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The Reaper and the Robot, part 4: California Screaming!
‘Hey, Ultron -’ exclaims Simon “Wonder Man” Williams, ‘- we’re back!’ concludes Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra, both members of the Avengers West Coast, as they burst into Ultron-13’s hidden lair. ‘Just couldn’t resist that old tag line, could you?’ the handsome John Walker a.k.a. USAgent asks Tigra, to which Tony “Iron Man” Stark reminds Walker that all that mattered was finding Ultron-13 at home, in his secret lab off the Metro Rail tunnel. ‘And on that score, it looks like we blew it!’ Tony realizes, as the four Avengers West Coast, along with their ally Pietro “Quicksilver” Maximoff, look around the sprawling lab.
‘Nothing but a few robotized humans - his “Andrones” he calls them!’ Tigra exclaims, motioning to Ultron’s creations scattered throughout the complex. As three of the Andrones surround Tigra, the feline heroine points out that since they are totally under Ultron’s mental remote control, their metal fists could bash her brain in as fast as Ultron’s would. ‘And speaking of “fast”, they’re all your’s Pietro!’ Greer adds as she leaps up above the three Andrones who attempt to grab her, enabling the super fast mutant to race around them with a rope, tying them up, he remarks that there is little pleasure in hobbling such pitifully will-less creatures. ‘Such as you and I were only a short time ago’ he reminds Tigra.
‘I’ll do more than just “hobble” them, fella!’ Wonder Man exclaims as he takes the rope and tightens it, causing the Andrones to clang together and knock each other out. Quicksilver thinks to himself that Wonder Man slammed them together very savagely, and realizes that Wonder Man’s concern for his living-dead brother has made him reckless, and even cruel.
Iron Man blasts his repulsor ray at one of the Andrones and tells USAgent that it still feels eerie fighting men who don’t speak. Walker throws a lasso around an Androne and replies ‘Like Tigra and Quicksilver told us, under hypnosis, Ultron’s turned them into nothing more than walking extensions of himself - so they don’t need to talk to each other!’ Walker throws the other end of the rope over a beam above him, and runs to a piece of equipment stuck to the ground, which he ties the rope to, pulling the Androne off the ground and leaving it hovering mid-air.
Suddenly, ‘Hey, mister!’ exclaims a little boy standing in the corner of the lab. ‘WHA -?’ USAgent gasps, surprised. ‘Can you help me find my mom and dad?’ the boy asks. ‘Uh, sure, son - but what in blazes are you doing down here?’ Walker asks as he approaches the child. ‘This is no place for a -’ Johnny begins, until the boy lunges at him, and wraps his small hands around Walker’s muscular neck, knocking him to the floor and attempting to strangle him! ‘Fell for it - hook, line and sinker!’ Johnny thinks to himself as he tries to pull the kid off him. ‘The kid’s one of them - choking me. Fingers like a steel vice on my windpipe - I can’t -’ he thinks to himself, before suddenly, Wonder Man stands over him and pulls the kid off of him. ‘Need some help, Agent?’ Simon asks.
Quicksilver ties the child Androne up as Walker replies that the kid caught him off guard because he spoke, to which Wonder Man remarks that they know Ultron’s victims don’t need to talk, but that is not the same thing as saying they can’t talk. ‘Now he tells!’ Walker mutters, rubbing his sore throat before saying ‘Anyway, thanks. I’m not too proud to -’ he kind sentiments are interrupted by Tigra, who alerts her companions to one of the Andrones that they missed. ‘I sure don’t like where he’s got to!’ she adds as the Androne stands at a computer console - which Iron Man suddenly rips up with a repulsor ray, before telling Tigra that her hunch was right.
Iron Man flies over and collects the Androne, pointing out that since Ultron probably already knows they are here, the only thing that Androne could have been doing is initiating a destruct sequence. Iron Man tells his teammates that he doubts his repulsor rays trashed the mainframe before the Androne did his job. ‘Grab the robot-men and let’s get out of here!’ Iron Man orders. ‘You know what I like about the way you give orders, Iron Man?’ Walker asks as he and the others grab the Andrones and make a quick getaway. ‘Not a blasted thing!’ Johnny tells him.
Outside the tunnel, the speedster Quicksilver arrives and sees a Police Officer standing near the Quinjet. Quicksilver calls out to him, but the Officer asks him if this is his vehicle, and tells hi that if it is, then so is the ticket which he is writing out. ‘Don’t you know this is a restricted area - especially since last Summer’s tunnel explosion?’. Suddenly, there is another explosion, but Iron Man, USAgent and Tigra make it out of the tunnel, with the Andrones, just in time. ‘As a matter of fact, Officer - I believe I did read something about that!’ Quicksilver remarks, before the Police Officer exclaims that he didn’t realize they were the Avengers West. ‘I should’ve recognized -’ he mutters.
‘Chalk up another delay for the Metro Rail System, huh, people?’ Tigra remarks as the heroes load the Andrones into the Quinjet, while Walker remarks that perhaps L.A. is not destined to have a subway system after all. ‘At least we got all the Andrones out safely - and the steel cable is keeping them subdued’ Quicksilver points out. ‘Hey, what’s with those guys, anyway?’ the Police Officer asks. ‘They wearing metal masks, or what?’ he asks. ‘Afraid it’s the “or what”’ Iron Man replies, before the Officer walks over to the Quinjet and remarks that even though it is New Year’s Morning, they have to answer some questions.
‘Just a moment’ Iron Man replies, before asking his teammates if they have seen Wonder Man since the explosion. ‘Good Lord!’ Tigra gasps before exclaiming that they have to go back in. ‘No!’ Quicksilver exclaims, announcing that Wonder Man told him he was remaining behind, and that he was positive he could survive the coming explosion. ‘In light of all he has gone through these past few days, I suggest we honor his decision’ Pietro suggests. Iron Man declares that they will, for now, and as the Quinjet takes to the sky, ignoring the Police Officer, Iron Man remarks that they have better hope Wonder Man was right about how much force his ionically-charged body can take.
Back inside the now half-demolished laboratory, Wonder Man calls out to his brother: ERIC!’ he shouts. ‘You’re here somewhere - I know you are!’ Simon shouts, calling for his brother to come out of his hiding place as he searches through the rubble. ‘Hello, baby brother!’ Eric Williams - better known as the Grim Reaper - exclaims, as he emerges from an alcove. ‘Then I was right! I felt your presence, somehow!’ Simon exclaims, before remarking that Eric did go looking for Ultron, as he thought he might. The Grim Reaper then reveals to his brother that he actually agreed to serve Ultron, and that he convinced Ultron he should stay to defend his lab.
‘Well, you sure did a bang-up job of that, didn’t you?’ Simon remarks, to which Eric explains that he was lying, of course. ‘Now that makes sense!’ Simon exclaims, realizing that if Ultron manages to turn everyone into mini-Ultrons, then there won’t be much human life left over for a dead man who has to absorb some every 24 hours. ‘Ultron knows that. He plans to use me as his right hand for a while - then get rid of me’ The Grim Reaper replies, to which Simon notices the scythe attached to Eric’s arm and asks him if he has a hand still attached underneath it. ‘Actually - no. Ultron fused hand and scythe’ Eric reveals. ‘His way of proving that I really am dead and wouldn’t feel any pain, I guess. Funny thing is - I like things better this way!’
Simon tells Eric to keep the sickle out of his face, reminding him that he is one person it will not such the life-force out of. Simon asks his brother why he even pretended to serve Ultron and longer than it took to get within striking distance, to which Eric replies ‘Because of something Ultron doesn’t know…’. Eric reveals to Simon that while Ultron has been “robotizing” people, there has been a subtle feedback into Ultron’s own system. ‘In a nutshell, he’s been absorbing human energy - humanity itself - in the process!’ Eric explains, adding that, in turn, leaves Ultron increasingly vulnerable to his scythe. ‘Otherwise, I could never have damaged his adamantium body, like I did last night’.
Wonder Man asks his brother what his angle is: ‘Man or boy - living or dead - you’ve always had an angle!’ he reminds his brother, who replies ‘Why, a most humanitarian one, sibling’. The Grim Reaper reminds Wonder Man that Ultron plans to turn a multitude of people into Andrones today - taking more lives in a few minutes than the Grim Reaper would need in years. ‘No, Eric - don’t say it!’ Simon exclaims. ‘I’ll lead you to him in time to stop his planned slaughter - if you’ll swear never again to oppose me - as long as I don’t kill more than one lousy person a day!’ The Grim Reaper offers, asking what could be fairer than that. ‘How can you ask me to stand aside while you -? It’s monstrous!’ Simon replies. ‘That’s what I like about it’ Eric replies, before asking Simon for his answer.
‘How do I know you’d stick to one person a day?’ Simon asks, to which the Grim Reaper replies ‘If I didn’t, you’d find out - you know you would’ before asking his brother once more what his answer is. ‘Time’s a wasting, and so, any minute now, will be a lot of human lives!’ Eric exclaims, asking his brother if they have a deal. ‘All right. You win’ Simon frowns. ‘My pleasure’ Eric replies, before extending his scythe ‘My hand on it - my scythe, rather - to seal our bargain!’ he exclaims. But Simon turns away from Eric, telling him not to push it. ‘Just take me to Ultron - and shut up!’. The Grim Reaper begins to lead Wonder Man out of the lab, telling his brother not to be bitter, ‘After all, when you save all those people, you’ll be an even greater hero than you are now. And no one but you and I will ever know that all it cost the world…is a paltry 365 human lives a year. One more in leap years, of course…’.
Meanwhile at the Palos Verdes Compound, home to the Avengers West Coast, where three of the other members - Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, Dr. Hank Pym and Janet “the Wasp” van Dyne - are currently dealing to their irate teammate Clint “Hawkeye” Barton. ‘You heard me, Pym! I said - I want out!’ Clint shouts as he fires an arrow towards Dr. Pym. ‘Heads up!’ Wanda calls out, before asking how Hawkeye got free. ‘Just stop him!’ Dr. Pym replies, explaining that Clint is trying to wreck the portable infrared bombarder that he is putting together. The Wasp blasts Clint with her wasps’ sting, and exclaims that she is trying to stop him, but because he is still part-metal, her power isn’t doing a lot of good. ‘Try zero good, Wasp!’ Clint exclaims.
Clint leaps out of Hank’s grasp, and as Hank falls to the floor, Clint tells him that his stupid Pym Particles are not going to shrink him down either. ‘But they should have!’ Hank thinks to himself, recalling that his Pym Particles are what screwed up the internal machinery of the “farmer robots” that he and Jan ran into. Wanda raises her hands and exclaims that she will stop him, ‘Now that my hex power-s working again, I should be able to - OH NO!’ Wanda gasps as she realizes that her hex power had no effect on Hawkeye, but caused a huge apparatus to topple towards Hank. Hank tells Wanda not to worry, and uses his Pym Particles on the apparatus, shrinking it down before it crushes him, he remarks that his power still works on some things.
‘Hah! While you losers trip each other up - I’m splitting before the second team lands and gets into the act!’ Clint exclaims. ‘I’ll give Ultron-13 your regards- Clint exclaims as the Quinjet containing Iron Man, USAgent, Quicksilver and Tigra lands - before he suddenly collapses. ‘He collapsed within a few yards of escape!’ Wanda points out, while Tigra, emerged from the Quinjet asks ‘Hank, is he -’ Hank assures her that he will be all right, and remarks that the infrared treatments reversed most of the “robotizing” but not Clint’s subservience to Ultron. ‘At least he was talking again - not like before!’ the Wasp points out.
Jan tells Hank that the rest of the team probably couldn’t head Clint over the Quinjet’s engine, when suddenly Hank interrupts, exclaiming ‘That’s it!’. ‘What’s it?’ Jan asks. Hank declares that it wasn’t the Pym Particles enlarging the Rover that caused the farm bots to explode, it was the Rover’s engine, just as the Quinjet has felled Hawkeye. Quicksilver and Iron Man bring the Andrones over, tied up next to Hawkeye, and Hank explains that the engines of the two craft are similar, so it must be something about their vibrations. Suddenly, Wonder Man’s signal is heard over the computer system. ‘Now what?’ Hank asks as he ties up Hawkeye. ‘He wants us on the double!’ Iron Man declares, and moments later, the Quinjet departs the Compound.
Inside a security apartment building, Wonder Man and the Grim Reaper are watching a news report of the parade happening right now. ‘Beautiful New Year’s morning here in Pasadena, where the theme of this year’s world-famous Rose Parade is…”The World of Tomorrow!”’. the news reader announces as a float in the parade cones into view - a world with the Starship Enterprise hovering over it. ‘Look, Jeremy - that float representing the Starship Enterprise looks big enough to hold the entire crew!’. ‘Sure does, Debra - but there’s a real ship, floating overhead - the Goodyear Blimp!’ Jeremy replies, before pointing out the Fuji Blimp. ‘But I don’t recognize that one’ he remarks as the camera pans onto the Seankai Blimp. ‘Must be a new entry’ Debra remarks.
‘That’s where you’ll find your metallic quarry’ the Grim Reaper informs Simon as they stand in front of a monitor. ‘In that dirigible? Pretty old-fashioned hide-out for Ultron-13, isn’t it?’ Simon remarks, to which the Grim Reaper asks what better what for Ultron to approach hundreds of thousands of potential victims undetected, even by the Avengers. Simon frowns while thinking to himself that the whole gang will know where Ultron is now, provided they picked up the secret signal he is sending them. Suddenly, a voice shouts ‘Hey, you with the sickle - what’re you doing in here? This is a security apartment building!’
The Grim Reaper turns to the approaching security guard, who reaches for his gun, and exclaims ‘Ah! The one thing I was hoping to encounter before our clash with Ultron…breakfast!’ The Grim Reaper shouts as he lunges at the guard, knocking his gun from his hand. ‘Eric - are you crazy?’ Simon asks, before thinking to himself ‘What am I saying? Of course he’s crazy - dead - and crazy!’. The Grim Reaper raises his scythe over the security guard, only for Simon to hold him back. ‘What are you doing? We have a deal!’ Eric shouts, to which Simon tells him that the clock starts running after they stop Ultron, not before. ‘In other words - no payments in advance!’
Wonder Man steps in front of the security guard, who asks what it is they are talking about. ‘Trust me, fella - you don’t want to know!’ Simon replies. ‘Very well, sibling. But only because, in all the years we were growing up together, you never once went back on your word to me - and I know you never will’ The Grim Reaper replies as they exit the building. Eric adds that the feast he will soon reap from Ultron will make such “snacks” unnecessary, at least for a while. ‘Eric…just shut up!’ Simon exclaims as he picks his brother up and takes flight. At that moment, the security guard exit’s the building, and radios to central: ‘I think that Wonder Man guy just flew out of here - hauling some bad guy with a sickle for a hand. What? No, I don’t think I was ever in any real danger. From what I could tell, all they were looking for was a bite to eat!’
As Wonder Man flies himself and his brother towards the Seankai blimp, which gets caught by the television cameras, and Jeremy tells Debra that one of the Avengers West is flying towards the oh-so-mysterious blimp. Debra replies that it sure looks that way, before pointing out that it could be a dummy being towed by the balloon, especially since there are so many sci-fi entries in this year’s space-orientated parade. ‘Yes, Debra, and here comes one now, carrying enough robots from old TV shows to start a whole new nostalgia craze!’ Jeremy tells his co-host, who replies ‘Isn’t it funny? Back in the 50’s and 60’s robots were almost always portrayed as menacing monsters. Nowadays, we’re more enlightened and we know that robots are nothing like that’ Debra remarks, before pointing out that the dummy up there is flying toward the blimp very fast.
The crowd of civilians cheers as the robot floats pass by, while Wonder Man punches his way into the blimp overhead, ‘So this is why you wanted me to crash into the blimp! It’s really a metal ship - kept aloft by some kind of anti-gravity!’ Ultron spins around from where he is standing at a console and shouts that he should never have trusted the Grim Reaper, before remarking that, in point of fact, he never really did. ‘I simply do not deign you worth fearing’ Ultron remarks. ‘Let’s show him his mistake!’ Simon tells Eric, who warns his brother to stand down, reminding him that he knows the deal. ‘One Williams sibling - or twenty - you will not prevent my gallium arsenide spray from dousing the crowd below, seconds from now.
Ultron unleashes a beam of energy from his eyes, aimed at the Grim Reaper, whom he asks ‘Are you really so desperate for prey, Reaper, that you will try to rescue them?’. The Grim Reaper ducks Ultron’s blast, declaring that it is not the people below he is taking life from today. ‘It’s you!’ he reveals as he slams his scythe against Ultron. ‘See? My scythe - which you made an integral part of me - merely touches you - and the human life force inside you instantly starts flowing into me!’ The Grim Reaper shouts, as a shocked Ultron is unable to prevent this from happening, and the Grim Reaper basks in the human life force energy.
Wonder Man stands and watches, wondering if he picked the right side - or even if there is such an animal in this fracas. Ultron exclaims that he realizes his error: ‘While altering humans, I somehow absorbed enough of their life energy - to make me vulnerable to your infernal scythe!’. The Grim Reaper tells Ultron that he should have checked his computers, as they may have noticed the feedback. ‘We’ll never know, since I’m trashing them along with you!’ the Grim Reaper exclaims as he shoves Ultron into his computers, smashing them up. The Grim Reaper adds that the computers may control the anti-gravity device and the robotizing spray, but they cannot do any harm now, as the blimp plummets towards the ground.
Down below, someone marching in the parade looks at one of the robots on the float: ‘Hey! The parade committee told me nothing on this freaking robot could move except his arms!’ he exclaims as he sees the robot’s head move, and then it begins to walk. ‘They all are!’ he gasps as he looks around. Suddenly, other people marching in the parade begin to run for their lives, while announcer Jeremy tells Debra that he cannot find anything about this particular business in the schedule he has. ‘Actually, Jeremy, I don’t think it’s in the schedule!’ Debra replies, adding ‘Just guessing now - but if it was, that marching band probably wouldn’t be panicking - and there wouldn’t be an Avengers Quinjet landing on Colorado Boulevard!’.
The Avengers West and Quicksilver emerge quickly from the Quinjet, and Tigra quickly announces that she doesn’t see Wonder Man, or Ultron or the Grim Reaper. Hank Pym suggests that Ultron might be the one making the three robot floats run wild. Iron Man soars towards a woman that has fallen over and declares that he will move her out of harms way, ‘Because I think it’ll take more than saying “klaatu barada niktu” to stop this particular Gort!’. Instead of moving the woman though, Tony picks up the robot, and wondering how it ties into all this, he traps the robot by wrapping a lamppost around it. ‘Thanks Avenger! If you are the real thing - and not another robot from the parade!’ a Police Officer calls out.
‘The Earth may not be standing still today, Debra, but thanks to Iron Man, that movie-robot finally is’ Jeremy remarks, before asking ‘Isn’t that the mutant Avenger Mercury racing around the facsimile of a TV-robot?’. ‘Danger-Will-Robinson-Danger!’ the television robot calls out, while Debra explains that the mutant is called Quicksilver, which is the same thing as mercury, and points out he seems to be having a bit of trouble. ‘Bill Mumy, where are you when we really need you?’ Jeremy jokes, as the Scarlet Witch steps into play, raising her hands, she casts a hex, which topples the Robot. ‘Look! The Crimson Witch just gestured - and the Robot toppled over!’ Debra remarks, asking Jeremy if he thinks the Crimson Witch had anything to do with it. ‘More likely it was just plain luck!’ Jeremy replies.
‘Something those other two Avengers could use just now, right, Jeremy?’ Debra asks, referring to USAgent and Hank Pym who are taking on Robby the Robot. ‘Three Avengers, Debra. Did you forget to wear your contacts again?’ Jeremy asks, noticing the Wasp flying alongside Robby, who is trying to remove USAgent from his head. ‘What contacts, Jeremy? I have 20-20 vision and you know it!’ Debra replies, to which Jeremy asks her to tell their viewers at home what precisely Dr. Pym is doing to “Robby”. As Hank uses his Pym Particles on the robot, it suddenly shrinks, causing Walker to fall to the ground. ‘What robot, Jeremy? As far as I can see, it just plain disappeared!’ Debra replies, adding that all the runaway robots are now under control, and the threat to the parade is clearly over.
Back inside the falling blimp, The Grim Reaper shouts ‘Ultron is down, Simon! I Win!’, boasting that he is more powerful than he has ever felt. ‘And you - bound by your precious promise - can’t do a thing but stand around and watch me walk off, scot free!’ he shouts. ‘Are you out of your blasted mind?!’ Wonder Man shouts, before smacking the Grim Reaper in the face, asking him if he thinks they are playing kids’ games here. ‘Stuff my promise! I’m taking you in, dear or -well, dead!’ Simon shouts. The Grim Reaper lunges at Simon, remarking ‘You know something, baby brother? I had to die to see it - but I think you may finally be growing up!’ Eric pushes Simon over, telling him that it will not do him any good. ‘Maybe the fact that we’re related is what keeps my scythe from hurting you - or maybe it’s just that “ionized condition” you’re always harping about!’
‘Either way - it’s not going to keep me from beating the life out of you!’ Eric exclaims, smacking Simon to the floor of the blimp. ‘You’re - not my brother. You can’t me!’ Simon exclaims, remarking that even after he Eric died, he wanted, in his warped way, to continue being his protector. ‘But you hate me - want to kill me!’ Simon exclaims. ‘You got that right, at least!’ Eric exclaims, kicking Simon in the face, before punching him and asking why he should go on living while he is the way he is. ‘Answer: You shouldn’t. Answer…you won’t!’ the Grim Reaper exclaims as he smacks Wonder Man over once more.
Suddenly, Ultron gets to his feet: ‘Reaper!’ he calls out. The Grim Reaper turns to Ultron, ‘You’re alive? But I drained every drop of human energy from you!’ he exclaims. ‘Did you imagine I had no reserve power to fall back on?’ Ultron asks, explaining that it merely required a few seconds to “kick in”. The Grim Reaper replies that he is almost glad that it did, because it will just give him that much more pleasure to take him apart like a cheap alarm clock, when, suddenly, Hawkeye, on a sky-cycle, bursts into the blimp, shouting ‘Geronimo!’ as he slams the sky-cycle into the Grim Reaper.
‘Hawkeye…how?’ a weak Wonder Man asks. Clint replies that he has good news, and bad news. ‘Bad news is, I’m still partly robot, thanks to that adamantium cephaloid. Good news is, my will’s my own again!’ he exclaims, reading his bow and arrow, Clint explains that his robotized condition helped him home in on Ultron-13. ‘And I’m gonna see to it that “13” is definitely his unlucky number!’ Hawkeye exclaims. ‘No…Ultron is mine! No one else’s…mine!’ the Grim Reaper exclaims, ready to attack Hawkeye, who fires an arrow, which bounces off Eric’s scythe. ‘My bow!’ Clint calls out as the Grim Reaper slashes it in half.
Ultron tells Hawkeye not to worry, informing him that he is still more attuned to his wave-length than he may imagine. ‘Before I close with the Reaper myself, perhaps it is best I utilize you one last time - as a quasi-human, quasi-robot weapon!’ Ultron exclaims, blasting Hawkeye with a beam of energy, as the Grim Reaper declares that Hawkeye must die so he can get to Ultron, and slices his scythe into Hawkeye, who screams in agony at the twofold attack. All three become caught in an energy field, and Simon watches on, thinking to himself that the two of them hate each other so much, that neither of them realized their assaults would cancel each other out, for Eric cannot absorb what is still robotic about Hawkeye, while Ultron cannot absorb Hawkeye’s life force, now with Eric on the other end, anyway.
‘But - God help us all - what happens to the poor devil caught in the middle?’ Simon wonders, before lunging into the energy field, knowing that it may kill both he and Clint, but he has to try it. Simon grabs Clint, thinking that with Hawkeye out of the way, it might make Ultron and the Grim Reaper come together - hard - and indeed, it does, as with Hawkeye cleared from the energy field, Ultron and the Grim Reaper are pulled together like magnets. The Avengers West make it into the blimp, and Quicksilver calls out to Wonder Man and Hawkeye. ‘You two all right?’ Tigra asks them. ‘A good ion bath - and I’ll be good as new’ Wonder Man replies, more concerned for Hawkeye.
The Scarlet Witch helps Wonder Man up, and Iron Man assures Simon that they will take care of Clint, before motioning to the downed Ultron and Grim Reaper, and pointing out that they won’t be bother anyone for a while. Hank declares that is a good thing, as they will need all the time they can get to figure out what kind of cells can hold them. Iron Man calls out to Hawkeye, who, weary, replies ‘Hiya, Shellhead. Just my luck, ain’t it? I get practically turned into a freaking metal robot, and I still get knocked around’. Iron Man assures his friend that they are going to do everything that is humanly possible to cure him, once and for all. ‘Emphasis on the “humanly”!’ Iron Man exclaims as he takes flight out of the downed blimp, with Hawkeye in his arms.
‘Easy! You mustn’t…’ the Scarlet Witch tells Wonder Man as he makes his way towards his motionless brother. A very weak Wonder Man replies that he has got to help Eric. ‘Don’t you see? He may be walking dead, even a murderer…but he’s still…my brother!’ Simon exclaims, before collapsing several feet from his brother and Ultron. Wanda drops down besides Wonder Man, and her brother Quicksilver assures her that he is just sleeping. ‘Let him. He’s earned it today…in spades’ USAgent declares. ‘So - happy New Year, everybody!’ Tigra exclaims. ‘Yeah. Right’ mumbles the Wasp as the Avengers West stand around admit’s the destruction, and their wounded teammate.


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

[Assistant]
Grudge Match!
Avengers West Coast Compound, Palos Verdes, California. The moon shines down upon the home of Earth’s other Mightiest Heroes, where, right now, Clint “Hawkeye” Barton stands in the bushy grounds of his home and headquarters, alongside the cliff that hangs over the beach. Bow in hand and plenty of arrows in his backpack, the arching Avenger calls out ‘All right, Agent - come out of hiding - and I mean now!’. The handsome John Walker a.k.a. USAgent steps into view, carrying his trusty shield, he tells Hawkeye that he wasn’t hiding, that he was just watching - and trying not to laugh his guts out at the sight of Hawkeye in his so-called “battle-armor”. ‘And the name’s “US” Agent, to you!’ Johnny adds.
Standing a few feet away from each other, Clint retorts ‘Okay, I’ll correct it on the title card’ as he readies his bow and an arrow. “Hawkeye vs USAgent - in a fight to the finish!” Clint exclaims, adding: ‘Translation! Till Mr Red-and-White-and-Black is just plain black and blue!’. ‘In your dreams!’ Walker calls back, before telling Hawkeye that, before they start, he wants to know if he is sure he is over that creeping robot-itis he got from Ultron-13.’I don’t want to mop up the Palos Verdes Cliffs with you - then have you claim you were still sick with a case of the “metals”!’ USAgent jokes.
Hawkeye tells USAgent that he knows good and well that Hank Pym fixed him up with the light-machine he rigged up, and offers to take his battle-armor off if it bothers USAgent so much. ‘Keep it on. I’m sporting my shield, right? You’re gonna need all the protection you can get when I lay my hands on you!’ Walker replies as he moves towards Hawkeye. ‘Lay ‘em on this, instead!’ Hawkeye tells Walker as he fires an arrow towards him. ‘This good enough for you?’ Walker calls back, declaring that his shield will cushion the impact of it, and as it bounces off his shield, Walker thinks to himself that it looked like an exploding arrow, but it wasn’t.
Walker quickly jumps over the next arrow which Hawkeye fires, and realizes that it was all a set-up for this follow up arrow, which releases a bola, to try and trip him up, but it doesn’t work. ‘Blast!’ Hawkeye complains, before firing a succession of arrows at Walker, who knocks the first two back with his shield, dodges over the third, which has a net explode out of it, before knocking the fourth back, all the while, Walker thinks that Hawkeye is trying out the whole range - electro-arrow, suction-tip which will stick to most things, the cable-net, and the acid head. ‘No dice - any of them!’ Johnny tells himself, before admitting that he did get winded running the gauntlet, so he needs to use his shield to buy him some time.
‘Just what I wanted you to do!’ Clint thinks to himself as Johnny hurls his shield towards him. Clint tells himself that once I manages to neutralize the second-rate copy of Captain America’s shield, then it is just he and the Agent….
Earlier that night: ‘You heard me - I sad you just and me - outside, right now! I’ll show you how a real Avenger handles himself!’ Hawkeye shouts at USAgent, the two standing at opposite sides of the table in the conference room. ‘I’m as much an Avenger as any man here, Robin Hood. Uncle Sam said so, remember?’ USAgent retorts. ‘That’s good enough for me - and it better be for you!’ Walker adds. Dr. Hank Pym steps in to intervene, calling Clint and John prima donnas, he tells them to back off. ‘Tell that to him!’ Clint mutters, to which his ex-wife and former teammate, Barbara Morse-Barton, better known as Mockingbird, tells Clint that Hank was talking to both of them.
Simon “Wonder Man” Williams suggests that perhaps Jan should put on the vid-disc before he has to knock a couple of heads together. ‘Will do’ Janet van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp replies as she places a disc into the monitor. Hank turns to Mockingbird and tells her that she picked a good day to fly out from Detroit, as they will be voting on who their seven regular members will be under the new system. ‘So a little bird told me’ Bobbi replies, to which Clint asks her if she is sure that is why she is here. ‘You want to crawl back into Avengers West - and dump the Great Lakes bunch!’. ‘Like you did, you mean?’ Bobbi snaps back. Also present are the Scarlet Witch a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff, and her brother, non-member Quicksilver a.k.a. Pietro, as well as Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra.
Hank declares that he is sorry that he and Jan always seem to be calling meetings lately - Iron Man interrupts, reminding everyone that Hank and Jan were Avengers before anyone else, to which the Wasp replies ‘Uh…right, Iron Man, before motioning to the monitor and announcing that she received this message a little while ago. A recording of Captain America, flanked by several of his teammates in the Avengers East Coast team, flashes onto the screen. ‘Hello, one and all. Captain America here, with the rest of the new roster of - well, I guess you’d call us “Avengers East”. The Vision, Sersi, Thor, Black Widow, Quasar and She-Hulk. Cap states that he was elected to do the honors with this official greeting, and that his team is looking forward to seeing who the regulars and alternates to the Avengers West will be, once the votes are tallied.
Hawkeye turns to USAgent and whispers to him: ‘How many votes you figure you’ll get from a team you elbowed your way into, Agent?’ Walker whispers back that he is a given, as General Hayworth appointed him on behalf of the government, so the only person who could kick him out is - ‘General Lewis Hayworth!’ Captain America announces on the recording. ‘HUH?’ Walker exclaims. On the recording, Captain America states that General Hayworth is here to add a less pleasant, but unavoidable, footnote to the greeting. General Hayworth thanks Captain America, before announcing that he has a message for USAgent. Hayworth states that he apologizes for communicating with USAgent so impersonally, but that, given the circumstances, it is necessary to do so.
General Hayworth’s message states that, now that both Avengers branches will be operating under the United Nations, this government will no longer maintain its own representative in the team. Hayworth declares that from now on, who is or is not an Avenger is a matter to be decided entirely by the Avengers themselves. ‘Our thanks for everything, Agent - and good luck!’ Hayworth adds. ‘WHAT - I’ve been stabbed in the back!’ Walker gaps, wide-eyed, before slamming his fist onto the table, causing cracks in it. ‘Agent - for pity’s sake!’ Wanda exclaims, while Walker declares that it is some kind of trick. Captain America’s message comes to a close as he announces ‘That’s it, fellow Avengers. Sorry we had to make it short and sweet. Bye’.
‘Couldn’t have been much sweeter to me, Cap!’ Hawkeye mutters, smirking, while Wonder Man tells his friend to stop rubbing salt in the wound, as he tries to restrain USAgent, telling him to stop acting like somebody who has just been black-balled by a college frat. ‘You got a better way to describe the shafting I just got?’ Walker snaps back. Simon tells Johnny that he does, and points out that as of today, USAgent will be an Avenger - or an ex-Avenger - on his own merits, and nothing else. ‘If that’s not good enough for you, you can walk out right now. Got it?’. Johnny frowns, but calms down, and replies ‘I…got it’. ‘Good. Then let’s take a vote!’ Wonder Man suggests….
‘And that’ll be the end of you!’ Hawkeye thinks to himself as he fires an arrow at USAgent’s shield. Walker admits that his shield may not be as fancy as Captain America’s, but that it is still designed to boomerang back to him - which it does, and he grabs it. Walker adds that the vibranium his shield is made of plays havoc with Hawkeye’s little trick arrows, as one of them falls to the ground. Clint fires another arrow, and shouts ‘I’ve read the description in Sears’ catalog. Says it can “absorb the vibrations from concussive forces hurled against it”!’ Hawkeye replies, as he fires two arrows simultaneously, one aimed above and one aimed below USAgent, pointing out that his shield cannot be above and below him at the same time.
The arrow that was aimed at his feet explodes, causing USAgent to be thrown up in the air, before he dives down to catch the second one, remarking that either one of the two explosive arrows was a dud, or this one will explode on impact. ‘Let’s find out which one!’ Johnny exclaims as he throws the second arrow back towards Hawkeye, where it explodes a foot in front of him….
Back in the meeting room, earlier that evening, the Avengers West, Mockingbird and Quicksilver sit around the conference table, while Wasp holds up a piece of paper and announces that she has the results. Janet explains that, but the Avengers bylaws, each current regular must vote for five people, with the top seven becoming regular members, and the next seven becoming alternates. ‘Can we get on with it?’ Hawkeye asks, to which the Wasp informs him that he is the first one to be mentioned, and that he got four votes out of a possible forty. ‘Congrats. You’re in’ she tells him, before announcing that Mockingbird got one vote, which makes her an alternate. ‘Thanks, Clint - since I couldn’t vote!’ Mockingbird whispers to her ex husband, assuming it was he who voted for her.
‘Tigra, you got four votes, which makes you -’ the Wasp begins, ‘ - available!’ Tigra smiles, before thanking everyone. Jan states that the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man have received five votes each, to which Simon turns to Wanda and tells her that is great. ‘What a team we’ll make!’ Quicksilver remains stern-faced with his arms folded as the Wasp tells him that he received two votes. ‘Iron Man, five votes…USAgent, one…’ the Wasp announces, to which Hawkeye whispers ‘And I wonder which one of us in this great big room cast that vote!’ to which Iron Man tells him to ease off.
The Wasp announces that Hank got five votes, as did she. ‘Also, three votes for the Original Human Torch, and one for - Machine Man?’. Hank declares that is it, and as of today, the seven-person roster of the Avengers West Coast is Iron Man, Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Tigra, the Wasp and Dr. Henry Pym. ‘All right!’ Hawkeye exclaims, before the Scarlet Witch points out that they are two short on alternates. Jan tells Wanda that they can remedy that later, as she announces that the reserve members are the Original Human Torch, Quicksilver, Mockingbird, Machine Man and USAgent.
Janet pauses before remarking to Hank ‘Maybe we should’ve told them before the voting’, to which Hank agrees, before announcing to their teammates that last night, he and Janet decided to resign as active Avengers, at least for a while. ‘You’re kidding!’ Wonder Man exclaims, to which the Wasp tells him that they will stay with the team until things fall into place, but that they would then prefer to switch to alternate status. ‘Well, ain’t that a kick in the head! Guess there’s still hope for you, huh, Agent? Now if only Pietro, the Torch, Bobbi, and some robot up North all buy the farm - you might just get to be a real Avenger yet!’ Hawkeye jibes.
‘That’s it!’ Walker shouts as she stands up suddenly, declaring that he has had it with this bull. Wonder Man tells Agent that he is out of line, while Hawkeye remarks ‘We lost more table tops that way’. Wanda tells her friend to stop baiting USAgent, and Tigra agrees, telling Clint that he is just making it worse. Wonder Man and Iron Man both grab USAgent in an attempt to hold him back. Simon tells Walker to get a hold of himself, while Iron Man reminds him that he is still an alternate. ‘So maybe one of these days, when you’ve cleaned up your act -’ Iron Man begins, to which USAgent interrupts him: ‘“Alternate”?’ he shouts. ‘You can shove “alternate” I’m out of this gang of losers - as of now!’. Storming out of the conference room, Walker calls the Avengers West “deadheads” and tells them that if they were too stupid to vote for a real patriot when they had the chance, he is not going to wait around for the phone to ring. ‘Don’t call me - and I won’t call you!’. The door slams, and Hank breaks the silence in the conference room by asking if anyone wants to vote on a chairman today. With no responses, he replies ‘No, I didn’t think so’ before announcing that the meeting is adjourned….
Right now, the heroics USAgent and Hawkeye move closer and closer to the edge off the cliff, with Walker shouting ‘All right, bow-slinger - so your battle armor’s strong enough to have withstood your own blast arrows - just barely’, before asking what they can do now. Hawkeye reaches for another arrow, replying that they keep at it until a stretcher is brought for one of them - or maybe both of them. Walker tells Clint not to be a fool. ‘You know enough about my past to know which of us will win, if we keep at it!’ he adds. ‘I do, huh?’ Clint replies, to which Walker tells him ‘Whatever you may say, you know I’m not just another Captain America clone!’ Walker adds that the Power Broker, who sold him his super-human strength, saw to that.
‘Hope you can still get your money back!’ Hawkeye retorts. ‘Look, you ignorant ex-carny hustler! I can press ten tons -which ought to give you some idea of what my fist will do to your face, the first time I really connect!’ Walker shouts back, annoyed. Walker admits that he should have thought about that before he called Clint out here tonight, but that Clint got under his skin. ‘I may hate your guts, like you hate mine - but I’m no sadist’ Johnny declares, telling Hawkeye to save himself several years under a plastic surgeon’s knife and walk away - right now.
‘You’ve said your piece? Okay, then I’ll say mine!’. Hawkeye remarks that USAgent keeps yapping about Captain America, and admits that Steve Rogers might not be able to juggle elephants, ‘But he’s still worth a hundred of you!’. Hawkeye tells Walker that he understand shim, because he used to be a lot like him. ‘Who knows? Maybe, deep down, I still am’. Clint reminds Walker that they both started out as bad seeds, but that at least he was honest about it. ‘I didn’t hire a bunch of “Bold Urban Commands” I could beat up on just to make me look good!’ Clint points out, telling Walker that he has been a louse right from the start, and therefore he will not waste another arrow on him.
‘Good! You can believe anything you want, long as you keep out of my -’ Walker begins to reply, until Hawkeye interrupts, telling Walker that he still doesn’t get it. ‘I didn’t say we were calling it off!’ Clint exclaims as he takes off his pack of arrows, and removes his protective gloves. ‘But from here on - it’s one-on-one!’ Clint exclaims as he removes his battle-armor helmet. Walker tosses his shield to the ground, ‘Okay, archer - I warned you!’ he exclaims as they run towards each other. ‘If you insist on committing suicide - who am I to stand in your way?’ Johnny asks as he flips Hawkeye over….
Earlier though, once the Avengers West, Quicksilver and Mockingbird had left the conference room, they mill about the grounds, where Quicksilver whispers to Iron Man and Tigra that he asked his sister not to vote for him, but that she did it all the same. Bobbi follows Hawkeye, telling him that he didn’t acknowledge her thanks back inside. ‘Are you serious, Bobbi? You think I voted for you?’ Clint asks. ‘You mean you didn’t?’ Mockingbird asks, surprised. A solemn Clint tells Mockingbird that the last thing in the world he wants is his estranged wife sitting across from him at every meeting. ‘I mean, I still love you an all - but get real!’
This causes Bobbi to turn from Clint, telling him to get stuffed, before asking him if he has got her phone number in Detroit. ‘Yeah, sure…’ Clint replies, to which Bobbi shouts ‘Well, lose it!’. Watching her leave, Clint calls out to her, before deciding not to, while USAgent approaches him, also watching Mockingbird, Walker tells Clint that he really has a way with the ladies. ‘And you’ve got big ears, Agent. What do you want?’ Clint snaps back. Walker tells Hawkeye that he thinks it is time the two of them settled this thing once and for all - in private. ‘First thing we’ve agreed on tonight. Half an hour - near Portugese Bend?’ Clint replies. ‘You got it. Thirty minutes!’ USAgent replies as he and Hawkeye march off in separate directions.
Wonder Man and the Scarlet Witch walk side-by-side, and Simon tells Wanda that he should have told her earlier, but he has booked them a table at Spago’s. ‘You can wear your costume, or -’ he begins, before Wanda interrupts him, telling Simon that she is sorry, and has been meaning to tell him, but that she doesn’t think they should date anymore. ‘Huh? Why not? I thought we -’ Simon begins, but Wanda tells him that she likes him very much, as a friend, and doesn’t think she could have got through all that has happened without that friendship.
‘But I’m afraid I don’t feel -’ Wanda begin, but Simon tells her that she doesn’t have to say anything else, as he gets the picture. ‘Now that the bandages are coming off, exit Wonder Man, stage left!’ Simon exclaims, pulling away from Wanda, who tells him that she doesn’t want to hurt him. ‘Don’t worry about me. Simon Williams won’t exactly be lonely!’ Simon snaps as he takes off into the darkening sky.
While USAgent gets onto his motorcycle, Wasp and Hank Pym approach their long-time friend and teammate, Wanda, and remark that she looks down, before asking if there is anything they can do. Wanda replies that they are doing it - just by existing. ‘Care to elaborate?’ Hank asks, to which the Scarlet Witch replies that after her talk with Simon, and after the way Bobbi left the Compound, the two of them are the only proof she has that any romantic relationships can work out for people like them.
Hank turns to Jan and remarks that it looks like their joint announcement earlier has given Wanda the wrong idea. ‘So it would seem’ Janet agrees, while a confused Wanda asks them what they mean. Hank explains that they are not looking to leave the Avengers West because they have renewed their romance. ‘Just the opposite, really’, Jan adds, before telling Wanda that she and Hank took stock and decided they like each other as much as they ever did, maybe even more, but that romance, let alone re-marrying, just is not on the cards - so they are going their separate ways. The Wasp reveals that she is planning to travel, and to eventually move back East, while Hank smiles as he explains that he is going back to his first love - full-time research….
Right now, USAgent searches through some shrubs in the direction of where he threw Hawkeye. ‘Okay, arrow-head - now who’s hiding in the shrubbery?’ Walker asks, when suddenly, Hawkeye leaps from the bushes, and karate-kicks Walker in the face. ‘You think you’re such a hot spit - ‘cause you got a good deal - at super powers sale - and hired that Taskmaster creep to teach you how to fight!’ Hawkeye exclaims as he punches Walker repeatedly in the face, adding ‘Some of us were fighting the bad guys, while you were running around barefoot all over Custer’s Grove, California!’. Hawkeye’s next punch however, gets stopped, as Walker grabs Clint’s fist and exclaims ‘In case nobody ever told you before, fella - you’ve been fighting out of your league all these years - and it’s high time somebody straightened you out!’. With that, USAgent throws Hawkeye off the Palos Verdes Cliffs.
As he free-falls towards the beach below, Clint realizes that there is about a hundred foot drop, and opens up a compartment on his armor harness, where he keeps a few spare arrowheads, like the grappling hook one, which he throws towards a tree sticking out the side of the cliff. The grappling hook takes hold of the tree, and Clint hangs onto the rope, relieved that at least that part of his worries is over - before, suddenly, the tree breaks under Clint’s weight, and Clint plummets to the beach, where he lands, hard. ‘Oh, my God!’ USAgent calls out as he sees this happen.
Walker proceeds to slide down the Cliffside with ease, calling out to Hawkeye, he asks him if he is all right. ‘Much as I despise you, I didn’t mean to…I mean, I didn’t realize there was such a steep drop off right there!’ Walker claims. Kneeling beside Clint’s unmoving body, Walker remarks that he thought there would be more of a ledge, when Clint suddenly rises, ‘Hey! Thank the Lord you’re -’ Walker begins, when a weary Clint spins around, and replies ‘Agent…shut-up!’ as he smacks Walker in the face. ‘You don’t even know when you get lucky, do you, Barton?’ USAgent replies as he smacks Hawkeye back, the two stumbling at water’s edge.
‘You don’t even know when you’re licked!’ USAgent exclaims as Hawkeye falls over in the water. USAgent steps into the water and walks over to Clint, ‘Why don’t you just -’ Walker begins, but Hawkeye interrupts, ‘Why don’t you just got sit on it?’ Clint exclaims, to which Walker declares that he has had enough of the archer, and smacks him in the face once more. Blood pours from Clint’s mouth as his head reels back, and Johnny adds that he has also had enough of Clint’s holier-than-thou Avenger buddies. USAgent begins to pummel Clint, punching him over and over, and exclaims that Hawkeye has been against him ever since he joined the team. ‘And I’m good and sick of it, do you hear me?’
‘GOOD AND SICK!’ Walker booms as he punches Clint in the side of the head, causing Clint to fall face-down in the shallow water. Walker holds onto Clint and tells him that he ought to thank him for pulling his punches right now, for if he hadn’t, he would have broken so many bones, nobody would have been able to tell Clint from one of those jellyfish in the sea. Walker holds Clint up, ‘Well, Barton?’ he asks. ‘What do you say?’. Clint looks at Walker through half-closed eyes, and a badly bruised face, while water drips from him. ‘Had enough…Agent? Or do I have to get rough…?’ Clint asks, as he reaches up and punches Walker in the jaw. ‘You son of a -!’ Johnny exclaims, punching Clint back over into the water.
‘You just had to get the last word in, didn’t you?’ Walker remarks. ‘Well, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that’ Johnny adds as he stands over Clint’s body, floating in the tide. ‘Too much guts for me to let you float around out here in the surf and maybe drown’ Johnny decides, as he drags Hawkeye back to shore, remarking that Clint can lie around on the beach and lick his wounds. ‘Me, I’ve got other fish to -’ Walker begins, when suddenly, a blast of energy is fired down to the beach, and knocks him back. ’Hey! That was close!’
USAgent looks up and sees Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Hank Pym, Tigra and Quicksilver making their way towards him. Iron Man warns USAgent that his next repulsor ray will be a lot closer. ’The whole gang, huh?’ Walker mutters, adding that he should have known they would show up. ‘What did he do - leave you a trail of breadcrumbs’ Walker asks, to which Tigra replies that no one had to draw a picture for them to figure out what he had in mind. ‘If you’re so smart, then you should have known enough to keep your noble noses out!’ Walker snaps back, adding that this was strictly between he and Hawkeye.
‘That’s where you’re wrong, friend’ Hank exclaims, while the Wasp declares that this is their business, Avengers business. The Wasp exclaims that when Hawkeye regains consciousness, he will find himself on probation, and if he doesn’t like it, he can lump it. ‘And you can pretty much forget about ever being an Avenger again - even if you decide you want to!’ the Wasp exclaims, pointing her finger at Johnny, who sarcastically replies ‘You’re breaking my heart’, before asking his former teammates if they have all had their say. ‘All but me’ Iron Man remarks as he steps forward.
Iron Man remarks that since he rejoined after USAgent was placed on the team, he thinks he is in a position to say the team gave him every break they could. Iron Man admits that Hawkeye can be a hothead, but that at least he earned his right to be an Avenger years ago. ‘What did you ever earn, Agent?’ Iron Man asks, before assuring him that nobody here denies his courage, but that he bought his super powers, and then got himself force-fed down their craw. Iron Man points out that this is a team, and that USAgent has been a grandmaster, and a troublemaker ever since he came aboard. ‘Maybe, if we were convinced you could change, that you’d ever become a real part of the team, instead of a loose cannon…’.
‘What do you, say, Agent?’ Iron Man asks. ‘Does anything of what I just said make any sense to you?’. ‘YOU CAN ALL GO TO BLAZES!’ Johnny shouts as he storms off away from his former teammates. ‘Make that: three short on alternates!’ Hank Pym mutters, before asking the Scarlet Witch how Hawkeye is. Tending to her friend, Wanda replies that she doesn’t think anything is broken, while Tigra asks Clint to let them help him up. ‘No…I can stand…on my own two feet…!’ Clint exclaims as he stumbles up, asking ‘Where’s that lousy…?’. Hank informs Clint that USAgent has gone, and asks if he is going to let him go in peace. ‘Yeah… okay. I guess… I made enough of an idiot of myself… for one night’ Clint replies.
Tigra watches USAgent leave and remarks that it was not a very auspicious new beginning for the team, to which a concerned Scarlet Witch announces that what worries her is USAgent. ‘I pray that being bounced doesn’t turn him against more than just the Avengers West. Men like him live close to the edge - and if he ever turned bad - it would take every ounce of power we could muster to stop him!’
Meanwhile… Los Angeles Harbor, now the busiest harbor on the planet. Here to Long Beach, as to nearby San Pedro, freighters from all along the so-called Pacific Rim bring their previous loads by day and night. Most shipments are now housed in huge metal containers, and off-loaded by mammoth metal cranes. However, a few cargos make their way ashore by more down-to-earth means…like being stolen, such as a certain trunk, which is off-loaded by a man clad in a trench coat, moving through the shadows.
The man hides round a corner as a group of men board the freighter and call out to the captain, announcing that they are from US Customs, they show him their identification and ask if they can come on board. The Customs official explains that they are looking for something in particular and they have word that it might have been smuggled on this ship, unbeknownst to the captain, who tells the Customs officials to give his ship the once over if they have to, but that he doubts they will find what they are looking for on board.
‘The captain is correct, is he not - Jawbreaker!?’ a voice suddenly calls out to the main whole stole that item off the freighter only moments ago. Jawbreaker stops in his tracks, ‘Taifu!’ he exclaims, asking the new arrival what he is doing here. ‘Don’t you know?’ Taifu asks, calling Jawbreaker a fool as he reveals that he has come to relieve him of that heavy box. ‘So - the Doc was right! He said you couldn’t be trusted!’ Jawbreaker exclaims, before telling Taifu that if he wants the trunk, then to take it, as he throws it at him. ‘Most gladly!’ Taifu replies, before remarking that his countrymen feel it an affront to accept a gift without giving something in return, he will show Jawbreaker why he is called Typhoon, and from his billowing sleeves, a large gush of wind knocks Jawbreaker back against a wall.
Suddenly, Typhoon spins around when he hears the boards on a crate creek. ‘I thought I heard someone… but I see no one!’ he exclaims as he approaches the trunk, ready to pick it up, only to be smacked over by an invisible being who exclaims ‘Because I did not want you to!’. Jawbreaker witnesses this, and as Typhoon lays motionless in front of him, he calls out ‘Who’s there? Speak up, or so help me, I’ll tear this whole dock apart till I get you!’. The invisible opponent replies ‘That is precisely what you would have to do to find me, Jawbreaker-san. But I do not be afraid. I was sent to meet you - by the Doctor!’
‘Yeah? Then let me see you!’ Jawbreaker calls out, asking ‘Who are you?’. The invisible figure comes into view, a woman clad in black, introduces herself as Kuroko, “the Black One”. ‘Black? You’re freakin invisible!’ Jawbreaker exclaims, to which Kuroko remarks that it is clear Jawbreaker knows no Japanese, explaining to him that in theater, “Kuroko” is the stage attendant who calmly shifts scenery in the midst of dramatic action. ‘By common consent, the audience does not see him - or her!’. Kuroko asks Jawbreaker to collect the trunk and Taifu as well, for the Doctor is waiting for them. ‘Sure thing, sister’ Jawbreaker replies as he picks both Taifu and the trunk up, remarking that he is sorry she didn’t give him a chance to show Typhoon why the Doc called him “Jawbreaker”. Kuroko replies that she is certain he will get that opportunity, and points out that, all that matters is that what is within that trunk, will soon make them masters - first of the Pacific Rim, and one day, all of the world!….


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The Big One (The Pacific Overlords, part 1)
‘Face facts, Julia Carpenter…occasionally known as Spider-Woman…Denver this place ain’t!’ the strawberry-blonde wannabe super-heroine thinks to herself as she clings to the high-point of a building looking over Newport Beach. Julia thinks that Newport Beach may have a great marina and some of the best surfing in southern California, but she sure misses the mile-high city! As she begins to crawl down the side of the building, Julia supposes that is why as soon as she got into her costume she made straight for the top of the balboa pavilion.
Julia thinks that the real question though, is why she played dress-up tonight, after all, it’s not like she wants the world to know that Orange County just chalked up its first super-heroine. Julia’s thoughts are interrupted when she notices a boat coming into the dock which is not showing any lights, let alone the required “red right returning”. ‘Even I know that much!’ she jokes, before reminding herself that she swore the last thing she would do out here is get involved in other people’s problems, but when somebody sneaks into a place like a thief in the night…’Sometimes it’s because it is a thief!’
The second woman known as Spider-Woman weaves one of her psionic webs, and as she does is reminded of how much she loves that tingling sensation in her hands. ‘Bet I could give one heckuva massage…if I had anybody to give it to’ Julia thinks to herself as her mental powers latch the web onto a crate on the other side of the dock, then her lithe body begins to slide down it, remarking to herself that if it wasn’t for her special abilities she would probably lose her balance. ‘Use them or lose them, that’s my motto!’ Julia jokes, before dropping down on the other side of the dock.
Spider-Woman knows that her psychic webs will fade away like dew in a few seconds while she goes to check out the mystery boat. Julia decides that she will feel like two cents if it is just some poor captain who has blown a fuse as she crouches behind some crates and watches. ‘Looks like the cost of being Spider-Woman might be going up!’ Julia thinks to herself as she notices the bulky man on the boat is wearing some kind of headgear – and the line is tying itself to the dock anchor all by itself!
Suddenly though, ‘Hurry, Jawbreaker-san!’ shouts a voice. Julia wonders where the voice came from, when she notices a woman becoming visible by the dock anchor. The bulky man walks off the boat carrying another man over his shoulder and addressing the woman as Kuroko, tells her to get off his back, as he works for the Doc, not her. Kuroko reminds her companion that the Doc sent her to escort him from where he docked at Long Beach and suggests that he does not want the Doc to think they had dallied along the way. ‘Matter of fact…no’. the larger man replies as he follows Kuroko along the dock, the other man still slumped over his shoulder, and a trunk being carried under the other arm.
Julia peers around the crate and watches the strangers leave, wondering who they are, not to mention who the man the big guy has slung over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes is, she decides that on the one percent chance that this whole thing is legit, she should keep back – that plan fails however when she steps on a creaky board. The bulky man swings around, ‘Who’s that? Come on out before I come in!’ he bellows.
Spider-Woman decides to fake it and steps out in front of her “prey”, introducing herself, she exclaims that she has nothing to hide, and asks them if they do. Kuroko turns invisible as she warns her companion that Spider-Woman must not be allowed to get the trunk. The bulky man replies that Spider-Woman is not getting anything but a fist in the face and lunges towards her. ‘So much for giving you two the benefit of the doubt’ Julia mumbles before using her enhanced strength to pick the bulky man up and toss him across the dock.
‘Now that made me mad!’ the bulky man shouts as he gets up and lunges at Julia, smacking her hard in the face. Julia is rather unfazed though and the man remarks that she is tougher than she looks, not to mention faster, as she dodges his second attempt. ‘I can type too!’ Julia jokes, before adding ‘And I can do this!’ the bulky man looks up and sees spider webs dropping down on him, though he is puzzled as they appear to be made of light.
Julia realizes that her psionic webs aren’t holding though as the bulky man rushes towards her, shouting that he hates spiders. Julia knows that she is strong, but her opponent is just that much stronger than her. Before she can plan her next move though, the invisible Kuroko steps beside Julia and trips her up. ‘Clumsy broad’ mutters the large man, but Julia gets back up straight away, informing him that she didn’t stumble, but his invisible friend tripped her. Thanks to that though, Julia knows where Kuroko is and kicks her while the bulky man remarks that Julia cannot dodge them both, and smacks her so hard that he sends her careening out over the water.
‘Baka!’ Kuroko mutters in her native Japanese, to which the bulky man warns her not to call him an idiot again, adding that he does know what “baka” means. Kuroko becomes visible once more and points out that if he hadn’t hit her so hard, they could be certain that she was dead. ‘Forget her. She wasn’t worth bothering with’ the bulky man replies, when suddenly the strange-looking man he was carrying over his shoulder gets to his feet and exclaims ‘You have no respect for anyone – not even yourself!’ the bulky man smacks his strange captive over, ‘Another country heard from!’ he mutters before tossing him over his shoulder and picking up the trunk. Kuroko declares that they need to get away from the dock quickly, while there are still a few things here her companion has not battered.
Meanwhile…’The first meeting of the new membership of the Avengers West Coast is hereby adjourned!’ comes a cry from inside the meeting room at the Avengers West Coast’s home and headquarters, the Palos Verdes Compound, in California. The new line-up of this second branch of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes begin to leave the room, beginning with Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra, who is accompanied by Iron Man, and tells him that she thinks he is even more on the ball than the original Iron Man. Iron Man pauses, before replying that he will take that as a compliment. Tigra places her hand on one of Iron Man’s shoulders as the next pair of Avengers West exits the room, ‘”On probation”! Me – the founder of this bunch of sun-belt Samaritans!’ Clint “Hawkeye” Barton” complains to his dear friend Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch.
Wanda assures her friend that it will pass, and points out that at least he wasn’t kicked off the team following his free-for-all with USAgent – like USAgent was. Wanda gives Clint a compassionate look, when suddenly Simon Williams a.k.a. Wonder Man storms out of the chamber, followed by Dr. Hank Pym who yawns and remarks that it is late, before telling Janet van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp that she did a nice job of chairing the meeting. The Wasp thanks Hank before remarking that she will be glad when things have settled down in a few days. ‘You and me both!’ Hank exclaims, adding that then they can switch to reserve status and get on with the rest of their separate-but-equal lives. The Wasp jokes that is something she could really sink her teeth into, ‘No offense, ex-hubbie’. She adds. ‘None taken, ex-better-half’ Hank replies.Outside, Tigra remarks to Iron Man that she would love to tell his employer how great he is, and asks him if he thinks he could talk Tony Stark into taking her out for a date sometime. ‘So that’s what’s behind this – you want me to fix you up with Tony Star!’ Iron Man exclaims. Tigra puts her hands on her hips and shifts into her human form, remarking that with or without the stripes and tail, Tony could do a lot worse. Iron Man tells Greer that she has talked him into it and that he will see what he can do, before informing her that Tony is out of town for a few days and that he has been standing in for him wherever he can. The bikini-clad Greer replies that is fine by her and turning to go to her quarters tells Iron Man that she will back as soon as she changes into something a little less comfortable. ‘What? I didn’t mean -!’ Iron Man exclaims, to which Greer tells him not to worry, that his virtue is safe with her – provided she cannot find a can-opener that is!
Back inside, Hawkeye puts a hand on Wanda’s shoulder and tells her that he is sorry. ‘Sorry? For what?’ Wanda asks. ‘For going on like a cry-baby back there!’ Clint replies, ‘When you’ve been through so much more than I have, I mean – the Vision…your kids… everything’. Wanda smiles and tells Hawkeye that was “another life”, one that there is no going back to. She adds that what concerns her is putting together the pieces of a new one. ‘Spoken like a true Maximoff, dear sister!’ Pietro Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver exclaims as he approaches his twin sister, remarking that if he did not have faith that she meant those words, he would not feel free to take his leave.
Wanda asks her brother, who has several luggage bags with him, if he is really going. Quicksilver replies that as he is only a reservist, there is little to hold him here. Hawkeye shakes Quicksilver’s hand and exclaims ‘About the voting – I’m sure nobody meant to –‘ Pietro interrupts, declaring that he did not want to be re-elected a regular member anyway. This surprises Clint, but Wanda confirms it, revealing that Quicksilver asked her not to vote for him. ‘I felt it time I saw a bit more of this world before your fellow humans ruin it’ Quicksilver reveals, before he kisses his sister on her cheek. Wanda tells her brother to take care of himself, before Clint remarks that right here are three of the four who were left “minding the store” when the original Avengers left. ‘True. Only Captain America is missing’ Quicksilver points out. Wanda remarks that they could certainly use a leader like Captain America to spear-head this time. ‘Uh…right…’ Hawkeye mumbles.
Outside, Hank and Jan walk side-by-side and Hank asks Jan what her plans are when she adds “Ex-Avenger” to their “Ex-spouse” status, and asks her if she really means what she told Wanda, that she is moving back out East. Jan replies that she said “Maybe eventually”, as right now she has an iron in the fire, but hates to talk about them, even with him. ‘Bad luck and al that junk’ Jan adds, before asking Hank if he thinks the others will ever accept that the two of them have gone the “best friends” route. Hank tells Jan that they better, because that is what they are going to be, come what may. ‘So put it there…pal’ Hank jokes, extending his hand. Jan smiles and they shake hands, before parting.
Wanda walks through the lobby and sees Wonder Man, exclaiming that she didn’t see him come through here, though she goes silent when she realizes that he is talking on the phone. ‘Hello, Sandra? This is Simon. Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man…yeah, we met at that wrap party for “Beverly Hills Rich Persons II”. Listen, I know it’s late, but you said call anytime and this is definitely…yeah, great, I’ll be there in five minutes. Get dressed? For what? This is “come as you are”, sweet-cheeks!’ The Scarlet Witch apologizes, informing Simon that she didn’t mean to interrupt, but Simon strides past her, ‘Some other time, Wanda, Okay? I’ve got a date!’ he exclaims as he flies off the Compound.
Wanda watches Simon fly away and tells herself that she really hurt Simon when she said that she won’t go out with him anymore, but for her sake, it was too painful knowing that it was Simon’s brain patterns that were used as the basis for the Vision…the husband who is now more lost to her than if he were in another galaxy. The Scarlet Witch leaves the main complex and makes her way to her bungalow, thinking to herself that she has not found it true what people always say – about memories keeping you warm….
Elsewhere…’So, are we still in Newport Beach, or what?’ Jawbreaker asks the still-invisible Kuroko as he trudges along a glitzy street, the unconscious man still lugged over his shoulder and trunk under his arm. Kuroko replies that they have crossed into Costa Mesa. Jawbreaker grunts as he remarks that he never could keep all these towns around Los Angeles straight, before pointing out that at least the people in Mesa go to bed early enough so that nobody has spotted them. Kuroko does not answer, so Jawbreaker warns her not to get cute with him. ‘After all, I’m the one whose gotta lug around these – ‘ Jawbreaker is interrupted by a blinding flash of light, standing in front of Filmland in Wax.
‘Well now…I guess this must be the place!’ Jawbreaker remarks, before asking Kuroko if it was she who turned on the lights. Kuroko replies that it was, and asks Jawbreaker to forgive her flare for the dramatic, before suggesting he get inside quickly so that she can turn the lights off again, adding that the Doctor awaits. Jawbreaker mutters that Kuroko sure likes to jerk him around, but that he notices Kuroko doesn’t forget who is really pulling the strings. Entering the wax museum, the duo pass several wax statues. Kuroko remarks that she was intrigued to learn that the Doctor had recently taken over the wax museum, adding that she has always been fascinated by American film stars.
Kuroko motions to the wax statues and remarks that she recognizes most of them but for the two in the Western garb. ‘Don’t ask me’ Jawbreaker mutters. ‘I got better things to do with my life than go to the blasted movies’. ‘I am sure’ Kuroko replies, before motioning to the statue of a vampiric woman and ordering Jawbreaker to pull the rope end of the noose around the statue’s hand. Jawbreaker does so, and a secret passage way opens for them to descend.
‘You have dawdled long enough!’ Kuroko snaps at Jawbreaker, who follows her down some stairs while muttering ‘”One of these days, Alice – POW! Right in the kisser”!’ Jawbreaker declares that he saw that on TV. ‘What was?’ Kuroko asks. ‘Forget it’ mutters Jawbreaker, before asking Kuroko if she is sure they are in the right place. ‘You were saying, Jawbreaker-san?’ Kuroko replies as they reach the bottom of the stairs, revealing an expansive laboratory. ‘Nothing’ Jawbreaker mumbles.
Jawbreaker rushes over to the man he addresses as Dr. Demonicus, and bumps into one of the Doctor’s lab technicians, causing him to drop something. ‘Whoops! Didn’t mean to scare your flunk to dropping his watchacallit!’ Jawbreaker exclaims. The purple-white-and-blue clad Dr. Demonicus turns and exclaims ‘That will cost you your life!’ Jawbreaker asks the Doc if thinks having him offed just for hollering is a little extreme, to which Demonicus calls Jawbreaker a dolt and that he didn’t mean him. ‘I meant the fool who dropped my monitoring device!’
The technician begins to beg for his life, but Demonicus orders Jawbreaker to kill him. ‘Oh, well, if that’s all you mean – you got it, Doc!’ Jawbreaker exclaims as he nonchalantly reaches out and grabs the assistant’s neck, breaking it and dropping him to the floor. Demonicus declares that Jawbreaker cost him a good assistant, but that from time to time an example must be set. Other workers in the complex all begin looking anxious, while Jawbreaker mumbles ‘Yeah, I guess so’, before asking Demonicus where he wants Taifu and his precious box to be put.
Demonicus motions to a place nearby while Kuroko remarks that the museum makes an interesting facade, before asking him if he is truly safe within an American city. Demonicus replies that his earlier labs in the Aleutians, the South Pacific and even a space station were all discovered, so he felt the need to adopt a more direct strategy, although he admits that this headquarters was nearly discovered also, and recalls how he recently saw two creatures of light clashing in the night skies over Fullerton. At first he thought that one of his old enemies had found him, and scarcely realized that the electrical entity was being pursued by the so-called Human Torch.
Demonicus explains that he became intrigued by the tremendous amount of electromagnetic power emanating from the newcomer, and although Dr. Pym grounded him, and as Demonicus thought, destroyed him, in fact, his own machines had drained off the Living Lightning’s disintegrating corpus of energy at the last instant and siphoned it here.
Kuroko asks Demonicus if he reconstructed the Living Lightning in his original human form as they look up at the young man strapped to a contraption. ‘Big deal! You wound up with what looks like one naked wetback in a coma!’ Jawbreaker mutters, to which Kuroko replies ‘You do not like anyone very much, do you?’ Demonicus tells them that he has had enough of their squabbling and declares that what matters is when this young man wakes; he will either serve him, or die. Dr. Demonicus explains that in the meantime, his devices keep the Living Lightning’s body from spontaneously decomposing into random electrical impulses.
Demonicus turns to the man that Kuroko and Jawbreaker brought to him as he is being clasped to some contraption and remarks that the Living Lightning is at least something of an intriguing unknown, whereas Taifu – or Typhoon in English – is a disappointment he more or less expected. Demonicus remarks that, in essence, he created Typhoon, but that he suspected from the first day he would betray him. ‘You were right, Doctor-san’ Kuroko replies, before Demonicus begins to ask about someone else.
Kuroko assures him that “she” will be found, to which Demonicus hopes that Kuroko is right. ‘Otherwise, I would not want to be in your shoes, or Jawbreaker’s when it is time – for the Big One!’ Demonicus exclaims. Shocked, Kuroko gasps ‘Surely, you don’t mean you would –‘, Jawbreaker cuts her off, ‘Nah, he’s just kidding – ain’t you, Doc?’ Demonicus replies that, never in all his days as a geneticist has he been accused of having a sense of humor, before declaring that it is time to turn his attention to what he sent Jawbreaker to find for him off the frozen Aleutians, and what Typhoon foolishly thought to keep from him.
‘Huh? Oh yeah, the box, right?’ Jawbreaker asks, offering it to Demonicus and exclaiming that it is solid steel, just like he said it should be. Demonicus orders Jawbreaker to open it, and Jawbreaker begins to, using his strength to rip it open, he struggles a bit, joking that it had a few more bolts in it than he thought. ‘Stand aside!’ Demonicus declares as he pushes Jawbreaker away from the box, where a pink glow is emanating.
Demonicus declares that this is what he has waited long months to obtain, the corner-stone of his plan, the very touchstone of his boundless ambition, ‘The Lifestone!’ he shouts as he pulls a pink rock from the chest and holds it in the air. Standing nearby, Jawbreaker whispers to Kuroko, asking her if the Doc does know that it is just a little chunk of that fallen meteor he sent him after. ‘He knows, baka’ Kuroko replies, once again calling Jawbreaker an idiot, before suggesting that the remainder of the meteor was obviously blasted into nothingness by agents of SHIELD long ago, before warning Jawbreaker that he probably does not want to be the one to remind Demonicus of that earlier ignominous defeat. ‘Igno-what?’ Jawbreaker asks. ‘I thought not’ Kuroko mutters.
‘Well that was a fun date…I never realized anybody could actually bowl in a full suit of armor!’ Tigra remarks as Iron Man holds her in his arms and flies back towards the Avengers Compound. Iron Man apologizes to Tigra, before suggesting to her that perhaps she doesn’t want to go out with his boss after all. ‘How’s that figure?’ Tigra replies, to which Iron Man asks Tigra where she thinks Tony Star takes most of the women he goes out with. ‘You think he springs for miniature golf on the first date?’ Iron Man asks, when suddenly Tigra interrupts him, motioning to the ground she exclaims that there is somebody down there, and noticing that the intruder is wearing a costume, Tigra exclaims ‘And I don’t think she just dropped in from Bowl-O-Rama!’
Iron Man declares that Tigra is right, as his infra-red confirms the sightings and suggests that he swoop in so they can get a better look, when suddenly Tigra leaps out of his arms, ‘Nope! I’m due for some enjoyment tonight – and sister, it looks like you’re it!’ she roars as she leaps at the intruder – who just happens to be Spider-Woman! Julia calls out to Tigra, asking her to stop, as she tries to explain herself, but the brash Tigra isn’t interested, ‘Sneaking into Avengers Compound in the dark!’ Tigra snarls, when suddenly Iron Man declares that it is time to shed some light on the subject, and unleashes a powerful blinding beam upon the women before they can begin a brawl.
‘Nice work, hard pockets. You want to hog all the glory yourself?’ Tigra asks Iron Man, who lands and steps between the women, holding Tigra back from Spider-Woman, Iron Man assures Tigra that all he wants to do is stop her from making a fool of herself, ‘Though I may be too late on that score’ he adds. Spider-Woman thanks Iron Man, asking him if that is his voice she recognizes, as she is still a bit groggy. ‘She recognized your voice? You know this would-be burglar?’ Tigra asks Iron Man.
At that moment, the alarm system goes off and the other members of the team rush outside to find out what all the commotion is about. ‘Hey! It’s Spider-Woman!’ Hawkeye exclaims. ‘Wonderful’ Tigra snaps. ‘I must be the only person here who isn’t on a first-name basis without our pre-dawn prowler. Spider-Woman announces that she and Hawkeye met during the Secret Wars, to which Iron Man adds that he has run into Spider-Woman since then. ‘You did? You never mentioned –‘ Hawkeye begins, until the Wasp interrupts, asking Spider-Woman what brings her to Los Angeles.
As the alarm is cut off, Hawkeye remarks that Spider-Woman was living in Denver, and tells her that from the looks of things she must have swam here. Julia replies that she almost feels like she did, and remarks that she knows she should have phoned first, but that she was desperate, and Hawkeye and Iron Man are the only super heroes she knows out this way. Iron Man asks Julia why she wanted to see them in the wee small hours of the night, to which Julia replies that the best way to explain it is this way: ‘Does the name Pacific Overlords mean anything to you? Cause if it doesn’t – it’s about to!’
Soon, a red and gold figure hovers above a certain wax museum, then suddenly smashes a new entrance to the building. Iron Man turns to where his teammates and Spider-Woman have landed in the Avengers Quinjet and tells them that they can come in. Hawkeye has his bow and arrow ready and asks Iron Man if perhaps he wasn’t being a wee bit hasty. Wanda agrees, pointing out that the place looks deserted. Julia turns to Dr. Pym and remarks that she knows she said that the pair she fought gave her the impression that their “headquarters” wasn’t too far from Newport Beach, but perhaps she misinterpreted.
Hank tells Julia that he doesn’t think she misunderstood and adds that he didn’t ask anybody to crash through that wall just for the thrill of watching concrete splatter, adding that once they were over Costa Mesa, this patent-pending gadget of his detected an unauthorized power source. The Wasp notes that the gadget still registers the power source and Hank announces that the reading is coming from past the wax statues and asks Iron Man to do the honors again. Iron Man obliges, blasting another entrance way, while Tigra mutters that it beats his bowling score.
The Avengers and Spider-Woman enter a lab complex and Iron Man exclaims that this is the place all right. Hank agrees, but explains that whatever weird type of energy these machines are emitting, it is as if the owner pulled up the stakes and just left the pilot light burning. Hawkeye jokes that they better hope that these machines are not for just making wax movie stars, otherwise the Avengers West will be spending the next few days fixing up somebody’s wall! Hank tells Clint to keep his trowel in his quiver, and the Wasp backs her ex-husband up, remarking that if Hank’s tracer detected a kind of energy that wasn’t piped down here by “reddy kilowatt” then they can pretty well assume that it is not legit.
Suddenly, a large hand, attached to an even larger fist, reaches out from the darkness and grabs Hank’s hand, crushing the gadget, and poor Hank’s hand. A very large figure then lumbers out into the light, growling, while Spider-Woman grabs the weary Dr. Pym. The Wasp warns everyone to look out, as someone – or rather something – must have stayed behind to guard the place. ‘Somebody who looks like he could six rounds with the Hulk – or the Blob!’ Spider-Woman exclaims, referencing her former teammate. Hawkeye readies his bow and arrow and asks what the big number one on the big guy’s chest means. ‘I’ll bet it doesn’t mean he’s the brains of the outfit we’re looking for’ Tigra mutters.
Hawkeye declares that whatever this person is, he is going to be sorry he tangled with the Avengers West! Spider-Woman remarks about Hank’s hand, but Hank replies that he thinks it will be all right, as t just got squeezed when that character crunched his tracer. Iron Man informs everyone that the large person is lumbering their way, so he unleashes repulsor beams against him while Hawkeye fires an arrow at him, suggesting they will soften him up first, then the others can have a go.
But before the others get a chance to act, the large person gestures and causes a localized earthquake under the Avengers’ feet. ‘Maybe that’s what the big “one” is all about’ Iron Man suggests as they are all knocked to the ground. ‘Why can’t anything ever be easy?’ Spider-Woman sighs. Wanda tends to Hank who remarks that things might have been easier if Wonder Man hadn’t found somewhere else to spend the night, before asking Wanda if she thinks her restored hex powers might be able to stop their foe.
Wanda replies that she isn’t sure, before asking Hank if he noticed that their foe was gesturing when he shambled in, but that nothing happened until Iron Man and Hawkeye hurled their own force at him. Hank watches as Spider-Woman attacks their foe and tells Wanda that if she means what he thinks she means, then Spider-Woman might have just added to their enemies strength when she tried to grab him, before asking how they are going to find this out. Julia is knocked aside by the large foe and remarks that she is no weakling, ‘But that guy’s a real…’ she begins, adding that she is beginning to think that he is not going to be beaten unless he trips himself up.
‘Then maybe he should!’ Wanda exclaims. Hank begins to protest, but Wanda reminds him that her hex power works differently from most super powers, for rather than acting directly on a foe, it often affects the area around him. The large enemy has Tigra firmly in his clutches, while Wanda suggests that she can make the floor slippery so that their foe does just what Spider-Woman said – namely, trip himself up! The large enemy falls to the ground with a mighty crash and Tigra leaps from him, thanking Wanda while remarking that the harder she strained the closer she could feel her ribs come to cracking.
The Scarlet Witch points out that their foe is now like a turtle flipped over onto its back, and cannot get up, before remarking that there is something about him she cannot put her finger on, ‘Maybe it’s those short legs?’ she wonders. Julia exclaims that something has been bothering her also, and that she is terrified she might just have an inkling of what it is. Julia then proceeds to wrap their large foe in a psionic web so that he cannot hurt himself. ‘Hurt himself? He’s not the one with the bruises, lady!’ Hawkeye exclaims, and Tigra asks Spider-Woman what she is afraid of – that he will start…crying?
As if on cue, the large chubby foe begins wailing, ‘Like a baby!’ Hawkeye exclaims. Julia remarks that is because she thinks he is exactly that – a baby. ‘What?’ asks a surprised Dr. Pym, while Iron Man points out that it makes sense. Everyone crowds around the bubbling oversized-baby and Hank decides that it would explain their foes proportions and babbling, and Iron Man remarks that it is as if someone had mutated a toddler just learning to walk.
The Wasp begins to ask what kind of fiend would do that, when Hank asks her is she is serious, declaring that after the Nazi’s medical experiments of “inferior races”, and all the horrors that the world has seen since that war ended, she still has doubt about the depths which human beings would sink? Clint grits his teeth together and declares that if somebody did do that to a little kid, he hopes whoever it was left a forwarding address. Hank assures Hawkeye that they will turn this place upside down looking for one.
Wanda declares that whether this child’s condition is permanent or temporary, somebody is going to learn why they call themselves “the Avengers”. Tigra asks if the two that Spider-Woman fought on the pier could have done this, to which the Wasp exclaims that it was more likely your generic mad doctor. Suddenly, the baby stops crying and manages to gurgle a couple of words out: ‘Dokk…mon…i…kuss!’ Hawkeye points out that the baby responded to Janet saying “Doctor” and Hank wonders what “mon…i…kuss” means.
Iron Man replies that he cannot be sure, ‘But maybe…Dr. Demonicus?’ Hawkeye agrees, remarking that this kind of generic tinkering has his fingerprints all over it. Tigra snarls that if this is Demonicus, then he better run for cover. The Avengers and Spider-Woman all regroup as Hank points out that Demonicus already has run for cover, before declaring that the real question now is…where in the world do they start looking for him?