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The Doom that went on Forever!
Outside Champion’s HQ, Los Angeles, where a strange object known as Null-Life Bomb is slowly expanding, consuming all in its wake. ‘Holy crud! That’s the Champion’s new skyscraper HQ - but what’s that growing out the top of it? And where in blazes are the Champions?’ asks Dr Bill Foster a.k.a. Black Goliath as he returns to the Champions’ home. ‘First that weird lightning - then that thing - and now the Black Goliath! What’s this city coming to?’ a civilian exclaims as he, and many others, watch the strange happening at Champions HQ.
As he begins to scale Champions HQ, Black Goliath tells himself that he hustled back after his fight with the stilt-man, but already the sky was starting to get dark, and people were panicking. Knowing he will not get answers down on the ground, he continues to climb, but, suddenly, his fingers graze the glowing Null-Life Bomb, and he finds that he cannot retract them from the blackness. ‘I’m being sucked in!’ he shouts, while the crowd below hold their breath.
Meanwhile, on a world near enough to glean faint warmth from the star-sun Sol - six voyagers touch down in a city as old as time itself - the home world of… ‘KAMO THARN!’ Hercules exclaims as he sees the long-haired, rag-wearing old man. ‘You know this bozo, Herc?’ Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel asks his godly teammate. ‘Well he should, mortal slime! Blind though I be - never will I forget the accursed voice of Hercules! He who stole my sacred power - the Runestaff of Kamo Tharn!’ Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow, looks at Hercules: ‘What is he?’ she begins, while Hercules slaps his forehead as he exclaims that the Stranger must have sent them here to obtain the Runestaff.
‘So we obtain it - to save Earth!’ the Black Widow replies. Hercules explains that the Runestaff is already on Earth, taken there by him and Lady Sif to aid the Mighty Thor. ‘You stole it! It is mine!’ Kamo Tharn shouts, boasting that he has moved this entire world through time and space, following in Hercules’ wake that he might find revenge. ‘Irony of ironies - you are now delivered to me!’. Kamo Tharn orders his beast men to bring him the head of Hercules. Hercules tells his teammates to stay back, as it is his blood only that the beast men seek. He shoves one aside as it lunges at him, while Black Widow blasts another with her widow’s bite, telling Hercules that they are a team, and for better or worse, they work together. ‘Then if we fall - we fall as Champions! Gods, but they will sing of this day in Olympus!’ Hercules exclaims. Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna unleashes her powerful Darkforce on the beast men, while Bobby “Iceman” Drake attacks them with a blast of freezing ice, suggesting to his teammates that thy knock off all the “falling” stuff and plan on being there for the chorus.
Angel has taken flight, but two of the beast men clamber on to him. ‘I’m glad the mutual admiration society is having a good time for itself down there - but in case you’ve forgotten, the Stranger sent us here to get the only thing that might stop his out of control Null-Life Bomb from destroying Earth!’. Warren punches one of the beast men in the face, before throwing it into the other, freeing himself from their grasp while telling his teammates that scoring points against Kamo Tharn’s monkey-men is not going to mean a thing in the end.
Down below, Johnny Blaze a.k.a. Ghost Rider finds himself in the grasp of one of the beast men, and points out that while they live, they may yet find a way to victory. Ghost Rider realizes that the touch of cold fire will not physically harm the beast, so moves his head towards the beast, catching its fur on fire, exclaiming that the soul-searing flames will make it abandon its grip, which it does, freeing Ghost Rider, and enabling him to smash the beast across the stone chamber.
The battle continues, and Darkstar takes out two of the beast men at the same time with bolts of Darkforce, while being the first to realize that it is endless, for each one they dispatch, a dozen more take its place. Laynia tells herself that there must be another way back to Earth, when, suddenly, she sees the faintest trace of the portal opened through space by the Stranger. Laynia realizes that it was meant to open again for their return when they had the Runestaff, but that the portal is shrinking, meaning the Stranger can apparently not maintain the portal and fight the Null-Life Bomb at the same time.
Laynia prays that the Darkforce will hold the portal open for a few more seconds - then she jumps into the portal. Her act so brave and so unselfish - but unfortunately for Darkstar, it is also misunderstood. ‘LAYNIA!’ Iceman calls out, turning from his opponent, he thinks that something has caught Darkstar, and follows her through the portal. ‘Something’s got her - but it keeps her only over Iceman’s dead body!’. The Black Widow watches this happen, and calls out to Bobby, telling him to stop, that he doesn’t understand, but Iceman does understand, not that he would be able to explain it, as sound doesn’t travel in the vacuum of space, not even the sound of a scream - as that is where he finds himself….
‘Your allies diminish in number Hercules! Well do I sense it!’ Kamo Tharn exclaims, declaring that it is time for those who remain to feel the world rending power that is his. Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider and Angel find themselves stranded on a small piece of rock, while the landscape around them has turned into an inferno! ‘I have not seen the like since I walked the corridors of Hell!’ Ghost Rider remarks. ‘Surely thou art jesting…art thou not?’ Hercules replies, while Black Widow spots a narrow path, and tells everyone to get down it before the flames rise and cut them off.
Meanwhile, far away, in a place removed from normal space - Black Goliath completes a climb that began in Los Angeles, as he finds himself completely engulfed by the Null-Life Bomb. ‘The Stranger! What in -?’ Bill exclaims as he sees the Stranger, kneeling in the darkness as he uses his powers to slow down the Null-Life Bomb. A woman suddenly calls out to Black Goliath. ‘Over here, it’s me, Regina Clayborne!’. Bill approaches Regina, who explains to him that they are all inside the bomb that her boyfriend Willie stole from Tony Stark. ‘The Stranger says it’s gonna swallow the world!’ Regina adds, helpfully. ‘And then it’ll contract and crush everything!’
Black Goliath exclaims that there must be a way to stop it, and asks where the Champions are. Straining under the pressure, the Stranger tells Black Goliath that his friends are even now on another world, seeking the only power that can destroy the bomb, while here within the hyper-space vortex of the bomb, even he can do nothing but slow it’s expansion. ‘So that’s what was in the box hijacked from my lab. I wonder if Tony knew?’ Bill thinks to himself, before asking if anybody thought to try and smash it. But increasing his mass to bring his fist down upon the Null-Life Bomb.
‘Fool! The bomb is programmed to defend itself - by whatever means necessary!’ Indeed, Black Goliath is suddenly smacked in the back by a robotic arm, and turns to see a mechanoid standing before him. ‘At least I don’t have to worry about pulling my punches!’ Bill remarks, realizing that the mechanoid is as big as he is - but as he takes the first one down, more replace it, until they are coming at Black Goliath from all sides. ‘This fight’s not going to go more than one round - ending in a murder! Mine!’ Bill exclaims as the malevolent mechanoids move in on him. What follows is short, as Black Goliath is punched from all angles, before being knocked out.
A heartbeat - or a lifetime - away, Iceman floats through space, and sees a Iceman floats through space, and sees a Darkforce bubble float nearby, realizing that Darkstar is cocooned inside, and therefore she doesn’t know he followed her. Bobby tells himself that his own cold slows down his bodily functions, but realizes he is slowly losing air. He suddenly surrounds himself in an ice-sphere, maneuvering it closer to Darkstar so he is in her orbit. But once he is in line with Darkstar, he is returned to his human form, as he had to take the ice from his body to create the sphere, given there is no water in space, though this action leaves him dehydrated. ‘The only thing that can save me might just end up killing me!’ Bobby thinks to himself, as the two spheres - one snow white, the other jet black - move silently through space, their fate unknown to the teammates they left behind.
Angel flies above his teammates who run along the path, and Warren remarks that if this is the worst that Kamo has to throw at them, then they are home free, adding that he can’t help but worry about Bobby and Laynia. Black Widow tells her teammates that Darkstar returned to Earth, as she knew Kamo Tharn had shortened the distance she would have to travel, while the Darkforce will protect her until she reaches the Stranger. ’But Drake may have just killed himself by following her, a defector! Stupid!’ Ghost Rider mutters. The Black Widow reminds him that she was a defector too. Blaze begins to make a response, before noticing something above them, and alerts Angel. ’Winged demon - clawing at me!’ Angel exclaims as the horrid creature latches onto him.
‘…so…the battle doth begin at last!’ Hercules exclaims before he climbs a nearby cliffside, telling Warren to have courage, for it will only be a moment before he comes to his aid. Black Widow watches and realizes that is no ordinary cliff, and informs Hercules that molten rock is running down at him. Hercules casually replies that it is no hotter than the infernal realm of Pluto, which he has braved before - when, suddenly, a molten lava fists lashes out at him. ‘By the cloven hooves of Pan!’ Hercules exclaims as he falls backwards, exclaiming that madness reigns, for the rock moves, coming to life like some flame-crested titan of old. ‘Come thee on, monster! Though wilt find thy nemesis in the son of Zeus!’ Hercules boasts.
‘Look out, Herc! He’s gonna -’ Ghost Rider exclaims as the molten lava giant brings a fist down towards Hercules - and slams it down, with Hercules dodging it just in time. Ghost Rider admits that he doesn’t think his spook act will impress the walking nightmare, but that is where his hellfire comes in - at full strength this time. Ghost Rider blasts the lava creature with hellfire, but whatever it was supposed to do, it has no effect on the creature at all, and it picks Ghost Rider up, and throws him hard against some rocks.
Back in the air, Angel tries to pry the winged creature’s claws out of his neck, Black Widow thinks to herself that Ghost Rider is dead, and possible Iceman and Darkstar too. ‘And now the Angel! Is this what my leadership has done to us?’ she asks, before firing a grappling hook, which wraps around the creature’s arm. But Angel tells Natasha that she cannot handle the creature up here. ‘You’ll be out of your element. Let me -’ he begins, when, suddenly, the creature takes flight, and drags the Black Widow up with her. ‘Pulling me up! Too fast! Can’t -’ Natasha begins, while Angel calls out to her - then, the creature slams Natasha into a rock face. Her motionless body is found by Ghost Rider, who calls out to her.
An instant later though, all four Champions appear standing in a line before Kamo Tharn…as if they had never moved at all!
But Ghost Rider turns from Black Widow’s body, mounts his flame cycle, he races up the side of the lava creature, then lunges at the flying beast, with no use for the things that men call words, he pushes the winged beast into lava creature, where, as Hercules points out, demon encountering demon cause a flame to rise, engulfing both. Hercules shouts that the Hades spawn are gone, except the resulting action spews forth molten stone which seeks to consume the Prince of Power! It happens quickly, and Hercules is engulfed faster than his far famed strength can do anything about…leaving on the Angel flying over head - three down and one to go - with two unaccounted for….
In the darkness inside the Null-Life Bomb, the Stranger is suddenly startled: ‘By the mysteries that rule us all! The portal I opened for the humans begins to shimmer!’ the Stranger exclaims, adding that it pulses as if some living force within sought to release itself. ‘But who would have such power?’ he asks, when, suddenly, Darkstar and Iceman emerge! Laynia exclaims that the Darkforce is apparently greater than even she suspected, but she knows there is no time to deal with that now. ‘Lord! We’re…we’re alive!’ Bobby stammers, announcing that he can hardly move, and that he feels like he has been through a wringer.
Bobby reaches out for Laynia, but realizes she is not even listening to him. ‘I came after you - risked my life - and you act like you don’t even care!’. Sometimes though, when the fever of human emotions is at its peak, we do things we never meant to do - hurt those we never meant to hurt. And where a word - a sign might have set aside the pain - that word is lost in the turmoil of the moment - forgotten - and the wound it might have closed remains open and unhealed. ‘Stranger! Hear me!’ Darkstar calls out as she flies towards the awesome being. ‘Speak, woman! The Stranger will listen!’ comes the reply. Darkstar speaks, and when she is finished explaining the situation, the Stranger withdraws his power into himself - and the Null-Life Bomb once more resumes its world-devouring growth!
The Black Goliath has since regained consciousness, but no sooner does his robotic opponents suddenly fade from view. ‘It’s a cinch I didn’t scare ‘em off! So who?’ Bill asks, when the Stranger announces the bomb’s programming has told it there was no further need for internal defense. Black Goliath turns and sees the Stranger and Darkstar (“the Russian girl” as he calls her). ‘Are the Champions -?’ he begins, but Darkstar replies that she has no knowledge of the fate of her comrades, only that their quest was futile for that which they sought… ‘Is on Earth, where I would have detected it had not the bomb preoccupied all my senses!’ the Stranger completes Laynia’s sentence, though Laynia points out that, equally it may not have happened had the Champions not attacked him, blind to the Stranger’s warning while the bomb triggered itself.
‘Enough!’ the Stranger exclaims. ’It is past!’. He announces that he has caused a rift to appear in the hyper-space within the bomb’s dimensional wall, and asks Darkstar to reach through, guided by the emanations of power that she feels. And so Laynia does as requested, her grasp spans hyper-space blackness at the bomb’s epicenter, to a broom closet in a certain New York City hospital…’I have it!’ Laynia announces. ‘The staff! The Runestaff of Kamo Tharn!’. Laynia brings the staff into the Null-Life Bomb, whereupon the Stranger tells her to use it. ‘I…? But -’ Laynia replies. ‘There is no other! You have proven able to wield the madman’s staff!’ the Stranger tells Laynia, adding that he will add what remains of his own power to Laynia’s, as his own existence hangs in the balance as well as that of Earth. ‘And I choose to live, woman - whatever be the cost!’. Darkstar holds the Runestaff of Kamo Tharn over her head, and begins to glow.
At that same second, Angel exclaims to himself that this is not happening, that it is all lies. ‘All I have to do is shut my eyes and - holy smokes it worked! You’re all back - alive!’ he exclaims, looking around him as the flames vanish, and the landscape returns to normal. ‘Us? But I thought you -’ Black Widow begins, while Ghost Rider declares that he saw Angel die first. Suddenly, Kamo Tharn stands up and tells the Champions that they “saw” what he wished them to see ‘I fed on every moment of your glorious agony! But the games is past! The next death you feel - will be your own!’. Suddenly, Angel swoops towards Kamo Tharn: ‘Mister…that…is what you think!’ he exclaims as he grabs Kamo Tharn and slams his head against the concrete steps.
Black Widow covers her face, while Hercules rubs his head, before Angel remarks that they are now left with the million dollar question. ‘Aye, lad! How are we to return to Earth?’ Hercules asks. Natasha tells Hercules that she thinks Angel meant something else - more like, ‘Is there an Earth to return to?’
Darkstar holds the answer to that question, glowing, and yet at the same time hidden in darkness, she asks the Stranger what is happening to her. The Stranger replies that she is adding the power of the staff to the bomb, forcing its growth. ‘Growth? But I thought -?’ Darkstar adds, to which the Stranger tells her to understand that the bomb’s danger lies not in expansion, but the moment when it contracts. ‘But by pushing it to grow faster and farther - driving it to engulf entire galaxies…we have exceeded its programming, driven it mad!’ The Stranger explains that the Null-Life Bomb will continue to expand forever - on into that great nothingness that is the cosmic all.
An undetermined time later…’Hey! You okay? You hear me? C’mon, honey! Wake up now! We’re back - thanks to you!’ Regina Clayborne tells Darkstar, before informing the Stranger and Black Goliath that Darkstar is opening her eyes. ‘She’s going to be all right!’. The Stranger exclaims that the danger is now truly past. ‘Farewell, young one! You have taught me much about this human thing called…courage!’ the Stranger tells Darkstar, before he fades from view, at the same time the four missing Champions are returned to their home.
Angel approaches Iceman who is sprawled on the floor. ‘I’ll call for a doctor!’ Warren tells his friend, but Bobby replies ‘Ask him…what’s good for a case of neglect’. ‘Home? Guess maybe it is, at that’ Ghost Rider thinks to himself, while the Black Widow approaches Darkstar, ‘Laynia - somehow we owe you for -’ she begins, but Laynia replies that the Champions have given her belonging, which is enough. Ghost Rider wonders if what he said to the Widow during the fight was all in his mind, while the Black Widow asks Hercules if something is wrong. ‘You look awfully glum for someone who’s just helped save the world’. Hercules replies that it is nothing, merely a passing thought, while wondering to himself whether he, who is both man and god, can share in this belonging.


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The Creature called Swarm!
Los Angeles, specifically the headquarters of the Champions, where this particular night is all too quiet for the brooding man-god Hercules. Suddenly, that changes when a piece of machinery suddenly lashes out at the heroic Hercules. ‘Hounds of Hades - I am attacked!’ Hercules booms, before smashing the device before it gets him. ‘This device seeks to crush the Son of Zeus, yet t’was created to defend the Champions from attack!’ Hercules remarks, wondering what has caused madness to rule the machine. Suddenly, a electronic voice exclaims ‘Warning! Intruder alert!’ Hercules turns and sees a woman’s image on a monitor, and remarks that he knows her. ‘Thou art what Bill Foster did call a video-construct!’
‘Alert!’ the “woman” responds. Ignoring Hercules’ other comment, it simply stares silent as it receives new programming. Hercules clenches his teeth as he remarks that the woman is nothing more than pulses of light called forth by the computer to warn the Champions if there is danger. ‘Methinks the only danger here - doth lie revealed by thine own distorted image!’ Hercules adds as the woman’s image indeed becomes distorted. ‘All units! The being called Hercules is herewith designated…an intruder!’ the computer announces. ‘Intruders must be destroyed! Unit two…attack!’ A mechanical arm used in defense suddenly emerges, and smacks Hercules hard in the back. ‘Thou goest too far, machine - for now thou hast angered the Prince of Power!’ Hercules declares.
Meanwhile, in the quarters of Bobby “Iceman” Drake, Bobby is talking to himself as he gets dressed. ‘You know what’s wrong with you, Mr Drake? People judge you by your age instead of your actions!’ he tells himself, deciding that to the X-Men, the Champions, and even Darkstar, he is still just a kid - a team mascot. ‘But that stops as of now!’ Bobby boasts, deciding that his new costume is just the start. The handsome mutant stands in front of a mirror and examines his new costume - light blue all over, except for white boots and gloves, white hot pants and a white section on the chest, and a darker blue belt, with a white “C” on it. ‘Soon the whole world’s gonna sit up and take notice of Bobby Drake - the new Iceman!’
Suddenly, a piece of equipment smashes through the mirror. ‘Holy Toledo! It wasn’t that bad a speech!’ Bobby exclaims, shifting his form to ice and dodging the shards of glass, he realizes that the equipment is one of their defensive devices, which pushes through a window and proceeds to fall from the high-rise headquarters. ‘It’s about to mash those pedestrians!’ Indeed, the large contraption is close to some civilians below: ‘Omigosh, Frankie - I think we’re gonna DIE!’ one of them shouts. ‘Not if I can help it!’ Bobby exclaims, telling himself that he has never tried a stunt like this, but it should work - in theory. With that, he leaps from the window - headed downwards, he fires ice from his hands, driving an ice-pylon down before, and freezing the equipment inside the pylon.
Bobby then anchors his ice-sled down to the pylon, spiraling gently down to the street. He rushes back inside the Champions HQ, telling himself that the Police can decide what to do with the ice-pylon obstructing the sidewalk as he enters the high-speed elevator, intent on finding out who is tossing the Champions’ defense equipment out the window like a million dollar medicine ball. But, as the elevator door opens on another level, Iceman finds Hercules being attacked by the Champions’ computer. ‘But why?’ Bobby wonders.
Meanwhile, on an embarkation dock at Santa Monica Bay, The Black Widow a.k.a. Natasha Romanova, Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna and Johnny Blaze a.k.a. the Ghost Rider stand before Ivan Petrovich. Natasha tells her friend that they got his call. ‘I thought if we came we might -’ she begins, ‘Change my mind? Sorry, princess’ Ivan remarks, to which Blaze asks if this goodbye is for keeps. ‘Nothing lasts forever’ Ivan replies. ‘You’ll learn that by the time you’re my age’ he adds, before declaring that the Black Widow and Ivan made a good team once, but that now the Black Widow has herself a new life, one he doesn’t figure into.
Natasha tells Ivan that he is wrong. ‘The Champions need you! I - I need you!’ she exclaims. Ivan tells her that the feeling is mutual, but that he has a lot of loose ends to tie up back home. ‘My kid and all’ he points out, explaining that as much as he wants to stay, he has got to find Yuri and let him know he still has a father. Darkstar asks Ivan if when he finds his son, could he tell him that Darkstar still thinks of him. ‘You know I will, Laynia!’ Ivan replies, adding that there must be some good in his son if a girl like her could have loved him once.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the pier, a man dressed in a suit walks past several crates marked ‘fragile”, and carrying a briefcase, thinks to himself that if all goes well, the authorities will have the briefcase within the hour, then they can stop von Meyer’s mad schemes before he endangers the entire world. Unbeknownst to the man carrying the briefcase though, he is being watched, by a man in a purple cloak. ‘Good! The unsuspecting fool approaches the crates!’ the mysterious cloaked man thinks to himself, adding that once those within receive his signal, the briefcase - and soon, perhaps the world - will be his.
Ivan boards his ship, telling Natasha to take care of her playmates. ‘See they wash behind their ears’ he jokes, before telling Darkstar and Blaze to take care of Natasha. ‘They don’t come any better than the Black Widow!’ he exclaims. ‘Will do, amigo. Adios!’ Blaze calls out. ‘Ivan, wait! I - I’m -’ Natasha calls out - but Ivan does now wait, and the gangplank is quickly raised behind him. Walking through the ship, Ivan thinks to himself that he cannot tell Natasha the real reason he is going back to Russia, nor about the call he received from Nick Fury, as she would have wanted to come for sure. Entering his cabin, Ivan is greeted by two men, one of whom aims a gun at him. ‘Come in, comrade! Yes, this is your cabin. We have been waiting for you!’ the assassin exclaims, while the Russia-bound ship slips out onto the night-shrouded pacific….
It leaves in its wake, an explosion on the pier, as the crates marked “fragile” suddenly explode, while the briefcase-carrying man stands near them. ‘Oh me Lord!’ he gasps, startled. The small man stumbles back, clutching the briefcase as smoke billows from the shattered crates - but, as if aware of the futility of running away, he stops and stands his ground - as death comes flying in the horrifying form of…bees! ‘The bees! They’ve found me!’ the man screams.
‘Johnny?’ Darkstar asks, after hearing the screams, and seeing something approach them. ‘I see it - and I’ve already begun my transformation - but I’m not sure I believe it!’ Ghost Rider replies. Darkstar takes to the air, pointing out that their victim clearly believes, which is enough for her, and she begins blasting the bees with her powerful Darkforce energy. ‘Woman! Wait! Stay back with the Widow!’ Ghost Rider exclaims, boasting that he is Ghost Rider. ‘And with my hellspawned power I will -’ he begins, but Black Widow swings alongside him, telling him that she is beginning to resent his attitude of superiority to the women of this team.
Natasha lands on one of the giant bees, telling Blaze that it is time he was reminded that, not only is she the leader of the Champions, but that she was being trained to fight while he was still learning to crawl! With that, the Black Widow rips the head off the mechanoid bee, and turns to face the others that fly towards her.
At that same time, back at Champions HQ, Iceman blasts the tentacles that have snared Hercules, who declares that the ice has stopped the grapplers, and thanks his teammate. ‘You’re welcome!’ Bobby replies, before asking why their own intruder system would violate its programming and suddenly attack them. Hercules replies that he has no answers, before announcing that the battle has started again. ‘Lasers!’ Iceman exclaims as one of the defense lasers blasts at them. ‘Since the walls themselves hide the danger - ‘tis the walls that Hercules shall destroy!’ the Olympian exclaims as he begins ripping apart the walls. ‘Great! A multi-million dollar HQ ripped to shreds. There’s gotta be a better way!’ Bobby exclaims.
Running down the corridor, Bobby realizes that there is, as the computer is drawing all its power from the main generator bank. ‘If I can just cut the power at its source!’ he tells himself, but as he arrives at the main generator, Bobby finds the system had anticipated this move and jammed the cut-off switch. ‘That sinks it! The computer’s turned on us! And this whole skyscraper’s become a death trap!’ Bobby declares, before something - or someone - whacks him in the back. ‘Yeeoww! Now what?’ Bobby shouts, dropping to the ground, he rubs his back and spins around - ‘Rampage? But how? He’s - no, wait! That’s his armored exo-skeleton, all right…but Rampage isn’t in it!’ Bobby realizes.
Iceman exclaims that nobody is inside the armor, and reminds himself that the armor has been stored in the lab since Rampage got smeared, and now, somehow, the computer has activated it. The armor then lunges at Bobby, striking him in the chest.
Back down the corridor, Hercules struggles once more with the steel tentacles, entwining like a serpent around him. ‘But ‘tis Hercules thou seekest to ensnare, base machine, not some helpless babe, and my patience is ended!’ Hercules booms as he rips the tentacles from the wall. ‘All units...move in! Program annihilation of the one called Hercules!’ the computer announces, as a large mechanoid approaches Hercules. ‘Then have at thee! Hercules fears thee not!’ the Olympian boasts, standing his ground.
Back at the dock, Ghost Rider notices crates all around exploding, while the bees are coming at them by the dozen. He realizes that they are after the little guy with briefcase, and that they don’t seem to mind killing a few Champions to get to him. Deciding that he doesn’t aim to be the first, it is time he used that old Ghost Rider super strength on the buzzing bozos, and does so by grabbing one of the mechanical bees, and smashing it into another. Blaze tells himself that he has to reach Widow and Darkstar, when suddenly one of the bees shoves its stinger into him.
Darkstar sees this and blasts the bee with a Darkforce beam, telling Johnny that it won’t strike him again. ‘Blast you! I don’t want your help! Stay away from me!’ Ghost Rider scolds Laynia, who immediately asks him why he hates her so. Ghost Rider stares at Darkstar, and doesn’t answer her out loud - only to himself he thinks ‘Because the Champs accepted you from the start - while they still fear me!’
Hurt and confused, Darkstar continues to battle alongside the angry Ghost Rider, while the little man with the briefcase watches them from behind a crate, when he suddenly hears a soft whispering sound. ‘I come for that which you stole from us, man!’ the cloaked being exclaims, hovering over the small man, who spins around: ‘von Meyer - walking on air!’ he gasps. ‘von Meyer? Yes, that was my human name - but now I am one who is many - and far more than human!’ indeed, the mysterious being has a strange look about him in the darkness, and removes one of his gloves - causing countless bees to swarm down and engulf the little man.
The mysterious being goes to pick up the briefcase, only to find that the little man has coated it with some manner of repellent. ‘My arm-units cannot approach it!’ he exclaims, realizing that the strangely powered youths nearby are approaching, drawn by the little man’s screams. ‘I must flee - for now!’ he declares, taking his leave, followed by a trail of bees, which leave the little man’s body.
Nearby, Natasha, Laynia and Blaze see the mechanoid bees fly away. ‘We did it! We scared them off!’ Blaze exclaims, while Darkstar motions upwards and exclaims that the bees are following something - not fleeing, though they cannot make out what the cloaked figure is. Natasha remarks that Laynia is correct, but seeing the little man lying nearby, she remarks that the bees missed what they came for. ‘The little man!’ Blaze exclaims, before asking about the briefcase. Natasha announces that the briefcase is still here, not that the little man will have any use for it now, as he is dead. ‘Killed by the venomous stings of a hundred deadly bees!’ she points out.
Laynia remarks that the little man looks like an accountant, and asks why anyone would want to kill him, while Blaze asks ‘Why the giant metal bees? Why not just a bullet? They’re cheaper’. ‘We won’t know until we - wait! Here’s his wallet!’ Natasha exclaims, pulling the wallet from the little man’s jacket, she opens it and discovers that he was an Interpol agent. Natasha exclaims that his briefcase must contain something somebody wanted - badly enough to have gone though all this to get it. The Black Widow then radios to Iceman, informing him that the need the Champscraft. ‘No answer! But he and Hercules were on HQ watch! Where in blazes are they?’ Natasha exclaims.
They are of course fighting for their lives, as Iceman dodges a punch from the animated Rampage armor, realizing that the computer is anticipating his every move, and passing it on to the armor. ‘I can’t dodge much longer!’ he tells himself, before deciding that perhaps he won’t have to for much longer, as he finds himself backed up against the power banks. He tells himself that he must duck before the armored fist smashes him into ice cubes, just at the right time - which he manages to do, and the Rampage armor gets stuck in the generator, the force of which knocks out the computer’s power source. ‘No power - no Rampage! And I’ll bet Hercules is finding his battle coming to an abrupt halt right about now!’ Bobby adds.
Indeed, ‘All…units…annihilate…’ the mechanoid mumbles, while Hercules realizes that the lights have gone out and the machine falters - then falls. ‘The battle is ended!’ he exclaims, adding that unless there is magic afoot, he cannot say how it ended. ‘No magic! Just that l’il ol’ Iceman, me!’ Bobby exclaims, carrying a glow-stick towards Hercules, who tells bobby that he is a warrior beyond his age. Bobby replies that he is glad somebody around here thinks so, and opens a panel which contains the computer’s command module, suggesting to Hercules that they try and discover why it went bananas on them.
Examining the wiring, Hercules points out that it appears the wires are burned through. ‘Yep! Looks like we’ve been suckered again!’ Bobby agrees, remarking that, just like the Champscraft, Bill Foster’s plans were fine, but their HQ is built with faulty materials. ‘Once the wiring went, so did the computer!’ Bobby adds, when an elevator opens, and Natasha, Laynia and Blaze appear. ‘What happened to the lights, Drake? You and the man-god playing hide and seek?’ Blaze asks. Natasha declares that she will handle this, and tells Hercules and Iceman that they ignored a priority alert, and asks them why. ‘Now, just hang on a second, Widow’ Bobby retorts, before quickly explaining what happened.
As the mutant hero finishes his tale, the sixth member of the Champions Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel suddenly crashes through a window, sending glass everywhere. ‘Angel!’ Bobby calls out to his friend. ‘I’ve heard of pigeons flying into skyscrapers, but this is ridiculous!’ Blaze remarks. Bobby rushes over to Warren, asking him if he is okay, while a clearly exhausted Warren replies that he flew so fast, that he had to get back to warn the. ‘They - they’re coming! Millions of them!’ he gasps. ‘Millions of what, Warren?’ someone asks. Angel tells everyone to look out the window, but upon doing so, the Black Widow tells him that there is nothing there. ‘Save yonder storm clouds, darkening the skies!’ Hercules points out.
‘Don’t you see? Those aren’t storm clouds!’ Warren replies urgently, getting up, he stands alongside his teammates at the window. ‘They’re moving against the wind!’ he cries. ‘You’re…right, Warren!’ the Black Widow replies, while Hercules asks the others if they hear a sound growing nearer. ‘Buzzing - like back at the docks!’ Ghost Rider exclaims. ‘Bees! An army of ‘em! They’re coming after us!’ Indeed, as the sky grows dark - and the city is engulfed by the buzzing swarm of killer bees….


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Death Drone
‘Bees! Swarming through the broken window! Millions of them!’ gasps Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow, leader of the Champions - whose HQ is under attack from indeed, millions of bees! Bobby “Iceman” Drake tells the Black Widow that it is no sweat, as the bees can’t get past his ice-screen, which the young mutant hero erects in place of the broken window. Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel informs his teammates that reports are coming in - that the bees have covered all of Los Angeles from Santa Monica Bay to here. ‘I don’t know why, but their target is us!’ he exclaims.
Indeed, as Angel explains the situation, a huge hive takes form atop of the Champions building. The Black Widow declares that she knows, and remarks that the bees are after a briefcase belonging to an Interpol agent who was killed in Santa Monica. Ghost Rider a.k.a. Johnny Blaze points out that they trucked the briefcase back here. ‘I don’t know what’s in it -’ he begins, before alerting everyone to the fact that the bees are coming through the air vents. Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna remarks that they have seen that the bees’ stings can be lethal. ‘The Darkforce must then assure that they do not touch us!’ the young heroine declares, casting her Darkforce upon the bees, who instantly fall to the floor.
The final member of the Champions, the Olympian Hercules remarks that the bees are still coming - ‘Through what thou dost call the central air-conditioning unit!’ he points out, before ripping a panel from the computer system and declaring that there are other ways of stopping the bees. ‘Ways best known to Hercules!’ he shouts as he slams the panel into the air conditioning unit. ‘You didn’t have to destroy our multi-million dollar one-of-a-kind computer to do it - even if it did try to kill you!’ Angel remarks, adding that his wings can blow the bees away, and he flaps his wings to do so.
Suddenly, there is a mighty crash, as Iceman’s ice-wall is shattered, and the mysterious cloaked being enters Champions HQ, declaring that the wall was weakened by the heat of countless, minute, living forms pressed against it. ‘All doing the bidding of…SWARM!’ he booms, introducing himself. ‘Go, my pretties! Secure the briefcase for your master!’ Swarm tells his giant mechanical bees. ‘Hercules!’ the Black Widow calls out while she holds the briefcase. ‘Fear not, milady’ Hercules exclaims, telling Natasha that if these are kin to those that she defeated, they will pose not threat to the son of Zeus.
However, the mechanoid drones come fast and furious - they are everywhere, and Darkstar is the first to be struck down. ‘Darkstar!’ Iceman exclaims, calling out to the young woman he has a crush on, while blasting at one of the mechanoid bees, he has turned to Darkstar, so doesn’t notice another one attack him, and sting him. ‘Bobby! Laynia! Hurt - being carried away!’ Angel exclaims as his unconscious teammates are indeed carried away by the mechanoid bees.
‘Now to take what I have come for!’ Swarm exclaims as he drops down on the Black Widow, kicking her in the head, while remarking that his glove has been treated to neutralize the repellent guarding the case. Picking up the briefcase from the fallen Black Widow, Swarm then runs down a corridor, but one of the Champions points out that he is heading for their labs - a dead end. Hercules remarks that fear has unnerved the villain, before shouting ‘Hounds of Hades!’ as the hive wall extends down through the building. ‘He’s sealed us out!’ Angel exclaims while Hercules begins bashing at the hive, remarking ‘My strongest blows avail me naught - for yon wall is instantaneously re-formed from the other side!’
Warren remarks that they have to do something, and points out that Swarm has Bobby and Laynia. Ghost Rider tells Angel to hold it, as there is more at stake than two lives, to which Angel asks Blaze what he is talking about. ‘Take a look outside, fella!’ Ghost Rider exclaims, and so look Angel does - and the horror of what transpires outside tears his soul - civilians fighting for their lives as they are engulfed by countless bees. ‘Off! Get them off of me!’ someone pleads. ‘My dear Lord - help!’ someone shouts. ‘My…eyes!’ another screams.
The Black Widow has regained consciousness, and tells Angel and Ghost Rider to get outside and assist the authorities any way they can. ‘But Iceman -?’ Angel exclaims, concerned for his long-time friend. ‘That’s an order, Angel!’ the Black Widow retorts. ‘You heard the lady, ace!’ Ghost Rider remarks, before Angel picks Ghost Rider up and flies him outside. ‘Yeah, I heard - but I don’t have to like it!’ Warren mutters, to which Ghost Rider tells him to save the complaining, as they have work to do. Back inside, Hercules asks the Black Widow what they will do, to which Natasha tells him that they will work on reaching Swarm - and pray they stop him while there is still a city to be saved.
A short time later, outside, Warren flies over Ghost Rider, who rides his motorcycle, and Warren remarks that by fanning his wings, he is able to keep the bees away. ‘Just spot ‘em for me, huh, wings? And spare me the lecture!’ Blaze snaps back. ‘Listen, Blaze -’ Warren begins, before he sees a school bus full of kids with bees all over it. ‘It’s going off the freeway!’ he exclaims. Just as the bus teeters over the bridge edge, with kids inside shouting ‘Help! Help’ Ghost Rider latches on to the bus, while telling Angel to keep the bees off the kids, as he has enough leverage to tilt the bus back on to the road.
After the bus has been taken to safety, Angel asks Ghost Rider why it is the bees leave him alone. ‘Maybe they’re afraid of frying their stingers off!’ Ghost Rider replies. And so, for the next few hours the mismatched duo proceeds from one nightmarish rescue to the next. Angel remarks that they contacted both Hank Pym and Bill Foster for an antidote to the bees’ stings, and wonders if they can develop it before it is too late to do any good.
Meanwhile, Bobby wakes, to find himself in a stuffy and hot surrounding, with the ice melted away, and a nauseating sickly sweet smell in the air. Rubbing his head, Bobby tells himself that he feels like he has been kicked by a mule, and sees Laynia lying nearby, still out cold. Bobby takes hold of Laynia: ‘It’s all right, honey. You’re OK! Seems they just wanted to stun - not kill us!’ Bobby tells Laynia, who asks ‘Where are we?’. ‘Isn’t it obvious, children? You are in the hive!’ Swarm announces, standing over the Champions. ‘Bobby, he - he’s not human!’ Laynia exclaims as she gets a close look at the enemy.
‘Human, child? No…far, far more than merely human!’ Swarm replies, before revealing that, once he was Fritz von Meyer - world expert on toxic poisons, apiculturist, and expatriate Nazi…and so, he begins his story:
Flashback illustrations, narrated by Swarm:Swarm reveals that the jungles of South America hid him well and long while he devoted himself to his research - the breeding patterns of killer bees - in comparative peace. That was, until one day, when he made an incredible discovery - a huge hive, unlike any he had ever seen. As some of the bees buzzed around him, he realized that they exhibit no fear, but an almost human curiosity - unknown in their species. Von Meyer knew that there was an unusual meteorite bombardment in this area which caused high levels of radioactivity. ‘Could it be?’ he wondered to himself.
Von Meyer decided that it had to be - that the bees had somehow been mutated - their insect intelligence increased a thousandfold by exposure to unknown cosmic forces. A vast panorama of possibilities unfolded before von Meyer, who raced back to his laboratory that he built with gold, looted from countless European capitals. At a workstation inside his golden laboratory, von Meyer told himself that bees of such intelligence, in their normal vicious state, could serve him well. But he knew that the very force which increased their mental capacity also rendered them passive, channeling their energies into intricate hive-building.
And so, von Meyer developed a weapon with the plan to reawaken their killer instincts, while knowing he must find a way to control them at the same time. ‘I will have created an insect army with which to rule the world!’ von Meyer told himself. But, unbeknownst to von Meyer, Interpol, in its quest to bring war criminals to justice, had finally found him. ‘It’s von Meyer! No doubt about it! Still with his bleedin’ bees!’ the Interpol agent thought to himself as he tracked von Meyer through the jungle.
Decked out in his bee keeper’s suit, von Meyer approached the massive hive, then bathed it in the pulsating rays of the controller he had created - only he discovered that he erred - for the bees were no longer passive - but they were neither under his control, for in seconds, they were on him, stinging him, stabbing through his “protective” outfit. ‘No! No! Keep back!’ von Meyer shouted. His agonized flesh was seared, and he felt his life being torn from him. As his consciousness shredded - dissipated, somehow in the midst of that living hell, he reached out and seized the queen bee. ‘With her in my power - the swarm is mine to control!’ von Meyer told himself. However, he had become something…different!
Present:Swarm explains that he became an aggregate man - a living embodiment of the swarm - his own scientific mind added to the mutant intelligence of the multitude. ‘Our relationship has grown quite - symbiotic! Through me, they create - they think! Through them, I live…and conquer!’ Swarm exclaims, holding up a gem. ‘But something went wrong, huh?’ Iceman asks. ‘Yes’ Swarm replies, explaining that the accursed Interpol agent stole the queen, and encased her in amber. ‘And you had to get her back to keep your buzzing buddies on your side!’ Iceman exclaims, before asking Swarm if now he has the queen, how the Champions fit in.
Darkstar wearily remarks that Swarm had been unable to find a way of shattering the amber without harming the queen. ‘Until he saw our powers in action! Well, forget it!’ Bobby exclaims. ‘No, Bobby! We will not “forget it”!’ Laynia suddenly exclaims. ‘WWWHAT?’ a surprised Bobby shouts. ‘You mean you’d help this creep?’ he asks Laynia. ‘Swarm? No!’ Laynia snaps back. ‘Not Swarm! But her! She is trapped, Bobby!’. Mysteriously, Laynia tells Bobby that he cannot know what it is to be apart, but that she can. ‘Mind to mind - she cries out to me - to the Darkforce!’ Laynia exclaims. ‘And we shall be free!’ she screams as a bolt of Darkforce shatters the hive wall, and extends through to the amber gem Swarm carries. ‘But the queen! Is she -?’ Hive begins….
At that very moment, Hercules continues to pound on the hive wall, while remarking to the Black Widow that he strikes with force enough to rock the Halls of the Dead, but the wall, like a thing alive, heals itself before his eyes. Natasha remarks that there is something moving on the other side of the hive, that it is coming closer. ‘HERE!’ she shouts as two giant mechanoid bees burst through the hive wall. ‘Great Zeus has heard and answered me prayer!’ Hercules exclaims. ‘He has delivered unto me an enemy I can grasp! A foe I can smash!’ the Olympian exclaims as he smacks both mechanoids.
Hercules remarks that he wished all the ills of this insane planet could be solved in a similar manner, while Natasha climbs through the hive wall, ‘Not likely, my friend - not even in your lifetime!’ she tells Hercules, before pointing out that the Hive wall has finished reconstituting itself, so their way is clear to find Iceman and Darkstar. ‘If they still live!’ Natasha adds. But, suddenly, Iceman, carrying an unmoving Darkstar. ‘Milady, they come!’ Hercules points out. ‘But Darkstar…she’s -!’ Natasha begins, but Bobby announces that Darkstar has been stunned - but something her Darkforce could not control.
‘Or, rather, by the intrusion of an alien mind-force into her consciousness - in shall, we say, an outpouring of gratitude from the swarm - for having freed their queen!’ Swarm reveals as he comes up behind the heroes, with a giant sized queen bee fluttering beside him. Swarm exclaims that the queen has attained the final phase of her mutation, which his science abetted. The queen floats almost regally, her form increasing with every passing second. The bees which make up the body of the aggregate collectivized man-swarm thrill at her nearness. Her will is / their will is / Swarm’s will - and as one inseparable intellect, they arrive at a decision, and attack. ‘Behold her, humans! Behold my invincible queen and tremble, for through her and for her, I shall rule this planet!’ Swarm boasts.
‘By the Golden Horns of Minos -!’ Hercules utters as the queen bee slams into him, constantly buzzing. ‘Accursed insect! They venomous stings will not still the fighting heart of Hercules!’ the Olympian boasts. ‘These are your final moments, Champions! Having served your limited purpose - it is time for you to die!’ Swarm exclaims, sending a fury of bees towards Bobby, Natasha and Laynia. ‘Not if Iceman can help it, bee-man!’ Bobby exclaims as he erects an ice-wall to block the bees, while telling the Black Widow to get Laynia to safety. ‘Trapped…no life…hope…nothing!’ Laynia exclaims, wearily.
Suddenly, a mechanoid bee strikes without warning, and Bobby is stung in the back. The Black Widow tells Bobby that Laynia is a big girl and can take care of herself, while grabbing the mechanoid bee and slamming it into the ground, she warns Bobby that she doesn’t need to be told what to do. ‘Which is more than I can say for -’ the Black Widow begins, before sensing something - so turns to see that death has been unleashed upon her, as Swarm reaches out to her with his buzzing bees. Swarm will claim the Black Widow - unless Hercules can throw off his own impending doom and help her.
Hercules suddenly kicks the queen bee off of him, and punches her, ‘I bear you no malice, creature, for thou art but a servitor of wickedness!’ Hercules tells the queen bee, before remarking that he senses it is her the hive obeys. ‘And through thee, the bee-man’ he adds. Hercules declares that the best way to destroy the body is to rob it of its head - and with that, he throws the queen out of the Champions’ HQ - an all the way across Los Angeles, into the ocean. Throughout Los Angeles, the maddening sound of buzzing suddenly stops - replaced by a sound that freezes the blood cold. The sound of an insect…screaming!
Angel and Ghost Rider witness first hand the myriad bees they were battling with suddenly flying out to see, while inside Champions HQ, Swarm shouts ‘The swarm! They’re following their queen!’, and the Champions watch in horror as the countless bees buzz away from the cloak - and depart Los Angeles. ‘Nooooo’ Swarm - now merely a skeleton with a purple cloak - screams, before collapsing. The Black Widow looks horrified, and remarks that without the swarm holding von Meyer together, there was nothing there. Hercules comforts the Black Widow, who turns away, while Darkstar wraps her arms around Iceman, the two of them look at the chilling display before them. And no one sees the single bee crawl out of von Meyer’s eye socket…and no one thinks that the time may come when indeed the fate of the world will rest on as small and as simple a thing as the buzzing of a bee….


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The Sentinels Hunt Again!
After several recent battles, the Champions have taken some time out at the Los Angeles headquarters for rest - but, fate it seems has other plans, Hercules and Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow discover when the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants - Blob, Unus the Untouchable and Lorelie - burst into one of their rooms. ‘We’re under attack!’ the Black Widow exclaims, remarking that their alarm system is out as it was damaged during the battle with Swarm. ‘We had no warning!’ she declares.
But as the Black Widow and Hercules leap to their feet, the Blob tells them that they have it wrong. ‘It’s us that’s being attacked! And we need your help - cause the Sentinels hunt again!’ the Blob exclaims as three Sentinels burst into the room, shattering the outside wall to the Champions HQ. One of the Sentinels states that the Blob is correct, and that he, Unus and Lorelie are their prey. ‘Surrender mutants - or die!’ the second Sentinel exclaims, while the third addresses Hercules and the Black Widow as non-mutants and tells them not to interfere, unless they wish to be destroyed.
‘They’ve found us! No one can save us!’ Unus the Untouchable exclaims, while Hercules tells the robot to have a care, and warns it that he will go hard if it dare command the Son of Zeus. The Black Widow points out that the Sentinels are ignoring them, and attacking the others. One of the Sentinels picks Unus up and tells him to cease struggling as it has cancelled his repelling powers. ‘No! Help!’ Unus calls out, while Hercules realizes that the Sentinels do ignore them, denying those who petitioned their aid the right of sanctuary.
Hercules tells the Black Widow that honor demands he enter the fray, with all the shattering strength of his immortal sinews! With that, he smacks one of the Sentinels in the head. One of the other Sentinels reports the critical dysfunction recorded by its fellow, while the other tells it to assist, while it deals to the mutants alone, and reaches out for the Blob and Lorelei. The Blob remarks to Lorelei that they were fools, as there are only two heroes here, and they don’t stand a chance against the Sentinels. ‘We may only be two, Blob - but we’re still Champions!’ the Black Widow snaps back as she unleashes her widow’s sting on one of the Champions, adding that no Sentinel is going to take the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants out of here unless it is over the Champions’ dead bodies - that may be sooner than Natasha realizes as the Sentinel retaliates, blasting her with an energy beam, causing her to fall like one fatally injured.
‘Effectiveness of female non-mutant…neutralized!’ the Sentinel announces, while the Black Widow carefully reaches for a control panel, thinking to herself that the Sentinel Is clearly wrong, as she twisted herself away from the burst just before it hit. Natasha knew that It would bring her closer to the instrument panel, and after pressing some buttons, the windows of the upper floors of the Champions skyscraper go dark, a pre-arranged pattern, they form a huge “C”.
That causes one of the Sentinels to announce that its sensors compute that a warning signal has been activated. ‘And it will bring the rest of the Champions against you, robot!’ the Black Widow declares, while Hercules exclaims that he and the Black Widow insure that they do not depart before their teammates arrive. The Black Widow exclaims that they will try, and turns to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, declaring that they will need their help. ‘Help? You…you mean...us?’ the Blob asks. ‘But we came to you for help! They can neutralize our powers!’ he exclaims. ‘Blast you! Then Hercules and I will have to hold them off - and hope the others get here in time!’ Natasha exclaims.
As the battle continues, no one notices a man dressed in green hiding behind a corner, watching the proceedings. ‘Good, good! Even better than I planned!’ he thinks to himself, realizing that the Black Widow takes the Blob’s protest for cowardice. ‘Soon all the Champions will be assembled to fight the Sentinels - unaware that the real menace lurks in the shadows!
Meanwhile, soaring the night winds high above Los Angeles is Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel, suddenly sees the Champsignal go off, and remembers that Hercules and Natasha had stayed behind at HQ together. Warren swiftly turns around in the air and supposes that the signal could have turned itself on, or gone haywire like every other system he purchased, before deciding that it might be a genuine alert, and that he cannot take chances. Warren tells himself that he needs to get the others first and then get to HQ fast.
Down below, in amongst the milling crowds, Bobby “Iceman” Drake and Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna are waiting in line to see a film featuring their teammate Johnny Blaze. The glamorous Laynia tells bobby that American crowds are much like those of Leningrad. ‘I hope they have better taste in Russia, Laynia! I mean biker flicks are the pits!’ Bobby replies. ‘Even if they do co-star our blazing teammate!’ he adds, before seeing Angel fly through a skyward pointing spotlight. ‘Look!’ he exclaims. Laynia adds that Warren knew the two of them were coming here, before Bobby switches into his ice form, and exclaims that Angel must be trying to find them, which means there is trouble. ‘Bless his feathered little heart! Now we don’t have to see this movie!’ Bobby exclaims, while the crowd of people begin staring at him: ‘What - what are you? A frozen streaker?’ one of them asks.
‘No! It’s that mutant freak - the Iceman!’ someone else shouts. ‘Since when did being a mutant become a crime, friend?’ Bobby replies. ‘Since you and your partners started using L.A. for a battleground!’ another civilian exclaims as several of them reach out for Iceman, but as one of them puts a hand on Bobby’s arm, he shouts that Iceman is so cold. ‘What’d you think this was - window dressing?’ Bobby asks. One of the civilians calls Iceman a wise guy and exclaims that they might not be able to hurt him: ‘But your lady friend, here -’ he begins, until Darkstar interrupts: ‘Is more than you have bargained for, comrade!’ and with that, Laynia declares that Darkstar does not take kindly to being threatened, and engulfs the troublemakers.
‘What gives? Who turned out the lights?’ one of them shouts. ‘The mutie’s freaky chick! They ain’t human! None of ‘em!’ someone else shouts. Another troublemaker declares that they have the numbers, and urges his associates on. ‘You’ve got everything but the brains, fella - and the guts!’ Iceman replies, which of course is the wrong thing to say, as it incites the bloodlust of the already insane mob, who close in on Iceman and Darkstar. ‘Looks like my premiere’s been a riot’ Johnny Blaze thinks to himself as he appears in the crowd, switching into his alter ego - Ghost Rider - for he knows that there Is not much he can do about the situation simply as Johnny Blaze, stunt-rider of the silver screen, but as Ghost Rider, it is an entirely different story.
Blaze blasts at the ground with his hellfire, causing his flame cycle to materialize, and getting on it, he thinks that it is time to give the troublemakers something they will remember all their natural lives. ‘Beware, mortals! To attack one Champion is to attack all!’ Ghost Rider exclaims as he mounts his flame cycle and rides toward the mob. ‘Cripes! They’re coming out of the woodwork!’ one of them exclaims, while Laynia takes to the air and tells Bobby that they cannot waste time here. ‘Look! She - she’s flying!’ someone shouts. ‘Don’t they all?’ someone else asks.
Bobby agrees with Laynia and remarks that even though the mob started this, the Champions don’t want to hurt anyone, and so he creates an ice-screen to keep everyone back. ‘It took you this long to think of it, Drake?’ Ghost Rider asks as he speeds towards Iceman, who declares that if it wasn’t for Blaze’s lousy movie, he and Laynia wouldn’t even be here. ‘So who invited you?’ Blaze asks. ‘You did, mister!’ Iceman exclaims, before remarking that it makes him wonder whether Ghost Rider might have planned this little reception. ‘Why you - I oughtta melt that ice-wall of yours and let them at you!’ Ghost Rider declares, to which Bobby tells Blaze to keep it up, and one day they are gonna see how fire does against ice. ‘Any time, frosty! Any time!’ Blaze replies, when, suddenly, Angel dives down and lifts Bobby off the ground.
‘Wha - Angel!?’ Iceman exclaims, while Darkstar follows them in the air, Warren exclaims that there is trouble at HQ, and it might be more than the Black Widow and Hercules can handle. ‘Hope I didn’t interrupt your fun’ Warren adds, to which Bobby exclaims ‘Don’t lecture me, Daddy Warbucks! We can’t all be angels!’ Down below, Ghost Rider thinks to himself that Drake is right, that someday, there is going to be a showdown between the two of them. ‘But not today. Not while the Widow is in danger!’ Blaze thinks to himself as he speeds back to Champions HQ on his flame cycle.
Moments later, the four members of the Champions arrive back at their home and headquarters, Angel points out that the Champ-signal is still lit and tells his teammates to hustle, to which Darkstar suggests that Angel carry Iceman, and she can transport Ghost Rider, to which Ghost Rider quickly tells her not to do him any favors, and declares that he doesn’t need help from Darkstar, to anyone else. ‘Stop offering - and stop pitying me!’ he snaps, as he suddenly speeds up the side of the skyscraper on his flame cycle. ‘But I - I didn’t mean -’ Laynia calls out as she flies up the side of the skyscraper, Angel carrying Iceman at her side. Bobby tells Laynia that it isn’t her, that Ghost Rider has something eating inside him.
Laynia removes her civilian clothing as she flies upwards, revealing her sleek and stylish purple and blue costume underneath, while thinking to herself ‘Pity? At last I understand his coldness towards me! He thinks I see him as a monster!’. Darkstar tells herself that if Ghost Rider knew of her birth, then he would know that she is the true unhuman. Preoccupied with events, none of the Champions notices a strange figure in green lurking on the rooftop, watching them, he thinks to himself ‘Excellent! The lambs march to the slaughter…their fate is sealed! I cannot fail now!’
And within, Angel, Darkstar, Iceman and Ghost Rider arrive to see the three Sentinels wrecking havoc: ‘All right, Champions - hit them!’ Angel calls out. Ghost Rider engulfs one of the Sentinels in hellfire, while Iceman and Darkstar strike out at another one, who announces that it is adjusting its systems to repel a mutant / non mutant attack as ice and the Darkforce wreck its systems. ‘Bobby - what are they?’ Laynia calls out. Bobby explains to Darkstar that they are mutant killers, but remarks that they were supposed to have been destroyed by the X-Men some months ago.
Suddenly, a confused Angel spots Blob, Unus and Lorelei standing near the Black Widow. Natasha explains that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants came seeking help - followed by the Sentinels. Hercules smashes his fists into one of the Sentinels and remarks that they repair themselves as fast as he can rend them asunder. ‘Truly they be demons like unto Pluto’s dread hordes!’ the Olympian exclaims. Iceman bombards one of the Sentinels with a blast of ice, and remarks that they seem slower - sluggish, even, not like those he has fought in the past. ‘Alien force disrupting systems…this unit is…’ one of the Sentinels begins as Darkstar covers it in Darkforce. ‘Doomed, robot! Destroyed by the Darkforce!’ Laynia shouts, concluding the robot’s sentence, while a wide-eyed Lorelei stands against a wall.
Suddenly, one of the Sentinels grabs a surprised Iceman in its robot hand. ‘It’s got Bobby!’ Angel announces, to which Natasha declares ‘It won’t keep him long!’ and blasts the Sentinel with her widow’s bite, while Ghost Rider is not long behind her, engulfing the Sentinel in hellfire. Angel kicks the final Sentinel in the head, knocking it over, he exclaims that Bobby is free and this is the last one, before declaring that he thinks they best get some answers - and fast.
Moments later, Unus the Untouchable exclaims ‘Sure! You saved us - we owe it to you!’, before explaining to the Champions that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants were turned into kids after Magneto blew it against the Defenders.
Shown with flashback illustrations, narrated by Unus:
A few months ago however, Erik the Red restored Magneto his true adult form, accidentally restoring he, Lorelei and the Blob, as the ray penetrated their cell. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants saw that Magneto ran out on them, and the trio decided that they had had enough of the whole super-villain business, when they were suddenly attacked by Sentinels, which was all they needed. They managed to defeat the lone Sentinel, but knew others would follow, so they sought out the only two X-Men who had gone public.
Present:
‘And knowing we’d joined the “team for the common man”, you suddenly turned common, huh?’ Angel asks sarcastically, before asking Unus to pardon his disbelief, and declares ‘You three are as phony as these pseudo-Sentinels!’ Iceman exclaims that Angel is right: ‘Once an Evil Mutant, etc!’. This annoys Unus, who snaps back: ‘You punks are as arrogant as you wuz with the X-Men!’, and declares that they hoped the Champions could help them. ‘But if you’re gonna make things difficult all we can do is - DESTROY YOU!’
Suddenly, an energy ray sears out of nowhere with incredible force. So sudden is it, so unexpected, that even Hercules is stunned with his five teammates, who are all knocked to the ground. ‘We did it! We set ‘em up beautifully!’ exclaims the Blob, when the man who fired the energy ray steps into full view - the weapon still blazing, the mysterious man in green exclaims ‘And I knocked them down, Blob! Never forget the guiding intellect behind this operation - belongs solely to the Vanisher!’. ‘Okay, already! Save the speeches!’ the Blob moans, while telling the Vanisher that the Champions got wise to them. ‘Ain’t no way we can use ‘em now! I say we kill ‘em!’ the Blob declares.
‘For one so slow, Blob, you are remarkably lacking in patience!’ the Vanisher exclaims, declaring that he wishes to savor this moment, before launching into a story:
Shown with flashback illustrations, narrated by the Vanisher:
The Vanisher explains that ever since he awoke on an observation table aboard Dr Steven Lang’s orbital platform the sheer beauty of Lang’s scheme has overwhelmed him. ‘I saw that all the functioning Sentinels had been destroyed - but those still under construction remained for me to complete!’. The Vanisher explains that he made a few modifications in their programming, of course, as his Sentinels were not above attacking humans or sparing select mutants. ‘They were mine to command!’
The Vanisher sent his Sentinels off: ‘Go, Sentinels! Seek out those who will aid me in destroying the X-Men!’. The Vanisher’s robots lacked the power of Lang’s, of course, and the whereabouts of Xavier’s students were unknown to him, but the Sentinels brought him to the three remaining members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Present:
The Vanisher concludes by declaring that had the Champions been taken in by the Brotherhood’s “conversion” to good, then they would have led him to the X-Men. ‘Yeah. But they weren’t fooled!’ the Blob exclaims. ‘True, obese one! But perhaps news of their deaths will draw their former teammates here!’ the Vanisher declares. The Blob agrees, and exclaims that the X-Men will come gunnin’ for the Sentinels, only to find the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants waiting instead. ‘I like it!’ he declares. ‘Then let us set the trap, shall we?’
As the Vanisher raises his weapon to the unmoving six Champions, who lie scattered in the Sentinel rubble, Darkstar softly stirs. ‘Barely…conscious! But I must act! I cannot let him…kill those who have…befriended me!’ the brave heroine tells herself. Without warning, the unexplained power that is the Darkforce suddenly ripples from Laynia’s weak fingers, engulfing a fallen Sentinel, it empowers the unliving with destructive life, as Darkstar forces the machine towards the Brotherhood and the Vanisher. ‘Vanisher! The Sentinel! It’s attacking us!’ the Blob cries out.
Of course, the Interesting thing is that in order to make the Sentinels’ attack on the Evil Mutants convincing, the Vanisher endowed these Sentinels with the ability to negate the powers of his allies - so that neither the Blob’s immovability, nor Unus’ untouchability, nor Lorelei’s mind-numbing singing - has any effect on the Sentinels at all, and they are all taken down with ease.
‘You accursed female! You did this!’ the Vanisher shouts at Darkstar, aiming the weapon at her, close range. ‘Pray to whatever God you worship, for now you die!’ the Vanisher booms, when, suddenly, Iceman slides over and freezes the ray, telling the Vanisher to save it for the judge. ‘You’re finished!’ he exclaims. The Vanisher realizes that the ray has warn off, and Iceman declares that the rest of the Champions will be awake any second. ‘Then I would be a fool not to flee!’ the Vanisher decides, as he opens a portal and races towards it, exclaiming that with his power of teleportation, there is no one living to stop him.
However, Darkstar is close behind the Vanisher, and shouts ’No human, perhaps! But Darkstar is more than human! MUCH more!’ Laynia declares as she casts the Darkforce at the Vanisher, who, half-way through his teleportation portal, suddenly screams - then goes silent, half-present, half-vanished. ’Lord! You stopped him halfway! Can he have survived the shock?’ Bobby asks. ’I - I don’t know! Oh Bobby, hold me!’ Laynia replies as she presses herself against Iceman, who puts his arms around her. The rest of the Champions gather around and watch Iceman and Darkstar, while Angel asks if the others heard what Laynia said about not being human. ‘Aye, lad! In truth, there is a mystery here!’ Hercules exclaims, while Ghost Rider thinks to himself that perhaps he has been all wrong, while the Black Widow solemnly asks ‘But what can we do now?’….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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A World Lost!
Los Angeles, where Magneto - the mutant Master of Magnetism - has just arrived with former X-Man turned Avenger Hank McCoy a.k.a. the Beast, in search of aid from the Champions of Los Angeles, they find the Champions ready to battle! ‘Curse you, Beast! When Doom allowed me one ally from among the controlled Avengers - if I could free that one’s mind, why by all the powers, did I choose you?’ As Magneto’s air craft is torn apart at his will, everyone leaps for safety, while the Beast exclaims ‘Because you hoped I’d lead you to the X-Men and Professor X - which I did, but they weren’t home - so I did the next best thing!’, before welcoming Magneto to Los Angeles.
Bobby “Iceman” Drake, one of Hank’s fellow former X-Men, reveals that the Avengers alerted them, and said that Hank had joined Magneto and stolen a Quinjet. The Olympian Hercules declares that this attack proves the Beast’s treachery, while Johnny “Ghost Rider” Blaze asks if even the Champions can stop Magneto. Suddenly, a piece of metal slams into Hercules, and he exclaims that every piece of metal of their headquarters is at the villain’s bidding. Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow exclaims that Magneto must be stopped, before he tears their building apart.
Ghost Rider boasts that Magneto will be stopped, with his hellfire, and casts it towards Magneto, only for Magneto to put up a force field around him. ‘Fat chance!’ Beast tells Ghost Rider, exclaiming that even Thor’s hammer could not penetrate Magneto’s magnetic shields. ‘Your loyalty is touching, my fur-covered ally!’ Magneto remarks, when suddenly, Warren Worthington III a.k.a. the Angel, and third former X-Man, flies towards Magneto, ‘Yeah - and sickening, too!’ Warren exclaims, adding that he will deal to the Beast after he has finished off Magneto. ‘Your ingratitude cuts me to the quick!’ Magneto tells Angel, asking him if he has so soon forgotten that he owes Magneto his life.
With that, Magneto casts a metal beam towards Angel, which hits him in the stomach, knocking him backwards, while Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna, the sixth member of the Champions, calls out to him, concerned. Iceman and the Black Widow both blast the Best with their respective power - ice beam and widow’s sting - while the Beast jumps over the blasts, remarking that he should try to explain to them that he and Magneto are trying to save them from Doctor Doom. ‘The Avengers warned us you’d try that ridiculous story, Beast!’ the Black Widow declares.
Hercules breaks through the metal trapping him, boasting that his former teammates were not fooled, and neither are his present companions the Champions. Magneto approaches Hercules, Ghost Rider and Iceman, still in his magnetic force field, and tells Hercules that he is as witless as his East Coast brethren, for as they are subjugated by Doom, so are all of the Champions. ‘Thou art a liar…or a fool, mutant!’ Hercules retorts, boasting that no man rules Hercules. The Beast bounds away from the others, realizing that Magneto and the Champions are squaring for a showdown. But Iceman notices the Beast leaping away and warns him to stop. ‘Don’t warn him, Drake - ice him!’ Ghost Rider exclaims.
‘Down, Hercules - before the mightiest force known to man - the power of magnetism!’ boasts Magneto as he uses his powers to force Hercules to his knees. ‘By the Gods - the force doth grip my very blood - driving me back through the roof itself!’ Hercules exclaims as indeed the roof gives way under the pressure, and he falls through. The Beast calls out to Magneto, telling him to stop: ‘You wanted allies, remember? Not corpses!’ he exclaims. ‘He won’t get either here, McCoy! And as for you -’ Iceman declares as he starts firing ice cubes at the Beast, which strike him in the back. But Ghost Rider tells Iceman to stop playing, and to finish the Beast off.
‘Not likely, spook-stuff! Even if he really wanted to, he’d think twice about it!’ the Beast exclaims, before leaping into the air above the other Champions, exclaiming ‘You can take the hero out of the X-Men, but you can’t take the X-Man out of the hero!’ The Black Widow sees the Beast getting away and orders Iceman to stop him. ‘But he’s my friend, Widow! He - all right - you’re team leader’ Iceman replies, and once more bombards the Beast with ice cubes, which he transforms into an ice ramp, sending the Beast over the edge of the Champions’ rooftop. ‘But this is the last order like that I’m obeying, do you hear?’ Iceman snaps back at the Black Widow, while Angel alerts his friend to Magneto approaching from behind.
Hercules climbs out of the hole in the rooftop, unseen by Magneto, Hercules tells himself that Iceman hath committed a most grievous error - turning his back on a foe. ‘Verily, he is fortunate indeed that Hercules - nay, a fellow Champion - stands ready to lend him aid!’ Hercules thinks to himself as he approaches Magneto from behind and smacks him into the air, though, as Magneto thinks to himself, his magnetic sphere protects him from the blow, though he winds up falling to the street below, where the Beast clings to a pole on the side of the Champions HQ.
Ghost Rider sees the Beast clinging to the pole and declares that Iceman may not be able to do as he is told, but in this case, he doesn’t have such problem, and blasts the Beast with hellfire, but Hank leaps away in time, ‘No - you have others! You’re crackers for instance!’ Hank calls back, while landing safely on the street below. The Beast sees Magneto, on top of a car, and remarks that maybe if they all cool down a bit they can get down to business. ‘Like, how do we join together to stop Doom?’ Hank asks Magneto, who replies ‘Doom be hanged! I want Hercules’ head!’
‘Swell. You wanna wallop the Champs while Doom steals the world?’ the Beast asks, telling Magneto that he is a puppet. ‘Have a care, Beast!’ Magneto replies, when suddenly, a news report comes over the radio of the car that Magneto stands on, announcing that there is a festive mood in the nation’s capital, as Majesty Victor von Doom arrives, and that President Carter is welcoming him. ‘What? Doom is amusing himself with fawning, sub-servient politicians?’ Magneto gasps, annoyed that Doom would ignore him and belittle their conflict. Magneto mutters that he has wasted time seeking allies, and decided to do what he should have done all along - and let all the others seek their own salvation.
With that, Magneto surrounds himself and the Beast in a magnetic force field, and takes flight. ‘They’re getting away!’ Ghost Rider exclaims as he and the other Champions have regathered on top of their HQ. Black Widow orders her team to ready the Champscraft, and exclaims that they will follow, but Darkstar exclaims that there is a faster way - her way - and suddenly surrounds the Champions in the Darkforce, creating a sphere which follows Magneto eastward.
At that moment, 3000 miles away, at the White House, President Carter and several other politicians, diplomats and people of importance stand before the newly arrived Doctor Doom. ‘Oh, he’s so - so regal!’ one woman exclaims. ‘Yes - a born leader!’ a man declares. ‘Darned good tactician, too!’ someone in a military uniform exclaims. ‘Do this country good to have a man like him at the helm!’ another man exclaims, while President Carter smiles and tells Doctor Doom that he wanted to express his appreciation at the opportunity to turn his office over to him. ‘All of us here are praying you’ll succeed in uniting this strife-torn world - to endeavour in the words of -’ the President continues, before he is interrupted by Doom, who slams his hands down onto the desk: ‘SILENCE! Cease your incessant jabbering - all of you!’
Doom exclaims that never in Latveria did he put up with such insanity, adding that there, his subjects obeyed him out of fear. ‘Here I cannot tell whether you obey me because of my neuro-gas - or out of your own revolting self interest!’ And with that, Doom storms out of the room. ‘What’d I say?’ the President asks, turning to someone nearby. ‘Nothing, Mr President! It will just take Doom a while to get used to Washington - that’s all!’ comes the reply.
Outside, on the White House lawn, Doom is informed that more diplomats have arrived. ‘Of course!’ Doom replies as more men stand in front of him. ‘We are at your service, your highness!’ one of them exclaims. Suddenly, one of Doom’s aides sees something falling from the sky, and tells Doom to take cover, ‘It’s the Hulk!’ he exclaims as Dr Bruce Banner, in his green behemoth form, lands on the lawn of the White House. ‘We’ll protect you, your highness! We’re Secret Service!’ someone exclaims as a couple of men surround Doom, who calls them blithering idiots and tells them to get their hands off him. ‘Doom needs protection from no man!’ Doom exclaims, swiping the men away.
‘But - but…excellency! The Hulk!’ one of the Secret Service agents exclaims as the Hulk stands before Doom, while White House guards surround the grounds. Doom announces that the Hulk has arrived in response to a command he issued through a holographic projection. ‘Your master…Doctor Doom!’ Doom exclaims to the Hulk, who slowly replies that he will do as Doom says, though he does not know why. ‘Yours is not to reason why, monster - assuming you are capable of reason’ Doom replies, telling the Hulk that his is but to serve him, or die, when suddenly, someone alerts Doom to a UFO above.
Doom looks up and sees the magnasphere: ‘Bearing Magneto and the accursed Beast!’ Doom exclaims. ‘See? I told ya he’d be glad to see us!’ the Beast exclaims, while Magneto informs Doom that he has travelled the world over to confront him. ‘And destroy you for humiliating me!’ Magneto adds. Doom remarks that Magneto forgets he controls ever living, breathing creature - including the awesomely powerful Hulk, who strides towards Magneto. ‘Hulk…will…kill!’ the Hulk exclaims. ‘That’s not gonna hold ol’ Green-Skin for long!’ the Beast points out as Magneto takes command of one of the tanks, using the weaponry to wrap around the Hulk, who shouts out.
‘You underestimate the unbridled force of the powers at the command of the Master of Magnetism, Beast!’ Magneto replies. But at that moment, a certain black sphere hovers over the White House, and the Beast tells Magneto to keep patting himself on the back, as they have more trouble - ‘Not only do we have to beat the Secret Service, the army, and the Hulk to reach Doom, but the Champs have found us - and boy, are they mad!’
Indeed, the Champions emerge from the Darkforce sphere, and Angel exclaims that Darkstar got them from L.A. to Washington in a matter of minutes. The Black Widow points out that they have yet to learn the limits of Darkstar’s powers, to which Laynia replies ‘One day soon, Widow - I promise!’. Ghost Rider alerts his teammates to Magneto, while Iceman exclaims ‘And, holy joe - Doctor Doom!’, while Hercules points out that there is one of his old foes as well - ‘The grotesque, green-skinned behemoth men call…the Hulk!’
‘Hulk is…free!’ booms the Hulk as he manages to break through the tanks holding him, while Hercules runs towards him, wondering which side the monster is on. Magneto tells the Olympian to rest assured, that the only clear lines in this battle will be drawn by Doom and he - while the rest of them are but pawns to be taken and used as they pleased! With that, Magneto casts the Hulk into Hercules, knocking the Olympian over. Hulk declares that he will not be tossed around. ‘Hulk is mad! And Hulk remembers big man!’ the green-skinned giant exclaims as he sees Hercules, and smacks him in the face, exclaiming that he fought Hercules before. ‘Fight now, big man - if you can!’ the Hulk shouts, while Hercules thinks to himself ‘Great Zeus! What a glorious battle this shall be!’
Magneto remarks that Doom’s two strongest pawns engage in their own furious combat, lost in their berserker rage. ‘They are oblivious to everything…including your commands!’ Magneto adds that he will not allow Doom an opportunity to re-establish control. Doom points out that he has a world from which to choose, while Magneto is quite alone, and orders the Champions forth: ‘Slay the mutant Magneto!’ he exclaims. But Ghost Rider suddenly asks ‘What is this? The Champions - moving like robots in answer to Doom’s command?’. The Beast asks Blaze what he thinks he has been trying to tell him: ‘The whole blasted world is -’ the Beast begins, before the White House Guard attack him. ‘We must silence him! His highness commands!’ one of them declares.
‘Highness? Doom?’ Ghost Rider wonders to himself, before realizing that the Beast was right - and now the Champions, the army, everyone is obeying Doom. Ghost Rider supposes that his supernatural power cancels out Doom’s control, as he has no need to breathe, he will not have inhaled Doom’s neuro-gas. Ghost Rider blasts several soldiers with his hellfire, and joins the Beast, telling him that he has found the ally he sought. ‘Golly-gee! How’d Mrs McCoy’s little boy ever get so lucky?’ the Beast asks sarcastically.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Magneto throws one of the spiked iron fences at Darkstar, the Black Widow and Iceman, all who move out of harms way in time, while Bobby notices that Ghost Riders has sided against them, with the Beast. ‘Do as Doom orders - then we’ll take care of him!’ the Black Widow exclaims. And so, the Champions obey, never questioning their actions for the neuro-gas has made it the natural order of things - that all men shall serve the doctor called “Doom”.
Others however are lacking explicit directions - like the Hulk, who continues to battle Hercules with mindless fury, though Hercules smashes the Hulk through a pillar. ‘Gosh, you’d be great at backyard barbecues!’ the Beast tells Ghost Rider, who creates a wall of hellfire between he and the Beast and the army. ‘Do not mock the power of Hell!’ Ghost Rider snaps back, before remarking that they cannot hold the army off forever, and points out that Doom is the real menace, when, suddenly, Iceman comes up from behind and covers Ghost Rider in ice. ‘You’ve betrayed the Champions and Doctor Doom!’ Iceman exclaims. ‘Now there’s a conflict of interest if I’ve ever heard one!’ the Beast exclaims, before suddenly, he is lifted into the air by Angel. Hank thinks to himself that if Warren drops him from this height, it will result in instant “beast burgers”.
Darkstar finds herself trapped by one of the iron gates, which Magneto wrapped around her, while the Black Widow is also trapped, a lamp-post wound around her. Natasha asks Laynia to use the Darkforce to free them, to which Laynia replies that she is trying, but that the gate is squeezing her so tight it is hard to concentrate, and she fears she is blacking out.
Magneto approaches Doom, telling him that his forces are split. ‘Or, checked! Now it is you and I!’ he exclaims. ‘And soon, mutant - it shall just be Doom!’ Doctor Doom replies, while Magneto unleashes a powerful blast, but it is evenly matched by Doom’s technological might. ‘But there are more ways than one to crush you!’ Magneto exclaims as he uses his powers to pick up a tank - and drop it down on Doom, but the tank bends as it strikes Doom’s force field. ‘My force field makes a mockery of your power!’ Doom exclaims, asking Magneto if this is the best he can do, and warning him that his moments are numbered.
But there is battle on many fronts and, with the “command center” occupied, the focus becomes even more fragmented. The Hulk throws Hercules into Iceman, knocking Bobby over, while Ghost Rider decides that he must get to Doom to stop this, while wondering where the Beast is. The Beast is still in the air above, held by Angel, the Beast wonders if no one understands that the enemy is Doom. ‘Have a care, brutish mortal - the power of Hercules is more than a match for any strength!’ the Olympian booms as he picks up a army jeep and turns towards the Hulk. ‘Big man talks too much!’ the Hulk mutters. ‘Hulk will smash big ma -’ the Hulk begins, before the jeep slams into him, knocking him over. ‘For Olympus - and Doom!’ Hercules boasts.
Magneto backs Doom up against the White House, telling him that his armor will soon become his coffin, as his magnetic forces crush him within it. ‘I have reversed my armor’s magnetic polarity, mutant - which allows me to absorb your force and turn it against you!’ Doom exclaims, doing just that, and knocking Magneto backwards.
Meanwhile, Ghost Rider finds himself surrounded by various diplomats and Secret Service officials, one of whom exclaims ‘Kill him! Kill the monster! The master commands it!’, causing Blaze to think that he has to stop them without hurting them, but he knows that the Ghost Rider side of him is trying to force the Blaze side to kill them, as he smacks one of them in the face.
Up in the air, Warren and Hank tussle, and Hank tries to get his friend to snap out of it, but realizes that it is no use, as Doom has his hooks in the Champions and he cannot break the control. ‘Unless I break Doom!’ Hank tells himself, before asking Warren to forgive him as he punches him in the face, causing Warren to drop the Beast - right onto Doom. ‘This may be one of the most suicidal things I’ve ever done!’ Hank thinks to himself. ‘You dolt!’ Doom shouts as the Beast slams into him. ‘Your monumental ignorance, Beast, has just cost you your life!’ Doom declares.
Ghost Rider looks over and sees that Doom is killing the Beast, and decides to help the only way he knows how - with hellfire - and blasts Doom, who shouts that his mask if on fire. ‘My face!’ he suddenly screams, before retaliating and blasting Ghost Rider. ‘Curse you, demon!’ Doom shouts. As he blasts Ghost Rider with energy, causing Ghost Rider to recoil in pain. Doom removes his faceplate, gasping for air, he suddenly realizes that without the air filters in his mask, he will inhale his own neuro-gas!
The Beast sees Doom suddenly lurch forwards, and asks Magneto if this means what he thinks it means. It does, and by the time Domo manages to replace his now cool mask, the damage is done. ‘What’s happened? Where are we? I feel like I just woke up!’ Bobby exclaims, while Hercules tells his young teammate that he is not alone in his confusion, while Hulk mutters that his head hurts. A soldier asks what in blazes is everyone doing on the White House lawn, and wonders where the President is, while Hulk remarks that the puny humans want to rush at him and bother him. ‘Hulk does not want to be bothered!’ he declares.
Darkstar and the Black Widow are still trapped, so the Black Widow calls out to Hercules, asking him to exert some Olympian muscle and get them down. ‘As ever, I heed the call of chivalry, milady, but which of thee shall I set free first?’ Hercules replies, while the Hulk exclaims ‘Talk, talk, talk! Hulk is sick of talk!’, and leaps into the air. Hercules tells the Hulk that he sympathizes with him, before bidding him farewell.
Magneto turns to the Beast and exclaims that he has won, and without Doom’s conscious control, everyone has returned to normal. ‘And since their normal reactions as ex-X-Men would be to pulverize you, Mags…may I suggest that you choose the better part of valor and split!’ the Beast replies as Iceman and Angel approach Magneto. Magneto angrily replies that he could smash the Beast’s former companions with ease, and yet the desire to do so is not with him now that he has won. ‘I have wrestled with Doom for a world, and taken the prize from his grasp! The world is free once more!’ Magneto exclaims, before taking to the air, telling the Champions to guard it well, for it is a prize still coveted by he.
‘Magneto? The Beast? What’s going on here?’ a confused Angel asks. ‘What are we all doing in Washington?’ The Beast suddenly replies that he doesn’t know, as Magneto withdraws his mental control over the Beast’s mind, and Hank once more succumbs to Doom’s neuro-gas. The gas is still in the atmosphere, still subjugating all who inhale it to the will of Doctor Doom - including a normal, breathing Johnny Blaze - and, it would seem, Victor von Doom himself!
The six Champions and the Beast move in on Doom, who is waving his fists in the air, and the Black Widow asks what he is raving about. But that is a question to which no one will ever know the answer, as Doom shouts ‘Doom…commands! But…I…am Doom! Command - and I must…obey! Yet…why does Doom not command? WHY?’ he babbles. And so, gaze upon a man who rules a world…and yet who is incapable of ruling himself….