
Artie Maddicks is still sleeping, and projects an image of he playing in a huge ice-cream sundae. He is unable to speak, but his specific telepathic power enables him to converse by projecting images and emotions into the minds of others. Leech shakes his best friend, telling him to wake up. Artie is still a child, and has not hones his power, and so he shares his every thought, from his wildest dream about ice-cream - to his darkest nightmare - as the ice-cream is washed away and a dark figure looms over them. Artie wakes, and throws his arms into the air, frightened, the image projects Franklin and Tana  strangled by the being. ‘Hmmm’ Tana remarks as she sees the projection. She tells Artie not to worry, as shadows chase them all in their dreams, but that they cannot hurt them in the daylight. ‘But, Tana Nile… we’re not really in the daylight - we’re in the Neccos!’ Franklin points out. ‘so… that’s where we are! Within the Nexus that links all realities’ Tana declares, before asking Franklin how he knows that. Franklin explains that he just “feeled it”, when Mr Salad touched him.
Tana turns to Artie and tells him that she needs him to try something for her. She instructs him to use he is thoughts, to cast his mind out like a great big net, and see if he can find Mr Duck for them. Energy swirls around the mutant boy, before he projects an image of Franklin hanging from a tree branch. ‘Mr Duck! Artie found him! There!’ Franklin calls out.
And in a not so nearby reality: ‘WAUGH!’ Howard the Duck squawks as he clings to the tree branch. ‘The nerve of that bi-headed %$#*! Throwing me through that wacky doorway…! Why, if I hadn’t snagged this way-too-high branch… I’d be but a puddle a’ duck sauce right now!’ Howard exclaims, realizing that might come true after all, as his hands start to give way on the tree branch. ‘Is there a problem here?’ a voice calls out. ‘WHA -?’ Howard shouts as he turns and sees two purple men wearing green pants and matching hats, seemingly joined at the hip, floating on a carpet beside him. A bear in a blue top is being carried away by a red balloon in the background. ‘Yeah, there’s a problem! I’m gonna fall outta this tree in about three seconds, and gravity being what it is, I’m gonna hit that ground way down there and be one deceased duck! That’s a problem!’ Howard realizes.
‘’Poor little feather-face… Tweedle-Green will help him’ one of the purple men remarks, leaning forward, he is stopped by the other, ‘Don’t touch him, ya nit wit!’ the other exclaims, hitting Tweedle-Green on the head. ‘Don’tcha know them critters got cooties and molecules and all kindsa stuff on ‘em?’ he asks. ‘Hey! I resent that! I’ll have you know that at this very moment I am zestfully cle-’ Howard retorts, before he slips and screams as he plummets to the ground below. ‘Please let Tweedle-Green keep little feather-face?  Will wash him and scrub him and pick off the little cooties…’ Tweedle-Green pleads with the other. ‘Let him! Let him!’ Howard shouts - and an instant later lands with a THUMP on the carpet as the Tweedles dropped to save him. ‘Thanks for not waiting till the last second to make up yer mind… who are you jokers, anyway? And where the &%$# am I?’ Howard declares.
‘You’re in Nevernever-Narnozbia!’ Tweedle-Green replies. ‘Run that by me again?’ Howard frowns, unimpressed as he sits on the edge of the carpet. ‘Nevernever-Narnozbia!’ Tweedle-Green exclaims once more. ‘That’s what I thought you said. Well, I’m outta here! I musta been killed somewhere along the way and this is purgatory!’ Howard mutters, striding away, he wonders if perhaps he is in a coma somewhere, and this is a hallucination. ‘See, ya jerk? We save his life and he ain’t got no gratitude! I told ya not t’get involved with filthy, disgusting little animals!’ the other Tweedle snarls, hitting Tweedle-Green on the head. ‘Aw, he was cute…’ Tweedle-Green points out. ‘Shut up, you idiot!’ the other Tweedle warns him as they take off on their carpet, unaware that a small trinket has fallen out of the back of one of their pockets. ‘Now, how’m I gonna get outta here?’ Howard wonders, when suddenly, the trinket hits him on the head. ‘What the -? Oh, yeah…this looks promising’ Howard decides, and he rubs the trinket. Cloud pours from it, along with a green-skinned man who addresses Howard as his master, and introduces himself as the Genie of the Lamp. ‘How’d I guess?’ Howard mutters.
Meanwhile, back in the Nexus, the remainder of the castaways cruise past countless doorways, each one opening onto a myriad of potential possibilities - all of them hoping they’ve chosen the same one through which their fowl fellow fell! They pass through a door and it slams behind them. Moments later, a chill slices through the Nexus - a ship of empty souls captained by a shadow cast by none appears. The empty souls row the ship while the shadow cast by none guides the craft in silence, radiating no emotion, no light - only the darkness that seems to be him. A wraith carved from the shadow, he is the Dark Hunter - and he is on the hunt!
And, behind door number one - Man-Thing, Artie, Leech, Franklin and Tana land with a WUMP - and a squish - in their new reality. ‘Wow! Look at this place! I bet my Mommy and Daddy in the Fantastic Four never saw anything like this!’ Franklin gasps as they examine their surroundings, filled with strange colored trees and small houses. ‘Uh-oh! Look what Mr Salad found!’ someone calls out, as they see Man-Thing touching the sneakers of someone who appears to be squashed beneath their chunk of earth. Everyone turns to the sneakers that stick out from under the earth, and Tana Nile remarks that it appears their landing was not perfect after all. ‘It was an accident! She musta been underneath us and…Tane Nile…? D’you think she’s…’ Franklin’s voice trails off, while Artie projects the image of a gravestone.
Tana Nile is a Regellian warrior, possessed of the ability to increase her mass as well as her strength, which she does right now easily lifting the chunk of earth upwards. Everyone goes wide-eyed, ‘Ewww! Yuk! Lady is -’ Franklin begins as they stare down at the woman in a pink and red costume, everything but her feet completely flattened. ‘Flat! Flat! Flat!’ a voice calls out. ‘Ya killed her!’ another voice declares. Everyone turns to see small rocky-men in green overalls gathered before them. ‘Them’s the ones what did it! They clobbered ‘er with a great big giant dirt bomb!’ one of them exclaims. ‘The Red Witch of the South-East is d-e-d - DEAD!’ he declares. ‘Hooray! Hooray fer the heroes!’ the small rocky men start to chant as they lift the new arrivals into the air. ‘This place like Dorothy…’ Leech utters. ‘Heroes? We’re heroes? Just like in the Fantastic Four!’ Franklin grins.
‘Yes, this is all passing strange…such a bizarre reality…but lo! Here may come the answer to all our many questions!’ Tana exclaims as she points upwards to where a bubble is floating down to the ground. The rocky men get to the ground and bow down, while the bubble glistens before them. ‘Greetings, I am Tana Nile, warrior of Rigel-Z’ Tana Nile declares, introducing herself. The bubble vanishes, and a man with long blond hair, a blue dress and a black moustache stands before the. ‘Welcome. I am…Strange’ he introduces himself. ‘You sure are’ Franklin mutters as he, Artie and Leech look up, confused. Strange informs them that they have destroyed the Red Witch of the South-East, who has long terrorised the people of Nevernever-Narnozbia, and for that they must be rewarded. ‘So… what can I getcha?’ he asks them.
Artie projects an image of Howard the Duck, while Franklin remarks ‘Well, Mr Lady…we were trying to find our friend, Mr Howard…and get back to Earth!’ Strange shakes his wand and replies that unfortunately travelling to other realms is somewhat beyond his sorcerous abilities, but that the King, of course, would be able to help them with that matter. He quietly remarks that the Kinf isn’t known to be the nicest guy in the place, and as for transportation about Nevernever-narnozbia, well, by the Eyeliner of Agamotto, he can assist them with that. ‘Can you take us to the King, then?’ Franklin asks. ‘As you wish’ Strange replies and Strange replies ‘As you wish’. So, Strange casts the bubble around himself and his newfound companions, the sphere of light carries them toward the Castle of the King. They fly over the wondrous Wobbly Woods, across the delicious Desert of Dessert, and within the hour, the glistening palace of the King rises before them.
However, a blast of energy strikes the bubble, shattering part of it, ‘Who -?’ someone gasps, while Strange informs them that it is the Red Witch of the South-West, the sister of the really flat one. ‘She serves the King himself, and it looks like she’s got a real bustle in her hedge-row, if you know what I mean’ Strange remarks, while the haggard witch, who looks exactly like her sister, waits below. ‘Well, let’s see how she likes this!’ Strange declares as he casts back some green energy, which the witch dodges - but uses the old “return to sender” spell. Strange tells everyone to hang on, ‘I’m sure this isn’t doing anything good to my hair!’ he adds as the energy is thrown back by the Red Witch of the South-West, striking everyone and sending them careening into the air.
Meantime, ‘Whatta you? A comedian’r something?’ Howard snarls at the Genie of the Lamp, who hovers over a car. ‘What? You said you wanted to ho home, did you not?’ So get in! Go home! No one’s stopping you!’ the Genie of the Lamp points out. ‘In a Desoto?’ Howard asks, referring to the car. ‘It’s got a full tank’ the Genie assures him. ‘Look you nimrod, I oughta - YEEEOW!’ Howard shouts when he kicks the wheel of the car, hurting his foot. ‘You said I could have three wishes and -’ Howard begins, to which the Genie points out that he has granted the first one. Arms folded and looking unimpressed, the Genie states that he has provided a means for Howard to go home, and that if he is incapable of utilizing the means, then he shouldn’t blame him. The Genie then announces that he has enough problems of his own. ‘Do you have any idea how long I’ve been cooped up inside that lamp? Only like forever! Do you know what it’s like trying to stuff 20 pounds of genie into a sixteen ounce lamp?’
The Genie continues, declaring that he has muscle cramps, back-pas, male-pattern baldness, and there are no phones, no cable TV and he hasn’t seen Full House since - ‘Will you just shut up?’ Howard snaps. ‘Your wish…’ the Genie replies, clasping his hands together. Howard slaps his face, ‘D’oh! Ya pointy-eared idiot! That wasn’t my wish, it was -!’ Howard begins, before he tells the Genie that he doesn’t want any more screw-ups. ‘I’m gonna make myself perfectly clear! Now listen carefully, ‘cuz this is what I want…I wantcha to send me back t’planet Ear-’ Howard then screams as he is interrupted partway through his wish as a net is thrown over him, causing him to drop the lamp. Three men on horses have captured Howard, ‘So you are the culprit who has stolen the King’s treasured lamp! For that, fowl fiend, you shall pay!’ one of them declares, while another holds the lamp. ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah… so what else is new?’ Howard mutters, slumped over in the net, still puffing on his cigar.
And, from above, darkness descends - shadows shift - and the hunt is over, as the Dark Hunter points to the sprawling castle that juts out from a mountain ahead. Now, there is only the kill.
Now:
And, inside the castle:‘You head what my wife said… off with his head!’ the King orders as the soldier raises the axe, and the trapped youngsters peer out from the bubble the witch has them trapped in. ‘Okay, get ready…one…two…okay, now, Leech, now!’ Franklin exclaims urgently. The boy called Leech is a mutant, born with the uncanny ability to sophonme off and diffuse the mutant powers in others. Neutralizing the binding spell of the Red Witch of the South-West, however, taxes the boy, taking a tremendous amount of effort. But in the end, the results are well worth the strain, as he, Artie, Franklin, Tana Nile and the Man-Thing burst free from the bubble, and the Red Witch is knocked aside. ‘Ha!’ Tana Nile shouts as she smacks the soldier, causing him to drop the axe. She then grabs Howard: ‘Come, Duck! We have little time! We must away from these -’ she begins, while Howard smiles, ‘Alluva sudden ya like me? I don’t get it!’ Howard tells her.
‘Stop them!’ the King orders. His soldiers on horseback rush forward. Artie projects an image of he and his friends as angels, while Franklin gasps ‘Oh, no! Here they come!’ Man-Thing suddenly lurches forward, ‘Mr Salad?’ Franklin calls out. Man-Thing is a mystery - of muck and moss and more. A shambling mockery of life, he moves forward to protect the children, a twinge, somewhere deep inside him, telling him he must keep them safe. Especially the one called Franklin Richards, to whom the Man-Thing instinctively “feels” a connection. The horse and rider go down, as do several of the others, trapped in the oozing mire of the Man-Thing. ‘Good job, Mr Salad!’ Franklin smiles. ‘Yeah, good going, Manny. Now can we get outta here?’ Howard asks.
Tana Nile instructs the children to run through the door ahead of them. But, a dark figure appears. ‘Who - what is that?’ Franklin asks. ‘Franklin Richards - I have come for you!’ the Dark Hunter booms, pointing his sword at the child. ‘Oh, man, we’re really in for it now!’ someone calls out. ‘Huh?’ Leech asks, as he, Artie and Howard look around, confused. ‘Who said that?’ Howard asks. ‘I, uh, I guess that would be me? How ya doin?’ Man-Thing asks, rubbing his head, equally confused….


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

[Assistant]
Once Upon a Time…
‘I have come for you, Franklin Richards!’ the Dark Hunter announces, flanked by wraiths, the Dark Hunter points his sword at the child. ‘Oh, man! We’re in for it now!’ the Man-Thing points out, while Howard thje Duck, Leech, Artie Maddicks and Tana Nile look on, shocked and confused, and Franklin steps backwards away from the Dark Hunter.
In an effort to find their lost friend Howard the Duck, the odd assortment of beings has travelled across the Nexus of all Realities to the enchanted kingdom of Nevernever-Narnozbia. Unfortunately, so has the mysterious Dark Hunter. ‘Hey, since when can you talk?’ Howard snarls at the Man-Thing. ‘Since now, I guess…’ Man-Thing replies, before asking ‘What’s it to ya, Feather-Brain?’ Howard shouts at Man-Thing, asking him what kind of answer that is. He shakes his fist at the Man-Thing, while Tana Nile pulls him back, ‘Sentients, please! Were I you, I would worry less about the monster’s suddenly acquired verbal skills… and more about the shadow warrior intent on harming young Franklin!’ Tana declares. ‘WAUGHHH! What kinda loony bin did we drop into?’ Howard asks.
‘I am not of this plane, fowl one…and I am for Franklin Richards only! You others are - superfluous!’ The Dark Hunter fires a blast of energy from his sword that surrounds Man-Thing, Tana and Howard, while Franklin falls to one side. Shadows swirl about the trio, calling forth their most deep-set anxieties. ‘Emotions…overwhelming…so painful’ Man-Thing calls out. ‘Forced colonization… wrong… not traitor…’ Tana utters, grimacing. ‘Waugh! Bev…no…outta Pop Tarts’ Howard exclaims. Leech pushes Franklin to one side: ‘Not worry, Franky! Leech handle Mr Shadows! Siphon his powers good!’ the Morlock boy utters - but as he attempts to do so, Leech screams and falls to one side. ‘The boy is of no moment! Like the woman, the fowl and the creature before him, he is superfluous! I am for Franklin Richards…only Franklin Richards!’ the Dark Hunter announces, while Franklin stares up at the shadowy being, wide-eyed.
Suddenly: ‘What foolishness is this?’ the Dark Hunter asks, as Artie Maddicks tries to reach into his mind. ‘Such power from one so young… but ultimately… futile!’ the Dark Hunter declares, before Artie collapses from the attack. The Dark Hunter moves towards Franklin, ‘And now, prepare yourself, Franklin Richards, for the eternal darkness…’ the Dark Hunter begins, when suddenly, ‘Oh, poo…’ a voice calls out. ‘Strange!’ Franklin declares as he sees the odd being called Strange move towards them in a glowing bubble. ‘What manner of foolishness -!’ the Dark Hunter gasps upon seeing the man with long blond hair wearing a blue dress and waving a wand about. The bubble vanishes, ‘Enough, tall dark and…well, tall and dark!’ Strange calls out. He adds that wearing black before five PM is so gauche, and exclaims ‘Your presence is an insult to my aesthetic sensibilities - begone! And take the “fleet” with you! Hmmph! Sailors!’ Strange concludes, waving his wand, the Dark Hunter falls back into the legion of wraiths, and then they all vanish.
‘Who - or what was that?’ Man-Thing asks as he and the others recover from the attack and gather around Strange. ‘That is a very good question’ Strange replies, before turning to Franklin. ‘Me? How should I know?’ Franklin replies. ‘Hmm, yes, well…I’ve managed to shoo him away for a little while - but he’ll likely be back. I suggest you all move on’ Strange points out. Howard asks Strange if he can send them back to Earth. ‘Bev must be worried sick by now’ he remarks. ‘I’m afraid not. All I can do is move you along to the next world -’ Strange announces, and waves his wand. Pink bubbles flow around everyone, as Strange utters ‘There’s no place like any-place-but-here… there’s no place like any-place-but-here…’ and then, the six vanish.
With the wave of the wand, the heroes are gone - their spirits high, their moods improving. But now, dumped with a thump, though they knew not quite how. They look around at their new landscape - lots of lush green grass, rolling hills and strange pink trees. ‘Where the #@$&* are we now?’ Howard demands. ‘Hey! Over here! Looka this!’ Leech calls out, pointing to a sign, one arrow says “Here”, the other says “There” and they point in opposite directions. ‘Oh, that’s a big help’ Howard mutters. ‘Already here, Mr Duck. Don’t need to go there’ Leech suggests. ‘Makes sense to me’ Man-Thing agrees. ‘Well, if it makes sense to Rand Freakin’ McNally, here, I guess we’ll just have t’do it!’ Howard mumbles.
So, the six start to walk, to find some place safe before it gets late. And with time on his hands, in an effort to kill it, Howard, walking beside Man-Thing, exclaims ‘Okay, Manny, spill it! Did something happen to ya t’give Ted Sallis’s consciousness control again?’ he asks. ‘Ted who?’ Man-Thing asks, confused. ‘There’s definitely something weird going on here’ Howard snaps, while Artie shakes Tana Nile’s arm and projects an image of food - burgers, fries and a drink. ‘Yes, of course’ Tana tells him, before informing Howard that they must locate food. ‘Good idea, toots! I’m kinda hungry myself’ Howard replies, to which Tana tells him that he can starve, for all she cares, but that her concern is for the children. ‘What’s yer problem, space shrew? Y’got something against Ducks?’ Howard squawks. ‘You an anti-fowlite or something?’ he enquires. ‘Why, you little…’ Tana begins, frowning, before she quickly returns to her complacent appearance, and apologizes to Howard, telling him that she is on edge, for a variety of reasons, and that he did not deserve to be spoken to in such a manner.
‘Uh….’ the surprised Howard begins, when someone shouts ‘Hey! Look at this!’ Tana and Howard turn to Franklin, ‘Check it out!’ the boy exclaims. And there stands a city, a quaint little town wityh stairs that go up and stairs that go down, and walls that meandered in a fashion so flaccid, that Howard calls out ‘This place must’ve been built by Rube Goldberg on acid!’ Franklin sees a diner ahead, and tells everyone that they should do lunch. ‘Yeah! I’ve got a hankering for a bowl of dirt, a cup of steaming swamp water and a slice of mudpie for dessert’ Man-Thing replies. Howard asks everyone of they think they should just saunter in there, to which Tana Nile asks ‘Why not?’ Howard tells her that in case she hasn’t noticed, they are not the most ordinary looking group. ‘We’re bound ta turn some heads…’ But no one pays any attention, they just continue on to the diner as Artie projects another image of food. ‘Awright, already! I get it! Y’want food!’ Howard exclaims. ‘Ya don’t gtta hit me with a holo-cast thought hammer!’ he tells Artie.
An instant later, Man-Thing swings the doors to the diner open, ‘COOL!’ Leech exclaims he, Artie and Franklin examine the diner - all of the patrons are strange, colourful, furry creatures.  ‘This is so neat!’ Franklin declares as he and the others pile into a booth. ‘It looks just like the books my Mom used to read to me when I was little - look! That guy’s eating green eggs!’ Franklin exclaims. A green creature with three eyes appears, ‘How nice that you’ve come to my fabulous diner! In all the world, there’s no diner that’s finer’ he boasts, adding that they have got soup, nuts and all foods in between. ‘Why, we’ve even got eggs in red, purple and green! Name your choice of comestible, they’re all quite digestible’. The heroes look back, bewildered, before Howard announces that he would like a spinach pie, with a diet Pepsi, and no ice. The green creature looks horrified, so Franklin smiles, ‘No, Mr Duck, like this’ he remarks, before turning to the waiter: ‘The, uh, lady wants a salad. The duck wants soufflé - the big guy wants swamp muck…that was fresh ground today’. Franklin adds that the three of them will have burgers and potatoes and French fries. ‘And throw in some strawberry shakes on the side!’ he smiles.
The waiter storms away, unimpressed. ‘You do so good, Franky’ Leech smiles. ‘Your duck has his nerve…but, I’ll endeavor to serve’ the waiter calls back. Leech looks at Artie and asks him what the matter is, and why he is staring at Franky. Artie scowls and projecting a question mark, shifts it to an image of the Dark Hunter. Leech tells Franklin to look, pointing out that Artie is thinking about Mr Shadows. ‘Cut it out! Stop looking at me so funny! I don’t like it!’ Franklin shouts, pushing Artie away. ‘HEY!’ Franklin declares when Artie pushes back. Stuck between the two, Leech tells them to stop. ‘Both of you - stop it! Now!’ Tana declares. Howard snickers: ‘You heard your “Mom”, boys! Behave yourselves or I’m turning this booth right around!’ He begins to say that it reminds him of his brothers when they were kids - when suddenly, a gloved hand clamps over his beak.
Several cat-like creatures wearing police uniforms enter, ‘We’re the Cadence Police! Don’t move and don’t blink! And if you can manage it, try not to think!’ one of them calls out. ‘You’ve broken rule one! Gone beyond its parameter!’ the second calls out. ‘With your wilful misuse of iambic pentameter’ the third concludes. Man-Thing tells the others that they can take these police. ‘Lemme at’em!’ he asks. Tan Nile instructs Man-Thing to clam himself, pointing out that an imbroglio would serve no purpose. ‘Why me…?’ Howard sighs, covering his face, before Tana quietly tells him that perhaps this municipality’s goal may afford them some measure of sanctuary from the Dark Hunter. ‘Huh? You want us to get arrested?’ Howard asks, shocked. Tana tells him that it seems the wisest course of action at this juncture. ‘We certainly have the raw power to escape anytime, if need be…’ she adds.
Soon, a blue elephant pulls a prison wagon behind it, while citizens of this Here / There reality stare out their windows and start to call things out. ‘I don’t wish to shout, but you must cast them out!’ one exclaims. ‘Do the right thing, my friend! Bring their lives to an end!’ another suggests. ‘I’ve no wish to debater! It’s these strangers I hate’ a third admits. ‘They should not be here while your mother is out’ another comments. ‘I speak for the trees…’ another begins. ‘Well, this is good news - compared to those bizarros, we’re the freakin’ Cleaver family!’ Howard mutters, holding onto the bars. ‘I love “Leave it to Beaver”! Thank God for “Nick at Nite! I don’t know where I’d be without it’ Man-Thing announces, while Howard jus sighs.
Seemingly run out of luck, the heroes are taken to the prison, ’Waugh! Inta the slammer!’ Howard complains as he and Tana are placed in one cell, and the boys and Man-Thing into the one next to them. The cat-like police slam the cell doors shut. They sit in their cells until Howard calls out ’Your Gen X connection, toots…what’s up with that?’ Sitting next to him, Tana asks ‘Who are you to question a Rigellian, water fowl?’ and boasts that her race was ld before his ridiculous feathered species was born. She then apologizes to him, ‘Old programming’ she explains. ‘That is what results when you are raised to believe that your race is superior to all others. That yours is the right to run roughshod over an entire universe’. Tana informs Howard that the Rigellians live to colonize, and woe be to any sentient race that stands in their way. She adds that it got to a point where she could no longer abide their warped sense of manifest destiny. ‘I first tried to effect change from within. Through logical discourse and passive resistance, I took my message to the powers that be’.
Tana looks at the small bar-window in the cell and adds that this seemed a prudent direction, as her fiancé was the Grand Commissioner. ‘Love, it seems, does not conquer all, though. He branded me a traitor and disavowed me to the control panel’. She reveals that she fled Rigel and sought sanctuary with the heroes of Earth, whose might in battle with the Kree and the hated Skrulls was legendary. Howard laughs and covers his eyes with a hand, ‘Ymean ta tell me you came to Earth looking for the FF or the Avengers and ya got us? Ho, ho, that’s rich, I’ll say!’ He adds ‘That’s really priceless -’ but Tana doesn’t answer, she stands there, her eyes a-glisten. How could she explain, and would the duck listen? The rancor towards Howard that made her see red was a sham, for she truly felt envy instead. In worlds, they’d not made, they both have been trapped. But Howard had somehow learned how to adapt.
Howard turns back to Tana, and goes over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. ‘Duck, er, Howard, I…’ Tana begins, but Howard tells her that it was his fault, that he shouldn’t have laughed. ‘Bev’s always telling me I’m a little too acerbic for my own good’ he explains. ‘But the children…’ Tana utters, clearly upset. They sit down on the bed in the cell, as Howard tells her not to worry, that Man-Thing is in with the rugrats, and he hasn’t seen the menace yet that could get past that walking salad if he didn’t want it to. ‘Let’s just get some rest’ he suggests. Tana leans into Howard, who thinks to himself ‘I got a feeling we’re gonna need it’.
In the cell just down the hall, the Man-Thing keeps watch, but says nothing at all. Leech and Artie lie slumped together against the wall, while Franklin lies against Man-Thing. They sleep beneath cold, watchful eyes while all around their heads buzz a squadron of flies - those flies where a-feast on the hide of the beast, which is dried out and doesn’t look well in the least. But, with empathic powers, the swamp creature knows that young Franklin Richards holds the key to their woes, and he puts a hand on the sleeping child.
The night moves along, all was quiet - until Artie wakes with a psionic shout, and projects an image of Franklin looking mean. ‘Artie! Artie, what’s wrong?’ Leech calls out to his best friend. ‘You okay?’ he asks, putting a hand on Artie’s shoulder, as the image vanishes. Artie leers at Franklin, and projects an image of an eye with a line through it. ‘What? WHAT?’ Franklin shouts. ‘Look, Franky! Artie say “Eye”…”no”, “eye no”…what he know, Franky?’ Leech asks. ‘Nothing. Leave me alone. You’re getting on my nerves’ Franklin declares. Man-Thing steps between Artie and Franklin and pushes Artie away, telling him to back off, otherwise he is toast. ‘No! Don’t!’ Franklin calls out. ‘Okay, you’re the boss - boss’ Man-Thing remarks. Franklin tells Artie, for the last time, that whatever he is thinking, he is wrong. But Artie just leers at Franklin.
‘Wrong, wrong, wr-’ Franklin begins to say, when suddenly, ‘The Dark Hunter!’ someone shouts as the shadowy wraith moves through the cell bars. ‘I have come for you!’ the Dark Hunter calls out to Franklin, pointing his sword at him once more. But, before he can act, Tana Nile reaches through the cell door bars, and grabs the Dark Hunter’s neck, ‘Stygian fiend! You shall not have these innocents while I yet draw breath!’ she shouts, throwing the Dark Hunter against the wall, he splatters about. ‘Tana Nile! But how did…uh, never mind’ someone calls out when they see Tana and Howard in the corridor, and Tana uses her strength to rip open their cell door. ‘C’mon, kids! Move it or lose it!’ Howard tells them. The kids rush out of the cell and run down the corridor, ‘Mr Shadow’s coming again’ Leech warns everyone. Howard squawks and wonders what has happened to their police protection.
‘Oh, that’s what happened’ Howard mumbles as they run through the lobby and find all the cat-like police officers lying motionless on the floor. Of course that was the Dark Hunter’s doing, and the heroes know full well that he was pursuing, but on foot, and with three children, they also know they won’t get far. They need a miracle. They need - ‘A car! Hop in, gang!’ Howard exclaims as he sees the police car in front of the station. They all pile in, with Man-Thing squashed up in the back. ‘Say, Manny…you okay? Ya look a little “mulchy”!’ Howard remarks. Man-Thing replies that he is fine and dandy, and tells them to drive. With a lurch and a bump and a rattling cough, the car with the heroes aboard motors off. They drive like the wind over hill and through valley - but the Dark Hunter follows aboard his dread galley. ‘He’s gaining on us!’ Tana exclaims as she glances back from where she is driving the car.
‘WAUGH! Floor it, toots!’ Howard exclaims as the Dark Hunter’s vessel looms over them. The Dark Hunter reaches down, ‘N-nooo…’ Franklin utters, when suddenly, ‘Huh? Artie?’ Franklin gasps, as the Dark Hunter grabs the mute mutant. ‘You are mine!’ the Dark Hunter exclaims, wrapped around Artie, he pulls the boy out of the car. ‘Artie! Him got Artie!’ Leech utters. ‘ARTEEE’ he screams out for his best friend, as the Dark Hunter’s vessel takes off. Tana looks out of the car, ‘They are gone’ she reports. ‘NOOO!’ Leech screams. ‘Not fair! Mr Shadow’s not want Artie! Him say him only want Franklin!’ Leech points out. He angrily turns to Franklin and clenches his fists, ‘Why, Franky? Why Mr Shadows take Artie? Is it ‘cause what he -’ Leech begins, as they move out of the car, but Tana interrupts him, telling him that they have no time for this, that they must follow the Dark Hunter and retrieve Artie, now.
‘Follow him? We…we can’t!’ Franklin exclaims. ‘What’s your problem, kid? He’s your friend’ Howard declares, before turning to Man-Thing who is holding himself and shivering, ‘Hey, Muck-Head! You zapped us offa Earth inna first place. Do it again, and let’s follow ‘em!’ Howard suggests. Man-Thing explains that was a fluke, that he can’t control it - and points out that he never had this power before, and he is not sure he would be able to do it again. ‘Lissen, compost heap! I ain’t letting anything happen t’that kid!’ Howard declares. ‘We’re gonna save him or die trying, let’s go!’ he snaps at Man-Thing, who exclaims ‘Look at me…I’m falling apart! I don’t think I can…’, but Howard furiously shouts ‘Do it!’ Franklin just looks at Man-Thing, who clutches his head, ‘O-kay… here goes nothing…’ he begins, and his swampy body seeps out and engulfs Franklin, Leech, Howard and Tana, engulfing them.
And, soon they emerge on another reality, filled with sky-high buildings and cars that zoom about on the streets. ‘This looks…familiar…’ Tana begins, examining their surroundings. ‘Yeh…a little too familiar. I got a bad feeling about -’ Howard begins, before he squawks and goes wide-eyed as he sees a billboard in front of him with a female duck advertising bottled pond water. ‘No freakin’ way…’ Howard uters. Leech and Franklin smile, as Leech points out that everyone here looks like Mr Duck. ‘We must be on Duckworld! This is so cool!’ Franklin declares. ‘Sez you kid…sez you’ Howard mutters, sitting down on the pavement, hands over his face. Tana looks concerned and crouches down beside him, asking him what is wrong. ‘This is your home world! You are home at last! You should be jubilant!’ she tells him. ‘Yeh, toots…I’m jumping for joy -’ Howard begins, before several of the local swarm around him. ‘Your autograph?’ one of them asks. ‘Touch his coat’ another suggests. ‘Put it on my bill’ another offers. ‘Meet my wife and kids’ a fourth asks.
Howard is confused, but Tana points upwards and suggests ‘That may provide the answer to your query’. Several more ducks gather around, ‘HOWARD! HOWARD!’ they start to chant as the gather around a large golden statue of Howard, with the plaque “The Greatest Duck of All” underneath it.
Meanwhile, Artie’s big white eyes open, but see nothing but darkness all around….


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

[Assistant]
Dark Eyes
Artie Maddicks is not afraid of the dark. At least, not until now. Since being captured by the Dark Hunter, Artie’s mind has been scoured for information regarding his friend, Franklin Richards. At least, he thinks that is what the Hunter wants. Artie doesn’t know where he is, or if his friends will be able to find him. That scares him. But Artie thinks he knows who the Dark Hunter is and why he has taken him - and that scares the boy to death, as his eyes grow wide, then narrow with fear, surrounded by the darkness.
Meanwhile, on Duckworld, home planet of Howard the Duck: At lot has changed since he left. Tana Nile holds Howard up off the ground, while Leech, Franklin Richards and Man-Thing look around in awe, as numerous local ducks chant Howard’s name, gathering around him as they stand beneath a large golden statue of Howard. ‘You were supposed to teleport us to Artie! What the heck are we doing here? Howard asks Man-Thing, who reminds Howard that he cannot control this, and that he doesn’t even know how he does it. ‘Lookit all the ducks!’ Leech gasps, before telling his companions to watch out. ‘Here they come!’ Franklin exclaims as the ducks start to swarm towards the new arrivals. ‘Excuse me, Howard’ Tana remarks as she puts Howard on the ground. ‘But one of us… must do something!’ Tana declares as she picks up Man-Thing by one of his feet, then swings him towards the ducks, causing a wave of swamp water to wash over the ducks.
‘Let’s go!’ Leech suggests, as they start to run. ‘But where?’ Franklin ask. ‘Quick! This way!’ someone calls out, as they rush into a newsagent. ‘Quack’ the shop duck utters, while Franklin starts pouring through some of the magazines on the stand: ‘This is nuts! When I left this world I was a nobody! A two-bit loser!’ He adds that he was a brilliant and handsome two-bit loser, before wondering how he became the most famous and admired duck on the planet? Tana smiles and tells Howard, who is quite surprised by her comment, that he is many things, but not a loser. ‘Mr Duck, do you know any place to hide?’ Franklin asks. Howard reveals that this is his old neighborhood, and wonders if his folks still live around here.
‘Wonderful!’ Tana utters. ‘Not so wonderful’ Howard replies. ‘Why not?’ Tana asks. Howard reveals that he and his folks never exactly got along, and informs her that he was a major disappointment to them - and they did not exactly thrill him, either. ‘This whole world is thrilled with you. They, too, must be equally proud’ Tana suggests. ‘Forget it. I’m not going there!’ Howard declares. Peering out of the news agent, Tana reports that they don’t have much choice. ‘Alright! Alright!’ Howard exclaims, and Leech and Franklin look oddly at the Man-Thing who announces that he doesn’t feel so good, he is having trouble standing up and a pool of swamp water is forming around him. Tana and Howard help Man-Thing up, ‘Come now, we have you’ Tana assures him. ‘Sheesh! It’s like trying to carry a ton of baby food’ Howard mutters as they make their way down the street. ‘Hurry!’ Franklin urges everyone.
Somewhere else. Somewhere that is nowhere else - for this is the realm of the Dark Hunter. ‘Hello little one’ the Dark Hunter calls out to Archie. Archie projects an image of his friends, to which the Dark Hunter tells the boy that his friends will not find him here - that none may enter these shadows. ‘Yes, you suspect the truth. That is why I took you. For he is not ready to face it’. The Dark Hunter claims that he will reveal the whole truth to Artie, and prays that his young mind can handle it. ‘And now that you have seen it all, now that you understand, I ask you - will you help me? Will you join the Dark Hunter’s cause?’ the Dark Hunter shoves his sword into Artie’s head, plunging his story into the boy’s mind. Artie grimaces, and projects a new image - one of Artie, flanked by the Dark Hunter, moving towards Franklin. ‘Very good, little one…’ the Dark Hunter utters as he extends his hand to Artie. ‘…very good indeed!’
Back on Duckworld, Howard, Franklin, Leech, Tana and Man-Thing stand on the front porch of a two-story white house in a suburban area. ‘I don’t think we should do this. You don’t understand what it’s like’ Howard tells the others. Tana explains that on her world, one’s parents are revered and that any opportunity to be with them or aid them is a distinctive honor. ‘In my family, it’s a little different. We all just peck at each other till there’s nothing left but blood and feathers’ Howard remarks, adding that there was a reason he left home when he was sixteen, and that there is no way he is going back. ‘So just…’ he begins, before Leech, hands on hips, frowns and exclaims ‘Mr Salad real sick. Shadow man have Artie. We can’t help friend. Gotta run from all those ducks’. Howard glances away from Leech, ‘Awright, aright. Let’s go in. But I hope you idiots realise what you’re letting yourselves in for’ he mumbles.
‘Son!’ a voice call out. ‘Good grief, Howard - it really is you!’ Howard’s father gasps, pipe in hand, as he steps out onto the porch. He remarks that he heard on the radio that there had been a sighting, but that they claim to see Howard more often than Elvis. ‘June! June! Come quick! It’s our boy! He’s home! Out little Howie’s come home!’ Mr Duck exclaims, wrapping his arms around his son. ‘Howie?’ Tana smiles. ‘Ah, shaddup’ Howard mutters. Everyone enters the house, as Howard’s father tells Howard that his mom will make he and his friends some cookies and hot cocoa. ‘Wow!’ Franklin utters. ‘Cool!’ Leech exclaims. Howard’s mother with red hair is doing the vacuuming, ‘Howie? Oh, good heavens - I think I’m going to weep’ she utters. ‘Something awfully screwy’s going on around here’ Howard decides.
Shortly, gathered around the kitchen table, Tana sits with Howard, his father and sister, while their mother brings over some more cookies. Playing with a doll that resembles her brother, Howard’s sister tells him that she has so much to tell him, and that she can’t believe he is back, because she has minded him and everybody asks her about her favorite hero brother. ‘So what’s this baloney about me being a hero?’ Howard asks. ‘Well, Howard…many years back, Duckworld’s greatest scientist, Dr Richards, created a device that let him look into other dimensions’. Mr Duck reveals that Dr Richards observed Howard’s adventures on Earth until one of the major TV networks bought the rights to the images of him. ‘They turned it into a weekly TV series and it was a huge hit! The biggest show ever! Bigger than that one about the Duckworld Highway Patrol!’ Mr Duck reveals, ading that every duck in the world felt a special pride watching one of them become a hero, saving the world and beating the villains.
Howard’s father explains that soon there were comic books, T-shirts, mugs, the breakfast cereal and, of course, the movie which was the highest grosing picture in Duckworld history. ‘A movie? About me? And it was a hit?’ Howard asks, wide-eyed. ‘Oh, son, we’re so proud of you’ June declares, wrapping her arms around her son, adding that now he has come home to them. ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever’ Howard mutters. In the living room, ‘What’s wrong with Mr Salad?’ Leech asks as Man-Thing lies on the sofa, his body becoming less and less solid. ‘Him look all oozy’ Leech points out. Franklin tells Leech not to worry, that Man-Thing will be all right. ‘Don’t hide - don’t hide. Tell them’ Man-Thing tells Franklin, putting his hands around Franklin’s. ‘Tell us what?’ Leech asks. ‘Nothing. He’s got a fever. He doesn’t know what he’s saying’ Franklin replies. Man-Thing suggests to Franklin that it is time for him to deal with it. ‘How long can you run away?’ he asks him.
‘Think Mr Salad know something that -’ Leech begins, when suddenly, ‘Well…you’re wrong!’ Franklin shouts, his eyes wide, looking angry, there is an explosion of energy, then Frankin falls back on the sofa, dazed, he sits in the remnants of Man-Things ooze, with Man-Thing and Leech nowhere in sight. ‘What happened?’ Howard asks as he and Tana rush in. ‘Where are Leech and the walking mulch-heap?’ Howard asks. June Duck suggests that they should call Doctor Chumley, their dear and friendly family doctor. She adds that she is sure he will be happy to make a house call. ‘Shut up!’ Howard exclaims. ‘Now, Howie, that’s no way to talk to your mother’ Mr Duck scolds his son. Tana picks up the unmoving Franklin, while she asks Howard ‘What is it?’ ‘For one thing, these aren’t my parents!’ Howard declares. ‘Oh, Ward, Ward! Our little boy doesn’t remember us!’ June gasps. ‘I’m not your little boy!’ Howard shouts.
‘My mother wasn’t named June! And she sure as heck didn’t do her vacuuming wearing pearls and high heels’ Howard announces, adding that his old man was a pot-bellied garbage collector, not some Hugh Beaumont wannabe. ‘They might not have been perfect, but they were real fer crying out loud!’ Tana looks concerned, ‘Howard, are you saying that this…’ she begins, to which Howard declares that this is not real. ‘Somebody’s cooked this place up…to distract me. Stroke my ego a little and keep me - keep us all - busy so we wouldn’t be asking too many questions about what’s going on lately’. Suddenly, ‘I am too real! I am, I am, I am!’ Howard’s sister starts to cry. Howard puts a hand on the girl’s shoulder and tells her that he never had a little sister with a dopey name like Princess. ‘I don’t believe in you, kid, you hear me?’ he asks her. ‘I absolutely do not believe in you! In any of you!’ Howard shouts, and suddenly, his fake family start to vanish, until they completely fade from view.
Still holding the seemingly comatose Franklin, Tana asks ‘If this isn’t real, if everything we see is an illusion, where are we?’ Howard tells her that he has a sneaking suspicion Franklin might know. Tana looks at the boy, while Howard asks Tana if she noticed that Duckworld’s greatest scientist was named Richards - as in Reed Richards. ‘And how about the fact that everybody on Nevernever-narnozbia was some kinda spin on Earth’s super heroes and villains? Just the kinda thing a kid who grew up around those people would dream up, don’t ya think?’ Howard asks, adding that on the other world, it was straight out of a Doctor Seuss story. ‘What kid wouldn’t want to jump inside a book and live in a place like that?’ ‘Are you saying that Franklin is somehow creating this?’ Tana enquires. ‘Yeah, I think I am’ Howard replies. ‘But why?’ Tana wonders. Howard tells her that he doesn’t know, and wonders if Doctor Richards can help them out. ‘But how do we find him?’ Tana asks. Howard points out that since they know this isn’t real, perhaps with a little persuasion, they can twist things around to fit their needs.
A van with “Free Shuttle to Dr Richards” screeches to a halt in front of Howard and Tana, and a robotic duck driver introduces himself as Herbie, and reports that he is here to take them to see Doctor Richards. Tana smiles at Howard as they and the unconscious Franklin pile into the back seat. Tana tells Franklin that she is very impressed with how decisive and insightful he has been. ‘Hey, toots, I’m as amazed as you are’ Howard replies, while Tana explains that she feels such a profound sense of caring - for Franklin, for all of the children. Howard tells Tana that he knows what she means, and adds that it is like they have become Mom and Pop to all three of them. They look at each other intensely, before they lean forward and kiss. Howard then pulls away, ‘What’s wrong?’ Tana asks. ‘Look, Tana, it’s not that I don’t think you’re the greatest thing since webbed feet, I do…I might even have feelings for you that run pretty deep’. Howard explains to Tana that there is a woman named Beverly, and that they have been together for a long time now. ‘I...I understand, Howard’ Tana replies, hanging her head.
An instant later, the free shuttle comes to another screeching halt - outside a large building called the Richards Institute for Reality Interfacing. ‘Wow’ Howard exclaims as he and Tana, holding Franklin, stand in front of the tall building and look up at it. They enter and come to some sort of laboratory. ‘Howard, over there!’ Tana calls out. ‘Eh?’ an older duck utters. ‘My boy! My little boy! What have you done to him?’ the duck calls out, rushing over to Franklin. ‘We have done nothing’ Tana responds, announcing that she is starting to suspect that Franklin has done this to himself. ‘Do not hid from us, Franklin. Do not seek shelter in the shadows of -’ Tana begins, when suddenly, there is a bust of energy around them. ‘Howard. Look!’ Tana utters. ‘I don’t believe it!’ Howard exclaims, as they stare at rather thin versions of Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. ‘This is freaking crazy’ Howard mutters, while the 2-D Invisible Woman tells them to go away, ‘We can take care of our son’ she claims. ‘We don’t need you. Leave us alone’ the Invisible Woman calls out. ‘Mommy! Daddy! It’s really you!’ Franklin smiles, while his 2-D father holds the weapon that he fired at them earlier. ‘No, Franklin! They are just dreams…illusions! They are not real!’ Tana shouts.
‘Yes. They. Are!’ Franklin shouts, as Tana is engulfed in a pink energy, and seemingly vanishes. ‘Oh, my dear, dear Franklin’ the 2-D Invisible Woman smiles. ‘Mommy and Daddy, I’ve missed you so much’ Franklin grins. Mister Fantastic tells his son that they have missed him, but now they must be going. They take Franklin by his hands. And lead him to a black portal. ‘Come along, Franklin, dear. We’re almost there’ the Invisible Woman remarks. ‘No, kid, you can’t do this!’ Howard calls out from where he has fallen to the floor. ‘You can’t give yourself over to a dream!’ Howard declares. ‘You’ve gotta face it. You’ve gotta -’ he exclaims as he rushes into the portal. ‘Oh. No. Nice going duck’ Howard mutters as he seems to float in the blackness all around him.
‘What the -?’ Howard gasps as he sees a boat row towards him through the dark nothingness. ‘A freaking boat? I don’t believe it!’ Howard exclaims, when suddenly, ‘Howard!’ Tana calls out from the boat. ‘Mr Duck!’ Leech exclaims. They are with Artie, Man-Thing and the Dark Hunter. ‘Would ya just shut up and grab me?’ Howard asks them. ‘Your heart may belong to another… but I will never abandon you, dear Howard’ Tana calls out as she pulls him onto the boat. Howard asks what the heck is going on, and adds that he thought the Dark Hunter was the bad guy. ‘He is…to Franklin’ Tana explains. ‘Would somebody please tell me what the heck is going on?’ Howard demands. ‘The only one who can fully explain…is him’ the Dark Hunter states pointing to Franklin who is inside a bubble with his 2-D parents, playing a game.
‘Go away! We don’t want you here…’ Franklin snaps. The Dark Hunter walks through the blackness towards the bubble, ‘You have eluded me for too long. Now, Franklin, it is time to face me’ the Dark Hunter declares. ‘Wait a minute, whatever the kid’s done, we can’t let that creep just -’ Howard begins, attempting to climb out of the boat, but Tana holds him back, ‘Not only can we, Howard…we must’ she tells him. The Dark Hunter tells Franklin that he knows this must be faced, that he knows he cannot hide in unreality. ‘Look at the parents you have created for yourself: two-dimensional, for all of your powers, you could not make them real’. ‘They are too real’ Franklin snaps back. He turns to his parents, ‘Aren’t you, Mommy? Aren’t you, Daddy?’ he asks them. ‘We’re not really sure anymore’ the Invisible Woman responds, anxiously. ‘What if we are merely projections from your unconsciousness?’ Mr Fantastic ponders. ‘Random memories given shape and form by your desire to have us back?’
Images of the creations recently met on this “adventure” appear around the Dark Hunter, who explains that all of this was projected from Franklin’s unconsciousness, and that even the Man-Thing’s words came from Franklin. ‘He was your familiar. His connection to the Nexus allowed you to use him to mold your dreams’. The Dark Hunter reveals that is why the Man-Thing was dying, that his body could not contain the energies they were channelling through him, that they were never traveling the Nexus at all, these realities sprang from Franklin’s mind. ‘And that is where we all are now, Franklin. Isn’t it? Within the landscape of your mind’. ‘No, this is real. I can make it real. If you’d just leave me alone!’ Franklin shouts, energies crackle about him, and his two-dimensional parents start to fade away.
‘I am here not because I want to be here, but because you want me to be here. I, too, am a creation of your mind. I am the hidden shadows, the hidden grief you have never had the courage to face. You called me here, Franklin Richards. Now look into my eyes - and know what your heart has denied…’ the Dark Hunter tells the boy. The Dark Hunter calls out to Artie and Leech, telling them that if they want to help their friend, they must come to his aid now. ‘I said - leave me alone!’ Franklin screams as he casts energy towards the Dark Hunter. ‘We gotta do it. For Frankie’ Leech tells Artie. ‘That’s it, Artie! Just a little more!’ Leech encourages his friend, as Artie extends his psychic ability around Franklin. ‘What - what are you doing?’ Franklin calls out. Howard watches and asks Tana if she is sure they are doing the right thing. ‘Yes. I’m sure’ Tana replies ‘Okay, toots - I’m gonna trust you on this’ Howard tells her, before they hold hands.
‘Franklin…they’re gone. All of them. I know you are scared. I know your pain. For Franklin…I am your pain. You can’t run form me any longer. You must accept their deaths and your fears’ the Dark Hunter tells Franklin, who starts to cry. ‘Mommy? Daddy? They’re dead. No’ he gasps. NO!’ and with that, the tears stream down his face, and he collapses into the Dark Hunter. ‘Goodbye’ the Dark Hunter utters, washing away from Franklin, the blackness surrounding them all vanishes, ‘Frankie! Leech calls out. ‘Franklin, re you all right?’ Tana enquires as they all rush towards him, including the Man-Thing, who seems to be back to his usual self. ‘What the heck -’ Howard calls out, as everyone looks at their new surroundings. ‘I hope we’re not gonna end up in the Richard Scarry world next’ Howard mutters. ‘The swamp!’ Tana declares. ‘This looks like the Man-Thing’s swamp’ Howard points out.
Howard is less than impressed: ‘Great! From the end of reality to the middle of nowhere!’ he complains. Then he looks at Franklin, ‘I mean - oh’ he stops talking as Franklin looks up at the sky, ‘G’bye, Mommy. G’bye, Daddy’ he utters. Franklin hangs his head as his companions gather around him. ‘They were the best - and I’ll never forget ‘em - but they’re gone now’ he realizes. Leech smiles, ‘Yeah, but Frankie not alone’ he tells his friend. ‘You’ll never be alone, kid. ‘Cause you’ll always have us’ Howard announces, and everyone smiles and looks up at the sky.